You're just taking your anger out on Peter, Andrew," Finn said with a smile. "Peter didn't expect something like this would happen either.
I—" Andrew stammered, pausing to take a deep breath before looking at Peter with an apologetic gaze, "It was my fault for failing to protect Young Master Finn.
No," Peter said hurriedly. "It really was my fault for not handling this properly.
“I found this incident quite inspiring. Next time, I'll mention this script idea to Sophia. Let's call it 'The Husband Who Was Devoured by Her Has Returned'.” Finn thought seriously for a moment and actually came up with a synopsis for a short drama, “In my previous life, I was devoured alive by the woman I loved, my flesh and blood becoming nourishment for the monster she was gestating in her womb. Returning from rebirth, I no longer have love, only the heart of a hunter. She still thinks she is the hunter, unaware that I have already regarded her as my prey. Watch me make my counterattack and achieve a magnificent revenge.”
What do you think?" Finn said enthusiastically. "Isn't it true what they say about scripts being inspired by reality?
System PP: [..] As expected of the Host, just a random thought and it's already a melodramatic script about a counterattack and face-slapping.
Spider-Man: →.→
Andrew: ←. ←
The atmosphere eased slightly, Peter suddenly remembered something, asking hesitantly, "By the way, where is Max?"
I told Max to go and keep an eye on Sheila at S. H. I. E. L. D. once he returned," Finn explained candidly. "The investigation into Sheila's mutation hasn't been cleared up yet, I don't feel at ease about it. I should say it's a good thing Sheila is a romantic, otherwise, if she had been impersonating you and running wild in New York, your reputation as Spider-Man would have been tarnished. Besides, I don't want anyone else discovering the secret of the mutated Spider-Man and causing more Spider-People to pop up. Max can move freely in and out of S. H. I. E. L. D, he reports everything to me regardless of the matter, so sending Max to keep an eye on this is the most suitable choice.
Peter and Andrew both froze, looking at Finn with some surprise.
Why are you looking at me like that?" Finn looked at the two of them in confusion. "If one mutation can produce a Female Spider-Woman, why won't there be another? What if some villain takes this opportunity to expose a nest of Spider-Men? You are a superhero; you have to be more cautious.
"I didn't expect.. that you would consider so much," Peter said hesitantly.
You are my boyfriend, after all." Finn suddenly felt it was somewhat amusing. "I have to protect you.
Harry, who had been sent away by Finn to handle official business, did not return that night and stayed directly at the New Energy Base in Benzhou.
Then—
Peter stayed overnight in a perfectly natural and legitimate manner.
Once again being blocked—suffering in silence—System PP: 【..】 Really wanted to scold Peter Parker, but he was also the one with the least right to scold him.
Finn was in high spirits tonight, Peter, looking at the energetic young man, suddenly had a thought.
Want to sit on it and try?
Finn froze for a moment, looking up at Peter, whose cheeks were slightly flushed and whose eyes were filled with longing, then looking down at the little Spider-Man who was puffing out his chest.
".. Alright." The young man looked somewhat troubled.
Finn's enthusiasm has always been very high, but when it comes to his nightly initiative, the main driver is always Peter Parker.
But Finn's underlying code has always been to obey requirements and face difficulties head-on.
[Small system, big courage, a role model in every profession.]
Feeling the immense pressure, Finn silently encouraged himself, took a deep breath, adjusted his posture.
[This time, I'm truly hanging by a thread.]
"Don't worry, I've got you," Peter said softly, always being amused by Finn's strange inner thoughts. Peter would never let Finn truly suffer; his arm muscles tensed with strength as his warm cheek pressed gently against the side of Finn's beautifully shaped, pale, delicate neck.
Hearing Peter say this, Finn's tense body finally relaxed.
"Can you let your wings out for me to see again, please?" Peter's main purpose was actually this; who could refuse an angel boyfriend with wings?
Finn blinked his moist eyes and froze, meeting Peter's expectant gaze in confusion.
