There’re Always Paranoid Thoughts to Monopolize Me - Chapter 56.2

The servant pricked up their ears, hearing someone taking big steps out of the study. Frightened and shaking inside, they hurriedly turned and ran in the opposite direction.

****

“Bridesmaid??”

On the sofa in the side hall of the villa, Qin Ke looked up in surprise at Huo Jingyan sitting opposite her.

“This… I’ve never participated in someone else’s wedding before. What if I become flustered at that time…”

“Yan’an doesn’t have any suitable unmarried friends on her side, and I’ve just returned to the country, so I don’t have many close relationships here,” Huo Jingyan smiled bitterly. “So I discussed it with your Sister Yan’an, and it seems that asking you and Zhonglou would be the most appropriate.”

Qin Ke hesitated. “Then your wedding date is set for…?”

This time it was Huo Jingyan’s turn to be stunned.

“I asked Zhonglou to inform you earlier. Didn’t he mention it to you?”

“…”

In the quiet silence, the two sitting opposite each other gradually developed an awkward and mutual understanding.

At this moment, the culprit pushed open the door and entered.

As soon as he entered, Huo Jun didn’t hesitate to give Huo Jingyan a cold look.

“Aren’t you supposed to be preparing for your wedding? How do you have time to run around everywhere?”

Huo Jingyan stood up, not answering, but only smiling and asking a question in return.

“Young Master Zhonglou, it seems you forgot about the wedding invitation from Yan’an and me that I troubled you to give to Qin Ke last month?”

“…”

Huo Jun’s eyes flickered, and he unconsciously lowered his gaze to look at Qin Ke.

Qin Ke was also looking at him with a subtle expression.

After a few seconds of eye contact, Qin Ke turned back, “Teacher Huo, I might have been too busy preparing for the competition recently — he mentioned it to me, but I forgot. I’m really sorry.”

Huo Jingyan’s eyes moved slightly, but in the end, he didn’t expose Qin Ke’s protection of Huo Jun.

He only smiled faintly, “It’s alright, studies come first. I’ll have someone send another invitation — as for the bridesmaid matter, think about it, and Yan’an will contact you again.”

“… Okay.”

Qin Ke nodded.

After chatting idly for a few more sentences, Huo Jingyan was about to say goodbye and leave.

Before leaving, Qin Ke wanted to see him off, but Huo Jingyan stopped her —

“A qualified gentleman can’t trouble a lady like this.”

Huo Jingyan joked, his gaze sweeping over Huo Jun.

“Young Master Zhonglou, shall we go out together?”

Seeing that Huo Jingyan clearly had something to say to Huo Jun, Qin Ke didn’t insist on seeing them off. She glanced at Huo Jun, who had a gloomy expression, before seeing the two of them leave the villa one after another.

Walking to the main entrance of the villa, where people inside the villa could no longer hear any movement, Huo Jun frowned at Huo Jingyan.

“You…”

“You don’t want to keep ‘hiding’ her in this small villa forever, do you?” Huo Jingyan suddenly interrupted Huo Jun’s words, turning back to ask.

Huo Jun gave him a cold look. “What exactly do you mean?”

Huo Jingyan: “I’m just giving you an opportunity that you both need.”

“What opportunity?”

“The opportunity to bring her before everyone, Huo Jun.” Huo Jingyan lowered his voice. “Now that you’ve ‘returned to the country’, there are quite a few families who want to form a marriage alliance with the Huo family — even if your father has no intention in this regard, as long as you don’t make any moves or say anything, no one will treat her as the future Madam Huo.”

“…” Huo Jun’s eyes showed a hint of sinking emotion. After a while, he looked up, “Are you asking me to use this opportunity to make our relationship public?”

Faced with the young man’s obvious hostility and rejection, Huo Jingyan laughed dryly.

“I know how possessive you are of her, Huo Jun — but think carefully, do you really want her to never see outsiders for her entire life, to never be tainted by the circle you think would sully her?”

Huo Jingyan paused, not giving Huo Jun a chance to respond, and said in a deep voice: “Even if you can do it — do you want her to be hidden in this small villa forever, unable to get a legitimate position in the eyes of outsiders?”

