My Queen, My Rules - Chapter 86

Chapter 86

About half a minute later, Cen Sen realized the sounds coming from the direction of the bathroom were not quite right. He put down his phone and walked closer.

But before he could raise his hand to knock, Ji Mingshu pushed the door open, her face deathly pale.

The water in the vanity sink was running, and she was bracing herself against the edge, looking so weak that she seemed as if she could drop dead right there at any moment.

Cen Sen stepped forward, pulled her into his arms, and asked in a low voice, "Are you feeling unwell? I’ll take you to the hospital for a check-up."

Ji Mingshu leaned into his embrace, her slender white arms loosely wrapping around his waist, her voice muffled, "No need. It was that milk; the taste was too strong. It felt terrible drinking it this morning."

Cen Sen gently stroked her thin, fragile back. A thought flashed through his mind, but he didn't know much about the subject and couldn't be certain, so he didn't speak casually.

Relatively speaking, women are much more sensitive to vomiting, especially since Ji Mingshu had been silently anxious for quite some time about why she hadn't gotten pregnant. Therefore, the very first thing she thought of when she felt nausea and retching was morning sickness.

However, she knew that if she voiced this suspicion now, Cen Sen would definitely insist on taking her to the hospital for an examination. He had a new investment to negotiate for the Nanwan project today; what if he bailed on it because of this and the deal fell through?

Furthermore, she had very little confidence in her own guess. She had to remember that when she fainted from dieting, she had thought she was suffering from an incurable disease. Perhaps it was just a stomach upset or something similar; it would be so embarrassing to make a scene out of nothing and have it turn out to be a misunderstanding.

With this thought, Ji Mingshu deliberately snuggled into Cen Sen’s arms, acting spoiled as she complained, "I don't want milk for breakfast tomorrow. Just juice or coffee; the taste of pure milk is really cloying. When I was in high school, I drank a glass of milk before the flag-raising ceremony once and felt incredibly nauseous too. Before the ceremony was even over, I had to go to the bathroom and vomit."

Since she had gone that far, it was even harder for Cen Sen to voice his own suspicions.

Casually moving past the issue, Ji Mingshu watched Cen Sen leave for work. Her little heart was thumping wildly. Leaning against the door panel, she acted like a thief and sent a message to the group chat with her friends—

【Sisters, you might be becoming godmothers soon.】

Before Gu Kaiyang and Jiang Chun could even be surprised, she added, 【Of course, it’s not certain yet. It’s just that I drank milk this morning and felt the milky smell was very strong, felt nauseous, and then vomited once.】

Gu Kaiyang: 【Hmm… was it normal milk?】

Ji Mingshu: 【……?】

Ji Mingshu: 【Does this President’s wife seem so stingy that I’d drink expired milk? Do you think I’m that cheapskate boss of yours at the magazine?】

Gu Kaiyang: 【That’s not what I meant.】

Gu Kaiyang: 【The "milky smell" thing, you know, it’s really easy for people to think too much into it.】

Ji Mingshu had been a bit too "pure" lately, and it was only after Gu Kaiyang hinted to this extent that she suddenly realized.

Ji Mingshu: 【I don't know, please shut up.】

Ji Mingshu: 【Reporting you for obscene content.】

Jiang Chun used to be a simple, harmless, and ignorant "little soil goose," but after spending so much time in the group, she had been thoroughly corrupted by the two of them. Now, she was unflappable even in the face of such conversations; she even put on the airs of a professional gynecologist, seriously asking about Ji Mingshu’s recent physical condition and the frequency of her "bed exercises."

Ji Mingshu answered vaguely, finally adding coyly, 【It might just be a stomach upset, who knows.】

The gynecologist "little soil goose" delivered the final verdict: 【What stomach upset? This is eighty percent likely to be pregnancy. Don't tell me you think you're an infant, vomiting milk for no reason.】

Gu Kaiyang: 【She might think she can be "cute-vomiting" milk.】

Ji Mingshu: 【Gu Kaiyang】

Ji Mingshu: 【Shut up warning x2!】

The three of them bickered off-topic for a while, but soon returned to the theme of morning sickness. Both Jiang Chun and Gu Kaiyang believed she was pregnant and advised her to go to the hospital for a check-up, or at the very least, buy a pregnancy test to try first.

Ji Mingshu felt that if she went to the hospital, she would need Cen Sen to accompany her, but the plan to buy a pregnancy test seemed feasible.

