Chen Ke was twenty-four years old. She was beautiful, had a good figure, and possessed a mysterious makeup skill that could transform her appearance. Yet, she had never dated, gone on a date, or been exploited by the higher-ups at Mohe. She was a blank slate, a budding flower, a pure daisy, truly a rarity.
I surmised that the reason her face had returned to its original state was because Chen Ke's disguise technique had a time limit. The last time she changed my face was around 4 PM yesterday, at the entrance of Changbai Mountain Tianchi Scenic Area. She had transformed me into the supreme leader of a neighboring country to trick tourists into leaving. Then, because I needed to see Long Yue in the underground forest immediately, I changed into the likeness of Gu Tianle. Last night, when Chen Ke and I were busy until midnight, my face had not yet changed. Around 3 AM, I apparently got up to use the restroom, and looking in the mirror, I was still Gu Tianle.
This indicated that the disguise technique reverted around 4 AM. In other words, Chen Ke's disguise technique lasted for twelve hours.
I truly am a math prodigy!
The hotel reception offered drinking water, labeled as flowing from Changbai Mountain Tianchi. Lin Xi and I each had a glass to cleanse our stomachs, but it only made us hungrier, as we hadn't eaten dinner last night. I asked the receptionist when breakfast would be served. She said around 6:30 AM, which was just enough time for me to go for a ten-kilometer run and return.
Exiting the hotel, Lin Xi asked about my pace.
"I rarely ran before, so my pace is unstable. About 5-6 minutes per kilometer?" I replied. A pace of 5 meant taking five minutes to run one kilometer, not a speed of five kilometers per hour.
"I usually run at a 4-minute pace. I'll slow down a bit and run with you," Lin Xi said with a smile.
I nodded. This was not something to be overconfident about. Running is an aerobic exercise. Forcing myself to keep up at an anaerobic pace would not only be unsustainable for long but also defeat the purpose of exercising.
After stretching my joints, we set off along the town's road towards Changbai Mountain.
The small forest road offered fresh air. Perhaps due to being in a primeval forest, despite the altitude, the oxygen content in this town was even higher than in ordinary cities on the plains. Breathing was smooth and comfortable. I followed a meter behind Lin Xi, focusing on her waist, matching her rhythm. As we ran, I found myself struggling to hold back my speed, having to brake with every step to avoid bumping into Lin Xi's tight leggings.
"What's your pace?" I couldn't help but ask. Lin Xi was wearing a sports watch, which likely displayed the information.
She glanced down at her wrist: "5:20. Is that a bit too fast?"
"It's a bit slow. Speed up," I said with a smile.
Lin Xi glanced back at me: "Can you manage? You're still so energetic after staying up so late with Chen Ke last night?"
"... We didn't really do anything!"
"Oh?" Lin Xi chuckled softly. "Then I'm speeding up, okay?"
As soon as she finished speaking, the distance between us widened to about two meters. It wasn't running; it was teleportation.
"Hey, hey! No cheating!"
"Alright, I'll run at a 5-minute pace."
I followed, and after about two hundred meters, I still felt the need to brake. At a turn, my foot slipped, and I lost control of my speed, colliding directly with Lin Xi. To maintain my balance, I had to wrap my arms around her slender waist.
Since we were running, Lin Xi didn't scold me. She used her internal energy to stabilize our balance, allowing me to regain my proper posture.
"Speed up a bit more. It's still too slow," I said.
Lin Xi remained silent, then quietly increased her pace. I continued to follow. She occasionally looked back to see if I could keep up, and then she would speed up again. We continued this steady acceleration for nearly a kilometer. I finally felt like I had reached a reasonable pace. I didn't need to brake, I was striding powerfully, yet still in complete control of my body's balance, running at a consistent fast speed, and my breathing was not labored.
"This is good. Let's maintain this pace!" I called out.
Lin Xi glanced back at me again, but said nothing. We ran at this pace, deep into the mountain forest, until we reached a fork in the road, and only then did she stop.
After taking a few breaths, Lin Xi asked me how I was feeling. I wiped the sweat from my forehead: "Very good. It was effective exercise."
"The return trip will have a slight downhill. Shall we increase the speed a bit?" Lin Xi suggested.
"Sure," I replied with ease.