Chapter 288: Chapter 288: Is She Jealous?
Lin Qi felt uneasy inside as well. After all, the child in Song Shuyan’s womb was very likely Huo Tingdong’s; otherwise, Song Shuyan wouldn’t have been so smugly triumphant.
Only now did she realize that at some point, she had developed a strong possessiveness towards Huo Tingdong.
Returning home by taxi, Lin Qi had just reached the entryway when she saw the door ajar.
Momo and Han had not finished school yet, so it must be Huo Tingdong who had come back!
Lin Qi gently massaged her stiff face and pushed the door open to enter.
“Miss Lin, you’re back!”
The nanny greeted her warmly, “The master has returned!”
Lin Qi looked towards the living room.
Huo Tingdong had taken off his coat and was sitting on the living room sofa. Seeing her return, he stood up. His eyes couldn’t hide his weariness, but as he looked at her, they were filled with a burning intensity.
Yet, even now, this man was still maintaining his pride and didn’t show too much enthusiasm, especially when he saw Lin Qi’s face was quite pale. Thinking of what Mo Ke had mentioned about her going to the hospital for a check-up that afternoon, he thought she might be ill.
“You’re back,” Lin Qi said coolly.
Huo Tingdong felt something off in her tone and furrowed his brows but still asked calmly, “Mo Ke said you went to the hospital this afternoon. What did you go to the hospital for?”
Lin Qi replied, “To have a check-up! I’m feeling unwell.”
Huo Tingdong asked, “What’s bothering you?”
Lin Qi, with a grimace, said, “I’m not feeling well inside!”
The nanny looked at Huo Tingdong and then at Lin Qi, feeling that something was amiss in the atmosphere, and tactfully retreated to her room.
Lin Qi also stormed off into her room, huffing in anger.
Even if Huo Tingdong was thick-skinned, he sensed something was wrong and headed toward her room. Just as he reached the door, Lin Qi slammed it, “Bang,” shutting him out.
The man paused, reached out to grab the doorknob, and gently twisted it. Luckily, she hadn’t locked it.
Huo Tingdong pushed the door open and entered to see Lin Qi lying on the bed, her back to him.
He walked over, sat down at the edge of the bed, and lifted his hand to gently massage her shoulder.
Just returning from abroad on an overnight economy flight, he was incredibly tired. And now, just as he had returned, she was giving him the cold shoulder.
Huo Tingdong asked, “Why do you look so upset? Who has angered you?”
Lin Qi, her back still turned to him, answered in a muffled voice, “Huo Tingdong, whose child is in Song Shuyan’s belly?”
Huo Tingdong was slightly taken aback, “Child?”
Lin Qi said, “Didn’t you know early on that she was pregnant? Who’s the child she is carrying? Do you know?”
Huo Tingdong said, “I’ve asked her, but she didn’t say.”
Lin Qi sat up from the bed in disbelief, staring at him stiffly, “She didn’t tell you, and you didn’t inquire further?”
Huo Tingdong countered, “If it’s not mine, why should I care so much?”
Lin Qi said, “How can you be sure that the child in her womb definitely isn’t yours?”
Huo Tingdong’s eyebrows furrowed, and his tone shifted slightly, “Are you doubting me?”
Lin Qi said, “I’m not doubting you at all. If I were, I wouldn’t bother bringing it up.”
She calmed herself and said slowly, “This afternoon, I went for a check-up at the hospital and saw Song Shuyan! Her belly was quite big; she said she’s carrying twins, two sons, and was proudly boasting to me! She claims that the children are yours.”
Huo Tingdong felt bewildered and even thought it was unreasonable, “Just because she says so, you believe her?”
Lin Qi let out a derisive laugh, “It’s not about whether I believe it or not now! The question is, if the child she’s carrying isn’t yours, whose could it be? I suspect she went abroad secretly to have IVF done! I’m just curious, if the children in her belly are indeed yours and once born, a paternity test proves they belong to the Huo Family! What about you? What’s your stance, your position, will you acknowledge the child she gives birth to?”
Huo Tingdong almost dismissed the question without thinking, “I will not acknowledge it.”
Lin Qi was taken aback, but due to his response, much of her resentment dissipated.
Huo Tingdong said, “You mentioned she underwent IVF, how do you know?”
Lin Qi replied, “Twins are already a small probability, and it depends on the woman’s genes. Without the genes for twins, the likelihood of having twins is very low. But IVF is different, you can have twins, triplets, quadruplets, even dragon-phoenix twins through it! She must have sneaked abroad for IVF!”
Huo Tingdong pondered for a moment.
Although he found it highly unlikely, since Song Shuyan and Lin Qi had mentioned it, he would investigate it properly.
Huo Tingdong said, “I don’t know what Song Shuyan told you, but I will state my two positions. First, if the child in her womb is mine, I will have it aborted no matter what. Second, even if she gives birth to the child, I will not give it any recognition. If you don’t trust me, I am willing to sign an agreement with you.”
Agreement?
Lin Qi raised an eyebrow, “What kind of agreement?”
Huo Tingdong said, “Regardless of who the other party is, Song Shuyan or anyone else, if I acknowledge a child born to me from another woman, I’ll leave empty-handed.”
Leaving empty-handed…!
Lin Qi hadn’t expected that he would be willing to sign such an agreement with her!
With Huo Tingdong’s billion-dollar fortune, having such a huge asset at stake, she naturally believed his words.
Lin Qi said, “Actually, I just wanted to know what your stance was on this matter! Now, I know your stance.”
She also realized that since she had been back home, she had not shown any pleasantness towards Huo Tingdong, “Just now… it was my bad attitude! You’ve been abroad for a week, and you hurried back early to see me; you must be exhausted, yet I reacted with a cold face…”
She acknowledged her mistake candidly.
Huo Tingdong smiled upon hearing her words, “So, you’re upset because of this matter?”
Lin Qi shook her head, “Not upset, just feeling uncomfortable inside!”
Huo Tingdong, unable to contain his curiosity, inquired, “Why uncomfortable? Where does it hurt?”
Was she feeling jealous?
If she felt jealousy, it meant that she really cared about him.
It wouldn’t make him angry; in fact, on this little insight, Huo Tingdong couldn’t help but laugh at himself in his heart!
In the eyes of others, he always appeared powerful and commanding, but what of it? Wasn’t he still longing for her love?
The idea that she felt jealousy secretly thrilled him.
Lin Qi glared at him irritably, “Why do you think I feel uncomfortable? Aren’t you planning to remarry me? You could say you are somewhat like a fiancé! Suddenly, a woman comes up to me with a big belly, claiming to carry the child of my fiancé, and not just one but two sons, all while being smug about it! How could I feel comfortable?”