My Queen, My Rules - 86

About half a minute later, Cen Sen realized that the sounds from the bathroom didn't seem right. He put down the phone and walked over.

But before he could knock, Ji Mingshu pushed the door open, her face pale.

Water was still running at the sink. She leaned one hand on the counter, looking so weak that she might collapse at any moment.

Cen Sen stepped forward, pulling her into his arms, his voice low. "Not feeling well? I'll take you to the hospital."

Ji Mingshu leaned into his embrace, her slender arms loosely circling his waist, her voice muffled. "No need. It was that milk. The smell was too strong; it made me feel awful."

Cen Sen gently stroked her slender back. A vague notion flickered through his mind, but he knew too little to be sure, so he didn't voice it.

Women tended to be more sensitive about vomiting, especially Ji Mingshu, who had been silently anxious for so long about not getting pregnant. So the moment the nausea hit, she thought of morning sickness.

But she knew that if she voiced this guess now, Cen Sen would definitely cancel his schedule and accompany her to the hospital. He was supposed to finalize the new investment for the Nanwan Project today. What if it fell through because he canceled at the last minute?

Moreover, she lacked confidence in her own guess. Last time she'd fainted from dieting, she'd been convinced it was a terminal illness. This might just be a stomach bug. Making a big fuss over a false alarm would be so embarrassing.

With that in mind, she buried herself deeper into his embrace, complaining coquettishly, "No more milk for breakfast tomorrow, okay? Just juice or coffee. The taste of plain milk is really too cloying. Once, in high school, I drank a glass before the flag-raising ceremony and felt so sick I had to run to the bathroom and throw up before it even ended."

Having said that, Cen Sen felt even less inclined to voice his own suspicion.

They let the matter drop. After seeing Cen Sen off to work, Ji Mingshu's heart hammered against her ribs. She leaned against the front door like a thief and typed a message to her girls' chat:

[Girls, you might become godmother soon.]

Before Gu Kaiyang and Jiang Chun could express their shock, she added: [Of course, maybe not. It's just... I drank milk this morning and it tasted really pungent. It made me nauseous, and I threw up once.]

Gu Kaiyang: [Um… was it normal milk?]

Ji Mingshu: […?]

Ji Mingshu: [Would the esteemed CEO's wife stoop to drinking spoiled milk? Do you think I'm as cheap as your magazine's penny-pinching boss?]

Gu Kaiyang: [That's not what I meant.]

Gu Kaiyang: [It's just… milk smelling that way… is a pretty loaded description, you know? It makes a girl think.]

Ji Mingshu's mind had been unusually pure lately, and it took Gu Kaiyang's heavy hint for the light bulb to go off.

Ji Mingshu: [I don't know what you're talking about. Shut up.]

Ji Mingshu: [Lewd comment reported.]

Jiang Chun had once been an innocent, clueless Little Earth Goose. But after soaking in this group for so long, she now faced this level of conversation without batting an eye. She even put on the airs of a professional gynecologist, seriously inquiring about Ji Mingshu's recent physical condition and bedroom activity frequency.

Ji Mingshu answered vaguely, finally adding awkwardly, [It might just be a stomach bug, you never know.]

Gynecologist Little Earth Goose delivered her verdict: [What stomach bug? You're eighty percent pregnant. What are you, a baby? You don't just spit up milk for no reason.]

Gu Kaiyang: [She might think she's cute enough to spit up milk.]

Ji Mingshu: [Gu Kaiyang]

Ji Mingshu: [Shut up warning x2!]

The three of them bickered off-topic for a while before circling back to the subject of morning sickness. Both Jiang Chun and Gu Kaiyang were convinced she was pregnant, urging her to go to the hospital for a check-up, or at least buy a pregnancy test.

Ji Mingshu felt she needed Cen Sen with her for a hospital visit, but buying a test seemed feasible.

After some thought, she went upstairs, changed clothes, put on big sunglasses, and slipped out of the house like a fugitive.

