Her Imperfection for Wifehood - Chapter 32

Chapter 32

From sunrise to sunset, from the east side to the west side, An Jing felt that the day was exceptionally long. At dusk, she knocked on Qin Zhe’s door.

When she entered, the four members of the Qin family were having dinner.

Qin Zhe sat in his chair, seemingly indifferent. Second Young Master Qin watched her with a mocking expression. Old Master Qin invited her to dine, and Madam Qin got up to pull her to a seat.

New tableware was set, and An Jing did sit down. She forced herself to come at this hour because she was worried that once the news of the dock incident and An Xi’s arrest spread, it would affect her negotiations with Qin Zhe.

But the Qin family was a well-informed, prominent household. How could they not know about the dock incident that had been escalating from last night to tonight?

Second Young Master Qin was no gentleman, deliberately bringing up a sensitive topic, eager to stir up trouble.

“Let me guess, what is Boss Jing’s intention in gracing us with your presence at this critical juncture? To show goodwill to my brother? To ask our family for help? Or simply for a late dinner? If so, you have a big heart indeed. With such a massive problem at the factory, can you truly eat?”

“Say less and eat your dinner,” Old Master Qin reprimanded.

An Jing hadn’t even touched her chopsticks. She endured Second Young Master Qin’s sarcasm, stood up, and looked directly across the table: “Qin Zhe, can we speak alone for a few moments?”

Old Master Qin sat at the head of the table. His two sons were on his right, and Madam Qin was on his left. When An Jing arrived, Madam Qin shifted her seat so An Jing and Qin Zhe could sit across from each other.

Madam Qin was less informed about the outside events than the other three men in the family. Unaware of the truth, she thought An Jing’s visit signaled a breakthrough in her eldest son’s relationship, so she treated An Jing warmly.

Since her son was fond of An Jing, as a mother, she naturally hoped her son would get what he wished for.

As An Jing was the woman he had loved for many years, no matter how much Qin Zhe hated or resented her, he couldn’t be completely cold-hearted when she showed weakness.

He stood up and replied, “Yes, we can. Boss Jing, please follow me.”

An Jing followed Qin Zhe upstairs into his room. This was the first time she had entered a man’s room other than at the An house. At Xu Weiqiang’s place, she had only ever stayed in the main hall.

She had never imagined what Qin Zhe’s room would look like.

But this room was arranged differently from any she had seen.

Two entire walls were lined with bookshelves, containing what was probably the sum total of books she had ever seen in her life.

She couldn’t understand how a man who loved reading so much, a man of such profound knowledge, a man so refined, could be so singularly devoted to her, who lacked any femininity and possessed no deep learning to speak of.

This was the second time An Jing doubted herself, following her reaction to Wei Yinxia’s love for her. People of culture and businesspeople should be two parallel lines that never intersect.

Even if they briefly intersected, they would drift further apart, destined not to merge.

Qin Zhe sat comfortably in his chair and lit a cigarette: “Go ahead, what do you need me for?”

A familiar smell of smoke.

The brand of cigarette Qin Zhe smoked was the one she most frequently smoked; she knew that. But what she didn’t know was that Qin Zhe didn’t smoke before going into business.

Even after starting his business, he only began smoking after getting to know An Jing. He wanted to taste the flavor of the cigarette An Jing liked, and even more, he wanted a taste of An Jing.

The cigarette, like An Jing, was intense and rich on the palate, with a long finish.

After falling out with An Jing, he thought about quitting or switching brands. He tried many times, but failed.

Smoke was an addiction, and An Jing was an addiction, too.

Even though he had never possessed this woman, even though this woman had never given him any hope.

The other chair was empty, but An Jing didn’t want to sit.

She had a request for him; showing an appropriate level of humble sincerity was necessary.

“The shares in Affordable Department Store. Let’s meet halfway. Eighty thousand. Take them back.” Cashing out this amount from Qin Zhe was the fastest way.

She wasn’t very confident that Qin Zhe would agree to her proposal, but she came with a hopeful attitude.

The “humiliation” Qin Zhe had endured from her could not be completely erased by one night of intimacy.

“Heh.” Qin Zhe sneered, raising an eyebrow, looking up at the woman two steps away from him with a look of calm amusement. “Is Boss Jing begging me? Because I don’t hear a begging tone in your voice.”

