Chapter 46 "I love you".
Early on a weekend morning, one adult and two children set off for the mountain closest to the north of the city. The mountain is not high and has been developed to some extent, making it suitable for taking children hiking.
The autumn weather was sunny, and it was the weekend, so there were more people than I expected.
With his small water bottle strapped to his chest, Si Xiaotie was full of energy. "Brother, hurry!"
Si Mancheng followed closely, "Xiao Tie, slow down, or you won't have any strength left."
"I have strength!"
Si Yuming, carrying a backpack full of water, snacks, tissues, and medicine, lagged behind the two children and walked slowly.
The trees on both sides of the path are turning yellow, the sky is blue and the clouds are white, and the autumn atmosphere is deep.
He recalled his first trip with his mother and daughter during last year's National Day holiday; in the blink of an eye, a year had passed.
Si Yuming took a picture of the whole area with his phone and sent it to the child's mother.
"Dad, hurry!"
"They're here."
Si Xiaotie is a very energetic little girl. She can walk and run for a while without getting tired, but her brother isn't as energetic, so she has to stop and wait. While waiting, she drinks a lot of water, and after she finishes drinking, she says to her dad, "Dad, take a picture of me so I can send it to Mom!"
"good."
Si Yuming took two photos and sent them to Lin Ke.
Then he took out a tissue to wipe her sweat. The little girl leaned against his leg, obediently stretched her head over, tilted her face up, and after wiping her face, she brought her neck to his side.
"Alright, come here, Manman."
The little boy, panting heavily, approached. Si Yuming gave him a fresh tissue to wipe his mouth, saying, "Let's rest a bit more, and don't walk so fast later."
Si Mancheng, hands on her hips, looked a little embarrassed. "It's Xiao Tie Kuai..."
Si Yuming smiled and turned to give his daughter some instructions.
The resting place was a small pavilion, where a five or six-year-old girl sat down next to it, holding a volcanic rock sausage in her hand, which smelled delicious.
A little girl's stomach growled twice, and her gaze involuntarily fell on the grilled sausage in the other person's hand.
After looking at him for a few seconds, she turned back and stared longingly at her father.
Si Yuming took out two bills from his bag and gave them to her, "Go buy one with your brother, one for each of you."
"Um!"
The convenience store was right next to the kiosk. Si Xiaotie ran over with her money in her little hands. The counter, which was full of snacks, drinks, and a sausage grill, was too high for her to reach even when she stood on tiptoe. So she shouted, "Auntie, I want a sausage!"
The staff member leaned out and saw the little one. Upon seeing such a tiny baby, a smile immediately spread across their face. "Baby, do you want some sausages? How many do you want?"
Si Xiaotie held up two fingers, "Two fingers, one for me and one for my brother."
Do you have money?
"Yes, I do." Si Xiaotie held up his hand holding the money. "Hey, Auntie, is this enough?"
"That's enough, Auntie will get it for you right away."
"Yes, thank you, Auntie."
The older brother had already come up behind the little girl, and the staff had strung them together, one for each of the two children.
Si Xiaotie ran back to the pavilion excitedly, his voice carrying even faster, "Dad, I bought it!"
"good."
"Dad, do you want some?"
"I won't eat it, Xiao Tie will."
"Um."
Si Xiaotie sat on the stone bench, swinging his little legs back and forth, and took his first bite.
Soon, the little man, who was eating volcanic rock sausage for the first time, widened his eyes in surprise.
It's so delicious!
She had never eaten such delicious grilled sausage before!
Si Xiaotie said urgently, "Dad, I need to call Mom!"
"?"
"Hurry up, hurry up!"
It was daytime for Lin Ke at this time. Si Yuming dialed the number, and it rang twice before being answered.
The little girl held a sausage in one hand and her father's phone in the other, eagerly sharing, "Mommy, I ate a super delicious sausage! It was crispy, fragrant, and tender!"
