DLRC – Chapter 59 Uncle Huo, Don’t Wander Off

Until he saw his mom, his heart couldn’t settle. But now that he knew she was okay, being carried through a public place in Uncle Huo’s arms, Yu Hui finally had the presence of mind to start observing his surroundings.

The hospital was huge. Held in Uncle Huo’s arms, his field of vision was much broader, allowing him to clearly see everything ahead.

His embrace was nothing like Mom’s, which was always cold. Uncle Huo was warm—too warm. Especially since Yu Hui’s own body was warm too, sweat had already started to trickle down his back.

He wanted to take off his little bear coat, but Mom had said that in winter, you couldn’t take off your clothes outside or you’d get sick.

Besides, he was currently being carried by Uncle Huo, so he couldn’t take his coat off even if he wanted to.

Uncomfortable, Yu Hui wiggled his little butt, trying to slide down from his arms. “Uncle Huo…”

His soft, milky voice rang out, and after a few whimpers, he said again, “Uncle Huo, I can walk by myself. Can you put me down?”

This sentence finally snapped Huo Mingwang out of the thoughts he had been stuck in, thoughts that revolved around that woman.

He let out a long exhale. His cold gaze swept toward Yu Hui. He didn’t speak, just locked eyes with the little one for a moment before silently setting him down on the ground.

“Walk on your own.”

“Okay.” He had wanted to walk by himself anyway. Uncle Huo had insisted on carrying him. Back in the hospital room, he’d even tugged at the back of his collar—Yu Hui had been completely bewildered.

Now, the tall and the small walked side by side. For once, Huo Mingwang seemed to have a conscience. He didn’t deliberately speed up but instead accommodated Yu Hui’s short little legs, walking with him toward the hospital cafeteria.

The cafeteria wasn’t big, just one floor, and the main dining area was packed. There were barely any seats left. The lunchbox Huo Mingwang had taken back for Yu Wei earlier had been bought here.

Prices weren’t steep, but it had multiple serving windows.

The regular window offered meals at prices average people could afford. Huo Mingwang had bought from the most expensive one at the far end, where a skilled chef prepared dishes in small batches rather than in large pots, making the food extra tasty—and expensive.

At the cafeteria entrance, there was a place to rent food containers—50 cents to rent, with a 1 yuan deposit. Return the container and you get your deposit back. Pretty cost-effective.

It was the little guy’s first time in such a bustling cafeteria. His tiny mouth hung open in awe.

He was a little excited and a bit curious. There were so many people here—way more than at the state-run restaurant.

And today, he was here with Uncle Huo. It wasn’t Mom by his side. The feeling was… strange.

Instinctively, his little hand reached out to grab the hem of the adult’s clothes or his hand. But the moment he gripped it, something felt off.

He turned his head—and realized it wasn’t Mom beside him. It was Uncle Huo.

His hand was warm and a little rough, nowhere near as soft as Mom’s. And it was so much bigger—just one palm could completely wrap around his tiny hand.

He looked up—Uncle Huo was staring down at him with a cold, irritated gaze. That sharp look made Yu Hui’s heart skip a beat. Instinctively, he pulled his little hand back and walked quietly by himself, not daring to hold him again.

The crowd quickly distracted Yu Hui. He walked along, sniffing the air as he went. He wanted to catch the scent of that braised pork from earlier, but there were just too many people. He couldn’t smell it at all. Instead, there was an unpleasant, stinky odor hanging in the air.

Yu Hui wrinkled his nose and crept a little closer to Huo Mingwang. His right arm brushed against someone—but that person gently pushed him away and walked off in a different direction.

Yu Hui turned his head in confusion—realizing the person he had bumped into wasn’t Uncle Huo!

Where was Uncle Huo?

Where did he go?

His eyes widened in fear. But the cafeteria was just too crowded. With his small, short body, he was easily swallowed up by the throng.

But he knew—Uncle Huo was tall. If he just raised his head high enough, he would definitely spot him.

But… no. No one. Not a single trace of Uncle Huo. Not even someone of similar height.

Panic gripped Yu Hui completely.

Getting lost in such a crowded and unfamiliar place was even scarier than being left alone at home.

He began to cry. Tears streamed down his temples, dropping in big beads onto the cold floor.

But he cried silently. Surrounded by so many people, he didn’t dare cry out loud.

He was afraid his crying would attract bad people. But he was so scared—terrified in a way he hadn’t felt before.

