Chapter 377 - 348: Polishing the Gun

Wu Yun had never seen Los Angeles at three in the morning, but he had seen it at six-thirty a few times.

The clouds over the distant, towering snowy mountains glowed like they were on fire. The sun was still hidden behind the range, but the sky was already bright.

Wu Yun pulled open the curtains, stretched on the balcony, and then went into the bathroom to get ready for the day.

At 6:50 AM, Wu Yun stood in the living room, right on time. Wei Wu and the others were already waiting on the sofa.

"Where’s Wang Hao?" Wu Yun asked, noticing he was missing from the group.

Before anyone could answer, Wang Hao stumbled out of his room, yawning. "President Wu! I really can’t do it this morning! Every single part of my body is aching!"

Wu Yun understood immediately. He knew it was the delayed-onset muscle soreness from a beginner’s workout, so he didn’t push it. "Then just get some rest. We don’t have much going on today anyway, so I’ll give you the day off."

"Okay, thank you, President Wu!" Wang Hao said, rubbing his sore rear as he walked into the bathroom. He felt a wave of relief. ’Good thing this villa only has Western-style toilets, or the next few days would be impossible!’

Wu Yun then turned to his five bodyguards. "I don’t have much going on today either. After our workout, you can split into shifts and have the morning and afternoon off. I have a date tonight. Be at Melisse by five-thirty."

"Yes, Boss!"

...

Wu Yun and his group showed up at the gym entrance right at seven. The regulars who worked out in the morning were no longer surprised to see them, figuring he was some kind of martial artist from Asia in for training. They watched the spectacle while going about their own routines.

Scarlett, who was power-walking on a treadmill, saw Wu Yun come in and waved. "Mr. Wu, over here!"

Hearing her voice, Wu Yun and his men all turned to look.

Wu Yun said to his men, "Do your own thing. We’ll start sparring in forty minutes." With that, he walked toward the treadmill next to Scarlett.

A knowing smile spread across Hawkeye’s face. "When did the boss hook up with Scarlett? Tsk, tsk. No wonder he said he has a date tonight!"

"All right, all right! Stop staring!" Da Xiong said with a wicked grin. "Have Cao Cao sort out the shifts later. I’ve been here for days and still haven’t had a proper look around the hotel!"

"Yeah! Hawkeye, you should take your drone out for a spin! The battery will die if you don’t use it for a while!" Poison Thorn added with a chuckle.

"And Poison Thorn, you can contribute your binoculars!"

...

As Wu Yun stepped onto the treadmill, he took the opportunity to check out Scarlett’s outfit. She wore black yoga pants and a form-fitting workout jacket that perfectly accentuated her graceful figure. The sway of her hips was enough to stir a man’s primal desires.

"Morning, Scarlett!" Wu Yun said, greeting the woman to his right. Only then did he press the start button on his treadmill and begin his warm-up.

"Mr. Wu, what are you all training today?" Scarlett asked curiously.

"I’m planning on working on leg strength and explosive power, then some boxing after that," Wu Yun said as he jogged, his voice steady and unaffected by the exercise.

Scarlett turned her head, her eyes wide. "What a coincidence! I’m training my lower body today, too. Can we work out together?"

Wu Yun smiled. "Of course. Just be aware, my workouts are pretty intense, so just pace yourself."

"No problem! You can spot me later!" Scarlett said with a smile.

An image of him "spotting" her immediately flashed through Wu Yun’s mind, and the corners of his mouth lifted into a slight smile.

’As the saying goes, working with a partner of the opposite sex makes the work less tiring.’ In Wu Yun’s opinion, Scarlett without makeup wasn’t quite on par with Emma—after all, Scarlett was thirty this year, no match for Emma who was born in the late nineties—but her figure was definitely superior.

Ten minutes later, Wu Yun and Scarlett stepped off their treadmills and headed for the free weights area.

After they followed Wu Yun through a joint warm-up, he said with a smile, "Alright! Let’s start with barbell squats. Scarlett, what’s your usual max?"

Scarlett said, looking a little proud, "80 kg! Though probably only around 70 kg since I haven’t eaten breakfast!"

Wu Yun nodded. ’That’s actually very impressive for the average woman.’

"Looks like sharing a squat rack is out of the question!" Wu Yun said, pointing to the rack in front of them. "We’ll each need our own, saves me from having to unload all the plates! We can rest while the other person works. Ladies first!"

Scarlett didn’t hesitate. She adjusted the barbell on the squat rack to her height and started doing warm-up squats with the empty bar.

Wu Yun stood openly to her side, watching her form—and the perfect curve of her hips as she squatted.

After a few sets, Wu Yun was lifting 160 kg—twice his body weight.

Seeing him easily complete a set with 160 kg, she gave him a thumbs-up. "You’re so strong!"

Wu Yun took a deep breath. "Your turn."

Hearing that, Scarlett tightened the lifting belt around her waist, took a deep breath, and stepped under the 50 kg barbell.

"Eight!"

"Nine!"

"Ten..." On the tenth rep, Wu Yun saw her body lean slightly forward, her form about to break. He quickly moved behind her, put his hands on the barbell, and applied just enough force to help her complete the final rep.

"Ugh, I’m exhausted!" Scarlett gasped.

Wu Yun applauded. "Not bad, not bad! You can still add more weight! I’ll spot you."

Wu Yun then added another 20 kg for himself and powered through another set.

After catching his breath, Wu Yun walked up behind Scarlett, positioning himself a dozen centimeters away from her, ready to lean in and grip the barbell to spot her.

"Not like that!" Scarlett said, looking at their reflection in the mirror. "Spot me from under my arms!"

Of course, Wu Yun knew this spotting position. ’For a man and a woman, it’s extremely intimate.’

Seemingly noticing his hesitation, Scarlett smiled. "It’s fine! I don’t mind!"

Hearing that, Wu Yun no longer hesitated. He threaded his arms under Scarlett’s, his elbows tucking in tight against her armpits as he prepared to support her.

In this position, Wu Yun could clearly smell her perfume and shampoo. For a man who had been celibate for a few days, the sensation made his mind wander.

Scarlett braced herself, powerfully unracked the barbell, and took a step back.

Wu Yun mirrored her movement, taking a step back with her. He spread his legs and went into a slight squat, ready to apply force at a moment’s notice.

Awkwardly, as Scarlett hinged at her hips and bent her knees, her rear inevitably brushed against him.

This kind of vague, suggestive contact was the most alluring part. Inevitably, Wu Yun could feel himself start to get hard.

As she squatted down again, Scarlett clearly felt something different.

She glanced up at the mirror, seeing both their faces flushed, and panted, "Two more!"

"Five~"

"Six~"