There’re Always Paranoid Thoughts to Monopolize Me - Extra 3.1

The breath near her ear was scorching hot, carrying a hoarse and gloomy sound like that of a trapped beast.

Qin Ke had originally thought she would still be afraid, after all, this was no longer Huo Jun, but Huo Zhonglou – the nightmare that had imprisoned and tormented her for many years.

However, when the moment truly arrived, she discovered that there wasn’t a trace of fear in her heart.

There was only heartache.

And a surge of bitterness that almost overwhelmed her.

This had once been her most spirited and vigorous youth.

She could recall the years before all that happened, when the young man sat on the horizontal bar, lowering his head against the dazzling sunlight, smiling at her with a mixture of mischief and uninhibitedness.

She could remember the slight upward curve at the corner of his mouth, the sharpness and pride in his eyes, the agility and flamboyance when he walked towards her under the streetlights after dealing with those ill-intentioned ruffians…

Now, everything had vanished like smoke.

Only this darkness remained.

Boundless, with no light in sight.

If she didn’t appear again, this would be all that was left for the rest of his life.

Qin Ke tried hard to open her eyes, wanting to suppress the stinging sensation welling up in them. Meanwhile, a surge of extreme anger and resentment rose in her chest – she almost wanted to grab the collar of the person in front of her and question him: How could you, how could you bear to let yourself become like this?

But in the end, Qin Ke only slowly took a breath, then exhaled tremblingly.

Hearing the girl’s slightly shaky breath, Huo Zhonglou’s heart sank.

—

Sure enough, she was still afraid.

She was already frightened, and she hadn’t even seen what he looked like now.

Huo Zhonglou curled his lips in self-mockery. He struggled to control the thoughts in his mind, forcing himself to slowly release the girl’s wrists.

He heard his own voice, hoarse and sarcastic.

“Scared now? Why don’t you run…”

“What is there to be afraid of?”

The girl’s soft yet steady voice suddenly interrupted him.

Huo Zhonglou was stunned. Just as he was about to think it was an auditory hallucination born from his own obsession, he heard the girl actually let out a light laugh, and ask again.

“Why should I be afraid of you?”

While Huo Zhonglou was still in a daze, the girl beneath him unexpectedly moved closer instead of retreating. She propped herself up with his arms, actively closing the gap he had just opened for her escape – their bodies pressed close, and in the darkness, the girl’s breath almost kissed his lips.

“Would you hurt me?”

“……”

“You pulled me down, what did you want to do to me?”

“……”

“I don’t think you dare do anything. After all, aren’t you supposed to marry my sister?”

“……”

“Or are you thinking of taking me to bed too?”

“…!”

Hearing the last sentence, Huo Zhonglou felt his temple throb violently, as if something had exploded.

He was furious to the point of madness, yet restraining himself made him feel even crazier. The girl was just clinging to him like this – as if she wasn’t afraid he might do something to her.

After gritting out a few “you”s through his teeth, Huo Zhonglou finally couldn’t endure the soft breath burning into his heart any longer. He jumped directly from the lounge chair and away from the girl onto the floor.

He almost viciously picked up the phone and dialed a button.

“Come to the study, take her away!”

Each word was spoken through gritted teeth, as if he had to crush them before spitting them out one by one.

Then he vented his anger and demonstrated his defiance by violently slamming the phone in his hand onto the desk.

A loud “bang” resonated in the darkness.

Although a trace of reluctance and desire coiled around him like a poisonous snake in the deepest part of his heart, enticing him, Huo Zhonglou still hoped the girl would be frightened by him, scream again, and run out.

…That would be best for her.

However, he was disappointed.

Perhaps when the girl raised her arms to bring her body in front of him, he should have known—the person before him was different from the one in his memory after several years. She was unfathomable and elusive, easily stirring him to near madness with just a word or action.

The study was deathly silent.

Huo Zhonglou resisted countless times but finally couldn’t help turning back.

His eyes, accustomed to years of darkness, could capture everything in the dimness more clearly than most people—so he saw that the girl, whom he imagined would be at least a little scared, was incredibly calm. She was sitting on one side of the lounge chair, looking up in his direction in the darkness.

Huo Zhonglou’s Adam’s apple bobbed.

The dark emotions in his eyes were forcefully suppressed.

He felt he should say something to scare her away, but before he could organize his thoughts, the girl in front of him suddenly laughed again.

Light and pleasing to the ear.

It easily evoked those memories that Huo Zhonglou had replayed countless times, memories of when his world still had a glimmer of light, and the girl’s smile was more beautiful than light itself…

Huo Zhonglou’s pupils constricted slightly.

The only soft spot in his heart was touched, making his breath tight and stifled. He opened his mouth to say something.

“You…”

“Huo Zhonglou,” he was interrupted again, “I thought you really wanted to do something to me.”

“…”

“But you don’t dare to do anything. You’re such a coward.”

“…!?”

Huo Zhonglou, cruelly pulled out of his memories, stood frozen in place.

Meanwhile, the girl who had “ruthlessly destroyed” his beautiful memories of herself had already stood up and walked out of the study with light steps.

“See you tomorrow.”

“… Brother-in-law to be.”

Bang.

The study door closed.

“…………”

Huo Zhonglou, trembling with anger, reached for the phone.

Seconds later, a hoarse, deep voice roared in the study—

“Huo Jingyan, you’d better explain clearly… what exactly has she been through these two years!!??”

“…Pfft.”

Outside the study, in the long corridor.

A very light laugh.

The girl leaned against the wall next to the study door, tilted her head, with a soft and beautiful smile in her eyes.

Even if he was already in the depths of a bottomless dark abyss, she would bring him back – bring him back into the light.

She wanted to find and return to him all the joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness he had lost.

She wanted him to live again.

To live… like a human being.

****