At the Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters on Staten Island, New York, Zhou Yi slowly maneuvered an Audi-zeo into the parking area. As a rarely seen concept sports car from Audi, its presence naturally drew the attention of many students.
This was exactly the effect Zhou Yi wanted. Only this level of spectacle justified him brazenly borrowing the vehicle from Tony Stark's company parking space. While he could easily afford any concept sports car as a Stark Enterprises director, he usually preferred motorcycles. But today, leveraging Tony's possessions was far more satisfying.
Parking the vehicle in front of the main teaching building, Zhou Yi, impeccably dressed in a sharp suit and holding a magnificent bouquet of bright red roses, walked toward the entrance.
It was just past 3:00 PM, and the day's classes had recently ended. The hallways were teeming with teenagers. Since this was a Mutant school, there were, naturally, some students with unique or unusual physical appearances. Zhou Yi remained unfazed; his own sister was one of them, and discrimination was a stupidity he had long outgrown.
Zhou Yi's arrival drew stares. As a school whose students rarely left the premises, everyone was familiar with each other.
Zhou Yi, a new face, was immediately noticeable. Despite his purely Chinese descent, his tall, athletic build and handsome features—inherited from his parents—made him stand out significantly, giving him an undeniable presence that transcended typical ethnic labels.
For most students, he was a stranger, but for a select few, he was instantly recognizable.
"Hey! Yi, when did you get back?"
A sheet of purple, crystalline energy suddenly manifested in front of Zhou Yi, and then a considerable weight immediately crashed into his body.
It was a girl of sixteen or seventeen. Her auburn hair was woven into huge braids that hung down her back. Her delicate face was framed by emerald eyes, which held strange, intricate patterns around them, lending her an indescribable, mysterious, and elven-like beauty, complete with slightly pointed ears.
"You bastard! You went to China to enjoy yourself without taking me!" The girl's strong, slender legs were wrapped firmly around Zhou Yi's waist, and the stack of books she held landed a sharp, but playful, rap on his forehead. "How can I possibly have such an irresponsible brother?"
The sight of the girl playfully bullying him elicited envious, hostile looks from many pubescent teenage boys, but the girl's accompanying words provided a momentary flash of hope: Who is this person? Many boys mentally labeled him as "Brother-in-law."
Enduring his sister's attack, Zhou Yi smiled wryly. With one hand, he secretly tucked the roses behind his back to prevent them from being crumpled or crystallized. With the other, he forcibly hugged the 'koala bear' attached to him and gently placed her back on the ground.
"Charisse," he said, using her name deliberately. "You need to understand, I am a very busy man. And didn't I give you the keys to my Upper East Side apartment? You can do whatever you want there."
Charisse pouted, her expression awkward. "First, don't call me Charisse in front of outsiders; call me by my nickname, Shadow." She looked around with a smug, self-conscious air. "Second, that Upper East Side apartment is completely boring. No swimming pool, no game room, and no take-out menus I can actually order from. Third, my darling brother, do you honestly think the Professor will give us a long vacation?"
Zhou Yi chuckled, draping his arm over Charisse's shoulder as they walked along the corridor. "First, Charisse, your nickname is completely ridiculous. Second, I'd be happy to give you one of my villas on Long Island—complete with a swimming pool, chess room, game room, and a huge lawn with a go-kart track. The only prerequisite is that you can convince darling Mom."
He paused, his voice softening into a teasing reprimand. "Also, third, I don't know about your vacation plans. I only know that Ororo called me here to attend a parent-teacher conference about the trouble you've been causing. I'm waiting, darling. What do you have to say about this?"
"It was just a misunderstanding, okay?" Charisse angrily bumped her head against his shoulder. "I accidentally opened the door to the street! You can ask my good friend, Kitty; she can testify for me. You will, won't you, Kitty?"
Hearing Charisse's shout, a girl with a sweet face and smooth brown hair, also carrying a stack of books, trotted quickly up to them. She looked anxious.
"Yes, yes. I can testify for Charisse. I promise, Officer!" she stammered.
Zhou Yi glanced at his sister's proudly defiant look and then at the nervous brown-haired girl. He immediately realized he was dealing with a classic case of the boss using a follower to fool the adults. But he wasn't going to press the issue now.
He smiled warmly at the brown-haired girl. "Relax, girl. I'm not some officer. Let me introduce myself: I'm Zhou Yi, Charisse's brother. You can call me Zhou Yi directly, or Yi for short. Though this is our first meeting, I'm sure Charisse has told you all about me. So don't worry, I'm not a stiff, poker-faced guy like Scott [Cyclops], and I won't do anything to you."
