Savage Kiss - Chapter 1

[Where flesh descends, souls heal, may love endure unscathed.]

“Want to?”

Xu Qingyi plucked the freshly lit cigarette from the man’s fingers and brought it to his lips. “I’m clean, no diseases. You?”

The bar pulsed with seductive lights and music, but the corridor’s end held only her and him.

“No.” It was the first time he’d seen her up close. Only after answering did he realize what she’d asked.

The man’s deep-set eyes carried a roguish indifference. “You sure?”

Xu Qingyi had been sitting there for two hours, watching him for two hours. He didn’t drink, didn’t entertain advances, and looked… clean.

Her coat was splashed with alcohol, so she’d gone to the restroom. On her way out, she collided squarely with him. His reflexes were sharp, he caught her arm to steady her.

That single touch sent an electric current racing through her.

With her moderate case of skin hunger, she was hypersensitive to him. Her hands had already begun to misbehave.

The man inhaled slightly, his voice roughening. “If this is about a breakup, don’t do something stu-”

Xu Qingyi cupped his face and kissed him.

She couldn’t stand his lecturing. Her courage had taken so long to muster, she couldn’t let it deflate now.

The man staggered back a step under her assault, hands hovering uncertainly at her waist.

From the distant dance floor, waves of sound rose and fell, pushing the night’s ambiguity toward its peak.

She’d worn a skirt today. His grip settled behind her knees.

Suddenly, Xu Qingyi realized she was far too sensitive to this person. The intensity threatened to undo her. Panicking, she shoved him away, yanked open a nearby door, and fled.

Three years as a designer of intimate products had brought higher prices and deeper loneliness, social life, no circles.

She’d created multiple successful products, yet her first real-life transgression ended in cowardice.

Humiliation burned through her. Back in her apartment, her face still aflame, she face-planted onto the bed and pulled the covers over her head.

When her phone’s insistent ringing finally pierced her haze, a bleary glance showed 10 AM.

Caller ID: Client Zhang.

Xu Qingyi snapped awake. “Mr. Zhang? The new design is almost-”

“Enough ‘almost.'” The interruption was brusque, impatience clear. “You’ve dragged this out too long, understand? Keep this up, and I’ll find another designer.”

Xu Qingyi bolted upright. “Wait, Mr. Zhang, we have a contract-”

“Right, good reminder. You’ll owe five to ten times the penalty. The 10th is your deadline. Figure it out!”

The line went dead.

Xu Qingyi drew a sharp breath.

After all this time in the industry, she’d hit her first creative block, hence last night’s bar visit.

No repeat today. She rolled out of bed and buried herself in the new design.

This product had taken nearly three months from sketch to prototype. It was technically complete, but she’d held back, unsatisfied.

If the client was this impatient… maybe it would have to do.

Final step: personally test for obvious flaws.

Ten minutes later…

After finishing, she set the item on the couch. Rising unsteadily, she fell back, directly onto the prototype. A sharp pain shot through her thigh.

Whether she’d cracked the toy or something else, it was now lodged between her legs.

Twisting awkwardly, she couldn’t see the damage. Forcing it might ruin the product entirely, leaving her truly unable to deliver. Without hesitation, she called building maintenance.

“Seaside Apartments, unit 601.”

The repairman arrived startlingly fast, mere minutes.

Hearing footsteps, Xu Qingyi yanked the door open and pulled him inside, registering only that he was tall and handsome before dragging him forward.

She quickly instructed, “You should be able to fix anything. Just treat it like a regular machine malfunction, and try not to break anything.”

Hearing no response, Xu Qingyi turned around and found him standing there, his eyes filled with awe and a hint of daze.

She was beautiful. Xu Qingyi had seen this look from too many members of the opposite sex to be fazed by it.

“Hurry up,” she said, feeling slightly embarrassed and deliberately adopting a colder tone to mask it.

The man gave a quiet “Mm” and placed his tools on the counter, looking unsure where to start.

Xu Qingyi glanced back at his toolkit, wrenches, drills, pliers… She wasn’t ready to die just yet.

“Don’t overthink it. Use your hands,” she reminded him flatly.

Her rented apartment was sixty square meters, and aside from the bedroom, this small partitioned space served as her studio.

The room was cramped, the air thick with silence, broken only by the faint hum of the toy.

Xu Qingyi tilted her head, her cheek almost pressed against the counter, counting the seconds as they passed.

After about three to five minutes, the slight discomfort faded, and the humming stopped. Thinking it was done, she relaxed completely.

Then, without warning, the man’s fingertips brushed against her skin, making her shudder with a soft “Mmm.”

The repairman seemed startled by her reaction, his voice dropping slightly hoarse. “Sorry about that.”

Xu Qingyi waved it off, bending her arm to hide her faintly flushed face.

Peeking from the crook of her elbow, she wanted to get a look at the repairman’s face, just in case her toy malfunctioned again in the future, she could call him back.

She couldn’t see his full face, but his nose was tall and straight, his thick black hair slightly parted and tousled, exuding a refined yet slightly disheveled charm.

She was usually a homebody, only stepping out for part-time gigs or grocery runs, so she was certain she’d never seen him before.

Why did he seem vaguely familiar?

“Done,” his voice broke the silence, as if he’d been holding his breath longer than she had, exhaling heavily in relief.

Xu Qingyi snapped out of her thoughts and muttered, “Oh.”

The repairman, ever the gentleman, helped smooth down the hem of her shirt-dress for her.

His fingertips accidentally grazed her skin again, and in that instant, Xu Qingyi felt that electrifying tingle surge through her once more.

She briefly wondered if he’d done it on purpose, but his expression was completely guileless.

She was overthinking it. Xu Qingyi quickly wrapped the ankle-length shirt-dress around herself. “Thank you.”

Avoiding eye contact, she tried to keep him from memorizing her face as she walked over to open the door for him.

The repairman carefully closed his toolkit, picked it up, but didn’t leave.

Xu Qingyi was puzzled, locking eyes with him for at least three seconds, maybe she was momentarily hypnotized by his face. He really was handsome.

By the time she snapped out of it, her face was burning. Playing it cool, she lowered her head and tapped her phone. “Right, how much for the repair?”

“Seven yuan,” he replied, his voice still slightly rough.

She opened the scanning app and naturally scanned the QR code he’d pulled up, only to realize it was for adding a contact.

Whatever, she’d add him.

After transferring seven yuan, her phone rang the next second, and she answered without thinking.

“Apartment 601? Did you call for a repairman?”

Xu Qingyi paused. “It’s… it’s already fixed?”

She didn’t catch what the other person said, but after hanging up, she turned to the man beside her, both awkward and stunned. “You’re not the property’s repairman? Why didn’t you say so?”

The man gave a helpless look and pointed next door. “I came to pick something up… You didn’t give me a chance to explain.”

He added, “I’m not from the property management, but I can fix things too. Feel free to call me if you need help in the future.”

Xu Qingyi opened her mouth… then decided to let it go.

“Just go,” she said, pulling the door open.

Then she heard him say, “If you want… we can try again?”

Again?

Xu Qingyi took a wary step back.

Seeing her frown, the man’s thick brows twitched slightly, a hint of disappointment in his voice. “You don’t remember me?”