“You know An Xi is in jail, right? Qin Zhe, I desperately need this money,” An Jing’s tone softened significantly. There was no need to speak in riddles with him.

Qin Zhe was a smart man, one whose mind held astronomical geography as well as detailed calculations. Could he be a fool?

“He merely hit someone. And he hit the person who wants to marry Second Miss Wei. Shouldn’t you be cheering? Furthermore, your brother is idle and spends money like water. Locking him up for a while will save you a lot of money.”

Qin Zhe had no good impression of An Xi and wouldn’t care if he was having a hard time inside. “Boss Jing, shouldn’t you be more concerned about the seized machinery?”

“Yes, the seized machinery also requires money to be released,” An Jing admitted.

The formerly arrogant and flamboyant woman’s eyes were dim, and she had become cautious. Qin Zhe suddenly felt annoyed. He extinguished his cigarette butt, stood up, and walked over to An Jing.

He scrutinized An Jing’s eyes and brows.

It was clearly the same face, but how had she changed into a different person? The woman he liked was not this ordinary woman, completely devoid of edge.

Yes, ordinary.

Boss Jing had become an ordinary woman. Even her hair had grown longer.

He hated An Jing’s change, hated that she liked women, and even more, hated that he had loved her for so long.

He felt An Jing was a complete liar.

He wanted to take revenge on her.

To crush her financially, and even more, to destroy her spiritually.

He raised his hand and gently stroked her hair, and she didn’t flinch. Then, he took it a step further, inhaling her scent. His fingertip lightly touched her cheek, and he whispered, “How about staying here for one night? Tomorrow, I’ll give you one hundred thousand, not a cent less.”

Qin Zhe’s warm finger trailed along An Jing’s cheek and reached her neck, hovering close.

This was skin that only Wei Yinxia had touched. An Jing clenched her fist, closed her eyes for a moment, then fiercely grabbed his hand and kneed him in the abdomen.

Qin Zhe clutched his stomach in pain.

It was the second time An Jing had hit him, but the expression of pain on his face vanished instantly.

He smiled at her. This was the woman he liked.

“Qin Zhe, from here on, we are strangers crossing separate boundaries.” With that, An Jing’s last shred of good impression and hope for Qin Zhe vanished completely.

This last bit of hope came from the fact that Qin Zhe had never used her photos with Wei Yinxia to threaten or coerce her. That was why she had tolerated the retaliatory blow he dealt her over the Affordable Department Store shares, born of his love turned to hatred.

But asking her to trade her body for money today crossed her bottom line.

Her heart for Yinyin had never wavered for a moment.

Her body was only responsive to Yinyin. She couldn’t surrender herself to anyone else for money.

However, she had been merciful.

Otherwise, she would have aimed her kick not at Qin Zhe’s abdomen, but at his groin, the part that carried on his lineage.

Leaving the Qin house, An Jing found a provincial businessman she had met before. She agreed to sell her shares in Affordable Department Store to him for a low price of sixty thousand, arranging to sign the contract and exchange the check tomorrow morning.

She revealed to him the truth that the Affordable Department Store was not actually losing money, and that Qin Zhe was spreading false rumors only to take revenge on her for rejecting his advances.

She also added—it’s a profitable transaction. If you don’t believe me, you can investigate the facts yourself before signing the contract.

All is fair in love and war. Since Qin Zhe played dirty, she wouldn’t be blamed for using him.

Returning to the An house, An Jing sat on a long bench in the courtyard for a long time. They say beauty leads to ruin, and she had fallen into that cliché.

Undeniably, in recent months, she had indeed been thrown off balance and composure a few times because of Wei Yinxia.

But Yinyin had never made unreasonable demands of her, nor had she clung to her for nightly pleasures. It was she herself who had indulged her private feelings too much, floating alone in the vast ocean for too long, and had become infatuated with Yinyin as her lifesaver.

She had lost herself in love. But she would not give up this love.

As soon as An Jing returned, Wanyun, Zhang Ma, and Lao Li all came out when they heard the car. An Jing waved them away, and they quietly waited by the side.

Only when An Jing had sat long enough on the bench and rose to her feet did the three of them approach her again.

