The buzzing sound finally stopped, and Li Sizhi turned her head to take a look. At this moment, she was lying on the small bed, with a thin layer of sweat on her forehead.
“Is it better?” Li Sizhi asked.
Cheng Yan nodded slightly. Perhaps it had been a while since he last spoke, so his voice sounded hoarse when he spoke: “Better.”
His original voice was already a low and hoarse voice, but at this moment, it sounded weak.
Li Sizhi made a move to get up, but Cheng Yan stopped him and said, “Lie down for a while first. There is still tissue fluid flowing on your back, we need to observe it for a while.”
Cheng Yan took off his mask, removed the latex gloves and threw them into the trash can. He turned to look at Li Sizhi and said, “You can’t touch anything on the tattooed area right now, so you can’t put on clothes.”
Li Sizhi nodded, understanding.
She got a tattoo on the back of her shoulder. Just now, her female assistant helped her take off her clothes and underwear. She is now not wearing a top, but the assistant wrapped a thin blanket around her, securing it from behind with clips, exposing only the shoulder area.
While Li Sizhi was waiting to be observed, she started chatting with Cheng Yan. She called out, “Cheng Yan?”
Cheng Yan was busy organizing tools and didn’t lift his head. “Hmm?”
“I heard from that short-haired girl that you’re still not married?”
The short-haired girl she mentioned should be Cheng Yan’s assistant. Li Sizhi is an old acquaintance of Cheng Yan’s and his former teacher. The two haven’t seen each other for many years. Not long ago, Li Sizhi discovered this tattoo studio and wanted to get a tattoo. It was then that she realized the studio’s owner was an old friend.
These days, she has been coming here almost every day to watch Cheng Yan work. She also enjoys chatting with the girls here, talking about Cheng Yan.
Cheng Yan nodded and responded, “Hmm.”
“Still not in a romantic relationship?”
Cheng Yan smiled ambiguously, walked to her side, and glanced at her wound. “No, why?”
“Do you like men?” Li Sizhi’s tone when she said this sentence seemed questioning, but her gaze was resolute and still very bright.
“Did our little girl tell you too?” Cheng Yan asked.
“Yes,” Li Sizhi smiled lightly. Despite approaching forty, she had a very youthful appearance with long, shiny black waves flowing past her shoulders. She had an elegant temperament, yet her personality was very straightforward.
Cheng Yan admitted, “Hmm, I like men.” He gently pressed a clean towel on Li Sizhi’s shoulder and heard her say, “I want to introduce someone to you, I don’t know if you’d be willing to accept my affection.”
Cheng Yan applied a layer of tattoo ointment on Li Sizhi’s shoulder, tore open the plastic wrap, and placed it on the tattoo. He asked, “What kind of introduction?”
“What other kind could it be?” Li Sizhi spoke frankly, “The kind of introduction for a partner.”
“Blind date.”
“You can interpret it that way.”
Cheng Yan didn’t respond and called out towards the door, “Mao Mao.”
“Hey!”
“Come and help the customer change clothes,” Cheng Yan instructed, “Take a photo of the tattoo’s effect to show the customer.”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“Alright.” The assistant responded and entered the room, holding Li Sizhi’s clothes. Cheng Yan then walked out of the workspace.
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Cheng Yan set down the water glass and used his finger to wipe off the water droplets at the corner of his mouth. “I’m glad you like it. Don’t touch water for the next six hours, avoid using shower gel when bathing, remember to apply ointment daily, and don’t scratch the scab once the wound starts to heal.”
Cheng Yan succinctly and directly explained the precautions while Li Sizhi continued with the previous topic, “So, are you willing to accept my affection?”
Cheng Yan held the water glass, remaining silent for a while. If it were someone else, he would have likely ended the conversation directly. Li Sizhi was his former teacher, who had taught him art for a period of time. Despite being only a few years older than him, she had shown him kindness and recognition. Even now, Cheng Yan still referred to her as Teacher Li.
So Cheng Yan followed her lead and asked further, “Who is it?”
“My cousin, he is the same age as you,” she replied.
