Her Imperfection for Wifehood - Chapter 2

Chapter 2

After getting the injuries treated and leaving the hospital, An Jing once again carried Wei Yinxia into the car, teasing, “Miss Wei, you’re quite bold. Letting a stranger take you into her car. Aren’t you afraid I’ll have ulterior motives?”

Wei Yinxia answered calmly, “You’re not a stranger. You’re An Xi’s sister, the owner of the An Corporation, and… a woman.”

An Jing let out a soft laugh. “Heh, who says a woman can’t have ulterior motives for another woman?”

“You said it yourself.”

An Jing remembered what she had said in front of the crowd earlier. That’s right, she had indeed said it herself.

“You really are a young lady from a prominent family, composed, calm in the face of surprises, and dignified in your demeanor,” she said, applauding. “Like father, like daughter. I suppose Miss Wei is very much loved by her parents?”

A prominent family, and an accurate description. Everyone knew that the Wei family owned Shanghai’s first self-built department store, facing north and south with a total of five floors, including a luxurious shopping mall, a high-end restaurant, and a lavish hotel. Its facilities were first-class.

“You flatter me, Boss Jing. I am merely a concubine’s daughter, and my birth mother has long since passed away.” She knew very well that Wei Yinxia was a stain on Wei Zhengqing’s life, even her name carried the “xia” (flaw) character.

An Jing knew that Wei Yinxia was a bastard daughter whom Wei Zhengqing had brought back from outside and raised in seclusion since childhood, but she did not know the current state of her birth mother.

“Do you hate me?”

Seeing the blank look on Wei Yinxia’s face, An Jing continued to ask, “I ruined your engagement banquet with An Xi, and you can’t be the young mistress of the An family. You’ve been ridiculed. Shouldn’t you hate me?”

Wei Yinxia shook her head. “Just as you said, many years ago, when Uncle and Aunt An passed away unexpectedly and the An family was in need of help, my father kicked them when they were down and unilaterally broke off my sister’s engagement with Young Master Xi. The Wei family was the first to act unrighteously. In this matter, the Wei family has wronged the An family. Now, my father wants me to take my sister’s place and marry into the An family, but it is only to atone to the An family.”

“How transparent,” An Jing moved her gaze away from Wei Yinxia. “So, you’re approaching An Xi only because you’re following the old man’s orders, and it’s not your true intention?”

“Young Master Xi… is a good person.”

The car was driving on the dark street when it suddenly came to another sharp stop.

An Jing’s left hand grabbed the back of the front seat, and she reached out her right arm to wrap around Wei Yinxia’s chest, protecting her from falling forward due to inertia.

Wei Yinxia’s hands instinctively grabbed the arm in front of her. After being startled, her heart was pounding, and she didn’t notice that the other person’s arm was now tightly pressed against her private parts.

“Lu Cheng!” An Jing roared.

“Miss, two cats just ran across the road, one after the other. I…”

“Are people more important or are cats more important? Do I need to teach you?”

When she heard the driver say it was a cat, Wei Yinxia took several deep breaths to slow down her heart rate.

She looked up at An Jing. “Stray cats often search for food in pairs when the streets are empty at night.It was an accident and understandable. You can’t blame him entirely. Homeless animals are pitiful.”

After hearing her considerate words, An Jing’s anger subsided, and she ordered, “Drive.” In truth, she had only expressed her anger for Wei Yinxia’s sake.

The car started moving again, and An Jing finally realized what the soft touch on her arm was.

She quickly pulled her arm away in a panic, but Wei Yinxia grabbed it too hard, and as a result, she fell into An Jing’s arms.

The scent of roses.

An Jing smelled the rich fragrance of Wei Yinxia, like a clear and alluring rose on a snowy day.

She lifted the chin of the person in her arms, looking at her gently, but her words were filled with contempt. “Miss Wei is indeed very alluring. I wonder if Boss Wei will be disappointed when he sees that I’m the one who brought you back?”

“…”

“An accidental meeting, an injury, a series of cheap tricks to get attention, and throwing yourself into my arms. We’ve seen these kinds of stunts from young ladies who degrade themselves too many times to count. An Xi has been studying abroad for so many years and is now a regular at places of entertainment. He’s seen so many women. Do you really think he’ll like someone like you?”

“You’re making a joke, Boss Jing.” Wei Yinxia only felt embarrassed and simply fell silent.

