My Queen, My Rules - Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The most embarrassing thing in this world is not being caught masturbating in the bathroom by a husband you aren't close to; it is having to act as if nothing happened immediately afterward and asking that same distant husband to help you fetch your underwear.

This led directly to an exceptionally silent ride back to Nanqiao Alley.

Cen Sen was so rattled by Ji Mingshu’s awkwardness that he couldn't focus. He tried to look at a document in the car, but the moment he opened it, a mental "barrage of comments" kept replaying the legendary masterpiece of the "Great Rapper Ji."

As for Ji Mingshu, perhaps too embarrassed by herself to speak, she kept her eyes closed the entire time, her head turned toward the window.

Upon arriving at Nanqiao Alley, the two, who hadn't spoken a word the whole way, somehow picked up their acting instincts again. With tacit understanding, they linked arms and beamed with smiles, appearing for all the world like an affectionate young couple.

Ji Mingshu, in particular, had gone out of her way to wear a simple pink dress she rarely touched. Her lipstick was subtle, and her signature "bad girl" wavy hair had been temporarily straightened and tied into a submissive ponytail, presenting the image of a virtuous, filial, and well-behaved wife.

The alley was narrow, making it difficult to park, so Ji Mingshu and Cen Sen got out at the entrance and walked inside arm in arm.

Zhou Jiaheng, following behind with the gifts, witnessed this husband-and-wife duo perform their face-changing magic once again after two years; he couldn't help but feel a strange sense of familiarity.

When they reached the entrance of the courtyard, the sentry on duty opened the gate and saluted them with a solemn, upright air.

"Grandpa, Grandma!"

Ji Mingshu had always been sweet-tongued in front of elders. Upon entering and seeing the family busy setting up a meal in the pavilion, her eyes curved into crescents.

When Old Mrs. Cen saw her, she couldn't help but smile, "Oh, Shushu is here!"

She handed the bowls and chopsticks to Auntie Zhou, wiped her hands meticulously, and then took hold of Ji Mingshu’s hands, patting the back of them gently. "You're in for a treat today. I cooked myself, made your favorite braised pork ribs!"

"Why did you cook yourself? Let me look at you," Ji Mingshu said, holding Old Mrs. Cen’s hands and looking her over, her heart aching. "Why have you lost weight? It hasn't been that long since I last saw you; are you feeling unwell somewhere?"

"Don't worry blindly, I'm just fine! The weather has been hot lately, and I’ve been wearing lighter clothes, so it just makes me look thinner. It’s what you young people call... what is it, a visual effect!"

Old Mrs. Cen spoke with a robust, energetic voice; she certainly didn't seem unwell, which made Ji Mingshu exhale in relief.

Ji Mingshu had been beautiful and sweet-mouthed since she was a child. Her cheerful and lively personality made her a favorite among the elders in the compound.

Old Mrs. Cen had watched her grow up and treated her entirely like her own granddaughter. A few years ago, when the young girl married into their family, she had been so happy she couldn't stop smiling, showing off her delightful granddaughter-in-law to everyone she met.

It was quite the opposite for Cen Sen, her own grandson. He had only returned home after he was already old enough to be sensible, and over the years, he had maintained a veneer of gentleness while remaining emotionally distant. Old Mrs. Cen never quite knew how to get close to him.

She loved him, she felt for him, and she even felt guilty toward him, but whenever they were together, there was always an unexplainable, vague distance.

It wasn't just Old Mrs. Cen; everyone in the Cen family felt less close to Cen Sen than they did to Ji Mingshu. As he grew older and began to hold his own, currently poised to take over as the new head of the Cen clan, the younger generation was even a bit intimidated by him.

While they were eating, the little cousin accidentally bumped her chopsticks against Cen Sen’s, and she panicked, blurting out an apology. The scene went dead silent.

