Her Imperfection for Wifehood - Chapter 4

Chapter 4

“No talking during meals” is a common table manner in wealthy families. While the three of them ate, there was little conversation, as it was an essential part of their upbringing.

The only topic was An Xi asking about Wei Yinxia’s injury, and her answer was concise.

Wei Yinxia ate in small, delicate bites, her movements so precise that she didn’t even get lipstick on her lips.

An Jing, who had been drawn in by the way the young girl ate, found herself staring blankly at her red lips. She only came back to her senses when a piece of food she was holding with her chopsticks fell onto the table.

She awkwardly put down her chopsticks and pretended to cough.

An Xi, as if he had discovered something new and exciting, wouldn’t pass up any opportunity to tease his domineering and strong older sister. “Sis, why are you acting like a child, dropping food on the table? Even though we have more than enough to eat, you can’t be this wasteful.”

An Jing glared at him. “Shut up.”

Wan Yun came forward to wipe the table. An Jing glanced at Wei Yinxia from the corner of her eye. She was looking down, but there seemed to be a smile on her face.

How embarrassing! An Jing was so angry she wanted to slap An Xi again on the spot.

“The bond between Boss Jing and Young Master Xi is truly admirable.” Seeing the relaxed atmosphere, Wei Yinxia brought up another matter that Madam Wei had asked her to convey. “My father’s birthday banquet is on the third day of next month. Mirror Boss and Young Master Xi are cordially invited.”

“Mr. Wei’s birthday banquet?” As soon as the words left his mouth, An Xi sensed something was wrong. He instantly felt the surrounding temperature drop to freezing.

He glanced at An Jing, who showed no emotion, and nervously tried to gloss over it. “It’s Mr. Wei’s big day, and Miss Wei has personally come to invite us. As juniors, we should, of course, go and wish him a happy birthday…”

“Aunt Zhang,” An Jing suddenly called out. An Xi’s words got stuck in his throat, and he almost choked on his saliva.

“Oh, I’m coming, I’m coming.” Aunt Zhang came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron. “Did you call me, Young Mistress? Is there a problem with the food?”

“What’s the progress on the matter I asked you to arrange a few days ago?”

“What matter?” Aunt Zhang was confused for a moment. Following An Jing’s gaze, she suddenly understood. “Oh, oh, my memory is failing me. I looked into it.”

“How many did you find? Have you had their horoscopes checked yet?”

“Not yet.”

“Then hurry up and check them in the next couple of days. We need to make sure they’re a good match so we can find a good place for our Young Master Xi and shut him up.”

“Alright, I’ll go find someone to calculate it tomorrow.” Aunt Zhang smiled and nodded in agreement before turning to go back to the kitchen. Throughout the entire process, she never looked at Wei Yinxia.

Regarding the entangled interests of the An and Wei families, Old Li had already told her about it.

Like Old Li, she completely admired An Jing and trusted the Young Mistress’s judgment in everything.

An Xi, on the other hand, was confused, his eyes wide. Looking from side to side and connecting it to Wei Yinxia, he finally pieced together what their Q&A session was all about.

He couldn’t help but inwardly grumble that when his sister was ruthless, she was even merciless towards a young girl.

But as the person at the center of it all, he couldn’t say anything. If he were to join the conversation now, whether to expose their “scheming,” reject their “kindness,” or just go along with it, it would only make things more awkward for Wei Yinxia.

If he had only had a little pity for Wei Yinxia before, today, after hearing her unique insights into literature, he had a newfound admiration for her.

He was in a difficult position.

“Young Mistress,” Lu Cheng said, entering from outside.

He leaned in and whispered in An Jing’s ear, “Strong Master sent someone to say the person has been found. He wants to know how to handle it.”

An Jing looked at Wan Yun, then picked up her chopsticks and casually continued to pick up food. “Two options: either an arm or a leg. Let him choose.”

Everyone present heard it.

Wei Yinxia’s motion of wiping her mouth froze, and Wan Yun, who had just finished tidying the table, also stopped.

“What’s this about a broken arm or leg? Why are you talking about this?” An Xi pretended to be displeased and scolded Lu Cheng, “Brother Cheng, you, too. From now on, don’t come and report any trivial matters to my sister when she’s eating.”

“Yes, I’ll be sure to pay attention next time. Then I’ll go handle it.”

After Lu Cheng left, Wan Yun turned around and bowed slightly to An Jing’s back. “Thank you, Young Mistress.”

“If he dares to bother you again, don’t plead for him. My patience is limited. Next time, I’ll have him locked up for life.”

…

After the meal, An Xi wisely kept his distance.

He had challenged his sister’s patience several times tonight in front of a guest, making her furious. If he didn’t keep his distance now, he was bound to get a beating.

An Jing walked Wei Yinxia to the door. “From what I know, Miss Wei, you are nineteen years old, correct? You’re not an inexperienced child. You know that the two families are like fire and water and that a marriage alliance is impossible, so why do you keep humiliating yourself over and over again?”

