{"id":3154,"date":"2026-05-08T11:15:12","date_gmt":"2026-05-08T11:15:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/?p=3154"},"modified":"2026-05-08T11:16:51","modified_gmt":"2026-05-08T11:16:51","slug":"daily-life-of-a-secret-marriage-with-a-child-07","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/bn\/chapter\/daily-life-of-a-secret-marriage-with-a-child-07\/","title":{"rendered":"Daily Life of a Secret Marriage with a Child 07"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chapter 7

They arrived at the hotel.

The moment everyone got out of the car, the coworkers began exclaiming nonstop as they looked around at the city streets.

Moscow\u2019s architecture blended Gothic verticality with Baroque extravagance\u2014grand symmetry, towering spires, and a style unmistakably its own.

Lin Ke also glanced around a few extra times, emotions stirring faintly in her chest, as though she had reunited with an old friend.

Back when she had chosen her language major, she hadn\u2019t really had a direction.

Choosing a specialty wasn\u2019t only about personal preference. She also had to consider difficulty level and future job prospects. She spent a long time researching every minor language before finally choosing Russian carefully.

Russian was notoriously difficult, both in pronunciation and grammar. After only one week of study, she had already wanted to give up.

But by then, there was no turning back. She could only grit her teeth and continue.

Thanks to her school and teachers, she had access to many opportunities while studying\u2014from online translation work and small conferences to exhibitions and major international meetings.

By graduate school, she finally had the chance to come to Moscow.

The first time she stood on this land, it was winter.

Heavy snow blanketed the city, onion domes and Gothic buildings looking dreamlike beneath the falling snowflakes. The entire city resembled a giant amusement park.

Back then, listening to the familiar language spoken by foreign men and women passing nearby, an inexplicable sense of belonging had welled up inside her.

That was when she truly fell in love with the language.

Later, she traveled back and forth many times, and this dreamlike city witnessed her growth little by little.

Everything stopped the moment Si Xiaotie entered this world.

This was her first return here in nearly five years.

The driver came over to settle the fare. Lin Ke withdrew from her thoughts, skillfully handled the payment, and coordinated the itinerary for the next four days.

When she looked up again, she crashed directly into the eyes of the man watching her from not far away.

The coworkers had already entered the hotel one after another.

Lin Ke withdrew her gaze, picked up her luggage, and calmly walked past him as though nothing had happened.

Only after reaching the front desk and taking out her phone did she see his message.

\u3010Si Yun said Xiaotie\u2019s asleep.\u3011

Lin Ke replied: \u3010Okay.\u3011

From the corner of her eye, she saw him take out his phone to respond. Not long after, another message popped up.

\u3010Want to come over later?\u3011

The generous boss had arranged individual rooms for everyone, while he himself stayed in a suite.

Lin Ke rejected him almost instantly.

\u3010No.\u3011

\u201cManager Lin, your turn.\u201d

\u201cComing.\u201d

Lin Ke stuffed her phone into her pocket and took out her passport to check in.

There was no work scheduled for the evening. Everyone was free to arrange dinner on their own, then rest and adjust to the time difference before starting work directly the next day.

Xu Lin pushed the luggage into the suite while tidying things up at the same time.

First, he took out the clothes his boss planned to wear the next day and instructed the laundry service to iron them, emphasizing repeatedly that they had to be returned before seven in the morning.

Then he placed the boss\u2019s toiletries and daily necessities in their usual positions.

But midway through organizing, he suddenly froze while staring at a nude-colored bra inside the suitcase.

Beside the bra sat a small dinosaur plush toy.

Were these President Si\u2019s wife and daughter\u2019s things?

Every previous business trip, Xu Lin had been the one helping organize luggage too, but something like this had never happened before…

Just then, the boss finished his phone call and walked over.

As he reached his side, he also glanced at the open suitcase spread on the floor.

