Husband, Let Me Touch Your Abs - Chapter 169

Lu Yao had already taken a shower and even sprayed a little woody cologne. He was wearing a light blue silk wide-neck pajama top that he rarely wore. Even with all the buttons fastened, it still revealed a large expanse of skin.

Looking in the mirror, he felt it was a bit too much and might scare the other person. Quickly, he rummaged through his wardrobe and pulled out a white T-shirt and gray pajama pants instead.

After changing, he felt the pants were too plain, and the shirt lacked any standout features. He spent a long time digging through his closet before ultimately changing back into that sultry blue pajama top.

To be honest, he didn’t have many stylish clothes. In the past, it was because he was too busy with work to shop. Later, as he got older and remained single, he didn’t care much about fashion—he just needed clothes that were comfortable and fit well.

After tidying up his wardrobe, Lu Yao ran his fingers through his hair and rubbed his flushed cheeks, feeling his heart pounding too fast.

He went to the living room and turned on the TV, trying to distract himself, but his mind wasn’t on the screen. His eyes kept drifting to the time on his phone.

It was already 11 p.m., but the other person still hadn’t messaged him. Could it be that he got stood up?

His heart clenched. He didn’t seem like that kind of person. Even though they didn’t know each other well, for some reason, he trusted him completely. The feeling surprised even himself.

Another ten minutes passed before his phone vibrated. It was a WeChat message from Zhao Beichuan.

“I’m downstairs.”

Lu Yao clenched his fist excitedly and hurried to press the elevator button.

1, 2, 3, 4… As the numbers climbed closer, his heartbeat accelerated.

“Ding!”

The elevator doors opened, and out walked Zhao Beichuan, wearing a simple white T-shirt.

“L-let’s go.” Lu Yao quickly stepped inside his apartment, with Zhao Beichuan following.

Since he wasn’t carrying a plastic bag today, Zhao Beichuan took off his shoes, and Lu Yao hurried to fetch a pair of slippers for him. As he bent down, his neckline slipped open, exposing a clear view from his collarbone down to his flat stomach.

Zhao Beichuan’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he quickly averted his gaze.

“Want some water?” Lu Yao grabbed two bottles of cold water from the fridge, handing one to him while gulping down half of his own, trying to suppress his restlessness.

“I already drank some before coming. Should we start?”

Lu Yao couldn’t help it—he spit out a mouthful of water. “This fast?!”

“I didn’t want to keep you up too late.”

“No, no, it’s fine. I took some annual leave—I still have six days off.”

Zhao Beichuan chuckled. “I still can’t stay up too late. I have to get up at 4 a.m. to unload goods at the farmers’ market.”

“Huh? That early?”

“Yeah. Jobs that pay well are hard to find.”

“T-then let’s start.” Lu Yao nervously gripped the hem of his clothes, waiting for the other to make a move.

Zhao Beichuan hesitated. “Right here in the living room?”

“Or should we go to the bedroom?”

“I’m fine with either.”

“Th-then let’s go to the bedroom.”

Zhao Beichuan walked ahead into the bedroom, and Lu Yao followed, a faint feeling creeping in that something seemed off. If this were really a hookup, shouldn’t the other person be a bit more… enthusiastic?

Once inside, Zhao Beichuan glanced around and asked, “So, what are we filming today?”

“Huh?”

“You said we were going to record a video today…”

“A video? Oh, right!” Lu Yao smacked his forehead, finally remembering. His embarrassment nearly made him want to dig a hole and disappear. He had completely forgotten about such an important matter and had even mistaken their meeting for something else. Thank goodness he hadn’t said anything inappropriate—otherwise, he would’ve lost all dignity!

“Let’s register an account first. If you want to build a following, it’s best to use a new account. Otherwise, if family or friends see it, it could be pretty awkward.”

“Got it.” Zhao Beichuan handed him his phone.

He had two phone numbers—one for personal use and one for delivery work. His personal number was already linked to an account where he had posted a few videos.

Lu Yao casually clicked on them. Most were recordings of his family, simple and heartwarming.

Unfortunately, those videos were from three years ago. Ever since his father’s accident, the family had been in turmoil, leaving no time or mood for filming.

Lu Yao used his work number to register a new account, keeping the username simple—just the character “Chuan,” like his WeChat name.

