chapter 3
The man’s name is Song Xuye.
He claims to be a poor islander. Strong, quiet, and not much else.
I persuade him to give me an old smartphone, apparently left behind by a passing boat.
In secret, I contact my best friend.
“I found an absolute masterpiece of a man. Everything on him is huge. Hurry up and send a plane. I want to take him home with me.”
“???”
“Good, good, good! You finally gave up on that bastard Jiang Yancheng. Sit tight!!”
It will take a month to secure a flight route.
Within that month, I must win Song Xuye over.
I will make him follow me willingly. If he refuses, I will knock him unconscious and abduct him.
True to the “wild” in his name, however, he does not come home until midnight.
He wears a black sleeveless shirt and carries the damp, salty smell of the sea wind.
“Why aren’t you asleep?”
“I was waiting for you.”
I am curled up in his bed.
“Sleep next door.”
I wrap the blanket firmly around myself. “No.”
He tugs at it. “I don’t make a habit of hitting girls.”
Song Xuye sounds thoroughly annoyed, which, strangely enough, I like.
Would he still call me “girl” with that impatient voice in bed?
Would he look at me the way he might look at a badly behaved dog?
I cross my legs and let them rest to one side on the mattress.
The shirt barely covers the tops of my thighs.
His eyes narrow. He has finally noticed.
“Why are you wearing my clothes?”
I jump off the bed and spin around.
“Does it look good?”
It is only a plain sleeveless shirt.
I could not find any pants, but whether it looks good is hardly the point.
The shirt is long enough to just cover my thighs. Its armholes are so wide that I feel almost naked inside it.
He glances at me, then looks away at once.
“No underwear either. Was that deliberate?”
This man is refreshingly direct.
“It’s in the wash. I fell into the sea, remember? My clothes were filthy. Oh, and…”
I stare straight at him.
“I took a bath. Hope you don’t mind.”
“Do what you want,” he says with a grunt.
Then realization hits him. “How did you bathe?”
“Naked, in the bathroom. Sitting in your… bathtub.”
I tip my head back and move closer.
I am doing this on purpose.
Falling into the sea temporarily eased my hunger.
But the moment my strength returned, so did my need to feed.
I spent the entire day steeping myself in Song Xuye’s bed.
Rugged as he looks, his scent is exactly to my taste.
It smells wild.
If I had fewer morals, I would probably have made a mess of his sheets.
I want to tempt him until his control snaps.
Song Xuye hooks an arm around my waist.
The lamplight flickers over his unreadable face.
“Your little tricks are pathetic. I’m afraid one good round would kill you.”
He sounds vicious.
Maybe nearly starving to death has made me reckless.
“That’s all right.” I beam at him. “I’m flexible.”
“You have a hand on my waist. You should know.”
…
That night, Jiang Yancheng grows restless.
It has been several days.
The lifeguards have not said they found a body, but they have not declared me missing for good either.
He gets out of bed.
He forgets even to pull the blanket over Xu Yan before walking away.
At the window, he makes a call.
The man on the other end laughs awkwardly.
“Why don’t you contact President Song? I heard his boat was out that day. He may have seen something.”
Calling Song Xuye might be worthwhile. Jiang Yancheng has been looking for an opportunity to approach him about a partnership anyway.
He dials without even remembering how late it is.
Forced out of his own cabin, Song Xuye is resting in the one next door.
He unwraps an injection of suppressant and gives himself his scheduled dose.
Then his phone rings.
“President Song, a girl fell into the sea a few days ago. I heard you may have seen her?”
“A girl?”
Song Xuye gives a quiet scoff.
“And who is she, exactly, to have President Jiang this concerned?”
Jiang Yancheng’s expression tightens.
He frowns irritably. “A… lapdog who’s always followed me around.”
It is true that he never confessed to Yun Chu, and he always evaded the engagement.
There is nothing wrong with putting it that way.
“A lapdog.”
Song Xuye bites down on the words.
In the darkness, his face slowly hardens.
Then he looks up.
Yun Chu is standing in the doorway with nothing but his shirt on.
Is she… sleepwalking?
She sways into his arms, buries her face against his chest, and breathes him in greedily.
Then she opens her mouth and bites.
A muffled groan escapes him.
“So hungry. So firm. Want to bite. Want to eat…”
He clamps a hand over Yun Chu’s mouth.
She turns her head and bites his finger instead.
The wet heat of her mouth leaves him dazed for a second.
Her soft body rubs against him, setting something under his skin itching.
“President Song?”
Jiang Yancheng laughs soundlessly. So much for the famously untouchable Song Xuye. He is no different from any other man.
At once, Jiang Yancheng feels more at ease.
“Sounds like the young lady is very attached to you. I won’t interrupt. But if you hear anything, please let me know.”
Yun Chu is kissing him.
She must be starving. He cannot push her away.
“Song Xuye, you smell so good. I want to swallow you whole. Hee-hee…”
On the other end, Jiang Yancheng’s hand stops just before ending the call.
That voice.
It sounds familiar.
An inexplicable unease rises in his chest.
“President Song?”
Song Xuye raises one knee between Yun Chu’s legs.
“Don’t worry. I’m sure Miss Yun has luck on her side. She’ll sleep well and eat very well.”
The call ends with a click.
Jiang Yancheng feels more uneasy than ever.
…