DLRC – Chapter 57 There’s Absolutely Nothing Between Me and Huo Mingwang

A group of chattering little kids surrounded the glass display case, with a young woman trapped right in the middle of the crowd.

“Big sister, the cakes at Huihui’s mom’s shop are super tasty! You should just buy one!”

“Yeah, yeah! I promise—Huihui’s mom makes the best cakes ever!”

“Super yummy! So good I come here every day to buy one!”

With his friends hyping him up, little Yu Hui finally gathered his courage. He cautiously looked up at the young woman and said softly in his tender, milky voice, “Big sister… my mom’s cake is really yummy. Do you want to buy one?”

The young woman couldn’t help but laugh at the scene in front of her. She had no idea who owned this dessert shop—there wasn’t a single adult in sight, just a bunch of tiny kids trying to make a sale.

She squatted down, facing the adorable, porcelain-faced child, and gently replied, “Okay, then why don’t you recommend one for me? Which one’s the best?”

Seeing a chance, Yu Hui immediately started thinking hard. Then, he turned to glance at the display and confidently pointed at the mango crepe cake in the middle. “Big sister, I like this one the most!”

Oh? This one?

“What is it?” The woman reached in and took the mango crepe cake out of the case. Honestly, she had never seen such a unique-looking dessert before. And it smelled incredible.

Yu Hui answered in his sweet, soft voice, “It’s a mango crepe cake. It has mango inside. Mango is a tropical fruit. Have you ever had it, big sister?”

The woman shook her head honestly. “Nope, never tried it.”

Before Yu Hui could get excited, Zou Gaigai next to him chimed in enthusiastically, “Then big sister, you have to buy one and try it! This cake is super, super, super, super delicious!”

Even though he’d only managed to sneak a bite from Ding Xiaohua once, it was so tasty that he’d never forget it for the rest of his life!

In short—it was amazing!

The woman smiled at the kids, then couldn’t resist reaching out and ruffling Yu Hui’s soft, fluffy head. He was even wearing a little knit cap, with a fuzzy pompom that wobbled adorably as he looked up at her.

“Alright, how much is it?”

Yu Hui’s heart pounded wildly—this was his first time dealing with a customer face-to-face. He was so nervous.

He snuck a peek at the price tag. He knew all those numbers!

“1… .5… One fifty!”

“Okay.” The woman pulled out a one-yuan note and five jiao coins from her purse, counted them carefully, and handed them to Yu Hui. “Here you go, exact change—no need to give me any back.”

“Thank you, big sister.” Yu Hui carefully counted the money—his mom had taught him this. One one-yuan note and five ten-cent coins…

Then he thoughtfully ran behind the counter, grabbed a paper bag, and packed the cake for her. The young woman was even more pleased now. She thanked him and took the cake with a satisfied smile as she headed toward the door.

Standing at the doorway was a tall, handsome man. His striking appearance made the woman take a second glance before she stepped around him and left. Only then did Yu Hui and the other kids spot him.

Yu Hui was more excited to see Huo Mingwang than anyone else. He shoved the money into the drawer and locked it before dashing toward him as fast as his little legs could carry him.

Unfortunately, Yu Hui had scraped his knee that morning chasing the car, and it still hadn’t healed. The pain made him run slowly.

After what felt like forever, he finally reached Huo Mingwang.

“Uncle Landlord!” Yu Hui called out joyfully, his eyes filled with hope. “Uncle Landlord, you’re back! Where’s my mom? Where is she?”

Huo Mingwang looked down at the little guy’s anxious face. With the knit hat perched on his round head, he looked even more like a tiny boiled egg… and that fuzzy pompom…

“Uncle Landlord!” Yu Hui got even more anxious seeing Huo Mingwang stay silent. “Where did you take my mom? I saw her faint just now! Is she sick? Is she… is she never going to wake up again?”

Huo Mingwang stared into his eyes. In just a second, tears welled up.

The tears shimmered in Yu Hui’s big eyes, and the longer Huo Mingwang stayed silent, the more Yu Hui panicked.