In the past, he’d just been locked in dark rooms or left alone at home. That was loneliness—a fear of the dark.

But this was different. Now he was surrounded by people—but not a single one was familiar.

“Uncle Huo… Uncle Huo, where are you…” Yu Hui choked out, his tiny lips trembling uncontrollably. Even the motion of wiping away his tears was full of tremors.

Clearly, he was in a crowd, but Yu Hui felt like the whole world had abandoned him.

No Uncle Huo. No Mom. Not a single familiar face.

Fear sapped his strength. He didn’t even have the energy to go look for Huo Mingwang. Or maybe he was just too afraid to move. All he could do was stay put and cry silently.

But after five minutes passed and more and more curious glances were cast his way, Yu Hui couldn’t hold it in anymore and began sobbing audibly, though still timidly.

In a corner of the cafeteria, Huo Mingwang stood hidden in the crowd, expression cold, eyes fixed on the crying child not far away. He didn’t move an inch.

To be honest, this was the first time Huo Mingwang had ever seen a child cry like that—like he was suffocating, body trembling so hard it looked like he might collapse at any second.

But this child… he was Yu Wei’s kid. A little bastard born to Yu Wei and some other man.

Thinking about that, there really wasn’t anything pitiful about him.

If anyone was pitiful… it was him, Huo Mingwang—abandoned, his sincere heart trampled mercilessly.

Even… it had taken four years to find the woman who had dragged him into hell.

He took a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket, struck a match, lit one casually, and took a deep drag.

Blue-gray smoke curled from his slightly parted lips, slowly rising to his brow and drifting around his lashes, blurring his vision and shielding him from the pitiful little brat across the way.

Tall, striking, and with an air of superiority, Huo Mingwang stood out in the crowd. People passing by couldn’t help but glance at him again and again.

Until—he shot them a cold, impatient glare. Only then did they hurriedly look away and move on.

On the other side, Yu Hui had already been crying for several minutes. The delicate little pink dumpling had turned into a tear-streaked mess. A kind-hearted woman with an overflowing sense of motherly love approached him, trying to comfort him and asking where his parents were.

Yu Hui didn’t recognize the woman, but seeing the worry and concern in her eyes, he still opened his mouth. With a sobbing voice, trembling as he hiccupped, he said, “M-my mommy is sick… I…”

“Your mommy is sick? Then where is she?” the woman asked again.

“M-my mommy is sick. Uncle Huo brought me to eat, but… but I can’t find him anymore. I can’t find Mommy. I can’t find Uncle Huo. Waaaah—”

The woman was about to comfort him and ask more questions when someone suddenly patted her shoulder. A tall man in a suit was now standing in front of her.

The man looked extremely impatient, but the little one at his feet suddenly threw himself into his arms.

More accurately, he dove straight into his thighs, hugging his long legs tightly and crying his heart out.

“Uncle Huo! Waaaah—Uncle Huo, I couldn’t find you earlier… Huihui was so scared… I couldn’t find you… Waaaah…”

Huo Mingwang didn’t know where to put his hands. He still had a cigarette between his fingers, and smoke curled around the little one. Frowning, he extinguished the half-smoked cigarette in the palm of his hand.

The cigarette tip was still glowing red—it was burning hot, but he felt nothing.

“What are you crying for.”

Hearing Huo Mingwang’s voice, Yu Hui was both happy and sad. His little face remained buried in Huo Mingwang’s legs, arms wrapped tightly around him.

“Waaaah—Uncle Huo! Huihui was so scared just now. I thought you were lost… I couldn’t find my way back. I almost—almost couldn’t find Mommy—waaah—”

The little one wasn’t crying as hard as before, but the fear of getting lost still lingered in his heart.

But Huo Mingwang had no intention of comforting him and only threw out one sentence: “Stop crying.”

Then, frowning, he quickly and messily ruffled the little one’s hair. His tone, though, was deliberately gentler. “Don’t cry.”

“Uncle Huo… don’t go wandering off again, or I won’t be able to find Mommy… or you… and I won’t be able to go home, I—”

“You’re too noisy,” Huo Mingwang cut him off, stopping his hand and leaving the boy’s neat hairstyle in a complete mess, finding it rather amusing.

He looked around. Instead of thinning, the crowd in the cafeteria only grew denser.

It was lunchtime now, and more and more people were gathering at the food counter. If they didn’t go line up soon, the wait would be long.

