Husband, Let Me Touch Your Abs - Chapter 172

When it was time to get off work, a colleague came over. “Lu Ge, are you coming to the dinner gathering tonight?”

“What time?”

“Around eight o’clock.”

These young people always dragged gatherings on until midnight. Tonight was Zhao Beichuan’s first live stream, and Lu Yao still had to set up the room. He probably wouldn’t have time.

“Not today, I need to head back early. Next time.”

His colleague asked with a gossiping expression, “Lu Ge, did you get a girlfriend?”

“No.”

“Eh~ I don’t believe it. You’ve been coming to work with a smile on your face lately. Something’s definitely going on!”

Lu Yao shook his head with a smile. “Really, there’s nothing.”

“You’re really not coming? Xiao Chen has asked me about you several times already.”

Xiao Chen was an intern who had recently joined the company, an extremely outgoing and sociable girl. Last month, when she found out Lu Yao was still single, she began enthusiastically pursuing him. Lu Yao had politely turned her down, but she didn’t seem to have given up yet.

In fact, Lu Yao was quite popular at the company. Despite his age, he was very well-liked by the young women. He was mature, dependable, and handsome, but most importantly, he was gentle and respectful toward women—just this alone made quite a few people fond of him.

Lu Yao picked up his car keys and shut down his computer. “Next time, for sure.”

On his way home from work, he hit the rush hour traffic. He made a quick detour to a nearby supermarket to buy some groceries, planning to cook dinner for Zhao Beichuan later.

That kid had lost a lot of weight recently, working tirelessly day and night. He was relying on his youth and strong body to push himself to the limit, but once he got older, health problems would definitely come knocking.

He bought a few pork ribs to make braised ribs for dinner, along with some greens and tofu to make a tofu soup.

When he got home, it was just 6:30. Lu Yao wasn’t in a rush to cook—he started by tidying up the bedroom since tonight’s live stream would take place there.

Because he hadn’t put much effort into decorating the study, the room was rather empty. Most of the time, he just brought his computer into the bedroom to work.

He changed the bedsheets to a deep blue set, put away the snacks on the nightstand, and moved the water cup out of the camera’s frame. He also packed away the clothes hanging nearby, shoving them all into the wardrobe.

When he opened the wardrobe, he spotted a few boxes of condoms he had bought earlier in the corner. He sighed with a sense of loneliness as he closed the door, wondering if he’d ever get to use them in his lifetime.

He could tell that Zhao Beichuan liked him, but it was probably just a platonic kind of fondness between friends. It was obvious at first glance that the guy was straight—there wasn’t even the slightest hint of queerness about him.

A gay man falling for a straight guy was destined for heartbreak. So Lu Yao didn’t dare to hope for too much. He just wanted to enjoy this ambiguous yet lonely connection while helping Zhao Beichuan earn enough money for his father’s medical treatment.

He moved the ring light in front of the computer and tested the camera. The effect was pretty good.

Lu Yao sent Zhao Beichuan a message: “Come over a bit earlier tonight.”

The reply came back quickly: “Ok.”

Putting down his phone, Lu Yao started cooking. He washed the pork ribs, chopped them into small pieces, and blanched them in boiling water…

On the other side, Zhao Beichuan was speeding on his little electric scooter. He finished his last delivery at exactly 10:30, then rushed back to his rental apartment, took a quick cold shower, changed into fresh clothes, and ran to Lu Yao’s place.

Having the access card made getting upstairs much easier—he no longer needed Lu Yao to buzz him in.

Reaching the 16th floor, he knocked on the door. Lu Yao opened it from inside.

“So fragrant…” The moment he stepped in, the aroma of braised pork ribs hit him, making him involuntarily swallow.

“Wash your hands and come eat.”

“You cooked again?” Zhao Beichuan felt a little embarrassed. He’d been eating dinner at Lu Yao’s place for several days now.

“I don’t have much appetite when I eat alone. Keep me company, alright?”

