My Queen, My Rules - 17
Gathering
As lunchtime approached, Cen Sen had Zhou Jiaheng reserve a nearby restaurant.
Ji Mingshu wasn't particularly keen on going. Every time she ate out with Cen Sen, she miserably lost her appetite.
Not because he talked too much. Quite the opposite.
He never spoke while eating, and although he appeared leisurely and composed, he actually finished his meal remarkably fast.
Then he'd simply sit across from her, quietly watching. Every so often he'd glance at his watch, making her feel like she was back in school with an invigilator standing over her shoulder saying, "Just write anything and hand it in. Five minutes left. Three minutes left. One minute left."
Who could possibly eat under that kind of pressure?
But after making such an embarrassing scene and accepting his bracelet as a peace offering, she couldn't very well reject her bargain-bin husband's invitation, so she put on a perfectly cheerful smile and agreed.
Cen Sen still had a little work to finish, and for once Ji Mingshu was surprisingly understanding. "Go ahead. It's fine. I'll just wander around this floor."
"Then have Zhou Jiaheng accompany you," Cen Sen replied. "If you need anything, tell him."
Ji Mingshu flashed him an "OK" sign, her gaze drifted past him toward his desk.
The divorce agreement she'd thrown at his head was still lying there peacefully.
She strolled over first, casually slipped it behind her back, and quietly whisked it away before leaving the office.
Thankfully, when she'd hurled it at him, Cen Sen hadn't actually looked at the contents. She hadn't studied law, but even she could tell the divorce agreement she'd downloaded online was laughably unprofessional and painfully pathetic. If he'd actually read it, he'd probably have found ten different ways to mock her.
Across from Cen Sen's office was the executive assistant department. Two walls were solid, while the other two were enclosed in curved glass, giving the entire office an open design. Every workstation inside faced directly toward the president's office.
The moment Ji Mingshu stepped out, all the assistants noticed her at once. As though they'd rehearsed it beforehand, they rose together and politely nodded.
Ji Mingshu paused slightly, turning to Zhou Jiaheng. "Are these all President Cen's assistants?"
She silently counted. Nine. Including Zhou Jiaheng, that made ten assistants.
Did one person really need ten assistants? Was he incapable of taking care of himself?
"Yes." Leading her inside, Zhou Jiaheng introduced them one by one.
"These two are President Cen's translation assistants. Assistant Luo speaks four languages fluently, and Assistant Wang graduated from the Institute of Advanced Translation. Assistant Li mainly coordinates with the group's overseas divisions, while Assistant Huang handles communication between President Cen, the group's internal departments, and Jingjian..."
"..."
"That's... an impressively detailed division of labor."
Ji Mingshu had never worked a day in her life and barely understood any of the responsibilities he was describing. By the end she felt completely dizzy, but she still nodded knowingly and offered her dignified conclusion.
Then she smiled politely. "Don't mind me. Everyone... thank you for your hard work."
The assistants immediately bowed in perfect unison.
Ji Mingshu nearly expected them to shout, "We live to serve the president!” and instinctively took half a step backward.
Come to think of it, although she'd visited plenty of Junyi's hotels as Mrs. Cen, this was actually her first time setting foot inside headquarters.
By the time lunchtime arrived, she and Cen Sen walked out of the building arm in arm like the picture of a loving couple, all under the watchful eyes of the employees.
Meanwhile, gossip spread through the company at record speed.
"The president's wife is kind of gorgeous."
"Kind of??? I object to your choice of wording!"
"The observant me noticed she came downstairs wearing a diamond bracelet she definitely didn't have earlier. Hehe."
"? Sis, you're terrifying."
"Sis, with eyesight like yours, want to transfer to housekeeping? We could use someone that detail-oriented."
"Conclusion: The married couple is deeply in love."
While Ji Mingshu and Cen Sen's plastic marriage appeared perfectly repaired, Zhang Baoshu found herself in very real trouble over the publicity stunt.
"Please believe me. It really was just a misunderstanding. I don't know why it suddenly..."
Zhang Qi cut her off impatiently. "Quit pretending with me. Can’t you weigh your own damn worth? You actually thought you could play me? Listen carefully. If you dare show your face in front of me again, I'll make sure you regret it."
"I..."
Before she could say another word, Zhang Qi hung up.
Still clutching her phone, Zhang Baoshu sat trembling on the sofa, her face drained of color.
At first, it had only been a moment of temptation.
