Husband, Let Me Touch Your Abs - Chapter 182

Zhao Beichuan’s hospital room was a three-person ward, and on the bed next to him was an old man who had broken his leg.

This elderly man was quite talkative. Probably because he had been holding it in for too long, he finally had someone in the ward to talk to and wouldn’t stop chatting with Zhao Beichuan.

“Young man, who’s that taking care of you?”

“He’s my… my cousin.”

“Oh wow, your cousin is really something. He’s been running around taking care of you these past few days. Even real brothers might not go this far!”

“Mm.”

“How old is your cousin? Is he married?”

“Why are you asking that?”

“I have a niece who’s a kindergarten teacher. She’s fair-skinned and pretty but hasn’t found a partner yet. If they’re a good match, I could introduce them.”

Zhao Beichuan immediately became alert. “He already has someone.”

“Oh, then never mind. These days, it’s rare to find a man as loyal as him. Doesn’t matter how much he earns—character-wise, he’s definitely top-notch!” The old man gave a thumbs-up.

As they were talking, Lu Yao came in from outside carrying a basin of water. “Come here, wash your feet.”

“I-I can do it myself.” Zhao Beichuan moved to get off the bed, but before he could bend down, Lu Yao had already helped him take off his socks. Since his left leg was in a cast and couldn’t be washed, only his right foot could be cleaned.

“You two have a great relationship. I have four kids, all working out of town. The siblings barely see each other once a year.”

Lu Yao looked up in confusion. “Siblings?”

Zhao Beichuan’s face turned red as he blinked at him.

Lu Yao chuckled softly and said, “I watched him grow up, of course we’re close.”

The old man nodded. “I can tell. You wouldn’t normally wash someone’s feet unless the relationship was special.”

Lu Yao let out a short laugh and held Zhao Beichuan’s ankle, pouring water over the top of his foot. The water was a little hot, and Zhao Beichuan’s skin flushed red from his feet all the way up to his face.

Lu Yao seemed to be deliberately teasing him, taking his time. Halfway through, Zhao Beichuan couldn’t hold back. “I-I’ll do it myself.”

“We’re almost done, just stay put.”

Zhao Beichuan lifted his waist slightly, leaning back on his hands. He thought looking away might help, but instead, the sensation on his foot became even more obvious…

Just when he felt like he couldn’t take it anymore, Lu Yao finally wiped his foot dry with a towel. “All done.”

Lu Yao carried the basin out to empty it, and the old man started talking again. “Other than my parents, no one has ever washed my feet. Not even my children.”

Zhao Beichuan touched his nose, unable to suppress the smile on his lips.

Sleeping arrangements at night became a problem. Although the ward had three beds, the old man’s wife had been sleeping on the empty bed next to them. Last night, Lu Yao had slept with his head resting against the edge of the bed, and when he woke up in the morning, his neck and waist were sore.

Zhao Beichuan said, “Why don’t you go home to sleep tonight? I’ll be fine here by myself.”

“No way. What if you need to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night?”

“It’s fine. If it comes to that, I’ll just… use that urinal.”

“But you can’t pee in that, remember?”

Zhao Beichuan turned red and didn’t argue back.

The old man next to them suggested, “Ask the hospital if they rent out companion beds. I saw the last patient in this room rent a folding bed before.”

Lu Yao went out to ask the nurse and came back shaking his head. “The hospital doesn’t have any available beds, but there are folding beds for rent outside. It’s late, though, so we’ll just get one tomorrow.”

“If it really doesn’t work, you two can squeeze in together. That bed looks pretty wide.”

The two of them exchanged glances before quickly looking away, their hearts racing.

Lu Yao thought, This old man sure has ideas, but this isn’t just about sharing a bed…

“I’ll just rest my head here for a bit. Do you need to use the bathroom now?”

“Mm.”

Lu Yao helped him to the restroom. As they came out, Zhao Beichuan whispered, “Let’s just sleep together tonight.”

