Mad Dog

Zhi Qi experienced her first “couple’s bath” and was left completely exhausted.
By the end, she felt all soft and limp, allowing Jiang Qi to wrap her in a large towel and carry her out.
Her delicate white legs dangled in Jiang Qi’s strong arms, a sight that was quite alluring.
“Jiang Qi, you’re the worst.” Zhi Qi pouted, emphasizing, “I’m almost dead from exhaustion. If you keep this up, I won’t come back to stay tomorrow.”
Perhaps there was something about a man’s physiology that made them remarkably resilient; Zhi Qi could hardly understand how Jiang Qi could engage in such activities after a full day of high-intensity work and still be up for more.
It was utterly unfair!
“Sorry.” Jiang Qi leaned down and planted a soft kiss on Zhi Qi’s rosy lips, chuckling softly, “I won’t do this again next time.”
He knew he had been rather reckless lately, perhaps tiring the girl out too much—but now that he had tasted the pleasures of being with her, it was hard to resist.
Still, to prevent Zhi Qi from truly ignoring him, it was best to tone things down for now.
As summer approached, June in Lin Lan felt like a blazing furnace.
The heat inside the repair shop was even more unbearable than the sun outside in June. With no air conditioning, the workers were drenched in sweat, changing parts and tires while also exchanging cigarettes and drinks, turning the whole place into a sauna.
Most of the workers went shirtless, but Jiang Qi still wore long pants and a long-sleeved work uniform.
He was currently crawling under a car to fix the chassis. The thick, hot air made beads of sweat drip from his forehead, stinging his eyes.
After spending a long time repairing, he finally crawled out, panting heavily against the car. Before he could even take a sip of water, he noticed a pair of sports shoes appear right in front of him—those “white sneakers” that looked more like black shoes belonged to his boss, Zhan Yang.
Jiang Qi looked up and saw Zhan Yang standing above him, looking down with an expression of confusion.
“Jiang Qi,” Zhan Yang scanned him from head to toe and asked, “Aren’t you hot?”
……
In the sweltering summer, no one else in the workshop was dressed like Jiang Qi in long sleeves and pants.
Jiang Qi paused for a moment before shaking his head and replying honestly, “It’s hot.”
“Then why aren’t you wearing short sleeves?” Zhan Yang shrugged. “I’m worried you’re going to get a heat rash in that getup.”
In fact, Zhan Yang had noticed Jiang Qi’s “quirk” for several days, but today was the hottest day yet, with temperatures soaring to thirty-five degrees Celsius, and he couldn’t understand why Jiang Qi wouldn’t take off his shirt.
“Don’t worry, boss.” Jiang Qi leaned against the car and slowly stood up, his voice low. “I’ll just wash my face.”
Since his hands and face were a bit dirty, he nodded to Zhan Yang and headed toward the bathroom at the back of the workshop.
The public multi-user bathroom was considerably cooler compared to the heat of the workshop. Many workers took the opportunity to come in and smoke during their breaks. At this moment, it was quiet, filled only with lingering scents of tobacco.
Jiang Qi turned on the faucet, splashing a few handfuls of cold water on his face, feeling the heat in his head start to ease a bit.
Looking up, he watched the water droplets slide down the sharp contours of his face in the mirror, and the redness in his eyes faded somewhat.
After leaning against the wall for a moment, he took out his medication from his pocket and casually swallowed it with tap water—three times a day, he had to monitor himself; otherwise, Zhi Qi would worry about him.
Five minutes later, Jiang Qi returned to the workshop to continue working.
As soon as he reached the entrance, the manager at the front desk called out to him.
“Hey, hey, Xiao Jiang.” The shop was busy at this time, and the manager was clearly running around in a frenzy. Upon spotting Jiang Qi, he hurriedly called him over and handed him a can of spray paint. “A customer in front has a scratch on their car and is really anxious; you need to handle it.”
Jiang Qi didn’t say much, quickly taking the spray paint.
The hair on his forehead was still damp when he left the workshop, but it had dried by the time he reached the front of the shop, highlighting just how hot it was.
When the temperature rises, people become easily irritable, especially when a car has been scratched.
