Reborn with Steve Stand-Chapter 817: Back to X-Men but, What the… f*ck

"This old geezer is getting lazier by the day."

Carrying a few thick books, Fang Mo muttered complaints as he made his way back to his villa.

While the Ancient One had agreed to help him, she’d also noticed Fang Mo's tendency to act like a spoiled child. As a result, she forcefully handed him several books, insisting that he read them before she would assist him.

Under normal circumstances, Fang Mo would’ve found a way to wriggle out of this. But considering the Ancient One's intentions weren't malicious, and these books were painstakingly written just for him, Fang Mo decided to hold off on his usual antics. He figured he might as well brush up on some knowledge.

After all, despite being a dimensional god, his control over dimensions was nowhere near as refined as the Ancient One's. If word got out, it would be pretty embarrassing.

"Man, how long has it been since I last read a book?"

Thinking over these things, Fang Mo sighed. He’d always been the kind of guy who hated anything too bothersome. Shaking his head, he opened the front door of his villa and stepped inside.

Since he'd been out causing trouble for a long time, it was already quite late.

As soon as he opened the door, a delicious smell of food greeted him. The lights in the living room were soft, casting a warm glow over everything. Xiao Yao was awake, lounging on the sofa with Shoggoth in her arms, lazily watching a TV show. Nearby, Mo Mo sat on the floor, playing with the little critter, while from the kitchen came the sounds of cooking. The atmosphere was peaceful and harmonious, as if this was how it was always meant to be.

It was exactly this ordinary, cozy feeling that gave the place a homey atmosphere.

"…"

Fang Mo paused for a moment, taking in the scene.

"Hm?"

Xiao Yao was the first to notice him. She glanced at the door, then stretched lazily like a cat, letting out a contented sigh as she stood up from the couch. "Oh, you're back?"

"Yeah."

Fang Mo snapped out of his thoughts, placing the books by the door before stepping further inside.

“Daddy!”

Mo Mo spotted him next and came running over with her little bare feet, pouncing into his arms. Her dragon tail wagged behind her like a happy puppy’s, and she nuzzled into him, saying, “Daddy missed you!”

“Sweetie, you need to put ‘Daddy’ at the end of that sentence,” Fang Mo said with a chuckle, gently knocking on her head. “Your word order is all wrong, makes the sentence mean something else entirely… What, did a dog teach you Chinese?”

“Eek!”

Off to the side, the little critter visibly shrank, looking pitifully guilty.

"It really was, huh!"

Fang Mo wiped his face in disbelief and turned to Xiao Yao. “Seriously, what kind of mom are you? The kid’s learning Chinese from a dog, and you’re just letting it happen?” ꞦＡɴȫBĘs̈

“What’s there to teach?” Xiao Yao strolled over in her fluffy slippers, indifferent. “You’ve got the translation module. Are you really worried about not understanding her? Even if she spoke Dragon Tongue, we’d still understand it.”

“Yeah, but what about everyone else?” Fang Mo sighed, giving up. “Fine, guess I’ll teach her myself.”

“Master, is that you?” Ah Xue poked her head out from the kitchen. “Master, please wash up; dinner’s almost ready.”

“Oh, alright.”

Fang Mo nodded and headed off to the bathroom.

Dinner wasn’t extravagant—just a few stir-fried dishes, two cold plates, and a pot of corn and pork rib soup. But the flavors were surprisingly good. Ah Xue’s cooking skills had certainly improved over time.

Sitting at the dinner table, Fang Mo savored the meal.

Suddenly, as if realizing something, he looked up at the others around the table.

He watched Ah Xue serving food, Mo Mo clumsily holding her chopsticks with her tiny fists, trying hard to eat, and Xiao Yao casually plucking a grain of rice from their daughter’s cheek and popping it into her mouth.

In that quiet and warm atmosphere, Fang Mo felt an inexplicable sense of contentment.

For a brief moment, the shadows of those sitting with him overlapped with memories from long ago.

In that instant, a deep satisfaction filled Fang Mo’s heart—something entirely different from the chaotic mischief or excitement he usually pursued. It was as if the deepest part of his restless soul had suddenly been soothed, as though a warm light had pierced the abyss of his mind, gently calming his most extreme and broken desires, like a mother’s hand comforting a child.

"This is nice."

Looking at the scene before him, Fang Mo smiled.

For some reason, an old phrase echoed in his mind: “Perhaps your ordinary days are nothing short of a continuous string of miracles.”

“Hmm?”

Xiao Yao glanced at him curiously. “What’s with the sudden anime quote?”

"I guess the food’s just really good," Fang Mo laughed, his thoughts drifting to distant memories. “You know, I feel like I’ve actually made something of myself. I wish they could see me now. They’d be so proud. Maybe I’ll make my mom a ten-ton gold bracelet…”

Before he could finish, he felt a warm hand take his.

Looking down, Fang Mo saw Xiao Yao smiling softly beside him. Her hand was warm, her voice steady and sincere: "You'll get your chance."

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“Ha, come on, now…”

Fang Mo was about to change the subject, but before he could, a knock at the door shattered the moment.

"Who the hell is this blind idiot now?”

Irritated, Fang Mo muttered to himself, but he let out a sigh of relief as he stood up to answer the door.

Opening it, he found Little Pink standing outside.

“I do have eyes,” Little Pink said, tilting her head and dropping a bombshell. “Wanna see?”

“…”

Fang Mo calmly closed the door.

“Who was it?”

Xiao Yao called out from the dining table, her curiosity piqued.

"Insurance salesman," Fang Mo said, deadpan.

