Chapter 21: Mr. Alan, I think you got scammed...

"What? You said you've been setting up workout equipment these past few days?"

After classes.

Gwen excitedly asked at the door.

"Yeah, I happened to have some free space at home, so I bought some equipment to work out."

"Interested in coming over to check it out?"

Gwen happily responded, "Of course! You know, one of my dreams is to be able to work out at home without restrictions."

"Then your dream is pretty easy to achieve."

"My dad never let me do that when I was little. He was afraid I'd get hurt or bulk up with muscles."

"He said that wouldn't look pretty at all."

Gwen looked at Alan and laughed, "What do you think?"

"I think you're already perfect just the way you are."

"Has anyone ever told you that you have a sweet mouth?"

"I think you might be the first."

...

Even Gwen herself hadn't noticed that around Alan, she acted completely different. She was no longer the quiet, obedient girl many people imagined, but rather more lively and playful.

At District 13.

The unfortunate Agent Coulson was still munching on a cheap burger.

If it weren't for the fact that he had just reported his situation to Nick Fury over the phone, he might have suspected that he had already been fired from S.H.I.E.L.D.

During this time, he had turned District 13 upside down but still couldn't find even the slightest trace of the mech.

"Could it be that some super hacker hacked into S.H.I.E.L.D.'s system and played a prank?"

Coulson mused while sipping on his soda.

Otherwise, how could it be so hard to find?

As a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, he had complete confidence in his professional skills. If the owner of that mech ever appeared in front of him, he was sure he would recognize them.

Otherwise, he wouldn't deserve to be called a senior agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.

At that moment, a taxi pulled up not far from Coulson, and out stepped a handsome young couple that he had seen before.

"Ugh, it's that lovey-dovey couple again."

Coulson took a bitter bite of his burger.

Ah, how he missed that kind of life.

As Alan got out of the car, he noticed Coulson across the street.

If you said he was a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, he looked more like a down-on-his-luck private detective instead.

"Alan, what are you looking at?"

Gwen asked curiously.

"Nothing, I just noticed someone who's been eating burgers by the roadside every day. Kinda sad."

"Really? I guess he's probably a single drifter or something."

Alan chuckled, "Yeah, maybe. Let's head up."

Of course, Coulson on the other side of the street had no idea what the two were talking about. The only thing on his mind was finding a clue about the mech as soon as possible and then getting some much-needed rest.

At Alan's house.

The moment he opened the door, Gwen eagerly stepped inside.

Seeing the previously empty area now filled with various workout equipment—and even a large barbell set that looked incredibly heavy—she was overjoyed.

Naturally, Alan didn't actually buy that barbell set; he hadn't intended to train to that extent. It had just come as a free gift with other purchases, so he graciously accepted it.

Gwen's face lit up with excitement. "Oh my gosh, you weren't kidding!"

"Why would I lie about something like this?"

Gwen's reaction left Alan quite satisfied.

"No, I mean, I thought you'd just bought a rowing machine or a treadmill or something."

"But I didn't expect it to be so well-equipped."

"This is practically a private gym already."

Gwen was itching to try out the equipment, but...

"It's a pity that the clothes I'm wearing today aren't suitable for working out. I guess I'll have to wait until next time," Gwen said to Alan, a bit disappointed.

Today, she was dressed in a very sharp outfit—a white T-shirt on top and tight jeans on the bottom—definitely not workout-friendly attire.

Alan, however, calmly replied, "I've already prepared something for you."

Gwen looked at Alan with a puzzled expression. "Prepared what?"

Alan walked into another room and came out holding a freshly laundered outfit—a tracksuit, to be exact.

"It's been washed. See if it fits and if you like it!"

Gwen, surprised, took the clothes from him. The fabric felt incredibly soft and comfortable in her hands.

"Oh my gosh, you even prepared this for me?" Gwen exclaimed in delight.

"Of course. I figured you might not have something like this, so I got it ready for you."

Alan pointed towards the room and bathroom. "The bathroom is over there, but you can also change in the room if you'd like."

Gwen unfolded the top and the tight-fitting pants. The top was a mix of white and pink stripes, and the bottom was a pair of black, form-fitting athletic pants.

"Great, I'll go change. Wait for me. I think it'll fit perfectly."

"I trust your taste."

From Gwen's expression, it was clear she loved the outfit.

She then headed towards the room.

Alan, however, felt a twinge of disappointment. "Strange, isn't it customary in USA to give a kiss at a moment like this?"

As expected, movies are full of lies.

Just as Alan was waiting for Gwen to finish changing, his phone rang at an inconvenient time.

"Hello, Mr. Alan? You have a package. Please come downstairs to sign for it."

"Alright, no problem!"

Talk about bad timing!

Alan grumbled a bit. If you didn't pick up your package right away, who knew when they'd deliver it next?

"Gwen, I'm heading downstairs to get a package. I think it's the groceries I ordered."

"OK, I'll be done in a minute!"

Inside the room,

Gwen had already changed into the workout clothes Alan prepared for her. As she looked at herself in the full-length mirror, she was thrilled.

The outfit was perfect in both color and size, showing off Gwen's figure in the best possible proportions—an ideal demonstration of curves in all the right places.

"I knew Alan had great taste."

Gwen was extremely pleased with how the outfit looked. What girl wouldn't love to look beautiful in her clothes?

After tying up her loose hair, Gwen walked out to the workout area.

"How about I try this?"

The first thing Gwen wanted to try was the large barbell set.

From the numbers on it, the barbell weighed a full 160 pounds.

Gwen clapped her hands, eager to see if she could lift it.

At the door,

Alan pushed the door open, holding two boxes.

But when he entered, the sight before him nearly made his jaw drop.

Gwen was casually lifting the barbell with one hand, tossing it lightly into the air as if she were playing with a simple ball.

The house echoed with the clanging sounds of the barbell.

Seeing Alan return, Gwen smiled and said, "Mr. Alan, I think you got scammed by the seller…"

...