My Queen, My Rules - 1

Gala

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Rain lashed the midsummer night in relentless torrents. Lightning ripped through layers of storm clouds, and soon, thunder rolled overhead with a deafening roar.

At the Imperial Capital Academy of Arts, warm light spilled through its medieval-style stained-glass windows. Zero Degree magazine was hosting its tenth-anniversary charity gala here tonight.

Before the banquet began, guests mingled at a pre-event talk. Some posed for photos after signing the backdrop, while others drifted through the crowd, socializing.

At an occasion like this, anyone without familiar company to chat and laugh with was bound to look out of place.

Fortunately, Ji Mingshu had never had such worries.

"Jiang Chun isn't coming tonight?"

"Guess so."

"Makes sense. She blew several million buying a pile of junk. Even if she wants to do charity now, she probably doesn't have the means."

The voices were soft, almost sweet. Anyone who wasn't listening closely might have mistaken them for sincere concern. The topic ended there. The young socialites exchanged knowing glances before smiling in perfect unison.

Standing at the center of the circle, Ji Mingshu hadn't spoken the entire time. Though she smiled along with them, it was obvious her heart wasn't in it. If anything, she looked distracted.

Sensing her mood, someone smoothly changed the subject. "Mingshu, is that the gown you flew to Paris to fit a couple of days ago? It's gorgeous."

"No. That one only has the first sample finished. This dress was ordered during last year's Autumn/Winter Haute Couture Week," Ji Mingshu replied.

Owning couture wasn't unusual among women of their circle. Most of them had a few pieces tucked away. But gowns worth millions were hardly practical enough to wear twice, and someone like Ji Mingshu casually treating one as an ordinary evening dress was pure extravagance, even for them.

The others made no effort to hide their envy. As always, they joined in with compliments.

Whether Ji Mingshu heard any of it was hard to tell. Her expression remained distant. Finally, she did them the courtesy of finishing half a glass of red wine, offered a curt "Enjoy," and left with Gu Kaiyang, the soon-to-be associate editor of Zero Degree.

The moment Ji Mingshu was gone, the socialites secretly breathed a collective sigh of relief. She had clearly been off all evening. Mocking Jiang Chun hadn't interested her, complimenting her dress earned no reaction either. Somehow, she had become impossibly difficult to please.

"Earth to Mingshu! You actually had the patience to listen to those plastic flowers buttering you up? Hurry and keep an eye on the ballroom for me. Tonight is my big night. If Shi Qing that bitch tries to pull anything, tear her apart for me!"

Gu Kaiyang wore a flawless smile as she walked toward the ballroom, nodding politely to guests she passed. The words floated from lips still curled upward, squeezed low enough that only Ji Mingshu could hear.

Ji Mingshu arched an eyebrow. Before she could answer, a sudden commotion erupted behind them, and both women turned at the same time.

Someone important had evidently just arrived. Camera shutters near the entrance erupted into frantic bursts. Reporters who had been conducting interviews immediately abandoned their current subjects and rushed toward the end of the red carpet, crowding shoulder to shoulder around the backdrop.

Squinting toward the entrance, Gu Kaiyang tried to make out the newcomer. "Looks like Su Cheng's here. Watch things on this side. I'm going over."

She reacted as quickly as she spoke, already striding away before finishing her sentence.

Ji Mingshu looked absently toward the bustling entrance. She hadn't been particularly interested, but then, through a narrow gap in the crowd, she caught sight of the figure standing beside Su Cheng. Familiar, yet strangely unfamiliar.

Her spine stiffened instantly.

As though sensing her gaze, the man beside Su Cheng looked in her direction as well. His eyes crossed the sea of people and flashing lights, carrying a trace of coolness like rain drifting through a summer night. Distant. Detached.

Fifteen minutes later, the interviews and photo session at the backdrop concluded. Guests were escorted into the banquet hall and shown to their assigned seats.

Tonight's ballroom had been designed by Ji Mingshu herself.

