Limit, limit, limit!
Was that something a human would say?!
Ji Mingshu was very depressed, looking displeased ever since she left the party. On the way to the Junyi headquarters, she stared sullenly out the window.
Perhaps because the Lunar New Year's Eve was tomorrow, the driver was in a more relaxed state. While waiting at a red light, he even tried to humorously chat with her.
Unfortunately, she remained silent from beginning to end, her lips pursed in a downward pout. It was impossible to tell what she was staring at so intently out the window, but the expression added a touch of cold glamour to her bright features.
The driver glanced at her in the rearview mirror and tactfully stopped talking.
The car fell silent in an instant, but the little theater in Ji Mingshu’s mind was running wild—
That dog Cen Sen! Did she look like the kind of woman who only did things for his money? Fine, she used to be, but wasn't she also after him as a person now? Was he from the planet "I'm blind and heartless, but I'm handsome and rich"? How could he not see her feelings at all?!
He should use his brain for a second! If she didn't like him, who would so easily forgive an unforgivable mistake like being cyberbullied just for a tiny little island!
If she didn't like him, who would brave being scolded by her own father-in-law to rush into the study and deliver soup!
If she didn't like him, who would cooperate and let him toss her around all night! Who would be dead tired but still have to convey the message "Hubby, you're really amazing" through her expression, actions, and words, all to satisfy his masculine pride!
So angry! She was truly so, so angry!!!
After arriving at Junyi, the angry Ji Mingshu coolly put on her sunglasses before slowly getting out of the car.
She had attended a birthday party today, wearing a burgundy cocktail dress underneath a custom-made beige overcoat. Her high heels were bling-bling, sparkling from the vamp to the thin, high heel. Delicate straps made of crystals were sparsely wound around her slender ankles, shimmering with every step. Perhaps thanks to this outfit, even the thermal flask she was carrying somehow exuded the air of a Hermès New Year limited edition book-style clutch.
Cen Sen was currently on a video call with Jiang Che.
Jiang Che caught a glimpse of the high-definition security footage on the monitor next to him and chuckled. He was even in the mood to take a screenshot, send it to their group chat, and promptly end the call.
Jiang Che: [Image]
Jiang Che: [Gotta go, gotta go. Your wife is here to check up on you.]
Zhao Yang: [Is that little Shu? She’s that beautiful even on a security camera? Tsk, tsk, tsk!]
Shu Yang followed up with the ultimate rainbow fart: [Exactly! Ji Mingshu! A woman who exudes elegance and nobility from head to toe, even in minus-eight-degree weather!]
Cen Sen paid them little mind. He glanced at the monitor and dialed the internal line to have Zhou Jiaheng come down and get her.
But the line had barely rung once before he hung up, because Zhou Jiaheng had already appeared, scurrying into the corner of the monitor screen.
After messing up twice in a row, Zhou Jiaheng’s awareness as a chief assistant had suddenly undergone a qualitative leap.
Knowing that Ji Mingshu was coming to visit the office, he had specially instructed the driver to give him a heads-up three traffic lights before reaching the company.
By the time Ji Mingshu got out of the car and walked inside, he was already at the entrance, respectfully awaiting the grand arrival of the CEO's wife.
He carefully escorted Ji Mingshu, his expression exceptionally deferential—so deferential it bordered on fawning. "You must be tired, Madam. Let me carry this for you. This way, please, Madam."
The aloof Shushu didn't spare him a single glance, merely grunting in acknowledgment.
Stepping into the CEO's private elevator, the aloof Shushu glanced at the lit button for the sixty-eighth floor and suddenly asked, "The New Year is tomorrow. Aren't you going home, Assistant Zhou?"
Zhou Jiaheng: "I am, I am. President Cen specially arranged a flight for me to go home tomorrow morning."
He even smiled as he recounted how considerate Cen Sen was to his employees. "President Cen also prepared a car full of gifts for my parents and insisted I take them back. He said since I didn't go home for the New Year the past two years in Australia, I should spend some good time with my parents this time, and these gifts are a token of his sincerity."
"President Cen also gave me a full seven days off and even thought about my New Year's Eve dinner, telling me to eat at our local Junyi Splendor. If any relatives or friends come over, they can stay at the hotel directly..."
The more Zhou Jiaheng rambled, the more aggrieved Ji Mingshu felt.
Seriously, who wanted to hear all this!
She had thought that Zhou Jiaheng, who served a tiger-like boss, would surely be a kindred spirit, ready to join her in complaining about Cen the Skinner, who didn't even give holidays for the New Year. She never expected this guy to be so delighted by a few small favors, overflowing with gratitude for Cen Sen!
So spineless, so disappointing! A sycophant with no integrity like him was unworthy of being a friend to Ji's Shushu!
