Husband, Let Me Touch Your Abs - Chapter 173

The two of them hastily turned off the livestream. As they exchanged glances, they couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

Starting a livestream didn’t seem as difficult as they had imagined—it was actually quite fun.

By the end of the stream, they had made over seven hundred yuan. After the platform’s fifty-fifty split, they were left with about 360 yuan, which was roughly what Zhao Beichuan earned in a full day of delivering food.

Zhao Beichuan couldn’t help but sigh, “Making money online is so easy.”

“Right? And you don’t even have that many followers yet. The conversion rate on this account isn’t very high. Once you slowly build up your popularity, you’ll definitely earn a lot more.”

“Mm.” Zhao Beichuan took off his mask and gazed at Lu Yao with admiration. If it weren’t for him, relying on his own efforts alone to save up for his father’s surgery would still take a long time.

Lu Yao felt his face heat up under that gaze and fanned himself with his hand. “It’s getting late. Go back and rest.”

“Okay. You should get some sleep too.” Zhao Beichuan got up and walked to the living room. Seeing that everything had already been tidied up, he felt a slight sense of regret as he stepped out the door. He actually enjoyed helping Lu Yao with housework—otherwise, he always felt like he owed him too much.

As soon as Zhao Beichuan left, Lu Yao rushed to the bathroom to take a shower and relieve his pent-up desires. God knew how long he had been holding back—he was practically turning into a ninja turtle!

When Zhao Beichuan had clasped his hand earlier, Lu Yao couldn’t help but imagine what it would feel like if those calloused, rough hands were to help him with… certain things. Those thick, hard-working palms would probably send him straight to heaven.

After dealing with himself once, Lu Yao leaned against the bathroom wall, rinsed himself off, and changed into his pajamas. Feeling completely satisfied, he had one of the best sleeps he’d had in a long time.

The next morning, as usual, his biological clock woke him up at 6:30 AM.

The first thing he did after getting up was check their livestreaming account. It seemed like last night’s stream had some effect—over 400 new followers had joined, and someone had even bought something from their shop window, earning them 27 yuan in commission.

It wasn’t much, but it was clear that livestreaming was far more effective than just posting videos.

He had also received a lot of private messages. Lu Yao didn’t have time to read them yet, so he got up, washed up, and planned to check them later during his lunch break at work.

On the other side of the city, Zhao Beichuan had already unloaded two trucks at the farmers’ market. Since he had arrived early today, he could still unload two more. He specifically sought out employers who paid promptly, and he could usually finish unloading a 6.8-meter-long truck in about 40 minutes.

He was efficient and hardworking, so most people preferred hiring him for unloading work.

After finishing up with the fresh produce, the employer handed him his payment and casually offered him a cigarette.

Zhao Beichuan waved his hand. “I don’t smoke.”

The boss switched to offering him a bottle of water instead. “Kid, you don’t smoke? What about drinking?”

“I drink, but not often.” Zhao Beichuan pocketed his earnings and unscrewed the bottle cap, gulping down the water.

“You got a girlfriend?”

Zhao Beichuan looked at him warily. “No. Why?”

“What’s the deal with you and Old Wu’s wife from the other day?”

“Nothing happened.”

“She must’ve been the one hitting on you, right? That loose woman has messed around with plenty of the laborers here.”

Zhao Beichuan had no interest in discussing such trivial gossip. “If there’s nothing else, I’m leaving.”

“Hey, you brat—”

By the time he unloaded the last truck, it was exactly 8 AM. Zhao Beichuan stopped by a breakfast stall to buy some buns and porridge before riding his bicycle to the hospital.

By the time he arrived, his mother had already helped his father change into fresh clothes and was chatting with another woman in the ward.

A few days ago, a new patient had been admitted to their ward—a man in his early forties who had suffered a brain hemorrhage and had been unconscious since being resuscitated. His wife cried every day.

Whenever she had the time, Zhao Beichuan’s mother would go over to comfort her. There wasn’t much else she could do, but she could at least offer some emotional support.

Zhao Beichuan checked on his father, held his hand, chatted with him for a bit, and then massaged his muscles. Around 9 AM, he got ready to leave for his food delivery shifts.

