Chapter 11 Changing Dads

After dinner, Si Xiaotie went to watch her animal world, Si Yuming took a shower to prepare for putting her to sleep, and Lin Ke finished cleaning up the kitchen and went to work in the study. The three of them were busy with their own things.

When Lin Ke returned to her room around 10 p.m., the man was already lying in bed looking at his phone, seemingly engrossed in something.

She took a quick shower, got into bed, hugged him, and tilted her head up to kiss his lips.

Si Yuming was a little surprised. He put down his phone, put his arm around her waist, and asked in a low voice, "Your period is over?"

"Yes, it was gone yesterday."

She kissed him again, actively prying open his lips and teeth, and slipping inside, while her hand reached to his waist to unbutton his shirt.

Si Yuming was even more surprised.

Lin Ke has never been particularly enthusiastic in bed. Even when she takes the initiative, it only goes as far as a kiss on the lips, leaving the rest to him.

Today was very unusual. He thought about how she hadn't been in a good mood all evening, so he gently pulled her arm away and looked into her eyes, which were already a little misty and wet, and asked, "Where did you go this afternoon?"

Lin Ke touched her abs and hummed, "Si Yuming... wants it..."

The woman's voice was soft and gentle, her eyes filled with affection. Si Yuming's eyes darkened, but he still insisted on asking, "What's wrong? Are you in a bad mood?"

Lin Ke didn't respond, but kissed his Adam's apple and gently bit it with her pearly teeth.

His restraint dissipated, and Si Yuming pulled the person close, savoring their fragrance.

In her dazed state, Lin Ke recalled their first time on their wedding night.

Because Mr. Si was ill, the wedding was not a grand affair, and only close relatives and friends were invited. The ceremony was kept simple, so the newlyweds were not too tired at the end.

A marriage certificate bound a man and a woman who were not very familiar with each other together. The wedding room, decorated with red festive decorations, made her heart race. When the man, who had finished washing up, lay down next to her, her heart jumped into her throat. She almost tore the blankets off her body.

Si Yuming probably sensed her nervousness, so he turned off the light and politely asked for her opinion in the dark. She nodded shyly.

But he couldn't see her nod and remained silent, which made her even more nervous, so she had no choice but to speak.

The man who had received her reply approached her, gently hugged and kissed her, gradually easing her anxiety.

He stopped when the pain was at its worst, comforting her with kisses and speaking gentle, soothing words.

I even helped her clean up afterwards; her face must have been so red she couldn't show it to anyone.

That night, when he took a shower and held her as they slept, twenty-three-year-old Lin Ke was filled with anticipation for the future.

After that, he never mistreated her in bed.

In Zhang Man's words, he's not just good, he's perfect.

So she thought that no matter what else happened, her married life with Si Yuming was harmonious.

As for everything else... aside from the fact that they were often apart and never talked about love, he gave her everything he could in this marriage.

And in this short marriage, she received the best gift in life.

Lin Ke returned his kiss.

......

On Monday morning, she asked Shen Wan for half a day off to go for an interview at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The interview went smoothly, and the results came out that afternoon; Lin Ke's name was on the list.

The meeting is scheduled for the last week of next month, and the content is formal and important, requiring extensive preparation in advance. She probably won't have much time to rest afterward.

Si Yuming was also busy. There was still a lot of work to be done on the Russian project. Every time I saw him at the company, he had a serious expression and an aura that kept people at a distance.

Lin Ke attended several meetings with them and understood the problems encountered at each stage of the project: funding, technology, and policies—each one was a headache.

After so many years of marriage, the two had never discussed each other's work. Now she has a better understanding of the responsibilities and pressures he bears. It is really not easy to support such a large group company.

He often had to work overtime, and usually he couldn't come back until Si Xiaotie was asleep at night.

Around 11 or 12 at night, he would take a shower in the bathroom outside before going to bed and holding her to sleep.

Holding her while she slept was just a routine, devoid of any emotion; it was merely a habitual action.

Lin Ke was actually surprised. He had been back for a few weeks and had even stayed with them in their new home for a few weeks. Sometimes, she looked at the extra men's items that were frequently used in the house and felt quite unfamiliar with them, as if the three of them were truly living an ordinary and mundane life.

Although this day came too late, it wasn't too late. She adjusted her mindset and treated each day as if it were her last.

When I got home from get off work that afternoon, I saw that the man's leather shoes were neatly arranged next to the little girl's pink shoes.

"You came home early today?" She peeked inside and called out, "Baby?"

A moment later, Si Xiaotie, who had heard the noise, walked out of the living room barefoot with red eyes, his face full of grievance and his lips tightly pursed.

