Did You Think Dying Would End This?

Li Feng couldn’t stay in contact with Stark at all times, but Jarvis could.

So when Stark woke up thousands of miles away from the lake, his inbox was already stuffed with all sorts of caring messages from Potts.

As Stark read Potts’s message reminding him to keep warm, his heart was filled with warmth despite standing amid falling snow.

But once he learned that Li Feng, that peeping tom, could monitor his every move at any time, Stark immediately declared that he was about to lose his mind.

Who the hell could stand being watched every second of the day? Especially during those late-night and early-morning workouts with Potts… Anyway.

In short, Stark felt that no outsider could see him freezing on the streets in such a miserable state. Otherwise, where would Iron Man’s dignity go?

The more he thought about it, the more stifled Stark felt. While his armor still had power, he rubbed his hands and stomped his feet for warmth as he had Jarvis call Li Feng.

Not long after the call connected, Stark said through chattering teeth, "You peeping tom, hurry up and compensate me for my mental anguish. For example, bring me some hot cocoa and a burger." Stark rubbed his frozen hands and feet, then added, "And a fur coat while you’re at it."

On the other end of the call, Li Feng clearly heard Stark shivering from the cold. After setting down the phone, he opened a Portal, ready to enjoy Stark’s tap dance in the snow up close.

But when the Portal opened and Li Feng saw that ice was practically hanging from Stark’s beard, he could no longer hold back his laughter. One hand on his hip and the other pointing at Stark, he arrogantly shouted, "So what if I peep on you? Sue me if you’ve got proof! Believe it or not, I’ll take the footage I peeped—pah, monitored—and edit it before uploading it online. Then the whole world will know you’re gay, and a bottom at that!"

Stark’s face darkened. Enraged, he picked up the helmet from his armor and hurled it at Li Feng, roaring, "You wouldn’t dare! Believe it or not, I’ll go complain to Ancient One and tell her you have a crush on her!"

Li Feng craned his neck and said disdainfully, "Go ahead. Never mind whether you can even find Master Ancient One, what could you do even if you found her? She wouldn’t believe your nonsense."

Stark froze. Right, I can’t seem to find Ancient One either…

After thinking for a moment, Stark smugly put his hands on his hips and sneered, "You lifelong shut-in dare mention women in front of me? Do you know that the bedsheets I rolled around on back then, if laid end to end, could circle the Earth several times? What idiot would believe your slander?"

Before Stark could finish, Li Feng turned to Potts and said, "Look, this guy is still bragging about his past achievements. Doesn’t that mean he’s still secretly thinking about all those girls from back then?"

Stark’s mouth twitched. Potts?! Damn it, calling in that backup is making this so awkward.

Nearby, Potts watched the two of them insult each other like idiots through the Portal and felt that having a boyfriend like this had left her too embarrassed to face anyone. Rubbing her forehead in exasperation, she said, "Tony, come over and warm up first."

"Uh…" Stark glanced at Li Feng, pursed his lips, and muttered, "I said from the start that I wouldn’t let Austin interfere. If I just go back to New York now, wouldn’t that mean I’m incapable? That I need someone else’s help even to get revenge?"

Understanding that Stark’s pride was acting up, Potts said irritably, "Then what do you call having Austin provide you with clothes and food?"

Stark awkwardly rubbed the tip of his nose and argued, "I didn’t ask Austin for help. This is compensation for him peeping on me." After a pause, Stark said with a serious expression, "That’s right, compensation. Compensation and help are not the same thing."

Li Feng gave Stark, who was busy rubbing his hands and stomping his feet for warmth, a contemptuous glance. Then he turned toward the rv and shouted, "Kreacher, I’m hungry. Bring me a huge burger."

After shouting that, Li Feng turned to Stark. "What are you looking at? The burger is for me, not you. At most, I’ll let you smell it." Li Feng generously patted his chest and stomach. "Don’t worry, you can smell it for free. I won’t charge you."

You eat while I watch? Isn’t that a little too pathetic for a billionaire? Stark glared and snapped, "That’s the burger you owe me as compensation. You drunk, go drink your beer somewhere else."

Potts glared at the two men bickering with each other, helplessly shook her head, and hurried into the cabin. She brought Stark some warm clothes and handed him a cup of warm water, saying, "Happy has gone missing. I suspect Killian did it."

Stark, who was busy putting on clothes to warm himself up, froze for a moment and asked in confusion, "Killian? Why is he joining in on this? Doesn’t he know I’m busy getting revenge on the Mandarin? Can’t he line up and wait until I deal with the Mandarin first?"

Li Feng pursed his lips and was about to explain when he suddenly remembered that just half a day ago, he had sworn never to get involved in Killian’s mess. After thinking it over, Li Feng turned toward the rv and acted as though he couldn’t be bothered with Stark.

Potts, on the other hand, didn’t care whether the Great Universe Consciousness favored Stark or not. She only wanted to end this crisis as quickly as possible and return to a normal life. "The Mandarin you’re looking for is actually one of Killian’s lackeys."

Stark froze, then looked at Li Feng in confusion and asked, "What do you mean? Please explain."

