Chapter 4

Back then, the Lin family had been drowning in debt disputes. If they couldn’t fill the massive hole in the company’s finances, Lin Qiliang was guaranteed to spend more than ten years in prison.

Lin Ke didn’t know why Old Master Si had chosen her. She only knew that the Lin family desperately needed this marriage that had fallen from the sky to save them. During that period, Lin Qiliang and Zhu Li practically pampered and coaxed her every day, terrified she might refuse.

But no matter how powerful Old Master Si’s words were, he couldn’t decide everything.

At that time, the Si family was under Si Yun’s control. If she disapproved, she had a thousand ways to stop the marriage.

Later, as Old Master Si’s condition worsened, Si Yun personally came to the Lin family and signed a five-year agreement with them.

Five years later, whether the old master was still alive or not, no matter what happened, the marriage had to end in divorce.

The unexpectedly born Si Xiaotie was already three and a half years old. There were only six months left until the five years were up.

Why had Lin Ke moved out?

Because she needed to learn how to let go.

Over the years, Si Yuming had practically lived away from home, yet she had never once complained in her heart. In fact, it had turned out to be a good thing. Now, Si Xiaotie no longer felt uncomfortable even if her father disappeared for half a month or an entire month.

It seemed Si Yun had only intended to remind her of this before leaving.

Lin Ke calmly packed away the schoolbag and headed outside.

Inside the car, the little girl lying against her father’s shoulder had already been gathered into his arms. She smacked her lips in her sleep, probably eating something delicious in her dreams.

“Why did it take so long?” Si Yuming lowered his voice gently as he spoke and reached over to take the bag from her hand, placing it in the storage compartment behind them.

Lin Ke smiled lightly. “Couldn’t find Xiaotie’s water bottle for a while.”

The car started moving.

Si Xiaotie mumbled a few sleepy sounds. The man lowered his gaze toward his daughter and gently patted her to soothe her.

Lin Ke secretly turned her head to look, gradually losing herself in thought.

Maybe he wasn’t the most qualified husband, but he truly was a good father.

Although he traveled frequently for work, he still remembered to call Si Xiaotie from time to time. Gifts and concern were never lacking compared to other fathers. Whenever he was home, he played with her and put her to bed without fail.

Si Xiaotie loved her father very much. The moment she heard it was Daddy calling, she would immediately throw aside whatever toy she was playing with. At night, both mother and daughter often talked about him before sleeping, and whenever she introduced her father to others, her little face would be filled with pride.

Lin Ke gently held the little girl’s soft boneless hand hanging by her side.

An unnamed tide quietly rose inside her heart, little by little drowning it completely.

When they got home, Si Yuming carried the child to the children’s room. Lin Ke placed the clothes Si Xiaotie had changed out of into the washing machine, packed new clothes and replenished her daily necessities in the schoolbag, then washed her water bottle clean.

After finishing everything and returning to the bedroom, she could already hear the sound of running water from the bathroom.

Lin Ke stood silently beside the bed for a while before turning around and heading into the kitchen.

She took out the half-finished bottle of vodka from last time.

She wasn’t as brave as Si Xiaotie, nor could she simply fall asleep the moment her head hit the pillow. So she needed something to help her sleep.

Like the few glasses of strong liquor now filled with ice.

The burning liquid slid down her throat and spread through her entire body, suppressing the tide surging wildly inside her chest.

By the time movement sounded from the master bedroom, she had already swallowed the last mouthful.

The man’s hair was only half-dried. His bathrobe hung loosely around him as he leaned against the headboard, handling messages on his phone.

Lin Ke naturally walked over to the wardrobe to get her clothes.

A small apartment had its disadvantages too. The lack of independent space meant their breaths intertwined constantly.

The wardrobe, which had felt somewhat empty before today, was now crowded just like the rest of the apartment with the things he had moved over.

Lin Ke searched for a while without finding her pajamas, and irritation rose inside her.

“Where are my clothes?”

Si Yuming looked up and noticed the frustration lingering at the corner of her lips. He paused before getting up to help her search.

He was over a head taller than her. The moment he stretched out his arm, he practically enclosed her entirely.

