Chapter 1522: Schiller Is Not Home Today (Part 2)

On a weekend evening in New York's Central Park, crowds of people out for a stroll could be seen everywhere. The cool breeze of the late autumn sunset was refreshing, and the afterglow shone through the tree branches onto the cyan slate tiles, looking as if a fire had been set upon ice. Young couples in love took their simultaneous steps as proof of their tacit understanding, their shoes making only faint sounds as they trod upon the ground.

"Peter, you seem to be under a lot of pressure lately. Is the research project not going well?" Gwen tucked her hair behind her ears, tilted her head, and looked at Peter.

Peter simply held Gwen's hand in silence. After a while, as if he had just snapped out of it, he said, "The project is actually going quite smoothly. It's just that I've been working overtime to meet deadlines, so I'm a bit tired."

"You can't fool me." Gwen shook her head and said, "Whenever you have something on your mind, you zone out, and you don't hear people when they call you. You zoned out several times just while we were eating."

Peter pursed his lips and remained silent. Gwen glanced up at him and did not continue to press him. Although Peter's expression was tense, the relaxation in the muscles around his eyes showed that he had let out a sigh of relief.

But what followed was guilt. Gwen was so understanding and never forced him to answer any questions, so hiding things felt particularly selfish. Thus, Peter began to explain.

"I do have something on my mind, but Dr. Schiller has left, so this week's session was canceled. I don't know who else I can talk to."

"Have you seen Harry lately?"

Peter tilted his head in confusion, not understanding why she would ask that. Gwen smiled and said, "Do you really think you're so distressed that you have to see a psychologist? Why not talk to a friend?"

Peter suddenly realized. He gently squeezed Gwen's hand, led her to a bench by the roadside, and sat down. Then, resting his face on one hand, he said, "It's not really seeing a psychologist. Dr. Schiller is my friend."

"I don't know much about psychology, but I do know that Dr. Schiller is an excellent psychologist. We all know that some professional habits are unavoidable, and his conversations with you inevitably carry professional advice."

Gwen pulled Peter's other hand over, covered the back of it with her own, and said, "But sometimes, what you need isn't professional advice."

Gwen turned her head to look at the sunset at the edge of the sky and said, "Dr. Schiller is a mature adult. Sometimes, maturity is good; it makes people feel secure, as if no matter what happens, as long as you consult them, they can always give you a reliable answer."

"But sometimes, sadness isn't solved by correct answers. I just hope someone can stand from my perspective, understand my sadness, comfort me with genuine feelings, or even just join me in cursing the person who made me sad. It doesn't matter if there's no solution; perhaps after a good night's sleep, I'll find a way myself."

Peter suddenly began to zone out again, but this wasn't a brief mental blank caused by anxiety. He was suddenly overcome by a sense of longing. He thought of the time he and Harry had crouched on the roof of a building, Harry holding his phone and angrily cursing those who slandered Spider-Man online.

Peter remembered that at the time, he had told him he didn't mind because those people didn't know the whole story. At this very moment, he suddenly recalled that trace of imperceptible happiness and vindication in his heart.

"You really should give him a call. I heard he had an argument with Mary Jane a while ago." Gwen said in a slightly low tone, "You know, Mr. Osborn doesn't think highly of the two of them..."

Gwen didn't continue, but Peter's heart was already filled with worry. He waved his fist in frustration and said, "Good heavens, what have I done? I've been so busy I haven't seen him in a month!"

Peter stood up in a hurry and looked at Gwen apologetically. Gwen walked up and gently kissed his cheek. Peter was no longer the type to jump up in shy surprise like before; they were already accustomed to this level of intimacy.

Peter simply hugged her gently and rested his chin on her shoulder. Gwen patted his back and said, "Go on, I still have to help the other me earn credits later."

Peter chuckled softly. Gwen pretended to be annoyed, pushed him away, patted his arm, and turned to leave.

Peter took a step forward, grabbed Gwen's hand, hugged her tightly once more, and then let her go, waving goodbye.

When night fell, a lithe figure landed on the roof of the Osborn Building, but instead of waiting directly in front of the roof exit, he ran to the top of the door.

Another figure walked out from the rooftop door. Harry was wearing a light camel-colored suit, his hair slicked with gel, his leather shoes spotless, and the luxury watch on his wrist shimmering with a brilliant luster under the moonlight.

"Look who it is, our high-spirited young President Osborn!"

Spider-Man dropped down upside down from above the door frame, striking his most classic hanging pose, and said in that cheeky tone of his.

"Get lost." Harry irritably brushed him aside, walked onto the roof, straightened his tie, and then, with both hands in his pockets, stepped one foot onto the edge of the roof.

Spider-Man walked up, draped his elbow over Harry's shoulder, and said, "I bet you're definitely angry because your good buddy hasn't paid you any mind for a month. How many times have you checked my contact list?"

"You seem quite proud of yourself?!" Harry said, turning to glare at Spider-Man with his hands in his pockets. "You can chat with the pillars at the entrance of the Osborn Building, yet you can go a whole month without sending me a message!"

"But the pillars at the entrance of the Osborn Building are much more straightforward than you. Didn't you not send me a message either?" Spider-Man walked to the edge of the building, crouched on the outermost stone ledge, let his hands hang between his legs, and looked down at the night view of New York.

