Chapter 31 Hide and Seek

A few years ago, when my grandfather was still alive, the old house was bustling with activity from the first day of the Lunar New Year to the seventh, with a constant stream of guests every day.

The number of visitors has gradually decreased in the past two years, and with the passing of the elders on Si Yuming's maternal grandmother's side, this year is expected to be a peaceful one.

When the aunt asked if she wanted more food prepared during breakfast, Si Yun waved her hand and said, "No need."

Lin Ke felt comfortable not having to visit relatives or entertain guests, but having seen how this house used to be almost full of people, she couldn't help but feel sorry for those sycophantic and opportunistic friends, not to mention what the siblings must have felt.

However, the child didn't understand. Si Xiaotie was eating with a spoon while excitedly talking to his brother, "Brother, I dreamed last night that you turned into a baby Tyrannosaurus Rex, and I turned into a baby Stegosaurus. Then we fought, and then you defeated me. You're super awesome!"

Qin Mancheng, who was standing next to her, seemed a little absent-minded. After responding, she looked at her phone watch.

"Then my mom came, and she held me while I slept..." Si Xiaotie said, then asked his mother curiously, "Mom, are dates fun? I want to go on a date too!"

"..." Lin Ke coughed lightly, picked up a dumpling for her, and said, "Eat your food properly."

Si Xiaotie can eat, but he won't eat properly. He turned to his father and asked, "Dad, I want to go on a date!"

Si Yuming glanced at the somewhat uneasy woman, smiled, and said, "Okay, Dad will go on a date with you next time."

"Yay!"

Lin Ke glanced at her with amusement and casually picked up some food for Qin Mancheng, but Qin Mancheng was still staring at her smartwatch. So she asked, "What's wrong, Mancheng?"

Qin Mancheng looked at her mother, then at her, opened her mouth, and finally looked at her mother again, whispering, "Mom, can I call Dad?"

Si Yun didn't hesitate for long and nodded, "Go."

The little boy finally grinned, jumped off the chair, and went to the side to make a phone call.

After the verdict was handed down, Qin Ru naturally lost the case, and Lin Ke heard nothing more from him afterward.

However, Si Yun did not let the image of her father collapse in her son's mind. In Qin Mancheng's world, his parents just had a bad relationship and argued and divorced. His father was still his father.

Si Yun glanced back at the boy who was happily making a phone call, then looked back and said slowly, "I'll take Manman to change her name in a while."

Si Yuming didn't react much, just said "Hmm".

"What is changing my name? I want to change my name too!" A little girl who was almost four years old chimed in as soon as she saw an opening.

Si Yuming tapped her on the head, "You're always so eager to join in the fun."

Si Xiaotie nimbly dodged the attack and chuckled.

The second day of the Lunar New Year was finally over. The usually busy man had time to play with the children. They rode the bumper cars in the front yard a few times, strolled around the backyard garden twice, and even played hide-and-seek. The second time, the little girl hid under her mother's blanket, put her hand to her mouth, and made a very serious little gesture, "Shh, Mom, be quiet!"

Then the little one curled up in the blankets into a ball that clearly indicated someone was hiding there.

A minute later, Si Xiaotie asked, "Mom, is Dad here yet?"

"No."

Half a minute later, "Is Dad here yet?"

"No."

"Why isn't Dad here yet?" A muffled voice came from under the covers, sounding a little unhappy. "I'm tired."

Lin Ke chuckled and was about to speak when the door was gently pushed open.

Si Yuming spotted the little figure under the blanket at a glance, but pretended not to see it quite naturally. "Where's Xiao Tie?"

Her little bottom, tucked under the blanket, stuck out and remained motionless.

"Huh? Where's Xiao Tie?" Si Yuming walked to the bedside and pretended to move the blanket. "Wife, have you seen Xiao Tie?"

Lin Ke glanced at him, then smiled and said, "I didn't see it."

The man was dressed in loose loungewear, and when he lowered his body, a clear outline of his collarbone was revealed just right. It looked as if he was tightening his collarbone, and the bone line extended into the unseen dark corners, which aroused the imagination.

Lin Ke had seen it many times in the dark, but she still didn't dare to look too closely. She raised her clear eyes and looked at each other in silence. Their gazes seemed to be warmed by the sun outside, bringing a continuous warmth. She looked away first, "Go look for it elsewhere."