…

With the Concession pass, Lu Cheng smoothly drove the car to the Wei family’s courtyard outside the Concession.

Wei Yinxia woke up to the sound of the horn. Her neck felt a little sore, and just as she was about to reach out to rub it, the coat draped over her slid off. It was An Jing’s coat.

After being humiliated just now, she had moved to the side and kept her eyes on the window, and somehow, she had fallen asleep.

“Miss Wei, we’re at your home.”

“Mm.” Wei Yinxia carefully folded the coat and placed it in the space between her and An Jing. “Boss Jing, thank you for bringing me back, and thank you for your coat.”

But she saw An Jing grab the coat and throw it onto the passenger seat in front, her face expressionless. “Dirty clothes are an eyesore and a bother.”

There was a hidden meaning in her words again.

Wei Yinxia understood. An Jing’s cutting remark was not about the clothes but about herself, the one who had dirtied the clothes. Even though the clothes had only touched her body.

She was the dirty one, and she was the eyesore and the bother.

An Jing played her part well and helped Wei Yinxia out of the car. “Be careful, Miss Wei.”

The courtyard gate opened, and Xu’er was the first to rush down the steps. Wei Zhengqing, wearing a dark blue robe, also walked toward them, step by step.

“Miss! You’re finally back!” Xu’er ran to Wei Yinxia’s side and whispered, “If you hadn’t come back, the master was about to send someone to the An family to find you.”

“Boss Wei,” An Jing nodded, explaining. “Your daughter accidentally fell on the street. I happened to be passing by after picking up my brother from the Immortal Music Hall, so I took the liberty of taking Miss Wei to the hospital. Fortunately, the doctor said it’s nothing serious, and she just needs to rest for a few days.”

She deliberately mentioned the Immortal Music Hall to indirectly tell the family that An Xi was not that devoted to Wei Yinxia and was not a “good man” for her to entrust her life to. If they were to send their daughter to the An family again, it would be nothing but a public disgrace.

Behind Wei Zhengqing was a middle-aged woman with a sharp face and a coiled hairdo, wrapped in an expensive mink coat.

She hooked her arm into Wei Zhengqing’s and said in a sharp voice, “It’s good that she’s back. Don’t make a big fuss over a small injury. Xu’er, what are you standing around for? Hurry and help Miss Wei back to her room.”

An Jing’s hidden meaning was easy to understand, but this head of the family still insisted on his own opinion. “Thank you for your trouble, Boss Jing. Wei will make sure to have my daughter visit you another day to express her gratitude. It’s late, so I won’t ask you to come in for a cup of tea.”

“It’s no trouble at all. There’s no need for a visit.” An Jing was getting impatient. There was no need to play games with this kind of person, so she directly refused.

The noblewoman went along with Wei Zhengqing’s words and said in a fake manner, “Boss Jing, that’s not right. A thank you is definitely necessary. It’s a matter of courtesy. Besides, Young Master Xi has deep feelings for Yinxia. Just yesterday, he specially sent fine silk and damask to please Yinxia. Young Master Xi’s actions can also be seen as an apology to the Wei family. Since we’ve accepted the gift, and Yinxia has also said that she holds no grudges, let’s just let the misunderstanding about the engagement between our two families be over.

“Of course, we also had some oversights at the engagement banquet. We only believed Young Master Xi’s word that you couldn’t attend because you were busy. We didn’t know that he would hide such an important life event from you. As the eldest sister, you have every right to be angry.”

“But if you ask me, it’s better to build ten temples than to break up one marriage. Look at them, the two of them are so in love. They’re a perfect match. Although our decision to break off the engagement back then was wrong, Lan Yin was older than An Xi, and An Xi went abroad to study. How could we, as parents, have the heart to let our daughter wait endlessly? It seems Lan Yin didn’t have that fortune.”

“Now, Yinxia has grown into a beautiful young woman and has reached a marriageable age. As luck would have it, she and Young Master Xi are in love. Isn’t this kind of free love much better than an arranged marriage? The An and Wei families are also a good match…”

“Boss Wei is very magnanimous, and Mrs. Wei is quite eloquent. Both of you are truly generous. I’m impressed. As for An Xi’s marriage, the An family will decide. We don’t need the two of you to worry about it.” An Jing was annoyed by her chatter and interrupted her. She said “goodbye” and turned to leave.

