Chapter 26

This time, Si Xiaotie’s cold was much worse than the last one.

In the middle of the night, her fever shot up to thirty-nine degrees, and she cried for Mommy. Even after taking fever medicine, it wouldn’t go down, so the couple rushed her to the hospital overnight.

The emergency department was brightly lit, full of adults and children with all sorts of sudden illnesses and injuries.

Si Yuming carried the child while Lin Ke went to register.

After registration and examination, the doctor prescribed IV fluids.

No child was unafraid of needles.

Even fearless little Si Xiaotie was no exception.

The moment she saw the nurse approaching with the needle, she burst into loud sobs.

“No shots! No shots! I don’t want it!”

Si Yuming coaxed her gently. “It’ll be quick. Xiaotie, don’t be scared.”

“Wuwuwu, no, no!”

The little girl struggled wildly, her energetic little body wriggling like an eel. Lin Ke stepped forward to help hold her still while soothing her.

“Baby, once you get better, we’ll go eat pizza. Mommy will even take you to see your spider again, okay?”

The nurse began disinfecting her hand.

Lin Ke continued talking to distract her.

“How’s your spider doing now?”

Sure enough, Si Xiaotie relaxed slightly.

“Spider got bigger. Its legs became suuuper suuuper thick…”

The nurse located a tiny vein on the back of her hand and inserted the needle.

The little girl immediately let out a loud yelp as huge tears rolled down her cheeks.

Once the sharp ant-bite pain faded, she recovered a little and slumped pitifully against Daddy’s shoulder, lips pursed sadly.

After sniffling twice, she continued talking.

“Last time Uncle Zhang said Spider’s gonna have babies. Next time I go there, I’ll see baby spiders. But baby spiders need to grow up, and Spider has to take care of them…”

Lin Ke hadn’t expected her to keep talking nonstop even through tears. She smiled softly and wiped away the sparkling tears from her cheeks.

“Alright. Then Mommy will go see Spider’s babies together with you.”

“Mhm!” Si Xiaotie glanced at the IV needle now taped to the back of her left hand before pouting and throwing herself into Daddy’s arms again. “Hurts.”

Si Yuming gently patted her shoulder and smiled softly.

“Next time you absolutely have to protect yourself properly and not catch a cold again, understand?”

“Never catching a cold again.”

The family of three sat quietly in the corner of the infusion room.

Lin Ke watched the man gently comforting their daughter, emotions quietly rising and falling inside her heart.

Si Xiaotie was almost four now.

Over the years, Aunt Chen had helped a lot with daily childcare, so Lin Ke hadn’t been too exhausted.

But when the little girl got sick, nobody could truly help her carry the burden.

Even knowing it was only a fever or cold, she still became anxious and tense. Watching her daughter’s uncomfortable little face made her heart ache terribly too.

She almost wished she could be the one sick instead.

When Si Xiaotie was a little over two years old, she’d once developed a high fever that wouldn’t go down for several days. Back then, the child’s father had been overseas and unable to return.

Lin Ke had stayed in the hospital with her day and night for an entire week without leaving once.

By the end of that week, she’d lost several pounds.

At the time, she had thought:

If only he were here.

Or even if not him—just anyone.

As long as there was somebody beside her.

Now, that day seemed to have finally arrived.

Though somewhat late, it had finally arrived.

After two bottles of IV fluid, the fever gradually came down.

Outside, dawn was beginning to lighten the sky, and the little girl finally fell asleep peacefully.

After returning home, Lin Ke planned to stay in the child’s room to keep watch over her in case the fever returned.

But Si Yuming stopped her.

“I’ll stay. You go sleep.”

Lin Ke looked up at him.

After a long pause, she nodded.

“Then thank you for your hard work.”

She tucked the blanket around her daughter carefully before standing up.

At the doorway, she turned back for one final glance before quietly closing the door behind her.

……

The next day, Si Xiaotie’s fever didn’t return, but she still had no energy. Even eating and drinking required someone to feed her.

Si Yuming took care of her all morning before leaving for work in the afternoon, and then Lin Ke took over.

By evening, the little girl was mostly recovered.

But Lin Ke herself started feeling wrong.

Her head felt heavy, her body weak and exhausted. After checking her temperature, she sighed.

Great.

Now it was her turn to have a fever.

Fortunately, adults were easier to handle than children.

