Morning Longing for Warmth – Chapter 33
by Little PandaWarm
She held her hand, feeling warm.
The day of the team building was sunny and bright. The weather had been gloomy all week, and Pei Tian had rarely hoped for rain so the outdoor activities would be canceled. However, things didn’t go as he wished – not only did it not rain, but it was an unusually clear day.
In late November, the weather turned bitterly cold. Jiangcheng was known for its mild winters and cool summers, making it a pleasant place to live, but that wasn’t the case outside the city. This time, Luo Zhouping had arranged for them to visit Mount Putuo [Buddha Mountain], which was two provinces away, and he even chartered a private plane. Wei Hui knew his intentions – on one hand, to show off his connections, and on the other, to prove his capabilities. After failing with the rotten tail building [unfinished building] project, he needed to find some way to assert his presence. She couldn’t be bothered to argue about such trivial matters, so she simply let Luo Zhouping make the arrangements.
On the plane, several secretaries whispered among themselves: “Vice President Luo is really going all out.”
“Indeed, this is my first time taking a plane for team building. It’s awesome!”
“It’s a private jet, thank you very much.”
“Where’s President Wei and her group?”
“Over there.” The speaking secretary tilted her chin forward. Everyone looked over to see Wei Hui sitting on the front sofa, accompanied by a timid-looking girl. They exchanged knowing glances as they looked away.
Besides the entire secretarial department, no one else was present. Just before departure, Shiyi heard a familiar voice: “Excuse me, coming through!”
She looked up to see Du Yueming walking in with her bag, smiling at her: “Shiyi.”
Shiyi stammered: “Why are you here?”
Du Yueming waved an invitation in her hand: “I’m here in place of my brother.”
Shen Hao and Du Yuehan had also been invited to the team building event. Shen Hao declined, citing a busy schedule, and Du Yuehan hadn’t planned to come either. When Du Yueming found out, she snatched the invitation, saying only a fool would pass up free travel. Shiyi smiled at her explanation but remained silent.
Du Yueming sat on the sofa opposite them and noticed Wei Hui leaning against the sofa with her eyes closed. She asked, “Is she asleep?”
Shiyi tilted her head to look, noting Wei Hui’s tightly closed eyes and long eyelashes casting shadows. She nodded, “Yes, she’s asleep.”
Du Yueming winked playfully: “Too much fun last night?”
Shiyi choked a bit: “No, no.”
Du Yueming clicked her tongue at Shiyi’s reddening face, finding her honesty and cuteness utterly delightful. However, she didn’t have much energy to tease her, having partied with her girlfriends all night. Now exhausted, she grabbed a cushion and leaned back on the sofa: “Wake me when we arrive, I need some sleep too.”
Shiyi nodded: “Okay.”
Though she hadn’t slept well either last night, she wasn’t feeling sleepy now. Shiyi looked around – only she, Wei Hui, and Du Yueming occupied the two sofas in this area. She heard Luo Zhouping was in the rest area at the back, and many secretaries, too intimidated by Wei Hui’s presence, had chosen to sit in the rear. After takeoff, Shiyi’s mind began to wander. Worried that Wei Hui might be uncomfortable sleeping while sitting up, she leaned close to her ear and softly called, “Third Miss?”
Wei Hui didn’t respond, her breathing deep and steady. With sweaty palms, Shiyi hesitated before supporting Wei Hui’s shoulders and laying her flat on the sofa, placing a cushion under her head. Wei Hui’s tall frame meant her legs reached the sofa’s edge. Since Shiyi was already sitting at the edge, she simply let Wei Hui’s legs rest on her lap to make her more comfortable.
Just as she finished, she heard mumbling from across. Shiyi turned quickly, like a child caught misbehaving, to see Du Yueming almost falling off after rolling over. She quickly supported Du Yueming’s waist and pushed her further in. After all this activity, fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead. As she sat back, slightly out of breath and before she could rest, a voice called out: “Shiyi?”
Shiyi looked up to see Luo Zhouping standing before her with two glasses of wine. She called out, “Vice President Luo.”
Luo Zhouping smiled kindly: “No need for such formality with ‘Vice President.’ Wei Hui calls me uncle, you can call me uncle too.”
He offered Shiyi a glass of wine, but she quickly waved her hands: “Thank you, but I don’t drink.”
Luo Zhouping narrowed his eyes. The young woman before him had a gentle demeanor, and though her voice was soft, it was clear and crisp like an oriole’s song [a metaphor for a sweet, pleasant voice]. Her natural, makeup-free face revealed porcelain-like skin with a delicate glow. Those bright, large eyes with their dark pupils made her quite a beauty. After seeing her in the office that day, he had his assistant make some discreet inquiries and learned she was merely a servant.
Though Wei Hui’s presence made it inconvenient to do anything, he felt he should give the young woman a chance. If Shiyi wanted to do something, he wouldn’t refuse. After all, she was a servant from a wealthy household – perhaps she wasn’t satisfied with her situation with Wei Hui.
Shiyi was unaware of Luo Zhouping’s unsavory thoughts. She only felt uncomfortable around him, a feeling that had grown stronger since their first meeting. Especially when he stared at her like prey, making her shift uneasily. Luo Zhouping said: “Since you don’t drink, why don’t you come to the back sometime? We have plenty of desserts.”
Shiyi lowered her head: “Alright, thank you.”
Seeing her appearing obedient and well-mannered, Luo Zhouping’s smile deepened. His gaze swept from Shiyi to the sleeping Wei Hui, his corpulent body trembling: “I won’t disturb you then.”
“Oh, here’s my business card. Feel free to contact me if you need anything.” Luo Zhouping pulled out a card and handed it to Shiyi, who accepted it with a quiet “Thank you.”
