Chapter 29

After setting off fireworks, Si Xiaotie ran over.

She called out to Mommy, then happily spoke to her aunt.

“Auntie, did you see it? Brother and I set off sooo many pretty fireworks!”

Si Yun crouched down and gently patted the two children who had come over.

“I saw them. They were beautiful.”

She picked up Si Xiaotie, then held her son’s hand.

“Come on. Auntie’s giving you New Year money.”

Si Yun had prepared two big red envelopes.

Lin Ke had prepared some too.

The two little ones held one envelope in each hand, both thrilled beyond measure.

After showering, Qin Mancheng and Si Xiaotie played a while longer before returning to their respective rooms around ten o’clock.

After putting Si Xiaotie to sleep, Lin Ke also returned to the bedroom.

The old residence had many rooms.

Every room on the second floor was practically its own small suite.

The one they stayed in was on the east side, where sunlight poured in every morning.

Before marriage, this had been Si Yuming’s room.

After marriage, it became their bridal room.

Even after they moved out, it had remained untouched.

Lin Ke went into the walk-in closet to find pajamas while chatting with the man already lying in bed after his shower.

“The kids finally got vacation. Should we stay here until Xiaotie starts school again before moving back?”

“What did Sis say to you?”

“She didn’t say anything. I just feel bad for Manman.”

Si Yuming didn’t answer immediately.

Lin Ke found her pajamas and came back out, standing by the doorway.

“More importantly, Xiaotie’s way too energetic during break. I still need over a month to prepare for interviews. How am I supposed to keep up with her energy? It’s perfect since the two kids can keep each other company.”

The man considered it briefly before looking over.

“Xiaotie and I can stay here. You can go back there during the weekdays.”

“Si Yuming, I’m an adult. I’m not that fragile. We can stay—” Only then did she remember something. “I haven’t discussed this with your sister yet. What if she disagrees?”

Si Yuming smiled and got out of bed, walking over to her.

Lowering his eyes, he said,

“I’ll talk to her.”

“There’s one more thing.”

“What?”

“My dad called earlier asking us to come back. Do you have any—”

Under his increasingly heated gaze, Lin Ke’s voice unconsciously grew quieter and quieter.

At some point, the lighting had become strangely ambiguous.

Her eyelashes trembled lightly, casting fluttering shadows beneath her eyes.

At first, their breathing still followed steady rhythms.

Gradually, both lost control.

“We should go back sometime.”

As he moved closer, he bent slightly and pressed a gentle kiss against her lips.

Lin Ke’s breathing no longer felt like her own.

He forced her backward until her waist hit the vanity inside the walk-in closet.

Si Yuming’s arm wrapped around her slender waist and, with one motion, lifted her onto the tabletop.

“Si—”

Their intimate life had been rather infrequent lately.

Tonight, he seemed impatient.

His kisses were fierce, his movements even fiercer.

Unable to endure it, Lin Ke pushed weakly against him.

But unexpectedly, the hands gripping her waist slid down to her thighs, giving her no room to breathe before slipping beneath.

“Si… mm…”

The closet curtains hadn’t been drawn.

Even though the outside was only their own courtyard, his aggressive manner made Lin Ke’s heart tense to the extreme.

She struggled while resisting.

“No… the… the curtains!”

Only then did the man finally hear her.

He pulled back slightly, his darkened eyes frighteningly intense.

Lin Ke braced her hands against his chest, her breathing uneven.

“What are you so—”

But suddenly she was lifted into the air.

He carried her by the waist.

Not toward the bed.

Toward the window.

The curtains were drawn shut.

Her waist was seized again, and her hands were forced against the glass.

As midnight bells rang, husband and wife reached that trembling peak together.

……

First day of the Lunar New Year.

Lin Ke woke up from the noisy sounds of children playing downstairs.

The two kids seemed to be playing some kind of game, shouting loudly enough to make her head buzz.

The space beside her was already empty.

She turned toward the slightly open curtains, where dazzling sunlight arrogantly streamed through the gap and lazily spread across the soft blankets.

It looked like beautiful weather outside.

After lying there for a while, Lin Ke got up to freshen herself.

Last night had been too intense, leaving her body weak even now.

While showering, she couldn’t help cursing that man a few times under her breath.

When she came downstairs, only Si Yun sat in the living room.

The noisy children were nowhere to be seen.

Lin Ke and Si Yun weren’t exactly close, but Lin Ke had never been the awkward type.

When it was time to talk, she talked.

When communication was necessary, she communicated.

After taking a sip of the breakfast left on the dining table and grabbing a slice of bread, she asked,

“Where are Xiaotie and the others?”

Si Yun tilted her chin toward the backyard.

Lin Ke nodded and headed there.

The backyard had a swimming pool and flower beds.

But since it was winter, the pool was empty and the glass greenhouse had no flowers growing inside.

Si Xiaotie’s voice floated out from the greenhouse.

Lin Ke walked over and lifted the covering curtain to peek inside.

The two little kids sat with their backs facing her, apparently digging for something.

