DLRC – Chapter 84 Don’t Be Silly

Yu Hui tilted his little head and seriously thought about it. “I think Uncle Luo wants to be my dad because he comes to my mom’s shop to buy cake every day!”

He also often came to Mom’s dessert shop to chat with her. He liked to talk to him too, but Yu Hui usually didn’t enjoy chatting back—because every time the man came to talk, he happened to be busy drawing.

If he talked to him, he couldn’t concentrate on his drawings!

“Who else?” Huo Mingwang asked. He didn’t know who “Uncle Luo” was—just knew he was one of those men trying to steal his wife!

“There’s also Uncle Qin. He always secretly watches my mom!”

Huo Mingwang immediately covered the increasingly excited Yu Hui’s mouth and instinctively glanced toward Yu Wei’s room, worried she might have overheard from inside.

“And then?” he whispered. Yu Hui nodded to show he understood, and only then did Huo Mingwang remove his hand from the boy’s mouth.

“Then…” Yu Hui looked into Huo Mingwang’s amber eyes and thought for a moment before lowering his voice. “Uncle Feng also asked me if I had a dad! Just like you did. But I told him I didn’t, and he looked really happy and asked if I liked him.”

A fire rose in Huo Mingwang’s chest. It was the first time he realized how many pests were circling Yu Wei!

“And? Did you like him?” he asked.

Yu Hui could clearly feel the pressure in the air around Uncle Huo drop a little. But luckily, Uncle Huo was crouching in front of the little heater, so he still felt warm and toasty.

“I didn’t tell him if I liked him or not!” Honestly, Yu Hui didn’t really like that Uncle Feng. He wasn’t good-looking, wasn’t as tall as Uncle Huo, and had a strong smell of smoke. It was stinky.

Only then did Huo Mingwang nod in satisfaction. “Do you always answer every uncle seriously like this?”

Yu Hui thought about it and shook his little head gently. “No. I ignore some of them.”

Suddenly, Huo Mingwang felt a lot better. “Why?” he asked.

“Because I don’t want to talk to them,” Yu Hui said simply. He mostly just went with his instincts. Kids may not understand everything, but they can watch and listen—they can sense things.

Smart kids like Yu Hui could feel subtle emotions from adults.

Like how some uncles would smile at him, but he could tell—they didn’t like him.

He didn’t know why, but it made him not want to talk to them.

But all these uncles had one thing in common—they liked his mom!

They always smiled at her! Always wanted to talk to her! They’d say she was working too hard managing the shop alone, and that she should find him a dad!

But Mom loved him the most! She didn’t want to find a dad, and she didn’t want to chat with those uncles either!

But…

Yu Hui secretly glanced at Huo Mingwang.

Honestly, Uncle Huo was the nicest uncle he’d ever met.

He could feel that Uncle Huo really liked him—and liked his mom too. Even though he sometimes looked cold with his straight face, whenever he looked at Mom, his eyes were full of sparkly stars.

His eyes would smile. He liked the same cakes and cookies that Yu Hui liked. Come to think of it, they were a little alike.

Most importantly, Uncle Huo smelled good. That tiny bit of bitterness on him could be ignored—overall, he was an uncle Yu Hui liked.

And Huo Mingwang was thrilled by the little guy’s answer.

No—he was over the moon.

It was just as well that this little thing didn’t want a dad yet. That way, he wouldn’t suddenly betray him before he could win Yu Wei back. Given how much Yu Wei cared about this little guy, if he suddenly said he wanted a certain man to be his dad, she might actually agree just to make him happy.

The more he thought about it, the more Huo Mingwang realized… going through Yu Hui might just be the shortcut.

Creak—

At long last, the door to the room opened. Yu Wei stepped out wearing a padded jacket she’d never worn outside before—one of those extra casual indoor ones.

It was far too relaxed in style, completely different from her usual wardrobe.

Yu Wei was strikingly beautiful—an oval-shaped face the size of a palm, paired with soft black curls, a natural wave, just gently curled.

