My Queen, My Rules - Chapter 81

Chapter 81

Jiang Chun is a strange person. Sometimes she is even sharper than Xiao Budong, capable of picking up a conversation with just a single look. Other times, she seems to have 800-degree myopia, completely oblivious even when someone is standing right in front of her.

Ji Mingshu watched with her own eyes as Cen Sen stopped behind Zhou Zhen and his ABC fiancée. He exchanged a meaningful glance with her before looking at Jiang Chun, appearing as if he were earnestly listening to the nonstop, eloquent praises flowing from this self-appointed fan.

The expressions on Zhou Zhen and his ABC fiancée were already becoming difficult to maintain.

The two of them were not stupid; Jiang Chun’s exaggerated praises were clearly meant to tell them: "This lady’s husband is leagues ahead of you, so please stop being so full of yourselves, thank you."

However, compared to the sour look on the ABC fiancée's face, Zhou Zhen’s emotional regulation was much stronger. Of course, this was also because he didn't truly believe the hyperbolic things Jiang Chun was saying.

He had been abroad for these past few years and didn't know that Ji Mingshu was already married, nor did he know that her husband was the Cen family’s "Crown Prince," Cen Sen, who could manipulate the winds and clouds as he pleased. That was exactly why he had the urge to show off in front of her.

After hearing this news from Jiang Chun, he did feel a bit awkward.

But what Jiang Chun said was simply too exaggerated. It was obvious that the Cen-Ji union was a family-arranged marriage; how well could Cen Sen possibly treat Ji Mingshu?

He also knew Cen Sen unilaterally; after all, Cen Sen had been a legendary figure during their middle school days. Furthermore, his cousin was in the same class as Cen Sen, and the two had even shared a dormitory.

In his impression, Cen Sen was certainly not the type of peerless, good man who would do laundry or cook for his wife.

After finishing one round of praise, Jiang Chun took a slight break.

Zhou Zhen smiled and interjected at the right moment, "I never expected that you and Senior Cen were married, Mingshu."

Ji Mingshu had no intention of entertaining him. Her mind was entirely occupied with the thought: Are they unable to feel the built-in cooling buffer that Cen Sen exudes just because we are outdoors? It’s one thing for Jiang Chun to be too absorbed to notice, but aren't these two going to turn around?

Zhou Zhen really didn't seem to have any intention of turning around. He was entirely focused on regaining his dignity in front of his fiancée. He even began to act pretentious with great interest, taking the opportunity to talk at length about the friendship between his cousin and Cen Sen. In his words, he placed the Zhou and Cen families on roughly the same level, mentioned Li Wenyin in a subtle way, and finally smiled in conclusion, "Thinking about it like this, I guess you could say I have a connection with Senior Cen."

What kind of connection?

The connection of having eaten the same pile of sh*t?

Ji Mingshu rolled her eyes in her heart; she truly couldn't stand his talent for bringing up topics that were best left alone. The corners of her mouth, which had only been politely curved, suddenly widened into a smile, her eyes brightening as she called out sweetly toward Zhou Zhen, "Honey!"

Both Zhou Zhen and his fiancée were stunned. Once they reacted, they instinctively turned around following her gaze.

Cen Sen did not look at them, but raised his eyes, his gaze meeting Ji Mingshu’s in mid-air.

From Ji Mingshu’s shining eyes, he inexplicably read a threat: "If you don't cooperate with my performance, I’ll ensure you have no descendants for ten thousand generations."

After a brief moment, he nodded slightly and walked naturally to Ji Mingshu’s side, helping her tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

Ji Mingshu also naturally hooked her arm through his, acting with a touch of coquettish petulance, "Why are you here so early? Is your work finished?"

Cen Sen replied with an unruffled expression, "There wasn't much to do this afternoon, so I thought I’d come to pick you up early."

He turned to greet Jiang Chun and then looked at Zhou Zhen, asking in a gentle voice, "And who might this be?"

