My Queen, My Rules - 94

Over the past two-plus years, the frequency of Cen Sen and Ji Mingshu's intimate life had remained quite high. Especially in the two months after Ji Mingshu finished recuperating post-childbirth—all the mischief she had inflicted on Cen Sen while pregnant was repaid with interest.

At the time, Cen Sen had been abstinent for nearly a year and was not in a mood to be gentle. Each time, he wouldn’t stop even when she was reduced to pitiful sobs, and he would repeatedly make her recount all the torment and teasing she had subjected him to during her pregnancy.

Ji Mingshu felt she had apologized more in those two months in bed than in her entire life. If it weren’t for his subsequent busy work schedule and frequent business trips, Ji Mingshu didn't know when she would ever have escaped that "suffering."

After that two-month period of retribution, their marital life stabilized at about three times a week. As for how many rounds or how long each time lasted, that depended entirely on Cen Sen's mood.

Although she had verbally refused when her son mentioned the spare ribs, the moment the ribs were served at dinner, Ji Mingshu couldn't help but sneak several glances at them.

Yan Bao, being a sweet and thoughtful child, knew she liked them. He clumsily tried to pick one up with his chopsticks for her, but struggled for quite a while without success.

He grew a bit dejected, pouted, and asked Cen Sen for help in his milky voice, "Dada, you get wibs for Mama, 'kay? Mama likes wibs, but Yan Bao can't get them!"

Cen Sen glanced at Ji Mingshu, who was sitting opposite him, absently picking at her greens.

Ji Mingshu deliberately avoided meeting his gaze.

He seemed to ponder for a moment, then unhurriedly extended his chopsticks. One piece, two pieces, three pieces… he picked the tenderest spare ribs and placed them in her bowl.

Yan Bao's eyes crinkled into happy crescents. With three little tufts of hair sticking up, he looked up at Cen Sen and said, "Thank you, Dada!"

Then, imitating parents from cartoons, he turned to Ji Mingshu and said with grave earnestness, "Mama, you have wibs now! You have to eat properly, okay!"

"…"

Speechless, Ji Mingshu picked up the smallest piece and put it in his bowl.

He shook his head seriously. "Yan Bao no have all teefies yet. Can't chew it!"

Ji Mingshu pinched his chubby cheek, teasing him without mercy, "So you do know you're just a little brat whose teeth aren't even fully in yet!"

Yan Bao nodded obediently. "Mmhmm, I know!"

He stretched out his short little arm to pinch Ji Mingshu's cheek in return.

Struck by his adorably dumb expression, Ji Mingshu's heart melted. "Little Grub, how are you so cute!"

He laughed, showing his little rice-grain teeth. "Mama is cute too!"

While the mother-son duo were having a lively time, Cen Sen, neglected on the other side, lightly tapped the edge of his bowl and said calmly, "Eat properly."

Little Cen Yan immediately snapped into a salute. "Yes, Dada!"

He didn't forget to add, "Oh, and Dada is cute too!"

Ji Mingshu couldn't hold back a laugh. Cen Sen looked at him for two seconds, the corner of his own mouth quirking up slightly.

Thanks to Little Cen Yan's "help", Ji Mingshu finally got to eat the spare ribs with a clear conscience.

After dinner, the family of three went for a stroll through the supermarket to aid digestion. Back home, the three sat on the floor playing with Lego bricks and dinosaur puzzles.

Little Cen Yan was full of energy, playing until ten o'clock before showing signs of sleepiness. Ji Mingshu and Cen Sen gave him a bath before bed, then placed him in the middle of their bed to tell him a story.

They told it in a bilingual version. Ji Mingshu told one sentence in Chinese, Cen Sen the next in English. The hypnotic effect was immediate. In less than ten minutes, Little Cen Yan was rubbing his little tummy, fast asleep and snoring softly.

"Little Grub? Little Grub?"

Ji Mingshu called softly twice. Little Cen Yan didn't stir.

Cen Sen made a "shush" gesture, silently got out of bed, carried Little Cen Yan back to his own room, and instructed the nanny to watch over him.

