My Queen, My Rules - 88

Whether the baby would be good to Cen Sen remained to be seen, but after that night, Ji Mingshu did become visibly, if only a tiny bit, gentler towards him.

Two months passed at an unhurried pace. By late November, winter began to show signs of arriving in the capital.

Ji Mingshu successfully passed the “safe concealment period” she'd learned from period dramas, and the happy news of her pregnancy was now known to most of their family and friends.

The attention and importance placed on her pregnancy by the elders of the Cen and Ji families could truly live up to the jest that “the family has a throne to inherit.”

Both families had Chinese and Western chefs, pastry chefs, and nutritionists on standby. Whatever she craved could be prepared fresh at a moment's notice. Ji Mingshu didn't hold back, ordering delicate boiled cabbage one day, and fine tofu shred soup the next.

The Cen family had even procured a prenatal tutor from who-knows-where. While other families might just tell stories or play music for fetal education, the Cens were particularly extravagant, bringing in professionals to play live music at home for the tiny embryo, all to “cultivate its cultural appreciation” as per the teacher's requirements.

Fortunately, Ji Mingshu was born to enjoy such pampering. Anyone else might have worried that such extravagance would shorten their lifespan.

On top of this, Ji Mingshu received numerous gifts from the elders—jewelry, luxury cars, antiques, paintings. Notable among the rest were a card from Old Master Cen and the two priceless gardens Cen Yuanchao transferred under her name.

Somehow, word of this got out through loose lips. People in their circle sighed over Ji Mingshu's good fortune, remarking that the treatment for carrying the heir was indeed different. The key point was that this was just the pregnancy; what would happen after a safe delivery? They felt they were witnessing a firsthand look at a modern version of “a mother's status elevated by her son.”

But Ji Mingshu herself remained notably indifferent to these things and scoffed at the notion of her status being elevated by the child.

In fact, barely a week after confirming the pregnancy, Cen Sen had presented her with a document to sign.

She skimmed it and found its contents extraordinary. The clauses seemed impartial on the surface, but upon closer inspection, they all appeared to favor Party B. And she, Ji Mingshu, was Party B.

She was baffled. In arranged marriages like theirs, the concept of shared marital property hardly existed. Didn't every couple sign stacks of prenuptial agreements?

She and Cen Sen had a very detailed one. So what was the point of this freshly drafted postnuptial property distribution addendum?

Before she could ask, Cen Sen explained, “The prenup is void. Marital assets are shared between husband and wife.”

Hearing this, Ji Mingshu's mind went completely blank.

The Cen family was no ordinary household with just a house and a car. Without exaggeration, Cen Sen's net worth changed every minute; even he might find it hard to estimate the exact figure.

The weight of those eight words, “marital assets are shared between husband and wife,” meant that if Ji Mingshu had even a slight inclination, she could instantly alter the entire landscape of Jingjian. Had he gone mad?

After digesting this for about half a minute, Ji Mingshu decisively put down the pen, turned her back, and refused to sign.

Cen Sen didn't pressure her, saying calmly, “Whether you sign or not, the prenup is already void on my end.”

At this, Ji Mingshu turned back and poked his chest accusingly. “What are you trying to do? Planning the compensation for when you cheat on me already? Cen-shi Sensen, have you no conscience? Oh, I get it. So the dreams I had before were all true. Who knew I'd live over twenty years and become a prophet?”

Cen Sen: “I want to give you a sense of security.”

Ji Mingshu adopted a ‘I'm not listening, you're just a scumbag’ attitude. “Does a grown man need a contract to make his wife feel secure? How can you be so unreliable? With such an unreliable father, who knows how hard life will be for me and our poor child, all alone in the world!”

Her mouth ran on, digressing further, getting more and more absurd. “What use do I have for your shares? Can I even understand them? Hey, explain yourself clearly. Are you setting some trap, trying to make me the legal representative or something, so I can go to jail for you if there's some economic crime? I might not know the law, but I've read novels!”

