svetikya Page 34
Page 34
After explaining the basics to Lu Mingfei, Su Xiaoqiang stepped back and began to seriously warm up by herself—pressing her legs, stretching, and moving her joints.
Three thousand meters would have been a piece of cake for a physical monster like her, but the hard boots under her feet made her feel a little uneasy, and the difficulty level increased exponentially.
Seeing her start moving, Lu Mingfei quickly put the saline solution in his hand on the shelf next to him, and then began to imitate Su Xiaoqiang's movements in another open space, although his movements seemed a bit stiff and awkward.
Su Xiaoqiang glanced at his clumsy movements out of the corner of her eye, and silently scoffed inwardly:
"You're putting on quite a good act. Let's see how you show your true colors when you start running!"
About five minutes later, Su Xiaoqiang nimbly withdrew from his stance.
It was as if Lu Mingfei was bound to her; the moment she stopped, his movements would immediately cease as well.
Neither of them said a word. They each stood in front of an adjacent treadmill, lowered their heads and set the same target distance (3000 meters) and starting speed.
Seeing this, Liu Miaomiao immediately perked up, took small steps to move a little closer to the side, cleared her throat, and tried her best to look like a professional referee.
She took a deep breath, raised her right hand high, her face tense, and her gaze swept back and forth between the two of them:
Are both sides ready?
"Ready!" Two voices, one clear and assertive, the other calm and short, rang out simultaneously.
Liu Miaomiao's gaze sharpened, and her raised right hand, carrying a force that seemed to cut through the air, swung down suddenly: "Ready—Go!"
Almost the instant the word "start" was written, Lu Mingfei and Su Xiaoqiang's fingers, like two bullets fired from a gun, simultaneously and precisely struck the "start" button that was flashing with a ghostly green light!
Even before stepping onto the treadmill, Lu Mingfei had already discreetly used a fitness capsule.
He's going to win this game.
The initial speed was set to 10 km/h.
Lu Mingfei's start was a bit clumsy, after all, it was his first time stepping on this thing, and his body swayed slightly like a beginner ice skater.
However, his strong physical coordination and adaptability took effect quickly with the help of the capsule, and his steps found a smooth rhythm in just over ten seconds.
He deliberately turned his head to the side, his gaze sweeping over Su Xiaoqiang beside him, and began to be sarcastic:
"Hey, 'Little Fairy,' don't try to tough it out if you can't hold on! Be careful this machine throws you out and makes you 'face the mud'!"
"You'd better watch your own mouth first!" Su Xiaoqiang glared back fiercely, her breath already a little unsteady. "You'd be heartbroken if you broke your 'little princess'!" She stabbed Liu Miaomiao again.
Unwittingly caught in the crossfire, Liu Miaomiao could only silently step back, lamenting her role as both referee and cannon fodder.
Lu Mingfei grinned and stopped arguing.
With a flick of the finger on the control panel, the speed instantly jumped to 12 km/h.
Su Xiaoqiang was not about to be outdone, and immediately followed suit, raising the stakes as well!
The two maintained a speed of 12 km/h, and the machine ran smoothly, like two parallel figures.
After running two kilometers, the gap quietly became apparent:
Su Xiaoqiang's breathing was heavy and rapid, his nostrils flared, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.
In contrast, Lu Mingfei's breathing was long and steady, and his expression was normal, as if he were just taking a leisurely stroll!
Su Xiaoqiang's heart skipped a beat: What's wrong with this jerk?
Could it be…? A thought, like a cold snake, crept up her spine—could she really lose?!
Immediately afterward, Lu Mingfei's smug face and the words "not suitable for children" flashed through her mind, making her shudder.
Just as she was distracted, she caught a glimpse of Lu Mingfei's finger moving again out of the corner of her eye! The number on the speed screen coldly jumped to 15 km/h!
Su Xiaoqiang's pupils suddenly contracted:
Has he gone mad?! He's willing to risk his life just to act cool in front of Liu Miaomiao?!
15km/h is close to the level of professional runners, and even she has not yet challenged that speed.
Lu Mingfei completely ignored her shock, his body remained as steady as a rock, and his breathing was not disordered at all.
With a 5% awakening of dragon blood, his physiological functions have already approached the theoretical limits of humanity.
He could even faintly sense the dormant power within him humming softly—he could go even faster… This thought made his eyes flash with excitement.
In a flash, he didn't hesitate to push the number directly to 20 km/h! (Professional athlete level)
"Lu Mingfei, are you looking for death?!" Su Xiaoqiang's scream exploded in her mind!
Blinded by anger and competitiveness, she completely forgot about those damned boots on her feet!
She even forgot that she had never challenged this speed limit before!
As if by reflex, her finger also jabbed the "+" sign hard, speeding up the speed to 20!
Almost at the same time——
The hard, heavy sole of the boot suddenly slipped on the high-speed rolling track!
Su Xiaoqiang instantly lost her balance, and like a leaf caught in a gust of wind, she screamed as she was violently thrown off the treadmill!
"Watch out!" Lu Mingfei's reaction was incredibly fast!
With his knees slightly bent, he unleashed an astonishing jumping power, instantly leaping off the treadmill while it was still speeding along!
