Madam, Please Behave

5:30 a.m.

Half-asleep, Liu Zhiyue felt someone continuously patting his face, accompanied by the faint sound of someone calling his name.

Forcing his eyes open, he saw a face uncomfortably close to his own.

He instantly snapped awake and bolted upright.

The other person looked surprised and asked, “How can you sleep so soundly?”

After staring for a moment, Liu Zhiyue recognized the face in front of him.

“Dad!”

“I’ve been calling you for ages! You didn’t even react when I was smacking you.”

Liu Changqing stretched his body, warming up his waist and arms.

Confused, Liu Zhiyue looked at his father.

“What are you waking me up this early for?”

“What else? It’s time for our morning jog to lose weight!”

Dressed in full workout gear, Liu Changqing gave a little jump and threw two punches in the air like a boxer.

“We agreed, didn’t we? Starting today, we’re the Father-and-Son Weight Loss Duo, on a mission for a grand transformation!”

“…”

Liu Zhiyue felt his right eyelid twitching uncontrollably.

Judging by this enthusiasm… was his dad actually serious this time?

Although every fiber of his being resisted the idea, Liu Zhiyue grudgingly threw off the covers. His feet searched for his slippers on the floor, and once he found them, he slid them on.

He raised his hand to cover a big yawn.

“Ha~”

A tear trickled from the corner of his eye, brought on by his sleepiness.

“I thought you were just joking.”

“I’m dead serious! Since when has your dad ever joked about important things?”

Speaking solemnly, Liu Changqing pinched the fat around his waist.

“Look at us—our sizes are so out of control, we can’t even buy clothes easily anymore.”

“…”

Liu Changqing didn’t get a response from his son.

Turning, he saw Liu Zhiyue nodding off again, his head bobbing like a little pecking bird.

He smacked the back of his son’s head lightly.

“Wake up!”

“Okay, okay…”

Grudgingly rubbing his head, Liu Zhiyue stood up with a sluggish demeanor.

“Keep your voice down. Don’t wake your sister. Once we finish exercising, you’ll shower and then drop her off at school on your way.”

“But her school starts later than mine!”

“Doesn’t matter. Since you’re suspended for a week, you’ll be the one taking her. Once you’re back in school, we’ll just send her early. Morning time is when the brain is freshest—letting her review her studies early will help her improve.”

“…”

Liu Zhiyue could tell his father wasn’t joking around.

“No wonder my sister hates you…” he muttered.

“What did you say?”

Not catching his son’s comment, Liu Changqing turned to him with a puzzled expression.

"Nothing, just go wash up and get ready to go," Liu Zhiyue replied, waving his hand as he headed toward the bathroom.

He glanced out the window at the dimly lit sky, still shrouded in morning grayness, and let out a long sigh.

This is too much...

The first day of exercising left Liu Changqing’s legs trembling on his way to work.

This body clearly hadn’t done any proper exercise in years, which explained his severe lack of stamina. After just ten minutes of jogging, he was completely out of breath.

Of course, his son didn’t fare any better.

To the elderly couples out for their morning walks, it must have been a comical sight: a father and son duo, both chubby, tongues lolling out like panting dogs as they trudged forward step by agonizing step.

Liu Changqing couldn’t help but think, Thank goodness this isn’t the internet-savvy era of my previous life. Otherwise, someone might’ve filmed us and uploaded it with a clickbait title.

When he approached the bookstore, he noticed a small group of elderly women gathered at the entrance, shopping bags of fresh produce in hand. They seemed to be pointing and gossiping about something by the door.

Puzzled, Liu Changqing approached. He wasn’t usually one to meddle in others’ business, but this was happening right outside his shop.

“Excuse me, coming through!”

Squeezing past the group, he finally got a clear look at the person they were surrounding.

An Yuanyao.

Her disheveled appearance was as consistent as ever. A pair of white sneakers sat on the ground beside her, unworn. Instead, she sat on the steps in dirty white socks, which had clearly picked up grime from the pavement. She wore a gray baseball cap pulled low over her face and a black tracksuit.

Her arms wrapped around her knees, and her head was buried deeply into them, motionless.

If it weren’t for the familiar ring she always wore, Liu Changqing might not have recognized her at all.

“Excuse me, everyone. Could you please give me some space? I need to open the shop,” Liu Changqing addressed the crowd politely.

An older woman holding a leek pointed it at An Yuanyao.

“Young man, what’s going on here? I’ve been seeing this lady squatting here since five in the morning!”

Five in the morning?

Liu Changqing raised an eyebrow in mild surprise but quickly masked it. It wasn’t like this sort of thing was new for her; he’d prepared himself mentally for this kind of situation.

“Don’t worry about it, ma’am. Nothing major. You should head home and get breakfast ready for your grandchildren so they’re not late for school!”

At his words, the group of elderly women seemed to snap out of their collective curiosity.

“Oh no, I forgot about that!”

“My granddaughter’s probably awake by now—I need to feed her formula!”

“Goodness, I might’ve left the gas on!”

“Wait, which direction is my house again?”

The leek-wielding elder turned back one last time, her expression earnest as she offered Liu Changqing a parting remark.

“Treat your wife better, young man. When you’re old and bedridden, she might just make you pay for it!”

The comment left Liu Changqing speechless.

Does she think we’re a couple?

With the group finally dispersed and the street quiet again, Liu Changqing turned to face An Yuanyao, who was still sitting motionless.

Lowering himself into a squat, he immediately winced and sucked in a sharp breath.

The morning exercise had left his legs screaming in protest, and squatting down felt like a punishment.

After a few deep breaths, he managed to steady himself and reached out to tap the brim of her baseball cap.

The light touch knocked the cap off, sending it tumbling to the ground.

“…”

An Yuanyao, her eyes bleary with sleep, stirred at the disturbance. Her bare face looked even more haggard than the last time he’d seen her.

Squinting against the light, she blinked a few times before focusing on Liu Changqing’s face.

Then, her lips curved into a faint smile.

“You’re finally here…”