My Queen, My Rules - Chapter 79

Chapter 79

Of course, when Ji Mingshu said she wanted a divorce, she was just venting, and Cen Sen clearly didn't take her angry words to heart. However, it was true that after watching that 4D movie, the latter half of their date had collapsed in every conceivable way, without a single redeeming quality.

Cen Sen had originally planned other activities, such as a drive along the river and listening to music at an outdoor lounge bar. But as soon as they walked out of the movie theater, Ji Mingshu displayed the relief of a survivor, coupled with a desperate desire to return to her nest: "Take me home quickly, I can still be saved!"

Seeing her in such a state, Cen Sen had no choice but to cancel the subsequent arrangements.

Fortunately, the night breeze of the Imperial Capital in early spring was gentle and pleasant. As the cool air blew against her face on the way home, the stuffy feeling in Ji Mingshu’s heart dissipated quite a bit.

Calming down to think about it carefully, she felt that the matter couldn't be entirely blamed on Cen Sen.

Cen Sen was an old antique leftover from the previous century, and the number of times he had stepped into a movie theater could likely be counted on one hand. How could one expect him to know beforehand what a brain-dead experience a 4D movie could be?

The fact that he had taken the initiative to invite her out, sent flowers, and put effort into chatting with her during dinner was already a huge improvement. There was still a long road ahead; there was no need to be in a rush.

Having made excuses for Cen Sen in this way, Ji Mingshu finally found some self-comfort.

But the next second, as she scrolled through WeChat, the mental fortification she had just built instantly crumbled. Her smile vanished, and her expression stiffened.

Due to her delight with today's date, she had been posting an update on their progress to her Moments almost every hour.

Before entering the theater, she had also placed their movie ticket stubs together and snapped a photo, adding the caption: 【Watching a movie with Mr. Cen~/Happy】

She hadn't checked her phone since posting it, so she had no idea that Gu Kaiyang and Jiang Chun had actually sent her friendly reminders and high-level warnings two hours ago.

Gu Kaiyang: 【Are you two okay? Going on a date to watch a 4D movie?】

Jiang Chun: 【Hahahahaha, sorry, I can't help but laugh!】

Gu Kaiyang: 【？？？】

Gu Kaiyang: 【Where are you?】

Jiang Chun: 【Probably already inside.】

Gu Kaiyang: 【Fine then.】

Gu Kaiyang: 【True love must pass not only the test of renovating a house together but also the test of watching a 4D movie together. Hang in there, darling!】

Jiang Chun: 【Hahahahaha, you devil! I’m laughing so loudly, hahahahahaha!!!】

What was even worse was that these two had been keeping a close watch on her activity.

Jiang Chun: 【Hello, Birdy-treasure, you haven't posted in two hours, are you still alive?】

Gu Kaiyang: 【Maybe she's currently filing for divorce.】

Jiang Chun: 【Pfft!】

Jiang Chun: 【Stop talking, I can already visualize the image of divorce papers being flung! Hahahahaha!!】

Ji Mingshu's face turned sour. Suppressing the urge to curse them out, she tossed an image into the group chat: 【I don't speak to people who don't have a sex life.gif】

In truth, the moment that post with the ticket stubs went up, it wasn't just her being mercilessly mocked; the group chat for Cen Sen and his childhood friends had been buzzing for a full two hours.

Shu Yang: 【A 4D movie, hahahaha, Brother Sen is truly unique!】

Shu Yang: 【I genuinely, truly thought Brother Sen had found someone to power-level his account to become a King, but it turns out he’s still a stubborn Bronze!】

Jiang Che: 【And a stubborn Bronze at that.】

Zhao Yang: 【I think I need to reserve a hospital bed for Brother Sen at our clinic, hahahahaha!】

Cen Sen was completely oblivious to this two-hour-long mockery, nor did he perceive the volatile emotional journey Ji Mingshu had experienced throughout the day.

In his view, while the 4D movie experience had been subpar, it could only be counted as a small detour in their date’s itinerary.

When they arrived home and saw Ji Mingshu’s lack of expression, he assumed she was just tired. Thinking he was being thoughtful, he drew a hot bath for her and added soothing essential oils to the water.

He had originally considered joining her, but after Ji Mingshu took her nightgown into the bathroom, she locked the door without a word. After her shower, she curled up on one side of the bed and immediately went to sleep, showing absolutely no intention of communicating with him.

After being cold-shouldered for an entire evening, Cen Sen, no matter how slow on the uptake he was, understood that last night’s 4D movie experience had directly caused Ji Mingshu’s dissatisfaction with the date.

Furthermore, her dissatisfaction was incredibly "fresh"; it didn't even need to be put in the fridge to last until the next day—the fact that she had clearly woken up this morning without pestering him for a good-morning kiss was the best evidence of this.

As it happened, Cen Sen’s work schedule for this morning was to play golf with the general manager of a movie theater chain to discuss advertising placements for Junyi Yaji before films.