She thought for a moment, went upstairs to change her clothes, put on sunglasses, and snuck out like a thief.

Perhaps Ji Mingshu’s previous "running away from home" had left the driver with a deep psychological shadow. Seeing her wearing sunglasses and looking slightly nervous, the driver became nervous as well. Along the way, he kept trying to fish for information, asking where she was going and what she was doing.

Of course, Ji Mingshu couldn't tell the truth, so she gave vague, perfunctory answers.

The driver grew increasingly convinced that the President’s wife was about to cause trouble again. As soon as he dropped her off at the mall, he lost no time in calling Zhou Jiaheng to report.

Zhou Jiaheng frowned slightly upon hearing the news. "Where are the bodyguards?"

The driver replied, "They followed Madam into the mall, but I don't know if they can keep up."

Hearing that there were bodyguards protecting her in the shadows, Zhou Jiaheng felt slightly more at ease. "I see. Keep me updated on any developments."

He was just about to accompany Cen Sen to meet Chi Li, the Second Young Master of the Chi family in the western part of the city—a man who had spent years playing the "content, unambitious" persona but had suddenly seized power and changed his tune.

Chi Li was not a simple character. Zhou Jiaheng had long known that Cen Sen had some personal friendship with this man, but he wasn't clear about the depth of their relationship. Therefore, he couldn't decide whether or not to mention Ji Mingshu’s situation to Cen Sen.

If Cen Sen’s nerves were crossed again and he decided to drop this massive investment in the Nanwan project for Ji Mingshu’s sake, then he, Zhou Jiaheng, would be the number one sinner of Jingjian.

But if Ji Mingshu really was causing trouble and he didn't tell Cen Sen in time, his days of packing his bags and getting fired wouldn't be far off.

"What are you thinking about?"

Cen Sen stood in front of the car, glancing at Zhou Jiaheng, who was so lost in thought that he’d forgotten to open the car door for him.

"Oh, no… nothing."

Zhou Jiaheng snapped out of it and hurried forward to open the door for Cen Sen.

As the car drove forward a distance, Zhou Jiaheng went through a mental struggle. Finally, he couldn't help but report, "It’s like this, President Cen. Madam went out just now to the Huijia Department Store Center. But the driver said that Madam was a bit unusual—wearing sunglasses and seeming somewhat nervous. He was afraid Madam might be like last time, moving to Star Harbor International without a word, so…"

Zhou Jiaheng was trying hard to think of a way to describe "sneaky" and "running away from home" in a more euphemistic way, but Cen Sen interrupted without even raising his head. "Don't worry, she won't run away from home."

Zhou Jiaheng: "..."

He vaguely remembered that the last time Ji Mingshu ran away, their big President Cen had been just as confident while going to the supermarket to buy pork ribs to take home and cook.

Cen Sen paused, then suddenly gave an instruction: "Contact Zhao Yang and have him arrange a reliable pregnancy check-up. Within these two days."

"…?"

What kind of sudden, bombshell news was this?

Zhou Jiaheng fell silent for a moment, then responded with a "Yes."

Ji Mingshu didn't know that her sneaky, roundabout behavior in buying a pregnancy test had become so unnatural that even the driver was left with strained nerves.

Following her navigation, she wandered around until she found a pharmacy on the opposite street after crossing the mall, where she asked for several pregnancy tests.

Just as she thought she had successfully accomplished her mission and could go home to test, she suddenly received a somewhat unexpected call. It was from Cen Yang.

"Xiaoshu, I’m going back to the United States."

His voice sounded just as it did when he first returned to the country, though there seemed to be a hint of exhaustion mixed in with his gentle, clear tone.

Ji Mingshu was stunned for a few seconds before responding, "Why?"

Cen Yang fell silent.

Ji Mingshu also realized belatedly that her question seemed somewhat redundant, so she asked, "When?"

"Today. I’m just about to head to the airport."

He was probably about to get into a car, as Ji Mingshu heard the short friction of luggage wheels, followed by the sound of a trunk slamming shut with a "bang."

Cen Yang opened the car door and sat in the driver’s seat. "Once I leave this time, I probably won't be coming back."

A brief silence followed.

He continued, "Xiaoshu, I’m sorry. You might not know, but during the time I was back, I really did do some things that weren't good for you. I am truly sorry."

Ji Mingshu wasn't a fool. Even though Cen Sen had hidden it from her, the timing of the interception and the events surrounding it had all clicked together so perfectly that she had long had a premonition in her heart.