Light cascaded from glittering chandeliers while a live orchestra performed Mozart's Symphony No. 40 in G Minor. At the center of every table sat warm ivory-white roses flown in fresh that very morning, each bloom lush with full petals tinged by the faintest blush of pink. Waiters in waistcoats and bow ties glided gracefully through the sea of elegantly dressed guests, balancing silver trays in one hand.

Luxury at its most dazzling.

Gu Kaiyang's earlier worries had proved unnecessary. Once word spread that Ji Mingshu had personally overseen the venue's design, anyone planning to stir up trouble abandoned the idea long before the event began. Not a single mishap occurred before the group's president stepped onto the stage to deliver the opening speech.

After the president finished, it was Zero Degree's editor-in-chief, May, who took the stage.

May adored serving reheated inspirational speeches. Perhaps hoping to channel Miranda's legendary authority, she had woven a bombshell announcement about sweeping editorial changes into tonight's platitudes.

Everyone in the room was socially astute. The instant she mentioned the "new associate editor," nearly every pair of eyes instinctively turned toward Gu Kaiyang.

Gu Kaiyang rose with all the poise of a swan celebrating victory. No matter how hard she tried to appear composed, delight sparkled unmistakably in her eyes.

Others barely glanced at her before shifting their attention to Ji Mingshu seated beside her.

Su Cheng was one of them.

Now forty-two, Su Cheng possessed multiple Best Actress trophies and had married influential men three times over. Whether in film, fashion, or high society, her influence remained unquestionable.

Tilting her head slightly, she leaned toward the man beside her and teased in the tone of an elder indulging in harmless gossip. "Why aren't you sitting with Mingshu? Lovers' quarrel?"

The man lifted his eyes toward Ji Mingshu across the room. One fingertip tapped lightly against his wineglass, the rhythm perfectly matching the steady ticking of the platinum watch on his wrist.

A long moment passed without his reply. He looked as though he might be smiling, but the smile never reached his eyes.

Taking his silence as confirmation, Su Cheng lowered her voice again and began sharing a few tried-and-true pieces of advice on how to win a girl back.

He nodded, his gaze never leaving Ji Mingshu.

Two years apart hadn't changed her much. Even wearing such an icy expression, her beauty remained breathtaking enough to eclipse every dazzling starlet gathered beneath tonight's lights.

Following the banquet, the after-party took the form of a charity auction. Guests staying for the event moved into a smaller hall next door.

"Lot Number 029. A natural Tahitian black pearl and diamond necklace, generously donated by Ms. Su Cheng..."

As the auctioneer introduced the piece, Ji Mingshu had already skimmed through the entire catalog.

She gave an inward, amused scoff.

Someone was undoubtedly about to spend a fortune tonight just to win the actress a smile.

The thought had barely crossed her mind when the auctioneer announced, "Opening bid. Eight hundred thousand!"

"Eight hundred fifty thousand!"

"Nine hundred thousand!"

"One million!"

The bids climbed rapidly.

By the time bidding reached three million, quite a few guests had begun glancing toward the row behind Ji Mingshu. Some even started whispering despite the formal setting.

Ji Mingshu didn't move.

She didn't need to turn around to picture the composed ease with which that man kept raising his paddle.

"Five million. We are now at five million."

"Five million, going once. Going twice. Going three times!"

Bang.

The auctioneer's hammer struck with a heavy thud.

"Five million... for that necklace? Who is that man?"

A young actress attending her first high-profile gala couldn't help whispering to the agent beside her. Even she could tell the final price was outrageously inflated.

"Cen Sen..." the agent murmured thoughtfully. "I thought he was abroad. When did he get back?"

The girl was new to this world, dazzled by everything she saw. Catching the name, she asked eagerly, "His name is Cen Sen? Is he really that important?"

This young actress still had a long way to go to mingle with someone of Cen Sen's stature; tonight was just to show her how things worked. Too lazy to explain, the agent simply lowered her head and began furiously tapping messages beneath the table, passing the news to several more established actresses she represented.

She wasn't the only one.

All across the room, quiet messages spread from phone to phone.

The heir of the Jingjian Cen family had spent the past two years expanding the company's overseas business in Australia, never once appearing publicly in China. His sudden arrival tonight, coupled with such unusually high-profile behavior, could only mean one thing.

