DLRC – Chapter 54 Really Want to Clench My Teeth and Drag Him Over

So infuriating! Yu Wei was about to be driven mad by that weirdo named Huo Mingwang!

Seriously—what kind of person acts like this?!

She could even let it go that four days suddenly got shortened to two, but did he really have to spring it on her last minute? She was literally about to pack up and head home!

She’d originally planned everything with the full four days in mind. She even dawdled a bit while baking the cakes today, and during her livestream, she taught the viewers an extra dessert recipe just to earn a bit more money. Who would’ve thought—

“Huo Mingwang, you absolute jerk!”

Whether he genuinely had an urgent need or was just messing with her, she didn’t know. All she knew was that her impression of him had officially hit rock bottom.

And look at the kitchen now—there were still hundreds of cakes left to make. Each batch of 200 egg cakes took seven hours to bake, and she still had nearly 600 left. That meant she’d need at least 14 hours of non-stop baking! There was simply no way to finish everything by tomorrow morning without pulling an all-nighter.

Her nice, peaceful day had been completely ruined by Huo Mingwang’s offhand comment—“I’ll come by tomorrow morning to pick them up.” Yu Wei was absolutely fuming, clawing at her scalp in frustration. She hadn’t been this angry since moving into her new place.

At her feet, little Yu Hui looked up anxiously at his angry mom. She had just ripped several pages out of her notebook at the cashier counter, and the shredded paper fluttered down like snow, covering the wooden floor in white scraps.

This was the first time Yu Hui had seen his mom so upset since they moved.

“…Mommy?” After a long moment, once it seemed like her mood had eased, the little guy softly called out to her and then slowly tiptoed closer with cautious steps.

That soft, sweet little voice pulled Yu Wei back to her senses. She suddenly realized she had completely lost her temper in front of her son.

Her sweet boy had just started becoming more outgoing—she couldn’t afford to let things slip back to how they were before.

So she quickly knelt down and hugged her little guy tightly, gently patting his thin back. “It’s okay, it’s okay. Mommy didn’t mean to get mad just now. I didn’t scare you, did I?”

She kept her tone as soft as possible, whispering next to his ear. Yu Hui, being the little darling he was, instantly calmed down once he realized Mommy was still herself.

“Mommy, I wasn’t scared.” Well, okay, maybe he was scared for a few seconds. But he was a big boy now—he wasn’t going to admit it easily.

He was stronger now. He didn’t cry as often. Besides, there was no way he’d say he was scared of Mommy—Mommy was the nicest person in the world! She had only gotten angry because the landlord uncle did something to upset her.

“Mhm, as long as you weren’t scared.”

Yu Wei let out a long sigh and buried her face in the warm crook of his little shoulder, wrapping both hands around his small ones. She crouched there with him for a while in silence before finally standing up, exhausted, and heading back into the kitchen.

Since Huo Mingwang was picking up the cakes first thing tomorrow, there was no choice but to work overtime and finish the job.

She had already baked 500 cakes, which could bring in around 400–500 yuan. If she couldn’t deliver the rest, she probably wouldn’t get paid for the remaining amount.

When she first took this big order, she had been too excited to think straight. It never even occurred to her to sign a contract or any kind of agreement. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to change the schedule at will.

Now look at this mess—if she didn’t finish it, she wouldn’t get paid. A single mom like her was no match for a boss like Huo Mingwang.

She admitted this time it was her own negligence. But if Huo Mingwang ever came back with another order, she didn’t want to work with him again.

Just look at how shady this guy already was!

Tch!

The mother and son, who were all set to head home earlier, now had no choice but to stay late at the store to work overtime. Not that Yu Hui minded much—he was perfectly content as long as he could be with Mommy.

He leaned against the kitchen doorway, watching Yu Wei bustle around, frazzled and busy. His little head came up with an idea, and he called out: “Mommy! I’ll sing for you!”

That would make Mommy happy! Then she could work faster! That was his simple little thought.

Yu Wei couldn’t bear to turn down his sweet offer, so she continued to watch the oven while listening to her little darling’s gentle singing voice nearby:

🎵“The world’s best is Mommy dear…”
🎵“Little Swallow in a floral dress…”
🎵“Under the bridge by our door, swims a flock of ducks…”

Listening to her sweet boy’s cheerful singing, Yu Wei really did feel her mood lift. During a break between batches, she pulled Yu Hui into her lap, and the two huddled together for warmth.

It was already 6:30 p.m., and the sky outside had long since darkened. Winter evenings were especially cold, and even the kitchen couldn’t offer much warmth. With the oven’s soft humming and the little guy’s constant chatter in the background, Yu Wei’s exhaustion began to fade.

They had dinner at a nearby noodle shop. Yu Hui ate happily, and afterward, he wiped his mouth with a napkin Yu Wei gave him and whispered shyly in her ear: “Mommy, I think your noodles taste way better…”

Yu Wei felt her heart soften completely.

She looked closely at her sweet son, at the soft baby hairs near his temples. His fair, delicate little face looked impossibly smooth—kids’ skin really was enviable.

