Chapter 161

The next morning, at dawn.

Everyone was still asleep. I sat on a rock by the pond, gently massaging my sore lower back from last night's activities.

I sighed, "I really need to take it easy. Exercising with an injury is just too much."

Just then, Kurt opened the door and heard me talking.

He walked over and asked, "Feeling any better?"

I nodded, "Much better."

"What were you saying about exercising last night?" Kurt asked, puzzled.

I hadn't expected him to hear that. I quickly made up an excuse, "I couldn't sleep last night, so I did some shadowboxing."

"Did you hurt your back doing that?" Kurt eyed my hand on my back, clearly skeptical.

I rolled my eyes at him, then stood up and pointed towards the forest. "Wanna go for a walk?"

I really didn't want Kurt to keep questioning me, so I quickly suggested we go out for a walk.

Kurt thought about it and realized I had been cooped up inside for too long. Some fresh air would do me good.

He nodded.

Seeing this, I started walking, and Kurt naturally followed behind me.

Just then, Mary came out and saw us. "Where are you two going?" she asked.

"Just for a walk," Kurt replied.

"Want me to join you?" Mary offered.

I turned and waved my hand, indicating it wasn't necessary.

Mary thought it over and decided that with Kurt accompanying me, there was no need for her to come along.

"Alright, be careful," she still reminded us.

I nodded and continued walking.

The air by the river was especially fresh in the morning. We strolled slowly along the riverbank.

"You seem to have a lot on your mind," Kurt said.

I was a bit surprised, "You can tell?"

"Do you think I'm an idiot?" Kurt said, exasperated.

I burst out laughing.

Even so, I didn't answer Kurt's question. I just walked quietly, enjoying the morning tranquility.

Kurt didn't press further, and we walked in silence, each lost in our own thoughts.

Kurt felt that sometimes he could see into my heart, but he also realized my thoughts were deep and not as simple as they seemed.

After a while, I felt a bit better.

Curious, I asked, "So, what have you observed?"

"I think you're hiding something from us," Kurt guessed.

"Observing so closely, do you have a crush on me?" I teased.

"Get lost!" Kurt retorted, though he resisted the urge to kick me into the river.

"How did you notice?" I asked nonchalantly.

Kurt frowned and said, "Just a hunch."

"I don't believe you!" I laughed.

Even though he was right, I had no intention of revealing my true thoughts to Kurt.

Kurt, not getting a response, sighed and looked down.

"Kurt, look, there's someone over there," I suddenly pointed and shouted.

Kurt snorted, "If you don't want to talk, fine, but don't make up such ridiculous excuses. Do you think I'm stupid?"

However, when he looked back at me, I had already disappeared, chasing in that direction.

"Could it be real?" Kurt muttered, seeing my retreating figure.

The next second, he quickly followed.

Because my body hadn't fully recovered, I was soon out of breath and stumbling.

Seeing this, Kurt caught up and supported me.

"Are you okay?" Kurt asked, concerned.

I waved my hand, indicating I was fine, but my face was pale.

"Maybe we should head back," Kurt suggested, worried.

I pointed ahead at the disappearing figure, "Keep going!"

Kurt wanted to persuade me otherwise, but when he looked up, he saw that the figure seemed familiar.

Without hesitation, he sprinted after the mysterious figure.

Curiosity drove me to keep moving forward, my pace gradually quickening.

But due to my physical limitations, each step was a struggle, and soon Kurt's figure disappeared from sight.

I decided to walk slowly, following my instincts in that direction.

Before long, I saw Kurt's silhouette. He had stopped running and was standing still.

I walked over, panting. "Where'd they go?" I asked, out of breath.

Kurt shook his head, indicating he hadn't caught up.

I sighed, "If we didn't catch them, let's head back."

This person filled me with questions.

On the way back, I pondered. This person couldn't be one of Hubert's men, as they all knew me. Even if they were enemies, they wouldn't run away at first sight.

My thoughts raced, and I suddenly remembered Laura. She had never told us about her past, but given her status, she would only appear in first class. Her presence meant the first-class passengers were still alive.

Mossy Kappa had mentioned that Laura was hiding in the cave because she was being hunted.

So, could this fleeing person also be one of the first-class survivors?

But this question was too complex to figure out immediately.

I wanted to share my guess with Kurt, but I realized he was no longer beside me.

"Kurt!" I called out into the air.

Meanwhile, Kurt had initially planned to return with me.

But halfway back, he saw that figure again.

The familiar feeling hit him once more.

Without hesitation and without informing me, he took off in pursuit.

The chase lasted nearly half an hour. Kurt felt his stamina waning, and the person ahead seemed to be reaching their limit too.

Gritting his teeth, Kurt accelerated, closing the gap in a few strides. He reached out, grabbed the person's shoulder, and pulled hard. The person let out a scream and turned around.

Their eyes met, and time seemed to freeze.

Kurt's mind went blank, both of them stunned.

"Evelyn," Kurt's voice was filled with disbelief.

The person didn't respond, instead pushing Kurt away and running off again.

By the time Kurt snapped out of it, the figure had vanished.

"Evelyn, is that you?"

Kurt shouted, his voice filled with urgency and unease.

His voice echoed through the forest, but there was no reply.

Kurt was filled with confusion and worry. He didn't understand why Evelyn Weaver was here or why she was running away.

He only knew he had to find her and uncover the truth behind all this.

At that moment, I caught up.

If I hadn't heard Kurt's voice earlier, I might have gone the wrong way.

Panting, I reached Kurt's side, collapsing to the ground, my clothes soaked with sweat.

"What happened?" I asked, gasping for air.

Kurt, head down, looked lost. He was muttering to himself, then shook his head wildly, as if denying what he had just seen.

I frowned and pushed him, "What's wrong with you?"

"I saw her," Kurt's voice trembled.

"Who?" I asked, puzzled.

"Evelyn," Kurt said.

"Evelyn?" I thought, confused. I had heard Kurt shouting that name earlier.

"Who is she?" I asked, curious.

Kurt glared at me, "None of your business."

With that, he started walking away, not caring about my condition.

"Hey."

I tried to call him back, but he was already far ahead.

I sighed helplessly. My legs were still weak.

"Wait for me," I shouted after him.

He finally remembered me and waited.

On the way back, Kurt was silent.

I kept glancing at him.

Though I didn't know his relationship with Evelyn, as Mary's good friend, I reminded him, "Mary is the most important person to you right now. Don't neglect her."

I thought Kurt would let it go, but he didn't seem to hear me. He muttered, "No, I have to find her."

"You go back. I'll come later."

With that, Kurt ran back in the direction we came from.

I rubbed my forehead in frustration.

It was clear Kurt hadn't listened to me.

Though I said that, I couldn't just go back alone.

Reluctantly, I followed him.