Volume One: Debut at the Pinnacle Chapter Ten: Would You Like to Touch It?

"That's right, you're a grown man, what's there to be afraid of taking your shirt off in the gym?" Qin Xueyao teased, "Or are you worried your belly will show and everyone will see it? Haha." With a laugh, she turned and headed into the office to fetch the assessment forms, intending to record Chen Jing's body measurements. She knew many people had quite the belly, but it was always hidden under their clothes.

"Uh, it's fine, I guess." Chen Jing shook his head helplessly, not bothering to argue, and quietly began to lift his shirt and take it off.

Lin Zitan watched Chen Jing preparing to undress with keen interest, playfully saying, "A-Jing, you don't really have a little belly, do you..." She trailed off, unable to finish her sentence, as she caught sight of Chen Jing's physique.

His skin was lightly tanned, broad shoulders, strong yet not exaggerated pectorals, and clearly defined eight-pack abs. His waist was firm, two delicate lines—the so-called 'V-cut'—extended from either side of his abs and disappeared into the waistband. The muscles were distinct, but not grotesquely bulging; there was a fundamental difference in aesthetics compared to muscles built artificially with protein powder.

To Lin Zitan, Chen Jing's physique was natural and harmonious, every muscle radiating a sense of power.

"This...this...is..." Lin Zitan was speechless, her gaze seemingly entranced, unable to look away from Chen Jing.

Perhaps feeling embarrassed, yet reluctant to avert her eyes, Lin Zitan simply stood there blushing deeply.

Chen Jing stood there calmly, holding his shirt in one hand. He was well aware of his own physique and had absolute confidence in it, given the grueling training he had undergone.

"Oh my god! That body!" Qin Xueyao, just returning from the office, was stunned. She covered her mouth in astonishment, staring at Chen Jing's bare torso, unable to utter a word.

With bright eyes, Qin Xueyao stepped forward and placed her hand directly on Chen Jing's chest. "The hardness is terrifying," she exclaimed, letting her hand glide down along his chest, tracing over his eight-pack abs.

"Uh." Chen Jing instinctively leaned back a little, fortunately Qin Xueyao's hand paused at his side, not venturing further down. Otherwise, the scene would have become too indecent.

"Ah~ Xueyao, what are you doing?" Lin Zitan, blushing furiously, watched as Qin Xueyao continued to feel Chen Jing's body, overcome with embarrassment.

"Touching muscles, haha. Want to try it? It feels really good," Qin Xueyao teased, glancing at the shy Lin Zitan.

Lin Zitan stammered, "I...I don't want to."

"Really not going to try? I'm telling you, a body like this isn't something you can have just because you want it." Qin Xueyao kept caressing, finishing with Chen Jing's abs before moving behind him to touch his latissimus dorsi.

From the back, his torso formed an inverted trapezoid, with clearly defined lat muscles spreading across his back like a Christmas tree.

"My god, a Christmas tree!" Qin Xueyao exclaimed, unable to resist pressing her hand to Chen Jing's lower back. A thought popped into her mind: Who could withstand such a perfect physique?

Qin Xueyao's cheeks flushed as she mentally scolded herself. What are you thinking, Qin Xueyao?

Lin Zitan, face red with shyness, watched Qin Xueyao examine Chen Jing, wanting to touch him herself, but seeing Chen Jing's calm demeanor, she refrained—her skin was simply too thin for such boldness.

Qin Xueyao traced up Chen Jing's waist, stopping only at his upper back muscles.

Tsk, tsk. What could be sturdier and more reliable than such a back? Qin Xueyao mused to herself.

Suddenly, Qin Xueyao exclaimed, "Hey? There's a scar here." She had found a scar near Chen Jing's left shoulder blade. It looked as though it might have been caused by a bullet, though she couldn't be sure—she had never seen a gunshot wound.

Chen Jing remembered the scar on his back and turned, grabbing Qin Xueyao's hand gently as she tried to inspect it further. He shrugged, "It was just an accident. The wound was deep, so it's been there for a long time."

If Qin Xueyao looked closely, she'd notice a smaller scar on Chen Jing's left chest. That was indeed a bullet wound—a bullet had entered through his chest and exited through his back, piercing right through his body. The entry wound was smaller and healed better, leaving only a faint mark, but the exit wound on his back was larger due to the explosive force, and so the scar was more prominent.

Qin Xueyao did not press further; everyone had their own stories, and prying too much could be irritating.

