Thirty seconds later, Ji Mingshu hurriedly slipped on her high heels and went out, barely maintaining a touch of elegance after removing her makeup.

She pressed all four elevator buttons left and right, then stood there waiting stupidly, silently reminiscing about the exclusive top-floor elevator at Baicui Tianhua.

After thirty seconds, no elevator arrived.

One minute, still nothing.

So slow! Trash building TvT!

One minute and eighteen seconds later, an elevator finally opened.

Ji Mingshu swept in like a gust of wind, pushing out Gu Kaiyang, who was still playing with his phone.

Gu Kaiyang was stunned as he was expelled from the elevator. Was that Ji Mingshu? Damn, I don’t have my door card! Where is she rushing to, a funeral?

Ji Mingshu’s mood wasn’t much different from going to a funeral.

She felt uneasy, with an inexplicable sense of guilt. The key was not knowing when Cen Sen had arrived, what he and Cen Yang had discussed downstairs, and most crucially—when Cen Yang sent her back just now, he had hugged her. Could Cen Sen have seen that?

Ji Mingshu’s heart was pounding like a little drum, but after a moment, she realized something wasn’t right—

This dog of a man had so righteously invested in Li Wenyin’s movie, acting all high and mighty. What was wrong with her meeting Cen Yang? What was wrong with old friends hugging?

Cen Sen had gone through the whole month from the 1st to the 14th, while she had barely stepped on the edge of the 15th with her little foot. What was there to feel guilty about?

Yes, that’s right.

With this thought, Ji Mingshu unconsciously straightened her back.

She reflected that this might be the aftereffect of having too strong a moral sense. Not good, very bad, too disadvantageous to herself and advantageous to Cen Sen.

The flow of people in Star Harbor International was very frequent. Although she had entered the elevator, it stopped almost every two or three floors, with people constantly getting on and off. It took a full five minutes to descend from the thirty-third floor to the ground floor.

Outside, it was snowing, the temperature was low, and the wind was cold.

Ji Mingshu wrapped her small coat tightly and walked to the intersection to cross the road. She hurried with the crowd, only to belatedly discover that Cen Yang and his white Mercedes had disappeared. Only Cen Sen remained, hands in his coat pockets, leaning against the Maybach door, his gaze indifferent, in a posture of judgment.

This was truly a vivid scene: hell is empty, and Cen Sen is on the road.

Ji Mingshu instinctively asked, “Where’s Cen Yang? Did he leave?”

“Yes.”

Cen Sen’s response was brief, his voice as if wrapped in snow, clear and cold.

Ji Mingshu’s little bird heart trembled involuntarily. After a moment of stiffness, she pushed ahead and stammered, “So what did you two… what did you talk about just now?”

“What do you think?”

Cen Sen lowered his gaze to look at her.

Ji Mingshu opened her mouth but couldn’t say a word.

After a long while, she tried a different approach: “When did you arrive?”

Cen Sen: “Six-thirty.”

…?

She had just gone out at six-thirty, right? So, from the time she left until Cen Yang brought her back, he had seen everything?

Ji Mingshu instinctively wanted to explain, but as the words reached her lips, she remembered the series of thoughts she had in the elevator… What was there to explain? Why should she explain anything? Why should she explain anything to this dog of a man, Cen Sen!

In just three to four seconds, Ji Mingshu’s attitude changed abruptly. She straightened her back and even poked Cen Sen’s chest with a finger, assertively saying: “Please note that you and I are in a pending divorce! If you dare to invest in Li Wenyin’s movie, what’s wrong with me having dinner with Cen Yang and hugging him? I haven’t even judged you yet, don’t delude yourself that you can judge me!”

Cen Sen gazed at her quietly without speaking. He suddenly grasped the finger she had poked into his chest, then took her hand and very naturally put it into his coat pocket.

???

Ji Mingshu’s mind went blank.

“I was discussing an acquisition deal for the past few days, working seventy-two hours straight without sleep. I came back this morning, rested for a few hours, and originally planned to pick you up for dinner and a movie tonight. You’ve already eaten, but from this morning until now, I haven’t had anything to eat.”

