Reborn As A Doomsday Villainess-Chapter 12: I needed to see you

Gu Qingran stepped out of the car, her fingers casually brushing against the blade hidden in her coat. She had seen him through her system's surveillance, but seeing him in person...

He was even taller than she expected.

And hella hot.

The kind of hot that made women weak in the knees.

Dark hair, striking features, and an aura that was both imposing and effortlessly seductive. His tailored coat framed his broad shoulders perfectly, and under the dim glow of the streetlights, his deep red eyes seemed to hold a quiet intensity.

It was almost unfair.

The corner of his lips curled up in amusement as he took a step toward her.

"Who would have thought..." His voice was deep, tinged with a lazy arrogance that sent shivers down her spine. "You'd be the one..."

Qingran blinked.

Even if he knew her, she didn't know him.

So she would act as obvious as she could.

She tilted her head, feigning casual curiosity. "I'm sorry... do I know you?"

His gaze flickered, amused but unreadable.

"You don't," he admitted smoothly. "But I know you."

That wasn't creepy at all.

Qingran's grip on her blade tightened just slightly, but her expression remained neutral.

"That's flattering," she said lightly, stepping past him and heading toward her apartment door. "But if you're here to sell me something, I'm not interested."

She felt his eyes on her as she entered the passcode, her system flashing silent alerts in her peripheral vision.

[Ding! Target is watching closely. Possible level of danger: Unknown.]

The door unlocked with a beep.

Before she could step inside, his hand pressed against the frame, stopping her.

She turned back, meeting his gaze.

Up close, he smelled faintly of expensive cologne, the kind that lingered just enough to be distracting.

"I'm not here to sell anything," he murmured. "Just here to see an old acquaintance."

Her smile didn't reach her eyes.

"We aren't acquainted," she said evenly.

His fingers brushed the doorframe before he slowly pulled back, allowing her to enter.

"Not yet."

Her system beeped again as she shut the door behind her.

[Ding! Target has not left the premises.]

Of course he hadn't.

Qingran exhaled slowly, leaning against the door for a moment.

Who the hell was this man?

Gu Qingran had barely taken a breath before she heard it—her own passcode being entered from the other side of the door.

Her blood ran cold.

No one should have that code.

"Lingquan! Lock everything down! Run all security measures—now!" she ordered, her voice sharp.

[Ding! Emergency protocol activated. Reinforcing security measures... Warning: Unauthorized entry detected!]

The system's response was immediate. The smart locks engaged, an electric current ran through the door handle to deter forced entry, and her apartment's defensive mechanisms primed for activation.

Yet, the door still opened.

Qingran's hand shot to her concealed blade, instincts on high alert as the man from outside stepped in, completely unbothered by her security measures.

He casually shut the door behind him, as if he had every right to be there.

"You can deactivate the security," he said smoothly, his deep, rich voice carrying an amused lilt. "I'm not here to harm you."

Qingran didn't relax.

Not one bit.

Instead, she tightened her grip on her blade, watching him carefully. "You breaking into my apartment says otherwise."

He chuckled—a low, velvety sound that sent a strange sensation down her spine.

"Trust me, if I wanted to harm you," he mused, stepping closer, "you wouldn't have heard me coming."

That did not reassure her.

Her system beeped again.

[Ding! Target remains in close proximity. Threat level: Unknown.]

Qingran tensed, ready to strike—

But before she could react, his fingers gently wrapped around her wrist.

A wave of heat spread from his touch, but what truly startled her was what happened next.

He lifted her hand.

And placed a soft, lingering kiss against her knuckles.

The warmth of his lips against her skin sent a jolt through her entire body.

"...What are you doing?" she asked, her voice betraying none of the chaos inside her.

His eyes met hers, unreadable yet burning with something intense.

"I couldn't stop thinking about you," he admitted, his voice quieter now, more intimate. "The moment I found out who you were... I had to see you."

Qingran's pulse pounded in her ears.

"Even though my system warned against it"

His grip on her hand tightened just slightly, as if grounding himself.

"Even then."

There was no hesitation in his voice.

"I needed to see you."

Her system beeped again, filling her vision with more notifications.

[Ding! Target's heart rate elevated. Emotional response detected.]

She ignored it, instead searching his expression for any sign of deception.

She found none.

His eyes, though unnervingly deep, held nothing but sincerity. A sincerity that was far more dangerous than any threat he could have made.

Qingran's breath remained steady, but beneath her composed exterior, her mind raced.

The warmth of his lips still lingered on her skin, a stark contrast to the cold calculations running through her head.

This man...

He wasn't ordinary.

He had broken into her apartment effortlessly, bypassed security that should have been impenetrable, and now he stood before her with a disarming intensity that sent every one of her instincts on high alert.

Yet, despite all of that, there was something about him—something deeply unsettling, something dangerously familiar.

She didn't know him.

But the way he looked at her... like he did, like he had always known her—

It made her uneasy.

Carefully, she pulled her hand back, her fingers tingling from the lingering heat of his touch.

"If your system warned you to stay away," she said smoothly, "then you really should have listened."

A slow, knowing smirk curled on his lips.

"And yet, here I am."

His voice was warm, rich, and laced with amusement, like he enjoyed the fact that he had ignored every warning given to him.

Qingran's grip on her hidden blade remained firm.

"I don't know who you are," she continued, voice even, "but breaking into my home isn't exactly the best way to introduce yourself."

He tilted his head slightly, regarding her with unreadable red eyes.

"You really don't remember, do you?"

Qingran's patience thinned.

"I don't forget people," she said coolly. "So if I don't remember you, it means we've never met."

Silence stretched between them.

For a moment, his gaze flickered—something dark and unreadable passing through his expression before it vanished, replaced with that same lazy arrogance.

"Then I suppose we'll have to fix that," he murmured.

Qingran narrowed her eyes.

"You're assuming I want to know you."

His smirk deepened.

"You will."

Her system beeped in her vision.

[Ding! Target's confidence level is alarmingly high. Probability of further interaction: 97%.]

Qingran ignored it.

This man was either dangerously overconfident or knew something she didn't. Either way, he wasn't someone she could afford to take lightly.

Crossing her arms, she regarded him coolly.

"You know my name," she said. "It's only fair I know yours."

His eyes gleamed.

"Now that," he murmured, "is something I'd like to hear from you."

Qingran stilled.

There was something in the way he said it—something teasing, but expectant.

Like he was waiting.

Waiting for her to recognize him.

The unease that had been simmering in her chest deepened.

"Who are you?" she demanded.

For a moment, he didn't answer.

Instead, he reached into his coat pocket, retrieving a sleek black card.

He held it out to her between two fingers.

"A small token," he said, "for the trouble of breaking into your home."

Qingran eyed the card warily before taking it.

This chapt𝓮r is updat𝒆d by ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom.

Her gaze flicked to the bold, golden letters printed on the surface.

Feng Yizhou.

The name sent an inexplicable shiver down her spine.

Qingran had heard it before.

But she didn't know where.

And that was the most unsettling part.

"Take your time," he said smoothly, watching her reaction. "You'll remember soon enough."

"...."

"Narcissistic much.." Qingran muttered under her breath.