DLRC – Chapter 117 Final Chapter

Aiying wiped away the tears on her face, sniffled, and then turned toward the wooden cabinet and crouched down. “I… I’ll go check.”

But even after rummaging through every drawer, she couldn’t find a single pill.

Huo Mingwang took a deep breath, turned, and walked out the door. He told Yu Wei, who was standing outside the room, “Help me watch over things. I’m going to buy medicine.”

“Okay, be careful on the road.”

He nodded and strode out. His hurried footsteps echoed through the corridor, gradually fading away.

Once his footsteps had completely disappeared, Yu Wei finally turned and went to find Aiying.

The little girl had been frightened—she’d probably just seen her mother throwing things in a frenzy. Yu Wei gently stroked her head, comforting her. “Don’t be scared, Auntie’s here.”

Yu Hui also came over to comfort the sniffling Sun Aiying. “Don’t be scared, Sister Aiying. My mom and dad are here—they’ll protect you!”

Aiying had already known for a few days now that Huo Mingwang had become Yu Hui’s father. She nodded slightly without saying a word, her red-rimmed eyes fixed on Yu Wei, her nose also tinged pink.

“Aiying, your mom…”

Yu Wei wanted to understand the current situation. Besides Huo Mingwang, the only one she could ask was Aiying. But she didn’t know how much the little girl understood.

Was Liu Xuehua’s condition a sudden episode, or had it been there for a long time?

“Auntie Yu…”

Aiying’s eyes began to redden again. Yu Wei led her to the sofa and sat her down, with Yu Hui obediently following.

Yu Wei glanced back at the room. Liu Xuehua lay on the bed, motionless. It was unclear whether she was lucid or in a daze.

“Can you tell me? Is it okay to talk about your mom’s condition?”

Aiying stared at Yu Wei for a while, then at Yu Hui, whose eyes were clear and innocent. After a long pause, she finally gave a small nod.

“My mom… she’s sick. Her illness makes her throw things. Uncle Huo said… said she can’t drink alcohol. When she does, she gets sick.”

Two tears rolled down her cheeks. Yu Wei gently wiped them away, heart aching.

“I didn’t know she drank today. When I got home, I saw her smashing things—so many things… even my flowers. They’re all gone…”

She glanced at the mess in the living room, where the shattered remains of her flowers lay scattered.

Yu Wei frowned. “How long has your mom been like this? Has it happened before?”

Aiying pouted and nodded. “After Daddy went to heaven, Mom got sick. But when Uncle Huo came, she stopped drinking. Then… I don’t know why she drank again today. Alcohol is so awful!”

She spoke with indignation. Yu Wei continued soothing her gently, helping her settle down emotionally, though the child was still visibly shaken.

Aiying didn’t need to say more—Yu Wei had roughly understood Liu Xuehua’s situation.

It wasn’t surprising—likely traumatized by her husband’s death, she had turned to alcohol. And when she drank, her personality changed drastically, smashing things, and potentially even hurting those close to her.

Alone, this might’ve been manageable. But with a child like Aiying around, it became dangerous. There was no guarantee Liu Xuehua wouldn’t hurt her daughter in a drunken stupor.

Still, based on Aiying’s words, Huo Mingwang had probably tried persuading Liu Xuehua to quit drinking. Perhaps she had even resolved to do so—for her daughter’s sake—allowing Aiying to continue living with her.

Yu Wei understood—Liu Xuehua likely had some form of mental illness.

It was heartbreaking that Aiying, so young, had to endure things far beyond her age. Yu Hui, too, had suffered a lot as a child.

But he was happy now—with Yu Wei and Huo Mingwang loving him dearly.

Aiying, on the other hand, had lost her father—forever. Her mother was emotionally unstable. With no man in the house, it really could be dangerous at times.

Thankfully, her father had left behind enough wealth, and she still had Huo Mingwang—a responsible man—to look after them. That was some comfort.

Yu Wei sighed and began helping clean the house. The two children, sensible beyond their years, came to help too. They tidied up while waiting for Huo Mingwang to return.

He wasn’t gone long—having a car helped. About twenty minutes later, he returned with the medicine.

Upon entering, he glanced at Yu Wei, then went straight into the room. Yu Wei followed with a glass of water and saw Liu Xuehua awake, half-leaning against the headboard, staring blankly.

“Here.”

Huo Mingwang took the cup from her. Liu Xuehua finally stirred, turning her head toward Yu Wei.

Their eyes met, and suddenly, Liu Xuehua smiled—a bitter smile tinged with an unreadable emotion.

“I can rest easy now that you’ve found a good woman.” Her pale, chapped lips moved as she spoke to Huo Mingwang.

He opened the medicine bottle and placed two pills in her palm.

“Drink.”

She swallowed them in one gulp. Yu Wei quietly left the room to continue cleaning. She figured the two of them had things to talk about.

She knew it wasn’t right to eavesdrop, but she lingered near the door anyway, occasionally catching bits and pieces of their conversation.

From the door left ajar, faint snippets reached her ears:

“If it weren’t for Brother Sun, I wouldn’t be who I am today. As long as I’m alive, I won’t abandon you two.”

