There’re Always Paranoid Thoughts to Monopolize Me - Chapter 48.2

In Qin Ke’s view, the so-called celebration party was nothing more than using a collective banner to satisfy one person’s private desire to indulge in the control brought by their power or money.

Especially for those not within this power structure and uninterested in flattering the main character, like Qin Ke herself—such a party was no different from wasting life.

Qin Ke stifled a yawn and turned her head to look out the window.

The provincial capital was naturally bustling.

The streets were as bright as day with the flow of traffic. In the night sky above the entire city, countless window panes reflected shadows of men and women intertwining and entangling, wearing distorted and bizarre smiling masks, like a dance of demons.

Qin Ke looked down to check the time.

Then she stood up.

Having wasted a full hour at this so-called celebration party, she felt she had done her duty. But as she rose, she caught sight of her reflection in the glass—the girl inside had a cold profile, her eyes and expression exuding an indifferent detachment.

Qin Ke paused for a moment, then the girl smiled indifferently. She turned and quietly walked towards the back door of the banquet hall.

Just before the girl’s silhouette disappeared at the doorway, the young man surrounded by admirers in the middle of the hall seemed to casually glance at the back door.

His smile faded slightly.

Song Qingzhuo couldn’t be bothered to think of even a perfunctory excuse. He shoved the glass in his hand into the arms of some unknown aspiring model who had appeared from who knows where, then turned and strode quickly towards the back door, leaving her staring in bewilderment.

Meanwhile, Qi Tian, who happened to be standing in Song Qingzhuo’s path, brightened. Like a butterfly, she quickly twirled around, sweetly calling out, “Second Young Master, you…”

Before the fourth word left her mouth, she saw Song Qingzhuo walk straight past without even a glance.

Qi Tian’s expression froze.

After a few seconds, she gritted her teeth in frustration, stamped her foot, and walked off to another side.

At this moment.

In the corridor outside the banquet hall.

Not far away was an open-style washbasin. Beneath the mirror in front of the washbasin was a nameless black stone, its rugged surface slightly uneven, complementing the slow flow of water simulating a small waterfall above it, reflecting gleaming light.

Qin Ke stood in front of the washbasin, drying her hands with a paper towel before tossing it into the trash.

She turned, preparing to walk towards the elevator.

But just as her body had turned slightly, Qin Ke saw in the mirror a figure emerging from the steps behind her.

Song Qingzhuo.

The moment she recognized him, Qin Ke instinctively frowned. But she quickly smoothed her expression, her peripheral vision sweeping past him as if she hadn’t seen anything.

The girl stepped down towards another direction, intending to leave without a word.

A light chuckle echoed in the corridor.

“This is the first time I’ve been so thoroughly ignored as a living person.”

“……”

Qin Ke acted as if she hadn’t heard anything, or as if she had heard some chirping birds or buzzing insects.

She didn’t want to engage and quickened her pace.

However, with his height advantage, the man behind her took one long stride and easily blocked her path.

——

Song Qingzhuo looked down, a slight sneer on his face.

He had encountered all sorts of young, beautiful women. No matter how proud they were, once they knew his background, they all clung to him as if boneless—such were the rules of this world. Money or status exposed the inescapable abyss of desire in human nature.

If those glories, riches, fame, and fortune that originally took decades of struggle to achieve suddenly became within easy reach, requiring only a small sacrifice of something intangible… something like conscience or principles.

How many people in this world could truly withstand such a test?

In fact… it didn’t even require such a great temptation.

A small piece of cheese was enough for people in this circle to fight tooth and nail, disregarding everything else just to grab it.

So Song Qingzhuo didn’t believe there was any woman from such a small place that he couldn’t have.

If there was, it must be because the “cheese” he offered wasn’t enough.

Thinking this, a cold smile flashed in Song Qingzhuo’s eyes.

“What do you want?”

“?”

Qin Ke looked at him, puzzled.

——

The rich second-generation brat who had just helped his girlfriend snatch her privilege during the day was now suddenly blocking her in the hallway at night, asking her what she wanted without any preamble?

Did these rich kids all think they were Aladdin’s magic lamp now?

“Don’t play dumb with me, it’s not interesting.” Song Qingzhuo smiled, propping one hand on the wall beside the girl, leaning down slightly. He narrowed his eyes, his remaining words almost enunciated one by one. “Qiao Nan said you’re just an ordinary high school student, told me not to get any ideas about you, said it wouldn’t work anyway. But why don’t I believe that? If you were really just a pure, naive high school girl, why would you come to this place, into these murky waters?”

Qin Ke understood.

Her eyes turned cold, but the corners of her mouth lifted slightly.

“Money.”

The girl’s voice was light and calm. The most vulgar of transactions came from her mouth as if imbued with the fragrant, sacred scent of flowers.

