Husband, Let Me Touch Your Abs - Chapter 178

Lu Yao stood up abruptly with his phone in hand. Zhao Beichuan wanted to rent his apartment?

“What’s wrong?” Bai Chi, with a bun in his mouth, looked at him in confusion.

“Hurry up and eat, we’re going to the home furnishing mall after this.”

“What are we buying?” Bai Chi stuffed the remaining bun into his mouth in a few bites, and the two got into the car, heading toward the nearest furniture store.

“A mattress, a bedding set, a wardrobe, and a bedside table…” Lu Yao’s voice was filled with excitement, his face barely able to contain his smile. It felt like he had won the lottery out of nowhere.

“I thought you already renovated your place?”

“I only redid the master bedroom back then. I originally planned to turn the second bedroom into a study, but money was tight at the time, so I left it as is. It’s been sitting there as a storage room for years.”

Bai Chi clicked his tongue. “Man, old friends are the best. You knew I couldn’t stand hotels, so you’re remodeling a room just for me. You really don’t have to go this far—I’m only staying for a few days.”

“Who said I was remodeling for you?”

“Wait, what? You’re not letting me stay at your place?”

Lu Yao chuckled.

“LU YAO! YOU JERK, PULL OVER!”

“Relax. It’s that kid who’s moving in,” Lu Yao said, finally unable to suppress his grin, his face practically glowing with happiness.

“You two are seriously moving in together now? What was that whole scene yesterday about then?”

“It’s not cohabitation. He used to rent a garage in our complex. You know how bad those are—no ventilation, no natural light, damp and dark—it’s easy to get sick living in a place like that. I just casually asked if he wanted to rent my place instead, since I live alone anyway.”

“And the rent?”

“Four hundred a month.”

“Why don’t you just start a charity? My hotel room costs five hundred a night!”

Lu Yao pulled into the mall’s parking garage and unbuckled his seatbelt. “It’s not like I actually need the rent money. Plus, he’s in a tough spot right now—I’m not about to take advantage of him.”

“You’re unbelievable… I could cry.”

After getting out of the car, they browsed the bedding section first. Lu Yao already had a single bed from when he first moved in, so he planned to just get a nice, comfortable mattress.

He spent 3,800 yuan on a latex mattress, then picked a bedding set that matched the color scheme of the master bedroom. While looking around the furniture section, he also bought a wardrobe set and a matching bedside table, bringing the total cost to 8,500 yuan.

Trailing behind, Bai Chi sneered, “Four hundred a month in rent—that’s 4,800 a year. Oh wow, you’ll break even in two years!”

Lu Yao was in too good of a mood to argue. After finalizing the purchases and leaving his address, he dragged Bai Chi back home to help clean up the room.

“Honestly, you treat this kid better than you ever treated me.”

“It’s different.”

“How is it different? Before you knew I was a bottom, weren’t you trying to chase after me too?”

Lu Yao had liked Bai Chi back in their first year of college. He had just discovered someone who shared his orientation and had developed a slight crush—not a deep attachment, but more out of curiosity.

This was different. Lu Yao was now a grown man, and his feelings for Zhao Beichuan ran deep. It was because he liked him so much that he hesitated, not daring to make a move for fear of scaring him off.

Back at the apartment, Young Master Bai was supposed to help, but dressed in his white sweater, he was completely useless. Instead, he lounged on the sofa, munching on an apple while watching TV—then even had the audacity to complain that the apple wasn’t fresh enough.

Lu Yao snatched it from him. “If it’s not good, don’t eat it!” That apple was from Zhao Beichuan—Lu Yao hadn’t even had one himself yet.

“You’re so stingy.”

Lu Yao started clearing out the storage room, packing away miscellaneous items into boxes. He planned to throw out the junk downstairs and store the useful things in the closet.

“Come help me move the bed.”

Last night, Zhao Beichuan had easily shifted it on his own, but Lu Yao struggled to move it even a little.

“Just wait for your little delivery boy to come back and handle it. Why waste the free labor?”

