My Queen, My Rules - Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Cen Sen had only made that comment in passing; he didn't pay it much mind. He was a man consumed by work. Once he left Mingshui Manor, domestic and personal matters were tossed to the back of his mind, let alone reflecting on his own words or catering to the moods of that "young mistress."

At two in the afternoon, traffic flowed like a river near the Imperial CBD. Waves of heat rolled in, and the sun hung high and blindingly bright.

During the post-lunch hour, white-collar workers returned to their offices in groups of three or five, carrying paper coffee cups.

It was Friday, and everyone was chatting and laughing, their moods relaxed. Only two young women working at Junyi, upon receiving a group notification, instantly reined in their gossip and hurried toward their company.

"Why so fast? Didn't they say he might not come today?"

"Who knows? If I could read these people's minds, I’d be day-trading stocks blindly. Alright, hurry up, hurry up."

The Junyi headquarters had two interconnected buildings near the Financial Center. They stood tall and striking, designed with a geometric, staggered structure.

The eastern building was Junyi Huazhang, the most iconic luxury hotel under the Junyi umbrella, while the other served as the corporate headquarters.

At 2:15 PM, the usually spacious first-floor lobby of the headquarters was packed with the company's management. They were arranged in two neat columns, sorted by rank from low to high, from the outside in. The team leaders of the conference organizing committee stood at the very edge.

At 2:20 PM, three black sedans drove into the building's portico in sequence.

A Cadillac led the way, stopping in front of the Roman pillar on the right, while a Bentley in the middle pulled up with an overbearing directness, braking right in the center.

A young man in glasses stepped out of the Bentley’s passenger side. He adjusted his suit jacket as he walked to the back, bent over slightly, and pulled open the rear door with great deference.

Everyone held their breath, their eyes fixed on the car door. A sense of nervous tension rose from the soles of their feet for no apparent reason.

The afternoon sun was exceptionally fierce; the asphalt was scorching, and the leaves were so green they seemed to glow with light. Amidst the summer heat and noise, there was a strange, distant stillness, as if a long camera lens were slowly pulling away.

Cen Sen stepped out of the car and slowly stood straight.

He had the clean, sharp features of "sword brows and starry eyes," and with his tall, slender frame, he carried a natural air of icy indifference just by standing there. From afar, he looked youthful and aristocratic.

Before anyone could snap out of it, the doors of the cars in front and behind opened simultaneously. Three men and three women—six assistants in total—stepped out. They were all dressed in professional attire, carrying briefcases, and followed Cen Sen in an orderly fashion, maintaining a distance of about half a meter.

Many senior executives had come to welcome Cen Sen today, but a few "old leeks" intentionally stayed away, wanting to show this young man a thing or two about the colorful complexity of the world.

The group walked inside, expressionless. As they entered the elevator, someone suddenly reached out to help press the floor button.

"Mr. Cen, I am Secretary Yu, assistant to Mr. Huang. You can just call me Little Yu. Mr. Huang has been feeling under the weather lately and has been resting at home, so he couldn't come to greet you today."

Secretary Yu wore a fawning smile. He seemed attentive and diligent, yet his posture remained stiff. His tone was soft, but it carried an unmistakable air of superiority.

"Mr. Huang specifically instructed me to ensure I provide you with the best hospitality. If there is anything you want to see or need, just let me know."

The air went silent for an instant.

Zhou Jiaheng stood by the side of the elevator, bowing slightly, and extended his right hand to clear the path for Cen Sen.

Once Cen Sen entered the elevator, Zhou Jiaheng turned to Secretary Yu and said, "Mr. Huang is getting on in years; it is only natural for him to have health issues. Secretary Yu, please tell Mr. Huang to rest his old heart and mind. In the future, he can stay home to tend to his flowers and plants; he doesn't need to worry about the group's affairs anymore."

"Mr. Cen has returned this time to take full control of Junyi. For veterans like Mr. Huang who have contributed so much to the group, Mr. Cen will do everything in his power to provide them with the highest quality retirement life."

Retirement life?

Secretary Yu didn't react for a moment.

But after Zhou Jiaheng finished speaking, he didn't wait for a response. He stepped directly into the elevator, stood behind Cen Sen, and changed the floor to the 68th.

