DLRC – Chapter 68 Restless Desires

Before she could think any further, Huo Mingwang paid the bill and handed over the cake Sun Aiying had picked. The little girl gave him a sweet smile. “Thank you, Uncle Huo!”

Huo Mingwang didn’t respond. He took another piece of mille-feuille cake and walked out of the shop, with the mother and daughter following behind.

Luo Lin had come by Yu Wei’s shop today to slack off since the factory wasn’t busy. He finally stretched and got up only after seeing that Huo Mingwang had left. With small steps, he walked over to the cashier counter.

But before he could say anything, Yu Wei had already entered the kitchen. “You do it yourself for now. I’m going in to work. If you want anything, ask my son.”

Luo Lin watched her go until her elegant figure disappeared from sight. Then, with nothing better to do, he curled his lips in disappointment.

Looking down at Yu Hui again—this kid either spent the day drawing, reading, teasing birds, or waiting for the holidays when kids like Zou Gaigai came over to play. That’s how his days passed.

“Sigh.” With a helpless sigh, Luo Lin, unable to see his beloved, could only sulk off. Before leaving, he waved goodbye to Yu Hui. “Little guy, I’m off. Bye.”

“Bye-bye, Uncle,” Yu Hui didn’t even look up, continuing to read his illustrated book.

On the other side, Liu Xuehua followed Huo Mingwang out of the dessert shop, planning to take her daughter to school.

The kindergarten Sun Aiying attended wasn’t far from their new home—it was just a ten-minute walk. But since they happened to run into Huo Mingwang today, she decided to slack off a bit and hitch a ride.

In the car sat a half-asleep Chen Liang, who woke up startled by the sound of the door closing. Seeing Liu Xuehua and her daughter enter, he rubbed his eyes.

“Sister Liu?”

“Just a coincidence today. Drop Yingying and me off at the kindergarten on the way,” Liu Xuehua said as she pulled her daughter into her arms and brushed away the little girl’s excitedly tossed hair.

“Sure thing!”

Chen Liang had no objections—Liu Xuehua was the ex-wife of their former boss, and she still had shares in the company. Technically, she was one of his bosses. Their relationship had always been friendly, so giving her a ride was no big deal.

Huo Mingwang said nothing. Today wasn’t a busy day anyway, so he had time to drop Sun Aiying off.

On the way, they chatted idly. Liu Xuehua took the opportunity to ask the question she’d been thinking about earlier.

She said, “Old Huo, I’ve noticed you’ve been coming here a lot lately to buy desserts.”

It sounded casual enough. Sitting in the passenger seat, Huo Mingwang lightly responded with a “Mm.”

Liu Xuehua smiled faintly and looked down at her daughter, who was clutching the box of strawberry cake as if afraid someone would snatch it from her.

“I don’t recall you being into sweets,” she added.

That comment made Chen Liang tighten his grip on the steering wheel. He couldn’t help but recall his own suspicions from before. Could it be… Sister Liu noticed it too?

Well, this was getting interesting. Ha!

Both of them waited quietly for Huo Mingwang’s answer. Unexpectedly, he said, “She still owes me fifty bucks. I need to spend it.”

Liu Xuehua burst into laughter. “Is that so? No wonder… I was wondering why the company suddenly had so many desserts lately. The employees all thought our cold and aloof boss had turned over a new leaf—bringing in cake every day. Turns out they were all from Yu Wei’s shop.”

Last time, she’d bought that unique egg cake from Yu Wei’s shop, and the one Huo Mingwang had brought for the employees tasted exactly the same. Without a doubt, he had bought them there.

Huo Mingwang naturally heard the teasing in her tone, but he didn’t want to explain, nor did he want to say anything more about Yu Wei. They remained silent until they reached the kindergarten—just a few minutes away.

Liu Xuehua got out of the car with Sun Aiying and waved goodbye. “Alright, you two head back. I’ll walk home on my own later.”

“Okay. Bye, Sister Liu!” Chen Liang responded cheerfully.

Huo Mingwang nodded. The window slowly rolled up, and the car disappeared from sight in no time.

Sun Aiying held the cake tightly in her hands, drooling at the mouthwatering smell. The sensation quickened her steps. She broke into a light run and called out, “Mama, you don’t need to walk me in—I can go myself!”

“Alright, alright, go on in then. I won’t walk you.”

Liu Xuehua stopped and waved at her daughter, watching her dash into the kindergarten before turning away and heading down a wide street. The sound of her heels echoed crisply as she walked into a residential building and knocked on a wooden door.

A surprised male voice called out from the hallway, “Xuehua? What are you doing here?”

Meanwhile, back at the company, Huo Mingwang returned with Chen Liang. The man walked with such urgency that Chen Liang could barely keep up. When they finally reached the office door, Huo Mingwang shut it behind him with a loud “bang,” leaving Chen Liang outside again.

