Delivering Medicinal Stew

Ding dong!

The doorbell at Gwen's house rang as Evan waited outside with a pot of medicinal stew.

The door opened quickly, and Gwen's mother, Jenny, peeked out. "Oh, Evan, come on in! No reporters following you?"

Evan stepped inside. "Not yet, but I'm sure they'll show up soon enough. Jessica really knows how to stir things up. I think she'll have to move back to Sunnyvale again; it's hard to keep things secure here."

"It seems you saw the news too. Jessica's always full of surprises," Jenny chuckled, pouring him a warm drink. "George is handling things at the scene and will make sure reporters don't bother you."

Evan nodded. George's role as NYPD chief could only go so far, though. "I brought a special medicinal stew for Gwen—it's good for the skin and body."

He didn't mention its other effects; its primary purpose was to help with blood restoration and scar healing.

"Oh, skin care?" Jenny's eyes lit up. "Such a fascinating recipe. Gwen's upstairs; bring it to her, she'll be thrilled!"

"Here, let me bring a bowl for you too," Evan offered.

"Oh, you're too kind! But you brought it for Gwen."

"I'm sure she won't mind sharing."

Their conversation echoed upstairs, and Gwen couldn't help feeling a little exasperated. Her mom could be so easily bribed into letting a boy come right into her daughter's room! Not that Gwen was wary of Evan—she'd even given him a spare key to her room privately.

At the moment, though, she was hastily bandaging a cut on her forearm. It was nearly healed due to her special abilities, but she needed to keep it wrapped to avoid alarming her family.

Evan came to Gwen's door and, finding it locked, knocked lightly. "Gwen, can I come in? I brought some food."

"Evan, come in—do you have the key?"

"Sure thing, Gwen, here I come."

Evan pulled out the key from his pocket and opened the door, walking in smoothly.

Gwen sat obediently on the bed, wearing cute, long-sleeved pajamas with a mini spider pattern on them.

With a chuckle, Evan asked, "Are you just biding your time, hoping for my lucky day?"

"Not just yet, si gui!" Gwen replied with a mischievous wink, making them both burst into laughter. (T/N - Si Gui means rascal in chinese)

Evan placed the stew on Gwen's desk and handed her a small package. "Gwen,are you learning any other odd phrases in Chinese?"

"Are they odd?" Gwen grinned as she took the package. "What's this?"

Evan shrugged. "Jessica said these are the… sanitary products you asked her to bring."

"Uh, (〃=〃)" Gwen blushed deeply.

Jessica had mentioned she needed bandages and anti-inflammatory meds, but how awkward to explain that.

Gwen quickly tucked the package behind her, glancing at the medicinal stew to change the topic. "So, what exactly did you bring?"

She leaned in to open the lid, her curiosity piqued. "Even though I can't read the ingredients, it looks pretty rich."

Evan explained the recipe briefly.

Gwen began to eat, enjoying it happily. She was much less picky than Jessica, to his relief.

As Gwen ate, they started chatting. So much had happened that day, and they had a lot to catch up on.

"I saw the news," Gwen said between bites. "Aside from Jessica, I can't believe that supervillain Green Goblin had anything to do with us. I mean, Harry's father, Norman Osborn? It's surreal. Harry must be going through a rough time."

Evan shrugged. As far as he was concerned, Norman had crossed a line when he threatened Gwen.

"He'll manage. I'm more worried about reporters and authorities hounding Jessica. She's a bit too impulsive. I'm considering moving back to the manor and hiring more security to keep nuisances away."

Evan's concerns weren't misplaced. In an era without a saturated superhero scene, any hero's identity exposure—even a novice's—could attract unwanted attention. Unless someone higher-profile came forward, Jessica might stay in the spotlight.

Evan thought of someone: Iron Man Tony Stark. It was only a matter of time before Stark's identity came out.

"I wonder if he's already 'traveled' to the Middle East or been 'entertained' by terrorists," Evan mused.

"Evan..." Gwen murmured, a little sad at the thought of him moving back. "I'd miss you."

"I'd miss you too, Gwen. That's why I'm still deciding."

"Actually," Gwen said, "Dad's been thinking of moving us to a better neighborhood."

"Why not come live near me? My place is big enough."

"Dad wouldn't want to live in someone else's house, but moving nearby could work. I'll mention it to him."

Time seemed to slip by as they continued talking.

It was just the two of them, alone in the room, sharing a comfortable closeness.\

...

If you find any mistakes in the chapter. Please point it out in the comment section and I will try to correct them as soon as possible.