body temperature
A hoarse laugh escaped his throat, and Pan Yue turned his face away: "I'll treat you to dinner."
Zhu Shiyi stopped there and spared his life for the time being.
A low, hoarse groan came from behind.
......
Zhu Shiyi hadn't eaten enough and couldn't train. Pan Yue taught her how to use a few machines, and she just sat there playing on her phone, occasionally watching the muscular men train.
Training complete.
Pan Yue took her to the stretching room.
He was holding a water bottle in one hand and an iPad in the other, yet he could still carry a yoga mat in each of his hands.
Pan Yue put down his yoga mat and set up his iPad to play a stretching video.
Zhu Shiyi closed his eyes, enjoying the relaxation of his muscles and ligaments.
Leg stretching module: The video instructor pulls the front leg down and presses it down.
Zhu Shiyi, feeling awkward, kicked out his front leg and did a split.
"Doesn't it hurt?" Pan Yue didn't practice with the video at all; he was just doing simple stretching exercises on his own.
“I’m very flexible,” Zhu Shiyi boasted. “I studied dance for a few years when I was a child.”
"You've learned so much?" Pan Yue was slightly taken aback, then asked with a smile, "Is it what your parents asked you to do?"
“I like it,” Zhu Shiyi explained. “I attended many extracurricular classes when I was young, but I only had a short-lived interest in them. The only one I persisted with was singing.”
Pan Yue: "It's good that you like it."
Zhu Shiyi said, "Some things, after you learn a lot, you find that you are not good at them, so you don't like them as much anymore."
She said with a laugh, "I only persevered because my elementary school choir teacher was too strict and I didn't dare to quit."
"Elementary school?" Pan Yue asked abruptly. "A public school?"
“Yes,” Zhu Shiyi understood the implication, “the public schools in Yuecheng all have clubs, which are free. Of course, they can’t compare to the detailed teaching of paid institutions; they’re all more for fun.”
She added, "In Yuecheng, almost every child attends extracurricular classes."
“Education is better in big cities,” Pan Yue nodded, “and it’s better able to cultivate high-caliber talent.”
Zhu Shiyi climbed up: "I'll take that as a compliment?"
"Hmm?" Pan Yue's eyes darted over, a smile playing on his lips.
"Just kidding." Zhu Shiyi took a tactical sip of water.
Older people don't know how to catch jokes.
“Yes,” Pan Yue replied lightly, then solemnly, “I’m praising you.”
"Cough cough—"
Zhu Shiyi retorted directly.
She almost spat out the water in her mouth, but she managed to swallow it down, and she was almost out of breath.
A warm palm covered my back, patted it gently, and then slid down to soothe it: "Are you alright?"
Zhu Shiyi quickly patted his chest and gasped for breath: "I'm fine."
Pan Yue moved his hand away at the opportune moment and handed her a tissue.
Zhu Shiyi thanked him and wiped away the tears he had coughed up.
After stretching.
Zhu Shiyi felt embarrassed to be waited on any longer, so she dragged the yoga mat, grabbed her phone, and even helped Pan Yue grab his iPad: "Let's go."
"Um."
After placing the mat, Zhu Shiyi handed the iPad to Pan Yue.
Pan Yue handed her the drink.
"Thanks."
Zhu Shiyi then remembered that there was a tissue she had used to wipe herself lying on the ground.
She turned around, and the ground was empty, with only the light from the white lamp overhead.
--
Zhu Shiyi carefully put on his swimming gear and looked in the mirror.
Emma, and no one told her that with the swimming cap on, her head would look like a hard-boiled egg.
For a moment, Zhu Shiyi wished that there was no one she knew at this swimming pool.
She awkwardly entered the pool area, where an automatic shower made her shiver.
She looked up in a flustered manner and saw that Pan Yue was already waiting for her on the shore.
He was leaning back in the deck chair, with his swimming goggles hanging in one hand and his swimming cap spinning in the other.
The moment their eyes met, he sat up straight, water droplets running down his shoulders and neck, outlining his perfect eight-pack abs.
