Husband, Let Me Touch Your Abs - Chapter 186

Clang! The spatula fell to the ground.

The color drained from Lu Yao’s face. “B-Big Sis, what are you doing here?”

Lu Fang’s expression was terrible. She had suspected before that her younger brother might be gay, but suspecting was one thing—seeing it with her own eyes was another. For a moment, she found it difficult to accept.

Zhao Beichuan tightened his grip on Lu Yao’s hand, shielding him behind his own body.

Lu Yao quickly composed himself. “Go to the room first. I’ll talk to Big Sis.”

“Lu Ge…” Zhao Beichuan’s face was full of undisguised worry, like a pitiful, oversized puppy.

Lu Yao squeezed his hand, then guided him to the guest bedroom, closing the door behind him.

Lu Fang turned off the stove, took off her apron, and sat heavily on the sofa, her face serious.

“Big Sis, when did you get here? Why didn’t you call me first?”

“A few days ago, you said you were laid off. I’ve been thinking about it ever since, and since I had some free time, I decided to come check on you. But I didn’t expect… What’s going on between you and that guy?”

“It’s just like… what you saw.” Lu Yao stood beside her with his head lowered, looking like a child who had done something wrong.

“How long have you two been together?”

“About a month.”

Lu Fang took a deep breath, suppressing her temper. “So all these years, you never got married or even dated a girl—was it because of this?”

“Mm.”

“Lu Yao, you’ve really outdone yourself.”

“Big Sis…”

Lu Fang’s eyes turned red, but she couldn’t bring herself to scold her little brother too harshly. “Can you even date a girl at all?”

“I can’t… I’ve known since puberty that I wouldn’t like girls.”

“Then why didn’t you tell the family?”

“Mom and Dad would never accept it. If I told them, they’d be so angry it might make them sick.”

Lu Fang fell silent. Their parents’ personalities indeed wouldn’t allow this to happen. They were old, conservative, and traditional, and they had an excessive, almost irrational level of love for their hard-earned son. If she hadn’t kept Lu Yao in check since he was little, their parents would have spoiled him rotten. Even now, he wasn’t exactly straight…

“What are you planning to do now? Do you really intend to stay with him forever?”

“Mm…”

“What’s his name? How old is he? What does he do for work? Does his family know about you two?”

“His name is Zhao Beichuan. He’s a few years younger than me… He used to deliver food, do electrical and plumbing repairs, and work as a porter at the farmers’ market. His family situation is complicated—his father had an accident a few years ago and has been in a vegetative state in the hospital ever since. He hasn’t told his mother yet. Only his younger brother and sister know about us.”

Lu Fang felt her vision go dark. “Are you sure he’s not with you for some other motive?”

“How could he be? I’m not some rich guy. Besides, he earns a decent amount himself—enough to support his family.”

“Let’s set that aside for now. What happened to his leg?”

“He was delivering food a few days ago and got hit by a car.”

Lu Fang frowned deeply. “I’m not a rigid person. If you really can’t be with a woman, at least find someone with similar age and life experience. But instead, you’re with someone like this…”

“Big Sis, he’s really a good person. I like him a lot.”

Lu Fang was silent for a long time before finally saying, “You’re not a kid anymore. I can’t control you forever. If you’ve made up your mind, then handle it yourself.”

Lu Yao looked up in surprise. He hadn’t expected his sister to accept it so easily!

He quickly sat down beside Lu Fang, just like when he was a child, holding onto her arm. “I’m sorry… I’ve let you down.”

“You haven’t let me down. You’ve always been the best.”

Lu Fang still remembered when her younger brother was born. At first, she had been completely against it, even angry. She didn’t understand why their parents were so determined to have a son, especially since their mother was already forty-seven at the time—considered an advanced maternal age. If anything went wrong, both mother and child could have died.

On top of that, their parents had gone to fortune-tellers and temples to pray for a son, which made Lu Fang dislike Lu Yao before he was even born.

But the moment she first laid eyes on her newborn brother, she was captivated by the little thing.

People always said that children born to older parents were the best-looking, and Lu Yao was proof of that saying. Most newborns were wrinkled and red, but he was clean and fair, looking up at her with a pair of big, dark eyes.

When she reached out her hand, the tiny baby actually grabbed her finger. Maybe it was the bond of blood, but in that instant, her heart softened completely.

Their mother was weak after childbirth and took a long time to recover, so Lu Fang was the one who raised Lu Yao during his early years.

He had poor health, frequently falling ill, and taking medicine and getting injections became routine. But he was unbelievably well-behaved—never making a sound when getting shots, and no matter how bitter the medicine was, he would grit his teeth and swallow it.

She still remembered one time when he had a high fever in the middle of the night. She carried him on her back to the hospital. At only four years old, he clung to her back, silently shedding tears.

Lu Fang asked him, “Why are you crying?”

Choking up, he replied, “I’m sorry, Big Sis. I got sick again.”

Lu Fang’s heart twisted with pain. “Silly boy, you don’t have to apologize. It’s not your fault if you get sick.”

As he grew older, his health improved, and he could finally attend school like other kids.

Even at school, he was a model student, excelling in both academics and character. Teachers liked him, classmates admired him, and parents often compared their own children to him.

Lu Yao was thoughtful and independent. After graduating from university, he never asked for money from home again. He bought an apartment in the city with his own earnings and showered Lu Fang with gifts. Every year during the holidays, he would try to give her money—refusing wasn’t even an option. Lu Fang thought to herself, Even if he were my own son, he couldn’t be more filial than this.

