Chapter Forty-Two: Utterly Annoyed

They said it was time to rest, but Tang Zhi Chu had barely sat down for three minutes before Zhou Yun pulled him up again.
“There’s an aerobics session now, come on!”
In the common area, to the left by the wall, there was a cleared space and a huge floor-to-ceiling mirror.
A young woman in a white tracksuit stood at the front. Her outfit looked modest from the front, but from the side, it revealed her waist just so.
She stood with her hands behind her back. Though she had a baby face, it gave her an air of maturity.
Gradually, people began to gather.
“Xiao Yan! It’s you today!” someone greeted her.
She smiled and nodded, “I’ll lead the session today.”
“Great, we’re in luck!”
Leaning against the wall, Tang Zhi Chu could tell this young woman was very popular at the gym. As soon as people heard it was her, many hurried over.
Tang Zhi Chu didn’t join them, nor did Zhou Yun insist.
“You still have the gym card I gave you, right?” Zhou Yun asked.
“Yes, I do.”
“Don’t lose it. I gave you a gold card, so you can join our internal group. There are lots of activities, and you can participate in all of them. Honestly, your physical fitness is a bit poor. You should take it seriously. Come work out whenever you have time. Look at this place, the atmosphere is great. There’s a lady leading a free session every day.”
Tang Zhi Chu nodded and smiled, “I finally see why your business is doing so well.”
Zhou Yun didn’t accept the compliment, instead puffing up proudly, “I don’t need your praise.”
The aerobics session began, starting with simple stepping.
Tang Zhi Chu thought to himself that Zhou Yun truly knew how to run a business. The baby-faced instructor’s figure was no less impressive than their boss’s, like a bud about to bloom, blossoming freely before everyone’s eyes.
Who could resist such a scene?
The women wanted to become her, the men wanted to train hard. Even if they couldn’t get close, just watching was a pleasure.
“Do you think she’s pretty?”
Tang Zhi Chu snapped back, “Huh?”
“It’s time for you to run.”
...
An hour later, Tang Zhi Chu collapsed on the treadmill, unmoving despite Zhou Yun’s attempts to pull him up.
“I... I’m telling you... I feel... I feel like I’m going to die.”
Zhou Yun glanced around. Several machines faced their direction, but she gritted her teeth, grabbed Tang Zhi Chu’s legs, dragged him off the treadmill, and laid him on the floor.
Then Zhou Yun took a fascia gun and began to relax his thighs.
It was the first time Tang Zhi Chu saw Zhou Yun blush, but he was so exhausted he didn’t even want to speak.

“Your legs are almost as thick as mine now, you skinny dog,” Zhou Yun said, face red but still sharp-tongued.
Tang Zhi Chu simply closed his eyes, as if blocking his ears as well.
“If I ran like you, I’d just sweat a bit. So, are you going to train? Join the internal group when you get home, book a personal trainer. There’s always someone to guide you, book a female trainer at least. With a woman supervising you, you won’t dare slack off, right?”
Perhaps sensing the atmosphere was off, Zhou Yun started rambling to avoid awkwardness.
“I’m talking to you, did you hear me?”
Tang Zhi Chu opened his eyes, “I heard you. You’re so annoying.”
Zhou Yun glared, then kicked him.
Tang Zhi Chu gasped sharply, the kick landing right on his knee. “Ow! What kind of shady place is this? Resorting to violence?”
Zhou Yun tossed the fascia gun to him, “If you don’t want your legs to hurt tomorrow, relax them yourself.”
Not far away, a figure hesitated for a long time, as if waiting for a chance to approach.
Only when Zhou Yun and Tang Zhi Chu were less close did she come over.
“Yun!”
Zhou Yun turned at the sound, and it was the young woman who had led the aerobics outside earlier.
Zhou Yun nodded, “Come over.”
“She’s Wang Xiaoyan, one of our excellent trainers,” Zhou Yun introduced her to Tang Zhi Chu.
Tang Zhi Chu sat up, “Hello, I’m Tang Zhi Chu.”
“Hello.”
“He’s my friend. Do we still have food?” Zhou Yun asked Wang Xiaoyan.
“Yes, I saved some especially for you.”
Tang Zhi Chu perked up, “There’s food?”
In the lounge, after exercising, Tang Zhi Chu’s appetite was voracious. Even vegetable salad was devoured energetically.
Wang Xiaoyan glanced to the side, her shoulders trembling as she stifled laughter.
Tang Zhi Chu was eating salad while stuffing shrimp into his mouth, not bothering to peel them, just biting off the heads and setting them aside.
Zhou Yun couldn’t take it anymore, grabbed the box of shrimp, “Alright, I’ll peel them for you.”
Wang Xiaoyan was surprised by Zhou Yun’s gesture, though her expression didn’t change.
She knew her boss was participating in a dating reality show, and from her perspective, it was probably for business.
Her appearance today was arranged by her boss to get some exposure.
Yet, some of the boss’s actions and expressions didn’t seem staged.
Wang Xiaoyan sneaked a few glances at Tang Zhi Chu—tall, good-looking, better than the male colleagues, though a bit too thin.
On a whim, Wang Xiaoyan opened another box containing grilled fish and chicken breast, and handed it to Tang Zhi Chu.

