In this world, truly fair things are rare, but fitness, in the vast majority of cases, is exactly that—fair.
As long as one is willing to put in the time, anyone can obtain a near-perfect physique through continuous training. Gao Sijin desperately needed such a body. Only then, when the opportunity to escape finally presented itself, could he seize it smoothly. Otherwise, he would carry that regret for the rest of his life.
And in Gao Sijin’s view, the opportunity to escape would come exactly once.
If he failed that first attempt, knowing what he knew of Tsukiyuki Rio, she would absolutely never grant him a second chance. Right now, he might have the choice of staying in the Temporary Palace or the Luxury Apartment, but if he escaped and was caught again, he would likely spend his days locked in the basement, endlessly tormented.
Dragging his frail body—freshly drained and ravaged by Tsukiyuki Rio—Gao Sijin trudged downstairs to the Fitness Center.
“Yo, good evening, Master.”
Turning back, he saw the Head Maid, Yu Qingxue.
But now she wasn’t wearing the classic British-style long maid uniform dress. Instead, she was clad in a figure-hugging athletic bodysuit, displaying her voluptuous, curvy perfect figure right before Gao Sijin’s eyes. He hadn’t paid much attention before, but in that bodysuit, Yu Qingxue’s figure looked even more tempting than usual, especially since the most important parts were tightly stretched by the fabric.
“Evening,” Gao Sijin replied softly.
“Master, so pitiful, bullied by Young Lady Tsukiyuki again, right? You should know, only I am your friend, only I love you.”
“That flavor of yours is way too strong, Qingxue.”
“Hehe, a line I picked up from watching anime recently.” Yu Qingxue beamed as she asked, “So, Master, where are you headed now?”
“I’m going to work out.”
“Preparing for your escape?”
“Absolutely not!”
Gao Sijin, who normally didn’t exercise much, suddenly saying he was going to work out. It seemed everyone instantly assumed he was planning to run.
If they grew vigilant, it would completely destroy any future chance he had.
He cleared his throat with a cough and said:
“Why would I run away? I have no worries about food and clothing, and every day I get to do those shameful things with Rio. I’m completely willing, alright?”
“He’s starting to self-rationalize now. It’s over, darling Master has been completely broken~” Yu Qingxue shrugged.
“In any case, I need to train my body, to satisfy Rio as much as possible.”
Suddenly, Yu Qingxue wrapped him tightly in her embrace. The hug came without warning, leaving Gao Sijin completely at a loss.
She lowered her voice right next to his ear:
“It’s too obvious, Master. I told you long ago—you’re nothing like an adult. Everything is written all over your face. You think working out will strengthen your body, giving you a chance to escape from our side, right? If you really think that way, then you underestimate us far too much. Let me be blunt: even if you had the body of Schwarzenegger and the speed of Bolt, you’d still be ridden to death by the Young Miss. No matter if you flee to the ends of the earth, we can find you.”
Gao Sijin’s body trembled. Such blunt words from Yu Qingxue felt like she was trying to completely barricade his path to escape.
The feeling was like saying—Go ahead, try your hardest. The result will be the same anyway.
“However, as Young Lady Tsukiyuki’s fiancé, you do enjoy a certain degree of freedom. Be it fitness or other things, you can do as you please. By the way, this building also has a shooting range, equipped with the latest model firearms. If you want to try firing a gun, you can go give it a shot. You can even pull the trigger aimed at Young Lady Tsukiyuki, no problem. But all your struggling is merely a clown show.”
Yu Qingxue released Gao Sijin from her arms.
Looking at that smile again, Gao Sijin felt as if his heart was being crushed by something heavy.
Taking his hand, she led him straight into the Fitness Center.
“Master, this world is not as boring as you imagine. Magic exists, it’s just that magicians can’t use it in front of Muggles. Time travel also exists, but they hide it so well you can’t even distinguish their presence. Even so-called other worlds and alien civilizations are genuinely real. This world is a super patchwork monster, everything far exceeding the upper limits of current human imagination.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“I want to tell you, foolish and ordinary Master, that before those powers, you are very weak. So weak that even the thought of resistance itself is laughable.”
Walking into the Fitness Center, the equipment inside was, naturally, the world’s top-of-the-line fitness gear.
Most of the maids from the Temporary Palace had followed Gao Sijin and Tsukiyuki Rio to the Luxury Apartment in Shinjuku Ward.
As their Warden-maids, each one boasted an A-rank in both strength and speed on average.
“Good evening, Master!”
“Master’s coming to work out too? So disciplined.”
“Oh yes, Master, did Young Lady Tsukiyuki allow you to come here? She did? Then okay, go ahead, please.”
Seeing Gao Sijin, the maids all greeted him one after another.
For some reason, Gao Sijin had the illusion of a sheep entering a wolf pack. Their gazes were like venomous snakes, seemingly ready to swallow him whole at any moment.
“Master, first, warm up on the treadmill. Run for fifteen minutes, then do forty-five minutes of strength training. After that, relaxation and stretching. Your loyal maid, Yu Qingxue, will do her utmost to provide you with premium service. Please rest assured.”
Gao Sijin began his first day of training. Yu Qingxue started running on the treadmill next to him. The massive peaks on her chest bounced up and down with her jogging motion. Gao Sijin accidentally glanced over, then immediately retracted his gaze, not daring to look further.
The LCD TV mounted on the wall was currently playing a basic Japanese language course. Although he would one day escape back to his home country, right now he was in J-Country after all. Mastering some Japanese would certainly help when he ran in the future.
Fifteen minutes later, Gao Sijin pushed through. Although he didn’t particularly enjoy exercise normally, when his body started getting out of shape, he would go to the gym for a good workout. So, the treadmill wasn’t unfamiliar to him.
After finishing the run, under Yu Qingxue’s tutelage, Gao Sijin began strength training. He had hardly ever done any muscle training before this, and you could barely find a few muscles on his body. But there is a first time for everything. Just get it done.
“What are you doing?”
Gao Sijin suddenly felt that something wasn’t right.
“Your posture isn’t very correct. I’m helping you correct it.”
A mischievous, plan-succeeded smile emerged on Yu Qingxue’s delicate face. Meanwhile, her slender, snow-white hands were roaming all over Gao Sijin’s body.
“Master, you’re truly out of luck. Letting the Head Maid correct you,” said the sweat-glistening Blonde Maid, Morgana, approaching Gao Sijin with her arms crossed. “She generally loves to take advantage when others are training.”
“This isn’t taking advantage. This is called tutoring.”
As she spoke, Yu Qingxue’s unruly hands slid from Gao Sijin’s glutes down to his upper thighs, giving him a serious squeeze. Her face still held a perfectly earnest expression.
“Master, why don’t you train with me instead? I swear I won’t do such low-down things to you.”
“Scram. Stop ruining my fun, Morgana.” Yu Qingxue cheerfully shooed Morgana away, then whispered softly to Gao Sijin, “This is all for your own good. Don’t be so ungrateful, you know.”
