Chapter 52 "Si Yuming, I hate you so much..."
There was no gathering, but Sister Zhang mentioned a newly opened Sichuan restaurant in the city center, saying that the online reviews were good. Lin Ke had been eating very bland food these past few days because she was sick, and wanted to change things up. So, after a brief discussion, the three of them from the office went out together.
Without friends or family, life abroad is simple and monotonous, so exploring restaurants and enjoying some good food is a good way to pass the time.
The restaurant owner is Chinese. After seeing the Asian faces, he tentatively asked a question and then spoke entirely in Chinese. After taking our order, he specifically said, "Today I'll cook a few Sichuan dishes for you without any modifications. Oh dear, these foreigners can't handle spicy food, it's no fun."
Ms. Zhang: "No problem, thank you boss."
The pre-meal drink was the familiar chrysanthemum tea, and Lin Ke poured a cup for each person and pushed it over.
Xiao Qin picked up her cup and asked curiously, "Sister Lin, didn't your husband come over? Why are you having dinner with us?"
Yesterday afternoon, Xiao Qin was supposed to come and keep her company, but then Si Yuming came over, and Lin Ke sent her a message saying that she didn't need to come. This time, she gave a vague explanation, "He has other plans."
"You've come all this way and there are still plans? What's the point of coming here?" Xiao Qin's expression was serious, as if she was indignant on her behalf.
Lin Ke smiled.
Sister Zhang asked, "Xiao Lin, what company does your husband work for?"
"He runs his own company; it's not affiliated with any organization."
"The timing is more flexible, and it's convenient for you to come."
"Um."
The phone screen lit up, and Lin Ke put down her teacup and picked it up to look.
Si Yuming: [Where is the gathering located?]
I put it down after reading it, without replying.
The dishes arrived one after another, and the aroma of stir-fried bright red chilies was irresistible, whetting one's appetite.
However, Lin Ke had just recovered from her illness and dared not eat too much. After tasting a few bites, she moved on to the light vegetables.
My phone popped up another message: "Let me know when you're done, I'll come pick you up."
Continue eating. Two minutes later: [Can we finish by nine o'clock?]
Two more minutes: [The car's out of gas, I'll fill it up for you and then I'll come over.]
She did reply, sending a location and the message: "[Finished around 8:30.]"
Si Yuming: [Okay.]
Seeing that her attention was focused on her phone, Sister Zhang asked with concern, "Did your husband send you a message?"
Lin Ke nodded: "Mm."
Sister Zhang smiled at Xiao Qin across the table and said, "Xiao Qin, hurry up and eat."
Lin Ke: "No need, eat slowly, no rush."
Xiao Qin didn't respond and kept looking at her phone, but her face was a little sullen. Zhang Jie, who was observant, asked her, "What's wrong? Did you argue with your husband again?"
Lin Ke had been here for a few months and knew roughly about Xiao Qin and her husband's relationship. In Zhang Jie's words, they had a big fight every five days and a small fight every three days, but they just couldn't separate.
As if she had found an outlet, Xiao Qin put down her chopsticks and complained, "Sister, I've only been stationed abroad for a little over a year and we've become like this. I'm really afraid that when I go back, I'll be greeted with a divorce agreement."
Sister Zhang is a bit older, with one child in high school and another in middle school. She has been stationed abroad three or four times. Her relationship with her husband is very stable. She says, "It's easy for problems to arise if we don't argue. Wasn't I the same as you at the beginning? We would argue every few days. But arguing is also a way to release emotions. Otherwise, the problems will accumulate and eventually explode."
Xiao Qin: "I know that makes sense, but do you know, sister, I called him yesterday and he wasn't home. He said he was out, but I could hear noises from a bar!"
Sister Zhang: "Xiao Qin, I know it's not right to say this, but sometimes turning a blind eye can make you feel better."
"He's already gone out drinking, am I supposed to turn a blind eye? He might be meeting up with some woman right now."
Sister Zhang: "You know in your heart whether he's the kind of person who would cheat on you."
Xiao Qin choked for a moment before finally managing to say, "I don't know, I'm not sure, sister, I'm really scared."
