Morning Longing for Warmth – Chapter 1
by Little PandaGoing Home
You already know how to hide a beauty in a golden house?
(refers to a historical idiom where a man promises to build a golden house to keep his lover, implying keeping a mistress or having an affair)
In late October, when the weather suddenly turned cool, the cold wind mixed with moisture blew into the living room through the windows. Sitting on the sofa was a man in his thirties with a crew cut, his face filled with anxiety and his forehead covered in fine sweat. He stared intently at another man sitting on another sofa, speaking in an extremely humble tone: “Assistant Pei, give me two more days, just two more days, I guarantee the goods will be delivered to you without any shortage.”
Pei Tian was dressed in a suit, with a dark blue tie around his neck, and golden buttons reflecting dazzling light that added a chill to the eyes of the man opposite him. He swallowed as he heard Pei Tian say: “Mr. Wang, it’s not that I won’t give you time, but according to our agreement, the delivery was due today, and you couldn’t deliver. Who will bear these losses?”
“Two days is quite long already.”
Wang Yongshun gave a dry laugh: “I know this is my fault, I’ll bear the losses.”
Pei Tian smiled lightly: “You’ll bear them?”
“According to the contract, there’s a penalty of one-tenth of the losses for each day of delay. Mr. Wang, as far as we know, your other shipment is stuck at customs, and won’t be cleared for ten days to half a month, right?”
That meant not only full compensation but additional losses.
Wang Yongshun gritted his teeth at this thought. He shouldn’t have listened to his friend’s advice about shipping one batch or two batches being the same thing, which led to that shipment being unable to come through and caused problems for this originally trouble-free batch.
He truly regretted his decision!
But regret was useless now. He could only force himself to say: “Assistant Pei, I know I’m in the wrong here, but could you please be a bit flexible? My company was only established a few years ago, and this⦔
It wasn’t even enough to compensate!
He looked at Pei Tian with unfinished words, his eyes full of pleading.
Pei Tian didn’t look at him but instead turned respectfully to another person and said: “Third Young Miss, what do you think?”
The Third Young Miss he addressed sat on the sofa with her arms crossed. She wore a stunning red long dress that clung to her body, with slightly curled jet-black hair cascading behind her, two strands hanging in front of her chest, swaying slightly in the wind. The person before them had beautiful features and a graceful figure, known as Jiang City’s famous cold beauty, but Wang Yongshun dared not feel any appreciation. Instead, his cold sweat flowed more freely, his back almost soaked through.
Wei Hui raised her eyes and gave him a bland look, and Wang Yongshun felt as if a cold wind had swept past him, making him shiver.
“Mr. Wang,” Wei Hui spoke: “How do you plan to compensate?”
Wang Yongshun raised his head under her sharp gaze, meeting those fierce eyes, and swallowed before saying: “Third Young Miss, please give me two more days.”
Wei Hui curved her lips, but her voice held no humor: “Alright.”
She said: “And after two days?”
The sweat stains on Wang Yongshun’s back had soaked through his clothes, sticking to his skin uncomfortably. He shifted his body, and as the cold wind blew in, the chill spread from head to toe, penetrating to his core.
He disliked dealing with Wei Hui. Initially, he had signed the contract with Pei Tian, greedy for their high prices, and boasting how big his heart was and how much he could eat (meaning he overestimated his abilities).
Now he had truly lifted a rock only to drop it on his own feet.
Not only had he failed to deliver the goods, but he had also disturbed this Buddha (meaning to trouble an important or powerful person).
What bad luck had he stumbled into!
Wang Yongshun gritted his teeth and swallowed: “After two days, I’ll compensate according to the amount!”
Wei Hui’s cold expression remained undisturbed as she calmly said: “How about this.”
“Mr. Wang, I’ll give you seven days to arrange things.”
Upon hearing “seven days,” Wang Yongshun immediately looked up, meeting Wei Hui’s gaze with some bewilderment. Seven days?
Seeing his expression, Wei Hui continued: “After seven days, if the goods still haven’t arrived, Mr. Wang won’t need to compensate. I heard you have an abandoned building project in the western suburbs.”
“Let’s use that building as compensation.”
Wang Yongshun’s face, which had just regained some color, suddenly turned pale!
Wei Hui twisted the knife (meaning to deliver a crushing blow): “How about it?”
Wang Yongshun, looking like someone who had lost his lifeline, nodded and said in a heavy voice: “I’ll do as Third Young Miss says.”
Pei Tian at the side curved his lips slightly; they would need to draft the contract when they got back.
