After School.

Afternoon

Flame City Private Academy

Abandoned sports equipment storage room.

Recently, rumors of ghostly activities in this storage room have been circulating. Though many don't believe them, everyone still avoids the area, taking detours instead.

As a result, the place has become nearly deserted.

But today, the dimly lit storage room's door was suddenly pushed open, and in walked a girl with long, straight black hair, dressed in the school's gym uniform.

She wore a white athletic top, black training shorts, white ankle socks, and sneakers. Her long legs shimmered under the sunlight, radiating an enchanting glow.

Her hair was tied back, revealing a smooth forehead and delicate features—though her face remained completely expressionless, as if devoid of any emotion.

This was Li Guanqi, who had just finished P.E. class and come for special training.

She was the very definition of a classic beauty.

And an honor student, at that.

For girls, "weight gain" is an extremely sensitive topic—one that no beauty can ever truly escape.

Though by all accounts, Li Guanqi was already quite slender—even if she gained thirty pounds, it wouldn’t be noticeable.

But for girls, weight gain is weight gain.

If left unchecked, it would inevitably lead to an undesirable figure—a nightmare scenario for any beauty.

And so, Li Guanqi had been invited here for special training.

However, when she opened the door, she didn’t see today’s training instructor, Su Cheng.

Frowning, she was about to pull out her phone to ask where he was when suddenly, a shadow loomed behind her. A strange yet familiar voice whispered in her ear:

"Miss, you wouldn’t want to suffer the agony of giving up desserts because you’ve gained weight, would you?"

The person behind her remained hidden in the shadows, their face unseen—only their voice, clear and oddly persuasive, making her nod instinctively.

"Good."

The mysterious, faceless figure patted her shoulder before turning to shut the door behind them.

Clang!

The sound made Li Guanqi shiver. She turned to look at the now-closed iron door, where Su Cheng stood bathed in sunlight. His body was visible, clad in training gear—but his head remained obscured in shadow, his features impossible to discern.

The whole scene was undeniably eerie.

But Li Guanqi mercilessly exposed his true intentions, deadpanning, "You must’ve rehearsed this scene quite a few times, huh?"

"Aw, come on! I worked really hard to set up this whole 'hellish training instructor' vibe!" Su Cheng chuckled. "By the way, did it give you that impression?"

"Hellish instructor?" Li Guanqi’s eyes brimmed with skepticism. "From every angle, it just felt creepy and off-putting. Honestly, you were radiating this weird, sleazy energy."

"Maybe dye your hair blonde next time—it’d really sell the act."

She tapped her lips thoughtfully before adding with complete seriousness.

Su Cheng’s mouth twitched. "Have you been watching weird anime or something?"

"Nope."

Li Guanqi shook her head, feigning ignorance, which only deepened Su Cheng’s frown.

"Seriously, I haven’t. I do browse the internet sometimes, so I know a few trendy phrases and memes."

She explained matter-of-factly before suddenly tilting her head. "Wait, that reaction—do you watch that kind of stuff?"

"Of course not!" Su Cheng hastily denied, thumping his chest. "I only watch wholesome romance! I’m a pure love warrior!"

Li Guanqi shot him a dubious glance.

It was unclear whether she doubted his claim of purity or his denial of watching questionable anime.

"Alright, we’re wasting time. Let’s just start the brutal training."

Seeing her skeptical expression, Su Cheng sighed and changed the subject.

Li Guanqi nodded, scanning the abandoned equipment around them. "So, what do you want me to do?"

A strange grin curled Su Cheng’s lips. "I have a training method… from another world."

Li Guanqi’s interest was instantly piqued. She knew Su Cheng had memories of another world—though he’d never spoken about it to anyone.

And now, he was offering to teach her techniques from that world?

She couldn’t help but feel both curious and excited.

"What is it? I really want to know."

Su Cheng’s expression turned nostalgic. He turned away, clasping his hands behind his back and gazing up at the ceiling at a perfect 45-degree angle—as if lost in profound reminiscence.

"This training method will make you stronger in no time. It’ll push your physique and endurance to new heights… and maybe even…"

"Even what?" Li Guanqi pressed.

"Break your limiter!"

Su Cheng spun around, locking eyes with her as he enunciated each word with dramatic emphasis.

"…One-Punch Man?"

Li Guanqi’s face froze.

"Huh? You know about that?"

Su Cheng looked genuinely surprised, eyeing her with newfound appreciation. "Wow, you really are an internet-savvy otaku! Didn’t expect you to get the reference."

Li Guanqi’s expression darkened instantly, her roasting spirit igniting. "I’m just a girl! There’s no way I can handle that kind of insane workout!"

"Women can’t say they ‘can’t’!"

Su Cheng wagged a finger disapprovingly before pointing south. "Down that way, we have ‘Muscle Queen’ Ji Qingyi—she can shoot down eagles with a bow, pierce the clouds with an arrow, and single-handedly send a hundred enemies fleeing in terror."

Then he pointed north toward the club building. "And over there, we have ‘Iron Fist’ Gu Ruoxue—she can punch through walls, knock people senseless with a single blow, and even take down an entire aircraft carrier fleet bare-handed…"

"So… is Senior Gu secretly an RTX 690?"

Li Guanqi’s expression grew increasingly strained. She massaged her temples, visibly exasperated.

"Stop talking nonsense! If they hear you describing them like that, I can’t even imagine how violently they’d react."

She cut him off urgently, terrified he might actually summon those two.

"Wait, you even know that meme?"

Su Cheng’s eyes widened in shock.

"Enough. Are you seriously making me do 'three hundreds'?"

Li Guanqi steered the conversation back on track.

"Nah, just 'three thirties' will do."

Su Cheng stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"Three thirties?"

Li Guanqi exhaled in relief—thirty squats, thirty sit-ups, and thirty push-ups were well within her capabilities.

"Let’s start with sit-ups!"

Su Cheng grabbed a clean exercise mat from nearby and laid it on the floor, calling out to her.

Once it was set up.

"Begin."

"1…"

"5…"

Su Cheng counted diligently while watching Li Guanqi rise and fall, her movements precise and steady.

"20."

However, after twenty, her pace noticeably slowed.

"30."

Finally, when Su Cheng reached thirty, Li Guanqi collapsed onto the mat with a thud.

Seeing this, Su Cheng quickly pulled out a tissue to wipe her sweat and gently helped her sit up, asking with concern, "How are you? Can you keep going?"

"No problem."

Li Guanqi nodded between breaths, then asked, "What's next?"

"That's enough for today. Rest."