Cheng Yan asked a practical question, “What does he do?”
“He is a teacher at a school,” she answered.
Cheng Yan shook his head. He didn’t even graduate from high school and wasn’t a cultured person, so it wasn’t suitable. He said, “Not quite suitable.”
“What’s the reason?” Li Sizhi asked.
“Perhaps we don’t have many common topics,” he replied.
Li Sizhi laughed. “Why are you so conservative at such a young age? Do you think he’s an old-fashioned scholar or a bald, middle-aged man in a polo shirt?”
“I didn’t mean it that way…” Cheng Yan tried to explain.
“He’s called Jiang Muping,” Li Sizhi said solemnly, “He’s very handsome and talented.”
As soon as Jiang Muping entered the courtyard, he could smell the rich aroma of food. There was a stone table in the yard, filled with various dishes. The nanny auntie walked out of the kitchen, holding a freshly stewed fish soup.
“Xiānshēng, you’re back?” she asked.
Jiang Muping taught at the university as a professor. The nanny auntie, being older and having traditional thinking, liked to address him as “Xiānshēng” following the old-fashioned way of respectfully addressing teachers.
“Cai Auntie,” Jiang Muping greeted.
“Hey, go inside and wash your hands. It’s time to eat,” Cai Auntie replied.
“There are so many dishes today?” Jiang Muping glanced at the dining table.
Jiang Muping’s parents lived in a quadrangle courtyard. Jiang Muping entered the main room, where his mother was sitting on the sofa looking at drawings. She said, “Sizhi came over today and said she got a tattoo. She wants to show it to us.”
“A tattoo?” Jiang Muping picked up the teapot from the coffee table and poured himself a glass of water.
“She always likes to make a big fuss about things. She said it was done by someone she knows, and it looks really good.”
Jiang Muping smiled silently and took a sip from his teacup.
As soon as Li Sizhi arrived, she took off the white shawl draped over her. She was wearing a dress with a semi-open back, and half of the tattoo could be seen when she removed the shawl. The tattooed area was still covered with cling wrap, and the lines around it were red. There was some swelling along the edges, giving it a somewhat alarming appearance.
“How does it look, Auntie, Uncle?” Li Sizhi asked.
Jiang’s parents were of older age and didn’t understand the aesthetic preferences of young people. They couldn’t articulate a proper response. Jiang’s father simply asked, focusing on the main point, “Did it hurt when you got the tattoo?”
“It’s alright,” Li Sizhi pulled the shawl back up. “The tattoo artist is skilled.”
Li Sizhi’s parents passed away in a car accident during her childhood. Her mother was the younger sister of Jiang Muping’s mother, and she was raised by Jiang Muping’s parents since she was young. Jiang’s parents have always been kind and open-minded, never interfering with the decisions of their younger generation. They always say, “If Sizhi thinks it’s good, then it’s good.”
Jiang Muping silently ate his meal, without making any noise. Although he typically ate in this manner, Li Sizhi today had the intention of magnifying his presence.
“Muping,” Li Sizhi called out to him.
Jiang Muping lifted his head.
“Why aren’t you speaking? Give me your evaluation of my tattoo,” Li Sizhi said.
Jiang Muping swallowed his food before speaking, “Is it a killer whale tattoo?”
“You figured it out?” Li Sizhi’s lips curved slightly.
Jiang Muping picked up a dish with his chopsticks, “It looks like one, and I quite like killer whales.”
“I like it too.”
The killer whale was the main element that Li Sizhi suggested to Cheng Yan. In addition to that, she also made numerous minor requests. In the end, Cheng Yan designed a painting that was vague in both form and meaning.
“Is there any meaning behind it?” Jiang Muping asked with some awareness of the situation, although he wasn’t particularly curious. He simply found it interesting to see Li Sizhi so enthusiastic and didn’t want to dampen her excitement.
“There’s freedom and power,” she replied.
Jiang’s father nodded and said, “That’s a good symbolism.”
Li Sizhi took out a business card from her bag and handed it to Jiang Muping, saying, “If you’re interested, you can also give it a try.”
