There’re Always Paranoid Thoughts to Monopolize Me - Extra 5.2

At this moment, one of the family’s servants glanced at her from the second floor and walked down the stairs.

“Miss Qin Ke.”

The servant stopped beside Qin Ke, hesitantly observed her expression, before speaking uncertainly.

“Young Master Zhonglou said he doesn’t have time to see you tonight and asked you to go back directly.”

“Where is he now?” the girl suddenly asked.

“Huh?” The servant was bewildered.

“Has he already entered the conference room?”

“Ah… yes, Young Master Zhonglou has already– Hey! Miss Qin Ke, where are you going?”

Walking past the servant and up the stairs, Qin Ke turned back at the words and smiled.

“He doesn’t have time, but I do. I’ll just wait outside the door until he has time — it doesn’t matter how late it gets.”

“…”

While the servant was still bewildered, the girl had already turned and gone upstairs.

The servant hesitated for a few seconds at the spot, but in the end didn’t dare to go up and stop her. He turned and ran back to the main hall, picked up the landline and dialed the conference room.

“Y-Young Master Zhonglou… I couldn’t stop her, Miss Qin Ke seems to be heading to the conference room. She said she’ll wait outside the conference room for you, no matter how late it gets.”

The servant spoke while feeling extremely nervous, fearing that the other side would fly into a rage.

However, to his surprise, after hearing what he said, the other end of the line was quiet for a few breaths. When the voice finally came, it didn’t sound particularly angry.

“I understand.”

After that, the call was disconnected.

“…”

The servant looked at the phone with a bewildered expression and put it back, feeling puzzled.

Inside the second-floor conference room.

The man in a suit preparing to give a presentation looked awkwardly at Huo Zhonglou, who seemed to have zoned out after hanging up the phone. He exchanged glances with others before carefully asking, “Director Huo, if you’re busy, we can reschedule–”

“No need.” Huo Zhonglou came back to his senses and looked at the presenter. “Get ready, we’ll start once the data is loaded into the computer.”

“Yes, Director Huo.”

The subordinates were respectful, but the person sitting next to Huo Zhonglou wasn’t his company subordinate, but a consulting advisor and Huo Zhonglou’s industry friend, Fang Xusheng.

While the others were preparing for the presentation, Fang Xusheng leaned closer to Huo Zhonglou, not being serious.

“When did you secretly get married without telling your brother? That’s not cool, man.”

“…”

Reminded of Qin Ke’s words, Huo Zhonglou frowned slightly and said perfunctorily, “I didn’t.”

“You didn’t?” Fang Xusheng raised an eyebrow. “Then why did that girl downstairs call you brother-in-law? I’ve heard of people becoming sworn brothers and sisters, but never heard of randomly becoming a sworn brother-in-law or sister-in-law.”

Huo Zhonglou: “…”

Huo Zhonglou glanced at him, suppressing his irritation, “I paid you to come for business consultation, not to gossip about my personal life.”

Fang Xusheng pouted.

“Alright, alright, pretend I didn’t say anything.”

****

Two and a half hours later, the impromptu meeting finally ended.

Looking out from the floor-to-ceiling windows of the conference room, the sky outside had long since turned dark.

The company subordinates finished organizing the materials, said goodbye to Huo Zhonglou, and prepared to leave.

Even Fang Xusheng stretched and sighed with a frown, “It’s finally over. Don’t ask me to handle your company’s business next time. Others want progress, but you’re asking for my life. I haven’t had a good sleep these past two days.”

Huo Zhonglou didn’t speak, just stood up.

Fang Xusheng: “Hey, do you have any plans later? If not, want to go out for a few drinks to relax?”

Huo Zhonglou was about to speak when he suddenly remembered something.

He didn’t bother to answer Fang Xusheng, but instead took a few steps forward, “cutting in line” in front of the departing company subordinates to reach the conference room door.

