As the saying goes, three women make a drama. With Ji Mingshu, Gu Kaiyang, and Jiang Chun gathered together, the drama they were staging was likely a Republican-era spy thriller, "Best Friends Forever" edition.
Li Wenyin was still across the ocean and had yet to depart, but Gu Kaiyang and Jiang Chun had already meticulously planned out the difficult interview questions intended to make things hard for her.
Since Gu Kaiyang only knew Li Wenyin one-sidedly through Ji Mingshu's occasional rants, and Li Wenyin, in theory, shouldn't know that she was Ji Mingshu's best friend, Jiang Chun had even assigned her a spy role: infiltrate the enemy's inner circle to uncover the true purpose of her return and her backup plans.
However, this role was too difficult to perform and carried the risk of being exposed on the spot, so Ji Mingshu and Gu Kaiyang both voted to veto it.
While the trio, armed with their vicious female supporting character scripts, madly dissed the white lotus protagonist Li Wenyin, the cover shoot quietly drew to a close.
After the shoot ended, the female celebrity sipped some water through a straw, then leaned in toward the camera to review the shots, chatting with the photographer for a bit.
When she turned and saw Gu Kaiyang and Ji Mingshu, she smiled and walked over to greet them, as well as Jiang Chun, whom she didn't know.
This celebrity's name was Meng Xiaowei. She was a smooth operator, socially adept and emotionally intelligent.
She had good connections in the fashion world, was semi-acquainted with Gu Kaiyang, and often ran into Ji Mingshu at various shows, exhibitions, and banquets.
Ji Mingshu had a decent impression of her. Although they weren't from the same circle, they could still exchange a few words.
As they chatted, Meng Xiaowei recalled something. "Oh, right, Mingshu, you studied interior design in college, didn't you? I heard you were the one who did Chris Chou's Milan runway show a couple of years ago. That show was amazing, I still remember it now."
Hearing someone praise the only presentable work she had produced since graduation, Ji Mingshu was naturally very pleased.
However, to project the nonchalant attitude of "Miss Ji, who is so used to being praised every day," she merely let out a couple of indifferent, soft laughs, while her words remained airy and modest.
Meng Xiaowei continued, "Here's the thing. I have a friend who's a variety show producer at Star City TV. They're currently planning a show focused on spatial design called Designer. The format is something like amateur designers partnering with celebrities to work on designs together."
"One of the people they originally invited was a beautiful designer from Taiwan, but she has some problematic political stances, so the production team plans to replace her. I think you'd be a great fit, Mingshu. I was just wondering if you'd be interested?"
Ji Mingshu asked, "A variety show about spatial design? Me?"
"That's right. Mingshu, you're so capable and you have such great looks. The production team would definitely have no problem with you."
Meng Xiaowei's smile was sweet, and her gaze was utterly sincere.
Gu Kaiyang & Jiang Chun: "..."
They usually only remembered to praise their little golden canary's beauty and forgot to compliment her substance along with it. In this round of flattery, they had been utterly and thoroughly defeated.
The two exchanged a look, and in each other's eyes, they read the same self-reflective sentiment: "We must seriously reconsider our approach."
Meng Xiaowei was still persuading her with a stream of praise and flattery. Every sentence hit Ji Mingshu's sweet spot perfectly without sounding overly sycophantic.
Moreover, her eyes were truly beautiful. When she looked at someone while speaking, she appeared exceptionally sincere. With that ability, she could probably convince people that the dead were alive. If she went into selling health supplements, she would absolutely be the annual sales champion.
It had been a long time since Ji Mingshu had heard such spot-on praise. She was feeling a little giddy, but she had seen the world and wasn't about to agree with a series of "uh-huhs" just because someone complimented her.
Truth be told, their circle was very, very close to the entertainment industry. If they wanted to debut as celebrities, it was relatively easy.
In the past, the old, prominent families held more conservative views. They looked down on actors and would absolutely forbid their own children from making public appearances.
But times had long since changed. In recent years, a massive amount of capital had flooded into the entertainment industry. Many of the "actors" that the older generation looked down upon had started playing the capital game themselves, and quite successfully at that. A portion of them were already showing the momentum of the nouveau riche.
In a society where money is paramount, those with money and resources were the ones in charge. Merely putting on the airs of a prestigious family with nothing but an empty shell inside would earn you no real regard from anyone.
What's more, since the power reshuffles of the nineties, there was no truly traditional "old money" left in the Beijing-Shanghai area.
Seeing that Ji Mingshu hadn't replied, Meng Xiaowei thought she had reservations about being on camera and added in a soft, gentle voice, "The main thing is that the higher-ups have requirements for the quota of non-celebrities on variety shows. The actual screen time given to amateurs won't be that much, so you can rest assured on that point."
"I just feel that this show is a great fit for you. Plus, there will be other designers participating, which you might find interesting."
"How about this, you think it over first. If you're interested, you can let me know anytime." She turned her head and waved at the person she was in a "shipped" couple with. "Li Che, come over here for a second."
Li Che was a "little fresh meat" who had made a name for himself in the last two years. He was also the only male celebrity with a huge fanbase despite being in a marketed "ship." His official age was twenty-four, but he was actually twenty-six. However, he had a clean-cut look and the sunny, boy-next-door vibe, so he didn't look mature at all.
Li Che walked toward them while drinking water.
When he drew near, Meng Xiaowei introduced him to Ji Mingshu. "This is my friend, Li Che. He'll also be on the show Designer. You two can get to know each other. Who knows, you might have a chance to work together in the future."
Then, she introduced Ji Mingshu to Li Che. "This is Miss Ji Mingshu, a very outstanding interior designer."