"Ask me?" Li Feng pointed at himself with a grin and mocked, "Didn’t you say you didn’t need my help? Why are you asking me to explain what happened now?"

Stark said, "I’m not asking you for anything. Besides, you’re only moving your mouth. That doesn’t count as helping."

"Oh? That doesn’t count as helping? Does it only count if I drag Killian right in front of you?" Li Feng rolled up his sleeves and was about to settle things with Stark using his fists when Potts, who was still worried about Happy’s safety, finally couldn’t take their idiotic behavior anymore. She put her hands on her hips and roared, "Both of you, shut up!"

Li Feng and Stark immediately shut their mouths, exchanged a glance, then turned to look at Potts with ingratiating expressions. What are your orders, ma’am?

Potts sighed helplessly and said, "The so-called Mandarin is merely an actor hired by Killian. Killian’s real goal is to have you help perfect a kind of ‘superhuman serum’ in his possession."

Stark lowered his head, folded one arm across his chest, and rubbed his forehead with the other as he analyzed, "So Killian needs something from me?"

Seeing Potts nod, Stark stroked his chin and said uncertainly, "Then before I’m captured by Killian, Happy might still be safe?"

Li Feng shook his head, shattering Stark’s hopes. "Killian’s thought process is a little unusual. I’m guessing he’ll use Happy for serum experiments, then force you to perfect the Extremis Virus. Otherwise…" After pausing, Li Feng pressed his palms together and abruptly spread them apart, mimicking an explosion. "BOOM~ Happy becomes a brilliant firework."

After thinking for a moment, Li Feng added, "The Extremis Virus is a kind of serum that makes people want to self-destruct uncontrollably. So you’d better find Happy quickly, or he’ll become a lab rat."

Stark suddenly recalled the phrase, "People are bombs." After considering it for a while, he said, "You mean the Extremis Virus is actually an unfinished drug, and its side effect is self-destruction? And Killian put the Mandarin in the spotlight to lure me out, so he could capture me and make me help perfect the drug?"

"Not entirely," Li Feng said with a shrug. "Happy was just unlucky enough to get caught up in an experimental subject’s explosion, which dragged you into it."

Stark nodded slightly. "As for the experimental subjects, I happen to have some leads. Once I gather enough evidence, I’ll settle the score with Killian."

Just then, Kreacher suddenly appeared before Li Feng holding an enormous burger.

Li Feng glanced at Stark, signaling Kreacher to hand the burger over to him.

Kreacher turned and handed the burger to Stark, politely asking, "Mr. Stark, is there anything else Kreacher can do for you?"

"Thank you, the burger is enough," Stark said. Taking the burger, he ate while making faces at Li Feng. "This is Kreacher’s cooking. Want a taste? If you do, then go think about it by yourself."

"Get lost~" Li Feng irritably flipped Stark off. Seeing that the man was now wearing warm clothes and gnawing on an enormous burger, he turned to Potts and asked, "If there’s nothing else you want to say, today’s visiting hours are over."

"Visiting hours?" With his mouth stuffed full of burger, Stark mumbled, "Would someone as respectable as me ever end up in prison?"

Before Stark could finish, Potts, feeling that she had already lost enough face, told him to be careful and turned to walk toward the cabin.

Seeing this, Li Feng mercilessly shouted, "Time’s up. We’ll chat again during your next prison visit."

With that, Li Feng gave Stark no chance to object and immediately closed the Portal.

Looking at the vanished Portal before him, Stark looked around at the deserted road, then lowered his head to look at his armor, which had run out of power. He felt like crying without tears. Fuck, I forgot to have Austin recharge my armor.

A few days later.

Potts felt that temporarily staying by the lake had been the wisest choice she had ever made.

Every day, she basked in the warm winter sunlight, leisurely lying in a lakeside recliner while listening to music and reading magazines. She threw the hustle and bustle of the city, along with the troubles of work, to the back of her mind, and her whole body felt much more relaxed.

Whenever she occasionally missed Stark, she would have Li Feng help her peep at Stark for a while to ease her longing.

This is the life I want. It would be even better if Tony were here too.

Just as Potts stared at the lake and sighed, Li Feng, who was busy building a sailboat in the distance, suddenly teleported to her side. After raising a shield, he looked up at the sky.

Potts froze. When she followed Li Feng’s gaze upward, she saw five helicopters loaded with weapons and ammunition launching a saturation bombardment at them in terror.

If those shells had been aimed at Li Feng, he could have faced the five helicopters calmly. He wouldn’t even have needed to cast any additional spells; the reflective properties of his shield alone could have destroyed all five armed helicopters.

But this was a saturation bombardment. By the time Li Feng cast a spell to destroy the five helicopters, the sailboat that was nearly finished would have already been blown into splinters.

Li Feng’s eye twitched as he looked at his home, now in complete disarray. With a grim face, he clenched his teeth and roared, "Kreacher, protect Potts."

After shouting that, Li Feng, burning with rage, turned into Black Mist and drifted to where the helicopters had crashed. He roughly collected every soul at the scene into the Black Gourd, then dragged the corpses back into the rv.

"You think dying means this is over? Not a chance! I’m a fucking Mage!"