C8 I Am Not Fit Anymore!

"Your health is a bit off, and jumping into intense workouts right away might strain your muscles. I suggest starting with a week of cardio to ease your body into exercise," Shi Qianjin advised earnestly, outlining a personalized fitness plan for Ruan Shiyu at the gym.

Ruan Shiyu, however, looked everywhere but at Shi Qianjin, her reluctance obvious. Most people at the gym, aside from fitness enthusiasts, are there out of necessity, often with some resistance. Yet, someone like Ruan Shiyu, who seemed ready to give up entirely, was a rare sight. Despite feeling a bit helpless, Shi Qianjin remained professional, saying, "Since you like running, let's start with a 40-minute jog."

"What? Forty minutes?" Ruan Shiyu exclaimed, shocked. "I just ran four laps around the neighborhood this morning!"

Why was she being made to run again? She had mentioned wanting a treadmill just to check off a box, not to actually use it seriously!

Shi Qianjin, unfazed, walked over to the treadmill, turned it on, set the speed, and stepped onto the sides of the belt. "I'll demonstrate how to use the treadmill. Be careful not to hurt yourself," he instructed.

Seeing Shi Qianjin already on the treadmill, Ruan Shiyu reluctantly approached out of basic courtesy. "Alright, I'm watching," she said.

Shi Qianjin turned on the treadmill and stepped onto the belt before it fully started. As the machine picked up pace, he began to run, his speed increasing steadily. His muscles moved rhythmically, showcasing a natural athletic grace that Ruan Shiyu couldn't help but admire. Yet, thinking about the effort required to achieve such fitness, she hesitated, frowning, "That fast?"

After finishing her workout, Shi Qianjin quickly stepped off the treadmill, wiped the sweat from her forehead, and said, "No need, I just used it. The speed was six miles per hour. For you..."

He gave Ruan Shiyu a once-over and suggested, "Let's set it at three miles per hour."

The average jogging speed is around five miles per hour, but given Miss Ruan's condition, she might not even handle that. After some thought, Shi Qianjin decided to lower the standard.

"Alright, get on the treadmill. You know how to start it, right?" Shi Qianjin stood beside her, urging.

Ruan Shiyu reluctantly mimicked Shi Qianjin's actions and stepped onto the treadmill, muttering under her breath, "Running again after just finishing..."

Shi Qianjin seemed not to hear her, keeping her eyes on Ruan Shiyu.

With someone watching her so closely, Ruan Shiyu couldn't delay any longer. She reached out to start the machine and then stepped on.

Three miles per hour wasn't fast at all. After a couple of steps, Ruan Shiyu felt a surge of confidence, thinking she might be able to run for forty minutes!

Seeing her finally getting into the rhythm, Shi Qianjin quietly breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Keep running. I'll go take care of some other things."

"Okay!" Ruan Shiyu looked up with a smile, "Don't worry, I'll finish!"

"Alright." Shi Qianjin, still a bit shy away from the exercise equipment, found it hard to meet Ruan Shiyu's gaze. After a nod, she turned and left the room.

Ruan Shiyu was on the second floor of the gym, and she was the only one there at the moment.

Running indoors was different from running outside; the scenery didn't change at all. After a while, Ruan Shiyu started to feel bored.

During her morning workout, she hadn't noticed, but now the soreness in her body began to surface. After running a bit more, her legs felt too heavy to lift.

This is just too much! Today's workout feels like more than I've done in a whole month before!

Ruan Shiyu started off with full confidence, but soon found herself struggling. Seeing the room empty, she had a sneaky thought: maybe she could step off the treadmill for a quick break. Just for a moment... surely no one would notice, right?

With that hopeful thought, Ruan Shiyu began to inch her way off the treadmill. Just as her foot was about to touch the ground, she heard Shi Qianjin's voice from the gym entrance: "What are you doing?"

Ruan Shiyu hadn't expected Shi Qianjin to return at that moment. Already feeling guilty, she was startled by his voice and lost her balance!

On a treadmill, no less! Would she end up with a face full of bruises? Her eyes widened in panic as she screamed, "Help!"

Shi Qianjin saw what was happening, frowned, and dashed over. Before Ruan Shiyu could fall, he caught her with a burst of strength, lifting her off the treadmill and setting her safely on the ground.

