Her Imperfection for Wifehood - Chapter 19

Chapter 19

“Sis, you need something this late?” An Xi had just showered and was drying his hair when he opened the door for An Jing, who had knocked.

“Autumn is here. The harvest of spring and the yield of autumn. It’s a good season,” An Jing said, but didn’t offer to enter.

“You knocked on my door in the middle of the night just to wax poetic?” An Xi draped the towel around his neck. “Sis, just say what you need to say. You’re being so mysterious it’s creeping me out. It’s not normal.”

“Oh, I just wanted to ask if you and Ruyue had any plans to go out these next few days,” An Jing’s eyes drifted, afraid of giving herself away.

“Why? Are you going to monitor us? I’ll be honest with you, I listen to you, I won’t…”

An Jing cut him off, as if she knew what he was about to say: “The owner of the orchard in the suburbs is an acquaintance of mine. He said the trees are heavy with fruit and asked if I’d be interested in taking a trip to enjoy the scenery.”

“The biggest orchard in Shanghai?”

“Otherwise?”

“My dear sister!” The playful side of An Xi was stirring.

“Are you going or not?”

“Going! Definitely going! I’ll ask Ruyue tomorrow.”

“Mm, ask Ruyue, and also invite Second Miss Wei. It’ll be fun for the two sisters to go together,” An Jing said lightly, dropping the request before turning to head downstairs.

“Sis, you’ve already seen that Ruyue and I are a better match. Why are you still making me call and invite Second Miss Wei out? The scandal about the broken engagement has finally settled down, and Second Miss Wei and I have cleared things up. You suddenly change your attitude and keep trying to matchmake me and Second Miss Wei. Aren’t you intentionally trying to harm me?!” An Xi complained helplessly. “You’re not planning to make me marry two women, are you?”

An Jing glared at him: “Dream on. What era are we in? You’re a young man who’s received a modern education. What, do you really want to have two wives and three concubines?”

“No, I don’t! So, aren’t you the one setting me up?” An Xi felt he was more wronged than anyone. “When I wanted to marry Second Miss Wei, you wouldn’t let me. Now that I don’t want to marry her, you insist on pushing her in front of me!”

An Jing knew she was in the wrong and tossed out a parting shot: “Don’t let it happen again.”

Using An Xi as a pretense was certainly not a long-term solution. But the great Boss Jing, who had lived for nearly thirty years, was tasting love for the first time, and it was scratching at her heart like a hundred claws.

She wanted to see her, wanted to see her, wanted to see her. She wanted to see her every day, every moment. An Jing felt she was obsessed.

This thing called love truly captivates the soul. When there’s no one in her heart, she is pure, alone, unrestrained, and carefree. Once someone enters her heart, she desperately wishes to be with her constantly, wanting to hug and kiss her until she tosses and turns sleeplessly.

The suburban Forest Park was vast, and the early autumn scenery was beautiful. It featured pomegranate and mandarin orange groves where they could pick fruit.

An Jing and An Xi each carried a fruit basket.

Qi Ruyue familiarly linked arms with An Jing as they walked along the path, pulling a photo from her camera bag: “Sister, I only developed one copy of the photo. Here you go. Yinxia…”

An Xi had only told her to develop the first photo on the camera for his sister, not mentioning it was a photo of An Jing and Wei Yinxia together. Qi Ruyue had done so. Upon seeing the photo was of two people, she realized it would be better if each person had one.

“One is enough. It was my first time seeing a play, so I’ll keep it as a souvenir,” An Jing took the photo and immediately tucked it into her jacket pocket, her words conveying a refusal. “Are you getting used to the newspaper work?”

Qi Ruyue smiled: “Yes, it’s going smoothly. The colleagues are all very kind and look out for me.”

On the other side, An Xi and Wei Yinxia walked close together. An Xi, uncharacteristically serious, struggled to find anything to say, and the silence felt awkward.

After thinking for a moment, he asked: “What do you usually do, Sister Yinxia?”

Wei Yinxia’s attention was divided. Startled by the sudden question, she paused before replying: “When I was young, I learned everything from music to chess, calligraphy, and painting. I had no time for anything else. Now, Father only hopes that what I’ve learned hasn’t been in vain…”

“Don’t move!”