Was it true? Was Mom really never going to wake up again? Was that why Uncle Landlord couldn’t say a word?

This was the first time Huo Mingwang had gotten such a close look at Yu Hui. The boy’s delicate little face was streaked with tears, and those trembling tears in his eyes finally spilled down.

Something about the raw sorrow on Yu Hui’s face made Huo Mingwang finally speak. “Put on your coat. Come with me.”

Yu Hui blinked, and more tears tumbled down, dripping onto the floor, onto his nose.

“Uncle Landlord, where are we going… Is my mom never going to wake up again? My mom… sob sob—”

He couldn’t stop crying. He even hiccupped from the sobbing. Huo Mingwang, speechless, grabbed his hand and led him back inside.

“Where are your clothes?” As soon as he held his hand, Huo Mingwang realized just how hot the boy was. Was he running a fever too?

Yu Hui’s hand was unbelievably soft, like holding a cloud of cotton.

Still sniffling, Yu Hui obediently led Huo Mingwang behind the counter and picked up his little bear coat, which had been wrapped in a blanket. He slipped it on like a good boy.

Huo Mingwang didn’t argue further. Once the coat was on, he took the boy’s hand and led him out of the shop. Behind them came Zou Gaigai’s sharp voice: “Yu Hui! Where are you going? Who’s that guy?”

The other kids rushed up and tugged at Yu Hui’s clothes. He rubbed his eyes, stopped crying, and explained, “He’s the landlord uncle. He took my mom just now.”

Only then did Yu Hui realize—he still didn’t know where Huo Mingwang was taking him.

So he looked up and asked, “Uncle Landlord, where are we going?”

Looking into the boy’s clear, innocent fawn eyes, Huo Mingwang parted his thin lips. “The hospital.”

Yu Hui understood instantly. He quickly turned to Zou Gaigai and said, “Brother Gaigai, Uncle Landlord is taking me to the hospital. My mom must be there!”

Huo Mingwang didn’t give him any more time to chat. He grabbed the boy’s hand and strode away. The kids shouted behind them, “Alright! Huihui, don’t worry—we’ll watch the shop for you!”

“Thank you, Brother Gaigai!” Yu Hui’s voice faded just as the shop door closed. The two of them finally left.

Right now, Yu Hui could only think about his mom. All of her past warnings—don’t go with strangers—were forgotten. While Huo Mingwang didn’t count as a total stranger, it was close enough.

Still, the shock of seeing his mom faint had clouded the little guy’s head, and he followed the man without hesitation.

But Huo Mingwang was tall and had long legs. One of his strides equaled three or four of Yu Hui’s. He was walking so fast that Yu Hui had to jog to keep up.

Before they even reached the car, Yu Hui tripped from walking too fast and nearly fell flat on his face. Thankfully, Huo Mingwang had been holding his hand the whole time and yanked him up just in time—otherwise, he would’ve landed hard and probably gotten really hurt.

For the first time, Huo Mingwang’s steady heart gave a violent tremble. He looked down to see the pompom on Yu Hui’s hat bouncing cheerfully—so much so that it annoyed him.

Finally, under the little one’s grateful gaze, he bent down and scooped Yu Hui up into his arms, striding quickly toward the car.

Yu Hui was suddenly picked up by the tall man, and for a moment, he couldn’t react. He let out a startled cry instinctively, followed by surprise and then curiosity as he wrapped his arms around Huo Mingwang’s neck.

So high… it’s so high… a bit too high, and he felt a little scared.

Even when Mommy picked him up, it was never this high.

Peering around curiously, he noticed how everything looked different from this height—higher than Mommy’s arms and a totally different view.

It felt like he had climbed from a small hill to the peak of a mountain. Now, no one was taller than him.

He suddenly felt that… the air up here was kind of nice.

It was Huo Mingwang’s first time holding a child, and his posture was all wrong. Once the novelty wore off, Yu Hui began to feel uncomfortable all over. Only then did he realize it was probably because the landlord uncle was holding him awkwardly.

So he shifted his little bottom quietly and settled himself onto Huo Mingwang’s strong arm. That felt a bit better.