Jiang Muping lowered his gaze and glanced at the name on the business card. Adhering to the principles of being a teacher, he said seriously, “Teachers shouldn’t get tattoos.”
Li Sizhi immediately retorted, “Who can see it if you get it on your buttocks?”
Jiang’s mother, holding her rice bowl, choked and laughed, scolding, “What are you saying?”
Jiang Muping’s lips curled into a faint smile as he pushed the name card back: “When I no longer teach, I can consider it.”
Jiang Muping stayed at his parents’ place today. His room is in the west wing, while Li Sizhi’s room is in the east. After graduating from university, the two of them left this old residence after only a few years.
When Li Sizhi entered the room, Jiang Muping was reading students’ papers. Li Sizhi had a cup of coffee in her hand, which she placed on Jiang Muping’s desk.
“I don’t drink coffee in the evening,” Jiang Muping said without looking up. “It keeps me awake.”
“I made you a cup of coffee precisely because I didn’t want you to sleep so early. You’re a young man in your prime, why do you sleep like an old man every day on schedule?” Li Sizhi looked at him.
“At thirty-five, I’m no longer a young man,” Jiang Muping replied.
“But that doesn’t make you an old man.”
“I just don’t enjoy drinking coffee.”
“Alright.” Li Sizhi stopped insisting and took a sip of the coffee herself. “Muping, I want to introduce someone to you.”
Jiang Muping raised his head, and the lenses resting on his nose emitted a faint blue light under the illumination of the lamp.
“I’m not joking with you, and I’ve never mentioned this kind of thing to you before.” Li Sizhi’s expression and tone were very serious. She leaned against the desk, her back facing Jiang Muping. “I know him from before, and he’s really a good person.”
Jiang Muping quickly guessed who the “he” referred to by Li Sizhi was: “Is it the tattoo artist who tattooed you?”
“Yes,” Li Sizhi turned around, “Auntie has recently introduced a few people to you, haven’t you met any of them?”
“I don’t have time,” Jiang Muping replied, turning his gaze back to the computer.
“Don’t give me that. You’re just brushing it off,” Li Sizhi hit the nail on the head. “It’s just that Aunt and Uncle are too easygoing and don’t bother nagging you.”
Jiang Muping’s lips curved into a slight smile, but he didn’t say anything.
After a while, Jiang Muping asked, “Why suddenly thought of introducing someone to me?”
Li Sizhi casually replied, “Because I think he will have the appearance you like.”
Jiang Muping smiled inexplicably, “How do you know?”
“It’s a guess,” Li Sizhi blinked her eyes.
When Jiang’s mother entered, Li Sizhi turned around and said, “Auntie, I have someone here who wants to introduce to Muping.”
“Sure, why not,” Jiang’s mother replied.
“The tattoo artist who gave me the tattoo.”
“The tattoo artist…,” Jiang’s mother paused for a moment, glancing at Jiang Muping and then at Li Sizhi. “As long as he’s a good person, Muping, it’s fine, right?”
Jiang Muping’s gaze never left the computer screen. He adjusted his glasses, raised his eyes, and looked at his mother.
“Okay.”
Thank you for the chapter 💐
I’m excited to see where this goes!
I really like how this novel started! o(〃＾▽＾〃)o It’s looks very interesting and nice~ Thank You for Your great work and sharing this novel with us! (⋈◍＞◡＜◍)。✧♡
Really smooth, girl
Thank you for your translation 💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛
just seeing these super open-minded and supportive parents gave me great interest on this novel. thanks for the translation!!
Seeing a nice,open-minded,supportive family makes me feel so unreasonably happy. It’s just great how the parents and cousin wish for a happy love life for JM but we’re still very respectful of his wishes and never forced him,only recommending others for blind dates. If only more books had such good parental figures,,
Thanks for the chapter!
+Camping🏕️!!
Awalan yang cukup bagus, damai, dan membuatku penasaran bagaimana perkembangan mereka selanjutnya!!!
Interesting ~ ❤️❤️❤️❤️