Morning Longing for Warmth – Chapter 22
by Little PandaMakeup
May you live a hundred years
Wei Hui and Su Ziyan’s chat ended unhappily. Before leaving, Su Ziyan said “think about it carefully.” She shook her head and smiled, what is there to think about? If she liked emotional attachments, she wouldn’t have decisively sent away Zhang Ma in the first place. What she called “crossing boundaries” wasn’t just about Zhang Ma’s behavioral overstepping – more importantly, it was that she cared too much about her.
And she couldn’t bear such care, nor did she need it.
When Wei Hui returned to the living room, she saw Shiyi holding a cake lost in thought. She was thinking about something unknown, eyebrows furrowed together. The cake in her hands was barely touched, still in its original state. This child was so eager for cake earlier, but now wasn’t eating it. She walked over and asked, “Don’t want to eat?”
Shiyi hadn’t expected Wei Hui to be back already. At the sound of her voice, she looked up. Before her, Wei Hui’s long hair was slightly disheveled from the cold wind outside, with some strands sticking to her cheeks, making her face look even paler. Her fierce eyes weren’t as sharp as usual, gaining some gentleness. Under her gaze, Shiyi said softly, “I’m not very hungry.”
Wei Hui nodded lightly: “Set it aside then.”
After speaking, she walked toward the stairs: “Get some rest early.”
Shiyi turned her head to see her figure already going upstairs, bit her lip, put down the cake in her hands, and also followed behind her back to her room.
The room remained unchanged from before, empty and bare. The desk didn’t even have a single extra decoration. However, on the bed there was now a doll – light gray, in the shape of a dog. It was exactly what Shiyi had just bought in the evening, planning to give to Wei Hui as a birthday gift.
Would she like it or not?
If she liked it, she could take the opportunity to ask about possibly keeping the dog.
Shiyi originally had such intentions, but now she was somewhat hesitant. Whether or not to go disturb her now became Shiyi’s dilemma. She hugged the doll and turned over on the bed. The window was half-open, letting in a cold breeze. She sniffed – there was no flower fragrance, nor was it like Third Miss’s scent.
Shiyi stood up to close the window when she heard a knock on the door. She called out: “Come in.”
Aunt Liu carried milk and opened the door, seeing Shiyi she smiled and said: “Young Miss, it’s time to drink your milk.”
Though Zhang Ma had left, this evening habit of drinking milk was kept. Shiyi took the milk cup from her hands and drank it all in one go. The sweet sensation spread on her tongue. She put down the cup and saw another cup of milk, couldn’t help but ask: “Is this Third Miss’s?”
Aunt Liu nodded: “Yes, Third Miss is probably taking a bath. I knocked but no one answered, I’ll bring it over again later.”
Shiyi boldly grabbed her wrist, considered for a few seconds and said: “Let me take it.”
She looked up, her pretty face showing a smile: “I also have a gift to give to Third Miss.”
Although Aunt Liu had just joined the Wei family, she understood the previous matters somewhat – how Zhang Ma left and why – she knew a bit about it. So in her heart, Shiyi and Wei Hui were similar, both masters of this house. Now hearing these words, she put the tray on the table: “That’s fine then, I’ll come get the cups tomorrow morning.”
Shiyi obediently nodded.
After Aunt Liu left, Shiyi took two deep breaths, looked at the dog doll placed on the bed. She held the tray with one hand and carried the doll with the other. When standing by Wei Hui’s door, she first put the doll to one side, then knocked.
For several minutes there was no response from inside. Shiyi leaned against the door trying to hear any movement inside, but couldn’t hear anything. Thinking of Wei Hui’s illness, she became increasingly worried, her face suddenly turning completely pale, and her knocking became louder.
“Third Miss?” Shiyi’s voice showed obvious anxiety, she knocked again: “Third Miss.”
Just as she was hesitating whether to break down the door, Wei Hui opened it. She had just finished bathing, water droplets still on her face, hair soaked through, a white towel draped over her shoulders. At this moment, while drying her wet hair, she asked: “What is it?”