But soon enough, Huo Mingwang placed him in the back seat of the car and then closed the door before getting into the driver’s seat.

The sound of the engine starting made Yu Hui’s heart pound wildly. It was the first time he had seen a car up close—his first time riding in one.

In front of him was a clean rearview mirror. From it, Yu Hui could see Huo Mingwang’s stern, handsome face. His brows were furrowed, as if they’d never relaxed, giving him a rather intimidating aura.

But Mommy had been taken to the hospital by him. Thinking that made him feel a bit less scared. Plus, the landlord uncle looked good—sharp brows, starry eyes, and a strong profile that made him resemble an upright soldier.

Even though he liked to keep a cold face, Yu Hui inexplicably felt a sense of security from him.

The car slowly merged onto the road. Yu Hui sat obediently in the back seat, his short legs dangling and swinging in the air. The fuzzy pom-pom on his hat bounced along with him, cheerful and carefree.

Watching Huo Mingwang driving in the front, Yu Hui didn’t feel so afraid anymore. It was like he suddenly had a pillar to rely on.

“Landlord uncle, is my mommy awake yet? Is she sick? Auntie said you took her to the hospital.”

The little guy’s language skills weren’t bad. He rattled off a bunch of questions, only to get an impatient response from Huo Mingwang in return:

“Don’t call me landlord uncle.”

Ugly name.

Yu Hui froze, thinking for a moment before remembering that Mommy used to call him Mr. Huo, so…

“Okay, I got it. Huo uncle.”

Seeing that he didn’t say anything more, Yu Hui silently took note: next time he saw him, he should say “Huo uncle,” not “landlord uncle.”

Just then, a pedestrian suddenly crossed the road ahead. In a rush, Huo Mingwang hit the brakes, and the unprepared Yu Hui flew forward from the seat and slammed into the back of the driver’s seat with a thud.

His little nose hit hard, sending a sour pain up to his eyes. Tears welled up instantly, and he let out a couple of soft whimpers, like a little puppy.

After steadying the car, Huo Mingwang glanced in the rearview mirror. The little guy who had been obediently sitting moments ago now had two tear streaks on his face. But this time, he didn’t cry aloud—just silently shed tears.

“Sit properly. Hold on tight.” Huo Mingwang said simply and resumed driving. The car sped up as it turned down another street, opening up to a new view.

Huo Mingwang’s car was more like a jeep—roomy inside. Even if Yu Hui stood up, his little head didn’t come close to touching the ceiling.

He sat back down but looked around helplessly, unsure what to hold onto. What if he flew forward again? That had really hurt!

After a moment of indecision, he stood up, leaned over the back of Huo Mingwang’s seat, and wrapped his tiny arms tightly around the headrest.

His head rested on the shoulder of the seat, and his soft, warm breath fell on the back of Huo Mingwang’s neck. Huo Mingwang instinctively glanced at the rearview mirror—and saw Yu Hui’s delicate little face.

Yu Hui was leaning gently on the seat, gripping it tightly with both hands. His face was solemn, and when the car turned, he even furrowed his brows like he was working hard to hold on.

Huo Mingwang chuckled lightly before quickly wiping the smile from his face and focusing on the road again. Fifteen minutes later, they arrived at Lucheng Central Hospital.

Yu Hui couldn’t open the door by himself, so Huo Mingwang got out and helped him. The two walked into the hospital—one after the other.

But Yu Hui was still slow as usual, while Huo Mingwang, for some reason, picked up speed until Yu Hui nearly lost him in the crowd.

Just when he was about to cry from anxiety, unable to catch up, Huo Mingwang finally realized there was still a little one behind him. He turned around—only to find the little guy on the verge of tears.

In two or three quick steps, he picked him up again. Yu Hui was lifted into the air and immediately wrapped his arms around Huo Mingwang’s warm neck. His dangling heart finally settled back into place.

He sniffled and sucked back the tears, suddenly catching a whiff of something oddly fragrant.

Huo Mingwang’s scent was different from Mommy’s. Mommy smelled soft and sweet—familiar and comforting.

