The girls were polite, and not wanting to disturb their meal, they chatted briefly before leaving.
Before leaving, they took photos with Xiang Sheng and asked if they could post them online.
Xiang Sheng said, “Sure, just don’t include my sister.”
The girls promised they wouldn’t and left.
Once they were gone, Xiang Sheng dropped the cool facade and turned to Xiang Di, bragging, “See that? That’s your brother’s popularity. Even eating hotpot, I run into fans—pretty female fans.”
“Yeah, pretty.” Xiang Di chewed on a slice of fatty beef, “Just bad eyesight.”
“This hotpot’s on me. Watch your words. I’m telling you, it’s not their eyesight that’s bad, it’s yours. Anyone else with a brother as handsome as me would be laughing themselves awake from dreaming.”
Xiang Di clicked her chopsticks against her teeth.
Then Xiang Sheng suddenly remembered, “Hey, you said the boys in your class are better-looking than me and wanted to show me photos. Where are they? Don’t want that 2,500 yuan anymore?”
“Nope. I’m afraid if you see them, you’d be so ashamed you’d hang yourself on the spot.”
“I shouldn’t thank you for that?”
“No need.”
“Come on. You’re too scared to show me the photos because there’s no one in your class better looking than me.”
Xiang Sheng poked her with his chopsticks, “You’re just bragging.”
Xiang Di was flustered, “There really are several, I just don’t have their photos.”
“No photos on their Moments?”
“Nope. Not everyone’s like you, always showing off online. They’re low-key.”
She pulled out her phone. “Don’t believe me? I’ll show you.”
She opened WeChat, then removed the pinned chat with Bo Jiangxin before showing his Moments.
Just a horizontal bar, only three days’ worth of posts, and zero activity. So cold and indifferent.
Then she showed Xiang Sheng Zhou Linxiao’s Moments, which had content—mostly daily scenery shots, even stray cats, but no selfies.
The Class Monitor and Wang Sicheng had selfies in their Moments, but Xiang Di thought they looked good but wouldn’t deal a serious blow to her brother’s status, so she didn’t show those.
Xiang Sheng still didn’t believe it, “I don’t believe someone better looking than me can resist posting selfies.”
“The real handsome guys don’t need others’ praise daily. Why bother posting selfies for validation?”
She had considered sneaking photos of them to prove her point but gave up—too awkward if discovered. Zhou Linxiao would understand, but Bo Jiangxin would feel offended.
She liked Bo Jiangxin too much to risk offending him, even by sneaky photos.
Halfway through the hotpot, with the dipping sauce almost gone, Xiang Di got up, “I’ll go make more sauce.”
Xiang Sheng said, “Hey, make an extra bowl for me too.”
“Don’t you have hands?”
“I’m paying, can’t you help me out?”
“Fine, fine.”
Xiang Di left, tossing her phone carelessly beside the hotpot.
Not caring if it got oily, Xiang Sheng grabbed it and wiped it down with a tissue.
That revealed the lock screen, prompting for a six-digit password.
Xiang Sheng tried Xiang Di’s birthdate—it unlocked smoothly.
See? Never use your birthday as a password, it’s way too easy to guess.
Suddenly, a thought flashed in Xiang Sheng’s mind.
Everyone’s biggest secrets were usually in their phones, and now was the perfect chance to find hers.
This brat must have tons of lewd stuff hidden.
But just as he was about to check her file manager, he hesitated.
No. She was already eighteen. What if he found something awful? How would she save face?
He had also hidden stuff on his phone in high school.
Still, her phone was right here, and he felt his parents’ scolding this morning was unfair.
He clicked his tongue irritably.
Finally, he thought of a sneaky plan—since it was hotpot time, he called it the Evil Hotpot Plan.
This was the price of annoying your own brother with all this sibling incest stuff.
He found his own viral abs video and sent it to her.
Then, using her WeChat, he found the two boys she had shown him earlier.
The boys’ avatars were memorable: one was a ragdoll cat, the other a monster king from Stranger Things.
He didn’t know the first boy’s name—his sister hadn’t saved it, so probably not close. The other was Zhou Linxiao.
Xiang Sheng didn’t check their chat history, just shared the video with both of them, asking, “Do you have abs like these?”
A provocative question.
If they really were handsome, how would they see his sister’s public image as a pure little girl?
One hadn’t responded—probably hadn’t seen the phone yet—but Zhou Linxiao replied quickly.
Zhou Linxiao: “Yeah.”
Zhou Linxiao: “His are too flat. Mine are a bit bigger.”
Zhou Linxiao: “Why are you suddenly asking me this?”
Xiang Sheng raised an eyebrow.
Hey, this Zhou Linxiao was just a high school brat but somehow had more time to work out?
Just as he pondered how to respond, his sister returned with two bowls of sauce.
He quickly deleted the messages, pretending nothing happened.
Xiang Di saw him placing her phone on the table.
She immediately frowned, “You snooped on my phone?”
“Your phone got oil splashed on it.” Xiang Sheng stayed calm.
Xiang Di was still suspicious and unlocked it to check—nothing unusual.
She warned, “You better not have looked, or our sibling relationship ends here.”
Xiang Sheng snorted.
“Then hurry up. You make me buy a big meal every week. I can’t keep feeding this pig of yours.”