He transformed into a sharp arrow, his right arm stretching out like lightning, catching the target precisely in mid-air!
Thump! A muffled sound.
The force with which Su Xiaoqiang crashed into his arms was immense, causing him to groan and hear a sharp crack as his lumbar spine was forcefully bent!
The two were face to face, so close that they could see the fine hairs on each other's faces.
Su Xiaoqiang was still in shock, her face as white as paper; Lu Mingfei was holding his breath, his cheeks flushed.
In that still instant, the screen of Lu Mingfei's treadmill, which had lost its owner, beeped softly, and the bright red 3000-meter mark froze on the screen.
In the final moment before he leaped to save the person, he had already completed the entire mission!
“‘Little Fairy’,” Lu Mingfei looked at the terrified girl in his arms, his voice filled with genuine concern, “Are you… alright?”
Chapter 29 The Tenth Trial (4K)
Su Xiaoqiang's brain went blank for a few seconds, and she could only stare blankly at Lu Mingfei, who was so close to her—his cheeks were slightly red, and his warm breath tickled her face.
Just a second ago, she was screaming in despair, "I'm doomed!"
But the expected excruciating pain did not come the next second—Lu Mingfei's strong right arm pulled her firmly into his embrace, preventing her from falling!
The distance suddenly shortened.
She was so close that she could see his eyelashes and feel the warmth from his arms through his clothes.
A strange thrill suddenly struck my heart.
Su Xiaoqiang could even clearly hear the pounding of her own heart.
An absurd idea popped up uncontrollably:
This guy... his face, which usually looks so gloomy, is actually... kind of handsome right now?
Lu Mingfei actually kept a little notebook in his mind, silently ranking the girls he knew.
Lu Mingfei, a monster whose beauty was beyond human comprehension, was naturally excluded.
Su Xiaoqiang's bright and arrogant face made her the number one seed in his mind;
Liu Miaomiao's delicate and gentle charm followed closely behind;
As for Chen Wenwen's artistic flair, she can only be ranked third.
Erii? Sorry, I didn't even see her face clearly, I only remember a patch of dark red hair.
And now, Su Xiaoqiang—the top of the leaderboard—her beautiful yet stubborn face is less than ten centimeters away from him!
Her fair skin was slightly flushed, a few strands of sweat-dampened hair clung to her cheeks, and her almond-shaped eyes, usually full of provocation, now held a hint of bewildered panic, making her exceptionally... vivid.
Lu Mingfei's heartbeat instantly went out of control!
I wasn't even this out of breath after running 3000 meters, but now my breathing is becoming uncontrollably heavy.
"Ahem... Have you... hugged enough?" Liu Miaomiao's voice wasn't loud, but it broke the delicate atmosphere.
Su Xiaoqiang shuddered, her face flushed red, even her ears turned crimson!
We lost! We lost completely!
What's even more terrifying is that—not only was she saved by this loser, but that absurd thought had even crossed her mind just now?!
"Let me go!" she cried out in a mixture of shame and anger, her voice urgent and low as she struggled to break free from that damned embrace.
"Oh!" Lu Mingfei, startled by her shout, reflexively released his grip on her arm.
"Pfft!"
"Ouch—!" Su Xiaoqiang, who had no support, fell hard on her bottom!
Although the height wasn't high, the intimate contact between her buttocks and the hard floor, especially the dull pain coming from her tailbone, still made her cry out in pain!
"Lu Mingfei!" Su Xiaoqiang gasped in pain, her anger flaring up instantly. "Are you made of wood?! Can't you be a little gentler with a girl?!"
Looking at Su Xiaoqiang, who was sitting on the ground glaring at him angrily, Lu Mingfei realized that he had done something stupid.
He sighed helplessly and resignedly bent down.
This time he was much more careful. He held her back firmly with one hand and reached under her knees with the other, lifting her up steadily in a manner similar to a "princess carry".
"This...this should be alright, Miss Su, right?" He helped her stand up, his tone full of helplessness.
After regaining her balance, Su Xiaoqiang immediately slapped his hand away in disgust, glared at him fiercely, and turned away from him. She then walked to the shelf next to her, grabbed a bottle of saline solution, unscrewed the cap, and gulped it down as if trying to wash away the embarrassment and panic she had just felt.
At this moment, Liu Miaomiao quickly walked to Lu Mingfei's side, her eyes filled with genuine worry, and looked him up and down:
"Lu Mingfei, how are you? Are you hurt anywhere?"
"It's nothing, it's nothing," Lu Mingfei waved his hand, subconsciously rubbing his side, then grimaced, "Ouch... it's all thanks to Miss Su that my back hurts a bit!"
These words, if left unsaid, would have been better. As soon as they were spoken, Su Xiaoqiang, who had just finished filling her water bottle, abruptly turned and glared at him, her eyes sharp as knives:
"Lu Mingfei! What do you mean?! Are you indirectly saying I'm heavy?!"
"No! Absolutely not! It's a misunderstanding! A huge misunderstanding!" Lu Mingfei immediately raised his hands in surrender, forcing a bitter smile that was both sincere and desperate for survival.