There’re Always Paranoid Thoughts to Monopolize Me - Extra 2.2

She remembered that in her previous life at this moment, she was so scared that she didn’t even try to notice where Huo Zhonglou was.

Qin Ke felt helpless inside, but she could only open her eyes wide and try her best to look into the vast, dim study.

“Hello?”

“……”

The only response was a long silence.

Qin Ke hesitated for a moment.

She remembered that he seemed to naturally dislike brightness. Since in Qian City, the study had always been covered with layers of blackout curtains and heavy gauze curtains, completely blocking out the light.

So Qin Ke tentatively asked, “Do you need me to close the door?”

“…!”

From the depths of darkness in the study came a muffled sound of something like a book being knocked over and falling onto the soft carpet.

It seemed that Qin Ke’s reaction had caught the other person off guard, causing him to accidentally knock over something nearby.

Remembering that this little incident didn’t happen in her previous life, Qin Ke sheepishly wanted to touch the tip of her nose.

Facing such pitch-black darkness, and the “future brother-in-law” who “should” be meeting her for the first time…

Was she acting too calm?

Unfortunately, there was no chance to reload and start over. After another moment of silence, Qin Ke heard the man’s low, hoarse voice from the room.

“Alright.”

“…If you’re not afraid.”

Qin Ke hesitated for a moment.

After years of being with Huo Jun, she had long since gotten used to his preference for darkness, so of course, there was nothing to be afraid of.

Moreover, the current situation with her in the light and him in the dark would create a visual contrast that was more frightening than if both were in darkness.

The only thing that made her hesitate was that her current self “should” actually be afraid, right?

But considering she had already asked the question, Qin Ke didn’t think further.

She closed the study door behind her.

From the depths of the room, the man stared intently at her silhouette, watching her step out of the light.

The door closed.

The last trace of light faded away.

She turned around.

The girl stepped into his darkness.

“…!”

The man’s heart skipped a beat. An indescribable feeling and emotion spread through his entire being.

It was as if from this moment on, something… would never be the same again.

Qin Ke, of course, was unaware of his feelings. And in this boundless darkness, she couldn’t see his expression or reaction at all.

She could only rely on her previous memory of the Huo family study, groping her way forward in the darkness.

Midway, the man in the depths of darkness finally came to his senses.

“You… are Qin Yan’s sister, right?”

Qin Ke stopped in her tracks in the darkness.

Although she knew that Huo Zhonglou was deliberately pretending not to know her, she still didn’t like this unfamiliar way of addressing her.

But on the way here and outside the study, she had already thought about it – after not seeing each other for so long, if she hadn’t recognized him a few years ago, then there was even less reason for her current self to recognize that Huo Zhonglou was the Huo Jun from back then.

At least, it couldn’t be at first sight after not seeing each other for so long.

Qin Ke sighed inwardly.

“Yes, I’m Qin Ke.”

“Qin Ke…”

The low, hoarse male voice slowly repeated, and after an unknown amount of time, as if suddenly coming to his senses, the emotion in his voice became somewhat cold.

“What are you here for?”

Qin Ke was silent for two seconds, deciding to use her original intended purpose as a shield.

“I want to know, Mr. Huo and Qin Yan are so different, and the Huo family is also beyond the Qin family’s reach, why does Mr. Huo want to marry Qin… marry my sister?”

The study fell silent.

After a long while, the man said coldly, “This has nothing to do with you.”

“…”

Qin Ke was stunned by these words.

In the darkness beyond her sight, the man was staring intently at her silhouette without blinking.

On the armrest of the chaise lounge, his hand was tightly gripping the end, painfully suppressing the overwhelming emotions and desires in his heart, causing the pale blue veins on the back of his hand to stand out.

When the girl was groping in the darkness earlier, he didn’t make a sound, just watching her step by step approach until she was within arm’s reach of him.

He only needed to reach out to hold her tightly in his palm.

—

The more he longed for her, the more painful it was to suppress this longing.

Qin Ke’s ears twitched slightly.

From the last sentence, she could already hear that Huo Zhonglou was not far in front of her, and at such a close distance, she seemed to hear that his breathing sounded somewhat painfully hoarse.

Qin Ke frowned, instinctively taking a step forward, “Are you feeling unwell some-”

“Stand there and don’t move!”

The hoarse, deep male voice suddenly barked at her.

Qin Ke’s body stiffened.

In the darkness that her eyes were gradually adjusting to, she could faintly see the outline of the man sitting on the chaise lounge.

And she heard, close to her ear, suppressed breathing that sounded like a restrained beast in a cage.

After a moment, with a hoarse laugh, he spoke in a deep voice. “Do you know me? Or understand me?”

Qin Ke was stunned.

“Daring to come in alone like this, even closing the door…”

As he spoke, Qin Ke was suddenly grabbed by the wrist and forcefully pulled down.

After a moment of disorientation in the darkness, her body was abruptly pressed down, with hot breath tightly pressed against her earlobe, each word scalding.

“Aren’t you afraid–that I might do something to you?”