"If you don't untie the ropes, how can this be a game of hide-and-seek?" Jiang Li spoke calmly, pursing her lips. "Besides, I can't outrun you. You have a weapon in your hand. I'm not stupid enough to try to run away."
Given the physical disparity between men and women and her unfamiliarity with the environment, she was well aware that her chances of successfully escaping were almost nil.
"You're so smart that you're making me a bit at a loss, baby." Shang Zewen was seeing this woman who was so unpredictable to him for the first time. "What kind of escape plans are brewing in that little head of yours? Tell me about them."
This wasn't the first time Shang Zewen had done such a thing.
Based on experience, in this kind of situation, the purpose of all the prey's actions must be to break free and escape.
"I won't know until I've tried and failed." Jiang Li returned a smile and stared back at him fearlessly. "Don't you want to see it for yourself?"
She made up her mind and spoke bluntly to him. "Since that's the case, why not give me a chance to perform?"
Since she first came into contact with Shang Zewen, Jiang Li could sense that he was a man with a strong desire to conquer.
People with a strong desire to conquer usually don't want to see the other party immediately kneel down and beg for mercy submissively. Instead, they want the process of gradually conquering the other party and slowly trampling them under their feet.
The more challenging and unyielding the other party is, the more patient and interested they will be in dealing with her.
Once she shows any sign of retreat or weakness, he will pounce on her like a wild beast, pin her under his claws, and won't give her a chance to catch her breath.
Shang Zewen stared at her for a while, as if trying to judge the truth of her words.
"Okay, I'm willing to be your audience." He suddenly shrugged and said in a very flippant tone. "For the sake of your beauty and bravery."
"Although I look down on women, bravery knows no gender." Shang Zewen sneered with a smile. "Just don't disappoint me too much."
Jiang Li remained calm. She just tilted her head slightly to look at him and calmly offered her bound hands.
She thought he would cut the ropes with his knife.
"Sorry, I'm a bit night-blind." Shang Zewen whistled. "The light in this environment is really too dim. I need something to light it up so I can see clearly."
Shang Zewen dropped the knife in his hand. The metal made a clear sound as it hit the ground.
Then, he took out a lighter from his pocket. With a "click", a flame appeared.
The moment the flame lit up, Shang Zewen's highly recognizable face came into view. His sinister eyes were staring at her.
Dark, damp, and hideous.
A series of fears almost made her lose her voice. Every muscle in her face began to stiffen.
"Let me take a good look at you, baby." His voice began to turn hoarse. His Adam's apple rolled up and down. The flame in his hand gradually moved closer to her, approaching her cheek.
At this moment, light and heat no longer represented warmth but an endless abyss of horror.
Looking at the flame so close, Jiang Li's breathing tightened. Her body was tense, and she didn't dare to move even a little bit.
If she lost focus for even a moment, the tongue of fire would leap onto her face and burn her cheek.
At this moment, she finally couldn't hide her inner fear any longer. Her lips turned pale, her eyes didn't blink, and the hairs on the back of her neck stood up.
Shang Zewen stared at Jiang Li's face obsessively.
In the firelight, Jiang Li's delicate face appeared. Her panicked deer-like eyes greatly satisfied his perverted desire to conquer.
"You're trembling." His voice was like a ghost's.
Jiang Li bit her tongue hard to suppress the instinctive shiver. Her expression remained calm. "You're mistaken. I'm just a bit cold."
In front of a fierce beast, one must never show the slightest bit of cowardice, or they will be torn to pieces at any moment.
"Baby, your mouth is tougher than your bones." Shang Zewen raised an eyebrow and gradually moved the lighter to her wrist, using the flame to burn the ropes.
There was the smell of burnt linen in the air.
Jiang Li lowered her head and watched the ropes break. Just as she was about to move her wrist bones, Shang Zewen suddenly grabbed her hand and pressed her palm hard onto the flame!
The intense pain of the burn made Jiang Li's tears well up in an instant!
Almost at the same time, she gritted her teeth tightly, took a sharp breath, and managed not to make a sound.
"Sorry, you're just so beautiful that I got distracted." Shang Zewen pretended to just realize and let go of her hand. He exclaimed, "Did I accidentally burn you?"
The smell of burnt flesh quickly spread in the air.
The nerves in her palm were connected to her heart. The pain made her scalp tingle. The skin on her palm was burned black. The burned flesh was sticking together and turning outwards.
Fresh blood flowed over the blackened skin. The black and red blood mixed together and dripped down her fingers onto the ground.
"It's okay." Jiang Li's voice trembled. The pain in her right hand almost made her faint, but she still tried to steady her voice. "Shall we still play?"
Shang Zewen was stunned for only a second, and then he showed an even more sinister smile. "Play? How?"
"The playing area is from here to there." Jiang Li endured the pain and pointed in the direction where the only light came in. "Give me five minutes. You can come and find me after five minutes."
"Here?" Shang Zewen thought she must be crazy. He couldn't help but laugh and ask her back. "It's dark here, but there aren't any places to hide, and the space is very small. You're bound to lose."
It was impossible to estimate the size of the space in the dark, but it should be about the same as an oversized master bedroom.
"So we need to add a rule." Jiang Li closed her eyes and tried her best to ignore the pain in her palm. "You have to close your eyes. If you open them during the game, you'll be disqualified and considered to have lost."
Shang Zewen didn't agree. "You'll escape."
Jiang Li self - deprecatingly twitched her lips. "I don't believe there won't be any of your men at the exit."
She paused for a moment, took a deep breath secretly, endured the pain, and then said, "Moreover, if I fail to escape now, won't it give you more pleasure?"
As soon as she said this, Shang Zewen immediately laughed.
"I really feel sorry that you're a woman." Shang Zewen sincerely sighed. "You understand my hobbies very well. Maybe we could have been good friends."
He patted her cheek with his palm in a somewhat humiliating way. "It's a pity that you're a woman. You can only be treated as a plaything."
Jiang Li felt extremely disgusted. The nauseous feeling of vomiting rushed straight to her throat.
But she had to hold it back.
From now on, every extra second of delay meant an extra glimmer of hope for survival!
"Now, the game begins." Shang Zewen closed his eyes seriously, turned around, and faced away from Jiang Li. "Baby, I'll count from one to a hundred. I'll come and find you after I finish counting."
Shang Zewen closed his eyes. There was an endless amount of laughter hidden in his tone, but this laughter sent shivers down one's spine.
"You'd better hide well."