Over the years, Ji Mingshu's loathing for Li Wenyin had long seeped into her very bones. A mere glass of red wine was clearly not enough to make it vanish into thin air.
In the moment she stepped past Cen Sen, what she truly envisioned was either splashing the wine directly at Li Wenyin or pouring it over her head.
But her upbringing would not allow it. She also did not 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 played the villain.
The wine hitting the floor seemed to echo faintly.
For a few seconds, the venue fell into a silence so profound it felt almost frozen.
However, Li Wenyin was no naive, helpless damsel who would only whimper when bullied. Ji Mingshu had poured that glass of wine right in front of her, as if offering a libation to the dead during Qingming Festival, all while telling her to stay away from her own husband. If Li Wenyin showed no reaction, she would be branded as shamelessly seducing another woman's husband before she even stepped out the door.
Her expression shifted briefly, but she quickly steadied herself and devised a powerful counterattack.
—Pour the wine right back at Ji Mingshu.
Ji Mingshu had provoked her first; any retaliation would be justified. Moreover, everyone knew Ji Mingshu was willful and capricious. No matter how or to whom she explained, Li Wenyin would have the moral high ground.
Just like in their school days, regardless of the truth, Ji Mingshu could never gain the slightest advantage over her.
But just as she was about to throw the wine, Cen Sen suddenly turned around, his gaze cold and direct as it fixed on her.
Li Wenyin froze, but the glass in her hand was already beyond recall.
Without a second thought, Cen Sen grasped Ji Mingshu's slender, pale wrist with one hand, gently pulling her behind him. With the other, he firmly and precisely seized Li Wenyin's wrist, twisting it inward and forcing the glass to change its trajectory at the very last moment.
The purplish-red liquid flowed back up Li Wenyin's arm, quickly staining her apricot-colored A-line dress. The wine dripped from her arm and the hem of her dress, splattering onto the floor.
She pressed her lips together, her face pale.
First, Cen Sen had shown no chivalry whatsoever, mercilessly twisting her wrist—it hurt.
Second, she truly could not believe that Cen Sen would be so heartless, resorting to physical force against her for the sake of a woman like Ji Mingshu.
Meeting her gaze, Cen Sen's voice was cold, devoid of even basic courtesy, simply impatient as he delivered his ultimatum: "Li Wenyin, know your limits."
In that moment, Li Wenyin suddenly felt the man before her was a stranger, completely different from the gentle, refined boy of ten years ago.
She shook her head slightly, murmuring to herself as if struggling to accept reality, "Ah Sen, how could you have become like this?"
In truth, anyone who truly knew Cen Sen would understand he had always been this way.
Li Wenyin was merely trapped in her own constantly embellished memories, lost in her filtered fantasies, unable to free herself.
She had forgotten that even the gentle, refined boy of ten years ago had not shown her much tenderness or affection after accepting her pursuit.
What she missed and loved was perhaps never Cen Sen himself, but the jealousy and envy from her peers that came with dating him; the conveniences and privileges his status afforded her; and the sense of being the center of attention, basking in the halo of being the girlfriend of the academic genius.She would never again experience such a glorious moment in her life.
The PR from Zero Degree, who was overseeing the event, noticed the sudden commotion on their side and was about to step in to mediate. She even called for security via walkie-talkie, just in case someone was deliberately causing trouble and needed to be escorted out.
But just as she took a step forward, someone suddenly pulled her back. "Don't interfere."
Turning around, she saw it was Gu Kaiyang, who had been elusive since the event began.
"Gu Jie, over there..."
Gu Kaiyang followed her gaze, her eyes unblinking, the corners of her lips slightly upturned. She emphasized again, "I said, don't interfere. I'll take responsibility."
—Their little princess had been holding in this resentment for so many years. Now that Cen Sen had finally stepped in, how could they easily interrupt?
The PR clearly didn't understand, but since Gu Kaiyang had given the order, she could only dismiss the security and pretend not to see anything.
This happened near the dessert table, where Jiang Chun happened to be nearby.
Attracted by the commotion caused by the couple's coordinated "attack," she sat up from the beanbag chair, so stunned that she even forgot to eat her cake. Unconsciously waving her little fork, she chanted silently in her heart: Take her down, take her down, keep taking her down! That big bitch Li Xiaolian, who made our little golden canary suffer so much, must vanish on the spot and turn to ashes right now!!!
However, Little Earth Goose's wish was destined to go unfulfilled.
No matter how many faults Li Wenyin had, she was still Cen Sen's ex-girlfriend from a proper relationship. No normal man would publicly assault and verbally humiliate an ex-girlfriend, let alone Cen Sen.
In fact, Cen Sen stepping in to stop it and issuing a ruthless warning had already taken Ji Mingshu by surprise. She had originally thought Cen Sen pulled her back to shield her from the wine. He was such a rational person, how could he...
Standing behind Cen Sen, it took her a long, long time to process it—the scenario she had imagined, where Cen Sen would stand up for her and oppose Li Wenyin, had actually happened.
Peeking around Cen Sen's sleeve, she glanced at Li Wenyin and unexpectedly met Li Wenyin's rarely undisguised look of hatred and resentment.
Hmm, for some reason, it felt incredibly satisfying.