Lin Ke was startled and quickly pulled the girl into her arms, sitting her on her lap and warming her little feet with her hands. "What's wrong, Xiao Tie?"

The little girl buried her face in her shoulder, sniffed, and said nothing.

She looked at the man who had followed her and asked with her eyes what was going on.

Si Yuming smiled faintly, "Let her say it herself."

Upon hearing this, Si Xiaotie buried his face even deeper and murmured, "Mom...can you get a different dad? I don't want a dad anymore."

"?"

Si Yuming laughed again: "Fine, Si Xiaotie, you want to change your dad too?"

"Hmph, you stinky dad..."

"Who is disobeying?"

"It's not Xiao Tie!" the girl shouted.

"You promised me you wouldn't buy a toy car if you bought a dinosaur, so why are you making a fuss about buying one now?"

Si Xiaotie knew she was in the wrong, but she was very stubborn. She turned around and stared straight at the man who was two or three heads taller than her, crying and shouting, "But I want a toy car, I want a motorcycle, and I want bumper cars!"

"No, I can't buy it today."

"I want it, I want it!"

The father and daughter started arguing again. Lin Ke roughly figured out what had happened and was about to comfort her daughter when Si Xiaotie turned around and threw herself into her arms, crying loudly, "Waaah, Mommy, Daddy's mean to me!"

Lin Ke exchanged a helpless glance with the man, her eyes crinkling at the corners, and patted Si Xiaotie on the shoulder, "Alright, alright, Mom will find a new dad for the baby right away."

"Really?" Si Xiaotie believed her. He left her embrace, wiped away his tears, and said seriously, "Then can I change it to Gu Yiyi's dad? Gu Yiyi's dad can make small cakes, and he drives his cool motorcycle to take him to school every day. I want Gu Yiyi's dad too."

Si Yuming: "..."

Lin Ke pretended to be thinking seriously, "Then we'll have to ask Gu Yiyi's father if he's willing."

"I'll go ask Gu Yiyi tomorrow!"

The mother and daughter, hand in hand, ignored the man whose face was gradually darkening and walked inside, excitedly discussing something.

Lin Ke: "Is Gu Yiyi's father a chef?"

Si Xiaotie: "No, Gu Yiyi's father owns a cake shop."

Lin Ke: "Baby, Gu Yiyi's dad has Gu Yiyi's mom now, should we get someone else?"

Si Xiaotie: "Okay then, Mom, can we change it to Uncle Li?"

Lin Ke: "Uncle Li?"

Si Xiaotie: "Yes, Uncle Li always carries me on the airplane every time he comes. I love it!"

The man's frown deepened as he entered the room.

Uncle Li? Every time you come? By plane?

Si Xiaotie is not easy to coax when he gets angry; he didn't say a word to his father until the end of the meal.

Lin Ke persuaded, "Xiao Tie, would you like to watch Animal World with your dad?"

Si Xiaotie glanced at his father across the street, who was not responding, then crossed his arms and raised his chin in refusal: "No, I want to go downstairs to play."

The task of cleaning up had to be left to Si Yuming, and Lin Ke led her daughter downstairs.

One advantage of living in a residential community is that it has a lively atmosphere, unlike the old detached villas where you were all alone with few neighbors.

The sunset at the end of September was as brilliant as fire, and the children's play area in the community was bustling with activity, with the slides crowded with children.

Lin Ke released the eager little girl. "Go ahead, but be careful."

"Okay!" Si Xiaotie ran very fast with his short legs.

Lin Ke sat down on a bench nearby, listening to the children's laughter and playing, and feeling the refreshing breeze of this most beautiful season.

Previously, Aunt Chen usually brought her downstairs, and she wasn't familiar with the neighbors. This time, a woman in her fifties also saw that she was a stranger and tentatively asked, "Are you Xiao Tie's mother?"

Lin Ke politely replied, "Yes."

"Oh, I knew you two looked alike." The aunt smiled broadly. "Your little Tie is really good; he's definitely got the makings of a leader."

Lin Ke was initially puzzled by this statement, but upon closer inspection, the once chaotic slide was now orderly, with everyone lining up to slide down one by one, and who else could it be but Si Xiaotie directing from the front?

She chuckled softly, nodded, and said gently, "Just like her father."

The aunt asked curiously, "What does Xiao Tie's father do? I've never seen him before."

Lin Ke: "He's quite busy with work."

"I see."

While they were chatting, the little girl, after directing the other children, finally got on the slide, slid down, and giggled.

A girl younger than her tugged at her clothes and whispered, "Sister, I want to play too."

