Yearning For Warmth, Day and Night - Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Compliments

With the bond formed with the dog, Shiyi didn’t return for lunch. She shared the bread she had just bought with the dog, half for each. In the end, she poured out some bottled water—there was no bowl, so she had to pluck two broad leaves from a tree, poured a bit of water into them, and watched as the dog drank happily. She couldn’t help but feel a sense of joy.

Actually, several of the households she had stayed in before also kept dogs. But those dogs were always cared for meticulously by specific people. She and the others could only look at them from a distance. Sitting beside them and petting them like this was completely out of the question. Shiyi especially liked this dog because she felt it was like her—both were homeless.

The small path really was deserted. Shiyi leaned against a tree until dusk and didn’t see a single person. Glancing at the sky, she figured it was getting late. The dog beside her was still sound asleep. She patted its head softly and said, “I’ll come see you again tomorrow.”

The dog, hearing her voice, immediately opened its eyes and stood up. It stretched its head toward her, rubbing against her, smearing her pale yellow clothes with dirt, turning them a dusty gray. Shiyi rubbed its head, then stood up and walked away.

At the gates of the Wei household, the guard didn’t question her purpose—he simply opened the gate and bowed respectfully. Shiyi felt a bit uncomfortable as she walked in.

Wei Hui hadn’t returned yet. Taking advantage of everyone being busy with dinner, Shiyi went upstairs to shower. She changed out of her slightly dirty clothes and carefully washed her long hair. When she opened the door after freshening up, she heard voices downstairs.

Wei Hui was sitting on the sofa in the living room.

Pei Tian stood beside her, saying, “Vice President Luo wants to reduce costs by refurbishing the unfinished buildings.”

This had been discussed at the board meeting today. Luo Zhouping had been in frequent contact with construction material companies lately, clearly aiming to refurbish partially built, abandoned buildings. It would save a lot of money, but the problem was, many shareholders on the board actually supported this idea. Wei Hui was furious—those buildings had been abandoned due to poor quality and a boss who ran away. Now, after all these years, they were even less livable. Others might not know, but she certainly understood Luo Zhouping’s real intentions. On one hand, he stood to profit through his construction materials company; on the other, if anything went wrong with the refurbished buildings, she, not him, would take the fall. Luo Zhouping was clearly trying to drag her down.

Luckily, many shareholders had opposed the plan—Shen Hao among them—so the proposal wasn’t approved today. But Wei Hui knew Luo Zhouping wouldn’t give up easily.

Especially since Shen Hao had suffered several losses under her. If he didn’t get what he wanted soon, he might switch sides.

People like him were easy to keep close—and even easier to turn into enemies.

So the renovation plans needed to be finalized quickly. Aside from that, Wei Hui’s red lips parted slightly: “Contact Mr. Du tomorrow.”

Pei Tian frowned. “Mr. Du?”

Wei Hui nodded. “Instead of letting him sit on the mountain watching the tigers fight, better to let him take a share of the spoils.”

Pei Tian immediately understood. Shen Hao was like a ticking time bomb—no one could predict when he might explode. For safety, it was best to install a safeguard.

If anyone could snatch meat from the Shen family’s mouth, it was the Du family. They would be that safeguard.

But whether the Du family was willing to get involved was still uncertain.

Wei Hui clearly understood this too. She had interacted with Du Yuehan a few times and had some understanding of him. Whether she could pull him in was a big unknown. With that in mind, she said, “Reach out to him first. I’ll visit Old Master Du this weekend.”

Pei Tian nodded. “Understood.”

Just then, there was a sound behind them. Wei Hui turned and saw Shiyi standing at the top of the stairs. Thinking of her recent meeting with Du Yueming, she said, “I’ll bring her along.”

Pei Tian glanced at Shiyi, face serious, then bowed his head and left.

Shiyi accepted his strange look, lowered her head, and called out, “Third Miss.”

There were rarely other people in the Wei household. Usually, the only frequent visitor was Su Ziyan. When she first brought this child back, Wei Hui had thought she might not get used to it. But now, it seemed she had worried too much. This child’s greatest skill was making herself invisible. If she didn’t speak, no one would even notice she was there.

Wei Hui nodded. “Dinner will be ready soon. Sit for a while.”

Shiyi sat on the sofa across from her. The oversized loungewear made her look even more petite and frail. Her face was clean and fair, without a trace of makeup, full of youthful softness—except for the two scars on her forehead. The spot that got bumped last night didn’t break the skin, but had turned bluish, and looked worse than the scraped area. Wei Hui stared at her for a few seconds and asked, “Want Ziyan to take a look?”

He had said, girls shouldn’t have scars on their faces.

Shiyi immediately shook her head and replied softly, “No need to trouble Dr. Su. I still have the medicine he prescribed.”

Wei Hui gave a neutral “mm.”

Dinner wasn’t quite ready. The kitchen staff were still working, and occasionally, delicious aromas wafted into the living room. Shiyi sat upright. When she looked up and saw Wei Hui at work, her eyes lowered again. Wei Hui was focused on the documents before her, expression serious. Her sharp aura remained undiminished. Even when silent, she gave off a clear message: Do not approach.

