Qui a pris ces bottes de neige

Chapitre 1

Chapter 1

On a sweltering summer night, a torrential downpour began, lightning ripped through layers of dark clouds, and rumbling thunder followed closely behind.

The Imperial Painting Academy, with its medieval church-style stained glass windows illuminating the bright lights inside, is where Zero Degree magazine will host a fashion charity gala tonight to commemorate its tenth anniversary.

Before the dinner, there was a talk session where guests either signed autographs and took photos in front of the display boards or socialized.

In such a setting, it would be awkward and out of place not to chat and laugh with familiar people.

Fortunately, Ji Mingshu never had this kind of trouble.

"Is Jiang Chun not coming tonight?"

"They probably won't come."

"That's true. If you spend millions to order a bunch of junk, you might be willing but unable to do charity for the time being."

Several gentle female voices rang out, sounding like expressions of concern and regret if one didn't listen carefully. The conversation ended abruptly, the young ladies exchanging glances and then smiling in unison.

Ji Mingshu, who was surrounded in the center, remained silent. Although she chuckled softly, it was not hard to tell that she was not interested and even somewhat absent-minded.

Seeing this, someone subtly changed the subject, "Mingshu, is that the dress you tried on in Paris the other day? It's beautiful."

“No, the one I tried a couple of days ago was just a prototype. This one was ordered during last year’s Fall/Winter Haute Couture Week,” Ji Mingshu replied.

Everyone has done haute couture, and having a few pieces isn't unusual, but formal gowns often cost millions and are not easy to wear repeatedly. Wearing one like Ji Mingshu would as an ordinary evening gown would be too extravagant.

None of them hid their admiration, and as usual, they echoed and praised her.

Ji Mingshu seemed unmoved, her expression indifferent. In the end, she did give them face, drinking a small glass of red wine and saying "enjoy" before leaving with Gu Kaiyang, the soon-to-be deputy editor-in-chief of *Zero Degree*.

As soon as Ji Mingshu left, the young ladies secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Ji Mingshu was clearly out of sorts tonight. He wasn't interested in telling Jiang Chun's jokes, and he didn't react when she complimented her dress. I don't know why he's so difficult to please.

"What are you thinking about? You still have time to listen to those plastic flowers flattering you? Hurry up and go keep an eye on the banquet hall for me. Tonight is your sister's big day. If that bitch Shi Qing dares to cause trouble in the banquet hall, you tear her to pieces!"

Gu Kaiyang smiled and nodded frequently to the guests as he walked towards the banquet hall. His voice, which had been lowered from his upturned lips, was also somewhat flattened.

Ji Mingshu raised an eyebrow, but before she could reply, a commotion suddenly broke out behind them, and the two of them turned around one after the other.

As soon as a big star arrived, the clicking of camera flashes at the entrance became rapid. Reporters who were conducting interviews quickly abandoned their subjects and rushed to the area around the display board at the end of the red carpet, crowding together in a dense swarm.

Gu Kaiyang squinted to make out, "It seems like Su Cheng has arrived. You keep an eye on this side for me, I'll go over there first."

She reacted quickly; she took a step before she could finish her sentence.

Ji Mingshu gazed at the bustling crowd outside, not paying much attention at first, but then suddenly caught a glimpse of a familiar yet unfamiliar figure beside Su Cheng through the gap, and his back instantly stiffened.

As if sensing something, the figure standing beside Su Cheng also glanced in her direction, their gaze piercing through the crowd and bursts of white light, as if imbued with the coolness of a summer rainy night, cold and distant.

Fifteen minutes later, the red carpet photoshoot and interviews in front of the display board were all over, and the guests were led into the banquet hall and sat down in their pre-arranged seats.

The banquet hall's decor and design tonight were done by Ji Mingshu.

