Jin Liwei narrowed his eyes in suspicion after seeing her shock. “That’s what Lu Zihao insists on calling you.”
Iris paled.
His suspicion only deepened. “Isn’t Evelinka your handle name in the game you played with him?”
“I…ye—” She shut her mouth before she could lie. Not telling him the truth was bad enough but lying would only be unfair to him who had already presented everything he owned to her.
He stepped forward. “Love?”
“Meow!”
Both were startled at the sudden interruption. The cute sound was so out of place in the current tense atmosphere. Only the forgotten butler standing by a nondescript corner looked as cool and unflappable as always.
“M-meow…?”
Jin Liwei scowled at a random wall. “Ketchup, speak!”
“Eek! Sorry, Daddy. But Ketchup has something super-duper important to tell Mommy. Meow….”
“What is it?” Iris asked.
Unlike Jin Liwei who didn’t appreciate it, she was actually relieved at Ketchup’s interruption. She wasn’t ready yet to talk about her past life with Jin Liwei without preparing herself first. She wasn’t even sure if she should tell him about it in the first place.
What was her big brother thinking? He was her biggest concern for not confessing the truth to her man and yet he insisted on calling her Evelinka in front of Jin Liwei. Did he forget how dangerous their identities in their past lives were? What really happened between the two men while she was sleeping?
Seeing her expression alerted Jin Liwei of her relief. He sent her a hard, meaningful look, silently telling her that their conversation wasn’t over yet.
The couple wasn’t able to continue their silent communication because Ketchup began speaking directly to Iris in Russian. This worsened Jin Liwei’s already bad mood. Were they talking about something that they didn’t want him to hear?
Then he remembered that the butler was still in the room and instantly felt a little better. Perhaps his wife and cat child were only talking in another language because they didn’t want the butler to understand. He hoped that if the butler wasn’t present, then the two would speak normally in front of him and allow him to understand whatever they were talking about. But since he couldn’t understand anything right now, all he could do was listen in silence and watch how his wife reacted.
And react she did. Her shock wasn’t any less than what she showed when he called her Evelinka earlier. This time, however, there was excitement alongside the shock.
When they finally stopped talking, Iris turned to Jin Liwei. “I need to go to my computer room.” Then she hurried out of the door without waiting for his reply.
“Xiulan, don’t run!”
She slowed down, thank goodness! But her speed-walking still concerned him. What if she forgot his warning in her excitement at whatever Ketchup told her and started running again to hurry to her computer room after leaving his sight? His baby girl often forgot about her surroundings whenever she became absorbed in something. She might trip on her way or worse, lock herself inside her computer room again and forget to go out and eat.
He couldn’t feel assured on leaving her alone. Wang Yingjie said that the first trimester was the most dangerous. Jin Liwei couldn’t risk her safety and that of their baby twins inside her. So instead of drowning himself with worry about what might happen to her inside her computer room, he decided to drown in worry with her inside her computer room. At least he could see her with his own eyes and react immediately if something happened.
Jin Liwei grabbed his satin robe and draped it over his shoulders. It stuck to the gel on his back, causing an uncomfortable sensation, but he ignored it. Then he chased after his wife.
“Why are you following me?” Iris stopped in the hallway after noticing him behind her. “You’re hurt. You should stay in our suite and let the butler continue massaging you.”
“I’ll accompany you to the computer room. Let’s go.”
“But you’re hurt!”
“The gel has already taken effect. I don’t feel the pain anymore.”
The butler also exited the suite this time. His movements almost made no sound but he still didn’t escape Iris’ notice, especially with her great hearing.
“Is Liwei really fine to be walking around?” Iris asked the butler.
“Mistress, your servant is a butler, not a doctor,” the butler answered in his usual polite tone.
“I said I’m fine,” Jin Liwei interjected. “Let’s go, love.”
Iris was torn whether to allow him to follow her or to insist that he stay inside their suite.
“Mommy, Mommy! Hurry! The cute and mighty Ketchup can’t hold it anymore! MEOW!!!”
This time, Ketchup wasn’t speaking in another language so Jin Liwei understood what she said. He grabbed his baby girl’s hand and pulled her along to the direction of her computer room. [This novel is a contracted work with W e b n o v e l . c o m (remove spaces). If you’re not reading this chapter on W e b n o v e l, it has been stolen. It’s very discouraging to see thieves profitting from my hard work. Please read this novel on W e b n o v e l. Thank you! -Arria Cross]
“Sounds serious, whatever that is,” he said. “Come on, love. Let’s hurry while walking. But don’t forget that you’re still pregnant.”
“Fine.” Iris didn’t want to argue anymore and allowed him to come with her.
###
Two hours later, Jin Liwei had already read and responded to a long list of business e-mails, reports, proposals and other documents. He finally stopped working when his body started to feel stiff and he started to feel the strong, throbbing pain all over his back again.
He rose from his astride position on the unique computer chair which looked like a bicycle seat. His baby girl chose it for him because it didn’t have a backrest that might aggravate his back injuries. It had a front rest where he could lean forward instead.
‘Great chair. I should ask Xiulan to order a customized one for me, too.’
He left the workstation he was using. It was one of the most basic inside the impressive, futuristic computer room but was still far more advanced than any of the computers used in his company.
“Sometimes I forget that my wife is a world-class hacker,” he said to nobody in particular before heading to where his wife was.
