But then, suddenly, everything changed.

"Marcus, watch out!"

As Marcus stepped forward to block her path, Talia’s stumble worsened instead of recovering. Her graceful balance completely collapsed, her body accelerating straight toward him with uncontrollable momentum.

It was too fast.

This time she was not weaving past him or setting up another trick. Her footwork was completely chaotic, the basketball forgotten as she pitched forward helplessly.

"Ah!"

She’s actually falling.

Panic flashed through Marcus. Instinctively, he reached out with his right hand to catch her while pulling his left hand free from behind his back. But her fall came too suddenly. His reaction lagged just a fraction of a second behind reality.

His right hand barely extended. His left hand had not fully come free. His center of gravity shifted awkwardly.

Then came the impact.

Thud.

Talia’s soft, slender body crashed into him with surprising force. The momentum from her movement drove straight through his balance. His right hand brushed her waist but failed to steady her, and under her weight his footing slipped completely.

They went down together.

"Careful!"

In the split second before hitting the ground, Marcus reacted purely on instinct. He abandoned any thought of protecting himself and wrapped both arms around her, pulling her tightly against his chest to shield her from the fall.

Thud.

The sound echoed across the court.

Warmth filled his arms instantly. Softness and weightlessness. A boneless, intoxicating softness pressed against him as he absorbed the full impact with his back.

Talia landed safely in his embrace, completely protected by his body, while Marcus struck the floor hard beneath her.

The force pushed her even closer, their bodies pressed together without the slightest gap.

’So soft.’

For a brief moment, Marcus forgot the pain entirely. Surrounded by her faint fragrance and the delicate warmth of her body, his mind blanked.

’Comfortable,’ he thought helplessly.

"Talia, are you okay?"

He tried to help her up immediately, concern overriding everything else.

"Ah!"

Talia suddenly gasped.

"Marcus... don’t move."

Her enchanting face tightened slightly, brows knitting as if in discomfort.

Marcus froze instantly. "What happened?"

"My foot hurts. I can’t move it," she said softly, her voice tinged with vulnerability. "Don’t move yet. Let me lie here for a moment."

She settled gently against his chest, her slender hands resting lightly at his sides.

’Her foot hurts...’

Anxiety rose in Marcus’s chest. "Did you twist your ankle?"

Afraid of worsening her injury, he did not dare shift even slightly. He could not check her foot from this position and could only ask cautiously.

"I’m not sure. I’ll look later," she murmured.

Seeing the genuine worry on his face, Talia smiled faintly where he could not see it, reassured by his concern.

Only then did Marcus fully realize their position.

She was lying completely in his arms. Her stunning face, delicate as a peach blossom and luminous as polished jade, hovered inches from his own. Her lips were so close he could almost feel their warmth. Her breath carried a faint sweetness that brushed across his skin.

His heartbeat accelerated instantly.

’Too beautiful.’

His throat grew dry as he stared at her flawless features. The urge to close the small distance between them and kiss her rose uncontrollably.

’And her body...’

Her soft figure pressed fully against him, especially the warm fullness of her chest resting against his. The intimate contact sent dangerous signals straight through his nerves. He could feel every curve, every subtle movement, the softness impossible to ignore.

Seductive was an understatement.

Through the thin fabric between them, he felt warmth, softness, firmness. Even the faint line between her curves pressed against him, stirring thoughts he struggled desperately to suppress.

Talia in his arms was a living temptation.

His body heated rapidly. He almost lowered his head without realizing it, curiosity and desire pulling at him.

’This is dangerous.’

Marcus bit his lower lip hard and forced his gaze upward toward the white ceiling of the gym. Students were still around. They were lying on a public basketball court, not somewhere private.

He had to calm down.

Besides, he truly was worried about her injury. Had she twisted her ankle badly? Would she be able to walk?

What Marcus did not realize was that the woman resting against him felt quite satisfied with the situation. Hidden from his view, Talia smiled faintly to herself.

’Got you, Marcus.’

Other than you, she thought quietly, Talia would never let any man come this close. Only you get to see this side of me. Only you.

Suddenly remembering something, Talia lifted her head with concern.

"Marcus, did you hurt yourself? Does it hurt?" she asked, preparing to rise and examine him. After all, he had taken the entire impact for her.

"I’m fine," Marcus said quickly, tightening his arms slightly to keep her from moving too much. "Really. How’s your foot? Does it still hurt?"

