My Queen, My Rules - 1

Gala

---

A summer storm lashed the city. Lightning ripped through the layers of clouds, followed instantly by the crash of thunder.

At the Capital Fine Arts Academy, light from within glowed softly through its medieval-style stained-glass windows. Zero Degree magazine was hosting its tenth-anniversary charity gala here tonight.

A reception preceded the main event. Guests posed and signed their names against the backdrop, or mingled in small clusters. At affairs like this, if you weren't part of a group, laughing at some inside joke, you risked looking awkward. Out of place.

Ji Mingshu, however, never had such worries.

"Is Jiang Chun skipping tonight?"

“Guess so.” 

"Right. She just dropped a few million on a pile of junk. Even if she wanted to be charitable right now, she's a bit... tied up."

The voices were soft, sweet almost. If you weren't listening closely, you might mistake it for genuine concern. The topic was delicate, handled with care. The young heiresses exchanged glances and, as if on cue, shared a private smile.

Ji Mingshu, the center of this constellation, hadn't said a word. She offered a small smile along with the rest, but it was clear her interest was elsewhere. She was distracted.

Seeing this, someone smoothly pivoted. "Mingshu, is that the dress you went to Paris for last week? It's stunning."

"No. That one was just a first sample. This is from the Autumn/Winter couture show last year." Ji Mingshu's reply was automatic.

They'd all done couture; having a few pieces wasn't unusual. But with prices for a single gown hitting seven figures, and you weren't supposed to be seen in them more than once, wearing one to a standard gala like this was pure extravagant, even for them.

None of them bothered to hide their envy. As always, they echoed the compliments. 

Ji Mingshu seemed to take it in stride. 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, Zero Degree's soon-to-be-appointed deputy editor-in-chief.

The moment she was gone, the small group exhaled in relief. Ji Mingshu had been impossible tonight. Uninterested in gossip about Jiang Chun, unmoved by praises for her dress. What did it take to please her?

"Earth to Mingshu! Stop letting those plastic flowers practice their flattery on you. I need you to keep an eye on the main hall. Tonight is my big night. If that bitch Shi Qing tries anything, I'm counting on you to tear her apart."

Gu Kaiyang smiled broadly as they walked, nodding and greeting guests. The words were forced through her cheerful expression, squeezed flat and low.

Ji Mingshu raised an eyebrow, about to respond, when a stir behind them made them both turn.

Someone major had arrived. The rapid click of camera shutters intensified at the entrance. Reporters abandoned their current subjects and surged toward the branding board at the end of the red carpet, jostling for position.

Gu Kaiyang squinted. "I think that's Su Cheng. You hold the fort, I'm going over."

Always quick on her feet, she was already moving before she'd finished speaking.

Ji Mingshu watched the distant crowd, indifferent at first. But then, through a gap, she caught a glimpse of a figure beside Su Cheng, familiar and foreign all at once. Her spine went rigid.

As if sensing her gaze, the figure by Su Cheng's side looked up. His eyes found hers through the crush of people and the strobing camera lights, carrying with them the damp chill of the rainy night. Cold. Distant.

Fifteen minutes later, the red-carpet photos and interviews concluded. Guests were ushered into the main hall and directed to their pre-assigned seats.

The evening's décor was Ji Mingshu's design.

Light cascaded inside. A live band played Mozart's Symphony No. 40 in G minor. At the center of each table sat a vase of warm white roses, flown in that morning, their petals full and edged with a soft, blushing pink. Waiters in vests and bow ties moved through the perfumed, glittering crowd, trays balanced on one hand.

The gilded spectacle of it all.

Gu Kaiyang's earlier worries proved unnecessary. Anyone who might have considered causing trouble had abandoned the idea the moment they learned Ji Mingshu was handling the venue. The evening proceeded without a hitch, right up until the group's president took the stage.

After the president, it was May's turn. May, Zero Degree's Editor-in-Chief, loved recycled inspirational speeches. Tonight, perhaps aiming for a Miranda Priestley level of aura, she'd woven a bombshell about a major internal shake-up into her platitudes.

Everyone in the room was socially astute. The moment she said "new Deputy Editor-in-Chief," all eyes instinctively went to Gu Kaiyang.

Gu Kaiyang rose with a graceful, triumphant air, like a little white swan. She couldn't quite hide the joy in her eyes.

A few people, like Su Cheng, glanced at her, then let their gaze drift to Ji Mingshu, seated beside her.

Su Cheng was forty-two, a multiple Best Actress winner, three times married to powerful men. Her influence in entertainment, fashion, and high society was immense.

She leaned slightly toward the man next to her, her tone that of an elder teasing a younger couple. "What's this? Not sitting with Mingshu? Trouble in paradise?"

The man looked up, his gaze settling on Ji Mingshu in the distance. His fingers tapped lightly against his wine glass, the rhythm perfectly in sync with the second hand of the platinum watch on his wrist.

A long moment passed without a reply. He might have been smiling, but it didn't reach his eyes.

Su Cheng took his silence for confirmation and leaned in again, offering advice on how to win a girl back.

