The Heroine Pays Me to Fall in Love (Quick Transmigration) - Chapter 48

Jiang Zhinan lay on the bed, watching Hu Meng take out the tools she would need in a moment.

It all looked surprisingly professional—various disposable gloves, needles, and containers lined up neatly.

Even though Jiang Zhinan had already searched online several times before coming here and thought she was fully prepared, actually seeing the equipment made her panic a little. Her heart thumped wildly in her chest.

She hesitated, then turned her head to glance at Su Jin standing beside her. After receiving a reassuring smile, she looked back again and silently gave herself several rounds of encouragement.

“Don’t worry, it’s fine. Don’t be scared.”

Hu Meng sat next to her, disinfecting the area as she soothed her softly. “The design you want is very small. It won’t hurt that much.”

“Okay.” Jiang Zhinan responded, instinctively holding her breath, not wanting Hu Meng to see how terrified she was.

She was a CEO, after all—a dignified, imposing CEO. How could she be frightened by a little tattoo?

Besides, she was here to set an example and boost her girlfriend’s courage. If she got scared before she could cheer Su Jin on, that would be embarrassing beyond belief.

“I have something that can numb the pain,” the system commented in her mind, sounding amused. “Want me to give you a dose?”

“I’ll pass.” Jiang Zhinan refused. “If I use it but Su Jin can’t, then she’ll be in pain while I’m not. That’d be unfair.”

“Fair enough,” the system agreed. “Then hang in there! I’ll cheer you on!”

While she and the system chatted, Hu Meng had already begun tracing the design on her skin. Su Jin had drawn two tiny stars for her—one whole, one half—and from a glance, they looked like they were embracing each other.

Just like the two of them.

Jiang Zhinan lay quietly as Hu Meng finished outlining, her thoughts drifting far into the cosmos. She thought about all sorts of things, even imagining Su Jin kissing her tattoo afterward.

“Take a look.”

Hu Meng handed her a small mirror. “Is it okay? If you’re satisfied, I’ll start the linework next.”

“I love it.”

Through the mirror, Jiang Zhinan saw the two playful little stars and nodded happily. “Go ahead.”

“It’ll sting a little,” Hu Meng warned as she took the tools from the sterilizer and leaned down to begin working on her chest. “Try to bear with it.”

“Mhm, I.”

Jiang Zhinan didn’t finish her sentence. The moment the needle hit, her words were swallowed by the sudden sharp pain.

It really did hurt—a pulsing sting, like being bitten over and over by tiny ants.

Su Jin watched from the side, her worry plain on her face. She kept asking whether Zhinan could still endure it.

“I’m fine,” Jiang Zhinan whispered, forcing a smile as she bit down on her anxiety.

Pain was pain—but as long as she pushed through, it would be over soon enough.

Hu Meng was extremely meticulous. Just outlining two small stars took nearly an entire hour. By the end, Jiang Zhinan felt a little numb; the pain faded into something she gradually adapted to.

When Hu Meng finally straightened up, she exhaled.

“That’s the linework done. Next I’ll start coloring. It might hurt a little more than before—hang in there.”

“Got it,” Jiang Zhinan replied.

Even though she was nervous about the coloring, she still felt a strange sense of excitement.

What was that saying again? Something about pain and happiness coexisting, and the dawn of victory just ahead.

She and Su Jin had already decided: Su Jin’s flower tattoo would be red, while Jiang Zhinan’s stars would be black.

Black—subtle but luxurious, cool and stylish. It matched her complexion and her CEO aura perfectly.

Hu Meng switched tools again and resumed working on her chest. Compared to earlier, the scene looked a bit more intense—blood seeped out from time to time, and she wiped it away like a surgeon at work.

“Look at me.”

Su Jin spoke softly from beside her, trying to divert her attention. “Let’s talk for a bit.”

“Okay.”

Jiang Zhinan blinked, her pupils reflecting nothing but Su Jin. “Tell me what you’ve been up to lately. I want to hear your voice.”

“Alright.”

Su Jin laughed softly and began recounting everything she’d seen and heard over the past few days.

There wasn’t any particular theme—she just wanted to distract her, ease her pain even a little.

And it worked. Hu Meng worked for as long as Su Jin talked, and although it still hurt, Jiang Zhinan’s mind was filled only with her girlfriend. Time seemed to flow faster than before. Before she knew it, the coloring was done.

Hu Meng handed her the mirror again, letting her admire the newly colored stars from every angle.

They were gorgeous.

Even with the redness and swelling, they were stunning.

Staring at them, Jiang Zhinan felt that all the pain she had endured had been more than worth it.

“Look!”

She practically sparkled like a three-year-old who had just discovered a precious treasure and couldn’t wait to show her best friend. Delighted, bright-eyed, and incredibly cute—“Isn’t it pretty?”

“It’s beautiful,” Su Jin said immediately, bending down to kiss her forehead. “You did great.”

“Aren’t you going to praise me too?” Hu Meng interrupted from the side, sounding mildly resentful. “You know, this level of beauty requires skill.”

“Well, yes, partly,” Su Jin laughed. “But mostly because my girlfriend has a beautiful chest—and because my design is good.”

Hu Meng: “…”

Fine. Whatever you say.

