Chapter 37: Christmas, Home
Early morning in New York, light snow drifted down, adding a romantic charm to the bustling metropolis.
Today was Christmas Day. Streets were filled with decorated trees, and holiday music floated in the air.
"Merry Christmas, Xi Nian!"
"Good morning, senpai."
Two lively girls walked side by side through the snowy street. One wore a red reindeer hat, the other shook a jingling silver bell on her wrist. Both were gifts Xi Nian had bought for them the day before. Together, they became the most dazzling sight on the pedestrian street.
"Merry Christmas, good morning." Xi Nian, carrying his backpack, waved lazily while stifling a yawn. Inside the bag, Xiao Huang the Flerken was curled up fast asleep on a pile of clothes.
"Xi Nian, what did you do last night?" Gwen asked curiously, noticing the heavy dark circles under his eyes.
Xi Nian rubbed his messy black hair and answered weakly, "I was forced to save the world."
"Liar!" Gwen pouted, rolling her eyes.
Xi Nian shrugged. He already knew Gwen would dismiss it as a joke.
"You didn't sleep well?" Kara asked softly.
"Yeah." Xi Nian nodded. "I'm not used to hotel beds."
He really did have that kind of body—switching beds often made him unable to sleep. Well, except for his aunt's bed.
And last night he hadn't even touched a bed, instead dozing in a tree like a stray cat. No wonder he was exhausted.
Luckily, his symbiote fusion had timed out. Otherwise, he wouldn't even be able to show up in human form to meet the girls.
After sighing inwardly about his hardships, Xi Nian rejoined Gwen and Kara. They browsed the morning market, had a simple lunch, then boarded the train back to Washington.
…
On the train out of New York, Gwen and Kara scrolled through their phones and newspapers, catching scattered reports about what had happened the night before.
"They say Iron Man was swallowed alive? That's terrifying!"
"That gray-green liquid monster was so gross!"
At first their conversation was serious, but soon it took a strange turn—
"Wow, that little black cat was adorable! I want to hug it so badly!"
"It was amazing!"
Watching them gush about the black cat instead of being scared, Xi Nian blinked and said, "That cat kind of looked like Xiao Huang, don't you think?"
"What?!"
Both girls glanced at the orange kitten asleep on Xi Nian's lap. In truth, when they first saw the black cat in the footage, they had already thought of Xiao Huang.
But now, hearing Xi Nian bring it up himself, they suddenly felt the opposite—that Xiao Huang and the black cat were nothing alike.
From appearance, fur color, even aura, there were clear differences. Especially since the black cat on the news had radiated such a strange sense of danger, strong enough to make Kara herself feel threatened. Meanwhile, Xiao Huang, despite being some special alien creature, seemed harmless.
Kara shook her head, and Gwen laughed. "Xiao Huang is nothing like that black cat."
"Right." Xi Nian nodded, relieved inside.
Crisis avoided.
"Still, I can't shake this weird sense of familiarity when I see that black cat," Gwen muttered.
"Me too." Kara brushed back her platinum-gold hair shining in the sunlight, her blue eyes flickering with doubt. "It feels like I've seen it somewhere before."
So this was what people meant by a woman's sixth sense?
"No way. It was terrifying—don't forget, it even swallowed Iron Man." Xi Nian quickly steered the topic away.
Regardless, after today, just like the silver-haired goddess superhero had once dominated headlines, the mysterious black cat would become a nightmare etched into people's minds.
For example, a certain billionaire playboy who kept waking from nightmares of being swallowed into an endless void.
Which eventually pushed Stark Industries to develop, overnight, a special piece of strategic equipment—codenamed the Anti-Black Flash (Black Cat) Armor.
…
Washington.
At the station, Xi Nian said goodbye to Gwen and Kara. Officer George, who came to pick up Gwen, gave Xi Nian a deep, knowing look before driving away.
Xi Nian pretended not to notice.
After also seeing Kara off in a taxi, the sky had already grown dark, neon lights glowing faintly through the falling snow.
Christmas night was coming.
Xi Nian thought for a moment, then, instead of heading home, walked toward another part of the city.
Potomac River.
Festive decorations lit up the nearby commercial streets, but the frost-covered trees along the quiet riverside bridge felt lonely in contrast.
Xi Nian spotted the graceful figure seated on a wooden bench by the river and quickened his steps.
"Auntie."
"You're back?"
The woman turned slightly, her beautiful features both cool and gentle, her gemstone-like eyes reflecting the boy's image.
Xi Nian's heart thudded violently. He smiled. "Yeah. Sorry to keep you waiting."
Neither had called or arranged this meeting, yet both instinctively came here.
After all, this was where they had first met—sixteen years ago, on a Christmas night.
Back then, one was a demigod utterly disillusioned with humanity. The other, a reincarnated child new to the world. Two lonely souls who became family to one another.
"Sit," Diana said with a soft blink.
Xi Nian put down his bag, ready to sit beside her.
But Diana suddenly extended her arms. "The bench is cold."
"You still treat me like a kid…"
Grumbling, Xi Nian nevertheless obediently sat down on her long, firm legs.
Who could resist such comfort?
Diana asked gently, "That black cat in New York… it was you, wasn't it?"
"Yes."
Xi Nian nodded, explaining everything—the symbiote encounter with Venom, the triple fusion, and the hunt for the other symbiotes.
"I see." Diana gazed thoughtfully at Xiao Huang, still asleep in the bag. "If you can avoid it, don't ever let yourself fall into that kind of uncontrollable state again."
"I know." Xi Nian agreed. The chaotic thoughts and twisted impulses from the triple fusion had been far worse than when Venom alone was in control.
But that also meant… he could no longer rely on Venom's powers in the future.
As long as the parasite remained, if he bonded again, he would inevitably be dragged into the triple fusion.
Until he found a solution, Xi Nian couldn't use Venom anymore.
And with Venom now in Xiao Huang, even dormant, their fluids had likely already mingled. That meant Xi Nian also couldn't use his Master of Affection ability to draw on Xiao Huang's powers alone.
"I have an idea," Diana said softly behind him.
"What is it?" Xi Nian asked.
"Come home with me."
"Auntie, what are you talking about? Of course I'll go home with you. It's Christmas—where else would I go?"
"I don't mean our home here in Washington." Diana drew a deep breath, her expression serious. "I mean my real home. Come with me, just this once."
Her real home?
Xi Nian froze.
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