Morning Longing for Warmth – Chapter 57
by Little PandaMeeting at the Airport
Huihui, I’m back.
Shiyi sent Wei Hui to the plane for the second time, with completely different feelings from the first time. She knew Wei Hui was serious – if she had this intention, she would not only break up, but also wouldn’t accept her heart. On certain principles, Wei Hui was always very stubborn. Even though she pampered her and loved her, she still had her bottom line.
Now, she had become Wei Hui’s bottom line.
Shiyi didn’t know whether to cry or laugh. She wished Wei Hui could be a bit more selfish, could consider herself more, could be like many patients who would use any means to survive, but she wasn’t.
She was Wei Hui.
The world’s best Third Miss.
How could she possibly accept her heart?
After watching Wei Hui board the plane, Shiyi walked back dejectedly. When she returned to her rental apartment and saw Wei Hui’s clothes still hanging on the balcony that she hadn’t taken with her, she took them down, held them in her arms, buried her face in them, and broke into sobs.
After releasing her emotions intensely, Shiyi opened her swollen red eyes. She hugged Wei Hui’s clothes and returned to her room for a nap. In the afternoon, she went to work as if nothing had happened. Du Yueming approached with a gossipy expression, smiling: “Guess where I spent the night yesterday?”
Shiyi responded while working: “You finally caught her?”
“How smart, Shiyi!” she grinned mischievously: “How did you know?”
Shiyi turned to look at her, her eyes still slightly red and swollen. Du Yueming’s smile gradually faded as she spoke seriously: “What’s wrong with you?”
“Have you been crying?”
It would have been better not to mention it – once mentioned, Shiyi almost couldn’t hold it together. She quickly shook her head: “No, I just slept too much. My eyes hurt when I woke up today, from rubbing them.”
Du Yueming straightened Shiyi’s face: “Do you think I’m a three-year-old?”
“What really happened?”
Shiyi opened her mouth: “Third Miss came yesterday.”
Du Yueming’s concern disappeared, replaced with knowing understanding: “Cried from getting f*cked?”
Shiyi: ……
She could never get on the same frequency channel with someone whose mind was full of yellow thoughts [黃色思想 | huáng sè sī xiǎng | perverted/sexual thoughts]. Though it did slightly relieve her depressed mood. Shiyi looked at Du Yueming – despite being the same age as Wei Hui, one remained innocent and carefree like a fresh graduate, while the other was seasoned in the business world, incomparable.
Wei Hui carried too much on her shoulders, so much that every time Shiyi thought about her, she couldn’t help but feel heartache.
Try a little harder.
Try a little harder, then she would be able to help her.
Shiyi faced work with this mindset. Two months later, the internship ended successfully. The manager kept Shiyi behind for a private conversation, asking if she would be willing to work here directly after graduation, offering her the position of deputy manager. Shiyi smiled faintly, shook her head, and politely declined.
Returning to school, Shiyi’s thoughts became purer. She no longer dwelled on the matching issue between herself and Wei Hui, but hadn’t given up hope. During every holiday, she traveled all over the world, hoping to find a suitable heart donor. She didn’t hide this from Wei Hui, telling her her whereabouts and itinerary every time she took a flight. Wei Hui, seeing her persistence, had no way to stop her and let her be.
In April of the second year at Weiss, Weiss had two advanced study positions. The old professor found Shiyi to ask her opinion, thinking she could continue advanced studies. Shiyi had left home halfway to become a monk [半路出家 | bàn lù chū jiā | meaning: starting something midway], and achieving such excellent results in just a year and a half was already remarkable. If she had the chance for further studies, her future would be immeasurable. But Shiyi shook her head without hesitation: “Thank you, professor, but I’ll pass.”
The old professor took off his glasses and said kindly: “Is it because of President Wei?”
Shiyi smiled after thinking: “It’s because of myself.”
Two years of separation – for her, every minute and second was torture. She didn’t want to accept any more partings. Even if she achieved nothing in her studies after two years, she would return to Wei Hui’s side. This was their promise.
Shiyi didn’t hide the matter of continuing advanced studies from Wei Hui, frankly telling her about it, and also saying she didn’t agree and wouldn’t go. Wei Hui, hearing the slightly low voice on the other end of the phone, responded: “Okay.”
The two seemed to return to when they first started dating, not mentioning anything about the previous heart matching issue. Shiyi didn’t dare to, fearing hearing the words “break up” from her mouth would be worse than death. As for Wei Hui, she wanted to end Shiyi’s notion, so both tacitly avoided discussing it.
At the end of April, students began graduating one after another. Many had already found their next positions, just waiting for the school to release them. Those leaving Weiss were basically all elites, fought over by various companies. Shiyi was among these graduating students. As for Du Yueming, having failed multiple courses, she was held back, probably unable to graduate until next year. After the class meeting that day, Du Yueming clung to Shiyi’s arm: “Don’t leave me behind, you heartless person! You said you’d bring me here and take me with you, how can you abandon me!”
She went through crying, making a scene, and threatening, performing fully under the influence of alcohol. Shiyi held her with a headache: “Yueming.”
“Why are you being so affectionate? You’re going back to Jiang City to be double dwelling double flying [雙宿雙飛 | shuāng sù shuāng fēi | meaning: loving couple] with your Third Miss, completely ignoring this single dog. I’m so pitiful!”
The surrounding classmates’ gazes landed on them, as if Shiyi had committed some unforgivable crime. Shiyi helplessly touched her forehead and said quietly: “Your girlfriend is here.”
Du Yueming immediately raised her head, instantly dropping her drunken appearance, and asked with wide eyes: “Where?”
Shiyi looked at her nervous expression and smiled without reason: “I’m lying.”
Du Yueming punched her twice.
