112
Gu Ran could feel Maria's heartbeat quicken as they approached the washroom.
Her body had never felt this excited before.
"Are you ready?" Gu Ran asked with a mysterious smile.
Maria, always exuding a dominant and seductive aura, shot him a flirtatious glance. "Do I even need to prepare? I'm more worried about whether you're ready."
Damn.
This is getting dangerous.
Gu Ran took a deep breath, fighting to keep his composure, before gently pushing open the door.
"Tada! Behold—the brand-new liquid nitrogen cryotherapy pod!"
He turned back, eager to see Maria's reaction—
And she was completely frozen in place.
Wait, what?
There's… actually a cryotherapy pod here?
Did I completely misunderstand?!
Did Gu Ran really just invite me to see his new pod and not…
Oh my God!
Maria felt her soul leave her body.
She had completely misread the situation!
She had even flirted back!
She had even joked about 'eating' his pod!
This is mortifying!
Right now, Maria just wanted to dig a hole in the ground and bury herself inside it.
Gu Ran, suppressing his laughter, leaned in and teased, "Well, Maria, is this what you were expecting?"
Maria's face turned as red as a tomato.
Her usual dominant aura shattered into tiny pieces.
She opened and closed her mouth multiple times before finally mumbling, "It's… not what I imagined…"
Heh.
Gu Ran grinned. "Maria, I'm going to test it out now. Can you help me with the controls outside?"
"O-okay…" Maria covered her face, nodding.
"Alright, here we go."
Gu Ran took off his shirt, revealing his toned, athletic muscles.
Maria's breath hitched for a moment.
Her heart skipped a beat.
Gu Ran stripped down to just his sports shorts, put on the specialized cryotherapy gloves and cap, and climbed into the cryotherapy pod.
A screen inside the pod displayed the temperature settings, timer, and Gu Ran's vital stats.
The moment any of his vitals dropped below a safe level, the pod would immediately shut down to protect him.
Maria, her face still flushed, walked over and adjusted the settings.
"This is your first time using a cryotherapy pod, so don't go too extreme. Let's start with minus 150 degrees Celsius, and once you get used to it, you can slowly go down to minus 180 degrees."
"Got it."
"The lowest setting is minus 200 degrees, but that's just a theoretical max. Constantly using that level would shorten the pod's lifespan. Minus 180 is the optimal limit."
"Understood."
"For now, I'll set it to 3 minutes."
"Let's do it."
Gu Ran took a deep breath, preparing himself.
Maria, ever the professional, set up the controls and pressed the start button.
PSSHHH—
The pod sealed shut, and liquid nitrogen mist began filling the chamber.
Although direct contact with liquid nitrogen was lethal, the vaporized mist formed a protective barrier on his skin. This allowed for deep tissue recovery while preventing frostbite.
The effects?
Lactic acid buildup? Gone. Muscle soreness? Reduced. Blood flow? Optimized. Aging? Slowed.
In 2010, cryotherapy pods were still a luxury, but by 2020, they had become commonplace in high-end wellness clinics.
Gu Ran felt as though he had entered a different dimension.
For a brief moment, he almost felt like time was reversing—as if his body was de-aging…
Maria's voice came through. "Gu, how do you feel?"
Gu Ran grinned. "Amazing… it's a sensation I've never experienced before."
Maria explained, "As long as your body retains some moisture, the temperature difference will create a protective vapor layer around you. But for safety reasons, the pod has a 5-minute maximum per session. Even if you forget to set a timer, it automatically shuts down at the 5-minute mark."
Damn, this thing is high-end.
Gu Ran, fully enjoying the refreshing cold, gave a slow nod.
After three minutes, the pod automatically opened.
Gu Ran immediately headed for the sauna next door.
Cold-hot recovery cycle—maximum efficiency!
The moment he stepped into the steam-filled sauna, he felt his muscles and blood flow reactivate instantly!
His stamina recovery rate had more than doubled!
This was far superior to just resting naturally.
Even better than ice baths!
After five minutes in the sauna, Gu Ran walked out, steam rising from his skin, his body completely rejuvenated.
Maria, still standing nearby, couldn't take her eyes off him.
The warm, misty air mixed with the scent of masculinity, filling the room with an intoxicating presence.
"Gu…" Maria murmured, her voice slightly shaky. "I… I think I should get going now."
She said she should leave.
But her body wasn't moving at all.
Gu Ran smirked, stepping up to her.
With a teasing lift of her chin, he whispered, "What's the rush?"
Maria's eyes widened. "You… you have another cryotherapy pod?"
Gu Ran chuckled. "Nope. But I do have something else for you to see."
"Where?"
Gu Ran grinned. "In my bedroom."
Maria's breath hitched.
"You… You actually installed two cryotherapy pods? That's such a waste—"
Gu Ran shook his head. "Not exactly."
Taking her hand, he led her to his bedroom door.
"Are you ready?"
Maria raised an eyebrow. "For what?"
Gu Ran swung the door open.
Inside—
The king-sized bed was covered in rose petals.
The floor-to-ceiling window revealed the ocean waves crashing against the cliffs.
The starlit sky reflected beautifully on the water, creating a mesmerizing, romantic atmosphere.
Maria froze.
Her heart raced like a teenage girl in love.
At that moment, she realized—
Gu Ran had been playing her all along!
She wasn't imagining things! He really had been flirting!
This damn tease!
Maria's emotions were a mix of embarrassment, joy, and excitement.
Gu Ran wrapped an arm around her waist.
"Do you like it?" he whispered. "I prepared this just for you."
Maria's knees went weak.
She had always thought she was too experienced to fall for romance.
But right now…
Her heart was completely full.
Prepared just for me.
Just these words alone—she was already drunk on them.
Maria trembled. "You… You're the worst, Gu Ran! The worst man ever!"
"You told me I'd be seeing a cryotherapy pod!"
Gu Ran chuckled. "You are."
And then, he guided her hand downward.
Too direct!
Maria's entire body overheated.
…
The Next Morning—No, More Like Noon
11:21 AM.
Gu Ran stretched his sore back and slowly woke up.
Maria was still fast asleep beside him, her disheveled hair half-covering her radiant face.
She looked like a delicate rose after a storm.
Gu Ran smirked and kissed her lightly on the cheek before slipping out of bed.
Time to cook lunch.
But after last night's "workout," making instant noodles seemed a little… too lazy.
So, he whipped up some tomato and egg sauce, lightly boiled the noodles, added broccoli and beef slices, and poured the sauce over the top.
When Maria woke up, wearing only his oversized white T-shirt, she leaned against the doorframe, watching him.
"Gu… You can cook?!"
Gu Ran laughed. "Maria, I was just about to wake you. Come eat."
Maria took one bite—
And immediately started crying tears of joy.
This man is perfect.
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