“…Alright.” Zhao Beichuan’s heart skipped a beat at that sentence. Flustered, he walked stiffly to the bathroom to wash his hands. When he returned, Lu Yao had already set the table.

The braised ribs were tender and flavorful, falling off the bone with just a slight tug. The green vegetable and tofu soup was also delicious. Unable to resist, Zhao Beichuan ate three bowls of rice.

Watching him eat made Lu Yao’s appetite better as well, and he ended up eating more than usual.

After dinner, Zhao Beichuan took the initiative to wash the dishes and clean up. He practically shoved Lu Yao out of the kitchen, leaving him helplessly watching from the doorway. This kid was too polite, but this kind of personality was also very endearing. If only he were into guys…

By the time everything was tidied up, it was nearly 11 o’clock. The two of them went to the bedroom, where Lu Yao adjusted the live streaming setup. Since they were streaming from a computer, they also needed a backup phone to read the comments.

“Let’s rehearse our responses. If people ask you to take off your mask, say you’ll do a face reveal at 500,000 followers.”

“Got it.”

“If any sensitive topics come up, like politics or gender issues, I’ll signal you to avoid answering. The platform’s regulations on live streams are strict—one wrong word could get our account banned.” This account had taken a lot of effort to grow. If it got banned, starting over would be a huge setback.

“Mm, I understand.”

“Oh, do you have any talents?”

“Talents? Does singing count?”

Lu Yao’s eyes lit up. “You can sing?”

Zhao Beichuan scratched his head. “Just a little. I’ve never sung online before.”

In reality, he sang exceptionally well. Back in college, he had performed at a freshman welcome event, and it had caused quite a stir on campus. But because of his introverted nature, he never sang in public again after that.

“We’ll save that for another time. I’ll get a sound card for you. This time, we’ll just chat—don’t be too nervous, just relax.”

Zhao Beichuan took a deep breath. “Phew… I’ll do my best.”

Lu Yao turned on the camera and did a final check. Everything looked good, so he hit the Start Live button.

Yesterday’s video had already announced that they’d be streaming at 11:30 tonight, so the viewer count climbed quickly.

As he watched the scrolling comments, Zhao Beichuan broke into a cold sweat. He had never imagined that facing a camera could be this nerve-wracking. He was both afraid that no one would show up and afraid that too many people would.

Sensing his unease, Lu Yao reached under the table and patted the back of his hand, signaling him to relax. Unexpectedly, Zhao Beichuan grabbed his hand tightly.

Lu Yao froze, instinctively trying to pull away, but the grip was firm and slightly trembling. The rough, calloused fingers brushed against his before interlacing them completely—ten fingers locked together!

Lu Yao’s scalp tingled. Was this really happening…? He wasn’t sure he could hold himself together—what if this turned into some kind of steamy, inappropriate broadcast?

Ahem. Zhao Beichuan cleared his throat and finally spoke his first words. “Hello, everyone. I’m Chuan.”

“AHHHH, the host’s voice is amazing!”

“This deep voice… I’m in love!”

“Judging by the voice alone, at least 18cm.”(ahahhahahhahahahha)

“Wait, how the hell do you measure that based on voice?”

“It’s related to nasal resonance! As everyone knows, the bigger the nose, the bigger the… you know.”

Lu Yao saw that comment and thought to himself—not a bad guess.

“This guy has pretty handsome eyebrows and eyes. I bet he wouldn’t look too bad without the mask either.”

“That’s not necessarily true. Don’t you remember all those ‘mask-handsome’ guys during the pandemic a few years ago?”

Zhao Beichuan reached up to touch the mask on his face. “I wear a mask because I’m a little shy. Maybe at 500,000 followers, I’ll do a face reveal livestream.”

Lu Yao gave him a thumbs-up from the side—well played!

Catching this out of the corner of his eye, Zhao Beichuan turned his head and flashed a smile at him.

His sharp features instantly softened, and his eyes curved into crescents, making him look even more handsome than before!

The chat exploded into another wave of screaming.

“Ahhhhhh, he smiled, he smiled!”

