DLRC – Chapter 65 Quite Gifted

The day they moved in was also the third day Yu Wei reopened her shop. Naturally, it wasn’t easy for just her and her daughter to move everything.

Sure enough, Yu Wei saw Chen Liang show up—along with two other men who helped carry her furniture and luggage upstairs.

Strangely, she never saw Huo Mingwang from beginning to end. Who knew if he was busy with work or what? Even after they finished moving, he never showed up.

Yu Wei quietly speculated about the relationship between the two, but considering she had only seen them together in a car that one time, who knew what kind of connection they had? Maybe they just knew each other, and he happened to give the mother and daughter a ride home.

Forget it—none of her business anyway.

The new neighbor on the third floor was a gentle-looking woman, seemingly harmless, with a graceful sense of style. She looked older—likely over thirty—but surprisingly, her daughter was quite young. Word was she was just five and a half, only a year or two older than Yu Hui.

The new neighbor knew how to win people over. On the day she moved in, she gave out valuable gifts to all the neighbors upstairs and down—gift boxes of cured meats from a food factory. Yu Wei was caught off guard when she received hers, and only after the woman smiled and shook her hand, saying they’d be neighbors from now on and should look out for each other, did it register.

Seeing that warm smile reminded Yu Wei of when she first moved to Changqing Road, baking cookies for the neighbors to introduce herself. That had been her first step in adapting to a new environment.

Liu Xuehua was a woman who loved to smile. Every time she saw Yu Wei, she would greet her with a grin and, when free, liked to come downstairs to help with the dessert shop. She really liked the sweets Yu Wei made.

Liu Xuehua’s daughter was named Sun Aiying. She was a sweet-looking girl with a bright smile and slightly tanned skin—clearly someone who enjoyed outdoor activities.

There weren’t many kids her age around, so she often ran downstairs to play with Yu Hui when she had nothing to do.

She said she really liked “little brother Huihui” at Auntie Yu Wei’s place—said he was so good-looking, even more so than child stars on TV! She also said his voice was very pleasant, like the pearl birds in the birdcage.

It didn’t look like the mother and daughter lacked money. Whenever they passed by Yu Wei’s dessert shop, they would often stop in, and their home even had a television. Although it was a black-and-white model, TVs were still a rare luxury at the time.

Sun Aiying’s greatest source of pride was that little black-and-white TV at home. Every time she came downstairs, she would see Yu Hui lying on the table, drawing intently.

The little guy was extremely focused—unless it involved Yu Wei, nothing could easily distract him.

Sun Aiying really liked that serious air Yu Hui had. Sometimes when she came to play, she would even invite him to go upstairs and watch TV with her.

Yu Hui had never seen a TV and didn’t know what one looked like. All he knew was that it was supposed to be something really nice—because Sun Aiying kept raving about it in his ear.

“Little brother Huihui, come upstairs and watch TV with me! I promise—it’s super fun! Way better than your books!”

But Yu Hui wasn’t moved by her words. Maybe it was because he’d never experienced it before and couldn’t imagine how good it was. His attention remained fully on his grand “drawing enterprise,” completely ignoring what she said.

He only chatted with her a bit when he took breaks from drawing.

Perhaps due to her upbringing and family environment, Sun Aiying had seen and known more than Yu Hui. Just hearing the things that came out of her little mouth was enough to pique Yu Hui’s curiosity.

But they’d only known each other for two days, and he didn’t want to go out to play with someone he wasn’t very familiar with. He still preferred hanging out with Brother Gai Gai and the others. Unfortunately, today was Saturday, and Brother Gai Gai was off visiting his grandma. He’d be back to play tomorrow.

Seeing that Yu Hui wasn’t persuaded, Sun Aiying wasn’t upset or embarrassed. She sat beside him and watched him draw for a bit before heading home for lunch.

Monday came—the day students dreaded the most. On the street near Boxue Road, you could see elementary schoolers every few steps. For kids Yu Hui’s age, they were usually accompanied to school by their parents.

Yu Hui looked curiously at the kids walking together. The elementary students all had red scarves tied around their necks. The bright red fabric caught his eye.

“Mama, are those scarves?” But why were all the kids wearing the same scarf? So strange.