As Chen Jing held her hand and looked at her, Qin Xueyao felt a little embarrassed and withdrew her hand, cheeks flushing. Normally, when she examined people, she never touched them like this, but Chen Jing's physique was simply too alluring. Besides, she had only ever coached female clients before, so touching them was never an issue. It was only because Lin Xi was her close friend that she had agreed to coach Chen Jing.

Although she had never created a fitness plan for a man, she was familiar enough with training techniques; she just hadn't wanted to work with men before.

"You've undergone high-intensity training, haven't you?" Qin Xueyao asked, opening the forms and recording data as she spoke.

Chen Jing nodded, "You could say so." Strictly speaking, it was indeed training.

Qin Xueyao continued recording, then felt Chen Jing's arm muscles before finally saying, "Your physique is so good I have nothing to add. You really don't need any muscle-building or strengthening exercises."

Lin Zitan nodded in agreement. This body was simply perfect—she didn't like those muscle-bound types with unnatural bulges.

"In that case, I'll just create a daily workout plan for you, to help you maintain your current physique," Qin Xueyao mused, biting the end of her pen.

"Sounds good," Chen Jing nodded. More exercise wouldn't hurt—he hadn't been training enough lately.

"Alright." Qin Xueyao saw Chen Jing about to put his shirt back on and, as if by some impulse, said, "Ahem... Don't put your shirt back on yet. I need to, uh, take some more measurements." Without waiting for his consent, she immediately set to work.

Chen Jing watched Qin Xueyao enjoying herself, a little speechless. I suspect you're just messing around, but I'll say nothing.

"Hehe, Zitan, don't just stand there watching. Want to touch as well? It really feels nice. If you don't, you'll miss your chance," Qin Xueyao joked, occasionally glancing at Lin Zitan, who kept sneaking peeks at Chen Jing's body.

Lin Zitan waved her hands, face crimson. "No, no, you... you go ahead."

After thoroughly measuring Chen Jing's torso, Qin Xueyao reluctantly withdrew her hands. "Alright, you two go about your business. I'll have your plan ready today; you can start training tomorrow."

Chen Jing put his shirt back on, then suggested, "You can add more heavy exercises—I can handle it."

"Sure, that's possible," Qin Xueyao agreed. Since Chen Jing had training experience, she could take his suggestions into account.

"Come on, I'll take you to the dance studio to meet the teacher," Lin Zitan said, finally daring to look directly at Chen Jing now that he was dressed again. That earlier peeking didn't count as 'looking directly,' after all.

The company's dance studio was a spacious room with mirrors on all four walls. When Chen Jing and Lin Zitan entered, several small groups were already practicing.

Chen Jing watched the dancers with interest. In truth, he was familiar with singing and composing from his previous life, but dancing was something he'd never tried.

"Teacher Chen, I've brought the new trainee," Lin Zitan said, leading Chen Jing to a man in dance attire. She introduced, "Chen Jing, this is Teacher Chen Shuo—you two share the same surname, like family from five centuries ago."

Chen Jing looked at the tall man in Latin-style dancewear and greeted him respectfully, "Hello, Teacher Chen."

"Ah, Zitan, you're here. You two practice on your own first," Chen Shuo told his three students, then led Lin Zitan and Chen Jing aside for a chat.

"So, Chen Jing, have you considered which kind of dance you'd like to learn?" Chen Shuo's voice was gentle, almost androgynous.

Chen Jing thought for a moment. "I'm not very familiar with dance; I only know about folk dance and street dance. I'm not clear about the others."

Chen Shuo smiled and explained, "The most common types are jazz, Latin, folk, street, and modern dance. These days, street and modern dance are the most popular." He gave Chen Jing a friendly tip, "I recommend you choose one of those two. Young people like them, so you're more motivated. Plus, they're audience favorites—more mainstream."

Lin Zitan chimed in, "Exactly, A-Jing. Sister Lin Xi especially asked that you start with street and modern dance. They're easier to rehearse and fit your age and public image."

Chen Jing didn't make an immediate choice and asked, "Are the other dances less popular?"

Chen Shuo smiled, "Not exactly. To be precise, folk, jazz, and Latin are more formally taught, but they're more active in competitions and group performances, rarely seen on the big screen, you know?" Chen Shuo paused, then continued, "If you want to learn other styles, I can teach jazz and Latin, but for folk dance, you'd need another teacher."

Chen Jing shook his head. "I understand. I'll start with street dance. The others can wait until I've mastered it." He knew well that trying to do too much at once only led to mediocrity.