Yearning For Warmth, Day and Night - Chapter 27
Chapter 27: Veterinarian
On the weekend, Eleven didn’t go out. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to make Du Yue Ming her friend; it was just that she was now dependent, relying on Wei Hui for everything. If one day she left the Wei family, and Du Yue Ming was still willing to be her friend, she wouldn’t refuse. But for now, she couldn’t; she didn’t have the ability to make a friend like Du Yue Ming.
Since she wouldn’t come out, Du Yue Ming angrily kept tagging her in the group chat: “@Eleven, come out! Is that person watching you so closely? Are you intentionally making us jealous?”
The little sisters in the group immediately chimed in: “Exactly!”
“Little sister, come out and play!”
“Eleven, right? Is Huihui usually gentle? Especially during that? Ahh, just thinking that Huihui is one of us, I can’t help but imagine!”
“She wouldn’t be gentle at all. That person is as cold as an iceberg.”
“Stop! I’m going to get a nosebleed if I keep thinking about it!”
“Maybe she’s as gentle as water in bed. You clearly don’t understand.”
…
In just a few days, their perception of Eleven had completely shifted from a love rival to a gossip generator. It was simple: even without Eleven, they wouldn’t be able to get with Wei Hui. Normally, they just talked big, indulging themselves with words. If they were actually told to strip and climb into bed, they’d be scared. So now, their attitude towards Eleven was curiosity, intense curiosity.
On the weekend, hearing that Du Yue Ming had invited Eleven out, none of the girls in the group stayed home; they were all at the bar. Du Yue Ming was glued to her phone, and a scantily clad friend next to her poked her arm: “Are you coming or not?”
Du Yue Ming shook her head: “Probably not.”
“What’s her deal, acting so high and mighty?” The girl who spoke was slightly displeased. The woman in red next to her glanced over and said, “I know what her deal is.”
“I heard she used to be a maid for the Wang family.”
“Are you crazy?”
“What the hell!”
“How could Wei Hui be with a maid…”
Various noisy voices came. Du Yue Ming was a bit unhappy, and she scolded: “Everyone, stop arguing.”
Eleven was brought into the group by her, which meant she had her approval. Their current discussion was undoubtedly making Du Yue Ming lose face. On the surface, everyone had similar family backgrounds, but in reality, the Du family’s influence far surpassed theirs. So, they usually liked to be with Du Yue Ming, not just because they liked her as a friend, but more because they wanted to curry favor with her. Now, seeing her unhappy, everyone sheepishly said: “What nonsense are you talking about? How could she be a maid!”
“Even if she is a maid, so what? Is it still about matching social status now?”
The accused woman pouted and snorted.
Seeing Du Yue Ming still unhappy, everyone gathered around her to inquire: “Yue Ming, I heard from someone who went to the Shen family last time that this Eleven is especially beautiful, is that true?”
How could it be false? Who in Jiangcheng didn’t know that Du Yue Ming was a loyal fan of beauty? Anyone beautiful couldn’t escape her grasp. She had praised this Eleven more than once in the group, so she must be beautiful.
Du Yue Ming saw everyone still looking at her, thought for a moment, and said, “She’s not exceptionally beautiful.”
Especially that scrawny figure, flat in front and back, with barely two ounces of flesh on her, feeling bony to the touch. But—”Her demeanor is very good.”
Hearing her say that, everyone became interested. After all, they had seen plenty of beauties; which of those celebrity models weren’t beautiful? But for Du Yue Ming to say someone had a good demeanor, everyone thought back. The last time she praised someone like that was when she talked about Wei Hui in school.
“How good?” Someone asked. Du Yue Ming pondered for a few seconds: “I don’t know how to describe it, but it’s just really good.”
Pure and beautiful, especially those eyes, clean and captivating. Du Yue Ming suddenly felt that it was right for Eleven not to come here. Her wild friends might truly infect Eleven with a bad aura. So, she didn’t hesitate to send a private message to Eleven: “Forget it, if you’re not coming, you’re not coming.”