Before Ji Mingshu could introduce him, Zhou Zhen announced himself, "I’m Zhou Zhen. Hello, Senior. I’m also from the Affiliated High School, one year below you and one year above Mingshu."

He added, "I don't know if you remember Zhou Xian? He’s your roommate and also my cousin."

Cen Sen corrected him, "We were only roommates for the three days of military training."

Zhou Zhen’s expression stiffened slightly.

Cen Sen continued, "However, I just met with your cousin this morning to discuss a collaboration."

Zhou Zhen relaxed, just about to speak.

Cen Sen went on, "But it didn't go through."

Zhou Zhen felt awkward, only managing to squeeze out after a long pause, "That’s... truly a pity..."

"It’s not a pity," Cen Sen said nonchalantly.

Zhou Zhen: "..."

He clearly no longer knew what kind of expression to wear.

Cen Sen’s mockery was so obvious that even a fool could understand it. Zhou Zhen’s fiancée’s expression was mortified; she tugged at him twice and hurriedly pulled him away.

Jiang Chun, standing to the side, had been holding back her laughter with great difficulty. After they left, she nearly collapsed from laughing. It wasn't until Ji Mingshu pinched her to warn her to mind the occasion that she finally managed to restrain herself.

Perhaps because he had heard the luxurious "rainbow farts" (excessive flattery) that Jiang Chun could seemingly produce all on her own, Cen Sen was surprisingly patient and spoke with her a few more times that day. But Jiang Chun knew she couldn't handle such an honor and soon took her leave from Ji Mingshu’s side under the pretext of finding Gu Kaiyang.

The event had actually just begun; the customizable new products for VIPs hadn't even been brought out yet. Ji Mingshu couldn't leave with Cen Sen just yet, so they walked around the venue arm-in-arm. Although they appeared intimate, a strange silence hung between them.

"...The classic appeal of this design lies in the iconic quilted diamond pattern on the bag's surface. It undergoes ninety-five delicate manufacturing processes, with both visible and hidden stitching..."

The brand’s keynote speaker was introducing the latest updates to the season's classic bags, surrounded by guests and reporters.

Ji Mingshu finally couldn't help it; she nudged Cen Sen and whispered, looking up, "You were talking about a collaboration with Zhou Zhen’s cousin this morning. What did his cousin... say?"

"What do you think?"

Cen Sen parried the question effortlessly.

Ji Mingshu fell silent, understanding that with his attitude of charging over here as if to settle scores, he surely hadn't heard anything good.

Deep down, she felt a little happy that Cen Sen was jealous for her sake, but even more so, she felt a sense of awkwardness at not wanting to explain—after all, being almost managed by a "fish pond" wasn't exactly a glamorous thing to admit.

"Don't listen to people’s nonsense; there’s nothing between Zhou Zhen and me."

She only offered this explanation, not saying much more.

Mostly, it was because Cen Sen didn't seem overly concerned, so there was no need for her to be in such a rush to clarify the relationship.

Throughout the entire event, Cen Sen remained normal and even accompanied her to order some seasonal new arrivals.

Later, there was a small auction of antique brand bags. Ji Mingshu hadn't actually taken a liking to any of them, but Zhou Zhen’s fiancée had set her eyes on one. Seeking to show off, Zhou Zhen kept raising the price against another lady, acting as if he were determined to win.

Seeing this, the other lady eventually stopped bidding. But just before the deal was closed, Cen Sen, without even blinking, doubled Zhou Zhen’s last bid.

The price was now clearly absurd. Not to mention Zhou Zhen, even his fiancée couldn't bear the cost, and in the end, they could only watch in pain as Cen Sen successfully bid for the bag.

Ji Mingshu hadn't expected Cen Sen to pull such a move and said in surprise, "I don't need this. I already have one."

Cen Sen replied airily, "Just bidding for fun. If you don't like it, you can give it to your best friend."

