DLRC – Chapter 118 Sweet Extra

After Liu Xuehua and her daughter went abroad, the third floor of Yu Wei’s dessert shop was left vacant. No one lived there anymore. However, the place had long since been bought by Huo Mingwang, so what to do with it was naturally his call.

It just so happened that at this stage, Yu Wei was dating Huo Mingwang. The two had once been married, so it felt perfectly natural for a couple to live together again.

What’s more, Yu Wei already knew about everything that happened in the past and had come to terms with it—even if her memories wouldn’t return.

Huo Mingwang had a place in the city, but it was currently occupied by Mingxia and his aunt. So he rented a unit next to Yu Wei’s.

With Liu Xuehua gone, the third floor unit was now incredibly convenient. He discussed it with Yu Wei and planned for the three of them to move in together.

Huo Mingwang had a car, so where he lived didn’t matter much. But it was different for Yu Wei.

Living right above the dessert shop would be ideal—super convenient.

The more he thought about it, the more right it felt. So the decision was made: they would move upstairs!

No one was more excited than Huo Mingwang. Just thinking about being able to hold his beloved in his arms, sleep beside her openly and proudly—it was almost too good to be true!

In his excitement, he picked up Yu Hui and tossed him into the air more than ten times, barely even panting.

Yu Wei laughed. She had agreed, of course. But with business orders piling up, she had put the move off for a few more days.

There were only her and Song Xia at the shop—not nearly enough hands. When orders came in all at once, they got overwhelmed quickly. Overtime was practically routine.

Huo Mingwang offered to help her find some reliable staff. Yu Wei didn’t object—if he could find someone good, all the better. Given their relationship now, helping each other was natural, wasn’t it?

They were in the middle of preparing the move when something rather dramatic happened over the next couple of days.

Chen Caiqian broke up with her clingy boyfriend. For the past two weeks, she’d been showing up at the dance hall every evening. Every time she went out, she was dressed to the nines—flamboyant and sexy—so much so that conservative types like Jiang Aihua and the others could only gape.

“She’s even more outrageous than Du Yuerong!”

Chen Caiqian didn’t care what anyone said. She still wore her sweet smile, but it hardly matched her current style.

One night, Chen Caiqian knocked on Yu Wei’s door. Huo Mingwang happened to be working late and wasn’t home. For some reason, the woman seemed drunk. The moment Yu Wei opened the door, a strong smell of alcohol hit her.

Yu Wei thought to herself: Love-sick people are hopeless. Breaking up and then drinking like crazy, partying at the dance hall night after night—not something normal people do.

“What is it?” she asked.

“Yu Wei, your man’s not home?” Chen Caiqian peered inside, not seeing the familiar figure.

Strange. Yu Wei’s man was always glued to her side. Why not today?

“He’s not in. Do you need something?”

Chen Caiqian wore a pair of round black sunglasses that night. Upon hearing Yu Wei’s question, she pursed her red lips, took off the glasses, flicked her bangs aside, and suddenly smiled brightly—too brightly, in fact, to the point of being theatrical. Yu Wei instinctively took a small step back.

“I don’t need anything, really,” she said. “It’s just that I’ve been going to the dance hall lately, and it’s actually a lot of fun. You—you spend your whole day either with your kid or baking cakes. Isn’t that boring?”

Yu Wei frowned, not sure what she meant by that.

“So… come on, want me to take you there for some fun? Dancing is so much fun!”

Was this woman actually drunk? Why on earth was she trying to drag Yu Wei to a dance hall? Yu Wei had a kid. She had a partner. What was this woman even thinking?

“No thanks. You go ahead.” Yu Wei moved to shut the door, but Chen Caiqian stuck her hand out to block it.

“Hey, come on! Why are you so boring? All the young people are going out dancing these days. Aren’t you younger than me? What, scared to go?”