She'd wanted to use her connection with Zhang Qi to build herself an image as a low-key rich beauty whose boyfriend had an extraordinarily powerful background.
There were celebrity rumors everywhere these days. She'd figured that given their fleeting intimacy, Zhang Qi wouldn't bother confronting her over one ambiguously worded entertainment article.
What she hadn't expected was that on the night of that business dinner, reporters had happened to receive inside information about another actress who was supposed to appear at the club. They'd waited for hours without catching sight of their intended target, but they had accidentally photographed her with Cen Sen instead.
An idea struck her.
She simply had the reporter swap Zhang Qi's photo for Cen Sen's while leaving the article and video unchanged.
This way, she could quietly fuel the speculation herself, encouraging online sleuths to "discover" that the mysterious man wasn't Zhang Qi at all but the heir to Jingjian, someone with an even more influential background.
She'd assumed that even if Cen Sen came looking for trouble, she could simply feign ignorance, blame the reporter's mistake, and insist she'd really been involved with Zhang Qi.
Instead, Cen Sen hadn't bothered confronting her at all. He'd simply cut off cooperation between Junyi and Zhang Qi's company. Which naturally left Zhang Qi furious enough to come after her instead.
Her mind went completely blank. She was lost and terrified.
***
At noon, the French restaurant near the CBD was nearly empty. Gentle music floated through the air as waiters moved soundlessly between the tables.
That day's main course was roasted French veal with sautéed mushrooms. After the waiter left, Ji Mingshu returned to the question she'd asked earlier.
"So why were you smiling at her?"
She'd been distracted back in the office and forgotten about it. But now, halfway through lunch, she'd suddenly remembered the rare smile on Cen Sen's face in those photos.
It was just so strange. In front of his own wife, he wore that same indifferent expression, never even offering a tender smile after they finished sleeping together.
Yet somehow he'd smiled quite happily in front of some three-hundred-and-eightieth-tier actress.
The more she thought about it, the less appetite she had. After wrestling with it for a while, she finally asked.
Swirling the red wine in his glass, Cen Sen looked at her steadily. "I wasn't smiling at her."
Oh? Then were you smiling at a fairy?
Typical Dog Man. He gave half an answer, then calmly resumed eating without the slightest intention of explaining further. Thoroughly confused, Ji Mingshu couldn't help pulling out the secretly saved photo again.
In the photo where he was smiling, Cen Sen's gaze seemed directed slightly downward.
She quietly traced the direction with her finger until it landed...on Zhang Baoshu's handbag.
That bag...
If even someone like Cen Sen, who barely noticed women's fashion, recognized it immediately, how could Ji Mingshu, who'd steeped in luxury brands since childhood, possibly miss it?
In an instant, she remembered the glorious moment she'd pulled the exact same bag over Cen Sen's head, beaten him mercilessly with it, and loudly declared she was going to kill the shameless pervert.
After a long silence, she calmly put away her phone, picked up her knife and fork again, and said as though absolutely nothing had happened,
"This restaurant is pretty authentic. The steak's excellent."
Cen Sen merely glanced at her without commenting.
As always, the meal became another agonizing reenactment of sitting an exam while the invigilator silently urged everyone to hand in their papers.
Just as Ji Mingshu was about to tell him to gouge out his own eyes instead of watching her eat, Cen Sen suddenly asked, "In a couple of days Jiang Che and Zhao Yang will be back in the capital. We're getting together at Heyong Club. Are you coming?"
She looked up. "What should I?"
"Suit yourself."
"..."
"Is that how you invite someone? If you don't want me there, don't ask. You don't want me to go, do you? Fine. Now I'm definitely going."
Her temper flared a little.
Cen Sen rubbed his brow again, once more feeling there was an enormous communication barrier between himself and his wife whose brain seemed to short-circuit at the strangest moments.
He said nothing further, simply stating, "I'll have someone pick you up when the time comes."
Jiang Che, Zhao Yang, Shu Yang, and the others were boys from the same family compound who had grown up alongside Cen Sen. After Cen Sen returned to Nanqiao Hutong, they gradually became friends, attended school together, and had remained close for nearly twenty years.
Ji Mingshu naturally knew them too. But having spent her childhood leading the campaign to ostracize Cen Sen, she naturally harbored no goodwill toward the company he kept either. Whenever she met them at school, they received the same treatment. A dismissive snort, an eye roll, and the loud pop of a chewing gum bubble.
