Chapter 16 Cheating
For several days in a row, Si Yuming picked up his daughter from school at 4:30 pm every day, then went grocery shopping and cooked, which shocked and puzzled people.
Left with no other option, Lin Ke asked Shen Wan, "Has the company had no business lately?"
"Yes, of course we are. Apart from the Russian project we are working on, other departments and branches are also extremely busy."
How come he has so much free time? Lin Ke even considered the worst-case scenario: what if he was diagnosed with cancer and didn't have long to live, and he wanted to compensate his daughter...?
"Mr. Shen, does our company provide annual physical examinations?"
"Yes, I get a physical exam every year, why?"
"No, it's nothing." Lin Ke smiled, realizing she was overthinking things.
Si Yuming doesn't have much free time. His daytime work is always packed with tasks. But when he stands outside the kindergarten and watches his daughter run towards him, when he sees her eating the food he made and can't help but show a surprised little expression on her face, and when he goes home to tidy up the small apartment of about 100 square meters that Lin Ke has decorated bit by bit, he realizes how much he has wronged the mother and daughter.
The couple, who had also left work early that day, happened to meet in the elevator.
Xu Lin was also there.
But this time, the two didn't try to hide their conversation.
Si Yuming: "Where to?"
Lin Ke: "The hospital removed the cast."
Si Yuming: "Do you want me to come with you?"
Lin Ke: "No need, I've called a car, the cast will be removed quickly."
Si Yuming: "Call me if you need anything."
Lin Ke: "Okay."
Xu Lin dared not breathe. Finally, the elevator opened on a certain floor, and someone came in. He breathed a sigh of relief.
Lin Ke took the elevator down on the first floor, got into a car, and went to the hospital.
After the cast was removed, the doctor said the recovery was going well and advised her to avoid lifting heavy objects. He also prescribed some medication.
Lin Ke paid the money and went to queue up to pick up the medicine.
The hospital was always overcrowded. The form showed that there were seven or eight people ahead of her. She sat down in the pharmacy lobby, intending to use her spare time to do a few math problems.
I had just finished two dishes when I heard a familiar voice behind me.
She turned around and saw Si Yun's husband, Qin Ru, with a young woman in her twenties beside him. At that moment, Qin Ru was affectionately comforting the woman with his arm around her shoulder.
Lin Ke was shocked and quickly covered her face with the sheet.
Qin Ru's family was not as well-off as the Si family, but Qin Ru was not a son-in-law who married into the family; Qin Mancheng took her father's surname.
She had heard a few things, that Si Yun and Qin Ru were college classmates, fell in love on campus, and got married.
When the old man was still alive, Lin Ke lived in the old house, as did Si Yun and her husband. They had a lot of social interactions back then. Qin Ru gave her the impression that he lived up to his name, with a scholarly air and a gentle personality.
Qin Ru usually takes great care of Si Yun. If he has time in the morning, he will personally make breakfast for Si Yun, and he will also stew bird's nest for her in the evening. The couple are always together and almost never quarrel. Everyone says they are a model couple in the wealthy circle.
What now?
Lin Ke was incredulous. She quietly moved the list aside to take another look and confirmed that it was indeed Qin Ru.
A storm raged in her heart, and she still couldn't believe it.
Is she a younger sister? But I've never heard of Qin Ru having a younger sister.
Oh my god...
She picked up her phone but didn't know what to do, feeling rather helpless.
In the chaos, Qin Ru led the girl to the window to get the medicine. Lin Ke turned away, but when she looked back, the man and woman had already taken the medicine and left.
When her name was called over the loudspeaker, she calmed herself down, took the medicine, and went home.
When Lin Ke arrived home, Si Yuming was still cooking. She played with her daughter for a while, and only after he finished eating and tidied up did she call him into the bedroom.
When Si Yuming saw that her delicate eyebrows were furrowed, he asked what was wrong. Lin Ke opened her mouth, hesitating whether to tell him or not, but finally said, "I saw my brother-in-law with a girl at the hospital today."
As soon as he finished speaking, the man's face darkened.
Si's parents passed away early, and the siblings have supported each other all this time, so their bond is naturally very strong.
She understood how he felt after finding out about this, and asked gently, "Does your brother-in-law have a younger sister?"