As soon as he left, the woman from the neighboring hospital bed sighed. “Your son is so filial. My boy is already seventeen, yet he still doesn’t have any sense of responsibility. His father is in this condition, but he spends all his time at the internet café. I begged him to come visit for just two days, and he refused. He doesn’t even consider the possibility that if his dad doesn’t make it… how am I supposed to handle everything alone?” As she spoke, she covered her face and sobbed.

Zhao Beichuan’s mother let out a sigh as well. “Sister, don’t dwell on it too much. Children have their own destinies. No matter how much we worry, it won’t change anything.”

“I know… but still…”

“You say my son is filial, and yes, he does take on a lot. But as his mother, how could I not feel heartache for him? He never talks about his struggles, but I know it must be hard on him…” Tears choked Zhao Beichuan’s mother’s voice.

At this point, she didn’t wish for anything more—she just hoped her husband would wake up soon and stop burdening their son…

After delivering food all morning, Zhao Beichuan took a break around 3 PM to eat a bowl of noodles. He then checked his phone and saw a message from Lu Yao sent during lunch.

“Someone wants us to shoot an ad!” A screenshot of a chat followed.

The product was a belt from a relatively niche brand. The price wasn’t too high, but the belts were made of genuine leather and had stylish designs.

The client wanted Zhao Beichuan to feature their belt in a short video. The payment structure was a base fee plus a bonus for views: the base fee was 3,000 yuan, and for every additional 10,000 views in a week, they’d get an extra 100 yuan. If the video went viral and hit a million views, they could earn over 10,000 yuan!

This was a solid offer. Typically, only influencers with around 100,000 followers received deals like this. The client must have seen potential in Zhao Beichuan and reached out proactively.

Lu Yao had already provided the shipping address, and the sample would arrive tomorrow.

Excited, Zhao Beichuan sent Lu Yao a thumbs-up emoji.

“You saw my message?” Lu Yao replied instantly.

“Yeah.”

“I need to come up with a good storyline for the video. If it takes off, we could make a lot of money!”

“Awesome!”

“Alright, gotta go—meeting starting soon. We’ll talk later tonight.”

“OK.”

After setting his phone down, Zhao Beichuan caught his reflection in his scooter’s rearview mirror. He quickly wiped the stupidly wide grin off his face and rubbed his cheeks. He couldn’t help but think—Lu Yao was amazing!

Meanwhile, Lu Yao was also feeling great—until trouble hit.

After his meeting, his boss called him in and slammed a folder onto the desk.

“Your team’s efficiency is lower than the others. How many deals did you close this quarter? Clients have complained multiple times that our service is lacking. If this keeps up, you might as well get out now!”

Lu Yao chuckled coldly. “I’m not leaving. But if you think I’m not competent enough, feel free to fire me.”

His boss hadn’t expected him to talk back—Lu Yao had always been the quiet, obedient type. Now, he was momentarily at a loss for words.

“Fine. Go to HR and process your termination!”

Lu Yao took off his employee badge and walked out of the office without hesitation.

“Remember to drink the protein powder and calcium tablets I bought for you. They help with calcium supplementation and are good for your health.”

“Stop buying things. Save your money to get yourself a wife!”

“Ah…” No matter how the conversation started, it always circled back to marriage and children.

“Your second aunt introduced you to a woman. She’s three years older than you. I think she’s someone who can live a steady life, but she has a daughter who’s fifteen this year. When you have time, come back and take a look.”

Lu Yao rubbed his temples. “Mom, please stop playing matchmaker. I’m busy with work here and don’t have time to go on blind dates. I have something to do, so I’ll hang up now…”

After hanging up the phone, Lu Yao fell into a state of suppression again. For a moment, he really wanted to come clean with his parents and tell them that he didn’t like women, that he liked men. But he didn’t dare. His parents were old, and he was afraid such news would be too much for them.

He also didn’t dare to tell them about his job situation, fearing they would worry. In the end, he could only call his eldest sister and tell her about his layoff.

His eldest sister, Lu Fang, was already fifty-five this year—twenty years older than him.

Though they were siblings, their relationship felt more like mother and son. Lu Yao had grown up under her care, so he both respected and feared her.

“Being laid off is sometimes unavoidable. Why don’t you come stay with me for a few days?”