“Hey, you're silent. You're not talking. Did I guess right? You scumbag! The baby isn't even born yet, and you've got my future all planned out!”

Cen Sen: “...”

He could tell Ji Mingshu was deliberately being unreasonable. But faced with her antics, he found himself somewhat powerless. He had envisioned many possibilities, but never that Ji Mingshu would be unwilling to share his assets.

They sat in silence on the bed for a long while. Ji Mingshu's initial burst of indignation had mostly dissipated. Now calmer, though still hesitant to accept, the mere thought that Cen Sen was willing to go this far for her sent sweet bubbles gushing uncontrollably from her heart.

She stole a glance at Cen Sen, finding he seemed to have been driven into a sulk by her. She couldn't help but poke him again, explaining in a small voice, “I understand what you mean, but security isn't given this way.”

She truly had never considered voiding the prenup. Before, with clear self-awareness, she felt that in their arranged marriage, where she spent his money on food, drink, and fun without earning a cent herself, demanding to split assets would be shameless.

Now, she simply felt it was unnecessary. She loved Cen Sen and trusted him, believed they could happily spend the rest of their lives together. She didn't need extra assets or equity as extra guarantees.

Besides, if a man truly changed his heart, no bargaining chip could tie him down. Forcing it would only leave an empty shell, resulting in misery for everyone involved.

If that day ever came, it would mean she, Ji Mingshu, had misjudged him. She would accept the loss and admit defeat.

Ji Mingshu shared her thoughts with Cen Sen. Cen Sen, of course, had his own arguments. They went back and forth, neither convincing the other completely. It ended with a compromise: they would have a lawyer draft a new contract where all of Ji Mingshu's shares would be handled by Cen Sen.

In reality, of course, the prenup was already void, and Ji Mingshu would still legally share all of Cen Sen's assets.

Since she already legally shared all of Cen Sen's wealth, the gifts from the elders, including the gardens under her name, naturally didn't amount to much.

As for “a mother's status elevated by her son,” that was just preposterous. Whether it was a stinky boy or a stinky girl, if they ever made her unhappy, she guaranteed she could make them regret choosing her distinguished little belly as their landing spot.

---

In the blink of an eye, year-end arrived, another deep winter.

By this time, Ji Mingshu's bare stomach only showed a slight bump, completely hidden under a loose sweater.

After careful dressing and styling to conceal it, she accompanied Cen Sen to the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the grand opening of Junyi Yaji.

She thought it was just a regular event, never expecting there would be real-life “CEO Couple” shippers in the wild who came specifically for her and Cen Sen.

After the event, fans produced a set of high-definition candid loved-up photos, both stills and GIFs, so pleasing to the eye that they accidentally sparked another wave of enthusiastic sugar-fueled discussion among netizens.

The fan who took the pictures was especially excited, even personally starting a forum thread to explain.

[OMG I saw the CEO and CEO's wife in the flesh today! Our company is a Junyi partner and got an invite. My boss couldn't make it, so they sent me! I'm spiraling with happiness! CEO Cen is too handsome, and his wife is too beautiful! Their visuals are god-tier! The first 4 pics are straight out of camera, no edits! Sisters, feel this beauty overload!!!]

Someone commented below: [That GIF with over a dozen bodyguards in black... is that for real? It's like a TV drama!]

The OP enthusiastically replied: [There really were that many bodyguards! After the ribbon-cutting, there was a reception. They showed their faces briefly and then left. I followed from a distance, and boom! A huge crowd of bodyguards swarmed to surround them! Super shocking! There were so many bodyguards I couldn't get a good shot! But my eyes can testify that our CEO was holding his wife's hand tightly! Look at the slightly blurry pic 6! You can barely make out their little hands! AHHH this sugar is so sweet!!!]

A sharp-eyed detective noted: [The CEO's wife seems to be wearing flats? Pregnant? And her sweater underneath is loose-fitting too.]