Zhou Yi extended his hand, his smile bright and reassuring.
The brown-haired girl shyly took his hand, speaking softly. "Hello, Mr. Zhou Yi. Charisse talks about you often. I'm Kitty Pryde, Charisse's good friend. You can call me Kitty."
"Hello, Kitty," Zhou Yi said, then affectionately ruffled his sister's hair. "I'm very happy Charisse has a friend like you at school. I'm sure you get along well. Although Charisse is a bit confused and loves to tease people. And she can be childish, but she's always been very loyal to her friends."
Charisse instantly punched Zhou Yi in the waist. "You idiot! I'm your sister! Are you trying to hold a press conference to announce to the world how awful I am?"
"Of course not. It's a pity no reporter would cover such boring news."
Zhou Yi's comeback made Charisse jump onto him again, furiously batting at him with her arms. Kitty couldn't help but cover her mouth and laugh at the siblings' skirmish.
"Kitty, whose side are you on?" Charisse pulled away from Zhou Yi, not forgetting to complain about her friend's betrayal.
Kitty, clearly of a gentler disposition, covered her mouth in embarrassment. "Charisse, you know I didn't mean to betray you! And Mr. Zhou Yi is just exaggerating. I promise!"
Another sheet of crystal energy formed, and Charisse reappeared behind Kitty. She hugged her friend's arm and declared to Zhou Yi, "My friend and I don't care about you, you playboy! I hope Ororo throws you right out of the window."
"Hey! Charisse, I'm your brother!" Zhou Yi smiled bitterly. Shouldn't his own sister be on his side?
"I'm on the women's side," Charisse announced decisively. She flicked her large braid dismissively at Zhou Yi, turned her back, and walked away with Kitty in tow, leaving him behind.
"Difficult family disputes?" A warm, magnetic female voice sounded from the side.
Zhou Yi turned to see the beautiful red-haired woman leaning against the door frame. He merely sighed, slipping into a faux-fatherly tone. "Of course not. I'm just feeling sentimental about a child growing up too fast."
"You are still so humorous, Yi!" Jean Grey pushed off the door frame and walked toward him. "The roses are beautiful, and thank you for the gift."
"I haven't seen you in a year, and you are still just as charming, Jean!" Zhou Yi embraced the red-haired beauty, an air of genuine warmth in the gesture. "Actually, I think deep red roses match your hair color best, but some people certainly wouldn't agree. I don't want the things I send you to be reduced to ashes the next day."
He subtly curled his lips when mentioning "some people," clearly referring to the overly-protective Scott Summers, who still disliked him.
"I don't think red roses suit me. To me, they symbolize something too unrestrained," Jean mused, jokingly countering his compliment, presenting her usual intellectual reserve.
"That's only what you show on the surface, isn't it?" Zhou Yi took a step closer, his bright eyes fixed on hers. He was now significantly taller and broader, leaning in with a calculated aggression and physical oppression.
"The Jean I see is like Fire. Passionate, untamed, wild, and unrestrained. You make my eyes bright and my heart hot."
He whispered the words, slowly closing the distance. The eight years since their last meaningful encounter had transformed Zhou Yi from an awkward teenager into a powerfully built man, giving him the physical advantage. His body naturally shadowed Jean's, causing her to lose a slight measure of composure.
Their faces drew closer and closer until, with a sudden surge of physical force, Jean abruptly pushed Zhou Yi away.
Jean Grey glanced around guiltily. Fortunately, due to her position as an instructor, the curious students had mostly dispersed when they saw her approach. The embarrassing moment had not been witnessed.
Still, her cheeks felt warm. She whispered, "Zhou Yi, do you know what you are doing? Or do you think this is a game?"
"Jean, you know. Everything I said is true. I'd stake my life on it. It's just that you keep rejecting me," Zhou Yi said, offering an apologetic smile, but maintaining the tension.
Jean pushed past him, taking two hurried steps away before stopping. "You are too impulsive. I don't know what your intentions are, but you have to understand that Scott and Ororo are firmly opposed to you..."
"I understand them perfectly. What I don't understand is you... This was never an insurmountable problem in the first place."
"I won't accept this, and stop talking nonsense..." The red-haired beauty cut him off, her voice rushed, and quickly left his sight.
"This is truly... a strange woman," Zhou Yi shrugged, readjusted his suit, and continued on his way with the roses, still smiling faintly.