My Queen, My Rules - 48
Tailing
At his question, Ji Mingshu looked up on instinct.
The man was tall, around six foot one, about the same height and age as Cen Sen. He wore one of Chris Chou's new Fall/Winter suits released that June, impeccably tailored to his frame. His presence was refined and unassuming, with gentle features and strikingly handsome looks.
But she didn't know him. She'd never even seen him before.
Trying to appear casual, she shot Jiang Chun a quick glance. To her surprise, Jiang Chun had turned to look at her at the exact same moment, her face a perfect picture of innocent confusion.
Ji Mingshu: "..."
So Little Earth Goose didn't know him either.
She'd assumed he was some new face who had recently entered their social circle and wanted to get acquainted. Apparently not.
Not one for guessing games, she got straight to the point. "Hello. Do we know each other?"
The man gazed at her for a long moment, the smile on his lips deepening. His voice was as clear as polished jade. "Xiao Shu, you're exactly the same as you were when you were little."
The words when you were little landed like the key to a forgotten treasure chest. Without warning, faded childhood memories drifted to the surface. She stared at him blankly as the confusion slowly left her eyes. The man's features seemed to blur and shrink, overlapping seamlessly with the hazy face preserved in her memories.
Even so, uncertainty lingered in her voice. "Cen... Cen Yang-gege?"
The man laughed again and gave a straightforward, confirming nod. Then, teasingly, he said, "I'm honored that Young Miss Ji hasn't been so busy with life that she's forgotten both my face and my name."
Whether she was simply too shocked or just slow to process it, Ji Mingshu couldn't find a single word to say for a long moment.
Jiang Chun wasn't stupid either. The moment she heard the surname Cen, every alarm bell in her head went off.
A member of the Cen family? Judging by his age... was he Cen Sen's brother? But if they were brothers, how had Ji Mingshu gone so many years without seeing him that she'd almost failed to recognize him?
In the span of a few seconds, Jiang Chun had already invented an entire melodrama involving brothers at war over a wealthy family's inheritance. She nudged Ji Mingshu and whispered in her ear, "Who is he? He's pretty handsome. Is he Cen Sen's cousin... or some secret half-brother?"
That shove finally snapped Ji Mingshu back to reality.
But once she recovered, the only thing she felt was lingering shock. Almost instinctively, she turned to look toward where Cen Sen had been sitting.
Unfortunately, just as the show ended, the grand piano staircase had begun retracting while the old steamship runway slowly rotated. In those few fleeting seconds, the rotating set happened to slide perfectly between the showroom and the seating area, blocking the line of sight.
Ji Mingshu wasn't even sure what she was thinking. Cen Yang chose that moment to glance at his watch and suddenly said, "Sorry, Xiao Shu. I still have something to take care of today, so I can't stay and chat. How about I treat you to afternoon tea in a few days? We can have a proper catch-up then."
He pulled out his phone, opened his QR code, and held it out to her. "Here's my WeChat. Add me."
"Oh... okay."
Before she could even process it, Ji Mingshu mechanically took out her own phone and added him.
Right in front of her, Cen Yang changed her contact name to "Xiao Shu", then waved his phone with a smile. "I only registered WeChat after coming back to China recently. You're my third friend."
Without waiting for her reply, he pocketed his phone. "Alright, I should get going. I'll be in touch."
Long after Cen Yang had disappeared from view, Ji Mingshu still felt as if she were in a dream, unable to fully grasp the reality.
A living, breathing person who had vanished without a trace when they were children had suddenly reappeared nearly twenty years later. It felt surreal.
Standing beside her, Jiang Chun stared after Cen Yang's retreating figure for a while before fixing Ji Mingshu with a stern look. "Out with it. Did you two have some childhood romance or something? The second you saw this Cen Yang-gege, you looked like your soul had been dragged away by the Grim Reapers. Don't tell me the fight between you and Cen Sen has something to do with this childhood sweetheart stirring up trouble. Seriously though, how come you've never mentioned this person before?"
Before Ji Mingshu could get a word in, Jiang Chun released her arm and muttered under her breath, "Ji-shi Shushu, you've changed. You're keeping secrets from me now!"
Ji Mingshu looked at her with an expression that screamed, ‘Have aliens flattened your brain into two dimensions?’, perfectly conveying just how impossible it was to put her feelings into words.
Meanwhile, Cen Sen was still sitting where he had been. Before he could even get a clear look at the man Ji Mingshu had bumped into, the rotating runway had already blocked his view.