An Xi’s cry drew the attention of the others. An unidentified insect had landed on Wei Yinxia’s shoulder.

An Jing stopped the hand An Xi was about to reach out: “I’ll do it.”

An Xi was stunned. His sister’s tone was exactly the same as when she had found Wei Yinxia fallen on the street.

Qi Ruyue raised her camera and shot a meaningful look at An Xi: “Sister is the famous Boss Jing. Even little bugs would detour around her. An Xi, step back. Looking at your goofy face, don’t you dare ruin Boss Jing’s aura. Come on, you accompany me to take some pretty pictures up ahead.”

Wei Yinxia’s body tensed, filled with an unknown fear, but she truly didn’t move. The insect was on her back shoulder. She couldn’t see it, so she wasn’t sure if it was the kind she feared.

With the others gone, An Jing gently took Wei Yinxia’s hand, stood facing her, slowly leaned her head close, and blew hard. The small insect was blown away.

“Yinyin, your ears are red.”

As if on purpose, An Jing didn’t immediately move away after getting rid of the bug, teasing Wei Yinxia close to her ear.

Wei Yinxia gave her a glare, shaking off An Jing’s hand: “Does Boss Jing still know the meaning of the word ‘discreet’?”

An Jing ignored her, following closely beside Wei Yinxia, and shamelessly hooked her pinky finger with hers: “I haven’t seen you in days. Don’t you miss me?”

“Have you finished the tea?”

“Tea? What tea?”

“The tea that suited Boss Jing and Young Master Xi’s tastes so well.” Wei Yinxia allowed her to hook her pinky finger.

“Finished it. It was delicious. Will Yinyin send me more?”

“That depends on Father’s mood.”

Wei Yinxia’s unintentional mention of Wei Zhengqing silenced them both.

Qi Ruyue and An Xi walked ahead, occasionally taking pictures of the scenery and each other.

“Wow! An Xi, look over there, and over here! So many pomegranates and mandarin oranges, and no one is picking them on such a lovely day!” Qi Ruyue happily ran into the mandarin orange grove. “I’m going to pick a huge basket to eat slowly at home!”

“Of course no one is here. My sister reserved both orchards.” An Xi casually picked an orange, peeled it, and tasted a segment. “Not bad, the orange is quite sweet.”

“Let me taste.” Qi Ruyue leaned her head over and ate the orange segment An Xi put into her mouth. “Mm, it’s very sweet. Your sister went to such great lengths just to make you happy. It’s great to have a sister.”

To make me happy?

An Xi placed a big question mark on that statement.

He would have been confident of that before. But now, his sister probably wanted to make Second Miss Wei happy more.

Why?

Just because she felt guilty for breaking the engagement in public?

An Xi said with deep feeling: “You be a good sister. Be like my sister to your brother, and he’ll remember your kindness when he grows up.”

Qi Ruyue had a younger brother: “I’m only two years older than him. Why should I always concede to him? I won’t!”

Then, after looking around, she quietly asked: “An Xi, your family is wealthy, and you’re the only son. Your sister is sacrificing her own happiness to protect the An enterprise for you. Why are you choosing the most dangerous path? An Xi…”

“Ruyue, since I chose this path, I will follow it without hesitation,” An Xi held Qi Ruyue’s hand. “If my sister is in danger, I can take a bullet for her without a second thought. And I would do the same for you.”

“The enemy country’s interests in China are being weakened. Their politics and economy are facing a dual crisis. Beset by internal and external problems, they will surely return and turn their focus on us. Domestic traitors are also seizing the opportunity to organize extermination campaigns. The internal and external threats are escalating. I’ve never been this afraid…” Qi Ruyue looked sad.

“Ruyue, believe in the Commander-in-Chief’s strategic plans. Believe in our nation. We will be victorious.”

An Xi’s years abroad were not spent idly. He returned with a confidential mission, and the person he liaised with was Boss Qi.

Qi Ruyue was smart and astute. She kept silent about her father’s and An Xi’s true roles.

Although she hadn’t joined the volunteer organization, everything she did was for the cause. She and An Xi were truly kindred spirits.

They were noble and selfless comrades-in-arms, as well as soulmates who cherished each other, existing on a level higher than friendship but just short of full romance. In the face of national duty, personal emotions were always indefinitely postponed.