The elevator doors slowly closed. Cen Sen stood in the center, his expression gentle yet detached, never giving Secretary Yu, the self-appointed vanguard, a single glance from start to finish.

The group arrived at the long-vacant chairman's office on the 68th floor.

One assistant skillfully affixed a temporary nameplate to the door;

Two other assistants worked in coordination, measuring and recording various data within the office to prepare for the setup of the desk and chair Cen Sen preferred;

The chief assistant, Zhou Jiaheng, opened his laptop and, through the company’s internal network, issued a notice that had been drafted well in advance to all employees—

"Upon the decision of the group’s leadership, effective today, Mr. Cen Sen will be transferred from his original position as Director of the Overseas Development Department and President of Junyi Australia Group to President of Junyi Group. All departments are requested to actively cooperate with Mr. Cen Sen in all aspects of his transition. We hope that under Mr. Cen Sen’s leadership, Junyi Group will be able to reach a brand new level."

The signature at the bottom was Cen Yuanchao’s.

At the same time, the computers in the office area chimed one after another with notifications of a new email.

Upon receiving this notice, the entire company exploded.

"Is Chairman Cen’s health really failing? That guy is only twenty-seven, right? Is he twenty-seven or twenty-eight? He’s way too young."

That evening after work, a sub-team of Junyi's marketing department organized a department gathering.

Usually, on weekends, everyone tacitly hoped to return to their private lives; even if they ran into colleagues on the street, they preferred to pretend they were strangers and avoid exchanging greetings.

But today, because of Cen Sen's sudden appearance, Junyi’s internal atmosphere was particularly restless, and many people were meeting up for drinks and group gossip after hours.

"So what if he’s young? He’s a Harvard graduate. He presided over the Sikan acquisition case when he was twenty-two. That case had Vice Chairman Liu so worked up at the time, but he solved it in a flash. He was efficient as all get out."

"I know he’s capable; didn't he build up Shuiyunjian? It’s just... taking over the entire group directly, it feels a bit... too young."

Another female colleague interjected: "I don't think the problem is that he’s too young; it’s that he’s too handsome. Looking like a movie star just makes him feel unreliable."

"Is being handsome a bad thing? Would you prefer to look at Manager Yu’s face every day?"

Manager Yu was their marketing department head, and his appearance was famously "abstract."

The room burst into raucous laughter, and the atmosphere instantly lightened.

"Does he have a girlfriend? It would be a waste of such a handsome man if he didn't have an office romance," a female colleague teased.

A male colleague scoffed, ruthlessly piercing the pink bubble that had just formed: "Girlfriend? He’s been married for ages."

"Married?"

"No way, I’ve never heard of that."

"Who is his wife?"

"Married young, what a pity."

Everyone talked over each other.

The gossip master contributed the real scoop: "His wife is from the Ji family."

"Which Ji family?"

"Which other Ji family could it be? The Huadian Ji family, of course."

"...Do you know? He actually told me to kowtow three steps at a time to the Potala Palace! Can you believe a man would say something like that? I’ve lived for over twenty years and have never seen a man like him. And you’re still praising him? You clearly have no idea how toxic he is! What kind of karmic debt did I commit in my past life... cough! cough-cough!"

In the ginseng private hot spring at Shuiyunjian, Ji Mingshu, who was being discussed by the Junyi employees, was wrapped in a bath towel, venting furiously. She spoke so fast that she choked, and she subconsciously pressed against the stones by the pool as she coughed uncontrollably.

Gu Kaiyang had listened to her curses for a full fifteen minutes, her stomach aching from laughter. As she handed her a tissue, she grabbed one for herself to wipe away her tears.

The water temperature in the pool was exactly forty degrees, not particularly hot, but Ji Mingshu was so emotional that she felt out of breath after only a little while. "That’s it, I’m done soaking."

She stood up, wrapped herself in a dry bath towel, and walked toward the side of the pool while winding up her long hair.

This private ginseng hot spring, exclusive to Ji Mingshu, was located in the deepest part of the Shuiyunjian complex. A small pavilion had been built by the pool, with carved lanterns hanging from the eaves, all surrounded by antique-style screens. By day, one could see the greenery and flowers; at night, the scene was a mix of hazy mist and warm yellow light—two different sights, each with its own charm.