The hall was ablaze with light, and a live orchestra played Mozart's Symphony No. 40 in G minor. Each table was adorned with fresh, jade-white roses that had just been flown in that morning; the petals were plump and fresh, with a touch of warm pink at the edges. Waiters in vests and bow ties moved about the room, carrying trays in one hand, amidst the elegant ambiance and the lingering fragrance of clothes.

Extravagance and sensual pleasures are nothing more than this.

Gu Kaiyang's previous worries were somewhat unnecessary. Upon learning that Ji Mingshu was personally in charge of the banquet, those who had intended to cause trouble had long since given up on their plans. Until the group president took the stage to speak, there were no mishaps in the banquet hall.

After the president finished speaking, it was May, the editor-in-chief of "Zero Degrees," who took the stage.

May loves to talk about outdated inspirational quotes, probably as a tribute to the strategic brilliance of "The Devil Wears Prada" Miranda Kerr. This time, the quotes unexpectedly included a seismic shift within the magazine.

Everyone present was shrewd; when she mentioned the "new deputy editor-in-chief," everyone instinctively looked at Gu Kaiyang.

Gu Kaiyang, like a victorious little white swan, stood up with composure, his eyes and brows brimming with barely suppressed joy.

Some people only glanced at her before looking at Ji Mingshu sitting next to her, such as Su Cheng.

Su Cheng is 42 years old this year. She has won numerous Best Actress awards and has married three powerful men. She holds a pivotal position in the entertainment industry, the fashion industry, and the current social circles.

She tilted her head slightly, leaned closer to the man beside her, and teased him in a tone that suggested she was gossiping about a younger person: "Why aren't you with Mingshu? Did you two have a fight?"

The man looked up at Ji Mingshu not far away, his fingertips lightly tapping the rim of his cup, the frequency of which was surprisingly in sync with the ticking of the platinum watch on his wrist.

After a long while, he didn't reply. He seemed to be smiling, but the smile didn't reach his eyes.

Su Cheng took it as a tacit agreement and then quietly taught him how to coax girls.

He nodded, his gaze remaining fixed on the spot.

Two years had passed, but Ji Mingshu was still the same as before. Even when she was cold and expressionless, her face was still incredibly beautiful, not at all inferior to the starlight that filled the room tonight.

The after-party following the dinner was turned into a charity auction, with the remaining guests moving to a smaller hall on the other side.

"Lot 029, a Tahitian natural black pearl and diamond necklace, was donated by Ms. Su Cheng..."

While the auctioneer was introducing the items on stage, Ji Mingshu had already scanned the list of items in the auction catalog.

She chuckled inwardly, guessing that someone would be spending a fortune tonight to win a smile from the movie queen.

The thought had barely crossed my mind when the auctioneer announced, "Starting price: 800,000!"

"Eight hundred and fifty thousand!"

"Nine hundred thousand!"

"One million!"

The price was refreshed immediately after the words were spoken.

When the bidding reached three million, many people turned to look at Ji Mingshu's right rear, and some even couldn't help but whisper among themselves in this situation.

Ji Mingshu didn't move. Without turning around, she could imagine the calm and collected look on that person's face as he repeatedly raised his sign.

"Five million, it's already five million."

"Five million once, five million twice, five million three times!"

"Thump!"

The gavel fell with a dull thud.

"This necklace, five million...? Who is that man?"

Even the newcomer sitting at the end of the table noticed that the necklace's price was excessively high and couldn't help but whisper to her agent beside her to inquire.

“Cen Sen…” the agent murmured thoughtfully, “Why did he suddenly come back?”

The young girl, new to the world of fame and fortune, found everything she saw and heard fascinating. Catching a key phrase, she pressed for more information: "That man's name is Cen Sen? Is he very powerful?"

The newcomer isn't working with Cen Sen yet, and today's outing is just to broaden her horizons. Her manager didn't bother explaining further, just kept her head down, tapping away on her phone under the table to relay firsthand information to her more senior actresses.

There were quite a few people at the scene who, like this agent, were tipping off others.