Actually, a matter like buying ad space didn't require Cen Sen’s personal involvement, but this general manager was a former classmate from high school. After gaining experience in a subsidiary under the group for the past few years, he had recently been promoted to general manager. The two used this opportunity to catch up and lay a foundation for potential future collaborations.

During a break between holes, the other man took a work call.

Cen Sen had been thinking about Ji Mingshu, so he put down his club and sent her a WeChat message.

Cen Sen: 【I apologize. I didn't plan last night's date well. I will definitely make it up to you next time.】

When she received this very "Cen-Sen-esque" message, Ji Mingshu was still curled up in her duvet, having not yet gotten out of bed. The aftereffects of last night’s "beating" were quite significant; she was aching all over, especially her shoulder blades and tailbone—they hurt the moment anything pressed against them.

—You think there’s going to be a next time?

After typing this out in a fit of pique, Ji Mingshu paused, cleared the text with one tap, and wrote again.

—That was my worst dating experience ever tvt!

This was better; it carried a bit of coquettishness within the anger, and she added an emoticon to act a little cute amidst her accusations. Ji Mingshu read it over several times, felt quite satisfied, and pressed send.

But Cen Sen’s point of focus was always rather peculiar. Not only did he fail to follow up on her coquettishness, but he also asked as if he were taking a census: 【What other dating experiences have you had that you were satisfied with?】

Before they were married, he had investigated Ji Mingshu and knew that she hadn't dated anyone seriously over the years.

However, Ji Mingshu had attended university abroad, where dating culture was prevalent. Dating several people at once wasn't something worth criticizing, so the possibility that she had been on dates couldn't be ruled out.

Ji Mingshu silently sent back a row of ellipses.

She had been a school beauty for over a decade, after all, with countless pursuers; what was so strange about her having been on a date with a boy?

Cen Sen wanted to ask more, but his high school classmate had finished his call and was walking back, shaking his head and sighing while complaining three times in a row: "Running a theater chain these days is really tough. The platforms ask for discounts and subsidies every three days, and I’m the one who has to deal with everything from promotions to scheduling."

Cen Sen put his phone away.

His high school classmate continued: "Right, what were we talking about earlier? Oh, right, we were talking about your wife."

He laughed, "Don't even mention it. I really never expected the two of you to end up together. I remember back in our third year of high school, Ji Mingshu was only a freshman, right? Back during military training, didn't everyone talk about the little sisters who moved up from the junior high department? Ji Mingshu was truly fresh and adorable back then. Li Tao from our dorm even wrote her a love letter."

"Oh, right, I also had a cousin on the school basketball team, named Zhou Zhen. I don't know if you have an impression of him. Speaking of which, he and you actually had quite a bit of fate. There was a period where he and Li Wenying were quite close, and after we graduated, he almost ended up dating your wife. Fate, I tell you!"

"Is that so."

Cen Sen looked at the lush green grass in the distance, his voice gentle and indifferent.

His high school classmate became even more spirited, as if this connection were something worth bragging about. "Yeah, he was a bit of a slow burner. Actually, he had his eyes on Ji Mingshu the moment she started her freshman year, but he never had a chance to develop anything. Back then, the line of people chasing your wife went from the south gate of the school all the way to the north. It wasn't until later, when he heard your wife might have had a little interest in him, that he made a move, but the timing was off. It just never worked out..."

Cen Sen kept his center of gravity balanced behind the ball, preparing to strike. His posture was perfect, yet he still uncontrollably overswung, failing to make a good drive.

On the other side, seeing that Cen Sen hadn't followed up with more questions, Ji Mingshu put down her phone and finally got out of bed.

She had a brand event to attend this afternoon, and estimating the time, her stylist would be arriving soon.

After washing up, she applied a sheet mask, went downstairs to carefully trim the roses she had brought back yesterday, placed them in a vase, and then returned upstairs to continue her skincare routine.

Hearing the housekeeper open the door for the stylist downstairs, Ji Mingshu tidied up some of Cen Sen’s clothes in the room.

He had been wearing a long overcoat when he went out for their date last night, and since she had wrapped herself in it while watching the movie, it still carried a faint trace of her perfume.

She picked it up and threw it directly into the bamboo basket, but as she turned, she suddenly caught a glimpse of something sticking out of the pocket—a piece of brown leather... a wallet?

She pulled it out and took a look; it wasn't a wallet, but a small notebook.

Flipping through it quickly from back to front, the back was entirely blank, but the first few pages contained Cen Sen’s handwriting.

His handwriting was just like him: the strokes were sharp, cold, and rigid, yet possessed a profound beauty. However, what was written inside wasn't quite so cold and rigid.

Date Itinerary:

Order roses.

Note: The bouquet shouldn't be too large; it’s inconvenient to hold.

Pick up Mingshu at 5:30.

Arrive at the restaurant at 6:20.

Note 1: Mingshu doesn't really like foie gras.

Note 2: Pay attention to interactive conversation during the meal; slow down the pace of dining.

Selected topics for interaction: Interior design, music, art exhibitions.