The people who were originally discussing in low voices were stunned and couldn’t help but look towards Huo Zhonglou.

Huo Zhonglou didn’t pay attention to them.

He stood at the doorway for a few seconds, as if facing a formidable enemy, his back slightly stiff. After a moment, he reached out and opened the door of the conference room.

The door opened a crack.

Outside the door, it was quiet.

The arm holding the doorknob stopped.

After a brief moment, Huo Zhonglou lowered his eyes self-mockingly.

He had imagined too much again.

The “like” she spoke of was just to coax him for some purpose, yet he still harbored the fantasy that she would wait for him all night outside…

Huo Zhonglou stepped back half a step, his voice returning to its emotionless coldness.

“You can go now.”

“Alright, Director Huo, you should rest early too.”

The group filed out, but just as they stepped out, the one in front suddenly stopped.

A few seconds later.

“Di-Director Huo…”

That person awkwardly turned back, looking at Huo Zhonglou inside the door—

“The young lady we met earlier on the first floor, seems to have fallen asleep outside the door.”

“…!”

Huo Zhonglou’s gaze suddenly froze.

A few seconds later, disregarding the looks from others, he hurriedly walked out the door.

A chair was placed in the corner of the long corridor. The girl who had said she would wait for him to come out was indeed curled up on that chair, nestled in the soft, dim light of the hallway, sleeping soundly.

Huo Zhonglou’s heart softened, followed by an acidic pain. It was as if something frozen for too long had suddenly thawed, with fresh red blood oozing from the cracks.

He stood frozen for only a few seconds before hurrying over, bending down to carefully take the girl into his arms, gently supporting her.

The girl seemed to be slightly alerted but only nuzzled closer, sniffing near the collar of his shirt at his neck. Probably sensing something familiar, her brow relaxed, her lips curling up softly. She nestled deeper into the crook of his neck, curling up quietly in his arms and continuing to sleep.

Huo Zhonglou didn’t delay any further.

Holding the girl, he hesitated for a moment before choosing the nearest destination, his own master bedroom, and walked over with light steps.

Behind him, outside the conference room.

Several people were dumbfounded.

“What I just saw… you all saw it too, right?”

“Was that the real Director Huo? I can hardly imagine him being so gentle with a woman—”

“Wait, didn’t this young lady call Director Huo ‘brother-in-law’ earlier on the first floor? Although we haven’t met her sister, she probably wasn’t just calling him that randomly, right?”

“Damn, I’m imagining some not-so-good things.”

“…Me too.”

Just as they were exchanging meaningful looks with complex expressions, someone walked out of the conference room behind them.

“Don’t talk nonsense.”

Fang Xusheng patted the shoulder of the person closest to him, “Otherwise, if some messy rumors spread, when your Director Huo comes to deal with you, I won’t be able to save you.”

“…”

Reminded by these words, several people shuddered inwardly.

They all said their goodbyes and quickly left as if their pants were on fire.

Fang Xusheng stood there for a few seconds, then narrowed his eyes, looking in the direction where Huo Zhonglou had left carrying the girl, and followed with a smile.

Huo Zhonglou placed the girl on the large bed in the inner room of his master suite, carefully covering her with a thin blanket. After looking at her for two seconds, he suddenly came to his senses and got up to leave.

As he reached the outer room of the suite, he saw Fang Xusheng walking in.

“Why haven’t you left?” Huo Zhonglou asked.

“Director Huo, our contractual tasks have already ended. This is my free time now. You’re not going to control even that, are you?”

“Do as you please.” Huo Zhonglou closed the door behind him. He turned back, frowned after two seconds, and reached out to stop Fang Xusheng who was about to pass by him. “What are you doing?”

Fang Xusheng smiled, nodding his chin towards the door behind Huo Zhonglou.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been to your place. Why don’t I take a look at the bedroom?”

Huo Zhonglou’s gaze darkened, a hint of irritation bubbling up.

