Chapter 54 Hmph, only looking at Mom and not Little Tie…
The early winter morning in the northern city was chilly. Lin Ke was awakened by a soft, fluffy warmth. When she opened her eyes, she first saw Lele, who had grown up, and then met the gaze of the little girl who was quietly trying to climb into her mother's arms.
Si Xiaotie was startled when his mother suddenly woke up, his little body trembled, and then he giggled: "Mom, you found me!"
Lin Ke smiled, pulled the person into her arms, and gave them a good squeeze. "Mommy found you!"
"whee."
She looked at the empty space beside her and asked, "Where's Daddy?"
"When Dad went downstairs to make breakfast, he opened the door for me and peed so I wouldn't wake Mom."
Lin Ke kissed the little girl again, "Then stay and sleep with Mommy for a while longer."
She had only been back for a few days. Originally, Si Yuming said he would ask Si Xiaotie for leave on Monday and Tuesday, but she didn't agree. She insisted that Si Xiaotie go back to school, otherwise it would be too hard for the little girl to be separated from him.
Lin Ke doesn't plan to do anything these days; she just wants to spend quality time with her daughter.
After taking a half-hour nap, Si Yuming came up to call him, "Are you getting up? Breakfast is ready."
Si Xiaotie poked his head out from under the covers, his little eyes darting around: "I'm not getting up!"
Lin Ke: "No, Xiao Tie is still growing and needs to eat breakfast."
"Alright then, get up."
Si Yuming turned on the light, and Si Xiaotie sat up, running her little hands through her soft hair. Lin Ke also leaned against the headboard and combed her hair with her hands, soon handing her a comb.
The little girl had thin hair, so she gently held it in her hand and combed it bit by bit. Si Xiaotie sat obediently.
Si Yuming watched for a while, then went to draw back the curtains.
The temperature wasn't high today, but the sun was shining brightly. The warm yellow light, unobstructed by buildings or trees, slanted in through the French-style balcony, casting a soft glow on the ground.
A woman in a blue silk nightgown and a girl in a pink dinosaur nightgown sat on the bed, their blankets and pillows in a disheveled state, as if they had just woken up.
Si Xiaotie's head tilted from side to side as her mother tied her hair. When she looked out the window, she saw her father leaning against the French windows and called out, "Dad."
But her father ignored her; it seemed like he was staring at her mother.
While her mother went to get a hair tie, she turned around and followed her father's gaze. She finally realized that her father was indeed looking at her mother, and his eyes followed her every move!
"dad?"
"dad."
"dad!"
"Stinky dad!"
"Um?"
When her father finally looked at her, Si Xiaotie pouted, "Why do you only look at Mom and not Xiaotie? I'm not happy."
Lin Ke, who was taking out a little girl's hair tie from the bedside table, heard this and looked up, just in time to meet the gaze that was looking at her again. After a couple of seconds of eye contact, she blushed, looked away, and continued to tie her daughter's hair.
She had never confessed her feelings to anyone before; last night was the first time in her life.
But it was dark and they couldn't see anything. After saying all that, they were both a little unsettled. However, he did nothing, just responded, kissed her forehead, and then held her as they slept.
She thought he wasn't reacting, but when she got close to him, she could clearly hear his chaotic heartbeat.
Seeing the woman's panic on the bed, Si Yuming smiled and looked at Si Xiaotie, saying with a grin, "Can't I see you every day? Mom finally came back, what's wrong with seeing her a little longer?"
Lin Ke: "......"
"Alright then, Daddy will look after Mommy more." Si Xiaotie was easily persuaded, and his little mouth continued to chatter, "Mommy, where are we going to play today?"
"Where does Xiao Tie want to go?"
"I want to go and catch the little mice!"
"?"
Si Yuming explained from the side, "It's that whack-a-mole game from the arcade."
Lin Ke smiled and said, "Okay, let's go catch the little mice."
With her two simple braids tied up, Si Xiaotie turned around and gave her mother a quick kiss, then jumped off the bed, shouting, "Mommy, hurry, hurry, I want to catch the little mouse!"
