My Queen, My Rules - 51

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The movie's plot was simple and clichéd, the kind where you could guess the ending from the opening scene. Yet, Ji Mingshu watched it with intense and genuine emotion.

After leaving the cinema, she even took a photo of her ticket stub and posted it on her Moments, offering a spoiler-free, technical review.

As she took the picture, Cen Sen happened to be standing to her right. His custom-made wristwatch accidentally entered the frame. She saw it while editing the photo, but for some reason, she neither cropped it out nor blurred it, posting it as if she hadn't noticed anything.

At four in the morning, plenty of party animals were still awake. Ji Mingshu's post garnered more than a hundred likes in under five minutes.

Shu Yang was also up, getting hammered and playing cards with friends at a bar.

Seeing Ji Mingshu's post, he zoomed in on the picture, squinted, and suddenly his eyes lit up with amusement.

Shu Yang: [Image]

Shu Yang: [Accompanying the wife to a movie at 4 a.m. Brother Sen, you're a legend.]

Shu Yang: [If anyone ever calls our Brother Sen a clueless, unromantic brick again, I'll be the first to fight them. This level of professionalism, this skill… I'm not even exaggerating—you could sell beer and still come out on top!]

Shu Yang: [Jiang Che, Director Jiang, take notes.]

The childhood friends had a WeChat group, with Jiang Che as the admin.

Usually, only Jiang Che, Shu Yang, and Zhao Yang were active in the group, while Cen Sen was mostly dormant, like a grave overgrown with weeds. On extremely rare occasions, he would rise from the dead to forward some current events or industry news to the group.

Shu Yang's teasing in the group now was precisely because it was the dead of night, assuming no one was online to clap back.

He hadn't counted on Jiang Che having fought with Zhou You tonight. After returning home, playing the meek man, serving foot baths and whatnot, it had taken a great deal of coaxing to barely get her to sleep. Now, lying in the same bed but unable to do anything, he was pent up with frustration. Shu Yang's timely, self-invited ridicule was an opportunity Jiang Che wouldn't miss.

Moreover, Jiang Che was a firm believer in the modern principle of “if I'm miserable, everyone else has to die too.” After tearing into Shu Yang without giving him a chance to defend himself, he directly kicked him out of the group chat.

Still unsatisfied, he then dug up Zhao Yang, who was blissfully asleep and completely unaware of all this, for a round of old-grievance–based ridicule. Finally, it was Cen Sen's turn.

Perhaps feeling it was too lonely to unleash his full sarcastic prowess with no audience, he re-added Shu Yang to the group.

Jiang Che: [Cen Sen, what's with the 4 a.m. movie stunt? If you've got the skills, take your wife home and get busy instead of embarrassing yourselves outside.]

Jiang Che: [There's still the Rongyue contract signing at 9 a.m. tomorrow. Looking at your sorry state, you probably shouldn't go. Partnering with a wife-brained guy like you, I must have been cursed for eight lifetimes.]

Shu Yang chimed in at the perfect moment.

Shu Yang: [Still wandering around outside this late… should mean he couldn't take the wife home.]

Jiang Che: [True. I estimate he won't manage to bring her home this year.]

Trading barbs in perfect sync, the two seemed to have buried the hatchet.

"What are you looking at?"

In the elevator, seeing Cen Sen on his phone, Ji Mingshu asked casually.

Cen Sen replied evenly, "Nothing much. Just saw your post on Moments."

Remembering the photo she'd posted, Ji Mingshu felt a twinge of guilt, too embarrassed to press further.

Cen Sen lowered his eyelids and forwarded a financial news article to the group about the third-phase strategic partnership between his and Jiang Che's Jingcheng Capital and Rongyue Technology.

The article clearly stated that the signing ceremony took place at 9 a.m. on December 23rd in Canberra, Australia—forty-three hours ago.

Cen Sen: [Wonder who's cursed for eight lifetimes.]

Cen Sen: [That last thing you said? I reflect it right back at you.]

Jiang Che: […]

Jiang Che: [Are you three years old? “I reflect it back”?]

