"Yes, Mingshu, you're so capable and have such a good appearance, the production team definitely won't have any problems with you."
Meng Xiaowei smiled sweetly, and her eyes were very sincere.
Gu Kaiyang & Jiang Chun: "..."
They usually only praise the little canary's beauty and forget to also compliment her inner qualities. This time, their attempt at flattery has been a complete failure.
The two exchanged a glance, and in each other's eyes they could read a sense of introspection that they "had to seriously reflect on their actions."
Meng Xiaowei continued to persuade him with compliments and flattery, every word hitting Ji Mingshu's comfort point perfectly without appearing overly obsequious.
Moreover, her eyes are really beautiful, and she looks at people with exceptional sincerity when she speaks. With that ability, she could probably make the dead seem alive and people would believe her. If she went to sell health products, she would definitely be the top seller of the year.
Ji Mingshu hadn't heard such praise in a long time, and she got a little carried away, but she was a worldly person and wouldn't just agree with "uh-huh" every time someone praised her.
Actually, their circle is very close to the entertainment industry, so it's relatively easy for them to debut as stars.
In the past, large families tended to be conservative and looked down on actors, and absolutely forbade their children from showing their faces in public.
But times have changed. In recent years, a large amount of capital has poured into the entertainment industry, and many of the "actors" of the older generation have started to play the game of capital manipulation, and they are doing it very well. Some of them have already shown signs of becoming new elites.
In a money-driven society, those with money and resources are the bosses. Those who merely put on airs of being from a prestigious family are just empty shells and are actually ignored by everyone.
Moreover, since the 1990s, power has been shifted and reshuffled, and there is no real old money in the traditional sense in Beijing and Shanghai.
Seeing that Ji Mingshu did not answer, Meng Xiaowei assumed that she had concerns about being on camera, and said softly, "Right now, the main thing is that the higher-ups have requirements for the number of ordinary people in variety shows. There won't be many shots for ordinary people, so you can rest assured about that."
“I just think this show is perfect for you, and there will be other designers participating, which you might find interesting.”
"Okay, think about it first. If you're interested, you can let me know anytime." She turned her head and waved to the person she was shipping, "Li Che, come here for a second."
Li Che has become a well-known young male idol in the past two years, and he is also the only male celebrity who still has a large fan base even when paired with a romantic partner. His official age is 24, but he is actually 26. However, he has a clean-cut appearance and a sunny, boy-next-door vibe, and does not appear mature at all.
Li Che walked towards them while drinking water.
As the man approached, Meng Xiaowei introduced him to Ji Mingshu, "This is my friend, Li Che. He will also be participating in the show 'Designers.' You two can get to know each other; who knows, you might have a chance to collaborate in the future."
Then she introduced him to Li Che, "This is Ms. Ji Mingshu, a very outstanding interior designer."
Li Che smiled and extended his hand to Ji Mingshu, "Hello, I'm Li Che."
"I've long admired you, Ji Mingshu."
Li Che was very polite. He only shook hands with her lightly and briefly. After shaking hands, he also greeted Gu Kaiyang and Jiang Chun very considerately.
The two celebrities had other engagements to attend, so the group didn't chat much. Before leaving, Ji Mingshu gave Meng Xiaowei an answer, "I'll think about the show and contact you again when I've decided."
Meng Xiaowei readily nodded in agreement.
As dusk fell, the sunset glow slowly drifted across the sky, its colors varying in shades, exuding a subtle ambiguity, gentle and tender.
Cen Sen's car was parked right on time downstairs at the Zero Degree magazine office, waiting for him.
Ji Mingshu had been out all day in high heels and was exhausted. As soon as she got in the car, she asked, "What are we having for dinner?"
Cen Sen said, "I'll do it at home."
"You'll do it?"
Cen Sen glanced at her but didn't reply, though his eyes clearly asked, "Or will you do it?"
Ji Mingshu was speechless for a couple of seconds, then rubbed her calf, "What are you planning to do?"
