DLRC – Chapter 53 Huo Mingwang!

Landlord?

Luo Lin quickly turned his head, only to be startled by the imposing figure standing in front of him like a towering mountain.

With his height of just 1.68 meters, he had to crane his neck to even see this man’s face!

And when he looked up, Luo Lin’s first reaction was: Who the hell is this guy? So tall, so handsome—and wearing a suit?

“You are…?”

Huo Mingwang stared coldly at the young man in front of him. The guy was wearing a chemical factory uniform, his short chestnut hair a messy tousle. Just looking at him was irritating.

Brushing past Luo Lin, Huo Mingwang sat down on the tall chair in front of the cashier’s counter. When Yu Hui saw that his mom still hadn’t come out, he eagerly jumped off his stool and ran into the kitchen.

Last night, Mommy had told him that the landlord uncle had given her a “big order”! A big order meant earning lots and lots of money. Mommy had been working on it all day today so she could make enough to buy Hui Hui a big house!

So, Yu Hui had a very strong impression of this handsome uncle—after all, he was the one funding their future big house!

The moment he saw him, Yu Hui instinctively ran to tell Mommy. What if… what if the landlord uncle had come to give them more money?

“Landlord Uncle is here?” Hearing her son rush in excitedly with that announcement, Yu Wei’s mind immediately conjured up the face of Niu Zhongshi. Two seconds later, she shook her head to dismiss the ridiculous thought.

“Do you mean Mr. Huo?”

Yu Hui tilted his head, confused. “Who’s Mr. Huo?”

Yu Wei chuckled, took his hand, and walked out of the kitchen. As they went, she explained, “You should call him Uncle Huo.”

Her son had to grow up to be a polite little gentleman. How could he call someone ‘Mr. Huo’ like she did?

“Uncle Huo?” Yu Hui repeated in his soft, rosy voice. The words slipped out naturally, and Huo Mingwang—who had sharp hearing—picked it up instantly.

He looked up and saw Yu Wei walking out with Yu Hui in tow. The mother and son were dressed all in white today, the snowy clothes accentuating her porcelain skin, rosy cheeks, and those full lips. She looked like some fairy spirit walking out of a snow-covered mountain.

She smiled gently, first at Luo Lin, then turned her gaze toward Huo Mingwang’s face.

He couldn’t help but frown. Glancing sideways at the short man next to him, he saw Luo Lin grinning sheepishly, occasionally scratching his head.

“Sister Yu Wei!” Luo Lin greeted cheerfully.

“You’re not heading to work yet?” she asked with a mild smile.

Luo Lin was flattered, waving his hands quickly. “Not yet! I’m just sitting here for a bit… It’s really cold outside!”

Yu Wei kept smiling, then looked up at Huo Mingwang and asked slowly, “Mr. Huo, is there something you needed today?”

Huo Mingwang stared at her red lips moving as she spoke, his irritation growing.

This woman… From the very first time he saw her, he wanted to rip her apart. And now here he was, calmly standing in front of her, making small talk with a smile?

Ridiculous.

The more he thought about it, the more agitated he became. Especially when he saw the smile on Luo Lin’s face deepen. Abruptly, he stood up from the high stool.

“Nothing much. Just came to check in…” He bit down hard on the words “check in,” and his towering presence seemed to press down on Luo Lin like a wave of oppressive force.

Luo Lin looked at him in confusion—then suddenly his face changed. Something dawned on him, and he slapped his thigh.

“Crap, I’m going to be late! Sister Yu Wei, I gotta go!”

Before Yu Wei could even reply, Luo Lin bolted out of the dessert shop in a flurry. In the very next moment, Huo Mingwang spoke first.

“How many sponge cakes have you made?”

“Hmm… around two hundred,” she answered.

She had scheduled her time evenly each day, maxing out at 280 cakes a day. No more than that—she still had to livestream and restock the shop.

Huo Mingwang didn’t look at her again. Instead, his gaze shifted to Yu Hui, who stood beside her. The little boy was wearing a knitted hat, the pom-pom on top bobbing slightly as he moved.

That hat instantly brought back a memory—of that day at the department store, the woman clutching her belly and bending over laughing at Yu Hui, teasing him in her usual mean-spirited way about how cute he looked.

His emotions, so turbulent moments ago, abruptly settled again. These erratic, unpredictable moods frustrated even himself.

It seemed like every time he saw Yu Wei, those dark emotions stirred again, involuntarily.

He just couldn’t let go of the past.

“Hurry up with it. I’m leaving,” he said suddenly, then turned and left the dessert shop.

Outside, the usual grey sedan was waiting. Within half a minute, he was gone—out of Yu Wei’s line of sight.

Leaving only Yu Wei and Yu Hui standing inside, staring at each other in confusion.

This was just a brief interlude in the middle of the four-day order period. After dinner that evening, the cozy, relaxed hours returned.

Ever since the Jiu-Mi livestream system had rewarded her with a skincare stream and a musical theatre feature, bedtime stories with Yu Hui had evolved into singing lessons.

