《绝境操控》星吟彩

11、Lethal Intrusion: Millisecond-Level Instant Counterstrike That

　　That night, a fine drizzle was falling. Gao Jiajia didn’t drag her exhausted body home until past ten o’clock after working overtime. On her feet were those five-centimeter stiletto soft leather shoes, which she had chosen deliberately. The heel height was just right to elongate her leg lines, making her look taller and more charming, while the soft leather material ensured she could run fast enough when needed.

　　She took out her key, inserted it into the lock, and turned it gently. Click. The door opened.

　　Just as she pushed the door open and was about to step inside, a huge force suddenly came from behind. A rough big hand slammed hard into her back. She stumbled and nearly fell to the ground. Immediately after, there was a deafening bang as the door panel crashed violently against the wall, shaking the entire house. The chandelier in the entryway swayed back and forth several times, creaking in protest.

　　Gao Jiajia whirled around, her heart leaping into her throat.

　　Jin Yu stood in the doorway, soaked to the skin from the rain. His hair was plastered to his forehead, dripping water. In his hand he clutched a meter-long steel pipe, rusted all over, glinting with cold, harsh light under the dim lamp. His eyes were bloodshot, as if about to bleed, and the muscles in his face were twisted with hatred and madness. That gaze was like a cornered wild beast, ready to pounce at any moment and tear her to pieces.

　　"Gao Jiajia, you had a lot of fun playing me, didn’t you?" Jin Yu’s voice was hoarse, like sandpaper rubbing against stone. "I’ve been chasing you for eight months. You’ve been hot and cold, neither accepting nor rejecting me, treating me like a fool! Today I’ll tell you—Jin Yu is not someone to be messed with! Either you agree to be with me today, or I’ll beat you to death, then kill myself, and we’ll go to hell together!"

　　With that, he raised the steel pipe and advanced toward her step by step.

　　The stench of death instantly enveloped Gao Jiajia. She could clearly smell the alcohol, tobacco, and rain on Jin Yu’s body, along with the faint metallic tang of rust from the steel pipe. Adrenaline surged through her veins, her fingertips trembled uncontrollably, and her blood seemed to freeze in an instant. Her mind went completely blank. Instinctively, she wanted to scream, to slam the door, to turn and run.

　　It was the instinctive reaction of every human being when faced with a mortal threat.

　　But in that one-thousandth of a second, Gao Jiajia forcefully suppressed all her fear.

　　She knew that running away now would only make Jin Yu angrier, and he would not hesitate to bring the steel pipe down on the back of her head. Resistance was even more suicidal—she, an unarmed woman, was no match for the physically strong Jin Yu. Screaming was useless too; the sound insulation in this building was excellent, and the neighbors would never hear a thing.

　　The only way out was to use Jin Yu’s obsession with her to break his murderous intent.

　　Gao Jiajia took a deep breath, and her tense body instantly relaxed. Her shoulders drew slightly inward, and she unconsciously tilted her chin up, exposing her slender, fair neck. It was a completely non-aggressive posture, equivalent to telling the other person: I will not resist. I am giving you my most vulnerable place.

　　A layer of water slowly welled up in her eyes, and the natural pale red at the corners of her eyes became even more vivid with the fluctuation of her emotions. There was no fear or disgust in that gaze, only full of grievance and infatuation, plus a hint of barely noticeable shyness.

　　She looked at Jin Yu, her voice trembling just right—not the tremble of fear, but the excitement and nervousness of a young girl seeing the man she loves: "Jin Yu..."

　　That single word made Jin Yu’s hand, raised with the steel pipe, freeze mid-air.

　　Gao Jiajia took another small step forward, until she was less than half a meter away from him. She raised her head, stared straight into his eyes, and spoke with incomparable seriousness and a touch of certainty: "I never played you. I actually like you so, so much. I’ve liked you since the first time I saw you."

　　"The reason I kept rejecting you before wasn’t because I hated you. It was because I didn’t feel secure. I’ve seen too many men who say sweet things when they’re chasing you, but stop caring once they get you. I just wanted to see if you would keep going, if you really liked me. I love men who are persistent and never give up."

　　As soon as these words left her mouth, the murderous intent in Jin Yu’s eyes instantly froze.

　　His hand gripping the steel pipe slowly loosened. The hatred and rage in his bloodshot eyes faded little by little, replaced by disbelief, astonishment, and ecstasy. All the unwillingness and resentment he had accumulated over eight months of being rejected countless times were completely shattered in this moment by Gao Jiajia’s light words.

　　So she didn’t dislike me. She was just testing me.

　　That was the only thought in Jin Yu’s mind. He looked at Gao Jiajia’s tear-filled eyes, at her weak and infatuated appearance, and all the hostility in his heart vanished in an instant. In its place was overwhelming heartache and possessiveness.

　　He threw down the steel pipe, opened his arms, and hugged Gao Jiajia tightly, with such force that it seemed he wanted to crush her into his bones. "Jiajia, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I was wrong. I shouldn’t have scared you." He apologized incoherently. "I like you so much. I really like you so much. I thought you would never accept me."

　　Gao Jiajia leaned against his chest, and a barely perceptible smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

　　Step one: success.