Chapter 59: Painting
After taking photos, Lu Zhiyin lay on the beach for a while longer.
By the time the three of them left the beach and took a taxi back to the inn, it was already dusk.
“Where are we going to play tomorrow?”
In the inn’s restaurant, the three of them sat around a square table, with a few simple dishes and three bowls of plain congee on the table.
Ouyang Qing was listless. She didn’t like vegetarian dishes and plain congee much. Compared to the food in front of her, she was more interested in tomorrow’s itinerary.
“Sigh… the amusement park.”
Picking up the bowl, Lu Zhiyin blew on the hot congee and slurped around the rim of the bowl.
Zhu Qing sat beside Lu Zhiyin and picked food into Lu Zhiyin’s bowl.
“About the amusement park, you can rest assured. There should be many fun things.”
Whether it was a Ferris wheel, a roller coaster, a bungee jump, or a pirate ship, these were all things that Lu Zhiyin had longed to do but had never done.
“Oh.”
Answering with an “oh,” Ouyang Qing placed the turtle doll on her waist on the table and poked its head intermittently with her index finger.
The cheap doll had long been deformed by her constant handling, but the outer fabric was still intact, spotless, and showed no signs of damage.
Lu Zhiyin couldn’t understand why Ouyang Qing always carried that cheap doll.
After having lunch in the inn, the three of them returned to their respective rooms.
…
In Zhu Qing and Lu Zhiyin’s room, Lu Zhiyin threw herself into the bathtub.
The bathtub was not large, but it was more than enough to accommodate her.
Hot water covered her chest, and above her head, the showerhead was constantly spraying mist.
The hot water soothed the fatigue from playing all day.
“Sigh…”
Exhaling a long sigh, Lu Zhiyin looked at her forearm.
The writing Zhu Qing had left on her forearm was still there, but it was starting to fade.
Touching the words on her forearm, Lu Zhiyin recalled the group photo taken that afternoon.
She didn’t really want to be in the same frame as Ouyang Qing, but since Zhu Qing was there, she couldn’t afford to fall out with Ouyang Qing.
Her eyes darkened. Lu Zhiyin soaked in the bathtub for about half an hour before getting out when the water was about to turn completely cold.
Without any change of clothes, she wore Zhu Qing’s shirt and pants.
Zhu Qing’s clothes were a size too big for her, making her look petite and cute.
“Are you done washing?”
In the bedroom, Zhu Qing sat on the soft mattress, holding a hairdryer and a comb.
“Mhm.”
Lu Zhiyin nodded.
“Then I’ll dry your hair first, and then I’ll take a shower. You can help me dry my hair afterward.”
Zhu Qing patted the empty space beside her.
Lu Zhiyin submissively sat down beside Zhu Qing.
She let Zhu Qing manage her gray-white hair.
Zhu Qing’s fingertips slipped between her hair strands, and the hot air passed through her hair, touching her scalp. It felt quite good.
“Senior.”
While enjoying Zhu Qing’s service, Lu Zhiyin softly called out to Zhu Qing.
“What is it?”
“I don’t like Ouyang Qing.”
Lu Zhiyin said this, clutching the white bedsheet beneath her, causing the originally neat bedsheet to wrinkle.
“I know. You must be uncomfortable being in the same frame with her. But, I thought, if you get along with her, she might go easy on you and make your fate less tragic? It’s quite naive, isn’t it… I’m sorry for making you uncomfortable.”
Zhu Qing subconsciously thought Lu Zhiyin was confronting her.
Her movements paused, and her words were full of apology.
“N-no need to apologize. I had a lot of fun today, more fun than I’ve ever had.”
Lu Zhiyin closed her eyes.
“It’s because you’re here, Senior, that I feel happy. You’ve done so much for me, and I haven’t been able to do anything for you.”
“Senior, if you don’t mind, please paint on me. Just paint us both.”
Lu Zhiyin turned her head. Through her messy bangs, she could see Zhu Qing’s flushed face.
“Okay…”
Zhu Qing couldn’t refuse.
After drying Lu Zhiyin’s long hair, Zhu Qing took out a box of watercolors from her suitcase.
Forgetting about taking a shower, Zhu Qing temporarily placed the quilt on the bed on the ground.
“Take off your clothes and lie down.”
“Ah… um, please don’t misunderstand. I’m asking you to take off your clothes because a larger area of skin is needed for a portrait.”
Pointing to the center of the bed, Zhu Qing suddenly realized the abruptness of her words and began to explain anxiously.
“…It’s okay, I don’t misunderstand.”
Shrugging her shoulders, Lu Zhiyin didn’t seem to mind.
She took off her shirt and, as Zhu Qing had instructed, lay down in the center of the bed.
Zhu Qing got onto the bed with the watercolor box. She knelt beside Lu Zhiyin and carefully took out the colors she needed from the box.
“The ink in these pens is not persistent. You can easily wash it off when you get tired of it, so don’t worry.”
Picking up the watercolor brush, Zhu Qing’s hands trembled slightly.
It was her first time painting on a real person’s skin. She had only written on students’ hands or foreheads before.
“I won’t wash it off.”
Lu Zhiyin shook her head.
“Senior, you don’t have to worry about me changing my mind. By the way, can we speed it up a little? It’s cold with my back exposed like this.”
Lu Zhiyin urged Zhu Qing.
“Okay. Okay. Thank you.”
Zhu Qing seemed very nervous, but after being urged by Lu Zhiyin, she calmed down slightly.
She placed the tip of the watercolor brush on the girl’s shoulder and began to outline the figure.
She had good artistic talent and had drawn on paper many times, so she easily outlined Lu Zhiyin and Zhu Qing.
After drawing the outline, Zhu Qing changed to watercolors of other colors and filled in the picture behind the girl.
Unlike writing on the skin before, this time felt even more wonderful to Lu Zhiyin.
A large area of her skin was covered with ink, which felt cool and not uncomfortable.
To prevent Zhu Qing from making a mistake, Lu Zhiyin endured the coolness on her back and remained as still as possible.
Thanks to Lu Zhiyin’s cooperation, the painting was completed quickly.
“Alright, junior, take a look. It should… not be too bad?”
Zhu Qing took a photo of Lu Zhiyin’s back with her phone and handed the phone to Lu Zhiyin.
“…”
Silently, Lu Zhiyin looked at the picture in front of her.
A slightly shorter gray-haired girl leaned on the shoulder of a taller pink-haired girl. The girl looked tired but had sparkling eyes and a slight smile on her lips.
Sunlight shone on the girls’ faces, making them look more optimistic.
Beneath the girls was a golden beach, and further away, rolling waves.
“It’s beautiful.”
Lu Zhiyin smiled.
“You’re really amazing, Senior.”
Afraid of ruining the ink on her back, Lu Zhiyin dared not turn over for the time being and could only thank Zhu Qing verbally.
She really liked Zhu Qing’s painting, but unfortunately, the painting would eventually disappear with the body’s metabolism.
If only, Lu Zhiyin wished that Zhu Qing had used a knife to leave the painting on her body.
Scars never disappear, they are unforgettable.