Lin Ke smelled the sweet milky fragrance of the body wash she and Si Xiaotie used covering him completely from behind, and suddenly her nose stung.

Of course he didn’t actually like using that scent of body wash. She had never cared what he used before either. But somehow, at some point, that became the only body wash left in the house.

Every time he held her—or during their most intimate moments—she always felt as though the sweetness in the air could make someone dizzy.

Finally finding her clothes, Lin Ke silently sniffed once before taking them and heading into the bathroom.

When she came back out, he was still busy.

Their eyes met briefly. She immediately looked away and climbed into bed on the opposite side.

The main light and nightlight went out together.

The man reached over and held her again.

Lin Ke removed his hand. “No.”

But tonight, he refused to stop.

His large hand slid around to her chest as he bit down lightly on her pajama strap and kissed her shoulder.

“Unhappy?”

“No…” the woman mumbled softly, sounding spoiled and delicate.

Si Yuming laughed quietly, his kisses trailing lower.

Her body softened under his kisses, but her mind remained awake. Pressing down on his wandering hand, she asked in a low voice:

“Did you come back with Jiang Chengyin yesterday?”

Si Yuming’s brows tightened immediately as he explained, “Yes. We happened to run into each other.”

“Coincidence?”

“You don’t believe me?”

She didn’t know.

A “date,” the same flight home—she had no way of knowing whether anything else had happened in between.

So she asked again, “Why did she come back? For Sister’s birthday?”

“No. Something came up with her father’s health, so she returned early to take over the family company.”

“How do you know that?”

His brows furrowed even more. “Of course I know. The Jiang Group has business partnerships with Entropy Domain.”

Oh.

Lin Ke thought it would’ve been better not to ask.

What was the point of asking anyway? Whether she asked or not, wouldn’t the result always be the same? Now and in the future.

She stayed quiet for several seconds before sitting up and hugging her pillow.

“I’m going to sleep with Xiaotie.”

But when she reached the door, her footsteps stopped.

Turning around, she looked directly at that sharply defined face. Even while frowning, his features remained absurdly perfect.

Her gaze moved lower, settling on the faintly visible hard lines of his chest.

Her eyes darkened.

Lin Ke walked back.

She climbed onto the bed, sat directly on his firm narrow waist, cupped his face, and kissed him first.

Hmph.

Before they divorced, he was still hers.

No reason not to kiss him.

No reason not to sleep with him either.

When things became heated and the man’s gaze turned hazy, he held her waist and smiled faintly.

“Not sleeping with our daughter anymore?”

The intimacy after two or three months apart left her entire body weak and limp. She glared at him from above, her voice unbearably soft and spoiled.

“If we wake her up, I won’t be able to coax her back to sleep.”

Lin Ke was beautiful, but not the type of beauty that aggressively demanded attention. Her eyes and brows matched her personality—always gentle.

But now there was something extra in them.

A charming tenderness filled with emotion, mixed with a trace of temper, making her breathtakingly alluring.

The corners of Si Yuming’s eyes curved upward slightly. He kissed her cheek before leaning down again.

…

Si Xiaotie carried the surname Si, which meant she would never worry about food or money for the rest of her life.

But wealth was only one ten-thousandth of what parents could give their children.

Lin Ke wanted to become the mother her daughter would be most proud of.

Besides, the Si family was too powerful.

She couldn’t guarantee whether Si Xiaotie would fully belong to her after the divorce, so she needed to secure the most reliable bargaining chip possible.

Work hours at Entropy Domain were flexible. After finishing her tasks in the morning, Lin Ke returned to her company.

Two years ago, Wanxiang Smart Translation had only been an ordinary translation company in enormous North City. The company had around sixteen or seventeen employees and handled only five or six common languages.

Yet even such a small company had been willing to give an opportunity to a woman who had a two-year employment gap and a one-year-old baby.

Lin Ke was sincerely grateful for that.

The company owner’s surname was Wan. His name was Wan Lei, only a few years older than her. He used to work in foreign trade and had many connections. When the foreign trade business declined, he opened a translation company. Recently, the translation business had begun thriving, and even his foreign trade business was prospering again.