“How old are you?”

“26, Year of the Ox.”

“You’re that young?” Lu Yao was surprised. Zhao Beichuan had a steady personality and seemed much more mature than his peers.

“There’s a big age gap between us?”

“Nine years.”

Zhao Beichuan was taken aback. He had thought Lu Yao was only a year or two older since he had fair skin and a slender build, looking like a fresh graduate.

“Then I should call you Lu-ge.”

Lu Yao chuckled. “Call me whatever you like.”

“We need a contact for business inquiries. Should I use this number?”

“Use yours. You’ll manage the account—I won’t have time since I’m doing deliveries.”

“Alright.”

Lu Yao downloaded the desktop version of Douyin and logged into the account so they could start posting content.

Since they hadn’t prepared much today, he decided to film a simple trending “back view reveal” video.

They needed to turn off the bedroom lights, leaving only the dim glow from the living room to highlight the contours of his back muscles.

“You should take off your shirt first.”

Lu Yao went to the study to fetch his professional camera setup, which he had originally bought for filming product samples for clients.

After adjusting the settings, he walked out—only to find Zhao Beichuan standing awkwardly at the doorway in just his underwear.

“Pfft… Just the shirt is fine!”

“Oh, I thought I had to take everything off.” Zhao Beichuan hurriedly grabbed his pants and pulled them back on.

Lu Yao glanced at the noticeable bulge in his underwear and internally screamed, Holy sht!*

This guy was huge… If he was this big when not even aroused, wouldn’t he be absolutely terrifying when he was?!

His face burned uncontrollably.

“Stand in the doorway, back to me, and turn slightly to the side—don’t show your face.”

Zhao Beichuan followed his instructions. “Like this?”

“Yes, perfect.” Lu Yao swallowed hard. Too perfect. The chiseled back muscles and well-defined waistline were utterly drool-worthy.

“You can move a little.”

“Move?”

“Yeah, simple actions. Nothing too dramatic.”

Zhao Beichuan wasn’t sure what to do. He casually snapped his fingers, making the muscles in his arms flex slightly. “Like this?”

“Perfect!” Lu Yao quickly set down the camera. “I’m just going to the bathroom real quick.”

Damn it… His body had no resistance to temptation whatsoever.

*

They wrapped up filming around midnight. Lu Yao sent Zhao Beichuan home, feeling concerned that he only got four hours of sleep each night. He hoped this account would take off and help ease some of his burdens.

Lu Yao chose a nice filter, paired it with a trending Douyin song, edited the video, and posted it on the new account.

New accounts usually aren’t subject to traffic restrictions, and within an hour of posting, the likes started climbing. Lu Yao checked the time—it was already 2 a.m. He stretched, rubbed his sore neck, and quickly went to bed.

The next morning, the first thing Lu Yao did when he woke up was check the data from the previous day.

As soon as he opened the account, his screen was filled with 99+ notifications!

In just one night, the new account had gained over 300 followers. The video had 130,000 views, more than 4,000 likes, and over 700 comments. It wasn’t exactly a viral sensation, but it clearly showed Zhao Beichuan’s potential!

As he scrolled through the video comments, Lu Yao was lost in thought. In this fast-paced information age, starting from scratch was becoming increasingly difficult. Under the same opportunities, money and connections were equally indispensable. For ordinary people hoping to get rich overnight, aside from the internet and winning the lottery, he really couldn’t think of any other ways.

He deleted a few negative comments and checked his private messages.

Most of them were flirtatious, while a few were from guilds inquiring about signing a contract.

Lu Yao didn’t reply to any of them. He had heard that signing with a guild could be a trap—although they provided initial traffic exposure, they took more than half of the earnings, and getting out of a contract later would be a huge hassle. So, for now, he wasn’t considering it.

By the time he was done, it was already noon. Lu Yao cooked himself a meal and sent the edited video to Zhao Beichuan, updating him on the account’s progress.

At that moment, Zhao Beichuan was busy and had no time to reply. He was riding his electric scooter at full speed, nearly sparking from the rush.

He didn’t have time to check his messages until after 3 p.m. He first opened the video and was almost unable to recognize himself.

