Tycoon: From Rags to Riches

It was evening at the Lion Sports Fitness Center.

Jiang Ruan was on the elliptical. Her jet-black hair was tied in a low ponytail, her exquisite makeup accentuating her cool, flawless face. The yoga pants she wore hugged her long, straight legs.

But at the moment, she seemed a little distracted, her eyes darting toward the entrance of the cardio area from time to time.

For the past five days, Jiang Ruan had come straight to the Lion Sports Fitness Center after work, hoping for another chance to run into Gu Heng.

And yet, for five whole days...

...she hadn’t managed to see him again.

’Could it be...’

’...that he’s been coming during the day recently?’

Jiang Ruan sighed quietly to herself.

But just as she was about to grab her water bottle, give up on waiting for Gu Heng, and head to the treadmills for some incline training...

...a familiar figure appeared in her peripheral vision, and her heart began to race uncontrollably.

"Huh?"

"Jiang Ruan?"

"What a coincidence."

Gu Heng feigned surprise as he greeted the woman before him.

Gu Heng had been busy looking at properties and taking over Zhen Cui Group for the past few days, so he hadn’t really had time for Jiang Ruan. Their occasional chats on WhatsApp were almost always related to her work.

But busy as he was, he was still paying close attention to her. Every night before bed, he’d check her WhatsApp Moments. Seeing her post about visiting the gym for several days in a row, he naturally figured out her routine.

Today, Gu Heng had come here specifically to "run into" Jiang Ruan.

Setting aside the fact that he was already interested in a beautiful woman like Jiang Ruan, he had to make a move for the sake of that challenge mission.

"President Gu, what a coincidence."

"Are you here to work out, too?"

A spark of joy flashed in Jiang Ruan’s eyes. She quickly hit the pause button on the elliptical, grabbed her water bottle, and hurried over to Gu Heng.

"Yeah."

"I’ve been a bit busy the last few days and haven’t had time to come."

Gu Heng smiled and nodded. "I’m planning to do some incline walking and then go for a swim today."

After a week of recovery, and with the boost from the [Eternal Day Engine] buff, Gu Heng’s body could now handle some low-intensity exercise again.

Speaking of which, after his 30-day extreme fat-loss regimen...

...Gu Heng was actually getting antsy from not exercising for so long.

"President Gu, shall we go together?"

Jiang Ruan asked tentatively.

"Sure."

Gu Heng smiled and nodded. The two of them then walked side by side toward the treadmill area.

Once they reached the treadmills, they each got on one.

Gu Heng set the incline to 10 and the speed to 4, then began walking slowly. Jiang Ruan glanced at his settings and adjusted her machine to match.

"Jiang Ruan, from your Moments posts, it looks like you’re pretty into fitness, huh?"

Gu Heng asked casually, his eyes fixed ahead.

"It’s a habit I picked up in college and kept up after I started working."

Jiang Ruan tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and replied with a smile, "Sometimes when I’m feeling stressed, coming here to work up a sweat is a great way to decompress."

"Oh?"

"So, where did you go to college?"

Gu Heng asked, his curiosity piqued.

"Civil Aviation University of China."

Jiang Ruan answered truthfully.

"Flight attendant program?"

Gu Heng raised an eyebrow, hazarding a guess.

"How did you guess?"

Jiang Ruan looked slightly surprised.

Gu Heng smiled. "Your poise and bearing clearly show you’ve had professional training. I originally thought you might have graduated from an arts academy."

"Chairman Gu, you flatter me."

Jiang Ruan was a little embarrassed.

"Then why didn’t you join an airline after graduation?"

Gu Heng asked, his curiosity growing.

"Because..."

In response to Gu Heng’s question, Jiang Ruan’s mood suddenly soured for some reason. She opened her mouth to speak but ultimately remained silent.

Seeing this, Gu Heng realized there must be a story behind it.

He made a mental note of it but was tactful enough not to press the issue, changing the subject to something else.

They walked on the inclined treadmills for about half an hour. Once they felt sufficiently warmed up, they stopped.

"See you on the fifth floor, then?"

Gu Heng asked Jiang Ruan.

"Okay."

Jiang Ruan stood there gracefully. After watching Gu Heng leave, she let out a small, relieved sigh. "Thank goodness I put on waterproof foundation beforehand."

With that, she turned and hurried toward the stairs leading to the women’s changing room.

...

「Fifteen minutes later.」

Gu Heng was in an open area of the fifth-floor swimming pool, slowly doing some stretches.

"President Gu, I’m here."

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

A familiar, pleasant voice sounded from behind him. He turned to look.

When he saw Jiang Ruan in her swimsuit, he was stunned, even though he had mentally prepared himself.

Her jet-black hair, previously in a low ponytail, was now coiled high on her head. A black, one-piece swim dress perfectly outlined her exquisite figure, leaving her two lily-white arms, elegant shoulders, and beautiful back exposed.

But the most eye-catching feature was her exceptionally long, straight, and fair legs. They were crossed now, fitting together without the slightest gap.

Her cool, pale skin seemed to glow under the lights of the swimming pool.

"Not long."

"I just got up here a few minutes ago myself."

Gu Heng "painfully" tore his gaze away and answered, trying to act composed.

"President Gu, what stroke do you usually swim?"

Jiang Ruan stood in front of Gu Heng, mimicking his stretches.

It had to be said, as someone who worked out regularly, Jiang Ruan’s figure was truly fantastic.

She was perfectly proportioned—any more would be too much, any less too little.

Every lift of her arms, extension of her legs, and dip into a squat was filled with aesthetic grace.

Gu Heng could only watch for a few moments before he had to look away.

He was afraid that if he kept staring, this pure-hearted guy would end up embarrassing himself.

"I only know how to breaststroke. I don’t know any other strokes."

Gu Heng replied, "But I’m planning to find a coach to learn freestyle soon, to work on my shoulder and arm muscles."

After his 30-day extreme fat-loss regimen, Gu Heng had slimmed down, but he didn’t have much of a physique to speak of—just the body of an average person.

Not bad, but not particularly good either.

Now that Gu Heng was basically financially independent and had more free time, his next plan was to focus on improving his physique. Once his body was fully recovered and healthy, he would start building muscle.

"President Gu, you want to learn freestyle?"

Hearing this, Jiang Ruan’s eyes lit up. "Freestyle is the stroke I’m best at. If you want to learn, I can teach you."

"Well..."

"Would that be okay?"

Gu Heng felt a stir of temptation.

Compared to some muscle-bound swimming coach, Jiang Ruan was obviously a much more attractive option. Plus, it would give them more opportunities to spend time together.

"Freestyle is very easy to learn."

Jiang Ruan replied with a smile, "Since you already have a foundation with the breaststroke, you’ll be able to pick it up in a few days."

"Then shall we start today?"

Gu Heng raised an eyebrow, not hesitating.

"Okay!"

Jiang Ruan nodded quickly and immediately began her explanation. "Alright, let me start by explaining the basic movements of freestyle..."