Chapter 71: A Little Practice at Night
Washington, in a wealthy residential district.
A middle-aged woman, well over forty, stepped back into the neighborhood in her high heels. Though her wavy hair had been stylishly treated and she wore large sunglasses, the marks of age still lingered on her skin and figure.
"Hey, old lady up front, move it!" a white boy shouted from a distance.
He was decked head to toe in top luxury brands, holding a black adult pit bull on a leash. The dog's muscles bulged, its teeth bared menacingly. The boy, clearly used to being arrogant, strolled down the lane as if no one else mattered. Neighbors usually scurried out of the way, intimidated by the beast.
But the leopard-coat woman didn't react at all and kept walking straight ahead.
"Toby, bark at her!" the boy yelled angrily.
The pit bull's eyes gleamed viciously, its jaws about to snap open—
But then, the boy froze.
The ferocious dog suddenly tucked its tail between its legs, slumped to the ground, and whimpered pitifully. A wet patch spread beneath it.
It had pissed itself in fear.
As the woman drew near, the pit bull suddenly bolted in terror, dragging its owner off his feet and sending him flying. His screams and the dog's yelps echoed through the neighborhood.
The woman ignored both of them, her face expressionless, and walked into a private villa deeper inside the community.
The moment she shut the door behind her, she kicked off her high heels and padded barefoot across the cold floor.
As she walked elegantly with a strange feline grace, her sunglasses, coat, and trousers slipped off one by one, leaving her wrinkled body exposed as she stepped into the villa's shower room.
Barbara Minerva looked at the wrinkled face staring back at her in the mirror. Suddenly she grabbed one cheek and pulled hard. A layer of shriveled skin peeled away, revealing the youthful, sultry face beneath.
She kept pulling, stripping away the disguise. Soon, the sagging flesh was gone, revealing a fit, perfectly sculpted body with the beauty of a thirty-year-old model.
Expressionless, Barbara turned on the shower. Scalding water poured down her head as steam filled the room.
On the tiled wall, two photos were pinned.
One showed Wonder Woman during the First World War.
The other—
A teenage boy in high school uniform, clear-eyed and handsome.
Barbara's lips curled into a cruel predator's smile. She plucked the second photo from the wall, licked it with a crimson tongue, then let her razor-sharp fangs and claws slide free. In an instant, she shredded the boy's image into a hundred pieces.
…
That evening, around 7:30.
Xi Nian returned home. When he opened the door, the bright lights revealed a spotless living room, the floor and furniture gleaming.
On the sofa sat a beautiful, mature woman with black hair. Her long legs crossed elegantly as she read a thick law book. Not far away, on another couch, a red-haired girl lay curled up fast asleep, holding a rag in one hand and a dozing orange kitten in the other.
At a glance, they looked almost like mother and daughter.
The warmth of the scene made Xi Nian pause, dazed.
Could life be any better than this?
Diana set aside her book and walked over gracefully. She took a pair of slippers from the cabinet and placed them at Xi Nian's feet. "I told Wanda to go to bed, but she insisted on waiting for you. She ended up playing with Xiao Huang on the sofa and fell asleep."
"Probably exhausted. Too much has happened these past few days." Xi Nian smiled. He didn't think his aunt's arrangement was bad at all.
Now he understood her reasoning—letting Wanda find peace while also helping her recover from the pain of losing her parents.
"Thank you, Aunt," Xi Nian said sincerely.
"We're family," Diana answered with a gentle smile.
Xi Nian glanced at Wanda sleeping peacefully on the sofa. "Where is Wanda going to stay?"
Diana bent down to put away his shoes. "There was an empty storage room next to your bedroom. I had new furniture brought in this afternoon. It's now a proper bedroom."
"Wait… so Wanda is living with us from now on?" Xi Nian was stunned.
That was… a little too close.
Diana replied matter-of-factly, "Why not? I'll be busy with Justice League matters during the day. Wanda can look after you."
"I don't need taking care of… I'm not a kid," Xi Nian muttered, then asked curiously, "How many people are in the Justice League now?"
"Right now? Just Batman and me," Diana said openly. "After Tomorrow Superman's funeral, Batman is heading north. Rumor has it there's a metahuman called Aquaman in a frozen coastal village. He's been fighting pirates and bringing fish to villagers trapped by snow."
She continued, "There are also two more candidates—Barry Allen, whom you've already met, and another metahuman whose body has been rebuilt with cybernetics. I'll contact them soon."
Xi Nian listened at first but quickly lost focus.
His gaze shifted to his aunt.
Her glossy black hair was tied up neatly, her slender figure wrapped in a white strapless evening gown that highlighted every curve. Her flawless features seemed sculpted by the gods, her swanlike neck bare and elegant, the neckline of her dress forming a delicate line across her chest.
"So… is it starting tonight?" he asked, remembering something important.
Diana knew exactly what he meant. She gave a calm nod.
Xi Nian took a deep breath, stepped closer, and placed his hands around her slender waist. Even though he'd touched her before, he still marveled inwardly at the divine perfection.
He lifted his eyes to her lips, enhanced with subtle lipstick, their curve even more tempting.
It was just practice, after all…
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