Her Imperfection for Wifehood - Chapter 46.2

Chapter 46.2

The word “death” was heavy as a thousand catties, fiercely crushing Wei Yinxia’s body and mind.

The one who should have died was not only Kahn, but also her.

The ones who should have died were not the Lu Gang brothers, but her.

Nine people went out, three returned.

This was not the price An Jing wanted to see.

She lowered her head dejectedly, trying to recall the faces of the lost brothers, but besides Bai Yang, she couldn’t even remember their names.

Xu Weiqiang sat down next to her: “We ran into Chen Dong and a few brothers during the retreat. We owe him for his help.”

After Kahn became their common enemy, the Lu Gang and the Qiao Gang called a truce and both attempted to assassinate Kahn. It was a case of different paths leading to the same destination, and they ended up being comrades-in-arms for a while.

“Chen Dong said that the plainclothes men protecting Kahn were sent by Liang Xu.”

Liang Xu was their new enemy and nemesis.

“I’ll get the medicine.”

An Jing guiltily finished treating Xu Weiqiang’s wounds before coldly saying to Wei Yinxia, who was huddled in the corner: “Come here.”

Wei Yinxia’s heart trembled. She had thought her A-Jing would care for her, ask if she was hurt, hold her, and tell her: Yinyin, don’t be afraid. It’s all over. I’m here.

But An Jing only tossed the wound medicine to her, said nothing more, and turned to walk into the innermost room.

She closed the door.

Xu Weiqiang gave her a cold glance, then also got up and entered An Jing’s room.

A few minutes later, Xu Weiqiang emerged from the room, whispered a few words to the subordinate guarding the door, and the man left.

Besides this living room, the basement had three small rooms for rest and a washroom.

Since arriving, An Jing had taken the smallest room for herself. Xu Weiqiang and Bai Yang shared one, and the largest one was for the other trusted brothers.

Other informants were scattered in various areas nearby and in the old town.

One hour, two hours, three hours. Wei Yinxia sat on the ground with a ashen face, still and unmoving like a dead piece of wood.

The light suddenly went out, plunging the room into darkness.

Cold.

Pain.

Wei Yinxia felt an unprecedented sense of fear and suffocation.

A hand rested on her shoulder. She shivered in fright. She heard a familiar voice say: “It’s me.”

She had been on the verge of collapse for too long. An Jing’s voice was her salvation.

In the darkness, Wei Yinxia sobbed and rushed into An Jing’s embrace: “Hit me, scold me, kill me, A-Jing. Just please don’t abandon me.”

But An Jing was unmoved.

Her heart, too, had become numb.

An Jing silently pulled Wei Yinxia into the room and sat on the edge of the bed. She squatted in front of her, using the water from the thermos bottle to wipe and clean the wounds on her feet, and then meticulously applied the medicine.

Wei Yinxia had a momentary lapse, a flash of delusion. In that moment, she and An Jing returned to their first meeting.

She played the piano for her all night, tearing her fingers. An Jing had been like this, driving away the bad people for her and personally applying the medicine.

If only she had just been Hongying, a singer at the Sincere Garden. Would she and An Jing have had a different ending?

“Drink some water.” An Jing held a cup out to Wei Yinxia.

“Thank you.”

After taking a sip, Wei Yinxia noticed the water tasted strange. She paused, wanting to ask but not daring to.

Why ask?

Even if what A-Jing gave her was poison, she would drink it all.

Seeing her finish the water, An Jing lay down on the bed. Wei Yinxia, however, didn’t have the courage to lie down.

Until she heard An Jing say: “Get on.”

On the bed, An Jing embraced Wei Yinxia from behind and began to cry out loud.

It had been many, many years—no, since she came to her senses—that she hadn’t cried so loudly.

Crying was weakness. She couldn’t be weak.

But today, she truly wanted to cry.

Wei Yinxia turned to try and wipe An Jing’s tears, but An Jing held her down. She tried to kiss her lips for comfort, but An Jing pushed her away. She called out “A-Jing,” but An Jing silenced her with a stern word.

She heard her say: “Wei Yinxia, you don’t deserve it.”

Then she opened her mouth and bit down on Wei Yinxia’s sensitive and fragile neck, seemingly using all her strength.

Although it hurt terribly, Wei Yinxia endured it silently, without moving. She didn’t dare to move, thinking selfishly that dying in A-Jing’s arms like this would be a good thing.

Dead or alive, she was A-Jing’s woman. Dead or alive, she was in A-Jing’s bed.

As the wound deepened and more blood flowed, the smell of blood in the air grew stronger. Wei Yinxia smelled the scent of death.

An Jing let go and began to tear at Wei Yinxia’s ruined clothes with her hands, pressing bloody kisses onto her body.

Wei Yinxia still held An Jing tightly, allowing her to vent her hatred on her body like a wild beast, allowing her teeth to fiercely ravage her chest.

After a long time, An Jing stopped: “Wei Yinxia, I really want to cut this open and see if you even have a heart…”

Wei Yinxia wanted to speak but held back.

She was afraid that opening her mouth would only bring a torrent of An Jing’s curses.

An Jing squeezed her neck, tightening her grip little by little: “Remember, your life was saved by me. Without my permission, you are not allowed to seek death. Do you hear me?”

“Yes.”

