I Came Back from a Business Trip, and My Daughter Said, “Mommy Went to Marry Someone Else”

A little after seven in the evening, I dragged my suitcase into the apartment complex. The moment I opened the front door, the smell of instant noodles hit me. The living room lights were off, and a cartoon blared from the TV. Qinqin was huddled at the dining table in a thin nightgown, clutching a plastic fork. The noodles on the table had swollen into a clump, and the broth had gone cold. She ate very slowly, biting down on every little mouthful of noodles with her front teeth for ages. I stood in the entryway, my heart suddenly clenching tight.

"Qinqin?"

She looked up. Her eyes lit up at first, then her lips turned down. She jumped off the chair and ran toward me barefoot.

"Daddy!"

She collided