DLRC – Chapter 99 I Love You So Much

Huo Mingwang quietly listened to her finish speaking before explaining: “Yu Wei, when I first met you, I really did want to get back at you… but later…”

“Bastard!” Yu Wei didn’t let him finish, nor did she have the mood to listen to any explanations. His words made her so angry that she burst into tears. She completely lost her composure, grabbed the big panda plush on the bed, and hurled it at him.

“So you pretended to like me just to get revenge? Everything was just revenge?”

Yu Wei thought of all those cliché melodramas she’d seen before crossing over, and her mind was full of scenes where the man makes the woman fall in love with him, only to cruelly abandon her afterward.

Yes, Huo Mingwang’s past was indeed tragic—but none of that was her doing! Why should she bear the blame the moment she arrived?

The more she thought about it, the lighter the weight on her heart felt, and any guilt toward Huo Mingwang disappeared completely.

That’s right—none of that was her fault. Why should she feel guilty? The woman Huo Mingwang loved and the one who hurt him were both not her.

He caught the panda she threw, gripping it tightly in his hand, his face shadowed and gloomy. The dim yellow light above cast an eerie silence across his features.

Suddenly, he let out a cold laugh. “Fine. I’m a bastard.”

Seeing his expression change so abruptly, Yu Wei’s heart sank as well.

Yu Wei was the type who could be persuaded but not coerced. If at this moment, Huo Mingwang had just softened his tone, explained things properly, coaxed her a little, this whole fight might have blown over.

But when he saw the fiery anger in her eyes, the fire he had been forcefully suppressing in his chest erupted all at once.

He suddenly leaned in, gripping her shoulders so tightly she couldn’t move. “Yu Wei, for you, I was willing to forget everything you did to me before. And now you call me a bastard?”

Yu Wei struggled twice but couldn’t break free. He continued through clenched teeth: “I’m a bastard, yes, I am! If I weren’t, how could I still choose to forgive you after everything you did, choose to start over with you? If that’s not being a bastard, then what is? If that’s not pathetic, then what is?”

“Yu Wei.” His voice trembled as if her words had gouged a hole right in his heart. “If I’m a bastard, then what about you?”

“What are you?”

She had wounded him so deeply, and all he got in return was a single sentence—“bastard”? Then yes, he really was a bastard.

Yu Wei’s eyes had only been red from anger before, but now tears spilled out completely because of the raw intensity in his voice.

Her earlier outburst had been impulsive, but now Huo Mingwang was clearly serious. She thought of everything the original owner had done to him before, and all the terrible emotions she had been holding back broke free.

As they stood locked in a standoff, Huo Mingwang suddenly lowered his head and bit hard into the side of her neck.

His teeth sank in so deeply that tears shot from Yu Wei’s eyes instantly. She slapped his back again and again, but it was useless.

“Let go! Huo Mingwang—!”

He ignored her completely, continuing to bite and ravage her skin. His voice was hoarse and broken: “Yu Wei, I’m a bastard. But you—what are you?”

He gripped her jaw so tightly his fingertips turned white. “Huh? Tell me—what are you?”

“Huo. Ming. Wang!” Yu Wei ground his name out between her teeth, but before she could say another word, everything was swallowed by his kiss.

At this moment, Huo Mingwang was like a wolf lurking in the dark, striking with violent precision. He seized her lips, biting and sucking, draining every breath from her lungs, devouring her sudden stubbornness.

Though he was now a big boss, the years of hard labor in his youth had left him with strength that made it impossible for her to break free.

Yu Wei sobbed uncontrollably, tears streaming down her face. Huo Mingwang only paused for a second or two, laughing coldly when he saw her still struggling, before locking her into another fierce, consuming kiss.

“Yu Wei, I love you so much. I like you so much… I may not have money or power, but ask yourself—have I ever let you suffer a single day with me? What’s in that city that you miss so much that you have to go back?”

He truly didn’t understand—why had such a happy, perfect family turned into what it became later?

Was it because he had no money? Because he didn’t work hard enough? What was it that Yu Wei really wanted?

When she stayed silent, he went on, every word cutting like a knife:

“Yu Wei, you tormented me for so many years. I never once said a word to blame you. And now, this is how you repay me? Do you want to torture me for another five years?!”

All those memories of pain were his alone to bear. He had swallowed them for so long. And now, not only could he not get any comfort, he had to hear this from her lips…

Huo Mingwang’s emotions had been ignited completely. He shoved her back onto the bed, eyes cold and locked on hers.

Yu Wei pushed at him desperately: “Huo Mingwang! The person you love isn’t even me!”

She felt like she was going insane. Why did something so melodramatic have to happen to her?

A substitute? She was really a substitute now?

“I don’t love you? If I didn’t, why would I leave everything behind and come all the way from the north to Lu City just to find you!”