After calmly finishing his instructions to Zhou Jiaheng, he stood and walked toward Ji Mingshu.
But the post-show venue was chaotic. By the time he reached where she'd been standing, she was already gone. There wasn't a trace of her anywhere nearby.
About fifteen minutes later, Zhou Jiaheng sent him an update from inside the showroom. "Madam and Miss Jiang Chun are trying on clothes. Besides the outfits you mentioned earlier, Madam also seems to like the white dress the opening model wore."
"Buy it."
Zhou Jiaheng answered with a respectful, "Yes, President Cen," and hadn't mentioned any man being present.
Cen Sen, therefore, didn't ask further.
***
Chris Chou's Spring collection had opened with tremendous fanfare and concluded to a chorus of amazement.
For days afterward, both entertainment outlets and fashion media continued discussing the show.
Entertainment coverage focused largely on the celebrities in attendance. Their outfits, hairstyles, makeup, seating arrangements, photo pairings, and even the eternal mystery of celebrity best friends somehow being different heights whenever they stood together became endless sources of extensive analysis.
Fashion publications, meanwhile, approached the event from a more professional perspective. They analyzed the significance of Chris Chou staging a runway show in China, examined the strengths and weaknesses of the season's three collections, compared this collection with his previous work, and debated which elements represented continuity and which were bold departures. Naturally, the show's venue design was also one of the hottest topics.
One of the magazine features by Gu Kaiyang's publication wrote, "Just as December ushered in the first days of winter, Chris Chou unveiled next year's Spring Ready-to-Wear Collection at Junyi Huazhang in the capital..."
"Chris Chou once again collaborated with interior designer Ji Mingshu to create the ‘Golden Splendor’ immersive runway experience, accompanied by an installation artwork of the same name designed to heighten every sensory experience. The piano staircase, mirrored reflections, and surrounding corridors transported guests back to old Shanghai, while the rotating steamship runway provided an unforgettable finishing touch."
"From the runway itself to the collection on display, this season has broken beyond Chris Chou's signature aesthetic. Through the seamless fusion of modern minimalist art and traditional Chinese influences, Chris Chou and his interior design partner have delivered a truly flawless masterpiece."
The final two minutes of Chris Chou's closing speech had all but pushed Ji Mingshu into the spotlight, dramatically elevating both her reputation and prestige within the interior design industry.
Just as had happened after Zero Degrees, countless fashion magazines and media outlets instinctively began digging deeper into this interior designer's background. After all that research, however, they discovered she had almost no other notable works.
Though that hardly mattered. They simply praised her educational background and repeatedly highlighted the fact that she was Chris Chou's preferred collaborator. The braver publications, knowing she was one of the country's most elite socialites, even outright bestowed upon her the title of "socialite designer."
For a while, compliments poured in from every direction.
Back when Ji Mingshu did absolutely nothing, people already praised her daily for being beautiful, kind, and impeccably stylish. Now that she'd actually accomplished something meaningful, the compliments exploded in every conceivable dimension.
She couldn't even keep up with reading them all. After Chris Chou left, she collapsed face-first onto her bed and spent two full days living like a beached seal, while her brain replayed the same barrage of thoughts at double speed.
Does Cen-shi Sensen have even a shred of conscience left? When is he finally going to beg this precious baby to come home? Will the tiny bit of money I earned from this job even last until then? Am I going to have to wait until I die?! Waaah... working is way too exhausting! This Little Canary Baby has suffered far too much! tvt!
Just as Ji Mingshu was refusing to even roll over in her complete couch potato state, Cen Yang, whom she'd encountered at the show, sent her a message. One of his friends had bought a traditional courtyard house in Xijing No. 3 and hoped to find someone to handle the interior design.
Without thinking, Ji Mingshu immediately replied, "No thanks, no thanks."
After sending it, she felt embarrassed to admit she was exhausted and simply didn't feel like working. So she explained tactfully, "Traditional Chinese interiors really aren't my specialty, and after finishing the show I feel like I've completely run out of inspiration. But I know an excellent designer who specializes in that style. I can recommend them to you."
Cen Yang readily agreed. She scrolled through her contacts, found the business card of another designer she'd met while filming a program, and forwarded it to him.
Not long afterward, Cen Yang asked if she had time to meet for afternoon tea or dinner. After so many years apart, he wanted to catch up.
She had just turned down one design job, so refusing another request immediately afterward felt awkward. Besides, she couldn't think of any real reason to reject him. While she no longer remembered much about their childhood, one thing had remained clear, Cen Yang had always been very good to her.