"No."
"Well..." Lin Ke said cautiously, "I think I didn't misjudge, but I don't know exactly what happened. Maybe there was some misunderstanding."
Si Yuming remained silent for a long time before finally saying softly, "I understand."
He went to the balcony and made a phone call, presumably to Si Yun. His tone was gentle, and after hanging up, he dialed a new number.
Lin Ke took Si Xiaotie to take a bath, and the little girl vaguely sensed that something was wrong at home. She stopped playing in the water and asked, "Mommy, is Daddy unhappy?"
"Yes, Dad ran into a little trouble, but he'll be fine once he takes care of it."
"Okay, Mom, I'm not happy today either." The little girl naturally shared her feelings with her mother.
Lin Ke was surprised and quickly tried to find out what had happened.
Si Xiaotie pouted and said sadly, "Yuanyuan's mother wants to help Yuanyuan transfer schools. Tomorrow is Yuanyuan's last day of kindergarten."
This was indeed a sad thing. Lin Ke asked first, "Which kindergarten will Yuanyuan transfer to?"
"I don't know, I don't understand."
Lin Ke comforted her, "It's okay, baby. Even though Yuanyuan is transferring schools, you can still be good friends with her. Mommy will ask Yuanyuan's mommy where she's transferring to, and we'll go visit her when we have time."
Si Xiaotie's eyes lit up. "Really?"
"Of course, how about we pick out a gift for Yuanyuan after we take a shower?"
"Um!"
Si Xiaotie couldn't wait to take a shower, then went to find a gift among her pile of toys and dolls, carefully put it in her schoolbag, so she wouldn't forget it tomorrow.
Around nine o'clock, Lin Ke coaxed the person to sleep and went back to their room.
Si Yuming was still outside making a phone call; she took a shower first.
At eleven o'clock, he finally finished getting ready and lay down beside her. Lin Ke put down her book and asked, "How did it go?"
The man's voice sounded tired. "We're still investigating, but it's likely his student."
Qin Ru works at a local university as an associate professor, supervising graduate students.
Lin Ke felt a little helpless upon hearing this.
Qin Ru was only in his early thirties, and he was able to be hired as an associate professor thanks to Si Yun's help. It was said that the old professor who recommended him had a very close relationship with the old man.
"Does your sister know?"
"I'm not sure. I just probed, and she might not know about this."
"Sigh," Lin Ke sighed, "What can we do then?"
Si Yuming lowered his eyes to look at the woman with a worried expression. After a long while, he chuckled softly, "Don't you and Si Yun have a bad relationship? Are you worried about her?"
"It's different." After saying that, Lin Ke realized her surprise and looked up at him, "How do you know we don't get along?"
Si Yuming laughed again. He wasn't stupid; he could tell how his wife and sister got along.
It's obvious to everyone that Si Yun dislikes the Lin family. She's straightforward and her emotions are always on display. Plus, Lin Ke is timid and doesn't associate with Si Yun's circle, so the two naturally can't talk to each other.
There weren't any major conflicts, and they could manage to get by living together, but there was no need to force it.
After the old man passed away, he decided to move out to give both of them their own space.
She didn't say anything on the day she moved, but she seemed happy, with a relaxed expression on her face from time to time.
Lin Ke was a little embarrassed, "It's not bad..."
Si Yuming looked into the woman's evasive eyes, shifted slightly to pull her into his arms, and said softly, "It doesn't matter whether she's good or bad, you don't have to live with her anyway."
"But I and you..." Lin Ke blurted out, then stopped halfway through.
After a short while, the man asked, seemingly jokingly, "So, are we on good terms?"
"...Let it be." Lin Ke said hastily, changing the subject, "Should we tell my sister?"
"It depends."
"Um."
Si Yun and Qin Ru are different from them. Their father cheated on them, and it was a father they greatly admired who cheated on them. This was a big blow to Qin Mancheng, and this matter needs to be handled properly.
The atmosphere in the bedroom was somber, and Lin Ke felt a sense of gloom in her heart.
First there was Zhang Man, now it's Si Yun, and then there's herself—marriage is so difficult for everyone. The most ordinary blessings of mutual love and growing old together are the hardest to achieve.
Lin Ke glanced up again, a strange feeling washing over her.
