Startled by the face that suddenly loomed before her, Ebony Fox felt her ears ringing and instinctively shifted away in annoyance.


    "So cool, so cool," Kurt continued, undeterred by her indifference. His eyes were practically glued to her. "A senior instructor at the Huntsman Institute... that''s even more impressive than a top-tier special forces soldier."


    "How old are you, anyway? How did you be an instructor already?"


    "Could you teach me a move or two sometime?”


    Ebony Fox shot him a look, her brow furrowing deeper. He was such a chatterbox.


    "Kurt," Shanley called out, his voice low and raspy. He frowned slightly. "Come over here and sit down. Show some respect."


    Respect? Kurt reluctantly returned to his seat, stealing nces at Ebony Fox. She couldn''t be that much older than him, could she? He definitely didn''t want to call her ''sister''.


    For dinner, Dana had prepared a table full of delicious food.


    Juniper and Shanley sat together, with Ebony Fox beside Juniper.


    After listening to Juniper''s detailed exnation of the sports car, Kurt had shamelessly insisted on staying for the meal.


    He emerged from the room slowly. His eyes scanned the dining table before he hesitated for a moment, then pulled a chair out to sit next to Ebony Fox. She was his idol, and he had to sit beside her.


    "You don''t mind, do you, Ebony Fox?" Kurt asked, shing a sycophantic grin that nearly reached his ears when she nced at him.


    "I do," Ebony Fox replied bluntly. Her personality was straightforward, and she disliked talkative people, no matter who they were.


    "Uh," Kurt''s smile froze for a few seconds before he recovered, grinning like a fool. "I promise I won''t bother you while you eat."


    Ebony Fox nced at his injured leg and the crutch beside him, ultimately deciding to say nothing more.


    “Seems even a good meal can''t shut your mouth," Shanley chimed in at the perfect moment, his tonezy. "Keep it down. Don''t disturb everyone''s dinner."


    "Oh." Kurt nearly cringed to death at the formal tone and lowered his head in silence. What was with the lectures? If only he''d been born a few years earlier.


    After dinner, Shanley finally shooed the chattering Kurt away.


    "Kurt, if you have nothing to do, stay home. Stop running over here so much."


    “Shanley, are you... concerned about me?" Kurt was deeply moved, but before he could squeeze out a tear, Shanley added, "You''re noisy. Get it?"


    Kurt''s tears vanished. He let out a long sigh and muttered, "True heartbreak isn''t about loud arguments..."


    "Pfft-" Juniper burst outughing.


    Hearing her, even Ebony Fox couldn''t help but let the corners of her mouth twitch upward.


    As fate would have it, Kurt caught that fleeting smile. The warm sunlight nted across Ebony Fox''s profile enveloping her ma soft malo Her figure was elongated, her starry eyes slightly narrowed, and her features glowed dazzlingly in the light.


    Thump! Thump!! THUMP!!!


    Kurt stared, mesmerized. His heart began to pound uncontrobly, as if trying to


    break free from his chest.


    Startled, he clutched his chest and bent over to catch his breath.


    "What''s wrong?" Seeing the faint footprint still on his shirt near where he was clutching, Ebony Fox''s brow and she immediately


    stepped forward. "Is it your heart?"


    She hadn''t kicked him that hard, had she?


    "No." Seeing her approach, Kurt jumped back, feeling too guilty to meet her eyes.


    He mumbled with a flushed face, "I''m leaving now."


    With that, before anyone could react,


    he grabbed his crutch and limped hastily toward his sports car, nearly tripping in his rush. It was asof a ghost was chasing him.


    Ebony Fox waspletely baffled.


    Juniper blinked, remarking casually, "Are we sure he only injured his leg in that ident? It looks to me like his brain might not be working right either."