Instead of returning inside or heading toward the training yard, Qin Wei began to jog. It was an old habit from his previous life, something he had not practiced in this world until recently. Since leaving the villa required Vanessa's presence, he confined himself to the compound, running steady laps along the outer paths, breath controlled, pace consistent.
By the time sweat soaked his back and his breathing deepened, the sun had fully risen above the walls.
Qin Wei slowed, wiped his brow, and headed back toward his residence. As he passed the battle maids again, he stopped.
"Would you spar with me?" he asked.
Both women blinked in surprise.
In the three months they had been assigned here, Qin Wei had never asked them for such a thing. Normally, it was Vanessa who trained with him. More recently, it had been Lady Thea herself—though those sessions usually ended with Qin Wei sprawled on the ground while she lectured him sternly about abandoning thoughts of the annual festival.
