This statement had an impact on him no less than when Qin Chu told him, "I don't want my people to be exposed."
One sentence acknowledges their relationship, while the other is a serious declaration: I'm serious, I'm never joking.
When Levy heard that sentence last time, his heart felt like it was filled with fireworks, a dazzling display.
Now it's like someone has shoved a spring into your head, gushing out sweet, warm water—it's a hot spring, damn it.
Levy was momentarily at a loss for what to do with his hands and feet.
He coughed lightly before continuing, "You mean the kind where you get married, right?"
Upon hearing this, Qin Chu raised an eyebrow at him and asked, "What do you mean? You're not planning to get married?"
“…Of course not,” Levy explained immediately, “It’s just…”
He hadn't expected Qin Chu to make such a decisive decision from the very beginning.
Levi always believed that their relationship began with his pursuit. If he hadn't been so persistent and tried so hard to keep Qin Chu hooked, given Qin Chu's personality, they might never have ended up together.
Only now did Levy realize that Qin Chu was more insightful and far-sighted than he had imagined.
He was only pursuing Qin Chu out of the instinct to seek pleasure, while Qin Chu, in the midst of her struggle, had already planned everything that would follow.
This regulation is certainly not as simple as Qin Chu made it out to be.
Given their social standing, proving to others that they are serious is both extremely difficult and obvious.
He only started thinking about this now, while Qin Chu had seen it from the very beginning.
Qin Chu knew there would be difficulties, and she knew that being with him would bring many troubles. Having seen everything clearly, Qin Chu ultimately chose to follow her heart and be with him.
“Let’s get married,” Levy said.
"Huh?" Qin Chu couldn't understand how the topic had suddenly veered to this point.
“Let’s get married now.” Levi hugged Qin Chu and buried his face in the crook of his neck.
"What's wrong with you?" Qin Chu almost laughed. "How do I get married? Do you have identification? Oh, right, I don't."
Levi was sullen, and it seemed he wouldn't be happy until they got their marriage certificate on the spot.
Qin Chu, unusually, followed his train of thought: "Hmm... there's no ring either."
“No need for a ring,” Levy said.
As he spoke, he took something out of his pocket.
Qin Chu glanced at it and realized it was the same thing that Levi had casually picked up and then put down when they were counting the stolen goods earlier. After all that, he still took it.
What is this thing?
“A tattoo pen.” Levi smiled and took out the ink sac inside. “This thing is different from ordinary ink; the medium is blood.”
He added, "This doesn't count as embezzling stolen goods; it's just borrowing it for a bit, and I'll return it tomorrow."
"You want to get a ring tattoo?" Qin Chu raised an eyebrow at him.
Levi paused for a moment, then asked, "For your job... is it okay to have tattoos?"
That's possible.
Qin Chu will be promoted to marshal next, but he doesn't go on missions much anymore in his current position. Even when he does go on missions, the current disguise technology is so advanced that even one's appearance can be changed, let alone tattoos.
“Come on,” Levi coaxed him. “This is more useful than the ring. Use the pattern on my bloodline, so that no matter where you are, I can smell your scent.”
Qin Chu was surprised to find that it had this function.
He had long noticed that Levy, though seemingly carefree, was actually quite insecure.
Perhaps the events at the end of the last century had truly angered him, and Levy's emotions became increasingly severe.
Qin Chu didn't quite understand, but he didn't mind comforting Levi.
But when he took off his shirt and lay on the bed while Levi held the tattoo pen and gestured, he still felt a little uncomfortable: "Where do you want to get it tattooed?"
“Here.” Levi traced the back of Qin Chu’s neck with his finger.
He pierced his own vein, and the bright red blood entered the pigment sac, gradually forming a stable color.
Qin Chu lay prone on the bed, his arms under his chin, his entire back stretched out. A thin, even layer of muscle covered his bones, making him look like a beautiful sculpture.
Levi's fingers slid down his shoulder, lightly touching the scars with his fingertips, before finally giving his waist a firm squeeze.
"Are you going to get a tattoo, or do something else?" Qin Chu turned to look at him.
Levy's Adam's apple bobbed, he hesitated for two seconds, but still insisted, "Tattoo."
For him, a temporary tattoo artist, getting a tattoo amidst such scenery was a huge challenge.