Yu Hui had already washed up and was lying in bed warming up the covers for Mommy. When she finally crawled under the blanket after applying her scented balm, the little guy threw his arms around her with a giggle.

“Mommy, smell me! I smell really good today!”

“Okay, let me see how fragrant my good boy is!”

Yu Wei leaned in and took a deep sniff. He still had that soft milky scent, but now also a faint smell of oranges from the baby lotion he’d been using the past few days.

“Oh wow! My Hui Hui smells even better than Mommy!”

The little guy burst out laughing, his clear giggles filling the warm room.

Outside, the wind howled. Inside, it was toasty and bright.

Yu Hui curled up in Yu Wei’s arms to warm her up, while she playfully stuck her icy cold hands on his soft little belly.

At first, he shivered from the cold, but then he got used to it and even enjoyed Mommy rubbing his tummy.

“Let’s learn ‘Little Swallow’ today. Do you still remember the song from yesterday, Mama’s the Best?”

“I remember!” Yu Hui looked up excitedly. “Mommy, I still remember—I’ll sing it for you now!”

And so, the little guy began his performance. His childish voice was utterly adorable, and though some of the words were hard to understand, it only made him cuter.

“♪ Mama’s the best in the world, a child with a mom is like a treasure… ♪”

“Mommy, I finished singing!”

“You did great! My good little baby sang so well—you must have inherited my excellent genes!” Yu Wei praised while rubbing his soft belly with one hand and pinching his chubby cheeks with the other.

Yu Hui giggled nonstop and tugged on her hand. “Mommy, teach me! I want to hear Little Swallow!”

“Okay, Mommy will sing it once, and then you follow along.”

“Okay!”

Two minutes later

“Mama, what’s a little swallow?”

“When spring comes, Mama will show you.”

“Oh. Then Mama, why does the little swallow wear a flowery outfit? Is it like Hui Hui’s bear costume?”

“No, it’s different. I’ll show you in the spring.”

“Then… Mama! Is the little swallow a bird like Gu Gu Ji Ji?”

“Hmm… kind of, but Gu Gu Ji Ji is cuter.”

“I know! Gu Gu Ji Ji is the prettiest bird!”

…

This morning, Yu Hui woke up early. After washing up and putting on some fragrant lotion, he pitter-pattered in his little bear slippers and ran to the kitchen.

“Mama! Mama, are you sleepy? I’ll sing for you!”

Yu Wei paused in the middle of frying eggs and chuckled, “Alright, my sweet baby, sing for Mama. I’m listening.”

The little guy was full of energy—it was hard to tell why he was so lively so early in the morning.

Under Yu Wei’s expectant gaze, Yu Hui opened his rosy little mouth, and his soft, childish voice filled the room.

“Little swallow, wearing flowery clothes, comes here every spring…”

By the time he finished the song, the eggs in Yu Wei’s pan were done too—golden, fragrant, and enough to make her stomach growl.

“Mama, did I sing well?” Of course, little Yu Hui was fishing for compliments.

Yu Wei understood immediately—she was an expert at playing along. She scooped the egg onto a ceramic plate, held it in one hand, and with the other hand, she ruffled his warm little head as they walked out of the kitchen into the living room.

“Beautiful! My son sings so well, he could be a pop star when he grows up!”

Yu Hui blinked in confusion. “Mama, didn’t you say I should be a little painter when I grow up? And a chef too?”

Yu Wei widened her eyes. “I did?”

She couldn’t remember, but no way was she going to admit that in front of her son—it would ruin her glorious image as a mother. So Yu Wei gave an awkward little laugh. “Haha… my good boy, your memory is amazing. That’s why our smart and adorable Hui Hui is going to be a painter and a pop star when he grows up!”

Yu Hui didn’t know what a pop star was, but seeing his mom so happy, he figured it must be something really good!

They had a cheerful breakfast. After they went downstairs, Yu Hui spotted Jiang Aihua chatting with a few elderly ladies under the eaves, soaking up the sun. He hesitated for a moment, then couldn’t hold back anymore. He ran over excitedly, calling out as he went:

“Granny! Granny Jiang! I can sing now!”

A chubby little bundle of pink dashed toward the group. On his head was the “Little Monk” hat that Yu Wei mischievously bought, complete with a knitted pompom that bobbed with every step he took—utterly adorable.

“Oh my, little Hui Hui, you can sing? Hurry then, sing for us grannies!”

Yu Hui had only wanted to share the news with Jiang Aihua, but now they wanted him to sing in front of everyone—that made him a bit shy.

He’d only ever shown off his singing voice in front of Mama. He wasn’t so sure about singing in front of all these grannies…

Yu Wei gave a gentle smile. She patted the pompom on his head and bent down to whisper in his ear, “Hui Hui, didn’t you sing Little Swallow this morning? Want to let the grannies hear it?”

“Yes, that’s right, little Hui Hui! We’re so curious. Sing for us, okay?” Deng Xiufen chimed in playfully.

Yu Hui was still hesitating, but a tiny spark of pride deep inside made him really want to sing and be praised.