This observation instantly caused an uproar!

Meanwhile, completely unaware, Ji Mingshu opened her Weibo private messages as usual, planning to reply, and unexpectedly received a flood of inquiries and congratulations about her pregnancy.

There was no hiding it now, not that she needed to. After some thought, she posted a Weibo, uniformly thanking everyone for their concern and confirming she was indeed pregnant, taking the opportunity to blatantly advertise for Junyi Yaji.

This direct advertisement directly led to her B-612 Planet Suite at Junyi Yaji being fully booked for the next three months, and that was only because the Junyi Yaji website currently only accepted bookings three months in advance. Otherwise, who knows how long it would have been fully booked.

While initially there was an element of fan support, as pictures of the B-612 Planet Suite started circulating, people realized the design was truly special, innovative, and very photogenic.

For a time, wealthy young socialites and influencers were camping on the official website daily, trying to book the B-612 Planet Suite just for photo ops, thus launching Junyi Yaji on its path to becoming an internet-famous hotel.

Simultaneously, the documentary Vestiges: Street Impressions also concluded successfully at year's end.

The program was at the peak of its popularity. Ji Mingshu's Weibo followers skyrocketed daily, and she received many rare opportunities in interior design, such as recommendations for high-profile design competitions and academic exchange programs in Europe and America.

Cen Sen fully supported her pursuing her interests and talents, on the condition that she didn't overexert herself. If she sat at the computer for more than an hour, someone at home would mysteriously cut the internet. As for the nearly week-long overseas exchange program, Cen Sen specifically cleared his schedule to accompany her for the entire trip.

---

Unnoticed, another Lunar New Year's Eve arrived.

This year, Cen Sen and Ji Mingshu only had lunch and dinner with the Cen and Ji families respectively before returning to Mingshui Manor to see in the New Year.

Late at night, Mingshui Manor shone bright like a beautiful crystal house. Snow drifted softly outside.

Ji Mingshu nestled in Cen Sen's arms. They watched the festive Spring Festival Gala, chatting and laughing idly.

Cen Sen often left others with an impression of being aloof, distant, quiet, and sparing with words. But at home alone with Ji Mingshu, he always had plenty to say. Even discussing trivial, meaningless topics together felt especially fun.

Which dish at dinner wasn't tasty enough, which one had too much salt, where they would travel after the baby was born (leaving the child behind), how annoying certain relatives were—didn't they know the secret to longevity was minding their own business?

Trivial, yet warm.

Ji Mingshu had become very sleepy since her pregnancy. A little past 11 p.m., she was struggling to stay awake, her eyelids drooping, though her mouth still mumbled.

“Cen-shi Sensen, do you remember? This very day last year, you confessed to me.”

“I was so happy then.”

Cen Sen gave a soft “Mm.”

“Actually, I've been so happy this whole year.”

“I really hope it's like this for our whole lives.”

“Will you always like me?”

“No, you must always like me.”

Her voice grew softer, even mustering a slightly commanding tone at the end. Hearing another affirming “Mm” from Cen Sen, she turned over like a lazy kitten, contentedly hugging him as she fell asleep.

Cen Sen kept his gaze lowered, his eyes inexplicably tender as he looked at her.

He wasn't one to show emotions openly. Many words were only quietly answered in his heart.

Actually, I've been very happy this year too.

I also hope it's like this for our whole lives.

I will always like you. Only you.

At midnight, New Year's fireworks lit up the entire sky, brilliant and bright as daylight.

Ji Mingshu was stirred awake, her brow furrowed. In her groggy state, she realized it was the New Year countdown. Instinctively, she reached up, looped her arms around Cen Sen's neck, drew closer, and whispered in his ear, “Happy New Year... and... I love you.”

Cen Sen kissed the side of her head, his voice low and husky. “Happy New Year. I love you too.”

—How fortunate I am, in this lifetime, to be your most loyal subject.

---

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