Perhaps Ji Mingshu's previous running-away act had traumatized the family driver. Seeing her in large sunglasses, looking visibly tense, he grew nervous himself. During the drive, he kept trying to subtly probe for her destination and purpose.

Ji Mingshu, of course, couldn't tell him the truth and gave evasive answers.

The driver became increasingly convinced that the CEO's wife was up to no good again. After dropping her off at the mall, he immediately called Zhou Jiaheng to report.

Zhou Jiaheng frowned slightly upon hearing the news. "The bodyguards?"

The driver answered, "They followed Madam into the mall. Just not sure if they can keep up."

Hearing that the discreet bodyguards were on the job, Zhou Jiaheng relaxed slightly. "Understood. Keep me updated."

He was about to accompany Cen Sen to meet the Second Young Master of the Chi family from the city's west side—Chi Li, who had maintained an unambitious persona for years but had recently seized power and changed course.

Chi Li was no simple character. Zhou Jiaheng knew Cen Sen had some personal rapport with him but wasn't sure of the depth. So now, he couldn't decide whether to bring up Ji Mingshu's matter.

If Cen Sen had another lapse in judgment and decided to ditch this massive Nanwan Project investment for Ji Mingshu, Zhou Jiaheng would be Jingjian's number one sinner.

But if Ji Mingshu was really stirring up trouble and he failed to inform Cen Sen in time, his days would be numbered.

"What's on your mind?"

Cen Sen stood by the car, glancing at the dazed Zhou Jiaheng, who had forgotten to open the car door for him.

"Oh, n-nothing."

Zhou Jiaheng snapped back to reality, hurriedly stepping forward to open the door for Cen Sen.

They drove in silence for a while. After an intense internal struggle, Zhou Jiaheng finally broke. "It's like this, President Cen. Madam went out just now, to Huijia Department Store. But the driver said Madam was acting a bit... strange. Wearing sunglasses and looking nervous. He's worried she might pull another silent move like last time, when she moved to Xinggang International, so—"

Zhou Jiaheng was still carefully searching for more diplomatic words for "sneaking around" or "running away from home" when Cen Sen cut him off without looking up. "Relax. She's not running away."

Zhou Jiaheng: "…"

He vaguely remembered that last time Ji Mingshu ran away, their esteemed President Cen had been equally confident, heading to the supermarket to buy ribs and cook dinner.

Cen Sen paused, then suddenly instructed, "Contact Zhao Yang. Have him arrange a discreet prenatal check-up. Within the next couple of days."

"…?"

What was this sudden bombshell?

Zhou Jiaheng fell silent for a moment, then promptly acknowledged, "Yes, sir."

Ji Mingshu had no idea her furtive mission to buy a pregnancy test had made her seem so suspicious that even the driver was on edge.

She followed her GPS, meandering through the mall to a pharmacy on the opposite street, where she bought several pregnancy tests.

Just as she thought the mission was accomplished and she could head home to test, she received a somewhat unexpected call—from Cen Yang.

"Xiao Shu, I'm returning to the US."

His voice was as gentle and clear as it had been when he first returned, but it now held a thread of weariness.

Ji Mingshu was silent for a few seconds. "Why?"

Cen Yang didn't answer.

She realized it was a pointless question. "When?" she asked instead.

"Today. I'm on my way to the airport now."

He was probably about to get in the car. Ji Mingshu heard the brief scrape of suitcase wheels, followed by the thud of a trunk closing.

Cen Yang opened the car door and got in. "This time I leave, I probably won't be coming back."

Silence hung between them.

He continued, "Xiao Shu, I'm sorry. You might not know, but during my time back, I did do some things that hurt you. I'm truly sorry."

Ji Mingshu was no fool. Although Cen Sen had kept it from her, with the timing of that investment-intercepting incident coinciding so perfectly, she had harbored a suspicion.

But for some reason, she found it hard to muster hatred toward Cen Yang. Even hearing him say he wouldn't return made her a little sad.