As she walked away, the noblewoman grabbed Xu’er’s arm and scolded her fiercely, “You useless girl, you can’t even handle such a small thing! Believe me, I’ll sell you!”

Xu’er didn’t dare to cry out in pain and could only beg, “Madam, please give Xu’er another chance. Xu’er swears to serve Miss well…”

Because of the sprain, Wei Yinxia was limping as she followed behind Wei Zhengqing, doing her best to maintain her balance.

“Everything is ready, the time is right, and the path has been paved for you. Whether you can live a respectable life from now on depends on your own ability. If you fail, you know the consequences.” Wei Zhengqing warned her directly and sternly from the front.

Humiliated by An Xi on the street, despised by An Jing in the car, and warned by her father at home, Wei Yinxia’s life was as lowly as dust.

She had received similar warnings more than once or twice, but Wei Zhengqing’s voice was like an alarm bell. Every time she heard it, it made her feel as if she was facing a great enemy.

In the Wei family, she was not the glamorous and carefree second daughter that outsiders saw. She was a pawn to be manipulated and a prisoner who was stripped of her freedom. Not only did she live in constant fear, but she also faced interrogations and judgments every few days.

“I will take the An family as my only way out.” Her determination was not so much for Wei Zhengqing as it was for herself.

In a short lifespan, who wouldn’t want to live a respectable life?

…

Outside the Concession, at the An family residence.

The An Corporation started from scratch and insisted on being a national enterprise, never bowing to capitalism. Therefore, they had held on to their principles for many years. Even during the most difficult times, they did not move into the Concession to seek protection from foreigners.

An Xi held two glasses of red wine and handed one to An Jing, who had returned late. “The old man Wei didn’t keep you for a cup of tea?”

Taking a sip of wine to quench her thirst, An Jing sat on the sofa and rolled up the sleeves of her shirt. “Tell me, what’s going on between you and this Miss Wei?”

Since she took over the An Corporation, she had had several direct conflicts with Wei Zhengqing. She had already been seen as a thorn in his side, and with the humiliation the Wei family brought to the An family by breaking off the engagement, she had never imagined that Wei Zhengqing would be shameless enough to instigate his younger daughter to use a honey trap on An Xi.

A few days ago, after she ruined An Xi’s engagement banquet with Wei Yinxia, An Xi had gotten furious in public and stormed off. It wasn’t until today that the two siblings sat down together peacefully.

“Let me think,” An Xi said slyly. He held his glass and clinked it against An Jing’s glass on the coffee table, taking a small sip.

“Oh, I remember. The first time I saw her was last month when I went to the Concession to meet an old friend. After lunch, I ran into a girl and her servant being harassed by hooligans, so I helped them out.”

He clinked her glass again. “The second time was at the beginning of the month when I went to a tea shop to listen to a play. She was in one of the private rooms, and I didn’t find out until she paid for my tea on her way out.”

Another clink. “The third and fourth times… you saw it today. It’s nothing but the usual tricks women use to attract men. There’s nothing new about it.”

An Jing glared at him. “Nothing new, and you still rushed to get engaged to her without my knowledge? An Xi, it’s Wei Zhengqing who wronged our An family. If you have resentment and hate and want to take revenge on the Wei family, you can. Use proper means, and I’ll support you fully. But it’s best not to involve innocent people.”

“Oh, my sister, am I really that bad and unscrupulous in your heart? I just spend a little too much money. I wouldn’t harm an innocent woman, it’s not like…”

“Speaking of spending money,” An Jing finished her red wine in one gulp and began to go through his bills. “This afternoon, Lao Li brought me the bills for the past seven days. You sent a thousand silver dollars’ worth of brocade and gamuza to the Wei family, right? I told Lao Li that this is the last time I’ll help you save face. It’s to make up for the harm caused to the Wei family’s second daughter at the engagement banquet. I’ve settled the bill for you for now, but there will be no next time. From now on, any bills from the Wei family or expensive bills to please a girl will not be paid by the An family. You’ll have to pay for them yourself.”

Not to mention the high price and short supply of brocade and gamuza, a thousand silver dollars was enough for a poor family of five or six to live frugally for several years.

The international situation was unstable, and foreign merchants almost monopolized the Shanghai market. Only a handful of national enterprises managed to survive in the cracks and develop.

