DLRC – Chapter 113 A Lamb in a Tiger’s Den

After dinner, Yu Hui thought everything would go back to normal—but clearly, he was still too young and naïve…

“Huo Mingwang! Come help me in here!”

Huo Mingwang put down their son and followed the voice into the kitchen. Yu Wei stood at the counter with her hands dripping wet. “Can you tie my hair up? It’s hard to wash dishes with it down like this.”

He glanced at her. “I’ll do the dishes.”

“Hey, no need! It’s just a few bowls—I’ll be done in no time.” She stopped him.

He looked at the counter. There really weren’t many dishes. With a small chuckle, he stepped forward and began tying her hair.

His warm fingertips threaded carefully through her soft black hair, movements so gentle they felt like feathers brushing skin.

She stood still, leaning lightly against his chest, letting him smooth her hair. A sweet, soft fragrance wafted from her, enveloping them both. As he breathed in, her scent seemed to calm his entire being.

Feeling the strands in his hand, Huo Mingwang moved his lips. “Did I hurt you?”

Yu Wei was confused. “It’s just tying hair. How could that hurt? Hurry up.”

He laughed and quickened his movements. “Alright.”

After tying it up, he leaned down and took a deep breath by the crown of her head. “Smells so nice.”

Yu Wei pouted, “Stop being so cheesy!”

Nearby, little Yu Hui stood clutching Xiaobai, staring at his parents like he was witnessing a soap opera.

Yu Hui: Another faceful of dog food… smack smack…

He mumbled, “Xiaobai…”

It’s just you and me now, fellow single dog. Boohoo.

…

Once the dishes were done and the kitchen was tidied up, Huo Mingwang took mother and son to the shop. After dropping them off, he had to send Yu Hui to kindergarten. At the gate, as the envious gazes of other parents poured in, Yu Wei sat in the passenger seat and waved to her son before heading to her dessert shop.

As usual, Huo Mingwang stayed for a short while to dote on her before reluctantly heading back to the factory.

By the time Yu Wei got to the shop, Song Xia had already opened up. Yu Wei had made a spare key for her, so she could sleep in without guilt—Song Xia could take care of opening.

She was looking great lately. Divorced life really did suit her—just look at that healthy glow!

There’s truth to the saying that loveless, dull marriages age a woman. Divorce was clearly a relief for her. It seemed leaving that marriage had been the right choice.

Beyond her improved complexion, Song Xia now carried herself with more confidence and grace. She’d even started following Yu Wei’s skincare routine lately. Yu Wei had taught her many tips and even gifted her a few sets of basic skincare products. The simple-hearted woman had been so touched she nearly cried.

And honestly, it was working—her complexion had visibly improved day by day.

“Yu Wei! A procurement manager from a factory came in this morning—he wants to order two thousand cakes!”

As soon as Yu Wei walked in, Song Xia greeted her excitedly.

Yu Wei was stunned. “Seriously?”

“Absolutely!”

“What kind of cake? Egg cakes?”

“Yep! Egg cakes. Two thousand of them! I was shocked too. But the manager said you weren’t in and that he’d come back this afternoon to finalize the details.”

Yu Wei poured herself a cup of hot water to soothe her nerves. “This really is like a pie falling from the sky. A big order just landed in our lap!”

“Hey now, it’s not just luck. I’ve been watching your business for days—every customer sings your praises! This isn’t pie from the sky; it’s because you make quality stuff!”

Yu Wei chuckled, “Alright, let’s talk when he gets here. For now, let me enjoy the moment.”

A big surprise like this first thing in the morning left Yu Wei a little dazed. Lately, it really felt like money was just falling from the sky. Maybe that big house she dreamed of wasn’t too far off after all.

While Song Xia busied herself in the kitchen, Yu Wei served a few walk-in customers, then headed back to make some more elaborate desserts.

Finally, the procurement manager from the factory showed up.

Just as Song Xia had described, he had come because he’d heard about the shop’s growing reputation.

When he saw Yu Wei, he smiled warmly—a kind-looking middle-aged man, with a gentle tone and an easy pace to his speech.

Yu Wei asked about the details, and after some back-and-forth, they finalized the time, quantity, and price. The deal was sealed!

As the manager left with a wave, not long after, Huo Mingwang’s car pulled up outside the shop.

Yu Wei ran out and leapt into his arms. “Huo Mingwang! I landed a big order today!”

He caught her easily, his large hand gently rubbing the top of her head. “Mm. Impressive.”

“You’re way too calm about this.”

Yu Wei pouted and lightly smacked his chest. Only then did she notice there were others in the car—her precious son and Aiying were climbing out, followed by Liu Xuehua, whom she hadn’t seen in a while.

But Liu Xuehua looked worse than she had at the start of the school term. Yu Wei couldn’t help but glance at her a few more times.

“Mama!” The little guy gleefully ran toward her on chubby legs, squeezing himself between his parents and lifting his arms for a hug.

