Yearning For Warmth, Day and Night - Chapter 33
Chapter 33: Warmth
The day of the team building was a sunny one. This week’s weather had been consistently gloomy, so much so that Pei Tian had even hoped for rain, which would prevent outdoor team-building activities. Unexpectedly, fate did not grant his wish; not only did it not rain, but it was also a rare clear day.
It was late November, and the weather had turned abruptly cold. Jiangcheng was known for its warm winters and cool summers, making it a pleasant place to live, but outside of Jiangcheng, it was different. This time, Luo Zhouping had arranged for a trip to Foshishan, two provinces away, even chartering a private plane. Wei Hui knew his purpose: to showcase his connections and to prove his capabilities. He had failed in the unfinished building project and needed to find a sense of presence elsewhere. She was too lazy to fuss over such minor details, so she simply let Luo Zhouping make the arrangements.
Boarding the plane, several secretaries whispered amongst themselves: “Vice President Luo is really lavish.”
“Tell me about it, this is my first time flying for a team-building event, how awesome!”
“It’s a private plane, thank you.”
“Where are CEO Wei and them?”
“There.” The secretary speaking lifted her chin and pointed forward. Several people looked over. Wei Hui was sitting on the front sofa, accompanied by a frail-looking girl. They retracted their gazes and exchanged knowing looks.
Aside from the entire secretarial department, there was no one else on this team-building trip. Just as they were about to depart, Eleven heard a familiar voice: “Excuse me, excuse me!”
She looked up and saw Du Yue Ming walking in with a bag, smiling at her: “Eleven.”
Eleven stammered, “Why are you here?”
Du Yue Ming waved the invitation in her hand: “I’m here on behalf of my brother.”
This team-building event had also invited Shen Hao and Du Yuehan. Shen Hao declined, claiming he was busy. Du Yuehan hadn’t originally planned to come either, but Du Yue Ming, upon learning about it, snatched the invitation. A free trip? Only a fool wouldn’t come. Eleven smiled after hearing her explanation, saying nothing.
Du Yue Ming sat on the sofa opposite them. Looking up, she saw Wei Hui leaning against the sofa with her eyes closed. She asked, “Is she asleep?”
Eleven tilted her head, following her gaze. Wei Hui’s eyes were tightly closed, her long eyelashes casting a shadow. She nodded: “Mm, she’s asleep.”
Du Yue Ming playfully winked at her: “Did you have too much fun last night?”
Eleven choked: “No, no.”
Du Yue Ming looked at her flushed face and clicked her tongue. She was truly honest and cute, utterly delightful, but she didn’t have much energy to tease her right now. She had partied all night with her girlfriends and was utterly exhausted. She took a cushion and leaned against the sofa: “Wake me when we arrive. I’ll get some sleep too.”
Eleven could only nod: “Okay.”
Actually, she hadn’t slept very well last night either, but now she wasn’t sleepy. Eleven looked around. On these two sofas, there were only her, Wei Hui, and Du Yue Ming. She heard that Luo Zhouping was in the lounge behind, and many secretaries, intimidated by Wei Hui’s presence, were also sitting in the back. With no one around, Eleven’s thoughts became more active after takeoff. She was worried that Wei Hui might be uncomfortable sleeping just leaning against the sofa, so she leaned closer to her ear and softly asked, “Third Miss?”
Wei Hui ignored her, her breathing long and steady. Eleven’s palms were sweating. After a moment’s thought, she supported Wei Hui’s shoulder, gently laying her flat on the sofa with a cushion under her head. Wei Hui was tall, and when she lay down, her legs just reached the edge of the sofa. Eleven was already sitting on the edge, so she simply placed Wei Hui’s legs on her own lap, making her more comfortable.
Just as she finished, a couple of grunts came from across the way. Eleven, like a child caught doing something wrong, immediately turned, seeing Du Yue Ming roll over and almost fall off. She quickly put her hand under Du Yue Ming’s waist and pushed her further in. After a flurry of activity, she had fine sweat on her forehead. She sat down, slightly out of breath. Before she could rest, a voice came to her ear: “Eleven?”