The An Corporation, with its call for “national enterprises to be self-reliant,” relied on low profits and high sales to gain the support of various sectors of the country and developed to this day.

If it weren’t for the fact that An Xi had suffered a lot while studying abroad for a few years and that they had just been reunited, how could An Jing have tolerated him spending money like water, mixing with a bunch of good-for-nothings day and night, and picking up a bunch of bad habits?

“Don’t, sister,”

An Xi wailed and went over to hug An Jing’s arm, begging for forgiveness. “If you don’t give me money, I’ll go complain to Dad and Mom!”

“Go on. You’d better kneel in front of their memorial tablets for three days and three nights and tell them everything you’ve done. See if they’ll still protect you.”

“…” An Xi was speechless. He knew his sister was tough on the outside but soft on the inside, so he immediately plopped down on one knee. “Sister, I know I was wrong. After Dad and Mom left, you’re the only one I have to rely on. If you don’t protect me, who will? It was my fault for hiding the engagement from you. I was just afraid you wouldn’t agree. Sister, I really think the Wei family’s second daughter is great. She’s much prettier and more virtuous than her aging elder sister.”

The Wei family’s eldest daughter, Wei Lanyin, was one year older than An Xi. Their engagement was set when she was sixteen, and it was broken off when she was nineteen.

“A man’s knee is worth gold. Don’t just kneel down all the time.”

An Jing looked at An Xi, pulled him up, and told him what she had been thinking about on the way back. “You’re twenty-three. It’s time to put marriage on the agenda. An Xi, my requirements for your wife are not high. As long as she’s someone you truly like, kind-hearted, of good character, and from an upstanding family, regardless of her family’s background, she can enter the An family’s door.”

“Speaking of that, isn’t everyone outside already gossiping about it?” An Xi returned to his cynical self, picked up his wine glass, and sat on the other side of the sofa.

“The Xu family from Changshun Foreign Firm, the Qi family from Rongxiang Advertising, and the Wei family from Zhengqing Department Store. These three families are all respected vice-presidents, secretaries, and directors of the Shanghai Chamber of Commerce. As it happens, each of them has a young lady of a similar age to me. I heard that people are even placing bets on whether I, the young master of the An Corporation, can win over one of them so that my future father-in-law will support the An Corporation and help us secure a seat in the new Chamber of Commerce board of directors, all because of our family relationship.”

“When did you start caring about business? Put that aside. What about you? What are your thoughts?” The matter concerned An Xi’s happiness for the rest of his life, so An Jing had to take it seriously.

“Sister, my thoughts are actually very simple. You can sit comfortably in your boss’s chair, make more money, and give me more money to spend. I’ll continue to be a playboy and help you with business when I can.”

“Do you think that can be solved with a marriage alliance?”

An Jing had dealt with these three families. “Boss Xu is an honest and upright person who acts cautiously. He despises the act of using public office for personal gain and hiding corruption. Boss Qi is good at reading people and playing both sides. He says what people want to hear and does what is necessary for himself. He’s an expert at adapting to circumstances and protecting himself. As for the cunning old man Wei, he’s a master of power and manipulation who hides his emotions and is very ambitious and calculating. If we only talk about the balance of interests, it’s true that a marriage alliance with any of these families wouldn’t be bad. But people’s hearts are unpredictable. They won’t always do what we want them to. And your marriage is not a transaction.”

Besides, with a nest overturned, how can any eggs remain whole?

Half of Shanghai was designated as a Concession, and foreigners controlled the city’s commercial lifeline. Only a handful of national enterprises that insisted on not colluding with foreign merchants and managed to survive the fierce competition were left.

Because the An Corporation stood its ground and was unyielding, it was the only company in the board of directors that had not been infiltrated by foreign capital. It had also influenced many major decisions of the Chamber of Commerce with its rhetoric of national interest, which caused many businesses to suffer losses.

Over time, this led to strong dissatisfaction from some directors and members, led by the Zhengqing Department Store. This is why, as An Xi said, the An Corporation would face the risk of being attacked from all sides in the new board of directors election.

“Sister, if you’re going to put it that way, then I’ll definitely choose the Wei family’s second daughter. She’s beautiful, with willow-like brows and phoenix eyes. She has a graceful figure and is so delicate that she’s pitiful…”

An Jing glared at him. “Enough. Stop with the smooth talk. I won’t beat around the bush with you. In short, that woman from the Wei family is out of the question.”