In the end, his desire for praise overcame his shyness. Little Yu Hui took a deep breath and, for the first time ever, sang out loud in front of all the grannies!

As expected, even if he hadn’t sung well, the grannies would’ve still praised him with smiles—but he actually sang very well.

Satisfied by the compliments, Yu Hui looked at all the grannies giving him thumbs-up, shyly grinned, and threw himself into Yu Wei’s arms.

He really was amazing!

Deng Xiufen, who praised him the most, smiled at the bashful Yu Hui and asked, “You’re incredible, Hui Hui sweetie. Who taught you that song?”

Yu Hui peeked out of his mama’s arms with round eyes and replied in his milky voice, “Mama! Mama taught me!”

The group burst into laughter again. Jiang Aihua looked at Yu Wei and clicked her tongue in amazement. “Your son is so much more lively than when he first came.”

Back when they’d just moved in, Yu Hui barely interacted with anyone besides his mom. He only called Jiang Aihua “Granny” because Yu Wei reminded him.

Back then, no one would’ve imagined that in just a few short months, Yu Hui would gain the courage to sing in front of everyone.

This change was truly a leap from quantity to quality!

You had to give it to Yu Wei—she was clearly doing a great job as a mother.

Yu Hui stood obediently in front of the grannies, sharing how he learned to sing from Mama. Time was getting on, so Yu Wei gently patted his shoulder, amused.

“Alright, you little show-off. Time to go to the shop.”

She still had a thousand cakes to finish.

Yu Hui happily waved to everyone and followed Yu Wei. “Bye-bye, Grannies!”

“Bye-bye, sweet Hui Hui!”

…

The weather was great today, with the sun blazing in the sky. The heat warmed Yu Hui’s little hands enough to make them sweat.

Yu Wei held his hand, drawing warmth from it. When they reached the store, there were a few people standing outside, peeking in curiously. She took out the key and walked over to open the door, and the group followed her inside.

“Is this a new dessert shop?”

The question came from the tallest of the three men. He had a rugged look, wore a black leather jacket with gray corduroy pants, and had fuzzy slippers on his feet. He stood in front of the register, looking down at Yu Wei.

Yu Wei had her son sit in the back before she stood up with a smile and replied, “Yes, Yu’s Dessert House is a newly opened shop in the past few months. Feel free to look around if you’re interested.”

She smiled politely at the tall man. For some reason, he looked oddly familiar. His voice, slightly raspy, asked again, “I’ve been on this street for a long time, but I don’t think I’ve seen you before… are you new?”

That question caught Yu Wei a little off guard, but she still answered politely, “Not exactly new. My home is in Lucheng.”

She didn’t explain further, giving only a vague response.

He didn’t seem like someone here to buy desserts. What was with all the questions? She just ran a dessert shop—what’s with the interrogation?

Luckily, the man didn’t continue after that. He turned and casually browsed the shelves. The other two slightly shorter men followed behind him. They browsed for a while and left without buying anything.

Why did it feel like her dessert shop attracted weirdos?

Today seemed destined to be chaotic. The morning went by smoothly enough, but in the afternoon, business slowed down. Just as Yu Wei finished baking the final batch of sponge cakes and hadn’t yet packed them into boxes, Yu Hui shouted from outside:

“Mama! The landlord uncle is here!”

Huo Mingwang again? Why was he back?

Yu Wei sighed and walked out. Sure enough, the tall, handsome man in a suit standing at the counter was none other than the big boss himself.

She grumbled inwardly: Had she ever seen this man wear anything other than a suit? Honestly, what a weirdo.

“Mr. Huo.” She walked over with a polite smile. “You’re here to check on the progress again?”

Huo Mingwang gave her a quick glance, then shifted his eyes back to Yu Hui and replied in a low, calm voice, “No.”

Yu Wei nodded. “Then you’re here to…”

“How many have you done?” he asked.

Yu Wei: “…” And you say you’re not here to check on progress? Then what is this question?

“…About 500.” She still had half to go, but with two days left, it should be manageable.

At least, that’s what she thought—until the man’s next words hit like a bucket of ice water dumped over her head.

He said, “That won’t do. They need to be finished by tomorrow morning.”

Yu Wei’s heart sank instantly. She was about to ask, “Why the sudden change?” when he cut her off with a serious tone:

“Tomorrow at 7 a.m., I’ll come by to pick them up. Make sure they’re all ready.”

Her face changed dramatically. Just as she opened her mouth to question him, Huo Mingwang turned and strode out of the shop without giving her a second of his time.

Yu Wei rushed after him, but the man’s legs were so long that a few strides brought him to his car. He bent down, got in, and didn’t even glance back.

“Mr. Huo! Mr. Huo!” Yu Wei called after him and ran up to his window, pounding on it hard. “Mr. Huo, didn’t we agree on four days? Why the sudden change?”

“Mr. Huo!”

“Mr. Huo——!”

She watched his car speed away. After chasing for a couple of steps, she stumbled and nearly fell. Eyes reddened with frustration, she shouted after the car:

“Huo Mingwang!”

“Damn it——!”