Her Imperfection for Wifehood - Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Xu’er’s “call for help” successfully brought An Jing, and An Jing was the only person in the An family who didn’t tolerate An Yi’s antics.

Seeing her beloved being harassed, An Jing was furious. However, they were at the An Corporation, and as the boss, she couldn’t overly favor Wei Yinxia or physically assault An Yi for an “outsider.”

Maintaining her composure, she scolded him with a cold face: “An Yi, if you have nothing to do, get lost.”

“Sis, you’re done working.” An Yi awkwardly let go. An Jing was the person he feared most in the An family. “Second Miss Wei was looking for you. Seeing you were busy, I just helped you entertain her.”

“What, do you want me to thank you?” An Jing’s tone was sharp.

“I wouldn’t dare.”

“You know she is the Second Miss of Zhengqing Department Store. You’d best not harbor any ill intentions,” An Jing laid her cards on the table, hoping to make him retreat.

She knew An Yi’s character inside and out. Since childhood, he constantly fought with An Xi over everything. If An Xi had something, he had to have it. If An Xi didn’t have it, he still wanted it. If An Xi couldn’t get it, he probably wanted it even more.

Having been severely scolded in front of a beautiful woman, An Yi was inwardly burning with anger but had no choice but to swallow his resentment: “Sis, you’re overthinking it.”

He was merely a dependent, and any further resentment could only be suppressed.

“You two chat. I won’t disturb you.”

Once the unwelcome distraction had retreated, An Jing casually took Wei Yinxia’s hand: “Let’s go to my office.”

Wei Yinxia found it difficult to pull away. She turned to Xu’er and said: “Just give me the food box. You go back and tell the Master that Boss Jing will bring me home later.”

“Yes, Second Miss.”

In the office, An Jing poured warm water for Wei Yinxia to wash her hands.

She used a towel to dry her hands and then kissed the back of her hand: “You don’t need to treat a genuine scoundrel like him with courtesy.”

“But he is your cousin.”

“Even if he were my own brother, he shouldn’t be rude to you.” When a person gets jealous, they aren’t rational.

Wei Yinxia smiled gently: “Ah Jing is so overbearing.”

“I let you suffer an injustice.”

“No injustice. You appeared just in time,” Wei Yinxia walked toward the table and opened the food box she brought. “I bought some elaborately crafted pastries and snacks on the street. Come quickly and try if they’re good.”

The next second, her waist was embraced, and her earlobe was gently sucked. Wei Yinxia froze. A piece of osmanthus cake dropped from the oil paper onto the desk, breaking in half.

“You taste the best,” An Jing released her earlobe.

Wei Yinxia’s face and ears were flushed. Suppressing the tingle, she picked up a piece of osmanthus cake and put it into An Jing’s mouth: “Flirt!”

An Jing ate the osmanthus cake contentedly, chewing slowly before giving her appraisal: “It’s smooth and moist, soft and sweetly fragrant, but not overly sweet. It’s refreshing and delicious.”

After finishing, she licked her lips: “It tastes even better when fed by Yinyin.”

She then sat down in the black leather boss chair and pulled Wei Yinxia onto her lap: “Did you miss me?”

“Yes, very, very much.” Wei Yinxia did not hide her dependence on An Jing, leaning languidly against her: “I missed you so much I couldn’t eat or drink, so much that I knew my mother would scold me for doing this, but I still had to come see you. I even envy Wanyun and Aunt Zhang, who can see you easily every day.”

“Yinyin…”

An Jing’s heart stirred. She lifted Wei Yinxia’s chin and dissolved their shared longing with a deep kiss.

During the kiss, An Jing’s hand climbed restlessly from her waist upwards. It was the first time she had touched the softness of a woman other than herself.

The sensation was wonderful.

“Mm~” Wei Yinxia bypassed even feigned resistance.

They loved each other. They should rightfully do everything that lovers do. She kept her eyes closed and focused on the kiss, which helped her appear calmer under An Jing’s touch.

The two kissed passionately, but An Jing’s hand did not venture too far.

Any further, and she wouldn’t know what to do anyway.

Afterward, An Jing returned to processing documents while Wei Yinxia browsed the purely ornamental bookcase. Every book was brand new.

She suddenly wondered: Who did Boss Jing buy this entire case of books for?

Amused by her own thought, Wei Yinxia smiled to herself. Asking was out of the question. Boss Jing also needed to save face.

She took a book herself and sat on the sofa to read.

When An Jing finished her work, she rested her chin on her hands, gazing at Wei Yinxia, who was immersed in her book to the right. She suddenly felt self-conscious. She preferred reading the newspaper to books; she would fall asleep as soon as she opened a book.