But when he lowered his gaze to the little one’s black hair, still trembling shoulders, and hands tightly clinging to his legs—most crucially, the tears and snot wiped all over his pants—he felt on the verge of losing it.

He wanted to throw him out. Let him lose his mom forever! Let them never find each other again!

This dark thought flashed across his mind so quickly that it startled even Huo Mingwang himself.

Rubbing his weary brows, he finally bent down and picked up the still-heartbroken little one into his arms.

“If you keep crying, I won’t buy you lunch.”

Yu Hui sniffled, wiped his tears, and wrapped his arms around Huo Mingwang’s neck. He didn’t care if Uncle Huo was hot or not—hugging him was the only thing that made him feel safe. It was the same sense of security his mommy gave him.

“I won’t cry. Uncle Huo, Huihui won’t cry anymore.”

Yu Hui obediently pressed his cheek against Huo Mingwang’s face. Their two warm cheeks suddenly pressed together, and something in Huo Mingwang’s chest was suddenly struck—it made his heart tremble violently.

Yu Hui, no more than four years old, had the softest, most delicate baby face. Unlike Huo Mingwang’s rough skin, worn by wind and sun, the boy’s cheek was smooth like silk rubbing against him.

The little one didn’t notice Huo Mingwang’s sudden emotional shift and still couldn’t help but open his rosy lips and softly breathe warm, moist air against the man’s face: “Uncle Huo, I was really scared just now. That’s why I cried.”

This simple sentence left Huo Mingwang stunned for a moment. A strange sense of regret welled up in his chest over everything he had done to Yu Hui today.

After all, no matter what that woman had done to him, this kid was innocent.

It was the first time he realized that simply leaving Yu Wei’s little boy alone in a crowd could make him cry this heartbreakingly.

“Mm.” He gave a light response to show he understood. Finally hearing a reply, Yu Hui felt a bit better.

The little one kept his cheek pressed to Huo Mingwang’s face. Occasionally, he’d turn his uneasy head slightly, and his long, thick lashes would brush the man’s skin, tickling it with a soft itch.

He sniffed the scent on Huo Mingwang—it didn’t smell as nice as Mommy’s soft fragrance, but it was better than nothing.

“Don’t move around,” Huo Mingwang said in a low voice, then carried him over to the meal box rental counter, got two containers, and turned to stand at the high-price dish window.

Thanks to their height difference, Yu Hui could see all the food inside the window. Everything was neatly arranged—vegetables, meat, buns, rice…

His eyelashes still had tears clinging to them, but he straightened up and locked his gaze on the steaming food.

Now that they were closer, he could finally smell the braised pork he had been craving.

It smelled so good, and his stomach started growling again.

“What do you want to eat?” Huo Mingwang turned to ask him.

The little one’s face was streaked with tears and looked quite messy, but this exquisitely cute child—even looking like a weepy kitten—was still the most eye-catching in the crowd.

He was now seriously inspecting the food window. Upon hearing Huo Mingwang’s question, his eyes darted around quickly, and then he stretched out a tiny finger to point at the nearly empty tray of braised pork. “Uncle Huo, can I have some meat?”

Huo Mingwang followed the direction of his little finger. Wasn’t that the same dish he had just bought for Yu Wei earlier?

So he didn’t say much and simply asked the chef to serve some braised pork.

“Coming right up! One braised pork!”

Huo Mingwang handed over the lunchbox. The chef cheerfully served it. Then, watching his movements, Huo Mingwang added, “Put braised pork in both boxes.”

“Sure thing!”

The chef was very happy to meet such a generous customer and packed all the remaining braised pork into their boxes.

“What else do you want?” Huo Mingwang asked again. His tone had softened, less cold than before—perhaps due to lingering guilt or realizing there was no need to be so harsh on this child.

“Uncle Huo…” Yu Hui shyly hugged his neck and said in a soft milky voice, “Can I have another meat dish?”

“What kind of meat?” he asked.

Yu Hui pointed to the yam pork ribs. Huo Mingwang didn’t say a word and directly asked the chef to serve it. Then he asked what other dishes he wanted. The little one finally picked osmanthus sticky rice lotus root and a portion of sweet and sour pork.

One had to admit, this little guy not only knew how to cry, but also had a knack for picking food—he chose all the dishes that looked delicious and smelled appetizing.