Yu Wei gently pushed Huo Mingwang aside and bent down to scoop him up. “Did my good boy eat well at kindergarten today? Did you have fun?”

Yu Hui beamed in her arms. “Lots of fun!”

Best of all, he could now proudly tell all his classmates he had a dad! And a dad who could drive, no less!

Even someone as little as Yu Hui had his own secrets and little schemes. That pride—being able to say his dad was awesome—how could he resist sharing that with his classmates?

Chances were, little Yu Hui was about to become the hot topic of the kindergarten again.

Aiying followed behind, slowly holding her mom’s hand. She politely greeted everyone before heading upstairs with Liu Xuehua.

After they left, Huo Mingwang reached out to take Yu Hui from Yu Wei. The little guy obediently opened his arms and wrapped them around his father’s neck. In a soft voice, he said, “Daddy…”

That one word melted Huo Mingwang’s heart. He smiled broadly, not noticing the look of shock on Song Xia’s face.

“Yu Wei? What’s going on?” she asked, poking Yu Wei’s back.

When Yu Wei turned around, Song Xia signaled her with a look: What’s happening here? Why is Yu Hui calling Huo Mingwang ‘Daddy’? Had they progressed that fast?

More importantly, little Yu Hui didn’t seem the least bit resistant!

Yu Wei laughed and took Song Xia’s hand, giving her a quick explanation. “Actually, Huo Mingwang is Yu Hui’s father. We just had a bit of a falling out before, so…”

She glanced at the man—he was also looking at her—and father and son were practically mirror images. The sight made Yu Wei want to laugh.

“I’ve calmed down now, so I forgave him. That’s why we got back together again. My son has his father back too.”

Though Song Xia was inwardly shocked beyond belief, she only showed half of it on her face.

She took a moment to collect herself before finally nodding to show she understood.

Who would’ve thought—this big boss was actually Yu Hui’s dad, Yu Wei’s husband!

That also explained why Yu Wei, a woman on her own, could afford to open such a fancy dessert shop. Of course—it was because she had such a good husband!

Thinking this, Song Xia didn’t ask any more questions. Her eyes sized up Huo Mingwang like she could see straight through him, the smile on her lips laced with meaning.

At the dessert shop entrance, the father and son’s striking appearance attracted plenty of attention. Several of the customers were young women from nearby factories who had just gotten off work. When they saw Huo Mingwang carrying a child into the store, they huddled together, whispering and giggling.

Little Yu Hui rested his head on Huo Mingwang’s shoulder, his face glowing with joy. His pink cheeks and soft, squishy little body made him absolutely irresistible.

By the time they reached the counter, Song Xia finally remembered the serious matter she had wanted to discuss with Yu Wei earlier. A little embarrassed, she said, “Yu Wei, something’s come up at home. I have to head back today—I’ll stay a bit longer tomorrow, okay?”

Yu Wei smiled. “It’s fine, it’s fine. If you’ve got something to do, go ahead. I’ve got this.”

Song Xia gave a sheepish smile. “I really feel bad about this…”

“What’s there to feel bad about? It’s late already. I’m not staying much longer either. Go on!”

“Okay, thanks!”

With that, Song Xia hurried off, and Yu Wei stayed just one more hour—no more, no less—before heading home in Huo Mingwang’s car. On their way out, they ran into Liu Xuehua, who had just come downstairs.

She was carrying a trash bin to dump the garbage. Seeing the family of three about to leave, she gave them a polite smile before heading back upstairs.

“Hey,” Yu Wei nudged Huo Mingwang with her elbow, “does she know about us?”

“Yeah, I told her a while ago.”

Huo Mingwang pulled out his keys and unlocked the door for them. Yu Hui, cheerful as ever, dragged his mother toward the back seats, but Huo Mingwang was quick to react and stopped her in time.

“Sit in the front.”

“Oh.” Yu Wei smiled and headed to the front passenger seat. Yu Hui, seeing this, pouted in dissatisfaction and stomped his little legs in protest before following her to the front.

“Mama, carry me~”

Yu Wei bent down and sat him on her lap, but from outside the car, Huo Mingwang spoke in his usual calm tone, “It’s not safe to hold him in the front seat.”

Yu Wei thought about it—he had a point. She leaned out and said, “Then I’ll sit in the back.”

“Nope.” Huo Mingwang would never let his wife sit in the back. He bent down, scooped up the little troublemaker, and plopped him in the rear seat.

“Be good. I’ll buy you a new toy tomorrow.”

He shut the car door with a thud, leaving mother and son stunned.

Huo Mingwang calmly ruffled her hair. “What are you staring at? Get in the car.”

Once the car was on the way home, Yu Hui finally snapped out of it and pouted in the backseat. “I don’t want a new toy… I just want to sit with Mama…”

Daddy’s the worst! Always trying to separate him from Mama!