Though she seemed stern, Shi Yi still thought to herself, Third Miss is truly the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. Her facial features were refined, as if meticulously sculpted, with perfect balance. Long lashes, big eyes, and deep, defined features. Her chestnut hair cascaded down her back, with a few stray strands resting on her chest. Shiyi’s gaze fell on those strands, and she couldn’t help thinking of the baby in her dream last night—so beautiful, just like Wei Hui. The person she was staring at cleared her throat. Startled, Shiyi quickly averted her gaze and sat up straighter.

Half an hour later, dinner was served. Wei Hui preferred light, vegetarian dishes, but the table was also filled with plenty of meat. Shiyi had only eaten half a piece of bread hurriedly at noon, so the delicious smell made her stomach growl. Embarrassed, she glanced at Wei Hui, who remained calm and said, “Alright, everyone out.”

Zhang Ma gave the staff a look, and they all filed out. Wei Hui said, “Eat.”

With no one watching, Shi Yi finally started eating in earnest. A plate of fragrant braised ribs with sesame seeds appeared in front of her. Wei Hui said, “I don’t have the habit of serving others. If you want something, take it yourself.”

“This is the Wei household. You don’t need to be so restrained, or act so cautiously. If you need anything, just tell Zhang Ma directly.”

Wei Hui looked at Shiyi calmly as she spoke. It wasn’t that she disliked her reserved attitude, but this constant timidity—even being afraid to pick up food—had resulted in such a frail body. If she did agree to the deal in the future, she’d definitely need to be nourished.

Wei Hui didn’t like wasting time. Since she was confident Shiyi would eventually agree, she’d start taking care of her now.

And first, that meant getting rid of her timid, weak habits.

Shiyi looked up and met her serious gaze. She froze slightly, then nodded. “Okay.”

Wei Hui served herself a bowl of soup. She saw Shiyi take a few bites of rice, then reach out for the ribs, beef, and meatballs. Probably due to her upbringing, her eating manners were quiet—not exactly elegant, but certainly not crude. Wei Hui sipped her soup, wiped the corners of her mouth with a napkin, and said, “I’m done eating.”

Shiyi was about to put down her chopsticks when Wei Hui added, “You keep eating.”

“Until you’re full.”

Shiyi looked at her and nodded. “Okay.”

After Wei Hui left the dining room, Shiyi ate half a bowl more. It was the first time she’d eaten until full. Unsure of her limits, she’d eaten too much and felt stuffed, but not uncomfortable—in fact, a quiet sense of happiness lingered.

After she finished, Zhang Ma came to clear the table. Seeing her putting the leftover ribs and bones together to throw out, Shiyi immediately called out, “Zhang Ma.”

This is the Wei household. You don’t need to be so restrained… Wei Hui’s words echoed in her ears. Shiyi said, “Please put this dish in a bag and give it to me tomorrow.”

She paused and added, “Okay?”

Zhang Ma frowned, wanting to ask why, but remembering the girl’s status now, she simply said, “Alright.”

Shiyi hadn’t expected her to agree so readily. A rare smile lit her face as she said sincerely, “Thank you, Zhang Ma.”

Zhang Ma replied stiffly, “No need.”

When Shiyi returned to the living room, Wei Hui was already gone, and the documents on the coffee table had disappeared. Looking up at the second floor, Wei Hui’s door was closed.

Shiyi was too full to go upstairs, so she wandered around the garden. The paths were lined with lamps casting a soft glow on the delicate flowers. A breeze brought waves of fragrance.

She walked a few rounds and finally sat on a bench near the flowerbed. Closing her eyes, she breathed in the gentle scent in the air. All was quiet. The yellow light from the lamps stretched her shadow long on the ground. A gust of wind made a rustle—Shiyi opened her eyes and saw a thick book beside the bench, its pages fluttering in the wind.

The cover was black, with gold-embossed words: Business Ethics.

It must be… Third Miss’s book?

Before she could think further, another breeze flipped more pages. Shiyi picked it up, intending to return it later. But then she saw writing inside—densely packed notes. Under the lamplight, they were hard to read, and anyway, she didn’t understand the professional jargon.

“What are you reading?” a voice came from behind. Shiyi jumped and turned around. Wei Hui was standing there in light gray pajamas and a shawl, her hair lifted by the wind, revealing her beautiful features.

Shiyi handed her the book. “Your book.”

Wei Hui looked at it for a few seconds and calmly asked, “Can you understand it?”

“No,” Shiyi said, embarrassed, biting her lip. “I just thought… your handwriting is really beautiful.”

Thinking of what Wei Hui said at dinner—you don’t need to be so restrained—Shiyi tried, for the first time in her life, to offer a compliment: “Just like… you. Beautiful.”

Sincere words, earnest eyes, and a serious expression.

The person being complimented seemed to be caught off guard by the wind and coughed lightly. “It’s getting chilly. Go rest early.”

Without waiting for a reply, she turned and walked away.