{"id":3148,"date":"2026-05-08T02:52:02","date_gmt":"2026-05-08T02:52:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/daily-life-of-a-secret-marriage-with-a-child-04\/"},"modified":"2026-05-08T02:52:07","modified_gmt":"2026-05-08T02:52:07","slug":"daily-life-of-a-secret-marriage-with-a-child-04","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/de\/chapter\/daily-life-of-a-secret-marriage-with-a-child-04\/","title":{"rendered":"Daily Life of a Secret Marriage with a Child 04"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chapter 4

Back then, the Lin family had been drowning in debt disputes. If they couldn\u2019t fill the massive hole in the company\u2019s finances, Lin Qiliang was guaranteed to spend more than ten years in prison.

Lin Ke didn\u2019t 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\u2019s words were, he couldn\u2019t decide everything.

At that time, the Si family was under Si Yun\u2019s control. If she disapproved, she had a thousand ways to stop the marriage.

Later, as Old Master Si\u2019s 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\u2019s shoulder had already been gathered into his arms. She smacked her lips in her sleep, probably eating something delicious in her dreams.

\u201cWhy did it take so long?\u201d 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. \u201cCouldn\u2019t find Xiaotie\u2019s water bottle for a while.\u201d

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\u2019t 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\u2019s 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\u2019s 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\u2019t 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\u2019s 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.

\u201cWhere are my clothes?\u201d

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\u2019t 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\u2014or during their most intimate moments\u2014she 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. \u201cNo.\u201d

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.

\u201cUnhappy?\u201d

\u201cNo…\u201d 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:

\u201cDid you come back with Jiang Chengyin yesterday?\u201d

Si Yuming\u2019s brows tightened immediately as he explained, \u201cYes. We happened to run into each other.\u201d

\u201cCoincidence?\u201d

\u201cYou don\u2019t believe me?\u201d

She didn\u2019t know.

A \u201cdate,\u201d the same flight home\u2014she had no way of knowing whether anything else had happened in between.

So she asked again, \u201cWhy did she come back? For Sister\u2019s birthday?\u201d

\u201cNo. Something came up with her father\u2019s health, so she returned early to take over the family company.\u201d

\u201cHow do you know that?\u201d

His brows furrowed even more. \u201cOf course I know. The Jiang Group has business partnerships with Entropy Domain.\u201d

Oh.

Lin Ke thought it would\u2019ve been better not to ask.

What was the point of asking anyway? Whether she asked or not, wouldn\u2019t the result always be the same? Now and in the future.

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

\u201cI\u2019m going to sleep with Xiaotie.\u201d

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\u2019s gaze turned hazy, he held her waist and smiled faintly.

\u201cNot sleeping with our daughter anymore?\u201d

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.

\u201cIf we wake her up, I won\u2019t be able to coax her back to sleep.\u201d

Lin Ke was beautiful, but not the type of beauty that aggressively demanded attention. Her eyes and brows matched her personality\u2014always 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\u2019s 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\u2019t 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\u2019s 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\u2019t arranged an appointment beforehand, Lin Ke probably wouldn\u2019t have been able to meet him at all.

Though Wan Lei wasn\u2019t 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, \u201cPresident Wan, where did you get such good tea leaves this time?\u201d

\u201cAt least you\u2019ve got taste.\u201d Wan Lei glanced sideways at her. \u201cSo? Did you cause trouble?\u201d

\u201cNot exactly.\u201d

\u201cI heard the big boss of Entropy Domain is personally overseeing this project. Their boss is called… what was it again?\u201d Wan Lei thought for a moment before remembering. \u201cSi Yuming, right? The grandson of the Si family from North City. I\u2019ve heard he\u2019s quite capable. Him personally taking charge definitely raises the difficulty for you guys.\u201d

Lin Ke silently took another sip of tea.

\u201cI didn\u2019t know about this before, otherwise I wouldn\u2019t have accepted the project. But now that we\u2019ve taken it, we\u2019ll do it properly. Even if mistakes happen, I\u2019ll back you up.\u201d

Lin Ke smiled. \u201cPresident Wan, there won\u2019t be any chance for you to back us up. Just sit comfortably and wait to collect payment.\u201d

Then she continued, \u201cPresident Wan, I actually came today because there\u2019s something I want to discuss with you.\u201d

\u201cWhat is it?\u201d

\u201cI saw the notice. There\u2019s 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.\u201d

Wan Lei looked up, amused. \u201cSo you\u2019re aiming that high now?\u201d

\u201cMhm. Please.\u201d Lin Ke spoke seriously again. \u201cPresident Wan, after finishing the Entropy Domain project, I plan to resign.\u201d

Wan Lei\u2019s smile froze instantly, and panic began surfacing.

\u201cWhy resign when everything\u2019s fine? Is the commission I give you too low? Or are there not enough vacation days? If it\u2019s not enough, just say so. Xiaotie is still young after all, so how about this\u2014\u201d

Lin Ke interrupted him, her gaze firm.