He looked down at his own scarf—it was a blue one his mom had knitted after learning from Grandma Jiang.

Though the stitches were uneven and Auntie Song had teased it looked like a net for catching small fish, Yu Hui really liked it. Ever since winter had set in, it was wrapped around his neck every day.

In mid-to-late December, the weather was freezing. Even with Yu Hui hugging a small heater in his arms, Yu Wei was still shivering from the cold.

Her feet were especially cold. In those days, there were no space heaters or warmers. Even if Yu Wei had the money, there was no way to buy such things.

She heard her son’s curious question and turned to look. “Oh, that’s a red scarf. When you go to elementary school, you’ll get to wear one too.”

“Red scarf…” Yu Hui was puzzled. “Can I wear one even if I don’t go to elementary school?”

It looked really nice and stood out. Somehow, it even felt a bit majestic.

“Nope,” Yu Wei said with a laugh, ruffling his short hair until it was a messy fluff. “Red scarves aren’t something just anyone can wear. They’re given out by teachers to good kids—model socialist students!”

Yu Hui didn’t really understand all of what she said, but he did know what a good kid was. So the ones wearing red scarves were all good kids.

But he’d never seen Brother Gai Gai wear one. Did that mean Brother Gai Gai wasn’t a good kid? Next time he came to play, Yu Hui wanted to ask him if he had a red scarf.

He smoothed out his hair after his mom messed it up. A few minutes later, they arrived at the shop. The auntie at the fruit store next door called out, “Oh, you and Mama are here to open up shop again?”

Yu Hui had already seen Zhao Shufang arranging her fruit out front. Each round piece was placed perfectly in line. He smiled and responded, “Auntie Zhao, my mama brought me to help open the shop.”

“When are you going to start kindergarten, little sweetie?” Zhao Shufang handed him a small jujube. Yu Hui accepted it with delight, planning to wash it before eating.

“Auntie Zhao, my mama said I don’t have to go to school. I’m going to stay home and help Mama run the store.”

“Eh, don’t say that too early,” Yu Wei chuckled as she turned her son’s happy little head toward her. “Who knows, maybe someday I’ll send you off to kindergarten.”

She shivered as she pulled out her keys. Heaven knew how miserable it was to pull your hands out of your warm pockets and face the cold wind while unlocking a door.

“Mama, didn’t you say you wanted me to always stay with you?” Was Mama lying?

“I do! But if we get the chance, our sweet boy can go and experience the fun of kindergarten too!”

Zhao Shufang watched the mother and son with an amused smile. Yu Hui pouted and, seeing how slowly Mama was moving, reached out his little hand, grabbed the keys from her, and opened the door himself.

And not only that—after unlocking it, he muttered, “Mama’s so slow.”

Yu Wei laughed in spite of herself. “Alright, alright, our little Huihui’s growing up and taking charge now, huh? From now on, you open the door in the mornings.”

The little guy wasn’t too bothered by the cold—at least not like Yu Wei was. He wore a light yellow knit hat with a pom-pom that bobbed in the cold wind. Yu Wei couldn’t resist giving it a playful tap.

Yu Hui cheerfully led her into the shop. Any thoughts of kindergarten were long gone from his mind.

He dashed off to the kitchen to wash his jujube, then hurried over to the table to continue the masterpiece he had nearly finished before they closed up yesterday.

He was utterly focused. Yu Wei watched him throw himself into his work the moment he entered and walked over, curious, to see what he was drawing.

This drawing was a copy from a picture book—it depicted two little deer eating grass by the river. It even included a background. Though it was in black and white and made with only a few sketchy lines, even someone like Yu Wei, who had no artistic sense whatsoever, couldn’t help but praise, “Amazing, my Hui! It’s beautiful—really beautiful! When you’re a bit older, Mommy will sign you up for a class, and you’ll become a little artist!”

Yu Wei’s praise made little artist Yu Hui very happy. But as a child, he knew he shouldn’t be too proud, so he resisted the urge to smile, keeping a serious face as he focused on completing his masterpiece.

Once the drawing was done, he could finally rest!