Eleven received Du Yue Ming’s message just as she was about to go to the backyard. The message popped up on her phone, and after reading it, she was silent for a moment before replying: “I’m sorry, are you angry?”
Seeing this text message, Du Yue Ming could almost imagine Eleven standing in front of her, timidly speaking. She felt a mischievous urge, and the smile on her lips deepened: “If I said yes, would you come?”
Eleven was very honest: “Thank you, Miss Du, but I’m not yet capable of being your friend.”
So honest, huh? Du Yue Ming had never really considered status when making friends. Everyone around her was trying to curry favor with her. Even some small celebrities and models would intentionally or unintentionally try to get close to her. The lower their status, the more they wanted a good future, and the more they flattered her. Someone like Eleven was truly a first. She became interested: “You need to be capable to make friends? Are you going on a blind date?”
Eleven frowned, looking at the increasingly unrestrained topic, and was too embarrassed to reply.
Du Yue Ming looked at the message she sent and thought of Eleven, who wasn’t easily teased. A few minutes later, she sent another message: “I’m not angry, I was just teasing you. I really feel guilty, let’s hang out next time.”
Eleven slowly exhaled when she received her message again and smiled.
Aunt Liu’s voice came from behind: “Little Miss, Assistant Pei is here.”
She turned to see Pei Tian standing behind her, dressed in a suit and tie. He wore gold-rimmed glasses, had a handsome face, and a polite smile. Eleven found herself strange; although Pei Tian always greeted everyone with a smile and was exceptionally polite to everyone, she felt that Pei Tian was a cold-hearted person. Yet, the Third Miss, who was genuinely cold in everyone’s eyes, seemed exceptionally warm to her. For example, today, the Third Miss, who said she wouldn’t bother with her and Twelve, still found time to have Pei Tian take her and Twelve for vaccinations.
“Miss Eleven, are you ready to go?” Pei Tian looked at Eleven and the cleaned large dog, which was wagging its tail and wiggling its hips.
Eleven untied Twelve’s leash and said to Pei Tian, “Yes, I am.”
Pei Tian extended his hand: “I’ll help you lead it.”
Eleven immediately shook her head: “No need, I’ll lead it myself.”
Pei Tian didn’t insist. He simply smiled and turned to walk towards the main gate. The car today wasn’t the one Wei Hui usually used, but a gray sedan. Eleven didn’t know much about car models or types; she just felt this car had a bit more space.
After getting in the car, Twelve obediently lay at her feet. It wasn’t actually fat, but its long, thick fur made it look bloated. Crouching at her feet, it was curled into a ball, ineffably charming and adorable. Eleven rubbed its head, her eyes full of smiles.
Soon they arrived at the pet store. Pei Tian followed Eleven inside. The receptionist looked at Pei Tian, paused for a few seconds, and then called out, “Assistant Pei?”
Eleven hadn’t expected them to know each other. She saw Pei Tian nod slightly and ask, “Is Dr. Zhao in?”
The receptionist shook her head: “Dr. Zhao is off today. It’s Dr. Chen.”
She finished speaking and looked at Eleven and the dog, asking, “Has CEO Wei gotten another dog?”
Pei Tian shot her a glance, not answering. The receptionist cleverly changed the subject: “Please pay first. Is there anything wrong with the dog?”
“Nothing wrong. Just a detailed check-up.”
Pei Tian finished speaking and looked at Eleven: “I’ll go pay first. Wait here.”
Eleven nodded: “Okay.”
She watched Pei Tian follow the receptionist out of the lobby. Twelve, which she was holding on a leash, suddenly stood up and walked straight inside. Eleven didn’t pay attention and almost fell, having to quickly take two steps to steady herself before calling out, “Twelve?”
Twelve, who was incredibly well-behaved at home, was disobedient here. It continued to walk forward. Eleven wasn’t strong enough and was dragged a few steps before she scolded, “Twelve!”