The moment those words fell, the air turned eerily silent. That silence froze Yu Wei’s heart even further.

“You weren’t looking for me. Not me… It’s never been me…”

Yu Wei seemed trapped in her own thoughts, tangled in the question of who Huo Mingwang’s love truly belonged to—his past, his memories, all of it. Everything he gave her was because of that Yu Wei.

A sour, bitter jealousy welled up inside her—jealous that the man in front of her, so good and devoted, didn’t love her. Even after all these years, he could still forgive and forget everything the original Yu Wei had done. Hearing that made her feel nothing but pain.

Pain that all of Huo Mingwang’s love was for the original Yu Wei, not her.

She was like a thief—stealing the original’s body, now stealing her man, stealing all the love that originally belonged to someone else.

Yu Hui’s love. Huo Mingwang’s love.

“Not you?” In the deathly silence of the room, Huo Mingwang let out another cold laugh. He gripped her chin and forced her to meet his gaze.

Looking into her tear-filled eyes, he enunciated each word clearly: “Yu Wei, even if you turned to ashes, I’d still recognize you.”

Yu Wei’s eyes flickered. She wanted to laugh, but the sound caught in her throat, leaving only a raw ache.

“Even if I turned to ashes, you’d still know me?”

If the original and she could switch souls like this without him noticing, wasn’t that proof enough?

All his love and hate belonged to the original. Everything he wanted was her—not the imposter Yu Wei standing here now.

Yu Wei fumed at the thought—only for Huo Mingwang’s next move to make her cheeks flush crimson.

He lowered his head to her ear, and said each word slowly and deliberately: “There’s a red, heart-shaped birthmark on your lower back. What, you didn’t know?”

“What nonsense are you spouting!” Yu Wei flushed red with anger and embarrassment. “I don’t have a red birthmark!”

She didn’t have one! Even if there was one, it wasn’t hers. It wasn’t!

“No?” Huo Mingwang curved his lips into a smile, pausing for a long while. His burning gaze lingered on her waist before he suddenly reached out to touch it. “Wouldn’t checking settle it?”

“Huo Mingwang—!”

Yu Wei let out a sharp scream, so loud that even Yu Hui outside could hear it. Her rosy lips trembled in fury, and her hands pushed against him with all her strength.

Seeing her so agitated, her body trembling uncontrollably, Huo Mingwang’s mood unexpectedly softened. Mentioning the birthmark had only been meant to tease her, but now that Yu Wei was truly upset, he stopped his hand.

“What are you crying for?” They’d already had a child together. Seeing her acting so delicate now was honestly amusing.

“Get off me!” Yu Wei shouted furiously, her face bright red.

Huo Mingwang sighed, all his emotions easily brushed away by her. He took hold of her hand that was wiping away tears and gently caressed the corner of her eye. “What’s there to cry about? I didn’t even look.”

Yu Wei’s tears continued to fall, one after another, sliding from the corners of her eyes down to her temples and onto the sheets.

“You still want to look?!” she snapped.

“I won’t,” he replied, though his solid body still pressed down on her.

Feeling the heat radiating endlessly from him, Yu Wei panicked. “Huo Mingwang! Are you getting off me or not?!”

“I will. But first… tell me, why did your attitude toward me suddenly change so much?” Was it because of Ge Zheng? Or because she heard about what he did in the past and felt guilty?

Or… was it for some other reason?

“No reason,” Yu Wei said lightly.

Was she supposed to say it was because she wasn’t Yu Wei? That she’d traveled back from decades in the future?

That was absurd. Who would believe it?

……

In the end, the one who saved Yu Wei was her good little son.

Yu Hui had already finished his meal outside. The dishes were all cold, but his mom and Uncle Huo still hadn’t come out. He was anxious to death, swinging his little short legs on the chair helplessly. After exchanging a glance with Xiaobai, suddenly, his mom’s scream came from the bedroom.

He jumped in fright, hopped down from the stool, and ran pitter-patter to the door to stand guard. Xiaobai followed with tiny steps, mimicking his young master, both eavesdropping at the corner.

There wasn’t much noise inside, but Yu Hui clearly heard his mom… crying!

He panicked. After Huo Mingwang said, “Yu Wei, I won’t ever let you go in this lifetime!” he shouted loudly and banged on the wooden door.

“Mommy, Mommy! Mommy! Aren’t you going to eat? The meat’s all cold! Mommy—!”

“Coming!”

Yu Wei shouted toward the door, shoved the man pressing on her away—and what she thought would be hard was surprisingly easy. Without caring about anything else, she leaped out of bed and rushed to open the door.

Yu Hui was still pounding when the door suddenly opened from inside. He looked up in surprise. “Mommy!”

“Huihui, you’ve finished eating?”

Yu Wei held his hand and led him to the table, while Yu Hui turned his head to look back at the room. Why hadn’t Uncle Huo come out?

