Ji Mingshu still remembered how Cen Sen had once mocked her desire to participate in the Junyi designer hotel project, suggesting that perhaps kneeling and kowtowing three times nine times at the Potala Palace might move heaven and earth. Now that her great revenge was finally achieved, she was naturally in good spirits.
After the clouds dispersed and the rain stopped late at night, she lazily nestled in Cen Sen’s arms, playing with his eyelashes while thinking hazily: men are still men, saying with his mouth that he was letting her participate because her design skills had improved, but his body was quite honest—having to go to a company meeting at eight in the morning tomorrow but still willing to exert himself until three in the morning…
Before she could think more, she drifted drowsily into dreamland.
After the New Year, Cen Sen attended Junyi’s first executive meeting on time, dressed in a suit. After the meeting concluded, a group of executives led by Cen Sen marched downstairs to inspect the work areas of various departments.
As usual, Cen Sen’s expression was gentle yet distant. Wherever he went, with him as the center, no one dared to act rashly within a ten-meter radius.
Everyone stood properly listening to the leaders speak, but perhaps only one-third were truly listening. Another third were thinking about their work and personal matters, while the remaining third, upon seeing Cen Sen, instinctively thought of all the recent gossip about the CEO and his wife.
Online rumors said their CEO was hen-pecked, but looking at the CEO’s “your ancestors for eighteen generations each owe me one hundred and eighty billion” demeanor, it was truly impossible to imagine what he looked like when he didn’t dare make a peep under his wife’s management.
However, colleagues in the project department were fortunate enough to glimpse a hint of it.
At the end of the inspection, Zhou Jiaheng stayed behind a moment, telling the person in charge of Junyi Collection Project Group A not to finalize the list of designers yet, saying they needed to add one more designer’s profile. When asked about the details, Zhou Jiaheng said they weren’t ready yet, but he did provide a name.
—Ji Mingshu.
After Zhou Jiaheng left, the person in charge asked the project team members, “Who is Ji Mingshu? Have you heard of her?”
Everyone collectively gave him a look that said, “Boss, don’t you go online or read company group messages?” After a while, someone finally answered:
“Of course we’ve heard of her…”
“She’s the CEO’s wife…”
While Cen Sen was at work, Ji Mingshu was also earnestly writing her New Year’s plan. This plan wasn’t all about work; it included various activities like hosting parties, traveling, attending haute couture week, and starting a dating phase with Cen Sen to enter couple mode.
After reading it, Jiang Chun gave her a sincere suggestion: “I think your plan is missing a particularly important element.”
“What?”
“Preparing to get pregnant and having a child, of course.”
Jiang Chun spoke as if it were the most natural thing, and started going on about the same things as Ji Mingshu’s second uncle.
Ji Mingshu found her particularly strange. “Why are you suddenly thinking about this?” Usually, this little goose couldn’t go three sentences without mentioning how delicious something was, but after the New Year, she had abruptly skipped past being a virtuous wife and directly entered the good mother stage.
Jiang Chun smiled mysteriously and shyly with a hint of smugness, then stretched out her little goose paw and shook it frantically in front of her.
Ji Mingshu had so many diamond rings that she usually picked one randomly to wear for fun, most without any special meaning. If Jiang Chun hadn’t made such an obvious hint, she wouldn’t have realized.
After three seconds of mental lag, she asked: “Did you and Tang Zhizhou get the cart before the horse…?”
“What nonsense are you talking about? Tang Zhizhou and I are still very pure, okay? This is an engagement ring!” Jiang Chun irritably slapped her.
“…” Ji Mingshu resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “It’s just an engagement ring. You haven’t even had an engagement ceremony, and you’re already thinking about having children? Can’t you have some ambition?”
Jiang Chun smiled insincerely. “To be honest, I was thinking about having children even before I got engaged.”
Ji Mingshu didn’t know what she had done wrong. Even having afternoon tea with her best friend meant being inundated with ideas about “having love crystals early with the person you love.” If Jiang Chun hadn’t mentioned a second child, she would have suspected that her second uncle had extended his ideological work to her social circle, planning to brainwash her with a best friend surrounding the principal target strategy.
Ji Mingshu wasn’t against having children. She just felt that she and Cen Sen had only confirmed their feelings for each other not long ago and hadn’t properly enjoyed their time as a couple. Going straight to having a child seemed too hasty. She still wanted to make up for the regret of not dating during her student years with Cen Sen.
But thinking about how busy Cen Sen was, she felt dejected again. He still hadn’t replied to the WeChat message she’d sent when she went out. Some dating!
If this were in student days, a boyfriend like this would have been dumped 3,986 times over by a girl!
Whether Cen Sen sensed her inner resentment or not, it wasn’t long before his WeChat reply came.
Cen Sen: [I need to go to Star City on a business trip tomorrow.]
This WeChat reply was worse than no reply, TvT!
Cen Sen: [Do you want to come with me?]
There was another sentence [If you come, I can take you to inspect the designer hotel that Wister opened in Star City.]
But before he could send it, Ji Mingshu had already replied with a “Yes” followed by an excited exclamation mark.