Yu Wei didn’t respond. She just listened to her go on:

“You don’t get it. There’s this gorgeous guy at the dance hall lately—way better-looking than your man!”

For some reason, this line came across oddly sour to Yu Wei.

“Also, he’s the dance hall owner’s son—loaded! And his breakdancing? Amazing! How about it, sis? I’ll show you the world tonight—and you can meet some of my girlfriends!”

The more she talked, the more excited she got. Yu Wei started getting impatient and tried again to close the door. But Chen Caiqian, clueless, kept shouting:

“Come on, come on! I’m telling you, that guy is seriously something else! Way hotter than your man. There’s not a single woman in that place who’s not head over heels for him!”

Yu Wei laughed in disbelief. “I already have someone. Why are you pushing me to go to a dance hall? What’s your deal?”

Chen Caiqian was momentarily stunned. Her tone didn’t match her usual persona at all. At this point, Yu Wei was sure—she was drunk.

Yu Wei didn’t want to argue with a drunk. She simply slammed the door shut.

Outside, Chen Caiqian kept knocking, muttering things like how Yu Wei didn’t know how to appreciate kindness, how she was boring and uptight, even saying things like: “If you keep playing the good housewife like this, your boyfriend’s gonna get bored and leave you!”

Yu Wei found it both ridiculous and amusing. That woman was definitely drunk and probably lost her mind too. Her ex-boyfriend most likely cheated—that would explain her over-the-top reaction.

She’d been acting unhinged lately: hitting the dance hall nonstop, drinking until she passed out, never coming home at night, and when she did, sleeping through the day and making a racket.

Fortunately, Yu Wei only came home at night, or she’d have a constant headache from all the noise.

After a chaotic night, morning came with bright sunshine.

Huo Mingwang had returned at midnight. Naturally, he didn’t want to disturb Yu Wei and the child, so he quietly went to his own room.

The next morning, loud chatter came from downstairs. After freshening up, Yu Wei stretched, opened the door, and stepped out onto the balcony. Sure enough, five or six women were gathered below, engaged in a heated discussion.

She didn’t pay them much mind—figured it was just more gossip. After making breakfast, she went next door to call Huo Mingwang.

He had just woken up, brushing his teeth as he opened the door for her. Yu Wei only meant to remind him to eat, but before she could leave, he pulled her inside.

“Wait a second.”

He quickly rinsed his mouth, wiped the water from his lips, and then walked up to hug his wife, cupping her face and kissing her fiercely.

“Hey!” Yu Wei thumped his chest, annoyed. “Did you not wake up properly this morning or something?”

She thought he had something to say. Turned out he just wanted to kiss her!

Huo Mingwang chuckled and kissed her hand. “I came back so late last night, didn’t even get to see you. I really missed you.”

He hadn’t seen Yu Wei since going to the factory yesterday. Now he had to make up for it—even one kiss was enough to keep him happy for half the day.

“Get outta here! Hurry up and get dressed for breakfast!”

Yu Wei laughed and walked back. Yu Hui was already used to his mom running over to dad’s first thing in the morning.

But since she was visiting dad, he didn’t get mad. He washed up and had breakfast with his parents like a good boy, then was dropped off at kindergarten by Huo Mingwang.

Yu Wei stayed behind. A juicy piece of gossip was circulating, and the moment she came downstairs, Jiang Aihua pulled her in to join the discussion.

“Can you believe it? Absolutely outrageous!”

“Only shady youngsters go to places like that! It’s filthy! No decent person would go!”

“I heard they all got arrested! The cops had been watching for a while and finally caught them red-handed. Now they’re all locked up!”

“I heard there were perverts in there too. I tell you, no good person would go to that place!”

“How long will they be locked up? I say don’t rent your unit to those two anymore—such bad luck!”

Jiang Aihua sighed. “It is unlucky. But Du Yuerong never really caused me trouble. She may come home late and work at that kind of place, but her personality’s fine. I can’t just tell her to leave for no reason.”