“The food’s ready. Call him out to eat.” Lu Fang stood up and headed for the kitchen.

Lu Yao’s heart surged with joy, and he hurried to the guest bedroom.

“Lu Ge!” Zhao Beichuan jumped to his feet the moment he saw him. The past half-hour had felt like an eternity—he had even prepared himself for the worst, thinking Lu Yao might leave him…

“Come on, let’s eat.”

Zhao Beichuan looked at him in disbelief. “Your sister agreed?”

“Mm. She agreed.”

“Really?!”

“Really. Now come on.” Lu Yao smiled, supporting him as they walked out.

Lu Fang set the dishes on the table, and the three of them sat down to eat together. During the meal, she observed Zhao Beichuan closely. He had decent features and spoke politely—he didn’t seem like the unreliable type. That put her slightly at ease.

“How old are you?” she asked.

“Twenty-six. I was born in the Year of the Ox.”

“You’re so young…”

Lu Yao lowered his head in embarrassment and continued eating, feeling somewhat like an old grass chewing on tender beef.

“Lu Yao told me about your family situation. What are your plans for the future?”

Zhao Beichuan put down his chopsticks and answered properly, “For now, the priority is to get my father’s illness treated. We’ve already saved up enough for the surgery, so in a little while, we’ll proceed with it. No matter the outcome, we won’t delay any longer. After that, I plan to find a stable job.”

“Lu Yao is not young anymore. If you truly love him, you should plan your future properly. If you need any help, you can come to me.” Lu Fang was an accountant with over thirty years of experience, and her capabilities were unquestionable.

“Th-thank you, Big Sis.” Zhao Beichuan hurriedly took out his phone and added Lu Fang on WeChat.

“Let’s eat first. I have to head back after the meal.”

Lu Yao was taken aback. “Why don’t you stay for a few more days? I happen to have time off, I can take you out for a bit.”

“There’s a lot going on at home. Your brother-in-law just had surgery for a herniated disc, so I can’t leave for too long. When I have time at the end of the year, you can bring Beichuan over to visit me.”

“Okay!” Zhao Beichuan nodded enthusiastically.

After the meal, Lu Yao drove his sister to the high-speed rail station. She lived in J City, and the train ride took about three hours.

After buying the ticket, Lu Yao sat with her in the waiting hall.

“You can head back first. I can wait here by myself.”

“I’ll stay with you. I haven’t seen you in so long.” Lu Yao followed her closely, reluctant to part.

Lu Fang reached up and straightened his collar. “That kid seems honest. Treat him well, and take care of yourself too.”

“Mm.” Lu Yao’s nose stung, and his eyes turned red.

“You don’t have to worry about Mom and Dad. If it comes down to it, just keep it from them for now. Do you know why they haven’t been pressuring you to get married these past few years?”

“I don’t know.”

Over the years, his parents had urged him to find a partner, but they had never actually forced him into marriage. Even when others introduced someone, they only asked Lu Yao to meet them first.

“I overheard them talking about it once. They said you were ‘tied down from the mountains.’ If you get married before thirty-five, you’ll have a short life. But if you make it past thirty-five, things might improve.”

“Tied down from the mountains?” He had heard this phrase from Master Yi before.

“I don’t understand it either, and you shouldn’t take it seriously. Whether it’s true or not is still uncertain. But Mom and Dad are quite superstitious. When the time comes, I’ll find someone to pretend to read your fortune and tell them that getting married will shorten your lifespan. That should scare them enough to stop pushing you.”

Lu Yao couldn’t help but laugh. “Big Sis, you’re amazing.”

Lu Fang gave him a playful glare and laughed as well. “What about your job? What are you going to do?”

“I haven’t decided yet, but I’m thinking of getting into content creation.”

“I don’t know much about that, so I won’t be much help. But you’ve always been independent, so do what you think is best. I don’t expect you to be rich and powerful—I just want you to be safe and healthy.”

“Mm.”

As the boarding announcement played, Lu Fang picked up her bag and lined up. Lu Yao stood at the back, watching her until she disappeared from view before turning to leave.

He hadn’t expected his sister to show up so suddenly. There were only three keycards for his apartment—one for himself, one for Zhao Beichuan, and one for his sister. When he had renovated the place, he had registered the fingerprints of all three of his sisters into the smart lock.

Luckily, she had accepted their relationship. Otherwise, Lu Yao wouldn’t have known how to face her.

On the way home, he felt exceptionally free, as if the weight on his chest had suddenly vanished. He couldn’t help but shout loudly a couple of times.

His phone vibrated. Seeing that it was Zhao Beichuan calling, he picked up and asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Lu-ge, I need to go to the hospital. Something seems to have happened with my dad!”

“Don’t panic. I’ll come pick you up right now. We’ll go together.”

“Mm.”

Lu Yao sped up and quickly arrived back at their apartment complex. Zhao Beichuan was already downstairs, leaning on a single crutch.

“What happened?”

“My mom just called. My aunt showed up demanding money and started making a scene in the hospital room.”

Back when Zhao Guangsheng had his accident, the family had borrowed money from various relatives, including 20,000 yuan from Zhao’s mother’s younger sister.

Because of the ongoing medical expenses, the debt had yet to be repaid. Originally, his aunt had agreed that they could return the money whenever they had it. But now, she had suddenly changed her mind, saying she needed it urgently and insisting they pay it back this year.

Zhao’s mother hadn’t dared to tell her son and had tried to stall her sister over the phone. But she hadn’t expected the woman to storm into the hospital today, even threatening to pull out Zhao Guangsheng’s breathing tube.