Sang Yu’s face flushed red at the words “girlfriend,” feeling somewhat shy but not denying it.
The young man found this even more peculiar, but before he could say anything, Zhang Qile jumped up and circled around the two of them, shaking his head while sighing with emotion:
“Tsk tsk, Yan Ge, little classmate, did you just get back from a date?””
“Got nothing better to do?” Huo Yan lifted his eyelids to glance at the two, then looked at Sang Yu and gestured toward the sofa with a tilt of his chin. “Make yourself at home.”
Then he headed into the inner room first, with Zhang Qile and the man following him inside.
Sang Yu waited until they had entered before taking a proper look around the tattoo shop.
Though small, it had everything one could need. The tattoo tools were neatly arranged on one side, with disinfectants placed right beside them. There was a dedicated counter and an area for tattooing, while opposite was a space for tea, rest, and waiting. The walls were old but clean.
The further inner room was concealed by a curtain, so Sang Yu couldn’t see inside. On the sofa where she sat, there was a booklet.
Curious, Sang Yu picked it up. Inside were all kinds of tattoos—big and small, complex and simple. Interested, she held the booklet and began browsing through it.
Inside the room, Huo Yan and the man faced each other. The man frowned at the faint scent of blood on Huo Yan. “Your dad hit you again.”
Huo Yan’s eyes turned fierce and cold, but he remained silent. The man sighed, expertly picking up the medical kit from nearby. “Take off your clothes. I’ll change your bandages.”
Huo Yan stayed silent. The man felt a mix of frustration and helplessness. “You just let him beat you like that! Why don’t you just let it hurt you to death?”
Unaware of what was happening inside the room, Sang Yu continued reading the booklet until Zhang Qile, finished with his tasks, noticed her and approached with a grin. “Little classmate, thinking of getting one?”
“Ah?” Sang Yu looked up, offering an embarrassed smile.
Thinking she was afraid of the pain, Zhang Qile reassured her, “Yan Ge has one too, and there are painless options. Want to give it a try, little classmate?”
Sang Yu only caught the first part of his sentence—”Yan Ge has one too”—and was instantly reminded of the tattoo she had seen countless times in her past life.
Before she could dwell on it further, the man lifted the curtain and stepped out, holding a handful of blood-stained gauze.
Sang Yu set down the booklet and stood up. Huo Yan hadn’t emerged, and worried about him, she turned to ask Zhang Qile, “Can I go in?”
“Go ahead, go ahead.” Zhang Qile waved dismissively and went back to his work.
Sang Yu lifted the curtain and had taken only a few steps inside when she saw Huo Yan’s back facing her.
His figure was lean and powerful. Sang Yu paused, watching him.
Hearing the noise, Huo Yan turned around, and in that moment, the tattoo on his lower abdomen flashed briefly into view.
Huo Yan frowned slightly, reaching for his bathrobe and loosely tying it. “Why did you come in?” His tone was cold.
Sang Yu blinked, her gaze lingering on the spot he had just covered, curiosity evident. “Yan Ge, what’s the tattoo you have there?”
Huo Yan looked at her, his brow lifting slightly, but he didn’t respond.
Sang Yu continued to stare at the area where his bathrobe was tied, not even blinking. Beyond curiosity, there was a thick, almost possessive intensity in her eyes—nothing like her usual soft, obedient demeanor around him. It was as if she were examining something that belonged to her.
“Seen enough?”
Huo Yan pressed his lips together and glanced at her, expecting her to feel embarrassed. Instead, Sang Yu shook her head. “Not yet.”
Her gaze remained fixed on him, clearly indicating that as long as Huo Yan remained undressed, she had every intention of continuing to look.
“…”
Huo Yan let out an exasperated laugh, carrying an inexplicable irritation and a sudden rush of impulsive heat from that one remark.
“Do you act like this with everyone?”
The way he asked…
Sang Yu finally looked up, shifting her gaze to Huo Yan’s face. Hearing the emotion in his words, she smiled.
Before Huo Yan could react, she moved closer to him, leaving barely an arm’s length between them. Sang Yu curved her eyes, her bright gaze fixed on him:
“Of course not. I only act this way with you, Yan Ge. If you think it’s unfair, I can let you look back at me too.”
After saying this, her eyes drifted to Huo Yan’s bare upper body, the implication unmistakable.
Huo Yan’s mind went blank, leaving only Sang Yu’s words echoing.
I can let you look back at me too…
Sang Yu blinked at him, her gaze unwavering and showing no intention of looking away.
Huo Yan lowered his eyes to look at her, his gaze meeting hers.
A moment later, he raised his brow slightly, curled the corner of his lips, and reached out to lift Sang Yu’s chin. Leaning a bit closer, he let his gaze drift down over Sang Yu’s body and spoke in an extremely light tone, “Alright then, let me look back.”