Ji Mingshu was also stunned, her gaze darting between the cousin and Cen Sen. For a brief moment, she had a bizarre thought: Has this dog of a man done something so beastly to his little cousin that she’s scared of him like a frightened little chick?

Cen Sen didn't mind the minor incident; he even gently placed a piece of pork rib into his little cousin's bowl, acting out the role of a considerate older brother perfectly.

Unfortunately, the little cousin was young and didn't know how to hide her feelings; she offered a stiff smile and didn't dare to eat it.

It was a normal family banquet today. Although not everyone was present, the table was full. Inside, there were those who were intimidated by Cen Sen, and naturally, some who were not.

Seeing that the atmosphere was chilly, his younger aunt, Cen Yingshuang, started a conversation. "Right, Shushu, those places you redesigned for me last time—my friend loved them so much. She just bought a house in the States and wants to find an interior designer to do a proper design. Fees, budget, those are not an issue. I just don't know if you’ve been free lately."

"Free, of course I'm free. I have all the time in the world." Ji Mingshu accepted immediately and added a playful remark: "I just love the kind of friends you introduce, Aunt; it’s a way to earn some pocket money for bags."

"Oh my, you say that as if A-Sen won't even buy you bags anymore?" Cen Yingshuang teased.

Ji Mingshu leaned toward Cen Sen, acting sweet: "A-Sen works very hard to earn money; I can’t let him support me all the time. Besides, I'm idle anyway, so it's good to find something to do."

Hearing this, Cen Sen turned his head, locking gazes with Ji Mingshu, his eyes filled with a smile for three seconds.

Here it comes, here it comes, the look that says, "What am I going to do with a little treasure who charms everyone like you?"

Ji Mingshu sometimes admired this dog of a man; his acting skills in front of elders—pretending to be deeply affectionate—were on par with her own.

After they broke eye contact, she couldn't help but get goosebumps.

"A-Sen, this is where you're wrong," Cen Yingshuang automatically ignored the performance of the two, putting on her elder hat to instruct Cen Sen: "You’ve returned to Junyi now. Shushu is usually bored; you could arrange for her to come to the company to learn and utilize her strengths."

Utilize her strengths?

How to make a multinational corporation go bankrupt on the spot?

Cen Sen paused for a moment and said warmly, "I’ll just support Shushu. Supporting her is what I should do."

—The large-scale drama "Affectionate Couple," Scene 1, Act 3, Cut.

Perhaps the sweetness of the young couple was too much for the eyes of a middle-aged, single female PhD, because Cen Yingshuang got up to go to the bathroom.

She hadn't even sat back down when she suddenly stared at Cen Sen.

Then, as if she had discovered a new continent, she put down her chopsticks and asked, "A-Sen, how did your hair grow so fast? Two weeks ago, when Mingshu posted on WeChat Moments, your hair was still this short." She gestured with her thumb and forefinger.

"Cough! Cough, cough!"

Ji Mingshu was drinking soup and choked unexpectedly, almost dying on the spot.

Cen Sen was extremely attentive; he patted her back, fed her water, and used a tissue to wipe the corners of her mouth.

The others sitting nearby also asked Ji Mingshu with concern how she was doing.

Ji Mingshu finally caught her breath. While she was saying "I'm fine, I'm fine," she hadn't yet had time to rejoice that the deadly topic had been diverted when Cen Yingshuang, displaying the insatiable research spirit of a female PhD, repeated the question with a different word order.

She even pulled up Ji Mingshu’s WeChat Moments and compared the images to Cen Sen, muttering with curiosity: "It really grew fast. Based on the proportions in the picture, it grew at least two centimeters in these fourteen days. A normal person's hair growth rate should be one centimeter a month. What kind of hair growth serum did you use? Why are you using hair growth serum when you're so young? What brand is it? The effect is so good; I should introduce it to some of the old men at our institute!"

Cen Sen gave Ji Mingshu an imperceptible look.

Ji Mingshu lowered her head, ignoring everything outside the meal, focusing solely on the braised ribs.