Of course, this animosity existed solely on Ji Mingshu’s side. The boys were all older and regarded her as nothing more than a spoiled younger sister, occasionally teasing her for amusement.
So when news suddenly broke that she and Cen Sen were getting married, the entire group had been shocked.
They admired Cen Sen's courage, or death wish, and the depth of his pockets, bold enough to marry the little lady. Some even felt a trace of sympathy for him.
Inside the ‘Dream of Nanke’ private room at Heyong Club, a warm square lantern cast soft light behind an ornate folding screen. Jiang Che lit a cigarette, its crimson ember glowing faintly in the dimness.
After lighting it, he pushed the cigarette case toward Cen Sen.
Cen Sen declined.
Zhao Yang looked every bit the respectable doctor these days and no longer smoked either.
Only Shu Yang jerked his chin toward his newest girlfriend, silently telling her to fetch one for him.
Among the group, Zhao Yang and Shu Yang were always the rowdier ones.
Especially Shu Yang. Whenever he went out, he usually hired hostesses to liven things up. Today, though, hearing Ji Mingshu was coming, he hadn't dared invite any questionable company.
Otherwise, Young Miss Ji would probably have thrown wine in his face again, accused him of lowering her social standards, and declared he wasn't worthy of sharing the character "Shu" with her.
Cen Sen preferred quiet gatherings and never enjoyed noisy entertainment. Most of his conversations naturally happened with Jiang Che.
The two also shared several financial investments, so whenever they met, work inevitably became the topic.
The four of them sat around the card table, casually playing poker while chatting.
Every time Cen Sen and Jiang Che opened their mouths, financial terminology started flying.
Shu Yang looked increasingly annoyed.
"Seriously, you two. We finally get together and you're still talking about investments?"
"Especially you, Sen-ge. You make all that money only for Ji Mingshu to spend it anyway. Let me tell you, she'll spend every last cent you've got without feeling the slightest bit guilty. You think she’s the type to be thrifty and manage the household, building some generational fortune? Stop working so hard. Life’s short, treat yourself a little, will you?”
Checking the time, Zhao Yang casually asked, "Sen-ge, why isn't your wife here yet?"
Before Cen Sen could answer, Shu Yang beat him to it. "Do you even need to ask? Young Miss Ji needs at least three to five hours just to finish getting ready."
Zhao Yang and Jiang Che both chuckled softly, silently agreeing with his answer.
A little tipsy from the alcohol, Shu Yang became even more talkative. "Sen-ge, do you know what this is called? Earning the most money just to raise the world's most expensive Golden Canary!"
"I'm much more economical. No need to earn that much. A pretty little decorative bird is still a bird, right? Ordinary is fine. I can switch girlfriends every day and never repeat one for years!"
The more he talked, the prouder he became, words pouring out nonstop.
Holding a hand of cards, Cen Sen happened to catch sight of a pair of glittering high heels behind the folding screen. He slowly looked up at Shu Yang.
Jiang Che also flicked ash from his cigarette, coughed softly, and lifted his whiskey over ice.
Unfortunately, Shu Yang completely missed both warnings. Instead, he marched happily toward every landmine waiting for him.
"Oh, right, Sen-ge. Li Wenyin's finished her studies. She'll probably be back in the country soon. Did you know?"
If Jiang Che's previous cough had been fake. This one was very real.
Even Zhao Yang had already sensed the deadly shift in the atmosphere.
"If you ask me, Li Wenyin's really beautiful. She's got that artistic vibe too. And people in the arts aren't obsessed with luxury."
Halfway through his speech, something suddenly felt terribly wrong. Every hair on the back of his neck had stood up without warning.
After a two-second pause, his voice abruptly shot up an octave. "BUT! A man earns money for his woman to spend! Just look at Sen-ge. I truly envy Sen-ge! Having a woman with such exquisite taste to help him spend his money!”
“Xiao Shu has such great taste, such a great figure, such profound beauty! Tell me, can you find another woman like her anywhere in the entire capital? Absolutely one of a kind! Taking her anywhere is the ultimate status symbol! Isn’t that the very value of a man’s existence? Say, how did Sen-ge get so lucky to marry such a fairy-like wife?!"
---
Author's Note:
Little Canary Baby: secretly watching.jpg
Shu Yang: Survival instinct unlocked. Quick thinking saves lives. :)
---
Comments
Post a Comment