She had a soft, elegant beauty: a refined nose, delicate lips always curved in a faint smile, and upturned eyes that hinted at endless charm. But perhaps because of Yu Hui, that charm had gradually mellowed into a gentle maternal glow.

Below her slender, swan-like neck was a graceful figure—if she stepped out without Yu Hui, no one would believe she was already a mom.

Huo Mingwang had first been drawn in by her stunning looks. Later, he discovered that her personality was also exactly his type.

They’d ended up together because they liked each other. As for what happened later… best not to think about it.

“Mom, this little sun is so warm!” Little Yu Hui turned his head excitedly as Yu Wei walked up behind him in her fuzzy slippers.

“You can turn it on and place it near your feet when you’re drawing. That way you won’t feel cold,” she said, brushing her half-dried hair behind her ears, squatting down to ruffle his fuzzy little head—soft as silk.

Yu Hui beamed. “Mm! We can also turn it on while eating, so you won’t shiver anymore!”

Yu Wei laughed, giving his little butt a playful pat. “Says the one who’s been shivering!”

Yu Hui giggled, walked over to the little cabinet in the living room, picked a sketchbook, and sat at the table to draw.

Yu Wei moved the small heater to his feet. Seeing how late it had gotten, she realized that if they didn’t eat soon, dinner would turn into a midnight snack. So, she got up and went to the kitchen to prepare the meal.

She called out toward the living room: “Mr. Huo, you stay out here and warm up with my son. I’ll go make dinner.”

Whatever this man had in mind, today she owed him a proper thank-you. But as for inviting him to dinner—Yu Wei couldn’t quite bring herself to say it outright, so she left it vague, letting him stay out there with Yu Hui by the heater.

Based on his personality, he’d probably want to stay for dinner anyway.

As Yu Wei started washing vegetables, her thoughts drifted back to everything that had recently happened between her and Huo Mingwang.

Their first meeting wasn’t anything special, no real connection. Then came that mid-sized order. Then she got sick and he drove her to the hospital. After that, his attitude changed. He’d often drive to her shop to buy snacks and look for excuses to talk to her.

Of course she knew what was going on—she just didn’t say it outright. She kept her distance, treating him politely but reservedly.

Then Yu Hui started kindergarten, conveniently at the same school as Sun Aiying’s kid, which gave this man a new excuse to get close to her.

She understood all of it crystal clear. Adults should know better. But with her personality… calling her a turtle wouldn’t be wrong.

She didn’t like taking the initiative. Before and after her transmigration, she had never experienced love. When it came to these matters, all she could do was pretend not to know anything—too afraid to expose it, and too scared to respond proactively.

As for her feelings toward Huo Mingwang… to be honest, she didn’t feel much. It was just that whenever he got close, her heart would race and her body temperature would rise.

But she privately thought it was only because that guy had such a beautifully “calamitous” face.

After all, they’d only known each other for a few months. Yu Wei didn’t believe she would fall for him that easily.

Outside, still sitting by the heater with Yu Hui, Huo Mingwang was unaware of Yu Wei’s inner thoughts. He watched his son sitting obediently at the table, drawing. In the quiet room, only the soft rustling sounds from the kitchen could be heard.

On a warm winter evening like this, it felt too perfect for Huo Mingwang.

It was like a dream, one that could vanish into thin air at any moment.

He wondered how Yu Wei had managed to raise Yu Hui all by herself all these years—teaching him so well, making him so clever and bright. Most importantly, even without a father, the child’s personality was surprisingly good.

Huo Mingwang knew all too well the kind of emotional damage and shadows that a broken family could leave on a child. He understood it deeply—because he himself came from an incomplete family.

So truthfully, his inner world was very complicated, and his personality had many flaws. The misfortunes of his childhood would take him an entire adulthood to try and heal.

Until he met Yu Wei—someone who could heal him. Ironically, it was also her who later sprinkled salt on his wounds and tore them open again.

