Chapter 546

"What life-saving favor?"

Preston Valentine pressed.

Joanna Sterling waved her hand.

"It was nothing, not worth mentioning. Anyway, thanks!"

She held the clothes in one hand and carried the ladder with the other, ready to head downstairs.

Preston immediately stepped forward and took the ladder.

"Let me carry it down for you."

Joanna was taken aback.

"This ladder is pretty heavy."

Preston rolled up his sleeves.

"Are you saying I'm weaker than a girl?"

Joanna smiled and handed him the ladder.

Preston's arm sank sharply.

He nearly buckled under the weight of the ladder.

But under Joanna's amused gaze, he cleared his throat and insisted stubbornly.

"It's not that heavy."

"Hah."

Joanna directly took the rag, the window-cleaning tools, and the clothes from him and handed them over, then took back the ladder.

"Better let me do it."

She went downstairs effortlessly.

Preston followed beside her, feeling a bit stifled.

He couldn't help but ask.

"How are you, a girl, so strong?"

"No choice. My parents passed away early. I've been on my own since I was little. Had to move everything at home myself. When I used to deliver food, during the busiest times, I'd carry five orders in one hand. Strength comes from practice. Not like you, a weakling..."

"I am not a weakling! How can you say that? I work out too!"

Preston retorted.

Joanna curled her lip.

"Your version of working out is just running a couple of laps, right?"

Preston nodded.

"Yeah. Our family rule is everyone runs at least two kilometers a day, no exceptions!"

He said this with a hint of guilt.

Among the brothers, he was the laziest, always cutting corners on running since childhood. The others truly stuck to it, but he didn't.

Joanna rolled her eyes.

"Two kilometers a day is nothing. When I delivered food, I ran fifty thousand steps a day!"

Preston argued back.

"Don't you all deliver on scooters? Don't think I don't know anything!"

Joanna immediately said.

"Are you dumb? Can a scooter go upstairs? Can it enter residential complexes? Can it go into shops? To grab more orders, I had to deliver fast. I ran. I'm telling the truth!"

Preston cleared his throat.

"Then starting tomorrow, I'll try running fifty thousand steps a day."

Joanna rolled her eyes again.

"You can't do it."

Preston was provoked.

"How can I not? How can you say a man can't do something? I definitely can!"

Joanna coughed.

"No, why are you getting so worked up? If you usually only run two kilometers, you need to build up gradually. You can't jump to fifty thousand steps. Fifty thousand steps means running from morning till night."

Preston snorted.

"I can do it too! I'll show you tomorrow!"

Joanna said.

"...Then start with five kilometers first."

Preston immediately nodded.

"Fine! Just you wait, I'll definitely manage!"

Joanna.

"...Oh, okay, I'll wait."

She thought Preston was so childish. What was there to compete about with this?

As they talked, they reached the storage room downstairs.

After putting the ladder away, Joanna took the things from Preston's hands.

Just as she was about to leave, Preston called her back.

Joanna turned around.

Preston cleared his throat.

"That dress group... they sent an extra dress. It's for you, as compensation for today."

Joanna was startled.

"Luxury brands do buy-one-get-one-free?"

Preston.

"...Yeah! They had a promotion. I bought a lot! If you don't want it, give it back!"

Joanna immediately smiled.

"I want it. Thank you, Young Master~"

The words "Young Master" made Preston's face inexplicably flush.

He immediately coughed.

"Hmm, work hard from now on."

"Don't worry, Young Master!"

Joanna turned and left with a grin, her eyes shining.

After a few steps, she glanced back at Preston.

She remembered dragging him out of the car during the accident. He was quite light.

Then she thought about him not being able to carry the ladder just now.

This kind, simple young master really was physically weak...

She paused for a moment, then simply said.

"That... are you really running five kilometers tomorrow~"

Preston nodded.

"No problem! After I finish running tomorrow, I'll show you my WhatsApp step count!"

Only then did Joanna nod.

"Alright, Young Master, I'm sure you can do it!"

She smiled brightly, waved, and headed towards the maid's quarters.

But Preston was dazzled by her smile.

And so... early the next morning!

When Evelyn Ross came downstairs, she saw several brothers of the family, including Marcus Valentine, doing warm-up exercises outside.

The day before, Ethan Valentine had mentioned that their family had to run every morning, from the elders to the younger generation.

She walked over to the brothers and looked at them.

"Shall we start?"

"We need to warm up first."

Charles Valentine spoke.

"Cousin, you need to warm up. You haven't worked out. It's different from someone like Third Brother who can fight. Otherwise, you might get a cramp while running."

Last time at the Cortez Sect, these Valentine brothers hadn't gone.

Evelyn's identity as the Cortez Sect's First Senior Sister hadn't been exposed yet... So except for Ethan, the others still didn't know her identity.

Seeing Evelyn, Preston finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He was always last in the daily exercise. Today, finally, someone would be behind him!

Hehe, at least today, he could be second to last.

He walked over to Evelyn.

"Little Sister, follow me like this, warm up, get your body moving first. Otherwise, it won't be good if you get a cramp later."

After saying that, he started moving his limbs.

Evelyn said.

"I don't need to."

For just a few kilometers of running, warming up really wasn't necessary.

For people like them who practiced martial arts, their physical fitness was indeed good. Just look at Ethan yawning nearby. He was always first.

Preston cleared his throat.

"Third Brother, when we run later, go easy on us. Don't let the gap with Little Sister be too big. Otherwise, it's no fun for us to run either. Besides, we older brothers should go easy on our little sister, right?"

Ethan.

...

He glanced at Evelyn, suddenly understanding the feeling of a master hiding among ordinary people.

He said with a half-smile.

"Fine. But Fifth Brother, you need to work hard. You can't be last today. If you get beaten by Little Sister, how embarrassing would that be!"

Preston immediately felt full of confidence.

"Don't worry about that. With Little Sister here, I definitely won't be last!"

Charles also spoke.

"Don't worry, I'll wait for Cousin too!"

Marcus Valentine glanced at them a few times but didn't speak.

A Valentine family running competition just started like this!!