Tattoo刺青

Chapter 8

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Xiao Ke’s new sweetheart was really very cool. He could predict that he still had a long ways to go to be able to get him, but Teacher Xiao wasn’t scared at all. These situations called for more bravery when facing each battle.

On Sunday, he didn’t tell Zhou Zui that he would be going to the shop beforehand. Either way, he was accompanying Fang Qimiao, so had a proper excuse. When they got there, no one was in the front; the little girl from last time was nowhere to be found. In the back, they only saw Lu Xiaobei. He was playing games, ganging up on the other team with his friends. His audio was on.　 

“Fuck! There’s someone behind me! Thirty-five degrees thirty-five degrees! Hurry up!”

“Fuck, so badass. That scared me to fucking death just now!”

“Shut up. Help the emperor* up.”
*Referring to himself as “the emperor”, trying to command respect.

Fang Qimiao walked over. Lu Xiaobei had his earphones in so couldn’t hear his footsteps. Fang Qimiao held a corner of his phone up to the shiny back of his head. He lowered his voice and said, “Robbery. Don’t turn around.” 

“Robbery my ass!” Lu Xiaobei didn’t believe it for a moment. He took off his earphones and saw that it was Fang Qimiao and Xiao Ke, so greeted, “You’re here?”

“Un, you keep playing. We’re not in a rush,” Fang Qimiao said.

“Then you guys just take a seat and wait a moment. I’ll be done soon. Today little sis isn’t here, so I’ll make some coffee for you guys later.” After speaking, Lu Xiaobei turned back and continued playing. Xiao Ke looked around the whole place but didn’t see Zhou Zui.

He walked over and asked Lu Xiaobei, “Zhou Zui isn’t here?” 

Lu Xiaobei glanced at him in the middle of his game. He pointed upwards. “There’s lots of rooms upstairs. Just go up and shout for him to see which one he’s in.”

He still spoke so fast, but Xiao Ke understood him. He patted Lu Xiaobei’s shoulder and said, “Thanks. Keep playing.”

Thus, Xiao Ke walked up the concrete stairs to the second floor. The entire aesthetic here was concrete and rock. It looked awfully unrefined. In addition to the decorations on the wall and tattooing equipment on the racks, it looked cold and unfriendly. Despite this, it was very cool.

The room upstairs was a large-scale tattooing room. In it, several chairs were placed, along with tattoo machines in even more abundance than downstairs. There was a whole shelf full of colored ink. 

There were also several small rooms. Xiao Ke didn’t even need to shout, because the doors were all open. He had already spotted Zhou Zui.　

The other was in an art room. Canvases scattered the ground and artwork hung on the wall. There were art supplies on the table too, neatly organized.　

Zhou Zui sat on the floor, back against the door and legs crossed. There was a canvas on his legs. His head was lowered, which created an angle along his back; the lines of his muscles were very easily decipherable. This person’s body always looked so powerful. Xiao Ke liked it a lot.　

He turned around upon hearing footsteps. Surprise flitted across his face the moment he saw Xiao Ke.　　 

Xiao Ke raised an eyebrow. “Good morning, Boss Zhou.”

“Good morning,” Zhou Zui greeted. There was a pencil in his mouth. He pulled it out and also put down the drawing in his lap. He pushed against the floor with his hand and stood up.