“Quit stalling and help.”

After the two of them finally got the bed in place, Lu Yao mopped the floor. By noon, the delivery guys from the furniture store arrived with the mattress and wardrobe.

Once the room was set up, Lu Yao nodded in satisfaction and replied to Zhao Beichuan’s message:

“Of course, it’s yours. Just bring your stuff and move in whenever you’re ready.”

Bai Chi mocked him for ditching his friends for romance but still insisted on watching yesterday’s video as compensation.

Lu Yao pulled out his laptop and played the video from the previous night.

It was just a minute long, but even the well-traveled Bai Chi was left covering his face, screaming, “AHHHH!!! HOLY SHIT!!! That kid just tossed you onto the bed like that?!”

“Mm…” Lu Yao’s face burned with embarrassment.

“Did you get hard?”

“What do you think?”

“Damn, I didn’t expect him to be this strong! No wonder you’re all fired up! With things like this, you guys didn’t take the chance to do something more?”

“No…” Lu Yao quickly closed the laptop.

“Send me a copy of that video.”

“What for?”

“Listen, you guys should do a promo for my brand. Swap out the collar for a necklace and shoot a video like this—I’ll pay you well!”

Lu Yao stroked his chin, considering it. “Your brand’s supposed to be high-end, though. Won’t using influencers bring it down?”

Bai Chi ran a jewelry brand called WHITE, which was popular among young professionals. Their accessories, mainly necklaces and bracelets, weren’t cheap, and they had even hired a rising actor for endorsements before.

“Not at all. This video was gold!”

“Alright, send me the samples when you’re ready. I’ll charge the same rate as that leather goods ad.”

“Deal.” Bai Chi wasn’t joking—he had genuinely spotted a business opportunity in Zhao Beichuan.

When you stay in a fixed social circle for too long, your perspective gets narrow. If a brand wanted to last, it had to reach broader audiences—after all, everyday people made up the biggest customer base.

Bai Chi hung around until 2 PM before getting a call from a friend. He booked a last-minute flight to C City for a jewelry expo.

Lu Yao first dropped him off at the hotel to pack, then took him to the airport. By the time he returned home, it was already evening.

Meanwhile, Zhao Beichuan had just finished work and opened his phone—only to see Lu Yao’s message. He got so excited he almost crashed his e-bike into a ditch.

In truth, looking for a new place wasn’t entirely a spur-of-the-moment decision. His landlord had told him last month that they needed the garage back by the end of the year for a new car, so he had already been searching for another place.

There were plenty of other garages for rent nearby, and they weren’t expensive. He had originally planned to just move next door.

But the sudden appearance of that unfamiliar man beside Lu Yao had set off alarms in his head, and in a moment of desperation, he had sent that message.

He never expected Lu Yao to actually agree!

A rush of emotions flooded him—happiness, gratitude, and the feeling that he owed Lu Yao more and more…

Normally, Zhao Beichuan worked until past 10 PM, but today, he left two hours early to move.

After notifying his landlord, he got back his 500 yuan security deposit and rode his e-bike, loaded with all his belongings, to Lu Yao’s apartment complex.

Once he arrived downstairs, he sent a message.

“Lu-ge, I’m here.”

“From now on, this is your room. The living room, kitchen, and bathroom are all yours to use, along with the fridge, TV, and washing machine—make yourself at home.”

Lu Yao was wearing a champagne-colored loungewear set, with gold-rimmed blue-light-blocking glasses on his face, looking both lazy and seductive.

Zhao Beichuan’s Adam’s apple moved. “Thank you.”

“What are you thanking me for? Come here, I’ll help you register your fingerprint so you won’t need me to open the door for you in the future.”

The two walked to the door. After entering the password, Lu Yao took Zhao Beichuan’s index finger and pressed it onto the scanner.

Zhao Beichuan’s hands were large, covered with calluses. His fingers were thick and long. Lu Yao didn’t know what crossed his mind, but his ears instantly turned red.

“O-okay, you can go put your luggage away now.”

