There’re Always Paranoid Thoughts to Monopolize Me - Extra 20.1

Qin Ke and Huo Jun’s marriage had passed the eight-year mark, yet there was still no sign of a little sprout. Even Huo Shengfeng, who was often traveling abroad, couldn’t help but call home to inquire about any news, only to be rebuffed by his own son with the words “if you want a child, have one yourself.”

On this matter, Huo Jun’s attitude was particularly firm — all the influential people in the Huo family took turns trying to persuade him, including Huo Jingyan, but no one could make Huo Jun relent: condoms were still being moved into the Huo household by the boxful.

Qin Ke had always been neutral on this issue. For her, having children was not a necessary stage of life — in fact, Qin Ke didn’t think that, from a macro perspective of humanity, there was anything that a micro individual must do to call their life perfect.

So when Huo Jun didn’t want children, she just went along with it. She had gently reminded Huo Jun that condoms weren’t 100% effective, and that she could accept the double protection of contraceptive injections or pills, but every time she brought it up, she would be pressed onto the bed by Huo Jun and kissed until she couldn’t speak. “Those things are bad for your body, don’t even think about it.” — He always said this.

As time went on and there were indeed no accidents, Qin Ke stopped bringing it up.

The fact that Huo Jun had passed thirty and still had no heir gradually became a topic of gossip in their social circle.

Some said that the Huo family’s official wife, as a top-tier high-tech talent, had been accidentally injured during a research project, leaving her infertile. Plus, after a certain incident, the young master of the Huo family’s reputation for loving his wife to the point of madness was well-known, so choosing to remain childless for his wife didn’t seem like something to make a fuss about.

Qin Ke heard the servants at home angrily talking about these rumors, but she just smiled and ignored them. Huo Jun, however, couldn’t. For Qin Ke’s sake, he could go to any extreme — at a party when he overheard someone gossiping again, the young Mr. Huo, now invaluably wealthy, didn’t care about his status or face at all. Like a young ruffian, he gave the person a beating right then and there.

Afterwards, while wiping blood from the corner of his mouth, he sneered and said harshly.

“It’s me who doesn’t want children, not that she can’t have them. Why do you want me to have an heir? To release a little troublemaker to compete with me for Qin Qin’s affection or to be your father?”

Perhaps shocked by these harsh words that disregarded the dignity of their social class, the phrase “to be your father” spread throughout their circle overnight.

That night, the over-thirty Mr. Huo dejectedly knelt on a washboard outside the master bedroom door all night.

However, after this outburst, the matter was considered completely settled in their circle — if someone else had said such things, the effect would have been shocking or even horrifying, but when attributed to the Huo family’s eldest son, everyone just thought it was par for the course.

They were all worldly people — who didn’t know that the Huo family’s eldest son, in order to trick his wife who had “escaped” abroad for a year and a half to come home, could personally cultivate a team that covered everything from rumored love interests to paparazzi to photographers to image editors to writers to publishers, and could even endure a slap and crush a glass, lowering himself to that woman’s feet at an official Huo family banquet just to clear his wife’s name? They wouldn’t be surprised by anything this thoroughly mad man did.

But facts proved that scientific probability cannot be ignored, even if there’s only a 1% chance.

In the ninth year of their marriage, that 1% chance arrived unexpectedly.

That year, Qin Ke was busy with a promotion, swamped with work before the end of the year. She was completely buried in various papers, attributing her physical fatigue to overwork.

Until she noticed she was starting to have morning sickness symptoms.

Qin Ke was not irresponsible about her health, so even though she was busy with work, she had made sure to maintain regular meals that wouldn’t harm her digestive system — so there was no reason for her stomach to be upset in just a short month.

Realizing this, she pulled out her phone calendar and calculated her menstrual cycle.

—

It was more than a week late.

“…”

Qin Ke straightened up from the mirror at the sink, holding onto the designer countertop, looking at the woman in the mirror as water droplets ran down her delicate, beautiful face.

Fatigue, morning sickness, late period…

Each symptom alone might not mean much, but together they seemed troubling.

Qin Ke sighed, feeling a bit of a headache.

But she didn’t panic, she just called and asked the new butler to arrange a routine physical examination — Huo Jingyan had already been sent by Huo Jun to oversee overseas markets, and Qin Ke still couldn’t figure out whether this was more likely for business or personal reasons.

Although she hadn’t notified the butler in advance, once the family’s private medical team arrived, the results of Qin Ke’s targeted physical examination came out quickly.

The head of the private medical team stood in Qin Ke’s study, looking extremely anxious.

“Miss Qin, you are… three weeks pregnant.”

Although all indicators showed that Qin Ke and the child in her womb, only slightly larger than a fertilized egg, were both very healthy, the doctor still reported it as cautiously as if it were an ectopic pregnancy.

The reason, of course, was that as the Huo family’s private medical team, they had known far too early what kind of thoughts the current young and slightly unhinged master of the Huo family had about his own offspring.

Qin Ke pressed her brow, “I see.”

The doctor carefully asked again, “Then, do we need to inform Mr. Huo about this matter…”

“No need, I’ll tell him myself. You can go now.”

After Qin Ke finished speaking, she saw the doctor’s face show obvious relief — as if he had just survived a disaster.

Qin Ke found it somewhat amusing.

After the private medical team left, Qin Ke sat in the study for a moment, feeling truly peculiar and complicated. She unconsciously touched her lower abdomen.

It had only been three weeks, so naturally there wouldn’t be any sensation there, but just knowing that a small life had begun there made for a very strange feeling.

Qin Ke thought for a long time, and finally picked up the phone to dial a number.

The other side answered quickly.

