Thanks to General Toho, I'm Still Alive

Two weeks later, on a quiet night, Lin Wan finished Huo Tingxiao's acupuncture and leg massage as usual.

Feeling thirsty, she decided to go downstairs to get a glass of water.

When she opened the door, she noticed that all the servants had already left. The mansion was so quiet that even the sound of a pin dropping could be heard.

Her belly had grown bigger, making it difficult to walk. She had to lean against the wall, moving slowly, occasionally rubbing her sore waist.

As she reached the bottom of the stairs, she suddenly heard footsteps coming from upstairs.

One step at a time, neither fast nor slow. It sounded like someone had infinite patience… or was waiting for their prey.

Lin Wan’s heart skipped a beat. She took a few steps up and looked around, but there was no one there.

The footsteps stopped as well.

Cold sweat covered her back. She even started wondering if she had imagined it.

But she wasn’t tired just now, and she had been paying full attention. It wasn’t possible for her to hear things that weren’t there.

She didn't dare think further and quickly went to the kitchen, poured herself a glass of water, and hurried back upstairs.

Just as she reached the top of the stairs, the footsteps returned.

Her back was drenched in cold sweat. She stood frozen, her voice trembling slightly as she asked, “Who’s there?”

No one answered. The only thing she could hear was her own breathing.

She cautiously turned around and looked again, but still saw nothing. She quickly walked into her room.

When she closed the door, her hands were still shaking.

The room was completely dark, and the only sound was the steady breathing of Huo Tingxiao.

Somehow, this sound made Lin Wan feel a little safer.

She lay down, clutching the blanket tightly and burying her face in it. Finally, she was able to take a deep breath.

For a brief moment, her mind went blank. But then, all the thoughts she had been avoiding came flooding in.

Who could that have been? What was their motive? Were they just trying to scare her?

Had Qin Man found out the truth and was deliberately messing with her?

But she quickly dismissed the idea.

Qin Man was practically untouchable in this mansion. She already had Lin Wan in her grasp—there was no need for her to play such tricks.

Then who else could it be?

Lin Wan felt even more uneasy now, and she started worrying about the child in her belly.

Would she be able to hold on until the day her child was born?

What if Qin Man found out everything before then?

Or what if Huo Tingxiao discovered something unusual about her and exposed her too early? What would happen to her then?

She clutched the blanket tightly, feeling her stomach tighten from stress. She forced herself to calm down.

She couldn’t let her emotions affect her child. No matter what happened, she had to make sure he was born safely.

That belief was the only thing holding her together.

Eventually, she drifted into sleep.

But she had no idea that from the moment she entered the room, a pair of black eyes had been watching her from the darkness.

---

The next morning, Lin Wan woke up to the sound of an argument.

She opened her eyes drowsily and saw Huo Tingxiao sitting on the bed across from hers. His expression was cold.

“I told you, I don’t drink that.” His voice was filled with impatience.

A servant stood next to him, looking helpless. She was holding a bowl of medicine tightly, afraid that he would throw it.

Lin Wan recognized this servant—it was the same one who had helped her before.

She reached out and gently pulled her aside, whispering, “You go out first, I’ll talk to him.”

The servant hesitated for a moment before nodding and turning to leave.

But just as she reached the door, a loud crashing sound echoed through the room.

The medicine bowl had been smashed against the wall. Dark liquid dripped down onto the floor.

“Huo Tingxiao, who do you think you are? Do you really think you’re still the young master of the Huo family just because you’re being taken care of?”

The servant turned back in shock. She saw that Huo Tingxiao had grabbed Lin Wan’s wrist tightly. Her skin was already turning red, and her face went pale from the pain.

The servant wanted to step forward and help, but Lin Wan gave her a small shake of the head and a faint smile.

“I’m fine. You can leave.”

The servant hesitated but saw the pleading look in Lin Wan’s eyes. In the end, she left.

However, she didn’t go far. She stood outside the door, listening.

Inside, Lin Wan managed to free her wrist. She rubbed her waist and walked back to her bed.

The room was still filled with the bitter smell of Chinese medicine, but she didn’t care. She numbly picked up her chopsticks and started eating her breakfast.

Huo Tingxiao stared at her pale face, then at his own hand, before looking away.

The morning’s events must have worked. Qin Man didn’t visit for the entire day.

Normally, she would come to check on them, making sure that everything was still under her control.

That woman was too cunning.

After breakfast, Lin Wan rested in bed.

By noon, her lunch had gone cold, but she still hadn’t woken up.

Huo Tingxiao glanced at her, forcing down the worry in his heart.

“Are you dead? If you’re not dead, then get up and eat.”

His voice was cold and harsh.

Lin Wan should have been angry, but instead, she found it funny.

She had been mistreated so much in this house that now, even this sounded like concern to her.

She struggled to sit up, forcing a small smile.

“Thanks to Mr. Huo, I’m still alive.”

She ignored the dark expression on his face and started eating.

Huo Tingxiao watched her quietly.

“If you don’t want to eat, then don’t eat. No one is forcing you,” he said, his tone indifferent.

But Lin Wan didn’t argue. She finished the entire bowl of rice without hesitation, then slowly got out of bed.

She couldn’t afford to be careless.

Even if she had no appetite, she had to eat—for the sake of her child.

She had already drunk countless bowls of bitter Chinese medicine. What was one more?

The strong herbal scent lingered in the air. Lin Wan walked to the window and opened it, letting fresh air in.

Huo Tingxiao watched her silently.

Her belly had grown, but the rest of her body had become thinner.

She ate her meals on time, but she was still losing weight.

He frowned slightly but quickly looked away, suppressing the strange concern he felt.

They were only using each other.

Lin Wan needed his status to protect herself and her child. A truly useless man wouldn’t be able to shield them. She must have hoped for his recovery so he could regain control over the Huo family.

For him, she was now the only person he could trust.