Lin Ke, who hadn't expected the call to be about sausages, smiled and said, "Really? Let Mom see."
Switching from a voice call to a video call, Lin Ke saw the little girl's excited face as she held up the sausage, and her expression also became animated, "Wow, it looks so delicious!"
"Super delicious!"
Lin Ke looked at her closely and asked, "Did the baby put on sunscreen?"
Si Xiaotie turned his head, "Dad, did the baby put on sunscreen?"
Si Yuming: "Apply it."
Si Xiaotie turned back again, "Apply it!"
"Remember to drink plenty of water and don't run too fast."
"Mmm!" Si Xiaotie held up the water bottle in front of his chest with the hand holding the grilled sausage. "Mom, I'm drinking so much water!"
"good."
After a few words, the girl savored each bite of the grilled sausage, then, full of energy again, exclaimed, "Let's go!"
We walked and stopped for more than an hour before finally reaching the top of the mountain.
The mountain offered a different view. Si Xiaotie and his brother ran around for a while, and when they got tired, they lay down on the grass, blinking their big eyes at the blue sky and white clouds.
"Brother, so many cotton candies."
"Um."
"Huff~ Huff~"
Si Mancheng glanced at him sideways, "Xiao Tie, what are you doing?"
"Phew~ I'm going to blow cotton candy over our heads so we won't get sunburned!"
The little boy smiled and started blowing along with her.
Si Yuming sat down next to Lin Ke, took two photos and sent them to her, then took out oranges from his bag and peeled them for them.
The two children ate oranges while blowing clouds.
The breeze at the mountaintop was pleasant; although the sun was out, it wasn't too hot—just right.
About ten minutes later, Si Mancheng tugged at his sleeve and whispered, "Uncle, my sister is asleep."
Si Yuming looked over and saw the little girl, who had been excited all the way, lying flat and fast asleep, her hands tightly clutching the water bottle to her chest, her face as red as a big apple after exercising.
He couldn't stop laughing, straightened his backpack, put it on, and then went to hug his daughter.
Si Xiaotie nestled softly in his arms, resting her little head on his shoulder, smacked her lips, and continued to sleep comfortably.
Si Yuming reached out and took Si Mancheng's hand. "Let's go home."
......
When a colleague was sent abroad, Lin Ke's opportunity arrived.
Next week, a high-ranking official from the Ministry of Commerce will visit. She will be meeting with the other party's top officials, and Yun Zheng asked her to attend.
This year's meeting is different from last year's. Last year's meeting was filled with economic leaders from various countries, but the speeches by senior officials were important but few, and the focus was more on friendly exchanges.
During this two-day visit, Gao Bu was the key figure, and the discussions were rigorous and formal, so Lin Ke dared not slack off.
After taking on the task, she no longer had time to cook for herself or exercise. She spent every day at the embassy and wouldn't leave work until 10 p.m.
Lin Ke had told Si Yuming about this, and she reduced the time she spent talking to Si Xiaotie every day, but she would always receive a message after get off work in the evening asking if he had finished get off work and if he had eaten. Lin Ke would give him brief replies.
It was 10 PM in Moscow, which was already 2 or 3 AM back home. That day, she sent another message: "Go to sleep early, you don't need to wait for me to get off work."
Si Yuming: [It's okay.]
"It's okay," Lin Ke typed: "[Okay, I'll text you after I get off work, so you'll see it when you wake up in the morning.]"
He stopped replying, and the next evening he switched from text messages to phone calls.
The embassy is about 600 or 700 meters from the dormitory; you have to walk along the Moscow River for a while.
The September evenings were already chilly. Lin Ke took out her earphones from her bag, put them on, wrapped her trench coat tighter around herself, and answered the call.
"Hello?"
The voice on the other end of the phone was gentle: "Off work?"
"Okay, let's walk home now."
"I'll buy you a car."
Lin Ke laughed: "It's only a ten-minute walk."