“Miss Qin?”

A male voice came through the phone, belonging to Huo Jun’s special assistant at the company.

The title “Miss Qin” was Huo Jun’s requirement for those around him. According to him, he personally liked the term “Huo Jun’s wife or partner,” but he knew that compared to the “Madam Huo” title associated with the Huo family, Qin Ke deserved a respectful title representing her individual position.

Over time, the Huo family’s servants and company subordinates familiar with the family situation all addressed Qin Ke as “Miss Qin.”

Qin Ke’s fingertips twitched slightly.

“Is your Director Huo at the company?”

“Yes, Director Huo is in a meeting right now. I can transfer the call to him for you.”

—

For Huo Jun, Qin Ke was a unique exception, so even inconvenient meetings had to give way to Qin Ke’s impromptu calls – any assistant who didn’t know this had already been fired.

Qin Ke: “No need. …I’ll come to the company in a while. Tell him after his meeting ends, don’t interrupt in the middle.”

“Understood, Miss Qin.”

****

The Huo family driver dropped Qin Ke off at the main building of Huo Jun’s company.

Huo Jun’s special assistant had come down early to wait by the reception desk. The company subordinates passing by were very familiar with the face and identity of the Director’s special assistant. Seeing him outside the reception, many employees entering and leaving were incredibly curious.

“Looks like he’s waiting to receive someone.”

“The Director’s special assistant – that’s not much different from him coming to receive someone personally. What level of business partner could have this kind of treatment?”

“I can’t think of any… Even for that big project mid-year, we didn’t use this level of pomp, did we?”

“Yeah, it’s really strange. Could the company have some big moves recently?”

“I really hope not… We’re already at the end of the year, busy as dogs. If they push another project and rush the progress, no matter how much the bonus is, I feel like I’ll have the money to earn but no life left to spend it.”

“Me too.”

“Hey hey, the assistant is moving, he’s going over there…”

At this point, anyone who had a reason to linger in the lobby was, either openly or discreetly, turning their gaze in the direction the assistant was walking.

Following everyone’s line of sight, a person who looked to be in her twenties appeared inside the company’s main entrance, with an air somewhere between a girl and a woman.

She wore a fitted, smart beige long coat, paired with a plain black turtleneck sweater and dark blue slightly flared jeans underneath. On her feet were a pair of low-heeled ankle boots, accentuating her flowing, slender figure. Her hair was simply and neatly tied back in a ponytail, with light makeup on her face. Her age was hard to determine from her demeanor, but judging by her style of dress, it was clear she wasn’t a regular office lady who spent her days at a desk.

But that face was truly flawless, captivating at first glance with its pleasing and stunning beauty.

“Miss Qin.”

The assistant respectfully guided her towards the private elevator.

The secret onlookers watched in even greater surprise.

“Who on earth is this? She doesn’t seem like a business partner.”

“Judging by her clothes and face, she looks more like a university graduate who hasn’t been out of school for long… But her aura doesn’t quite match that. It’s really strange.”

“Didn’t you hear what Assistant Sun called her just now?”

“Hm?”

“I heard it, he seemed to call her Miss Qin.”

“Qin… I’m thinking of someone related to Director Huo.”

“Thanks for the reminder, I’m thinking of the same person.”

“This is crazy, I have to send a message to our department group chat – Director Huo has been married for nine years, and this is the first time I’ve seen his wife in person!”

“Are you saying that woman just now is the rumored Madam Huo?! She’s, she’s, she’s way too young!”

“She’s not that young, probably around 27 or 28? It’s just that her appearance makes her look younger, that’s true.”

“Wow, I’ve been wanting to see this legendary Madam Huo who tamed Director Huo… I’ve heard so many stories about her.”

“Who hasn’t… I heard they’ve known each other since high school, and Director Huo was crazy about her back then, willing to risk his life for her.”

“You’re so out of date, sister. It’s not just back then, it’s still like that now. You surely haven’t heard about what Director Huo did two years ago to persuade his wife to return to the country? Come, let me fill you in, then you’ll understand why the company’s first rule is to stay away from that madman Director Huo…”

“…”

While the entire company was buzzing with private chatter about Qin Ke’s arrival, she had already followed Huo Jun’s special assistant, taking the private express elevator up to the conference floor.

After exiting the elevator, they were on Huo Jun’s work floor. All subordinates had clearly been notified in advance by Assistant Sun, and everyone passing by would actively greet Qin Ke.

Assistant Sun led Qin Ke to the rest area next to the main conference room.

“Miss Qin, Director Huo’s meeting is still ongoing, so as per your instructions, I didn’t disturb him. Please wait here for a moment, I’ll go in and notify him.”

“No need,” Qin Ke smiled. “I’ll just wait for him here.”

The assistant hesitated.

—

As Huo Jun’s assistant, and one of the few who had managed to stay in the position for two years, he was well aware that in Huo Jun’s principle of balancing work and life, the most important rule was to prioritize Qin Ke in everything.

However, now he seemed to have encountered a dilemma where, whether he followed through or not, it seemed to violate the Director’s most important principle.

Feeling like he had hit a wall in his career, the assistant’s forehead was almost breaking out in sweat.

Qin Ke took the coffee prepared for her by the receptionist on this floor, thanked her softly, then turned back to find Huo Jun’s assistant still standing by the sofa with an indecisive look.

Qin Ke thought for a moment and understood the reason.

She smiled faintly, “It’s alright, just say that everything was at my request.”

“…”

Hearing this, the assistant felt greatly relieved and bowed to Qin Ke.

“Then if Miss Qin needs anything, please let someone inform me at any time – I’ll go handle some work now.”

“Alright.”

****