Chapter 54
Since the "Zero Degree" event was relatively relaxed and casual, the stylist only gave Ji Mingshu a lazy and natural curly hairstyle, and the makeup was also relatively light.
For her outfit, Ji Mingshu chose a dusty pink sleeveless strapless jumpsuit. The fabric was smooth and draped, which perfectly showcased her graceful shoulder and back lines and highlighted her excellent body proportions.
When choosing a lip color, Ji Mingshu took out a large box of cosmetics she had recently bought and discussed it with the stylist.
The two had a slight disagreement, and Ji Mingshu, holding the box, asked Cen Sen, "Which color do you think I should wear?"
Cen Sen originally wanted to say "all is fine", but when he met Ji Mingshu's expectant gaze, he lowered his eyes without changing his expression and carefully selected items from the box for a while.
Finally, he picked up a tube of rose-colored lip gloss and began a deep analysis, resembling a monthly summary of the group's findings, covering aspects such as color tone, texture, and suitability for different occasions.
Ji Mingshu and the stylist were stunned.
After he finished speaking, Ji Mingshu hesitated before taking the lip gloss from his hand, twisted it open, glanced at it, and suddenly fell silent.
"..."
"Well, your analysis is very good, but this is a liquid blush."
The atmosphere was quite awkward for a moment, but fortunately the stylist was good at talking and quickly joked that straight men are all like this and can't distinguish between cosmetics. Although it was blush, it was already very difficult to choose such a beautiful color.
So Ji Mingshu did not disappoint Cen Sen's insightful and thorough analysis, and chose a matte lipstick in the same color.
The upper lip effect is indeed great; it brightens the complexion and suits today's makeup look perfectly.
However, after all this dawdling and back-and-forth, by the time the two arrived at the event, they had successfully missed the outdated inspirational speech by May, the editor-in-chief of Zero Degree magazine.
Ji Mingshu took Cen Sen's arm and walked inside, casually asking, "What did you think of the scene today?"
"Very creative."
Cen Sen nodded, seemingly quite agreeing.
She couldn't help but boast in a low voice, "I was the interior design consultant for this event; I did the color scheme and layout."
"Is that so?" Cen Sen glanced at her and affirmed her once again, "Your recent works have been very inspired."
Ji Mingshu's lips curled up slightly again.
Cen Sen is such a strange man. Sometimes he's so straight it's like he has a row of steel nails in his bones, and other times he's incredibly good at it!
For example, his praise of a designer for having talent is undoubtedly the highest compliment he could give her.
She was in a good mood and as she toured the place, she unconsciously grew closer to Cen Sen.
Cen Sen subtly changed from holding hands to holding hands, and even told her about similar activities he had participated in when he was studying at university abroad.
Although he studied management, it doesn't mean he doesn't appreciate art.
In fact, he recognized Ji Mingshu's design style from the moment he walked into the venue.
The praise wasn't insincere flattery—compared to her lack of effort when doing charity galas, her recent designs have been relatively complete and mature, and she also provided some unique and personal highlights.
Moreover, her design style is highly consistent with her personality. Whether it's home decoration, fashion shows, or exhibition-style creative designs like salons, she always maintains an extremely refined approach that makes her very recognizable.
From an outsider's perspective, the two were holding hands, chatting and laughing, appearing very intimate.
People nearby noticed her and soon gathered in small groups, whispering, "Hey, Ji Mingshu is here."
"Where?" The girl looked in the direction of the voice, slightly surprised. "It really is... It's been so long since she's come out. I didn't even know which corner she was sitting in at the last Chrischou show, and I didn't see her at the after-party either. I thought she wouldn't show up before the new year."
Another girl chimed in, "Who's that guy next to her? He's pretty handsome. They're so intimate, is he her new love interest?"
Jiang Chun happened to be passing by with a small cake when she overheard their whispers. Finally, she could smile triumphantly and replied with a disdainful tone that seemed to say, "You guys are so ignorant." She said, "Don't you guys talk about whether Ji Mingshu and her husband will really get a divorce? That Ji Mingshu is nothing without her husband? How come you don't even know who her husband is?"
...?
