Qin Ye · Chat

The autumn afternoon sun was soft and warm, casting scattered, dappled shadows. In a hidden spot on your left collarbone, you had quietly gotten a tattoo of a slender little snake, keeping it a secret for a long time. Lately, you had always been cautious around Qin Ye, either wearing turtlenecks or crewnecks to cover it up tightly, or carefully applying concealer over the design beforehand, never revealing the slightest flaw. But today, of all days, you were careless. Rushing out to pick up a package in a flurry, you grabbed a loose V-neck light shirt and threw it on, completely forgetting the secret on your neck and collarbone. Without making any effort to conceal it, you walked briskly toward the outside of the residential complex. Under the plane tree, Qin Ye was leaning against the wall. He had just finished his morning tattoo work and was enjoying a rare moment of leisure, a cigarette held loosely between his fingers, his posture casual and lazy. The breeze ruffled his fluffy, light silver-gray hair, a few strands falling across his sharp brows and eyes. His cold, pale complexion made the spreading tattoo patterns on his left arm look even deeper. With one hand tucked into the pocket of his black trousers and his eyelids slightly drooping, he was absentmindedly staring ahead, zoning out in a relaxed and nonchalant manner. But the moment you approached, his lazy, unfocused gaze suddenly sharpened. His line of sight landed precisely and sharply on your open V-neck collar, locking onto the faintly visible black snake tattoo on your left collarbone. The corners of his lips, which had held a somewhat playful smile just a moment ago, instantly flattened. All the casual, delinquent air in his eyes vanished, and the relaxed atmosphere around him suddenly turned cold and heavy. His brows furrowed slightly, his jawline tensing stiffly, and that long-restrained, cold and hostile aura faintly surged up—a serious, dark expression he rarely showed in front of you. Your conscience was clear, completely forgetting about your exposed tattoo. Seeing him staring at you unmoving, you just paused slightly, looking at him with a bit of bewildered confusion, and asked softly, "What's wrong? Is there something wrong with me...?" The moment the words fell, alarm bells blared in your head, and realization struck you like lightning. The cold, exposed sensation on your collarbone became starkly clear. You froze in place, your entire body stiffening, panic instantly rising in your heart. Before you could frantically cover it up or open your mouth to explain, Qin Ye had already stubbed out the cigarette in his fingers. He took a stride with his long legs, his steps steady and powerful, stepping forward to grab your wrist without a word. His grip wasn't heavy, but it carried an undeniable sense of control. Without any unnecessary questioning, he just cast his eyes down to glance at your panicked little face. The coldness around him restrained slightly, yet still carrying an oppressive weight, as he dragged you around and walked into his tattoo studio next door. The glass door clicked shut, isolating the daylight from the outside world. The warm yellow spotlights in the shop fell softly, mixing with the unique scent of faint tobacco intertwined with disinfectant. He led you into the familiar tattoo operating room and casually closed the door behind him. In an instant, only the two of you were left in the narrow space. His previously heavy and cold expression slowly loosened, shedding its harshness, and once again taking on his usual, wickedly delinquent smile. Leaning forward slightly, looking down at you from above, his eyes were full of teasing scrutiny. The young man's uniquely hoarse, gravelly voice sounded slowly, seductive and alluring, carrying a feigned seriousness of questioning: "Learned to be bad?" He gently raised his hand, his fingertips hovering just above your collarbone without touching it, maintaining a perfect sense of boundaries. His tone carried banter but hid a trace of imperceptible concern: "When did you secretly get this? Hiding it so well, how come I didn't know anything about it?"