◎Want to See Abs◎
The moment those words left her mouth, the casual vibe of their chat derailed completely, taking on a spicy new edge.
F seemed genuinely caught off guard by her bluntness. Li Xia heard his violent coughing fit, followed by the clink of him setting down his water glass. Then his voice grew distant, and a heavy silence fell over the line for a moment, punctuated only by faint coughs.
Li Xia shot straight up in bed, asking weakly like a kid caught red-handed, “Teacher Fang… are you okay?”
“Look, I didn’t mean I wanted nudes or anything, I—”
“Forget I said that!”
She desperately wanted to explain—she’d only meant a shirtless pic, just to see his abs. But somehow, it had all tumbled out unfiltered, straight from the deepest corner of her mind.
…
Li Xia smacked her forehead hard, her little face flushing yellow then red with embarrassment. No response came from the other end. She sat on the bed clutching her phone, breaking out in a fine sweat of anxiety.
Was he mad?
Li Xia fretted, wondering if F was already debating whether to hang up.
After a moment, she finally picked up on his breathing. He let out a long exhale, mixed with a muffled, restrained cough that hit her eardrum. Her heart clenched instantly; she squeezed her eyes shut, bracing silently for whatever judgment was coming her way.
Truth be told, she knew words like that—man or woman—were the kind that got you blocked without mercy.
Li Xia had a full apology queued up, hoping he’d at least hear her out before disconnecting.
But the next second, F let out a soft chuckle.
The light nasal huff shattered the tension and awkwardness like a vast, comforting net, catching her dangling heart mid-fall.
He sounded almost speechless with exasperation before finally squeezing out, “Teacher Lizi… I’m a decent guy.”
“I don’t do that kind of colorful stuff.”
…
Li Xia’s face burned. She flipped over and dove into her covers, rubbing her cheeks against the soft belly of her penguin plushie. She was sure her face was beet red.
Then F’s teasing voice drifted softly into her ear: “I don’t even dare drink water while listening to you anymore. Afraid I’ll choke again like just now.”
Li Xia cut in hurriedly, “No need, really, no need!”
F pressed his advantage: “Teacher Lizi, I feel like I should remind you—the internet isn’t a lawless place.”
Li Xia clapped her hands over her face and explained in a rush, “Don’t get the wrong idea, don’t! I’m a decent person too.”
“Oh yeah?” F shot back. “Then what was that about wanting to see…?”
“I was just asking if you had abs!”
“Oh?”
F paused deliberately.
“That simple?”
What else?
Li Xia laughed helplessly. Had she already shattered her image in his mind as some kind of female pervert?
She fanned her hot little face furiously and grinned through gritted teeth. “…Yeah, I’m actually pretty subtle. That was just a slip of the tongue.”
F sounded thoughtful. “Hmm. Guess I need to redefine ‘subtle’ then.”
“…”
The guy was dismantling her every move.
“Forget it,” Li Xia said, throwing in the towel on salvaging her image in total defeatist mode. It wasn’t the first time she’d blurted something wild, and since F wasn’t mad, he could play along. Having figured that out, she slyly doubled down on her pursuit. “Then let me redefine ‘simple.'”
“Hm?”
“You said checking out abs is a simple request, which means it’s easy to fulfill, right?” Li Xia’s confidence surged, laced with playful mischief, like she was turning the tables.
“So?”
“I want to see.”
Li Xia stated it firm and resolute.
“Do you have them?”
The directness hung in the air. A two-second silence followed. “…Suddenly don’t know how to answer that.”
“Just say yes or no!”
“Okay.”
Yes or no?
Or.
Li Xia ground her teeth in frustration. “…Teacher Fang!”
A choppy laugh came through the earpiece.
“Do you care that much?” he asked.
Li Xia thought, Of course I do! A handsome face, a voice like that—if no abs, it’d be a huge letdown. Like biting into a cream-filled candy and finding no cream.
She let out a heavy “Mm,” then asked, “So, do you…?”
“Nope.” F dashed her fantasies.
“Really?”
“Yep.”
“Sounds like a lie.”
“Disappointed?”
“Not disappointed, sigh.” Li Xia let out a breath. “I’m just thinking maybe I came on too strong earlier and put you on guard. Too bad I haven’t thought of a good way to make it up to you yet.”
