Her Imperfection for Wifehood - Chapter 26

Chapter 26

An Jing felt suspicious about Wei Yinxia’s reaction, so she forcibly pulled up Wei Yinxia’s sleeve. The sight of several red welts immediately stung An Jing’s eyes: “They whipped you?”

“Superficial wounds.” Wei Yinxia did not deny it. She pulled down her sleeve. “It’s nothing, it will heal in a few days.”

“Who did it?” An Jing was furious. “Tell me, who did it?”

“A-Jing.”

Wei Yinxia looked on the verge of tears. She sat up on her knees and tightly embraced An Jing’s waist, using a kiss to soothe her volatile anger. “Please don’t be impulsive, I’m truly fine. A little physical pain is better than, better than…”

Better than being defiled.

An Jing understood the unspoken second half of her sentence. But this was the person she treasured and protected with all her heart.

She had promised to protect her, and yet? She had done nothing for her.

At this moment, An Jing hated herself intensely—why wasn’t she a man?

If she were a man, she could stand up to compete with Kahn and others with just cause. She could propose marriage to the Wei family openly, and she would be willing to give up everything she owned.

Simply because she was a woman, to preserve the bigger picture, she could only stand by and watch her beloved woman be verbally insulted and “traded” like a commodity.

This was the first time she had felt helpless, the first time she had felt her own powerlessness.

She hated the injustice of the world towards same-sex lovers, but when she looked at Wei Yinxia’s face so close to her own, she rejected her self-doubt about being a woman. If she were a man, would Yinyin still love her?

No, she wouldn’t.

If either of them had been a man, they would not have fallen for each other.

Having cleared the inner gloom, An Jing’s emotions stabilized slightly.

Since fate brought them together to meet, know, and love each other, and set them on an unusual path, they would face the upcoming trials head-on. “Let’s go.”

“Wait a moment.” Wei Yinxia stopped her, reaching out to wipe the lipstick stain from An Jing’s lips. “Promise me you won’t be impulsive, okay?”

An Jing sighed: “Okay.”

Stepping out of the lounge, An Jing saw Qin Zhe leaning against the wall, smoking.

Qin Zhe naturally heard the door open. He looked up at An Jing and Wei Yinxia’s tightly clasped hands, laughed self-deprecatingly, and threw his cigarette butt on the ground, stamping it out.

“When did Boss Jing and Second Miss Wei’s relationship become so close? Was it before An Xi got engaged to her? Or after?”

Wei Yinxia panicked, struggling out of An Jing’s hand. She adopted a humble posture to explain: “Young Master Qin, you misunderstand. Boss Jing and I met for the first time at… at the engagement banquet. Because of the broken engagement, Boss Jing felt guilty that my reputation was damaged and has therefore been looking out for me. Boss Jing is kind-hearted…”

“Kind-hearted?” Qin Zhe scoffed a few times as if he had heard a joke.

“Qin Zhe, I’ve already said what needed to be said to you. You have brains, wisdom, and a great future ahead of you. You should use your advantages and resources to be an upstanding man.”

An Jing calmly flattered him, hoping he wouldn’t be tied down by personal romantic affairs and also hoping he wouldn’t descend into being an unscrupulous person like Wei Zhengqing.

After hearing her advice, Qin Zhe laughed even harder.

“Man? Whether I’m upstanding or not, I am a genuine man. But Boss Jing, do you like men?”

“Young Master Qin, it’s… it’s not what you think. Boss Jing and I have no relationship whatsoever.”

An Jing, conversely, felt utterly calm. She pulled Wei Yinxia’s hand again, signaling her not to say any more. She looked at the man with a gaze of pity and disappointment: “Qin Zhe, I misjudged you. To be able to pick up and let go, you are not even as good as Sixth Master Ma.”

Leaving Qin Zhe behind, An Jing led Wei Yinxia back to the main hall of the cocktail party, holding hands without any intention of avoiding suspicion.

She interrupted Wei Zhengqing’s conversation with others, a smile on her face.

