Chapter 28
The air was silent, and a long silence.
Ji Mingshu was stunned, staring at the group chat on the screen just like Cen Sen, even forgetting to snatch her phone back.
Fortunately, the phone automatically locked the screen after thirty seconds.
Cen Sen's gaze slowly shifted from the phone screen to Ji Mingshu's delicate yet bewildered face. He scrutinized her closely, inch by inch, as if trying to study up close what this bright face had to do with the innocent female college student.
Ji Mingshu: Speechless :)
They stood in silent confrontation for a minute. Just when Ji Mingshu thought she was going to die of embarrassment in the luxury car, they finally arrived at the hotel.
The moment the car stopped, Ji Mingshu didn't even wait for the valet to come and open the door; she quickly got out of the car herself.
She quickly put on her sunglasses, her hands trembling as she hurried into the hotel. She didn't forget to open WeChat, clear the group chat messages, and obediently change the group name to "Three Little Fairies".
God is my witness, she will never again follow online trends and choose random group names, and she will never again engage in underhanded tactics or speak ill of others in person :)
God bears witness once more: Ji Shushu is a little canary who genuinely loves money.
For just two or three seconds, her dignity triumphed over material considerations, and the thought flashed through her mind: "As long as I never embarrass myself in front of that bastard again, I'm willing to leave with nothing."
To avoid and alleviate the extreme awkwardness of being speechless with Cen Sen, Ji Mingshu did not return to her room but went straight to the revolving restaurant for a meal.
Judging by the time, she quickly appeared at the spa center before Cen Sen came to have dinner. After that, she asked for a mini room in the hotel's karaoke room and held a two-hour personal concert inside.
Ji Mingshu waited until it was Cen Sen's usual bedtime before sneaking back to her suite upstairs.
Only the floor lamp was on in the room, so the light was a bit dim.
The large bed in the bedroom was neatly and cleanly covered with pillows and duvet covers, and it was very flat.
Where is Cen Sen? Is he still awake?
She changed into slippers at the door and quietly went into the study.
There was no one in the study either.
She then pushed open the door leading to the living room.
There seemed to be a faint smell of vodka in the living room. Ji Mingshu followed the smell and saw several empty bottles on the coffee table.
Cen Sen leaned back on the sofa, his head tilted slightly upward, his eyes closed.
He smelled strongly of alcohol, but his quiet resting demeanor showed no signs of intoxication.
Ji Mingshu stepped forward, poked his face with a finger, and asked softly, "Are you asleep?"
No response.
She straightened up, feeling a slight sense of relief, but also a slight urge to sigh.
In fact, people like them who have a lot of work-related social engagements have developed a physiological aversion to drinking, and they usually don't drink much unless absolutely necessary.
Her uncles, for example, never drink alcohol when they come home for meals, and at most they have a small drink during family gatherings on holidays.
He must be feeling very upset after drinking so much today.
After standing by the sofa for a while, Ji Mingshu, feeling kind-hearted, gently covered him with a blanket.
But just as she was about to leave quietly, Cen Sen suddenly grabbed her wrist and slowly opened his eyes.
"..."
Ji Mingshu was slightly confused, but quickly explained after realizing what was happening, "I just covered you with a blanket, that's all, I didn't do anything."
She asked again, "Do you... want to go back to bed and sleep?"
Cen Sen didn't answer, but pulled the person into his arms with a little force.
He held Ji Mingshu in his arms, buried his face in her soft hair, breathed deeply and shallowly, and closed his eyes again.
Ji Mingshu had no idea what he was up to. Her body was being held very tightly, leaving her no room to struggle. All she could do was keep muttering in his ear.
"Hey, let me go."
"Stop pretending to be asleep, speak!"
"Are you sure you can handle this? If you can't drink, don't drink so much. If you're going to throw up, just say so. And whatever you do, don't throw up on me."
"...Have you hugged me enough? My arms are going numb!"
"Don't make a fuss, let's hug a little longer."
Cen Sen spoke in a low voice, loosening his grip slightly.
Ji Mingshu didn't know what possessed him, but he actually obediently shut his mouth.
Silence reigned all around them. The two were very close, their breaths brushing against each other's ears, their heartbeats seemingly touching.
When the night is quiet, I seem to really enjoy reminiscing about the past.
She remembered that when she was in middle school, the junior and senior high school sections of their affiliated middle school were combined, and she spent four years in the same school as Cen Sen.
She wasn't a typical model student; she was often criticized for violating school rules and regulations. But to be fair, her academic performance was quite good, otherwise she wouldn't have been able to get into a prestigious university.
Back then, after each monthly or midterm exam, the school would publish a list of honors ranking each grade. After seeing her own grade's list, she would always like to go and see the list for Cen Sen's grade.
However, Cen Sen's ranking in the grade was basically as stable as his crony Jiang Che's, with the two always switching between first and second place.
Once, when Cen Sen fell out of the top ten, she was overjoyed. After school, she would run to Cen's house for a free meal and take the opportunity to complain to Grandma Cen. Her words implied that "Cen Sen has regressed a lot this time. Maybe he has become addicted to the Internet or secretly got a girlfriend. Grandma, you must teach him a lesson."
Her little black dog was complaining very enthusiastically, and Old Mrs. Cen chuckled and said that she would definitely torture Cen Sen severely later.