Zhu Shiyi swallowed hard.
Between his legs, a pair of black, mid-length, boxer briefs hugged his thigh muscles.
In all her years, apart from her father's beer belly and her brother's bony chest, she had never seen any other man's physique.
I should say, it's remarkable that you can look at something so directly.
"Let's get in the water first." Pan Yue put on his swimming cap and pulled down his swimming goggles.
He has a long, narrow face, and he wears a swimming cap, which makes his face look like sunglasses, giving him a cool and aloof appearance.
Does having a rounder face mean you're not a good match?
Zhu Shiyi silently complained to himself.
As they were walking down the water stairs, Pan Yue jumped down, splashing Zhu Shiyi with water.
......
The two stood on the steps of Yanbian.
“This water is so clean,” Zhu Shiyi said, scooping up a handful of water. “It’s just like mineral water.”
Water dripped through the fingers, creating ripples in the pool.
Even the fish swimming in the water found it novel.
"Standard water quality".
"This is my first time swimming in an indoor swimming pool," Zhu Shiyi said, unaware of the danger. "I used to swim in outdoor pools, which were so dirty. A leaf would often drift by while I was swimming."
Pan Yue hummed in agreement: "I'll travel more in the future."
He explained, "In the deep-water swimming area, follow traffic rules: swim on the right and the left is the overtaking lane."
Zhu Shiyi nodded: "How deep is it here now?"
“1.8 meters.” Pan Yue walked down the steps, tilted his head back, and occasionally jumped up a little.
Zhu Shiyi: ?
What are they doing?
Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck.
Zhu Shiyi asked, "So how tall are you?"
“1.87 meters,” Pan Yueyue said, taking a few steps back up the steps, a smirk playing on his lips. “1.3 meters.”
Three more points.
Zhu Shiyi burst into laughter.
really.
A tall man has to rack his brains to let you know just how tall he is.
Zhu Shiyi: "You're amazing."
Pan Yue tilted his head: "What?"
He scooped up a handful of water and splashed it on his neck: "To wet your body and get used to the water temperature."
Yes, yes, yes.
Regardless of what he says, Pan Yue is simply a hot commodity.
Zhu Shiyi suddenly noticed.
She pointed to Pan Yue's ears: "Waterproof earphones?"
"Hmm," Pan Yue said, taking it off with one hand and handing it to her, "Want to try it?"
Zhu Shiyi took it out of curiosity.
The headphones hung loosely on my ears, the drumbeats vibrated against my skull, and the low-frequency male vocals were clear. I could tell that the headphones had excellent sound quality.
"This is so awesome!" Zhu Shiyi grinned excitedly. "I want to buy it too, can you send me the link?"
Pan Yue chuckled softly.
"Waterproof bone conduction headphones, many options available."
With many choices, the prices will definitely vary. These headphones have better sound quality than any headphones Zhu Shiyi has ever used; they certainly aren't cheap.
She pressed it tighter silently, then decided to slip it into the goggle strap, afraid it would fall off.
Zhu Shiyi immediately tore open the elastic band, lifted the earphone, and stuffed it inside.
She accidentally pulled her sideburns and winced in pain.
"hiss--"
I lost my footing.
Zhu Shiyi landed on a strong floating board in the abdomen and used it to steady himself.
Pan Yue then released his hand.
"Thank you," Zhu Shiyi said belatedly.
“It’s nothing,” Pan Yue said, his eyes obscured by his swimming goggles. “Your goggles are too tight.”
Zhu Shiyi found a foothold, leaned against the water ladder, and groped with both hands to find the tension adjustment.
It pulled at the hair roots again.
Zhu Shiyi shuddered and let out a soft gasp.
A large hand suddenly appeared beside his face, its knuckles clearly defined.
“I’ll help you,” Pan Yue paused, then lowered his voice, “Do you mind?”
"I don't mind."
A gentle force covered the tip of her ear, then lifted it away.
Pan Yue exercised restraint, trying his best not to touch the girl's skin.
