◎ Where Are the Abs You Promised? ◎

Saying goodbye was the hardest part of the night. X walked me to the hotel lobby, and the short distance to the elevator felt like the most difficult journey. Every few steps, I turned back, and he remained standing there, watching me, his eyes filled with an overwhelming intensity, as if he could pull me right back into his arms with just his gaze.

More than once, I wanted to turn around and run straight into his embrace.

But I held myself back. I had to admire my own restraint. Late at night, with a gorgeous man within reach, and I still had the self-control to walk away. I must have been a monk in my past life.

Back in my room, my colleague had already finished washing up.

“You’re back.” My voice wavered between excitement and exhaustion. “How was the lake at night? Was it crowded?”

“Ms. You Lexin!” My colleague let out a dramatic gasp, hands on her hips, before bouncing over to me. “Be honest! You were on a date, weren’t you?”

“Uh…” I flinched. “Was it that obvious?”

She clicked her tongue at me. “Look in the mirror, and you’ll understand.”

I picked up my phone and turned on the front camera. Oh my god, the woman staring back at me, glowing with happiness, was actually me.

My colleague peeked over my shoulder and teased, “You look like you just got a fat year-end bonus.”

I put my phone down. “Do we even have such a thing as year-end bonuses?”

She shrugged. “Thirteenth-month salary counts as a year-end bonus.”

I immediately shot her a glare. She held up her hands. “Boss said it, not me.”

I pretended to wipe my tears in despair. “Ah yes, corporate jargon. I understand.”

“Exactly. It’s pure exploitation—” She was about to launch into a rant when she suddenly stopped mid-sentence, rolling up her sleeves. “Wait a minute. Are you trying to change the subject?”

I pressed my lips together. “Ah… you noticed?”

She huffed and dragged me to sit down, clearly ready for a long interrogation. “Spill it. Now.”

“I’m obsessed.”

I gave up and slumped onto the bed, utterly defeated. “What do I do? I’ve never been this into someone before.”

She let out an exasperated sigh, like a general disappointed in her soldier. “Then why are you back here tonight?!”

I hesitated. “Uh… self-restraint?”

She burst into laughter.

I pretended to be offended and playfully punched her. “What? Can’t I even pretend to be reserved?”

Saturday was a magical day. The normally lifeless colleagues at work all seemed to resurrect at the same time. We laughed and teased each other for a while before she nudged me with her elbow, suddenly turning serious. “So, is he a local?”

I nodded.

She let out a thoughtful “oh.” “Then you need to think carefully. Otherwise, it’ll turn into a long-distance relationship.”

“I haven’t thought that far ahead. I’m too busy to get caught up in romance,” I admitted, hugging a pillow. After such an emotional high, I felt an odd sense of melancholy. “You know what I mean, right? Falling in love means laughing and crying over someone, acting crazy when you’re together, then falling apart when it ends. The whole thing is like losing your mind.”

“I get it, I get it. But since you don’t plan on a serious relationship—” She nodded repeatedly before circling back to her original question. “Then why did you come back tonight?!”

Just as I was about to answer, my phone vibrated in my hand. It was a message from X:

“What’s Teacher Seagull’s plan for tomorrow?”

He was already asking about tomorrow right after we parted. Did that mean he really enjoyed tonight? Did it mean he really liked me?

A bright smile spread across my face. Even my fingers felt lighter as I typed.

“I need to go over next week’s plans with my colleagues in the afternoon, and I’ll probably have to work overtime in the evening.”

Then I asked him, “What about Teacher X? Any plans for tomorrow?”

His reply came almost instantly, and when I saw it, my cheeks burned.

“My plan is to wait for Teacher Seagull’s plan.”

How could he be this smooth?!

“Hey, hey, hey! Who’s that? Is that your date? Did he just ask you out?”

My colleague nosily peeked over my shoulder.

I quickly locked my phone and touched my flushed face, a little embarrassed. “…Is it that obvious?”

“You’re grinning so much your mouth is practically reaching the sky.” She shoved me playfully. “If he’s asking you out, then go! If you don’t, I’ll kick you out myself!”

I put on a pitiful act, pretending to be weak and helpless. “But it’s so late… would you really throw me out into the cold?”

She smirked. “Someone will definitely take you in.”