“…”

“With your family background, why don’t you look for someone you genuinely love?”

Faced with such a blunt mockery, Wei Yinxia couldn’t hide her shame and indignation. “Marriage is a matter for parents to decide.”

An Jing had seen too many women blindly following orders and felt more anger than pity for their lack of struggle. She mercilessly exposed her. “Is ‘parent’s orders’ to go to great lengths to approach An Xi and seduce him, even if it means humiliating yourself? And after being rejected once by the An family, you still shamelessly rush to cling to us? Is that what it is?”

“Boss Jing.”

Wei Yinxia’s tone was sharper. “In this day and age, how many women do you think can live according to their own will? Not every woman has the right to choose for herself like you do. You’re thirty and unmarried, and no one dares to criticize you because you have money, power, and the ability to stand on your own. If a girl from an ordinary family doesn’t find a husband by twenty, she’ll be a topic of gossip for all her neighbors. As a daughter of the Wei family, Wei Lan’en is seen as the apple of their eye. When my father saw that the An family was in decline, he immediately found her another marriage. But I’m an unloved illegitimate daughter who lost her birth mother. I’ll be twenty next spring, and I was only allowed to leave the house this year. With your sharp senses and clear mind, do you truly think my father did this to protect me or because he couldn’t bear to part with me?”

An Jing was stunned. She hadn’t expected this seemingly weak and indecisive girl to say such things so confidently under the pressure of her aura.

Wei Yinxia turned and ran out, shouting, “Xu’er, let’s go home.”

An Xi was leaning against a nearby tree with his arms crossed, watching. He couldn’t imagine what An Jing and Wei Yinxia had talked about, but he was very curious.

Seeing Wei Yinxia run off, he walked over to An Jing and asked, “What did you say to make her so mad?”

As soon as he finished speaking, his ear was suddenly pinched.

“Sis, sis, I’m sorry…”

“You’re out of control now,” An Jing said, tightening her grip. “You’re even daring to make fun of me in front of an outsider? Do you still want your ear?”

“Yes, of course, I do.” An Xi grabbed An Jing’s hand and coaxed her. “Sis, I’ll walk around her from now on, okay? Sis, please let go. If my ear falls off, how sad will Mom and Dad be when they see it?”

At the mention of their parents, An Jing immediately let go. “Wei Zhengqing is secretly working with foreign businessmen. He’s not a good person. He’s instructing Wei Yinxia to pester you, nothing more than wanting to infiltrate An’s company through marriage and then sow discord to break the trust between you and me. An Xi, you can be cynical, but you can’t forget our parents’ original intentions when they founded the factory. Don’t let Mom and Dad down.”

“I won’t, sis. After Mom and Dad passed away, you’re the closest and most important person to me in this world. I won’t do anything that would harm you, An’s company, or our country for anyone.”

“If you dare to be an ungrateful wretch, I’ll be the first to punish you…”

As the two were playfully bickering, Lu Cheng ran up, his steps hurried. “Young Mistress, Miss Wei refuses to get in the car. She says, she says she wants to walk back.”

The Wei family’s car had dropped them off and left. No one had called or sent anyone to pick them up in the evening.

Walk?

The An residence was located two kilometers from the bustling city. An Father had chosen the site and built the house fifteen years ago. The scenery was pleasant, and the air was fresh. The year they moved in was also the first year An Jing officially became a member of the An family.

An Jing’s brow furrowed, and she kicked An Xi’s leg. “Aren’t you great at coaxing girls? Go on, go coax her into the car. If she won’t get in, then you can walk back with her.”

An Xi sighed, patted Lu Cheng’s shoulder, and said, “Alright, let’s go, Brother Cheng.”

…

An Xi returned in just over ten minutes.

“Good thing I’m a smooth talker. There’s no girl I can’t coax. You, on the other hand, you’ve got a sharp tongue and a soft heart. Why do you always pick on such a good girl?”

An Jing was sitting on a bench, smoking a cigarette, looking up at the starry sky. She blew out a puff of smoke and answered evasively, “If you have time to worry about other people’s girls, you should be coaxing your own family members. Last month, I had a tailor make new clothes for Aunt Zhang and Wan Yun, but they’re all too reluctant to wear them. You have a sweet mouth and a thick skin. Whatever you do…”

“Okay, okay, I get it, sis! Mission accomplished! Tomorrow, I’ll get Brother Cheng to help me throw all their old clothes away.”

An Xi sat down next to her. “To be fair, Wei Zhengqing is Wei Zhengqing, and Wei Yinxia is Wei Yinxia. Even if Wei Zhengqing’s crimes are countless, a child shouldn’t be punished for them. I just want to ask, is it possible that your prejudice against Wei Yinxia…”

“No, it’s not!” An Jing said, her words firm and decisive.

