Chapter 8

By the time Lin Ke changed into slippers and walked inside, the man was already video-calling their daughter.

Si Xiaotie was babbling nonstop about something, while Si Yuming lounged lazily in the chair, loosening his tie as he listened to the little girl chatter.

Lin Ke circled behind him, picked up the pajamas she had changed out of that morning, and headed into the bathroom.

When she came back out, Si Xiaotie had finally remembered her mother after finishing her conversation with Daddy. Si Yuming handed the phone over.

The room wasn’t large.

Since he occupied the only chair, Lin Ke could only sit on the bed.

On the screen, Aunt Chen was tying the little girl’s braids. Si Xiaotie’s tiny head swayed side to side with Aunt Chen’s movements.

“Mommy, why is your face red?”

Lin Ke explained, “Daddy and Mommy just finished signing a cooperation deal. Everyone celebrated together, so Mommy drank a little alcohol.”

“Okay then.” Si Xiaotie immediately became excited again. “Mommy, Daddy just said there are giant bears over there.”

Lin Ke laughed. “What? Now you want to raise giant bears too?”

It had only been a joke.

Unexpectedly, the little thing actually considered it seriously.

“Can I?”

“…No.” Lin Ke quickly added, “Bears are protected animals. We can’t raise them.”

“Okay then.” Si Xiaotie instantly moved on to another topic. “Tomorrow is Gu Yiyi’s birthday! Kindergarten is having a birthday party for him. I’m giving him a huge present—it’s a painting Brother and I made together.”

The little girl spoke enthusiastically.

Lin Ke originally intended to listen carefully, but her attention drifted elsewhere.

The man by the bed had removed his tie and begun taking off his clothes.

Broad shoulders.

Lean, powerful waist.

All exposed before her eyes.

Her eyes widened as she mouthed silently:

What are you doing?

“Taking a shower.”

After saying that, he walked straight into the bathroom.

Lin Ke froze.

She had just wanted to follow after him when Si Xiaotie called out from the phone again, leaving her no choice but to continue talking with her daughter first.

Soon, however, the man emerged again and frowned lightly.

“Your period came?”

Apparently he had seen the sanitary pad she changed out of.

Lin Ke nodded.

“Which day?”

“The first.”

“Why didn’t you say so earlier?”

She didn’t quite understand what he meant.

But considering his possible intentions in suddenly showing up here tonight…

Wasn’t her unexpected period ruining his plans?

Hmph. Dog of a man.

By the time the call ended, Si Yuming had already finished showering.

Naturally, he had no spare clothes here, so he could only wrap one of her bath towels around his lower half.

Walking over to the bed, he picked up his phone and sent a voice message.

“Bring my luggage to Room 505.”

Probably to Xu Lin.

Lin Ke asked, “Does your assistant keep his mouth shut?”

The man looked unconcerned.

“What’s there to be afraid of?”

“Less trouble is always better.” She stood up, preparing to shower herself. “You’re really sleeping here?”

“Otherwise?”

Lin Ke was speechless.

“There’s a perfectly good suite upstairs, yet you insist on squeezing in here with me?”

He didn’t answer.

Instead, he started blow-drying his hair.

Before he even finished, the doorbell rang. He went to retrieve the suitcase, changed into pajamas, then finally climbed into bed.

The warm yellow glow of the hanging bedside lamp softened the lines of his face, making him appear unusually gentle and approachable.

Lin Ke glanced at him a few extra times before entering the bathroom.

By the time she finished everything, it was already past two in the morning.

The king-sized bed was spacious enough.

Each of them occupied one side, holding their phones separately like two strangers who weren’t especially familiar with each other.

After replying to messages, Lin Ke shut off her phone and placed it beside the bed.

Then she switched off her side’s lamp, adjusted her pillow, and lay on her side.

Half a minute later, the light on the other side went dark as well.

A rustling sound followed.

Warm breathing approached from behind.

An arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her into his embrace. His hand slid to her lower abdomen and began gently rubbing in small circles.

Lin Ke stiffened instantly.

She rarely suffered menstrual cramps before.

But after giving birth to Si Xiaotie, the first two days of every cycle became miserable.

Not agonizing pain.

Just a constant dull ache—impossible to ignore, yet still bearable.

Actually, the worst had already passed.

And honestly, his rubbing wasn’t doing much.

Yet the warmth from his palm seeped through the thin fabric of her pajamas onto her skin, sending small waves of tingling numbness through her body.

Lin Ke became completely rigid.

“You worked hard today.”