It's hard to believe, but they rarely have such quiet conversations. In the past, they would only talk about Si Xiaotie and their own schedules, never touching on these topics.
But upon further reflection, a wave of sadness washed over me.
Who's like them?
"Wife."
He suddenly whispered, startling Lin Ke, who quickly closed her eyes.
She used to call him that only in front of strangers, but now, in the quiet space where they were embracing, that sound made her heart race for a moment.
He always loved to hold her while she slept. At first, she wondered what it meant, but later she realized it was just a habit. She gradually got used to this habit and could always sleep well by listening to his breathing.
What a strange marital relationship! They can be physically close without any restrictions, but their hearts just can't get close. What went wrong?
"What are you thinking about?"
"It's nothing..." Lin Ke came back to her senses. "Si Yuming, can I ask you a question?"
"ask."
The woman who had asked the question paused for a moment before softly asking, "Would you cheat on me?"
He answered quickly, as if he didn't need time to think, "No."
Lin Ke fell silent.
In the dim light, the man lowered his head and kissed her, gently lifting her chin with his hand, his rough fingertips caressing her cheek skin.
Lin Ke let out a soft moan, and he took the opportunity to slip his lips and tongue inside her, while his hands on her waist tightened their grip.
Their breathing rhythm was disrupted, and someone's heavy breathing could be heard.
Tender and lingering.
......
Because of Qin Ru's infidelity, the couple decided to go back to their old house for dinner the next day. Si Yuming went to pick up Si Xiaotie in advance, and Lin Ke went there after getting off work on time.
As soon as he picked her up, Si Yuming noticed that his daughter was in a different mood; her little face was sad and her eyes were full of unhappiness.
He squatted down and asked what was wrong. Si Xiaotie immediately shed a tear, “Waaah, Daddy, Yuanyuan is transferring schools. Mommy said I can go visit her later, but I’m still so sad. I can’t bear to part with Yuanyuan.”
Si Yuming knew that she had two good friends: one was Gu Yiyi, a chubby girl who was a bit introverted and shy, and the other was Yuanyuan, a girl who had difficulty speaking. He was very surprised when he heard about the existence of these two children. Si Xiaotie was just a little flame, and she actually made two introverted friends who didn't like to talk.
Then I thought, not everyone can withstand such a small flame. You need a lot of patience to be friends with Si Xiaotie.
He gently wiped away the small tears on her face. "Has Yuanyuan left?"
"Not yet, her mother hasn't arrived yet."
"Then go give her a big hug and tell her you'll miss her and that you really like her."
"Um!"
The little girl with short legs immediately ran back, and soon after, a thin little girl was pushed back two steps by a big hug in the kindergarten square.
Si Xiaotie hugged her tightly, speaking forcefully: "Yuanyuan, I can't bear to part with you. I love you. Remember to miss me. If you miss me, call my mom. My mom's number is 13XXXX. Remember that!"
Yuanyuan froze, then slowly stammered, "Xiao Tie... I..."
“You can call my dad too.” The girl turned around and shouted, “Dad, what’s your phone number?!”
Si Yuming smiled and gave his number. The girl repeated it, then let go of him and looked at the quiet little girl in front of him with a pitiful expression, "Yuanyuan, you must miss me."
Yuan Yuan nodded emphatically, this time uttering a very clear "Mmm!"
Finally, they parted ways. On the way to the old house, the little girl was still sullen. Si Yuming thought of taking her to the mall amusement park, but before he could speak, his phone rang.
His assistant or colleagues usually don't call his personal number unless it's something important, so he answers.
Xu Lin's tone was urgent but cautious: "President Si, there's been a problem with the suburban retirement community project, and we need you to come back to handle it. Are you available now?"
Si Yuming glanced at his daughter, who was clutching the dinosaur's head and missing her best friend, and after a moment, nodded: "Convenient."
After the call ended, Si Yuming asked the little girl, "Xiao Tie, Daddy has some work to do and needs to go back to the company. Do you want to come with me? Then you can go to your brother's house with Mommy."
Si Xiaotie wasn't too happy and casually replied, "Okay."
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Author's Note: Important announcement in case you're disappointed: the next chapter's synopsis isn't out yet, but it will be next time! See you tomorrow morning at 8:30!
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