Her Imperfection for Wifehood - Chapter 3

Chapter 3

From a geopolitical standpoint, an alliance with the Wei family would represent a compromise and an olive branch from the An Corporation, signaling that Shanghai’s last leading national enterprise had finally bowed to foreign merchants.

If they were to concede, in the short term, the An Corporation could not only eliminate the rift with other board members but also elevate its business to new heights.

But An Jing refused to yield.

She firmly believed that national enterprises had their own way to survive.

An Xi: “Why, though?”

“Don’t tell me you don’t know that the crucial vote that cost Wei Zhengqing his vice-president position in the last election was cast by me.”

The board meets annually, but the board of supervisors is elected every three years.

When their father was alive five years ago, he was one of the vice-presidents. However, when An Jing took over the company, the board of directors publicly voted against her taking her father’s place, only keeping the An Corporation’s position as a board unit.

The reasons they gave were grand-sounding, saying that at twenty-four, she was too young, lacked experience and qualifications, and couldn’t command respect.

Wei Zhengqing was even more direct, saying that she, a woman, was delusional to think she could establish herself in the business world.

It wasn’t that she was petty or held grudges; she was fighting for her dignity. So, in just two years, she gave Wei Zhengqing a slap in the face in the last election.

This year, it wasn’t just the board of directors election; it was also the year for the board of supervisors.

“Sister, that’s all in the past. It’s better to reconcile with your enemies than to hold on to grudges.”

An Jing finished her wine and stood up. “An Xi, no matter what your considerations are, and regardless of whether Wei Yinxia is willing or being forced by her father, a woman with ulterior motives and no sense of shame is not fit to be a wife, and she is not welcome in my An family. You’d better cut all ties with her and the Wei family. Do you understand me?”

“I understand.” An Xi involuntarily shivered as he watched An Jing’s back as she went upstairs.

After reaching the top of the stairs, An Jing turned back. “The old saying goes, ‘Establish a family before starting a career.’ I’m giving you a year to have fun and find a wife. Is that enough? By the second half of next year, you must join the company and get involved in management. The board will be your responsibility then.”

She was making a concession, for the sake of An Xi’s major life event, she was giving him more than half a year. “Don’t look at me like that. Hold back your jokes. This can’t be put off any longer, and there’s no room for negotiation.”

“…”

An Xi returned from his studies abroad two months ago, and rumors were flying around. People were saying that now that Young Master Xi was back, shouldn’t the An Corporation change hands?

After all, An Xi was the An family’s bloodline. It was only right for a son to follow in his father’s footsteps and take over the company.

Others said that the An family and the factory workers, who outwardly showed respect to An Jing, were actually resentful and waiting for the siblings to turn against each other over the family business. They were ready to stir up trouble and help push the woman off her throne.

An Jing just laughed it off.

If she were afraid of gossip, she wouldn’t have reached her current powerful and influential position in Shanghai’s business world.

Those who loved to gossip were a bunch of rabble who knew little about the real situation. They mistakenly thought An Jing had usurped the position and was unwilling to hand over control.

Only a few people in the An residence knew that it wasn’t that An Jing wouldn’t hand it over; it was that An Xi didn’t want it at all. Whenever An Jing mentioned letting him take over the company, he would kneel and beg his sister to let him off the hook. The family was used to it.

An Jing entered her room and just sat down at the dressing table when Zhang Ma followed her in. “I heard from Lao Li that you were busy and couldn’t eat. You must be hungry, coming back so late, right? I’ve been keeping some porridge and side dishes warm for you. Please eat a little.”

“Thank you, Zhang Ma.”

“You eat, and I’ll come back later to clean up.”

“Wait.” An Jing suddenly stopped her and walked to the table. “I need your help with something.”

“Tell me.” Zhang Ma and Lao Li were a couple who were both over fifty. They had been with the An family for a total of twenty-three years, and they had become a part of the family with their dedication. An Jing and An Xi also respected the old couple very much.

“An Xi isn’t getting any younger, and since our parents passed away early, his marriage can only be handled by me, his older sister. I’m good at business, but I’m not good at matchmaking. So, please use your own judgment to find a few gentle girls, as if you were looking for a daughter-in-law for yourself. You know his character and our family situation better than anyone. Then, call Uncle Li, and we’ll advise him together. If we find someone suitable, I’ll find a way to connect them. If I don’t manage this now, when the kite flies high and far, it will be hard to bring it back.”

“Okay, okay. Leave it to me.”

An Jing’s words touched Zhang Ma’s heart. An Jing treated her and Lao Li as family, so she was more than willing to do her best to help them.

Noticing that Zhang Ma was wearing old clothes again, An Jing pointed at them. “Don’t be afraid to wear new clothes. Those sleeves… all patched up, it hurts my eyes.”

“I’m old, I can’t stay idle.” Zhang Ma laughed happily. “Miss, hurry and eat before it gets cold.”

…

A few days later, Wei Yinxia, whose foot had healed, came to the An residence.

An Jing had a business lunch and drank too much. She came back and lay down until the evening. In a daze, she heard Lao Li reporting outside her door. “Miss, Miss Wei Yinxia from the Wei family is here to visit. Should I let her in?”