Her business acumen was learned from her father and through practical experience. She had just called An Yi unworthy of Wei Yinxia. What did she have to offer? Her Yinyin was well-educated, talented, and impossibly wonderful.

Feeling stared at for a long time, Wei Yinxia gently placed the book on the sofa, tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, and smiled at An Jing: “Ah Jing, are you finished?”

An Jing was visibly downcast, sighing and resting her face on the desk.

Wei Yinxia thought something was wrong and quickly stood up to cup her face: “Are you feeling unwell somewhere?”

An Jing shook her head.

“Then what is it? Can you tell me?”

“I’m just wondering how I can marry you. How can I keep you by my side without worry, without being bullied?” An Jing had never felt so frustrated and self-conscious. All her sharp edges and proud capital seemed insufficient to match the girl she held so dear in her heart.

She wanted to cherish her, love her, and protect her. She wanted to take her away from the evil high walls of the Wei family and give her freedom.

“Silly girl.” Wei Yinxia held her close, her heart aching again.

An Jing nuzzled her head into Wei Yinxia’s abdomen, mumbling: “Am I ridiculous, being so old and still clinging and whining? I should be the one spoiling you, but I want you to spoil me for a change.”

Wei Yinxia laughed, stroking the soft head in her arms, coaxing: “Ah Jing, you can show your vulnerable side to me. I’m willing to spoil you.”

“This is too embarrassing,” An Jing growled, then stood up formally. “It’s getting dark. I’ll take you to dinner.”

She finally understood what men often called a “tender haven.” Wei Yinxia was the tenderest haven of all.

The two walked out the door. An Jing was about to call Lu Cheng for the car when Wei Yinxia suggested: “Shall we walk instead of taking the car?”

An Jing nodded: “Good idea. Is there anything specific you want to eat?”

Wei Yinxia, playful for a rare moment, blinked and said earnestly: “Anything is good with Boss Jing. I’m not picky. I’m easy to please.”

Her tone was delicate, but An Jing’s heart inexplicably ached: “Then just follow me.”

The two elegant beauties walking side-by-side drew envious glances from passersby. An Jing suppressed the urge to hold hands. They were on a public street, and discretion was necessary.

They passed a street stall selling baby toys. Wei Yinxia spotted a roly-poly toy and went over to look: “Xixi is still small. Does it need toys?”

“Buy a bell to put inside, and buy a yarn ball…” An Jing picked out a few items.

Her gaze fell on a few tin frogs in the corner. She reached out, picked one up, wound the spring a few times, and set it down in the empty space in front of them. The little green frog immediately began to hop.

Wei Yinxia was also captivated by the jumping tin frog: “Many years ago, when my mother and I lived outside, I also had a toy like this.”

What she didn’t mention was that the toy was a gift from someone else, and she had kept it even though it was rusty.

An Jing thought she was reminiscing about her mother. She picked up the small frog, took Wei Yinxia’s hand, and placed the toy in her palm: “You had one many years ago, and you have one now.”

Memory flashed back to a summer day many years ago. Wei Yinxia, who lived in the Old Town, was a child barely three years old.

She went to the market with her mother to sell goods. While her mother was busy shouting to sell, she played nearby, chasing a dragonfly until she reached the less-crowded riverbank and fell into the water.

It was the river behind Aunt Hong’s house.

The bank wasn’t high, and she was small and thin. She plunged in with little splash or sound.

It was a “little big brother” who jumped into the water and saved her.

Hearing her cries brought people over. The little big brother pulled a paint-chipped tin frog from his soaked pocket, held her hand, taught her to wind the spring, and set it on the ground. She stared at the frog, stopping her crying.

When she looked up again, embraced by her mother, the little big brother had vanished.

Her mother blamed herself for the drowning incident. Afterward, whenever she took her to the market, she would tie a long rope around her waist to prevent her from getting lost.

Strangely, despite nearly drowning, she wasn’t afraid of water.

Every time she went to the river, she would look around, searching. The memory gradually blurred. The tin frog that had been with her for many years was eventually tucked into a tin box, long forgotten.

She could no longer recall the face of the little big brother who had saved her.

After paying, they left the stall.

Wei Yinxia still held the little frog in her hand.

“Did you also play with this kind of little frog when you were a child, Ah Jing? You looked very familiar with it.”

“It’s a coincidence, but I also had one. My mother bought it for me. I mean my birth mother,” she didn’t shy away from talking about her past with Wei Yinxia. “My mother didn’t leave me much. To treat her illness, all valuables in the house were pawned. The tin frog was the only little fun thing I had. But later, I gave it to a child who needed it more than I did.”