Cen Sen half-covered his lips, suddenly smiling lightly.
Cen Sen wasn’t going to Star City alone on this business trip. He brought five or six executives, plus the assistants following behind, making a total of more than ten people.
Ji Mingshu stood beside Cen Sen wearing sunglasses, feeling a little excited because this was her first time accompanying him and the group executives as the CEO’s wife.
Of course, her excitement wasn’t visible on her face—she maintained a poker face that matched her husband’s, complemented by a matte velvet true-red lipstick, a camel-colored coat with excellent draping, and boots with extremely thin and high heels. She looked sleek and sharp, emanating the aura of a career woman who could step into a negotiation at any minute.
The new executives in Star City, not knowing the background, came out to welcome them and thought that the CEO’s assistant had been replaced.
Of course, Ji Mingshu only maintained this dignity until they checked into the hotel.
That evening at the revolving restaurant on the top floor, she excitedly asked: “How was it? Did I have that strong career woman vibe today?”
Cen Sen unbuttoned his collar and agreed with an “Mm,” then exchanged his well-cut steak for hers.
Ji Mingshu rested her chin on her palm, still savoring the feeling. “Now I suddenly feel that being a big boss is quite nice, you know, like commanding from the tent, pointing at mountains and rivers, being unfathomable… mmm…”
She leaned back slightly, frowning with dissatisfaction as she looked down at the dessert Cen Sen had stuffed into her mouth.
Although Cen Sen didn’t say anything or make any expression, Ji Mingshu accurately guessed his thoughts—if you want to eat well, drink well, and live well for the rest of your life, you’d better leave the company alone.
Before she could stubbornly continue with any grand theories, Cen Sen told her about the resumption of the “Design Home” program.
This was something Ji Mingshu had agreed to.
The program team’s tearful apologies every other day were secondary; her main consideration was for the other designers.
So far, the show had only aired two episodes—the content was recorded with her group. If the following episodes couldn’t be broadcast, it would be unfair to the other celebrities and amateur designers who had participated in the filming.
This was especially true for the amateur designers. During the recording period, she had interacted with some designers whose design concepts were no worse than top international interior designers, but they lacked opportunities to shine.
With a program like this, regardless of the subsequent ratings, it at least provided a platform for them to showcase themselves and let industry insiders see their true capabilities.
Moreover, her two episodes had already been re-edited, Yan Yuexing had disappeared from the public eye, and the program team had learned a painful lesson. Continuing to broadcast had no impact on her.
However, when Cen Sen mentioned this program, she had an idea. “When do you have time? I want to go back and visit the homeowners of the house I renovated before.”
She didn’t have much experience with the kind of room design needed for Junyi Collection, but the home design she had done for that family and the hotel room design had many commonalities. She wanted to visit again to see what kind of feedback the owner would give after actually living there.
Cen Sen looked at the schedule on his phone. “Tomorrow I’ll finish at seven in the evening, and the day after at eight.”
“Visit in the evening? That doesn’t seem appropriate.”
Ji Mingshu thought for a moment. “How about this: I’ll go by myself tomorrow afternoon, then you can pick me up when you’re done. How’s that?”
Cen Sen: “Can you manage on your own?”
“Why couldn’t I? Just have someone drive me there. Do I look like I can’t walk independently in your eyes?”
Cen Sen silently cut his steak.
The trajectory of the knife and fork clearly said: Yes, exactly, you are just a delicate vase who cannot walk independently.
Ji Mingshu couldn’t help but kick him under the table again, and only then did he reluctantly nod in agreement.
The next afternoon, Ji Mingshu deliberately wore a plain beige turtleneck sweater with skinny jeans. Passing by a fruit store, she had the driver stop so she could buy a fruit basket.
After arriving at the residential area, she carried the fruit basket and followed her memory to the old school district apartment where she had stayed for more than a month.
While knocking on the door, she inwardly praised herself for her good memory.
Hearing footsteps slowly approaching from inside, but waiting a long time without anyone opening the door, Ji Mingshu politely asked, “Are Mr. Wang and Ms. Li at home?”
Finally, a somewhat childish male voice came from inside: “My uncle and aunt aren’t here.”
“You’re Mr. Wang and Ms. Li’s nephew, right?”
“Yes, who are you?” The boy was talking to her more because he saw through the peephole that she was pretty.
Ji Mingshu patiently said, “Hello, young man. I’m the designer who did the home renovation for your uncle and aunt before. I’m here for a follow-up visit, just to take a look and leave. If you’re afraid to open the door, you can call your uncle and aunt first.”
The boy hesitated inside for a while, then opened the inner door, but kept the security door closed.
“You can just look like this. There are no adults at home, so I still won’t open the door for you.”
“Which designer are you? My uncle and aunt had the place completely redecorated just before the New Year. I heard our home was even on a TV show before. My uncle and aunt complain every day that the show was full of scammers who made the house unlivable. Apart from the free home appliances, everything else was just for looks.”
Ji Mingshu stood at the doorway, looking through the gaps in the security door at the now design-less living room, and felt dazed.