“I’m afraid of pressing on your leg…”

“It’s fine, the cast is there. It won’t get squashed.”

When they got into bed, Zhao Beichuan lay on his side, leaving a large space open on the right. “It’s actually pretty roomy.”

Lu Yao swallowed hard. I’m not taking advantage of him, okay…

Lying down on his side, Zhao Beichuan reached over and pulled the blanket over him. They were now face to face, looking into each other’s eyes.

Lu Yao couldn’t help but say, “Move over a bit, don’t fall off.”

Zhao Beichuan shifted forward, closing the distance between them even more.

The old lady turned off the lights, leaving only the dim glow of the nightlight in the bathroom. In the darkness, their breaths brushed against each other’s faces.

The sound of the old couple snoring soon filled the quiet room.

Lu Yao shifted uncomfortably. Since he didn’t want to accidentally touch the person next to him, his whole body was tense. Honestly, sleeping like this was more uncomfortable than just lying on the edge of the bed.

“Lu Yao.” Zhao Beichuan suddenly called his name in a low voice.

“Mm? No respect for your elders.”

“Lu Ge.”

“Mm…”

“Can I hug you?”

Lu Yao felt like his heart stopped for a second. Before he could even respond, Zhao Beichuan had already gathered his courage and wrapped an arm around his waist, pulling them together.

Lu Yao was startled and quickly pressed a hand against his chest. “Watch your leg.”

“Lu Ge…” Zhao Beichuan nudged his forehead against Lu Yao’s chin like a little puppy.

The short stubble pricked Lu Yao’s skin, making him feel both itchy and tingly. He placed his hand on Zhao Beichuan’s head and chuckled. “Don’t move around.”

“…Do you like me?” Zhao Beichuan finally asked, the words tumbling out. Thankfully, the lights were off, or else Lu Yao would have seen how his dark skin had turned completely red.

“Mm.”

Zhao Beichuan thought he must have misheard. He jerked his head up and accidentally bumped Lu Yao’s chin.

“Hiss—”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” Zhao Beichuan quickly reached up to rub it for him.

Lu Yao caught his hand and sighed. “You really don’t know?”

If he didn’t like him, why would he invite him to dinner the second time they met? Why would he spend time helping him film videos to earn money? Why would he rent his house to him? And why, when he heard he had been in an accident, would he rush over in a panic…

A wave of warmth flooded Zhao Beichuan’s chest. He pulled Lu Yao tightly into his arms. “I like you too.”

“You sure? You’re not just touched?”

“Of course not!”

“Have you ever dated a guy before?”

“No. Never dated a girl either.”

Lu Yao’s eyes lit up slightly. “Really?” He’s this tall, this handsome, and in such good shape, yet he’s never dated anyone before.

“In college, I was training in sports and always wanted to achieve good results. Our coach told us that if we, you know, did that too often… it would affect our energy and focus.”

“Pfft, seriously?”

“For real. I had a senior who was a National Games champion. He had already made it into the national team, but after he got a girlfriend, his performance plummeted, and he got kicked back to the provincial team.”

After graduating from college, things happened at home. Zhao Beichuan had to work from dawn to dusk, exhausted every day. There was no time or energy left for dating.

Hearing his serious explanation, Lu Yao found him inexplicably adorable. He couldn’t resist reaching out and pinching his face. “You’ve never been in a relationship. How do you know you like me? Dating a man isn’t the same as dating a woman.”

“I know.” Zhao Beichuan grabbed his hand and placed it over his own chest. “Listen to my heartbeat.”

The muscles under his palm were firm and solid, and the strong, powerful heartbeat vibrated through, making Lu Yao’s fingertips tremble. It felt like an electric shock, and he instinctively pulled his hand back.

Zhao Beichuan forcefully grabbed his hand again, refusing to let him withdraw.

Lu Yao struggled a few times but couldn’t break free. His breathing was uneven as he said, “Stop messing around… Go to sleep early.”

“I’m not sleepy.”

“Then close your eyes and count sheep.”

