Chapter 75

"If I were really gone, would you be as sad as Peter Parker?"

"Bah, bah, bah! Don't say such unlucky things, silly girl!"

"I'm just asking casually."

"Well, it's not okay to ask such things."

After the premiere, Sister Shitou suddenly had an idea, but Xu Can quickly stopped her. No matter where they're from, women seem to love asking these kinds of questions. Xu Can was still getting used to it. Thankfully, Sister Shitou and Swift weren't like that. As women, they were different—Sister Shitou was more focused on work, and Swift, while chatty at times, was straightforward. She never played mind games. Otherwise, Xu Can wouldn't hesitate to kick anyone out, no matter how beautiful they were. He'd even write a diss song if necessary.

By the way, was "Spider-Man 2" that bad? Why did Swift leave so suddenly after watching it?

After dropping off Sister Shitou, Xu Can played a quick game with her before heading to Swift's apartment, feeling content. He drove his third new car—a Lamborghini Murciélago LP640, the same model Bruce Wayne drove. He always wanted to drive a Batmobile, but that felt too showy, so he settled for the Lamborghini. Counting his Audi R8 from "Iron Man," Xu Can now owned five supercars. He figured it was time to add a few SUVs for practicality, maybe even the Chevrolet Suburban from "Captain America 2," with bulletproof glass and all that fancy tech.

Thanks to his box office hits like "Iron Man," "La La Land," and "Spider-Man 2," Xu Can's revenue had increased by at least $500 million, although most of that would be reinvested into the company—making more movies, improving special effects, and expanding streaming platforms. These were all cash cows. The impressive special effects in "Spider-Man 2" were the result of Xu Can teaming up with Sony and investing heavily.

Xu Can's personal cut from Sony's projects, including "Love and Other Drugs" and "Spider-Man 2," was $50 million, which he saw as his pocket money. He even wanted to buy Swift a mansion, but she declined.

"I'll wait until I release my third album, then buy a villa in Beverly Hills and be your neighbor!"

"But David Beckham is on one side of me, and Tom Cruise is on the other… There might be an empty place diagonally across."

"Then I'll take that one!" Swift said, determined to buy her own place. With her second album's earnings, she could have easily gotten a mortgage, but Swift preferred to save up tens of millions more to pay in full. Xu Can respected her choice.

When he arrived at Swift's apartment, he found her car parked outside but no response to his knocking. Using the spare key, he let himself in. Her shoes were by the door, and her coat was tossed on the sofa, as if she had rushed home. Xu Can grew concerned. Could something have happened?

The bedroom was empty, but the door to her studio was closed. Knowing it was soundproof, he pushed it open to find Swift, wearing headphones and cross-legged on her chair, deeply focused on her computer. She was working on music.

Relieved, Xu Can sat on the studio's sofa and played on his phone, reflecting on the busy day. After a while, he dozed off. He awoke with a start, realizing he had accidentally rested his head on Swift's lap. She stared at him, pouting.

"First, you touched the front, and then the back. What's with that?"

"I was too tired to notice the difference," he said with a smirk.

"Are you calling me flat?"

"Hey, even if you were, I'd still like you."

He pulled her into his arms. She playfully resisted for a moment, but then rested her head on his shoulder. It was already 3 AM.

"I saw you snuck off to the premiere again. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Well… you caught me," Swift replied with a playful smile. "The movie was amazing, but why did you have to kill Gwen? I cried when I got home."

Xu Can noticed her eyes were still a bit red. He gave her a soft kiss, but when she leaned in for more, he quickly pulled away. Surprised, she grabbed him and pecked him several times in return.

"After Gwen died, I had this epiphany and wrote a song."

"Oh? Can I hear it?"

Swift was too tired to sing, so she played a demo on her computer. As Xu Can listened to the familiar lyrics, he was stunned.

"Wait… isn't this All Too Well from your fourth album, Red? But your third album isn't even out yet!"

Swift leaned on his shoulder and explained, "I originally wanted to write about Gwen and Peter, but after some thought, the theme shifted to a breakup."

Her voice grew softer, and she soon drifted off to sleep in Xu Can's arms. The demo kept playing in the background. Gently, Xu Can carried her to bed, tucked her in, and kissed her forehead. She smiled in her sleep, mumbling something before settling back into her dreams. Watching her sleep, Xu Can couldn't help but feel amazed. Here was the famous pop icon, known to the world, yet with him, she was just a sweet, ordinary girl.

In another life, he never could have imagined such moments—watching Taylor Swift sleep beside him, hearing her latest song in its raw form, moments after she composed it.

The controversy surrounding Gwen's death in "Spider-Man 2" was heating up online. Some fans accused Xu Can of being too brutal, while others praised him for respecting the original story. The heated debates flooded forums and social media. Critics analyzed the significance of Gwen's death, from narrative structure to character development, while others pointed out Marvel's bizarre comic storylines, like when the Green Goblin had a child with Gwen.

The movie's visual effects were praised as groundbreaking, with an IMDb rating of 8.9 and a Douban score of 9.0, nearly matching The Dark Knight at 9.2. Despite the online uproar, the box office numbers soared, with "Spider-Man 2" raking in $1 billion globally, even faster than its predecessor.

As Marvel's cinematic universe continued to expand, Xu Can's involvement was vital, but he didn't always need to be on set. However, as a producer, he made sure to drop by now and then to ensure things stayed on track. On the set of "Iron Man 2," Jon Favreau approached him eagerly.

"Mr. Xu, what do you think? Should we change anything?"

Xu Can offered a few pointers, cutting unnecessary dialogue and tightening the pacing. He didn't want "Iron Man 2" to drag like the first film. The movie needed a more impactful villain. He suggested introducing the Mandarin properly this time, a more complex character that could challenge Tony Stark on multiple levels.

After all, Xu Can had a vision not just for entertainment but for deeper storytelling. With Marvel under his control, he planned to weave social commentary into future films, turning blockbusters into something more profound—without sacrificing their mass appeal.

And as the success of "Spider-Man 2" continued to grow, Xu Can's ambitions only grew with it.

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