“Zhang Ma, please fix me something to eat.”

“Yes, yes. I’ll go to the kitchen right away, Miss. It will be ready soon.”

Zhang Ma left, and An Jing told Wanyun: “Prepare hot water. I need to wash up, and light the calming incense.”

Wanyun responded: “Yes, Miss.”

Only Lao Li remained by An Jing’s side: “Eldest Master and Fourth Master came to the house this afternoon and stayed for a while, only leaving after nightfall. They said they need a definite answer from you about when that batch of new machinery can be moved back to the factory.”

An Jing pursed her lips in silence.

Eldest Master and Fourth Master were An Jing’s eldest uncle and fourth uncle.

Lao Li opened his mouth, then, full of concern, asked again, “Is the Young Master alright?”

The few people at home were trustworthy. If she couldn’t even trust Lao Li and the others, An Jing would truly be fighting alone.

She stopped walking and said to Lao Li, “Uncle Li, An Xi caused trouble by hitting someone. We need to pay to resolve the calamity. Later, please inventory the valuable but unused antiques, jade items, and calligraphy and paintings at home. We’ll pawn them tomorrow morning.”

“Hitting someone… What kind of person did the Young Master hit? How much compensation is needed?” If the compensation amount wasn’t huge, why would she resort to pawning valuable items?

“Just do as I say first. The rest can wait until we get him back tomorrow.” An Jing did not explain in detail. She needed money for too many things; it wasn’t just Kahn’s demand.

She only had tens of thousands of dollars readily available herself. She needed to avoid touching the company’s account money if possible.

Because she had already anticipated that penalty fees for breach of contract were inevitable.

“Alright, I’ll go inventory them now.” Lao Li agreed, then pulled a slip of paper from his sleeve. “The people from Far Ocean Trade called the house this evening, saying they needed to discuss the machinery issue with you in person. They left a phone number, which I wrote down.”

Another slip of paper.

An Jing took it: “Got it. You go ahead and be busy.” She roughly guessed what the other party wanted to discuss with her.

It was nothing more than first expressing their apologies, then asking her to wait patiently.

They weren’t in a hurry, after all.

The first thing An Jing did upon entering the house was dial the number on the slip of paper. It was late; she was just trying her luck.

She had more important things to do tomorrow. The more she could resolve tonight, the better.

The person who answered the phone happened to be the person in charge of the An Corporation’s order. He had also been restless all day, unable to reach An Jing, and had been waiting for her call.

The other party’s seamless opening monologue was exactly as An Jing had predicted.

After listening, An Jing stated that the transaction would proceed as usual and she would not leave them with such a large stock of expensive machinery. Furthermore, the An Corporation would find its own way to clear the situation and retrieve the machinery as soon as possible, but she also proposed that the deadline for the final payment be extended by one month.

The person couldn’t make the decision and said he would need to report to his superior tomorrow and then give her a reply.

Following that, An Jing called the manor.

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to see Wei Yinxia, but she needed to temporarily pull away from the intoxicating comfort zone to gather all her resources for this desperate fight.

Yinyin was her lifesaver, but wasn’t she also Yinyin’s lifesaver? If she couldn’t overcome this small difficulty, how could she talk about giving Yinyin a beautiful future?

“Hello?” Wei Yinxia answered the phone.

After dinner, she had been waiting in the living room. She hoped to be the first person An Jing saw when she returned. She would change her clothes for her, like a wife in an ordinary family, and ask her if she was cold or hungry…

However, time passed minute by minute. The clock hand was quickly approaching ten o’clock. She was still waiting.

If she couldn’t wait for the person, she would wait for her call.

Her A-Jing would always take meticulous care to reassure her.

“Yinyin?” An Jing thought Qingyan would answer. “I returned to the An house tonight and won’t be going to the manor. The factory matter is quite tricky, and the An house is closer.”

She wasn’t sure if the manor knew about her predicament. Out of a sliver of hope, if Wei Yinxia didn’t ask, she wouldn’t mention it.

“Mhm, I understand. Have you had dinner? Don’t go hungry.” Wei Yinxia never asked about her business affairs.

“I have. As for your… back wound, let Qingyan help you wipe it.”