“I don’t want to count.”

“Then what do you want to do?”

“I want to kiss you.”

Lu Yao’s heart nearly exploded! This kid had gone bad—he’d actually learned how to flirt!

“No way… We’ll talk about it when we get home.”

Zhao Beichuan’s eyes lit up. “So I can kiss you when we get home?”

Suddenly, the old man next to them started coughing, and the two of them immediately quieted down. Lu Yao hurriedly pulled his hand back and turned around, facing away from Zhao Beichuan. His face was burning hot—hot enough to cook an egg. Damn it, this was like an old house catching fire—it only took a spark to set it ablaze…

Zhao Beichuan was getting drowsy. He draped an arm over Lu Yao and soon fell asleep. Lu Yao listened to his steady breathing, and before long, he also drifted off.

The next morning, Lu Yao woke up feeling crushed, as if a rock was pressing down on him, making it hard to breathe.

When he opened his eyes, he saw that Zhao Beichuan had his arms tightly wrapped around his waist, and his injured leg was resting on Lu Yao’s.

The most awkward part was that the guy was having morning wood… pressing right against his waist. Moving felt wrong, but staying still felt even worse.

Fortunately, the old lady went out to buy breakfast, and the sound of the door opening woke Zhao Beichuan up. He rubbed his eyes and sat up in bed.

Lu Yao quickly got up too, rushed to the bathroom, and washed his face to calm himself down.

Thinking back to last night, it all felt surreal. He never imagined he’d confess in a hospital bed…

Staring at his reflection in the mirror, Lu Yao ran a hand through his messy hair. His complexion didn’t look great, and there was even a bit of stubble. Was he getting too old?

Before, he never cared about these things. After all, his looks were widely recognized as handsome. But now, he suddenly felt a little insecure—after all, he was nine years older than Zhao Beichuan.

Now he finally understood why Bai Chi was so obsessed with his appearance…

After freshening up, Lu Yao greeted Zhao Beichuan and headed out to buy breakfast. Halfway there, he got a call from Bai Chi.

“Xiao Lu, I sent the jewelry samples to you. When do you plan to shoot the video?”

“It might take a while.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Beichuan got into a car accident.”

Bai Chi paused for a moment before remembering who Beichuan was. “How is he? Is it serious?”

“It’s not too bad. His left leg is broken.”

“Damn, tell him to rest well. Whenever he’s ready, we can do the shoot. No rush on my end.”

“Mm.” Lu Yao hesitated for a moment, then added, “By the way… Send me a list of the skincare products you’re using.”

“You never cared about this stuff before.”

“Ahem, they’re for my older sister.”

“Haha, your sister is over fifty. These products won’t do much for her. She’d be better off getting some cosmetic procedures. I can recommend some good clinics.”

Lu Yao sighed. “Fine, fine, it’s for me.”

“Hahahaha, so you’re suddenly paying attention to your looks. Did you finally land him?”

“Mm…”

“But his leg is still broken, right? How did you two even do it?”

Lu Yao’s face turned red with anger. He wished he could grab Bai Chi by the collar and shake him. “Idiot! Is that all you ever think about?”

“Don’t be mad, I was just asking. Congrats, Xiao Lu~”

“Thanks.”

“I’ll send you a list of my go-to skincare products later.”

“How much? I’ll transfer the money to you.”

“Do you think so little of your Brother Bai? Do I need money for something like this?”

Lu Yao couldn’t help but laugh. “Alright, just don’t send too much. I don’t want to waste it.”

“Relax, I’ll only give you the best stuff… Oh shit, why is he here?” Bai Chi’s tone suddenly changed.

“Who?”

“That dumbass orthopedic ex. I gotta go!”

Lu Yao bought two baskets of soup dumplings and two servings of egg soup before returning to the hospital. Zhao Beichuan had already tidied up the bed and was sitting there listlessly, staring into space.

The moment he saw Lu Yao come back, his whole face lit up like a peacock spreading its tail. “Ge~!”