Honorable Sacrifice - FIYS

Inked in red and black

As the team walked back to the base, Tong Yao was a little ahead of the group, eager to retreat to the comfort of her room. She had almost reached the entrance when she felt a hand gently grab her wrist.

"Wait," Lu Sicheng's voice was low but firm.

Tong Yao blinked, turning to face him. "What is it?"

Instead of answering, Lu Sicheng gave her a look, his dark eyes glinting with something she couldn't quite read, before nodding toward his car parked nearby. "Come with me."

She hesitated for a second, glancing at the others still a few paces behind them. "Right now?"

"Yes. Right now"

Tong Yao sighed but didn't argue. There was something about the way he asked—no, more like the way he commanded—that made her curious. Without another word, she followed him to the car.

Once they were inside and he started driving, Tong Yao couldn't help but ask, "Where are we going?"

Lu Sicheng kept his eyes on the road, his hand casually resting on the gear shift, fingers drumming slightly. "You'll see."

Tong Yao narrowed her eyes. "You know, if this was a crime movie, this is the part where the girl gets nervous."

He smirked. "Relax. No one's going to murder you tonight."

"Great, just what every girl wants to hear."

The drive wasn't long, but by the time they pulled up in front of a small, dimly lit building with neon signs buzzing in the window, Tong Yao's curiosity was piqued. She stared at the sign in confusion.

"A tattoo shop?" she asked, glancing over at him.

Lu Sicheng finally turned to face her, his eyes now softened with an almost mischievous glint. "I thought you could use something... personal. Something that's yours and yours alone."

She blinked, processing his words. "Something personal...?"

He nodded, his gaze intense but steady. "You mentioned how people couldn't tell the difference between you and Mei. How you felt like you were fading into the background, like you weren't being seen as you anymore."

Tong Yao's breath caught in her throat. She had said that, in a moment of frustration, but she hadn't expected him to remember it, let alone bring her here because of it.

"A tattoo," she muttered softly, looking down at her hands. "You think that's the solution?"

Lu Sicheng leaned in slightly, his voice dropping. "Think of it as your own personal mark. A reminder that you're you—no one else. Something no one can take from you or confuse with anyone else."

Her heart skipped a beat at how close he was now, his voice sending a shiver down her spine. The air in the car felt charged, and she found herself staring at his lips for just a second too long before shaking her head, trying to snap out of it.

"Okay," Tong Yao said, her voice steady despite the quickening beat of her heart. "Yeah, let's do that."

She reached for the door handle, but before she could open it, she felt the warmth of Lu Sicheng's presence close behind her. His deep voice, soft but firm, was a breath away from her ear. "Stay. I'll get it."

Her breath hitched at his proximity, and she swallowed dryly, her pulse racing. Before she could process it, he was out of the car and rounding to her side in one smooth motion. The door opened, and there he was, extending his hand to her, his gaze steady and unwavering.