A winter morning.
Snowflakes as large as goose feathers fell from the sky, covering every corner of the metropolis. It was still early, just before sunrise, yet Washington, as a world-class city, was already brimming with life. Students and office workers alike weaved through the streets, freshly cleared of snow.
Beep beep!
A local police car rolled slowly to a stop at the neighborhood street. The door opened, and a cute blonde girl leapt out from the back seat, carrying her backpack.
"Gwen, wait, here's your water bottle."
Officer George, dressed in his police uniform, opened the front door and followed her. Holding the thermos for his beloved daughter, his normally stern voice softened with affection: "Are you sure you don't want me to drive you to school? The roads are slippery, and it's still snowing."
Gwen took the water bottle and stuffed it into her bag, refusing crisply: "No thanks, I have my raincoat and non-slip boots."
"But—"
Officer George was about to argue when Gwen suddenly brightened, her cheeks flushed with joy. She hopped like a little rabbit, waving her arms excitedly: "Xi Nian, over here! Over here!"
"I knew it."
George sighed inwardly, glancing back to see a familiar boy standing at the corner of the street.
Hearing his name, Xi Nian looked up and smiled, nodding in greeting: "Gwen, Officer George, good morning! What a coincidence to run into you here!"
He was very familiar with them.
Gwen, full name Gwen Stacy, was a girl his age living in the same neighborhood. They had attended the same kindergarten, elementary, middle school, and now the same high school—a bond of childhood friendship. Her father, Officer George Stacy, was a respected local police officer overseeing their district.
"Yes, what a coincidence," Gwen said, her eyes curved into a smile, full of joy.
The snow around them sparkled white and pristine, though Officer George's face looked slightly grim.
Coincidence? Not at all! She had clearly timed this to run into Xi Nian on purpose.
Of course, he wouldn't reveal his daughter, nor would he doubt Xi Nian's background—he had checked ten years ago and found him to be a kind-hearted, unfortunate child.
"Ah! Xi Nian, why aren't you wearing a hat or carrying an umbrella?"
Gwen stepped closer, her hands brushing snow off his hair and eyebrows before he could answer.
"I was in a hurry and forgot," Xi Nian said casually, putting aside his chaotic thoughts for the moment.
"You still need to stay warm. What if you catch a cold?" Gwen puffed her cheeks playfully, adding to her charm. She placed her furry hat on Xi Nian's head, warming his slightly chilled face with her hands. For anyone else, this would seem intimate, but for these childhood friends, it was ordinary.
"It's cold outside, I'll drive you to school," Officer George said, unable to watch any longer.
Gwen didn't respond but looked at Xi Nian.
"The school isn't far, I can—"
Xi Nian wanted to refuse, but under George's sharp gaze, he nodded: "Thanks, Officer George."
Gwen smiled: "Then please take us there, Dad."
"You're welcome."
Officer George straightened his back, fully embracing his role as a chauffeur for his daughter.
Soon, the police car drove onto the main road toward the high school.
Inside, the warm car held Xi Nian and Gwen in the back seat. Xi Nian gazed out the window at the fast-moving winter scenery, his expression occasionally distant.
A soft, gentle hand held his, and he turned to see Gwen's concerned face.
"Xi Nian, how are you feeling today? Are you unwell? You look so troubled," Gwen asked.
"I…" Xi Nian hesitated.
The source of his unease was the mysterious photo slipped into his home. Although he had later checked, the person who left it was gone, leaving only a puzzling mystery.
Was the photo really from World War I? And the woman in armor identical to his aunt—who was she? His aunt's mother? No, that would be almost a century ago… possibly his grandmother's mother.
If he asked Gwen's father for help, he might find the person who left the photo. Xi Nian hesitated, then said: "I'm fine, just a little cold."
"That shouldn't be cold then," Gwen said, wrapping both hands around Xi Nian's left arm. They could feel each other's warmth.
Officer George glanced at the rearview mirror, nearly losing his composure.
Seeing his precious daughter hand-delivering warmth to Xi Nian—who, despite looking innocent and handsome, was still just a boy—was something any father would find unbearable!
However, George realized through experience that his daughter's intentions were obvious. Xi Nian seemed oblivious.
The police car stopped in front of the high school. When Xi Nian and Gwen got out, they immediately attracted the attention of other students.
Xi Nian noticed Gwen was wearing a new beige down jacket with a fitted sweater underneath. Her long legs were snug in white jeans, and black knee-high boots accentuated her height. Her golden short hair and delicate face exuded the vitality of a sixteen-year-old, making her stand out brilliantly.
Having grown up together, Xi Nian was used to her appearance.
Seeing other students' envious reactions, he realized Gwen's popularity at school was high.
"Gwen, you should let go of my hand," Xi Nian said.
"No, this way is warmer," Gwen murmured, holding him tighter. His right arm was enveloped in warmth, softer than marshmallows, yet with subtle resilience.
Xi Nian paid it no mind, but other students watching were inwardly screaming in frustration.
"You better let go or their stares will kill me," Xi Nian said with a bitter smile.
"You dared face armed robbers as a kid, and now you're afraid?" Gwen laughed like a silver bell and finally released his arm, her face flushed.
"Don't always bring up my embarrassing past," Xi Nian muttered, remembering his brief superhero ambitions inspired by Captain America documentaries.
Now, having lived sixteen years as a normal boy, Xi Nian had accepted reality.
There weren't many natural-born superheroes. Out of the world's five or six billion people, only a handful—Captain America, Iron Man, Batman, Superman—truly made it on the stage. Superman, of course, was an alien.
"I'm not afraid of trouble," Xi Nian said, ignoring the glaring students. Walking down the warmer school hallway, he teased Gwen: "I don't mind, but this isn't good for you. Your popularity is high; I heard you're nearly the top in our school."
"Where did you hear that?!" Gwen scoffed.
At that moment, Gwen realized that having a childhood friend might not always be a good thing.
Sometimes, long-standing relationships are hard to subtly change.
As Xi Nian and Gwen walked past the hallway, a girl in glasses in the last row of a tenth-grade classroom glanced toward them, her eyes following Xi Nian.
"Kara, what are you looking at?" a classmate asked.
"Nothing," Kara Danvers quickly averted her gaze.
Her classmate looked along Kara's line of sight and saw only a plain white wall, blocked from the outside corridor.
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