Si Xiaotie puffed and huffed while Qin Mancheng kept a slight distance from her.

The moment Lin Ke called out, the little girl—now filthy like a tiny flower-faced kitten—whirled around.

“Mommy!”

“What are you doing?”

Qin Mancheng answered obediently,

“Auntie, we’re digging for earthworms.”

Only then did Lin Ke notice the small gardening shovel in Si Xiaotie’s hand.

“Did you find any?”

“Not yet.” Si Xiaotie said sadly, “The worm babies seem to still be hibernating.”

Lin Ke laughed.

“Then keep digging. Remember to wash your hands and faces afterward.”

“Mhm!”

She returned to the living room.

Si Yun was gone now, while the housekeeper prepared lunch in the kitchen.

Lin Ke went upstairs back to the bedroom, pulled open the curtains to let sunlight flood the room, then lay back on the bed.

Listening to the children chatting softly downstairs, she watched interview prep videos on her phone.

Eventually, drowsiness overtook her.

Before she knew it, a fragrant, soft little body burrowed into her arms, and she instinctively wrapped an arm around the child.

At some unknown point, the curtains were drawn shut again.

Then the children’s father climbed into bed too.

And the family of three drifted into a sweet afternoon nap together.

When she woke again, Si Xiaotie—who had originally slept between them—had disappeared.

Instead, she herself was being held in someone’s arms.

The moment she moved, a voice sounded above her head.

“We’re eating out tonight.”

“Mhm. Then tell Auntie not to prepare dinner later.”

“Just the two of us.”

“?”

Lin Ke’s mind blanked briefly.

Only after several seconds did she finally understand what the invitation meant.

This was… a date?

Before pregnancy, they’d occasionally gone out to eat alone.

But after having Si Xiaotie, they’d never done anything like that again.

Not in any sense.

She opened her mouth, wanting to confirm it, but the man continued calmly on his own.

“After Spring Festival, the company will get very busy. You’ll also be preparing for interviews. I’m worried we won’t find time later.”

“Oh…”

“Mommy!”

A small child suddenly burst through the door.

That loud little voice instantly shattered the blush slowly rising on the woman’s face.

Lin Ke hurriedly escaped from his embrace and somewhat flusteredly straightened her clothes while searching for her slippers.

“Coming.”

……

Only after going downstairs did she realize guests had arrived.

Meng Jing and Ning Shuxia.

Si Yun was entertaining them.

When Meng Jing saw Lin Ke, he explained,

“There are too many people at home, so we came here for some peace and quiet. Also wanted to check on Sister Yun.”

Ning Shuxia greeted her brightly.

“Sister Keke.”

Ning Shuxia was only twenty-two.

Beautiful and outgoing.

Thanks to Si Xiaotie, the two women had exchanged WeChat contacts after their previous meeting and chatted a few times.

Lin Ke walked over smiling.

“Welcome. Have you eaten yet?”

“We have, we have. No need to fuss over us. We’re just having tea.” Meng Jing asked, “Where’s Yuming?”

The little girl in Lin Ke’s arms quickly answered for him.

“My daddy’s still sleeping! He’s a lazy bug!”

The moment she finished speaking, a man appeared on the second floor.

Helpless amusement lifted his lips.

“Si Xiaotie.”

“Hehe.”

While the adults chatted, the two children went off to play nearby.

Si Yun asked Ning Shuxia, whom she was meeting for the first time,

“Still studying?”

“Yes.”

“What major?”

“International trade.”

“I heard your brother’s been doing a lot of business in South Africa these past few years?”

“Probably? I’m not too sure.”

Si Yun turned toward Meng Jing again.

“Didn’t you spend some time in South Africa before?”

“Yes. Shuxia’s brother and I are friends, actually. But business over there isn’t easy. Everything’s slowly shifting back domestically.”

Si Yuming joined the conversation as well, and they continued discussing the topic.

Ning Shuxia gradually became bored.

She wanted to talk with Lin Ke, but realized Lin Ke had disappeared somewhere.

Helpless, she truly didn’t want to listen to these annoying discussions about work and international affairs anymore.

So she quietly moved toward the children’s play area behind the sofa.

“What are you guys playing?”

Si Xiaotie answered proudly,

“Brother and I are building Legos!”

Qin Mancheng added obediently,

“Do you want to play too, Auntie?”

Ning Shuxia pursed her lips and wagged a finger.

“No no no. Don’t call me Auntie. Call me Sister.”

Qin Mancheng corrected himself immediately.

“Then does Sister want to play with us?”

“Yes.”

Ning Shuxia kicked off her cotton slippers and sat cross-legged on the rug, rolling up her sleeves dramatically.

“Come on, let Sister Shuxia see what you built.”

Tiny Legos.

Wasn’t this way more fun than talking about South Africa and North Africa?

From the other side of the sofa, Meng Jing shifted his gaze over.

Watching one oversized child playing with two tiny children, the corners of his lips lifted slightly.

After finishing a little castle, the adults were still chatting, so Ning Shuxia wandered into the kitchen for water.