Forgetting the occasion, she gave Li Wenyin a gentle, somewhat catty smile, shrugged her shoulders, her eyes filled with a helpless expression that seemed to say, "Sorry, my husband just has to protect me, and I really can't stop him."
The next second, when Cen Sen turned around, she instantly switched back to playing the innocent, sweet girl, timidly tugging at his sleeve, putting on the act of a kind-hearted person who didn't want to make a big deal out of it.
Unexpectedly, Cen Sen really fell for it. He took her hand and gently ruffled her hair to comfort her.
The plastic sisters who had been watching the drama were all seasoned veterans of the glitzy, indulgent social scene, with sharp eyes and keen instincts. Earlier, while watching from the back, they had remained as quiet as mice. Now, sensing the climax of the scene, they rushed forward one after another to put on a show, comforting Ji Mingshu while not forgetting to diss Li Wenyin.
"Darling, you're just too kind. What kind of person is she, bullying you like this, and you still don't hold a grudge? I'm so angry I could die!""Xiao Shu has always been kind-hearted, haven't you just realized that today? Oh right, I suddenly remembered what my friend said—she's most afraid of offending writers, painters, and filmmakers. Who knows how they might distort you in their so-called works if you upset them? Nowadays, there are more and more people using artistic creation as a cover to vent personal grudges."
"Exactly, in my opinion, such people should be banned!"
"And those with questionable personal morals should be banned too."
"I think what's even scarier these days isn't those using artistic creation to vent personal grudges, but those using it to indulge in daydreams. I've never seen a man who fantasizes about his wife still being infatuated with him after marriage."
"Well, now you have."
Several girls couldn't help but giggle.
After laughing, someone else said, "Xiao Shu, let's not attend events like this in the future. Anyone can get an invitation these days."
"Even without an invitation, they can tag along with someone who has one. Who can stop that?"
They exchanged knowing smiles, glancing at Li Wenyin with identical looks of disdain.
Ji Mingshu usually didn't mind being praised, but standing next to Cen Sen and hearing such compliments made her feel a bit guilty. Moreover, the sarcasm and looks from these fake friends were so spot-on that she almost felt too embarrassed to turn and see Li Wenyin's expression.
But still... it felt so satisfying, tvt!
She was so elated she felt a bit dizzy, but she worried that going too far might make Cen Sen resent her or feel pity for Li Wenyin. So, she quickly accepted a few invitations to spend money at events, then apologized and said she had to leave early.
As she spoke, she scanned the periphery for Gu Kaiyang and Jiang Chun. Gu Kaiyang, likely too guilty for her "treachery," was nowhere to be seen, but Jiang Chun was easy to spot.
She discreetly gestured to Jiang Chun to call her later, then took Cen Sen's arm and, surrounded by the fake friends, left the chaotic event early.
"Um, do you think I was too harsh on Li Wenyin?" On the snowy winter road home, Ji Mingshu couldn't help but ask Cen Sen this question.
"No."
Cen Sen was checking his schedule on his tablet and answered without hesitation.
Ji Mingshu felt slightly relieved. She stole a few glances at Cen Sen, tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, and pretended to be nonchalant as she played with her phone. "Li Wenyin said you're completely different from before, but I feel like you're still the same... Were you gentler when you were dating Li Wenyin?"
After a long silence without a response from Cen Sen, she muttered to herself, "Well, I'll find out when the movie is released."
Cen Sen closed his tablet. "The movie won't be released."
...?
He had warned Li Wenyin more than once not to make the film, but she refused to listen. Even after Junyi withdrew funding, she insisted on securing investment from the Yuan family to prove a point. In that case, he couldn't guarantee at which stage the film would encounter insurmountable problems.After all, the process from the initial conception of a film to its official release is complex and lengthy. The film industry is particularly sensitive right now, and it’s not impossible for a movie to be pulled from theaters even the day before its scheduled release. Moreover, the later a problem arises, the heavier the price to pay. Until the audience has watched and given their feedback, no one can truly claim to have released a film.
“It won’t be released?” Ji Mingshu repeated hesitantly, seeking confirmation.
Cen Sen gave a soft “mm” and added, “Let’s wait a bit longer. There’s no rush.”
The final stone weighing on Ji Mingshu’s heart was finally lifted by Cen Sen himself. She turned to look out the window, unable to suppress the upward curve of her lips.
The Bentley drove all the way from the event venue to Mingshui Mansion. As they approached the fork in the road leading to the suburbs, Cen Sen glanced at the sign of a nearby fresh food supermarket and suddenly asked, “Mingshu, do you feel like having braised pork ribs today?”
“…”
At the mention of “pork ribs,” Ji Mingshu reflexively felt her face flush and her heart race. Still gazing out the window, she waited until the traffic light was about to change before stammering, “I… I guess so. It’s been a while.”
The driver understood and turned toward the supermarket.
After replying, Ji Mingshu blushed as intensely as a lovestruck teenager, her heart pounding wildly. Unable to bear it, she cracked the window open slightly for some air.
The snow in the capital always fell thick and bitingly cold.
A gust of wind swept snowflakes through the crack, landing on Ji Mingshu’s hair. Cen Sen suddenly leaned over, brushing the snow from her hair, then whispered hoarsely by her ear, “I’ll make it for you when we get home.”
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