Zhou Zhen and his fiancée were sitting nearby; they nearly coughed up blood upon hearing this.

Jiang Chun was sitting not far away, in the row right in front of them. When she heard this, she turned around in pleasant surprise, looking at Ji Mingshu with eager eyes and signaling wildly.

—In the end, Ji Mingshu still couldn't bear to part with that bag; after all, it was bought for her by Cen Sen. However, she promised to give the same model from her own collection to Jiang Chun.

For this, Jiang Chun spent three days straight bombarding her with "rainbow farts," showing it off in front of Gu Kaiyang like an elementary school student.

Gu Kaiyang didn't hold it against her, but Ji Mingshu had always been impartial and fair to her best friends, so she carefully picked out another bag to give to Gu Kaiyang.

The petty war between best friends caused by a handbag aside, when they returned home that day, Cen Sen very dutifully prepared a sumptuous dinner and even decanted a bottle of fine vintage red wine.

Recently, Cen Sen had been busy with work and hadn't had much time to cook; Ji Mingshu hadn't had a proper feast in a long time.

There were many dishes she loved, and naturally, her long-awaited braised pork ribs.

She ate with immense satisfaction, so much so that she had long since cast aside the minor annoyance Zhou Zhen had caused.

After the meal, she even acted the role of a virtuous wife and helped Cen Sen wash the dishes while wearing an apron.

Although she knew what would happen that night the moment the pork ribs appeared, and even felt a slight sense of anticipation in her heart, she didn't know that the price for these pork ribs would be much higher than usual.

Cen Sen seemed to have suddenly turned into a different person; the gentleness he displayed during the day was nowhere to be found.

In the past, when she couldn't take it, she would say a few sweet things or soften her attitude, and Cen Sen would go easier on her.

But tonight, that didn't happen at all. He was entirely overbearing, allowing her not a fraction of resistance; crying and pleading did no good.

Ji Mingshu was sobbing intermittently, sweat rolling down like rain, and finally, in the midst of repeatedly crumbling, she sensed Cen Sen’s dissatisfaction and took the initiative to honestly confess her past with Zhou Zhen—a past that hardly amounted to anything at all.

Cen Sen’s dark hair was damp against his temples, his eyes tinged with red, as he asked in a deep, hoarse voice from behind her, "Did you have a crush on him?"

She said intermittently, "At that time... at that time he was good-looking, so I had a little bit of a... a crush, isn't that normal? I even had... had a crush on many male celebrities too. And I only had a crush, whereas you... you actually dated Li Wenyin, you..."

Once Ji Mingshu finished speaking, she felt she shouldn't have opened her mouth at all. Airing grievances like this in such a moment wouldn't win her any prizes!

Sure enough, what greeted her was another round of sheer exhaustion.

She had long since given up resisting, whimpering softly, clutching the curtain cloth, and sobbing while repenting that she would never eat pork ribs again, never again succumbing to her gluttonous desires.

But even so, Cen Sen had no intention of letting her off, and she felt completely desperate.

In these matters, it was usually the woman who suffered the most. Ji Mingshu had shown some backbone halfway through, but later on? Backbone? That didn't exist.

She was at her wit's end, shifting from repenting for the pork ribs to expressing her endless love for Cen Sen, saying things like she only liked him and only loved him, without any psychological burden whatsoever.

Not only that, she also frantically dissed Zhou Zhen—

"With him like that, how could I have had anything with him?"

"He’s not as tall as you, not as handsome as you, and not as rich as you."

"What would I possibly want with him? The fact that he can chat with five girls and watch six 'Harry Potter' movies at the same time?"

Believe it or not, this trick was actually quite effective; at the very least, Cen Sen suddenly became much gentler—though one couldn't rule out the possibility that he was simply running out of steam.

Just before the end, Cen Sen suddenly leaned into her ear and asked in a low, husky voice, "Let’s have a baby, shall we?"

Ji Mingshu: "....?"

I’m still a baby myself!!!