DLRC – Chapter 75 Brother Hui

Yu Wei treated the encounter with Huo Mingwang at the kindergarten gate as nothing more than a small interlude. But from time to time, when she thought of that man, she couldn’t help but seriously wonder: Was he interested in her or not…?

But clearly, even if he wasn’t romantically interested, he was definitely up to something. Otherwise, why would he always give her a lift for no reason?

Was it really always “on the way”?

She didn’t think that man had so much free time.

As for his intentions… Yu Wei didn’t want to speculate too much. After all, she was a mother—her son was already four. And Huo Mingwang, that golden bachelor… Wait, actually, she still didn’t know anything about his personal situation.

Apart from knowing that he was some big boss, she was completely in the dark about him. So no matter what, it was impossible for her to suddenly develop any strange feelings for him.

Even though his looks were exactly her type, finding a partner wasn’t just about appearances—it was about personality too. And with how eccentric Huo Mingwang’s personality was, she’d be crazy to actually like him.

Shaking off those pointless thoughts, Yu Wei returned home and made a hearty dinner for her son. Little Hui sat at the table, eating happily.

“Mama, can you bring me the panda bento again tomorrow?” Yu Hui asked as he chewed on a piece of pork rib.

Yu Wei’s eyes lit up.

What did her son’s words mean?

Did he want to go to kindergarten again tomorrow!?

She had originally planned to take him out for a walk after dinner and gently talk him into going again the next day. But now, unexpectedly, he was asking for another cute panda lunchbox!

This was definitely a pleasant surprise.

Yu Wei beamed with joy. “Of course! I spoke to your teacher Manman today, and she told me that our Huihui was very well-behaved and sensible in kindergarten today. You didn’t fuss or cry, and you were a very good boy.”

Hearing his teacher praise him, Yu Hui’s little face turned red. Yu Wei continued, “So as a reward, Mama will make you a different bento every day from now on, okay?”

Yu Hui was thrilled. His bright, deer-like eyes sparkled with excitement.

“Mama! Really?” Would he really get super cute panda lunches every day?

Yu Wei gently tapped his little forehead. “Of course it’s true. As long as you’re well-behaved and don’t resist going to kindergarten, Mama will make you a new bento every day.”

Looking at her son’s increasingly bright eyes, she chuckled. “Like today you had a panda bento, tomorrow I’ll make a bunny bento, and after that, maybe a little fish bento.”

“Wow…” Yu Hui’s mouth opened slightly, spoon frozen in midair. “Mama is amazing.”

“Of course. Your mama might not be good at drawing, but she’s great at cooking!”

They chatted and laughed for a long time. Although Yu Hui wasn’t too fond of kindergarten life, he did love the admiring and envious looks from the others when Mama brought his meals.

At those moments, everyone would know—his mama was the best in the whole world!

Even if he didn’t have a dad, just having such an amazing mama was enough to make others envious.

The next day, Yu Wei got up early and made breakfast. There was still half an hour until seven when everything was ready, so she went to wake Yu Hui. The little one mumbled sleepily, reluctant to get up.

“Mama, I’m so sleepy…”

“Then sleep a little longer, no rush. Mama will go buy breakfast, okay?”

Her gentle voice was like a spring breeze brushing past his ear.

The little guy nodded unconsciously. “Okay.”

Only then did Yu Wei leave to buy groceries.

When she came back, her obedient son was still sleeping. Truly, winter blankets were impossible to leave.

She put away the groceries, warmed her hands with hot water, and called out from inside, “Yu Hui! Time to get up!”

About five minutes later, she called again. Finally, the little guy came out, shuffling in his fuzzy pajamas and slippers, rubbing his eyes.

“Mama…” Yu Hui half-squinted as he hugged her thigh. “Mama, I’m so hungry.”

“Awake now?” Yu Wei smiled warmly, lifting the lid off the pot to smell the fragrant pork congee. “Have you washed up? Brushed your teeth? Let Mama see.”

She turned and squatted down, but the shy little guy immediately ran toward the bathroom. “I haven’t brushed yet! You can’t look!”

This kid was getting more and more lively.

Since they got up early, breakfast was particularly rich today. Yu Wei made her son’s favorite—fried eggs—and some flower rolls filled with brown sugar. The little one grabbed one and stuffed it into his mouth, mumbling, “Mama, these rolls are so yummy.”

Yu Wei wiped the sugar crumbs from his mouth and casually said, “Later at kindergarten, be a good boy, listen to your teachers, and play nicely with your friends, okay?”