It felt like those childhood days of playing with Brother Cen Yang for fun and seeking his help in times of trouble were truly, forever gone.

Standing outside the pharmacy, after a long silence, Ji Mingshu finally said, "Let me see you off at the airport."

Upon hearing Ji Mingshu had gone to the airport, Zhou Jiaheng's heart started thumping wildly. The problem was, Cen Sen was deep in discussion with Chi Li about the specifics of the investment. Interrupting was bad, but not interrupting felt even worse. The struggle was a hundred times more intense than before.

After about twenty minutes of internal agony, Chi Li noticed Zhou Jiaheng's nervous apprehension. Adjusting his cufflinks, he said, "Your assistant seems to have something to say."

Cen Sen glanced back.

Zhou Jiaheng decided to throw caution to the wind. He leaned down and reported in a low voice, "Madam has gone to the airport."

Cen Sen was quiet for a moment, then, as if struck by a thought, picked up his phone and called Ji Mingshu. But phones seemed to have been invented precisely to lose connection at critical moments.

Seeing this, Chi Li quietly uncapped his fountain pen, signed at the end of the contract, and gestured for legal to affix the perforated seal.

"Signed," he said. "I won't keep you."

Cen Sen didn't stand on ceremony. With a curt "Mn," he instructed Zhou Jiaheng to collect the contract and stood to leave.

Zhou Jiaheng paused for a few seconds, finally realizing he might have underestimated the private rapport between these two.

Before they even left the private room, Cen Sen's phone rang. It was Cen Yang. Before Cen Yang could speak, Cen Sen asked, "Is Mingshu with you?"

Cen Yang paused. "Yes."

"What do you want?"

"What do you think I want?"

"Where is she?" Cen Sen's voice dropped, a clear edge of tension in it.

Cen Yang fell silent. He had intended to be cryptic and string things along a bit more, but he really couldn't think of what else to say. So he countered, "Do you think I would kidnap her?"

This time it was Cen Sen's turn to fall silent.

"Your concern is clouding your judgment," Cen Yang tossed these words out and hung up directly.

Ji Mingshu was utterly bewildered.

What kind of riddle were they playing?

After deciding to see Cen Yang off, she had spent the car ride sentimentally reminiscing about childhood. It wasn't until she entered the airport that she remembered she should inform Cen Sen, only to find her phone dead.

After exchanging a few pleasantries with Cen Yang, anxious to contact her husband, she asked to borrow his phone.

Cen Yang asked in return if she wanted to call Cen Sen. She honestly said yes. Then Cen Yang said he would make the call. Well, her goal was simply to inform Cen Sen she was at the airport seeing off Cen Yang. Who made the call didn't really matter, so she agreed.

And this was what he said?

Did their imaginations have to be so dramatic, jumping straight to kidnapping?

And what was wrong with Cen Sen? Didn't he stop to think what could possibly happen to her in an airport? Was he stupid?

These two seemed to be on a completely different wavelength from her. After hanging up, Cen Yang even put his hands in his pockets and remarked, sounding oddly pleased, "Xiao Shu, he really does care about you a lot."

Ji Mingshu nodded, thinking inwardly, Well, of course my husband cares about me. Should he care about you instead?

Cen Yang's flight wasn't for a while yet. And judging by the call, Cen Sen seemed to be rushing to the airport. So Ji Mingshu chatted with Cen Yang a while longer.

Cen Yang was talking about his plan to arrange immigration for Chen Biqing and An Ning after returning to the US when Ji Mingshu suddenly felt a hand grasp hers, pulling her back with restrained force. Before she could process it, she was enveloped in a familiar, warm embrace.

Cen Yang paused, swallowing the rest of his words. He simply watched the couple before him quietly, suddenly feeling as if all the events of the past were but a dream. Many things had long been settled; only he had been stubbornly obsessed with what was never his, pointlessly wasting so much time.

Luckily, though a bit late, it was still not too late to return to the starting point.

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