Xu Lin felt instantly embarrassed. He hurriedly shut the suitcase, stumbling over his words.

\u201cPresident Si… I…\u201d

Xu Lin had only worked under him for two or three months. He was still young and somewhat careless by nature.

Si Yuming walked over to the fridge to get water and spoke casually, his tone lightly amused.

\u201cMy wife and daughter packed the luggage last night. The little girl stuffed things in randomly.\u201d

\u201cOh… ah, okay.\u201d

Xu Lin didn\u2019t dare touch the suitcase again.

\u201cPresident Si, then I\u2019ll head back first. Tomorrow morning at eight, I\u2019ll come wake you for breakfast.\u201d

\u201cOkay.\u201d

Xu Lin walked toward the door.

Just as his hand touched the doorknob, he heard a seemingly casual question from behind him.

\u201cXu Lin, do you like Manager Lin?\u201d

He didn\u2019t understand the meaning at first and turned around blankly.

\u201cHuh?\u201d

But the man didn\u2019t repeat himself. He simply waved a hand, dismissing him.

…

The cooperation with the Russian side had already been mostly finalized.

This trip was mainly for final negotiations and contract signing, so the translation work wasn\u2019t particularly difficult\u2014it just lasted a very long time.

As long as the bosses talked, the translators had to remain on standby.

The next day, Lin Ke changed into an apricot-colored skirt suit. Her long black hair was pinned up neatly behind her head, and she wore light everyday makeup.

Her face was naturally small and her features soft.

Back in school, her teachers often said her presence lacked force and couldn\u2019t fully support the heavy stresses of Russian pronunciation. They had even worried she\u2019d panic and turn her brain to mush the moment she saw tall, imposing Russians.

Lin Ke never intended to become some sharp, domineering career woman.

But translation required adapting to context. One had to be firm when needed and gentle when appropriate.

Because of that, she had consciously trained herself to maintain a calmer, steadier demeanor while working, hoping to satisfy employers.

After getting ready and heading downstairs, she found the others already eating breakfast.

The moment she sat down, Shen Wan praised her.

\u201cBeautiful.\u201d

Lin Ke\u2019s beauty wasn\u2019t aggressive, yet neither was it the delicate, water-town gentleness that seeped into one\u2019s bones.

After working together for so long, Shen Wan felt the phrase frozen rose suited her best.

Visible beauty, softness, and fragrance.

Yet untouchable, impossible to fully approach.

She bloomed quietly within her own world.

The girl across from them also chimed in.

\u201cNo wonder so many male coworkers like Manager Lin. Forget them\u2014even I\u2019m a little tempted. Who doesn\u2019t like beautiful things?\u201d

The moment the words fell, Si Yuming walked past with his assistant.

It was impossible to tell whether he had heard.

But his dark gaze lingered on Lin Ke for several seconds before finally moving away.

Lin Ke ignored him and lowered her head to continue eating.

After breakfast, they headed to the partner company.

This cooperation represented a crucial step for Entropy Domain in entering the Russian market. Otherwise, Si Yuming would never have personally overseen the project from beginning to end.

The moment everyone stepped out of the car, the relaxed expressions disappeared from their faces as they entered battle mode.

A Russian executive personally came downstairs to greet them.

Si Yuming shook hands and exchanged greetings with the other party.

Every sentence the Russian spoke, Lin Ke almost simultaneously translated into Chinese while standing less than half a meter behind Si Yuming.

Both sides chatted politely while walking inside, and she followed closely.

Only after entering the conference room did Lin Ke quietly exhale.

After all these years of work, she rarely lost focus during translation, but she had already drifted mentally several times on the way over.

Looking at the tall figure ahead of her, she felt oddly dazed.

The roles of \u201cboss\u201d and \u201chusband\u201d overlapped chaotically in her mind.

Whether as boss or husband, this was the first time she had ever worked alongside him at such close range.