But for some reason, it was very hard for her to feel hatred toward Cen Yang. Even when she heard Cen Yang say he wouldn't come back, she felt a sense of sadness.

It was as if those childhood days of constantly playing with "Brother Cen Yang" and asking "Brother Cen Yang" for help when something went wrong had truly and permanently passed.

Ji Mingshu stood at the entrance of the pharmacy, silent for a long time, before finally saying, "I’ll go to the airport to see you off."

Hearing that Ji Mingshu had gone to the airport, Zhou Jiaheng’s whole heart started pounding. However, Cen Sen was currently discussing specific investment details with Chi Li; interrupting wouldn't do, and not interrupting wouldn't do either. The difficulty of the struggle was a hundred times greater than before.

After about twenty minutes of struggling, Chi Li noticed Zhou Jiaheng’s tension and anxiety. Lowering his eyes to adjust his cufflinks, he said, "Your assistant seems to have something to say."

Cen Sen turned his head slightly.

Zhou Jiaheng couldn't care less about anything else. He leaned over directly and reported to Cen Sen in a low voice, "Madam went to the airport."

Cen Sen was silent for a moment. Thinking of something, he suddenly picked up his phone and called Ji Mingshu, but the phone, that invention, was perhaps designed for people to be unreachable at the most critical moments.

Seeing this, Chi Li calmly took off his fountain pen cap, signed the end of the contract, and signaled for the legal department to stamp the seal across the pages.

"Signed. I won't delay you."

Cen Sen didn't stand on ceremony either. He gave a simple "Mhm" and had Zhou Jiaheng put away the contract before rising to leave.

Zhou Jiaheng paused for a few seconds, only then realizing that he had seemed to underestimate the private friendship between these two.

Before they had even walked out of the private room, Cen Sen suddenly received a call from Cen Yang. Before Cen Yang could speak, Cen Sen asked, "Is Mingshu with you?"

Cen Yang paused for a few seconds. "Yes."

Cen Sen: "What are you trying to do?"

Cen Yang: "What do you think?"

"Where is she?" Cen Sen’s voice lowered, and the obvious tension in his tone was audible.

Cen Yang was silent. Actually, he had originally wanted to play it mysterious and stall for a few more sentences, but he really didn't know what to say, so he had to ask in return, "Do you think I would kidnap her?"

This time it was Cen Sen’s turn to be silent.

"Concern leads to chaos." Cen Yang dropped these four words and hung up the phone directly.

Ji Mingshu was left completely bewildered.

What kind of riddle were they speaking in?

After deciding to come to the airport to see Cen Yang off, she had spent quite a while in the car reminiscing about childhood, feeling sentimental. It wasn't until she entered the airport that she remembered she needed to notify Cen Sen, only to find her phone was out of power.

After meeting Cen Yang and chatting for a while, she kept remembering that she needed to notify Cen Sen, so she asked Cen Yang to lend her his phone to make a call.

Cen Yang asked if she wanted to call Cen Sen, and when she truthfully said yes, Cen Yang offered to make the call for her. In any case, she just wanted to tell Cen Sen that she was at the airport to see Cen Yang off; who actually made the call didn't seem to matter, so she agreed.

And the result? This was what he said?

Did his imagination have to be so wild, even dragging kidnapping into it?

And what was the matter with Cen Sen? Couldn't he think about what could possibly happen to her at the airport? Had he lost his mind?

The mental circuits of these two people didn't seem to be on the same frequency as hers. Cen Yang hung up the phone, and with his hands in his pockets, evaluated with a hint of satisfaction, "Xiaoshu, he is indeed very concerned about you."

Ji Mingshu nodded, though in her heart she thought, "If my husband doesn't care about me, should he care about you?"

Cen Yang’s flight was still a while away, and from the tone of the call, it seemed Cen Sen might be rushing to the airport, so Ji Mingshu chatted with Cen Yang for a while longer.

Cen Yang was just mentioning that he planned to arrange for Chen Biqing and An Ning to immigrate after he returned to the United States when Ji Mingshu suddenly felt her hand being pulled backward with restraint. She was stunned, and before she could recover, she fell into a familiar and warm embrace.

Cen Yang paused, swallowing the words he hadn't finished saying. He just looked quietly at the two people in front of him, suddenly feeling that everything from yesterday was like a dream. Many things had actually long been settled; only he had been fixated on things that never belonged to him, wasting so much time in vain.

Fortunately, although it was a bit late, there was still time to return to the starting point.