When Huo Mingwang stepped out of the car and walked up to the door, the first thing he saw was Yu Hui diligently “writing” at the table.

But before he could even reach the cashier counter, Yu Hui suddenly dropped his pen and, excitedly clutching his drawing, ran into the kitchen shouting, “Mommy! I’m done with my drawing!”

“Wow! Let Mommy see! Let’s see what our little artist has created!”

Yu Wei shut the oven, which was filled with a tray of fluffy egg cakes, and the air was full of sweet fragrance.

Surrounded by that sweet aroma, she squatted down beside her son and took the artwork he had spent two whole days completing.

To be honest, aside from the lack of color, it was a near-perfect copy. No, not just a copy—it was surprisingly vivid. The two little deer with their big watery eyes, drinking from the river, looked almost alive.

“Amazing, my Huihui! You’ve made so much progress with just a bit of practice—so impressive!”

Yu Hui was immensely proud. His little head tilted upward, the fluffy ends of his hair bouncing: “Mommy, I practice every day, that’s why I improved so fast!”

He recalled a story Yu Wei had told him: “Mommy, I’m just like Jingwei! I’m a persevering bird, just like her!”

“What bird? You’re a person! You’re a persevering Yu Hui!”

Yu Hui beamed. “Mommy, I was just using a metaphor! I’m not a bird—I’m Mommy’s Huihui!”

As the mother and son shared this tender moment, their heads leaning closely together, neither noticed the tall man standing silently at the kitchen doorway, eyes lowered, watching them without saying a word.

He didn’t speak up or announce himself—just stood there watching.

It wasn’t until Yu Hui put away his drawing and Yu Wei casually glanced toward the door that she finally noticed Huo Mingwang—whom she hadn’t seen in a week—standing there silently at her kitchen door.

“Mr. Huo, are you here to buy a cake?” Yu Wei, still smiling, stepped forward to greet him, with Yu Hui following close behind holding his drawing.

He wore a black suit as always, though the unique collar style revealed it wasn’t the same one as last time.

One had to admit, he really had the figure for a suit—especially a tailored one. If she didn’t know this was the real 1980s, she might have guessed he was some company CEO. Every hair on his head gave off a distinct “cold, dominant boss” aura.

Before he could even answer her question, Yu Hui excitedly lifted his drawing and held it up right in front of Huo Mingwang’s face.

He stared at the white paper waving in front of him for two seconds, then looked down, puzzled, at the little kid by his feet.

“Uncle Huo,” Yu Hui called out softly. It had been days since they last met, but he still remembered him. “Uncle Huo, this is a picture I drew of some deer. Do you want to see it?”

The moment those words left his mouth, Yu Hui began to regret it. He lowered the drawing a little.

He and Uncle Huo weren’t that close—why was he showing him his freshly finished drawing? What if he said it was ugly? That would make him very sad.

But once words were spoken, they couldn’t be taken back. So Yu Hui had no choice but to stare up at him nervously. He saw some unreadable emotion in Huo Mingwang’s eyes, and his heart sank further. He started to pull the drawing back.

But the next second, a warm, slightly calloused hand landed on his small one. Yu Hui looked down and saw Uncle Huo gently taking the paper from his hand.

He opened it and held it up, studying it intently—so intently that the already quiet bakery felt like you could hear a pin drop.

Yu Hui took two steps back and tugged at Yu Wei’s shirt, looking up at her. Then the mother and son exchanged a glance.

Mommy, why is Uncle Huo staring at it so seriously? He’s even frowning. Does that mean he doesn’t like my drawing?

Sweetie, Mommy has no idea!

Just as their silent exchange ended, Yu Hui received praise from Huo Mingwang.

He handed the drawing back, and as Yu Hui took it, he heard that deep, magnetic voice from above.

“Not bad. You’ve got talent,” said Huo Mingwang. Then, glancing at Yu Wei, he added, “If possible, your mom should send you to learn drawing.”

Yu Hui was thrilled. Especially the part where Uncle Huo said his mom should send him to art class—he didn’t even know what to say from the excitement bubbling inside him. His joy felt like it was about to burst out of his throat.

Uncle Huo, the man who always stayed silent, actually praised him! He’d thought he wouldn’t say anything at all.

