Chapter 6.1 (2/2)
“Mr. Yin, I’ve finished drawing.” The tattoo artist suddenly stood back up and pa.s.sed the paper over to Yin Li, and then gave me a look full of pity, “Erasing old tattoos is not impossible, but there’s a tradition among us tattoo artists, that every person who works with tattoos must respect. If a person’s name is tattooed, it represents a kind of contract. Only if one party pa.s.ses away, can the tattoo be removed.”
I felt greatly alarmed, then what if the day came when Yin Li came to his senses, realized that the tattoo looked really stupid and interfered with his ability to attract women, and concluded that along with removing the tattoo, he’d also need to get rid of me? Wouldn’t this situation be as if my
if my life was tied to the tattoo on Yin Li’s a.s.s?! In my panic, I stared at Yin Li with eyes full of fear. At the moment he was dressed in a loose bathrobe, leaning against the doorway calmly amidst the chaos, watching the expressions on my face change rapidly from one to another.
Then he nodded his head at the tattoo artist, and pointed out a drawing on the paper. “This one is not bad, let her take a look at it. Ask whether she really wants a smiley face or prefers this instead.”
Where would I have the courage to ask for a tattoo on Yin Li’s old tiger a.s.s,5 I just barely resisted the temptation to drop to my knees and beg for forgiveness. I could only wave my hand repeatedly, “As long as you approve, I approve! You look after your own b.u.t.t!” After speaking, I immediately wanted to slip away. I didn’t want to stay even a moment longer in this room!
5 The author was probably referring to the phrase 老虎屁股摸不得, meaning “a tiger’s backside cannot be touched”, attributed to Mao Zedong. Used to refer to someone that doesn’t tolerate dissent; who cannot be provoked.
“Yan Xiao, you stay here.” Yin Li’s words firmly pulled me to a stop just as I was beating a retreat, “This tattoo is for you, how could you be allowed to leave? I want you to properly watch the whole process.” He mockingly smiled a little, and then with his back facing me he took off his bathrobe halfway,
his bathrobe halfway, holding it at his waist so only his upper body was exposed. Then he turned his head and glanced back at me before, still with his back towards me, he took a seat. From this angle, I could see both the beautiful lines of his shoulders and the strong but elegant muscles of his back.
“Draw it on the back left shoulder.” Yin Li directed this order at the already-gloved tattoo artist, who respectfully nodded at him. As for me, my eyes were still glued to Yin Li’s back.
I never knew that under Yin Li’s expensive clothes was a body like this, br.i.m.m.i.n.g with vitality, beautiful and attractive. Beauty really was a kind of strength. If Yin Li had taken off his clothes earlier, I estimate that I absolutely wouldn’t have said a word about wanting him to tattoo a smiley face onto his b.u.t.t.
It really was beautiful.
But because of this, my reluctance to have Yin Li tattoo himself only increased. At the moment the tattoo artist had already disinfected the area and sketched out the design with a surgical marker, and was already preparing to start tattooing the outlines. Seeing the tattoo artist take out the tattoo gun, I averted my eyes and turned my head away.
Yin Li, on the other hand, didn’t make a single sound.
But I still didn’t dare watch the whole process. This seemed like a ceremony, a kind of contract between Yin Li and I, so by not watching it, I didn’t have to acknowledge it.
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