Ruan Shiyu, still shaken, took a moment to gather herself. Finally, she grabbed Shi Qianjin's hand and exclaimed, "Coach Shi, you saved my life! Thank you!"

Faced with such dramatic gratitude, Shi Qianjin blushed slightly and gently pulled his hand away, saying, "It's my fault. I knew it was your first time at the gym and left you alone. I've finished my work, so I can join you for the rest of the session."

"What? We still have more to do?" Ruan Shiyu's face fell. "Coach Shi, I almost got hurt, and I've been running for so long. Can't I take a break?"

Hearing her attempt to slack off, Shi Qianjin's demeanor changed. He frowned and firmly denied her request, "No way. You need to finish these forty minutes."

"Coach, can I please take a break?" Ruan Shiyu pleaded softly.

Shi Qianjin remained silent, determinedly adjusting the treadmill's speed. "Come on, keep going. You have twenty more minutes."

"Coach Shi! I'm really exhausted! Just let me rest for ten minutes, please!" Ruan Shiyu stayed put, hoping her request would change Shi Qianjin's mind.

Shi Qianjin frowned. "Miss Ruan, you're here for yourself. You need to keep jogging for it to be effective. If you stop now, all your previous effort will be wasted."

Ruan Shiyu wasn't listening. She hadn't wanted to come in the first place and thought she could slack off once Moo Xiaoxiao left. She didn't expect the coach to be so insistent on her finishing the session.

As they were at an impasse, the gym door suddenly opened, and a staff member peeked in. "Shi Qianjin, it's lunchtime. The boss asked me to let you know."

The person left, and Ruan Shiyu seized the opportunity, grabbing Shi Qianjin's arm eagerly. "See, it's lunchtime! We can't skip lunch, right? Let's go eat!"

Shi Qianjin, a bit annoyed, shook off Ruan Shiyu's hand. "No, you need to finish your run before lunch!"

Ruan Shiyu's eyes widened. "Are you serious?"

"Come on!" Shi Qianjin pulled Ruan Shiyu closer to the treadmill. "You have to complete your task!"

Ruan Shiyu couldn't believe the gym wouldn't even allow a lunch break. She was paying to get fit, not to be punished. Frustrated, she shook off Shi Qianjin's hand and declared, "Fine, I'm done with this! Goodbye!"

After speaking, she stormed out of the gym, ignoring Shi Qianjin's calls. As she headed downstairs, she ran into the person who had informed them earlier. They greeted Ruan Shiyu with a smile, but she was too upset to respond.

In her frustration, she left the gym and decided against waiting for a bus. Instead, she hailed a cab and went straight home, determined to stay in her cozy space for a few days, avoiding the gym altogether.

However, as she reached her building, her pace slowed. Climbing the steps, she tugged at her hair in frustration, muttering, "Oh man, why did I argue? They were just trying to help!"

Shi Qianjin was right; she was working out for herself, so why blame someone for being strict? Despite her regret, Ruan Shiyu had already left the gym. With a sigh, she decided to head home and figure things out later.

Just as she entered the hallway, Mrs. Shih came down from upstairs, carrying a black trash bag. Seeing Ruan Shiyu, Mrs. Shih beamed and grabbed her arm, saying, "Hey there, young lady! I invited you over for dumplings last time, but you never came!"

Casual invitations like that were easy to brush off, especially since Ruan Shiyu had been a homebody lately with no desire to visit anyone. Caught by Mrs. Shih, she smiled sheepishly and said softly, "I've been a bit busy these days."

"Busy, huh? No worries. Since we ran into each other today, why not come over now? You haven't had lunch yet, have you?" Mrs. Shih invited warmly.

Ruan Shiyu was about to shake her head and say she'd already eaten when her stomach let out a loud growl, betraying her. Embarrassed, she nodded slightly and said, "Thank you so much, Mrs. Shih!"

"Aww, this kid is so polite!" Mrs. Shih was delighted as she finally let go of Ruan Shiyu's hand. "I'm just heading downstairs to take out the trash. Wait here for me, I'll be right back!"

"Auntie, let me go with you." Feeling a bit shy from the warm invitation, Ruan Shiyu accompanied Mrs. Shih downstairs to take out the trash, and they returned upstairs together.