It was still early for adults. Back in the master bedroom, Cen Sen held Ji Mingshu as they started a movie.

Of course, neither of them paid much attention to the movie. Within half an hour, they were engaged in the kind of exercise adults do, continuing right through to the end of the film and well into the rolling credits and sponsor list.

At the critical moment, Cen Sen's voice was low and hoarse near Ji Mingshu's ear. "Can I… inside?”

Ji Mingshu was utterly exhausted, breathing more out than in, her mind completely blank, with no capacity to respond.

After waiting about five seconds, Cen Sen diligently implemented the international customary rule that "silence implies consent," personally making a significant physical contribution to the arrival of the little sister Yan Bao so eagerly awaited.

—

When Yan Bao turned three, it was time to officially start kindergarten.

Ji Mingshu meticulously prepared many little outfits, shoes, and all sorts of backpacks, determined to make Yan Bao the most stylish kid in kindergarten.

She never expected that none of the things she prepared would be used. The kindergarten provided unified uniforms, backpacks, and even came fully equipped with little watches and water bottles.

Ji Mingshu felt somewhat deflated. During their nightly pillow talk, nestled in Cen Sen's arms, she grumbled about these trivial matters, complaining that the school was stifling children's development of personal taste and style.

Cen Sen, however, thought the school's approach was great. "A child's most important task is to learn. Wasting energy on comparing clothes is meaningless."

At first glance, Ji Mingshu thought it made sense. But after thinking it over, it felt rather ridiculous.

She pulled out of Cen Sen's embrace. "What do you mean a child's most important task is to learn? He's only three—what can he possibly learn? Shouldn't he just have a happy childhood? I've been meaning to say this—don't set your expectations for your son so high, okay? This is called ‘forcing a sprout to grow’!"

Cen Sen was unperturbed. "A three-year-old can already learn many things."

"Then tell me, what could you do at three?"

Cen Sen thought for a moment. "At three, I could recite Tang poetry, hold simple English conversations, and had already started learning taekwondo and piano."

Both Father An and Mother An were intellectuals who valued their child's education from a young age. The kindergarten he attended back then was also the best public one in Xingcheng.

Ji Mingshu fell silent after hearing this, her thoughts drifting off course: People with good brains really are different. He even remembers clearly what he could do and did at three years old.

In the brief moment of Ji Mingshu's silence, Cen Sen had already started talking about his various cultivation plans for Little Cen Yan. And he had actually found time amidst his incredibly busy schedule to draft a comprehensive, booklet-ready plan.

Ji Mingshu was speechless for a long while, unsure whether to bow in silent mourning for the bleak future awaiting Little Cen Yan, or to worship his father's formidable CEO capabilities.

Little Cen Yan, perhaps sensing something in his sleep, lay in his little bed half-asleep and suddenly went "Achoo!" It was a bit chilly. He unconsciously rolled over, wrapped himself tightly in his little blanket, and shivered. TvT!

—

Children's initial difficult adjustment to kindergarten is probably a rite of passage for both parents and child.

Before going, Little Cen Yan had been all reasonable and cooperative, behaving exceptionally well. But when they actually left him at the kindergarten, he stamped his feet anxiously and launched into a heart-wrenching performance. "Waaah! Mama, Dada, don't you want Yan Bao anymore? Yan Bao will be good, waaah!"

The kindergarten teacher tried to comfort or hold him, but he shuffled his little feet to the side and let out another loud "Waaah!", his posture one of extreme resistance.

Seeing Little Cen Yan crying so heartbrokenly and in despair, Ji Mingshu's heart ached. She immediately stepped forward to pick him up, gently patting his back, and coaxed with rare softness: "Yan Bao is the best boy. How could Mama and Dada not want Yan Bao? Yan Bao is the cutest kid in the whole world, right? But didn't we agree before we left home? You'll be good and go to kindergarten, and Mama and Dada will come pick Yan Bao up after school in the afternoon."

"No! Waaah wuuu! I want... I want Dada Mama to stay wif me! Wuuu... we go to kinnygarten together!” Little Cen Yan cried until snot bubbles emerged. He hiccupped, his words becoming fragmented.

