"Right, there's one more thing. Because this design will be posted online for voting, it will get a lot of exposure. Some people will definitely take the image to get the same tattoo. I wonder if you would mind," Xu Zhinan added.

"No problem. It's a competition, the nature is different. I must support my little sister's career!"

"..."

Xu Zhenfan continued, "Besides, for this style of tattoo, I don't think anyone in Yan City can do it besides you. Even if someone copies it, mine will be the best-looking one. But if someone comes to your shop later asking for the same design, you can't agree."

"Yes, you can rest assured about that."

Xu Zhinan's shop offered two types of tattoos.

One was common designs, which many young people interested in tattoos would try, and there would be overlaps.

The other was custom designs. In the eyes of seasoned tattoo enthusiasts like Xu Zhenfan, every tattoo should have a unique story, and a design should only be used once.

Xu Zhenfan didn't have much to do today. Now that the design for his next tattoo was confirmed and it was getting late, he got up to leave.

"You should take this back." Xu Zhinan held up the basket of waxberries he had brought.

"No, no, no. This is to thank you for the crane tattoo last time. They're very sweet. In a few days, you won't be able to buy these waxberries anymore. Eat up."

Xu Zhinan was a little embarrassed. "This is too much. I can't finish it all."

"Just put it in the fridge. I don't take back things I've given away." Xu Zhenfan waved to her and walked out. "Don't see me out. Get back to work."

Xu Zhinan had no choice but to accept it. With her hand on the doorknob, she lifted the basket and thanked him again. "Thank you. And thank you for being my model, too."

"No need, no need. Why be so polite with me?" Xu Zhenfan grinned. "And don't use such formal titles. You're younger than me, just call me Brother Zhenfan."

Suddenly having to call a man she had only met twice 'brother', Xu Zhinan felt a bit shy.

But Xu Zhenfan had indeed helped her out a lot this time, and he had no ill intentions; he was just straightforward.

"Brother Zhenfan," she called out softly.

"Yeah," Xu Zhenfan responded, waving. "I'm off!"

Xu Zhinan watched him get in his car and leave, then patted her hot cheeks, flushed from calling an unfamiliar man "Brother Zhenfan," and turned back into the shop.

Knowing she would be busy until late today, she had already messaged her mom that she wouldn't be coming home, and would go straight to her dorm to sleep after closing the shop.

Having solved the model problem, Xu Zhinan was in a good mood. She sat in her chair, stretched lazily, and then slowly began to pack up, preparing to go back to her dorm.

She hadn't been packing for long when the wind chime on the door rang, and someone else came in.

"Sorry, I'm..."

Xu Zhinan's words caught in her throat when she saw the young man at the door.

He didn't stop, striding toward her.

Xu Zhinan immediately stood up. Before she could tell him to leave, he was in front of her in just a few steps.

He took another step forward. Xu Zhinan retreated until her back was against the wall.

He trapped her.

Up close, Xu Zhinan smelled the strong scent of alcohol on him. His eyes weren't clear, and she realized he was drunk.

"Lin Qingye." She frowned, disliking the current position, and reached out to push him. "Don't be so close to me."

Hearing this, he let out a cold snort. Being drunk hadn't affected his agility. He easily grabbed both of Xu Zhinan's wrists with one hand and pushed them forward.

He was too drunk, his actions not following his thoughts. He pushed Xu Zhinan's wrists to her chest with great force, pressing them into her flesh.

The action made Xu Zhinan extremely embarrassed. Her face flushed instantly, and her breathing tightened as she struggled fiercely.

Lin Qingye easily subdued her. "Xu Zhinan."

As soon as he spoke, Xu Zhinan realized his voice was extremely hoarse, deep and raspy.

Lin Qingye usually called her by her full name only in two situations: first, when he was teasing her maliciously, and second, when he was angry.

Clearly, this was the second.

It's just that Xu Zhinan had no idea how she had provoked him.

They were like two parallel lines. Lin Qingye was on a show, attracting many fans, while she was working hard and participating in a tattoo contest.