"Stir-fried bamboo shoots, blanched lettuce, and braised pork ribs."
Braised pork ribs?
Ji Mingshu seemed even hungrier.
Cen Sen didn't have much work today. Before picking up Ji Mingshu, he went to the supermarket and asked Zhou Jiaheng to buy some groceries, specifically instructing him to buy tender spare ribs.
Back at Mingshui Mansion, Ji Mingshu lay on the sofa playing on his phone, occasionally peeking out to check on the progress of the braised pork ribs.
It has to be admitted that Cen Sen, that scoundrel, is quite smart. His learning ability has been significantly better than others since he was a child. After joining the group, he quickly demonstrated outstanding work ability. Even when he cooks at home, he does so cleanly and skillfully.
From a distance, his tall and slender figure makes him a sight to behold, standing on the central island platform.
As you approach, you see his shirt cuffs rolled up, creating soft folds. His hands are slender and long, with clearly defined finger bones. His handling of ingredients is both efficient and aesthetically pleasing, a truly delightful sight.
Ji Mingshu lives a simple life; he's happy as long as he has food, drink, and money to spend.
The braised pork ribs were served, and she enthusiastically took a picture, added a food filter, and posted it on her WeChat Moments with the caption: "Pork ribs made by my husband /heart". For more novels, follow the WeChat Official Account: Zao An Tweets
It can be said that after two years of frantic photo editing by a million photo retouchers, they finally showed off their real affection.
She ate with great interest, and although she picked up small pieces with utmost restraint, she was just as fast as anyone else. Before she knew it, she had finished the whole plate of spare ribs all by herself.
From beginning to end, she never considered why Cen Sen acted out of character today, offering to pick her up and then taking the initiative to go home and cook her favorite braised pork ribs.
It wasn't until the two were watching a movie in the theater that evening, and as the movie progressed, Cen Sen pinned her down and began to grope her, that Ji Mingshu began to vaguely sense Cen Sen's true intentions.
To be honest, it has been a while since I've done it.
For some reason, when Cen Sen kissed her, Ji Mingshu felt that he had a kind of... ascetic sexiness. His kisses were dense and his breath was warm, and the back of her ears turned red involuntarily.
This feeling is quite strange.
Ji Mingshu had never objected to Cen Sen's closeness before. He was very clean and his movements were not rough. In any case, intimate contact did not make people feel uncomfortable.
However, it's not that I particularly like it or can't get enough of it; it's more like completing a chores task for the couple, something we do once a month.
But this time, being with him, Ji Mingshu felt a little happy and a little shy.
Especially when you see the desire churning in his eyes and the redness in his eyes, the joy and shyness seem to deepen unconsciously.
In the bathroom late at night, steam filled the air as Ji Mingshu was held in Cen Sen's arms while they took a shower together.
She felt sore all over, and although she wasn't sleepy, she kept yawning in Cen Sen's arms for some reason. She yawned several times, and tears welled up in her eyes.
Are you sleepy?
"Not sleepy."
Perhaps intimate contact can strengthen a person's dependence on and attachment to their partner. Ji Mingshu suddenly remembered something he had kept to himself for several days and spoke it out with great confidence.
She poked Cen Sen's Adam's apple and asked, "The other day Shu Yang said that your ex-girlfriend is coming back, and today Gu Kaiyang also told me that their magazine is going to do an interview with your ex-girlfriend. What do you think?"
"Li Wenying?"
"I still remember the name quite clearly."
Cen Sen paused for a moment, then said, "I have no idea."
Ji Mingshu wasn't very satisfied with the answer, but forcing someone to make some strange promise would make her seem like she cared about him a lot, which was too humble!
She thought for a moment, then emphasized, "That would be best. Anyway, if I find out you dare to cheat on me, I'll divorce you. Just you wait and see."
Cen Sen realized he didn't really like hearing the word "divorce," so he gave a perfunctory "hmm" and didn't want to dwell on the topic any longer.