Only then did she realize—he wasn’t in a good mood, he had just forgotten he had to go to school today!

Yu Hui, who had been happily munching on his roll, suddenly froze. His dewy eyes stared at Yu Wei in disbelief.

“Mama…”

Yu Wei couldn’t help but laugh. “I knew it! You’re so cheerful today—you forgot you had school, didn’t you?”

His little face instantly fell. He put his roll back into the bowl and silently took a sip of milk, his face scrunched up.

“Mama, I forgot…” He looked like he was about to cry, his little mouth trembling. “I regret it…”

Seeing her son looking so crushed only made Yu Wei want to laugh more. “Alright, alright. In a few hours, Mama will bring lunch over. It’ll be quick, I promise.”

Even though having Mama bring lunch was a happy thing… he really didn’t want to go to kindergarten.

He gloomily finished the last bites of his roll, and Yu Wei regretted mentioning school during breakfast—it had totally ruined his mood.

Serves me right for being so talkative!

Cursing herself internally, she tied his scarf, put on his knit hat, and saw clearly from his slow little steps just how reluctant he was. With no other choice, she picked him up and kissed his rosy cheek.

“Huihui is so soft, Mama just can’t stop kissing you.”

Yu Hui half-closed his eyes and then puckered up to kiss her cheek too. “If I don’t go to kindergarten, you can kiss me all the time.”

Yu Wei burst into laughter. “Oh my! Are you trying to seduce Mama? I’m telling you now—I’m not falling for it!”

I can kiss you after school too!

Yu Hui pouted, lying listlessly on her shoulder. His little panda backpack swung with each step she took.

“Here, hold your little panda. Didn’t you say looking at it felt like seeing Mama?”

He took the panda, still feeling down. “Mama, when can I stop going to kindergarten?”

Just like Mama—no school, just making cakes at the shop.

“Hmm… when you turn six, you don’t need to go to kindergarten anymore.”

At six, he could start primary school—no more preschool.

“Six…” Yu Hui thought hard, then exclaimed, “Mama! I’m four this year! Only two more years! Then I don’t have to go anymore!”

Two years didn’t seem so far. He was instantly filled with motivation!

To boost his mood, Yu Wei reminded him, “And in just three more weeks, kindergarten will go on winter break. Huihui only has to go for three more weeks—aren’t you happy?”

Yu Hui blinked, his eyes sparkling. “Really? Just three more weeks?”

Yu Wei ruffled his hair and adjusted his hat. “Mhm… actually, not even three weeks. Mama will explain: one week has seven days, but you only go to school Monday through Friday, so that’s five days. Three weeks means fifteen days. So if Huihui starts going from today, just two weeks and a little more, and you’ll be back home with Mama for the holidays!”

Yu Hui finally looked less sad. He knew a month was 30 days, and half a month was… 15 days!

He began counting on his fingers: “1, 2, 3… 15…” The little guy didn’t realize Mama was twisting the truth—time was still time.

Yu Wei held back her laughter as she watched her son count so seriously.

The two of them chatted while walking. Yu Wei, growing tired of carrying him, set him down and held his hand instead.

At the kindergarten gate, the little guy reluctantly said goodbye. They exchanged a goodbye kiss, and Yu Wei waved him off.

He refused to go in first and insisted on watching her leave. She had no choice but to turn and walk toward the other side of the street. A few steps away, she turned back.

There he stood at the gate, still as a statue, gazing at her.

Her eyes suddenly stung.

Seeing no one around, Yu Wei quietly took a photo of him with her phone. Before leaving, she waved and mouthed “bye-bye” at him, then turned the corner.

Out of his sight, she didn’t rush off. Instead, she waited a minute or two before peeking back.

And there he was—her little guy, led step by step into the kindergarten by the security uncle, his panda backpack swaying behind him.

Partings were always hardest in the beginning. Maybe after a little more time, they wouldn’t sting as much.

Feeling a bit sentimental, Yu Wei took out her phone and made an important decision.

She posted the photo she had just taken of her adorable son to the JiuMi Livestream community feed.

In the picture, little Yu Hui was wearing a short black cotton jacket, corduroy pants, and fuzzy panda slippers. Around his neck was the “fishing net scarf” Yu Wei had knitted for him, paired with a beige knitted hat. He was bundled up tight like a little pink dumpling, frozen in time by the camera.

Caption: “Second day of sending my son to kindergarten. Miss him, miss him.”