Eleven looked up and saw Luo Zhouping standing in front of her with two glasses of wine in his hand. She called out, “Vice President Luo.”
Luo Zhouping smiled very kindly: “What’s with the ‘Vice President’? Wei Hui calls me uncle, you can call me uncle too.”
He said, offering Eleven a glass of wine. Eleven quickly waved her hand: “Thank you, but I don’t drink.”
Luo Zhouping narrowed his eyes. The young woman in front of him had a gentle demeanor, and her voice, though not loud, was crisp, like a yellow oriole emerging from a valley, captivating one’s heart. Her pretty face was without makeup, making her skin appear even fairer and more luminous, like jade. Her bright, large eyes, with their deep black pupils, shone. She was beautiful no matter how he looked at her. After seeing her in the office that day, he had his assistant discreetly inquire, only to find out she was a servant.
However, with Wei Hui present, it was truly inconvenient for him to do anything, but he still had to give the young lady a chance. If Eleven wanted to do something, he wouldn’t resist. Besides, she was originally a servant from a wealthy family; it was possible she wasn’t getting what she desired from Wei Hui.
Eleven didn’t know Luo Zhouping’s dirty thoughts. She only felt that the man in front of her made her uncomfortable. From their first meeting until now, that discomfort had gradually intensified, especially when he stared at her as if she were prey. Feeling uneasy, she couldn’t help but shift her body. Luo Zhouping said, “Since you can’t drink, then feel free to sit in the back. There are plenty of desserts.”
Eleven lowered her head: “Okay, thank you.”
Looking docile and sensible, Luo Zhouping’s smile deepened. His gaze swept from Eleven to the dozing Wei Hui, and his plump body trembled: “Well then, I won’t disturb you.”
“Oh, by the way, this is my business card. If you have any problems, you can contact me.” Luo Zhouping said, pulling a business card from his pocket and handing it to Eleven. Eleven took it and softly said, “Thank you.”
Luo Zhouping walked over with two glasses of wine, then walked back with them. His assistant, not far away, saw him and immediately came over, taking the glasses from his hand and saying, “Mr. Luo, that’s CEO Wei’s person.”
Luo Zhouping took a sip of wine: “Just saying hello.”
Although the assistant hadn’t been with him for long, he was familiar with his temper. He never greeted people without reason, so he must have other intentions towards that young lady. If it were any other matter, he could act accordingly, but this Eleven was CEO Wei’s person. He wouldn’t dare to do anything on his own, no matter how bold he was, so he advised Luo Zhouping: “Mr. Luo, I heard there’s a bathhouse in Foshishan, and the young ladies inside are very tender, not at all inferior to this Eleven.”
Luo Zhouping turned to look at him, his previously smiling expression fading, his gaze becoming dark and piercing, and his tone turning cold: “Are you reminding me?”
The assistant immediately lowered his head: “I wouldn’t dare.”
Luo Zhouping snorted coldly: “You don’t need to worry about my business. Just make sure you take care of what I’ve instructed you to do.”
Seeing his genuine anger, the assistant cautiously revealed his information: “I checked. CEO Wei hasn’t traveled abroad this year, but she frequently visits Su Ziyan. The two of them…”
His voice trailed off, and the figures left. After they were gone, Pei Tian emerged from behind a partition. He looked at the departing Luo Zhouping, then turned to glance at the front cabin, finally lowering his eyes and leaving.
An hour later, they arrived at their destination. Eleven first woke Du Yue Ming, then, hearing her complain about how quickly they arrived, turned to call Wei Hui. Unlike Du Yue Ming, Wei Hui wasn’t as talkative. Hearing Eleven’s voice, she slowly opened her eyes, turned her head, and sat up from the sofa. She then noticed the cushion placed to the side and the thin blanket covering her.
This child was very thoughtful.
The group got off the plane and boarded a bus. After half an hour of bumpy travel, everyone else had long since fallen asleep in their seats from the exhaustion of the journey. Only Eleven kept her large eyes wide open, frequently looking out the bus window, her eyes filled with intense curiosity. All things considered, this was her first time leaving Jiangcheng, and her first time seeing the scenery outside. Although it was the same bare branches and trees, in her eyes, it was clearly different from Jiangcheng. If it weren’t for fear of the cold wind blowing in through an open window, she would have truly liked to sniff the air here, to see if it was also different from Jiangcheng.