Unlike in Jiang City, Du Yueming actually collected one heart [收心 | shōu xīn | meaning: become focused/serious] here. Previously, she would change female companions every two or three months. After coming here, she first eagerly chased after a girl for three months, only establishing their relationship when they reached their internship location. Shiyi thought this relationship wouldn’t last long either, but unexpectedly, until now, the two remained like glue and lacquer [如膠似漆 | rú jiāo sì qī | meaning: deeply in love]. Du Yueming had remarked to Shiyi several times that she didn’t know which nerve went wrong, but she just felt good about her and didn’t want to leave her.
Shiyi had met that girl – she had a quiet and refined appearance, a gentle voice, but was very principled in her actions, says one not two [說一不二 | shuō yī bù èr | meaning: decisive]. Several times when she made plans with Du Yueming to watch movies, if Du Yueming was just two minutes late, the girl would be nowhere to be found. Because of this, Du Yueming corrected many bad habits.
But studying remained her weak point.
Fortunately, that girl’s grades weren’t very good either, so the two could continue to keep each other company.
After eating and drinking their fill at the early graduation party, Shiyi supported the drunk Du Yueming back to the dormitory. At the dormitory entrance, she saw Du Yueming’s girlfriend – not tall, quite thin, with knitted delicate brows, looking displeased: “Drinking again?”
Shiyi pinched Du Yueming’s waist and smiled slightly: “Something came up tonight, she had a few extra drinks.”
Her girlfriend glared at her angrily, then turned to look at Shiyi, her expression considerably gentler: “Thank you for the trouble, I’ll take her back.”
As she said this, taking Du Yueming, Shiyi asked: “Do you want me to help you take her back?”
The girl smiled: “No need, my driver is outside.”
Shiyi nodded with relief, telling her to take care. As soon as Du Yueming touched the girl’s body, she seemed to recognize her girlfriend, and started acting spoiled: “Give me a kiss.”
“No, I want a kiss right here.”
“If you don’t kiss me, it means you don’t love me.”
The sound of kissing came from behind. Shiyi lowered her eyes, opened the door and went in. She leaned against the door, biting her lip. At this moment, she missed Wei Hui terribly, thinking of her until her eyes reddened, until she couldn’t help but crouch down and cry softly.
Far away in Jiang City, Wei Hui coughed dully twice, covering her chest as she sat up. Aunt Liu knocked on the door: “Third Miss, it’s time to get up.”
She pressed her temples: “I know.”
After the New Year, her body had obviously deteriorated. Previously, she would visit the hospital once a month, now it was every half month, and her medication had increased. Su Ziyan always looked like he had something to say but held back every time he gave her an IV drip. Wei Hui knew he wanted her to call Shiyi back, afraid that she might be gone any time, and that Shiyi wouldn’t see her one last time.
But Shiyi hadn’t returned yet, how could she fall?
Wei Hui sat on the bed for a long time, swallowing medicine with cold water from the bedside table. She got up to wash, and in the mirror, her face was sickly pale, lips completely bloodless, eyes slightly swollen with faint red veins beneath. She changed out of her nightgown, hanging it on the rack, and saw black hair stuck all over the back. She touched her beautiful hair, her right hand trembling slightly, with black strands of hair filling the gaps between her fingers, each strand entwined around her fingers, forming a stark contrast with her fair fingers.
She stepped back, closing her eyes briefly.
After washing up, Wei Hui went downstairs. Aunt Liu had already prepared breakfast, and Pei Tian had arrived too. He stood in the living room and respectfully said when he saw Wei Hui coming down: “Third Miss.”
“Mm.” Wei Hui had applied light makeup, hiding her pale complexion, though fatigue was still faintly visible. She walked to the dining table, drank a glass of milk and asked: “What time is Shiyi’s flight?”
Pei Tian stood ramrod straight: “Ten in the morning.”
Wei Hui nodded: “Later, postpone the company meeting and take me somewhere.”
Pei Tian didn’t question it: “Alright.”
Half an hour later, Wei Hui sat in the hair salon, where the owner’s wife kept touching her smooth hair, muttering: “Such beautiful hair, are you really willing to cut it?”
Black and sleek – Wei Hui had invested heavily in maintaining her appearance over these years, fearing people would notice her illness from her exterior looks. The owner’s wife couldn’t help touching her beautiful hair repeatedly. Wei Hui lowered her eyes: “Cut it.”
Her profile was tense, her tone brooking no argument, carrying a coldness. The owner’s wife met her cool gaze in the mirror, felt a chill, and immediately nodded: “Alright, please wait a moment.”
Wei Hui stared at the mirror before her, half a lifetime flashing past like viewing flowers from a galloping horse [走馬觀花 | zǒu mǎ guān huā | idiom meaning fleeting glimpses], finally freezing on Shiyi’s smiling face. She waved: “Huihui.”
“Huihui, I’m back.”
Wei Hui startled awake. Pei Tian, seeing her sit up in the rearview mirror, couldn’t help asking: “Third Miss, did you dream again?”
After leaving the hair salon, Wei Hui had been resting with her eyes closed in the car seat, unexpectedly being startled awake. She turned to look outside: “Where are we?”
Pei Tian replied: “Almost at the airport.”
“Would you like to rest a bit more?”
Wei Hui rubbed her head: “No need.”
As they spoke, they had reached the airport area. As soon as the car stopped, Wei Hui opened the back door and got out. Pei Tian followed behind her: “Third Miss, let me go pick her up instead. Why don’t you wait in the car?”
Wei Hui smiled, saying softly: “It’s fine, I’ll pick her up myself.”
She thought, the first person Shiyi would want to see after getting off the plane would definitely be her, just like her current feelings, desperately wanting to see Shiyi.
As if delaying one more second meant there would be no more chances.
0 Comments