Besides, she hadn’t caused any problems. She was practically invisible.

Listening to all this, Yu Wei finally pieced together what they were talking about.

Apparently, after failing to lure her to the dance hall last night, Chen Caiqian had stormed off in a huff. It just so happened that a crackdown was underway. There were illegal activities going on—people messing around, and someone had even reported them. The police raided the place and arrested everyone.

Yu Wei figured the innocent ones wouldn’t be detained for long, but those involved in indecent acts were in serious trouble.

She couldn’t help but wonder—was Chen Caiqian at the center of it all?

As for Du Yuerong, she had worked there for a long time. Given her personality, she probably knew the lines not to cross. Yu Wei believed she wouldn’t have been dragged into it so easily.

It had been nearly half an hour since Yu Wei finished listening to the gossip, and Huo Mingwang had already dropped their son off and returned to pick her up. It was time to head to the shop for work.

But before they could leave, one of Jiang Aihua’s old girlfriends came rushing over, face full of excitement after getting wind of the latest gossip.

“Hey hey hey! Don’t go yet! I have news—the place shut down! They couldn’t keep it running!”

“What? What happened? Hurry and tell us!”

…

Gossip is something all women love, and Yu Wei was no exception. It wasn’t until she had soaked in the last juicy detail that she contentedly got into Huo Mingwang’s car.

“So the dance hall’s gone. Where will Du Yuerong work now?”

Huo Mingwang chuckled. “No need to worry about other people. You should think about the move we’re making the day after tomorrow.”

“The move? Moving is moving. What’s there to think about?” Yu Wei answered absentmindedly, then suddenly remembered something and asked uneasily, “You said we’d be inviting your aunt over after the move. So what’s her attitude toward me now? Can she accept me? Didn’t you say she really hated me back then for abandoning you?”

“You do know how to be scared?” Huo Mingwang teased.

“Of course I’m scared! She’s your only remaining elder. It’s important that she likes me…” Yu Wei sighed. “But if she really doesn’t like me, it’s okay too. I’m marrying you, not her. If she doesn’t like me, we just won’t live together.”

“Mhm.” Huo Mingwang’s eyes were filled with tenderness, and even his driving slowed. “My aunt will like you.”

The dance hall where Du Yuerong worked had indeed shut down. To be fair, that place had been through a lot over the years. No one had expected it to close over that whole “racy performance” scandal yesterday—it felt a little bizarre.

But when Yu Wei later asked Huo Mingwang about it, she found out that wasn’t the real reason at all. It had nothing to do with “obscenity.” The truth was, the dance hall’s backer had fallen from power, and their enemies—having waited years—pounced at the opportunity. Old grudges and new ones came crashing down all at once, and the whole place was wiped out.

Honestly, it was inevitable. That dance hall had been getting away with all kinds of shady business thanks to its backing, even getting involved with organized crime, it was rumored. So now that the police had shut it down, it was cause for public celebration.

The closure didn’t affect regular people much. Yu Wei’s moving plans were already underway, and once they were done, the three of them moved right in.

And boy, living in a big house really was different—Yu Wei was so excited, she felt like someone who had just bought a villa in the 22nd century.

In this day and age, finding a truly satisfying home was no easy feat. Commercial housing wasn’t as hot as it would be in later years, and this third-floor unit above Yu Wei’s dessert shop was absolutely massive.

The apartment had over 140 square meters: three bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen, and two bathrooms. In a city like this during this time, that was basically a luxury mansion.

Word was, even the house Huo Mingwang had bought wasn’t as big. Sure, the location there was better—it was in a residential complex—whereas Yu Wei’s place was by the main road. But in every other way, her place had the upper hand.

When little Yu Hui learned they’d all be living together in a big house, he was so excited he couldn’t sleep all night. He woke up twice, tossing and turning in Yu Wei’s arms, and eventually woke her up too.