He had a good reason: "When the weather gets colder, the snow in Moscow is just as heavy as in China, and 10 pm is too late, it's not safe."
"This is all embassy area..."
"Lin Ke".
The woman laughed again: "Alright then, you buy it. It'll be more convenient to go anywhere with a car."
"Okay, I'll send it to you in a couple of days."
How is the baby?
The man said in detail, "Last weekend, the kindergarten went on an autumn outing. The class monitor had a lot to do and was very busy. There will be a parent-child sports meet in October. She signed up for rope skipping and running, and now she drags her brother to practice every day when she gets home."
As Lin Ke listened, her eyes gradually welled up with tears, and she said what was on her mind, "I haven't been able to participate in her growth."
"I'll film you."
"This is different..."
He comforted her, saying, "In Xiaotie's world, her mother is not absent; her mother is her pride."
Lin Ke smiled again, feeling a little more relaxed. "Si Yuming, how come I never realized you were so good with words?"
Si Yuming couldn't answer that question. They had indeed communicated too little before, and their mutual respect was merely that of husband and wife.
She's right; he didn't fulfill his role as a "lover" properly.
After a moment, a slight smile appeared on the man's lips. "What do you want to hear? I'll tell you."
Lin Ke had already reached the bottom of the apartment building. She subconsciously reached for her keys to open the door, but stopped abruptly. She turned around and stood there at the door, gazing at the quietly flowing river in the distance. The streetlights and stars were reflected on the water, like a galaxy within reach.
The call continued, and Lin Ke answered softly, "I'll listen to whatever you say."
"You are also my pride."
The phone suddenly went silent, but our heartbeats pounded loudly.
"Anything else?"
"I love you."
The moon climbed out from behind the clouds, veiled in a light gauze, its silvery light spilling onto the ground, making the stars appear dim.
......
At 3 PM local time, the third preparatory meeting for the new company was about to begin.
Entropy Domain has a wide range of investments, including in the medical and technology sectors, but it does not have its own subsidiaries. The establishment of this new company is intended to make it the one who cuts the cake, rather than the one who takes a second-hand slice.
Xu Lin came in and reminded him, "President Si, President Yun and the board of directors have arrived."
The man at the desk glanced down at his watch and said calmly, "Wait a few more minutes."
Xu Lin thought he had something else to say, and was about to reply when he saw the boss pick up the remote and turn on the TV in the reception area.
I switched to the news channel a few times, and the screen was reporting on an economic meeting between China and Russia.
Xu Lin was initially puzzled as to why he was watching the news at this hour, but when he saw the person sitting behind a certain leader, he understood everything.
Mrs.
The lady was dressed in a smart suit, the gentle apricot color gleaming non-aggressively under the light, with a small feather brooch pinned to the lapel of her coat.
Her hair was tied into a low bun at the back of her head without a single stray hair, and two small pearls on her earlobes swayed gently as she tilted her head to look at the documents.
Xu Lin took another look at the headline and the solemnity of the meeting room, and he gasped in shock.
I knew about my wife's profession and that she was stationed abroad, but seeing her on TV now was truly shocking.
He never imagined he would be asked to translate for an important leader in such a solemn occasion.
It wasn't a live broadcast, and the news clips only showed the wife for a short time; the report ended two minutes later.
Si Yuming turned off the TV.
"Let's go."
The meeting lasted until six o'clock, and I got home just in time for dinner.
Si Xiaotie wasn't in a hurry to eat; she eagerly showed her father her training results, "Dad, I can jump 20 times today!"
After saying that, he grabbed the rope with both hands and started hopping and skipping, counting as he jumped farther and farther. Finally, when he reached the gate, his short legs tripped him. He turned around and smiled, "Dad, wasn't I great!"
“Absolutely fantastic.”
"Hehe." Si Xiaotie put the rope down, bent down to hug Lele, and happily spun around. "Time to eat~"
But before dinner, the girl remembered, "Dad, cell phone, I want to call Mom."
