CH 23

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Mimosa

Xia Ke took a complete winter vacation, but also deliberately posted a status to show off. Other students and friends were caught in the frenzy of overtime at the end of the year while he arrogantly took a winter vacation.

A college roommate commented and asked him, [Are you still human?]

Xiao Ke replied with a ‘cheers’ emoji, then put down his phone before asking Dr. Xu, “Old Xiao still hasn’t returned from the massage?”

“He’s been sneaking around lately, walking slowly.” Dr. Xu was reading a book with her glasses on and didn’t have time to pay attention to him.

Xiao Ke looked at his watch before he stood up and said, “I’ll go pick him up. What’s the point of sneaking around in the cold?”

Xiao Ke had a long-term massage appointment made for his dad to get shoulder and neck treatment, and he had to go there every few days so Xiao Ke met his dad halfway to bring him back.

“I said I’ll walk. What are you pulling me back for?” Old Xiao returned and still complained a little.

“It’s more than 20 degrees below zero Celsius, do you see anybody walking outside?” Xiao Ke took a sip of his father’s tea. He also couldn’t understand the stuff so he took a sip and put it aside.

“What do you care about me?” His dad glared at him and began to drink tea. “I like to sneak around. I think you are too idle.”

After the winter break, except for the time spent at Zhou Zui’s place, he basically spent all his time with his parents. The old couple were just starting to feel excited for a few days, but when the novelty was over, they threw Xiao Ke out of the house as they thought that he was too noisy at home.

Xiao Ke laughed and said, “I’ve been quiet enough, okay? I’ve got a new little brother. I’ll bring him back to you someday, you would think I’m self-absorbed when you compare.”

“Really? Then bring him back and let us take a look.” Dr. Xu looked up at him from her book, and said after a while, “Are you talking about the new guy you mentioned last time?”

Xiao Ke froze for a moment, and then smiled, “No, I’m not.”

“No?” Dr. Xu looked at him again, before she lowered her head and went back to her book. “How old is the new love?”

His mother called him a new love, which made Xiao Ke want to laugh, but he answered her question in a serious way, “Just thirty-six.”

“That’s not that young,” His mom said while flipping through the pages of her book. “A little older than Xiao Lin?”

“Yeah.” Xiao Ke nodded, then fished out his phone to send a message to Zhou Zui.

[Boss Zhou, my mom asked me the age of my new love.]

Earlier, he had mentioned it to Lu Xiaobei and his mother may have misunderstood and thought that he had found a younger one this time, so Ms. Xu looked quite satisfied this time when talking about age.

She had always felt that the older ones were reliable, sensible, and not at all impulsive.

“Does he like you?” His mom was still asking.

Xiao Ke laughed. “Not yet, Ms. Xu. He has not agreed to be with me yet, so you can inspect the account after he agrees.”

“You’re not dating?” Dr. Xu also felt a little surprised. “Handsome Xiao hit a wall?”

Xiao Ke’s phone vibrated with a WeChat message which Xiao Ke opened to see that it was Zhou Zui who had replied to him, and Xiao Ke smiled after reading it.

[36.]

Xiao Ke hurriedly took a sip of the tea just now, and the taste of the bitter silk tea leaves could not be tasted at this time and actually tasted sweet. Xiao Ke also did not chat with his mother and sent a message to ask Zhou Zui, [Are you my new love, hm?]

The more he thought about it, the more he couldn’t help but laugh. Xiao Ke stood up and grabbed his coat. He was about to leave when Old Xiao asked him, “What are you doing? You’re not going to eat at home?”

“No,” Xiao Ke put on his shoes and waved his hands. “I’m going to find my new love.”

His new love was too cute and charmed Xiao Ke every day.

Zhou Zui had never given a proper answer so the two of them had been maintaining a somewhat ambiguous relationship that made even Lu Xiaobei so anxious that he could not stand it, and he said that they were too serious. Xiao Ke did not care, as this period was the most interesting in the process of falling in love, and the longer it took, the better.

Most of all, he could see the changes in Zhou Zui every day. This person really had changed. Although he did not say much, Xiao Ke could see it. From his birthday to following the almost kiss, Zhou Zui’s attitude had changed a lot.

This, in turn, made Xiao Ke feel very down-to-earth. He was not in a hurry. Really not in a hurry.

Zhou Zui had a steady and secure attitude so Xiao Ke liked him more and felt that this person was very secure.

He was sitting in the car and was about to start the engine when he received Zhou Zui’s reply, and after reading it, Xiao Ke squinted and smiled for a long time.

[Aren’t I?]

Xiao Ke quickly replied, [You are.]

After thinking about it, he followed up with another one, [If not you, who is? Wait for me.]

Professor Xiao ushered in a splendid spring to his life after 30 years, with his soul washed lightly by love, and he found life particularly interesting.

–On the other hand, Zhou Zui looked down at his phone with a smile in his eyes. Lu Xiaobei was used to this state of his as his Brother Xiao’s strength was undeniable, and his charm value was at the max level.

