My Queen, My Rules - 93
Extra: Sparrow’s Cub-Raising Diary (2)
When Cen Yan was still a baby, Ji Mingshu and Cen Sen did not have much of a sense of themselves as parents. Even when the baby cried, it was usually nothing more than a stream of babbling sounds, and most of the time, and most of the time one of the nanny could soothe him.
But once Yan-bao was a year and a half old, able to string together simple, broken sentences, and familiar enough with his rookie parents, his crying came with teary eyes and heartfelt, heart-rending cries of “Papa! Mama!”
A little soothing from the nanny was no longer enough to settle him. Either Ji Mingshu or Cen Sen had to step in personally.
Taking care of a toddler could certainly be a headache, but as Yan-bao grew day by day, Ji Mingshu and Cen Sen gradually came to understand that he was not some little toy they could pick up and play with whenever they had time, then leave alone whenever they were busy. He was someone who would remain an indispensable part of their lives for years to come. There were many things they simply should no longer leave to others anymore.
Both Ji Mingshu and Cen Sen came from deeply fractured families, and they understood better than most just how important a complete, loving home was to a child’s growth. So, they began paying more and more attention to Yan-bao.
By now, Cen Sen had officially taken charge of Jingjian, serving simultaneously as Junyi's president and Jingjian's vice chairman. The responsibilities on his shoulders were heavier, and his work even busier, but he still made sure to carve out two days every month for outings with his family of three. On days when he did not have to travel for work, he would also make a point of coming home early to spend time with Ji Mingshu and little Cen Yan.
Ji Mingshu’s interior design studio had also settled into a steady rhythm. Including Ji Mingshu herself, it now had five full-time designers and ten design assistants.
The studio currently focused exclusively on creative interior design, with most of its clients being art galleries, cafés, private villas, and the like. Every year, it also took on a set number of pro bono projects for public welfare.
Although the studio’s rates were high, clients still came in droves, specifically drawn by its reputation. Design services were generally booked at least three months in advance, and Ji Mingshu herself only accepted cases that interested her.
There was simply no helping it. She had plenty of social engagements, and the little one was still extremely attached to her. She really didn't have the energy to spend on projects she had no interest in.
By the time Yan-bao was two and a half, the matter of starting kindergarten had to be put on the agenda.
There were enough public and private kindergartens in the capital to make anyone’s head spin. Ji Mingshu shortlisted several of the better ones and compared them carefully, but every school seemed to have its own strengths and weaknesses. She couldn't make up her mind, so she called Cen Sen.
When Cen Sen received the call, he was playing cards at a private club with Chi Li and Jiang Che.
Chi Li and Jiang Che had recently been considering a collaboration on the development of a new internet platform. Since the two sides were not particularly familiar with each other, Cen Sen had acted as the intermediary who introduced them.
After ending the call, Cen Sen set his phone aside. He then leisurely spread the cards covering the table into a fan, drew out a pair of queens, and tapped them lightly against the edge of the table. As he played them, he asked in an even voice, “Which kindergarten does Jiang Sizhou attend?”
Jiang Che easily beat the pair of queens with a pair of kings. “Your Cen Yan is starting kindergarten?”
Cen Sen gave a quiet “Mm.”
Jiang Che added, “The kindergarten Jiang Sizhou attends is pretty good, but it’s in Xingcheng. Are you sure?”
Cen Sen paused briefly, remembering only then that they didn't live in the same city. His gaze soon shifted to Chi Li.
Without even looking up, Chi Li tapped his knuckles lightly against the tabletop and said, with deliberate double meaning, “Pass.”
Chi Li was several years younger than the two of them and wasn't even married yet, so he really had no knowledge of kindergartens to offer.
Cen Sen didn’t ask further. Once the round ended, he stood and took his coat from Zhou Jiaheng. “You two carry on. Something came up at home. I’m leaving first.”
Neither of the two men made any attempt to stop him.
After he left, Chi Li lowered his eyes and shuffled the cards, giving a faint scoff. “Henpecked.”
Jiang Che raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
Chi Li put down the cards, then seemed to remember something and laughed dismissively. “Right, I forgot. President Jiang is one too.”
“There’s nothing wrong with being henpecked.” Jiang Che took a small sip of whiskey, then smoothly turned the conversation back to the project.
While Chi Li and Jiang Che continued discussing their collaboration, the henpecked guy himself had already returned home to help his wife choose a kindergarten.
Ji Mingshu said, “I think this international kindergarten has a great environment and excellent teachers. Their elementary school is good too. If he stays in the same system from kindergarten through elementary school, he’ll keep seeing the same classmates instead of having to adjust to a completely new environment once he starts elementary school.”
“Overall, I think it’s pretty good. They do require either a green card or a Hong Kong household registration, but there should be some room for negotiation on that.”
Ji Mingshu pointed to another school. "This one is good too. It has an excellent reputation and has been around for many years. But the classes are a little crowded, and the facilities are somewhat dated."
“And then there’s this one... There’s nothing particularly wrong with it. The main drawback is that they only offer full boarding. Little Grub is still so young. Sending him away full-time makes me a little reluctant.”
After introducing all of them, Ji Mingshu was still torn. "Anyway, these are the ones I narrowed it down to. Take a look at all of them."
Cen Sen nodded and picked up the kindergarten materials Ji Mingshu had handed him, studying them with the same seriousness he would have given a contract under review.
Sitting beside him, Ji Mingshu rested her chin in her hands and rambled on, “But why are kindergartens so ridiculously demanding nowadays? They weren’t this intense when we were kids, were they? Every single one of these places requires the parents to come in for an interview."