Falling behind, An Jing and Wei Yinxia tacitly walked into another pomegranate grove.

With no one else around, An Jing cast aside her earlier frustration and embraced Wei Yinxia from behind, her shallow breaths blowing softly on the back of her ear. It tickled Wei Yinxia, but it made her heart race.

“The pomegranate grove is beautiful. My beloved is even more beautiful.”

Wei Yinxia interlaced her fingers with An Jing’s, turned her head slightly to meet her lips. Kissing was addictive.

The close, tender kiss was like the sunshine in winter, like the cool breeze in summer, dispelling the long-accumulated shadows in Wei Yinxia’s heart. It should have been a perfectly blissful moment, yet her heart ached faintly.

“Ah Jing, how long can we be together?” After the kiss, Wei Yinxia looked wistfully into the distance, asking a question with no answer.

“A hundred years. Yinyin, I will accompany you for a hundred years, until the end of life.”

Wei Yinxia turned, a subtle smile and deep love in her eyes, giving him a brief, passionate kiss: “You promised. You have to accompany me for a hundred years. Boss Jing keeps her word. I believe you.”

“Mm, believe me.”

An Jing bent down, picked up the fruit basket, and slowly followed Wei Yinxia’s steps through the pomegranate grove, filling it with the pomegranates she picked and with the intensity of her affection for her.

“Ah Jing, look at that pomegranate. It’s bigger than the others, and the color is the prettiest. Too bad it’s too high to reach by hand.”

Under the tree laden with pomegranates, Wei Yinxia pointed to a plump, round red fruit high up. The pomegranate symbolized many children and grandchildren—an auspicious meaning.

An Jing looked in the direction she pointed. It wasn’t that high. She could reach it if she jumped.

Gauging the height with her eyes, An Jing set down the fruit basket and suddenly lifted Wei Yinxia by her thighs: “Whatever you want, wherever you want to go, no matter how high or how far, I will do everything in my power to help you achieve it.”

Wei Yinxia’s feet left the ground. She was initially startled, steadying herself by holding An Jing’s shoulders, but hearing her words, her heart felt as sweet as honeyed fruit.

She boldly entrusted her body to An Jing, tilted her head back, and reached out to pick the coveted pomegranate fruit.

“I got it. Put me down quickly.”

“No.” An Jing spun around twice while holding her before setting her down.

Wei Yinxia playfully chided: “You act like a scoundrel!”

She placed the fruit in the basket, turning her back to An Jing to tidy her clothes, which had been messed up. But then she heard a sound of something falling behind her.

An Jing was up to mischief again.

Wei Yinxia was so frightened by An Jing suddenly falling backward that she immediately abandoned her composure and knelt beside her: “Ah Jing? Ah Jing?”

The person opened her eyes, flashed a wide smile, and wrapped her right arm around Wei Yinxia’s waist, pulling her close.

Wei Yinxia tumbled onto An Jing: “You scared me again!”

“Shh, listen. There are birds singing, insects chirping, and the rustling of the wind. Because of you, even these most ordinary sights and sounds have become exceptionally beautiful and pleasant. I like it so much.”

—I like you so much.

An Jing’s first confession echoed in Wei Yinxia’s ears.

She rested contentedly on the body of her beloved, feeling the beauty of the world and the beauty of their love in that moment.

In the evening, An Jing drove Wei Yinxia home, pulling over for a moment in an inconspicuous corner of the villa district.

“The day passed too quickly. Yinyin, when will you send me tea again?” An Jing asked, kissing Wei Yinxia’s hand.

“Tomorrow, I’ll talk to Father. Shall I come see you the day after tomorrow?” Wei Yinxia said, blushing.

An Jing braced herself against the seat, leaned over, and kissed her lips: “I wish I could marry you and bring you home. That way, I could see you every day. Yinyin, if the day comes when I am ready and have cleared away the troubles, would you be willing to marry me?”

Wei Yinxia was moved to tears. She buried herself in An Jing’s arms: “Not everyone can understand and tolerate a love that shocks the world. Ah Jing, I don’t dare to have too many extravagant hopes. To have your genuine heart is already enough.”

“I am the one who is not satisfied. I want to marry you as my wife. Yinyin, wait for me a little longer. I’ll silence the wagging tongues.”

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