Lin Ke remained silent, listening attentively.
This wasn't the first time Sister Zhang had heard that they argued. She said a few words and then stopped, only sighing, "Long-distance relationships are a test. If you're uneasy, neither of you will be. If you can get through it, everything will be fine. If you can't, it'll be a complete mess. Aren't there several divorces in our department every year?"
Sister Zhang turned her head and said, "Xiao Lin, don't listen to our nonsense. Everyone's situation is different."
Lin Ke pursed her lips: "Yes, I know."
Xiao Qin was in a bad mood, so Lin Ke and Sister Zhang stayed with her a little longer. When she checked her phone again, Si Yuming's message had been sitting there for twenty minutes: [Arrived, outside the restaurant.]
They took a taxi together after get off work. Lin Ke picked up her coat and said, "My husband is here. Let's go home together."
"OK."
The car was parked in a roadside parking space, and Si Yuming leaned against the car door to wait.
He was tall and slender, his well-tailored black suit gleaming coldly, yet the light from the streetlights overhead and the car headlights behind him gave him an air of gentle refinement and nobility.
Xiao Qin and Sister Zhang had never seen him before, and they were both quite surprised. "Sister Lin...is this your husband?"
"Okay, let's go."
The restaurant was air-conditioned and a bit stuffy. She came out without a coat, just draped it over her arm.
As he approached, the man took the coat from her and casually draped it over her shoulders. He then greeted Xiao Qin and her companion who had followed him, saying, "Hello."
Xiao Qin was even more surprised, so surprised that she couldn't speak, her eyes wide open as she looked at the person.
Sister Zhang nudged her lower back to bring her back to her senses, and she politely replied, "Hello."
Lin Ke introduced the two parties: "This is my husband, Si Yuming. These are my colleagues, Xiao Qin and Sister Zhang. They also live in the dormitory. We'll go back together."
"Okay." Si Yuming opened the back door and gestured for the other passenger to enter.
Sister Zhang went in first, while Xiao Qin was still stunned, looking at the two of them from both sides.
Finally, I thought to myself: "Holy crap."
Lin Ke's husband is no ordinary man! What kind of company would you need to run to cultivate that kind of charisma?!
Sister Zhang and Xiao Qin don't live in the same building as her, so the car will take them back first and then come back.
After getting out of the car, the couple went upstairs one after the other.
The dormitory apartment wasn't built very long ago, but it showed signs of use for about ten years. The edges of the stair treads were worn smooth and shiny by the soles of shoes, and the halo cast by the motion sensor light overhead was blurry, indicating that its sensing capabilities were somewhat sluggish.
With light footsteps, Lin Ke reached the third floor and the dim yellow light went out. Using the moonlight and faint neon lights outside the window, she took out her keys and opened the door.
The room was clearly heated, but it felt rather chilly when the door was opened. Lin Ke looked at the clean table and turned to ask, "Have you eaten?"
"No."
"......"
Lin Ke put her bag in the entryway and bent down to take off her shoes. She wasn't very balanced, and although she was trying to put her hand on the cabinet, she ended up putting her hand on his palm instead.
She glanced at him and took off her shoes with his help.
"There are noodles, rice, and eggs in the kitchen. You can cook them yourself."
"Um."
He was very obedient. After entering the house, he went straight to cook noodles. Lin Ke stared at him for a while, then turned around to remove her makeup and take a shower.
Around 10 o'clock, she tidied up and lay down on the bed, picking up a book to flip through.
After finishing his meal, the man went inside to find clothes to take a shower.
He and Si Xiaotie didn't bring back the clothes they brought when they first came back. However, the pajamas they wore then were summer clothes, which were barely wearable last time, but now they're not suitable even with the heating on.
Lin Ke glanced at it briefly, then looked away and continued reading.
Si Yuming returned after washing for more than ten minutes. He naturally lifted the covers to get into bed, but she glanced at his hair, which was only six or seven parts dry, and said coldly, "Dry it before you sleep."
He got out of bed again, and a few minutes later when he came back into the room, his hair was clean and fresh.