“No, I plan to start looking for a new job soon.” The truth was, Lu Yao had no concrete plans yet.

“Don’t push yourself too hard. Go out and relax for a bit. Your second sister mentioned you called her a few days ago?”

“Yeah.”

“You’re not young anymore. I won’t nag, but you should think about your future. Even if you don’t get married, you shouldn’t be alone forever. What if something happens to you, and there’s no one around to take care of you?”

Lu Yao was momentarily stunned. It felt like his sister might have figured something out.

“Yeah, I understand.”

“Take care of yourself. Call me if you need anything. Don’t worry about Mom and Dad—we visit them every week.”

“Thanks, sis.”

“There’s no need for thanks between family. And if you do have someone you’re seeing… bring them over for me to meet.”

Lu Yao hesitated before softly replying, “…Okay.”

After hanging up, Lu Yao let out a deep breath. Maybe his sister had already guessed his orientation. After all, a man his age who had never dated a woman and showed no interest in them would either have a physical issue or a different kind of preference.

But overall, this was good news. Lu Yao planned to take some time off before job hunting again. For now, he wanted to focus on growing Zhao Beichuan’s video account.

He opened his computer to check his private messages. Since their live stream yesterday, messages had been pouring in. Many people were asking about Zhao Beichuan’s orientation.

Some gay men were incredibly bold—sending inappropriate photos and extremely explicit messages right away, leaving Lu Yao blushing. After reporting a few of them, he didn’t dare open the rest.

At around ten o’clock, Zhao Beichuan came back, carrying a bag of fruit.

“I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I bought a little of everything.”

“You don’t have to be so polite. Helping you isn’t for free. When you start making money, you’ll have to share the profits with me.”

Zhao Beichuan just smiled without responding. After eating, the two started filming for the night.

Since the belt wouldn’t arrive for a few days, they decided to shoot a suggestive video using a necktie as a blindfold.

The video concept involved Zhao Beichuan sitting on the bed and falling backward. During the fall, they would use editing effects to make it look like his clothes were gradually disappearing, ending with a close-up of his sharp jawline and Adam’s apple.

Zhao Beichuan changed into a black dress shirt and slacks, then sat on Lu Yao’s bed. The mattress was softer than he had expected. Sitting there, he couldn’t help but imagine Lu Yao lying on this bed.

He quickly pinched his thigh hard, using the pain to suppress the inappropriate thoughts that had started creeping into his mind.

Lu Yao brought over a tie and wrapped it around Zhao Beichuan’s head, covering the upper half of his face, leaving only his well-shaped lips and sharp jawline exposed. Since Zhao Beichuan had darker skin, his lips appeared slightly deeper in color, making them look soft.

Feeling Lu Yao’s gaze on him, Zhao Beichuan instinctively licked his lips. “Is it done?”

Lu Yao’s scalp tingled. He quickly turned his head away—if he kept looking, he might not be able to resist leaning in for a kiss.

“Yeah, it’s done. Just fall backward when I cue you.”

Zhao Beichuan let himself fall straight back, sinking into the blanket and leaving a deep indentation.

The effect wasn’t quite right, so Lu Yao grabbed a chair and stood on it, taking a shot from a higher angle. “When you fall back, try to relax more. Imagine this is your own bed, and it feels comfortable.”

“Got it.”

Zhao Beichuan kept practicing, falling backward again and again. At one point, he even rubbed his face against Lu Yao’s blanket, making Lu Yao’s chest feel like it was about to explode.

Ahhhhh! Lu Yao screamed internally. How could this guy be so good at this?!

“Is it okay now?”

“Y-yeah, it’s fine!”

Next was the shirtless scene with atmospheric lighting. Since he needed a close-up shot of the Adam’s apple, Lu Yao had to be closer. So he climbed onto the bed, straddling Zhao Beichuan’s sides while filming.

With his eyes covered, Zhao Beichuan couldn’t see anything. But when he felt the mattress sink beside him, he instinctively reached out—and his fingers landed right on Lu Yao’s bare ankle.

“Ah…” Lu Yao tensed up and instinctively stepped back, but lost his balance and fell backward.

Zhao Beichuan reacted quickly, wrapping his arms around Lu Yao’s waist, catching him mid-fall.

And just like that, they ended up in an incredibly intimate embrace.