Yu Wei and Huo Mingwang exchanged a silent smile. Once home, the couple cooked dinner together, and the family of three enjoyed a cozy evening.

Surrounded by such a warm and harmonious atmosphere, when it came time for bed, Yu Wei unexpectedly felt the urge to ask Huo Mingwang to stay the night.

But that thought was just a fleeting impulse. After all, there was only one bed in the house—if he stayed, all three of them would have to squeeze in together.

Later that night, as they lay in bed, mother and son sang a few songs and Yu Wei told a couple of bedtime stories before preparing to turn off the lights. But the little one in her arms wouldn’t settle down—he kept squirming restlessly.

“Why aren’t you asleep yet?”

Yu Hui blinked his big eyes, his long lashes fluttering. “Mama, I can’t fall asleep.”

“How come? It’s already nine thirty. If you don’t sleep now, you won’t wake up on time tomorrow. Want me to spank your butt?”

Yu Hui giggled. “Mama wouldn’t dare hit me.”

The little guy was clever beyond his years. He knew his mom was just trying to scare him and wasn’t the least bit afraid. After a long pause, he finally asked the question that had been on his mind:

“Mama… is Uncle Huo really my dad? My old dad? It feels like a dream.”

The Uncle Huo he liked had actually turned out to be his dad. And this dad was good-looking, had a great personality, loved Mama, loved him too, and even had money and a cool car.

Last time, when they passed by the teachers’ office, he overheard them talking about Uncle Huo. They said he was amazing and even owned a big company.

He knew a big company meant a place that made tons and tons of money—way more than Mama’s dessert shop!

Yu Wei didn’t know what her son was thinking about. She pressed her lips together and chuckled. “What do you mean ‘old dad’ and ‘new dad’? A dad is a dad. He’s your biological father.”

“Mama, did you always know Uncle Huo was my dad?”

Yu Wei paused for two seconds. “Yeah.”

“Then why didn’t you tell me before…” He looked confused, completely unable to understand.

“Because…” Because even your mom didn’t know back then!

Yu Wei was helpless. She didn’t want Yu Hui to keep pressing for details, so she had to come up with a perfect explanation.

“Huihui, this is kind of complicated. It’s hard for Mama to explain it all in a few words.” She patted his head. “But it’s okay. You’ll understand when you grow up. What’s important is, your dad never wanted to abandon us. He didn’t even know we were here. He’s been looking for us for a long time—and now that he finally found us, we can be a happy family together. So from now on, you and Mama will both love Daddy, and Daddy will be a good dad.”

“He’s a good dad?” Yu Hui asked.

“Mm-hmm. He’s a good dad. He’ll definitely be a good dad.” She pinched her son’s soft cheeks and smiled. “Alright, sleep now. Don’t overthink things. Mama’s here.”

“Okay.” Satisfied with the answer, Yu Hui stopped asking and drifted off to sleep with a sweet smile.

But on the other hand, Yu Wei tossed and turned, unable to sleep no matter what. She remained wide awake until midnight, not even a hint of drowsiness in sight.

Maybe it was because they’d just talked about Huo Mingwang—now her head was full of thoughts about him. She even had a wild, ridiculous idea flash through her mind.

Ten minutes later, a shadowy figure crept out of bed, hunched over, and quietly opened the door.

Knock knock—

The door to Huo Mingwang’s room was knocked on again and again, over a dozen times before sounds of movement came from inside.

Wearing slippers, Huo Mingwang shuffled over and opened the door, blinking at the sight before him.

“Yu Wei?”

Forgive him—he’d been abruptly pulled out of sleep and didn’t expect it to be his little wife at the door.

Yu Wei blinked her dry eyes a few times, her voice laced with a bit of grievance. “Huo Mingwang, I can’t sleep.”

“You can’t sleep?” He finally woke up fully, and when he looked down, he saw she was holding… a pillow.

It took him a few seconds, but then he was completely awake.

“You…”

It was the middle of the night. Yu Wei had come over all alone, in just a nightgown, holding her pillow! That could only mean one thing, right?

Assuming he hadn’t misunderstood—

In the blink of an eye, he pulled her into the room and shut the door with a bang. The tall man’s body leaned in toward the woman’s delicate frame.

His voice was completely hoarse, nearly unrecognizable. “Yu Wei, do you know what you’re doing?”

Was she awake… or half-asleep and confused?

“I know.” Yu Wei nodded firmly. Of course she knew what she was doing. Maybe it was that lingering kiss before dinner that she couldn’t forget…

Which was why she now stood here in the middle of the night, holding her pillow…

Before she could think any further, her world spun as she was suddenly scooped up in his arms. The next moment, her back landed on something soft—he had thrown her onto the bed.

Yu Wei landed hard on the thick covers, the force causing her body to bounce slightly.

Before she could react, the man’s body pressed down on top of her.

“Yu Wei… you’ve just walked into the tiger’s den…”