DLRC – Chapter 94 A Man’s Innate Talent

She? What about her? Was he asking if she missed him?

“You got your sleeve wet.” Huo Mingwang’s voice broke her train of thought. Yu Wei quickly lowered her head and saw that it really was wet. In a fluster, she hastily threw away the rag.

Huo Mingwang sighed helplessly, pulling her sleeve over and gently rubbing it with his warm palm. Even though he was doing this, his eyes were intently fixed on her.

She felt embarrassed under his gaze, yet she couldn’t bear to look away. They had only been dating for a short while, but right now, it felt like absence had made the heart grow fonder, almost like the sweetness of a newlywed couple after a brief separation.

Their relationship didn’t feel new at all; instead, it had the warmth and familiarity of an old married couple.

After a long while, Yu Hui outside the door finally couldn’t hold back anymore. He was extremely curious—why did Uncle Huo go inside to whisper to his mom again? And why were they talking for so long? He couldn’t wait any longer!

“Bang! Bang! Bang!”

The door was knocked on forcefully, and two tiny paws scratched incessantly at the bottom.

“Mom! Mom, what are you doing? I want to come in! Mom!”

“I’m coming!”

Yu Wei glanced at Huo Mingwang before going to open the door. Her obedient little boy immediately darted into her arms, his voice clear and crisp like a bell.

“Mom! Uncle Huo is back!” The little guy giggled in her embrace, then craned his neck to peek behind her. “Uncle Huo!”

Huo Mingwang smiled and walked over, bending down to pick him up. “Yu Hui.”

“Uncle Huo!” Yu Hui was overjoyed, wrapping his arms around Huo Mingwang’s neck and laughing gleefully before rewarding him with a sweet, slobbery kiss.

Huo Mingwang didn’t mind the saliva on his cheek at all. With a smile in his eyes, he asked, “Did you miss me?”

Yu Hui nodded without hesitation, resting on his broad shoulder. “I did! Uncle Huo is finally back. Hui Hui missed you so much!”

Satisfied, Huo Mingwang ruffled his festive red knit hat, flicking the little pom-pom on top with his finger. Then, casting a teasing glance at Yu Wei, he continued asking the boy, “What about Mom? Did Mom miss me?”

Yu Hui tilted his head, puzzled. “I don’t know.”

How could he possibly know if Mom missed Uncle Huo?

Father and son turned their heads in unison toward Yu Wei. Flustered, she tried to maintain her composure, stepped forward, and scooped her son out of the man’s arms.

Curling her lips into a smile, she left him with, “Nope.” Then, holding her son, she walked out of the kitchen.

The little guy grinned in her arms, waving at Huo Mingwang, signaling him to follow.

With his long legs, Huo Mingwang caught up in two strides. His long arm reached out, and suddenly, he had both of them in his embrace, ushering them out of the kitchen together.

They had just reached the cashier counter when they saw five or six middle-aged women gathered at the entrance of Yu Wei’s dessert shop…

“Not again,” Yu Wei muttered in exasperation.

Outside, Zhao Shufen noticed Yu Wei finally coming out—with a man by her side. That man was the owner of that fancy car parked on the street!

The older ladies exchanged looks, then plastered on flattering smiles before leaving and heading back to Zhao Shufen’s fruit shop to bask in the sun and gossip.

Huo Mingwang paid them no mind, instead playing with Yu Hui’s little hands.

“Why did you open the shop so early? Shouldn’t you be resting at home?”

It was still the Spring Festival period; opening after the Lantern Festival wouldn’t have been too late.

Yu Wei finally remembered the reason. “Because staying at home was too boring, so I decided to come open the shop. But I didn’t expect business to be this good.”

That was why, when Huo Mingwang arrived earlier, she had been making cakes. All the orders came in after she reopened yesterday. Customers said they were referred by someone.

After buying the cakes, they even praised Yu Wei’s skills so much that her cheeks burned red.

Huo Mingwang nodded. Yu Wei glanced at him, coughed lightly, and asked, “Tonight… where are you having dinner?”

An obvious invitation. Huo Mingwang’s eyes lit up for a moment, but then he thought of Mingxia waiting at home, and his gaze dimmed slightly.