Lin Ke handed Si Xiaotie over to Aunt Chen, took medicine, drank some water, and went to lie down in bed.

The moment Si Xiaotie learned Mommy had a fever too, tears immediately started falling again.

Standing beside the bed, she clung tightly to Lin Ke’s hand and cried softly.

“It’s all Xiaotie’s fault. Xiaotie never wants to catch a cold again. Mommy shouldn’t get sick either.”

Lin Ke was still conscious enough to smile.

“Mommy’s okay. After sleeping a bit, I’ll be fine.”

“Wuwu, Xiaotie’s sorry, Mommy.”

“Alright, go play outside. Mommy’s going to sleep for a while.”

Si Xiaotie reluctantly released her hand.

After taking two steps, she turned back once more, then ran out of the room on her short little legs and carefully stood on tiptoe to close the door tightly behind her.

Back in her own room, she skillfully found the tablet and video-called Daddy again.

The moment the call connected, the little girl shouted anxiously and sadly:

“Daddy!”

At that moment, Si Yuming was accompanying a business partner on a tour through Entropy Domain’s factory.

Holding his phone, he stepped aside from the group.

The cold voice he’d used moments earlier instantly softened.

“What’s wrong, baby? Feeling better?”

Si Xiaotie shook her head.

“Not baby. Mommy. Mommy has a fever and feels bad. Daddy, come back quickly.”

The man’s expression darkened instantly.

The next second, he hung up.

Walking back to the group, he still sounded calm.

“President Chen, something urgent came up. Vice President Zhao will continue accompanying you. I’ll treat you to dinner another day.”

President Chen looked surprised. “That urgent?”

“My apologies, President Chen.”

Before the sentence even finished, he was already striding quickly toward the exit.

The driver wasn’t around today, so Xu Lin hurried after him.

Once inside the car, Xu Lin turned around and asked, “President Si, where to?”

The man in the back seat answered coldly:

“Ziyun Residence.”

Ziyun Residence was the apartment complex across from the kindergarten.

So he was heading home.

Xu Lin didn’t dare ask further and immediately started the car.

About thirty minutes later, they arrived.

Xu Lin secretly glanced at the rearview mirror, only to unexpectedly meet his boss’s gaze just as he prepared to get out.

The boss smiled slightly.

“Want to come upstairs for some water?”

Xu Lin nearly shrank into himself in terror, waving both hands frantically.

“No no no, goodbye boss!”

Si Yuming gave him another look before stepping out of the car.

……

Since September, Lin Ke’s body had been operating under nonstop strain.

First the Entropy Domain project.

Then the Foreign Ministry interpretation work.

Then exam preparation.

She hadn’t dared relax during any of it.

Especially the exam preparation.

This was the closest she had ever been to achieving her goal. If she missed this chance, she’d have to wait another full year.

So every time she finished one task, she immediately used whatever free time remained to study and practice. Every spare moment at the company had been squeezed dry.

One more practice question meant one more chance.

Now, once illness finally struck, it came crashing down like a mountain.

After taking medicine, she completely fell into deep sleep.

She dreamed many, many dreams.

She dreamed of her mother, whom she hadn’t seen in a long time.

Her mother made rabbit-shaped sugar cakes for her. She ate until her mouth became messy, and her mother gently wiped her clean. When her mother leaned close, Lin Ke could smell fresh laundry detergent on her clothes.

Lemon-scented.

She dreamed of Lin Qiliang’s family too.

From a godlike perspective, she watched them all gathered together making dumplings. Lin Jiayan sweet-talked their parents into laughter, and Lin Qiliang gave him a huge red envelope for New Year’s money.

She also dreamed about Si Xiaotie and Si Yuming.

The little girl had grown older and started elementary school. She became difficult to coax and even argued with Daddy, making him so angry he threatened to leave home.

After Daddy left, Si Xiaotie became frightened and begged Lin Ke to go find him together.

The two of them walked and walked until they entered a deep forest covered in fog and confusion. Strange animal cries echoed everywhere while terrifying shadows swayed around them.

Si Xiaotie cried in fear.

Lin Ke was scared too, tightly holding her daughter’s hand.

Then suddenly, someone behind her called out—

“Wife.”

Lin Ke instantly opened her eyes.

Her violently heaving chest gradually calmed the moment she saw him, and her tight breathing finally relaxed.

That same voice entered her ears again.

“You’re awake?”

She turned her head.

