"Settle down, children."
Yang Le reminded the Fantastic Twins, after all, their laughter was quite loud and disruptive in this confined space.
"Sorry," Franklin said with a smile as he got up and moved closer to Yang Le.
"After all, this is our first time escaping Mom's lecture."
"It's so exciting," Valeria said, patting Franklin's back.
"Alright, sit down quickly," Yang Le urged. "We're going to speed up."
After saying that, he placed both hands on the steering wheel and began to increase speed.
"Whoa!" Franklin didn't have time to sit back in his chair before the sudden acceleration sent him tumbling into the back seat, colliding with Valeria.
"Ouch!" Valeria yelped, rubbing her head and saying resentfully.
"Looks like someone can't wait to see his girlfriend."
"Indeed," Yang Le admitted readily. He didn't think there was anything to be ashamed of; this wasn't some teen romance drama.
"Tch." Valeria clicked her tongue in displeasure, annoyed that she hadn't disgusted Yang Le.
"I'm actually quite curious who your girlfriend is," Franklin said, adjusting his posture to give Valeria a bit more room.
"Gwen Stacy," Yang Le said, revealing his girlfriend's name and surprising the Twins.
"Stacy?" Valeria exclaimed in surprise.
"Isn't she Uncle Peter's girlfriend? Do you like someone so much older than you?"
"The timelines are different in the two universes," Yang Le explained.
"In that universe, Peter and Gwen are still just high school students."
"I see," Valeria said, touching her chin.
"So, you like them younger?"
"I don't have that many preferences," Yang Le said. "It just happens to be her that I like."
"Eww!" the Twins said in unison.
"Stop with the 'ew'," Yang Le said, performing a series of operations on the control panel.
"We're here."
As Yang Le spoke, the Time-Space Wheel passed through a polygonal white light, and then they exited the bizarre and colorful Time-Space Tunnel and arrived at…
Universe 65B.
This time, Yang Le specifically set the coordinates to the Underwater Secret Base. The Flying Wheel's hatch opened, and Yang Le looked around at the familiar scene before him, a strange feeling welling up in his heart.
"Home," Yang Le said, supporting himself on the Flying Wheel as he jumped out.
"This place isn't much different from when I left."
"This is your home?" Franklin also jumped out of the Flying Wheel. "I thought it would feel a bit more lived-in."
"And this equipment is so outdated," Valeria said with a disdainful look as she walked over to an instrument.
"Well, it is my first base, so the equipment is a bit outdated," Yang Le explained.
"Anyway, let's not talk about that. I'm going out for a bit. Are you coming with me, or staying here?"
"We're not going to be third wheels," Valeria said, waving her hand and rejecting Yang Le's suggestion.
"We'll stay here and upgrade your equipment for you," Franklin said, picking up an instrument from the side and examining it without looking up.
"Alright," Yang Le shrugged, not insisting. In fact, it was probably for the best, saving him the trouble of explaining their origins.
"If you want to go out, the door is this way. Though with Franklin here, I doubt you'll need it."
Yang Le walked to the portal, waved goodbye to the two, but unfortunately, neither of them paid him any attention.
In a flash of white light, Yang Le returned to the apartment he had been away from for over half a year.
"Inhale! Cough, cough, cough!!"
Yang Le took a deep breath, wanting to savor Gwen's fragrance. Don't misunderstand, Yang Le isn't a pervert; he just wanted to smell Gwen's perfume scent, which he hadn't smelled in months.
Unfortunately, Yang Le only inhaled a nose full of dust. He coughed for a while before recovering.
Wiping away the tears from the corners of his eyes, Yang Le calmed down and noticed that the furniture was covered in a layer of dust. It looked like it hadn't been cleaned in ages.
Yang Le frowned. This dust couldn't have accumulated in just a week or two; it must have been at least a month.
Could it be that Gwen was really angry about his unannounced departure and that's why she hasn't been here?
Yang Le walked out of the apartment, lost in thought, and headed towards Gwen's home. After all, he had bought the house nearby, so it didn't take long for him to reach his destination.
Quickly going upstairs, Yang Le arrived at the door of Stacy's home, relying on his memory. On the way, he had confirmed that today was Sunday, and Gwen shouldn't be at school, so Yang Le decided to try his luck at her home first.
"Knock! Knock! Knock!"
Yang Le lowered his right hand after knocking on the door. He hadn't seen her in months, and it made him a little excited.
However, Yang Le waited for a while, but no one came to open the door, not even a sound. Clearly, no one was home.
Helpless, Yang Le ran to Parker's House and knocked on the door. This time, someone finally answered.
"Who is it?" It was Aunt May's voice.
"It's Happy, Aunt May," Yang Le replied softly.
Accompanied by rapid footsteps, the door opened, and Aunt May appeared before Yang Le.
"It really is Happy," Aunt May said, covering her mouth in disbelief.
"It's me, Aunt May. I'm back," Yang Le replied softly, then asked seriously.
"What's wrong, Aunt May? You don't look too well."
Compared to half a year ago, Aunt May looked even older, more than what normal aging would account for.
"A lot has happened since you left," Aunt May sighed, stepping aside and inviting Yang Le in.
"Come in, child. This isn't the place to talk."
Yang Le walked into the room. The layout of Parker's house hadn't changed much; it was still about the same as when he left.
"Sit down, child," Aunt May said, gesturing for Yang Le to sit on a chair in the restaurant.
"I don't think you want anything to drink, you just want to know what happened, so I won't prepare anything."
"Yes, Aunt May," Yang Le said, pulling out a chair and sitting down, a hint of urgency in his voice.
"What exactly happened, Aunt May? I just went to our apartment and found that no one has lived there for a long time. I went to knock on Stacy's home door, but no one answered."
"It's a long story," Aunt May sighed, and narrated the events of the past half-year since Yang Le left.
Initially, no one knew what had happened at first. They only knew that Gwen had returned to her home after disappearing, and she was very angry when she came back. Later, they found out it was because Yang Le had left without saying goodbye.
Gwen didn't say why Yang Le had left without saying goodbye. Seeing how angry she was, no one pressed her for details, planning to wait until she calmed down before asking.
But before Gwen calmed down, an uninvited guest arrived.
A pair of siblings wearing red overcoats shattered the original peace.
"They walked out of a door that appeared out of thin air, right in front of us," Aunt May said, burying her face in her hands.
(End of Chapter)