Is this Ji Mingshu's husband?
The ruthless and cold-blooded future successor of the Cen family?
So young?
Is he that handsome?
Ji Mingshu is the kind of person who posts pictures of even the ribs her husband makes and the movies he watches with her on social media. How come she never posts pictures of her looks?! It's so unreal!!!
The group fell into a long silence, filled with shock and disbelief.
It's really not fair to blame them for being ignorant; they are just marginal figures in the elite circles of Beijing, far removed from the core circle.
Moreover, Cen Sen is an elite and pragmatic young man at the top of the food chain, fundamentally different from those rich kids who are always out partying and have no idea what to do. He rarely appears in public and doesn't give people much of a chance to get to know him.
Normally, people wouldn't even remember the name of a prince like him, who is a typical old-fashioned cadre. At most, they would know that the Cen family of Jingjian has such an unapproachable figure.
However, he happens to have a socialite wife, Ji Mingshu, who is the center of attention wherever she goes. This has led to the awkward situation where everyone is extremely concerned about the development of Jingjian, and the general public is very familiar with Cen Sen's name, but they just can't match it with the real person.
Of course, quite a few people know him, and there are rumors about his appearance and personality, but without pictures, there's no proof, so who knows if it's just Ji Mingshu bragging.
While they were still in a state of shock, disbelief, and confusion, Jiang Chun had already leisurely taken the small cake and gone to find a good spot to take pictures.
— Ji Mingshu had finally managed to come out to an event with her husband, and she wasn't about to be so inconsiderate as to join in as a third wheel.
Jiang Chun was sensible, but Ji Mingshu's former "plastic" girlfriends were not so sensible.
Those who can become best friends with Ji Mingshu are naturally of a much higher social standing than those on the fringes, and there are many more among them who know Cen Sen than those who don't.
Seeing the two of them attending a low-profile casual event like a magazine salon together, all the doubts that had arisen because Ji Mingshu hadn't returned home for a long time were dispelled, and everyone crowded around to chat with Ji Mingshu and flatter him.
Cen Sen was playing with the divination sticks with Ji Mingshu when a fragrant breeze suddenly enveloped him, followed by gentle and elegant praise in his ears.
He stood beside Ji Mingshu, his temples throbbing. When asked questions that occasionally brought him up, he would only nod slightly, always making sure to maintain a polite and distant safe distance from these young ladies who were "friends" with Ji Mingshu.
Ji Mingshu, however, habitually navigated the situation with ease, while Cen Sen, standing beside her, appeared like a silent mascot in comparison.
About five minutes later, Ji Mingshu realized just how out of place Cen Sen was. She sent Cen Sen to get her a cake, thinking she would chat for another two minutes before leaving.
But no sooner had Cen Sen left than someone timidly mentioned, carried on the fragrant breeze, "Xiao Shu, it seems that Li Wenying is here today too."
The previously lively atmosphere instantly turned cold.
Li Wen-yin?
It's really persistent.
Soon someone came to their senses and stood up for Ji Mingshu, saying, "Let her come. Has she been hooking up with that sickly guy from the Yuan family lately? She even managed to get him to invest in her movie. I don't know who she's trying to annoy by making that kind of rubbish."
"She's just jealous of Mingshu. Anyone can see that. She was like that back in school. Now she talks about film art all the time, but she can't shake that petty mentality." One of the girls was Ji Mingshu's former classmate, and she knew a little about the things Li Wenying had done to antagonize Ji Mingshu in the past.
Everyone echoed this sentiment.
Ji Mingshu suddenly lost interest in continuing the conversation with them.
She had a persistent feeling that the scene from the last Xiang family party was repeating itself. The same relaxed and casual theme, and everyone was on her side helping her to fight against Li Wenying, but in the end, she lost miserably to Li Wenying.
She stared blankly in the direction Cen Sen had left, then silently followed him.
The group of people she left behind looked at each other and followed at a distance in tacit agreement.
Everyone had different motives; some wanted to see Li Wenying make a fool of herself, some wanted to see Ji Mingshu make a fool of himself, and some were simply there for the fun of it.