Every time his eyes turned toward her while waiting for translation, her heartbeat unconsciously skipped.

Si Yuming was undoubtedly a successful businessman.

Sharp-minded. Decisive.

Combined with the natural bearing inherited from Old Master Si, he inspired submission simply by standing there.

Although Lin Ke had known him longer than anyone else present and had spent years living alongside him, she always felt he resembled a bottomless spring.

Impossible to see through.

Impossible to fully understand what truly lay within him.

Even now, facing the smiles he wore toward the partners, she could tell they never fully reached his eyes.

The meeting began, and Lin Ke quickly focused on work again.

The first half followed a predictable process without surprises.

Then midway through the negotiations, the man suddenly leaned close to speak into her ear.

\u201cI need to test their tolerance for policy-related risks.\u201d

Lin Ke jumped slightly at his sudden closeness.

After calming herself, she considered how to phrase his words\u2014something that absolutely couldn\u2019t be translated directly.

Within seconds, she smoothly asked in Russian,

\u201cMr. Linsky, what are your thoughts regarding unforeseen policy changes?\u201d

Linsky responded with a lengthy answer.

Lin Ke summarized the core meaning for Si Yuming.

Cross-border cooperation always carried significant risks.

Investor countries and resource countries each had their own concerns. How risks and responsibilities were divided became a negotiation in itself.

Si Yuming showed no intention of backing down.

Step by step, he pressed harder, appearing determined to push all risk responsibility onto the other side.

It was an extremely aggressive negotiation.

And as the intermediary delivering both sides\u2019 words, Lin Ke\u2019s role became crucial.

Certain Chinese phrases, once translated into Russian, would sound far too sharp and direct, potentially damaging the atmosphere.

But if translated too softly, they wouldn\u2019t achieve the effect Si Yuming wanted.

Her hands tightened into fists beneath the table.

Suppressing the smile on her lips, she delivered his words with the most serious expression and tone possible.

As expected, the other side\u2019s expressions darkened.

\u201cTell him this: given Russia\u2019s current instability, we\u2019re already taking tremendous risks by pursuing this cooperation. If he intends to shift responsibility away, then I\u2019ll need an additional three percent profit margin.\u201d

The man leaned close again.

This time, he failed to maintain proper distance. His warm breath brushed against her cheek, making it itch faintly.

Lin Ke subtly shifted sideways to avoid him.

Three percent.

For a project of this scale, it was already an astronomical figure.

And increasing the demand midway through negotiations was especially risky.

Lin Ke felt it was somewhat inappropriate and lowered her voice.

\u201cPresident Si, Mr. Linsky isn\u2019t cotton. Saying that might actually collapse the negotiation.\u201d

The moment the words left her mouth, she realized she had crossed the boundaries a translator should keep.

Just as she prepared to correct herself, the man beside her leaned close once more and spoke quietly near her ear.

\u201cNo. Linsky isn\u2019t cotton. But his company right now is pretty close.\u201d

She instantly regained composure and nodded before smoothly translating into Russian.

After more than a dozen exchanges, Lin Ke deeply felt this money truly wasn\u2019t easy to earn.

Si Yuming really was a ruthless businessman.

Anything beneficial to himself, he conveniently left unsaid.

But when it came to risks, he calculated every single one clearly for the other party.

Secretly, she reached down to rub her aching waist beneath the table, subtly shifting her legs to ease the soreness from sitting upright all morning.

Unfortunately, today was also the first day of her period.

Her lower abdomen throbbed painfully from time to time.

What awful timing.

From the corner of his eye, the man noticed her hand pressing against her waist.

He glanced at his watch and spoke calmly.

\u201cLet\u2019s stop here for this morning. I\u2019m hungry.\u201d

Joy immediately flashed through Lin Ke.

She quickly translated:

\u201cMr. Linsky, we\u2019ll pause today\u2019s discussion here. Mr. Si needs to eat.\u201d

The tall Russian man still looked unhappy.