Within just ten minutes of posting, the comment section exploded.

【Wha—?! This is the streamer’s son?!】
 

【Aaaaaahhhhhh—— I’m gonna die——!!!】
 

【Ahhhh I’m dead! Who is this?! He’s so freaking cute I can’t—sob sob——】
 

【W-w-wait! Is this really the streamer’s kid?! Is it?! IS IT?! I swear! What a critical hit to the heart this early in the morning!】
 

【Oh my god! What’s going on?! Was the streamer’s account hacked?! Why post this all of a sudden?? Is this really her sweet boy?! So cute I wanna kiss him!】
 

【OMG OMG! I even double-checked the caption—it did say “son,” right? RIGHT?!】
 

【Even though it’s a little blurry, I can still see how drop-dead gorgeous the streamer’s son is! AHHH! He’s TOO CUTE! We need a hi-res version! Streamer——Little Fish Tail!】

…

The further down the comments, the louder the collective scream.

【AHHHHHH——】
 

【Good grief! As the cutest member of JiuMi Live, I now declare: Little Fish Tail’s son has officially stolen my Cuteness Crown!】
 

【Waaahhh—— the streamer’s son is exactly what I imagine a soft baby voice would look like! From now on, I’m a fan of Little Fish Tail!】
 

【AAAAHHHH——TOO CUTE TOO CUTE!】

…

Of course, there were other types of comments too, mostly along the lines of:

【As cute as he is, streamer, you really wrapped him up tight! We can barely see half his face! LOL—crying while laughing sob sob…】
 

【Streamer I HATE YOU! Gimme a full-face pic of our sweet boy!】
 

【I waited SO long for a photo and THIS is what I get?! Streamer, if you’ve got the guts, take a closer shot! Let us see his full face in HD! I dare you!!】

Yu Wei: These internet goofballs are insatiable.

Only now did she finally understand why so many moms on her friend list love posting baby photos. Seeing everyone gush over her precious boy—it’s even better than being complimented herself!

Looking at the flood of gleeful comments, Yu Wei felt her mood lift considerably.

Alright then—off to work with a happy heart. She still had to head home at noon to make her son a bunny-themed lunch. A beautiful life starts with cooking delicious meals for her child.

Over at the kindergarten, after the security uncle safely escorted Yu Hui to Fang Man’s classroom, his mission was complete.

Compared to yesterday, the little guy’s mood hadn’t changed much, but it was obvious he wasn’t as reluctant to talk to the other kids.

The little girl with pigtails, still sporting the same hairstyle as the day before, leaned over and peered at his cute, chubby face: “Yu Hui, Duoduo said your mom makes cakes. She said they’re super yummy. Is that true?”

“Yu Hui! I’ve had cake from your place! I even saw you there—you were drawing at the table, right?” the chubby boy across from him chimed in excitedly.

Young Master Yu Hui gave them a cool glance and was silent for a moment before actually speaking.

“My mom makes the best cake.”

Sure enough, at kindergarten, our Brother Hui is cold and reserved with few words!

This was the first time the other kids had gotten a response from Yu Hui. Instantly encouraged, they all crowded around him:

“Yu Hui, those cat-ear cookies your mom made were soooo good! Do you get to eat them every day at home?!”

Yu Hui found them a bit noisy, but still answered haughtily: “My mom makes me cookies every day.”

He looked quite proud saying it. Fang Man, who overheard while standing nearby, couldn’t help but laugh. What a clever little rascal.

“Wow! I’m so jealous! My family only gets snacks during the holidays,” said the pigtail girl, looking at Yu Hui with starry admiration.

The chubby boy, however, didn’t seem impressed—judging by his size, he clearly had plenty to eat at home.

“Yu Hui, during the holidays, can I ask my mom to take me to your mom’s shop to buy cake? Sound good?”

Yu Hui hadn’t planned to keep talking, but when he heard “buy cake”… well, wasn’t that potential business?

So he couldn’t help but nod. “I think mille crepe cakes taste the best.”

This little guy really knows how to do business. Mille crepe cakes were delicious, sure—but also expensive. A single box could cost two to three yuan. The portion was generous—enough to fill an adult—let alone a child.

Seeing that Yu Hui was willing to talk to him, the chubby boy puffed up with pride. The group continued chatting away, and since the conversation centered on Yu Wei’s dessert shop, Yu Hui was gradually drawn into the discussion.

He had planned to be the aloof little prince, but here he was—chatting away.