“I have something tonight. I’ll come tomorrow and eat with you and our son.”

With her and our son?

Although a little disappointed, Yu Wei was stunned by his words.

Didn’t that sound like… he wanted to treat Yu Hui as his own child?

They chatted a bit more before Yu Wei went back to the kitchen to keep working on cakes, while Huo Mingwang stayed outside playing with the boy and teasing Xiaobai.

The little dog wasn’t used to Huo Mingwang at first and even tried to bite him, but later, under Yu Hui’s protection, Xiaobai seemed to understand: Oh, this man is under Hui Hui’s protection! Can’t bite him!

Yu Wei worked on her orders until 4:30 in the afternoon, with customers coming in one after another to pick up cakes.

She hadn’t expected birthday cakes to become this popular. Later, she didn’t even have time to order custom boxes, so customers had to carry their cakes home carefully.

Big cakes or small cakes—it didn’t matter. They all had to hold them with both hands, walking carefully so they wouldn’t trip. Dropping it would be a disaster!

Even so, customers were thrilled. Though the journey home wasn’t the most secure, walking down the street with a beautiful cake drew countless admiring glances, satisfying their inner desire to show off.

…

Finally able to rest, Yu Wei stretched lazily as Huo Mingwang drove her home. But the man clearly had no intention of leaving. He followed mother and son upstairs, later tricking Yu Hui into the living room to draw while he led Yu Wei into her room.

Once the door was locked, Huo Mingwang wasted no time wrapping his arms around her waist, pressing delicate kisses along her cheeks.

Even though she had told herself not to panic, not to be afraid, Yu Wei’s heart trembled uncontrollably when his domineering aura swept over her.

Soft lips suddenly pressed against hers, his cool medicinal scent invading her space aggressively. Yu Wei felt his strong arms tighten around her waist, holding her so firmly that she could hardly breathe.

Then came his kisses—messy and urgent.

He was nearly thirty, yet kissed like an inexperienced teenage boy, all clumsy and wild. But was he truly inexperienced? Probably not.

Because that initial chaos didn’t last long. Soon, Yu Wei realized his movements had become more skilled, making her dizzy and breathless.

Yu Wei had no experience. She sat there foolishly, letting him hold her head and kiss her without knowing what to do. It wasn’t until he bit her lips lightly that she let out a muffled hum like a little kitten.

One had to admit—a man possesses an innate talent for this sort of thing.

But Huo Mingwang completely shattered Yu Wei’s worldview. She never imagined he could kiss this well!

As his lips roamed, he sank deeper into the moment, turning her mind into a blank haze.

This was no small matter—Yu Wei was about to faint from lack of air. Her soft body seemed on the verge of collapsing, but the entranced man held her effortlessly, leaving her completely immobile.

Panicking, Yu Wei tried to push him away, her breathing growing more labored. She slapped at his arm repeatedly until he finally loosened his hold slightly.

But barely two seconds later, he came back, unwilling to let go, capturing her lips again.

At some point, Yu Wei sensed his hands becoming restless. She pushed hard, but he didn’t budge—if anything, her resistance only brought him closer, making him even bolder.

“Huo… Mingwang…”

Yu Wei finally managed to pry open a small gap between them, gulping down fresh air. But soon, her strength waned, and as she tried to escape his embrace, he pursued her relentlessly.

No one knew how much time had passed when Xiaobai outside began scratching at the door, yet Huo Mingwang still had her pinned on the bed, kissing her.

Yu Wei’s clothes were already a mess, while Huo Mingwang’s thin cotton jacket remained perfectly neat, without even a crease.

She pounded on his chest angrily, but he only held her tightly in his arms, breathing heavily.

His body was like an enormous source of heat, enough to melt her. There wasn’t even a heater turned on, yet Yu Wei felt so hot she wanted to take off her thick coat.

“Yu Wei.” Huo Mingwang’s voice was hoarse, his thin lips brushing against her ear, warm breath sprinkling along her temple. “Yu Wei, I missed you.”

Huo Mingwang left at six o’clock. After he left, Yu Wei finally went to the kitchen to cook. While washing and cutting vegetables, her mind was full of the words he whispered before leaving, holding her close.

“Yu Wei, I want to marry you.”