Wei Yinxia?

It seemed that everything she said at the Wei family’s door was for nothing.

An Jing rubbed her temples and propped herself up against the headboard. “A guest has come; please invite her in. Is An Xi home? Tell him to receive Miss Wei properly as I instructed. My head hurts so much; I won’t join them in their games.”

What did “properly as I instructed” mean? Although he didn’t understand, he still replied, “Yes.”

Lao Li went downstairs to greet Wei Yinxia. “Miss Wei, please have a seat. Please wait a moment. Our young master is in his study upstairs and will be right down.”

Wei Yinxia: “Thank you for the trouble.”

In the back garden, An Xi sighed. According to his sister’s instructions, how could he “receive her properly”?

He picked up a newly published collection of short stories from the table and went to the main hall. “My dear Yinxia, I’m sorry to have kept you waiting. I was drunk that day, so please don’t take any of my rude words or actions to heart.”

“You’re too kind, Young Master Xi.”

“How have you been these past few days? I’m sorry about the engagement banquet… I’m the one who wronged you. I planned to marry you first and then introduce you to my sister, but I underestimated just how much she would object.”

“It’s my humble background that makes me unworthy of you, Young Master Xi. Boss Jing was thinking of you and the An family.”

Wei Yinxia was so humble and pitiful that An Xi couldn’t bring himself to say anything harsh. “My sister is still angry. I really… I can’t persuade her. You two should go back. From now on…”

Xu’er panicked. “Young Master Xi! Before we left, Madam told me that if Miss doesn’t stay here for a full hour, tonight… tonight when we get back…”

Wei Yinxia quickly interrupted her. “Xu’er, don’t say another word.”

An Xi had been to the Wei family once and had seen how the madam scolded her servants, but he never knew that Wei Yinxia would also be “disciplined” by her.

Before the engagement, he had only met Wei Yinxia five times. It was surprisingly easy to get her to agree to the marriage. The Wei family didn’t even object to him not providing a bride price or keeping the engagement simple.

He had already guessed that old man Wei had the same idea as him: to present a fait accompli so that An Jing would be forced to accept Wei Yinxia as her sister-in-law and the Wei family as her in-laws.

He wasn’t very clear about the Wei family’s plans, but he was very clear about his own.

The situation had escalated to this point, and Wei Yinxia had become a laughingstock, but the Wei family still wouldn’t give up. Perhaps there was still a chance to turn things around?

An Xi also wanted to go with the flow. He placed the book in his hand on the coffee table. “My dear Yinxia, don’t be in a hurry to leave. Why don’t you sit down, read a book, and have some tea?”

Wei Yinxia saw the book cover and bent down to pick it up. “Young Master Xi, are you reading this book, too?”

“Too?”

“I just finished reading it a while ago.”

“Oh? I didn’t expect you to be interested in this kind of book. I just grabbed it from the study. I’ve only read a few pages and haven’t figured out much. Since you’ve read it, would you mind telling me about it?”

“Of course.”

The two sat down, and Wei Yinxia spoke eloquently about the book’s content, which made An Xi’s spirits soar, but it made Xu’er, who was holding the return gift, stand and start to doze off.

Lao Li brought them tea. After more than half an hour, he came to remind them again. “Young master, it’s almost dinnertime. What would you like to do?”

An Xi looked at the clock on the wall; it was almost six.

He had to admit that among all the young women who had thrown themselves at him recently, in terms of looks, temperament, and talent, Wei Yinxia was the most outstanding one.

If she weren’t from the Wei family, his sister would surely like her.

“Uncle Li, tell the kitchen to make a few more light dishes. We’ll be adding an extra place setting for dinner tonight. Miss Wei will be staying for dinner.” He decided to keep her without even asking if she wanted to. “Also, add a hangover soup and tell Wan Yun to take good care of my sister upstairs. Bring the soup up as soon as it’s ready, so she doesn’t have a headache tonight.”

“Young Master Xi, is Boss Jing…?” Wei Yinxia looked worried. Her purpose in coming today was not just to thank An Xi and be done with it.

“Oh, my sister is fine. She just drank too much at a business dinner. You might not know this, but even though my sister works among men, her alcohol tolerance is actually very average. Especially with baijiu, she’s no good at it even after all these years. But you know how it is, the business world is like a drinking establishment. Those old bosses love baijiu, and she can’t avoid it.”

“Can… I go see her? A few days ago, Boss Jing took me to the hospital and then brought me home. My father repeatedly told me to thank her in person and give her the thank-you gift.”

Wei Zhengqing did say that she had to deliver it in person, but he didn’t say in front of whom.

An Jing was the head of the family. Only by pleasing her could she make her path smoother.

“Well…” An Xi hesitated for a few seconds, then a lightbulb went off. He laughed. “Of course, you can. My sister is a woman. It’s fine for you to go to her room. It won’t cause any gossip.”

He turned and shouted, “Wan Yun, take Miss Wei upstairs. I’ll go check on the kitchen.”

He wanted to see just how cold-hearted his sister could be when faced with a gentle and delicate woman like Wei Yinxia.