“What do you think they’ll ask us? Do we need to prepare résumés or something first? I don’t think it’s necessarily...” She hesitated, then brightened. “Actually, you should have someone put in a word and see if we can skip the interview. Other than my college admissions interview, how many years has it been since I’ve had an interview? I’ve completely forgotten how.”
Cen Sen listened to Ji Mingshu ramble while seriously comparing the kindergarten data.
Just then, Junyi’s newly promoted general manager called him. They were planning to hold a regular meeting with the Australian branch and wanted to ask whether he would be available to attend.
Cen Sen replied directly, "No. I'm at home." The general manager immediately understood, politely ended the call, and wisely refrained from disturbing him further.
When he returned to the conference room and relayed the situation to the senior executives, the general manager simply said, “President Cen is at home.” Everyone exchanged a knowing look. Say no more. We all understood.
Over the past two years, Cen Sen’s devotion to his family had become well known throughout the group, and even outsiders frequently joked about it.
In the years since returning from Australia, Cen Sen had expanded Jingjian’s business empire considerably. With the Cen family’s support, the Ji family was also gradually showing signs of returning to its former heights. Ji Mingshu’s second uncle in particular had risen through the ranks year after year, at a speed that was enough to make people marvel. In the capital’s elite circles, the unbreakable marriage alliance between the Cen and Ji families was known to practically everyone.
And when people called it unbreakable, they were not referring solely to the interests binding the two families together. Over the years, Cen Sen’s love and regard for Ji Mingshu, both openly and in ways outsiders could only infer, had been plain for all to see.
The most obvious manifestation was Ji Mingshu's rock-solid position among the city's socialites and wealthy wives.
Even when Cen Sen rarely agreed to a financial interview, he would still make a restrained point of mentioning his wife and son.
And over the past two years, whenever he attended business dinners, not only did he never bring a female companion himself, he also made it clear that his business partners were not to bring one either.
There had once been someone foolish enough to send a woman to him. Somehow, a deal that had been almost finalized fell through in the end. The other party initially had no idea why, but after making some careful inquiries, they learned that it was the attempt to send a woman to Cen Sen that had displeased him. In time, this became an unspoken rule around Cen Sen, one nobody needed to spell out.
Then there were the stories that circulated throughout the industry. That a single phone call from Mrs. Cen could make President Cen walk out of a drinking engagement. And that gifts for President Cen were best chosen with Mrs. Cen and the little heir in mind if one wanted to get on his good side. With all those stories floating around, there was certainly no shortage of private jokes about Cen Sen and his family.
After all, in a society where wealthy, powerful, young, and eligible men were notoriously difficult to keep devoted to one person, a man who did not cheat was already a rare breed. One who was devoted to his family and wholly faithful to his wife could fairly be called "henpecked."
Cen Sen was in the middle of discussing the kindergarten question with Ji Mingshu when little Cen Yan woke from his nap. Under the nanny’s watchful eye, he toddled down the stairs with his little legs going “tap tap tap” all the way.
Two-and-a-half-year-old little Cen Yan was as adorable as a jade-carved snow doll. His soft fringe rested over his forehead, puffing up with every little step he took, so unbearably cute it made people’s hearts ache.
As soon as he reached the bottom of the stairs, he rushed over and planted a kiss on Ji Mingshu’s cheek with a bright little “mwah,” then another on Cen Sen's. In a clear, ringing voice, he called, “Mama! Papa!”
With one arm, Cen Sen scooped Cen Yan up and settled him between himself and Ji Mingshu. “Papa and Mama are choosing a kindergarten for you.”
A question mark seemed to appear inside Cen Yan’s little head. “What’s a kindergarten?”
Ji Mingshu pulled him onto her lap, pinched his little cheek, then took his tiny hands and stretched them out in a little exercise routine as she patiently explained, “It’s a place where lots of other cute little children like you go to play together.”
Cen Yan asked innocently, “Then, will my little sister be there?”
Cen Sen and Ji Mingshu both paused at exactly the same moment, then looked at each other.
Cen Yan continued with his questions. “Why do Great-Grandma and Great-Grandpa always say I have a little sister, but I’ve never seen her?”
As if asking casually, Cen Sen said, “Would you like a little sister?”
“I do, I do!” Cen Yan nodded so enthusiastically he looked like a little chick pecking at grain. He counted on his chubby little fingers. “One, two, three, four! If we have a little sister, there’ll be four of us, and I won’t be the littlest anymore! I can take my little sister to kindergarten to play!”
Ji Mingshu caught his chubby little hands and raised them above his head, putting on a stern expression as she said, “No, you can’t! You Little Grub!”
Cen Yan pouted, then turned his head toward his mother with a deeply aggrieved expression. In a tiny voice, he protested, “Yan-bao isn't Little Grub. Yan-bao can do it!”
Cen Sen gave an almost imperceptible chuckle, his voice calm and light. “If you want a little sister, it’s not impossible. But your Mama will have to cooperate.”
Cen Yan's eyes immediately lit up. He blinked his round, sparkling eyes at Ji Mingshu expectantly. "Mama, hurry up and cooperate!"
“...”
“Do you think your Mama is a scallop?”
Cen Yan clearly did not understand. Confusion covered his little face.
Cen Sen crossed his legs and leaned back into the sofa, flipping through the materials as he casually said, “Ask Mama if she wants braised little pork ribs for dinner tonight.”
Cen Yan tugged at Ji Mingshu’s arm. “Mama, do you want braised little pork ribs tonight?”
Ji Mingshu stared blankly ahead. “Mama doesn’t want any. Mama refuses.”
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