Ghost Invasion

Returning to my ward, I began to think about how to talk about the child with Huo Xiaojin. I was thinking whether to directly tell him this child was Huo Xiaoran’s. Every time I thought about this, I wanted to laugh. I really was curious; what would Huo Xiaojin’s reaction be when he heard this!

Sitting down on my bed, Huo Xiaojin handed me a cup of hot water: “Tell me, who’s the father?”

“Why must you know?” I looked at him in surprise.

“Have you thought about it? If Yun Li knows, what horrifying things would she do? This child, no matter who his father is, you better…… abort him!” When he got to the end of the sentence, his head was lowered.

I stared at him. I have thought about many possibilities, but just not this one! He actually tried to persuade me to abort the child!

“I will not abort the child!” Yes, I will not. No matter who’s the father, as long as he was in my belly, he was my child. Like me, who had been sickly since childhood, my mother still didn’t abandon me.

“You!” Very rarely, there was panic in Huo Xiaojin’s eyes.

But I put down the cup in my hands and grabbed his hand. This was my first time voluntarily getting close to him. Actually, as long he wasn’t drunk, he wasn’t that annoying.

“Huo Xiaojin! I hope you can keep my secret. I will try my best to leave the Huo house as soon as possible. Then, both my child and I will live happily. Please? It doesn’t matter if you pity me, or sympathize with me; as long as you don’t tell anyone about the child!” I couldn’t help my eyes filling with tears.    His eyes were complicated, and the expression on his face changed again and again. After a long time, he said, “Xiaoya, your belly would be obvious after at most three months. Except for me and Uncle, it’s all women in the house. Did you think they wouldn’t notice?”

Getting to this part, he paused, and supported me, helping me lean against the pillows and continued, “Have you thought about it, you can have a child later, but if Yun Li knows you’re pregnant right now, this would a great humiliation in her life. She wouldn’t let you go. Then, not only will you lose your child, your life will also be in danger!”

I kept my head lowered, unanswering. Maybe from the beginning, Yun Li never planned to let me leave the Huo family alive. Thinking of this, I suddenly realized, did Huo Xiaojin not know Yun Li’s plan? Or, did he know, but pretended he didn’t know? I glanced at his face out of the corner of my eye.

His face was covered in conflict and worry. Was I being oversensitive? In the Huo house, I don’t know who’s the enemy, who’s a friend. Originally, I was alone by myself, so I didn’t need to worry that much. Now my child is in my belly, so as a mother, I must love and care for him!

“Xiaojin! My whole life, only one person loved me, and that was my mother. Even when I got so sick I almost died, even when my father didn’t want to save me when I was sick because I was girl, my mother still used her life to protect me! This was what she taught me using her whole life!”

I lifted my head, and saw the astonishment on Huo Xiaojin’s face. I knew that in his world, there weren’t any people like me. It’s no wonder he would be shocked.

“I don’t need you to do anything; I just want you to pretend you didn’t know. The rest, I can take care of myself!” I watched him stubbornly. When his expression became peaceful again, I smiled. I knew, he already agreed to my request.

I let out a long breath. Just then, the door to my ward was pushed open. The person walking in was that old man An Tingren, and following behind him was Aunt An Qiang!

An Qiang had some fruits in her hand. She set them down on the table and didn’t speak. Old man An started: “Thank you! Saving my grandson; we the An family will remember this favor!”

I smiled faintly, but he pa.s.sed me an envelop. It was thick, and the bulging looked like money! I looked at him in confusion, “Mr. An, this is?”

“I, An Tingren, dislike being in debt to others the most!”

I understood what he meant, but this was not what I wanted!

“Mr. An, before you decide on the truth of the matter, I would suggest you to keep calm!” I answered coldly. When I stopped, Huo Xioajin and An Qiang looked at me with surprise. Only An Tingren’s expression was calm and didn’t flicker.

I shook my head, indicating that I won’t accept it. Seeing him take it back, I said, “When Ms. Mu wakes, you can go ask her. I don’t think you’ll believe my explanation!”

“Chairman An…… ” With realization on his face, Huo Xiaojin tried to say something, but was stopped by An Tingren waving his hand.

“Little girl, I heard you just married Huo Xiaoran. But Yun Li’s words, I only trust thirty percent! And today’s matter, if you choose to decline, I will believe you want something else. I only trust what I see myself. If what Mu Ni says is different from what you’re saying, I’ll tell you our An family won’t let go easily!”

I nodded, then replied calmly, “This matter, I suggest you ask your son An Ming. If you want to truly save your grandson, I think he is the key!”