Since only his back was shown, he looked taller than in real life. The lighting and filters accentuated the definition of his back muscles. Even he hadn’t realized his back looked like that.

“This looks great.”

After a while, Lu Yao replied, “We gained over 300 followers!”

“Amazing.”

“Hehe, you’re the amazing one. Have you checked the comments? A lot of people are complimenting your physique.”

“I’ll look at them tonight. Are we filming again tonight?”

“Yes. We’ll switch styles today. Wear your delivery uniform when you come.”

“Okay, I’ll contact you tonight.”

Lu Yao planned to film some formal attire videos. Judging by Zhao Beichuan’s height, which seemed to be around 188 cm, he contacted a wedding rental shop to borrow a few suits.

That evening, Zhao Beichuan once again finished his deliveries early, parked his scooter to charge, took a quick shower, grabbed his phone, and headed to Lu Yao’s place.

When he reached the building, he sent a message: “I’m here.”

Lu Yao replied with an “OK” emoji. As soon as Zhao Beichuan stepped into the elevator, he pressed the button for the 16th floor.

Tonight, Lu Yao was wearing a crimson-red T-shirt, which made his skin appear even fairer. “Come in quickly and try on the suits to see if they fit!”

Zhao Beichuan entered the apartment and saw several suits laid out on the sofa.

Lu Yao had already set up the lighting. Tonight’s shoot would be in the living room, and he planned to film a transformation video.

The storyline was simple: first, a knocking sound at the door. When the door opened, a delivery guy would be standing there. Then, with the beat drop in the music, he would turn around and transform into a sharp-suited CEO.

It sounded easy, but filming it was trickier than expected.

After trying on the suits, the gray one fit best. Since Zhao Beichuan had never worn a suit before, he didn’t know how to tie a tie.

Lu Yao reached out to help him with it. They stood very close, and as Zhao Beichuan looked down at Lu Yao’s fair fingers moving skillfully at his chest, his gaze naturally shifted up. He saw the small red mole on Lu Yao’s collarbone and couldn’t help but swallow.

Then, out of nowhere, Lu Yao lightly hooked his finger around Zhao Beichuan’s Adam’s apple.

“Hmm?” Zhao Beichuan let out a soft, puzzled sound.

“S-Sorry!” Lu Yao’s face turned red instantly. He quickly finished tying the tie and turned around to grab the camera.

Dressed in the suit, they started filming the transition scene. The key shot was Zhao Beichuan turning and walking forward with confidence, but after over ten takes, Lu Yao still wasn’t satisfied.

Suddenly, he had an idea—he decided to film from a low-angle perspective while kneeling.

“Come closer. I need to shoot from your legs upward.”

Zhao Beichuan stepped closer. From this angle, Lu Yao had no choice but to look up at… well… He scolded himself internally for being so easily distracted and quickly focused on shooting.

“Should I just walk out like before?”

“Yeah… just like that…”

The shot moved from Zhao Beichuan’s lower legs up to his back, and this time, the effect was perfect! Lu Yao recorded a few more takes and picked the best one to edit.

“All right, now change back into your delivery uniform so we can shoot the first half of the transition.”

That part was easier. Since he wore a face mask and helmet, they could show his face. They got the shot in just three takes.

“Okay, we’re done for today.” Lu Yao planned to stay up late editing the video since nighttime traffic was better.

Zhao Beichuan helped tidy up the suits. “Do these need to be cleaned?”

“No, these can’t be washed with water.” Lu Yao had already paid the cleaning fee when he rented them.

“Oh.” Zhao Beichuan seemed in no hurry to leave.

Lu Yao glanced at the time—it was already midnight. “Aren’t you going home to sleep?”

After hesitating for a moment, Zhao Beichuan said, “You should rest early too. Don’t stay up too late. You’ve got dark circles under your eyes.”

The unexpected concern made Lu Yao’s heart skip a beat. “Okay, I got it.”

Only then did Zhao Beichuan turn to leave, taking out the trash on his way out.

Lu Yao still stayed up late editing the video. He carefully selected a transition song that perfectly matched the transformation, maximizing the dramatic effect.

After uploading it to the account and watching it a few times in satisfaction, he finally shut down his computer.

Exhausted, he took a quick shower and collapsed into bed.

What he didn’t expect was that this video would blow up overnight!