Seeing that she was fine, Shiyi instantly relaxed, letting out a long breath: “Your milk.”
Wei Hui stared at her for a few seconds then stepped aside, saying: “Come in.”
Only then did Shiyi carry the tray in.
The room’s floor was covered with a thick carpet, long-haired, exceptionally comfortable to step on. Shiyi, afraid of dirtying the carpet, took off her shoes after entering. Her clean white toes on the brown carpet looked somewhat cute. The desk was by the window. Shiyi wasn’t sure whether to put the tray on the tea table or desk, so she just stood there. Wei Hui raised her chin: “Put it there.”
“Where’s Aunt Liu?”
Shiyi replied to her: “I told her to go ahead and leave.”
Wei Hui didn’t ask why, just made a light “mm” sound, passing by her side. The thin pajamas she was wearing had gotten wet on the back from her wet hair, vaguely showing her graceful figure underneath. Wei Hui walked to the cabinet and took out a slightly thicker white bathrobe. After wrapping her long hair in the towel, she took off her pajamas by herself. Shiyi, standing behind her, widened her eyes, dumbfounded.
Under Wei Hui’s pajamas was a one-piece dress that covered essential parts, but her back was completely exposed. Her skin was fair and delicate. With her long hair wrapped up, her neck appeared even more long and slender. Shiyi stood in place, her mind filled with one word – fairy.
Beautiful like a fairy.
But this fairy was somewhat cold. After putting on the thick robe, Wei Hui turned her head, her profile indifferent as she said: “Come here.”
Shiyi came back to her senses, her pretty face slightly blushing, she asked confused: “Go, go where?”
Wei Hui walked to the dressing table and said: “Sit here.”
“I need to take you to the Du family this weekend. Not knowing how to do makeup won’t do.”
Last time at the Shen family banquet, Shiyi didn’t wear makeup because she felt there was no need to give face to Shen Hao. But going to the Du family this weekend was different – she was going to discuss business cooperation, and this basic etiquette couldn’t be skipped. Shiyi obediently stood by her side. Before coming, she had thought about just giving a gift and asking about possibly keeping a dog, but now that was completely forgotten, especially when Wei Hui came close and that clean, fresh fragrance surrounded her, making her head buzz.
Wei Hui’s bare face showed a slight paleness, with reddish lips. Shiyi followed her instructions to sit at the dressing table, reaching for the white porcelain bottle as directed.
“It’s this bottle.” Wei Hui saw she took the wrong one and furrowed her brows, picking up one of them and handing it to Shiyi. When Shiyi reached out to take it, their fingertips touched, and Shiyi noticed her fingertips were cool.
She said: “Third Miss, shouldn’t you dry your hair first?”
Wei Hui replied without even lifting her eyelids: “It’s fine, continue.”
Shiyi had no choice but to squeeze out lotion from the bottle, rubbing it bit by bit on her face. The cool, fresh feeling was just like when she touched Wei Hui’s fingertips earlier, as if those hands were caressing her face. This thought suddenly appeared in Shiyi’s mind, startling her into stopping.
The person in the mirror was in a daze, face slightly flushed. Wei Hui saw she had finished applying and said: “Use this.”
Shiyi was stunned for a few seconds before continuing the next step, but those fantasies in her mind wouldn’t go away.
What if Third Miss did her makeup personally.
What would it be like?
Thinking this, Shiyi secretly glanced at Wei Hui. She was looking down at something unknown, her profile relaxed, expression natural, face calm and peaceful, gaze slightly cool. Although her hair was completely wrapped in the towel, some roots were exposed, ink-black, each strand distinct.
“Did you remember?” The cool voice interrupted Shiyi’s thoughts. She came back to her senses, looking at the bottles on the table, thinking about the sequence from before, and nodded: “I remember.”
Wei Hui nodded. Shiyi had good natural features, light makeup would be enough. Her gaze swept across her delicate face as she asked: “Do you know how to shape eyebrows?”
Shiyi had just opened her mouth to reply when she saw Wei Hui shake her head with an amused smile.