“All right, kids, time for class!” Fang Man clapped her hands. “Everyone back to your seats!”

The children scattered to their seats like bees returning to the hive. Despite being chubby, the little boy was quick and agile, leaping onto his bench and even flashing a look at Yu Hui: “See you this weekend!”

Yu Hui ignored him and reverted to his quiet, cool self.

Fang Man’s gentle voice rang out as she stood in the center of the group: “This period is music class. Let’s learn a song together, okay?”

A chorus of cheerful voices responded: “Okay!”

Singing and drawing were the most fun activities. The kids perked up and eagerly followed the teacher’s rhythm, singing along.

The classroom was lively and full of energy. Some kids even swayed while linking arms, singing and laughing.

It was a harmonious scene—if you ignored the corner where Yu Hui sat, mouth tightly shut.

Fang Man made a “pause” gesture, and the room fell silent. The children’s excited breathing was all that remained. She walked over and bent down with a smile.

“Yu Hui, sweetie, I noticed your little mouth wasn’t moving while we were singing!”

Yu Hui just stared at her, his thick eyelashes fluttering as his obsidian-like eyes fixed on the teacher without a word.

Fang Man kept smiling gently: “Why weren’t you singing with everyone?”

Kids these days were mostly well-behaved and not as spoiled as later generations. When the teacher said it was time to sing, they all sat up straight and followed. A reserved one like Yu Hui was pretty rare.

But Yu Wei had already explained that her son’s reserved nature came from his early childhood experiences, so Fang Man didn’t find it strange.

Still, Yu Hui said nothing, and the class stared at him with wide, curious eyes. As the seconds ticked by, his face flushed red under the pressure of their gazes.

Finally, the little guy mustered up the courage, raised his head, and responded in a soft but firm baby voice: “I already know how to sing it.”

Sitting next to him, Xu Rui jumped up and tattled proudly, “Teacher, Yu Hui said he already knows the song!”

Fang Man smiled at the adorable Yu Hui. She glanced down and saw the little guy nervously wringing his hands. “Oh? What song do you already know, sweetie?”

Yu Hui didn’t want to speak more, but seeing the doubtful looks all around him, he muttered, “I’ve known Where Is Spring for a long time.”

Xu Rui, ever the loudmouth, pointed again. “You’re lying! Teacher just taught us that today! How could you know it already?! And you didn’t even sing with us!”

Xu Rui was not only talkative, but also a stickler for rules. Yu Hui shot him a glare full of dislike, his brows slightly furrowed.

“I’m not lying,” he snapped back. Yu Hui hated being accused of lying—especially by someone like Xu Rui. “My mom taught me a long time ago!”

Xu Rui puffed up indignantly. The new kid was talking back? “Then why didn’t you sing? You’re lying, right?”

Yu Hui, face red and eyes fiery, shouted back, “I’m not lying! It’s a song my mom taught me!”

Fang Man saw that the two were about to argue and quickly placed her hand between them. “Alright, alright, let’s not fight. Maybe Yu Hui’s mommy really did teach him the song already.”

She looked around the classroom. Everyone was clearly curious about the new boy, especially given his cold, quiet nature—it made him all the more intriguing.

Xu Rui turned bright red when the teacher sided with Yu Hui, but still wouldn’t back down. “Then if his mom really taught him, why didn’t he sing with us? Does he really know the song?”

Fang Man thought for a moment. “Well then, Yu Hui, if you know the song, how about singing it for everyone? If you do, I’m sure they’ll believe you. What do you think?”

She knew a kid like Yu Hui would never make the first move on his own. But if he could take this first step now, maybe he wouldn’t have to sit alone in the corner anymore.

And here was the perfect opportunity.

Seeing Yu Hui still unresponsive, head lowered and staring at the floor, she turned to the class: “How about a round of applause for Yu Hui, everyone?”

Clap clap clap—

The room filled with applause from tiny hands. Everyone looked at Yu Hui with anticipation. The pigtail girl beamed, “Yu Hui! I believe you! But I really want to hear you sing!”

The chubby boy clapped even harder: “Me too! With a voice like yours, your singing must be amazing!”

Yu Hui froze. The sound of applause echoed in his ears. When he looked up, he saw Teacher Manman’s encouraging eyes.

He didn’t want to sing in front of everyone, didn’t want to show off. But his mom really had taught him that song. He hadn’t lied. So why did Xu Rui get to accuse him?

He could handle being wrongly accused—but no one gets to slander his mom!