Chapter 70: From Today, I'll Work Hard to Become Superman
Xi Nian went alone to the second floor of the wooden house. He glanced downstairs at Kara's adoptive parents, who showed no sign of moving, and for a moment he didn't know what to say.
Seriously, were parents these days really that carefree?
Even if he was just a classmate of Kara, they actually dared to let him walk right into their fifteen-year-old daughter's room?
Weren't they worried he might do something bad?
Forget it—he hadn't planned on doing anything bad anyway…
"Ahem." Xi Nian pretended to cough and knocked on the door upstairs. "Kara, are you in there?"
No sound came from inside.
He knocked a few more times, then decided he might as well push forward. "If you don't answer, I'm coming in."
Still silence.
He tried the handle and found the door unlocked, so he opened it.
The wooden door creaked and revealed a warm, quiet girl's bedroom. The only window was shut, with thick curtains tightly drawn, letting in no sunlight at all. The room was dark and gloomy.
Xi Nian stepped inside, only to accidentally step on something soft. He bent down to pick it up—and froze. It was a pair of sky-blue, rather skimpy undergarments.
His hand shook and he tossed it away instantly.
Thankfully no one saw that. Feeling a little guilty, he quickly turned his gaze to the bed. The blanket was bunched up into a mound, with no sign of the girl inside, as if she was deliberately hiding beneath it.
"Kara, you're in there, right?" Xi Nian asked, standing by the bed.
"Senior, why are you here?"
At last, a delayed reply came muffled from under the blanket.
"Since Christmas you've been absent, never showing up to class, so…"
Before he could finish, Kara interrupted, "So you came because you're worried about me?"
"Of course." Xi Nian nodded firmly. "Aren't we friends?"
The mound under the blanket trembled slightly.
Then a voice, tinged with tears, came out: "Senior, I don't know what to do. I feel so useless. I couldn't help him, couldn't protect him at all!"
At that moment, Xi Nian understood.
It lined up with what Kara's foster father had warned him earlier—never mention Superman.
Everything made sense.
Kara was clearly a die-hard Superman fan.
Thinking of this, Xi Nian said, "Do you know what Superman was thinking about at the moment of his death?"
Kara went silent, then asked softly, "What?"
"He must have been wishing there were more—second, third, even more Supermen to step forward." Xi Nian spoke steadily. "That way he wouldn't have to bear the weight of the whole world alone. He could live an ordinary, peaceful life."
"But… no one can ever do it better than him," Kara's voice trembled from under the blanket.
"Yes, no one can. And that's exactly why we need to try—try to become the Supermen he hoped for." Xi Nian continued, "We need to become the 'Supermen' ourselves, so that Superman can finally live like a normal person. That's the world he truly wanted—a lighter, happier one."
In truth, Xi Nian had no idea what he was saying.
He wasn't good at comforting people. The only thing he could think to do was set a goal in Kara's heart, using her idol as a guide.
As for becoming Superman?
Ridiculous—who could? Superman was Kryptonian.
It was just something he said to spark Kara's spirit.
"Senior, do you really think I could become Superman?" Kara's voice sounded softer, no longer lost.
Xi Nian sat down on the bed, patted the blanket where she hid, and said encouragingly, "Of course. As long as you work hard, you'll surely become the Supergirl Superman hoped for."
Yes, he continued to blur the truth.
Work hard? As if she were some bald guy who gets stronger just by trying?
Silence lingered under the blanket.
Just when Xi Nian thought his words hadn't worked, Kara suddenly giggled.
"You're lying. I can't even confess properly—how could I ever become Superman?"
"…Huh?" Xi Nian couldn't follow her train of thought at all.
"Xi Nian, do you really feel nothing at all for me?"
As she spoke, the blanket slid down slightly.
Xi Nian froze. Even in the dim light, he could see a glimpse of smooth, pale skin.
Kara, her golden hair dimly glowing in the dark, sat duck-style on the bed. She wore only a thin camisole on top and short shorts on the bottom. The fabric hugged her soft, slender legs, while the blanket draped over one shoulder had slipped, along with her strap, revealing a faint outline of her youthful body.
Her jewel-like eyes sparkled as she leaned forward, hands pressed into the bed, her face drawing close to his.
Their noses were just centimeters apart, the air thick with a delicate tension.
"I…" Xi Nian opened his mouth, but a soft finger pressed against his lips.
"No need to say anything."
Kara lowered her gaze to his chest and smiled sweetly. "I already know the answer."
"But this… this isn't the real me yet."
She stared at him, voice sincere and full of regained confidence. "Give me a little more time. I'll show you my true self. When that day comes, you can reconsider my confession."
…
Xi Nian left the Danvers household.
Before the wooden house faded from sight, he turned back to look at the upstairs window. The curtains of Kara's room were drawn open, sunlight pouring inside.
That day, the Kara Danvers who had regained her confidence and spirit left a deep impression on Xi Nian.
He had to admit, in that instant, his heart beat much faster than usual.
…
At S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters, in the top office—
"Director, you wanted to see me?" Natasha Romanoff, in her usual black combat suit, stepped inside.
Nick Fury, seated at his desk, said nothing. He simply slid a photograph across to her.
Natasha's eyes flicked over it and widened slightly. Their targets were usually gang leaders or dangerous figures. This time, it was… a teenage boy.
An Asian boy. He looked like an ordinary high schooler.
"His name is Xi Nian Prince. He's a student at a high school in Washington. Preliminary investigation suggests he's also connected to the newly forming Justice League—as the adopted son of Wonder Woman." Fury said briskly. "I want you to get close to him, undercover, and find out if he has any unusual abilities."
"And if he does?" Natasha asked curiously.
Fury's one eye gleamed sharply. His face was set like stone as he said in a low voice:
"Then we compete with the Justice League—for him."
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