His gaze remained calm, and his voice had no fluctuation, as flat as if he were giving a report at a meeting. Yet somehow Ji Mingshu heard a tiny bit of grievance in this schedule report.

And the key point was that he had come to pick her up for dinner and a movie at six-thirty. The little bit of defiance she had mustered instantly disappeared, replaced by a feeling of regret and guilt.

After a moment of silence, she lowered her eyelashes and said softly, “Actually, I didn’t get full at the French restaurant.”

After a brief pause, Cen Sen said, “Then let’s go eat.”

He casually helped Ji Mingshu brush off the snowflakes that had fallen on her coat and led her to the passenger seat.

The door opened, and Ji Mingshu dazedly sat down. She was about to reach for the seatbelt when Cen Sen leaned in before her and fastened it.

During those few seconds of fastening the seatbelt, they were very close. Ji Mingshu could smell the faint scent of cold fir on him and could see six snowflakes quietly melting on his short hair.

Somehow, on impulse, Ji Mingshu suddenly wanted to kiss him.

He had been standing outside for so long; his lips must be cool now, like jelly taken from the refrigerator.

Just then, Cen Sen turned to look at her.

In the instant their eyes met, Ji Mingshu leaned back against her seat, her expression restrained, but every cell in her body was screaming: Wuwuwu, kiss me, kiss me, kiss me quick! If you kiss me, I won’t make you kneel and apologize!!!

Unfortunately, after three seconds of eye contact, Cen Sen insensitively straightened up and opened the door on the other side, as if the earlier move of putting her hand in his pocket had been completed by a passing ghost who couldn’t bear to watch.

“…”

Hmph, it seems he prefers kneeling to apologize. 🙂

Just as Ji Mingshu’s heart was galloping with cuteness, she suddenly received a call from Gu Kaiyang.

She answered with a “Hello,” then said seriously, “I’m a bit hungry, going out to eat something before coming back. What’s up? Is something wrong? Have you not eaten dinner because of overtime? Do you want me to bring you something?”

“No, no need. It’s nothing, I just… dialed the wrong number, yes, the wrong number.”

Gu Kaiyang quickly hung up the phone, watching the shadow of the Maybach speeding away, standing at the roadside for a long time without coming back to her senses.

The cold wind was blowing hard. It wasn’t until a flower-selling girl called her “Sister” that she woke from her wandering thoughts.

She hurriedly bought a bouquet and called Jiang Chun, “Where are you?”

Jiang Chun was eating and responded indistinctly, “I’m having hotpot with Tang Zhizhou near Biqiao.”

Gu Kaiyang: “Are you coming back to the apartment to sleep tonight?”

Jiang Chun blushed, swallowed a roll of fatty beef, then took a sip of cola, covering the phone and saying softly, “What nonsense are you talking about? Tang Zhizhou and I are very pure! Of course, I’ll come home to sleep! Besides, my dad calls to check on me at midnight every day!”

Gu Kaiyang had no interest in others’ personal lives. “Then let me stay with you for a night. Keep eating, I’ll wait for you at the coffee shop downstairs. Ji Mingshu left with her husband and took my door card with her!”

Jiang Chun: “Can’t you ask her to send it to you?”

Gu Kaiyang: “Is your brain clogged with hotpot sauce? Such a rare opportunity to send off a god, and I should go up and disturb them? Even if I freeze to death under the bridge tonight, I absolutely will not make another half phone call to Ji Mingshu!”

Jiang Chun: “…”

This is something.

On Christmas Eve, the holiday atmosphere in the city center was strong. Christmas songs were playing everywhere, and Christmas trees of all sizes and styles were set up in squares and along roads. A thin layer of snow had already accumulated on the ground, and by the looks of it, it would continue to fall for quite some time.

Despite the holiday, the only places still open near midnight were Japanese restaurants and hotpot restaurants; the remaining noodle shops and barbeque places had rather ordinary dining environments. Since Cen Sen didn’t like Japanese food, the couple’s remaining choice was only hotpot.

