Chapter 22 She Looked at Him, Feeling His Naturally Fierce Face…

Chapter 22: She looked at him, struck by his naturally fierce appearance…

The exercise equipment stood in a corner of the garden.

It resembled the outdoor fitness machines commonly found in residential complexes—elliptical striders, waist twisters, pull-up bars, overhead stretchers, and so on.

The previous night, while strolling through the garden with Gao Youhe, she had also come here. At the time, she had wondered why such equipment was installed in the garden—it seemed oddly out of place amid the Gao family’s villa.

Gao Youhe: “I asked my brother to have them installed. They may not be as sophisticated as gym equipment, but they’re sturdy—built to withstand all kinds of weather outdoors. Mostly, having them here helps me fit in with my classmates. It gives us something to talk about after class.”

Gao Youhe attended Ningcheng Experimental Primary School—a public school in Ningcheng, not a private one.

Most of her classmates came from ordinary families living in standard apartment complexes.

Nearly every complex featured an outdoor fitness area on the ground floor. After dinner, parents would take their children downstairs for a post-meal walk.

That’s where everyone usually ended up.

With so many residents in each complex, the most popular equipment was always snatched up first.

Once, after class, a classmate brought up the fitness equipment in their own complex—and the topic quickly took off.

Some complained indignantly that every time they went to the fitness area, the equipment they wanted was already occupied.

Others proudly boasted about how high they could lift their legs on the elliptical or how far they could twist on the waist spinner.

Everyone chatted animatedly.

Only Gao Youhe remained silent—she had never used any of this equipment before.

When she mentioned it to Gao Yan at home, he immediately instructed Butler Zhan to arrange for installation. Even if the equipment looked slightly incongruous in the villa’s garden, if other children had it, how could his little sister be left without?

Butler Zhan worked efficiently too—Gao Youhe got to try them out the very next day after school.

Since then, these robust, practical outdoor machines had found a permanent home in the Gao family’s villa garden.

When they reached the outdoor fitness area, Lu Yingxiao pointed at the equipment and asked, “Which one is for stretching?”

Gao Yan: “Every piece can be used for stretching—but each targets different muscle groups. Is it your shoulder?”

Lu Yingxiao rubbed her shoulder. “A bit stiff.”

Gao Yan walked over to the overhead stretcher. “Start with this one, then move on to the pull-up bar. But before using any equipment, you must warm up first.”

The term “warm-up exercises” felt somewhat unfamiliar to Lu Yingxiao, who rarely exercised.

The last time she’d done warm-ups was during PE class—back when she was still a student.

That was so long ago she’d completely forgotten all the steps; she merely performed some casual stretches based on hazy recollections.

Gao Yan: “If you skip proper warm-ups, using the equipment later could make your shoulders even stiffer. Why don’t I demonstrate, and you follow along?”

Since she was already here, she might as well learn.

Lu Yingxiao stood behind Gao Yan and mimicked his warm-up routine.

She assumed following along once would suffice as a warm-up.

Who would have thought Gao Yan would turn into such a strict, demanding instructor? After demonstrating, he asked her to repeat the entire warm-up so he could check her form.

Lu Yingxiao wanted to refuse—but deep down, she knew he meant well.

After finishing, she glanced nervously at Gao Yan, waiting for his feedback.

As she waited, she felt as though she were back in PE class again.

She stole a sideways glance at him.

He reminded her of a PE teacher—tall and muscular, his arms and legs visibly toned beneath his tracksuit, his waist and abdomen flat and taut under his clothes. A gentle autumn breeze blew, pressing his clothes against his body and faintly revealing perfectly defined abs.

One look confirmed he was athletic—very much like an outstanding PE teacher from a sports academy.

His face, too, carried an imposing presence—even without anger—his naturally fierce air making him seem all the more like a PE teacher who’d scowl whenever students weren’t paying attention.

Just as this thought crossed her mind, Gao Yan glanced at her, then suddenly turned and walked away.

Lu Yingxiao: “…”

Had she annoyed him so much that he simply walked off?

Though her physical ability paled in comparison to his, she really *was* trying her best to learn.

Lu Yingxiao tried calling him back—she wanted to tell him she wasn’t being perfunctory—when she saw him stride toward a nearby bamboo grove and snap off a slender bamboo branch with his bare hands.

Lu Yingxiao: “…”

So he hadn’t stormed off—he was so angry he intended to physically discipline her?

Before her brain could even register the command to flee, Gao Yan, holding the bamboo branch, stood some distance away near the grove and called out, explaining, “Several of the warm-up movements you just did were incorrect. If you continue practicing them this way, you risk injury. Holding this bamboo branch will help me correct your posture more effectively.”

Lu Yingxiao suddenly understood.

She’d misread him entirely.

Fortunately, her physical reflexes were a bit slow—otherwise, if she’d bolted earlier, it would’ve been deeply embarrassing.

Gao Yan returned with the slender bamboo branch.

On his way back, he’d already prepared it—the leaves and fine side branches removed, the tip wrapped neatly in a checked handkerchief. As he guided Lu Yingxiao through the warm-up movements, he used the handkerchief-wrapped end to gently raise or lower her arms.

The bamboo brushed lightly against Lu Yingxiao’s body.