After all, she didn't understand how her aunt, who was usually so meticulous and possessed such a rigorous research spirit, couldn't see that the photo was photoshopped.

For the past two years, Cen Sen had been in Australia, so busy that he didn't even come back to China for the Spring Festival.

As Mrs. Cen, Ji Mingshu traveled the world idly. If she didn't frequently visit her husband in Australia, the facade of an "affectionate couple" would be hard to maintain.

But she truly didn't want any uninvited interaction with this "bargain husband," Cen Sen. So, after much thought, she found a photo editor to help her Photoshop pictures of them together and then regularly posted them to a WeChat Moments list visible only to the Cen family, creating the illusion of a prosperous and happy marriage where she frequently flew to Australia to visit him.

She had been doing this for two years without getting caught. Even now, when her aunt discovered Cen Sen’s hair had grown miraculously fast, she hadn't questioned the authenticity of the photos—which perhaps proved that the editor she hired was incredibly skilled and worth every penny?

Thinking of this, Ji Mingshu felt a little relieved.

Perhaps because there were people of all ages at the table, Cen Yingshuang’s topic seemed too nonsensical for the occasion. Before Cen Sen could answer, Old Man Cen said with authority: "Don't speak while eating, don't speak while sleeping. You’ve read so many books, why are you becoming more and more ill-mannered? You're over thirty, still acting like a child; no wonder you can't get married!"

"...?"

Didn't everyone just chat and laugh happily? Why is it "don't speak while eating" only when it comes to her? Besides, what does this have to do with her not being married at thirty? Does this family discriminate against unmarried women of a "certain age"?

Cen Yingshuang felt innocent and opened her mouth, wanting to defend herself.

Cen Yuanchao glanced at her at just the right time, signaling her not to talk back.

Cen Yingshuang didn't listen to others, but the words of her older brother, Cen Yuanchao, were very effective. She held back and silently swallowed her "mini-thesis."

Because of the Old Man’s order, the second half of the meal was very quiet.

After dinner, Old Man Cen called Cen Yuanchao and Cen Sen upstairs to talk, while the rest stayed in the pavilion to chat and cool off with Old Mrs. Cen.

It wasn't until the stars appeared in the night sky that the conversation between the three generations of Cen men concluded.

As night fell and the light dimmed, Ji Mingshu was chatting and laughing with Cen Yingshuang, not noticing that Cen Sen had left the house. Only when Cen Sen stepped onto the pavilion steps did she catch a glimpse of him out of the corner of her eye.

But Cen Yingshuang, who was in the middle of a lively story, forgot all taboos: "...I’ve never seen a little girl who loved wetting the bed more than you. I bet you don't even remember. Once, there was no one in the compound, and you were at our place watching cartoons. You fell asleep while watching and actually wet the sofa! Cen Yang is the cleanest person; he was absolutely disgusted by you! He dragged you to the bed and actually took the sofa cover apart himself to wash it, hahahahaha..."

When Cen Yingshuang suddenly mentioned "Cen Yang," no one reacted at first.

When they did react, everyone noticed Cen Sen, who had stepped onto the pavilion. For a moment, the night breeze felt extremely cold.

Ji Mingshu gave Cen Yingshuang a look immediately, but her aunt didn't notice.

She seriously suspected that her aunt had been doing physics research for too long and wanted to switch directions to win an award in the "Digging Up Skeletons" competition.

It was only eight o'clock when they left Nanqiao Alley, but the night was already deep and thick.

Sitting in the back seat, Ji Mingshu felt an uncharacteristic sense of discomfort. She turned to look out the window, unable to resist secretly observing Cen Sen’s expression through the reflection on the glass.

But Cen Sen was leaning back against his chair, his silhouette too thin and faint. She couldn't help but lean back herself, her head pressing tightly against the headrest...

The next second, she caught Cen Sen’s gaze in the car window, completely off guard. :)