Sweet son, you’re this excited now… I don’t think you realize you’ll be sleeping apart from Mommy soon…

Sure enough, the first night in their new home, the three of them slept in the same bed, full of joy. And it wasn’t just the child—Yu Wei and Huo Mingwang were also so happy they didn’t quite know what to do with themselves.

Yu Hui lay in the middle, with the two adults on either side, all sleeping soundly.

Except Huo Mingwang… couldn’t sleep.

He stared wide-eyed, bathed in the soft light seeping through the uncovered window, looking at his wife—so close, yet untouchable. He couldn’t hold her, couldn’t kiss her…

Then he looked at his peacefully sleeping son…

Endure.

The next night, Yu Hui received a huge surprise.

“Ah! Daddy! Is this my bed?! It’s so pretty!”

Huo Mingwang was incredibly efficient. He had someone deliver a children’s bed that very day.

And this wasn’t just any bed. It came from a nearby big city’s mall, from a high-end imported section. It was a custom children’s bed styled like a cartoon car. It wasn’t very big—maybe around 1.2 meters—with blue bear-themed bedding.

Pillow, sheets, and quilt were all matching in bear print, and Yu Hui’s eyes sparkled with stars.

Father and son hugged joyfully. Yu Hui kissed his father repeatedly, leaving a series of wet, loving smooches on his face, before finally calming down.

“Daddy, is this going to be my room from now on?”

Looking at the warmly decorated room next to theirs, Yu Hui asked curiously.

“Yes, this room is all yours! Just for you!”

Yu Hui’s eyes widened with disbelief as he looked up at Huo Mingwang like he was some kind of superhero.

“Daddy!”

He dove into his father’s broad, warm embrace. “Thank you, Daddy…”

His daddy really was the best daddy in the whole wide world.

Yu Wei stood to the side, not knowing whether to laugh or cry… The little guy still didn’t realize the real reason his dad gave him this room, did he? Poor Mom was going to get tormented tonight…

Since the room still needed some decorating, Yu Hui officially moved in three days later. The decor was a mix of Yu Wei’s modern aesthetic and Huo Mingwang’s willingness to spend money. Honestly, there was probably no room in all of Lu City as pretty as this one.

When he saw the whole room arranged exactly to his liking, Yu Hui ran in circles, too excited to leave even once during the whole Saturday.

That evening, Yu Wei had made a delicious dinner. After eating, the family went for a walk together. As soon as they got home, Yu Hui started clamoring to brush his teeth and go to bed.

Yu Wei chuckled and didn’t say much. She just watched him run around preparing for bed, shaking her head with a silent smile.

Once Yu Hui was lying down, Yu Wei sat at his bedside and kept him company for a while. Finally, the little one waved his hand and said, “Mommy, you can go now. I can do this on my own.”

“Really? Don’t come crying in the middle of the night saying you’re scared, okay?”

Yu Hui shook his head firmly. “I won’t! I’m really brave—I won’t cry!”

Yu Wei gazed at his fair little face for a while, then leaned down and kissed him on the cheek. She tucked him in and finally turned off the lights and left the room.

The moment she stepped out and closed the door, the hallway went dark—and she was immediately pulled into Huo Mingwang’s embrace, showered in a flood of kisses.

“What’s the rush?! Let me shower first!”

“Mmm…” Huo Mingwang continued kissing her. “I’m just a little excited. Want to shower together?”

Yu Wei slipped out of his arms and went to the bathroom. But the shameless man squeezed in after her anyway.

Fine, fine. Together it is. But your hands… can you behave?

Of course not. Afterward, he even muttered, “You owed me this. I’m just collecting now—what’s wrong with that?”

Yu Wei: Nothing, except… my heart is a little tired.

After the shower, they could finally enjoy their perfect little couple’s time. The moment they got under the covers, Huo Mingwang was so moved he almost cried.

Finally… Finally, this day has come!