A pleasant Sunday ended, and the dreaded Monday arrived.
But Xiang Di was still happy—not just because she’d see Bo Jiangxin again, but after this week of classes, she had a fancy buffet dinner waiting.
A weekly big meal—life was beautiful.
Her good mood lasted all the way to the classroom, where her deskmate Zhou Linxiao was already there.
There was a flag-raising ceremony today, so he wore his school uniform.
The traditional Chinese-style uniform suited him perfectly, blending Eastern youth’s elegance and reserve with a mixed-blood’s depth and flair.
His eyes were an absolute gift—thanks to Grandfather Jesus and Grandmother Nuwa for creating such a pleasing-looking young man, thought Xiang Di gratefully, greeting Zhou Linxiao in Spanish.
“Buenos días!”
Not perfect, but cute pronunciation. Zhou Linxiao squinted his beautiful olive eyes, returning the greeting warmly before asking, “Why didn’t you reply to my message yesterday?”
Xiang Di blinked, “Huh? What message?”
Zhou Linxiao didn’t waste words and showed her the phone.
Xiang Di’s expression froze instantly.
She didn’t have to think hard—she could guess the message was definitely from that damn brother.
He was still at home sleeping, so dealing with him later could wait. Her priority now was to explain clearly to Zhou Linxiao.
He added, “You stopped replying. Do you not believe my abs are bigger than that guy’s?”
“No!” Xiang Di stumbled over her words, “Hey, listen to me—”
“Want to see them?”
“That message… what?”
Xiang Di stared blankly.
“Do you want to see my abs?”
Zhou Linxiao repeated himself, completely unashamed.
Most Spaniards thought clothes were shackles on the soul. Spain was one of the most nudist-friendly countries, boasting the most nude beaches worldwide.
His father had won his mother’s heart with his perfect muscles.
But since his mother was Chinese, she taught him many Eastern manners, so his views were somewhat conservative.
Faced with his generous offer, Xiang Di wanted to say no, but…
Though she’d read plenty of erotic novels and a bit of female-oriented adult films, she had rarely seen abs in real life.
Beer bellies were everywhere, but abs weren’t cabbages in the market, easily earned with a few sit-ups.
What she really wanted to see were Bo Jiangxin’s abs, but she didn’t even know if he had any.
Even if he did, she’d probably only fantasize about them in her head for life.
FAX…
“…Actually, that message wasn’t from me but a prank from my family. But speaking of abs…”
Xiang Di carefully asked, “Do you really mind if I see them?”
Though open-minded in thought, her behavior was conservative—otherwise she wouldn’t have secretly crushed on Bo Jiangxin for three years without making a move.
Zhou Linxiao smiled, “What’s there to mind? If you’re interested, you can even touch them.”
…Touch?
Xiang Di extended one finger. “Just a little poke, okay? Don’t worry, I won’t take advantage.”
“Just touching abs? Then my fitness coach should be in jail!” Zhou Linxiao, though the one being touched, reassured her, “But you have to promise to compliment me after, so I feel my hard work was worth it.”
“Definitely!”
Xiang Di nodded vigorously.
Zhou Linxiao was about to take off his uniform.
Xiang Di quickly stopped him, “What are you doing?”
“Isn’t it to see your abs?”
“Can’t take off clothes in the classroom.”
“Not allowed in the classroom?” Zhou Linxiao laughed, “So conservative. Then let’s go outside.”
Xiang Di thought it wasn’t proper to undress outside either—after all, this was China, not Spain.
But she really wanted to see them since she’d never seen anything like that in real life.
She bit her lip and said, “Let’s just look here.”
Zhou Linxiao unzipped his uniform. The weather was still chilly, but as a mixed blood, he probably wasn’t bothered.
Underneath, he wore just a thin wool base layer—not even pulled up—and Xiang Di saw two faintly bulging, barely visible pectoral muscles.
Wow, big chest. If it were Bo Jiangxin’s, she’d probably have had a nosebleed by now.
Then Zhou Linxiao lifted the base layer.
Perfectly shaped, just right—no more, no less. The defined lines and bulging veins under the skin were firm and just the right tension.
Michelangelo’s masterpiece wouldn’t be an exaggeration.
Xiang Di had no dirty thoughts—only admiration and praise for this perfect body, giving him a thumbs-up. “Handsome!”
“Thanks.”
Zhou Linxiao smiled modestly, “Want to touch?”
Xiang Di nodded and swallowed nervously, stretching out her right index finger.
Dear right index finger, you’re the luckiest of my ten fingers. Remember this touch—it might be the most perfect abs you’ll ever feel in your life.
Just as Xiang Di was psyching herself up to touch, Zhou Linxiao suddenly noticed a shadow blocking the light above them.
He looked up and laughed out loud upon seeing who it was.
“Bo Jiangxin? Good morning.”
At the mention of that name, Xiang Di shuddered and stepped back.
Her back hit a hard wall.
She turned her head and looked up to see Bo Jiangxin’s dark eyes narrowing, expressionless.
Bo Jiangxin lowered his gaze on the two. “What are you two doing?”
Zhou Linxiao answered honestly, “Xiang Di was touching my abs.”
Bo Jiangxin’s mouth twitched, momentarily speechless at Zhou Linxiao’s bluntness