"I'm not playing today, Mom's busy."
"What is Mom busy with?"
Si Yuming found her a video. The little girl held the phone in both hands, and her eyes lit up when she saw her mother. "It's Mommy!"
The man slightly raised the corners of his lips. "Mm."
Si Xiaotie hadn't even finished reading it himself before showing it to Si Yun next to him, "Auntie, look, it's my mom!"
Si Yun glanced at the screen, then looked away after a few seconds. "I saw it."
"Auntie, isn't my mom amazing!"
Si Yun patted her happy little head and couldn't help but smile as well, "Yes, it's super awesome."
The meeting was going to last two days, and Si Xiaotie didn't get a chance to talk to her mother before going to bed on the second night. But her father told her that if she slept well, she could call her mother when she woke up, so she went to bed early, pulled the covers up herself, and said, "Goodnight, Daddy~"
"Aren't you going to hear the story anymore?"
"I'm not listening anymore. I want to go to bed early and wake up early so I can call my mom."
However, Si Yuming waited until she fell asleep before leaving.
Go back to my room to shower, then work overtime.
At 11:30, I received a reply on my phone saying that it was over and I had just arrived home.
He made a video call, and when the call connected, the woman was lying on the sofa, exhausted. She glanced at the screen and put her phone on the table.
"Si Yuming, I'm so tired..."
Have you eaten?
"Not yet, I just saw my boss off."
After a moment of silence on the phone, Si Yuming said again, "Take a break."
"Um."
The video was on, and the person on the sofa gradually evened out their breathing, as if they were asleep.
Si Yuming originally wanted to use the computer for a while, but upon hearing the rising and falling breathing sounds, he stopped moving.
About twenty minutes later, Lin Ke's doorbell rang. She wasn't sound asleep, so she got up to open the door.
A little over half a minute later, she came back carrying a takeout bag, picked up her phone and asked him, "Did you order takeout?"
"Yes, I found the phone number of that restaurant you mentioned last time that was good."
"That restaurant doesn't offer delivery, right?" She quickly realized and retorted, "Why spend that money? I can just have a bowl of noodles."
Isn't the money earned meant for them, mother and daughter? Si Yuming only said, "Eat something first, then take a shower and go to sleep."
"Okay, thanks."
Lin Ke came to the dining table, propped her phone up against her bowl, and opened the takeout box to eat.
Si Yuming glanced at it a few times before starting to work again.
After finishing my meal, I went to take a shower, and the video call never ended.
After showering and drying her hair, Lin Ke was truly exhausted. As she lay down in bed, she sighed, "So comfortable~"
She plugged in her phone, which was running low on battery, and moved closer to the bedside table, lying on her side facing the camera.
The man on the screen is working, staring intently at the computer screen. A small shadow is cast on the bridge of his nose by the sidelight, his jawline is taut, and his Adam's apple occasionally moves up and down, making him very sexy.
Lin Ke stared at it for a while.
Suddenly at one moment, she called out, "Husband."
The man heard it, but seemed not to have heard it clearly. He stopped typing and slowly turned around. "What?"
Lin Ke rarely calls him "husband," or rather, this is the first time she has called him that. Outsiders may think this term is ordinary, but she feels it is a very intimate and ambiguous word.
So it wasn't a habit to shout, and now her face started to turn red, and her body, which had just finished showering, started to feel hot again.
She avoided eye contact and continued speaking hastily, with a hint of undetectable panic in her voice, "Have you been busy lately?"
Busy, new company, new projects, and tedious daily operations, there aren't enough hours in a day.
"not busy."
"Then bring Xiao Tie to see me next weekend, okay?"
The man frowned, his eyes narrowed, and after five or six seconds asked, "Is it alright if I don't bring Xiao Tie?"
Lin Ke chuckled: "No way!"
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Author's Note: Little Iron: Humph, you stinky dad!
Good morning~ Little red envelope~
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