The heir of the Cen family of Jingjian Group has been out in the country for two years, having gone to Australia to expand into overseas markets. His unexpected appearance tonight, coupled with his unusually high-profile behavior, seems to send a signal—

The civil war that had lasted for several years in Beijing had come to an end.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, after tonight, Beijing will have another legendary figure to be talked about.

In fact, attending this charity gala was not originally in Cen Sen's plans.

However, he always handled things meticulously. When asked to accompany Su Cheng at the last minute, he not only showed the same patience he had when accompanying his elders to various events in his early years, but also took a picture of the pearl necklace donated by Su Cheng, which he claimed to be his cherished possession for many years.

These small auctions held by fashion magazines are meant to be a token of goodwill, but Cen Sen's way of raising the price shows that he's doing Su Cheng a great job, both in terms of appearance and substance.

Su Cheng smiled and said slowly, "When Lao Pei is free another day, you and Ming Shu can come to our house for dinner."

That's considered accepting it.

When the auction ended, many people's eyes fell on Cen Sen.

He remained seated in the dim light, loosening his Windsor knot at the collar, crossing his legs, and leaning back.

There were many guests tonight, and he and Su Cheng arrived quite late, so many people didn't know he was there.

Now that they know, those who recognize them will naturally go up to greet and chat, while those who don't will create opportunities to get close and become familiar with them.

Ji Mingshu remained seated, unmoved, his gaze fixed on the now empty exhibition stand, his expression as cold as ice.

Gu Kaiyang watched with trepidation. The excitement he felt from defeating class enemies and getting a promotion and raise had long since vanished when Cen Sen repeatedly raised his paddle to bid for Su Cheng's pearl necklace.

She asked softly, "When did your husband get back? Did you two have a fight?"

"without."

Ji Mingshu only answered the second question because she didn't know the answer to the first one either.

She didn't know how much time had passed when a pair of black leather shoes slowly came into her view.

The shoes looked familiar, but the lacing method was unique. Almost the instant his eyes fell on the shoes, Ji Mingshu pictured their owner.

"Mingshu, it's time to go home."

His voice was neither loud nor soft, plain and ordinary, giving Ji Mingshu the illusion that they were a normal couple who saw each other every day.

"I drove here...I really..." Gu Kaiyang, wearing ten-centimeter stilettos, was subtly pulled away by Ji Mingshu, making him a little unsteady. "You guys go home, why did you drag me along? I don't need a ride..."

"You need to send it."

Ji Mingshu glanced at her coldly, silencing her.

The rainstorm outside the oil painting academy had just stopped, and the night was so dark that there was not a single ray of light. The wind blew by, half cool and half carrying the humid heat of a summer night.

The driver respectfully opened the passenger door.

Seeing that Cen Sen showed no sign of sitting down, Ji Mingshu subconsciously took a step forward, but Cen Sen suddenly raised his hand to block him, and then glanced at Gu Kaiyang without leaving a trace.

Gu Kaiyang shuddered and hurried forward, taking small steps to get into the passenger seat, making room for the young couple in the back.

"Um, just drop me off at Star Harbour International, thank you."

After giving the driver the address, Gu Kaiyang glanced at the indifferent couple in the back seat through the rearview mirror.

The two men stared straight ahead, ignoring each other. The distance between their seats was enough for a 200-pound fat man to sit on.

The Bentley drove onto the main road, and for a full three minutes, not a sound came from inside the car. Gu Kaiyang felt that if it remained this quiet any longer, the four people in the car might suffocate.

She was trying to find a topic to break the silence in the car when Boss Cen suddenly spoke up, "Miss Gu, you've been promoted. Congratulations."

Gu Kaiyang instinctively chuckled twice, "Thank you, thank you." He then added a polite, business-like compliment, "President Cen, long time no see, you were absolutely stunning tonight too."

Ji Mingshu rolled her eyes at her in the rearview mirror.