This person has excellent bone structure and suits any hairstyle. When going to work, they usually just need to use gel to style their hair to look great. At home, their natural parting after a shower is also perfect, just like now.
Lin Ke put the books down after he lay down, then turned off the bedside lamp and lay on her side with her back to him.
The main light was still on in the room. Si Yuming moved and got out of bed, went to the door to turn off the light, and then came back.
Today he didn't hug me as readily as before, but we were close enough that there was no gap between us in the blanket.
Lin Ke closed her eyes.
I couldn't see what he was doing, but his breathing was heavy.
After two or three minutes, he softly called out, "Wife."
He didn't respond, so he said again, "Let's talk."
"you say."
He paused for a moment before speaking: "I'm not going to explain myself, but I think I need to share my feelings with you."
“Yun Zheng is outstanding. He is single, works in the same industry as you, spends a lot of time together, and has many common topics. He may know about your work-related joys and sorrows before I do, and he was the first person to be by your side when you were sick.”
"So I am indeed afraid. I'm afraid he has ulterior motives towards you. I..." The man paused, then spoke with difficulty, "and I'm also afraid you'll fall for him."
“Whenever this person and his name appear in our chat or video call, I feel agitated and fearful. Yesterday, from my perspective, it looked like he was kissing you, so I couldn’t control my emotions. I’m sorry.”
He spoke slowly and clearly: "Lin Ke, I've never had an experience like this before. I think what I'm more afraid of than not trusting you is that I'll lose you during these two years apart."
Lin Ke bit her lower lip, her eyes reddening for some reason.
"Si Yuming, I've made you feel insecure, haven't I?"
"It's not you, it should be said that we are in a long-distance relationship."
"But do you know that for those two years, I felt like this every single day?" This sentence, spoken in an extremely low voice, revealed the emotions that had been suppressed deep inside.
“You’re always busy. At first, every time I called you, you were either in a meeting or working. Later, I didn’t dare to call you anymore because I was afraid of bothering you.”
"I've seen you in the news more often than I've actually met you. The media also loves to speculate about your scandals from time to time. I know they're fake, but do you think I don't feel sad when I see them? Don't I have a heart?"
"You think I'll be tempted? Don't you worry about me being tempted? You can punch Yun Zheng, but who can I punch?"
The woman's voice grew increasingly strained, tinged with sobs, and her shoulders trembled slightly. Si Yuming tried to hug her, but she pushed him away as soon as he got close. "Don't touch me! I haven't finished speaking!"
He obediently dared not move again.
"What kind of relationship did we have back then? We didn't have much affection for each other, but we had a child. What did others think of me? They said I was sold into your family by Lin Qiliang. What did your sister think of me? She didn't like me or the Lin family, so she wanted to sign an agreement."
Her emotions erupted, and her voice grew louder and louder: "I want to live a good life with you. I thought we would have a future after having Xiao Tie, right? But what do I have to be safe with? I have nothing!"
“I know that agreement has no legal effect. Would the court grant us a divorce based on an agreement? But later I was actually grateful for the agreement. It became an excuse for me to leave you openly.”
Tears flowed in the darkness, blurring the vision but making the words clearer.
"During those days of insecurity, I realized that true security comes from within myself, and I am only truly free when I stop placing my hopes on you."
She hadn't wanted to think about these things for a long time. After he came back, their relationship improved, the "agreement" was nullified, and they agreed to give each other a chance. She started her own career.
But those countless sleepless and restless nights over those two years never disappeared.
"Si Yuming, I hate you so much."
Ignoring her refusal, Si Yuming forcefully pulled her into his arms, patting her trembling shoulders repeatedly and saying sorry over and over again.
......
Si Yuming stayed in Moscow for three days, but due to business at his company back home, he could not stay any longer.
After that day, the couple's relationship entered a stalemate and a polite state. They would talk and eat as usual, and they would still sleep together in each other's arms at night, but the intimacy they had before was gone.
He wanted to hire a nanny for her, but she refused, so he had to ask Meng Jingduo to take care of her.