“Make up for what?”
“The trust you’re missing in me.”
Over there, F let out a barely audible chuckle. “Then you really do need to think on that.”
His laugh was feather-light and fleeting, yet it carried an ultimate sense of indulgent ease, like nothing she said could ever truly anger him.
Li Xia suddenly realized her boldness stemmed from his indulgence.
She had zero intention of holding back—in fact, she amped up the wheedling. “So, seeing how well-behaved I’m being, tell me the truth?”
F might’ve eaten that up.
“The truth is—”
He paused, as if marshaling his words, then admitted without much conviction, “Haven’t worked out lately. Can’t compare to those thirst-trap vids you scroll online.”
Oh!
So he just lacked confidence.
A virtue—that was a virtue!
Li Xia found him even cuter.
Wonderful. There were still normal guys in the world who knew how to be humble.
Fighting a laugh, she said, “How do you know I watch those thirst traps with guys?”
“You don’t?”
“I do.”
“…You actually do?”
Li Xia backpedaled in a flash. “Not lately. Been busy chatting with you.”
What was wrong with a single adult woman watching some clips? Li Xia had no shame in admitting it. But she gave F this face-saving nod, highlighting his sway over her. And honestly, it was true—lately, her focus was all on F, with a budding addiction sneaking up. Not a great sign.
“Teacher Lizi?”
In the quiet, F called her name abruptly.
“Yeah?”
“I’ve actually had this question.”
“Shoot.”
Li Xia had no clue what was coming, so she listened quietly.
“That post you made the other day about needing a girlfriend—did you send it just to me?” F hesitated, then ventured a guess on his own. “Or did you blast it to a bunch… and I was the only one who…?”
Before Li Xia could reply, F cut himself off. “Never mind.”
That emotional rollercoaster hooked her good.
She wouldn’t let it drop that easily.
She had no idea why F was asking—male pride, probably, Li Xia figured. Wanting to be the unique one, not just a fluke among a school of fish. She got it.
Just like how she felt like one random flower he’d plucked on a whim from a garden of options.
But so what?
No need to get serious.
Getting serious would kill the fun.
Still, Li Xia answered honestly. “No one else. Just you.”
“You don’t believe me?”
A few seconds ticked by before F replied, sounding grudgingly convinced.
Whether he bought it or not, that flicker of care from him sent a tiny thrill leaping through her heart.
Truth was, Li Xia had the same question—but she was too lazy to ask.
Knowing too much would just weigh her down.
She just wanted to keep things light and breezy with this heart-fluttering guy.
She knew this flirtation had a shelf life.
Short best-by date.
But whatever.
After all, you couldn’t judge food’s deliciousness by its expiration date alone. Tasting it was what mattered.
They kept rambling on, neither showing any sign of wanting to hang up. The room grew stuffy and hot, so Li Xia crawled out of bed to crack a window. As she turned back, she heard a knock-knock at the door, followed by Qu Shuxin’s voice calling her.
Li Xia hurriedly shoved her phone under the covers and smoothed them down before calling out.
Qu Shuxin said, “Xia Xia, your mom’s here downstairs on her bike. She called—says go help her grab some stuff.”
“Got it, got it! Coming right down!”
She fished out her phone again, slipping on her slippers while explaining to F, “Sorry, gotta run downstairs and grab some things.”
“Go ahead.”
Li Xia couldn’t tell if he meant to end the call, leaving her momentarily at a loss. “So, we…?”
“Don’t hang up.”
“Huh?”
“Don’t hang up. Just go do your thing.”
Li Xia froze by the bed, then her eyes lit up with irrepressible delight. Her voice bubbled. “Okay, I’ll be right back!”
“Mm.”
–
Downstairs was pitch black. Li Xia spotted the pile of white plastic bags at Zhao Xiaolan’s feet right away. She figured they were for carrying up, but Zhao Xiaolan just grabbed a bag of fruit, handed over the bike keys with a chin jerk, and instructed, “Take these edamame, peanuts, garlic, and whatnot to your dad’s shop.”
Li Xia blinked. “Now?”
“What else? Bike it over. Hurry.”
Now Li Xia’s hands were empty.
Her phone lay abandoned on the bed.
