Chapter 01

Ye Ji’an, thirty-four years old, was a diligent and well-paid office worker. He had developed the habit of waking up before dawn each day, taking the first subway from his residential area in the satellite city to the company gym in the CBD, where he would jog for half an hour.

He arrived this early because he needed to wear a short-sleeved shirt for jogging, not wanting any colleagues to see the tattoos that covered his arms, shoulders, and back.

The tattoos were a result of a sudden desire for excitement two years ago when he found life dull. He had inked the names of his favorite underground rock bands from college, along with roses and skulls. Of course, the thrill-seeking had failed; he only found them ugly and painful.

After exercising, he would take a shower, spray on some light perfume, and dress himself neatly, covering the tattoos with a thick shirt, even in summer. Running was not out of interest; it was merely a way to prevent gaining weight and to help him stay alert throughout the morning. Yet, by the afternoon, he still had to drink copious amounts of coffee to tackle the mountain of work.

Indeed, as a brick-moving dog in the finance industry, he had to keep an eye on the Shanghai Stock Exchange, Shenzhen Stock Exchange, and the US Stock Market. When things got busy, there was no set schedule. Even if he left work on time, he would find himself crammed into the crowded evening subway, surrounded by the smell of sweat, which was a daily struggle he often wished to escape—though it was just a fleeting thought.

The new game he had his eye on hadn’t been released yet, and the PS4 he bought last year was practically brand new.

He hadn’t taken the time off to see the live show he wanted to attend, either.

The mortgage was still not fully paid off.

Why did he still feel this way, wanting to escape?

After getting off the subway, he had to humbly queue to buy roasted sweet potatoes. He avoided his favorite cheap fried skewers out of fear of gaining weight; it would be a disaster to wear a shirt with a little belly. Ye Ji’an regretted having lunch with a junior colleague two streets away, as the Japanese cuisine was quite expensive. Even splitting the bill hurt his wallet; if he didn’t save some money this month, he wouldn’t be able to manage the mortgage.

He had to clean the house himself, as the price of hiring a cleaner had skyrocketed recently. He thought it was better to take the opportunity to exercise his body while he didn’t have any DDL.

As for the young man he had lunch with, Ye Ji’an pondered while pushing the mop around the house, feeling both worried and wary.

He was worried because the young man had graduated from graduate school less than two years ago, held a lower position than him, and earned less. Yet, he spent money extravagantly, especially on luxury brands and photography, which was a costly hobby. Ye Ji’an couldn’t understand how this person would afford to buy a house and marry in the future.

He felt wary because the young man knew all about his tattoos, and he was the only one in the company who had ever seen him without his shirt on. That was an unfortunate morning, just two or three months ago in early autumn, when he had a sudden stomachache while showering, causing him to be a few minutes late to the changing room, where he happened to run into the young man who had come in to change for his workout.

The kid had looked utterly stunned.

Ye Ji’an had felt embarrassed, turning his back to hide it, “Xiao Liang, you’re here so early.”

“Senior, you’re the one who’s early,” the young man replied with a lazy smile, unabashed, his eyes sparkling, “You’re really cool!”

It was the first time someone had called him cool. Cool? This tattooed body had been a constant source of nagging from his parents, and even his ex-girlfriend, with whom he had discussed marriage, had mocked him about it.

“Thank you.” Ye Ji’an remained polite, and later, when he went to the convenience store to buy breakfast, he thoughtfully brought a bottle of juice and a meat-rich sandwich, placing them on the young man’s desk in the sunlight while no one else was around.

No one knew that he had practically fled the changing room when he buttoned up his shirt. Later, he saw the young man smiling as he picked up the juice and unwrapped the sandwich, chatting cheerfully with a female colleague next door, and he felt a similar state of mind.

Would he guess it was me?

Would he think I was trying to please him? “Bribing” him? Trying to get closer? After all, I’m his superior!

Would he spill the beans about the tattoos?

Ye Ji’an had even taken the time during lunch to carefully check the company regulations, finding no prohibition against tattoos, but he still felt that if it got out, it would have a negative impact.

He felt even more desperate.

Who knew, just a couple of days later, while he was quietly smoking in his usual corner behind the bookshelf in the smoking room, thinking about the report he had to give to his boss that afternoon, he suddenly heard the sound of footsteps. The young man appeared, looking relaxed and confident, swaggering over to stand beside him.

He lit a cigarette as well.

“Good morning.”

“Morning.” Ye Ji’an felt as nervous as if he were about to meet his boss.

The young man smiled, “Do you like hiding in places like this alone, Senior?”

He definitely had something to say. Ye Ji’an forced a friendly smile, “Not really, our department has too few smokers, and there are many girls. I don’t want to bother anyone.”

“Haha, me too.” The young man replied, but his smoking style seemed inexperienced, as if he were pretending to be a seasoned smoker.

“I didn’t know Xiao Liang smoked.”

“Just call me Liang Xiao,” the young man pointed to the name tag hanging on his chest, “You’re not much older than me, right?”

“Haha, that’s true.” Ye Ji’an looked at him and agreed, thinking he would check the young man’s birth year later.

“Yeah.” Liang Xiao looked back at him, seemingly lost in thought. He seemed to be enjoying himself in this strange atmosphere.

“Alright, stop slacking off,” Ye Ji’an maintained his composed demeanor, finally finishing his cigarette, extinguishing the butt, and patting the young man’s shoulder, “I’ll head back now.”

“By the way, Senior,” Liang Xiao suddenly called out to him, “There’s something I think I should remind you about.”

“Go ahead.” Ye Ji’an felt an urge to hop away like a rabbit.

“Your tattoos can actually be faintly seen even through a light-colored shirt,” he said softly, lowering his eyes, looking straight at the arm resting on Liang Xiao’s shoulder, which he had forgotten to lower, “At least I can see them.”