Chen Liang rubbed his nose in frustration and went back to the neighboring room.

“Any updates? Has Guo Qi come back?”

“He’s back,” Zhu Cheng said, standing by the desk with his head lowered. “I’ll go get him now.”

“Mm.”

Zhu Cheng left the office and went downstairs to find Guo Qi. Half an hour later, a short man walked out of Huo Mingwang’s office, holding a stack of documents, his expression uneasy. Without looking back, he exited the building.

Back in the office, just a few minutes after the short man left, Zhu Cheng also hurried out. He got in his car and drove straight to another location.

The office desk was neatly stacked with files and books. Huo Mingwang was flipping through a report over and over again. Every word on it had been scrutinized, again and again.

The crisp white paper was crumpled around the edges from how tightly he held it. Every square character on the page repeated a single truth: the child is his.

No doubt.

He suddenly pulled out a cigarette from his pocket and lit it. The match scraped against the box. His hands were trembling slightly.

Blue smoke curled up slowly, swirling around him like a thin veil—shrouding his strong features, blurring his eyes and clouding his heart.

He sat in silence in the quiet room, eyes closed in deep thought, elbows resting on the desk. The cigarette in his fingers gradually burned to ash, falling bit by bit to the floor.

Even so, he had only taken a single puff.

After that strange and unnerving stillness passed, Huo Mingwang finally lifted his eyes and exhaled a long breath. He stubbed out the cigarette in the ashtray and stood up to leave.

But the moment he rose, his legs felt weak and slightly unstable.

He pressed on his left leg, then stepped outside, instructing Chen Liang to hand the files on his desk over to Deputy Zhou. Then, empty-handed, he got into the car and drove off.

Yet not even five minutes after the tall man left, he turned around and came right back.

“Chen Liang, come with me.”

And so, before the bewildered Chen Liang could inform Deputy Director Zhou about working overtime, he was dragged out of the factory by Huo Mingwang.

Inside Yu Ji Dessert Shop, Yu Wei’s hands kneading the dough moved much more briskly now that her son had finally relented.

She was already thinking: after work this afternoon, she needed to take her son to the department store to buy some proper school supplies. Maybe even get him a nice new backpack—maybe that way, he’d grow to like going to kindergarten.

Thinking this way, her mood really did brighten up quite a bit.

Before she knew it, it was already 4:30 PM. Yu Wei began to tidy up and prepare to head home, but not before cleaning the store first.

After everything was cleaned up, she stepped outside with the trash. The fruit shop owner next door greeted her with a smile, “Yu Wei, done for the day already?”

“Yep, I want to take my son home early to rest.”

Zhao Shufang gave her several envious looks in a row.

Look at that—just a single mom with a kid, running a tiny dessert shop and still able to come and go as she pleases. Her life looked downright comfortable.

Unlike them—keeping their store open as late as possible just in case they could earn a few more cents. They didn’t have the luxury of being so willful and closing up early to go home like Yu Wei did.

In the dim winter afternoon light, the sky at 4:30 PM was already dusky. The sun was setting, and a few lingering clouds in the sky cast a slanted red glow over the aged buildings, giving the street a somewhat desolate atmosphere.

From not far away, a beam of bright yellow light suddenly shone onto Yu Wei’s face.

The glare made her raise her hand to block her eyes. In the next instant, the crisp sound of leather shoes approached, growing louder until they stopped right in front of her.

Lowering her hand, she looked up and saw—it was him again. Huo Mingwang.

Don’t tell her this man had been won over by her desserts and came back again at this hour?

Despite her thoughts, Yu Wei still smiled and asked, “Mr. Huo, are you here to buy cake?”

But to her surprise, the man stood silently in front of her without speaking, just staring at her. There was something in his eyes that she couldn’t read, and his gaze sent an involuntary shiver down her spine.

“Do you want to buy something?” she asked, puzzled.

Huo Mingwang maintained the same expression, but his gaze suddenly shifted—becoming more probing, almost searching. Though he was looking right at her, it felt as if his attention was focused somewhere beyond. Yu Wei couldn’t explain it, but she felt like his entire demeanor gave off a kind of… excitement?

Excited about what? Who knew?

“Not buying anything,” he said abruptly in the midst of their strange silent exchange.

Yu Wei: “?”

He finally pulled his gaze away, casting a deep look toward the dessert shop, where little Yu Hui was playing with his toy panda. Then he said hoarsely, “Looking for someone.”

He didn’t give her time to respond. Tossing the comment behind him, he walked straight past her and up the stairwell at the back of the dessert shop. His footsteps faded into the distance, and Yu Wei finally realized—so he was here to see Liu Xuehua.

Hah! So it was just wishful thinking on her part. She’d thought her desserts were so good they’d lured Huo Mingwang back again so soon.

Not thinking about it anymore, Yu Wei cheerfully stepped back into the shop, ready to take her son shopping at the department store!