But now, he no longer wanted to hold her accountable for being the one who hurt him. He just wanted to take advantage of her amnesia and start over again. He still couldn’t let go of the beautiful moments they once shared.

In the end, he was merely clinging to the hope of living on for that tiny sliver of happiness left in his memories.

He only had to turn his head slightly, and from where he sat at the dining table, he could see through the open kitchen door. There she was, wearing an apron and cooking.

He watched her skillfully wash and cut the vegetables—even the way she held the knife was exactly the same as five years ago.

She liked to tiptoe now and then while stir-frying, regardless of the stove’s height. After cooking a dish, she would often feed him a spoonful to taste. She said soup had to be simmered longer to become rich and fragrant…

He remembered those beautiful moments. Back then, she was also like this—wearing a coarse apron, standing by the stove, cooking for him.

After a long, exhausting day, he would always end up wrapping his arms around her waist from behind. He’d rest his chin on her shoulder and gently kiss her cheek.

She would laugh and gently push him away, coquettishly saying, “Don’t mess around.”

At that thought, his heart suddenly ached sharply—so much that he couldn’t breathe. Those beautiful memories intertwined with the image of her resolutely leaving, making it hard to tell what was real and what wasn’t.

Each small memory pricked like a needle, piercing right into the center of his heart.

“Huihui! Come help Mommy taste the food!”

Yu Hui quickly dropped his paintbrush and ran into the kitchen excitedly. “Mommy, I’m here!”

Laughter from mother and son filled the small kitchen. After Yu Hui happily carried out a plate of stir-fried green peppers with shredded pork, he opened his mouth slightly and mumbled in confusion, “Where did Uncle Huo go?”

Yu Wei peeked out of the kitchen when she heard that, glancing around the living room. As expected, there was no sign of Huo Mingwang.

She suddenly felt a strange emptiness inside her. Then, as if thinking of something, she called out, “Mr. Huo?”

“Mr. Huo?”

There was no reply.

Mother and son looked at each other in confusion—one standing in the kitchen, the other scratching his head in the living room.

In the end, even after all the dishes were done, Huo Mingwang still didn’t show up. At that point, Yu Wei could only assume he had probably gone home.

“Sigh, I should’ve given him the cookies earlier.”

Yu Wei said this as she plated the food.

“Mommy, who are the cookies for?” Yu Hui asked, scooping a big mouthful of rice. He didn’t care whether Uncle Huo had left or not—all he knew was that he was starving, and filling his belly was the most important thing!

“Whoever saved you from the tree today gets them!” Yu Wei laughed, glancing at her silly son. “All you know is eating! Didn’t even realize Uncle Huo left!”

Chewing on the bok choy in his mouth, Yu Hui squinted happily. “Because Mommy told me to go in and taste the food, and then Uncle Huo ran away while I wasn’t looking!”

Hearing her son’s words, Yu Wei shook her head in amusement. After dinner, she washed the dishes. Her obedient son stayed in the living room reading, while she prepared to deliver a pack of crispy biscuits to Song Xia’s two daughters next door.

“Huihui, where did you put your little backpack?”

“It’s on the bed!”

Yu Wei sighed and went in to retrieve the cookies from the backpack. “I’ve told you so many times—don’t put your backpack on the bed, it’s dirty!”

“Oh, I got it, Mommy.” The little guy responded, though his eyes never left the book. Yu Wei walked over and poked the back of his head.

“You little rascal. Every time you read, you stop listening to me. Don’t put it on the bed again next time!”

Yu Hui laughed and replied, “Mommy, I heard you! I won’t forget!”

Yu Wei didn’t nag him further. She walked out and headed next door, knocking on the door to Song Xia’s home.

“You haven’t had dinner yet?” Yu Wei asked with a smile.

When she came over earlier, she’d heard the sound of cooking, but it was already this late now. Song Xia usually started making dinner by five.