“Boss Wei, Miss Tang, the President’s eldest daughter, and I have just accepted Yinyin as our sworn sister. This is an oversight on our part as juniors; we forgot to inform you. Look, in a few days it’s Yunqing’s birthday. She specifically instructed me to bring Yinyin along to stay at her manor for a few days to celebrate with her. Boss Wei wouldn’t refuse Miss Tang and me this face, would you?”

The President of the Shanghai Business Association was a figure countless high officials and nobles tried desperately to curry favor with. A sworn sister to the President’s daughter would, in name, be the President’s sworn daughter.

An Jing extended this courtesy before using leverage, and Wei Zhengqing naturally had to accept: “It is my little girl’s honor to have Boss Jing and Miss Tang think so highly of her. Yinxia, when you go to Miss Tang’s house, remember to be careful in your words and actions, know your boundaries, and do not be impolite.”

“Yes, Yinxia understands.”

That night, An Jing took Wei Yinxia back to the An family home, and Wei Zhengqing could only agree.

“Wanyun, prepare the guest room.”

“Eldest Miss, should I prepare the second floor or the third floor?” An Jing lived on the second floor and An Xi on the third. Wanyun didn’t dare to guess recklessly and thought it best to ask clearly.

“The second floor. Use the best silk quilts and bedding the family has.”

An Jing held Wei Yinxia’s hand: “You must be tired from standing all night. Let’s go to my room and sit for a while. Are you hungry? I’ll have the kitchen make some late-night snacks. Wontons? Glutinous rice balls? Plain congee? Whatever you want, as long as we can make it here, it’s fine.”

Far away from the Wei family, Wei Yinxia’s entire mind and body relaxed. Under An Jing’s protection, she temporarily put aside all the unpleasantness that had occurred at the banquet.

She smiled shyly and followed An Jing upstairs: “I’d like congee.”

“Good, I’ll have Aunt Zhang make it.”

Before she could call, Aunt Zhang, who was standing downstairs, responded readily: “Eldest Miss, wait a moment. There’s congee already made—it was prepared for you. It’s still hot; I’ll go serve two bowls right now.”

On nights when An Jing had social engagements, Aunt Zhang always prepared congee, worried she might drink on an empty stomach or feel sick after vomiting, and needed congee to settle her stomach.

Entering An Jing’s room for the third time, Wei Yinxia was a little bolder and didn’t keep her head down.

She immediately noticed a new photo frame on the desk. Inside was a picture of her and A-Jing together outside the theater.

“This photo…”

An Jing picked up the frame and handed it to her: “Beautiful person, beautiful scenery. It’s well-shot, isn’t it? The people in the photo look, no matter how you look at them, like a match made in heaven, a perfect couple.”

Wei Yinxia was amused by her self-praising words: “Aren’t you embarrassed to praise yourself?”

If only it were as she said.

“Yinyin,” An Jing embraced the beauty from behind. “Singing, playing the piano, dancing… what else haven’t I seen you do?”

“It’s not surprising for a young lady of the Wei family to have a few parlor tricks; they are merely small skills to please others.” Wei Yinxia had never been proud of these talents. “A-Jing has seen so many women; there must be many who are better at singing and dancing than I am.”

“Nonsense, I haven’t seen that many other women.” An Jing bit Wei Yinxia’s ear playfully as a punishment. “We have to add one more condition to the ones we agreed on when we left the old part of the city: you are not allowed to link arms or dance any social dances with anyone else again.”

Wei Yinxia felt her body go soft from the bite. She put down the photo frame and placed her hand over An Jing’s. “A-Jing, would you dance one song with me? I want to dance with you.”

She wasn’t sure if An Jing knew how to dance. If not, she would teach her.

She wanted to use this to forget the dance she was forced to have with Kahn. She hoped the most beautiful dance in her memory would be the one A-Jing danced with her.

“I… only know the most basic steps.” Tang Yunqing had taught her at the business association banquet.

“It doesn’t matter, I’ll follow you.”

Wei Yinxia slipped out of An Jing’s embrace and skillfully turned on the gramophone next to the desk. As the music started, she approached An Jing, raising her hand with a graceful smile.

