The morning light streamed into the Villa, illuminating the aftermath of a passionate night. Su Yi emerged from the kitchen, bearing a tray laden with breakfast—perfectly toasted waffles, fresh fruit, and rich coffee—only to find Pepper wrapped precariously in a towel, looking mortified.
"Su, I think this dress might be ruined," she said, gesturing toward the beautiful, backless purple evening gown draped sadly over a chair. A large seam had violently split near the bodice, betraying an obvious failure in fabric integrity rather than sewing skill.
Su Yi felt a genuine pang of guilt. "Oh, my apologies, Pepper. Maybe I didn't control my strength as finely as I intended." His internal template analysis quickly determined the mechanical failure point: excessive radial tensile stress during an impromptu, enthusiastic lift.
"The problem now," Pepper sighed, adjusting the towel, "is that I can't stay wrapped in a towel forever, and this is hardly appropriate for a CEO's morning commute."
"I have two, immediate solutions," Su Yi offered smoothly. "The first is, I can simply teleport you home quickly and discreetly so you can change—you'd be there and back before your coffee gets cold. The other is, you can wear a selection of my freshly laundered clothes for the trip to Stark Tower."
Pepper hesitated, the idea of instantaneous teleportation still unnerving, despite her acceptance of his powers. "I'll take the second option. I need to feel grounded right now, and frankly, a few minutes in one of your oversized shirts sounds comforting."
Soon, they were seated at the dining table, Pepper looking surprisingly chic in a crisp, white shirt of Su Yi's, the sleeves rolled precisely to her elbows.
"Pepper, on a related note," Su Yi began, sipping his coffee. "Tony invited me to a car race in Monaco in two weeks, and I've already accepted."
Pepper's composure broke. "What? You're planning to go crazy with Tony at the Grand Prix? That is the definition of impulsive self-indulgence!"
"Of course not," Su Yi smiled, reaching across the table to take her hand. "I'm not interested in racing or his extravagant parties. I just want to go on a romantic getaway with you. I know you'll be handling corporate partnerships and clean energy negotiations while you're there. We can have romantic dinners every night, walk the beaches, and enjoy the scenery. The racing is just the backdrop to our time together."
She still looked conflicted, thinking of the mountain of work on her desk. "But I might not have much free time, Su. I'm trying to finalize the new R&D budgets."
"You can always make some time," he insisted, his tone gentle but persuasive. "A few hours a day, away from the papers and the phone. I need you to recharge, not burn out."
Pepper finally relented, realizing the genuine care behind his insistence. "Okay. OK. Business negotiations are, after all, only for the daytime. I'll clear my evenings for romantic dinners."
"Excellent," Su Yi confirmed, a private victory secured. "One last thing: do you have any other evening gowns? If not, we can go buy a few more together today, and I can personally help you choose."
A mischievous gleam entered Pepper's eye. "I still have a few dresses hidden away, but, Su, you have to promise to treat them gently this time."
"I'm always gentle," he replied, feigning innocence, knowing fully well he was about to spend a significant portion of his day strategizing how to manage the logistical impossibility of his love life.
After dropping off a freshly dressed Pepper at Stark Tower, Su Yi turned his attention to his other priorities. He was free, and so were Gwen, Betty, and Mary Jane. The girls, having spontaneously re-formed their band, "The Mary Janes" (despite Gwen's objections to the name), planned to perform at a bar later that week and were currently setting up for a full-day rehearsal.
Su Yi, however, had to fulfill his partnership with Peter. He drove to Peter's modest house in Queens and knocked, feeling a familiar sense of anticipation.
The door opened, and a beautiful woman with a vibrant, mature aura appeared before him—Aunt May. Thanks to the dose of the Water of Life he had given her after her near-fatal accident months ago, she appeared radiantly youthful, her figure having settled into a healthy, strong, and undeniably attractive form, akin to a woman in her early thirties.
"Hello," Su Yi said, deploying his most genuine, charming smile. "I'm Peter's classmate, Su Yi. Are you Peter's sister?"
May laughed, a warm, melodic sound. "I'm Peter's aunt, May."
Su Yi feigned a delayed realization, widening his eyes slightly. "I forgot Peter said it was just him and Aunt May at home. I just didn't expect you to be so young. Please forgive my mistake."
"Su, please come in. Peter often talks about you," May said, already stepping aside and radiating a simple, comforting hospitality.