“……”

Conflicting emotions of disgust and intoxication flashed in Song Qingzhuo’s eyes.

His expression struggled between these complex emotions for several seconds, at times even verging on ferocious—but finally settled into a mask-like smile.

“Well, that’s the simplest condition.”

As he spoke, he reached out to grab the girl’s wrist.

He wanted to drag her into his room, to thoroughly enjoy this delicacy he wanted to taste regardless of the price.

However, Song Qingzhuo grasped at air.

That momentary feeling of gain and loss almost revealed his fierce true face.

But Song Qingzhuo gritted his teeth and held back. He looked up at the girl who had suddenly stepped back two seconds ago, and smiled.

“What’s wrong, afraid I can’t give you a satisfactory price?”

“……”

The girl, who could hardly be called tall, looked up at him with almond eyes, those cold orbs filled with the indifference of looking at an ant on the edge of a shoe.

Song Qingzhuo heard her cold laugh.

“You might have misunderstood. The money I mentioned is the amount clearly stated in the contract. In exchange, I come to participate in the show…” Qin Ke glanced behind her, “and reluctantly endure at most one of these time-wasting ‘celebration parties’.”

“—!”

Song Qingzhuo finally understood this merciless mockery and teasing.

He laughed coldly, “Don’t you want more? How much does the production team give you for an appearance fee? Sleep with me for one night, and I can give you ten times, a hundred times that.”

“……”

The last bit of emotion that could be considered as looking at a person faded from Qin Ke’s eyes.

She turned away in disgust, turning to walk away—even speaking one more word to such a person felt like a pointless waste of time and life to her.

If she had to make a comparison, it was probably like carefully giving an IV drip to a fly.

But flies have one common characteristic.

If you don’t swat them dead, they always manage to buzz back in the most repulsive way.

——

Just like the one blocking her path again now.

A gaudy, colorful fly.

And now, the expression of this “colorful fly” was becoming somewhat ferocious.

“Do you have any idea who I am, what kind of background I have? Have you forgotten what happened at noon today? —Even the things you’ve already gotten, if I want to, I can snatch them back, without even needing a reason—If you’re willing to be with me, if you can make me happy, do you know what kind of future you could have in this circle?!”

Qin Ke looked at him expressionlessly. “I don’t need to know, nor am I interested in any of your things.”

Qin Ke raised her hand, showing him the lit screen of her phone.

“Mr. Song, I’m warning you for the last time—if you make me feel that my personal safety is threatened again, I’m going to call the police.”

Song Qingzhuo was seething with anger.

He reluctantly gritted his teeth and asked.

“I don’t believe it. If you came for money, why wouldn’t you want more money?”

“Because with money, enough is enough. It’s actually a very simple principle, but many people don’t understand—humans are supposed to be human because they understand restraint, have reason, and know when to stop. But now many people are advocating insatiable utilitarianism, trying to deceive their inner selves and replace the mainstream. This way, everyone becomes the same, and they can brazenly ‘run naked’ in the streets without needing to save face—after all, everyone is losing face together.”

The girl’s lips curled into a mocking smile.

“But how are those who don’t even understand human reason and restraint any different from beasts that only know how to fight for food?”

“Oh, Mr. Song—you’re just like them.”

After saying this, Qin Ke smiled openly yet coldly, turning to walk towards the elevator area ahead.

Song Qingzhuo stood dumbfounded for a long time behind her.

Seeing the girl about to walk away, he finally came to his senses, furious.

“You, a 16-year-old, lecturing me, a 26-year-old?!”

The girl didn’t turn back, smiling disdainfully.

“It has nothing to do with age.”

“?”

“Die once, and you’ll understand all these principles.”

“…!”

Song Qingzhuo, of course, took this as yet another merciless mockery.

After the girl’s figure disappeared into the elevator area, he angrily turned around and kicked over a nearby metal trash can.

……

Back in her room, Qin Ke went into the bathroom again.

Finally feeling that she had washed away the disgusting smell of tobacco and alcohol that had clung to her in the banquet hall, Qin Ke, wearing her pajamas, threw herself onto the hotel’s soft large bed.

After lying face down for just a few dozen seconds, the phone on the bedside table suddenly vibrated again.

Qin Ke: “……”

Qin Ke expressionlessly raised her head from the bed.

She swore, if it was still related to Song Qingzhuo, she would do something to vent her anger, regardless of whether it would affect her getting the rest of the money.

However, as soon as she picked up the phone and saw the caller ID, Qin Ke was stunned for a moment.

Then, before she realized it, the corners of the girl’s mouth had involuntarily turned up.

She answered the phone.

The pleasant young male voice on the other end sounded a bit displeased and low—

“Why did it take you so long to answer?”