Hearing the last sentence, Wei Yinxia was startled. Her fingers tightened around the toy, but she smiled: “What kind of child was it that could make Ah Jing part with it?”

“Yinyin, are you jealous?”

“Never mind if you won’t say.”

Wei Yinxia sped up her steps. An Jing followed: “I’ll tell you, I’ll tell you. It was just a little girl who wasn’t even fully grown, maybe three or four years old. She fell into the water. I happened to be cooling off by the river that day, so I pulled her out. Seeing she was terrified and crying hysterically, I used the little frog to soothe her. I was only about ten years old then. I only remember the incident. I don’t remember the other details clearly.”

An Jing spoke casually, as if it were truly just an ordinary past event. However, Wei Yinxia’s heart was churning, her emotions in turmoil.

After a long silence, An Jing wasn’t sure what she was thinking. She closed the distance between them, arm touching arm: “Why so quiet? I’m an excellent swimmer. Holding my breath underwater for two or three minutes is no problem, let alone swimming.”

“Mm, Boss Jing is impressive.” Wei Yinxia tried hard to calm herself: “I can’t swim, so the thought of it scares me.”

“Don’t be afraid. I’ll always be here to protect you.”

Wei Yinxia placed the little frog into her handbag and continued to walk aimlessly, following An Jing’s pace. They spoke little, just exchanging occasional remarks, more often smiling at each other with a knowing glance.

They passed a Western restaurant that looked nice, and An Jing chose it for dinner.

She was committed to finding a way for national enterprises and not letting business profits fall into foreign hands, aiming to benefit the country and the people within her capability. But this didn’t mean that in the context of accelerating cultural exchange between China and the West, she wouldn’t wear a Western suit, eat Western food, buy foreign goods, or use foreign machinery.

She was not a rigid person.

After selecting a window table, she went to the front desk to give an instruction before returning to the table: “This street is quite lively. You can see the night view from here.”

Wei Yinxia sighed: “I’ve lived for nineteen years, but I feel like I’m truly living only after meeting you. Ah Jing, I’m not as good as you say. I’m living under someone else’s roof. I seem wealthy, but I have nothing. Poverty still flows in my blood…”

“Yinyin,” An Jing reached out and covered her hand, comforting her, “I love you, regardless of your background or wealth. Besides, I wasn’t born with a silver spoon either. I’m also a child who grew up in the Old Town.”

A waiter brought a bouquet of vibrant red roses and a ceramic vase: “Boss Jing, your flowers.”

The vivid roses were as dazzling as the red cheongsam Wei Yinxia was wearing today.

The cheongsam was long-sleeved and floor-length, paired with a matching shawl. An Jing had felt the fabric closely in the office. It was thick and smooth, so Wei Yinxia shouldn’t be cold.

The roses arrived just in time. The somber atmosphere was immediately replaced by sweet joy.

Wei Yinxia naturally loved flowers.

An Jing personally arranged the roses one by one into the vase: “The first time I saw you, I smelled a faint rose scent on you.”

Wei Yinxia was confused. She lifted her arm to sniff: “Liar. Why can’t I smell it myself?”

“That’s because you are a rose that blooms only for me,” An Jing said, feeling quite proud. Her sweet talk was getting smoother: “Naturally, I’m the only one in the world who can smell it.”

“You… you’re talking nonsense.” Wei Yinxia blushed deeply, then added in a whisper, “Silver-tongued.”

The waiter returned: “Boss Jing, the pianist is ready.”

“Good.”

An Jing nodded her acknowledgment, and the restaurant was immediately filled with the flowing, beautiful melody of Liebesträume.

The third time, the waiter finally brought two servings of well-done steak: “Boss Jing and Miss, please enjoy.”

An Jing wasn’t a frequent diner here. The first time she came was when An Xi dragged her in.

An Xi, having studied in the West for so many years, was undoubtedly used to Western cuisine. He expertly ordered the food and meticulously explained table manners to An Jing—how to eat steak, salad, etc.

To save her from an “embarrassing gaffe” later.

The fourth time, the waiter brought the restaurant’s best red wine and poured them each a glass.

An Jing clinked her glass against Wei Yinxia’s: “Yinyin, may we be safe every year, healthy every year, and have you and me every year.”

“May I be fortunate enough in this life to stay with Ah Jing for a hundred years,” Wei Yinxia said, feeling An Jing’s thoughtfulness. She hadn’t expected An Jing to put so much effort into what was just an ordinary dinner together.

“Trust me, we will,” An Jing responded.

She had heard An Xi mention the term “candlelight dinner” and the word “romance,” both in Chinese and English. She didn’t fully understand it, but she wanted to give it to her Yinyin.

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