But she could hardly say, Mom, I’ve got a hot guy waiting on the line in my phone.
Li Xia: “Alright.”
She hopped on the bike nimbly, eyed the heavy fruit bag in Zhao Xiaolan’s grip, hopped off again, took the bag from her, and pointed at the pile behind. “Mom, wait here a sec.”
Zhao Xiaolan was middle-aged, her left knee aching at the slightest strain—stairs were a slow ordeal on normal days. With the apartment on the third floor, Li Xia dashed up, dropped the fruit, then bounded back down.
Zhao Xiaolan chuckled. “Aw, youth is wasted on the young.”
Li Xia huffed playfully. “It’s your daughter who’s awesome.”
“Yes, yes, of course.”
Li Xia had once suggested buying a new house. The family could certainly afford it. But Zhao Xiaolan insisted that their current neighborhood felt just right. She wanted to save up and later pick out a nice spot to buy Li Xia her own place—something to give her confidence if she got married, or independence if she didn’t. Li Xia replied that it might be best not to marry at all, to avoid the hassle. Zhao Xiaolan shot that down immediately.
Unable to sway her, Li Xia sighed. “You two are so contradictory.”
Zhao Xiaolan smiled wryly. “Countless generations have muddled through the same contradictions.”
Sometimes Li Xia couldn’t help thinking that parenting truly demanded a spirit of self-sacrifice. Love and family bonds were impossible to put into words.
Parents like Zhao Xiaolan had it even harder. They straddled the line between old traditions and modern enlightenment, forced to grasp the younger generation’s mindset while wrestling with their own outdated beliefs. It was a tough balance.
After stowing her things, Li Xia waved goodbye and headed out. She twisted the key, and the car shot forward with her inside.
Life always threw in these little detours.
On the drive from home to the barbecue joint, Li Xia couldn’t stop worrying about F, who was still waiting on the line for her. Once she’d helped Li Dayong unload the goods into the small warehouse, she turned to leave—only for Xiao Wu to call her back. He bounded over, full of enthusiasm, ready to chat.
At first, Li Xia felt that familiar itch of impatience. She mumbled something about having an urgent errand.
Xiao Wu asked what it was.
Suddenly, Li Xia fell silent, words failing her.
What was so urgent, really?
She glanced around at the vibrant scene: guests laughing and chatting, friends calling out warm greetings, the smoky aroma of barbecue teasing her nose. It was all right there—sounds she could hear, sights she could see, scents she could smell.
Then she thought back to her overseas call with the stranger F, and it all felt… unreal.
So very unreal.
What was she rushing back for? If he got tired of waiting, he’d hang up on his own, and she could always explain later. No need to fly home like she couldn’t survive a minute without him.
With that resolve, Li Xia tamped down the anxiety that man had stirred in her. On the surface, she kept things light and breezy, laughing and chatting with Xiao Wu.
On the drive back, she didn’t gun the engine. Instead, she let the evening breeze carry her along at an easy pace.
Until she found herself standing at the foot of her building.
The curiosity and anticipation she’d tried so hard to suppress came roaring back.
Had F hung up by now?
Was he still waiting, or had impatience gotten the better of him?
If he’d ended the call, would he ring back?
…
In that moment, Li Xia conceded defeat.
Men were like cacti—one light touch, and your hand was full of tiny spines. They sparked endless worry and wild thoughts.
Heart racing, she bolted up the stairs, burst into the bedroom gasping for air, slammed the door, and lunged for the phone buried in the bedding like she was opening a blind box.
In her haste, she grabbed it upside down. But once she flipped it right-side up, Li Xia broke into a grin.
The screen was still lit—
And the call timer ticked steadily upward, minute by minute, second by second.
To her amazement, she and F had already been connected for fifty minutes. Staying silent, she strained to catch any sound from his end, to imagine what he might be doing. She held her breath for several seconds, but heard nothing.
The quiet only amplified the wild thumping of her heart.
Thump-thump-thump.
Li Xia inwardly scolded herself for being so pathetic, then steadied her breathing and spoke first to break the silence.
“I’m back.”
“Teacher Fang?”
The next instant, that voice—now faintly familiar from half an hour ago—came through.
Prompt, immediate, assured, without the slightest hesitation.
“Yeah, I’m here.”