His worry was genuine.

The fall had been heavy, but his Human Rock technique had activated instinctively, reinforcing his body. To him, hitting the floor felt no worse than a rough workout. Even a bullet might struggle to harm him now.

Still, the incident reminded him of something. If he actually knew proper martial techniques, he could have redirected the force and prevented the fall entirely.

Crystal came to mind. She practiced the Frostheart Discipline and had told him it was unsuitable for men, but she promised that when she returned home soon, she would find martial manuals compatible with his Human Rock technique.

"My foot feels a little better now," Talia said softly. "Are you really okay? Let’s get up."

Reluctantly, she began to climb off him. By now, several familiar students had noticed the commotion and were approaching.

"Marcus, you alright?" someone called from nearby.

There goes the moment, Marcus thought regretfully.

"I’m good. Bring some ice," he replied.

He carefully helped Talia sit up, supporting her weight. "Easy. Tell me if it hurts."

Seeing him energetic and unharmed reassured her, but she immediately leaned against him again.

"Ow..."

Her brows furrowed as she spoke in a slightly spoiled tone. "Marcus, my foot still hurts a bit."

She clung to him as if she might collapse without his support.

"Careful," Marcus said gently, steadying her.

Accepting the ice bag handed over by another student, he thanked them and waved everyone away. Ignoring curious stares, he focused entirely on her.

"Hang in there."

Without hesitation, he lifted her into his arms and carried her to a nearby bench. After setting her down carefully, he knelt immediately to examine her foot.

"Marcus..."

Watching him fuss over her with such seriousness and tenderness made Talia’s heart soften completely. All the lingering frustration she had carried over the past year seemed to melt away in that moment.

She rested her hands lightly on his shoulders, gazing at him with quiet affection. Unfortunately for her, Marcus was completely absorbed in checking her injury and noticed nothing.

"Does it still hurt?" he asked, gently moving her ankle.

"Ah!"

Talia snapped back to attention. Seeing him seriously examining her ankle without any romantic awareness made her inwardly dissatisfied.

’Time to escalate.’

She pouted slightly, her lips irresistibly soft. "It still hurts, Marcus. Right on my foot. I think it’s swelling."

’Still hurts?’

Marcus’s heart tightened. Without hesitation, he rolled up her pant leg slightly, removed her shoe and sock, and carefully cradled her foot in his palm.

The sight before him stunned him for a moment.

Her foot was flawless. Smooth white skin tinged faintly pink, delicate as carved jade, elegant and perfectly shaped. It looked almost unreal, light and refined, as if untouched by the ordinary world.

Holding it felt surprisingly intimate. Soft, warm, unbelievably smooth.

He suddenly understood why ancient poets praised a woman’s feet so passionately.

He had never examined one this closely before, and Talia’s delicate foot held his attention far longer than expected. Yet there was no swelling. No redness or visible injury at all.

"Talia, where exactly does it hurt?" he asked carefully.

"Here," she said, pointing beneath her ankle with a faint frown. "Lower left side."

’Maybe it’s internal,’ Marcus thought seriously.

That worried him even more. He wrapped the ice pack and gently pressed it against the indicated spot, rotating slowly to ease the pain.

Unaware that he had walked directly into her carefully laid trap, Marcus focused entirely on helping her recover. Meanwhile, Talia felt slightly dissatisfied.

Ice alone was not enough.

"Marcus, it still hurts," she said softly. "There’s a sharp pain inside."

He frowned. "Then let me massage it."

Receiving no objection, he placed both hands around her delicate foot and began gently kneading the muscles. It felt unbelievably soft beneath his fingers, smooth like silk.

’Perfect.’

Talia relaxed completely, smiling faintly as she watched him. She leaned back, thoroughly enjoying both the attention and the warmth of his touch.

Poor Marcus remained completely unaware, captivated by concern and distracted by the woman he held in his hands.

After a while, he asked, "Does it feel better now?"

"A little," she replied softly. "But it still hurts."

She leaned closer, draping herself against him again, her lips near his ear.

"Marcus... I think the injury might be inside."

"Don’t worry," he said gently, though anxiety stirred within him. His hands felt nothing wrong, yet she still complained of pain.

Could it really be internal? Then he remembered.

’Human Rock.’

Carefully, Marcus focused his energy, guiding a thread of his cultivated power into Talia’s foot, attempting to sense any hidden damage beneath the surface.