Huo Mingwang carried him and paid with one hand. The cafeteria chef remembered this tall, handsome man—he had come not long ago and bought one of the most expensive meals. Now he was back for two meals. Curious, the chef gave him a few more glances.

The lady at the neighboring food counter also took notice. She secretly stared at Huo Mingwang’s outstanding face several times and, noticing the little pink dumpling in his arms, finally couldn’t help herself and gave the child a sweet cookie.

Yu Hui happily accepted it. “Thank you, Auntie!”

The woman was even more delighted. Oh my, just listen to that soft milky voice—her heart was practically melting!

In the end, the grown-up and the child each held a heavy lunchbox. Yu Hui held one box and a big cookie, happily munching away in Huo Mingwang’s arms.

Crunch. Crunch. Every bite was crisp and crunchy, and Huo Mingwang couldn’t help casting a few glances at him.

“So hungry?” He hadn’t even gotten down yet and was already eating on him. If that cookie left crumbs on his clothes, he swore—

Crunch!

Yu Hui bit off half of the sweet pastry. A small piece, just the size of his little palm, tilted and fell—landing squarely on the clean black lapel of the man’s suit.

As luck would have it, the filling inside… greasy bits of white sugar residue… also stuck messily to that patch of fabric.

Huo Mingwang: “……”

“Get down.” His voice finally turned a few degrees colder, unable to hold back any longer.

Yu Hui was eating happily. Though his face was still streaked with tears, the delicious taste had already made him forget the sadness from earlier.

When he heard Huo Mingwang speak, he instinctively reached out to pick up the piece of pastry that had fallen. But the next second, he was already set down on the ground by Huo Mingwang.

The man suppressed his anger and brushed the pastry off his lapel. But the greasy stain couldn’t be wiped clean, so with a cold expression, he led the little brat to a random empty seat and sat down.

“Uncle Huo, aren’t we going back? I want to eat with Mommy,” the little one asked cheerfully, completely unaware that he’d once again done something to displease Huo Mingwang. After eating that sweet pastry, he was in such a good mood, there wasn’t even a trace of the fear he felt when he was left behind.

He had eaten lots of meat Mommy gave him in the hospital room earlier, and now his lunch box was filled with even more meat. He wanted to go back and share it with her.

As he spoke, his chubby cheeks puffed out with food, bouncing slightly with every chew. He ate with gusto.

“Take it back?” Huo Mingwang snorted. “If you’re not going to eat it, I’ll throw it out.”

“I’ll eat!” Yu Hui clutched his lunch box tightly, afraid to loosen his grip.

Uncle Huo always said such scary things. There’s so much tasty meat—how could he possibly throw it away!

So the little guy figured it out: Uncle Huo didn’t want to take him back to eat with Mommy. He wanted him to eat here at the table.

Though he didn’t know why, wasting food wasn’t an option. So he swallowed the joy of wanting to share it with Mommy and began eating one small bite at a time.

To be fair, after being both scared and starving, Yu Hui was exhausted—body and spirit. He gripped the spoon tightly and began gobbling down food.

The spoon was newly bought. The cafeteria sold utensils, so Huo Mingwang had gotten him a small one.

Thankfully, he had a spoon. Without it, if Huo Mingwang wanted him to eat, he’d have to either feed him himself or take him back to his mother.

Otherwise… he’d have to eat with his hands!

“Uncle Huo, why aren’t you eating?” Yu Hui looked curiously at Huo Mingwang, who sat stiffly on the bench with his arms crossed.

“Just eat. Why do you talk so much?”

It was the first time someone told Yu Hui he talked too much—he actually felt a bit embarrassed.

Honestly, he wasn’t talkative at all. He only chatted a lot with Mommy. Even when playing with friends like Zou Gaigai, he wasn’t very talkative.

But thinking about it, he realized it was kind of strange.

He usually wasn’t a chatterbox, so why did he always want to talk when he was around Uncle Huo?

He sneaked a glance at the now-silent Huo Mingwang, who sat straight across from him, eyes fixed on his little face. Their eyes met just as he peeked.

Startled, Yu Hui immediately lowered his head and resumed eating with renewed focus.

He thought quietly to himself—it was probably because Uncle Huo was good-looking. Just like Mommy. But his temper wasn’t as nice. He still liked his gentle Mommy best!

Still, his thoughts were quickly overtaken by the delicious food.

The meat was tasty, the vegetables were tasty, the sweet pastry was tasty! He actually really wanted to buy another pastry to take back to Mommy, but he didn’t have money. He couldn’t very well ask Uncle Huo to buy it for him.