[Huh? Does Peter like this kind of thing?]
【.. Monster romance?】
Hearing Finn's inner thoughts, Peter was stunned.
—Monster romance? What on earth are you talking about?
—Why do you always have such insights into such strange areas?
But then Peter thought about it again, since Finn was originally a "System," saying it was a "non-human romance" didn't seem wrong after all.
Moreover, as Spider-Man, Peter's human genes weren't that pure either, making him a perfect match for Finn, who had wings.
Finn didn't quite understand, but since Peter had brought it up, he allowed those beautiful wings to fully unfurl from his smooth back.
Light and shadow swayed gently in the room.
Soft, warm light fell upon the soft tips of the feathers, creating a faint halo.
The wings fluttered lightly.
Like an angel falling into his arms.
Chapter 81: Roses - Sending Flowers
Before Finn set off with his plane full of friends to the West Coast for Christmas, Harry called Finn into his office.
Harry also prepared a special Christmas gift for Finn.
Take a look." Harry raised his eyes and pointed calmly at the documents on the desk. "A Christmas gift.
Finn was a bit surprised and wasn't sure what kind of gift was presented on the desk; he took the documents with confusion and flipped them open.
On the first page, a meticulously designed brand LOGO unexpectedly caught his eye—
【Summerverse】
I've established a designer toy brand just for you.
Harry's voice fell in the quiet office, clear and steady.
Finn was somewhat stunned, his movements suddenly halting, his fingertips tightening slightly. He flipped through the pages, becoming more and more astonished with every turn, his heart feeling as if it were being gently squeezed by something.
The characters in those emoticons that he had drawn just for his own amusement were organized into an IP series under the Summerverse brand. From core character designs to blind box series, figurine product lines, brand collaborations, online promotion, offline exhibitions, even an entire long-term content plan, Harry Osborn had personally built a complete framework covering every conceivable aspect.
Even the independent office building for the new brand and the core team, which was soon to be recruited, were already being advanced simultaneously.
It arrived before Finn's eyes like a surprise gift just waiting to be unwrapped.
Those characters you drew shouldn't just be stored in a phone," Harry said solemnly. This was a gift he had carefully considered, believing Finn would definitely love it. "They deserve to be liked and collected by more people, to become a meaningful part of life.
Finn stared at the thick proposal in his hands, his heart suddenly feeling heavy, with a sensation he couldn't quite describe.
In his heart, that quiet and tiny little world that had originally belonged only to him felt as if it were suddenly being presented to the world with great solemnity.
In the most grand and serious manner, pushing it out to the entire world.
It was not just some casual investment.
It was the kind of person who, once Harry Osborn decided to do something, would definitely do it to the extreme and do it the best.
But this actually made Finn feel a bit overwhelmed.
"You certainly haven't been idle during your time at the mental hospital," Finn said gloomily, seeing that he hasn't been idle at all.
[I still haven't assigned Harry enough work.] Finn thought to himself.
System PP: 【??】Host, is this all you want to say?
Harry: ".." Aren't you usually very good at expressing joy? Why are you so calm?
In Harry's expectations, Finn should have been incredibly excited; it wouldn't have been strange if he even rushed forward to give him a tight hug.
But at this moment, Harry stared at Finn's expression, feeling uncertain for a moment—was his brother actually happy, or did he.. not like this gift?
Finn lowered his green eyes, gazing at the new world formed by his own name on the document.
I was just sketching casually, besides, I haven't drawn in a long time," Finn said softly, the confusion and helplessness in his heart slowly resurfacing, "There's no need for the Osborn Group to run an entire brand just for this.
His Misery Value progress had already stalled at 92.09%, getting closer and closer to 100%. In this situation, Finn was still agonizing over what his next move should be, but the heavy gift Harry had given him was so weighty that he could hardly handle it.
"What do you mean, 'no necessity'?" Harry's brow furrowed immediately.
