Zhao paints the whole street to make girlfriend feel safe. Screenshot of Chengdu Economic Daily

An old alley covered with painted walls near the Fuqing Road subway station in Chenghua district, Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan Province, went viral online. It is reported that the painter, surnamed Zhang, spent two months painting more than 30 meters of graffiti for his girlfriend because she was afraid to walk by herself alone at night. "I really envy this girl. Her boyfriend's love has paved her way home," said netizens. "Actually, this can make everyone feel envious!"

On April 24, reporters visited the scene and found Zhang himself. Zhang told the reporters that at the beginning he decided to paint for his girlfriend as a surprise to make her feel warm every time she walked through that road. As a painter, he also hoped that this would be a way for more people to see his work and earn more money to make a lifetime commitment to his girlfriend. "If these graffiti can bring warmth to more people, I also feel happy and worthwhile," Zhang noted.

At first, because the wall was already very old, Zhang needed to putty the wall and cover it with white paint first. Later, the community learned about the story and helped Zhang to deal with the remaining wall. So far, Zhang has completed more than 30 meters of graffiti, with the remaining 200 meters expected to be completed in 2023.