The unprecedented experience reminded her of that one night.
Fortunately, Livinus displayed some restraint. Despite his evident desire, he stopped in time.
His hoarse voice reached her ears, “The main course is for later. Let’s enjoy the dessert first.”
And so, he took his “dessert,” leaving Sophia momentarily unable to think clearly.
—
Though they didn’t go all the way, the intimacy of the previous night forced Sophia to confront their relationship.
It would be too late to back out now.
The next morning, when she woke up, Livinus was already dressed. In a casual tracksuit, he looked much younger. On the sofa lay a set of women’s workout clothes.
“Are we going to work out?”
“To the gym.”
Sophia hesitated. “I’ve never done strength training.”
“No problem, I’ll teach you.”
Sophia smiled. “I can hire a personal trainer.”
“I think I’m better and more professional than any trainer!” Livinus leaned in, pulling her into his arms, his voice low and dangerous. “Or are you suggesting I’d let another man touch your body?”
That was the problem—someone had already beaten him to it!
Sophia rolled her eyes, choosing to ignore his words entirely.
At an upscale fitness club, Sophia thought there wouldn’t be many people at six in the morning. To her surprise, upon entering, she found at least five others inside. They all seemed extraordinary, and some were even familiar faces from the internet—CEOs of various companies.
It’s terrifying how early these people get up. Most of these bigshots have their own home gyms, yet they still come here. Clearly, this fitness club is no ordinary place.
Several people greeted Livinus proactively. He exchanged a few words with them before leading Sophia to the equipment area.
“Your physical fitness is pretty good. If you haven’t used gym equipment before, you’ll need to learn some basic movements.”
As he spoke, he placed his hand on her back, pressing down on a muscle group. “Engage this muscle group and give it a try.”
Sophia followed his instructions. For her, these movements were a breeze. Livinus demonstrated and explained as they practiced, and Sophia quickly picked it up. Her form looked professional, and she rarely made mistakes—having a good foundation really made a difference.
“Let’s try something fun!”
Livinus said, lifting her up. Sophia instinctively grabbed the pull-up bar as he let go, leaving her to support herself.
“Try engaging the muscle group I mentioned earlier and do a pull-up.”
“…” Even someone like Sophia, who hadn’t done strength training before, knew how difficult pull-ups were. “I don’t think I can.”
“You can!”
Sophia gave it a shot and, surprisingly, found it wasn’t as hard as she’d imagined. Perhaps it was because her muscles were strong. She managed three pull-ups with ease, but by the fourth, her grip slipped, and she fell—straight into Livinus’s arms.
He didn’t hide his affection for her. Standing behind her, he held her hand and said softly, “From now on, let’s work out together in the mornings.”
Sophia thought for a moment. “Let’s leave the future for the future.”
“Do you have other ideas?”
“…”
“Better let go of them early!” With that, Livinus turned to chat with a nearby man.
A fitness trainer approached Sophia, proactively teaching her several exercises. To demonstrate, he lightly touched her leg. “This movement primarily works your calves.”
“Thanks,” Sophia said with a slight smile.
The gym members were all familiar with one another. Seeing a new face, they were welcoming. A few regulars warmly chatted with Sophia, teaching her about lifting weights and engaging her core muscles. Before long, she had blended in with them, even exchanging contact information.
This surprised Livinus. Since when did these high-powered figures become so approachable?
—
The next day, Sophia planned to hire someone to fix her house. But when she arrived, she saw Felix and an entire renovation team busy at work. It didn’t look like they were just fixing a roof—it seemed more like they were building a house.
“Why are there so many people here?”
“The CEO said to renovate the house properly. Otherwise, he wouldn’t feel comfortable with you, a woman, living here alone.”
In reality, Livinus’s exact words were: “This house isn’t fit for human habitation and doesn’t meet the needs of two people!”
Felix smirked, refraining from sharing the original statement.
Indeed, Livinus had hired a renovation team to refurbish the house. However, he also demanded the work be completed as quickly as possible, putting pressure on the team.
Even with the most eco-friendly materials, there would still be some odor. When the team sought his approval, Livinus handed them several keys, instructing them to use materials from his other properties if needed.
That way, it wouldn’t pose any health risks. This left the designer speechless. If he remembered correctly, renovations in Livinus’s properties cost at least a few million—and tens of millions for the expensive ones. Yet here he was, dismantling those for a rural house? Unbelievable.