She gently poked his cheek with her cold nose. “Huihui, Mommy has to work late tonight. I’ll send you home to sleep by yourself, okay? I’ll come pick you up tomorrow morning.”

Yu Hui froze, his whole body stiffening. Then he immediately shook his head and clung tightly to Yu Wei’s neck. “No! Mommy, I don’t want to sleep at home alone!”

If there was one thing he feared most, it was being alone in a dark, tiny room. No Mommy, no one else—just him. That was the scariest thing in the world.

“Huihui, be good. Mommy has to work tonight. I really can’t come home to sleep with you.”

What she didn’t expect was for the little guy’s tears to suddenly gush out the moment she finished speaking. His tiny nose started to sniffle with soft sobs.

Yu Wei was startled and quickly wiped his tears away, but they just kept coming—as if he were made of water. Wipe them away, and they’d fall again. The tears were like a string of broken pearls, tumbling one by one…

Onto Yu Wei’s hand. Into her arms. And finally, into her heart.

“Mommy… I don’t want to sleep at home alone… Wuwuwu…” The little pink ball sobbed so pitifully that Yu Wei’s heart twisted in pain. “Mommy, I’m not even sleepy! Let me stay here with you, okay? Please, Mommy…”

Hearing that nearly made Yu Wei cry, too. But her baby was still in her arms—if she cried now, he’d probably cry even harder.

“Okay, okay, okay.” She sighed, wiping his tears with the back of her hand. Her skin was now soaked with the salty drops. “I give up, fine, we won’t go home. But seriously, what’s with all the crying? If you want to stay here with me, you have to go to sleep now.”

Yu Hui sniffled through the last of his sobs for a whole minute before he finally calmed down. His tiny hands clutched at her clothes, wrinkling the fabric near her collar.

Finally, he spoke, his lips a flushed red from crying: “Okay…”

“But no more crying, got it?”

Sniff. “Okay.”

Feeling helpless and resigned, Yu Wei rummaged through the store and found a few used flour sacks. She wiped off the remaining flour with a towel, laid them out on the small patch of floor behind the cashier counter, spread a layer of blanket on top, and left another one to be used as a cover.

“Huihui, stop goofing around and come sleep!”

“I’m coming, Mama!” Hearing her, Yu Hui got up from his squatting position and pitter-pattered to the kitchen to wash his hands. On his way back, he kicked his legs, sending his fuzzy slippers flying to the floor with practiced ease, then happily snuggled into the warm blanket his mom had laid out for him.

His little head rested on a knitted hat and Yu Wei’s scarf—makeshift pillows for now.

Yu Wei bent down and gently brushed her son’s cheek. He was as warm as ever, his little face flushed red, looking like a festive pink dumpling.

“Is one blanket enough? Will you be cold?”

“Nope!” Yu Hui replied firmly.

He didn’t earn the nickname “Little Furnace” for nothing!

“Alright, just go to sleep. If it gets cold later, we’ll deal with it then.” Not that they had much of a choice—the store didn’t exactly come with proper sleeping arrangements. Her son was sharing in her hardship.

“Mhm.” Yu Hui stared at her until she stood up and walked into the kitchen, switching off the store lights as she went. When she was out of sight, he still didn’t look away.

But it was okay. Yu Hui comforted himself: Even if he couldn’t sleep next to Mama tonight or curl up in her fragrant arms, at least he didn’t have to stay alone in that cold, lonely room. Mama was right there in the kitchen, close by.

With that thought, the optimistic little boy finally closed his eyes. His small chest rose and fell gently, and with the soft sound of dough being kneaded in the kitchen, he drifted into deep sleep.

Half an hour later, guessing that her son was sound asleep, Yu Wei tiptoed out. Sure enough, when she looked down, the little guy was sleeping peacefully.

She switched on the small bulb above the cashier counter and leaned over to check on her obedient son.

He always slept quietly, either flat on his back or curled up on his side.

Tonight, as expected, Yu Hui was curled up. It wasn’t the best sleeping posture. Yu Wei gently repositioned him. Her movements were light and careful, not waking him at all.

His lips were still rosy, and his shallow breaths warmed the air. She slipped a hand under the blanket and held his—surprised to find it not as warm as it had been earlier. It was a little cold.

She reached further into the blanket. It really wasn’t warm inside—not even her little furnace of a son could heat it up.

Worried, she quickly took off her thick cotton jacket and gently spread it over her son’s tummy, adding an extra layer.

She squatted beside him, staring for a long time at his sweet sleeping face before finally heading back into the kitchen. But as she stood up, dizziness suddenly hit her, and she swayed sharply to the right.

Fortunately, she caught the cashier counter in time, narrowly avoiding a heavy fall to the floor.

Yu Wei’s head throbbed. It was only 10 PM—hardly late enough to call it an all-nighter. Probably from squatting too long, and also because she usually went to sleep with Yu Hui around 8. Her body just wasn’t used to staying up.