In the silence, he suddenly spoke.

Lin Ke replied, “Not hard. I’m just earning money.”

Si Yuming smiled silently.

Indeed, he had paid a high price.

Shen Wan had mentioned her rates exceeded a thousand yuan per hour.

But it was money well spent.

He didn’t understand translation itself.

He judged only by results.

The negotiations had flowed smoothly, and the deal had been secured exactly according to his expectations.

That alone made her worth however much he paid.

Si Yuming recalled the poised, flawless woman who had stood tall all day during negotiations.

Then he glanced toward the small sofa where her apricot-colored suit lay discarded.

Thinking back to those ridiculous comments from the banquet, his eyes darkened slightly.

Even as a child, Lin Ke had already shown her charm early.

Cute. Kind. Sweet-voiced.

Everyone, adults and children alike, adored her.

Especially Old Master Si.

He had practically wanted to keep her by his side every day.

As for now…

He kissed behind her ear, turned her makeup-free yet still luminous face toward him, and pressed a kiss against her lips before lightly biting them.

“What are you doing…”

The woman struggled to push him away.

He didn’t deepen the kiss—nor could he, really.

Still holding her in his arms, he murmured,

“Come with me tomorrow to meet a friend.”

“Who?”

“Meng Jing.”

Lin Ke looked genuinely shocked this time and turned around.

“He’s here?”

Meng Jing was the same age as Si Yuming and another child who had grown up in the same compound.

Si Yuming had gone into business.

Meng Jing followed his family’s footsteps and entered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Lin Ke had moved away from the compound early and gradually lost contact with the other children.

Only during university had she occasionally crossed paths with Meng Jing because of work, eventually adding him on WeChat.

But that was all.

They had never actually chatted.

“I heard he got transferred here recently and is preparing for a conference.”

Lin Ke fell silent for a moment.

Memories of those carefree days at five or six years old resurfaced, filling her with emotion.

“I haven’t seen Brother Meng Jing in so long.”

“Didn’t you see him at our wedding?”

“That was ages ago.”

He didn’t respond immediately.

A few seconds later, he asked in an oddly unreadable tone,

“How come I’ve never heard you call me ‘brother’?”

Lin Ke froze again.

As a child, Si Yuming had been an aloof, arrogant little boy.

Just approaching him felt like stepping into cold air.

Who would dare call him brother?

Meng Jing, on the other hand, was completely different.

He always wore a smile and had an easygoing personality.

All the children in the compound loved playing with him.

“I remember you used to follow him around all the time.”

Lin Ke denied it immediately.

“No I didn’t.”

“Need me to remind you?”

He spoke right beside her ear, his warm breath tormentingly close.

Lin Ke dodged away, removed his hand from her waist, and scooted forward.

“No. I want to sleep.”

Si Yuming stared at her stubborn silhouette in the darkness.

In his mind appeared the image of a little girl slightly older than Si Xiaotie.

Big eyes. Round cheeks.

Always chattering noisily while playing games with other children in the compound.

Yet whenever she saw him, she would become timid and too scared to speak, as though he were some terrifying monster.

Still, she constantly clung to Meng Jing.

Wherever Meng Jing went, she followed.

Once, several boys gathered at his house to play video games. She had tagged along with Meng Jing too.

The moment she saw Si Yuming, she immediately hid behind Meng Jing.

The other boys even teased him, asking whether he secretly bullied her in private.

The boys’ games weren’t suitable for little girls.

So she simply sat nearby watching quietly by herself.

Not long later, when he glanced back, the girl had already curled up asleep on the sofa.

The game was intense.

The air conditioning in the room was set very cold.

So he went outside, found a blanket, and covered her with it.

Once asleep, little Lin Ke no longer seemed afraid of him.

Her sleeping face looked peaceful.

Like a kitten, she clutched the blanket and let out soft contented murmurs. Her chubby cheeks were squished red like apples.

Time truly changed everything.

Now that same little girl lay soft and warm in his arms.

And together they had created a daughter even more mischievous than she once was.

Si Yuming shifted closer again, his hand once more finding her lower abdomen.

“Still uncomfortable?”

The woman let out a weak little hum in response.

…

They arranged to meet Meng Jing at a café near the embassy.

The married couple arrived first.

After ordering coffee, Lin Ke went to the restroom to reapply lipstick.

When she returned, the two men were already chatting comfortably.

She sat beside Si Yuming and greeted warmly,

“Brother Meng Jing, long time no see.”