He loosened the elastic band a little and gently pulled out a gap: "Stuff it in."
Zhu Shiyi put the earphones in.
Pan Yue loosened his fingertips.
But a drop of water fell.
Unintentionally.
The temperature is 37 degrees Celsius.
Familiar, yet strange.
It flowed down the contour of the ear cartilage, brushing against the reddened earlobe.
Like another, warm fingertip.
"Press for two seconds to change the song."
Pan Yue's tone was unpredictable. Suddenly, he pushed off the pool wall and swam out first.
Zhu Shiyi plunged headfirst into the water.
She prayed that the water, cooler than her body temperature, would lower the burning sensation in her face.
She straightened her mind.
He surfaced, exhaled, and looked toward the lane.
Pan Yue, like a swimming fish, had already darted to the other side.
He didn't stop; between breaths, he turned his body and swam back towards her.
There weren't many people at the pool; besides the two of them, there were only four others.
The swimmers in the lanes were silent, the sound of water rising and falling, which made Zhu Shiyi eager to join in.
She took a deep breath and dashed out as well.
As Zhu Shiyi undulates during the breaststroke, rising and falling, and surfacing to breathe, he encourages himself:
Get ashore right away!
A dark shadow flashed past me.
......
Standing on the steps on the opposite bank, Zhu Shiyi and Pan Yue stood side by side.
"How can you swim so fast?" Zhu Shiyi asked, panting.
She hadn't swum in so long that she had almost forgotten how to swim.
"Freestyle," Pan Yue replied.
Freestyle is arguably the fastest swimming style.
But Zhu Shiyi said: "Okay, I can only do the breaststroke."
“The posture is wrong,” Pan Yue explained. “After extending your arms and kicking your legs, you can’t use your hands and feet together; when breathing, manually squeeze your elbows to hold the water, tighten your core and exert force; after kicking your legs, float forward along the force, one breath for one set of movements.”
Zhu Shiyi only had a superficial understanding.
Pan Yue dived back into the water and demonstrated the breaststroke.
Zhu Shiyi followed suit, copying the model.
After two rounds, Zhu Shiyi had an epiphany.
The slower the movement, the faster it actually goes.
The water flow was easy.
After several rounds of practice, Zhu Shiyi successfully swam past the 100-meter target consecutively, without even running out of energy.
She leaned against the shore to catch her breath and saw Pan Yue swimming towards her with alternating arms, stirring up wisps of water.
The streamlined stroke arm provides uniform speed and a smooth, elegant design.
Freestyle swimming is definitely more visually appealing than the clown-like frog swim.
Pan Yue reached the shore but did not rest. He once again pushed off the cliff and charged forward.
Zhu Shiyi harbored evil intentions.
Taking advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention, she lunged forward headfirst, her arms moving rapidly in alternating motions.
She suddenly felt weightless around her waist, which startled her so much that she held her breath. She quickly switched back to breaststroke, slunk to the other side, and pretended that nothing had happened.
That's so embarrassing.
Suddenly, a man and a woman entered the pool and squeezed into the lane next to Zhu Shiyi and the others.
"Can you swim?" the boy asked confidently.
"Not really," the girl replied shyly.
The boy patted his shoulder: "I'll carry you on my back."
As he spoke, the boy grabbed the girl's arm, put his arm around her shoulder, and swam forward with her.
The girl wrapped her arms around the boy's neck, craning her neck: "Don't dive too deep!"
The boy mischievously slid down.
Zhu Shiyi: ......
It's so spicy it hurts my eyes.
Pan Yue happened to swim up to his side.
This time, he didn't rush out directly.
Zhu Shiyi glanced sideways.
Shouldn't two people chat while swimming together?
Pan Yue, panting, lifted his arm and looked at his fitness tracker: "It's only a thousand meters, I still have to swim a few more laps."
After saying that, he turned around, lay on the water, and began swimming on his back with his arms outstretched, and then disappeared from sight.
Zhu Shiyi: ......