If she hadn’t arranged an appointment beforehand, Lin Ke probably wouldn’t have been able to meet him at all.

Though Wan Lei wasn’t old, his habits were rather old-fashioned. Whenever anyone visited, he liked brewing tea for them personally.

Lin Ke seriously tasted the tea he pushed toward her and praised sincerely, “President Wan, where did you get such good tea leaves this time?”

“At least you’ve got taste.” Wan Lei glanced sideways at her. “So? Did you cause trouble?”

“Not exactly.”

“I heard the big boss of Entropy Domain is personally overseeing this project. Their boss is called… what was it again?” Wan Lei thought for a moment before remembering. “Si Yuming, right? The grandson of the Si family from North City. I’ve heard he’s quite capable. Him personally taking charge definitely raises the difficulty for you guys.”

Lin Ke silently took another sip of tea.

“I didn’t know about this before, otherwise I wouldn’t have accepted the project. But now that we’ve taken it, we’ll do it properly. Even if mistakes happen, I’ll back you up.”

Lin Ke smiled. “President Wan, there won’t be any chance for you to back us up. Just sit comfortably and wait to collect payment.”

Then she continued, “President Wan, I actually came today because there’s something I want to discuss with you.”

“What is it?”

“I saw the notice. There’s a meeting with Moscow later on, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is recruiting Russian translators externally. Please help keep an eye on it and try to get me an opportunity.”

Wan Lei looked up, amused. “So you’re aiming that high now?”

“Mhm. Please.” Lin Ke spoke seriously again. “President Wan, after finishing the Entropy Domain project, I plan to resign.”

Wan Lei’s smile froze instantly, and panic began surfacing.

“Why resign when everything’s fine? Is the commission I give you too low? Or are there not enough vacation days? If it’s not enough, just say so. Xiaotie is still young after all, so how about this—”

Lin Ke interrupted him, her gaze firm.

“No, President Wan. I’m planning to take the exam for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Translation Department.”

Wan Lei froze again.

After nearly half a minute, he sighed.

“You really want to try?”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs—nicknamed the Magic Department.

The monthly salary there might not even equal a fraction of what one outside project could earn, yet the pressure there was enough to crush people.

And still, it remained the dream of countless individuals.

From the moment Wan Lei first met her, he had known Lin Ke didn’t belong in a place like this.

Now that day had finally come.

“Lin Ke, getting in there isn’t easy. Thousands of people fighting to cross a single-plank bridge. Are you prepared?”

She was.

Or rather, she had been preparing for many years.

From every day she spent studying after choosing this path, to being nine months pregnant, to an entire year of breastfeeding, and then two years of working—she had never stopped preparing.

Yesterday wasn’t some turning point, nor had she suddenly made up her mind.

From the very first day she entered university, she had already made this choice.

Only this marriage and Si Xiaotie had delayed it until now.

The woman smiled gently.

“You always have to try, don’t you?”

…

Kindergarten during pickup time was always the noisiest.

Teacher Bai stood at the front clapping her hands, trying to quiet the children down, but everyone continued chattering loudly, and some children weren’t even sitting properly.

Si Xiaotie’s face darkened unhappily.

She turned around and shouted loudly:

“No talking!”

Her childish voice was astonishingly powerful.

The children instantly quieted down, even startling Teacher Bai herself.

After recovering from her shock, Teacher Bai spoke again.

“The weather forecast says tomorrow will be colder, so everyone needs to wear thicker clothes tomorrow, okay? Alright, now put on your backpacks and line up.”

Si Xiaotie responded loudly first, “Got it, Teacher Bai!”

Gu Yiyi immediately followed, “Got it, Teacher Bai!”

Yuan Yuan had a slight stutter and struggled to keep up.

“Go—”

Before she could finish, Si Xiaotie, already wearing her backpack, reached out to grab her hand with one hand and Gu Yiyi’s with the other, leading them straight to the front of the line.

The three-and-a-half-year-old girl was relatively tall, though thinner and smaller than both Yuan Yuan and Gu Yiyi. She looked delicate, yet the way she held hands and walked carried the aura of a little boss.