Unfortunately, when Ji Mingshu followed, Cen Sen and Li Wenying ran into each other.
Li Wenying had just taken a glass of red wine from the waiter's tray when she turned around and saw Cen Sen walking towards the dessert area, which surprised her slightly.
The next second, she caught a glimpse of Ji Mingshu not far away, and the group of bored young ladies who followed a few meters away from Ji Mingshu. The hand holding the wine glass tightened unconsciously.
She found it hard to describe her feelings at that moment. She knew that Cen Sen was accompanying Ji Mingshu, and she knew that Cen Sen had made things very clear last time, but she was still unwilling to accept it.
So many years have passed, and Cen Sen has countless reasons not to continue their relationship, which she understands. But how could he spend his life with a woman like Ji Mingshu, who has such low tastes and mistakes her brainlessness for sincerity? He could never possibly like Ji Mingshu, because Ji Mingshu simply doesn't deserve her.
This feeling was so strong that it compelled her to do something, even if it meant using some very low-level methods, as long as it made Ji Mingshu understand that she and Cen Sen should not have been forcibly tied together.
She called to the waiter, took another glass of wine from the tray, and then walked gracefully toward Cen Sen, offering the glass slightly forward. Her voice was as gentle and polite as ever, "It's been a long time since we last met. I never expected to see you on such an occasion."
Ji Mingshu stood five meters away, clutching a small diamond-encrusted handbag in her hand, her fingernails turning white from the diamonds, yet she showed no reaction.
Her mind went blank.
There was only one thought keeping me going: please don't answer. Even if it's just out of politeness, could you please not be so polite this time?
Because she never wants to see the person she likes standing with the person she hates the most again in her life.
She was clearly Mrs. Cen, and she was confident in front of others, but she couldn't do it when facing Li Wenying. Cen Sen had never expressed his opinion in front of Li Wenying, and it seemed that she would never be able to stand in front of Li Wenying and say with confidence, "Please stay away from my husband."
In fact, only five seconds had passed since Cen Sen gave his reaction, but Ji Mingshu felt as if those five seconds were as long as a movie.
—She saw Cen Sen lower his eyes to look at the glass of red wine, then slowly raise his eyes to look at Li Wenying.
His gaze was probably devoid of warmth, because the next second he acted as if no one was there, took a piece of cake from the dessert table, and turned away without a word.
Then their eyes met in mid-air.
The actions, which were not meticulously dissected, were so brief that Ji Mingshu could still see the indifference in his eyes when they made eye contact.
For some reason, she suddenly found the courage to step forward, take the cake from his hand, and softly say "thank you."
Before Cen Sen could ask her what she wanted to thank, she walked past him, took the glass of red wine from Li Wenying's hand, and poured it down without hesitation.
The wine served on this occasion was of rather average quality. Those who know wine can tell just by looking at its color and smelling its aroma. However, the wine made a rather loud, dripping sound when it fell to the ground.
Ignoring the tiny stains splashed onto her skirt and trousers, Ji Mingshu finally mustered the courage to utter the phrase that had echoed in her mind countless times—
"Ms. Li, please stay away from my husband in the future."
Chapter 55
Over the years, Ji Mingshu's loathing for Li Wenying had become deeply ingrained, and a mere glass of red wine was clearly not enough to dispel it.
The moment she passed Cen Sen, what she was really thinking was to splash the wine directly at Li Wenying, or to pour the wine over Li Wenying's head.
But her upbringing wouldn't allow it, and she didn't want to cause trouble for Gu Kaiyang, who was in charge of the event, nor did she want Cen Sen to see her ugly side when she acted like a bad woman.
The sound of the red wine being poured on the ground seemed to linger.
For a few seconds, the scene fell into a seemingly frozen silence.
But Li Wenying wasn't some naive girl who would just whine and cry when she was bullied. Ji Mingshu poured the wine down her throat right in front of her like he was offering a sacrifice to the dead on Qingming Festival, while telling her to stay away from her husband. If she didn't react, she would be labeled as shameless for seducing someone else's husband before she even left the house.
Her expression changed, but she quickly regained her composure and devised a powerful counterattack strategy.