“Thank you!”
Tang Zhi Chu felt revived, swallowed what was in his mouth, and said to Zhou Yun, “You’re really not cut out to be a personal trainer, too ruthless. If all trainers were like you, your gym would go bankrupt.”
Zhou Yun rolled her eyes as she peeled shrimp, “That’s because you’re weak, too soft. I didn’t even use much force and you couldn’t handle it.”
Tang Zhi Chu glared, “See? Still sniping at me. If I were your client, I wouldn’t come back tomorrow.”
“I’ve already told you what’s at stake. With your current fitness, I’ll just say one thing: can you carry a woman? If you don’t come, it’s your loss.”
“I never said I wouldn’t come, but... can’t we take it step by step?”
Zhou Yun handed him a lid full of peeled shrimp, “Just eat, skinny dog.”
Tang Zhi Chu was puzzled. He didn’t understand why this nickname suddenly applied to him: “What does skinny dog mean?”
“It’s someone tall and thin, like you.”
Tang Zhi Chu looked down and patted his stomach. He really couldn’t argue—he was indeed skinny.
“I get it, you like those muscular guys!”
Zhou Yun didn’t continue the banter with Tang Zhi Chu and instead turned to Wang Xiaoyan, “Xiaoyan, show him that video.”
Wang Xiaoyan nodded, swiping on her phone, then placed it before Tang Zhi Chu.
It was a short video featuring Wang Xiaoyan herself.
As soon as it started, Tang Zhi Chu understood.
It was from the last time he met Zhou Yun, when he’d given her a BGM for a dance routine.
The BGM was drum-heavy, light and playful, with a fresh, cute vibe.
In the video, Wang Xiaoyan was adorable and danced well, but it lacked memorable moments—the moves were rather advanced.
Professionally, it might be excellent, but Tang Zhi Chu judged it by DY’s reach.
Still, he began to praise, “Impressive, this BGM suits her perfectly.”
Zhou Yun stretched out her hand, “Alright, pay up then.”
“You really want money?”
Zhou Yun smiled but didn’t pursue the matter, pushing another batch of peeled shrimp toward Tang Zhi Chu and taking out a napkin to wipe her hands.
Zhou Yun felt her opinion of Tang Zhi Chu was changing. Last time, she’d told him her DY channel wasn’t taking off, and he’d given her this BGM.
At first, Zhou Yun couldn’t guess his intentions. Once she learned Tang Zhi Chu was a DY singer, she formed her own theories.
He was probably trying to help her. As a DY singer whose songs had attracted nearly a million followers, he must have unique insights.
Because of this, Zhou Yun’s perception of Tang Zhi Chu gradually shifted, becoming more three-dimensional.