So he had to give up on that idea.

By the time he’d eaten about half, his little belly was so full it felt like it might burst. Yet there was still a lot of food left in the box.

When he looked up, he saw that Uncle Huo had finally started eating!

Yu Hui stared curiously at the way he ate. Each bite was big, and his movements were fast—but he didn’t look sloppy or impolite.

On the contrary, he looked like he had a good appetite. Not like Yu Hui’s dainty bites, nor like Yu Wei’s slow and deliberate pace. Huo Mingwang’s speed was steady and confident. Even though each bite was three times theirs, it never felt rushed.

He finished his food much faster than Yu Hui did, and ate so seriously that he didn’t even notice the little guy staring.

Well, it wasn’t that Huo Mingwang didn’t notice—he just didn’t care.

The way he ate made others feel hungry just watching. Even though their meals were basically the same, after he was done, Yu Hui couldn’t help but cautiously ask, “Uncle Huo, was your food tasty?”

He looked like he was about to drool. If that meal had been Mommy’s, he definitely would’ve begged for a bite.

“Still hungry?” Huo Mingwang glanced at the half-full box in front of him. “Didn’t like it?”

“No.” Yu Hui shook his head. “It’s tasty! But my tummy’s already really big. I can’t eat anymore.”

The portion was clearly meant for an adult. Huo Mingwang certainly hadn’t filled it with a child’s appetite in mind, so it wasn’t surprising that Yu Hui couldn’t finish.

“Then let’s go.”

They’d been out for quite a while now—at least forty to fifty minutes. Just the time he spent deliberately leaving Yu Hui behind had cost them more than ten minutes. By now, Yu Wei was probably starting to worry about her son.

Thinking of that, Huo Mingwang suddenly didn’t feel like rushing back anymore.

He sat and watched the little guy snap the lid back on the lunch box and pat it down tight. He even put the spoon inside.

“Uncle Huo, are we going back now? I still have a lot of food left. Can I take it with me?”

If Mommy was hungry, she could eat some too!

Huo Mingwang couldn’t be bothered to answer. He simply grabbed the little guy’s hand and led him out of the cafeteria. Yu Hui happily hugged his lunch box and followed along. As long as Uncle Huo held his hand, he wasn’t afraid of being left behind again.

But… Uncle Huo wasn’t leading him back to Mommy’s hospital room. Where were they going?

“Do you know how to wash your face?” Huo Mingwang brought him to the restroom, where there was a row of faucets outside.

As soon as he said it, Huo Mingwang paused. Why was he even asking? Who cared if the kid knew how—he could just wash it himself. It’s not like he was going to help!

So before Yu Hui could respond, he corrected himself: “Go wash your face, now!”

His face was a mess. Anyone who saw him like that might think he’d been bullying Yu Wei’s kid.

Which… wasn’t entirely untrue, considering he had deliberately left him behind earlier.

Seeing Yu Hui cry so pitifully had mostly made him feel irritated and regretful—but he couldn’t deny there was also a trace of satisfaction.

Making that woman’s son cry was like making her cry, wasn’t it?

Yu Hui obediently walked over to the faucet, understanding what Uncle Huo meant. He set his lunch box on the sink. But when he rolled up his sleeves and reached out to start washing…

His legs were too short.

He couldn’t reach.

Even if someone turned the tap on for him, he still couldn’t reach the water.

Huo Mingwang: “……”

He really had overestimated this little rascal!

Huo Mingwang let out a heavy sigh and, under Yu Hui’s hopeful gaze, gritted his teeth and picked him up.

He held the child under his armpits and lifted him up. Sure, now he could reach the faucet—but!

This position was so awkward, Yu Hui couldn’t move his arms at all. They were pinned behind him, useless for washing his face.

Huo Mingwang was on the verge of losing it. Was he seriously going to have to wash this kid’s face himself?

What a joke!

But in the next second, Yu Hui wiggled his stubby limbs and asked in his sweet little voice, full of innocence: “Uncle Huo… can you help me wash my face?”

_{Huo Mingwang: This brat seriously wants me to wash his face?!
Yu Hui: Daddy…
Huo Mingwang (through gritted teeth): Fine, I’ll wash it!}

_{Don’t worry, the later chapters will dig into everything the male lead has been through. His hatred isn’t without reason—it runs deep. But so does the love.
Get ready for the angst.}