An hour later.
Silverwood Studio.
Frank Castle, Olivia White, and Sunny Fox got out of a taxi. Frank Castle anxiously asked, "Olivia, is Professor White's illness serious? Has he gone to the hospital?" After hearing that Professor Charles was ill, Frank Castle put everything else aside and immediately wanted to come visit him. Olivia White naturally came with him. Sunny Fox had no classes today, and she insisted on coming along too. So, the three quickly arrived at Silverwood Studio.
Olivia White lowered her head without speaking. She opened the studio door and led the two inside. "Grandpa, Frank is here." As Olivia White's gentle voice spoke, an old man with silvery hair standing on end emerged from the lounge, glaring at Frank Castle. "You rascal, so you finally decided to come back?" The old man appeared vibrant and moved with strong, confident strides. He showed no signs of illness whatsoever.
Frank Castle was stunned. "Professor, you, you weren't ill?" Olivia White's cheeks flushed, and she said timidly, "Frank, I'm sorry, I... I lied to you." Professor Charles waved his hand. "I told Olivia to say that. I just wanted to see if you, boy, had any conscience!" Frank Castle was caught between laughter and tears. "Professor, why are you teaching Olivia to lie?" Professor Charles chuckled coldly. "If Olivia didn't say that, would you never have come back?"
Frank Castle quickly replied, "Professor, I was afraid of bothering you."
Professor Charles grew angry. "You call me Professor, but you don't treat me like one at all! I don't have a student like you!" Olivia White quickly interjected, "Grandpa, Frank is very concerned about you. He was just afraid of overworking you, so he felt awkward about coming back to practice. Please forgive him!" Frank Castle understood. Professor Charles truly considered him his disciple. After recording the second episode of the show, he hadn't come back, and the Professor felt that meant he wasn't being treated like family, so of course he was angry. This also explained why Frank Castle had become more cautious about relationships after Amelia Quinn's betrayal, always subconsciously keeping a distance from others. But this unintentionally hurt those who truly cared about him. For a moment, Frank Castle felt both guilty and touched, and he sincerely bowed his head to Professor Charles, admitting his mistake: "I'm sorry, Professor, I was wrong! I've long considered you my mentor, but I didn't dare to overstep. If you're willing, I'll treat this place as my home from now on!"
Professor Charles's expression softened. He snorted and turned to walk towards the grand piano. "Becoming my disciple isn't that simple. Come here, let me see if you've been keeping up with your practice!"
"Yes!" Frank Castle respectfully agreed. He turned to Sunny Fox. "Sunny, wait for me a bit."
"Okay!" Sunny Fox made an OK gesture and, with easy familiarity, pulled Olivia White along. "Liv, take me on a tour."
Olivia White gave Sunny Fox a quick tour, then hurried out briefly. She soon returned with two large bags of groceries and went into the kitchen in the lounge. Sunny Fox followed her in and, seeing Olivia White skillfully preparing vegetables, asked in surprise, "Liv, you can cook too?"
Olivia White nodded. "Grandpa usually teaches Frank for several hours. I'll prepare dinner first so they can eat when they come out. Sunny, you should eat with us."
Sunny Fox gasped. "My goodness, Liv, you're pretty, you have great aura, and you're so domestic! What kind of man could possibly deserve you?"
Olivia White's pretty face blushed slightly. "Sunny!"
Sunny Fox giggled, wrapping her arm around Olivia White's soft waist, and whispered, "Do you have a crush on my brother?"
Olivia White's slender, delicate body instantly stiffened, her voice laced with panic: "I, I, I don't..."
"Oh, then I misunderstood. My mom plans to set my brother up on blind dates. I was thinking if you liked my brother, we could keep it in the family, but since you don't mean that, then let my brother go on blind dates." Sunny Fox said with a look of sudden realization. Olivia White froze. "Frank is going on blind dates?"
Sunny Fox suddenly laughed, pinching Olivia White's delicate little face. "Someone's about to cry just hearing my brother's going on blind dates, and you still say you don't like my brother?" Olivia White then realized she had been tricked and was immediately flustered. "I, I..." Sunny Fox leaned close to Olivia White's clear earlobe and chuckled, "Liv, if you like him, just go for it boldly. I support you becoming my sister-in-law!"
In the evening, Frank Castle and Professor Charles emerged from the main studio. Professor Charles's face was flushed with good health, but he still said, "You're still far from my requirements. If you slack off again, don't blame me for disowning you as a disciple!"
"Yes, Professor, I will redouble my efforts!" Frank Castle respectfully replied.
Professor Charles nodded in satisfaction. Olivia White came over and said softly, "Grandpa, Frank, dinner's ready. Let's eat first." Sunny Fox also ran over and respectfully bowed to Professor Charles. "Hello, Grandpa. My name is Sunny Fox. I'm Frank's sister and Olivia's friend. Thank you for your hospitality!"
Professor Charles laughed heartily. "So you're Frank's sister! And so well-connected with Olivia! Stay and eat with us!"
"Thank you, Grandpa!" Sunny Fox smiled sweetly and instinctively took Professor Charles's arm. "Grandpa, take your time." When Sunny Fox wasn't being feisty, she was extremely well-behaved, and her voice was sweet and very endearing. In just a moment, she had Professor Charles treating her like an honorary granddaughter. The old man kept putting food on Sunny Fox's plate at the dinner table, while being curt with Frank Castle, clearly still upset. Olivia White, meanwhile, occasionally served Professor Charles and helped explain things for Frank Castle. Professor Charles finally brightened up and warned Frank Castle that if he ever had trouble in the future and didn't come to him for help, he would no longer acknowledge him as a disciple. Frank Castle repeatedly agreed, finally appeasing the old man.
It just so happened that he had arranged to record a song with Chloe. He mentioned it to Professor Charles, who was delighted that his disciple was willing to ask him for help and immediately agreed, telling Chloe to come over tomorrow.
"Chloe?" Olivia White heard Chloe's name, her eyes slightly narrowing. She lowered her head, subconsciously looking at her chest.
After dinner, Professor Charles went home to rest. Frank Castle escorted the two young women back to their academy. Frank Castle suddenly noticed something was off with his sister. In the taxi, Sunny Fox insisted on sitting in the front passenger seat, forcing Frank Castle and Olivia White to sit together in the back, making both of them a little awkward. At the academy, Sunny Fox then claimed she had something to do, telling Frank Castle to walk Olivia White back to the women's dormitory.
Neither of them were very talkative people, walking silently all the way to the women's dormitory building. At this time, the sky was full of starlight, falling into the sparse trees around them, illuminating several pairs of embracing shadows. Frank Castle, being a divorced man, was fine, but Olivia White was too shy to even look up. She softly said "Thank you, Frank," and walked into the dormitory building.
A moment later, the slender, delicate girl hurriedly walked out again, her beautiful, limpid eyes looking up, her voice gentle yet firm.
"Frank, I believe you didn't assault anyone... You can do it!"
The young woman finished speaking, turned, and ran into the dormitory building, her white dress fluttering under the starlight, creating pure white ripples.