There’re Always Paranoid Thoughts to Monopolize Me - Chapter 38.2

At these words, Qin Ke looked at Huo Jingyan in surprise.

“Teacher Huo, you came because of Huo Jun?”

“Mm.”

With things said to this point, Huo Jingyan naturally couldn’t hide it anymore. He gave a bitter smile.

“As I told you before, Mr. Huo Shengfeng had decided to officially bring Huo Jun back to the Huo family when he turned eighteen… But there was a hitch, and now Huo Jun refuses to go back no matter what, so I came here specifically to see if there’s any room for a turnaround or easing of the situation.”

Song Qisheng laughed coldly from the side.

“Speaking of which, that foster father of yours is also something… Just for some reputation, he left his own son unattended for so many years. Is there anything surprising about where things have come to today?”

Huo Jingyan defended Huo Shengfeng. “At the time, Mr. Huo gave Huo Jun’s mother sufficient living expenses and servants she could command. It’s just that Huo Jun’s mother couldn’t get over it and secretly left without telling him, then later abandoned Huo Jun as if in revenge. We only found out about these things later, but by then, Huo Jun had already…”

Leaving the rest unsaid, Huo Jingyan let out a light sigh.

“Alright, alright, why bring all this up?”

Song Qisheng waved his hand.

“Now you just think about how to take your Huo family’s little troublemaker away together.”

“To…gether?”

Qin Ke sensitively caught this word and looked at Huo Jingyan in surprise.

“Teacher Huo, are you leaving the school?”

Huo Jingyan hesitated for a moment, looking at Song Qisheng somewhat reproachfully.

“You’re not usually this talkative.”

Song Qisheng felt a bit guilty, “…That’s because I was angered by you Huo family people.”

He cleared his throat, having to fill in the hole he dug himself. Song Qisheng looked at Qin Ke.

“Qin Ke, you and Teacher Huo were maliciously framed by this student. We teachers and other students all know what the truth is, but you need to understand — this is like a seed. Although it’s nothing now, if you continue to stay in the same school and maintain a close teacher-student relationship, students who see this will inevitably wonder… what exactly is the relationship between you two.”

Song Qisheng paused, looking intently at Qin Ke.

“Do you understand my meaning?”

Qin Ke’s eyes flickered, showing regret, unwillingness, but more so a worldly resignation.

“I understand, Teacher Song — Many mouths melt gold, accumulated slander destroys bone.”

“It’s good that you understand.”

Song Qisheng sighed.

“So for this matter, one person must leave everyone’s sight, so that people will gradually forget about this incident — It’s not suitable for you, Qiande High School is your alma mater, here you have the perfect environment for your development; as for your Teacher Huo…”

Song Qisheng glanced at Huo Jingyan, and although his eyes showed helplessness, his tone was deliberately mocking —

“The trouble you created, you have to bear it yourself. Besides, how could our small, dilapidated temple of Qiande High School accommodate such a golden Buddha statue as you?”

“At least two and a half out of your three sentences today are aimed at my sore spots,” Huo Jingyan laughed bitterly, “Why don’t I give you a chance, let’s go out and have a fight?”

Song Qisheng immediately became serious.

“I’m a civilized person. As a teacher, I should set an example.”

“You remember being pinned down and pummeled by me in middle school, don’t you?”

“Non…Nonsense! Clearly, you were the one pummeled by me!”

“Heh, come on then, let me help you recall who exactly was the one getting beaten.”

“Stay away from me — This is a teacher’s office, don’t you have any sense of being a teacher!”

“I’m about to resign in disgrace, what teacher am I still? Come on, today let’s just be middle school classmates and have a good ‘reunion’.”

“… Get out, get out!”

Watching the two teachers, who were over thirty and approaching forty, joking around like immature children, Qin Ke couldn’t help but smile a little amidst her heavy mood.

But soon, she thought of Huo Jun again.

In her previous life, according to what Qin Yan occasionally said, after Huo Jun was drugged and severely beaten in the back alley of Hell Bar, he was hospitalized for half a year, and afterwards almost disappeared from Qiande High School.

When he appeared again, it was in that big fire on the film set…

After that, with his voice and appearance completely ruined, he was probably forced to return to the Huo family.

His life had already been unfortunate enough. The rebellious sprout that had finally grown out of the mire of the abyss was about to step onto a path in the sunlight, but because of her, he was completely buried in a bottomless abyss.

During that time, how desperate and self-destructive must he have been…

[Before, I thought you were innocent and pure, like a flawless piece of jade. I watched you from afar, imagining what stunning form you would be carved into in the future… But I never touched you, because I was afraid of dirtying you.]

In the art gallery, the boy’s defiant words seemed to echo in her ears once again.

–

This was probably the reason why, in her previous life, he had silently stayed by her side for so many years without ever letting her discover it.

He said he was a monster, he viewed himself as having crawled out of a filthy swamp. He didn’t touch her because he was afraid of dirtying her.