He nodded, his eyes never leaving Ji Mingshu.

Two years. And she was still the same. Even with that cold expression, her face was luminous, unmatched. She could hold her own against any starlet in the room.

The after-party was a charity auction, held in a smaller adjacent hall.

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

The auctioneer began his spiel, but Ji Mingshu had already scanned the catalog. She scoffed to herself. Someone's about to spend a fortune to buy the actress a smile.

The thought had barely formed when the auctioneer announced, "Starting bid, eight hundred thousand!”

"Eight hundred and fifty!"

"Nine hundred!"

"One million!"

The price climbed rapidly.

When the bidding hit three million, heads turned toward the area just behind and to Ji Mingshu's right. Whispers, inappropriate for the setting, began to surface.

Ji Mingshu didn't turn. She didn't need to. Already picturing the man calmly raising his paddle again and again.

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

"Five million one, five million two, five million three!"

The gavel came down with a dull thud.

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

A young starlet, new to the scene and seated at the periphery, sensed the absurdity of the price and whispered to her agent.

"Cen Sen..." the agent murmured, lost in thought. "I thought he was still abroad. When did he get back?"

The girl was new to this world, drinking everything in. She seized on the name. "Cen Sen? Is he a big deal?"

This newcomer still had long way to go to mingle with someone of Cen Sen's stature; tonight was just to show her how things worked. The agent couldn't be bothered to explain. She just hunched over, thumbs flying across her phone under the table, texting the news to her more established clients.

She wasn't the only one.

The heir to the Jingjian Cen empire had been away for two years, developing the overseas market in Australia. His unexpected appearance tonight, coupled with this uncharacteristically high-profile move, sent a clear signal: The years-long internal strife within Jingjian was over.

Barring any surprises, from tonight onward, the capital would have another talked-about figure to dissect.

In truth, this charity event hadn't been on Cen Sen's agenda. But he was meticulous. Having agreed last minute to accompany Su Cheng as a favor, he'd put on the patient honed through his family and bid on the necklace Su Cheng claimed was a treasured possession.

These small auctions hosted by fashion magazines were all about the gesture. Cen Sen's aggressive bidding had done exactly that for Su Cheng.

Su Cheng smiled, gracious. "Old Pei and I would love to have you and Mingshu over for dinner sometime soon."

This was her acceptance.

As the auction wound down, most eyes were on Cen Sen. He remained in the shadows, loosening his Windsor knot, legs crossed, leaning back.

He and Su Cheng had arrived late; many guests hadn't known he was there. Now they did. Acquaintances approached to chat; strangers invented reasons to make themselves seen.

Ji Mingshu stayed still in her seat, staring at the empty display stage, her expression icy.

Gu Kaiyang watched, unnerved. The thrill of defeating a rival and securing her promotion had evaporated the moment Cen Sen started bidding. She whispered, "When did your husband get back? Did you guys fight?"

"No."

Ji Mingshu answered only the second question. She didn't have an answer for the first.

After what felt like an eternity, a pair of black shoes entered her field of vision.

The style was familiar, the lacing unique. The moment she saw them, she knew exactly who they belonged to.

"Mingshu, let's go home.”

His voice was even. Casual. Ordinary. It almost made her believe they were a normal couple who saw each other every day.

"I drove, I can just—" Gu Kaiyang, wobbling on ten-centimeter stilettos as Ji Mingshu tugged her insistently toward the door, protested. "You two go home, why drag me along? I don't need a ride…”

"Yes, you do."

Ji Mingshu's cold glare choked the rest of her words in her throat.

Outside the hall, the sudden storm had passed. The night was thick and dark. The wind carried both a chill and the damp heat of summer.

The chauffeur respectfully opened the passenger door.

Cen Sen made no move toward it. Ji Mingshu instinctively stepped forward, but he raised a hand, stopping her. His gaze shifted pointedly to Gu Kaiyang.

Gu Kaiyang gave a start, scurrying forward and, with impressive self-awareness, slid into the passenger seat, leaving the spacious backseat for the young couple.

"Uh, just drop me at Xinggang International, thanks."

She gave the driver her address, then stole a glance at the estranged couple in the rearview mirror.

Both staring straight ahead. Ignoring each other. You could fit a two-hundred-pound man in the space between them.

The Bentley merged onto the main road. A full three minutes passed in dead silence. Gu Kaiyang felt like if it went on much longer, all four of them might suffocate.

Just as she was scrambling for a conversation topic to break the quiet, the big boss himself spoke. "Ms. Gu, congratulations on the promotion."

Gu Kaiyang gave a reflexive, dry laugh. "Thanks, thanks." Then added the obligatory professional reciprocity. "It's been a while, President Cen. You were an absolute alpha tonight."

Ji Mingshu shot her rolled eyes via the rearview mirror.

"Alpha?" Cen Sen was unfamiliar with the slang.

Before Gu Kaiyang could explain, Ji Mingshu answered smoothly. "Or, you know, beta. Whatever works for you."

---

← Previous | Table of Contents | Next →

0