“There’s definitely someone beside him! Does the streamer have a girlfriend?”

“Nooo, my internet husband…!”

“Someone this handsome having a girlfriend is totally normal. And even if he doesn’t, you wouldn’t have a chance anyway, so just wish him to be gay already.”

“Wishing him to be gay.”

“Wishing him to be gay.”

…

The chat was filled with repeated messages.

Zhao Beichuan turned his head and asked in a small voice, “What does ‘wishing him to be gay’ mean?”

Lu Yao chuckled and coughed before typing on his phone for him to see: “It means they’re wishing you’d turn gay.”

Zhao Beichuan’s ears turned a little red. He didn’t quite understand why these netizens wanted him to be gay, but even if they didn’t wish for it, he might end up that way anyway.

After about ten minutes of streaming, the viewer count had climbed into the triple digits, and the chat was scrolling even faster.

“Who’s sitting next to him?! I heard someone cough!”

“Amitabha, could this guy actually be gay?”

“I doubt it. He has a face that looks like he’d be highly fertile.”

“Pfft…” Lu Yao couldn’t help but laugh out loud and quickly covered his mouth with his hand.

Zhao Beichuan shot him a helpless look, and the chat started spamming again.

“Ahhhhhhh, nooo, even watching a livestream, I’m getting fed couple moments!”

“Wait, bro, do you actually have a girlfriend?”

Zhao Beichuan shook his head. “I’m not married.”

“Who asked if you were married?!”

“I don’t have a girlfriend either.”

The chat grew increasingly excited.

“Then what about a boyfriend?”

“Brother, if you’re gay, I’ll become your die-hard fan instantly!”

Zhao Beichuan glanced at Lu Yao beside him. “I don’t have a boyfriend at the moment either.”

“Oi~ He said ‘at the moment’!”

Lu Yao looked down at their intertwined fingers and felt as if he was beginning to realize something, though he wasn’t entirely sure he could believe it.

As the stream went on, Zhao Beichuan gradually relaxed and was able to read out comments and interact with viewers.

“Are you really a food delivery guy?” “Yeah, I’ve been doing it for three years. I’m the order-snatching king in my area.”

“Where do you deliver? Can I place an order?” Zhao Beichuan glanced at the viewer’s IP address. “Thailand’s too far, I can’t deliver there.”

A flood of “hahahahahahahahaha” filled the chat.

“Who records your videos for you?” “A friend.”

“Boyfriend or girlfriend?” “A guy.”

The chat immediately pressed on—was it the person sitting beside him now?

Zhao Beichuan didn’t answer. He just nodded.

“Oiiiiiiiiiii~”

“Would you consider making videos together?” “I don’t have plans for that at the moment.”

“Will you stream on Bluebird?” “What’s Bluebird?”

This question was a bit sensitive. Lu Yao quickly squeezed Zhao Beichuan’s hand, making him turn his head in confusion.

Lu Yao waved his hand, signaling that he shouldn’t talk about it.

Zhao Beichuan nodded and skipped that comment, continuing to chat with the audience. Some viewers even sent him gifts, but he didn’t know their value. Lu Yao quickly reminded him to thank them.

A sports car gift cost 120 yuan, and with the platform taking half, they’d still earn 60 yuan.

By the time it reached 12:30, Lu Yao yawned. Zhao Beichuan immediately said, “Let’s end the stream here for today. Everyone, rest early.”

“Bro, don’t goooooooo~~~~~”

There were plenty of handsome guys online who were witty and talkative, but someone as down-to-earth as Zhao Beichuan was rare. The audience hadn’t had their fill of teasing him yet, so they started whining.

“It’s late. We’ll stream again next time.”

“Then what time next time?”

Zhao Beichuan turned to ask Lu Yao.

“The day after tomorrow. We’ll film a video tomorrow night.” As soon as Lu Yao finished speaking, he suddenly realized—the stream was still live! His voice had been heard!

The chat went silent for two seconds, then exploded.

“Ahhhhhhhhhhh, that deep uncle voice is amazing!”