“Mommy, I ate a long time ago!” He had even played with Xiaobai for a while, but since she never came out, he finally came knocking.

“Mm, I’ll clear the table now. You go wash up.”

Yu Hui frowned, puzzled by his mom clearing dishes. “But Mommy, you haven’t eaten yet.”

Was she really going to wash dishes without eating? Wouldn’t she be hungry later?

“Mm, I’m not hungry. Go wash your face and brush your teeth.”

Yu Hui was confused. Something about his mom felt strange today, but he couldn’t say what.

“But Mommy, you told me we can’t brush teeth right after eating.” How could she forget that?

“Mm, then go play outside. I’m washing dishes.”

“Okay…”

Yu Hui watched her go into the kitchen. He thought about following her, but then remembered Uncle Huo still in the bedroom, so he turned back to find him.

That’s when he discovered… Uncle Huo was lying on his and Mommy’s bed!

“Uncle Huo!” Yu Hui hurried over, kicked off his little shoes, and climbed onto the bed. “Why are you on my and Mommy’s bed?!”

Huo Mingwang was lying leisurely, hands behind his head, staring blankly at the ceiling. His long legs were so long they dangled off the edge.

Yu Hui pouted and tugged at him. “Uncle Huo, get up! This is me and Mommy’s bed! You can’t sleep here!”

He pulled with all his might but couldn’t budge him. Uncle Huo was way too heavy! How could a little kid like him move him?

“Uncle Huo, you’re bad! Don’t sleep on our bed!”

Yu Hui liked Uncle Huo, but he was very protective of his personal space.

This bed belonged only to him and Mommy. Usually, no one else could even enter the room, let alone lie on the bed.

He sat down with a pout, looking down at Huo Mingwang’s face. When Huo Mingwang finally looked at him, the world spun—and the little guy was pinned down on the big bed.

“Uncle Huo!”

Yu Hui flailed his little hands, but even Yu Wei struggled to escape his embrace—how could a small child?

Yu Hui was easy to handle. It didn’t take any effort.

Huo Mingwang looked down at the little guy wriggling in his arms, his voice softer than before.

“Yu Hui.”

Yu Hui kept struggling. “Uncle Huo, don’t press on me! Huihui wants to get up!”

He ignored him and held him close. Two little furnaces in a tug-of-war.

Yu Hui, voice milkier than ever, whined lying in his arms: “Uncle Huo, if you don’t let me up, Mommy will finish washing dishes soon!”

“Uncle Huo, are you deaf? Why can’t you hear me? Uncle Huo!”

His innocent words made Huo Mingwang laugh. His deep voice vibrated in his chest. “Yu Hui, that shouldn’t be your name.”

Yu Hui’s lips trembled, and he raised his voice angrily. “Uncle Huo, you’ve turned bad! My name is Yu Hui! My mommy’s name is Yu Wei!”

So his name was Yu Hui! Same family name as Mommy!

Annoyed, Huo Mingwang finally spoke.

“Your name is Huo Hui.” He stared into Yu Hui’s eyes and corrected him seriously, word by word. “Remember that.”

He sat the boy on the bed’s edge, firm and commanding.

“Your name is Huo Hui.”

Yu Hui kept struggling, almost in tears, but couldn’t escape his arms. He was so hot he wanted to take off his sweater.

“Uncle Huo, you’re bad! I’m not Huo Hui, I’m Yu Hui!”

Huo Mingwang chuckled. Watching his son struggle only lifted his spirits.

Yu Hui was his son—their child, born of him and Yu Wei.

He was their bond.

No matter what happened in the past or future, Yu Hui would always be his reason.

He stroked the boy’s hair, his eyes—nine-tenths like his own—filled with tenderness.

“You’re my son.”

When Yu Wei finished the dishes and came out, Huo Mingwang was finally leaving. Seeing her son upset and herself exhausted, she sighed helplessly.

“I’ll come see you tomorrow, son.”

Yu Hui’s eyes widened in shock. He ran into Mommy’s arms like lightning.

“Mommy! Uncle Huo’s crazy! He said he’s my dad!”

Huo Mingwang laughed aloud, his gaze tender as he looked at Yu Wei. But the woman wouldn’t look at him, bending to pick up her son instead.

“Mm, Uncle Huo’s crazy.” Crazy indeed—the original her had treated him so badly, yet he still stood here saying he loved her, loved her enough to forget everything from before.

Yu Wei admitted she was jealous. It felt awful. She didn’t want to look into his eyes, only silently urging him to leave quickly before she broke down.

Yu Hui clung to her neck, sneaking glances at Huo Mingwang’s expression.

He liked Uncle Huo, but today Uncle Huo seemed like a stranger.

He could accept Uncle Huo becoming his new dad, but… he liked his name. He didn’t want to be called “Huo Hui.” That name didn’t sound good at all!