Li Che smiled and extended a hand to Ji Mingshu. "Hello, I'm Li Che."
"I've heard a lot about you. Ji Mingshu."
Li Che was very polite. He only gave her a light, fleeting handshake. After their hands parted, he thoughtfully greeted Gu Kaiyang and Jiang Chun as well.
The two celebrities had other engagements to get to, so they didn't chat for long. Before they left, Ji Mingshu gave Meng Xiaowei an answer. "I'll think about the show. I'll contact you when I've made up my mind."
Meng Xiaowei naturally nodded with delight.
At dusk, the evening clouds flowed slowly across the sky in varying shades, tinged with a faint ambiguity, gentle and lingering.
Cen Sen's car pulled up punctually outside the Zero Degree magazine office to wait.
Ji Mingshu had been out and about in high heels all day and was exhausted. The moment she got in the car, she asked, "What are we eating tonight?"
Cen Sen said, "I'll cook at home."
"You're cooking?"
Cen Sen glanced at her without replying, but his eyes clearly retorted, "Otherwise, you'll cook?"
Ji Mingshu was stumped for two seconds, then rubbed her calf. "What are you planning to make?"
"Stir-fried bamboo shoots with chili, blanched lettuce, and braised pork ribs."
Braised pork ribs?
Ji Mingshu's stomach seemed to grow even hungrier.
Cen Sen didn't have much work today. Before picking up Ji Mingshu, he had even made a detour to the supermarket and had Zhou Jiaheng go in to buy some groceries, specifically reminding him to get tender ribs.
Back at Mingshui Mansion, Ji Mingshu lay on the sofa playing with her phone, occasionally craning her neck to check on the progress of the braised pork ribs.
She had to admit, that dog of a man Cen Sen had a good head on his shoulders. From a young age, his ability to learn had been clearly superior to others. After joining the group, he had quickly demonstrated outstanding work capabilities. Even just cooking a meal at home, he appeared clean and proficient.
From a distance, his tall, slender, and elegant figure was a picturesque scene in itself as he stood at the central island counter.
Up close, the cuffs of his shirt were rolled up, creating soft folds. His hands were slim and long with distinct knuckles. The way he handled the ingredients was both deft and aesthetically pleasing, a true feast for the eyes.
Ji Mingshu was a person who lived a relatively simple life. As long as she had food, drink, and money to spend, she was happy.
When the braised pork ribs were served, she excitedly took a photo, added a food filter, and posted it to her social media with the caption: "Hubby's pork ribs /heart emoji."
It could be said that after two long years of her million-dollar photo editor's frantic photoshopping, she had finally shown off some real affection.
She ate with great gusto. Although she picked up the pieces one by one with great reserve, her speed was second to none. Before she knew it, she had single-handedly polished off the entire plate of pork ribs.
From beginning to end, she never once wondered why Cen Sen had acted so out of character today—offering to pick her up and then, upon returning home, taking the initiative to cook her favorite braised pork ribs.
It wasn't until that night, when they were watching a movie in the media room and she found herself being pressed down and groped by Cen Sen, that Ji Mingshu vaguely sensed his true objective.
Come to think of it, it really had been a while since they'd last done it.
For some reason, as Cen Sen kissed her, Ji Mingshu felt he possessed a kind of... ascetic sexiness. His kisses fell densely, his breath warm, and the back of her ears turned red without her even realizing it.
This feeling was rather strange.
In the past, Ji Mingshu didn't reject Cen Sen's intimacy. He was very clean and his movements weren't rough; in any case, their physical contact never caused any discomfort.
However, she couldn't say she particularly liked it or found it irresistible. It was more like completing a spousal duty, checking it off the list once a month.
But this time, being with him, Ji Mingshu felt a little flutter of joy and shyness in her heart.
Especially when she saw the desire churning in his pupils and the red flush in the whites of his eyes, that joy and shyness seemed to deepen.
Late that night in the steamy bathroom, Ji Mingshu was held in Cen Sen's arms as they bathed together.
Her whole body was sore and weary. She clearly wasn't sleepy, but for some reason, curled up in Cen Sen's embrace, she couldn't stop yawning. After several in a row, tears welled up in her eyes.
"Sleepy?"
"Not sleepy."
Perhaps intimate contact strengthened one's dependence and attachment to a partner. The matter she had been holding back for days suddenly came to mind, and she spoke with righteous indignation.
She poked Cen Sen's Adam's apple and asked, "The other day, Shu Yang said your ex-girlfriend is coming back. Today, Gu Kaiyang also told me their magazine is doing an exclusive interview with your ex-girlfriend. What are your thoughts?"
"Li Wenyin?"
"You remember her name quite clearly."
Cen Sen paused slightly. "I have no thoughts."
Ji Mingshu wasn't very satisfied with this answer, but forcing him to make some strange promise would make it seem like she cared a lot about him, which was too demeaning!
She thought for a moment, then emphasized, "That's for the best. Anyway, if you dare to cheat on me during our marriage and I find out, I'll divorce you. You just wait and see."
Cen Sen found that he didn't particularly like hearing the word "divorce." He gave a perfunctory "mm," not wanting to dwell on the topic.
After soaking for a while, he drained the tub, stood up, and wrapped Ji Mingshu in a thick, soft robe before lifting her out of the bathtub.
On the way back to the bed, Cen Sen noticed that Ji Mingshu's eyelashes were lowered and she was fiddling with the robe's tie, looking not very happy.
For some reason, after setting her down, he kept one hand on her waist, not letting go. He propped his other hand up beside her ear and suddenly brought up the topic they had set aside. "You said it yourself, she's an ex-girlfriend. You should know that I'm not one to dwell on the past."
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