\u201cWe have already prepared many kinds of Russian grilled meat skewers for you.\u201d

Lin Ke\u2019s eyes instantly brightened.

Her favorite grilled skewers!

Then she turned to translate\u2014only to meet the deep gaze of the man beside her looking back at her directly.

She hurriedly avoided his eyes and instantly put on a serious face.

\u201cPresident Si, Mr. Linsky says they prepared Russian barbecue skewers for you. They taste very good. You should try them later.\u201d

Si Yuming hadn\u2019t missed the brief excitement that flashed across her face.

Watching her immediately pretend to look serious again, the corners of his lips lifted slightly before he turned and walked out first.

…

After lunch, the Russian side requested time to temporarily suspend discussions, so they arranged for the delegation to tour the company first.

Lin Ke naturally continued following behind Si Yuming as his translator.

Once the tour ended, another round of negotiations began.

They remained intensely focused until eight or nine at night before finally concluding successfully with the contract signed.

Afterward came the banquet, meaning Lin Ke\u2019s work still wasn\u2019t over.

Fortunately, dining conversations were far more relaxed.

Casual chatting was child\u2019s play compared to formal negotiation terminology.

Originally, the project team had arranged for her to sit behind Si Yuming rather than at the table itself.

But the man merely lifted his eyes and said to Shen Wan beside him,

\u201cManager Lin should sit up here. I can\u2019t hear properly.\u201d

Shen Wan glanced at Lin Ke, suspicion surfacing faintly in her heart.

President Si had used many translators before, but none had ever received treatment like Manager Lin.

He seemed to trust her immensely.

Throughout the day, the two of them had worked together seamlessly, catching the Russian side completely off guard.

And now he was even directly inviting her to sit at the banquet table…

Shen Wan didn\u2019t think too deeply about it.

Lin Ke truly was excellent. Today\u2019s successful contract far exceeded expectations, and her contributions had been enormous.

President Si had never been stingy about rewarding employees.

Lin Ke herself was somewhat surprised too, cautiously sitting in the seat Shen Wan vacated for her.

However, Linsky knew some basic English. Since the atmosphere wasn\u2019t formal anymore, he and Si Yuming simply communicated directly in English instead.

That rendered her role as translator temporarily useless, leaving her quietly eating.

Eventually, Linsky asked,

\u201cI heard President Si is already married?\u201d

Lin Ke paused mid-sip.

The man nodded openly.

\u201cYes. I have a three-year-old daughter.\u201d

Linsky smiled.

\u201cIf President Si visits next time, you should bring your wife and daughter. I\u2019ll personally act as your guide.\u201d

Si Yuming smiled gently.

\u201cI think my wife probably won\u2019t need a guide. But my daughter would definitely love this place.\u201d

\u201cOh?\u201d

\u201cRussia is known as the Kingdom of Bears. My daughter is very interested in animals like that.\u201d

Hearing this, Lin Ke thought that was absolutely true.

Si Xiaotie either loved dinosaurs or lions and tigers. One episode of Animal World could completely captivate her from beginning to end.

If she came here and saw giant bears, she\u2019d definitely jump around in excitement.

Thinking of Si Xiaotie, Lin Ke glanced at the time.

Back in North City, it was already deep into the night.

Her daughter was probably sleeping soundly while hugging her little dinosaur.

They had video-called at noon.

During the daytime, the little girl didn\u2019t miss her parents at all. She had simply chattered nonstop about kindergarten, sharing stories about the snacks and toys her friends brought.

As for bedtime, Lin Ke had been busy at the time, so Aunt Chen had put her to sleep instead.

Apparently, the little girl had played herself tired during the day and fallen asleep quickly.

While she drifted off in thought, the topic at the table somehow shifted to her.

Linsky asked in heavily accented English,

\u201cWhat about Translator Lin?\u201d

\u201cWhat?\u201d

\u201cHave you ever thought about staying in Moscow?\u201d

Lin Ke understood immediately and smiled politely.