“I..” Finn paused, then rephrased, "The Osborn Group already has so many affairs to deal with as it is. If you want me to continue working on this brand, wouldn't that mean I wouldn't be able to help share the burden with you?"
"Even when you were just staying in the Brand Promotion Department drawing hamsters, the Osborn Group didn't collapse either, did it?" Harry blurted out subconsciously, his tone still carrying his usual authoritative air of superiority.
After saying that, Harry's heart skipped a beat, feeling as though he had once again unintentionally and coldly denied Finn's value.
Harry's brow furrowed even more tightly as he observed Finn's expression with a hint of cautious nervousness.
"So, you don't need me anymore?" Finn didn't seem to feel discouraged; he just looked at Harry with some confusion.
“I need you.” Harry gazed at Finn, giving an affirmative answer with great determination this time.
Harry stood up from his office chair, walked to Finn's side, sighed.
He also understood Finn's condition; his brother cared deeply about his own worth, especially.. his worth in the eyes of his family.
Finn could immediately drop everything for his needs, prioritizing everything he required.
Dr. Thomas had reminded him more than once that he must provide Finn with enough recognition and a sense of security; his past habit of habitual denial and suppression would only continuously worsen Finn's condition. Fortunately, Finn had seemed much more stable in his mental state recently, showed no signs of a relapse as before.
To put it bluntly, both you and Peter Parker might break up in the future." Harry reached out tentatively to stroke Finn's hair, speaking in a calm, low voice, "But I will always be your brother, your family.
"It's not that I don't need you, I just don't want you to give up the things you love for my sake, like painting." Previously, Harry did indeed feel that Finn was being irresponsible and fickle, but after experiencing so many ups and downs, Harry's thoughts had long since undergone a complete transformation. Furthermore, upon learning that Finn had been locked in a laboratory by his father since childhood to undergo repeated experiments, deprived of a normal childhood, Harry's guilt toward Finn had long since reached its peak.
He even felt that the jealousy he had secretly harbored toward Finn before seemed so ridiculous and hateful.
His younger brother, who should have been a bird with the most beautiful wings in this world, had been trapped since childhood in an exquisite and cold cage built by his father. Just as he finally managed to fly toward the sky and enjoy a period of freedom, he was selfishly dragged back to the Osborn Group, trapped amidst responsibility and pressure.
I realize now that when I told you before that I would hand over the entire Osborn Group to you, it was a very selfish idea," Harry said, with a hint of relief and guilt, "Finn, you can choose your own life and live the life you want to live.
"But weren't you always saying that I wasn't focusing on my proper duties?" Finn asked in confusion.
It's fine," Harry couldn't help but chuckle softly. "The Osborn Group is so wealthy, can't it afford to support you?
Moreover, after learning the story of Thor and Loki, Harry felt more and more that having a brother who was preoccupied with trivialities was already a massive contribution to him as an older brother, to the Osborn family, to the Osborn Group, to the peace of the entire universe. Comparing his own situation to the misfortunes of other gods several times over would make his mood brighten instantly, making him feel as though everything was bright before his eyes, that his younger brother was already the most perfect existence in the universe.
Harry only wanted, in this moment, to make up for all of Finn's deficiencies as much as possible—
He hoped he would be free, hoped he would be dazzling, hoped he would live a grand and happy life.
Finn, I want to apologize to you.
Harry leaned lightly against the desk, lowering his gaze to look at Finn intently.
In the warm light filtering through the floor-to-ceiling window, two identical pairs of green eyes met, as if gazing into the depths of each other's souls.
I have said many wrong things to you before," Harry said calmly and solemnly, recalling the cold words he had spoken in this very office, "I told you that we could go back to how we were for the past twenty years, that we could live our lives without each other and nothing would change.
Sometimes, Harry felt driven to madness by Finn's thoughtlessness, but at other times, he felt that his lack of thought was just right. He had clearly said so many stinging, harsh, cold words that hurt Finn, yet it seemed as though Finn never truly took them to heart.