Lin Ke, washing fruit, poured her a cup.

“Warm water okay?”

“Yep, thanks, Sister.”

After taking the cup, Ning Shuxia chatted casually.

“So? How’s it going? Adjusting okay?”

“To what? Marriage?” She drank a couple sips while holding the cup. “It’s great. He only comes home three or four days a month. The rest of the time is all mine. It’s awesome.”

Lin Ke smiled faintly and poured herself water too.

Though both marriages were arranged, Meng Jing and Ning Shuxia’s situation was far simpler than theirs.

Ning Shuxia came from a cultured, prestigious family.

The two families were evenly matched.

She wouldn’t suffer much.

But Ning Shuxia was full of curiosity.

“Sister Keke, I heard you were forced into marrying Si Yuming too?”

“Not exactly forced.”

“Eh, pretty much the same thing.” Ning Shuxia leaned closer. “Sister Keke, do you love your husband now?”

“……”

Ning Shuxia didn’t press further and continued instead.

“Sis, can I ask you something? I don’t really want to sleep with him. Is there any way to stop him from touching me?”

As if finally finding someone on her side, she spoke sincerely.

“I can’t talk to my mom or them about this. And none of my friends have real relationship experience either. I seriously have nowhere to get advice.”

“I’m not against arranged marriage, honestly. It’s just to satisfy my parents anyway. We’ll probably divorce in a couple years. But this one thing really bothers me. How do you even sleep with someone you don’t love? And besides…” Her voice lowered. “He’s already thirty…”

Lin Ke was genuinely shocked by the girl’s bluntness.

Curling her lips slightly, she said,

“Meng Jing-ge treated me pretty well when we were younger. Teaching you how to avoid him feels a little unethical.”

Ning Shuxia instantly wilted.

“True. Then what should I do?”

She thought about it for a few seconds before looking back over.

“Fine then. Should I instead ask how to calmly sleep with someone you don’t love?”

Lin Ke answered seriously,

“I don’t think whether you’re willing or unwilling is the issue. If you don’t want intimacy for now, just be honest and talk to him about it. Meng Jing-ge isn’t unreasonable.”

Remembering how the drunken man hugged her tightly on their wedding night—impossible to push away—and how strange it felt when he kissed her, Ning Shuxia shivered internally.

“…Forget it. I’ll think about it later.”

Si Xiaotie came running over looking for Sister Shuxia to play, so Ning Shuxia put down her cup and happily returned to the children’s world.

Lin Ke stayed standing there, lowering her eyes with a faint smile.

She couldn’t answer those questions.

Her relationship with Si Yuming had progressed too naturally.

They were already married.

She’d never considered avoiding him, nor had she been unwilling.

Later, sex gradually became detached from emotion and more like a marital obligation.

Yet it was also, aside from Si Xiaotie, the thing binding them most tightly together.

Meng Jing and Ning Shuxia left around five-thirty in the afternoon.

Lin Ke and Si Yuming walked them to the door.

As the car disappeared into the distance, Si Yuming lowered his eyes to check his watch before looking back at her.

“Should we leave at six?”

After spending the afternoon entertaining guests, Lin Ke had almost forgotten about it.

But now, the moment their eyes met, that subtle, strange feeling slowly resurfaced again.

After several seconds, she looked away and answered softly,

“I’m going upstairs to do my makeup.”

“Mhm.”

Si Xiaotie was currently glued to her brother inside the piano room, randomly smashing keys with both hands.

Pushing open the door, Lin Ke raised her voice.

“Xiaotie, Daddy and Mommy are going out tonight. Stay home with Brother and Auntie, okay?”

“Okaaay~”

The girl hadn’t really heard anything and simply answered carelessly while continuing to pound on the piano.

After playing for a while, she finally got tired and wanted Mommy again.

So Si Xiaotie wandered into the living room and asked her aunt,

“Auntie, where’s my mommy?”

“No idea.”

Si Xiaotie turned toward the kitchen instead.

“Grandma Li, have you seen my mommy?”

“She’s probably upstairs.” The housekeeper had just finished baking small cakes and handed her one. “Try this, Xiaotie.”

As an absolute cake enthusiast, Si Xiaotie instantly forgot about searching for Mommy and climbed onto a small chair to enjoy the delicious dessert.

First, she puffed out her cheeks and carefully blew on it several times before scooping tiny bites into her mouth with a spoon.

After eating a few bites, she didn’t forget to praise enthusiastically:

“Grandma Li, it’s sooo yummy! You’re amazing!”

But halfway through eating, she suddenly saw Mommy downstairs in a pretty dress.

After saying something to Auntie, Mommy headed straight for the front door.

Si Xiaotie immediately jumped down from the chair and ran over in panic.

“Mommy, where are you going?!”

Before Mommy could answer, she spotted Daddy already waiting inside the car outside.

Instantly, Si Xiaotie understood everything.

Her eyes turned red.

Her little mouth trembled.

Tiny tears dropped down as she asked :

    “Mommy… don’t you want Xiaotie anymore?”