Leaning on the counter, she stayed still until the dizziness eased. Then she dragged her tired body into the kitchen, rubbing her shoulders and temples as she walked, finally feeling a bit better.

The lights at Yu’s Dessert Shop stayed on all night. Through the clear glass windows, passersby could see the brightly lit kitchen—its lights never dimmed once.

But as Yu Wei worked through the night in a flurry of baking, she had no idea that outside the store, a gray car had been parked for a very, very long time.

Inside the driver’s seat, the closed space reeked of cigarette smoke. A tiny ember glowed and faded, again and again…

On the floor by the driver’s seat, more than a dozen cigarette butts were crushed under a man’s leather shoe—flattened and ground into dust.

Four years… or was it five?

Huo Mingwang exhaled a puff of smoke. His foggy head rested against the seatback as memories, long buried, surged into his mind. He’d thought all those days had faded into smoke and dust.

In countless dreams, good or bad, the only constant was her turning away coldly, heartlessly.

That single step she took away from him had nearly dragged him into hell. He became the village laughingstock.

Later, he went mad trying to find her. Not to reunite, but to torment her, to get revenge. And now—finally—that day had come.

He had succeeded. The first step went exactly as planned.

But the child… that he hadn’t expected.

Cold air slipped through the crack in the window. The bluish smoke drifted across his rugged face. Under the moonlight, his sharp jawline became clearly defined. A shadow fell into darkness with a low, muffled groan of pain.

His fingers hovered, glowing and dimming. Then he slumped forward onto the steering wheel, heavy breaths fogging up the glass, lights outside blurring in the haze.

The window slid down. In the shop across the street, a petite figure was still moving nonstop.

He still wanted to drag her out and scream at her—demand answers.

But in the suffocating dark of the car, all those thoughts slowly evaporated.

The window slid back up. A red spark flickered to life in the abyss as more smoke coiled into the shadows, thick and suffocating.

Huo Mingwang sat there all night, sleepless.

When he finally opened his dry eyes, he let out a deep breath. Just before waking, he thought he heard a woman’s voice.

He turned toward the dessert shop—Yu Wei and Yu Hui were standing at the entrance talking.

He glanced at his watch. He’d fallen asleep at 5 AM, and now it was 6. The red veins in his eyes made him look more shadowed and haggard.

“See that place over there with the sign that says ‘Dazhong Noodle House’? I took you there last night. Go over and ask Auntie to send two bowls of wontons to our shop. I’ll pay when she delivers them.”

Yu Wei pointed across the street. The little guy couldn’t read all the words on the noodle shop sign, but he recognized the big, simple character “大” (“Big”)—that was the place!

But going there alone to buy wontons? He was still scared. He’d never gone anywhere unfamiliar alone before. The only time he had was when he bought millet for Gugu Jiji, and even then, Mama had been with him to give him courage.

Yu Hui hesitated, scrunching up his little face. The puffball on his hat bobbed with the motion.

Then he looked up and saw the dark circles under his mom’s eyes. He clenched his little heart and nodded. He gave his panda plush a tight squeeze, waved goodbye to Yu Wei, and ran toward the noodle shop.

Yu Wei watched him run off, then rubbed her temples. She walked back to the store with her eyes nearly closed and almost bumped into the corner of the counter.

But there was no time to rest. The egg cakes weren’t done. After an entire night of baking, there were still one or two hundred left. As the next batch was about to finish, she had to get another batch of dough ready.

On the street, the little guy clutched his panda and rushed toward the noodle shop. Behind him, a gray car followed slowly. Inside, Huo Mingwang watched every step from behind the windshield, eyes glued to the child’s figure until he reached the shop and stood at the door, peeking inside for a long time before finally stepping in.

As the lock clicked in the quiet space, Huo Mingwang swung his long legs out of the car. The body that had been frozen in place all night finally moved.

He walked straight to the noodle shop entrance. Yu Hui stood in the middle of the shop, peeking toward the kitchen. Standing on tiptoes, he called out softly in his sweet, milky voice, “Auntie, I want to buy some wontons.”

Even early in the morning, the noodle shop was fairly busy. Four out of five tables were already occupied. As soon as Yu Hui stepped inside and felt all those curious eyes on him, he began to panic.

He had to call twice before a middle-aged woman finally came out from the back.

Tall and thin, she wore a greasy apron and had a sharp, crisp voice. “Oh dear, sorry! I didn’t hear you at first.”

She smiled kindly as she bent down. “Sweetie, what would you like?”

Yu Hui took a careful step back, then raised two fingers.

“Auntie, I want two bowls of wontons. Mama said to deliver them to our shop. She’ll pay when they arrive.”

Li Fang remembered this delicate little boy. He was the son of the dessert shop’s new owner across the street. He’d come in just yesterday afternoon.

She had a strong impression of the pair—mother and son with striking appearances and stylish clothes. Hard to forget.

She smiled and replied, “Got it!” before heading into the kitchen to start cooking.

Yu Hui let out a big breath. When Auntie disappeared, he turned and found a seat. With both hands and feet, he climbed up and sat down quietly, waiting obediently for his wontons.