Teacher Bai looked at the little girl’s straight back, then at the other children obediently following without needing supervision anymore. Quietly, she whispered to the assistant teacher beside her:

“If only she were my daughter.”

The assistant teacher sighed regretfully too. “In this lifetime, we can forget about that dream.”

Once the line was formed, the teachers led the children outside to the small playground to wait for pickup.

The moment they arrived at the playground, Si Xiaotie looked outside and immediately spotted the person standing first in line.

Her eyes curved into crescents as she happily told her friends:

“My mommy came first to pick me up today!”

Gu Yiyi also looked outside and exclaimed in surprise, “Xiaotie, your mommy is so pretty!”

“Of course! My mommy is the prettiest~” The little girl placed her hands on her hips proudly, her face full of pride.

Soon, the teacher called her name.

Si Xiaotie immediately waved her hand eagerly. Though she was clearly in a hurry, she still insisted on saying her goodbyes one word at a time.

“Bye-bye Yuan Yuan, bye-bye Gu Yiyi, bye-bye Teacher Bai.”

Then she disappeared in a flash.

After saying goodbye to her friends and taking her mother’s hand, Si Xiaotie bounced around while ordering dinner.

“Mommy, I want big chicken drumsticks tonight.”

“No problem.”

“Xiao Huang and Xiao Qing want yummy food too.”

Lin Ke didn’t really understand what crabs ate. She had only researched it the night they brought them home.

“We’ll buy some feed for them later.”

“Mhm!”

But the moment they got home, just as Lin Ke finished replacing the fresh flowers she’d bought, she suddenly heard her daughter bursting into heartbroken sobs.

“Waaah—Mommy!”

Alarmed, she immediately hurried over.

Si Xiaotie’s short little legs had already carried her over. Her tiny face was full of grievance as huge tears rolled nonstop down her cheeks.

“Mommy… Xiao Qing and Xiao Huang aren’t moving anymore… Did they die…?”

Lin Ke understood immediately.

The separation every child experienced when raising a pet for the first time had arrived early for her daughter.

She crouched down and hugged the little girl gently.

“Xiao Qing and Xiao Huang went to another world.”

Si Xiaotie sniffled and blinked her eyes. “What world?”

“Baby, everything has a lifespan. Someday, everyone will leave…”

At this point, Lin Ke suddenly felt her chest tighten painfully.

After a long pause, she continued softly:

“Just like when Daddy goes away for work and baby has to separate from Daddy. Xiaotie lives together with Mommy while Daddy stays outside alone. That’s another world too.”

Si Xiaotie didn’t understand.

She only felt overwhelmingly sad.

“Then… will Xiao Qing and Xiao Huang come back?”

Lin Ke answered with difficulty, “No.”

“But Daddy came back.”

Lin Ke gently stroked her daughter’s face and said slowly:

“One day, Daddy will leave us for a very long time too.”

The little girl’s eyes reddened again, her lips puffing unhappily.

The next second, she suddenly ran into the living room searching for a phone.

Lin Ke followed behind. “Xiaotie?”

“I want to call Daddy!”

At three and a half years old, Si Xiaotie already knew how to make and answer simple phone calls. After fumbling around a bit, she successfully dialed him.

The call connected quickly.

After some noisy sounds on the other end, his voice finally became clear.

“Wife?”

“It’s Xiaotie.”

Hearing the crying in the little girl’s voice, the man’s tone immediately softened.

“What’s wrong, Xiaotie?”

“Waaah Daddy, Xiao Qing and Xiao Huang died…” Si Xiaotie looked toward the fish tank beside her and became even sadder, tears immediately falling harder again. Her crying was heartbreaking. “Daddy, don’t die. I don’t want you to go to another world.”

Lin Ke bit her lip.

She wanted to laugh.

Yet somehow, she couldn’t laugh at all.

On the other end, however, the man’s voice sounded amused and warm.

“Daddy won’t die. Daddy will stay with Xiaotie forever.”

“Pinky promise!”

“Pinky promise.”

After hanging up, the little girl wiped away her tears with both hands and looked up with a tear-streaked smile.

“Hehe, Mommy, Daddy said he won’t die.”