All night long, An Jing did not ask Wei Yinxia for a single explanation. She truly didn’t want to see her struggle to defend herself.

Tracing back to the root, the Sincere Garden two years ago was the beginning of the entire scheme. As the head of the An Corporation, she had long fallen into their meticulously crafted trap.

Whether she was Hongying or Wei Yinxia, she was an out-and-out bad woman.

And in this seemingly flawless game of chess, An Jing herself was not innocent, nor did she deserve to be forgiven.

The only one to blame was herself, for being so blinded by so-called romantic love.

Had love ever existed?

She was no longer sure.

In the silent night, An Jing’s face rested on Wei Yinxia’s chest, listening to her heartbeat, wishing intensely that all the events of yesterday and today were just a dream.

If she could start over, she would rather never have met Hongying. Without a beginning, there would be no end.

Wei Yinxia cautiously pulled the corner of the blanket, gently stroking An Jing’s back through the cover, just as An Jing used to comfort her. She couldn’t help but recall those nights when An Jing hummed lullabies to soothe her to sleep.

They couldn’t go back.

Her clothes were ripped, and it was a little cold, but An Jing’s body was very warm. In the interweaving of ice and fire, Wei Yinxia reminisced about the countless nights they spent embracing, reminiscing about every gentle stroke of An Jing’s warm palm.

It was likely that none of that would ever happen again.

A-Jing, you said you would spoil me. A-Jing, please spoil me again, okay?

After confirming that Wei Yinxia was sound asleep, An Jing got out of bed and rummaged through the cupboard for her few remaining clean clothes to change Wei Yinxia into.

After making her decision, she crushed the sleeping pills and mixed them into the water for Wei Yinxia to drink.

After changing her clothes, An Jing held Wei Yinxia and sat by the bed for a long time.

It wasn’t until dawn when Xu Weiqiang knocked on the door: “The sky is about to brighten.”

An Jing opened the door: “Is it arranged?”

“Mhm.”

“Thank you.”

An Jing carried Wei Yinxia out of the basement. Several rickshaws were parked on the street corner.

A woman in a qipao got out of the middle rickshaw: “Boss Jing, leave the rest to me. Boss Qiang instructed me. We’ll safely take her to her destination and leave. Not a word more will be said.”

An Jing walked over: “Lixia, thank you.”

“Boss Jing has been kind to me. Hong… she is also my sister. I will not fail you.”

Lixia got back into the rickshaw. An Jing placed Wei Yinxia next to her, letting her lean on Lixia.

After gently stroking Wei Yinxia’s face one last time, An Jing took the marriage certificate out of her pocket. After looking at it repeatedly, she resolutely tore it to shreds: “Help me give these shredded pieces of paper to her.”

“Alright. Boss Jing, please take care.” Lixia took the pieces, her gaze passing over An Jing to Xu Weiqiang behind her: “Boss Qiang, until we meet again.”

Xu Weiqiang didn’t speak. He just smoked, raising his hand in a gesture to hurry up.

The rickshaws in the front and back were carrying Lu Gang brothers. The rickshaws made little noise, and going out early in the morning made them less conspicuous.

As the rickshaws slowly drove away from the street, Xu Weiqiang handed An Jing a cigarette: “What’s your plan? You abandoned the An Corporation. Don’t tell me you’re going to war with An Xi. Fighting and going to war are two different things.”

“Do you know where An Xi went?”

“…”

Xu Weiqiang’s silence provoked An Jing’s self-mockery: “In your hearts, I am ultimately just a woman inferior to men. Xu Weiqiang, stop worrying about me. Take Lixia and leave.”

“That kid An Xi is a good one, and so are you. An Jing, we never meant to look down on you.”

“Xu Weiqiang! Are you deaf?! Where An Xi and I go is none of your business! Just save your own life.”

“With a great enemy at hand, and the nation in distress, how can I only save my own life?” Xu Weiqiang didn’t take An Jing’s angry words to heart. “Now that personal grievances are more or less settled, there’s nothing left in Shanghai worth clinging to. If you truly want to find An Xi, there are ways. Alright, you’ve had an exhausting night. Get some good rest today. Tomorrow, we’ll head north.”

Upon hearing news of An Xi, An Jing stared intently into Xu Weiqiang’s eyes, trying to discern if he was telling the truth.

Xu Weiqiang smiled helplessly: “An Jing, I might keep things from you, but I won’t lie to you.”

An Jing shifted her gaze.

Now that she was displaced and alone, if she couldn’t even trust Xu Weiqiang, who else could she trust?

Heading north?

That’s right. Qi Ruyue had mentioned that the pro-foreign faction, led by Liang Xu, was accelerating its advance toward the Northeast.

To defend the Northeast, the patriotic organizations would surely send support there. If An Xi withdrew from Shanghai, he would undoubtedly rush to reinforce the Northeast without hesitation.

“Bai Yang and the others…” She wanted to ask where the bodies of the brothers were.

Xu Weiqiang’s expression darkened: “Someone will take care of it.”

When Wei Yinxia opened her eyes again, it was already the afternoon of the next day. She wasn’t in the basement, but in the concession, in the new “home” Tang Yunqing had set up for Aunt Hong.

An Jing didn’t want her anymore. An Jing was no longer her A-Jing.

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