But Huo uncle smelled faintly of medicine, mixed with a crisp, clean scent unique to him. It was hard to describe, but not unpleasant. After smelling it for a while, Yu Hui even kind of wanted to take another sniff.

Lost in his random thoughts, Yu Hui let Huo Mingwang carry him through the hospital lobby, up the stairs, and finally into a small ward at the end of the second floor.

It wasn’t Yu Hui’s first time at a hospital—Mommy had brought him once before. But back then, he hadn’t paid attention to his surroundings. Now, he looked around carefully.

When he finally saw the familiar face of Yu Wei he had been longing for, tears instantly streamed down his face again.

“Mommy—!”

“Huihui!”

At the first sight of his mother, Yu Hui leapt into her arms. The calm he’d just regained collapsed in an instant, and he buried his face into her embrace, sobbing his heart out.

Yu Wei was taken aback, staring at the fuzzy pom-pom on her son’s head. She looked at Huo Mingwang, who had just entered the room, with confusion.

“Mr. Huo, what happened to my son?” Why did he start crying the moment he saw her?

Was it from happiness—or sadness?

“No idea,” Huo Mingwang said indifferently. “I’m not a worm in his stomach. How would I know why this little radish is crying?”

“Mama… you scared Huihui so much…”

“There, there, it’s okay now.” Yu Wei gently removed his knitted hat and lovingly stroked his warm hair. She hadn’t taken him to get a haircut in months—it was already long enough to cover his ears.

Her voice grew even softer. “See? Mommy’s totally fine now.”

Yu Hui sniffled and wiped his tears against her chest before finally lifting his head to look closely at her face.

Seeing that Mommy’s face wasn’t so pale anymore, and her lips even had a bit of color, his anxious little heart finally eased.

“Mommy… I thought you’d never wake up again… sniff sniff…”

“Don’t say that, sweetheart. Don’t think like that, okay? Use that little brain of yours to think happy thoughts. Mommy isn’t that fragile.” Yu Wei glanced up at Huo Mingwang, who was still standing nearby watching them, and continued to comfort her son.

“Mommy still has to raise you up, right? Our Huihui still has to be a little artist, a singer, and a top chef, isn’t that right?”

“Mhm…”

The little guy clung to her for a long time before finally stopping his sobbing.

Wiping away his tears, he suddenly remembered something and said in his soft, muffled voice, “Mommy, this morning Gege Gai and Jie Jie Hua came to play with me. They bought cake, and I made money! I put it in the drawer. Now you have money for your treatment!”

Yu Wei gazed lovingly at her sensible son. Though his words were childish and funny, they deeply moved her.

“That’s wonderful. My son is amazing—he even earned money for Mommy’s treatment!”

As they spoke, Huo Mingwang suddenly walked out of the room. Yu Wei looked at his tall, handsome back, thinking he might’ve gotten fed up with their chatting. But it turned out he had just gone to call the nurse.

“Oh, it’s done? I’ll change the IV for your wife,” the nurse said cheerfully as she walked in behind him.

Yu Wei: “…”

Could you shut up, please? She was dying of embarrassment!

Yu Wei peeked at Huo Mingwang again. He didn’t look at her, just kept his eyes fixed on the IV bottle in the nurse’s hand, standing silently with a frown.

It felt like the first time she’d ever met someone so aloof and silent. Who would’ve thought that this handsome, wealthy, powerful man was actually… a total weirdo?

She couldn’t help thinking: God really is fair after all.

“All done. Just one more bottle after this, and then you’re good to go home,” the nurse said, holding the empty bottle. Only then did she notice the child in Yu Wei’s arms.

She looked Yu Hui up and down, then glanced at both adults, her gaze lingering between them before she suddenly smirked.

“I knew it—you two really are husband and wife. I don’t know why you kept denying it. Your son looks just like both of you! Who else would he belong to?”

As she spoke, she even giggled behind her hand.

To Yu Wei, that laugh was infuriating. If her hand weren’t still tied to the IV, she’d have jumped out of bed and argued with her for three hundred rounds!

She wanted to scream to the world: There’s absolutely nothing going on between me and Huo Mingwang!