That night, he went upstairs to find Yun Zheng, apologized for his impulsiveness, and thanked him for taking care of Lin Ke.
She was at work when he returned to China and couldn't see him off at the airport. He sent her a message, and she replied: "Have a safe trip."
It was late at night when they landed. After arriving home, Si Yuming glanced at his sleeping daughter and then called Lin Ke to let her know he was safe.
The woman who hadn't rested yet replied half an hour later: 【Okay.】
He hadn't slept all night and only managed to drift off to sleep in the early morning. He was woken up by Si Xiaotie, who knew he was back, after only two hours of sleep.
Si Yuming lifted the blanket, and the little girl slipped in, stretched out her short arms to hug him, and said in a soft, childish voice, "Daddy, you came back last night, but I was already asleep!"
He smiled and smoothed her messy bangs from the morning. "Yes, Daddy saw you were asleep."
"Is Mom ready?"
"Okay, Mom is fine."
"Yay! That's great!"
Si Yuming looked down at the innocent girl and felt a sense of relief.
Perhaps it was because of Si Xiaotie that he was able to have another opportunity.
"Dad, do you need to go to work?"
"want."
"Let's get up! I just saw Grandma Chen making delicious fried dough sticks!"
He lowered his head and kissed her forehead, his voice gentle: "Okay, get up."
Entropy Domain's joint venture project encountered some trouble, and Si Yuming stayed at the company for a whole day, not getting home until almost nine o'clock.
Si Xiaotie was still awake, but after taking a shower, he was playing with his brother in the living room doing jigsaw puzzles.
Upon seeing him, she happily ran over and jumped into his arms, looking up at him with a smile: "Daddy, you're back!"
Si Yuming put his coat away and picked up his daughter.
He sat down on the sofa and tapped her little nose, "Did you call your mother today?"
"I've already had the injection. During meals, my mom ate with me the whole time."
"Oh, I see. Did Mom say anything?"
Si Xiaotie didn't understand the question, and tilted his head, "Mom said a lot."
“No, that’s not it…” Si Yuming smiled helplessly. He paused for a moment, then asked softly, “Did Mom ask about Dad?”
The girl answered quickly, as if without thinking: "No."
Si Yuming fell silent again.
Seeing that he wasn't talking, Si Xiaotie got bored, slid down by himself, and went to play with his brother again.
At 9:30, Si Yuming finished showering and prepared to put the child to sleep.
As the little girl grew older, it became easier to put her to sleep. She didn't necessarily need to hear stories; she just wanted someone to talk to her. So, the time before bedtime became a simple time for parent-child bonding.
He held the little one close, "What would you like to hear tonight, baby?"
"Um... Dad..." Si Xiaotie looked up and asked cautiously, "Are you unhappy?"
Si Yuming was taken aback, then smiled a few seconds later, "I'm not unhappy, it's just that I have a lot of work and Dad is a little tired."
"Well..." The girl blinked, her eyes darting around, and then a good idea popped into her head, "Daddy, I'll put you to sleep!"
Si Yuming burst into laughter. "Okay, thank you, Xiao Tie."
Si Xiaotie got up, muttering to himself as he flipped through his storybook: "I'm going to read Daddy my favorite story about the baby Stegosaurus!"
But after searching for a while without finding it, he turned back and asked, "Dad, where's my baby Stegosaurus?"
Si Yuming hesitated for a moment and said, "Dad doesn't know either. Xiao Tie, call and ask Mom."
"Oh well."
Si Xiaotie picked up his smartwatch and dialed his mother's number.
It rang twice before I answered, "Mom!"
The woman's voice on the other end was gentle: "What's wrong with the baby?"
"Mommy, I can't find the storybook of the baby Stegosaurus. Do you know where I put it?"
"Mom doesn't quite remember either. Can you check if it's in Dad's room?"
"That's right!"
The little girl tossed her watch to her father, jumped off the bed, and ran to the next room to find a book.
Si Yuming picked up his watch, paused for two seconds, and then said, "Wife."
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Author's Note: I added an extra chapter yesterday afternoon, so those who haven't read it might not be able to access it!
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