Outside, it was already daytime, and snow was falling heavily in soft white flakes.

But inside the room, everything was warm and comfortable. The heated blankets made it impossible to want to leave the bed.

“Si…” The moment she spoke, she realized how terribly hoarse her voice had become.

Si Yuming climbed onto the bed and helped her sit up against his chest before taking the glass of water from the bedside table and feeding her two mouthfuls.

The warm water soothed her dry throat instantly.

Lin Ke felt much better.

“What time is it?”

“A little past seven.”

She looked shocked.

“I slept more than ten hours?!”

“Mhm.”

After putting the cup down, Si Yuming used a forehead thermometer to check her temperature.

“Thirty-seven point two. Low-grade fever.”

“I’m fine now.” Lin Ke tried sitting up further, but the moment she moved, he pressed her back down.

“Rest a little longer.”

“But… I’m hungry.”

An awkward expression flashed briefly across the man’s face.

“I’ll bring food in for you.”

After a while, he returned carrying a bowl of porridge.

Sitting beside the bed again, he lifted the spoon as though preparing to feed her.

Lin Ke looked completely overwhelmed.

She hurriedly snatched the bowl from his hands.

“I can do it myself.”

Instantly, Si Yuming’s hands became empty.

The woman hastily scooped up a spoonful of porridge and shoved it into her mouth—

Only to get burned immediately and stick out her tongue like a little cat.

He couldn’t help laughing softly.

“Slow down.”

Only then did Lin Ke finally slow her movements.

After eating a few bites, she secretly glanced up at him.

Unfortunately, their eyes met perfectly.

She immediately looked away again.

The atmosphere became strangely awkward.

Trying to change the subject, Lin Ke asked, “How’s Xiaotie?”

“Full of energy again.”

“……” She hesitated before asking softly, “What time did you come back yesterday? Why didn’t you wake me?”

“A little after five.”

“Five?” Lin Ke looked confused. “Weren’t you at work?”

“Xiaotie called me.”

That little troublemaker!

Lin Ke scooped another spoonful of porridge, her voice quieter now.

“You didn’t need to come back. It was only a fever.”

After a long moment without hearing a response, she lowered the spoon and looked up again—

Only to crash directly into his deep gaze.

Si Yuming sighed softly, sounding helpless.

“In the past, I wasn’t in Beijing and couldn’t come back. But now that I’m here… of course I should come home.”

He looked directly into her eyes.

His gentle yet firm voice struck the silent room.

“Lin Ke, I’m serious. I’ll work hard to learn how to become a qualified lover—not just a father or husband.”

Outside the window, aimless cold snowflakes drifted endlessly downward.

But the gentle gaze before her carried warmth.

It wrapped around her completely, engraving her silhouette deep into its lingering warmth.

Lin Ke became slightly dazed, holding the bowl motionlessly.

Si Yuming took the bowl from her hands, scooped another spoonful of porridge, and held it to her lips.

She blankly opened her mouth and ate it.

After the final bite, he pulled out a tissue and carefully wiped her mouth clean little by little.

Then he leaned closer and kissed the corner of her lips.

Softly.

Like a snowflake landing gently upon them.

……

Outside the bedroom door, Si Xiaotie had already eaten breakfast by herself, put on her little socks and shoes, and slung her tiny backpack over her shoulders.

She was just about to go inside and say goodbye to Mommy when she suddenly stopped at the doorway and hurriedly retreated, quietly closing the door again.

Then she ran into the kitchen and whispered softly:

“Grandma Chen, you take Xiaotie to school today.”

Aunt Chen knew Lin Ke was still sick. Hearing this, she immediately put down the dishcloth and wiped her hands.

“Alright, let’s go.”

Because of the snow, Gu Yiyi arrived at kindergarten slightly later than usual.

By the time he entered the classroom, Si Xiaotie was already sitting at her seat eating breakfast.

Her two short little legs swung back and forth while her head swayed left and right. Even the giant steamed bun in her hand looked like it was dancing.

He put down his backpack and walked over curiously.

“Xiaotie, didn’t you eat breakfast at home today?”

“I did!”

Gu Yiyi leaned closer again.

“Then do you still have a cold?”

“I’m not sick anymore!” Si Xiaotie narrowed her big eyes proudly into crescents as she boasted happily:

    “My daddy kissed my mommy, hehe. They’re not getting divorced anymore~”