\u201cNo, President Wan. I\u2019m planning to take the exam for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Translation Department.\u201d

Wan Lei froze again.

After nearly half a minute, he sighed.

\u201cYou really want to try?\u201d

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs\u2014nicknamed 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\u2019t belong in a place like this.

Now that day had finally come.

\u201cLin Ke, getting in there isn\u2019t easy. Thousands of people fighting to cross a single-plank bridge. Are you prepared?\u201d

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\u2014she had never stopped preparing.

Yesterday wasn\u2019t 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.

\u201cYou always have to try, don\u2019t you?\u201d

…

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\u2019t even sitting properly.

Si Xiaotie\u2019s face darkened unhappily.

She turned around and shouted loudly:

\u201cNo talking!\u201d

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.

\u201cThe 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.\u201d

Si Xiaotie responded loudly first, \u201cGot it, Teacher Bai!\u201d

Gu Yiyi immediately followed, \u201cGot it, Teacher Bai!\u201d

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

\u201cGo\u2014\u201d

Before she could finish, Si Xiaotie, already wearing her backpack, reached out to grab her hand with one hand and Gu Yiyi\u2019s 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\u2019s straight back, then at the other children obediently following without needing supervision anymore. Quietly, she whispered to the assistant teacher beside her:

\u201cIf only she were my daughter.\u201d

The assistant teacher sighed regretfully too. \u201cIn this lifetime, we can forget about that dream.\u201d

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:

\u201cMy mommy came first to pick me up today!\u201d

Gu Yiyi also looked outside and exclaimed in surprise, \u201cXiaotie, your mommy is so pretty!\u201d

\u201cOf course! My mommy is the prettiest~\u201d 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.

\u201cBye-bye Yuan Yuan, bye-bye Gu Yiyi, bye-bye Teacher Bai.\u201d

Then she disappeared in a flash.

After saying goodbye to her friends and taking her mother\u2019s hand, Si Xiaotie bounced around while ordering dinner.

\u201cMommy, I want big chicken drumsticks tonight.\u201d

\u201cNo problem.\u201d

\u201cXiao Huang and Xiao Qing want yummy food too.\u201d

Lin Ke didn\u2019t really understand what crabs ate. She had only researched it the night they brought them home.

\u201cWe\u2019ll buy some feed for them later.\u201d

\u201cMhm!\u201d

But the moment they got home, just as Lin Ke finished replacing the fresh flowers she\u2019d bought, she suddenly heard her daughter bursting into heartbroken sobs.

\u201cWaaah\u2014Mommy!\u201d

Alarmed, she immediately hurried over.

Si Xiaotie\u2019s short little legs had already carried her over. Her tiny face was full of grievance as huge tears rolled nonstop down her cheeks.

\u201cMommy… Xiao Qing and Xiao Huang aren\u2019t moving anymore… Did they die…?\u201d

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.

\u201cXiao Qing and Xiao Huang went to another world.\u201d

Si Xiaotie sniffled and blinked her eyes. \u201cWhat world?\u201d

\u201cBaby, everything has a lifespan. Someday, everyone will leave…\u201d

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

After a long pause, she continued softly:

\u201cJust 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\u2019s another world too.\u201d

Si Xiaotie didn\u2019t understand.

She only felt overwhelmingly sad.

\u201cThen… will Xiao Qing and Xiao Huang come back?\u201d

Lin Ke answered with difficulty, \u201cNo.\u201d

\u201cBut Daddy came back.\u201d

Lin Ke gently stroked her daughter\u2019s face and said slowly:

\u201cOne day, Daddy will leave us for a very long time too.\u201d

The little girl\u2019s 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. \u201cXiaotie?\u201d

\u201cI want to call Daddy!\u201d

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.

\u201cWife?\u201d

\u201cIt\u2019s Xiaotie.\u201d

Hearing the crying in the little girl\u2019s voice, the man\u2019s tone immediately softened.

\u201cWhat\u2019s wrong, Xiaotie?\u201d

\u201cWaaah Daddy, Xiao Qing and Xiao Huang died…\u201d Si Xiaotie looked toward the fish tank beside her and became even sadder, tears immediately falling harder again. Her crying was heartbreaking. \u201cDaddy, don\u2019t die. I don\u2019t want you to go to another world.\u201d

Lin Ke bit her lip.

She wanted to laugh.

Yet somehow, she couldn\u2019t laugh at all.

On the other end, however, the man\u2019s voice sounded amused and warm.

\u201cDaddy won\u2019t die. Daddy will stay with Xiaotie forever.\u201d

\u201cPinky promise!\u201d

\u201cPinky promise.\u201d

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

\u201cHehe, Mommy, Daddy said he won\u2019t die.\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-3148","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/chapter\/3148","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/chapter"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3148"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/chapter\/3148\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3149,"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/chapter\/3148\/revisions\/3149"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3148"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"novel","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/novel?post=3148"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}