Luo Zhouping walked away with the two glasses of wine, and his assistant hurried over, taking the glasses while saying: “President Luo, she belongs to President Wei.”
Luo Zhouping took a sip of wine: “I was just saying hello.”
Though the assistant hadn’t worked with him long, he knew his boss’s temperament well. Luo Zhouping never greeted people without reason, and he must have taken a special interest in that young woman. While the assistant could usually handle matters tactfully, this involved Shiyi, who belonged to President Wei. No matter how bold one might be, no one would dare to act inappropriately. So he tried to persuade Luo Zhouping: “President Luo, I heard there’s a bathhouse at Mount Putuo with young ladies just as attractive as Shiyi.”
Luo Zhouping turned to look at him, his smile fading as his gaze turned sharp and his tone grew cold: “Are you trying to warn me?”
The assistant immediately lowered his head: “I wouldn’t dare.”
Luo Zhouping let out a cold snort: “Don’t concern yourself with my affairs. Just focus on what I asked you to investigate.”
Seeing his genuine anger, the assistant carefully shared his findings: “I’ve checked. President Wei hasn’t traveled abroad this year, but she often visits Su Ziyan. The two of them…”
His voice trailed off as they walked away. After they left, Pei Tian emerged from behind a partition. His gaze followed the departing Luo Zhouping, then turned to look at the cabin before lowering his eyes and leaving.
An hour later, they reached their destination. Shiyi first woke Du Yueming, who complained about the short trip, then called to Wei Hui. Unlike the talkative Du Yueming, Wei Hui simply opened her eyes slowly at Shiyi’s voice, turned her head, and sat up from the sofa. She noticed the cushion placed aside and the thin blanket covering her.
This child was quite thoughtful.
After disembarking, the group boarded a bus. After thirty minutes of swaying travel, others had fallen asleep in their seats, exhausted from the journey. Only Shiyi stayed awake, her large eyes frequently gazing out the window with intense curiosity. This was her first time leaving Jiangcheng, her first time seeing scenery beyond the city. Though the bare trees were similar, to her eyes they were distinctly different from those in Jiangcheng. If not for fear of letting in cold air, she would have opened the window to smell if the air was different too.
Her expression was completely unguarded. Wei Hui turned to look and asked: “Is it nice?”
Shiyi turned at the sound, seeing that Wei Hui, who had been dozing, was now awake. Her face reddened: “Third Miss, did I disturb your rest?”
“No.” Having already napped on the plane, she couldn’t sleep after getting off. She asked: “What are you looking at?”
Shiyi pointed outside: “The scenery here, it’s different from our home.”
‘Our home?’ The tone was honest and straightforward. Wei Hui smiled without reason: “So which place do you prefer?”
Shiyi thought seriously: “I like our place better.”
Wei Hui, unusually talkative, asked: “Why?”
Shiyi looked up, her gaze clear and pure: “Because it’s warmer there. It’s too cold here, and Third Miss, you don’t like cold places.”
Wei Hui laughed in surprise: “How do you know I don’t like cold places?”
Shiyi met Wei Hui’s eyes and said brightly: “I can sense it.”
Wei Hui didn’t respond. She indeed disliked cold places, especially winter. Physical health was the main reason, but partly she was just sensitive to cold – her hands and feet would get chilly in winter, making her prone to illness. She usually hid it well, but unexpectedly, Shiyi had noticed. She really was perceptive.
An awkward silence fell between them. Shiyi bit her lip: “Third Miss, did I say something wrong?”
Wei Hui tilted her head: “No, get some rest. We have activities this afternoon. It’ll be tiring.”
Shiyi sighed in relief and replied obediently: “Okay.”
She was tired, having wanted to sleep since the plane, but had held out until getting on the bus. After the initial excitement of boarding, she now relaxed and closed her eyes to rest. The bus was quiet. Wei Hui turned to look out the window. She rarely left Jiangcheng. When she first took over Wei Tian, frequent business trips had prevented proper rest, worsening her condition. Later, Su Ziyan ordered her to limit travel to once a month, making her choose between money and life. Having no choice, she followed the doctor’s orders. These past two years, unless absolutely necessary, she stopped traveling, with Pei Tian handling out-of-town business on her behalf.
So it had been a long time since she’d left Jiangcheng. The scenery before her wasn’t much different from Jiangcheng, but as Shiyi had said, it was cold here. Wei Hui curled her fingers, the tips in her palm feeling icy. She coughed twice, and the sleeping Shiyi’s head nuzzled against her shoulder. Her fluffy hair brushed against Wei Hui’s cheek and chin, its soft strands carrying a faint fragrance that reached Wei Hui’s nose. She lowered her eyes and adjusted her shoulder slightly to make Shiyi more comfortable.
Shiyi wasn’t afraid of cold. When her grandmother was alive, she often called Shiyi her “little heater”. Their living conditions weren’t good then, with no air conditioning or heating, so Shiyi would always hold her grandmother’s arm before sleep, sometimes warming her hands.
Suddenly, someone grabbed Wei Hui’s cold hand. Looking down, she saw Shiyi’s slender fingers intertwined with hers, her palm burning hot and fingertips warm. Shiyi gripped tightly. Wei Hui frowned and tried to pull away, but then heard her murmur softly: “Grandmother.”
Her voice was as fine and soft as a cat’s. Wei Hui’s hand, which had been trying to pry away Shiyi’s fingers, stopped. Looking at Shiyi’s peaceful sleeping face, her eyes filled with helplessness. Another gentle call came to her ears, and Wei Hui sighed. She used the hand that had just tried to break free to pat Shiyi’s hand, while her other hand held Shiyi’s. She let the warmth from Shiyi’s palm spread, quickly flowing from her palm throughout her body.
It felt so warm.
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