Last night, their relationship seemed to have changed further, but when they woke up this morning, everything was back to normal, leaving them with a hazy, unclear feeling. But Lin Ke thought this should be a good omen.

Si Yuming smiled faintly, turned around and walked towards the dressing room, deliberately making a noise that made her little bottom sag.

He returned a little over half a minute later. This time, he didn't tease his daughter anymore. He simply pulled back the covers, and Si Xiaotie jumped in fright, then scrambled up and chuckled, "Daddy, you're so silly! It took you so long to find me!"

Si Yuming reached out and hugged the person, saying, "Who told Xiao Tie to be so amazing, hiding here?"

The little girl giggled and smiled, "Hehe, it was Mommy who helped me."

"You're so clever."

"Quick, it's my turn to find Dad and my brother!"

Si Yuming had been playing with him all morning and was really tired. He said in a serious tone, "Mom just said she has something to talk to Dad about. Xiao Tie, play by yourself."

Lin Ke: "......"

"Okay then." The girl accepted her father's suggestion without hesitation, jumped out of bed in a second, and ran out to find her brother.

So only the couple, who "had something to say," remained in the room.

Lin Ke lowered her head to read her book and hummed, "I have nothing to say to you."

Si Yuming stood by the bed, a smile hidden in his eyes, and asked, "Did you sleep well last night?"

"......very good."

"I heard there are some really good movies showing during the Spring Festival. Want to go see them together?"

Lin Ke hesitated for only three seconds before ruthlessly refusing: "No, I want to read."

No way it can be that fast.

...

I returned to the Lin family home on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year.

The aunt had prepared some gifts, and Si Yuming helped carry them into the car. "Is there anything else you want to bring?"

"That's fine."

Regardless of other factors, Si Yuming has been a decent son-in-law over the years of their marriage. He sends gifts during important holidays such as the Spring Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival, and usually accompanies her when he knows she is going back home.

With him around, Lin Ke would be much more relaxed, because Lin Qiliang and Zhu Li would only focus their attention on him.

However, Si Xiaotie was different. She didn't visit her maternal grandfather's house often after she was born, only two or three times in her memory.

Upon arriving at the Lin family villa, the girl, holding hands with her, looked around the house, then looked up and asked, "Mommy, is this Grandpa's house? I don't remember it."

Si Yuming: "Your little brain isn't big enough to remember dinosaurs and spiders."

Lin Ke: "..."

Si Xiaotie wasn't very familiar with Lin Jialang and Lin Jiayan, but the little girl was pretty and delicate, and Lin Jiayan tried to coax her with candy as soon as she entered the house.

Today, the baby cow was unusually shy, hiding tightly behind its mother.

She patted the little girl and told her to call him "Uncle".

Si Xiaotie said softly, "Uncle."

After exchanging greetings, Lin Qiliang and his wife pulled Si Yuming aside to talk, and Lin Ke also sat down to the side. Si Xiaotie obediently leaned against her knee, holding a candy in his hand, his big eyes looking around.

"Is Yu Ming busy lately?"

"fine."

Zhu Li looked at the dignified man sitting in the middle of the sofa and felt a little scared. Grandpa Si and Sister Si were not simple people, but she was afraid to talk to Si Yuming. She always felt that she had nowhere to hide when his eyes swept over her.

She smiled somewhat embarrassedly, "Yu Ming, last time I asked Ke Ke's father to go to you, but later we thought it was really inappropriate. If others find out, it will cause gossip."

Lin Ke was surprised to hear this. When had Lin Qiliang contacted Si Yuming? How come she didn't know?

Lin Qiliang continued, "In any case, thank you Yu Ming for your help."

Lin's renovation company couldn't secure all the renovation business, but they managed to get a door and window project. Even that project was enough to keep the company afloat for years without any business.

Si Yuming had read the winning bid documents submitted below and also saw Lin Qiliang's company, but he hadn't interfered in the matter from beginning to end. He simply said, "No need to thank me, I didn't do anything."

Whether he did it or not, nobody knows. Regardless of whether he did it or not, the Lin family still needs this project to open for business, so they have to flatter him a bit. Even Lin Jiayan spoke up, very proud and smug, "Brother-in-law, you don't know, all my classmates in the major really want to intern at Entropy Domain, and they all asked me to inquire about it."