This hotpot restaurant offered excellent service. Even in the dead of night, the waitstaff were still energetic, saying “Merry Christmas” while handing them towels and Christmas hats.

Ji Mingshu had a bird’s appetite. Having eaten a big meal in the evening, she could barely eat anything more now. She casually ordered a few vegetables and then passed the tablet to Cen Sen.

Cen Sen didn’t order too much either. After placing the order, he handed the tablet back to the server and glanced at Ji Mingshu’s bare legs under the table. “Are you cold?”

Ji Mingshu: “It’s fine.”

If she couldn’t withstand this bit of cold, how could she be a charming socialite?

A sweater dress with a coat was her regular winter outfit. The main issue was that she had been in a hurry when leaving, and she hadn’t had time to change into boots. She had just put on a pair of high heels and run out. Now her feet were indeed a bit cold.

Hearing this, Cen Sen was about to take off his coat, but suddenly the waiter appeared at the table side, seemingly out of nowhere, holding a blanket, with a smiling face, “Miss, you need to stay warm in winter. This is a blanket for you.”

“Oh… thank you.”

This was Ji Mingshu’s first visit, and she was somewhat surprised by the thoughtful service. She accepted it with a smile.

Cen Sen glanced up at the waiter.

The waiter seemed oblivious and impeccably asked, “Sir, would you like one too?”

“…No, thank you.”

Cen Sen thought that perhaps he hadn’t eaten hotpot for too long and was unaware that such semi-self-service dining now came with such attentive service.

Ji Mingshu was a rather high-maintenance woman when dining out. When eating hotpot, she wouldn’t mix her sauces, wouldn’t pour her water, and would never peel shelled food herself.

Yet despite her being so demanding, Cen Sen didn’t get the chance to help her with anything throughout the meal—the capable waiters did everything for her in an instant.

When leaving, Ji Mingshu praised the service attitude of this restaurant, saying it was not inferior to those Japanese restaurants and French restaurants where the average cost per person was several thousand.

Cen Sen didn’t say anything, just casually crumpled the receipt and mercilessly tossed it into the trash bin.

The waiter stood at the door, seeing them off, unable to understand what this male customer was dissatisfied with. The service had been so attentive throughout, yet when leaving, his face clearly said, “I will absolutely never come to your restaurant a second time.” The catering industry was truly difficult.

By the time the two finished their hotpot, it was very late. The west gate of the mall, which had been open earlier, was now closed. Only the elevator going down from the cinema was still operating.

Walking to the cinema, Cen Sen suddenly asked, “Do you want to watch a movie?”

“Huh? A movie? I guess that’s fine.”

Ji Mingshu’s heart was bubbling with pink bubbles, but her outward response seemed reluctant and difficult.

The only film still being sold at this late hour was a certain romance movie that had premiered today, with three screenings scheduled from midnight to six in the morning.

The midnight screening had many viewers, but by the time of their 2 AM showing, the theater was empty.

The light in the screening room was dim, and the pace of the romance movie was slow. Seeing no one else around, Ji Mingshu instinctively commented on the movie’s content while watching.

When the male lead misunderstood that the female lead had slept with the second male lead, she couldn’t help but criticize, “This is so melodramatic. Are investors burning money nowadays, investing in any kind of movie? This guy also has bubbles in his brain—the female lead likes him, yet he still misunderstands. Is he an idiot? He’s incredibly stupid.”

Cen Sen didn’t say anything but inwardly agreed: indeed, incredibly stupid.

Cen Yang had told him many things tonight. He hadn’t listened or cared much, but there was one sentence he heard clearly and remembered well: “Xiao Shu likes you now, but that doesn’t mean she will like you forever.”

Now, like you.

His gaze towards the screen softened inexplicably, and the corners of his lips turned up slightly.

Ji Mingshu was furious with the plot when she turned her head and saw Cen Sen smiling. Her head was full of question marks.

Is this person a psychopath? The female lead is suffering so much, yet he can still smile. Does he have any humanity?