And strangely, although Mommy’s earlier praise had made him happy, when Huo Mingwang said, “Not bad. You’ve got talent,” Yu Hui’s little heart skipped a beat.

The blood in his veins seemed to heat up. A rush of warmth shot from the soles of his feet straight to his head, like a torch being lit inside him in the middle of winter—pure, overwhelming joy.

“Mommy says I’ll be a painter someday,” the little guy told Uncle Huo, then covered his mouth with a giggle and ran back to the counter, where he pulled out all the drawings he’d made recently from a small drawer.

He began arranging them one by one, in order of when he’d made them, laying them out to cover the whole table.

Yu Wei looked on, amused by her son’s actions. The smile on her lips was unstoppable. She turned and asked Huo Mingwang, still smiling, “So, what would you like to buy today?”

Perhaps it was the memory of him taking her to the hospital last time… or perhaps it was the praise he’d just given her son, but Yu Wei found herself feeling even more warmly toward this cold man.

Even though he still didn’t smile, she no longer found him hard to approach.

Any man who had patience for children probably had a warm heart beneath that cold exterior.

“Just browsing,” said Huo Mingwang. He hadn’t expected things to turn out like this when he came.

As for his feelings toward Yu Wei, he understood them well: a mix of hatred and deep, lingering affection. But as for the boy, Yu Hui, he understood that even more clearly.

He was adorable, yes—but he didn’t want to like him. Especially knowing that this child was born from Yu Wei and some other man. Every time he thought of that, a wave of frustration surged in his chest.

But to be honest, when he saw the boy’s hopeful expression and his pure, innocent eyes… damn it, he couldn’t say a single harsh word.

Even the dislike he’d tried to force himself to feel didn’t seem quite so real.

Especially last week at the hospital—he had actually wiped the kid’s face and mouth, and the little one had hugged his neck and nuzzled him affectionately, saying things like “Uncle Huo, you’re a good person.”

And truth be told, he hadn’t been able to push him away or say anything cruel.

That side of him wasn’t one he wanted to acknowledge—but he’d undeniably acted in ways contrary to his own wishes.

As he thought about this, he found himself staring at Yu Wei for a long time—so long that she turned away in embarrassment and pretended to focus on her son. Only then did he come back to himself and shift his gaze.

He took a long stride and walked over to the spotlessly clean, gleaming display case.

This time, he didn’t even take a tray. He simply reached in and picked out a slice of mille crepe cake. Blue in color. The label read “Blueberry Mille Crepe”…

He hadn’t tried that one before.

“Wrap it up.”

He walked over to the counter and handed the cake over. Their long fingers brushed briefly, and Yu Wei nearly dropped the cake. Fortunately, nothing happened—just a faint warmth lingered in her palm.

“Mm…” She still felt the heat on the back of her hand. “Mr. Huo, that’ll be three yuan for the blueberry mille crepe.”

The man paused for a moment, then said, “Put it on my tab.”

Yu Wei froze, looking up at him in confusion. “On your tab?”

“Fifty yuan—you forgot,” Huo Mingwang reminded her.

Then Yu Wei remembered. Apparently, she still owed Huo Mingwang fifty yuan from the day she’d gotten sick—medical and food expenses. Though, the amount had seemed a bit excessive…

“Well, alright then…” She didn’t say much more. Consider it repaying a favor. She pulled a little notebook from the drawer and picked up a pen. “Let me write it down.”

Huo Mingwang said nothing. He simply stood there at the counter, watching as Yu Wei lowered her head to write. The warm yellow light above them shone down on her face, casting her profile in gentle shadows.

Just like four years ago—no, five years ago. She hadn’t changed at all. Her appearance was exactly the same, though her personality seemed softer now. Probably because of the child.

Yu Wei had no idea Huo Mingwang was reminiscing about the woman she used to be. After she jotted the note and packed the cake in a paper box, she handed it to him.

As he took it, a crisp little voice rang out from the doorway.

“Uncle Huo!” It was Liu Xuehua’s daughter, Sun Aiying. She ran over in her little leather shoes and stood in front of him. “Uncle Huo, did you come to buy one of Huihui’s mom’s cakes too?”