“Are you sick?”

Fang Xusheng helplessly scratched his head and stepped back half a step.

“Alright, if I can’t look, I can’t look. It was just a joke.”

He was used to Huo Zhonglou’s mercurial temperament, and his own easy-going nature was excessive. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to be friends with the current Huo Zhonglou. So when Huo Zhonglou snapped at him like this, he didn’t get angry at all. Instead, he retreated to the marble table nearby and asked with a smile.

“What exactly is your relationship with the lady inside?”

Huo Zhonglou’s gaze flickered.

“You already heard.”

“Heard what? Brother-in-law?” Fang Xusheng waved his hand with a smile, “If you got married, there’s no way I wouldn’t know. I have that much confidence at least.”

Huo Zhonglou averted his gaze and also walked over.

Stopping at the marble table, he casually picked up the glass pitcher nearby and poured two glasses of purified water for himself and Fang Xusheng.

After taking a sip, Huo Zhonglou finally spoke.

“Not married yet, but soon.”

As he spoke, the man’s gaze lowered slightly, his eyes deep and dark, as if suppressing some emotion.

Fang Xusheng turned his head in surprise, “She really has a sister who’s going to marry you?”

“…” Huo Zhonglou gave him a cold glance.

Reading the meaning of “what else” from this look, Fang Xusheng smiled and said honestly: “From the look in your eyes before and after you carried her, I thought you two were a couple, and this brother-in-law and sister-in-law thing was just some kind of play between you two.”

“…”

Huo Zhonglou averted his gaze and said coldly.

“Don’t talk nonsense.”

“I’m talking nonsense? Have you not seen the way you look at her? It was full of tender affection with an underlying wolf-like desire — I didn’t come up here to gossip, I just saw that the young lady seemed quite young, and I was worried she might not be of age yet. I didn’t want you to lose control and make any mistakes.”

Huo Zhonglou’s cheekbones twitched slightly.

It seemed that after extreme self-control, he finally said in a hoarse voice.

“The wedding is in just over a week. I can only be her brother-in-law, there shouldn’t and can’t be any other relationship. If you keep talking nonsense, or dare to say another word outside…”

“Alright, alright, I’m talking nonsense, okay? I admit it.”

Fang Xusheng shook his head, not bothering to argue with him anymore.

After two seconds of silence, he turned his head and asked, “Then what about your fiancée? Am I qualified to meet her?”

Huo Zhonglou’s gaze was indifferent.

“Don’t know. No need to meet.”

Fang Xusheng rubbed his nose, “Fine then.”

He turned his gaze to the side and noticed a white fox mask on the marble table behind him. He raised his eyebrows in surprise and reached out to pick it up.

“You’re still playing with this kind of thing? I helped you contact foreign experts in this field before, but you absolutely refused to go. What’s this about now? Having regrets?”

“…”

Huo Zhonglou gave him a cold glance, took the mask from his hand, and was about to put it aside.

“Huo Zhonglou!”

Suddenly, a girl’s startled cry came from the room.

Both Huo Zhonglou and Fang Xusheng froze.

Huo Zhonglou picked up the mask, put it on without thinking, and turned to enter the room.

When he rushed to the bedside, he saw the girl tumbling out of bed.

Huo Zhonglou stepped forward quickly, catching her in his arms, and asked urgently, “Qin Qin–??”

The girl, whose face was streaked with tears as if frightened by something, opened her eyes, hugged him tightly, and suddenly leaned forward, biting his neck hard.

“Huo Zhonglou…”

Just as Huo Zhonglou was about to speak, he suddenly turned slightly to the side, still holding the girl.

He frowned.

Fang Xusheng, who had been leaning against the doorframe watching the scene unfold, was caught red-handed. But he felt no guilt, instead smiling knowingly.

“Director Huo, this relationship between you as a brother-in-law and sister-in-law… seems quite solid and genuine, doesn’t it?”