After only a moment's hesitation, she replied with a simple, "Okay."
The days she spent lazily doing nothing blurred together so completely that she barely noticed time passing. It wasn't until their meeting was almost upon her that she realized the dinner Cen Yang had invited her to was on Christmas Eve.
Soft, ethereal music drifted through the French restaurant. Warm amber lighting bathed the crystal tableware, and every cup, chair, and carefully arranged detail radiated unmistakable Gallic elegance.
Led by a waiter toward Cen Yang's reserved table, Ji Mingshu noticed that nearly every guest around them was a young couple celebrating the holiday together.
From across the room, Cen Yang lifted a hand in greeting, then stood and pulled out her chair for her.
Ji Mingshu sat down, feeling slightly awkward.
Cen Yang returned to his seat opposite her, poured her a little red wine, and smiled. "Feeling a little uncomfortable? Honestly... so am I."
After pouring the wine, he gently slid the glass toward her and continued, "Sorry, Xiao Shu. I didn't think this through. It seems everyone who comes out for a fancy dinner tonight is on a date."
At his frankness, Ji Mingshu felt it would be petty to press further. She took a small sip of wine and shrugged lightly. "It's okay. I haven't had French food in a long time anyway."
Cen Yang nodded, and together they ordered dinner.
It turned out that reconnecting with someone who had once been so familiar was surprisingly effortless. Their conversation naturally drifted from the menu to the first time they had ever eaten French cuisine together as children.
Back then they had both been tiny and hopelessly clueless. Ji Mingshu, playing the grown-up, had proudly stretched out her little arms to cut her steak. Somehow, with a “splat,” she sent a piece of steak flying squarely onto Cen Yang's face. He hadn't gotten upset with the little troublemaker at all. Instead, with all the responsibility of an older brother, he'd calmly cut up his own steak and swapped plates with her.
Those memories had been buried for so long that Ji Mingshu almost never thought of them anymore. But once Cen Yang brought them up, they gradually resurfaced one after another. The more she remembered, the more hilariously embarrassing her younger self seemed. Refusing to lose the exchange, she dug up a few amusing stories from Cen Yang's childhood to tease him about in return.
A proper French dinner could easily last two full hours. Whenever she ate with Cen Sen, who acted as though saying one extra sentence would somehow make him lose, she always found the meal painfully tedious. But with someone like Cen Yang, who could effortlessly turn anything into a conversation, the entire evening passed unexpectedly pleasantly.
Even as an adult, Cen Yang was exactly as considerate as he had been as a child. Their conversation stayed relaxed and ordinary. He never launched into an emotional interrogation about the past the moment they sat down.
It wasn't until they were finishing their coffee that the smile on his face finally softened. Quietly, he broached the sensitive subject. "I heard you married him. Does he treat you well?"
Although Cen Yang had done everything he could to keep the evening comfortable, Ji Mingshu had sensed before coming that... sooner or later, he would ask about Cen Sen. And sure enough, the moment had finally arrived.
She lifted her coffee, took a small sip, thought carefully for a moment, and gave her reply.
Hearing her answer, Cen Yang froze briefly. After a long silence, he quietly murmured, "I see," then smoothly changed the subject. "Let me take you home."
Ji Mingshu nodded, picked up her handbag, and stood.
The music in the French restaurant continued its ethereal, soothing flow. The lighting was still just as romantic.
One hour, forty-three minutes, and thirty seconds.
Not far away, Cen Sen lowered his wrist after checking the time and took a sip of his coffee, his face expression unreadable.
The Christmas atmosphere was thick everywhere at this time of year. The French restaurant had a beautifully decorated tree, snowflake decals covered the windows, and cheerful holiday decorations filled every corner. Only Cen Sen sat alone in silence, utterly out of place amid the warmth and celebration.
He watched Cen Yang and Ji Mingshu leave the restaurant and slowly rose to his feet.
He had driven himself that day. Without notifying in advance, he'd planned to surprise Ji Mingshu by picking her up from Xinggang International for dinner and a movie. Instead, he saw her hailing a taxi downstairs just as he arrived.
He had followed her taxi from a distance on the way there.
Now, on the way back, he quietly followed the white Mercedes driving ahead.
The season's long-awaited first snowfall finally began to fall.
He drove with the window open, as though he couldn't feel the bitter winter wind.
---
Author's Note:
What she answered him was, "He's good to me sometimes, and not so good other times. But I like him."
---
Comments
Post a Comment