Xi Nian couldn't focus on his classes all day. As soon as school ended, he hurried home.
But when he reached his front door, he suddenly froze.
Could something that had remained unchanged for over a decade really shift because of an old photo? The thought made his chest tighten unexpectedly. He stood there, staring at the closed, silent door.
About ten seconds passed.
The winter air seeped in from the staircase outside. Xi Nian's palms, gripping the keys, grew sweaty. Just as he steeled himself to open the door, it clicked and swung open from the inside.
A woman stood there, flawless in every possible way.
She looked around twenty-eight years old, her black hair tied neatly, giving her an air of intelligence. Light makeup highlighted her delicate, flawless features. Her eyes were like fragments of a clear blue sky, and her black brows carried a faint but striking nobility.
She wore a loose, fashionable white blouse and tailored trousers, showing just a hint of her tall, graceful figure. What impressed Xi Nian most was that she radiated both regal elegance and a natural, effortless charm at the same time.
Elegance and casualness. Two seemingly opposite qualities merged perfectly in her presence.
Xi Nian instinctively called out: "Aunt Diana."
"Come in."
Diana Prince didn't ask why Xi Nian was standing outside. She crouched slightly, her posture forming a perfect arc from nape to hips, and retrieved a pair of house slippers from the shoe cabinet, placing them on the mat in front of him.
"Aunt Diana, I…"
Xi Nian opened his mouth, feeling he shouldn't hide anything from her. Sixteen years of unchanging life made this seem natural, but he didn't know how to start.
"Let's have dinner first." Diana seemed to sense something and interrupted him, turning toward the living room.
Xi Nian felt some relief. He hung his backpack by the door and slipped on the slippers before following her inside.
The living room glowed with warm light.
Two plates of steaming spaghetti sat on the table, accompanied by beef sauce, chili oil, and cold water. Diana and Xi Nian, one tall, one short, sat opposite each other, quietly eating their meal.
"Spaghetti again," Xi Nian muttered, almost forgetting the heaviness from earlier.
Diana, her face as cool as ever, replied: "You should be grateful there's food at all, and you dare complain."
"Yes, ma'am."
Xi Nian frowned but quickly dug in, eager to finish his colorful plate.
Diana's cooking skills were average at best, so the taste was nothing extraordinary, though now it reminded Xi Nian of his childhood, when she couldn't cook at all.
"Cough cough."
He choked slightly on the food. Diana, who had been watching him, immediately stood and patted his back, handing him her water cup.
Xi Nian drank deeply, feeling the warmth spread through his chest.
He took a deep breath and said: "Aunt Diana, someone slipped a photo into our house this morning."
He placed the photo on the table and explained the morning's events.
Diana didn't seem surprised. She listened quietly, though a faint ripple crossed her eyes when she saw the black-and-white photo.
When Xi Nian finished, Diana collected the photo and returned to her seat, speaking gently: "I know who left this photo. I'll handle it, so you don't need to worry."
"Okay."
Xi Nian didn't doubt her ability. But with pure curiosity, he asked: "Aunt Diana, the woman in that strange armor…"
"Since you want to know, I'll tell you."
Diana's usually composed face grew serious. She took a moment, then spoke: "That woman is actually my grandmother. She passed away long ago, but it's said that during World War I, she helped the military fight against a mysterious force."
"Mysterious force? Could it be the legendary gods?" Xi Nian's eyes widened. The most widely spread origin of World War I legends was about the God of War.
Diana shook her head: "Those stories are too old. I only heard about them from my mother when I was a child. But there are no real gods in this world."
"True," Xi Nian exhaled quietly. At most, only aliens had appeared recently, within the scope of scientific understanding.
Diana also let out a silent sigh of relief.
"I'm meeting a friend later, so I might be a bit late coming back," Diana said softly, taking a sip from her water cup. She noticed Xi Nian staring at her cup.
"What is it?" she asked.
"Nothing, it's nothing," Xi Nian shook his head. He suddenly realized something.
Earlier, he had used Aunt Diana's cup. Now, she was drinking from it again.
Wasn't that… an indirect kiss?
With Aunt Diana, it wasn't a big deal. They used to bathe together when he was a child. That was why most girls rarely caught his attention.
Like being immersed in a masterwork every day, other things always seemed dull in comparison.
But now, a new question arose.
Could an indirect kiss trigger [Master of Affection]?
Xi Nian pondered.
He hadn't used his superpowers before, but he knew the three prerequisites for activating [Master of Affection]:
An opposite-sex partner.
Physical contact.
Exchange of bodily fluids.
His aunt was obviously the opposite sex, a perfect one at that.
As for physical contact—did her patting his back count?
And the fluid exchange—if any happened, it was diluted in the cup.
So, it should be fine, right?
Xi Nian continued pondering this absentmindedly until their simple dinner ended.
"Don't wait up for me. Go to bed early," Diana said, her tone like she was coaxing a child. Xi Nian couldn't help but smile wryly: "Got it. Stay safe out there. We don't have any local superheroes in our city."
Currently, only New York, Gotham, and Metropolis had permanent superheroes: Iron Man, Batman, and Superman, respectively.
"Don't worry, I've always been lucky. You, however, take care of the house and don't run around," Diana winked, leaving him reassured, then put on her winter heeled boots and stepped out.
The house fell silent again.
Xi Nian stared at the closed door, feeling strangely empty, replaying the conversation.
"Just like that… the photo issue is resolved?" he murmured.
If the photo only represented Diana's grandmother, then the person who slipped it in—what were their intentions?
"This isn't so simple," Xi Nian thought, still tidying up when suddenly he heard a crisp, explosive shattering sound.
Startled, he looked down. His pupils constricted.
The water cup in his hand had shattered completely, as if hit by a force beyond its limit. Glass fragments scattered across the floor.
"This cup? No… it's my body…"
Xi Nian's hands were unharmed. Instead, he felt unprecedented strength in his palms, a sensation of being able to crush anything.
Hallucination or illusion?
Stunned, he glanced at the metal knife and fork in his other hand. His fingers twitched, and the utensils bent visibly under his control.
Clear fingerprints were imprinted on the handles.
Every movement exuded the extraordinary.
"Eh?" Xi Nian was completely dumbfounded.
[Please give powerstones if you're enjoying the story.
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