No more interruptions. No more obstacles between him and Yu Wei!

He eagerly got down to business. Yu Wei, knowing how emotional he was tonight, didn’t resist much. After a bit of kissing, they dove into some life-affirming, harmonious exercise.

But that night…

Just as the second round was about to begin, a knock sounded at the door. Urgent. Tinged with tears.

“Mommy… Mommy—”

On the brink, Huo Mingwang trembled.

And of course, the woman lying beside him—his whole heart full of their son—immediately pushed him away instinctively.

He tried to wrap her back up in his arms, groaning in frustration. She didn’t care—she shoved him aside, threw on a robe, and left.

Behind her, Huo Mingwang was fuming with rage, fists clenched in regret!

If only I’d sent the kid to stay with my aunt for a few days! Look what’s happening!

Yu Wei didn’t care what he was thinking. All she could hear was her son’s pitiful cries. When she opened the door, who else could it be but her poor baby?

The little guy had come out wearing only thin pajamas, hugging a panda plush almost half his size. On his feet were fuzzy panda slippers, his chubby toes curled nervously—he was the picture of heart-melting sadness.

His big eyes shimmered with tears, looking up at her with heartbreaking longing.

Then his lower lip quivered. “Mommy…”

“What’s wrong, my sweet baby?”

Yu Wei bent down, picked him up, and gently wiped away his tears as she carried him back to the bedroom.

“Mommy…” he sniffled. Though no fresh tears fell, his cheeks were stained.

“Mommy, I accidentally woke up, and… and you weren’t there. I didn’t know where you’d gone. Then I remembered Mommy and Daddy sleep together… and I was all alone…”

He sounded so aggrieved. It was clear this brave little boy who had confidently claimed he could sleep alone got scared when he woke up in the dark.

Yu Wei sighed inwardly. I knew it. A kid who’s slept with his mom since birth couldn’t possibly sleep alone successfully on the first try.

“Didn’t you love the room Daddy made for you? Didn’t you say you wouldn’t cry? So who’s the little one crying and hugging me now?”

“But Mommy… it was so dark… no Mommy, no Daddy… just me. I was really scared…”

He clung tightly to her neck. When they re-entered the bedroom, Yu Wei saw the grim look on Huo Mingwang’s face, like ink about to drip.

She couldn’t help but laugh. She bent down to set their son on the bed—and in the blink of an eye, Huo Mingwang’s hand shot out to pinch the boy’s chubby cheek.

“Didn’t you say you could handle it alone? Brat, looks like I’ve been too nice to you!”

Don’t you know your mom and dad haven’t seen each other properly in years?

What kind of “sweet little cotton-padded jacket” are you?!

Yu Hui didn’t cry or fuss when his dad pinched him. In fact, he snuggled right into his dad’s arms, holding on tight.

“I love Daddy! I love Mommy! But I don’t want to sleep alone!”

Who could understand the feeling of waking up to a world where you were all alone?

He’d been terrified knocking on the door just now—afraid that something scary might jump out of the darkness.

Yu Hui snuggled his head against Huo Mingwang’s chest. Just as his dad was trying to suppress his fury, Yu Hui innocently asked, “Daddy, why aren’t you wearing clothes today? That’s embarrassing.”

Huo Mingwang: “…”

Yu Wei covered her mouth and laughed, then turned off the light and climbed into bed. As she passed by Huo Mingwang, the man mischievously pulled her leg, causing her to topple onto the bed with a thud.

He groaned. She laughed uncontrollably.

In the end, Huo Mingwang pulled both wife and son into his arms, first roughly squishing Yu Hui’s cheeks until they turned red, then doing the same to Yu Wei.

Once Yu Hui had been thoroughly entertained and lulled back to sleep, Huo Mingwang gently moved him to the edge of the bed, then clung to Yu Wei, covering her in kisses.

“Tomorrow we’re sending our son away!”