Right after I finished, I noticed An Qiang’s expression change, and she lowered her head as if hiding. I didn’t understand, but didn’t want to think much about it, so I looked back towards An Tingren. But when I saw the flash of panic in An Tingren’s eyes, I suddenly felt that maybe there is a dark secret in their An family?

An Tingren didn’t speak again, and I didn’t want to prolong this either: “If I saved your grandson, this favor, you’ll really be in debt to me!”

Since he spoke his intentions truthfully, I must also state my position clearly! Because maybe the An family was the key I needed to leave the Huo house cage!

Old man An nodded, then stood up and left. An Qiang finally lifted up her head to look at me.

“Xiaoya, thank you!” An Qiang grabbed my hand tightly. Although she was smiling, in her eyes, I couldn’t see any trace of happiness or grat.i.tude. Her eyes were very calm, calm as if nothing had happened.

I shook my head, pulling my hand out of her hands.

She took back her hands awkwardly, then asked, “What happened? Why would you be in the hospital? Did you get hurt while saving Mu Ni?”

I glanced at Huo Xiaojin, ready to speak before he could, but he was still faster than me.

“It’s nothing! She just got scared on An Ming’s wedding, so we came to the hospital for a quick checkup!”

When he finished, I smiled gratefully at him, but he pretend not to see it, and continued, “I’ll go to doctor’s office, your test results should be out!”

Hearing this, I immediately understood. Since he helped me cover up, of course he wouldn’t say anything about the child. But no one had talked to the doctor yet, and An Qiang might go and find something out. Huo Xiaojin going over now, was to keep the doctor silent. A warm feeling filled my heart. Looking at his figure, I smiled.

“Xiaoya! About what I said…… ” An Qiang asked hurriedly.

I shook my head and said, “Aunt, I don’t know what happened between you and Stepmom, but I just want to say, I’m only a decoration! Now, and forever! Even if you pulled me to your battle line, I could give almost no help!”

“How come?” An Qiang’s expression became hasty. But I saw the flash of hatred in her eyes clearly.

“Xiaoya, I came today all because of you! I know if I say too much in the house, Yun Li will find trouble for you, and I don’t want to hurt you. So that’s why under the name of visiting Mu Ni, I chased you all the way here! I’m sincere! And if you want to leave the Huo house, unless you topple Yun Li, or, based on her personality, you’ll never be able to leave!”

An Qiang said this indignantly, as if this was a conversation between two good friends. I was starting to waver.

Seeing me silent, she spoke faster: “Don’t worry! When the time comes, even if I have to use the whole An family, I will still protect you!”

Looking at her, I was very confused. I frowned and asked, “Aunt wants to take over the Huo Corporation? Then…… ”

“No! That’s not it! If you want the Huo Corporation, I can give it to you!” An Qiang interrupted me.

Her unintentional words made me start to doubt her goal! My head lowered, I started thinking. She didn’t want the Huo Corporation, yet she must fight life-to-death with Yun Li. So what did she want?

“Don’t think too much! I just want to live happily ever after.” Tears appeared in her eyes, and after wiping them she continued, “If Yun Li leaves the Huo family, Ningen will return, return to the Ningen who loves me.”

The word “love”, has the ability to make people go crazy. Right now, the yearning her eyes was real. I can feel that the love she had for uncle Huo Ningen was not fake. Thinking to here, I suddenly remembered the labored breathing and faint sighs from when I pa.s.sed by Yun Li’s study a few days ago.

“Okay, I understand now!” I nodded. Of course, I won’t take the Huo Corporation, but since I must go against Yun Li, I needed a big tree that can protect me and for me to lean on. The relationship between Uncle and Yun Li was already very obvious, and Huo Xiaojin…… I shook my head internally. He didn’t seem dependable, so I could only trust An Qiang!

She smiled through her tears, and hugged me tightly: “Thank you! Thank you, Xiaoya! I will persuade Father, and I’ll get Father to teach you how to manage a company! Don’t worry! I believe that as long as Father agrees to appear, it would be what the shareholders want the most!”

“Mr. An?” I asked, confused.

An Qiang nodded, and let me go, “Father was one of the founding members of the Huo Corporation. He has always been a very important presence for the Huo Corporation to achieve its today. Only when Huo Xiaoran took over, Father retreated to behind the scenes.”

“Since it’s like this, then start with your plan! Half a month isn’t long!” I remember last time, Yun Li mentioned, that they will choose the new chairman on the next board meeting. And I must sit in that seat to get rid of Yun Li and achieve freedom!