When they found out that the boss of Entropy Domain was his brother-in-law, didn't those arrogant rich kids and government officials obediently bow their heads? He thought to himself, "Pah, I don't even want to play with you guys." Lin Jiayan asked expectantly, "Brother-in-law, can I intern at Entropy Domain?"

Lin Ke, who had been listening silently, grew increasingly grim.

Knowing that this was what it would be like to get home, I felt somewhat powerless.

She tugged at the sleeve of the man beside her, but he seemed not to understand what she meant and nodded in reply, "Okay, Entropy Domain has campus recruitment. You can submit your resume and go for an interview then."

Lin Jiayan thought this was a promise and was very excited. "Okay, okay, then I'll submit my resume later."

Seeing that the atmosphere seemed to have eased up a bit, Zhu Li continued to ask, "Yu Ming, Xiao Tie is almost four years old now, when are you planning to have a second child?"

The little girl next to her, who was bored out of her mind for the first time, finally heard her own name called and looked up at her mother, asking, "Mommy, what is a second child?"

"..." Lin Ke was embarrassed and was about to reply to her daughter when the man said directly, "We're not going to have a second child for now."

Her voice turned slightly colder, and Zhu Li dared not continue the conversation on this topic. "Alright, we can talk about it later. Yu Ming, you two take a rest first. Ke Ke's dad and I will go cook." She then said to her son, "Jia Yan, please take care of him."

"I know, I know."

Lin Qiliang and his wife went to cook, leaving only the family of three and Lin Jiayan in the living room, who took out his phone to play games.

Si Xiaotie was really bored and wanted to go out for a walk with his mother. Lin Ke glanced at Si Yuming, suppressed her complicated emotions, and accompanied Si Xiaotie out first.

Just as she stepped out, she ran into Lin Jialang, who was returning from outside.

The girl was wearing only a skirt in the dead of winter, with a thin woolen coat over it, and her legs were exposed.

He was wrapped up tightly in his clothes and looked unwell. He only glanced at the mother and daughter briefly before going inside without saying hello.

Si Xiaotie, who was about to call her aunt, closed her mouth, not understanding, "Mom, Auntie is being impolite."

Lin Jialang isn't new to being impolite. Lin Ke laughed, "We can't be like Auntie."

"I won't be like Auntie, I'm a good baby."

Lin Jialang didn't come down for dinner, and Zhu Li went up to call him once, but it was no use.

Zhu Li's face darkened when she came down.

After dinner, Zhu Li asked Lin Jiayan to take Si Xiaotie out to play. After sending him away, she looked at Lin Qiliang, then at the young couple across the table, hesitant to speak.

Finally, Lin Qiliang sighed, "Yu Ming, we know this has caused you a lot of trouble, but we really have no other choice."

Lin Ke thought it was about another project, but Lin Qiliang's next words were surprising: "Jialang is pregnant. Jiayan said it's because of one of her seniors, something like Wei Yuhong..."

Lin Ke's eyes widened. Lin Jialang? Pregnant?

Si Yuming frowned as well. How old is Lin Jialang?

Wei Yuhong, isn't he Jiang Chengyin's dissolute cousin?

Zhu Li: "We've inquired around, and the Wei family is quite influential in Beicheng. They seem to have some connection with the Jiang family. Yu Ming, isn't your family...?"

Lin Ke became increasingly incredulous as she listened. "You want Jia Lang to marry into that family?! She's only a freshman in college, she's just turned 18!"

Zhu Li's eyes were red: "We had no choice. I tried to persuade her, but she refused to get a shot."

"If you don't want to fight, then you don't have to? If you don't want to fight, then you have to marry him?" Lin Ke's heart grew colder and colder. Putting Lin Jialang's nonsense aside for the moment, she stood up angrily, her sharp eyes fixed on Lin Qiliang. "Just because his family is well-off, you're letting your barely-adult daughter, whose mind isn't even mature enough, marry him?! Are you even human?!"

Lin Qiliang lowered his head and sighed deeply.

The little girl playing in the living room was startled when she saw her mother speaking loudly and angrily. She quickly ran over and grabbed her mother's hand.

Before Zhu Li could say anything more, Lin Jialang, who had appeared at the bottom of the second-floor stairwell, looked down and said angrily, "Who do you think you are? I don't need your permission! Get out of my house! Don't make sarcastic remarks here!"

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Author's note: Good morning~ One hundred little red envelopes~