\u201cNot for now.\u201d

Linsky looked disappointed.

\u201cI originally wanted to introduce you to my younger brother. He just returned from studying in China last year. If he met you, he would definitely like you very much.\u201d

Suddenly, beneath the table, a hand reached over.

The man\u2019s broad palm wrapped around hers and pulled her hand onto his knee.

Lin Ke froze briefly.

She tried pulling back once.

It didn\u2019t move.

Left with no choice, she responded politely to Linsky\u2019s straightforward statement.

\u201cYour younger brother must be very outstanding.\u201d

Linsky lifted his glass across the table toward her.

\u201cNo. Translator Lin is more outstanding. I admire outstanding people.\u201d

Since Si Yuming was holding her right hand, she couldn\u2019t raise her glass.

She pinched his palm lightly as a signal for him to let go.

But for some reason, the man remained motionless.

Helpless, Lin Ke kicked his foot beneath the table.

Only after the second kick did he finally glance sideways at her before releasing her hand.

Linsky exchanged a few more pleasantries before the topic shifted elsewhere.

The dinner continued until after eleven.

Since they had completed the contract signing ahead of schedule, the following day\u2019s reserved schedule became completely free.

After the Russian side left, the team held a small celebration party of their own.

Everyone was thrilled after successfully securing the cooperation deal.

And once people got excited, drinks naturally became unavoidable.

Lin Ke ended up drinking quite a bit herself.

Her alcohol tolerance wasn\u2019t particularly high, but since she already had a habit of using strong liquor as a sleeping aid, her mind remained relatively clear by the end.

By the time they returned to the hotel, it was already very late.

Meanwhile, back in China, it was morning.

As Lin Ke stepped into the elevator, she received a call from Si Xiaotie.

The just-awakened little girl\u2019s voice sounded soft and sweet.

\u201cMommy~\u201d

The elevator signal wasn\u2019t great, and there were people all around them, so Lin Ke pressed the phone tightly to her ear and answered softly,

\u201cYes, baby\u2019s awake?\u201d

\u201cMhm! Is Mommy awake too?\u201d

Lin Ke didn\u2019t bother explaining time zones to her.

\u201cAwake already. Mommy\u2019s about to reach the hotel.\u201d

\u201cWhere\u2019s Daddy?\u201d

\u201c…\u201d

The little girl\u2019s voice wasn\u2019t small at all. Inside the deliberately quiet elevator, every word could be heard clearly.

Lin Ke lowered her voice even further.

\u201cBaby needs to eat breakfast properly later.\u201d

Si Xiaotie ignored that entirely and shouted loudly,

\u201cI want to talk to Daddy~\u201d

From the corner of her eye, the man standing behind her seemed to move slightly.

Panicking, Lin Ke hurriedly used bad signal as an excuse and quickly hung up.

The hotel had six floors.

The project team stayed on the fifth floor, while the suites occupied the sixth.

After exiting the elevator, Lin Ke had just entered her room and was about to shut the door when a large hand stopped it.

Then the man squeezed inside.

Lin Ke widened her eyes in shock.

\u201cWhat are you doing here?!\u201d

Then she nervously glanced outside.

\u201cHow did you get here? Did anyone see you?\u201d

Si Yuming lowered his gaze toward her.

His tone was perfectly serious, even carrying an inexplicable trace of coldness.

\u201cDidn\u2019t Xiaotie say she wanted to talk to me?\u201d<\/p>","protected":false},"parent":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}}},"novel":[],"class_list":["post-3154","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/bn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/chapter\/3154","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/bn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/chapter"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/bn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/bn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3154"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/bn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/chapter\/3154\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3156,"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/bn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/chapter\/3154\/revisions\/3156"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/bn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3154"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"novel","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/bn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/novel?post=3154"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}