Marcus guided a steady flow of Human Rock energy into Talia’s foot, letting the power spread gently through her skin as if it were water seeping into dry earth. The energy moved quickly under his control, tracing pathways he could now instinctively sense. Soon the structure of her foot unfolded clearly in his perception. Meridians, blood vessels, bones, muscle fibers, even the faint pulse of living tissue revealed themselves one after another.

"Good..." Marcus murmured under his breath, faintly impressed. His ability really could do this. The more he practiced, the more functions revealed themselves.

Yet the longer he examined her foot, the more confused he became.

Nothing was wrong.

Every structure appeared healthy. No swelling, no damage, no disrupted flow. Her meridians were smooth, her bones intact, her circulation perfect. By all accounts, her foot should have felt completely normal.

"Talia, how does it feel now? Still hurting?"

"Mm... Marcus, it feels much better!"

Her voice came from very close beside his ear. Too close. Her soft hair brushed against his cheek, warm and faintly fragrant, sending an unexpected tickle down his neck. Just as he began to relax, thinking the problem might already be solved, she added softly,

"But... it’s still a little uncomfortable."

"Still uncomfortable? Then I’ll massage it more."

Marcus resumed rubbing her foot carefully, his movements gentle but firm. He told himself he was focused on helping her recover, yet he could not deny the dangerous truth. Her foot was beautiful. Smooth, delicate, perfectly shaped. Anyone pretending this was easy work would be lying.

Still, confusion lingered in his mind.

Where exactly was the injury?

He knew nothing about real medical diagnosis. Meridians, acupuncture points, muscle trauma, none of it was knowledge he possessed. He could send energy into her body, yes, but understanding what he saw was another matter entirely.

"Marcus... you still have a lot to learn," he muttered quietly to himself.

Especially when it came to ancient martial arts and cultivation knowledge. Aside from possessing Human Rock energy, he was practically ignorant.

The realization frustrated him. Having power without understanding how to use it properly felt almost wasteful.

’Looks like I really need to start studying seriously.’

But where would he even begin?

Before his thoughts could go further, Talia leaned closer again, her breath warm near his ear.

"Marcus, this is all your fault. You hurt my foot."

"How is this my fault?"

He wanted to argue, but one look at her expression made resistance pointless. Instead, he sighed and accepted the accusation with helpless patience, continuing to massage her foot more carefully, hoping to ease whatever discomfort remained.

"Marcus," she continued softly, tightening her hold around his arm, "what if my foot is seriously injured? What if I can’t dance anymore?"

His heart skipped violently.

"Don’t say things like that," Marcus replied gently, though worry crept into his voice despite himself. "You’ll be fine."

Inside, however, anxiety spread quickly.

"Talia, if it still hurts, we should go to the hospital."

After another moment, he helped her slip her shoe back on and prepared to stand. If something truly happened to her dancing career, he would never forgive himself. Talia was the prodigy dancer known across campus as Scarlett. If word spread that he had caused her injury, he would not survive the public outrage.

"NO hospital!"

She waved her hand decisively.

Marcus blinked. "You don’t want to go?"

"Talia, we should at least let doctors check..."

"Marcus," she interrupted firmly, "I’m not letting strangers poke at my foot. Let’s go to my aunt’s place."

"...Professor Tina!"

The name hit him instantly.

’Right. Of course.’

Worry really did make people stupid. How had he forgotten her?

Professor Tina’s medical skill was extraordinary. If anyone could handle this situation, it was her. Compared to her, most hospital doctors would struggle to match even a fraction of her ability.

Professor Tina was unforgettable. Ethereally beautiful, almost unreal, yet possessing a calm intelligence that made people instinctively trust her. A certified genius, she had advanced through school at astonishing speed, skipping grades repeatedly. Because of her deep love for ancient civilizations and history, she pursued archaeology and historical studies, earning dual PhDs by the age of twenty-two during Marcus’s sophomore year before joining Crestwood University as faculty.

None of those academic achievements explained her medical ability.

That secret Marcus knew only because of Talia.

He still remembered her whispering proudly to him once, voice filled with triumph. "Marcus, you’re the first outsider my aunt has ever personally treated. And the first man. I worked really hard to convince her."

Back then, he had been stunned simply standing in front of Professor Tina. Even with Snow already by his side, he could not deny how breathtaking she was.

It had happened during his sophomore year, long before he obtained Human Rock energy.

At the National Collegiate Basketball Championship, an opponent had deliberately fouled him, slamming him to the floor and twisting his ankle viciously. The medical diagnosis had been clear. Severe sprain. At least ten days of recovery. Impossible to play in the finals.

But that final game meant everything.

Their opponent was powerful. The team wanted to defend their freshman championship and claim a historic second consecutive national title. Even more important, the final was hosted at Crestwood University itself. A home court. Their arena. Their crowd.

Marcus watching from the sidelines was unimaginable.

"Marcus, I will get you into that game."

Talia had said those words with absolute certainty before running off without explanation.

Five hours later she returned, smiling brightly. "I convinced my aunt. You can play."

