Husband, Let Me Touch Your Abs - Chapter 165

“I’ve been having dreams lately—like a continuous drama. One night, I dream of a scene, and the next night, it picks up right where it left off. In the dream, I seem to have arrived in a completely unfamiliar dynasty. I got married, had children, and eventually lived out my full life.”

“How long has this been happening?”

“About a month now, I think.”

“You’ve been having these dreams for an entire month?”

Lu Yao nodded uncomfortably. The dreams felt so vivid that he could barely distinguish whether he had truly lived through those experiences or if they were just his imagination.

The attending physician removed his glasses and asked, “How long has it been since you last took a proper break?”

“Uh… about eight or nine months.”

Lu Yao worked in advertising, an industry that had become increasingly competitive in recent years due to the broader economic climate. On top of that, he had reached a critical turning point in life—thirty-five years old. Afraid of being laid off, he poured all his energy into work, pushing himself to the limit and living under constant stress.

“I suggest you take some time off, go out for a walk, and relax. Reduce your stress levels. If the dreams still persist, come back and see me.”

“Alright… Thank you.”

Leaving the hospital, Lu Yao let out a long sigh. To be honest, the dreams hadn’t really troubled him much.

Being single for so long, his life had settled into a dull and repetitive routine, confined to the same two points—work and home. It was monotonous and uneventful. But in the dream, he had gotten a brief taste of an exciting, extraordinary life.

The only reason he came to the hospital today was that the dreams had suddenly stopped. Since the night before last, he hadn’t had a single dream.

Not even last night. He had even taken a shot of baijiu to help him sleep, hoping it might bring the dream back.

But without it, something felt missing. When he woke up this morning, a strange sense of loss crept over him. That was what led him to take half a day off and visit the hospital—only to leave without any real answers.

Lu Yao rubbed his face. Maybe it really was just the stress getting to him. And it wasn’t just work—it was his personal life as well.

His parents had been pressuring him to get married, their desire for a grandchild growing stronger as they aged. But Lu Yao was gay—he could never fulfill their expectations.

The weight of these pressures had taken a toll on his mental state. He decided to take his annual leave early this year and give himself a proper break.

After applying for leave and handing over his workload, he packed up his things and went home. Now faced with ten days of vacation, he had no idea what to do with himself.

He didn’t have many friends, and most of them lived in different cities. He had a few good colleagues, but they were all still working—he couldn’t just ask them to take time off to keep him company.

So, he went to the supermarket, bought some snacks, and returned home to catch up on all the movies he had missed over the years.

By the time it reached 11:30 p.m., his stomach started growling. The snacks weren’t filling enough, so he pulled out his phone and ordered some takeout.

Not long after placing the order, his phone notified him that the restaurant had accepted it. About ten minutes later, it rang again—it was the delivery guy confirming the exact address.

“Riverside Garden, Building 2, Unit 5. When you get into the elevator, let me know, and I’ll press the floor button for you.”

“Got it.”

After hanging up, Lu Yao went to wait by the elevator. A short while later, his phone rang again—the delivery guy had entered the elevator.

Lu Yao pressed the button for the sixteenth floor. The green arrow next to it began blinking as the elevator ascended. For some reason, his heart was beating a little faster than usual. Pressing his hand against his chest, he frowned. Was he getting too old to stay up late?

“Ding.” The elevator doors slid open, and out stepped an exceptionally tall man.

Lu Yao was 1.75 meters tall, but this man was at least half a head taller than him. He wore a helmet and a face mask, holding a takeout bag in his hand. He extended it toward Lu Yao. “Are you Lu Yao?”

“Ah… Yes, that’s me. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” The man turned back into the elevator and pressed the button for the first floor. Just as the doors were about to close, their eyes met.

Lu Yao’s breath hitched. He had the strangest feeling that this man looked familiar—like he had seen him somewhere before.

Back in his apartment, Lu Yao massaged his temples, trying to recall where he had seen the man. It was on the tip of his tongue—he felt as if he should be able to call out his name instantly. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t remember.

Weird.

But he didn’t dwell on it for long, because something even more frustrating happened—his water pipe burst.

Just his luck.

At midnight, the bathroom pipe suddenly started gushing water like a fountain. Within minutes, the water had spread into the kitchen. The living room had wooden flooring—if it got soaked, it would be a nightmare to deal with.

Lu Yao grabbed some old towels to block the water from seeping further and frantically searched for the property management’s phone number. When he called, he was shocked to find out they had already turned off their phones.

Unbelievable!

If the leak continued all night, the neighbors downstairs would surely come banging on his door tomorrow. He had no choice but to call for emergency plumbing repairs.

He remembered seeing an electrician and plumber advertisement inside the elevator. He ran over, found the number, and quickly dialed.

It was so late—he wasn’t sure if anyone would even come. But he was willing to pay extra if necessary.

The phone rang for a long time before someone finally picked up. A deep voice came through the line. “Who is this?”

“Uh, is this the plumbing repair service? My water pipe just burst.”

The other end of the line went silent for a few seconds. Then: “Alright. I’ll grab my tools and head over.”

“Thank you so much.”

As soon as Lu Yao hung up, he realized he had forgotten to tell the guy his address. He quickly redialed.

The phone rang for a while before the man answered. “Press the elevator button.”

“???”

“Aren’t you in Building 2, Unit 5?”

“Y-yeah…”

Lu Yao panicked. How did this guy know his address? Could he be some kind of scammer?

