Chapter 33

Seeing Xu Yuxing's final attempt to look fierce, Xu Jianxing's heart bloomed with laughter, and he pretended to yield, saying, "Alright, then you can follow me for the morning run today."

"Great, great." Xu Yunyun cheered, feeling a bit smug, but before she could think more, she saw Xu Jianxing already running. She chased after him, complaining, "Uncle, you really have no manners, you didn't even say anything first."

Xu Jianxing put on a wise look and said, "Little girl, cultivation requires not manners, but perseverance and effort. If you don't have the right mindset, you might as well leave early. I'm afraid you won't be able to handle the hardship."

"Who said I can't handle it? I've been practicing morning runs for more than three years, and I'm even a well-known athlete at school," Xu Yunyun said, dissatisfied.

"Alright, don't talk while running. Pay attention to the rhythm of your run, try to keep your breathing rate proportional to your running speed, and ensure deep breathing. Also, when running, relax your mind and maintain your balance. This way, you can persist for a long time," Xu Jianxing said, and then he stopped talking.

Xu Yunyun muttered to herself, "Looks like he's got some skills."

She then followed Xu Jianxing's advice, and surprisingly, it did make it easier. This made her more engaged, and she even had some hopes for the future. However, these hopes were shattered when she looked up some running tips online after returning home. It turned out that these were not cultivation techniques but methods for long-distance running. Of course, she wasn't a professional athlete, just someone who enjoyed morning runs. But that was a different story.

As they ran, Xu Jianxing gradually increased his speed. Xu Yunyun, driven by her hopes, gritted her teeth and kept up.

After about 15 minutes, Xu Yunyun felt her legs weakening and her body powerless. Although she usually could run for an hour, she had never run this fast before.

After another 5 minutes, Xu Yunyun couldn't keep up anymore. She squatted by the roadside and panted, shouting at Xu Jianxing's figure, "Uncle, wait for me, wait for me."

Xu Jianxing turned back and laughed, "I have something to do, so I won't wait for you. Take your time."

Watching Xu Jianxing's departing back, Xu Yunyun cursed, "You bastard, you're so mean, I'll expose you."

However, Xu Jianxing didn't react at all. Soon, Xu Yunyun realized that such threats were useless. Even if she said something, others would either think she was hallucinating or dreaming.

But Xu Yunyun wasn't about to give up. She looked around and saw a taxi approaching. She immediately waved it down and got in.

Before long, she caught up with Xu Jianxing and even stuck her hand out the window to wave at him, "Hehe, Uncle, I'm here. It's not that easy to get rid of me."

The driver, seeing this young and beautiful girl chasing after the young man running on the roadside, felt a mix of envy and jealousy.

Xu Jianxing, speechless, ignored Xu Yunyun and continued running toward the beach.

After about 10 more minutes, Xu Jianxing saw Lu Qian at the usual spot. Beside her was a man in his 30s, with fair skin, a gentle demeanor, and glasses, who seemed to be saying something.

Xu Jianxing smiled and walked over. Honestly, he felt a bit uncomfortable, though he wasn't sure why. He didn't know what his feelings for Lu Qian were. It was impossible to say he had no feelings, given they had spent a year together in the game. But to say he had feelings, he was still conflicted, unsure how to face her, not to mention the age difference and the lingering image in his mind that he couldn't let go of.

Similarly, Xu Jianxing understood some of Lu Qian's feelings. She had a deep, hard-to-erase affection for him and a sense of dependence, all due to his actions in the game. In the game, Xu Jianxing had taken care of everything for Lu Qian, even finding places for her to idle.

"Phew." Xu Jianxing took a deep breath and said to Lu Qian, "Sorry, I woke up a bit late today."

"It's fine, I just got here myself," Lu Qian said gently, but her eyes showed a hint of surprise. Xu Jianxing's face, which had been swollen yesterday, was now completely clear. This shocked her, but she didn't ask, understanding that Xu Jianxing was mysterious.

The man's eyes flashed with a cold look, and he smiled, "Hello, I'm Huang Shi, the vice president of Guanghua Group. May I ask who you are?"

"Xu Jianxing, an unemployed wanderer," Xu Jianxing said with a faint smile, detecting a hint of boasting in Huang Shi's words.

"Mr. Xu is joking, how could Xiao Qian..." Huang Shi thought, having just learned from others about Lu Qian's morning runs with Xu Jianxing. Living in the top-tier villa area, he had never seen this young man, so he didn't believe Xu Jianxing had any background. He was determined to make him pay for trying to take what was his.