Yu Wei felt restless. She pulled her hands out of the icy vegetable water and pressed the back of her cold hand to her burning cheek. The sharp contrast between the chill on her hand and the heat on her face threw her heart into chaos.

It was over, truly over. She had let herself be completely bewitched by that man. When he said he wanted to marry her, she didn’t even feel the slightest urge to refuse—in fact, there was even a secret sense of anticipation.

Clearly… they hadn’t been dating for that long, and yet they were already talking about marriage?

…

Three days before the Lantern Festival, Song Xia’s husband came back. After returning, he didn’t ask about her at all, didn’t care how she had managed during the New Year alone in Lucheng, didn’t wonder if she was still hurt.

The family of four continued to live in that small house. Song Xia’s twin daughters seemed unaware of what their father had done wrong. As soon as they saw their mother, they asked why she hadn’t been around for New Year.

Song Xia gave no explanation, said nothing, just cast a sorrowful glance at Zhang Jianguo.

The couple sat in silence. He stared at his wife with a heavy gaze—not as if looking at the woman who bore him children, but at someone completely irrelevant.

That evening, Song Xia cooked a table full of home-style dishes, all his favorites. In the end, he didn’t touch a single bite. Song Xia stood on the balcony and watched as he went downstairs, watched as he rode his bicycle slowly out of the courtyard.

His destination… other than going to that woman, she had no idea where else he could be heading.

Song Xia’s heart clenched. Covering her mouth, she sobbed quietly at the edge of the balcony.

She didn’t dare go back inside, didn’t dare face Shu Ya and Shu Le—her two sensible, obedient daughters—who still didn’t know their father no longer loved their mother, who were still innocently waiting every day for their busy dad to come home.

She cried in utter despair, as if the sky was collapsing. To her, it truly had.

Song Xia felt cold inside. When she was with Yu Wei and the others earlier, she could still keep her emotions in check, but seeing that man’s resolute departing back broke her completely.

Perhaps she had always harbored a faint shred of hope, but reality proved hope was only an illusion.

She thought Yu Wei was right—they should divorce. A man like that couldn’t be kept.

…

By the time the Lantern Festival arrived, Song Xia’s husband still hadn’t returned. Everyone knew where he had gone, and whose warm embrace he had fallen into.

On the day of the festival, Yu Wei cooked a full table of delicious dishes and invited Song Xia and her daughters, as well as Du Yuerong, to come eat.

Huo Mingwang came too, bringing a huge pile of toys for Yu Hui—so many that Chen Liang had to help him carry them upstairs.

There were local toys, imported goods from Hong Kong, even some with English labels—strange shapes, bright colors, everything kids love.

Among them was a stuffed toy—a panda. No, a giant panda—at least 1.2 meters tall, taller than Yu Hui himself. If he took it to bed at night, he’d be so excited he probably wouldn’t be able to sleep!

When Huo Mingwang arrived with all the toys, Shu Ya and Shu Le were already playing with Yu Hui and Xiaobai. Seeing the toys, the two girls looked even more thrilled than Yu Hui, their eyes full of envy.

But Yu Hui only played happily for a while before spreading his arms to Huo Mingwang, wanting a hug, and then planted a wet kiss on him. “Thank you, Uncle Huo.”

He was so happy, so blessed.

He decided then—Uncle Huo was going to be his favorite person in the world, second only to his mom!

Huo Mingwang hugged the little boy and patted his small bottom. Yu Hui smiled shyly and lay on his shoulder, waving at Shu Ya and Shu Le. The two girls asked him, “Yu Hui, who is he?”

“He’s my Uncle Huo!” My Uncle Huo—who was only this good to him!

Well, he seemed nice to Aiying too… but when Yu Hui thought about it, he realized Uncle Huo treated him way better than Aiying!

Speaking of Aiying, Yu Wei and Yu Hui hadn’t seen her for almost a month. According to Huo Mingwang, her mom had taken her back to their hometown and would only return after the kindergarten reopened in February.

Yu Hui was overjoyed and thrilled, hugging Huo Mingwang and refusing to let go, holding him until the dishes were ready. Then the adults and kids sat down to a lively meal.

