Several subordinates tactfully withdrew.
In the vast, abandoned building, only a flickering incandescent light bulb remained. Qu Yi shed his suit jacket, his form-fitting shirt accentuating his broad shoulders and narrow waist.
He loosened his tie with a simple gesture that amplified the ambiguous atmosphere to its peak.
Qu Jiu lowered her head, her gaze scanning the surroundings.
There was nothing useful on the ground. The other party stood at 1.9 meters tall, with a solid physique. She didn't believe she had any advantage in terms of strength.
Having made up her mind, Qu Jiu looked at Qu Yi with feigned timidity, her hands trembling as she slowly, deliberately unzipped her down jacket.
Qu Yi's eyes narrowed slightly. He sat on a chair and beckoned, "Come here."
Qu Jiu bit her lip and walked towards Qu Yi, step by hesitant step. Before Qu Yi could speak, she obediently sat on his lap, her hand tentatively reaching out to touch his nose.
The soft touch sent a jolt through Qu Yi. Indeed, with a beauty in his arms, it was hard to remain unmoved.
He reached out, grabbed the back of Qu Jiu's head, and pulled her closer.
Qu Jiu instinctively placed her hands on his chest. Perhaps it was the touch of his chest muscles, but her eyes darted nervously, unsure where to put her hands.
Such a captivating beauty, yet so pure. Qu Yi, who considered himself experienced, had never met such a wonderful woman. At that moment, he even had the absurd thought of making this woman his own.
He gently took Qu Jiu's uncertain hands and said, as tenderly as he would to his many lovers, "I'll do it."
"No. I... I'll do it myself." Qu Jiu looked at him stubbornly, her eyes flickering as she tentatively reached out to unbutton his shirt.
She was clearly shy and afraid, yet she tried to appear calm. She was so pitiable, but at the same time, it made one want to tease her.
Qu Yi simply remained still, his gaze locked onto Qu Jiu, the heat in his lower abdomen swelling with each passing moment.
Qu Jiu's warm fingertips brushed against Qu Yi's neck, sliding down slowly until they rested on his tie.
In a flash, as Qu Yi was lost in this tender moment, the person sitting on his lap, like a suddenly coiled leopard, shifted her legs, grabbed his tie, spun around behind the chair, and tightened her grip on the tie with both hands.
Qu Yi's back of the neck was pressed against the chair frame, rendering him immobile. In this instant change, he was choked, his face turning red.
He struggled with all his might, but the tie was snug against his neck, making it impossible to break free.
In that moment, the little lamb had transformed into a ferocious beast. Her ruthlessness and decisiveness were a stark contrast to her previous meekness and timidity.
He had been careless, falling for a honey trap.
Qu Yi was filled with regret. He had never suffered such a significant loss at the hands of a woman.
At that moment, Qu Jiu, relying on her burst of strength and the other party's lack of preparedness, had gained a temporary advantage.
But she knew that her subordinates were not far away, and this man, unless she was determined to strangle him to death, would not be held captive for long. The kind of threat where a knife was held to one's throat, as seen on television, could only happen between individuals of equal strength and physique.
Qu Yi was twenty to thirty centimeters taller than her and powerfully built. If she hadn't been caught off guard initially, she wouldn't have gained this brief upper hand.
Qu Jiu weighed her options repeatedly. No matter how she calculated, her only chance was to resolve the immediate problem before the people outside were alerted.
With a single burst of effort, then a decline, then exhaustion. Qu Jiu's heart pounded, but she didn't hesitate, her grip tightening with each passing second.
Qu Yi was filled with annoyance and regret. How could he have been deceived by this woman? She wasn't a weak woman who couldn't even lift a chicken; she was clearly a she-devil, a venomous snake, and one that disguised itself.
The pressure on his neck intensified. Qu Yi's face turned purple, and his neck felt as if it were being snapped. No, perhaps it wasn't an illusion; this woman truly wanted to kill him.
Realizing this, a strong survival instinct drove him to struggle.
The chair he was sitting on was a grand tutor chair specially brought from the new district by his subordinates, possessing excellent balance. He couldn't use his strength to tip it over. Qu Yi could only endure the intense suffocation, gather his strength, and lean his neck forward a few centimeters.
His strength and Qu Jiu's were not on the same level. Qu Jiu's clenched hands were immediately pulled forward by a few centimeters. It was precisely this small gap that gave Qu Yi an opportunity to break free.
He braced his hands on the armrests and contorted his body, rolling off the chair.
Qu Jiu was dragged down with him, but she gritted her teeth and immediately used her knees to pin Qu Yi's back. Her already twitching hands tightened their grip with all her might.
But soon, her hands began to lose control and tremble from exertion.
Qu Jiu knew that if this continued, she would inevitably be overpowered. And then, she didn't know what terrible fate awaited her.
Having made up her mind, Qu Jiu calmed her breathing and asked in Qu Yi's ear, "I'm not from your new district. I'm not as heartless as you are. But if you force me, I don't care. After all, I'm half from the new district. A life is just a life. If I have to choose between you and me, I don't mind killing you."
Her ruthless tone made Qu Yi realize she was telling the truth. It was difficult for normal people, raised under law and order, to take a life with a single stroke. Saying it was different from doing it. But her words made Qu Yi understand that if he didn't back down, she would kill him without hesitation, even if it meant becoming a murderer.
"Now, I'll give you two choices: either you die, and I'll just have to take sleeping pills countless nights afterward; or you live, I live, and we sit down and talk, without making things difficult for each other. I believe there is no hatred between us. As long as we are not enemies, we can become friends. What do you say?"
Qu Jiu's voice was like that of a wolf, devoid of any emotion. This kind of mindset was the most terrifying.
Qu Yi knew he had no other choice.
He nodded. The intense suffocation made it impossible for him to think. He felt as if he were on the verge of death.
Qu Jiu did not immediately release him. Instead, she calmly asked again, "With your status, I believe you wouldn't stoop to breaking your word, would you?"
Although she didn't know who this man was, judging by his attitude during their intimate encounter, he had some principles.
Qu Yi nodded again, silently assuring her.
Before his nod had even settled, Qu Jiu immediately loosened her grip, rolled to her feet, and retreated in the opposite direction from where the subordinates had left. Large buildings like this usually had at least two exits, and there was one behind her.
But she didn't rush to leave. As she had said, she wanted to have a good talk with this man, both to eliminate future trouble and to "repay" Liu Zhixi.
After being released, Qu Yi finally managed to catch his breath. His lungs, heart, throat, and neck felt as if they were being cut by knives. But he ignored it, instead falling to the ground and coughing violently. Only after a while did his breathing gradually recover, and the pain in his neck became increasingly clear.
He reached out and touched his neck. Without a doubt, the "collar" on his neck would be quite conspicuous.
After gasping for breath for a long time, Qu Yi wiped his mouth, staggered to his feet, his eyes blazing with anger, and walked step by step towards Qu Jiu.