Chapter 164: A Date with Wonder Woman
Night had fallen.
Downtown Washington was alive with energy. The central pedestrian street was packed with cars and people, while dazzling neon lights lit up the surroundings.
In the lively street, Xi Nian and Diana walked side by side.
Even though they were wearing matching couple's outfits, there was still a subtle awkwardness between them.
First, they were only pretending to be a couple for half a day, not yet used to breaking free from their usual roles.
Second—the difference in their physiques. No matter how they tried to ignore it, it was impossible not to notice.
After all, even with Diana dressed in a simple white cartoon T-shirt that made her look like a college student fresh out of school, her tall, stunning figure and the aura she radiated from meters away couldn't be hidden.
Xi Nian had already grown to 1.75 meters in the past few months, tall enough for a teenager, yet when standing beside Diana, he was still a head shorter. His bright, boyish energy contrasted starkly with her mature charm.
Noticing Xi Nian's troubled look, Diana thought for a moment, then softly asked, "What do couples usually do?"
"What do couples do?"
Xi Nian blinked in surprise, then quickly realized.
There was no need to overthink it. They just had to act like a couple—do whatever couples enjoyed.
He reached out his right hand and gently held her left.
Diana's long lashes trembled slightly. Instead of resisting, she spread her slender fingers and let his hand wrap around hers.
Their fingers intertwined, their palms pressed together, warmth passing between them.
Just by holding hands, the strange awkwardness between them faded significantly.
"Let's have dinner first."
Xi Nian regained his confidence. He had studied a lot for tonight—even researched "100 things couples should do together" and proper dining etiquette.
They entered a steakhouse.
Xi Nian awkwardly pulled out Diana's chair, laid her napkin, and when the steaks arrived, clumsily tried to cut hers first.
At first, everything went smoothly.
But soon, Xi Nian realized: why was steak so much harder to cut than he expected? At home or elsewhere, his aunt always cut it effortlessly, her movements elegant and smooth.
Oh, right. He nearly forgot—his aunt was Wonder Woman…
His lips twitched helplessly.
Across from him, Diana subconsciously slid her already neatly cut steak toward him, leaving him speechless as he compared the two plates.
Dinner failed.
…
When they stepped out of the restaurant, Diana sighed, "That was my mistake. I forgot I should've let you have more chances to take the lead."
"It's fine," Xi Nian shrugged confidently. "If there aren't chances, I'll create them!"
"I read about a couple's trust game. For example, Auntie, you close your eyes and let me guide you across the street. It's supposed to test trust…"
He stopped mid-sentence.
In his mind, he pictured it: if a car hit them, most likely he'd be sent flying, while Diana would still be standing there as the car flew off instead…
Yeah, that wouldn't be a test of trust at all.
Game failed.
…
As it turned out, having a girlfriend who was too powerful—especially a goddess—wasn't always a good thing.
…
They continued strolling down the street, still holding hands, when they heard violin music nearby. A street performer was playing.
"Auntie, wait here a moment."
Xi Nian jogged over to the performer and handed him a hundred-dollar bill. The violinist looked confused, then nodded and accepted.
When Xi Nian came back, Diana asked curiously, "What did you say to him?"
"Nothing much. I just requested a song."
"Then why did he look confused…"
Before she could finish, the violinist began playing. It was a tune anyone would recognize—
A Christmas song.
Except it was only March, more than half a year away from Christmas.
Passersby stopped with puzzled looks, but soon smiled and enjoyed the cheerful melody.
"Let's go." Xi Nian took Diana's hand.
Diana smiled and nodded.
No one else knew.
But to Xi Nian and Diana, this song meant something special. It was on Christmas night seventeen years ago that the two had first met.
…
Later, seeing a stand selling vanilla ice cream, Xi Nian bought one without hesitation.
"With a girl along, shouldn't you have bought two?" Diana whispered. But when she noticed another couple nearby sharing theirs in a rather unique way, realization dawned on her.
"You first," Xi Nian said, holding the ice cream out.
Faced with his expectant eyes, Diana hesitated, then tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and leaned forward.
Her soft red lips parted slightly, a small pink tongue flicking out to gently lick the ice cream. Her tongue curled delicately around a smear of white cream before retreating, her motion graceful yet sensual.
Only then did Xi Nian happily take a big bite.
"Where did you learn that?" Diana gave him a reproachful look.
"Not telling," Xi Nian grinned, feeling like he had finally scored a small victory.
As he thought—his aunt still had many inexperienced sides waiting to be discovered.
"You…" Diana began, but just then, a man's voice called from behind them, "Miss Prince?"
They turned and saw a well-dressed middle-aged man, about forty, clearly just off work.
When his eyes landed on Diana, he looked both surprised and delighted. "Miss Prince, I can't believe it's really you!"
"Mr. Upton, are you still working at the museum?" Diana asked, then explained quietly to Xi Nian, "He was a colleague of mine when I worked at the museum."
Upton sighed. "Yes, but without you, our human encyclopedia, the workload has gotten so much heavier!"
"By the way, this is…?"
His eyes shifted toward Xi Nian, immediately noticing their joined hands. His expression turned curious.
Xi Nian stiffened slightly.
It was just like when Diana had taken him to Themyscira—he wasn't sure how to introduce himself.
But this time was different. After all, he and his aunt were only pretending. Just half a day of "practice dating," like playing house.
So there was nothing to hesitate about.
To avoid future trouble, the best self-introduction was—
"Hello, Mr. Upton." Xi Nian extended his hand firmly. "My name is Xi Nian. I'm Diana's boyfriend."
"…Ah? What did you just say?" Upton froze.
He looked at the serious black-haired boy, then chuckled and turned to Diana. "He must be your relative, right? Quite the joker…"
But Diana shook her head. She drew Xi Nian's hand tighter against her waist and said calmly, with complete seriousness:
"Upton, he isn't joking."
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