An Jing also raised her hand and took hers: “I just hope I don’t step on you.”

“You won’t.”

The woman in the white suit before her was the person she loved, her great hero, and her Prince Charming.

Despite the clumsy dance, Wei Yinxia felt deeply satisfied.

“Meow~”

A cat’s meow sounded, and the two stopped.

Xixi was very attached to An Jing. Whenever she returned, the cat would seek her out, rolling around and begging to be held.

An Jing kissed Wei Yinxia’s lips before bending down to pick up Xixi, who was circling their feet. Xixi licked An Jing’s face, and An Jing rubbed its head with her chin: “You little thing, could you be a person transformed?”

Wei Yinxia felt a pang of jealousy. Even a cat was happier than her. Its easy proximity was her unreachable distance.

“Xixi, look who’s here?”

The little kitten was in a growth stage and had gotten much bigger after several days.

Wei Yinxia was wearing a skirt, making it inconvenient to hold the cat. She stroked its soft, long fur, and her thumb repeatedly rubbed the spot where An Jing had rubbed her with her chin: “A-Jing takes very good care of it.”

Hearing the slight nasal tone in her beloved’s voice, An Jing let go of Xixi, who jumped to the floor, and kissed Wei Yinxia’s lips again: “I’ll take care of you too.”

Aunt Zhang knocked on the door: “Eldest Miss, the congee is here.”

She had actually been waiting outside the door for a little while, but hearing music and footsteps inside, she hadn’t rushed in to interrupt.

Before today, only Miss Tang and Little Miss Tang had stayed overnight at this house. Since the Eldest Miss finally had another close friend, she didn’t want to disturb them.

The door was slightly ajar. After Xixi went in, the gap widened a bit. When she knocked, the music inside stopped.

An Jing: “Aunt Zhang, come in.”

“Pumpkin and millet congee. I hope Second Miss Wei likes it.” Aunt Zhang chattered while placing the bowls. “You must have had drinks since you came back from the banquet, right? Did you drink much? Do you need two more bowls of hangover soup?”

“No, we both drank very little.” An Jing sat down first, waving to Wei Yinxia. “Yinyin, come and sit. Don’t underestimate this small bowl of congee. Aunt Zhang’s skill will surely make you remember it fondly after you’ve had it.”

Hearing the praise, Aunt Zhang chuckled: “Aiyo, Eldest Miss, your compliments are making me blush.”

An Jing continued to lavish praise: “Why should you be embarrassed? Yunqing and Xiaoyu both miss your cooking. They are so picky, and they speak highly of you. How could it be false?”

Wei Yinxia also sat in the other chair, lowering her head to sniff the steaming congee: “The clear fragrance alone gives me an appetite.”

“Wasn’t I right?” An Jing picked up a wet hand towel from the serving tray and handed it to Wei Yinxia. “Wipe your hands.”

“If you two like it, then my hard work hasn’t been in vain.” Aunt Zhang backed away two steps. “Eat slowly. I’ll come back in fifteen minutes to collect the dishes.”

An Xi, who returned late, saw Wanyun taking bedding into the guest room. He quickly went upstairs and stood at An Jing’s door: “I knew Wanyun was busy cleaning the guest room. So, Sister is hiding a beauty in her golden house. Sis, with a beauty to keep you company, you haven’t forgotten about your little brother, have you?”

“Young Master Xi.” Wei Yinxia immediately stood up and curtsied.

“No need to be so polite with me, Sister Yinxia.” An Xi hurriedly gestured for her to sit down.

“So you remember to come home.” An Jing didn’t bother to respond to him. “You have hands, feet, and a mouth. Go back to your room to sleep when you’re full, or go to the kitchen to find food if you’re hungry.”

Since realizing that An Xi’s seemingly frivolous exterior hid secrets he didn’t want others to know, An Jing had been much more lenient with him.

A real man, An Xi had been a very opinionated person since childhood. Pressuring him would only cause problems.

She didn’t expect him to put all his energy into the company, but as long as he participated in management and mastered what he needed to learn and understand, she would be able to decisively step back then, cutting off An Xi’s retreat so he would have no choice but to take over.