That was when Marcus witnessed Professor Tina’s astonishing treatment. Ancient acupuncture techniques nearly lost to history, precise needle placements combined with a specially brewed medicinal tonic. After treatment and half a day of rest, the injury doctors predicted would take ten days to heal vanished completely.

He had played in the finals, and they had won.

Since then, Marcus carried a debt of gratitude toward both Talia and Professor Tina that he knew he could never fully repay.

Later conversations revealed more. Professor Tina’s family came from an ancient lineage of traditional physicians. She had studied classical medicine since childhood under strict family traditions that valued heritage above personal freedom.

Those same traditions had arranged her marriage before she was even born.

Her future decided without her consent, tied to a man she had never met.

At eighteen, she rebelled and demanded the engagement be broken. Tradition refused. So she chose another path. Using education as an excuse, she left home, came to Crestwood University, and remained there as a professor, refusing to return.

She could not defeat her family directly. So she ran, preserving her freedom one year at a time.

"Talia, careful."

Marcus helped her stand, supporting her as they started toward Professor Tina’s residence.

"Ow! It hurts!"

The moment her right foot touched the ground, she gasped sharply. Her weight shifted instantly back onto him as her injured foot hovered uselessly above the pavement.

"Marcus... it really hurts..."

She leaned against his shoulder, looking up at him with helpless eyes that made refusal impossible.

He hesitated only briefly. "Talia... should I carry you?"

This was not opportunism. The situation simply left no alternative.

"Carry me?" she asked, narrowing her eyes playfully. "Marcus, are you trying to take advantage of me?"

"I’m not..."

"Fine," she said before he could finish, sighing as if reluctantly accepting fate. "I guess there’s no other choice. But don’t get any ideas. I don’t even have a boyfriend yet. If you try anything, I won’t forgive you."

Her cheeks flushed faintly, hands already slipping around his shoulders in clear anticipation.

Marcus nearly laughed despite himself.

She was the one leaning closer, speaking teasingly, radiating charm, yet warning him not to take advantage.

"Troublemaker," he muttered under his breath, smiling faintly.

He lifted her carefully into his arms and continued toward Professor Tina’s home.

Talia wrapped her arms around his neck immediately, her radiant smile returning as if the pain had faded the moment he held her. Her expression carried an irresistible warmth, playful and dangerously enchanting.

Marcus felt his heartbeat quicken. Looking at her too long felt unsafe, so he fixed his gaze ahead and forced himself to focus on walking.

"Marcus..."

Her soft call carried a hint of dissatisfaction.

"What’s wrong?"

He glanced down instinctively. Talia sighed inwardly, hopeless. Then she frowned slightly and spoke in a pitiful tone. "Marcus... my foot is starting to hurt again."

"Again?" He stopped immediately. "Is it bad?"

He looked genuinely concerned, and that sincerity softened her eyes for a brief moment.

"There’s not much I can do right now," he said. "Just hold on. Professor Tina will fix everything."

"When you carry me like this," she explained patiently, "I bounce with every step. It aggravates the injury."

Marcus’s worry deepened. Maybe the damage really was worse than he realized.

"Then what should we do? I’ll find a car."

"Cars bounce too."

She looked at him as though dealing with a particularly slow student.

"Marcus... carry me on your back. Slowly."

"...Okay."

He gently set her down, crouched, and let her climb onto his back. Even as he complied, a faint suspicion formed in his mind. Cars really did not bounce that much. A smooth ride would probably have been fine.

Something about today felt slightly off.

Talia pressed herself comfortably against him, her pale arms looping around his neck as she settled in close. Her body fit naturally against his back, warm and soft.

"Marcus..."

Her voice lowered, intimate and gentle. Her face moved close to his cheek, eyes shining with tenderness.

"Yeah?"

He turned his head slightly.

"Marcus... you’re really good to me."

Her arms tightened around him, and before he could react, she leaned forward and placed a soft kiss against his cheek.

Marcus froze.

Talia laughed quietly at his stunned expression, resting her head against his neck, eyes half-lidded with unmistakable amusement.

She was teasing him. Completely, deliberately teasing him. And he finally understood.

’This vixen.’

Her chest pressed lightly against his back as he walked, each step creating subtle movement that sent distracting warmth through him. Combined with her fragrance, her closeness, and her soft breathing near his ear, Marcus felt completely surrounded by her presence.

It reminded him of Anya.

Anya had always been gentle, affectionate, quietly touching his heart through sincerity. Talia, on the other hand, was dazzling and bold, drawing him in through charm and playful temptation. Two completely different kinds of warmth, both impossible to ignore.

The earlier confusion about her injury suddenly made more sense. Sometimes it hurt, sometimes it did not.

His heart raced, caught between embarrassment and helpless fondness.

These women cared about him in their own ways, and the realization moved him more deeply than he expected.

Then Talia whispered again, her voice soft against his ear.

"Marcus... if I can’t dance anymore... you’ll have to take responsibility for me."

He sighed inwardly.

’What a dangerous woman.’

Yet his answer came without hesitation.

"Okay."

His hands adjusted instinctively to support her more securely as he carried her forward, step by steady step.