Let's not bother each other and just go our own way.
Looking at Pan Yue, who lay leisurely on the water, Zhu Shiyi was moved again—
That swimming style makes me want to try it.
Having just been humiliated once, she didn't dare this time.
He obediently swam the breaststroke to the other side, and upon emerging from the water, Pan Yue, for the first time ever, stood still without moving or saying a word.
Zhu Shiyi scratched his ear, suddenly realizing he hadn't returned the other person's earphones yet. Was he implying something?
"I'll give you back your headphones," Zhu Shiyi said, taking them off. "It's definitely more fun to play while listening to music."
“No need,” Pan Yue refused. “I usually listen to the news.”
Zhu Shiyi opened her mouth: "What's so good about that?"
“It really doesn’t sound good,” Pan Yue said frankly, “so I’d rather you listen to a song.”
Zhu Shiyi lowered her hand from taking off her headphones: "Okay."
Instead of listening to so much good music in my headphones, I'm listening to the news.
Zhu Shiyi then asked, "Could you teach me how to swim backstroke?"
“No need to learn,” Pan Yue moved his head and leaned towards the pool, “Just lie down, kick your legs, and slowly paddle backward with your hands.”
Zhu Shiyi waved his hand: "I dare not."
"If you can float, you can swim on your back." His tone was firm, as if it had an inspiring magic.
After saying that, he moved aside to make room: "Give it a try, I'll be watching you from the side."
He raised his hand again, gesturing to the shore: "The lifeguards are here too."
Zhu Shiyi chuckled, turned around, and lay down in the water.
She was a little flustered when some water suddenly flowed into her ear canal.
My arm was lightly patted twice; it was Pan Yue.
"..." It seemed like he said something else, but she couldn't hear it.
Yet I felt inexplicably at ease.
She ignored the strange sound in her ear, raised her arm, and made a sweeping motion.
All the noise in the space disappeared.
Water filled my ears.
In an instant, it exploded inside my head.
Sound can travel through three media: solids, liquids, and gases.
When emerging from the water, the subtle noises in the air can interfere with the transmission of the singing sound inside the skull.
While swimming the breaststroke, with each breath, the air and water alternate around the ears, and the singing voice is sometimes full and sometimes faint.
Only backstroke.
Ears, backstroke with air blocked.
All around was the still water, and the music resonated through the skull.
Suddenly, the water vibrated, playing that song of profound destiny.
Too Clever
It is quiet and not dynamic, yet it is full of sound and color.
Just like this water, it is soft yet has strength.
Water, mysterious and gentle.
The highest virtue is like water, which benefits all things without striving; it is the gentlest thing in the world.
Yet it possesses the most powerful strength.
A power to soothe the soul.
It gently enveloped every inch of her skin.
It feels like stroking, like kneading.
Purify the mind of inner turmoil, and roam the world with unwavering resolve.
We reached the shore.
But they were reluctant to part with it.
Zhu Shiyi turned around, lay down, and swam towards the opposite bank.
Pan Yue violated traffic regulations.
He didn't overtake, but instead moved to the left lane and lay down next to her.
Water and music.
With him.
The third route is suitable for all matters.
Life lies in movement.
--
I took a bath after getting water.
Zhu Shiyi felt his hands and feet were heavy, as if he had sandbags tied to them.
My stomach was growling with hunger.
After exiting the shower room, Pan Yue sat at the door waiting.
"What would you like to eat?" he asked.
Zhu Shiyi was so hungry that he was indiscriminate in his eating. He imagined the food entering his mouth and everything tasted delicious: "I can eat anything."
Remembering that Pan Yue had said he would treat her, she added, "You always pay, but this time I'll treat."
Pan Yue opened his mouth, as if to say something.
"Shut up," Zhu Shiyi quickly pulled her hand back, her five fingers snapping together in an instant, "It's my turn to give you something, consider it a thank you gift."
She said earnestly, "Thank you for taking me to the gym."
Pan Yue tilted his head slightly, sighed and smiled, and after a long while, he carefully said.
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