Cen Sen didn't reply further; the elevator had reached the ground floor.

The night was deep, the wind cold. The car was still parked at the west entrance. Cen Sen took off his coat and draped it over Ji Mingshu's shoulders. They walked side by side back towards the west entrance.

The capital at 4 a.m. was cloaked in thick, ink-black darkness. Under the quiet streetlights, snowflakes drifted down occasionally. A thick layer of fresh snow carpeted the ground, crunching under their shoes with every step.

"Sleepy?" Cen Sen asked.

"A bit." She hadn't been, but the question made her yawn unconsciously.

In the car, Cen Sen checked the time and suggested plainly, "Let's go back to Mingshui. I have a meeting in the morning, I can't get much sleep."

Ji Mingshu fiddled with the seatbelt, not answering immediately.

She stared straight ahead at the snowy road, as if seriously contemplating something.

Only after the car started moving did she give a reserved nod, conceding reluctantly, "Since you have a meeting in the morning… I suppose we can stay at Mingshui for tonight."

"Mm."

Cen Sen turned the steering wheel, his head tilting slightly towards the driver's-side window.

At an angle Ji Mingshu couldn't see, the corner of his mouth lifted in a faint, fleeting smile.

After agreeing, Ji Mingshu felt inexplicably uneasy all over. She reclined her seat. "I'm really sleepy. Going to nap a bit."

Cen Sen gave another "Mhm," adding, "There's a blanket behind the seat."

Ji Mingshu reached back, pulled one out, spread it neatly over herself, and folded her hands properly over her stomach.

She had been sleepy. But staring at the car roof, she couldn't fall asleep. One part of her felt content, having watched the first snow and spent Christmas with Cen Sen. Another part recalled the hurtful words he'd said the night before she left, feeling spineless for being coaxed back without so much as an apology.

The two thoughts wrestled in her mind. She tossed and turned, left and right, but sleep wouldn't come. In the end, she simply raised the seat back up.

"What's wrong?"

Ji Mingshu sat cross-legged on the seat, hugging an oddly tasteful “Fortune” character pillow from the car dealership. After her train of thought took who knows how many detours, she finally said, muffled, "Nothing. It's just… I feel I should explain. I haven't done anything to wrong you."

Cen Sen glanced at her.

"My dinner with Cen Yang was completely innocent. And I didn't even notice that the day he chose was Christmas Eve. That hug was just… a friend hug. You know?"

"Mm, I know."

Cen Sen responded indifferently.

"…"

Ji Mingshu looked at him with expectant eyes.

That's it? Just like that?

He doesn't seem jealous at all… Okay, that's not the point. Fine if he's not jealous. But as an equivalent exchange, shouldn't he proactively explain things about Li Wenyin and apologize? What's wrong with this man?

Just as Ji Mingshu was pondering whether to make her hints more obvious, Cen Sen finally grasped the deeper meaning of her painstakingly circuitous approach.

The car crossed the bridge leading to the lake island at Mingshui Manor. Slowing down, he said, "I haven't done anything to wrong you either."

Here it comes. Finally!

Not entirely hopeless!

Ji Mingshu sat up straighter, ready to listen attentively.

But five seconds passed. Ten seconds. Thirty seconds. Cen Sen had already executed a perfect turn into the garage, and she still hadn't heard a follow-up.

Getting out of the car, she was still in a daze. Clutching the ugly pillow, she carried it all the way to the bedroom.

Having eaten two full meals and watched a movie in the middle of the night, Ji Mingshu had intended to properly question Cen Sen after a quick shower. But her mental struggles were no match for her physical exhaustion. The moment her head hit the pillow, she was out cold.

Year-end was busy. Cen Sen, swamped with work, hadn't had proper rest for days either. Finally carving out half a day, only to spend it coaxing Ji Mingshu.

At least he'd managed to coax her back. He felt a slight lightness in his chest. After washing up, he got into bed from the other side, drew Ji Mingshu into his arms, and fell into a deep sleep.

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Ji Mingshu slept straight through until 2 p.m. Cen Sen had long since left for work.

