Seductive touch a madman’s doting embrace

Li Qiqi is an eighteen-year-old woman who works as a wine salesperson at the Yinpu Advanced Clubhouse in Kena Chin, a chaotic town in northern Myanmar. Abandoned by her biological parents and sold by her adoptive father, she was rescued from human traffickers by Xu Nantian, the club owner, when she was six. Xu Nantian raised her in his estate, Liyuan, becoming her sole protector in a violent world. To ensure her safety, he forced her to wear heavy, garish makeup and plain clothing to conceal her natural beauty, warning her that attractive women are preyed upon in Kena Chin. When Xu Nantian returns from a three-month business trip and announces his engagement to Qiao Lina, the sister of local crime boss Qiao Xiao, Li Qiqi feels her safety net disappearing. She moves out to the dangerous eastern suburbs and takes on extra work to repay Xu Nantian, hoping to eventually leave him.

Her attempt at independence is short-lived. While riding her electric scooter through the eastern suburbs, she witnesses Qi Xiaoye, a ruthless and powerful figure known as Master Qi, and his subordinates dumping a body. Qi Xiaoye spots her, shoots her in the shoulder, and orders her elimination. Li Qiqi escapes into the woods using her knowledge of the terrain, hiding in her rented room for ten days. Upon returning to work, she discovers Qi Xiaoye has arrived at the clubhouse to meet with Qiao Xiao. Terrified, she tries to remain invisible, but Qi Xiaoye enters the private room and brutally mutilates a man named Ma Liu for eavesdropping. When Li Qiqi faints from shock, Qi Xiaoye approaches her, cuts open her jacket to reveal a butterfly tattoo she got to hide a scar, and recognizes her as the woman who escaped him. However, he does not kill her, likely to avoid offending Qiao Xiao, who is present.

Qi Xiaoye negotiates a business deal with Qiao Xiao to take over the eastern suburbs in exchange for finding a perfume formula called Naraku Fragrance. He then leaves, but later intercepts Li Qiqi on the street. He forces her into his armored vehicle, revealing he has been waiting for her. During the ride, he displays a disturbing mix of violence and obsession, noting her unique natural scent. He kisses her forcefully and declares that he wants her, not Qiao Xiao. Li Qiqi, terrified and confused, manages to escape when they arrive at Liyuan, falling into the snow and running inside.

Upon entering Liyuan, Li Qiqi finds that Xu Nantian has fired her loyal staff and replaced them with new servants loyal to him, using them to monitor and control her. She realizes that her attempt to leave has only tightened Xu Nantian's grip. Meanwhile, Qi Xiaoye’s interest in her intensifies, driven by a primal attraction to her scent and her resilience. The story establishes a tense triangle where Li Qiqi is caught between her guardian’s possessive control and a dangerous crime lord’s obsessive pursuit, set against the backdrop of escalating gang warfare in Kena Chin.

The narrative explores themes of survival and autonomy in a lawless environment. Li Qiqi’s decision to cover her beauty was a survival tactic, but it inadvertently attracted Qi Xiaoye, who is drawn to her authenticity beneath the makeup. Her relationship with Xu Nantian is complex, blending gratitude with a sense of imprisonment. As Qi Xiaoye closes in, Li Qiqi must navigate the dangerous politics of Kena Chin’s underworld. The arrival of the Qingmu Gang and the upcoming birthday of Master Qiao threaten to destabilize the region further, pulling Li Qiqi into the center of the conflict. Her journey shifts from passive survival to active engagement with the forces that seek to control her, as she attempts to reclaim her agency while staying alive.