There were only a few finishing steps left. After wrapping up everything for Zhinan, Hu Meng took a tea break before preparing to work on Su Jin next.

“Tell me if it hurts,” Jiang Zhinan said gently as she sat beside her.

“Mhm.” Su Jin nodded, eyes soft with a smile. “My girlfriend already braved it first for me. I’m not scared.”

Su Jin’s tattoo was larger than Jiang Zhinan’s and took longer. By the time Hu Meng finally straightened up, the sky outside had already turned completely dark.

But the result was absolutely worth it.

The little flower blooming on Su Jin’s chest was stunning—bold, sexy, almost provocative in its allure. It was breathtakingly beautiful.

“Let me see!”

Jiang Zhinan had held herself back the entire time, afraid of distracting Hu Meng. Now that it was finished, she scooted closer at once. If the tattoo didn’t need days to heal, she would’ve kissed it already.

“Forget the payment,” Hu Meng said as she packed up the tools. “Just treat me to a meal next time.”

“How could I possibly let you do that?” Su Jin laughed softly, but in the end, she still paid every cent according to Hu Meng’s usual rate. “I have to pay you, and we absolutely have to go out for dinner.”

“But.” She sighed, leaned closer, and murmured into Hu Meng’s ear, “we’ll have to wait until I get back.”

“Oh.” Hu Meng nodded, then sneakily shifted her gaze toward where Jiang Zhinan was standing. Worried, she lowered her voice. “Have you told her you’re leaving?”

“Not yet.” Su Jin shook her head and straightened up, her eyes dimming. “I haven’t figured out how to say it.”

“You really need to think this through,” Hu Meng said. “I can tell that girl really, really likes you. If she finds out you’re leaving, I don’t even know how sad she’ll be.”

“Mm.” Su Jin responded softly. She closed her eyes for a moment and didn’t say anything else, only whispered, “I know.”

Of course she knew. She had long known exactly how much Jiang Zhinan liked her—how deeply she cared.

And because of that, parting words were the hardest to speak. She didn’t want to see Jiang Zhinan sad, didn’t want to hurt her—not even a little. She would never allow herself to do that.

“Are we heading home?” Jiang Zhinan had already finished packing and turned to her with a gentle smile.

“Yes, home.” Su Jin nodded, quietly tucking away her tangled emotions. She bade Hu Meng goodbye, then walked out of the tattoo studio hand-in-hand with Jiang Zhinan.

The wind outside was even louder than before. Tree shadows swayed, branches crisscrossed under the streetlights, and the rustling filled their ears.

Su Jin slipped Jiang Zhinan’s hand into her own pocket to warm it, and the two walked slowly along the lamplit street, soaking in the rare peace and quiet.

“Want to grab dinner first?” After a few minutes of walking, Jiang Zhinan suggested.

“Sure.” Su Jin nodded. “What do you feel like eating?”

“It’s so cold—let’s get noodles,” Jiang Zhinan said. “Let’s go to that place where you treated me to the five-hundred-and-nine noodles.”

“You still remember that?” Su Jin couldn’t help laughing, but she didn’t hesitate—she called a taxi right away and took Jiang Zhinan over.

It was dinnertime, so the noodle shop was packed. The moment they walked in, a warm, steamy cloud enveloped them, chasing away the chill clinging to their bodies.

“Sit here for a bit. I’ll go place the order.” They found a window seat. Su Jin set down her wallet on the table and stood up again.

“Mm.” Jiang Zhinan smiled at her quietly, waiting for her to return.

But after a few moments, Su Jin’s phone rang on the table.

Jiang Zhinan thought someone was calling her and quickly picked it up, intending to bring it to Su Jin.

But the moment she lifted it, she realized—it wasn’t a call.

It was a text message.

A notification from a travel app:

Ms. Su Jin, your flight to Vienna—Flight 767—departs tomorrow at 12:20 PM. Please remember to pack your luggage and get ready in advance!

What?

The moment she finished reading it, Jiang Zhinan froze.

Su Jin had bought a ticket to Vienna.

And she hadn’t told her a thing.

It felt like she was planning to slip away in secret.

How long was she going for?

When would she be back?

What was she going to do there?

Jiang Zhinan knew none of it.

And the reason.

When Su Jin came back carrying their noodles, she saw Jiang Zhinan sitting there with her head lowered, counting money—very seriously.

There were several red bills already laid out in front of her. Jiang Zhinan counted them, then pulled out more tens and twenties and added them to the pile.

Su Jin blinked, baffled. She had no idea what Jiang Zhinan was doing. She quickened her steps, sat down across from her, and whispered, “President Jiang, you really shouldn’t flash your cash around.”

Jiang Zhinan lifted her head, looked at her, then pressed her finger to her lips, signaling for her to stay quiet.

Su Jin nodded obediently and began setting out their bowls and spoons.

When she finally looked up again, Jiang Zhinan had stopped counting. She nudged the thick wad of money toward Su Jin.

“Count it,” she said.

“What for?” Su Jin laughed, but still did as she was told. After counting, she realized—it was exactly five hundred and nine.

“No reason.” Jiang Zhinan shook her head. Then she leaned forward, her small face drawing close, her voice low, warm, soft—and devastatingly alluring.

“To buy you for tonight.”

“Stay with me,” she whispered. “Okay?”