Seemingly sensing her displeasure, Twelve stopped and obediently walked back, but its small, upward glance at Eleven was indescribably pitiful. Eleven was about to speak when she heard a voice from behind: “Sisi?”
Eleven turned and saw a man in a white coat behind her, with a buzz cut. He was not old and smiled warmly. When he saw Eleven turn, he spoke first: “Hello.”
“You, hello,” Eleven said, shaking the hand he extended.
The man squatted down: “This must be Sisi, it’s been a long time. Where’s Miss Du?”
Eleven was momentarily bewildered by his words. She blinked and said, “What Miss Du?”
The man, seeing her confusion, also froze: “Isn’t this Miss Du’s dog?”
…
Since Eleven didn’t come, Du Yue Ming and her friends were having a blast at the bar. After a few drinks, her phone rang. A friend next to her nudged her arm: “Yue Ming, answer the phone.”
Du Yue Ming put down her glass, glanced at the screen, and slurred into the phone: “Dr. Chen, oh.”
A flurry of incomprehensible words came from the other end of the phone. Her brain automatically filtered them out, leaving only one sentence. She repeated: “Is it Sisi?”
The other end of the phone gave her a positive answer, and Du Yue Ming became slightly clearer-headed: “I’ll be right there!”
The friends around her saw her answer the phone and prepare to leave, calling out: “Where are you going, Yue Ming?”
Du Yue Ming gritted her teeth: “To catch the dog thief!”
“Dog thief?”
“Sisi was found?”
Du Yue Ming’s dog had gone missing three months ago. Her housekeepers didn’t dare tell her the truth, merely buying an identical dog and placing it at home. At the time, Du Yue Ming was on vacation abroad. Upon her return, she noticed something was amiss, and only then did the housekeeper bravely tell her that Sisi had been stolen. Enraged, she immediately sent people to search, but after two months, they still hadn’t found it. The dog she now had was a gift from her friends.
Du Yue Ming, thinking of the message she had just received on the phone, didn’t want to waste any more time. She said, “You all carry on, I’m going out for a bit.”
“Do you want us to come with you?”
Du Yue Ming waved her hand: “No need, forget it.”
After leaving, she hailed a driver, gave an address, and then leaned back in the seat. Her head was still a bit fuzzy; she had drunk a few light wines, and they were getting to her. She pressed her temples, watching the rapidly passing scenery outside the window, her mind filled with thoughts of her Sisi. It had been three months; she wondered if it had gotten fatter or thinner. Just as she was about to call Dr. Chen, the driver said, “Miss, we’re here.”
Du Yue Ming stepped out of the car in high heels and walked angrily into the pet store, asking directly, “Who stole my Sisi!”
A slightly raised voice came from the doorway. Eleven looked up and indeed saw Du Yue Ming standing at the entrance; she had already guessed.
Du Yue Ming looked inside, and facing Eleven’s clear eyes, she was still a bit stunned, mumbling, “Eleven?”
“Why are you here?”
Dr. Chen smiled and interjected, “This young lady here is the one who stole your Sisi.”
Du Yue Ming instinctively retorted, “Impossible.”
She couldn’t quite say why she trusted Eleven so much, she just felt Eleven wasn’t that kind of person. Eleven felt a pang of emotion hearing Du Yue Ming’s unthinking words. In the past, whenever anything went missing at the master’s house, they would all say it must have been Eleven who took it. Over time, she became the habitual thief in everyone’s eyes. Even though many things were secretly sold by them, when brought up, it was always her fault. For so long, other than the Third Miss, Du Yue Ming was the second person to believe in her so implicitly.
Eleven suddenly felt that this friend, she wanted to make.
She smiled at Du Yue Ming: “Miss Du, Twelve… Sisi was found by me.”
Du Yue Ming’s sobriety returned somewhat after hearing her words, and she nodded: “What exactly happened?”
Eleven briefly explained what had happened earlier. Pei Tian, who had been sitting beside Eleven all this time, suddenly stood up and said, “Third Miss has arrived.”