How Could I Possibly Have a Daughter After Reincarnating?

Today, as usual, Li Si walked along the road home. Actually, this wasn’t the usual route he took to get back; taking this road would add an extra half hour to his journey. 

But this route allowed him to walk alongside Ling Ning for part of the way. Although they rarely exchanged words—at most, just a greeting—it was enough for him just to see her.

He didn’t expect to impress Ling Ning or win her over. After all, he knew perfectly well that there was no chance of them getting together. So simply seeing her from afar was enough for him.

“Hey, what a coincidence.” 

Just then, a crisp voice sounded from behind Li Si. 

“Uh… h-hello.”

Li Si turned around and found Ling Ning smiling at him.

They continued walking quietly. Li Si consciously slowed his pace so he could stay behind Ling Ning, not wanting to lose sight of her by walking ahead.

“Hey, have those punks come looking for you again?” Ling Ning suddenly turned her head to ask. The setting sun painted a perfect backdrop, making her seem inexplicably angelic.

Li Si was startled. He instinctively lowered his head and stammered, “N-no, not really.”

“That’s good. I told you, those types are all bark and no bite,” Ling Ning said cheerfully.

“Yeah…” 

They walked for a while longer until they reached a fork in the road. It was time for them to part ways. Li Si watched Ling Ning’s figure slowly disappear around the corner before finally turning his head and heading down the other path.

Once Li Si’s figure was out of sight, Sun Jie emerged from an alley near the fork in the road, staring at Li Si’s departing back with clenched teeth. 

He had only come here to see where Ling Ning lived, but to his surprise, he saw her walking with Li Si, the gloomy kid from his class. From the looks of it, they seemed to get along pretty well. Sun Jie decided it was time to make sure Li Si stayed away from her. After all, Sun Jie had long since claimed Ling Ning as his next girlfriend in his mind.

Sun Jie shot one last dark glance in Li Si’s direction before turning and leaving the alley.

He didn’t notice that a pair of eyes had been watching him the entire time. The moment he left the alley, Xia You quietly emerged from the shadows. She casually tossed a chloroform-soaked handkerchief into a nearby trash bin. If Sun Jie had kept following them, she might have had to teach him a lesson—perhaps by making sure he suddenly found himself missing a body part.

Xia You also looked in the direction Li Si had gone. She had a hunch that Li Si had sensed her presence just now, though he never showed it. As for Sun Jie’s amateur stalking skills—there was nothing more to say about that.

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Li Si’s home was similar in size to the one Ling Ning used to live in, maybe even smaller. The conditions were poor, with terrible lighting; the place rarely ever saw sunlight.

When Li Si arrived home, he reached for his key, only to realize the door was already open. Strange—he distinctly remembered locking it when he left. And besides, what kind of thief would target a place as rundown as his?

Pushing the door open cautiously, Li Si stepped inside. The moment he did, the enticing aroma of cooking wafted through the air, and he could hear the sound of stir-frying from the direction of the kitchen.

Approaching slowly, he found a muscular man, bare-chested, cooking in his kitchen. He could see scars on the back of the man’s head and across his face—scars that looked like they had been caused by a brick being repeatedly smashed against him.

“Brother, when did you get out?” 

Yes, it was none other than Li Si’s elder brother, Zhang San, standing there cooking. According to the rules, Zhang San was supposed to have another month left to serve before being released. Li Si hadn’t expected to see him today.

“Xiao Si! You’ve lost weight since I last saw you!” 

The moment Zhang San heard Li Si’s voice, he dropped the spatula and rushed toward his brother, ready to give him a big bear hug.

Li Si frowned at his brother’s bare, sweaty torso, deftly dodging the bear hug. He walked straight into the kitchen, picked up the spatula, and started cooking. 

“Stop calling me ‘Xiao Si.’ It makes me think of that hobbit. Anyway, why are you out so early?” Li Si asked, not even bothering to look back as he expertly flipped the food in the pan.

“Well… your big brother here got out early for good behavior,” Zhang San said, scratching his head sheepishly, a grin spreading across his face.

“You tried robbing someone and ended up choosing a cop as your target. I don’t even know what to say to you. Couldn’t you have picked someone who looked a bit weaker?” Li Si shook his head at the thought of his brother’s absurd misfortune—robbing a police officer, of all people.

“That cop looked short and scrawny, just like you. How was I supposed to know he was with the police?” Zhang San replied helplessly.

“Next time, open your eyes wider. If you get caught again, it won’t be as easy to get out.” 

“Got it.”

“Alright, food’s ready. Let’s eat.”

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The next day.

“Li Si, come with us to the restroom. We need to have a little chat.”

It was the same group of punk “Samats” from before. Sun Jie had called them last night, paying them to give Li Si a good scare. Beating someone up and getting paid for it—nothing could be better.

Li Si looked up at them, his gaze calm, before silently standing up and following them out of the classroom. None of his classmates stood up to help him.

Li Si had always been the quiet type, almost invisible in class. Most of his classmates didn’t think it was worth risking trouble with those campus thugs for someone they barely knew. Even if he had been closer to them, they probably still wouldn’t have stepped in.

“You know what you did wrong?” the leader, a green-haired “Samat,” pushed Li Si roughly as they approached the restroom.

Li Si tilted his head slightly, looking at the group without saying a word.

“We’re here for two reasons,” the green-haired leader continued. “First, when are you going to pay what you owe us? And second, someone asked us to warn you to stay away from a certain person. You know who I’m talking about.”

Li Si raised an eyebrow. He had thought they were just here to collect protection money, but apparently, someone had paid them to mess with him. As for who that person was, it wasn’t hard to guess.

“What’s that look for? Don’t think we won’t beat the crap out of you!” the green-haired leader snarled, enraged by Li Si’s seemingly defiant expression.

The restroom echoed with the sounds of a scuffle, followed by a series of painful cries. Li Si emerged, completely unscathed. If anyone had entered the restroom at that moment, they would have found the punk Samats sprawled out on the floor, groaning in pain.

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Author’s Note:

Don’t worry, everyone—this isn’t the male lead making an appearance. Trust in Salty Fish—Li Si’s part is just a plot device. I’m setting up something for later, so stay tuned to see how Salty Fish ties it all together!