Natasha didn't think this assignment would be easy, but she didn't resist it either. She had to admit, Su Zhan was incredibly charming-perhaps the most captivating Chinese man she'd ever met. She'd encountered many people in her life, but Su Zhan stood out in a way that was impossible to ignore.
After leaving the bar, Su Zhan didn't go looking for Skye. He knew Natasha would be following and investigating him, and he didn't want to expose his true intentions. If Skye's identity was compromised because of him and he failed to join S.H.I.E.L.D., all his efforts would be wasted. Besides, the Battle of New York had just ended, and Phil Coulson shouldn't have been "resurrected" yet, so the team couldn't be formed. There was no rush-Natasha couldn't follow him forever, could she?
He decided to use this time to enjoy life.
For the next week, Su Zhan seemed to be on vacation, completely relaxed and enjoying himself. He played, explored, and savored every moment. Natasha, however, grew increasingly frustrated. She followed him for over a week but found nothing. Su Zhan never used his abilities or contacted anyone suspicious-he behaved exactly like a tourist. Although she suspected he was deliberately misleading her, she didn't have the time or resources to keep shadowing him indefinitely.
After checking in with her superiors several times, Natasha finally had no choice but to temporarily stop investigating Su Zhan.
As soon as Natasha left, Su Zhan breathed a sigh of relief. Although he had enjoyed himself, he hadn't come to this world just for fun-at least, not yet.
Now that Natasha was gone, Su Zhan was ready to contact Skye.
Even though he seemed to be on vacation, Su Zhan had been keeping track of Skye. They'd even met briefly in a coffee shop, but with Natasha still around, he hadn't pursued it further.
Night quietly fell.
Watching as Skye walked out of a restaurant, Su Zhan stepped on the accelerator and deliberately crashed into Skye's van, pretending it was an accident.
"Oh no…"
As soon as Skye came out, she saw her van had been hit hard, the rear end badly dented.
"Sorry, I wasn't paying attention. Are you the owner? I'll pay for the repairs," Su Zhan said apologetically as he got out.
Skye was annoyed at first-her van was basically her home. But when she saw who it was, her expression shifted to surprise. "It's you!"
Su Zhan pretended not to recognize her. "Do we know each other?"
"Yes, I accidentally spilled your coffee in the coffee shop a few days ago. Remember? I'm Skye!" she explained.
Su Zhan acted as if he'd just remembered. "Oh, right! I didn't expect it was you. What a coincidence. My name is Su Zhan."
"What a coincidence. I spilled your coffee, and you hit my car? I hope you're not that petty!" Skye joked, her mood lightening.
Su Zhan shrugged. "It was just an accident."
"At least you suffered more than me," Skye said, glancing at Su Zhan's sports car. The damage was clearly worse than to her own van, and repairs for a sports car would cost more than her entire vehicle.
"Do you know of any repair shops nearby? Let's get the cars fixed first."
"Let me check." Skye took out her phone, fiddled with it, and soon shook her head. "Unfortunately, there's nothing nearby, but I've contacted a shop. Someone should be here soon."
"I'm really sorry," Su Zhan said again, his tone genuinely apologetic.
Skye shook her head, indicating it was nothing, but she was clearly worried about where she would stay. Judging by the state of her van, it wouldn't be repaired anytime soon. She usually lived in her van, and although she still had some money, she couldn't afford to stay at a hotel.
"Is something wrong?" Su Zhan asked, already knowing she was in trouble, but pretending not to.
Skye hesitated and said, "Yeah, I'm homeless for now since my home needs to be repaired."
"You live in your van?" Su Zhan asked in surprise.
Skye shrugged, mimicking Su Zhan's earlier gesture. "Don't you think it's freeing? Every day when you wake up and open the door, you see a different view."
"Well, since I made you temporarily homeless, let me make it up to you. After all, leaving a beautiful woman homeless is bound to get me punished by the universe. I'm staying at a nearby hotel for now. If you don't mind, I can book a room for you," Su Zhan offered.
Skye checked her phone for available hotels, then frowned. "Looks like it won't be that easy for you to make up for it. The hotel you're staying at has no vacancies, and neither do the others nearby. With all the reconstruction after the battle, hotels are packed."
Su Zhan really hadn't expected such a coincidence. After a moment's hesitation, he suggested, "How about you stay in my room? The sofa in my room is pretty good. I think... it should be comfortable enough to sleep on. Of course, I wouldn't want a beautiful woman to have to sleep on the sofa."
"Isn't that... not appropriate?"
"Compared to sleeping on the street, I think staying with a handsome guy is the better option, right?"
Skye grinned. "Alright, you convinced me."
Not long after, the car repairman arrived. After leaving his contact information, he towed the van away. Before that, Skye got into her van to grab some personal items and warned the repairman not to touch or take anything inside. She reluctantly watched as her van was taken away.
"Let me carry that for you," Su Zhan offered, taking Skye's things and leading her to his hotel. Together, they walked into the night, the city lights glimmering around them, as Su Zhan's plan quietly moved forward.