After soaking for a while, he turned off the water, got up, took a thick, soft bathrobe, wrapped it around Ji Mingshu, and lifted her out of the bathtub.
On the way back to bed, Cen Sen noticed that Ji Mingshu had lowered her eyelashes and was fiddling with the tie of her bathrobe, looking rather unhappy.
For some reason, after he put her down, he still held her waist with one hand and put his other hand on her ear. He suddenly brought up the topic he had put aside earlier, "You said yourself that she is your ex-girlfriend. You should know that I am not the kind of person who likes to dwell on the past."
Chapter 20
It must be admitted that Cen Sen's words, "I'm not someone who likes to reminisce about the past," pleased Ji Mingshu, and the unpleasant feeling caused by the impending arrival of the invasive species was instantly swept away.
As Ji Mingshu lay down in bed to sleep, she unconsciously clung to Cen Sen again, wrapping her arms around his neck and her bare, shapely legs around his waist.
Half asleep and half awake, Cen Sen adjusted his position and pulled the restless octopus that was clinging to him into his arms.
That night, Ji Mingshu had a dream.
Whether it was because dusk was approaching in the dream, or because the dream itself was bathed in a warm yellow glow, all the scenes seemed to be soaked in a honey jar, each frame revealing a crystal-clear and bizarre old-time scene.
The first fifty percent of her dream consisted of long, boring, and unconvincing details of her high school life. One moment she was altering the length of her school uniform skirt in the dormitory, and the next she was urgently notified to take an exam.
Halfway through the exam, the grade leader ran in and said: "You made a mistake. You are liberal arts students, so you don't need to take the physics exam."
When she came out of the exam room, she was both happy and confused. Wasn't she just a first-year high school student who hadn't yet chosen between arts and sciences? And it seemed like she had just taken a geography exam.
Then Cen Sen appeared in the latter half of the dream without any warning—
In the corridor leading out of the examination hall, Ji Mingshu saw him and Li Wenying walking together from the end of the corridor.
He was tall and slender, and even the blue-black school uniform that students at the affiliated high school often complained about looked neat and good on him. The two walked up to her, exchanged glances, and then coldly brushed past her.
Ji Mingshu stood there, a little annoyed, but she didn't know what she was annoyed about.
Soon the scene shifts to the classroom after school, where the honey-colored sunset casts its warm glow on the desks, and a gentle breeze seems to be softly stirring the curtains.
There was no one else in the classroom except Ji Mingshu. She was lying on her desk, thinking about what to eat for dinner.
Just then, Cen Sen walked into the classroom.
It was completely inexplicable that a senior high school student would suddenly enter a freshman classroom and sit next to her to go over the test paper with her.
But in her dream, Ji Mingshu's brain seemed to have been eaten by zombies, and she didn't feel that anything was wrong. She rummaged through her schoolbag for a while, and then told Cen Sen in a very nervous voice, "My test paper is missing."
Cen Sen: "It's okay."
He patted her head very gently, then leaned down slightly and kissed her.
What happened next took a dramatic turn and became very explicit.
She was lifted by Cen Sen and placed on the desk, while Cen Sen stood by the desk, lifting up her shortened skirt and removing the last layer of clothing covering her.
Eventually, she was lying on her back on the table, while Cen Sen remained standing by the table, moving back and forth.
She covered her eyes with both hands, but couldn't help but secretly peek through a small crack to see Cen Sen's serene, abstinent yet unrestrained demeanor.
In the heat of passion, Cen Sen even grabbed her waist and leaned down to ask her some questions she was too embarrassed to ask.
She caught a glimpse of Li Wenying standing at the classroom door out of the corner of her eye. Her heart pounded with nervousness and trepidation, yet she also felt a secret, indescribable stirring within her. She whispered sweetly in Cen Sen's ear, "I like her."
Then, the dream ended.
In the first few seconds after waking up, Ji Mingshu's mind went blank, and her fingertips were trembling.
What kind of strange dream was this?
Her heart was beating very fast, and the strange sensations in her body did not end when the dream ended.