However, after finishing breakfast, the child dawdled and took his time getting ready before setting off, and Si Mancheng followed along.
Upon arriving at the arcade, Si Xiaotie hurriedly led his brother to their destination, Lin Ke followed, and Si Yuming went to exchange for game tokens.
This wasn't Si Xiaotie's first time back. Her purpose was very clear. As soon as she arrived, she picked up the sledgehammer and waited anxiously at the coin-operated area, looking in the direction her father was about to come from.
After waiting for a while, Dad finally arrived, inserted a coin, and the mole castle started singing and glowing, and then one by one, the moles popped out.
Si Xiaotie and Si Mancheng stood on opposite sides. Si Xiaotie looked serious as she swiftly struck the groundhog with a hammer. The reward sound from the machine made her even more excited, and she struck harder with her little hand.
"Yay, I got it!"
"Hehe, little mouse, you can't escape."
"Brother, quick, that one."
"Ahhh, I hit it again!"
The children were having a great time, and Lin Ke was enjoying watching them, her eyes following the little girl's every move.
Si Yuming stood quietly behind him.
After the initial excitement of playing with the tricycle hammer wore off, Xiao Tie put it down and hugged his mother's leg, probably still having about 80% of his energy left. "Mom, let's go ride the go-karts!"
"good."
The go-karts weren't in the arcade; they were on the other side of the same floor, where the two adults and two children had moved.
Upon arriving at the front desk, I was surprised to see Lin Jiayan with a young girl.
It had been almost half a year since they last met, and Lin Ke was almost afraid to recognize him at first glance.
He's matured a bit, and maybe there are girls around. He's also dressed neatly and handsomely.
Lin Jiayan was also surprised to see them. After a moment of stunned silence, he reached out to pat Si Xiaotie's head.
Si Xiaotie hid behind his mother.
Lin Jiayan's hand hovered in the air for a few seconds before he pulled it back and looked up to introduce, "Sister, brother-in-law, this is my girlfriend."
The girl was equally surprised and smiled as a greeting.
The situation was a bit awkward. Just then, the receptionist told them that they had already paid and to go inside. Si Yuming went up to get the receipt.
Once inside, Lin Jiayan didn't go out to play; it was as if he was waiting there.
Lin Ke glanced at Si Yuming, who nodded and led the two children to get their helmets and car.
After the children had walked away, she turned back and smiled slightly: "Jiayan, how's things at home lately?"
She almost stopped contacting Lin Qiliang, and the siblings' social media posts became less and less frequent. The few occasional landscape photos only revealed that Lin Jialang was still abroad, and Zhu Li was always with her.
Lin Jiayan's face was devoid of a smile. "It's not good. My sister hasn't gotten over it yet. She and my mother have been spending a lot of money outside, and my father's company isn't doing well either. He's aged several years in the past few months. I wanted to go see my brother-in-law, but Dad wouldn't let me. He said he couldn't trouble my brother-in-law any further."
Lin Ke was surprised to hear such news and remained silent.
Lin Jiayan's voice was deep, no longer that of the boy who only played games. "Sis, if you have time, you can go back and see Dad. He has apologized to you several times when he was drunk."
Lin Ke pursed her lips and said, "I can go back. You should also tell Dad to take care of himself."
Lin Jiayan's girlfriend came back after walking around by herself. He didn't say anything more and went to accompany his girlfriend.
Lin Ke walked over to the children who were preparing to leave.
Although Si Xiaotie and Si Mancheng already have a lot of experience with bumper cars, they are still young, so Si Yuming hired a coach for each of them.
Si Yuming fastened his daughter's seatbelt one last time and gave the excited little girl a high five: "Let's go!"
"Set off!"
The go-kart sped away with a "whoosh".
The car disappeared around the corner, and Lin Ke looked at the man next to her: "Why don't you get in and keep Xiao Tie company?"
Si Yuming also looked away and asked her, "What did you say?"
"He didn't say anything."
Si Yuming didn't believe it, but he was already here to talk about it. "Your dad's company has too many problems and is currently undergoing rectification. Otherwise, it will not only go bankrupt. Don't worry too much about Lin Jialang either. I have a few friends watching over her. The girl may be a little depressed, but the symptoms are not too serious yet."