I threw a pillow at her, pretending to be annoyed.

She waved a dismissive hand. “Don’t overthink it. Like you said, live in the moment. Worry about the future later.”

Then she added, “Worst case scenario, you have your fun and leave. You’re going home next week. What’s he gonna do, take a high-speed train to hunt you down?”

And finally, she concluded with a passionate battle cry, “Go for it!”

I was still lost in the lingering heat of tonight’s kisses, my willpower dangerously weak, easily swayed by the slightest temptation.

Just then, X sent another message, this time with a link to a breakfast place.

“Interested in having breakfast together tomorrow?”

A second later, he corrected himself.

“Oh, I mean later today.”

Normally, I would never wake up early like X, that early-rising machine. If I had nothing scheduled on a Sunday, I’d sleep until the afternoon without hesitation.

But tomorrow was different.

A fire burned inside me, pushing me forward, telling me—

I had to wake up early. Even if I didn’t sleep at all tonight, I would wake up early tomorrow.

I asked him, “What time?”

X: “Whenever you wake up.”

I deliberately teased him, “What if I sleep until noon?”

X went along with it, “Then we’ll have lunch together.”

Oh my god. I buried my face in the pillow and rolled around like crazy.

He’s so sweet. How can he be this sweet?

I couldn’t help but wonder—has he always been this good, or is he just putting on a temporary act to entertain a soul destined for a short stay, with his ultimate goal being nothing more than a fleeting moment of pleasure in bed?

Forget it. It doesn’t really matter to me either way.

I happily accepted X’s breakfast invitation. Who cares? Youth is fleeting, time waits for no one. I could easily find a thousand reasons to say yes.

*

I thought waking up early on a Sunday would leave me groggy and yawning all morning, but to my surprise, I was wide awake by 6:30, brimming with energy. I tiptoed to the bathroom and put on light makeup. I even considered going out to a salon for a blowout, but eventually gave up when I realized no salon would be open this early.

The hardest part wasn’t waking up early—it was forcing myself to stay quiet in the dark until exactly 8:00 to avoid looking too eager.

The moment the clock struck eight, I sent X a message. Half an hour later, he arrived at the hotel entrance as promised.

The car window rolled down, revealing the face that had kept me tossing and turning all night.

X really has an amazing face. Under the night sky, the shadows emphasized his sharp features, making him look even more intense. But in daylight, the sun softened his brows and amplified his youthful energy, making his smile appear even brighter.

Honestly, who could resist a man like this?

I certainly couldn’t.

“Morning, Teacher X.”

I waved at him, finally managing to smile without showing my teeth.

X rested an arm on the car window, smiling at me before nodding in greeting. “Good morning, Teacher Seagull.”

I was wearing jeans today—perfectly practical for walking—yet I still climbed into the passenger seat as if I were wearing a dress, deliberately graceful and delicate.

Did he sleep well last night? Was he, like me, unable to stop thinking and struggling to fall asleep?

I stole glances at him, but there was no way to tell. He looked refreshed and well-rested, without a hint of dark circles despite staying up late. So unfair.

X turned the steering wheel and pulled away from the hotel, sneaking glances at me whenever he could. I pretended not to notice, but inside, I was over the moon.

“What do you feel like eating this morning?”

He left the choice to me.

“Hmm…” I thought for a moment. “I’ve been to a lot of touristy places. Take me somewhere only locals would know about.”

X brought me to a soup dumpling shop.

The restaurant was tucked away in an old street, and finding a parking spot took a little time. When we got out of the car, I was stunned. Wow! There were so many people!

A simple, happy family of three, elderly couples pulling small carts—this kind of everyday warmth and liveliness had a way of touching the heart.

X gently tugged at my sleeve to guide me through the crowd.

His height and build were perfect for leading the way.

Feeling safe and reassured, I followed behind him, letting him take me through the world.

After some searching, X found us a spot and led me over. On the way, he casually mentioned, “This shop has been here for twenty years.”

“Twenty-three years!” The auntie wiping down tables nearby cheerfully corrected him.

“Wow, that’s amazing,” I said sincerely, already looking forward to the meal.

“I used to get so excited every time I came here as a kid. See if you like it.”

X dragged two chairs over and gestured for me to look at the menu on the wall.