Her expression showed no concealment. Wei Hui inadvertently turned to look and asked, “Is it beautiful?”
Eleven heard the voice and turned, seeing that Wei Hui, who had been lightly sleeping beside her, had opened her eyes. Her face flushed slightly: “Third Miss, did I disturb your rest?”
“No.” She had already slept on the plane and couldn’t sleep after getting off the bus. She added, “What are you looking at?”
Eleven pointed her finger outwards: “Looking at the scenery here, it’s different from our home.”
Our home? The tone was sincere and direct. Wei Hui couldn’t help but smile: “Then where do you like?”
Eleven thought seriously for a moment: “I like our place.”
Wei Hui, uncharacteristically talkative, retorted: “Why?”
Eleven looked up, her eyes bright and clear: “Because it’s warm there. It’s so cold here, and Third Miss, you don’t like cold places.”
Wei Hui chuckled at Eleven’s words: “How do you know I don’t like cold places?”
Eleven met Wei Hui’s eyes and said crisply, “I can feel it.”
Wei Hui didn’t reply further. She indeed disliked cold places, especially winter. Her health accounted for a large part of it, and a small part was that she was afraid of the cold. Her hands and feet would get cold in winter, which also made her prone to illness. However, she usually hid it well, but Eleven had discovered it. She was truly sensitive.
A strange silence settled between them. Eleven bit her lip: “Third Miss, did I say something wrong?”
Wei Hui tilted her head: “No. Get some rest. There are activities this afternoon, and it will be tiring.”
Eleven breathed a sigh of relief and obediently said, “Okay.”
She was indeed tired; she had wanted to sleep on the plane but held out until they got on the bus. She was excited for a short while after boarding, but now that she was relaxed, she closed her eyes and rested. The whole bus was quiet. Wei Hui turned her head to look out the window. She rarely left Jiangcheng. When she first took over Wei Tian, she traveled frequently, which led to her body not getting enough rest and her condition worsening. Later, Su Ziyan ordered her to travel only once a month and made her choose between money and her life. She had no choice but to follow medical advice. For the past two years, unless absolutely necessary, she hadn’t traveled for work; all out-of-town tasks had been handled by Pei Tian on her behalf.
So, by her reckoning, it had been a long time since she had left Jiangcheng. The scenery before her was indeed no different from Jiangcheng, but Eleven was right, it was very cold here. Wei Hui curled her fingers, the tips of her fingers in her palm were icy cold. She coughed twice. Eleven, who had already fallen asleep beside her, nudged her head over, resting it on Wei Hui’s shoulder. Her soft, furry hair brushed against Wei Hui’s cheek and chin, carrying a faint fragrance that wafted into Wei Hui’s nostrils. She lowered her eyes, raised her shoulder slightly, making Eleven more comfortable.
Eleven wasn’t afraid of the cold. Her grandma used to call her a little warm stove. Their living conditions weren’t great; they had no air conditioning or heating. So, Eleven always liked to link arms with her grandma before bed, and sometimes she would warm her hands.
Wei Hui’s hand was suddenly grasped. She lowered her eyes and saw Eleven’s slender fingers intertwined with hers. Eleven’s palm was scorching, her fingertips warm. She held Wei Hui’s hand very tightly. Wei Hui frowned, wanting to pull away, but then heard Eleven softly mumble, “Grandma.”
Her voice was as delicate and soft as a cat’s. Wei Hui’s hand, which had been trying to pry her fingers apart, paused. She looked at Eleven’s shallowly sleeping face, her eyes filled with helplessness. Another gentle call echoed in her ear. Wei Hui sighed, using the hand that had just tried to pry Eleven’s fingers apart to pat the back of Eleven’s hand. Her other hand held Eleven’s, letting the warmth from Eleven’s palm envelop her, quickly spreading from her palm throughout her body.
It was warm.