Wei Hui didn’t stay long. After reaching a conclusion, she stood up, with Pei Tian immediately following. When Wang Yongshun tried to see them off, Pei Tian stopped him: “Mr. Wang, you’d better focus on figuring out how to get the goods moving.”
Wang Yongshun stared at the departing Wei Hui and gritted his teeth.
Outside the living room was a garden, quite large, with three or four stone paths to traverse. Wei Hui walked straight toward the car at the entrance when she heard noises.
“Do you dare to do it again? Tell me, do you dare to do it again!”
“I’ll beat you to death today!”
“You worthless thief! I’ll teach you to take things as you please!”
The somewhat shrill abuse came from not far away in the garden. Wei Hui turned her head slightly to look, then withdrew her gaze as she heard a timid voice: “I didn’t, it wasn’t me⦔
With a hint of tears in the voice that would make anyone’s heart ache.
However, Wei Hui had never been known for having good intestines (meaning a kind or compassionate nature). She didn’t even spare an extra glance and continued walking forward, until she wasβbumped into.
Wei Hui stepped back two paces, with Pei Tian quickly steadying her as he asked in a low voice, “Third Young Miss, are you alright?”
“I’m fine.” After regaining her balance, Wei Hui saw the girl lying at her feet, a thin figure quietly sobbing like a wounded beast. Behind the girl were several women carrying whips, clubs, and freshly broken tree branches. The branches had a reddish-brown tint and carried the smell of blood.
When blood is drawn, it’s never a good omen (literally “seeing red” – a sign of bad things to come).
Wei Hui slightly furrowed her brows, her expression displeased. Everyone felt the atmospheric pressure instantly drop, and they looked at each other, none daring to make a sound.
“Third Young Miss.” A light laugh broke the tense atmosphere as Shen Suqing walked over wearing a vest. The Shen family held considerable prestige in Jiang City, so Shen Suqing had met Wei Hui twice before and naturally recognized her. However, Wei Hui didn’t greet her, merely giving a slight nod before preparing to leave.
The hem of her dress was grabbed.
By a small hand stained with blood.
Wei Hui looked down to see the hand clutching her red dress. It was rather small, with bright red blood stains on the back, but the skin was very white, with delicate fingers. The red dress, now marked with blood, against her fair skin created an indescribable effect.
The air was still for half a moment.
Until Wei Hui spoke: “Look up.”
The girl, who had kept her face down, trembled at the sound, seemingly frightened. Wei Hui, however, had no patience and repeated: “Look up.”
The girl slowly raised her head.
Her long hair was messily piled on top, the strands dry and yellow. Her face was dirty, with a cut on her forehead that was steadily bleeding, the blood spreading to both cheeks. She was dirty, messy, and reeking of blood, like a beggar who had just emerged from a garbage heapβthe kind of sight one wouldn’t want to see twice.
But Wei Hui looked a second time.
Because she noticed those eyes were beautiful.
A few seconds later, she corrected herselfβthey were extremely beautiful.
Seeing Wei Hui look twice, Shen Suqing immediately said: “Third Young Miss, do you like what you see?”
Giving away people was a common occurrence in Jiang City. This worthless thing was brought back by her husband from outside, and she knew exactly what he wanted. So since bringing her back, she hadn’t stopped tormenting her. Today she caught her in the act and was about to drive her out when they encountered Wei Hui.
Speaking of men bringing someone back, she understood their intentions clearly, but for Wei Hui, being a woman, what could she do with her? So she casually said: “If Third Young Miss likes her, you can take her.”
Everyone was waiting for Wei Hui to refuse, after all, who didn’t know that the Third Miss of the Wei family was cold-natured, disliking both meddling in others’ affairs and finding trouble.
But Wei Hui acted contrary to her usual behavior. She paused, then spoke in her usual tone: “Then, thank you.”
Hearing her words, Pei Tian couldn’t help but furrow his sword-like brows. Had he heard correctly? Did Third Young Miss just say thank you?
Not a rejection, but thanks?
Before he could think further, Wei Hui had already started walking. The girl was still lying on the ground when Shen Suqing kicked her: “What are you dawdling for? Hurry up and go!”
You man-seducing worthless thing!
The girl’s body swayed from the kick, and she immediately ran towards Wei Hui, though she didn’t dare get too close, only walking beside Pei Tian. When it was time to get in the car, Pei Tian opened the back seat door. Wei Hui got in, while the girl stood at the door biting her lip, her posture cautious.