"It's only been a few days since we broke up, and you already have a boyfriend?" His eyes were bloodshot, but his expression was scornful. "And you're eagerly calling him 'Brother Zhenfan.' Do you really think that guy is any good?"

They hadn't been in contact these past few days, but it wasn't as if she hadn't seen him.

Once the show aired, he became a hot topic. She had even seen his name once in a news push notification on her phone.

Some of the girls who came to her shop for tattoos were his fans and would discuss him with excited faces.

He was still dazzling, even more so than before.

To the point that Xu Zhinan found it hard to connect the Lin Qingye in front of her now with the Lin Qingye on the show, standing amidst a tsunami of cheers.

After hearing what he said, Xu Zhinan finally realized what he had misunderstood.

The Lin Qingye in front of her now was completely different from the impression she had of him during the three years she had known him.

In her memory, he was always cool and detached, as if he didn't particularly care about anything, including her. His attitude had been casual and unrestrained, roguish yet carefree.

But the current Lin Qingye seemed to have shed those masks, revealing his truest self in front of her.

Xu Zhinan suddenly remembered the viral video of Lin Qingye getting into a fight.

But she couldn't be bothered to explain to him that she and Xu Zhenfan had no other relationship.

"Let go of me! We have nothing to do with each other anymore!" Xu Zhinan was annoyed now too.

"Then who do you want to have something to do with?"

Xu Zhinan just wanted to break free from his grasp quickly. "Anyone but you."

He sneered. "You really think he likes you that much? Isn't he just after your face?"

"You don't even have a shred of caution. Who wouldn't like a pure and gullible college student like you?" Lin Qingye pressed her tightly into the corner, his facade stripped away, venting all the frustration from the past few days.

Xu Zhinan took a deep breath, her expression still calm. "Who I'm with has nothing to do with you. Even if someone else deceives me like you did, it's none of your business. You don't even count as my ex-boyfriend. What right do you have to come looking for me now?"

Xu Zhinan had never said such harsh words in her entire life. This was the first time.

Lin Qingye's gaze grew even colder. "Do you think I'm pathetic like this?"

"You're not pathetic," Xu Zhinan said. "So many people like you."

The previously aggressive Lin Qingye suddenly fell silent.

He slowly lowered his head, resting his forehead on her shoulder.

Because of the height difference, his back was hunched, as if he had finally bowed his head.

"Ah Nan." His voice was extremely low. "Stop fighting with me."

"You're a public figure now, Lin Qingye. Don't come running to me so recklessly anymore." Xu Zhinan's voice softened slightly.

She tried to pull her hands from his grip again. This time, she succeeded. Her wrists were ringed with red from his grasp.

Worried that he would go crazy again, Xu Zhinan didn't push him away. She let her hands fall to her sides, allowing him to lean on her shoulder.

"Come back. I'll be good to you."

Xu Zhinan pressed her lips together and didn't speak.

He tilted his head slightly, his lips brushing against her fair neck. Then he stopped, his cool lips resting against her slightly feverish skin.

As if electrocuted, Xu Zhinan quickly pushed him away.

Lin Qingye lost his balance and staggered back a few steps. The wooden table was bumped, scraping across the floor tiles with a harsh sound.

Xu Zhinan watched him quietly. "You should go."

He leaned against the table, most of the hostility from when he first entered now gone. The nameless agitation from being drunk still clung to him, but it was quickly cooled by Xu Zhinan's current attitude.

Lin Qingye's lips were pressed into a tight line as he looked at the girl before him.

The incandescent light above her head in the tattoo shop illuminated her. Her loose hair was black, glossy, and soft. When she looked at him, her chin was slightly raised, the lines of her jaw and neck smooth and elegant, like a proud swan.

The Xu Zhinan before him gradually overlapped with the image of her when he had first seen her in high school.

Lin Qingye's heart gradually calmed, as if returning to that bitingly cold night.

"Ah Nan, you don't like me anymore."

He said.

The author has something to say:

You finally realized.