“Xu’er, you wait for me downstairs.” Not everyone was qualified to enter An Jing’s room. Wei Yinxia wasn’t so naive as to bring her maid with her.

…

An Jing lay on her bed for a while, still feeling groggy. Her stomach was upset, but she couldn’t sleep. As she closed her eyes to rest, she heard a knock on the door again.

“Miss, Miss Wei from the Wei family is here and says she wants to thank you in person. Is it alright to let her in?”

When she didn’t get a response, Wan Yun called out “Miss” twice more. Knocking more than three times was a rule set by An Jing. If there was still no sound, Wan Yun would have left with the person on her own.

“Stop shouting, I’m not deaf.” An Jing felt annoyed, but she still sat up, put on her robe, and replied, “Come in.”

Wei Yinxia entered the room and spoke with her eyes lowered. “My father said that Boss Jing was busy with business during the day, so I made a point of coming to visit a little later, and I brought some tea and wine as a thank-you gift. I hope my sudden visit didn’t disturb you, Boss Jing.”

Noticing Wei Yinxia’s cautiousness, An Jing reached out and ran her hand through her hair, which was likely messy from sleeping. “You said it yourself that it’s a sudden visit. Do you think it was a disturbance?”

Wei Yinxia was so embarrassed she couldn’t find a place to hide.

An Jing’s unspoken meaning was that yes, she had been a disturbance.

Seeing her lower her head in silence, An Jing grew impatient. “Is the floor in my room paved with gold or something?”

Wei Yinxia slowly raised her head, her eyes slightly red. But just a second ago, she had been secretly complaining that An Jing was going too far, and the next second, she broke into a smile.

An Jing asked, “What are you laughing at?”

Wei Yinxia shook her head, not answering An Jing’s question. She walked to the bedside with a smile, and under An Jing’s confused gaze, she reached out and gently smoothed her messy hair.

“I’m laughing because the majestic Boss Jing is just a free-spirited young lady at home.”

This scene seemed familiar.

On an impulse, An Jing grabbed the hand that was about to pull away. “Then what about you, Miss Wei? Are you the same at home as you are outside?”

An Jing’s eyes were long and narrow, and her eyelashes were also very long.

Stared at by those captivating, almond-shaped eyes, Wei Yinxia forgot to pull her hand away, forgot to speak, forgot the time, and most of all, forgot the pain.

A moment later, An Jing scoffed and let go of her hand. However, the wrist she had held was already red.

“Silence speaks louder than words. Miss Wei, you probably have another unspeakable face at home.”

Wei Yinxia, who belatedly felt the pain in her wrist, could only silently endure the humiliation of being once again mocked for being two-faced.

Seeing that she didn’t react, An Jing changed the subject. “I told An Xi to receive you just now. Did that brat do anything out of line?”

“No.” A sudden rush of sadness filled Wei Yinxia’s heart. “Young Master Xi and I share similar interests and had a wonderful conversation. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have gotten to the point of an engagement. Young Master Xi also kindly invited me to stay for dinner, and I accepted.”

“Is that so?” An Jing was stunned and inwardly cursed An Xi for not listening to her advice.

“That brother of mine, with his handsome face, is used to being a playboy. He’s not serious about relationships. Any woman who flirts with him can get him to play along without a care. I’m sure you’ve heard about his recent escapades at those pleasure houses, Miss Wei.”

An Jing finished speaking and threw the blanket off the bed.

Perhaps it was the lingering effects of the alcohol, or perhaps it was the weakness from lying down for too long, but as soon as her feet hit the ground, she felt a sudden dizziness, and their hands clasped together.

“Boss Jing?”

“I’m fine.” An Jing used her hand to steady herself, shook her head, and her face was flushed. “Just a little dizzy all of a sudden. I’ll be fine if I stand for a bit.”

After two or three minutes, the dizzy An Jing finally came to her senses. The hand she was holding had also gone from cold to warm.

“Sister.” An Xi ran up the stairs in a few big steps. “Dinner’s ready. Will you join us?”

“Mm.” An Jing suddenly let go of Wei Yinxia’s hand. “I’ll change first.”

“It’s late. Why bother changing? It’s no trouble,” An Xi said, pulling on An Jing. “My dear Yinxia is a well-educated and considerate girl. She won’t mind if you have dinner in your robe.”

Wei Yinxia also said, “At home, Boss Jing, you don’t need to be so formal. Just be yourself.”

The two of them were a perfect match, singing in harmony like a devoted couple.

An Jing impatiently shook off An Xi’s hand. “Even if I don’t change, I still have to wash my face, right? You two go down first. Don’t block the way.”

“Yeah, you should wash up. You need to keep up appearances, haha. Yinxia and I will wait for you downstairs.”

An Xi turned to look at Wei Yinxia, winked, and said in a theatrical manner, “Not everyone gets to see my sister’s shy side. Yinxia, you’ve seen a rare sight. Remember to keep it a secret for my sister.”

Before a fist could land on him, An Xi quickly fled the scene.

Wei Yinxia covered her mouth and chuckled, then turned and said, “Don’t worry, Boss Jing. I didn’t see or hear a thing.”