My Queen, My Rules - 79

Of course, Ji Mingshu’s threat of divorce was just talk. Cen Sen obviously didn’t take her angry words seriously either. However, thanks to that 4D movie, the latter half of their date failed spectacularly on all fronts.

Cen Sen had originally planned follow-up activities like a drive along the riverbank and drinks at an open-air bar with live music. But the moment they stepped out of the cinema, Ji Mingshu displayed a sense of relief akin to having survived a natural disaster, coupled with a powerful nesting instinct that screamed, Get me home, and maybe I can still be saved!

Seeing her like this, Cen Sen had no choice but to cancel the subsequent arrangements.

Fortunately, the night breeze in the early spring capital was gentle and pleasant. Blown by the cool wind on the way home, the frustration in Ji Mingshu’s heart dissipated somewhat.

Calming down and thinking it over carefully, she felt she couldn’t blame Cen Sen entirely for this debacle.

A fossil like Cen Sen, a relic from the last century, had probably been to the movies only a handful of times at most. How could she expect him to know in advance what a brain-cell-killing experience 4D cinema was?

The fact that he had taken the initiative to ask her out, sent flowers, and made an effort to chat with her during dinner was already significant progress. They had plenty of time ahead; no need to rush.

Having excused Cen Sen this way, Ji Mingshu finally managed to comfort herself a little.

But the very next second, as she scrolled through WeChat, the psychological fortifications she’d just built instantly crumbled. Her smile faded, and her expression stiffened.

Overjoyed by today’s date, she had been posting updates on her Moments almost every hour to document their progress.

Right before entering the theater, she had taken a photo of their two movie ticket stubs placed together, with the caption: Watching a movie with Mr. Cen~ /Happy

She hadn’t checked her phone again after posting, so she was unaware that, in fact, Gu Kaiyang and Jiang Chun had sent her friendly warnings and high-alert notifications two hours earlier.

Gu Kaiyang: [You two okay? A 4D movie for a date?]

Jiang Chun: [Hahahahahaha sorry I kinda want to laugh!]

Gu Kaiyang: [???]

Gu Kaiyang: [Where are you?]

Jiang Chun: [Probably already inside.]

Gu Kaiyang: [Alright then.]

Gu Kaiyang: [True love must not only withstand the tests of renovation and travel, but also the test of watching a 4D movie together. Good luck, darling!]

Jiang Chun: [Hahahahaha you devil! I’m laughing so hard HAHAHAHAHA!!!]

Even worse, these two had been monitoring her activity.

Jiang Chun: [Hello little birdie, you haven’t posted in two hours. You still alive over there?]

Gu Kaiyang: [Probably filing for divorce.]

Jiang Chun: [Pfft!]

Jiang Chun: [Don’t say that, I can already picture the divorce papers being thrown! HAHAHAHA!!]

Ji Mingshu’s face was thunderous. Suppressing the urge to curse, she tossed a GIF into the group chat: [I don’t talk to people who have no sex life.gif]

In truth, the moment that ticket-stub post went up, she wasn’t the only one subjected to ruthless mockery. Cen Sen’s childhood friend group had been buzzing nonstop for a full two hours.

Shu Yang: [4D movie hahahaha Brother Sen is really something else!]

Shu Yang: [I genuinely thought Brother Sen had hired a coach and leveled up to King tier this time—turns out he’s still a Stubborn Bronze!]

Jiang Che: [And a Stubborn Bronze 1, at that.]

Zhao Yang: [I think I need to reserve a bed for Brother Sen at our hospital hahahaha!]

Cen Sen was completely unaware of these two hours of mockery and equally oblivious to Ji Mingshu’s rollercoaster of emotions throughout the journey home.

Because in his view, while the 4D viewing experience wasn’t great, it was merely a minor hiccup in the overall date itinerary.

When they got home and he saw Ji Mingshu’s expressionless face, he assumed she was just a bit tired. Thinking himself considerate, he ran a hot bath for her and even added some relaxing essential oils to the water.

He had initially entertained thoughts of a couple’s bath, but after Ji Mingshu entered the bathroom hugging her nightgown, she expressionlessly locked the door. After her bath, she curled up on one side of the bed and quickly fell asleep, showing not the slightest intention of communicating with him.

After a whole night of being given the cold shoulder, even someone as obtuse as Cen Sen understood that last night’s 4D movie had directly caused Ji Mingshu’s dissatisfaction with the date.

Moreover, her dissatisfaction was remarkably well preserved, lasting until the next day even without refrigeration. The clearest evidence was that this morning, although she was clearly awake, she hadn’t pestered him for a good morning kiss.

Coincidentally, Cen Sen’s work schedule for the morning involved playing golf with the general manager of a certain cinema chain, discussing Junyi Yaji’s pre-movie advertisement placements.

Truthfully, a mere ad placement didn’t require Cen Sen’s personal involvement. However, this general manager was his high school classmate. The man had spent the last few years gaining experience in a subsidiary of the group and had recently been promoted to general manager. This meeting was a chance to catch up and lay the groundwork for potential future cooperation.