After graduating from the Foreign Affairs University, Meng Jing had entered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs directly.

Years of work had given him the upright bearing of an official.

Now he smiled with textbook perfection.

“Lin Ke, long time no see.”

Then he asked,

“I heard from Yuming that you work in translation now?”

“Yes.”

“Ever considered coming to work with us?”

Lin Ke hadn’t expected the topic to progress this quickly.

She secretly glanced at the calm man beside her before carefully replying with a smile,

“That’s not exactly somewhere I can enter just because I want to.”

Meng Jing didn’t exaggerate either.

“You had excellent grades since childhood. If you prepare properly, getting in won’t be a problem.”

Then he deliberately glanced at Si Yuming.

“If you’re capable enough to serve as Yuming’s translator, then your skills definitely aren’t lacking. I believe in you.”

Lin Ke smiled and smoothly changed the topic.

“Brother Meng Jing, how long will you be stationed abroad?”

“Once this busy period ends, we can go back. If things go smoothly, we might even make it back for Spring Festival.”

He sighed emotionally.

“These past three or four years I’ve either been in Africa or North and South America. It’s been ages since I celebrated New Year at home.”

Then he looked at Si Yuming.

“Yuming really has it good. Successful career, married, daughter already born. Which of us childhood friends isn’t jealous?”

Si Yuming shot him a sidelong glance, lips curving faintly.

“That’s because Director Meng’s ambitions stretch farther.”

Meng Jing laughed loudly and clinked his coffee cup against his.

“How’s the company? Has Sister Si Yun mentioned me?”

The two men began discussing everyday matters.

Lin Ke quietly sipped her coffee while listening carefully, her gaze occasionally drifting toward the handsome man beside her.

Yesterday’s Si Yuming had been an overwhelmingly dominant negotiator.

Cold. Powerful. Aggressive.

But today, around friends, he appeared relaxed and easygoing, confidence and freedom evident between his brows.

Not a trace of coldness remained.

She thought about last night.

Then about the moments between him and their daughter.

Something flickered across her heart.

An unreal feeling.

Eventually, the topic shifted to the Jiang family.

Meng Jing sighed.

“I saw Uncle Jiang either last year or the year before… how did things suddenly become like this?”

Si Yuming’s expression also darkened slightly.

“The Jiang family situation is truly complicated now. With Uncle Jiang gone, how’s Chengyin supposed to handle everything alone?”

“Uncle Jiang’s passing was sudden, but he wouldn’t leave without preparations. Chengyin won’t let herself be manipulated either. There’s no need to worry too much.”

Lin Ke turned slightly and saw the calm, rippleless eyes of the man beside her.

Eyes that nevertheless seemed capable of controlling the entire situation.

At that exact moment, he looked back at her.

Lin Ke instinctively wanted to look away.

But then she suddenly felt there was no need.

So she simply smiled softly instead.

Si Yuming didn’t notice the subtle shift in that moment.

Resting an arm along the back of her chair, he leaned close naturally.

“Wife, can I smoke a cigarette?”

He wasn’t particularly addicted to smoking.

Only occasional cigarettes.

But Lin Ke disliked the smell of smoke.

After Si Xiaotie was born, she had clearly forbidden smoking inside the house.

Still, she never controlled whether he smoked outside.

Which made this question unexpectedly startling.

Before Meng Jing could tease him, Lin Ke nodded quickly and grabbed her bag.

“I’m going to the restroom. You two chat.”

Smoking wasn’t allowed indoors, so the two men got up and headed outside.

Once outside the café, Meng Jing smirked meaningfully.

“Really didn’t expect this from you, Si Yuming. Henpecked?”

Si Yuming glanced at him, took a slim cigarette from the offered pack, lit it, and exhaled smoke slowly.

“There’s a child at home. It’s inconvenient.”

“Oh please.” Meng Jing lit his own cigarette too before sighing emotionally. “Honestly, I never expected you’d marry little Lin Ke. Back then we all thought you and Cheng—”

The man interrupted him immediately.

“There was never anything. Don’t talk nonsense.”

Meng Jing chuckled.

“Fine. If you say so.”

Truthfully, their group of friends had never known whether anything existed between them or not.

But Sister Si Yun had always liked Jiang Chengyin since childhood.

Anyone with eyes could understand what that implied.

The two of them had also spent years abroad together.

Most people quietly assumed they’d eventually become a couple after returning home.

Meng Jing was only an outsider, after all.

He sighed again.

“Now your daughter’s already three or four years old. The rice has not only been cooked—it’s practically digested already.”