Huo Mingwang, in a great mood, didn’t mind him clinging. He even picked out more food for his son, earning another soft, sweet “Thank you, Uncle Huo!”

After dinner, Song Xia seemed a little down—probably because of Zhang Jianguo. She left with Shu Ya and Shu Le right after the meal. Du Yuerong also excused herself, not wanting to play third wheel. Before leaving, she even teased, “Your man’s not bad.”

Yu Wei was so embarrassed she could dig a hole with her toes. She dragged Huo Mingwang into the kitchen and made him wash the dishes, standing beside him to calm her wildly pounding heart. Afterward, they took their son for a walk in the park together.

Huo Mingwang seemed to have something to say. He kept glancing at her while washing dishes, like he was holding something back. It made her so curious she could hardly stand it.

Finally, while they were walking, he spoke: “Yu Wei, I brought my family over. When you have time, you should meet them.”

“Your family came?” Yu Wei was surprised. Her hand holding Yu Hui’s grew sweaty for no reason, and Xiaobai got accidentally kicked aside as she walked.

“Wait, today’s the Lantern Festival! You brought your family over and didn’t invite them here for dinner?”

Yu Wei truly found it strange. Before he could reply, she added, “It’s a holiday, and you came here alone. What about your family? Are they…?”

This was exactly what troubled Huo Mingwang. As for why he hadn’t brought his sister to meet her, he had his reasons—but now he didn’t know how to explain.

Other than Yu Wei and his son, his only family was his sister. But her situation…

Huo Mingwang took Yu Wei’s hand and sighed. “Sorry, I didn’t think it through. Next time, when there’s a chance, I’ll bring her to meet you.”

Yu Wei was a little upset—upset that he came here for dinner while leaving his family behind. Wouldn’t that leave a bad impression? What if they thought poorly of her or had other negative ideas…

“Didn’t you say you wanted to marry me?” They had been together for less than a month—it was really early to talk about this.

But then again, what era was this? Most people were still conservative—dating was basically for marriage. And since Huo Mingwang had said himself that he wanted to marry her, introducing her to his family was only natural.

“Mm. I want to marry you,” Huo Mingwang said seriously.

“So you brought your family here because…” Yu Wei hesitated.

“Because I want to marry you,” he confirmed. “So my family needs to see you.”

Even though “family” was just his sister.

“When are you going to bring your family to meet me?” That sounded wrong, so Yu Wei quickly corrected herself. “I mean, when are you taking me to meet your family?”

Huo Mingwang’s eyes lit up instantly. “You want to marry me that badly?”

“Get lost!” Yu Wei laughed. “We’ve barely been together. I still need time to evaluate you. If you want to marry me… you’ll have to wait ten years or so!”

She was joking, but Huo Mingwang didn’t let it slide. “Ten years is impossible. I’ll bring you to meet my family sooner—then you’ll have to marry me.”

“Shameless!” Yu Wei was speechless.

Huo Mingwang only smiled silently, looking at Yu Wei’s soft profile, his eyes full of starlight—so dazzling.

Yu Hui held Xiaobai and trailed behind his mom and Uncle Huo. Along the way, he felt the cold wind—and ate enough dog food to last a lifetime.

Once the Lantern Festival passed, everyone truly felt the new year had begun. 1985 had ended; 1986 was full of vitality!

Song Xia had already decided to divorce Zhang Jianguo, but Yu Wei later advised her that even if she divorced, she couldn’t let that scumbag and his mistress walk away unscathed!

At first, Song Xia hesitated. To say the word “divorce” so soon was already a huge decision for her.

Not only did Zhang Jianguo’s parents object, her own parents did too.

But none of them were thinking for her.

Zhang Jianguo’s parents said she couldn’t be so selfish. Yes, Jianguo had done wrong, but she couldn’t ruin his future. If word spread at the factory, it would damage his reputation.

Song Xia’s parents thought that a divorced woman was like a rotten stone—despised everywhere. Besides, they already had kids. After the divorce, what about the children? And how could she live alone without a man?

Song Xia repeated all of this to Yu Wei, which made Yu Wei furious.

“Divorce! No matter what, you have to divorce! I’ll figure out a way for you—you absolutely can’t let that mistress and scumbag have their way!”