“…”

Huo Jun’s eyes turned cold, and his hand at his side clenched into a fist.

But in the end, he didn’t say or do anything.

Huo Jingyan didn’t push Huo Jun too hard either. After half a minute of silence between them, Huo Jingyan turned to walk towards the driver standing by the limousine parked not far away, while saying the last sentence of this conversation.

“Think it over carefully, Huo Jun. Both you and she need such an opportunity and occasion.”

“……”

After Huo Jingyan left, Huo Jun returned to the villa.

The quick-witted servants, sensing the situation wasn’t quite right, had already disappeared to some corner of the villa, leaving only Qin Ke and Huo Jun in the main hall.

Huo Jun’s expression was a bit gloomy.

“You want to be their bridesmaid?”

“…” After a few minutes of calming down, Qin Ke had now composed herself and made a decision. Hearing this, she stood up and nodded, “Since Sister Yan’an and Teacher Huo invited me, I should go, both emotionally and rationally.”

Huo Jun’s face darkened a bit more.

But to Qin Ke’s surprise, he didn’t directly forbid her from going.

Qin Ke was very surprised and couldn’t help but step forward.

“Did Teacher Huo say something to you?”

Huo Jun’s eyes flickered.

The young man finally didn’t conceal it and frankly said. “He said I need an opportunity.”

Qin Ke was also stunned for a moment, “What?”

“I need an… opportunity to bring you before everyone.” Huo Jun’s voice lowered slightly, and he involuntarily reached out to embrace the girl in front of him.

In his obsessive possessive instinct, the groundless panic of possibly losing the person in front of him made him uneasy — he instinctively and sincerely rejected Huo Jingyan’s suggestion.

But he knew that what Huo Jingyan said was right and for her benefit.

He couldn’t, out of his own selfishness, just want to hide her in a place where only he could see, not wanting her to have contact with that glittering and dazzling circle outside… She needed and deserved the status and respect as the person he liked.

“I will take you there… We’ll go together.”

Qin Ke heard the young man holding her say this somewhat reluctantly, his voice hiding probably without him knowing, like a wild beast about to have its territory invaded, grinding its claws uneasily and anxiously, with a voice of warning and frustration suppressed in his throat.

Qin Ke found it a bit amusing, but she couldn’t help feeling sorry for him —

Watching him slowly, almost clumsily, mending his obsessive and gloomy nature and character, watching him silently battling with that slightly fierce and ferocious smaller version of himself inside…

Qin Ke sighed softly.

She slowly raised her hands and hugged back the slim waist of the young man in front of her. Qin Ke gradually tightened her arms, letting him feel her warmth and presence.

Then she spoke softly.

“You don’t need to be afraid, Huo Jun.”

She paused, then chuckled softly, somewhat jokingly teasing, but with an utterly serious look in her eyes. “Since I’ve decided to step into this bottomless abyss of yours, I don’t plan on climbing out again — I’ll hope for you to slowly become better, and I’ll help you slowly become better. But no matter the outcome, I’ll always be by your side, never leaving.”

Huo Jun’s body stiffened slightly.

A moment later, he involuntarily tightened his arms, holding the girl even closer.

At this moment, his cold, hard heart was deeply moved. Huo Jun buried his face in the girl’s neck, inhaling the fresh scent of her hair, and couldn’t help but murmur. “Qin Qin…”

But before he could finish speaking, Huo Jun suddenly felt the girl in his arms struggle slightly.

It seemed she had suddenly remembered something.

The girl raised her head, her pretty face tightening slightly, her previously soft gaze seeming to become tense.

“Teacher Huo and Sister Yan’an’s wedding suddenly reminded me of something… Can I ask you a question?”

“Hm?” Never having heard the girl so seriously propose to ask him something, Huo Jun looked down at her in surprise.

Their eyes met, and seeing that Qin Ke was indeed serious — her gaze even serious to the point of being tense. Huo Jun could only nod, “Ask.”

Qin Ke paused, trying not to abruptly bring up the thing that had suddenly popped into her mind and turned into an unavoidable knot.

“If — I’m saying if, under what circumstances, or for what reasons, would you marry Qin Yan?”

“………..”

Five seconds later.

Huo Jun: “???”