Normally, Levy would definitely prefer to "get down to business".
But things are different now.
The pigment made from his blood will invade Qin Chu's body, leaving indelible marks.
From then on, no matter where he was, he could always find Qin Chu's location precisely by following the scent of that blood. This completely satisfied Levi's possessive desires.
"...What exactly do you want to get tattooed?" Qin Chu couldn't help but ask again.
"You'll see when it's done." Levi bent down and kissed his ear.
As if afraid that he would lose control if he kissed too much, he only touched her briefly this time before returning to his work.
This ascetic demeanor was quite rare, which made Qin Chu glance at him a few more times.
"Hey, don't move." Levi quickly pressed him down.
"...I have a scar on my back." Qin Chu suddenly remembered this.
The skin on his back is not smooth; there are several deep scars that are still difficult to heal even with current medical conditions.
Levi seemed to have some issues with the scars on his back, and would bite along the scars a few times each time.
Upon hearing this, Levy replied, "A tattoo is also a scar, a scar you left for me alone."
The area covered by the Levi pattern is not small.
At first, Qin Chu was curious about what he had tattooed, but then he dozed off for a while due to the slight stinging pain in the back of his neck and shoulders.
When he left the previous world, his consciousness was still somewhat shaken and he needed sleep to recover.
Levy was just as shocked as him, but he was in high spirits, or rather, excited.
He liked to leave his mark on Qin Chu.
It's not just about leaving behind their own scent, but also about announcing to everyone that they are together.
This was originally just a harmless preference.
However, at the end of the previous world, Qin Chu actually tried to forcibly teleport him out. The channel had already been set up, and Levi was completely unprepared. If he hadn't reacted quickly enough, he would already be separated from Qin Chu by the distance between reality and virtuality.
Having gone through this harrowing but ultimately safe transmission, Levy's preference gradually spread and fermented, eventually becoming what it is now "essential".
When Qin Chu felt the stinging pain stop, he subconsciously woke up.
"All done?" he asked, turning his head.
“Hmm.” Levi ran his fingers along the edge of the pattern.
Desperate to find out what Levi had tattooed, Qin Chu quickly came to his senses, got out of bed, and headed for the bathroom.
He stood in front of the mirror by the sink, turning his body slightly to look at the pattern behind him.
The tattoo is dark red, with intricate lines forming two symmetrical triangles, extending from the neck to the shoulder blades. At first glance, it looks like a pair of wings, or perhaps a seal.
Levi stood behind Qin Chu and lowered his head to gently kiss the pattern on the back of his neck.
"What is this?" Qin Chu asked.
“The patterns on my scales,” Levi kissed again, “each star beast has unique patterns on its scales, which can serve as its identification mark. Now you have my stamp on you.”
It would be a lie to say I wasn't excited.
Levi couldn't resist after giving Qin Chu two light kisses and pinned him to the sink.
I get a tattoo in the first half of the night, and of course I have to get down to business in the second half.
But less than two seconds later, Qin Chu grabbed his hair and pulled him away.
"What's wrong?" Levy asked, somewhat displeased.
Qin Chu raised an eyebrow: "You only have one ring?"
Levy was taken aback.
Qin Chu reached out to him directly: "Where's the tattoo pen?"
Levy then realized what was happening, blinked a couple of times, and looked somewhat pleased.
But he quickly frowned again: "I've used the paint sac."
The two exchanged a glance.
Levy added, "But I just saw it; there's more in the box."
In the middle of the night, the door to the captain's office on the first warship opened again.
After nearly being imprisoned, Qin Chu did something unprecedented again—stealing things from his own starship.
The two sneakily entered the compartment where the stolen goods were stored, quickly found a spare paint sac in the box, and then quietly returned to the office.
After closing the door, the two leaned against it and glanced at each other.
Levy couldn't help but chuckle softly.
Qin Chu glared at him, holding the paint bag: "What are you laughing at?"
"They're laughing at how quickly General Qin steals things," Levy said.
After holding back for a while, Qin Chu reached out and grabbed his collar, throwing him onto the bed.
“Come on,” Levy said, lying down casually. “Do you want it tattooed on the top or the bottom?”
As he spoke, he began to take off his clothes.
Qin Chu pressed him down, frowning: "Be serious."
"Oh, so where do you want to get it tattooed?" Levi winked at him.