Phoenix?
Ji Nian stared for a long time but still couldn’t figure out what kind of creature it was. It had a sharp beak and wings, yet it didn’t quite resemble one—it looked far more majestic.
"Lu Jinghuai, when did you get this tattoo? I had no idea."
Ji Nian crouched at his doorway, her tone faintly accusatory.
It must have been a while ago, because getting something like this would require a lot of time and recovery. But aside from attending classes, Lu Jinghuai had spent nearly all his time with her.
His skin was fair and delicate, and unless he deliberately used ointment to treat them, any injuries he got would linger for ages.
Ji Nian was completely different. Once, after pulling an all-nighter, her face broke out in a frenzy of acne. But before she could even do anything about it, the blemishes vanished without a trace, saving her a trip to the dermatologist.
Hearing her voice, Lu Jinghuai turned around, still holding a glass of water. A towel draped over his head, his silver-gray eyes glistening damply—clearly fresh out of the shower.
"Back in sophomore year," he answered.
He didn’t seem the least bit surprised to see her. Walking over, he pulled out a pair of slippers he’d prepared in advance and motioned for her to come in.
Ji Nian closed the door behind her. Even though she knew no one could come up without an elevator card, she still instinctively wanted to keep Lu Jinghuai—shirtless as he was—hidden away. Not even the cats outside the window were allowed to peek without her permission.
Kicking off her crocs, she slipped into the slippers he’d set out and approached him. She tapped his chest, signaling him to turn around, then ran her fingers over the vivid red tattoo on his back. Just by touch alone, she couldn’t feel the lines at all.
The tattoo artist hadn’t filled it in with color—just outlined the design in stark red lines. It wasn’t particularly refined, even crude in a way, but paired with Lu Jinghuai’s flawless skin, it created an indescribable contrast.
Ji Nian thought it suited him rather well.
But still…
"How come I never noticed this before?"
She poked his shoulder blade.
Lu Jinghuai reached back, grabbing her wrist as he turned around with a grin. "Because you were always facing the other way."
By the end, she’d usually fallen asleep, so of course she’d never seen it.
Hearing that, Ji Nian’s lips twitched. "……"
"Fine. Stay right there—I’m taking a few pictures."
Honestly, the tattoo was seriously cool.
She directed Lu Jinghuai where to stand, then raised her phone to snap photos of his back.
"So handsome. Makes me want to get one too."
A small one would be fine, but if it were something as big as Lu Jinghuai’s full-back piece, Ji Tingzhou would probably beat her senseless if he found out.
Oh well. What’s her boyfriend’s is hers—Lu Jinghuai getting it was as good as her getting it.
"By the way, what kind of bird is this? Looks like it could ward off evil spirits."
Lu Jinghuai’s voice carried a hint of quiet pride. "A chicken."
Ji Nian’s hand froze mid-shot. "……"
Suddenly remembering something, she lost interest in taking pictures. Walking over, she nudged his shoulder. "Hey, I’ve got a question for you."
Seeing she’d stopped, Lu Jinghuai tossed the towel from his head into her hands and led her further inside, grabbing a white T-shirt draped over the couch and pulling it on.
"Go ahead."
Once dressed, he tugged Ji Nian down onto the sofa, then leaned forward, tilting his damp head toward her with a look that clearly said, Dry my hair for me.
Ji Nian draped the towel over his head and gave it a few rough rubs. "Back when you drank my potion, did you ever see… a chicken?"
Lu Jinghuai shook his head. "No."
But he had seen Ji Nian’s eyes.
His denial piqued her interest.
Huh. Maybe Lu Jinghuai was an exception?
"So this chicken you tattooed…"
"It’s you."
Ji Nian: "……"
Well, turns out it circled back to her after all.
Lu Jinghuai explained that he’d designed the pattern himself. If he’d gone with the original image, he was afraid Ji Nian would call him childish, so he’d sketched it according to his own vision.
Bowing his head to let her dry his hair, he added, "You’re the first person to see it."
Then he lifted his face and pressed a kiss to her wrist.
Ji Nian’s hands stilled.
"Hold on."
She narrowed her eyes at the man gazing up at her with those striking silver-gray eyes. "Didn’t someone once say that drying an Othian man’s hair is something only married couples do?"
He hadn’t expected her to remember. Lu Jinghuai’s grin widened as he straightened, resting his chin on her shoulder. "Mhm… So that means you’ll have to take responsibility for me. Otherwise, you’re just toying with me."
Ji Nian scoffed and threw the towel aside. "Trying to scam me, huh?"
Lu Jinghuai denied it, wrapping his arms around her and nuzzling her cheek. "I just want to marry you."
She flicked his face lightly. "So greedy. What else do you want?"
The man before her blinked, then tilted his head to nip at her finger. "I want to go all the way."
"Don’t want to use your legs anymore."
Ji Nian: "You’re tired of me."
Lu Jinghuai: ?
"I’m not."
"My legs are part of me. If you’re tired of them, you’re tired of me."
There was no winning against her twisted logic. Lu Jinghuai could only put on a pitiful face and whine that Ji Nian was bullying him.
She bared her teeth in a grin. "Damn right I am. Who told you to hide this tattoo from me until now?"
Lu Jinghuai: "……"
Somehow, the conversation had looped back.
Under his aggrieved stare, Ji Nian pinched his chin and grilled him again about whether the hair-drying tradition was just a lie. But he insisted it wasn’t.
A quick search online confirmed it—apparently, for Othian men, hair was akin to chastity. You couldn’t just touch it casually.
Remembering how she’d once asked to touch Lu Jinghuai’s hair shortly after they’d met, Ji Nian: "……"
She even recalled seeing Princess Feia often running her fingers through Lu Zhi’s hair back in Othia…
So that’s what it meant.
No wonder Lu Jinghuai always looked so pleased whenever she played with his hair. She’d just assumed he was secretly part dog…
That afternoon, Lu Jinghuai helped Ji Nian unpack all her deliveries. They napped together, waking in the late afternoon before heading out hand-in-hand to the supermarket. By evening, they strolled back, each licking an ice pop.
Watching a group playing with their dogs on the lawn nearby, Ji Nian’s eyes softened with nostalgia.
If only Big Egg were still here—she could’ve taken him for walks after dinner every day.
"Do you like them?"
Lu Jinghuai followed her gaze, guessing her thoughts.
Ji Nian shook her head. "Actually, I’m not really an animal person."
After years of experiments, she still held reverence for fragile lives, but she’d grown somewhat numb to them. And the pain of parting was something she instinctively avoided, so she’d never considered keeping a pet. Besides, animals rarely took to her anyway.
Big Egg had been the sole exception—its affection for her had been downright flattering.
Of course, Chen Mo didn’t count. A rabbit with a human soul could hardly be called a pet.
Seeing that she had no intention of getting another pet, Lu Jinghuai dismissed the idea of giving her anything.
Of course, he didn’t want to either.
After all, Ji Nian’s attention should be focused solely on him—he certainly didn’t want anything else clinging to her all day.
"Then just keep me. I don’t need much, just a little love. I’m very easy to take care of," he said.
Ji Nian shot him a glance. "What you need is far from 'a little.'"
That guy might look sweet, but deep down, he was greedy.
Lu Jinghuai just chuckled, unbothered.
They tossed their finished popsicle sticks away and walked home hand in hand.
Time flew by, and soon, S University officially began its new semester.