Si Xiaotie then led her up the stairs, and after the girl slid down, she quickly glanced at the door of their house in Building 2.

People come and go, but there's no father.

She muttered to herself, "If Dad doesn't come down to find me soon, I'm going to get angry!"

After skating two more laps, I saw a little boy and a little girl fighting over the swings, talking loudly.

Si Xiaotie frowned upon seeing this.

I don't like naughty, noisy children.

The little girl was almost crying, and there was no other way, so Si Xiaotie went over and said, "I want to play too."

The little boy refused, "I was here first!"

"Your sister was here first, I saw it. You're lying."

The little boy's face turned red, "No..."

Si Xiaotie pulled his hand away from the swing ropes and ordered, "Everyone can play for a while, little sister can play first."

The boy got a way out: "Okay, she plays first, then I play."

My little sister sat on the small swing and swung back and forth.

Si Xiaotie looked at the entrance of Building 2 again, but still his father was not there.

Hmph, she's really angry.

When it was her father's turn and he still hadn't gotten off, Si Xiaotie angrily sat on the swing, lifted her feet, and took off.

Si Xiaotie's little body swayed in the air. He was a little scared, but he felt more pleasure than anything else. "Ahhh, Mommy, I'm flying!"

But for some reason, the swing swung higher and higher, and she felt like she was losing control.

Si Xiaotie was really scared now, and cried out for his mother.

She'll fall and trip!

The next second, the swing slowed down until she came to a steady stop.

Si Xiaotie turned around and saw his father standing behind him, holding the swing.

She instantly grinned and threw herself into her father's arms, but only after hugging him did she remember that she was still angry. Feeling a little embarrassed, she blushed.

Si Yuming noticed the change in his daughter's expression, smiled, picked her up, and tapped her nose, saying, "You're all sweaty and smelly. Go take a shower when we get back."

Si Xiaotie relaxed instantly, "I didn't!"

The father and daughter walked to the bench, and Lin Ke stood up to introduce, "Aunt Song, this is my husband."

Aunt Song, whom I had just met, carefully examined Xiao Tie's father and sincerely praised him, "Oh my, he's so handsome! Xiao Tie's mother is so lucky."

Lin Ke smiled, said goodbye, and the family of three went upstairs.

As the last rays of sunlight faded in the west, the sky turned a deep blue, and the dim streetlights in the neighborhood lit up one by one.

The aroma of dinner wafts from one house, and the sounds of children still fill the air.

Lin Ke walked at the back, her gaze fixed on the playful backs of the father and daughter who had reconciled.

She vaguely wondered if stories in novels usually end here.

......

Si Yuming was responsible for putting the child to sleep at night.

But before putting him to sleep, I have to reason with him: "Do you still want to buy a toy car?"

The little girl avoided eye contact and remained silent.

Si Yuming patiently explained, "Do you know why Daddy didn't let Xiaotie buy it today?"

"I know... because Xiao Tie bought a dinosaur."

He pulled his daughter into his arms. "Then why do you still want her?"

Si Xiaotie pouted and whispered, "Because Gu Yiyi has so many cars, all bought for him by his dad. His dad also took him to the amusement park to ride bumper cars and slides. I want to ride too..."

Si Yuming paused.

Si Xiaotie started talking, "Gu Yiyi's dad takes him out to play every week. His dad is amazing. He can make huge kites that fly all the way up to the sky! Gu Yiyi can't even catch up with them. Gu Yiyi's dad also takes Gu Yiyi to boxing, saying it's to help him lose weight, but Gu Yiyi doesn't want to go. Dad, is boxing fun? I want to play too!"

Si Yuming looked down and met his daughter's longing gaze, feeling a pang of sadness in his heart.

He spent too little time with her, to the point that she envied other fathers and wanted to find a different one.

He kissed her forehead and said softly, "Let's go buy toy cars tomorrow, and bumper cars too, then we can go to my brother's house to play."

The little girl exclaimed happily, "Really!"

"real."

Si Yuming hugged the person tightly and pulled out a storybook from the table next to him, preparing to tell a story.

But before starting, she thought of something, put down the book, pondered for a while, and whispered, "Baby, who is Uncle Li?"

Si Xiaotie didn't understand, "Uncle Li is just Uncle Li."

"Is he Mom's friend?"

"No, Uncle Li is a security guard. He used to come and fix the lights when they broke at home. He would also help my mom carry things she couldn't move. And when my mom was busy and Grandma Chen was busy, Uncle Li would always keep Xiao Tie company."

As Si Yuming listened, his heart sank deeper and deeper.

A note from the author:

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Didi is sending out random small red envelopes to everyone~