Lin Ke was taken aback by his actions and was momentarily speechless, stammering, "You..."
Si Yuming put his arm around her shoulder and said in a low voice, "Your father is still the father who gave you life and raised you. No matter how hard you try to cut ties, you can't. Also, if something happens to Lin Jialang, you'll be the first to feel bad. They might even cause trouble for us. I don't care if they're doing well or not. I just hope they won't bother you anymore."
A few minutes ago, when she heard Lin Jiayan say those things, her heart was indeed in turmoil. Lin Qiliang was secondary; the important thing was Lin Jialang. She was really afraid that she would do something foolish in a moment of impulsiveness. Although it would have nothing to do with her if she did, she couldn't stay out of it. She had agreed not to interfere, but she still said a few words out of selfishness.
Si Yuming lowered his head, touched her face, and said softly, "Don't overthink it, I won't let anything happen to them."
Lin Ke forced a smile and hugged him back, "Thank you."
Si Xiaotie had just finished a round and shouted as he passed by, "Mom! I'm flying!" Then he zoomed away again.
Si Yuming patted her shoulder, "Let's go, let's go have some fun too."
Lin Ke composed herself, turned around, and saw that two sets of adult protective gear and helmets had been prepared in advance. She glanced at them and smiled, "You were prepared all along."
The man shrugged and smiled naturally: "I originally wanted you to accompany Xiao Tie and I to accompany Manman, but it's all Lin Jiayan's fault, isn't it?"
"......"
Lin Ke pushed the person aside and went to put on her helmet and protective gear.
A staff member drove up in a car, and she sat in the front, while Si Yuming sat in the back.
He fastened his seatbelt and gripped the door handle: "Ready?"
"Ready."
"Set off."
As soon as she finished speaking, a gust of wind rushed past Lin Ke's ear, and her body was thrown backward rapidly due to inertia. She screamed in fright, "Ahhh..."
"Si Yuming!!"
Slow down!
"This is a go-kart, not a race car!"
"Ahhh!"
Soon, they caught up with the little girl who seemed to be "slowing down".
Si Xiaotie's eyes widened as he watched his parents rush past him.
Three seconds later, he realized what was happening and shouted, "Uncle, hurry, I need to catch up with my mom and dad!"
"No, you're still a child. It's dangerous to drive too fast."
"......"
The child watched the two adults turn corner after corner, and his little face scrunched up: Humph, you stinky dad, you brought mom but not Xiao Tie.
After a few laps, Lin Ke gradually got hooked, her adrenaline soaring. When it was her turn to drive, she naturally didn't dare to go too fast, but she could still feel the thrill of speed by gradually accelerating within a controllable range.
On the second lap, the man behind her suddenly leaned forward and kissed her cheek.
She was startled and bumped into the rubber tire next to her, forcing the car to stop.
Si Xiaotie happened to be passing by and finally got to be proud: "Yay, I caught up with Mom and Dad!"
After playing for more than an hour, both adults and children were tired. After leaving the go-kart track, Si Xiaotie kept saying he was hungry.
It's almost noon, time for lunch.
We chose a Western restaurant in the mall, and the two children ordered their own food after we sat down.
Si Xiaotie: "I want to eat a big steak."
Si Mancheng: "Uncle, I want to eat steak too."
Si Xiaotie: "I want to eat cake too."
Si Yuming: "No problem."
Si Xiaotie: "I want to eat pizza too!"
Si Mancheng tugged at her: "Xiao Tie, you can't eat this much."
Si Xiaotie pouted: "But I want to eat it."
Si Yuming: "No."
Si Xiaotie: Hmph, I hate Dad.
Lin Ke: "Eat half a steak, then a slice of pizza."
Si Xiaotie smiled, his eyes narrowing into slits: "Mmm! I like Mommy~"
Lin Ke poured two glasses of lemonade, and the two children each held one and gulped it down.
After waiting a while, the food arrived. Si Xiaotie was really hungry, so he stuffed his mouth full of food and stopped talking.
