October 6th, 10:30 AM, Beihua University Gymnasium.
Perhaps because of the National Day holiday, the equipment area was quiet and empty, with only a tall, well-built man doing front squats with a barbell at the squat rack.
"Hiss~ Huff~"
Each side of the barbell had 90KG weight plates, making the total weight 200KG including the bar.
The man was wearing knee-length sports shorts and a large tank top, with a leather belt around his waist. His muscles were bulging as he positioned the 200-kilogram barbell on his collarbones and trapezius muscles for the squats.
Although his forehead was covered in sweat, his posture was impeccable, the power line perfectly straight, and his overall stability like that of a mountain.
"11."
"12."
"Clang!"
Seemingly reaching exhaustion, the man finally placed the barbell back on the rack, loosened his belt by one notch, rested with hands on his hips, and panted heavily.
"Beep!"
Behind him, a slender woman came down from a treadmill that had stopped, and walked over to him. Standing side by side, she appeared almost as tall as the man.
"How many sets is that?"
The girl's short hair was damp, her chest slightly heaving as her breathing was equally heavy. Her blue workout leggings accentuated her perfect curves and long, straight legs. While her sports bra was not large, the sweat-dampened, wheat-colored abs underneath were particularly defined and full.
"Sixteenth set, add twenty, switch to behind neck, spot me."
Li Peifeng spoke concisely, then grabbed a 10-kilogram weight plate to add to the barbell. The girl also picked up a 10-kilogram plate from the floor and added it to the other side of the barbell.
"Twenty seconds."
She glanced at her sports watch and asked, "Finish four sets with decreasing reps, then switch exercises, okay?"
Her question sounded like an inquiry, but her tone was nearly a command.
Li Peifeng nodded and said nothing, focusing on deep breathing, as if trying to inhale down to his toes.
Twenty seconds passed in a flash.
This time, Li Peifeng placed the barbell on his trapezius muscles behind his neck and continued to squat.
The first five were steady, but by the sixth, his body noticeably wobbled.
"Keep going."
The girl quickly extended her hands, wrapping her arms around Li Peifeng's waist to assist him as they squatted together, applying slight pressure: "Squat all the way down!"
"Hiss~ Huff~"
Li Peifeng didn't respond, focusing solely on his movements, but through the mirror in front, he could clearly see the girl's face behind him.
She was the complete opposite of the current societal trend of 'pale, young, and thin' aesthetics, with wheat-colored skin, 185 centimeters tall, and her muscles evenly distributed and well-defined. Her upper body could be described with the words "slim waist and broad back, leopard shoulders and tiger arms."
Her thighs, by ordinary standards, were somewhat thick, and while assisting Li Peifeng with squats, the lines of her muscles were clearly visible through her tight gym leggings...
"Are you training your legs or staring at me?"
The girl wasn't angry; her tone was joking, but it prompted Li Peifeng to shift his gaze from her body to her face.
She had a sharp jawline and distinct features, the epitome of a girl with boyish looks. Her almond-shaped eyes, paired with arched brows, exuded a spirited aura. Her nose was straight and high, her lips thin yet full without lipstick, and her complexion was naturally rosy, indicative of her healthy physique and straightforward personality.
Wu Wenyue, once a pole vaulter for the Dong Liaozhou Team and a nationally ranked athlete, had secured second place in the pole vault at the 12th National Student Games. Despite this achievement, she gave up a sports talent recommendation to Beihua University and instead scored high in her cultural studies to enter the university's School of Sports.
During her undergraduate years, she joined the Beihua University basketball team, but after an injury, she left the path of professional athletics. She is now a second-year master's student in sports physiology and neurobiology at the School of Physical Education and Sports, and she also serves as a CUBA basketball referee.
She is also a friend of Li Peifeng's and Xu Manning's former partner.
This time, Wu Wenyue was the one who invited him to work out together. Although she had left competitive sports to focus on sports science, she still greatly enjoyed exercising. After returning from a National Day vacation, desperate to resume training, she messaged Li Peifeng on WeChat. Coincidentally, he was planning to hit the gym for weight training to assess the changes in his physical fitness following a kidney transplant, so the two easily agreed to train together and supervise each other at the university gym.
Li Peifeng found this training session extremely satisfying—it was painful, but it was a kind of mentally invigorating pain, invigorating and transparent.
Moreover, through testing, he discovered that his muscle endurance had improved by at least twenty percent, and his strength, previously at a plateau, seemed to show signs of a breakthrough.
The new kidney brought a comprehensive change, though not without flaws. Li Peifeng speculated that the only downside was likely developing the condition called "the ailment of a king."
From "Mencius, King Hui of Liang Part 2": The king said: I suffer from an ailment; I love women!
In this regard, Wu Wenyue could deeply empathize. During the more than an hour of exercise, she clearly felt Li Peifeng's gaze frequently roaming over her, a significant departure from his usual behavior...
This jerk is finally making a move on me?!
Am I about to lose my workout buddy?!
Wu Wenyue was deeply worried but was too shy to ask directly.
"There's a staircase, help me out!"
Since the swimming pool in the gym was closed, the two had to go from the gym to the public baths. Along the way, Li Peifeng wore a mask of pain, limping as he walked, hesitating at the sight of stairs.
The aftereffects of leg training came on quite quickly.
"Use the handrail yourself."
Wu Wenyue glanced at him, feeling alarmed, but she didn't help, and neither did she leave. She kept a certain distance.
Li Peifeng tried to take a few steps, feeling his legs cramping, and had no choice but to say, "The handrail is on one side, help me with my left hand."
"Oh come on, stop dawdling, let's go!"
Wu Wenyue impatiently grabbed his sleeve: "If Manning sees this, she'll get upset with me again. Our relationship has only just started to ease... Forgot to tell you, she suddenly added me as a friend yesterday and apologized to me. I don't know why she suddenly changed her mind."
Seems like she listened to what I said yesterday.
Li Peifeng felt gratified and nodded: "People do grow."
"Speaking of growth, hasn't she contacted you recently?"
"Uh, yes, we did some errands at the bank this morning... Actually, her reaching out to you again was partly because I persuaded her."
This jerk really has something going on!!
Wu Wenyue's internal alarm rang again, and she immediately let go, her expression serious: "Don't tell me you two have gotten back together."
"No!"
Li Peifeng quickly shook his head: "We just cleared the air, I've always seen her as a sister, you know that."
"Heh."
Wu Wenyue rolled her eyes: "You're really something, Beihua University's good brother."
"Hey~"
Li Peifeng sighed: "Sis, don't say that, it's what a brother should do. After our bath, let me treat you to a meal."
"Buzz off!"