“The wound is scabbing over, and it doesn’t hurt anymore. Don’t worry, and focus on dealing with the factory matters.”

“Yinyin.”

“Mhm?”

“I miss you so much.”

“I miss you too, A-Jing.”

Separated by the phone, both were moved by the other’s “I miss you.” But the reality was that the troubles they each faced would not vanish because of the other’s “I miss you.”

After a brief exchange of greetings, An Jing added, “Yinyin, please call Yunqing to the phone for me. Tomorrow is her birthday.”

“Alright, wait a moment.” Wei Yinxia put the receiver aside and went upstairs to knock on Tang Yunqing’s door. “Sister Yunqing, Boss Jing is on the phone for you.”

Tang Yunqing had just tucked Xiaoyu to sleep. She got off the bed and opened the door: “She’s not coming back?”

Wei Yinxia nodded.

Tang Yunqing looked back at Xiaoyu. She whispered to Wei Yinxia, “Xiaoyu isn’t deeply asleep yet. I’m afraid she’ll wake up and cry if she doesn’t see me. Can you watch her for me?”

“Alright.”

Tang Yunqing went downstairs and picked up the phone: “Speak. What’s the situation on your end?”

“Yunqing, Happy Birthday.”

Hearing An Jing’s birthday wish, Tang Yunqing’s heart warmed, and she said haughtily, “It looks like you won’t be able to come tomorrow either.” Otherwise, she wouldn’t wish her a happy birthday in advance over the phone.

An Jing did not deny it: “Yes, I can’t come. I can’t be in two places at once.”

“Is there anything I can do?”

Tang Yunqing’s father had specifically called her about the seized machinery, telling her not to interfere.

He didn’t approve of his daughter’s private dealings with An Jing, but his daughter was insistent. He tolerated it only if it didn’t affect the Tang family’s interests.

In these years, An Jing had indeed never asked them for any favors, keeping her private life and business strictly separate.

But the consequences of arms smuggling were too severe. Whether An Jing was involved or not, they had to distance themselves from her.

One wrong step could lead to implication, and if they were labeled with some charge of undermining international peace or harboring counter-revolutionaries, that would truly be seeking their own demise.

“Mhm, there is. I need you to have a very happy birthday tomorrow. After I’m done with this busy period, I’ll come and apologize to you.”

“And?” Although her father had repeatedly warned her not to meddle in the An family’s affairs, and she understood the stakes, she still hoped she could help in some way.

“And, the one hundred thousand dollars we talked about the other day.”

“Alright, I’ll get it to you as soon as possible.” Tang Yunqing agreed immediately. Compared to other forms of assistance, raising money was the easiest for her. “An Xi is an adult now, not a young boy. He should shoulder the An Corporation’s burdens with you.”

Shoulder the burdens?

He had already been carried off to the police station.

But this also indicated that Tang Yunqing was aware of part of the situation, though she didn’t know An Xi had been arrested.

“Thank you, Yunqing. Thank you for looking after Yinyin while she stays with you.”

“Don’t be polite about such a small matter.”

Previously, she hadn’t prioritized An Jing’s request to borrow money, not because she didn’t want to lend it, but because she was concerned about the purpose of the loan after their discussion. So she had been delaying, planning to take her time.

After hearing about the dock incident, she knew An Jing urgently needed the money, and it had found a more critical use.

After the phone call, An Jing glanced upstairs and felt that the house was very lonely.

She didn’t know where Xixi was napping today. She had been inside for a while, and the phone call had made noise, yet she hadn’t seen any sign of it.

“Miss, the hot water is ready. Please come up,” Wanyun called down to her from the second-floor railing.

“Where is Xixi?”

“Xixi? Xixi is in your room. It was sleeping on the chair, but when I came in with the hot water, it curiously looked left and right…”

“Meow~”

Just as Wanyun was speaking, Xixi trotted out of the room.

Wanyun picked Xixi up and smiled at An Jing: “Miss, look. Xixi has been waiting for you to come home, too.”

—A-Jing, I will think of you every day. Will you please take every one of Xixi’s meows as a call for you, A-Jing?

Remembering Wei Yinxia’s words and hearing Xixi’s meow, An Jing’s nerves, which had been taut all day, finally relaxed. She murmured, “I’m home,” and walked upstairs.

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