After eating for a while, she seemed to see something, put down her children's knife and fork, her face instantly turning red. The next second, she jumped off the chair, leaned against her mother, buried her face in her shoulder, and shyly whispered, "Mommy, I don't want to eat anymore..."
Why?
Lin Ke followed her gaze and saw a mother and a boy eating at the table opposite her. The little boy was fair-skinned and looked quite handsome.
She thought for a moment and then remembered that this seemed to be her classmate.
So is this little girl shy or is the class monitor's pride getting in the way?
Lin Ke and Si Yuming exchanged glances, and the man also turned around and looked back, then his expression darkened.
After coaxing her for a while, Lin Ke held her while she ate.
When we finished eating, we passed by the boy's table. The boy's mother recognized Si Xiaotie first and greeted him warmly, "Oh, isn't this our little class monitor?"
The little boy waved politely and said, "Hello, Xiao Tie."
The girl, who usually has a loud voice, clung tightly to her mother today, speaking in a barely audible voice, "Hello."
Lin Ke looked down and found it somewhat amusing. Could this four-and-a-half-year-old girl really be shy?
She exchanged a few pleasantries with the other party and then left with them.
After getting home, Lin Ke took a shower and prepared for bed. She pulled the little girl into her arms and planned to have a chat with her.
"Baby, is the child you saw at dinner today your good friend?"
Upon hearing this, Si Xiaotie blushed again and buried her face in her mother's chest, "No..."
"Is Xiao Tie afraid of him?"
"No."
What's his name?
"Lu Chengyu".
Lin Ke continued, "What kind of child is Cheng Luyu?"
Si Xiaotie thought for a moment, then looked up with bright eyes, "Cheng Luyu is incredibly smart. He can do everything, and he speaks English better than me. He can even make little robots. He's the best kid in our class!"
Lin Ke understood a little bit, and with a gentle smile in her eyes, she said to her, "It sounds like little Cheng Luyu is really great. Little Tie wants to be just as great, right?"
"Yes!" The little girl sat up, spread her arms wide, and described it with an exaggerated expression, "The robot that Lu Chengyu made is so big, and that robot can sing and dance, it's super amazing!"
Lin Ke suddenly remembered, "Your dad's company also has robots like that."
Si Xiaotie's eyes lit up again, and he shouted outside, "Dad!"
Neither door was closed. Si Yuming heard this and came over. "What's wrong?"
"Mom said your company has super powerful robots, right? I want to see them."
Si Yuming glanced at the woman on the bed, then came to the bedside. "Yes, then Dad will show you what's on my phone first, and then I'll take you to the company to see it tomorrow, okay?"
"Um!"
Si Xiaotie shifted his little bottom to make room for his father, Lin Ke also moved back, and Si Yuming sat down.
The family of three nestled together on a 1.5-meter pink princess bed. The little girl, who was originally lying in her mother's arms, was now clinging tightly to her father's hand, wanting to see the robot.
Si Yuming showed her the files on his phone, explaining them as he looked at them. Si Xiaotie had a lot of questions, one after another.
The father and daughter's conversation rose and fell in hushed tones. As Lin Ke listened, he gradually grew sleepy and leaned against his daughter, closing his eyes.
Ten minutes later, Si Yuming glanced to the side.
The woman was reclining, her eyebrows and eyes relaxed, and one side of her face revealed a chubby, round face like a girl's, with the light from above casting a hazy glow on her.
He gestured to the little girl who was still engrossed in the robot world. Si Xiaotie looked over, then turned back, put his little finger to his lips, and said in an exaggerated whisper, "Mommy is asleep."
"Yes, shall we go to sleep?"
"Okay, time to sleep!"
Si Yuming turned off the light, covered his obedient daughter with the blanket, and then lay down himself.
The room was heated by the constant temperature, and the little girl's favorite nightlight illuminated a corner of the ceiling like a romantic little galaxy.
Lele, who was sleeping in the cat's bed at the foot of the bed, stretched comfortably.
Si Xiaotie hugged his mother, turned back and whispered, "Goodnight, Dad."
Goodnight, baby.
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Author's Note: My darlings, we're entering the final stages! The last few chapters will be more slice-of-life~
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