During a break in their game, the other man took a work call.

Cen Sen, preoccupied with thoughts of Ji Mingshu, also put down his club and sent her a WeChat message.

Cen Sen: [Sorry, last night’s date was not well arranged. I will definitely make it up to you next time.]

When Ji Mingshu received this very ‘Cen-shi Sensen’–style message, she was still buried under the duvet, not yet out of bed. The aftereffects of last night’s “beating” were quite strong; her back and waist ached, especially her shoulder blades and tailbone, which hurt when touched.

—You think there’ll be a next time?

After typing this petulant reply, Ji Mingshu paused, deleted it with one keystroke, and rewrote.

Ji Mingshu: [That was my worst date experience ever tvt!]

This one was better. Anger mixed with a bit of coquettishness, a complaint softened by the cute emoticon. Ji Mingshu read it over a few times, quite satisfied, and hit send.

But Cen Sen’s focus was always uniquely misplaced. Not only did he not play along with her coy act, he proceeded to interrogate her like a census taker.

Cen Sen: [What other, more satisfactory dating experiences have you had?]

Before their marriage, he had looked into Ji Mingshu’s past and knew she hadn’t had any serious boyfriends over the years.

But Ji Mingshu attended university abroad, where dating culture was prevalent, and dating several people at once wasn’t something particularly criticized. So he couldn’t rule out the possibility that she had been on dates.

Ji Mingshu silently replied with a row of ellipses.

She had been the school belle for over a decade, with countless suitors. What was so strange about going on dates with guys?

Cen Sen wanted to press further, but his high school classmate had already finished the call and was walking back, shaking his head and sighing with triple complaints. “The cinema business is really tough these days. The streaming platforms are constantly demanding discounts and subsidies. Promotion, scheduling—they bring everything to my desk.”

Cen Sen put his phone away.

His classmate continued, “Right, where were we? Oh, we were talking about your wife, weren’t we?”

He chuckled. “Honestly, I never expected you two to end up together. I remember when we were seniors in high school, Ji Mingshu was just a freshman, right? During military training, everyone was talking about the junior high girls moving up. Ji Mingshu was truly radiant back then. Li Tao from our dorm even wrote her a love letter.”

“Oh, and I have a younger cousin on the school basketball team named Zhou Zhen. Not sure if you remember him. Actually, he has quite a connection with you. For a while, he was pretty close to Li Wenyin. And then after we graduated, he almost got together with your wife. What a small world!”

“Is that so.”

Cen Sen gazed at the distant green lawn, his voice mild and light.

His classmate grew more enthusiastic, as if this connection were something worth boasting about. “Yeah, he’s a bit slow to warm up. Actually, he had his eye on Ji Mingshu right after she started high school, but never found an opportunity to make a move. The line of guys chasing your wife back then stretched from the south gate of the school to the north gate! It was only later, when he heard your wife was somewhat interested in him, that he finally acted on it. But the timing was off—it still didn’t work out…”

Cen Sen balanced his weight behind the ball, assuming the perfect stance for a shot. But despite his perfect posture, he uncontrollably overswung, failing to make a good drive.

---

On the other side, seeing that Cen Sen wasn’t pressing further, Ji Mingshu finally put her phone down and got out of bed.

She had a brand event to attend this afternoon. Estimating the time, her stylist would be arriving soon.

After washing up, she applied a sheet mask, then went downstairs to carefully trim the roses from last night and arrange them in a vase. She then returned upstairs to continue her skincare routine.

Hearing the housekeeper let the stylist in downstairs, Ji Mingshu tidied up Cen Sen’s clothes in the room.

The overcoat he’d worn for their date last night—she had wrapped herself in it during the movie, and it still carried the scent of her perfume.

She picked it up and tossed it directly into the laundry hamper. But as she turned, a corner of brown leather peeking from the pocket caught her eye… a wallet?

She pulled it out for a look. Not a wallet. A small notebook.

Flipping quickly from back to front, the latter pages were pristine and blank. The first few pages contained Cen Sen’s handwriting.

His penmanship was like the man himself: strokes sharp, cold, and hard-edged, yet possessing great aesthetic appeal. Only, the things he’d written weren’t so cold and hard-edged.

Date Itinerary:

1. Order roses.

Note: Bouquet shouldn’t be too large; inconvenient to carry. Pink and white are the best choice, followed by bright red.

2. Pick up Mingshu at 5:30.

3. Arrive at restaurant by 6:20.

Note 1: Mingshu isn't too fond of foie gras.

Note 2: During the meal, remember to engage in conversation and eat at a slower pace, don't just focus on eating. 

Topics for interaction: Interior design, music, art exhibitions, etc. Pay attention to balancing serious topics with lighthearted ones.

4. Take a walk.

5. Watch a movie.

   Note: Comedy and action blockbusters are the top choices. Avoid overly heavy or artistic themes.

6. Go to a riverside bar for drinks.

   Note: Folk songs are the top choice; live guitar performance is the best.

7. Go home.

Unfinished matters to be supplemented in the next date.

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