She immediately curled her toes in embarrassment, shame washing over her. She was useless, didn’t know how to do anything.
Wei Hui didn’t think much of it, just said: “Lift your head.”
Shiyi immediately lifted her head very high. Wei Hui showed a faint smile: “Not that high.”
As she spoke, she placed her finger on Shiyi’s chin, pressing down slightly. Shiyi felt the temperature of her fingertips on her skin, just as she had imagined, ice-cool.
Very, very comfortable.
“Close your eyes.” Wei Hui took an eyebrow razor from the table. Shiyi tightly closed her eyes. In the darkness, her other senses became very acute, especially her sense of smell. A fragrance wafted to her nose. Wei Hui had just finished bathing, the scent from her body slightly different from usual. Shiyi thought everything smelled especially fragrant. In her mind appeared the scene from watching the movie, when she fell into Wei Hui’s embrace – the soft feeling, slender waist, and a fragrance different from now. For some unknown reason, a strange feeling grew in her heart. She shifted her body, and heard the cool voice by her ear: “Don’t move.”
Shiyi immediately sat properly, completely still.
After a while, Wei Hui finally said: “Done.”
Shiyi slowly opened her eyes, looking at herself in the mirror. Though only her eyebrows had been done, she felt very different from before. She couldn’t say exactly what was different, but just felt she wasn’t the same.
She turned her head: “Thank you, Third Miss.”
Wei Hui opened her lips: “No need.”
Seeing her whole face looking more delicate with the light makeup, Wei Hui nodded with some satisfaction: “If there’s nothing else, you can go back now.”
Shiyi obediently nodded, suddenly remembering she had come to bring milk, but after so long it had probably gotten cold. She said to Wei Hui: “Should I go heat up your milk?”
As she spoke, she walked to the table, but just as she picked up the cup, she heard Wei Hui’s voice: “No need, bring it here to me.”
Shiyi stood beside her holding the now-cold milk, hesitating: “Are you sure?”
Wei Hui didn’t speak again, just took the cup from her hands. Shiyi dared not defy her. As she saw her lift the cup about to drink, her hand suddenly trembled, some milk spilled onto the bathrobe, and the cup fell straight to the ground. Shiyi exclaimed in shock: “Third Miss!”
The person beside her leaned back against the table, face pale. Shiyi disregarded propriety and immediately tried to support Wei Hui, but didn’t have enough strength and was instead pulled down by Wei Hui. Both fell heavily onto the floor, yet didn’t make a sound. Shiyi’s face was even paler than Wei Hui’s. She asked: “Third Miss, what’s wrong?”
Wei Hui said very softly: “It’s nothing.”
“Medicine is in the bag.”
Shiyi had helped her find medicine before. Her eyes searched the room and spotted the bag hanging on the coat rack. She immediately went over and took out the medicine bottle from the bag, poured out two pills and handed them to Wei Hui. Only after seeing her take them did Shiyi kneel beside her, expression anxious. Her hand touched the carpet on the floor, and she couldn’t help looking down. Previously she had thought it was laid for comfort, but now she realized she was wrong.
This was clearly because Wei Hui didn’t want others to know she was sick, didn’t want to make any sound when having an attack, that’s why she laid such thick carpet. Who knows how she had endured it before.
Shiyi looked at Wei Hui’s pale face and suddenly felt unbearably distressed.
After taking the medicine, Wei Hui’s complexion improved considerably. Beside her, Shiyi was kneeling on the ground, nervously watching her, those bright eyes full of anxiety and concern. Wei Hui felt uncomfortable seeing such sincere eyes.
Except for Su Ziyan, Pei Tian and the Cheng family, everyone else probably couldn’t wait for her to die soon.
Especially Luo Zhouping, every time his inquiring gaze looked at her as if wanting to see through her body completely, just trying to find any trace of her illness, so he could take over the company. As for other partners, they also couldn’t wait for her to pass away soon, so they could divide up Wei Tian.
For so many years, others had looked at her with fear, admiration, scrutiny – never had anyone looked at her with such clear eyes, completely unhiding their emotions. She was worried about her.