Only when Pei Tian told her to get in did she slowly move into the car, staying close to the door. As if afraid of dirtying the interior, she only dared to sit on a small portion of the seat, her whole body curled up. The blood on her head hadn’t dried yet, occasionally dripping down, and she used her sleeve to block the wound, not making a sound.
“Third Young Miss, shall we go to the company?”
Wei Hui, resting her eyes beside her, spoke softly: “Go home.”
After speaking, she turned her head to look at the person beside her: “Call Ziyan to come over.”
Hearing her voice, the girl secretly glanced at Wei Hui, saw her calmly looking at herself with cold phoenix eyes, and immediately lowered her head and hunched her shoulders. Wei Hui paid no attention to her small movements and continued resting with her eyes closed after giving her instructions.
The girl occasionally glanced at her from the corner of her eye – the simple red long dress clinging to her body, sleeveless, revealing clean white arms. Wei Hui had her arms crossed, head tilted to one side, her profile delicate, exuding elegance and nobility from within, along with a touch of coldness and aloofness. Thinking of her own bold move earlier, the girl secretly bit her lip.
Lowering her head, her eyes showed apology.
After arriving at the Wei residence, Pei Tian contacted Su Ziyan. When Wei Hui got out of the car, the girl followed her, maintaining a neither-far-nor-close distance. When she entered the living room, several busy maids stopped their work, all looking with surprise at the girl behind her.
Aunt Zhang, still holding a cleaning cloth, walked up to Wei Hui and asked: “Third Young Miss, this is⦔
Wei Hui parted her thin lips: “Take her to clean up first.”
Without introducing who she was, Aunt Zhang didn’t dare to ask and immediately said to the girl: “Miss, this way.”
The girl’s lips were bitten through, blood seeping out. Her throat was full of the taste of blood, and when she tried to speak, she choked instead, coughing several times, her dirty face turning bright red. Aunt Zhang, knowing Wei Hui couldn’t stand anything dirty near her, immediately took the girl’s hand and walked inside: “Follow me.”
When Pei Tian returned to the living room after making the call and didn’t see Wei Hui, he asked a nearby servant: “Where is Third Young Miss?”
The servant replied: “She just went upstairs.”
Pei Tian smiled, remembering Wei Hui’s severe mysophobia. Her clothes had been stained with the girl’s blood, so she must have gone upstairs to change. Sure enough, a few minutes later, Wei Hui came downstairs in white casual wear, her long hair loosely tied back. Pei Tian stood up from the sofa: “Third Young Miss, Mr. Su will be here shortly.”
Wei Hui gave a light acknowledgment and walked to his side to pour tea.
Pei Tian still puzzled, asked: “Third Young Miss, why did you bring that girl⦔
Before he could finish, Wei Hui raised her eyes to look at him, her phoenix eyes cold and frosty. Pei Tian wisely fell silent.
Ten minutes later, someone entered the living room hurriedly, carrying a first aid kit, asking immediately: “What happened to Third Young Miss?”
“Nothing happened to me,” Wei Hui took a sip of tea and looked up at Su Ziyan: “The patient is over there.”
Su Ziyan sighed in relief seeing she was fine, then turned to where she pointed. A girl sat on the sofa, head down, very thin, wearing only a white nightgown, her damp long hair covering her face.
He walked over and just as he put down the first aid kit, the girl slowly raised her head. Her pretty face seemed as if carefully sculpted, with refined features, large black eyes with clear pupils, long eyelashes like cicada wings, a delicate straight nose, thin lips, and skin as white as jade. The only flaw was a wound on her forehead, apparently just injured – truly ruining the aesthetics!
Su Ziyan turned to Wei Hui with exaggerated concern: “Well, well, you’ve even learned how to hide a beauty in a golden house!”
Pei Tian, standing nearby, shuddered at these words.
He truly feared Su Ziyan would be kicked flying out the next second.
The author has something to say:
Third Young Miss Wei: I absolutely won’t hide a beauty in a golden house!
Later: How delicious!
This story could also be called “Third Young Miss’s Face-Slapping Chronicles.” Everyone can start counting how many times Third Young Miss will have to face-slap herself.
Starting a new story!!! Third Young Miss is someone with very detached emotions, so the romance will develop slowly. If you like it, please bookmark, comment, and support! Let’s help Third Young Miss and the little sweetie grow together! There’s no ranking list at first, so please leave more comments. The author will occasionally send red packets to thank everyone.
Hmm, it seems to be an interesting start?
(ΛΆΛ α΅ ΛΛΆ) .α.α