Song Xia smiled faintly, looking a bit tired. “Yeah, I’ve been a little exhausted lately. I wasn’t going to cook at all, but eating out is expensive. Better to save some money.”

“It’s already late and you haven’t eaten? Perfect, take these biscuits and have them.” She handed the Tarta crisps in her hand to Song Xia.

Song Xia accepted them and said politely, “Running a business is tough for you too. Don’t keep bringing us snacks.”

Yu Wei smiled and said it was nothing—it barely cost anything. They chatted for a bit longer, but seeing that Song Xia didn’t seem to be in the best state, Yu Wei didn’t linger. She went home to wash up and get ready to sleep with her son.

Before leaving, Yu Wei casually glanced into the house. She didn’t see Shu Ya’s father anywhere, nor did she hear any sounds.

Probably not home.

Late December nights were bitterly cold. After a long day and a considerable fright, the tired mother was now preparing to heat water for a bath for her and her son.

The kitchen’s gas stove could only boil one pot of water at a time, so the mother and son sang while waiting for it to boil.

“Sweet boy, your little baby voice is just too cute.” Yu Wei pulled him to stand under the bright living room light. “Come, come, stand still, baby—Mama’s going to record a video of you.”

Yu Hui looked puzzled at the rectangular phone in her hand, his little mouth pausing mid-song. “Mama, what are you doing?”

Yu Wei stepped back and squatted down, aiming the phone’s camera directly at her silly little son. His face was full of confusion as he stared at her strange behavior, utterly baffled.

“Okay, Huihui, Mama’s going to count to three. When I say ‘three,’ you start singing, okay? That one… ‘Under the bridge in front of the door,’ you remember?”

Yu Wei opened the camera app. Before Yu Hui could ask anything else, she immediately called out, “One, two, three!”

Caught off guard, Yu Hui instinctively opened his mouth, his brain not even catching up yet—but his little mouth followed the cue of Mama’s “three” and started singing:

“Under the bridge in front of the door, a flock of ducks swam past… so many ducks I couldn’t even count!”

The little guy finished singing, but Mama seemed frozen—still squatting on the ground holding that rectangular object without moving. He asked curiously, “Mama, what are you doing? Huihui finished singing!”

Only then did Yu Wei snap out of it, enchanted by her sweet boy’s soft baby voice. She hit the pause button—perfect!

The sound of boiling water came from the kitchen. Yu Hui heard it and hurried a few steps forward. “Mama! The water’s boiling! Time for my bath!”

“Alright, I know—hang on.”

As a responsible livestreamer, since she’d promised her goofy followers this afternoon that she’d show them her baby, she couldn’t break her word!

So she decided to post the cute video of her little one singing. It wasn’t a livestream like they expected, but it was close enough.

At least it was an up-close dynamic video.

“Upload video?”

A prompt suddenly popped up on the screen. Yu Wei’s hand trembled slightly as she typed in the title: “I kept my promise—no more scolding me!” 

Then she hit “Yes.”

Oh my god!

“Yu Hui!” Yu Wei was so excited her hands were shaking. She squatted down and hugged his shoulders, rubbing his little belly. “Huihui, don’t blame Mama, okay? You’re just too cute and sweet—I couldn’t resist posting it, wahhh—!”

Yu Hui thought Mama was acting kind of crazy, saying all these strange things he didn’t understand. The only thing he did catch was her saying he was cute.

He tilted his head in confusion. “Mama, what are you talking about?”

Of course Yu Wei knew her silly little farm-boy son couldn’t understand a word of what she was saying. She was just rambling without thinking. The video was already posted—too late to take it back. She stuffed the phone in her pocket and decided to calm down before checking the comments.

She carried the boiling kettle into the bathroom. “Huihui, go take off your clothes. Mama’s going to get your pajamas.”

“Okay!”

Yu Hui gleefully ran to his room to undress. His tiny hands moved so slowly. While Yu Wei picked out his clothes, she couldn’t help but wonder what kind of comments her followers would leave.

