Ye Li: "Come on, let's play cards."
Cindy: "Li~"
Gwen: "Be careful~"
Jessica: "Don't get your uniform dirty~"
Ye Li: "Aren't you all graduating tomorrow?"
Felicia: "We can still wear it after graduation~"
"Hmm…"
Matilda peeked out half of her little face, secretly watching the living room, her small hand slipping through the elastic band.
…..
The Next Day
Midtown High School.
A low-profile Audi R8 drove into the parking lot.
That's right…
Low-profile.
At least, that's what the owner thought—
Click~
Tony got out of the car and then opened the door for Pepper.
He figured. Not showing up in his flashy battle suit already made him "low-key."
Pepper wrapped her arm around Tony's.
Looking at the crowd at Midtown High School, she smiled, "For a graduation performance, the turnout is surprisingly huge."
"They all came to see the superheroes."
Stark, with J.A.R.V.I.S., was well-informed: "There's some government publicity involved too. The politicians are hoping the Knightess's performance will lift public morale… not a bad idea for once."
"There really are a lot of reporters filming."
Pepper teasingly pointed in a direction,
"Look, there's one you know."
Following her gaze—
It was none other than Vanity Fair reporter Christine, who once spent the night with Tony.
"Ahem, what?"
Stark pretended not to see her.
He pulled Pepper toward another area.
While doing so, he called Ye Li.
"I'm asking Li where he is."
…..
"I keep thinking times will never change."
"Keep on thinking things will always be the same."
"But when we leave this year, we won't be coming back."
Brilliant neon lights, combined with the clear and moving singing voice, covered the entire venue.
Accompanied by waves of cheers and applause
"Jessica!!"
"Oh wow! Jessica!"
"Gwen! Go for it!"
"Felicia!!"
With government funding, the stage for this graduation performance was… honestly, extremely high-end.
And all the "Mary Janes" band members on stage were wearing Midtown High uniforms.
As a tribute to the end of their high school life.
Their simple and lively uniforms made them look full of youthful energy—
"We will still be, friends forever…"
The girls, pretty and valiant, held onto the mic stands, singing confidently with melodious voices.
Jessica Ye: "When we look back now…"
Gwen Stacy: "Will our jokes still be funny…"
Felicia Hardy: "Will we still remember everything we learned in school…"
Mary Jane Watson: "Still be trying to break every single rule…"
…..
Ned sniffled, wiping his tears with his best friend's sleeve.
"Peter, I'm so emotional… I feel like I'm gonna cry… We'll always be buddies~"
"Hey! Ned, you're already crying!"
Peter, wearing sunglasses to hide his teary eyes, pulled his sleeve back.
"Yeah, we're best buddies, so where's the Red-Eyes Black Dragon card you promised me?"
"Uh… When I draw it from the pack….."
"I want to eat you."
"Don't! Peter, I'm all fat! If you eat me, you'll turn into a fat lizard…"
…..
"Great performance."
Steve Rogers, dressed casually, sat among the audience, reminiscing.
"It reminds me of my school days…"
But what he actually remembered…
Was his childhood best friend—who he would never see again—‖Bucky‖.
…..
Natasha shook her head.
"Cap, you're lucky."
Clint Barton chimed in, "At least you had a school life."
"Oh~"
At that moment—Tony arrived with Pepper.
"Are you guys having a 'who had the saddest childhood' competition? Don't be such a buzzkill, guys."
Steve: "Stark, the show's almost over, and you're just now getting here."
Natasha: "Some people are always unreliable, just like when we were dealing with the Chitauri."
"The finale is always the most spectacular, isn't it?"
"As for me 'leaving early' while dealing with the aliens…"
Tony looked towards Cindy sitting nearby.
Tony looked toward Cindy sitting nearby, "Miss Web can vouch, we were fighting off vampires that came out of the castle together, oh, and Li helped too. They understand me, because I handled an even bigger threat than the Chitauri."
"Alright, Tony, sit down."
Ye Li, amused by Tony's bragging, gestured for him to take a seat.
Ye Li, amused by his boasting, called him over, "You don't want to make Miss Pepper stand through the entire performance, do you?"
"Hmm…."
Tony glanced at Ye Li's seating arrangement.
Stroking his goatee while searching for a good seat—
To Ye Li's left were three beauties: Cindy, Skye, and Barbara.
To his right was…..
"Stephen?
You're back in New York?"
Tony waved at Strange, "Hey, you took my VIP seat."
Strange, looking exhausted, rolled his eyes.
Raising both hands, he responded, "You really want to fight an injured man for a seat?"
"Tony." Pepper gave Tony a little nudge, signaling him to behave.
"Alright, alright. We'll sit in the back."
Seeing that Ye Li's row was full, Tony had no choice but to lead Pepper to a seat behind them.
"I want to donate and invest in this school. Who knows, maybe they'll produce a few more superheroes."
Pepper smiled and said, "That's a great idea."
…..
"I can almost see it…"
"That dream I'm dreaming…"
The final song had begun.
Gwen's voice rang out alongside the drum beats—
"But there's a voice inside my head saying…"
"You'll never reach it…"
"But I, I gotta keep trying…"
"Sometimes might knock me down…"
"But no, I'm not breaking…"
"I may not know it…"
"But these are the moments that…"
"I'm gonna remember most, yeah…"
"Just gotta keep going…"
Deng~~ en~~
As the final drumbeat faded—
Their high school days…
Had come to an end.
…..
In Front of the School's Flower Garden
"Li, come here~ Come here~"
Jessica joyfully pulled her brother into the group of girls, then clung to his left arm.
"Let's take a picture~ Come take a few with us."
Gwen smiled warmly nearby and held Ye Li's right arm, "You look very handsome today."
"What kind of statement is that?"
Ye Li brushed back her silky golden hair, kissed her pretty face, and narcissistically said, "When do I not look charming, suave, and dashing?"
"Hehe~"
Gwen, who had learned some Chinese phrases, giggled while covering her mouth with her delicate hand.
"Li, you really have a thick skin~"
Cindy leaned against Ye Li's chest, murmuring happily, "Let's always stay together….."
Felicia tiptoed and mischievously hugged Ye Li from behind, resting her smooth chin on his shoulder.
She teased, "We're finally adults now. Master doesn't have to worry about being dragged away by Gwen's dad~"
Smooch~
Ye Li turned and kissed her too, "I still need to pamper this little kitty. How could I be dragged away?"
"Alright, everyone look at the camera."
Skye held up the camera, half-crouching not far from them, smiling as she called out.
"Come on, everyone smile."
Click～
The shutter sounded———
Suddenly, Ye Li froze.
It turned out—
All the girls had tilted their lovely heads and pressed their soft lips against his face, their sparkling eyes winking at the camera~
"Ha~"
Ye Li, for once, revealed a truly genuine smile.
No other emotions—just pure happiness.
Skye, taking the photo, smiled gently, "Let's take a few more~"
No dramatic incidents disrupted the moment.
This beautiful summer moment in June was forever captured in the photographs.
…..
Later, As Ye Li and the Others Left Midtown High…
The students of the school suddenly realized something.
All of the school's most beautiful goddesses…
Seemed to have been snatched away by the same man...