A Girl Strikes Up a Conversation by West Lake

Early morning, inside an upscale apartment beside West Lake.

Mo Xie's powerful internal clock pulled him out from under the warm covers.

Even he sat on the bed for a full five minutes before he was completely awake.

He changed into a pure white tracksuit, washed up in the bathroom, then headed downstairs.

A winter morning looked little different from night. Darkness still shrouded the sky.

Mo Xie did a few warm-up exercises, stretched for a while, then began his morning workout.

There were no pedestrians by West Lake this early, and barely any cars. It was quiet.

With earbuds in, he lost himself in his own world and set off on his long legs.

This morning, he planned to run around West Lake, practice with his blade for a while, then call it a day.

As he ran, he suddenly felt a light tap on his shoulder.

Mo Xie glanced sideways. A girl was smiling at him.

She looked seventeen or eighteen and wore a white tracksuit much like his. At first glance, they could almost have been wearing matching couple outfits. She seemed to be out for a morning run too.

The one difference was that she wore tight shorts, leaving her long, fair legs exposed to the bitter cold.

Her legs had a graceful shape that showed she exercised often.

The curves beneath her tracksuit bounced as she ran, inviting the imagination to wander.

Her long hair was tied in a high ponytail, revealing delicate features and a fair neck.

At a glance, she radiated the youthful energy of an athletic girl.

"Hey, handsome. Out for a morning run too?"

The girl kept her bright eyes on Mo Xie's profile as she greeted him.

"Mm."

Mo Xie gave a brief answer to her attempt to strike up