“…”

Si Yuming shot him a look and flicked ash from his cigarette.

Meng Jing stared into the distance.

“I remember Lin Ke used to be terrified of you. She’d hide the moment she saw you, and you seemed pretty annoyed by her too.”

“Now look at you two—married. Honestly, who knows what kind of random matchmaking your grandfather was thinking.”

Everyone back then understood the situation clearly.

Old Master Si, realizing his days were limited, worried about his grandson’s marriage.

Lin Ke had been adorable and beautiful as a child, especially beloved by the elders.

Naturally, the old man had set his sights on her.

And with the Lin family drowning in debt at the time, Lin Ke’s father practically wished he could sell his daughter.

One thing led to another.

“That little girl really grew up well. Beautiful and outstanding.”

Meng Jing lightly punched his shoulder.

“Forget the past. Just treat her well, understand?”

The man’s gaze drifted far away.

After a long while, he responded softly.

“Mhm.”

…

The next day, they returned to North City.

Their arrival coincided perfectly with kindergarten dismissal time.

Si Yuming went to pick up Si Xiaotie while Lin Ke headed home directly by taxi.

The Bentley parked nearby only started moving after the woman in front had gotten into her rideshare.

From the passenger seat, Xu Lin watched the departing taxi and once again felt conflicted.

The tiny suspicion in his heart had already been confirmed that night—

President Si had entered Manager Lin’s room.

Honestly, part of his worldview had collapsed.

He couldn’t believe President Si would do something like that.

The luggage had clearly been packed by his wife and daughter, yet the moment he traveled for business…

Still, after thinking it through, it wasn’t impossible to understand.

Although he hadn’t worked long as executive assistant, he had already witnessed plenty of messy affairs within this circle.

Regrettably, even President Si had not escaped.

Xu Lin took a deep breath and warned himself firmly to keep his mouth shut.

Loose lips caused disasters.

An hour later, they reached the kindergarten.

Listening to the noisy sounds of children about to leave school, Xu Lin’s emotional defenses collapsed once again.

Suppressing his voice, he said,

“President Si, if there’s nothing else, I’ll head off first.”

“Alright. Thanks for your hard work.”

Xu Lin dragged his suitcase to the roadside to wait for transportation.

A few minutes later, he turned back and saw the distinguished man already holding his daughter in his arms.

The little girl sat happily on her father’s lap, giggling brightly.

The scene was unbelievably warm.

Xu Lin sighed softly and stopped looking.

Meanwhile, inside the car, Si Xiaotie received the gift her father specially brought back for her.

Yet the little girl pushed the present away.

“Don’t want it.”

“Then what does Xiaotie want?”

Looking at the father she hadn’t seen for days, all the grievance after the initial excitement suddenly flooded out.

Her eyes reddened.

“I want Daddy and Mommy.”

The moment she finished speaking, tears rolled down her cheeks.

Her little mouth pouted pitifully.

Si Yuming lifted the small child onto his lap.

“Daddy and Mommy are back now. Once Xiaotie gets home, she’ll see Mommy.”

The little girl nodded softly.

“Mhm. No more business trips.”

That was a promise Si Yuming definitely couldn’t make.

“Then next time Daddy and Mommy go on a business trip, we’ll bring Xiaotie too, okay?”

That sounded like a decent idea.

Si Xiaotie tilted her head thoughtfully, sniffled, and stopped crying.

Then she declared very seriously,

“Okay then. You have to bring Xiaotie. No sneaking away!”

Si Yuming laughed softly.

“Alright. We’ll definitely bring Xiaotie.”

He wiped away her tears.

“Still don’t want the gift?”

“No.” The little girl lifted her face again, suddenly remembering another grievance. “Daddy, today at kindergarten we watched Animal World. The TV lady said rose spiders and red-knee spiders and lots of other spiders aren’t poisonous. You lied!”

“…”

Si Xiaotie continued confidently,

“Then I asked Teacher Bai Bai, and Teacher Bai Bai said some spiders don’t hurt humans! She even showed me pictures. They look like this…”

The little girl gestured enthusiastically while talking.

“They’re super pretty! And they run really fast!”

Truthfully, Si Yuming had no objection to raising spiders.

But…

After thinking for a moment, he nodded.

“Then let’s go choose a spider right now.”

The little girl’s eyes lit up instantly.

Then they dimmed again as she whispered sadly,

“But Mommy doesn’t like them.”

“It’s okay.” He smiled calmly. “Daddy will coax Mommy.”