“I really don’t want to stay here anymore… You know how prideful I am. Everyone here knows me… Do you want all of Luzhou to know that Ying Ying’s mom is a lunatic?!”

After a long silence inside the room, Liu Xuehua’s hoarse voice came again. “I want to take Ying Ying abroad.”

“What brought this on all of a sudden?” Huo Mingwang frowned. “I’m not comfortable with it. Besides, how will you take a child overseas?”

“Old Zhao is taking me.”

“Old Zhao?” Huo Mingwang was clearly shocked. After a long pause, he said in disbelief, “You and him—”

“I’m with him,” Liu Xuehua replied indifferently, like it was no big deal.

Silence fell again. Outside, the only sound was the two children wiping the coffee table together.

Huo Mingwang spoke hoarsely, “Aiying…”

“She doesn’t know,” Liu Xuehua interrupted. She understood what he was about to ask, but she didn’t care. She just wanted to leave—leave every corner of this place.

Everything here suffocated her.

“It’s fine,” she said. “She’ll understand when she grows up.”

Huo Mingwang hesitated. “Think it over again.”

“No need. I’ve thought about it for years.”

“Is Old Zhao still around? I’ll talk to him.”

Liu Xuehua chuckled softly. “Talk about what? We’ve already decided. Don’t bother. As for the factory shares—I’ve had the lawyer sign everything. They’re all yours now.”

Huo Mingwang remained silent, though unsurprised by her actions.

“Old Huo, really, stop overthinking things. You’ve got your wife and child now—just live well. Stop worrying about me. I’ll be fine. I’ll get better.”

“He’s up there—he’ll understand me too.”

As Yu Wei turned to leave, she heard Liu Xuehua’s voice, unusually gentle.

“She’s a good woman. I really like her. Don’t let her down. Live a good life. When I get better, I’ll bring Ying Ying back to visit.”

—

The day Liu Xuehua and Aiying left the country, Yu Wei closed her shop for the day.

The weather was nice—not the gloomy rainy day you’d expect in a dramatic farewell. The temperature was just right, as if everything hinted at a beautiful future ahead.

Aiying’s face was streaked with tears as she clutched Yu Hui’s little hand, unwilling to let go. Yu Hui had only been mildly sad before—knowing he wouldn’t see his friend for a while.

But when Sun Aiying kept crying while holding his hand, her emotions rubbed off on him, and his eyes began to well up too.

“Mama, when is Sister Ying Ying coming back? Where are they going?”

Yu Wei picked him up and rubbed the top of his head. “They’re going to live in a faraway place. They’ll come back someday.”

“Goodbye, Yu Hui. I’ll miss you very, very much.”

“Goodbye, Sister Ying Ying. I’ll miss you very, very much too.” Yu Hui waved, the two children reluctant to part.

Nearby, Huo Mingwang was speaking to a man called Old Zhao—a tall, decent-looking middle-aged man. Though not as impressive as Huo Mingwang, he was still taller than most men of this era.

He looked kind, with a warm smile and a pair of small round glasses. He carried the mother and daughter’s luggage and wore a neat Zhongshan suit, giving him a gentle air.

“Call me when you arrive.”

Huo Mingwang referred to a landline—international calls were expensive, but money wasn’t an issue for them.

Old Zhao smiled. “I will. First thing. Don’t worry!”

“Mm, I trust you.”

Huo Mingwang knew the kind of man Old Zhao was, so he had no qualms entrusting Liu Xuehua and her daughter to him.

“It’s time!” Old Zhao glanced at the flight board and waved to the group. “Let’s go!”

“Take care.” Huo Mingwang nodded, watching the three of them leave.

Little Aiying didn’t want to part from Yu Hui—she looked back after every few steps, tears brimming in her eyes but refusing to fall.

She was leaving Luzhou, the land that raised her. But she didn’t know where she was going, or what the future held.

What she didn’t know was that this farewell would likely mean a long separation from her old friends.

—

All encounters in this world are but preparation for eventual parting.

Some fates come with a time limit—but the good thing is, even if someone leaves, there will always be others who stay.

After watching the three figures disappear from view, the family of three turned to leave the airport.

Huo Mingwang took little Yu Hui from Yu Wei’s arms. It was his first time at an airport—he was full of wide-eyed wonder, glancing around non-stop.

“You’re getting heavy, still clinging to Mom like that, hmm?”

“I’m not heavy! I’m only this small!” Yu Hui pouted and gestured with his fingers. “See, this is you, this is Mama, and this is me.”

He held up his middle finger, then ring finger, and finally his pinky for himself.

“So I’m the smallest—and the lightest!”

Yu Wei stifled a laugh and shifted her gaze from her son’s radiant face—only to meet the deep, gentle eyes of the man beside her.

“Shall we go home?”

The man smiled, holding their son in one arm and reaching out to clasp his wife’s soft hand with the other. Sunlight filtered through their fingers, wrapping them in warmth.

His smile grew even brighter, and amid the bustling crowd, his voice rang clear and gentle—

“Let’s go home.”

—The End.