Wei Hui uncomfortably turned away her gaze, saying: “I’m fine.”
Shiyi still wasn’t reassured: “Should I call Doctor Su?”
“No need.” Wei Hui refused: “He’s very long-winded.”
Though it was a sad atmosphere, when she said this, Shiyi suddenly smiled, then immediately bit her lip, apologetically saying: “Sorry.”
She looked up as she spoke: “Let me help you up.”
Wei Hui didn’t refuse, reaching out her hand. Shiyi supported her to stand up. When they fell earlier, Wei Hui’s robe had become somewhat loose, and Shiyi glimpsed the fair skin of her chest, as well as faintly visible terrible scars.
She froze in place for a moment. Wei Hui saw she wasn’t moving and turned to look, her other hand pulling the robe’s collar closed. Shiyi came back to her senses, asking softly: “You get hurt too?”
Wei Hui usually disliked others asking about her private matters, but tonight she was unusually cooperative, answering whatever Shiyi asked: “Left from surgery.”
Hearing this, Shiyi suddenly felt distressed in her heart. She paused for a long while before saying: “That must have been very painful.”
Wei Hui hadn’t expected her to suddenly say this, and was momentarily speechless. The whole room was very quiet. After helping Wei Hui sit on the bed’s edge, Shiyi went back, using tissues to absorb the milk from the carpet, putting the milk cup on the tea table. After everything was tidied up, she didn’t leave until Wei Hui urged: “Go out.”
“I…” Shiyi bit her lip: “Can I stay?”
Seeing Wei Hui’s calm gaze turn towards her, Shiyi immediately explained: “I just thought if you become like just now again, I could…”
“Shiyi.” Wei Hui interrupted her words: “Go out.”
Her voice was still calm but had added coldness. Shiyi stared steadily at Wei Hui, the courage she had mustered gradually dispersing under her cool gaze. She lowered her head: “Good night, Third Miss.”
Wei Hui didn’t reply. Shiyi opened the door and walked out, saw the birthday gift placed beside the doorframe. She picked up the gift and went back, extending her hand under Wei Hui’s puzzled gaze, holding out the doll, saying softly: “Third Miss, happy birthday.”
Happy birthday?
A stuffed doll?
Looking at Shiyi before her, Wei Hui had an illusion of traveling back to her childhood. Back then, Wei Changyuan would also use these small toys to make her happy, but that was a very long time ago. Wei Hui came back to her senses: “No need, take it back.”
Perhaps because tonight’s Wei Hui was unusually agreeable, or perhaps because Shiyi had witnessed her weakness just now, her courage wasn’t as small as before. She persisted: “Why?”
Wei Hui didn’t get angry, but smiled lightly: “Shiyi, hasn’t Zhang Ma taught you the rules?”
“The Wei family rules: not allowed to enter Third Miss’s room, not allowed to get close to Third Miss.” Zhang Ma’s words echoed in Shiyi’s ears. Shiyi became alarmed – in one evening, she had already broken two rules. And now, she wanted to break a third.
Seeing she didn’t speak, Wei Hui said calmly: “Go out.”
Shiyi nodded, walked two steps toward the door, head hanging down. When nearly at the door, she turned back again, firmly placed the stuffed doll in Wei Hui’s hand, earnestly and seriously saying: “Happy birthday.”
Wei Hui slightly furrowed her brows.
Shiyi looked up, her face already red. She said: “I don’t have parents, and don’t know my own birthday. Before, Grandma would celebrate my birthday on the eleventh month. I feel that having a birthday is a very, very good thing. On this day, one should receive very, very good gifts. I don’t have much money, but I want to convey my feelings to you.”
“I want to wish you happy birthday and a long life of a hundred years.”
Wei Hui held the doll’s packaging bag in her hand, a crisp crackling sound came from within the room. She raised her eyes, meeting Shiyi’s clear eyes. The child before her had a pretty face flushed red, body standing very straight, hands nervously gripping her pant legs, the veins on the back of her hands clearly visible. She nodded: “Thank you.”
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