The Eternal Mercenary

When the sky was dimly lit, Jun Shang was jogging along the mountain path of Qilin Park.

He had recently moved to this area, residing in a city village with a dense population near a building junction.

The surroundings were pleasant along the route, but there weren't many people engaged in morning exercises. The urban hustle and bustle had conditioned the younger generation to late nights, making it challenging to wake up early for morning workouts on workdays. Most of the people he encountered were seniors taking leisurely strolls towards the mountaintop.

Jun Shang maintained a brisk pace during his mountain run, quickly leaving others behind. However, after a while, he noticed that he hadn't seen anyone for a long time. It then dawned on him that he might have taken a wrong turn.

Arriving at a fork in the road, he realized he had veered off towards the mountainside, leading to a semi-mountain villa area. No wonder he hadn't encountered anyone else.

This deviation didn't bother him much; he didn't necessarily have to reach the summit of Qilin Mountain. He could run to the end of the path ahead and then turn back. While turning a corner, he spotted a graceful figure – a slender girl who was also jogging.

The sudden appearance of such a picturesque scene brightened Jun Shang's eyes. However, he didn't slow down to admire the "scenery" and continued at his own pace.

The girl's speed was slower than his, but perhaps fueled by a sense of competition upon noticing him behind, she accelerated.

From his rear perspective, Jun Shang could clearly see the girl's graceful figure. She wore a baseball cap with a ponytail swaying behind. Adorned in a light beige sportswear, the short sleeves revealed her delicate arms. The tight shorts accentuated her well-proportioned, slender legs, highlighting the curves of her petite buttocks as she ran.

Jun Shang couldn't help but silently praise her exceptional physique.

As the footsteps approached, the girl, seemingly driven by a competitive spirit, accelerated even more.

Amused by her competitiveness, Jun Shang decided to surpass her to dispel any notions of a competition.

Just then, the girl let out a surprised cry, stumbled, and seemed about to fall!

Jun Shang's initial reaction was amusement – running was just a form of exercise, was it necessary to be so intense? However, as a man, he couldn't just watch her fall.

Though he was still behind her, trying to grab her hand or support her was out of the question. What he could do was quickly catch up, extend his hands, and grab her waist to prevent her from falling.

Startled, the girl, with a slightly pale face, reflexively extended her hands to brace for impact. If she fell, she might scrape her face or injure her hands severely, possibly even spraining her wrist or dislocating it.

Just as her hands were about to hit the ground, she felt a weight on her waist, and her body abruptly stopped descending. A pair of large hands had embraced her from behind, bringing her a sense of security. She couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief.

"Are you okay?" Jun Shang, while still hugging her, helped her stand up and asked with concern.

The girl, almost falling to the ground, was now standing securely in Jun Shang's arms. The situation looked somewhat awkward, as from an outsider's perspective, it might seem like they were engaged in some illicit activity.

"I... ah!"

The girl, catching her breath, suddenly realized she was being held by a young man around her waist from behind. She couldn't help but blush and immediately struggled, reaching to free herself from Jun Shang's grasp.

Jun Shang, without any ulterior motives, released his hands as soon as she stood upright. However, unexpectedly, as soon as he let go, she let out another exclamation and seemed about to fall again!

Reacting quickly, Jun Shang reached out again to assist her. This time, he supported her around the waist and shoulder, stabilizing her body.

"My foot..." The girl, in pain and with a slightly teary tone, conveyed the situation. However, despite the pain, her voice had a soft and melodic quality.

Jun Shang, not wanting to see her get hurt, didn't have any malicious intentions. He quickly reached out to help, supporting her around the waist and shoulder to ensure her stability.

"Are you okay?" Jun Shang inquired once more.

The girl, now standing more securely with Jun Shang's support, let out a sigh and said, "I think I twisted my ankle. Thank you for helping me."

Jun Shang noticed that she was favoring one foot and couldn't put full weight on it. It seemed she had indeed twisted her ankle.

He offered his support and suggested, "Let me help you to a place where you can sit down and check your ankle."

The girl, grateful for his assistance, nodded in agreement. Jun Shang gently supported her and walked toward a nearby bench. The situation, initially comical, turned into a moment of unexpected connection between two strangers brought together by an untimely mishap.

She tripped earlier because she sprained her foot during the accelerated sprint. Now, unable to put weight on her foot, she instinctively leaned on Jun Shang for support.

Jun Shang was speechless. From her physical condition and tone, he could sense that she was in considerable pain. Without seeking her opinion, he opted for a princess carry, lifting her and walking to the side of the road.

"What... what are you doing?" The pain-stricken girl felt nervous when lifted, but before she could finish speaking, she found herself being placed on the ground.

"Young people nowadays are so competitive. What's the point of comparing speed with me? Did you suffer a loss?" Jun Shang shook his head and muttered to himself. He became even more speechless when he noticed that she was wearing sunglasses!

Wearing sunglasses outdoors in summer to protect against sunlight and UV rays was normal, but it was still early in the morning!

"Oh my! Should I say you're acting coquettish, or should I say you're showing off?"

Though he was making comments, Jun Shang squatted down to check her injuries.

While the girl was about to reprimand him for carrying her without consent, the words "young people," "competitive spirit," and "speed comparison" made her both angry and amused. Before she could say much, she heard something even more infuriating.

"You're the one being coquettish, you're the one showing off... ugh!"

She grumbled, feeling indignant. However, when she was about to turn away and ignore Jun Shang, she became nervous again.

"Hey! What are you... Why are you taking off my shoes?"

Just as she finished speaking, she realized her socks were also being pulled off! She immediately clenched her fists in protest.

"Who wants to smell your stinky feet? Your foot is injured, I'm checking how severe it is."

Jun Shang, without even looking at her, continued examining the injury on her ankle. She had hurriedly disrupted her rhythm earlier, resulting in a minor sprain, but nothing too serious.

"You have stinky feet!" The girl couldn't help but protest.

Through her sunglasses, she saw the man earnestly massaging the injured area, not playing with her feet or sneaking glances at her legs.

She breathed a sigh of relief and couldn't help but discreetly pull her pants leg down. However, as she was wearing snug sport shorts, there wasn't much she could do, and she regretted not wearing long pants.

Without even asking about her condition, she felt the pain in her ankle easing considerably under the man's skillful and varied massaging, becoming somewhat numb.

"Are you... a doctor?" The immediate relief made her curious.

"No."

"Then how do you... know all this? I feel much better."

"It's alright. Even if a dog's leg is broken, I can fix it."

The girl exclaimed, "Oh," about to ask if he was a veterinarian, then said with a bit of annoyance, "You're the little dog!"

Jun Shang couldn't be bothered to respond and continued to massage her foot with care. Although he didn't have any medicinal oil, timely care could alleviate a lot. Then, he helped her put on socks and running shoes.

"Alright, be careful not to get injured again. Rest for two days, and you'll be fine. But how are you going to get down the mountain like this?"

Observing her, with the hat and sunglasses, he couldn't see her face clearly from this angle. What caught his eye were her fair and slender legs, with a built-in beauty effect for photos. However, wearing only a thin sports top, it was evident she didn't have a phone or anything.

After saying that, he furrowed his brows, realizing he still had things to attend to. Though he had only been delayed for a moment, it wouldn't affect him much. However, if he were to assist her down the mountain, it would take longer. It would be better to carry her down since she wouldn't let him carry her or help her down in any other way.