Chapter 37 The Tattoo of Love: Tattoos can be so romantic! ...

Zhu Qingting stood in front of the bathroom mirror, her fingertips gently tracing the prominent purplish-red scar on her abdomen.

Even though a whole year has passed, even though the best cosmetic sutures were used for the stitches, and even though she has been applying expensive scar removal products every day since, the scar still stubbornly lingers on her originally smooth and fair skin.

She then realized that she had a tendency to form keloids. The scar from when she was a child, where her heel was cut by a bicycle wheel, was still faintly visible after all these years. Later, she also had marks left on her knees from dance practice.

A shadow fell over her as Chai Yundu gently wrapped his arms around her from behind, resting his chin on the top of her head, his voice hoarse from just waking up. "What's wrong? Looking at that scar again?"

She instinctively tried to pull down the hem of her dress to cover herself, but he gently pressed her hand down.

“Don’t cover it up,” he said softly, “it’s a testament to our love story.”

Zhu Qingting leaned against him, her voice muffled, "But it looks so ugly... Now that it's summer, I don't dare wear clothes that show my midriff. A couple of days ago, after the performance in Sanya, everyone organized a team-building activity at the beach, but I made excuses to turn it down. I don't dare wear a swimsuit anymore."

Chai Yundu turned her around, cupped her face, and looked intently into her eyes. “You’re not ugly at all. In my eyes, this is the most beautiful medal.”

But the unease in her eyes did not escape his notice.

A few days later, while having afternoon tea with Qin Youyou, Zhu Qingting also expressed her concerns: the scars made her afraid to wear clothes that exposed her waist and afraid to go to the beach.

After listening, Qin Youyou searched for a post she had seen on Xiaohongshu and showed it to her. "Zhuzhu, look, I just saw a post a few days ago about scar cover tattoos that can turn scars into works of art."

Zhu Qingting held the comparison photos that many people had posted and was very tempted.

Some girls have scars that are far more gruesome than hers, but in the skillful hands of a tattoo artist, they can be transformed into fluttering butterflies, blooming roses, or swimming whales. The original marks are completely unrecognizable.

When she got home that evening, she hesitated for a long time before telling Chai Yundu, who was making soup in the kitchen, about her idea.

“Baby, I have an idea,” she whispered.

"Hmm?" He turned off the gas stove, turned around, and surrounded her in front of the counter. "What are your thoughts?"

"I want to... get a tattoo," Zhu Qingting said softly, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of his shirt. "Youyou told me about scar cover-up tattoos this afternoon, and I saw those before and after pictures, they're really amazing!"

"A tattoo? Aren't you afraid of the pain?" Chai Yundu asked seriously.

"I am quite scared..." she said softly, "but I feel that I'm more afraid of looking ugly than of pain. Since this scar can't be removed, I might as well make it look better."

Chai Yundu said, "Wait for me."

He went to the living room, grabbed his phone, opened his personal collection in the photo album, and showed her two pictures.

"What is this?" Zhu Qingting looked at him curiously.

“I designed the tattoo,” Chai Yundu said as he pulled Zhu Qingting to sit down on the sofa. “The one I designed for you is auspicious seven-colored clouds, while mine is a lotus flower and a lotus leaf with a dragonfly about to take flight on it.”

"You want to get a tattoo too?" Zhu Qingting was surprised. He had always been indifferent to the scars on his body, saying they were his medals.

“Yes! Look at this long scar on my leg, it’s perfect for making lotus leaf stems.” Chai Yundu took her hand and stroked the scar on his left leg.

Zhu Qingting was instantly moved, "When did you design these two patterns?"

“I’ve been thinking about this ever since you first felt sad about this scar. But I didn’t bring it up because I was afraid it would hurt you, and also because I was worried your job wouldn’t allow it.” He wiped away the tears that welled up in her eyes with his fingers. “If you want to get a tattoo, I’ll get one with you. Baby, let’s get our names tattooed on our bodies together, okay?”

This romantic proposal left Zhu Qingting speechless. She threw herself into his arms, her voice choked with emotion, "Okay."

The next day, Chai Yundu found a top tattoo artist in the industry, made an appointment, made his request, and discussed whether the design he had created would suit the scar.

The tattoo artist praised Chai Yundu's design, saying, "The girl's scar isn't big, so this colorful auspicious cloud pattern can perfectly cover the abdominal scar. Your leg scar is longer and thicker, so the lotus leaf root pattern can follow the direction of the scar."

On the day of the tattoo, on the way to the studio, Chai Yundu was so nervous that Zhu Qingting's palms were sweating. Chai Yundu held her tightly, "Don't be afraid, I'll be with you."

Tattoo artist Daniel glanced between the two men, then asked, "Which of you will go first?"

Chai Yundu was about to speak first. He wanted to experience this unknown pain first and pave the way for Zhu Qingting. If it was a pain she couldn't bear, or if the tattoo didn't cover it up well, then Zhu Qingting wouldn't have to suffer.

