In American comics: My Traveling Frog steals from all over the world!

A person cannot choose their family, but they can decide how to protect them.

This unwavering commitment to protection is the strongest core of Brian's soul.

"She's doing well." Yu Mu released her hand, his calm voice carrying a convincing strength. "Moreover, she found a job... that truly makes her happy."

"If you want to see her, I can arrange it."

Brian's eyes lit up instantly, his joy so genuine.

Just as he was about to ask for more details, a slender arm, with a hint of displeasure, gently tugged at his sleeve.

She was his dance partner, a blonde, blue-eyed girl as exquisite as a Barbie doll.

She had been left out in the cold, watching her male companion, the much-anticipated Brian Braddock, show unprecedented attention to another masked man, and her resentment had reached its peak.

She's the star of the night, isn't she?

"Brian," the girl's voice was sickeningly sweet, yet carried an undeniable urgency, "the ball isn't over yet, you can't keep chatting with...this gentleman forever, can you?"

Brian was interrupted, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly, but he patiently prepared to reassure his dance partner.

Yu Mu laughed first.

He nodded slightly to Brian, his eyes behind the mask seeming to see through everything.

"Go then, for the night is too short to keep the beauty waiting."

Yu Mu's understanding and grace further increased Brian's positive impression of him.

This man is powerful, mysterious, yet understanding.

Compared to him, those so-called "opponents" he had previously entangled with were nothing but dust.

Brian made a decision in an instant. His gaze toward Yu Mu was now filled with genuine respect, and even his form of address subtly changed.

"Brother Mu, it's a deal then!"

He turned to his dance partner and gave her an apologetic, yet still charming smile.

"Let's go enjoy some time alone together!"

Yu Mu smiled and waved his hand, replying, "Young man, you should have fun while you're young."

Yu Mu had already forgotten that he was actually only twenty-two years old.

The end of this minor incident serves as a signal.

Peter Parker and Mary Jane, Eddie Brook and his girlfriend, also took the opportunity to quietly leave the area that made them feel invisible pressure.

As Peter turned to leave, he couldn't help but turn back and give Gwen a long look.

That look in his eyes was as complex as a silent movie.

It's no longer just a simple feeling of reluctance to part.

It was a drowning man who, in his final moments as he sank into the cold, deep sea, saw the ark that could have carried him on a long voyage, but was now carrying someone else, heading towards a warm sea bathed in golden sunlight that he could never reach.

It was filled with regret, jealousy, and... the most powerless resignation to fate.

Soon, in the center of the dance floor, at the center of the vortex they had created, only Yu Mu and Gwen remained.

The melodious waltz seemed to have finally found its true protagonist, and the lights became incredibly gentle, transforming the small dance floor into a secluded golden dreamland.

Everything around me has gone.

Only Yu Mu and Gwen are here.

Those vibrant and intense emotions that once constituted Gwen's entire youthful world now appear to her as faded as an old newspaper soaked in water, the words blurred and meaningless.

She stood there quietly, feeling the absolute tranquility brought about by Yu Mu's presence.

It's a wonderful feeling.

It seems like just yesterday she was racking her brains over a complex mathematical formula and feeling frustrated by an unsatisfactory experimental result.

Her world was firmly imprisoned by trivial and heavy shackles such as exams, interpersonal relationships, and the future.

Today, she stands at the center of the universe, watching as the gods pluck the strings of destiny.

The world is a huge stage, and ironically, most of the actors are unaware that they are performing a play with a pre-written script.

Gwen's gaze unconsciously drifted in the direction Peter had left.

There was no resentment in his heart, not even a ripple of emotion.

All that remained was a faint, almost pitying pity.

Poor Peter.

Hopefully, this time he didn't make the wrong choice; she really doesn't like him!

She simply considered him her best friend.

Gwen's heart felt a peace she had never known before.

Once a person has seen the sun, how could they be moved by the flickering of a firefly?

She could clearly sense that the man beside her possessed no trace of ordinary human qualities.

He wasn't wearing perfume, but his breath seemed to carry a cool, herbal scent that could calm the soul.

His existence itself is a form of order.

An absolute order that transcends all rules.

That's why she can be so composed.

That's why she was able to ignore all the provocations and malice.

Because she knew that as long as this man was there, any noise that tried to disturb this peace would only be crushed into dust.

This sense of security was ten thousand times greater than her father's police uniform, or the entire New York Police Department.

Just then, Yu Mu made a move.

Yu Mu turned around to face Gwen, and under the gaze of that pure white mask, he slowly extended his hand.

An elegant and standard invitation to dance.

Gwen felt her heart skip a beat.

She looked at that slender, well-defined hand, its skin as white as the finest jade, the hand that had gently stroked her hair not long ago.

This hand once effortlessly wiped out S.H.I.E.L.D.'s elite.

This hand once held the gods in its palm.

And now, it is quietly and patiently waiting for its response.

Gwen felt her cheeks burning again, but this time, it wasn't because of shyness.

It was an indescribable, immense honor and joy.

She knew that Yu Mu's invitation was more than just a dance.

This is a license.

A permission that would allow her to truly step into his bizarre and fantastical world, a world where gods and demons danced together.

She lifted her skirt, slightly bent her knees, and performed an impeccable ladylike curtsy.

She gently placed her slightly cool fingertips into his palm.

The moment their fingertips touched.

A warm and dry sensation came over me, like a faint electric current, instantly spreading throughout my body.

Gwen felt as if she was holding the whole world in her hands.

With a gentle pull, Gwen slid into his arms.

The two danced, twirling and intertwining.

At this moment, the whole world seemed to blur into flowing light and shadow.

Gwen could no longer see anyone else, no longer see the dazzling crystal chandelier, no longer see the envious or jealous glances around her.

In her world, only he remained.

All that remained were his deep, starry eyes behind the mask, his steady, powerful heartbeat, and the faint, comforting scent emanating from his breath.

Some people danced to the music, and they seemed to make the music itself fall in love with them.

Time slipped away quietly amidst the spinning dance steps.

As the last note of the dance music faded, the ball came to an end.

Yu Mu did not use any extraordinary abilities; he simply accompanied Gwen out of the noisy auditorium like an ordinary male companion.

……

The night was as still as water, and the moonlight as white as frost.

The two walked side by side down the quiet street where Gwen was going home.

The streetlights stretched their shadows long and thin, sometimes separating, sometimes overlapping, and finally merging intimately into one, making them indistinguishable from one another.

A quiet, sweet ambiguity filled the air.

Gwen was in a better mood than ever before. She talked about the fun things that happened at school and the discoveries she made in the experiments. Her clear laughter echoed in the empty street like a string of silver bells.

Yu Mu listened quietly, occasionally responding with a word or two, but his focus made Gwen feel like the most important person in the world.

Just then.

A dark figure suddenly darted out from the shadows at the street corner, moving swiftly and with the sharpness of someone who had trained for years!

"Don't move!"

In the shadowy figure's hand, a dark Glock pistol was steadily pointed at Yu Mu.

"Hands up, kid!"

The voice was deep and authoritative, yet it also carried a hint of suppressed anger belonging to an old father.

"I'll count to three, and you'd better give me a perfect explanation! Why would my bright, academically gifted daughter, a future Nobel Prize winner, be strolling the streets in the middle of the night with a guy wearing a Phantom of the Opera mask?!"

Gwen recognized the person who had come, covered her mouth with her hand, and let out a soft gasp of surprise and embarrassment.

"dad?!"