People always said that living alone as a woman was dangerous. But apparently, living alone as a man wasn’t safe either!

And he had already pressed the elevator button before he could think twice. What now?!

Lu Yao’s nerves skyrocketed. He spun around and rushed back to his apartment. But the more anxious he got, the clumsier he became—his hands were trembling so much that he kept failing the fingerprint unlock.

“Ding.”

The elevator had arrived.

The fingerprint scanner was still rejecting his input. Frustrated, Lu Yao kicked the door. He was definitely getting it replaced!

“Is this where the pipe burst?”

A familiar voice sounded behind him.

Lu Yao turned around in shock.

It was the same delivery guy from earlier!

He was still wearing his delivery uniform, but his helmet and mask were off. The man had a buzz cut and slightly tanned skin, with thick brows that shaded his deep-set eyes. He looked rugged and masculine.

In his hand, he carried a woven bag—likely full of repair tools.

He must have recognized Lu Yao’s phone number earlier. That explained how he knew the address.

“Y-yeah,” Lu Yao stammered as he quickly unlocked the door.

The man walked in, setting down his bag at the entrance. Then, he reached into his pocket, pulled out two plastic bags, and slipped them over his shoes.

“You don’t have to bother with that.”

The man didn’t speak and followed the sound of the leaking water to the bathroom.

Lu Yao followed behind him, glancing at his back from the corner of his eye. That familiar feeling appeared again, and for a moment, he felt short of breath, his nose tingling as if he were about to cry.

It was too strange. They were clearly two complete strangers.

The pipe had ruptured at a creased section, which wasn’t too severe, but the location was tricky—it was under the sink, requiring one to lie on the floor to see it.

“Hold my shirt for me,” the man said in a low voice.

“Oh, okay.”

The man took off his food delivery uniform, revealing a cheap black tank top underneath. Despite being a simple tank top worth just ten yuan apiece, he somehow wore it like a model.

Because his physique was just that good!

Broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and well-defined muscles on his arms—not the kind sculpted in a gym, but naturally powerful. His bronze skin had a healthy sheen, making Lu Yao swallow hard.

After measuring the size of the leak, the man started rummaging through his bag for tools.

While he worked, his gaze was lowered, lips slightly pressed together. His sharp facial features seemed less imposing in this moment. Water had splashed onto his hair and face, trickling down his neck and disappearing into his tank top.

Lu Yao felt his ears burning.

After cutting a patch for the pipe, the man crouched down again to seal the leak. Soon, the splashing water lessened and eventually stopped.

“This will hold for now. Call property management tomorrow to replace the pipe elbow,” the man said, wiping his hands and standing up. His clothes and pants were almost completely soaked.

“Thank you so much!”

“No need to thank me.” The man wrung out his clothes, packed up his tools, and prepared to leave.

“How much do I owe you?”

“Fifty.”

Lu Yao was stunned. That was way too cheap! Calling someone out at this hour to fix a pipe for half an hour, and he was only charging fifty yuan?

“I’ll send it to you on WeChat.”

The man pulled out his phone, but it was down to just 2% battery. Before he could even open the payment code, the screen went dark.

“I have a charger, let me grab it.” Lu Yao rushed into his bedroom and dug out a charger for him, only to realize he used an Apple charger while the man had an Android phone—with an old-style charging port, no less.

“How about you give me your WeChat ID? I’ll add you first, and once you’ve charged your phone, I’ll send the payment.”

“My phone number is my WeChat ID.” The man put on his jacket and walked out.

Lu Yao stood there in a daze for a while, then remembered he still had to clean up the water in the bathroom. He quickly grabbed a mop and some cloths to wipe it up. By the time he finished, it was nearly 1:30 a.m., and he was exhausted. He took a quick shower before collapsing into bed.

Unexpectedly, he had that dream again.

In the dream, he seemed to be lying on a rustic heated brick bed in a farmhouse. The straw mat beneath him made his back ache a little. He could hear someone washing up outside, and after a while, that person walked into the room.

In all his past dreams, Lu Yao had never clearly seen this person’s face. He only knew that this man was his husband, and they were legally married.

Tonight, for the first time, he saw the man’s face clearly—it was identical to the repairman from earlier!

Lu Yao was startled. Just as he was about to sit up, the man pushed him back onto the bed, roughly pulling his clothes apart.

“Ah…” Lu Yao let out a short cry before quickly covering his mouth. The intense sensation made the back of his neck tingle, his heartbeat racing up to his throat.

The man loomed over him, his eyes filled with desire. His rough hands caressed Lu Yao’s back, sending shivers across his skin.

What followed was fierce thrusting and shaking. The realism of the experience nearly made Lu Yao scream, even though he had never experienced anything like this before.

Since realizing his sexual orientation at fourteen, Lu Yao had always hidden and suppressed his desires. He had only met one like-minded person during university, but their relationship ended before it even began.

A virgin for over thirty years, Lu Yao had been suppressing himself for too long. Now, this dream was so intense it nearly brought him to tears.

He clung to the man’s shoulders, moaning sweetly, urging him to go faster, harder—until his eyes rolled back, and he lost consciousness.

When he woke up the next morning, Lu Yao looked down at his soiled pajama pants, his face flushing red like a crab. He quickly jumped out of bed and rushed to the bathroom to shower.

Even as he recalled the dream, his heart trembled. That man had been incredible. But why had his face overlapped with the repairman’s?

…Oh no, he had forgotten to send him the payment!