Just as Ji Mingshu was about to soothe him again, Cen Sen called his full name coolly. "Cen Yan."

A Siberian cold front hit. Cen Yan was so startled he popped a snot bubble.

Cen Sen stepped forward and rubbed his hair. "You're a big boy. You can't go back on your word."

Ji Mingshu looked up at him reproachfully. "Don't be harsh with him!"

Cen Sen was silent for a beat. "I'm not being harsh."

"…"

That expression that clearly said, "If you don't go into that school today, you're no son of mine"—if that wasn't harsh, then what was?

Ji Mingshu wanted to say more, but surprisingly, the spineless Little Cen Yan actually responded to Cen Sen's approach. Although he was still sniffling and hiccuping, he no longer resisted the kindergarten teacher.

After triple-checking with Ji Mingshu that they would pick him up after school, Little Cen Yan, reluctant and full of longing, his eyes brimming with tears, took one step and looked back three times as he toddled off into the school with the teacher.

Ji Mingshu breathed a sigh of relief. However, on the way back, she still felt anxious and unsettled from her baby's crying fit, her heart somewhat heavy.

But when she opened the live classroom feed, this anxiety was suddenly cured. Because Cen Yan's crying wasn't an exception. The entire class of children was wandering around the room wailing at the top of their lungs in an unorganized, undisciplined mess.

Having already cried his heart out outside, Little Cen Yan didn't have the energy to join the wailing chorus inside the classroom just yet. Instead, he offered a piece of candy to the little girl next to him, whose pigtails were practically standing on end from crying.

Not bad. Already knows how to charm girls at three.

Ji Mingshu was not only cured but even felt a swell of pride.

—

After getting through the tearful first week, by the second week, the kindergarten situation abruptly returned to normal. The kids were also pragmatic in their own way. Once they discovered crying solved nothing, they immediately stopped wasting their energy.

Simultaneously, Cen Sen's cultivation plan for Cen Yan began.

At first, Ji Mingshu was a little worried that Cen Sen's plan would have the opposite effect on Cen Yan. She felt exposing a three-year-old to so much was a bit too early.

But after observing for a while, she discovered Little Cen Yan's ability to adapt and learn was almost excessively strong.

In Cen Sen's plan, ages three to four were a period of development and exploration for Cen Yan's interests and talents. He would have Cen Yan try out different things to determine what he was most interested in and where he had the most natural talent.

But whether it was drawing, piano, violin, or running, martial arts, taekwondo… Cen Yan managed to stand out among his peers. The teachers all sang his praises, saying he was bright and talented.

When asked what he liked, he had no particular preference, saying he liked them all.

Thus, after finishing the kindergarten nursery class, the bright and talented Little Cen Yan skipped directly to the senior kindergarten class.

The kindergarten senior class was different from the previous play-all-day routine. The school began teaching some preparatory lessons and even started assigning the kids homework.

One Friday, after Little Cen Yan was picked up and brought home, Ji Mingshu and Cen Sen played with him for a while, then routinely asked him what homework the teacher had assigned that day.

Little Cen Yan thought for a moment, cupped his cheeks in his hands, and said, "Teacher said, think about what Dada and Mama are. Teacher Yuan will call on people to answer next week."

Ji Mingshu also cupped her cheeks, mimicking him. "So, Little Grub, what do you think Dada and Mama are?"

Cen Yan tilted his head. "I want to say something different from the other kids."

Cen Sen glanced at him, seemingly curious just how different his answer would be.

He playfully tilted his head the other way. "Mama and Dada are liars."

Cen Sen: "…" Ji Mingshu: "…"

The two exchanged a look. It was Cen Sen who asked, "How are Mama and Dada liars?"

He lifted his little face in accusation. "Dada, you said Yan Bao would have a little sister. But a long, long, long time passed, and Yan Bao still no have little sister."

Ji Mingshu, who was eating an orange, nearly choked.

Cen Sen also paused for a good while. "Mama and Dada didn't lie. Mama and Dada… have been trying very hard too."

---

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