Would they praise her sweet little boy?

“Mama, can I take a bath now? I’m all undressed!”

Yu Hui now stood in front of her wearing just a thin white thermal shirt. His baby voice quivered slightly as he spoke. Yu Wei couldn’t think about anything else—she scooped him up and rushed to the bathroom.

“Of course, we’ve got to do this fast or you’ll catch a cold!”

The bathroom had a special bath setup just for Yu Hui—a big tub, really. With that, bath time had become one of his favorite things.

Plus, he was like a little heater—not as sensitive to cold as Yu Wei. Even in the depths of winter, he insisted on bathing three to four times a week!

Yu Hui loved water—loved sitting in the tub, splashing around, and making waves when Mama scrubbed his back and belly.

He was obedient in everything… except baths. He always splashed water everywhere. Though he tried not to get Yu Wei wet, with water, accidents happened. Every time she bathed him, she had to change her own clothes afterward.

“Mama, what are you thinking about? My back’s itchy, scratch it for me.”

The naked little guy was having a blast in the tub. His chubby, pale face was full of joy, his giggles echoing through the whole bathroom.

“Scratch scratch scratch, Mama’s got you!” Yu Wei kissed his soft little cheek, making him giggle more. “Here? Or here?”

“Right here, Mama!” He tried to lift his short little arm to point, but it was too short to reach.

He grew anxious. “Lower! Lower! No—higher! Over here! Mama, over here!”

Yu Wei good-naturedly followed his commands. “Here? Is this the spot?”

“Yes, that’s it!” Satisfied, Yu Hui went back to splashing water. It was in moments like this that Yu Wei truly realized—he was a full-on four-year-old little gremlin!

There was no sign at all of the unusually mature and sensible little Hui from daytime.

Giving him a bath was exhausting. After wrapping him up like a silkworm cocoon, Yu Wei carried him to bed. But no sooner had he hit the mattress than he started bouncing around again.

“Did you eat something that made you hyper today? Huh?” Apparently that strong wind in the afternoon wasn’t enough to scare this kid into quiet.

Yu Wei yanked him into her arms and gave him a huge sniff. The little guy squirmed, his short legs kicking in mid-air.

“Mama, go take your bath already! We need storytime!”

“Okay, sweet boy, wait for me!” Yu Wei tossed him into the soft blankets and headed to the kitchen to boil water for herself.

After they were both washed and in bed, Yu Wei began telling him bedtime stories.

Tonight, Yu Hui was way too excited. She told him three whole stories and he was still wide awake.

“You’re still not sleepy? Still?!” Yu Wei buried her face into his warm little neck, nuzzling him. “You gonna sleep or not, huh? Sweet boy, are you gonna sleep?”

Yu Hui giggled uncontrollably. Lying back on his little pillow, he said, “Mama, I’m not sleepy yet! Tell me one more!”

“No way! If I tell you one more, you’ll turn into sea foam like the little mermaid—gone with the ocean!”

“Why, Mama?” The Little Mermaid story had clearly stuck with him—he felt so bad for her!

“No reason. Just because you’re not being good and not sleeping. So Mama will have to turn you into foam!”

“I don’t want to turn into foam.” They switched positions, and now Yu Hui burrowed into her arms. “Mama, I’m going to sleep now. Don’t talk anymore, okay?”

“Alright, sleep sleep.” Yu Wei sighed with relief. Her good boy was finally ready to sleep. She’d told so many stories, but couldn’t stop wondering what kind of comments her silly followers had left on the video.

Just as she pulled out her phone, Yu Hui twisted around and snuggled into her chest. “Mama.”

“Still not asleep?” Yu Wei was speechless.

The little rascal rubbed his head against her. “Mama… Uncle Huo, he…”

He looked up and met her deep, dark eyes. “What about Uncle Huo?”

Yu Hui looked down, not meeting her gaze. But in the end, he couldn’t hold it in.

“Uncle Huo… I think he really wants to be my dad…”