As Jiang Qi approached the front with the spray can, he saw a couple—the car owner, a man and a woman—arguing with the salesperson. The woman, dressed in a Chanel outfit and looking like she was headed to a fancy event, had a sharp and piercing voice.
“My car is fully insured! Full insurance! It costs several thousand a year; why should we have to pay extra?”
The salesperson, sounding somewhat helpless, replied, “Ma’am, we know it’s fully insured, but waiting for reimbursement from the insurance will take time. If you want us to handle the spray paint right away, you’ll need to cover the costs upfront…”
Faced with such a difficult customer, the new salesperson couldn’t help but sound unsure, and their timid demeanor only fueled the woman’s agitation.
Jiang Qi could tell this argument would drag on indefinitely.
Standing a short distance away, he furrowed his brow, unsure whether to step in and repair the scratched car.
Compared to the rough men in the workshop, this scene felt too “bright.” Jiang Qi instinctively lowered his hat’s brim, trying to blend into the corner. He had grown accustomed to wearing a mask in crowded places, but now without it, he felt a bit uncomfortable.
Although it had been months since he had left the entertainment industry, and there were plenty of newcomers in the gossip scene, Jiang Qi wasn’t narcissistic enough to think he would be recognized at any moment.
After waiting a while, it seemed the argument had reached a temporary ceasefire, and someone finally came over to ask him to spray paint the car.
Jiang Qi approached, squatting down to repair the scratched area.
The damaged car was a white Land Rover. The scratch was relatively easy to deal with, but it was somewhat ironic to see how the wealthy were often the most picky. Looking at the car emblem, Jiang Qi couldn’t help but find it a bit ironic.
Clearly at fault, they didn’t want to wait for insurance but wanted the car fixed immediately. Where in the world could one find such easy bargains?
However, he didn’t have the right to judge anyone; he was just a mechanic.
“This car needs a primer, the original paint, and then a top coat,” Jiang Qi said quietly, noticing the two customers still standing nearby. “It’ll take at least half a day. You can either wait or come back tomorrow to pick it up.”
He then heard the woman muttering, “Oh, why is it so troublesome?”
The man beside her tried to soothe her, “Spray painting is like this; why don’t we just go home for now? We can take a taxi.”
“I haven’t taken a taxi in years; absolutely not,” the woman pouted, her tone extremely willful. “No, I want to wait.”
As she spoke, she stomped her foot, the sound of her high heels clattering against the tile floor was ear-piercing.
Jiang Qi shrugged indifferently, preparing to find someone to tow the car to the workshop for further handling.
The front of the 4S shop was meant for business, and naturally, he couldn’t remain there to repair the car.
Just as he stood up, someone tugged at the sleeve of his shirt.
“You!” Jiang Qi was surprised and turned his head, only to see the woman who had been arguing with the salesperson grabbing his sleeve. Her eyes were wide with astonishment and excitement as she exclaimed, “You’re Jiang Qi, right? Are you Jiang Qi?”
To his surprise, someone here actually recognized him. Jiang Qi frowned, trying to shake off her tight grip, but she held on firmly.
“Ah! I can’t believe I’m seeing Jiang Qi in person here!” The woman jumped up and down, pulling along her bewildered male companion, squealing, “Oh my god, I’m so happy! Jiang Qi, are you working here? How can you be working here?!”
Not only her male companion but even the salesperson looked utterly confused.
“Ma’am, what are you talking about?” The new salesperson was unfamiliar with the workshop staff. While he knew Jiang Qi’s name as a young person, he wasn’t really acquainted with him. Now, seeing Jiang Qi’s soiled face, with oil stains, and his hat hiding his features, he couldn’t help but laugh. “He’s just our mechanic; how could he be Jiang Qi? You must have mistaken him for someone else.”
“Impossible, impossible.” The woman shook her head, stubbornly insisting, “That’s Jiang Qi; I recognize him.”
As if afraid he would escape, she tightened her grip even more.
With this back-and-forth, Jiang Qi finally grew irritated.
“Let go.” He jerked his arm free, coldly saying, “Don’t grab me.”
He detested any touches from people other than Zhi Qi.
Even if it was just through a layer of fabric.