However, before he could speak, Zhu Qingting spoke first.

"I'll go first!" Her voice carried her usual stubbornness and courage. "Whether I die sooner or later, I'm going to die anyway. Just like I don't resist going first in a competition, once I've finished, I can easily enjoy the performances that follow."

Daniel encouraged her, saying, "Ms. Zhu's choice is excellent. Your design is small, so it should only take two to three hours to complete. Pain level: one star. Du Ge's design is much more detailed, so it will take at least ten to twelve hours."

"Twelve hours?" Zhu Qingting gasped, then became even more determined to get the tattoo done first. "Then I have to go first! I finally mustered up the courage. If I waited for you to finish the tattoo in twelve hours, I'm afraid I would have already backed out."

Under Daniel's guidance, she slowly lay down on the specially made tattoo bed. The leather surface was slightly cool, and she involuntarily tensed her body.

Daniel emphasized to her that she should not move, and then began to disinfect her abdomen and transfer the artwork.

When the tattoo machine started up with a buzzing sound, she quickly grabbed Chai Yundu's warm hand.

"Are you busy next month? If not, let's go on vacation to an island." Chai Yundu started to make conversation, trying to distract her.

Zhu Qingting discussed with him famous islands at home and abroad, as well as islands that members of the group had visited and recommended, and gradually she relaxed a lot.

The stinging sensation of this tattoo feels like the needle prick of an injection, only finer and more persistent.

After an hour and a half of tattooing, fine beads of sweat appeared on Zhu Qingting's forehead. Chai Yundu immediately noticed and asked softly, "Does it hurt? Do you need to rest?"

She shook her head, a determined spirit rising within her to master a dance move. "It doesn't hurt. Let's continue."

Daniel's technique was precise and meticulous. After another hour, he finally put down the tattoo machine, stretched his sore neck, and said, "All done!"

Lying flat for a long time made Zhu Qingting's waist a little stiff. Chai Yundu carefully helped her sit up, and her gaze fell on her abdomen.

The scar that had once haunted her had now transformed into a drifting, auspicious, seven-colored cloud. It had no distinct outline, but rather a natural, flowing gradient from crimson to pale purple, adorned with tiny specks of white light.

The most ingenious part is that the tattoo cleverly utilizes the natural contours of the scar to give the cloud a three-dimensional texture, as if a real cloud were resting on her fair skin.

"It's so beautiful..." She gently touched the cloud, her fingertips trembling slightly. "Daniel, hurry up and give the cloud a pattern, I can't wait to see the finished product!"

A new canvas unfolds, and this time it's Zhu Qingting's turn to stand guard.

She lay beside the tattoo bed, watching Daniel work intently. Disinfection, transfer, finalization—each step fascinated her.

When the tattoo machine started up again, she witnessed a magical painting. First, a graceful lotus leaf slowly emerged on the side of Chai Yundu's calf. Then, a beautiful lotus flower peeked out from between the leaves. Finally, a lifelike dragonfly landed on the tip of the lotus, the lines on its thin wings so delicate that they required a magnifying glass to complete, and every vein was clearly discernible.

Zhu Qingting couldn't help but reach out and gently stroke the dragonfly with her fingertips, as if worried that it might suddenly flap its wings and fly away.

Chai Yundu smiled and extended his hand to her, "Now, we both bear each other's mark."

"13 hours, it must have hurt a lot, right?" Zhu Qingting was really heartbroken. She only lasted 2 and a half hours, and she had to grit her teeth and endure the last half hour, while he lasted more than 5 times as long.

"This little bit of pain is nothing."

From then on, Zhu Qingting never avoided that scar again. On Tuesdays, she even wore a short top to work, and when she raised her arms, her waist skin would be inadvertently exposed, and the auspicious cloud tattoo on her abdomen would be faintly visible.

Attentive fans quickly noticed that Chai Yundu had a new tattoo of a lotus flower and a dragonfly on his left leg.

When the topic of "getting a black hair tattoo" quietly climbed to the top of the trending searches, fans were moved to tears by this romantic detail:

"What an amazing love story! They even tattooed each other's names on their bodies!"

"I never knew tattoos could be so romantic!"

"They really love each other so much..."

One night, Zhu Qingting felt an itch on her lower back while she was sleeping. She opened her eyes groggily and looked down at her abdomen, only to find that Chai Yundu was kissing the auspicious cloud tattoo on her abdomen with great passion.

"What are you doing?" she asked lazily.

His fingertips gently traced the cloud, his eyes tender, "Look at my cloud, it will forever rest on the one I love most."

She helped him sit up, then nestled into his arms with a smile, her fingers gently stroking the dragonfly on his leg. "Let me touch it, the cloud that will forever hold me up."

The two looked at each other and smiled, an ambiguous atmosphere floating between them.

"Thank you," Zhu Qingting said softly. "Thank you for making me less afraid of this scar."

“I should be thanking you,” Chai Yundu tightened his arms, “thank you for being willing to let me be the most special cloud in your life.”