Huang Shi's words were cut off by Lu Qian, "Huang Shi, Vice President Huang, I'm reiterating, call me Lu Qian or President Lu. We're not that close."

Lu Qian glanced at Xu Jianxing, who remained silent.

Huang Shi's face changed, but he quickly regained his charming smile and said softly to Lu Qian, "President Lu, don't you understand my feelings for you? I fell in love with you at first sight. Rest assured, if you're with me, I'll treat Tingting well."

"Thank you, but I have no feelings for you. I hope you can stay away from me. Do you understand?" Lu Qian said firmly, initially wanting to interrupt but deciding to let Xu Jianxing understand the situation and her thoughts.

Huang Shi's face changed again, but he persisted, "We can cultivate feelings. I believe if you give me a chance, we'll have a bright future. Besides, this will be better for Tingting. Haven't you considered her?"

"I said no. I'll take care of Tingting's future. This isn't your concern. After so many times, don't you understand? I find it very annoying," Lu Qian said bluntly.

Xu Jianxing admired Huang Shi's thick skin but was pleased by Lu Qian's decisiveness.

Just as Huang Shi was about to say more, a clear voice came from behind Xu Jianxing.

"Uncle, are you bored? When you see dog poop, do you have to step on it? Can't you just avoid it? I really admire you."

Xu Yunyun had heard everything clearly after getting out of the taxi. She had no good feelings for men like Huang Shi, who appeared gentle but were persistent and annoying. Besides, she could take the opportunity to flatter "Uncle," so why not?

Everyone present understood the sarcasm in Xu Yunyun's words. Although Huang Shi and Lu Qian initially didn't understand what the beautiful girl was saying, they realized it was directed at Xu Jianxing.

Huang Shi's charming smile vanished, and he said coldly to Xu Yunyun, "Little girl, who are you talking about?"

But his words had no effect on Xu Yunyun, who ignored him and smiled at Lu Qian, "Sister, I'm Xu Yunyun, Uncle's friend. I heard you're called Lu Qian, so I'll call you Sister Lu, okay?"

Xu Jianxing and Lu Qian were speechless, feeling that all the titles in Xu Yunyun's mouth were mixed up. However, Lu Qian was happy to be called "sister" by a young girl and smiled, "Alright, Little Yun."

"Okay, Sister Lu," Xu Yunyun replied, then teased Xu Jianxing, "Uncle, Sister Lu is very pretty. You need to work hard."

In her eyes, Lu Qian and Xu Jianxing were not that different. Lu Qian took good care of herself, so it wasn't surprising that Xu Yunyun was mistaken. As for Tingting, she didn't understand much but didn't think about it.

Lu Qian felt relieved. Although she didn't know the relationship between Xu Jianxing and Xu Yunyun, the way Xu Yunyun called him "Uncle" showed some closeness. She also knew that many young people, influenced by Korean dramas, liked to call slightly older men "Uncle." So, she no longer felt uncomfortable about Xu Yunyun.

Xu Jianxing laughed and said, "You should focus on your studies, what are you thinking about?"

"Thinking about what I should think about," Xu Yunyun replied with a smile, then added, "Uncle, aren't you going to the beach? Let's go now."

"Alright." Xu Jianxing nodded, ignored Huang Shi, and started running toward the beach, with Lu Qian and Xu Yunyun following closely.

Huang Shi's face turned red with embarrassment, his eyes shooting venomous glares. He said coldly, "Bitch, you'll be crying and begging me one day."

He didn't plan to let Xu Jianxing off either but decided to investigate further to avoid making a mistake. Although he was a second-generation rich kid, he was also capable and wouldn't do anything to regret later. He needed to plan everything carefully.

On the way, Lu Qian, worried, said to Xu Jianxing, "Be careful, Huang Shi is very devious."

"Okay, I understand." Xu Jianxing nodded with a smile. He never provoked trouble but wasn't afraid of it. Life was too short to be overly cautious. Besides, if he had been afraid, he wouldn't have pursued the campus beauty during his university days.

Of course, saying he pursued her was a bit of an exaggeration. If not for a series of coincidences, he wouldn't have succeeded. This made many of his close friends envious and jealous. But for Xu Jianxing, those past events were now just memories. The only thing that remained was the beautiful image and smile he couldn't forget.