“Then, what if one day I truly fall in love with her and refuse to marry anyone but her?”

“Refuse to marry anyone but her?” An Jing’s anger flared up, and she pinched his ear again. “I think you’re just trying to go against me, aren’t you?”

“Ouch, that hurts. Sis, sis, how could I dare? I was wrong. I was just saying it out loud. That was just a hypothetical, it’s not happening… There are plenty of good girls out there. I’ll, I’ll look at other girls, okay?”

…

On the third day of the eighth month, An Jing was coaxed by An Xi into attending Wei Zhengqing’s 50th birthday banquet.

New and old grudges were temporarily set aside. As business people with big companies, they had to keep up appearances.

“Sis, how do I look in this outfit?”

“Young Master Xi is tall and handsome, he looks good in anything. Now stop dawdling. You said you wanted to go this time. When we get to the banquet, don’t wander off. I’ll introduce you to the important people one by one.”

It was a good thing that her presence was enough. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have had another invitation card for the birthday banquet, as the one the Wei family had sent last month had been burned to ashes.

“No, no, no,” An Xi said, pulling out his ultimate weapon: acting spoiled. “Sis, you don’t have to worry about me, and I don’t need to meet those people you’re talking about. I just want to crash the meal and see the world, that’s all.”

“I won’t force you to get involved in business for now, but you have to pay attention to your personal life. You were the one who said the girls Aunt Zhang picked were all mediocre and unappealing. You were also the one who said you wanted to find true love. There will be many young ladies from prominent families at the banquet today. Pay close attention.”

“Okay, I’ll pay close attention! I’ll take all comers!”

“Don’t be glib with me.”

The birthday banquet was held at Zhengqing Restaurant. Wei Yinxia and Madam Wei were at the entrance welcoming guests.

When the An siblings arrived, Madam Wei deliberately pulled Wei Yinxia forward to greet them. “Boss An and Young Master Xi are here, welcome, welcome. Yinxia, quickly show our distinguished guests to their seats.”

An Xi ignored her. He wanted to say hello to Wei Yinxia. He had just taken a step to the side when he was stopped by An Jing’s glare.

“No need. We’ll go in by ourselves.”

After being bluntly rejected by An Jing, Wei Yinxia didn’t press her luck. She nodded slightly to An Xi and went to show other guests to their seats.

Once they entered the banquet hall, An Jing and An Xi saw the Wei family’s eldest daughter and son-in-law inside entertaining guests.

Noticing the outfits of the Wei mother and daughter, An Xi nudged An Jing’s shoulder as they walked. “Sis, if my eyes aren’t deceiving me, Madam Wei and her daughter Wei Lan’en are wearing cloud brocade, but Wei Yinxia is wearing ordinary Jiang silk, right? So, the compensation gift I sent for Wei Yinxia was taken by these two. Sigh, poor sister Yinxia must be so stifled in the Wei family.”

Hearing An Xi’s words, An Jing pretended to casually glance at Wei Yinxia’s location again. Compared to the “overpoweringly elegant” Madam Wei and Wei Lan’en, her fresh and simple elegance did indeed seem out of place.

“What’s the point of dressing up so extravagantly and wearing heavy makeup? It’s vulgar.” An Jing herself only ever wore black, white, gray, and light-colored clothes. She never studied fancy clothing and had no good feelings towards those wealthy ladies who loved to show off and compare.

Today, she was wearing a new Chinese-style collared apricot shirt with a standing collar and knotted buttons, along with black pants. Her hair wasn’t slicked back with pomade; it was simply parted in a four-six ratio.

Her overall demeanor felt less sharp and more approachable.

An Xi mumbled, “Wei Yinxia is dressed simply, but I haven’t seen you treat her any differently. In fact, you always find a new way to bully her.”

An Jing was left speechless by the retort.

Seeing him craning his neck and looking around, she asked, “What are you looking for?”

An Xi was being mysterious, his lips curved into a sly smile. “Hehe, of course, I’m looking for Young Master Qin. It’s a great opportunity! Even if he didn’t receive an invitation, he might have shamelessly come to crash the meal, just like me, hoping to run into you.”

An Jing kicked An Xi’s shin. “I think you’re itching for a beating. Are you ever going to stop…”

In the few short months since he returned to the country, An Xi had heard many stories about Young Master Qin’s infatuation with his sister, how he had failed repeatedly, and how he had become more resilient with each setback.

He remembered at his welcome banquet, the man came uninvited, prepared a generous gift to get on her good side, and was mercilessly dismissed by his sister with a simple “Young Master Qin, you’ve come to the wrong place” before he could even finish his introduction.

Seeing the man’s polite and well-spoken manner, he had thought that the matchmaker had finally decided to tie a red string for his sister. But after he pieced together the whole story, he immediately removed him from the list of potential brothers-in-law.

Since then, he had only occasionally used this as a joke to tease his sister, just like today.

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