Su Yi entered, taking a seat. May poured him a glass of water and sat opposite him, her eyes observing him with gentle curiosity. She couldn't help but reflect that he was exceptionally handsome, well-spoken, and exuded a calm confidence that belied his age. No wonder Mary Jane and Peter's other friends speak so highly of him.
"You're looking for Peter, for what?"
"We agreed yesterday that we'd open a food truck during the holidays," Su Yi explained, his tone serious. "I plan to go buy and outfit the truck with Peter today. It's an important step toward ESU. I apologize for arriving unannounced; I should have discussed the timing with him in advance."
"A food truck? That's wonderful!" May immediately supported the idea, seeing the independence it offered Peter. "But Peter can't cook; his cooking is... reliably terrible."
"We're just making specialty, easy-to-scale snacks," Su Yi reassured her. "I'll teach him. Peter is incredibly smart; I believe he'll master the basics quickly."
"Perhaps," May mused, a hopeful smile touching her lips, "I can be your first customer, then."
"Of course, you can. You'll have to give us plenty of feedback to ensure the food we make is delicious enough."
Su Yi then expertly shifted the conversation to May's community work, the simple, tireless support she gave to others—a topic she rarely got to share. They talked about local neighborhood issues, volunteering, and the need for more civic engagement. Su Yi listened intently, validating her efforts, and the two spoke easily, laughing comfortably, creating a bubble of natural camaraderie that quickly transcended their age difference.
Finally, Peter stumbled down the stairs, disheveled and blinking against the morning light, awakened by the sound of laughter. He stopped dead, his eyes narrowing instantly as he saw Su Yi and May chatting animatedly, leaning slightly toward each other over the coffee table. His Spider-Sense didn't vibrate, but his "Nephew-Sense" screamed a level 10 alert.
"Peter, you're finally awake! Su has been waiting for you for almost half an hour," May scolded lightly, yet her expression was still warm from the conversation.
Peter's expression was a mix of surprise and deep, primal worry. He saw a charismatic, highly successful friend who was known to be dating multiple beautiful girls, now engaging in an intimate conversation with the most cherished person in his life.
"Aunt Mei, why didn't you wake me up?" Peter asked, his voice tighter than usual.
"I originally planned to chat with Su for a bit, but I didn't expect to chat for so long," May replied, rising from the sofa. "Peter, I'll go prepare breakfast for you. You keep Su company for a while."
The moment May left for the kitchen, Peter turned to Su Yi, his voice low and serious.
"Su, she's my Aunt Mei."
"I know, Peter."
"There's a significant age difference between you two, and you already have Mary Jane, and Gwen," Peter's voice carried a strained plea. "You know what I mean. You need to respect that line."
Su Yi met his gaze calmly. "So, you immediately jump to the conclusion that she and I were... flirting? Or that my intentions are dishonorable?"
"It's best if not," Peter pressed, his anxiety evident.
"And if I genuinely fall in love with her, what would you do, Peter?" Su Yi continued, challenging him directly.
Peter's reaction was intensely strong. "No, absolutely not! I would definitely stop you two! You can't do this to Aunt Mei!" He nearly grabbed Su Yi's shirt, his protective instincts surging.
"Then have you ever considered that she worked so hard to raise you, sacrificing her own life for your future?" Su Yi asked, pivoting the argument to logic. "Now that you're in college and will have your own life, what about her? Let her continue to be alone? She also has her own life, her own future."
"Moreover," Su Yi lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper, his intent now to inject a controlled amount of paranoia. "She looks incredibly young and beautiful now, Peter. There will definitely be many people pursuing her. Are you sure you can stop every man who shows her kindness, or just me?"
Peter's face was a mask of furious conflict. "I don't object to Aunt Mei pursuing happiness! But you already have a girlfriend! You are a cheat, Su! I treat you as a friend, but you... you have designs on Aunt Mei!"
"Don't worry," Su Yi said, patting his shoulder again, his expression softening to a reassuring smile. "Aunt Mei might not like me. But if she truly finds happiness, with me or anyone else, your job is to be happy for her, not to stand in the way. Don't be so selfish, Peter. Now, go wash up quickly. After we eat, we'll go buy the food truck."
Peter, utterly conflicted and unable to articulate a definitive, rational counter-argument, temporarily dismissed his worries. He knew, however, that the situation had changed. He decided to become Su Yi's unofficial, ever-present chaperone.
I have to stop this, Peter resolved, watching Su Yi calmly pull out his phone. I will be there every time. I'll make sure Su and Aunt May have absolutely no time alone.