The years-long internal struggle within Jingjian had finally come to an end.

If nothing unexpected happened, after tonight, another towering figure would dominate every conversation among the capital's elite.

In truth, attending this charity gala had never been part of Cen Sen's plans.

But he had always been meticulous.

Asked at the last minute to accompany Su Cheng, he displayed the same patience he'd once shown while attending endless social functions with his elders. He even purchased the pearl necklace Su Cheng had donated, a piece she claimed had been one of her dearest possessions.

At small charity auctions hosted by fashion magazines, people were really just bidding to show goodwill. By pushing the price so high, Cen Sen had given Su Cheng every possible courtesy and prestige.

Smiling warmly, Su Cheng said, "When Old Pei has some free time, you and Mingshu should come over for dinner."

That was her acceptance.

As the auction concluded, countless eyes drifted toward Cen Sen.

Still seated in the shadows, he loosened the Windsor knot at his collar, crossed one leg over the other, and leaned back in his chair.

There had been too many guests tonight. Since he and Su Cheng had also arrived late, many people hadn't even realized he was present.

Now that they did, those who recognized him naturally approached to greet him, while those who didn't quickly invented reasons to introduce themselves.

Ji Mingshu remained rooted in her seat, her eyes fixed on the now-empty stage. Her expression was cold enough to freeze the air.

Watching her, Gu Kaiyang felt a chill run down her spine. The excitement of defeating her workplace rival and earning a promotion had completely evaporated the moment Cen Sen repeatedly bid on Su Cheng's necklace.

She leaned closer and whispered, "When did your husband get back? Did you two have a fight?"

"No."

Ji Mingshu answered only the second question. As for the first, she didn't know the answer herself.

After an unknown stretch of time, a pair of black leather shoes slowly entered her field of vision.

The style was instantly familiar.

So was the distinctive way their owner tied the laces.

The moment her eyes landed on them, she knew exactly who they belonged to.

"Mingshu. Let's go home."

His voice was calm and ordinary, spoken as naturally as if they were a perfectly normal married couple who saw each other every day.

"I drove here... I really..." Gu Kaiyang stumbled as Ji Mingshu quietly tugged her toward the exit. Teetering atop ten-centimeter stilettos, she nearly lost her balance. "You two are going home together, why are you dragging me along? I don't need a ride..."

"You do."

Ji Mingshu shot her a cold look that silenced every remaining word.

Outside the academy, the rain had finally stopped.

The night was thick with shadow. Darkness blanketed the night. The breeze carried equal measures of coolness and lingering summer humidity.

The chauffeur respectfully opened the front passenger door.

Seeing that Cen Sen made no move to take the seat, Ji Mingshu instinctively stepped forward.

Before she could, Cen Sen casually lifted a hand to stop her, then cast an almost imperceptible glance at Gu Kaiyang.

Gu Kaiyang gave a start. Without a word, she hurried forward in tiny steps and climbed into the front passenger seat, generously leaving the spacious back row for the married couple.

"Xinggang International, please. Thank you."

After giving the driver her destination, Gu Kaiyang secretly peeked at the back seat through the rearview mirror.

The two sat staring straight ahead without acknowledging one another.

The gap between them was wide enough to fit a three-hundred-pound man.

The Bentley merged onto the main road.

Three full minutes passed in absolute silence. Gu Kaiyang felt that if things stayed this quiet much longer, all four people in the car might suffocate.

She was just about to force a conversation when the big boss himself suddenly spoke.

"Congratulations on your promotion, Miss Gu."

Running purely on instinct, Gu Kaiyang laughed awkwardly. "Thank you. Thank you." Then, slipping into polite business flattery, she added, "It's been a while, President Cen. You were an absolute alpha tonight."

Ji Mingshu rolled her eyes at her in the rearview mirror.

"Alpha?" Cen Sen repeated, unfamiliar with the latest slang.

Before Gu Kaiyang could explain, Ji Mingshu answered smoothly, "Or beta. Whichever suits you."

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