The service staff waiting outside the screens heard the commotion, and rushed to fetch bathrobes and tea.

Not long after, Gu Kaiyang came out as well. The two of them took a shower together and then wandered toward the spa center while chatting.

As they passed the VIP lounge, Gu Kaiyang suddenly stopped. She elbowed Ji Mingshu and lifted her chin, gesturing. "Jiang Chun."

Ji Mingshu paused and followed Gu Kaiyang’s gaze.

A waiter was serving a fruit salad to Jiang Chun; the waiter’s bent body blocked most of the view.

Even so, Jiang Chun had sharp eyes and spotted them through the gap, and quite fearlessly called out their names: "Ji Mingshu, Gu Kaiyang!"

Ji Mingshu smiled, exchanged a knowing look with Gu Kaiyang, and strode inside with her long legs, walking in a relaxed manner.

"Ms. Jiang, what a rare guest."

Ji Mingshu sat down across from Jiang Chun quite naturally, crossed her legs, and without a hint of hesitation, picked up a small silver fork to pick out a piece of cucumber from the fruit salad.

Jiang Chun looked Ji Mingshu and Gu Kaiyang up and down. Suddenly, she remembered something. No wonder she couldn't move around the complex freely just now, even with her VIP annual pass and the Junyi black gold card—it turned out that this particular spring belonged to Ji Mingshu.

She also speared a piece of fruit and smiled thinly. "Long time no see. I heard your husband returned to the country. He accompanied Su Cheng to the Zero gala last night and even bid on a necklace? That necklace couldn't have been worth more than 1.2 million at most. Your husband bid four times that amount. He’s truly generous."

Ji Mingshu was airy and indifferent. "Can't help it. Our Ah Sen has always been quite enthusiastic about public welfare."

Our Ah Sen...

Both Gu Kaiyang and Jiang Chun felt a chill run down their spines from the cringe.

Ji Mingshu gave Jiang Chun a fake, regretful smile. "It’s such a pity you didn't go last night. Oh, right, why didn't you go?"

The goosebumps that had just emerged on Jiang Chun’s skin shriveled back, and her expression froze instantly.

Not long ago, in order to sit in the front row of a certain brand's debut show in the capital, Jiang Chun hadn't blinked before placing an order of over four million yuan. She had been showing off her friendly relationship with the brand everywhere, hoping to raise her head high among the socialites who looked down on her.

But before the show could even be held, the brand was jointly boycotted by several heavyweights in the fashion world due to serious plagiarism issues.

The brand's attitude was arrogant, indirectly pulling up a whole field of drama. The matter spread and fermented, becoming widely known, and in the end, their reputation was ruined, and the show was canceled.

In fact, the fashion world rarely tagged people with the word "plagiarism," mostly explaining things away as trends, classics, or similar ideas. It took some serious effort for this brand to lock itself so firmly to the word "plagiarism."

Jiang Chun was furious. She spent three days calling the brand's PR to curse them out, but she couldn't get a refund for the order she had already placed.

Because of this, she had become the butt of a huge joke in the circle, and had no choice but to stay low-profile lately, rarely appearing in public.

Struck right in the sore spot, Jiang Chun forgot all the etiquette she had recently learned. She crunched the fruit in her mouth and spit out, expressionless, "I was busy."

Fortunately, at that moment, her fiancé, Yan, sent a message asking where she was and saying he was coming to pick her up for dinner.

Her mood shifted from cloudy to sunny. She waved her phone at Ji Mingshu with a bit of childish superiority. "Yan is coming to pick me up for dinner, so I won't keep you company. Oh, right, why didn't Mr. Cen accompany you today?"

Ji Mingshu had seen plenty of women who liked to show off their affection.

Unfazed, she tossed her long hair, perfectly exposing the red mark on the side of her neck. She rested her chin in her hand and said sweetly, "He’s busy with work; he usually keeps me company at night." As she said this, she gave Jiang Chun an ambiguous wink.

Jiang Chun: "..."

Truly a shameless bitch.