Her good boy was sitting on a stool, shaking his little panda, chattering nonsense to Gugu and Jiji (the two birds), playing happily.

The two birds no longer needed to stay in their cage all day. Letting them out didn’t lead to chaos—they’d calmly perch on Yu Hui’s shoulder or in his hand and sing cheerfully.

Ever since buying the pearl birds, Yu Hui had taken charge of their care, which made Yu Wei think—maybe pets really do reflect their owners.

Little Yu Hui was a sweet, well-behaved child, so the birds had grown to be just as gentle as him. Thinking that way… it actually kind of made sense.

“Mama, are we leaving soon?” Sensing that the ceiling lights were being turned off, Yu Hui returned Gugu and Jiji to their cage and asked.

“Yes, feed them some millet and then go wash your hands. We won’t be taking them with us tonight—we’re headed to the department store.”

It was best not to bring animals to enclosed public spaces—especially during winter, when avian flu risks were high. The birds had been close to Yu Hui lately, and she was worried.

She planned to visit the Lucheng Veterinary Office when she had time and ask about bird safety in winter. After all, children had weaker immune systems. If it wasn’t safe, she might have to separate them for a while.

Though she thought the odds were low.

Yu Hui dutifully fed the birds their millet, washed his hands thoroughly with some nice-smelling hand soap his mom had picked up somewhere, and came out smelling fresh.

“Mama, smell my nice clean hands!”

“Alright, sweetie, now grab a tissue and dry them off. Time to go.”

“Okay!”

Meanwhile, on the third floor of the dessert shop, Sun Aiying—delighted by the surprise—was practically bouncing. Holding her mom’s hand, she nearly skipped down the stairs.

“Uncle Huo, I’ve seen you soooo many times lately!”

Usually, Huo Mingwang was a hardcore workaholic. Getting to see him—let alone being taken out by him—was rare!

Just this year, she’d only spent time with him during the New Year, and then that one time he showed up at her house to say he’d found a new place for her and her mom and would take them shopping for new home supplies.

That had been a super happy time. Whenever Uncle Huo took her out, he’d buy her tons of yummy things!

Her mom never bought her snacks—always saying if she ate too many, she wouldn’t have room for dinner. Uncle Huo wasn’t that strict at all!

So when she found out he was coming again today to take them to the department store, she got so excited she didn’t know what to say.

But unfortunately, it looked like she was going to be disappointed.

Huo Mingwang said, “Things at the factory aren’t done yet. I heard from Old Meng that he was coming to take you two shopping, so I just happened to drop by.”

The real reason he came… only he knew.

“Oh, I see…” Sun Aiying looked a little deflated. “Uncle Huo, can’t you at least come inside with us? Just for a bit?”

“Next time, if there’s a chance.”

“Okay then.” Guess she’d have to wait. She’d been hoping to ask him for a new dress—but it had only been a month since the last one, and her mom would never agree to buy another.

Downstairs, she instinctively ran over to Yu Wei’s dessert shop and peeked around. “Huh? Where are Yu Hui and his mom?”

The store was empty, but the lights weren’t all off, and the kitchen door was still closed. Where had they gone?

She stared for a while and didn’t see anyone, mumbling curiously. Huo Mingwang stood behind her, his gaze also drifting toward the shop interior.

The two of them ended up standing dumbly at the entrance for a long while before anyone appeared.

Finally, one big and one small figure emerged from the kitchen—mother and son holding hands. Yu Hui clutched his little panda, wearing his “Little Braised Egg” knit hat, the fuzzy pom-pom bouncing adorably with each step.

Liu Xuehua had been watching the man beside her closely. Something flickered in her mind, but it passed too fast to grasp.

Still… looking again at the way Huo Mingwang’s gaze lingered on the mother and son… there was something tender and nostalgic in it.

She tentatively said, “Hey, it’s already 4:30. Yu Wei’s probably about to close up and head home, right? Didn’t she say she was taking her kid to buy a new backpack today?”

As soon as she said that, a spark lit up in Huo Mingwang’s eyes. He was already tall, but Liu Xuehua leaned closer deliberately to better see the expression on his face.

Sun Aiying immediately chimed in, “That’s right! Mama, Yu Hui’s mom said she was taking him backpack shopping—maybe she forgot! I’ll go remind her!”

If Huihui didn’t get his new backpack, he’d probably be even more reluctant to go to school!

“Auntie Yu! Auntie Yu!” she called as she ran, but before she even got into the shop, Yu Wei had already turned off the lights. The place was pitch dark inside now, and it was hard to see the way.

Sun Aiying was afraid of the dark. She backed out, crestfallen. “Yu Hui, are you guys going home now? Are you still going to buy your new backpack?”

The three of them waited at the entrance for a while before Yu Wei finally came out of the shadows, holding her son’s hand. She looked surprised: “What are you all doing here?”

Why were they all huddled at her door?