“I’m talking about something, can you fiddle with your phone later?” The man sitting across the couch frowned at Zhou Zui and said impatiently, “Can you do this tattoo for me?”

Zhou Zui looked at him and withdrew the smile in his eyes before putting down his phone. He looked at the man’s image again and smiled lightly, “I never do other people’s drawings.”

“So you can’t?” The man flicked his own drawings. “You can charge your normal fees and I won’t even ask for a reduced design fee. Is it still a no?”

Zhou Zui shook his head without even bothering to say anything.

Lu Xiaobei was not as calm as Zhou Zui, and he pointed to the drawing and asked, “Where did you get this drawing?”

“I found someone to design it.” The man looked at his own drawing and felt quite satisfied. “I spent a small amount of 10,000 on this drawing.”

Lu Xiaobei asked him again, “Then why didn’t you just let us design your tattoo here?”

“I thought he was too expensive,” The man answered directly. “He works too slow, long hours, and high hourly rates and still charges tens of thousands of dollars. I see that your style here and theirs are close, and you are copying them quite well. So bringing in a picture is the same.”

All kinds of people came to get tattoos with the most being younger twenty year olds. Zhou Zui was very calm about everything so he smiled slightly and shook his head.

However, while he could listen to this, Lu Xiaobei could not. He almost immediately stood up and blew up while saying, “No problem, the style is similar, but you’re the opposite.”

“It’s okay, I’m just a straight talker, I don’t mind.” The man sat there and asked Lu Xiaobei with a smile, “Why don’t you do it for me? I see that you are also quite good at your craft.”

“I wouldn’t do it even if you gave me ten thousand an hour,” Lu Xiaobei scoffed. He pointed at the piece of paper. “Just this design, my big brother got sick of this style 800 years ago. Back then, my big brother was among the first to work on this style. Who’s copying who? Get it right. Don’t make a fool of yourself.”

“You mean they copied you guys?” The man also laughed,and  his face was also quite sympathetic as he looked at Lu Xiaobei. “You know who I am talking about ah buddy? This is the design of Mr. Feng Lei. You are all in this business, you can’t not know Feng Lei, right? You say he copied you?”

“Feng Lei?” Lu Xiaobei snorted, and was about to say something else when Zhou Zui called him out. “Xiaobei.”

Lu Xiaobei then withdrew his voice, took another look at the man, then turned his head before walking away.

Zhou Zui said, “Sorry, I don’t do other people’s drawings. Also, since my price is not cheap, there are many others who are cheaper than me so try looking again.”

When Zhou Zui said this, he didn’t raise his head again, and clicked into Xiao Ke’s circle of friends to see his daily life. He liked to post this stuff, and Zhou Zui could see Fang Xi and Old Cao commenting below with Xiao Ke replying, and it was fun to see them chatting back and forth.

“Dude you’re pretty crazy.” The guy on the other side said.

“Mn,” Zhou Zui said without looking up. “Not that much.”

When this person left, no one noticed. Lu Xiaobei was angry and went upstairs to draw while Zhou Zui was concentrating on Professor Xiao’s circle of friends and did not want to look up.

In the tattoo community, Feng Lei had a very important position, and was ranked first in Beijing. Tattooers ran to Beijing to learn his art, and if he didn’t have a hundred apprentices, he had at least eighty, which was very exemplary. His tattoo parlor was four floors and the walls were covered with photos and awards. Last year, he won a tattoo contest in Europe and the United States.

For Lu Xiaobei, no one was allowed to say anything bad about his big brother. If they cursed Zhou Zui, it was the same as cursing him. As a result of this matter, Lu Xiaobei gambled for a while until Xiao Ke came but still lost face.

When Xiao Ke came in, he touched the top of his bare head. “What’s wrong?”

Lu Xiaobei looked at him and said, “I’ll just calm myself down for a while. Don’t worry about me, Brother Xiao.”

“Okay,” Xiao Ke smiled. “Where’s your big brother?”

Lu Xiaobei pointed upstairs.

When Xiao Ke went upstairs, Zhou Zui was drawing something in his studio which he couldn’t see from the doorway so Xiao Ke leaned over and knocked gently on the door before calling out, “Teacher Zhou.”

Zhou Zui looked back and saw Xiao Ke, so he raised his arm as a greeting.

“What are you drawing?” Xiao Ke tilted his body to take a look, and remembered the two messages Zhou Zui had just sent back to him so he smiled and called out, “…New love.”

Zhou Zui laughed at these two words before he took a piece of drawing paper from the side to cover his drawing before he stood up and walked over. When he walked in front of Xiao Ke, he asked, “Am I?”

Xiao Ke looked at his back and answered without hesitation, “You are, absolutely are. I love you so much.”

His tone was actually less serious and was half-joking and half-serious as he often was. He enjoyed teasing Zhou Zui and seeing his calm appearance falter.

Zhou Zui stood still and looked back at him, and Xiao Ke winked at him.