He looked at her as if she were untouchable crystal, placing her on a pedestal as high as his devout faith.

So…

In her previous life, on their wedding night, when he saw that the person on the marriage bed was her, that’s why he was so shocked and pained.

–

The crystal he had carefully protected and cherished in his heart had jumped into the mire herself.

His words that she had ignored and forgotten:

[If I had known, I shouldn’t have–]

Qin Ke lowered her head, her eyelashes trembling in mid-air.

Her chest ached with a dull pain.

Shouldn’t have what?

At that time, had he already regretted ruining his own life to save someone like her?

“…Qin Ke??”

The sudden voice in her ear pulled Qin Ke out of her painful memories of her past life.

She hurriedly looked up, only to be met with the concerned expressions of Huo Jingyan and Song Qisheng.

“Are you alright?” Huo Jingyan asked, “Or should I or Teacher Song take you home to rest first?”

“…” Qin Ke gave a somewhat pale smile, “I’m really fine, Teacher Huo.”

Song Qisheng also chimed in. “But you really don’t look well. If you’re not feeling well, you should go back and rest. Don’t push yourself, okay?”

“It’s just that too many things happened today, and I didn’t rest well last night.”

Qin Ke forced a smile.

“Oh right, did you say something to me just now, teacher? I was a bit distracted and didn’t hear.”

“Oh, it’s nothing really,” Song Qisheng waved the phone in his hand, “The infirmary said that Huo Jun’s emotions have basically stabilized.”

“…”

Qin Ke paused.

Huo Jingyan had already stood up and walked over, “I’ll go to the infirmary to check on him.” Huo Jingyan hesitated for a moment, then turned back to ask. “Qin Ke, do you want to come with me to see him?”

“……”

Qin Ke hesitated for a long time, slowly lowering her eyes.

She nodded, “Okay.”

Huo Jingyan silently looked at her for two seconds, but in the end didn’t say anything. He turned to Song Qisheng. “Then you…?”

“I’ll clean up the mess you guys left behind. A bunch of leaders are waiting for me to bow and scrape and apologize.”

Song Qisheng said expressionlessly.

“Hmm, you bowing and scraping? That’s a scene that’s hard to imagine.”

Before leaving, Huo Jingyan couldn’t resist teasing—

“It’s a pity I can’t witness it in person.”

“—Get lost, our friendship is over, don’t come back!”

****

When Qin Ke and Huo Jingyan arrived outside the infirmary door, two school security guards in uniforms were standing at the entrance.

The two security uncles stood on either side, their right hands vigilantly placed on the batons at their waists, facing the door with serious preparation – as if they were ready for something terrifying to burst out at any moment.

Seeing this scene, Huo Jingyan and Qin Ke exchanged helpless glances.

Huo Jingyan cleared his throat lightly and stepped forward.

“Thank you both for your hard work.”

“?”

The two security guards turned their heads, and upon recognizing Huo Jingyan, they finally relaxed.

One of them said helplessly:

“Something was smashed inside just now, I don’t know what it was – Teacher Huo, if you had come any later, I would have thought I was about to die in the line of duty.”

Huo Jingyan smiled and reached out to pat both of their shoulders.

“You’ve really been troubled by today’s events. Tomorrow, I’ll treat those of you who aren’t on duty to a meal as an apology.”

The school security guards were rarely treated so politely, especially by a big-shot teacher with a glittering resume. The one whose shoulder was patted seemed quite flattered, and smiled sheepishly while rubbing the back of his head.

“It’s nothing, this is just our job, isn’t it?”

Huo Jingyan exchanged a few more polite words with the two before finally persuading them to leave.

As soon as the two security guards left, Huo Jingyan let out a long sigh of relief and turned to look at Qin Ke helplessly.

Qin Ke gave a light laugh.

Huo Jinyan: “Shall we go in then?”

“Mm.”

Qin Ke instinctively took a deep breath and held it.

Huo Jingyan pushed open the door and was the first to enter the infirmary. Qin Ke followed closely behind.

The floor at their feet was a mess.

Scattered fragments everywhere, how could it have been just one thing that was smashed?

Qin Ke frowned and looked towards the only bed in the room that was still relatively intact.

A young man was sitting on the edge of the bed, his eyes and brows dark, the lines of his profile tense and fierce.

As if they could cut someone.

His long, straight legs were planted on the ground, seeming to contain power ready to explode at any moment; the pale skin of his forearms was exposed where his shirt sleeves were rolled up, and a long gash had been cut by something unknown, the wound still showing freshly dried blood.

When he heard the movement, he turned his head abruptly.

His gaze was fierce and sharp, like a wild beast caged.

In the silent air, one could almost hear the muffled thunder-like growl trapped in his throat.

However, the moment he saw the girl’s figure, his gaze suddenly froze.

After a brief moment, he slowly lowered his head.

The wild wolf had instantly become a dog.

And not just any dog, but one that had just torn up the house and then seen its owner.