An Xi was not thinking the same thing as his sister. He leaned against the door, watched the two people in the room for several minutes, and then spoke: “Seriously, Sister. The pregnant woman who was shot dead on the same day as Xue Hua has been identified. On the surface, she was the owner of a massage parlor, but in reality, she was the mistress kept by the boss of the Qiao Gang.”

“What does any of this have to do with me?”

“Xue Hua and the parlor owner have nothing to do with you, but Xu Weiqiang does!”

An Xi stepped into the room, disregarding Wei Yinxia’s presence. He looked at An Jing with a serious expression and asked, “Did Xu Weiqiang kill Xue Hua?”

An Jing put down her spoon: “An Xi, stay out of the affairs of the Municipal Council and those gangs.”

“I’m not involving myself with them; I’m involving myself with your affairs!” An Xi’s voice clearly rose in pitch, full of urgency. “You couldn’t possibly be unaware that the Qiao Gang has issued a kill order on Xu Weiqiang, right? Even the Municipal Council has secretly offered a 20,000-silver-dollar reward for Xu Weiqiang’s head…”

“An Xi!” An Jing slammed her hand on the table, stopping him from continuing.

Seeing that his sister wouldn’t listen to him, An Xi turned his hope to Wei Yinxia: “Second Miss Wei, you must have heard the rumors that my sister and Strong Master Qiang of the Lu Gang are close acquaintances. That’s not a rumor—it’s a fact. If you consider her your sister or friend, please help me persuade her! The gangs are full of desperadoes; she can’t afford to play this game.”

An Xi finished speaking and turned away. He couldn’t persuade her, but his intuition told him that Wei Yinxia could.

Before going abroad for school, he had once jokingly asked An Jing: “Sister, when I come back in a few years, will Xu Weiqiang be my brother-in-law?”

An Jing had answered with certainty: “No.”

An Xi and Xu Weiqiang didn’t have a deep friendship, but they had mutual respect because they shared a common person they wanted to protect—An Jing.

He believed An Jing would never forget the day Xu Weiqiang saved her life, just as he would never forget the day An Jing fought desperately to snatch him back from human traffickers.

Although he still didn’t clearly know how Xu Weiqiang had saved An Jing, he believed whatever An Jing said implicitly.

Wei Yinxia placed her bowl and spoon back onto the tray, just as Aunt Zhang came in to collect the items.

An Jing was getting a headache. Everything was going wrong.

The Qiao Gang and the Lu Gang fighting viciously was something that probably all of Shanghai knew about; how could she not?

But the Municipal Council offering a heavy reward for Xu Weiqiang’s life was something she only learned today. How did An Xi get such secret intelligence?

Was Xue Hua’s life that important? The Municipal Council was actually making an enemy of the Lu Gang for him.

“Don’t be upset. Young Master Xi is only worried about your safety.” Wei Yinxia’s fingers pressed against An Jing’s temples. “When are we going to Miss Tang’s place?”

Wei Yinxia understood An Xi’s intentions, of course.

An Jing already had enough worries right now. She didn’t want to ask her what was going on between her and Qin Zhe either.

Even if she knew, she couldn’t do anything about it, so why bother creating more trouble for herself and bothering A-Jing? Besides, it was most likely related to her father’s arrangements.

All she could do was obediently stay by An Jing’s side and make their time together happier.

“Tomorrow, I’ll take you shopping for some clothes and necessities. The day after tomorrow, we’ll go stay at Yunqing’s for two or three days. She has her own private residence, and no unrelated people will bother us. Yunqing and I are very good friends, and her daughter Xiaoyu is my goddaughter.”

“Mhm, I’ll listen to you.” Wei Yinxia hugged An Jing, resting her chin on An Jing’s shoulder. “A-Jing, you were willing to sacrifice your life for the An family and for An Xi, but I hope you can cherish your life for me.”

“I will, Yinyin. I will try my best to keep my promise of being with you for a hundred years.”

That’s why when Xu Weiqiang told her not to interfere this time, she genuinely didn’t get involved with the Lu Gang again. She valued her life more than before.

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