"Wrong! Wrong!" Little Pink’s voice called out from outside as she knocked on the door again. “I sell *condoms*! Let me in!”

“…”

Fang Mo’s face darkened.

Just as he was about to use his powers to send her away, Xiao Yao chimed in, "Isn’t that Little Lin? You should let her in."

“Huh?”

Fang Mo blinked in surprise.

"What, are you really trying to hide this now?” Xiao Yao raised an eyebrow playfully. “Didn’t you cause this whole mess?”

“Uh…”

Fang Mo scratched his head awkwardly.

It was clear that Xiao Yao already knew about the situation. It was probably Ah Xue who spilled the beans, or maybe Mo Mo let something slip. Either way, Xiao Yao didn’t seem particularly upset, which was a relief.

Realizing there was no point in hiding it, Fang Mo sighed and opened the door.

“Eh?”

Little Pink was still mid-knock, clearly surprised that the door had opened. “You actually opened it?”

She soon noticed everyone inside and blinked before obediently stepping into the entryway.

"Little Lin!" Mo Mo waved excitedly from the table. "Come sit with us!"

"Would you like to join us for dinner?" Xiao Yao asked with a sweet smile, eyeing Little Pink up and down as if she were sizing her up.

“Yes, please!” Little Pink immediately nodded and pulled out a large bottle of wine from behind her. “Oh, I brought this too!”

“What’s this?”

“It’s a gift from the local brewers. Himeno asked me to bring it over,” Little Pink explained, placing the bottle on the table with both hands. “She said it’s a token of appreciation.”

“Let’s skip the wine, shall we?”

Fang Mo immediately declined.

“Oh, come on, it’s a thoughtful gift.”

Predictably, Xiao Yao refused to back down, her tone carrying an odd meaning. “At least have a taste… wouldn’t you agree?”

Without waiting for Fang Mo to say anything, she opened the bottle and poured herself a small glass, sipping it slowly.

Seeing that there was no stopping it, Fang Mo sat back down to continue eating. However, he soon noticed that Xiao Yao’s behavior was odd. At first, she had seemed normal, but as the wine took effect, her gaze began to change.

Fang Mo knew that look all too well. He and Xiao Yao were quite alike in many ways. She was planning something.

Just as he’d expected, Xiao Yao suddenly spoke.

“Little Lin, right?” Xiao Yao leaned on her hand, staring at Little Pink. “It’s pretty late. How about staying the night?”

“Huh?”

Little Pink blinked, clearly taken aback. “For real?”

“Hey, what are you planning now?” Fang Mo whispered, pulling Xiao Yao closer. “Most women would be jealous and keep their man on a short leash… why are you practically pushing me into this?”

“Who said I was pushing you?”

To Fang Mo’s surprise, Xiao Yao smirked mischievously. “…Why don’t I just join you instead?”

“Uh???”

Fang Mo was completely stunned.

“Other women get jealous because they can only be your woman,” Xiao Yao whispered, her voice dripping with mischief. “But I’m different. If you’re really that into fooling around, I don’t mind. I’ll just fool around with you.”

“What the…”

Fang Mo tried to protest.

"Don’t you want to give it a try?" Xiao Yao’s voice was like that of a devil’s, seductive and teasing. "All those fantasies—brotherly love, alien lovers, furry companions, even tentacles. Don’t forget, we’ve got the Custom Steve module. The only one who can fulfill all your fantasies is me..."

“…”

Fang Mo was left speechless.

“If you want, I can even give you the center position,” Xiao Yao continued her temptations. “So, what do you think… want to try?”

'Cough cough cough!!!'

Unable to hold back, Fang Mo started coughing loudly, then grabbed Little Pink by the arm.

“Sorry, my wife’s had too much to drink. It’s getting late; I need to see our guest out.”

“Huh?”

Little Pink was bewildered as Fang Mo dragged her toward the door. Without giving her a chance to react, Fang Mo pushed her outside and closed the door behind her.

“Don’t bring alcohol next time!” he called through the door before shutting it firmly.

After that, it was just a matter of dealing with Xiao Yao, who, mischievous as she was, needed to be coaxed to sleep.

All in all, it was an uneventful night.

By the next morning, Fang Mo decided it would be best to lay low for a while. Not only to avoid any awkwardness but also to cool his head, lest he agree to something impulsively.

The books given to him by the Ancient One contained numerous lessons on creating magical life, with the most critical aspect being the construction of memories. To swiftly complete his ‘’All-Star Kichiku Madmen Universe’ and create a true lineup of chaotic entities, Fang Mo decided to dive deep into learning memory manipulation techniques.

When it came to manipulating consciousness and memory, the first person that came to Fang Mo's mind was Charles Xavier, the wheelchair-bound leader of the X-Men.

With that thought, he decided to act. After all, Wolverine (Logan) had previously told him not to let opportunities slip away and turn into regrets. So, this would be a good chance to visit his old friends as well.

However, when Fang Mo opened the ‘Book of Ages’ and descended into that world, what he saw was nothing but a desolate, ruined wasteland.

“…Huh?”

Seeing the scene before him, Fang Mo didn’t immediately comprehend what had happened. He wandered around the area to confirm, and eventually realized that this place was indeed Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters, but for some reason, it had now turned into a ruin with no sign of life.

“What kind of messed-up timeline is this? Could it be ‘’Days of Future Past’?” Fang Mo muttered to himself, perplexed. "Didn’t I already give them a solution? How could even an extinction-level event not stop these guys from fighting among themselves?"

Just as he was thinking this, Fang Mo suddenly heard the sound of footsteps behind him.

Turning around to see who it was, Fang Mo was completely stunned by what he saw.

“What the… Fan Bingbing?!”