I knew that in a relationship, it’s good to create little, harmless challenges for men now and then. So, I tugged on his fingers playfully and said, “Can you order for me? You must know what’s best here.”

He was momentarily surprised and glanced down at our touching hands. Then, after a brief pause, he firmly clasped my hand in his palm.

I smiled knowingly and intertwined our fingers.

The restaurant was packed, and most people had to share tables. Luckily, X found us a spot against the wall with two seats side by side. That’s when I noticed—he’s left-handed. Perfect. This way, we wouldn’t even have to let go of each other’s hands while eating.

“You two make such a lovely couple,” said the warm-hearted auntie taking our order.

Neither of us corrected her. The moment was both slightly awkward and subtly sweet.

X didn’t even look at the menu before ordering a serving of crab roe soup dumplings for me and a pork chop noodle soup for himself.

I was surprised. “Really? I thought you’d be more strict about your diet—you work out, after all.”

“One indulgence won’t hurt.”

He poured some vinegar with ginger into a small dish and slid it over to me, only then remembering to ask, “Ah, I forgot to check—do you eat ginger?”

“You’re asking too late,” I teased, taking the dish with a smile. “A strict judge would have to deduct points for that.”

“Oh? Is that so?” X raised an eyebrow in playful curiosity. “How many points have I earned with the strict Judge Seagull so far?”

I was just making things up, so I had no real answer. Instead, I put on a mysterious air. “I’ll tell you later.”

“Excuse me, coming through,” said the auntie, interrupting our conversation as she brought over our food.

Following X’s instructions, I took a small bite of the dumpling to drink the soup first before eating the rest with my chopsticks.

I usually eat quickly, used to rushing through work meals, so one bite per dumpling wouldn’t normally be an issue. But today, I took almost ten bites to finish just one, feeling a little self-conscious about it. I gave him an embarrassed smile.

“Careful, it’s hot,” X reminded me.

He was so considerate that he even attributed my slow eating to the dumplings being too hot, rather than me stalling. I lowered my head and smiled as I continued eating.

How could I believe this? I casually met a guy online, and he turned out to be this thoughtful and sweet?

Because he was so wonderful, I couldn’t bring myself to treat this casually. I wanted to be honest with myself—and with him. So, I lightly wrapped my doubts in a question and tossed it his way.

“Did it bother you when we parted ways last night?”

X immediately turned to look at me, raising an eyebrow in surprise. “I thought I made it very clear how happy I was. Did I really not?”

“It’s not like that…”

I shrugged with a knowing look.

“I mean, you drove all this way, and in the end, nothing happened.”

Talking about something a little suggestive, X unexpectedly seemed a bit shy. His eyes shifted slightly, showing a look of surrender. “The progress is already fast enough.”

“Too fast,” he emphasized.

The way he said it—how should I put it? It was like someone walking down the street and suddenly getting hit by a pie from the sky. And at this moment, in his eyes, I was that scheming pie.

As I was pondering whether he was serious or just joking, he suddenly looked at me with extreme seriousness. He even put down his chopsticks solemnly and said, “I really wasn’t thinking about those things. The one with a clear goal from the start was you.”

“I wasn’t!” I denied it immediately.

X laughed. “Think about the first thing you ever said to me.”

I tried hard to recall last night. “Good… night?”

X chuckled even more. “I meant online, in the private message you sent me.”

I was instantly speechless, as if he had caught me right in my weak spot. In a public place, there was no way I could say it out loud! Looking around, I bit my lip and mumbled like ventriloquism, “Hi, are you there? Look at the abs.”

“Oh, now you’re embarrassed?”

X had intended to tease me, though he probably wasn’t very good at it or was just pretending to be clumsy to amuse me. Halfway through, he broke character and laughed himself, shaking his head helplessly. “Are you always this quirky?”

I was so amused by him that my heart blossomed with joy. Seizing the moment, I counterattacked with an exaggerated troubled expression. “Speaking of that, I feel like I got scammed by a dishonest seller.”

X knew I was joking, so he kept smiling and asked, “How so?”

With the bustling crowd around, I had to lean in close to him, lowering my voice as I playfully demanded, “What about the promised abs? It’s been so long, and I haven’t even caught a glimpse.”