Sitting up in bed, she rubbed her head, feeling a strange yet familiar fondness for this bedroom she hadn't set foot in for so long.

Today was Christmas. Her phone was naturally flooded with holiday greetings from all directions.

Ji Mingshu skimmed through them, her eyes suddenly catching a greeting and notice from the producer of the Designer's Abode program. It said the post-production for Designer’s Abode was complete, the air date was set, and it would premiere on Xingcheng TV in mid-January.

It also informed the non-celebrity designers that they could apply in advance for Weibo verification with the show's keyword, and the production team could expedite the process.

Airing so soon?

Money really does make the world go round.

Further up were Christmas greetings from Feng Yan from her own team and Li Che from a different team.

They were celebrities, after all. Ji Mingshu politely replied with a "Merry Christmas."

But just as she was replying to Li Che, a memory flashed like lightning through her mind—something Li Che had once said: "It’s actually quite a pity. The producer said you and I were originally slated to be partners, but the sponsor had their own considerations, so the groups were rearranged."

The sponsors had their own considerations…

Back then, Ji Mingshu hadn't known Junyi was the sponsor of Designer's Abode and couldn't care less whether she was paired with Li Che, so she hadn't paid any attention.

Now, thinking about it carefully… was this Cen Sen's doing?

She sat up straighter, carefully phrasing a question to Li Che.

Li Che, for a celebrity, seemed rather free. He replied almost instantly, with a voice message no less.

However, Ji Mingshu had no interest in listening to his magnetic voice and directly converted it to text:

"Yes, that happened. The sponsor had their own pre-selected designer; many people knew about it. Considering the sponsor, the production team would naturally have their own considerations regarding things like screen time and editing. But there are some things I can't elaborate on. Don't be disappointed, Miss Ji. True talent shines wherever it is."

Ji Mingshu stared at the converted text. Little flames of fury rapidly shot to the top of her head.

Li Che might have phrased it tactfully, but only an idiot wouldn't get the subtext! Wasn't he clearly telling her: The show has backstage dealings. Junyi didn't want you to outshine the designers they were pushing, so be prepared for your screen time to get the chop?!

That deadbeat, Cen Sen!

If he dared to cut her screen time after she worked her butt off for over a month, she'd burn Mingshui Manor to the ground!!!

The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. Thinking about how she'd been foolishly tricked into coming back last night without a single apology made her even angrier.

She rolled out of bed, washed up, went downstairs, and expressionlessly ordered the driver to take her back to Xinggang International.

Hearing she was going back to Xinggang International again, the driver felt his scalp prickle. He instinctively wanted to message Zhou Jiaheng.

Ji Mingshu took a deep breath, maintaining her final shred of calm. "I'm just going to pick up a few things. No need to tell Zhou Jiaheng."

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Inside the loft apartment at Xinggang International, Gu Kaiyang, having just retrieved a replacement key card from the property management, was planning to do a post-goddess-departure deep clean on her rare day off.

Humming a tune as she mopped, she was in a wonderful mood, praising herself for being such a clever little matchmaker, her moves last night absolutely brilliant.

It wasn't that she was a “plastic” sister who disliked Ji Mingshu. It was just that a pampered young lady like Ji Mingshu was only suited for eating and drinking together, not for cohabitation!

It was downright lethal!

Probably only a man like Cen Sen could unconditionally lavish money to provide her with the sustenance of love!

Gu Kaiyang's high hadn't lasted five minutes when the sound of a key card being scanned came from the door.

"You… you're back?"

Gu Kaiyang turned around. After three seconds of stunned silence, her expression gradually stiffened.

Ji Mingshu's face was thunderous. "When did I say I was leaving? What's that look for? Do you despise me?!"

The will to live made Gu Kaiyang shake her head frantically.

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Meanwhile, Cen Sen had just finished grocery shopping. Sitting in the back seat of the car, he rested with his eyes closed.

The little pork ribs today were tender and fresh. His little golden canary would surely love them.

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Author's Note:

Little Canary Baby: Love them, my foot!

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