The language they used was a lot blunter and more explicit. At the viewers’ request, Chen Hong generously removed his gym tank top and showed off his chiseled physique. Zheng Weize felt Chen Hong up on the fans’ behalf, touching his chest one moment and pinching the back of his shoulder the next.
Suddenly, Zheng Weize understood the appeal of a compact muscleman. Not “compact” as in the size of Chen Hong’s frame, but the way he’d sculpted his body into a more moderate figure with low body fat, so it didn’t appear overly bulky. Zheng Weize started to think that Chen Hong wasn’t all that bad, after all. Although his looks couldn’t compare to Zheng Weize’s Star, his years of self-discipline had left him with an enviable complexion and a body that looked slim when clothed and muscular when naked.
“‘Gege, how do you usually take care of your hole?’” Chen Hong read. “Well, honey, gege don’t need to do that…”
Zheng Weize mouthed a reminder to him that he didn’t need to read every comment, especially not the obscene ones.
Lonely gays flooded the live stream in the middle of the night to flirt with Chen Hong. Slang and anatomical references flew across the screen, along with obscene comments and abbreviations. Yet there were no gifts. At first, Zheng Weize occasionally prompted them to send gifts to demonstrate their support for the skin show, but eventually, he gave up.
“‘Wanna give u a prostate massage…’”
“‘Gege’s boobies…’”
“‘…like a woman’s boobs.’”
“‘wat shld I eat to grow bigger tits…’”
“‘ur dick…’”
Chen Hong skipped several comments before picking a normal one. “‘How do you maintain such a good figure?’ Well, it’s important to stabilize your metabolism if you want to keep your figure. Having the appropriate muscle can increase your body’s energy consumption.” He explained with such earnestness that Zheng Weize’s heart ached a little.
At the end, Chen Hong picked up the white sign he’d prepared and placed it before the camera. “Here’s my contact info on the messaging app. You can add me for consultations, and feel free to follow my personal page. I regularly share fitness tips there.”
“Please do follow Labrador!” Zheng Weize chimed in.
“‘Where did you find so many handsome guys?’” Chen Hong read. “Huh? L’il tramp…’”
“That was for me,” Zheng Weize explained as he clicked the button on the interface to post a link to Chen Hong’s personal page. Chen Hong rose again to get some water. His pants were pulled low over his hips, revealing his beautiful Apollo’s belt and finally winning a wave of gifts for Zheng Weize.
“All right, it’s almost two,” Zheng Weize said. “Sleep early, everyone. Good night.” He blew them a kiss and ended the stream.
It was now the dead of night. It was raining in Jiangbei. Dressed in thick pajamas, Zheng Weize was tired and sleepy. Chen Hong went to the dining room and retrieved his fitness meal from the refrigerator; they both had yet to eat dinner.
Zheng Weize poured hot water into his cup of instant noodles. “We got ¥700 in gifts. I’ll split it with you.”
“No, no,” Chen Hong said. “No need. I still haven’t thanked you for helping me get more followers.” Zheng Weize insisted, but Chen Hong turned him down and pointed upstairs, telling him to say no more lest he wake the others.
“In that case, I’ll treat you to a meal someday,” Zheng Weize whispered.
“Sure.” Chen Hong smiled and checked his personal page on his phone. Based on the boost in his follower count, it seemed Zheng Weize’s recommendation was working.
Waiting for his instant noodles, Zheng Weize said in hushed tones, “Some of my followers can be pretty abrasive in their language, sorry. Don’t take it personally.”
“It’s nothing.” Chen Hong was almost thirty years old, nine years Zheng Weize’s senior. He understood the realities of the world they lived in and the desires that lurked deep in many people’s hearts. He was also no stranger to seeing people hurt others because of those desires. So he didn’t take it to heart. “You must encounter more toxicity online than I do. It’s just that you’re young and tend to get fixated.”
Zheng Weize smiled at Chen Hong. “I was definitely bothered by the verbal abuse when I first started live streaming. But I’m all good now.”
During the stream, there had been a few times when Chen Hong had noticed Zheng Weize clearly wanted to lash out but did his best to hold back. He reached out and patted Zheng Weize on the head.
“There were a lot of times when I thought I was used to it, but then a comment or two would leave me feeling terrible, even if I was in a good mood all day. It would totally ruin my night.” They both fell silent. Then, still smiling, Zheng Weize peeled back the foil lid of his instant noodles and added, “You know? When I was in school, the boys in my class always bullied me, calling me a sissy…”
“They were just jerks,” Chen Hong said. “Don’t dwell on those memories. They’ll get their comeuppance.”
“Yeah,” Zheng Weize said absently. “They threw my books into the toilet and even put their leftovers in my desk. My health wasn’t very good, so I was slow during our runs, and they’d surround me and shout, ‘Preparing for sissy launch, 360-degree spin,’ and stuff like that.” Even Zheng Weize found it funny now. He laughed.
Chen Hong didn’t laugh, though. “If I were there, I would have beaten them to death,” he said seriously. “People who bully others are scum.” He’d never been the victim of bullying before and never participated in it himself. He was the kind of person who’d step in when he saw a pack of kids taunting cats and dogs, pulling them away and telling them not to bully the weak. His physique gave him a natural sense of justice and responsibility.
Zheng Weize dug into his noodles, and they both went quiet for a while. Zheng Weize’s tears fell soundlessly into the noodle cup. Chen Hong remembered the day when, on returning home, he’d seen Yan Jun crying while hugging Zhang Yuwen. He felt he had to comfort Zheng Weize too, so he went over to his side and gently wrapped his arms around him.
Zheng Weize leaned his head against him, sobbing softly. His tears soaked through Chen Hong’s flimsy gym tank top, revealing the alluring contours of his abdominal muscles.
His abs are so sexy… Zheng Weize thought as he cried.
He wanted so badly to find a boyfriend and pour all his woes out to him.