Chapter 193 Deer Antlers
Xia Mian didn't want to hear "Happy New Year," he just wanted to know what Zhou Pingchuan really thought.
"So, are you going to get it done or not?" He suddenly seemed wide awake. "I have a background in drawing, and I even studied how to design tattoo patterns. I've also learned how to operate the machine pretty well. Oh, and by the way, temporary and short-term tattoos don't require the machine, they don't break the skin, and they only use special inks. You can remove them anytime you don't like them or want to change them. Aren't you even a little bit tempted?"
Zhou Pingchuan has absolutely no interest in tattoos. Having lived with these scars for over thirty years, he has long been accustomed to their presence.
But he was very, very moved by the summer solstice with its bright, sparkling eyes.
The night was deep and the dew was heavy outside the window. The noise of New Year's Eve gradually subsided. The boy knelt opposite him, holding two bottles of paint, as if he wanted to share the most precious treasure in the world with him.
"Painting," Zhou Pingchuan said succinctly.
Xia Mian blinked in surprise, not expecting the other party to actually agree, and quickly asked, "What kind of pattern do you want?"
“Design it as you like,” Zhou Pingchuan paused, “Teacher Xia.”
Why does this person like giving others nicknames so much?
Teacher Xia... that sounds strange.
Xia Mian touched his face with the back of his hand; it was hot. He turned around and took out his iPad from the bedside table: "Okay, give me five minutes, I'll design it."
When Zhou Pingchuan's name is mentioned, the first thing that comes to mind is undoubtedly his ever-present antler staff. The antler staff was also the first thing Xia Mian noticed when they first met.
In traditional culture, deer antlers symbolize power and wealth, and holding a deer antler staff means having power in one's hands, which is very consistent with Zhou Pingchuan's aura.
So... how about drawing a deer antler-shaped totem? Since Zhou Pingchuan can choose deer antlers as a commonly used walking stick, he probably wouldn't mind getting a deer antler tattoo!
Yes! It's deer antlers!
Xia Mian silently calculated the dimensions and drew the entire totem on the tablet. After receiving Zhou Pingchuan's approval, she sketched the approximate shape on his hand.
After selecting the paints, he confirmed with Zhou Pingchuan one last time: "I'm going to get started now."
Zhou Pingchuan raised an eyebrow at him: "Go ahead."
Perhaps because he slept too late today, Zhou Pingchuan's expression was not as cold as usual, and the natural sense of oppression he exuded was much less than during the day. This made people more willing to observe and scrutinize him.
Looking at him like this, he really is handsome. His face is youthful and dashing, while his physique exudes the mature sexiness of a grown man. When he makes small expressions, it's simply impossible to look away. Even Xia Mian, who is already being hailed as one of the "top beauties of the new generation in the Chinese entertainment industry," is so stunningly handsome that she's almost mesmerized.
Damn it, why are you flirting with me?! Shameless!
Xia Mian quickly lowered her head to draw, not wanting to be distracted by looking at him.
Xia Mian was no slouch. He might seem carefree at times, but he was extremely serious when he worked. He wrote with confidence and determination, and with just a few strokes, he presented the designed totem to Zhou Pingchuan.
Zhou Pingchuan's scars started on his palms and spread down to his forearms, along with several smaller scars that were almost invisible. The minimalist black lines of the antlers extended upwards, curled, and diverged, not to cover up, but rather like a thread threading through the layers of scars, giving them a fragile beauty, with sharp, indestructible ends.
The totem covers a considerable area, but perhaps due to its simple design and strong brushstrokes, it doesn't look garish or dirty.
Xia Mian was quite satisfied with her work, beaming with pride: "See? I wasn't bragging, was I? If I opened a shop and made one for 500 yuan, the line of people wanting to book with me would stretch all the way to Nangang!"
"So, does this count as Teacher Xia's first time doing a male-male role?"
Xia Mian discovered that everything she said tended to be distorted when it came to Zhou Pingchuan's mouth: "...What nonsense, just tell me if it looks good or not."
Zhou Pingchuan didn't speak, but looked down and fiddled with his phone for a few moments. "Buzz—" Xia Mian received a message that five million yuan had been deposited into her account.
"What do you mean?" He was completely confused.
“I’ll take over your shop,” Zhou Pingchuan said.
"...I didn't actually plan to open a shop."
"But I'm afraid you'll actually touch someone else's hand."
Xia Mian suddenly looked down and realized that, because he was so satisfied with his work, he was still holding Zhou Pingchuan's hand tightly.
He quickly pulled his hand away, trying to let go of the other person.
Zhou Pingchuan, however, grabbed his hand in return, forcefully squeezing his fingers between them, interlocking theirs.
The man's large hand firmly enveloped his, forceful and leaving no room for restraint. In the dead of night, two young men, fresh from their initial exploration of each other's bodies, found the atmosphere thick with unspoken tension because of a single gesture.
Summer's blood boiled with excitement: "How about... we set off some New Year's fireworks?"
Zhou Pingchuan pushed him down and covered him. The two awakened steel guns pressed together, and the strange sensation made Xia Mian's skin break out in goosebumps.
Zhou Pingchuan looked at the boy from above with gentle eyes. This made Xia Mian afraid, and she unconsciously looked away, unable to meet his gaze.
A moment later, Zhou Pingchuan smiled and kissed his forehead, eyelashes, nose, and lips.
"Thank you for the New Year's gift, Teacher Xia. I love it. As for other better and more generous gifts, you can give them to me when you've prepared them."
He wasn't a saint. When the person he liked was right in front of him, inviting him to a date, he naturally wanted to take her whole. It was a delicious treat he had been craving for a long time, a fantasy he rarely indulged in during masturbation.
He also knew that men and women were different; once a man had eaten a woman's food, he didn't have to bear the psychological guilt or worry about causing physical harm. But he could clearly feel Xia Mian's evasiveness and subtle trembling.
Like Xia Mian's feelings, she clearly liked him, but she tried her best to distance herself from him.
He could tell.
So he wasn't in a hurry. No matter how much he craved this food, it wasn't the right time for him to eat it. He would wait until the other person willingly and unreservedly offered it to him before enjoying it slowly.
"Hmm?" Zhou Pingchuan asked in a low voice when the boy did not respond.
Actually, Xia Mian regretted mentioning the New Year's firecracker the moment she did, wanting to back out but afraid of being ridiculed by Zhou Pingchuan. Having Zhou Pingchuan deflect it was perfect for her: "...Hmm."
"Go to sleep. I'll be waiting for you at the Zhou residence tomorrow." With that, Zhou Pingchuan turned over and pulled him into his arms.
In the early days of their marriage, Xia Mian would often roll into Zhou Pingchuan's arms while falling asleep. It had been a long time since they had cuddled together and fallen asleep in such an intimate position.
As the proactive party in the marriage, Xia Mian felt a pang of unease that he couldn't meet his partner's most basic needs. Moreover, he could feel the other person's growing affection—that hard, unyielding desire.
“…Goodnight.” It had been a long time since Xia Mian had said that.
“Mmm,” Zhou Pingchuan wanted the guilt he wanted. “Mianmian, goodnight.”
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