Zhao Beichuan walked into the second bedroom. Just yesterday, the place had been a mess, but now it was completely transformed. The bed was covered with a brand-new sheet, and the newly added furniture made the room feel fresh. Lu Yao had even thoughtfully prepared a new pair of slippers for him.

Placing down his luggage, Zhao Beichuan ran a hand over the bed. A surge of happiness welled up inside him, making his nose tingle and his eyes burn uncontrollably.

Why was Lu Yao so good to him? So good that Zhao Beichuan didn’t even know how to properly express his gratitude.

“If you’re done settling in, come eat.”

To celebrate Zhao Beichuan’s move-in, Lu Yao had specially gone to the supermarket to buy a fish and braised it in red sauce. Having lived alone for so many years, his cooking skills were exceptional, and the dishes he made could rival those from a restaurant.

Besides the fish, he also made two of his signature dishes, a cold appetizer, and some braised beef.

Zhao Beichuan put away his belongings, washed his hands in the bathroom, and helped set the table.

“I don’t know if you like eating fish, but my fish dishes taste pretty good. Everyone who’s had them has complimented them.”

“I do.” As long as it’s made by you, I love it.

He didn’t say the last part out loud, but the bright, shining look in his eyes was even more powerful than words, making Lu Yao feel a bit embarrassed.

“Hurry up and eat before it gets cold.”

“Mm.”

As they ate, Lu Yao spoke, “Actually, it’s great that you moved in. Now you don’t have to run back and forth all the time. After work, we can shoot videos or livestream right away.”

“Mm.”

“Oh, right, I haven’t told you yet. The brand scammed us on the video from yesterday.” Lu Yao recounted what had happened that morning.

“I’m so pissed. If they had paid based on traffic, that video could’ve earned at least fifty thousand yuan!”

Zhao Beichuan’s mind stirred. His father’s medical expenses were just short of that amount, and he felt a bit disappointed. But the brand’s behavior was indeed despicable. “It’s okay, we’ll just take on other ads and film more.”

“Bai Chi said he wants us to shoot another one. Bai Chi is that guy you saw yesterday—he’s a jewelry designer and has his own brand. He watched the video today and thought it was great, so he wants us to promote his jewelry. The filming fee is the same as the previous brand, but this time, we definitely won’t get scammed.”

The mention of Bai Chi instantly put Zhao Beichuan on high alert. “Jewelry?”

“He’s probably going to swap the collar for one of his designed necklaces. He’ll send samples over in a few days.”

“Ge, you handle it however you see fit. I’ll follow your lead.”

Lu Yao’s heart trembled at being called “Ge.” This kid had moved in and stopped calling him “Lu-ge” altogether… switching directly to “Ge”… Who could resist that?

*

After dinner, Zhao Beichuan took the initiative to clear the table and wash the dishes. Then, he even mopped the entire apartment from top to bottom.

“You don’t have to go through so much trouble… I only clean once or twice a week.”

“It’s fine, I’m just passing the time.”

“Are we still livestreaming tonight?”

“Yeah.”

Lu Yao went to the bedroom, turned on his computer, adjusted the camera and sound card, while Zhao Beichuan changed clothes and put on a mask to start the stream.

As soon as the livestream began, over three hundred people flooded in, spamming the chat so fast it was almost impossible to keep up.

Everyone was asking, “Where’s the video from yesterday?!”

Zhao Beichuan was silent for a moment before saying, “The video was deleted. Why? Because the brand breached the contract and didn’t pay as agreed.”

The chat exploded: “We can pay! Just let us watch it again!!!”

Zhao Beichuan glanced at the person beside him. “Should we re-upload it?”

Lu Yao thought about the unedited original audio and the close-ups of that brand’s leather products. “I’ll edit it first and post it tomorrow.”

“Ahhhhhh, Uncle, don’t cut the original audio! We still want to hear you moan!”

Zhao Beichuan frowned. “Forget it, let’s not upload that video anymore. We’ll shoot a new one in a few days.”