Later, when she went to Cen Sen to show off, she found out that he had fallen out of the top ten because he represented the school at a youth environmental protection forum and missed one exam. Her arrogance was completely extinguished.
Looking back now, it seems that she always couldn't stand seeing Cen Sen doing well back in school.
Later, he started dating Li Wenying, that innocent and naive girl, and for some reason, she was very unhappy about it.
It took her a long time to realize that this was a good thing. The scourge should be bundled together like the two of them, thrown into the crematorium, and turned into microorganisms to contribute to this beautiful world.
At that time, she never imagined that one day she would marry her former "enemy" and that she would be embracing him so intimately now.
Thinking of this, Ji Mingshu unconsciously blushed.
As luck would have it, the next second, Cen Sen kissed her on the ear.
His breath, tinged with the smell of alcohol, was warm and moist, and his voice was low, like a muffled murmur.
"I ask you, if I had nothing left, would you abandon me?"
"...?"
This sudden display of sentimentality jolted Ji Mingshu out of her reverie, and her mind reeled.
This is so unlike Cen Sen's usual style. Even if he were completely drunk, Cen Sen should be muttering things like "There's a high probability that A-shares will surge quickly when the market opens tomorrow" or "The person in charge of the xx project is short of funds, so they should figure it out themselves"—the kind of nonsense typical of capitalist dictators.
Ji Mingshu got goosebumps, but then she thought that Cen Sen might only be a tough guy in front of her. In front of some women, he was actually rich, affectionate, gentle and tender. He was half drunk and half sober because he had mistaken someone else for someone else and suddenly started acting like a pretentious and domineering CEO.
She felt a little uneasy, but to avoid hearing any more of what she might say that made her want to dismember him while he was drunk, she emphasized, "Are you asking me? I am Ji Mingshu, Ji Mingshu!"
"Yes, Ji Mingshu, that's what I wanted to ask you."
"..."
You really should ask her.
Ji Mingshu's heart skipped a beat, and she inexplicably softened, her face even starting to flush.
She forced herself to stay calm and retorted, "What are you dreaming about? You have nothing and you expect me to suffer with you? Look at your own mouth, if it weren't for your money, who would want to marry you?"
Seeing that Cen Sen didn't react, she continued to nag in a low voice, trying to build momentum for herself, "Let me tell you, it's only because I'm being kind. Most women wouldn't stand this kind of nonsense. You deserve to be single forever. You should be nicer to me." Buy me an aircraft carrier.
Cen Sen chuckled softly, whether he was too drunk to listen or not, he didn't argue with her, but just hugged her tighter.
Everyone in this world compromises with reality.
When he was a child, his parents said a thousand times in private that they would not compromise, but in the end, they sent him away because they needed the Cen family's money to treat Anning's illness.
The Cen family initially had a very firm attitude towards keeping Cen Yang, but in the end, because he was the one with the Cen bloodline, his return was more meaningful than Cen Yang's staying, so they ultimately chose to send Cen Yang away.
Needless to say, the Ji family was already aware that they had plans for a marriage alliance. However, because of his interference, the Ji family believed that the Cen family was more powerful and profitable, so they secretly abandoned their original choice for the marriage alliance and married Ji Mingshu to him instead.
Whatever the kinship or the unavoidable circumstances, in the end it all comes down to choosing between what's more important and what's less important. Yet they always find some high-sounding reasons to excuse themselves and never admit it.
He used to think Ji Mingshu was superficial, but after spending more time with her, he realized that she was more clear-headed and insightful than he was.
She always says what she thinks.
There are things she can't say, such as whether the Ji family truly dotes on her. She knows better than anyone else what's going on, but she never voices it.
Thinking about it carefully, perhaps one would live a more carefree life if they never had family ties. Having something and then losing it, no matter how many years have passed, will always leave a lingering sense of unease.
If Ji Mingshu would abandon him if he had nothing, then all he needed to do was have money forever to keep a familiar canary by his side. Thinking about it that way, it wasn't so bad; at least she was alive and real and belonged to him.
At two in the morning, the city was silent.
Cen Sen's grip loosened, and he gradually fell asleep.
Ji Mingshu carefully slipped out of his arms and laid him flat on the sofa.
After doing all this, Ji Mingshu was a little tired.
She sat down on the edge of the sofa and looked at Cen Sen's sleeping face, her fingers gently tracing the contours of his eyebrows.
He had a pale, cool complexion, sharp eyebrows, bright eyes, a straight nose, and thin lips—the kind of face you wouldn't forget after just one glance.
He had the innocent purity of a young boy when he was in school, and the calm aloofness of a grown man when he grew up. It seems like you could never get tired of looking at him. Hmm... as long as he doesn't speak.
Ji Mingshu rested his chin on his hand, recalling his question from earlier, and realized for the first time that he seemed to be longing for some unspoken warmth.
A strange idea suddenly popped into her mind.
If Cen Sen goes bankrupt one day, as long as he behaves himself, with his face alone, she might still be willing to sell her handbags to support him, right?
Chapter 29
The week of doing nothing passed quickly. Because Cen Sen changed his route halfway, Ji Mingshu did not return to the capital and spent the whole week playing in Xingcheng.
No one mentioned the drunken incident that night again.