The Fool's Gambit
Wen Yiqian felt like he was truly brain-dead.
Not only had he been easily taken hostage by a woman, but he hadn’t even had the courage to resist, obediently allowing himself to be taken into her home.
To cover up the smell of corpses and blood, the room was filled with a strong scent of perfume.
Under Xu Xuanmei’s control, Wen Yiqian obediently sat down at the dining table.
He glanced at the large refrigerator in the kitchen, his heart trembling.
If he remembered correctly, the bodies of that woman’s husband and his mistress were currently inside it.
“It seems you know everything…” Xu Xuanmei, standing behind him, noticed Wen Yiqian’s slight turn of the head and sneered coldly.
Wen Yiqian didn’t know how to respond. He opened his mouth but couldn’t speak.
“Not talking, huh…” Xu Xuanmei smiled, pressing the fruit knife tightly against Wen Yiqian’s neck.
Feeling the cold, sharp sting, Wen Yiqian broke into a cold sweat and couldn’t help but swallow hard.
He had no doubt that this madwoman could slit his throat at any moment.
In his own setting, this woman was extreme to the core, completely insane, and utterly incapable of showing mercy.
Wen Yiqian finally understood what it meant to shoot himself in the foot.
If he had left even a shred of leeway when creating the character, his pleas for mercy might have stirred some sympathy in her.
“Think fast! Dying at the hands of such an insignificant minor character less than an hour after transmigrating is too embarrassing!”
Wen Yiqian was frantic but didn’t cry out or beg for mercy.
Because he knew very well that for these psychopaths, once their prey started begging, they would feel pleasure and excitement.
At that point, what Wen Yiqian would face would be cruel torture.
Psychopaths aren’t the same as murderers. Ordinary murderers kill with purpose, seeking efficiency and results.
Psychopaths are different. They pursue a sense of ritual and the thrill they experience during the killing process.
Otherwise, Xu Xuanmei could have killed him long ago. There was no need to wait until now.
Although Wen Yiqian wasn’t a psychopath, after writing dark-themed novels for so many years, he had created hundreds, if not thousands, of psychopathic characters.
Moreover, this was the world of his own novel. Thinking according to his own logic and understanding shouldn’t be wrong.
Wen Yiqian faintly felt as if he had grasped a glimmer of hope for survival.
“Are you scared?” Xu Xuanmei watched Wen Yiqian’s trembling body.
Wen Yiqian tried hard to control himself, but unfortunately, his body was beyond his control. The more he tried to suppress it, the more violently he trembled.
Once the prey began to show fear, the predator would reveal its ferocious claws.
Intuition told Wen Yiqian that if things continued like this, he would die.
The woman behind him would absolutely slit his throat without hesitation.
“I don’t want to die…”
“I don’t want to die…”
“There must be a way…”
“Think fast! How would the male protagonist in a novel handle this situation?”
…
“Don’t worry, don’t be afraid, little brother. It’ll be over soon…”
At that moment, Xu Xuanmei’s gaze was so cold it sent shivers down one’s spine.
She cupped Wen Yiqian’s chin with one hand while gripping the fruit knife tightly with the other, as if she would slit the throat of the person in front of her the very next second.
Wen Yiqian lowered his head and laughed.
Hahahaha…
“What are you laughing at?” A trace of surprise appeared on Xu Xuanmei’s face.
“I’m laughing because you actually said I was afraid.” Wen Yiqian slowly raised his slightly trembling right hand. “Haven’t you noticed? I’m so excited I can barely contain myself!”
“Huh?” Xu Xuanmei frowned.
Taking advantage of her momentary confusion, Wen Yiqian used his right hand to tightly grab the blade of the fruit knife pressed against his neck and suddenly stood up.
Xu Xuanmei was so startled she stumbled backward a few steps, accidentally tripping over a small stool and falling to the ground.
“On May 27th, you left work early because you weren’t feeling well. Unexpectedly, you came home to find your husband with his lover in your own house.”
Wen Yiqian glanced at his right hand gripping the blade, now dripping with blood, a cold smile on his face as he spoke at a leisurely pace.
“After some arguing and pushing, you accidentally killed your husband. Then, deciding to go all the way, you killed the lover too.”
This description was as if he had witnessed it firsthand.
Even Xu Xuanmei, lying on the ground, couldn’t help but ask in shocked disbelief, “How do you know all this in such detail?”
If it were just speculation, he couldn’t possibly have known she first killed her husband by accident before ruthlessly killing the other woman.
“No, no, no. That’s not what you should be asking right now.” Wen Yiqian shook his head, holding the fruit knife stained with his own blood, and walked toward the woman at a deliberate pace.
Xu Xuanmei looked puzzled. Seeing him like this, for some reason, she felt a faint sense of fear. This young man gave her an extremely eerie feeling.
“Why, knowing all this long ago, didn’t I call the police to arrest you?” Wen Yiqian stopped in front of her, crouched down, that same bone-deep cold smile still on his face.
Xu Xuanmei froze.
Indeed, from his behavior, it seemed he really had known all this for a while.
Then what was the meaning behind his deliberate visit last night?
“Last night, I just wanted to give you a little reminder, so my dear wouldn’t get caught by the police.” Wen Yiqian extended his left hand and gently stroked her cheek, his voice tender as if speaking to a lover. “Who knew you’d be so ungrateful, actually trying to kill me to silence me today.”
“But that just makes me like you even more.” He looked down at her the way one might regard a harmless little lamb. “Want to play something exciting?”
“What do you mean?” Xu Xuanmei swallowed, her heartbeat unconsciously speeding up, a hint of anticipation even in her tone.
“In a moment, I’ll tie you up.” Wen Yiqian’s voice was low, his handsome face wearing a twisted expression that somehow radiated an unsettling allure. “There’s a fifty percent chance I’ll call the police and have you arrested, and a fifty percent chance I’ll do something all men love right in front of your husband’s corpse.”
He grinned, revealing a flash of white teeth. “How about it? Exciting enough?”
“There’s rope in the drawer.” Her voice was full of eager anticipation.
“So well-behaved.”
Wen Yiqian praised her and patted her head.
Then, he found the rope, tied the woman up, and covered her eyes with a piece of old cloth.
Immediately after, he hurriedly left the room, returned to his own home, and quickly closed the door.
At that moment, Wen Yiqian felt every last bit of strength leave his body. He collapsed to the ground, clutching his chest as he gasped for air in ragged breaths.
His heart pounded wildly, thumping against his ribs as if trying to leap out of his chest.
“My god, that scared me to death!”
(End of Chapter)