Harry was left speechless by his retort and could only mumble, "To think I once thought you were an inarticulate bookworm and was afraid you wouldn't make friends, so I took you everywhere. Consider it my own wishful thinking!"

"Oh, hey, don't be like that, Harry." Spider-Man looked back at his friend and said instinctively, "You have no idea how miserable I've been lately. I'm really going crazy."

He was stunned by his own words, but Harry had already leaned in, eyes wide, looking at Spider-Man and saying, "What do you have to be miserable about? You've been the center of attention lately."

"That has nothing to do with it." Spider-Man waved his hand. Once a person's floodgates were opened, it was hard to close them. He let his hands and head hang down, struck a dejected pose, and said, "It's about Gwen's father. You should know him; he doesn't think highly of us. I mean, he definitely doesn't think highly of his daughter being with Spider-Man."

"At first, I was hiding everywhere, playing two roles at once, and having to create alibis for each other to dispel his suspicions. Once work got busy, I couldn't keep up the act, so I worried every day that he would find out."

"I had nightmares for several days in a row. In my dreams, Gwen was crying, but I didn't dare tell her. In the worst one, I dreamed Gwen fell from a high building, just like the other Spider-Men told me."

"I was terrified. On nights I couldn't sleep, I kept running around on every high building, or I'd go across from Gwen's house and secretly watch her, not daring to watch for too long because George might discover me at any moment."

"Dr. Schiller gave me a suggestion. I know it would definitely work, but I don't want to do that. I know I'm not the kind of person who stops at nothing to achieve a goal. Anything that makes my conscience uneasy is best left undone; otherwise, it will only be more painful."

"I haven't been sleeping well for a while. At the beginning of last month, I joined a new project team, so I didn't even have time for a nap. I'm always dozing off while working."

Harry stared at him, eyes wide, and asked, "At the beginning of last month? This situation has been going on for two months?"

Peter nodded, but Harry said angrily, "And yet I had no idea! Why didn't you tell me?"

Peter opened his mouth, but Harry had already realized something. He moved closer, looked at Spider-Man, and said, "You went to see a psychologist, but you didn't come to find me. Actually, you just feel in your heart that I'm completely useless, right?"

"Of course not." Spider-Man hurriedly tried to make amends. "I, I just, just..."

He stammered for a long time without coming up with any reason. Harry snorted coldly and said, "Either you think finding me is useless, or you completely forgot your good buddy—Peter Parker!"

Hearing his full name, Spider-Man shuddered instinctively. He rubbed his arms with both hands and said, "Let's talk properly, don't use my full name. You remind me of my Aunt."

Harry was just about to continue his attack when Spider-Man realized something. He turned his head, glared with the spider-eyes on his mask, and said, "You didn't tell me you had an argument with Mary Jane either. Did you forget about me too? Harry Osborn!"

Harry also shuddered instinctively. He finally couldn't hold it together, made a bitter face, and said, "Don't call me by my full name. That reminds me of my father. He's called me that three times a day lately."

"Because of your romance?"

"Good heavens, don't use the word 'romance' either. Are you a reporter for some gossip tabloid? My name has been in the papers three times a day lately."

Harry finally couldn't hold back anymore. He also walked to the very edge of the roof and crouched on the stone ledge in a rather inelegant posture, the creases forming in his smooth suit trousers.

"You know, Mary Jane is a somewhat famous actress. She was originally performing in stage plays on Broadway, but with the continuous development of technology, Stark Industries launched various models of holographic screens. Online movies are becoming more and more popular, and with that comes the dismal revenue of offline theaters. Musical actors are switching careers one after another."

"At the end of last year, Mary's agent suggested she break into Hollywood. Her appearance is good, and she was chosen for the role of the third female lead in the latest '007' movie. The response after the movie was released was quite good, and she can be considered to have become a bit popular."

"Isn't that great?"

"Popularity brings trouble." Harry sighed deeply and said, "Before three days had passed, the scene of us going out on a date was photographed by those gossip tabloid reporters. And as luck would have it, someone recognized me as the heir to the Osborn Group."

"Now, everyone is saying Mary Jane is clinging to a rich man, saying she's a female character who was shoved into the role. The female lead's fans are also quite dissatisfied, saying she's stealing the spotlight. The production team had to come out to clarify, and her agent had to arrange a clarification press conference for her."

"The two of us don't really care, but these outrageous reports were seen by my father. You know how old-fashioned he is. We were clearly dating normally, and she wasn't even famous when we confirmed our relationship, but my father insists on thinking I'm keeping a female celebrity."

Harry raised his head helplessly and said, "I've been scolded every day for the past few months. It's fortunate that Mary has already joined the cast. If she were to run into my father, things would really be troublesome."

Spider-Man was slightly stunned and then said, "Are you sure Uncle Osborn won't send someone to find her?"

Harry slowly turned his head and glared at Spider-Man, saying, "Can you stop telling ghost stories!"

"Dr. Schiller said Mr. Osborn is the typical kind of person who stops at nothing to achieve his goals..."

"Stop talking. I'm going to call Mary right now."