Even though Gao Yan corrected her several times—and she still struggled to get it right—the sensation remained unchanged: soft, gentle contact.

During a brief pause before the next warm-up movement, Lu Yingxiao glanced sideways at Gao Yan again.

By now, the sky had noticeably brightened. The hazy morning light bathed him, enveloping him in a faint, luminous halo. His naturally fierce features appeared far gentler.

His voice, too, carried a subtle warmth—perhaps he was quietly pleased that his persistent instruction had finally yielded positive results.

He said, “From now on, warm up using the movements we just practiced.”

Lu Yingxiao: “Okay.”

Gao Yan: “Warm-up complete. Next, you may begin using the equipment.”

Using the equipment was straightforward. Take the overhead stretcher, for example—anyone with functional arms could use it. Simply grasp the pull rings and repeatedly raise and lower them. Yet to achieve noticeable results, coordination with breathing is essential—you can’t just pull haphazardly.

As for the horizontal bar, considering Lu Yingxiao's lack of arm strength, Gao Yan only had her stand straight and reach up for the high bar.

Lu Yingxiao had already mastered the breathing techniques for the equipment. She said to Gao Yan, "I've taken up a lot of your time. You should hurry and go for your morning run. I can manage on my own."

Gao Yan: "Let me know if you need anything."

Lu Yingxiao: "Okay."

After working out for half an hour, Gao Youhe came to the garden to find Lu Yingxiao.

"Sister-in-law, what are you doing here? I woke up and you were gone, and I got so worried!"

Lu Yingxiao chuckled, "I'm a grown adult; I won't get lost."

Gao Youhe shot a glance at the horizontal bar behind Lu Yingxiao and asked curiously, "Sister-in-law, are you working out? What got you into exercising?"

When we came to the fitness area last night, she hadn't seen her sister-in-law playing with any of this equipment.

Remembering that Lu Yingxiao had a habit of hugging something in her sleep, Gao Youhe said with some guilt, "Did I roll onto you last night and hurt you?"

Lu Yingxiao: "No, I'm fine. The main reason I came to exercise is..."

Just then, Gao Yan ran around the track and reached the fitness area. Lu Yingxiao pointed at him and said, "Seeing your brother persist in exercising every day, I couldn't help but feel motivated too."

"People really do need to exercise from time to time. After working out, I feel like my breathing is lighter. No wonder our ancestors said life lies in movement."

It's true. She'd just tried moving her body a little and felt much lighter overall. Her stiff arms had loosened up.

Gao Youhe said, "From now on, I'll wake up early and exercise with you and brother."

Lu Yingxiao: "Great! You're welcome to join us!"

After the workout, Gao Yan, drenched in sweat, went to take a shower.

Lu Yingxiao didn't sweat much, but she also went back to her room to rinse off.

Once cleaned up, it was time for breakfast.

During the meal, Lu Yingxiao consciously chewed her food slowly and thoroughly.

Gao Yan did the same.

This couldn't help but make Lu Yingxiao sigh inwardly. They say habits are hard to break, especially those formed over more than a decade. But now, whether it was Gao Yan or herself, this saying didn't seem entirely accurate. Previously, they were both accustomed to eating quickly, focusing only on filling their bellies rather than savoring the food.

Yet, after just three or four meals, they had already adapted to eating slowly and chewing thoroughly.

Even without Gao Youhe's reminders, they didn't fall back into their old habits.

Does this mean that as long as one is willing to accept change, no matter how long-standing an old habit is, it can be completely overwritten by a new one?

Lu Yingxiao's mind wandered with these random thoughts.

After the meal, Gao Youhe happily handed her brother and sister-in-law each another little red flower. "One for brother, one for sister-in-law."

As usual, they pasted the little red flowers they received onto the reward chart.

Remembering how she'd struggled to reach it yesterday, Lu Yingxiao went to ask Aunt Liu for a small stool.

Aunt Liu: "Madam also needs a small stool? The master just took one earlier. Since we don't use them often, I only have one here. I'll go to the storage room to get another one for you, Madam."

The earlier thoughts on habits at the dining table suddenly resurfaced in Lu Yingxiao's mind.

According to her previous habitual thinking, if Gao Yan asked Aunt Liu for a small stool, she would subconsciously imagine violent scenarios, filled with bloodshed.

But now, her first thought was whether the small stool Gao Yan asked for was to help her paste the little red flower onto the reward chart smoothly.

This change in thinking stirred up complex emotions within Lu Yingxiao.

It wasn't exactly resistance.

She couldn't quite explain it herself.

And she didn't dare to delve deeper.

"Madam?"

Seeing Lu Yingxiao silent, Aunt Liu called out softly.

Lu Yingxiao: "No need to get one for now. I might be able to find a small stool."

Returning to the living room, both Gao Yan and Gao Youhe were standing in front of the wall with the reward chart, waiting for her.

Gao Youhe: "Sister-in-law, what were you doing in the kitchen? Brother has already pasted his little red flower. We're just waiting for you."

Lu Yingxiao: "Nothing much, just chatted with Aunt Liu for a bit."

She strode over.

She didn't look at Gao Yan, nor at Gao Youhe, nor even at the reward chart on the wall. She only lowered her head to look at the floor.

Right below the reward chart, sure enough, there was a small stool.

The one Aunt Liu had given to Gao Yan.

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