She was about to signal for Zhou Jiaheng to stop his blabbering, but in the next second, he suddenly mentioned how incredibly hard Cen Sen had been working these past few days to remedy the losses incurred from his early return.
Ji Mingshu paused slightly and suddenly asked, "Um, how much was the loss?"
Zhou Jiaheng stopped short, a hint of difficulty appearing on his face. But Ji Mingshu kept pressing, and since it wasn't exactly a commercial secret, Zhou Jiaheng hesitated for a moment before tentatively holding up one finger.
"One hundred million?"
"...US dollars?"
Zhou Jiaheng raised his other hand and made a zero.
"...One billion?"
Zhou Jiaheng stared at the tip of his nose and said quickly, "The twelve investment installments add up to one billion. US dollars."
Ji Mingshu fell silent.
Although she was rather numb to monetary figures and knew Cen Sen's net worth was far beyond this amount, she also understood that one billion US dollars was a huge, huge sum for a personal investment.
The anger that had been brewing on her way here was instantly doused by this one-billion-dollar bucket of cold water. At the same time, a feeling called guilt slowly began to sprout in her heart. If it weren't for her, this investment wouldn't have been lost.
"Madam, we've arrived."
The elevator reached the top floor. Seeing her dazed for a long moment, Zhou Jiaheng held the door open and reminded her.
Ji Mingshu felt as if she were floating as she walked into the CEO's office. The closer she got to Cen Sen, the more intense her guilt became.
Walking up to Cen Sen's desk, she lowered her lashes and silently opened the thermal flask. "I packed some chicken soup for you," she said in a small voice. "Have some to warm up. There's a long line at this shop; everyone says they use real, quality ingredients."
Cen Sen was quiet for a moment.
Earlier, when he had asked on WeChat if the item she wanted to buy exceeded her supplementary card's limit, she had clearly been very angry, even accusing him of thinking she was too materialistic.
And just now on the security camera, her demeanor didn't look like she was here to deliver soup out of concern; it looked more like she was about to splash the hot soup in his face to settle a score.
He took off his glasses and, taking the small bowl Ji Mingshu pushed in front of him, scooped up a small spoonful.
Hmm, the taste was perfectly normal.
He looked up at Ji Mingshu. "Sit."
But Ji Mingshu lingered by his desk, fiddling with the lid of the thermal flask, fidgeting and refusing to move.
The inside of the lid was dewy with condensation. As Ji Mingshu played with the outside of the lid, she didn't pay much attention, and the water inside dripped all over the floor.
After a moment, she put the lid down and shifted her feet slightly. Just as she was about to say something to Cen Sen, her foot unexpectedly slipped. This was followed by a highly difficult 98.5-degree sideways spin, her custom-made little red dress fluttering in the wind and her silky hair flying wantonly through the air—
She landed perfectly in Cen Sen's lap. :)
Cen Sen, still holding the spoon in one hand, hadn't moved at all, only feeling a sudden weight on his lap. In contrast, Ji Mingshu was much more proactive. The moment she sat down, she automatically wrapped her arms around his neck.
"..."
"...?!"
Ji Mingshu was stunned. Her mind went blank for about four or five seconds before she processed what had just happened.
Belatedly, she met Cen Sen's calm eyes and distinctly saw a variety of emotions within their depths: "I didn't expect you to be so forward," "Very good, a very unique way to throw yourself at me," "Since you're being so blatant about it, I suppose I'll reluctantly accept."
No! She didn't do it on purpose! A ghost must have possessed her for her to complete this series of difficult moves so smoothly, naturally, and flawlessly!
At this thought, Ji Mingshu subconsciously let go.
But Cen Sen had already put down the spoon and wrapped both his hands around her waist.
"W-wait!"
"It wasn't—the floor was too... too slippery! I didn't do it on purpose!"
Cen Sen's gaze had already dropped to the area below her collarbone. He just gave a noncommittal "Mm" and added, "I'll have the floor replaced after the New Year."
He clearly wasn't taking her explanation seriously.
Ji Mingshu's face turned an uncooperative shade of red. Seeing Cen Sen's lustful gaze, the shyness in her heart somehow evolved into a "might as well be hanged for a sheep as a lamb" attitude.
When she felt Cen Sen's hands begin to caress her suggestively, she decided to go all in, brazenly hugging him and snuggling into his embrace.
Cen Sen was stirred, but then she started talking business in a tiny voice. "A few days ago, I heard Grandpa and Dad talking in the study. You came back from Paris early and Cen Yang snatched an investment project from you. I'm sorry..."
The darkness in Cen Sen's eyes faded slightly.
Ji Mingshu continued guiltily in a soft voice, "Maybe we shouldn't buy that island for now. Any place where you can see the aurora is in the Arctic Circle. It must be freezing, and we'd only go a few times a year. The maintenance costs must be very high."
"Also, I can buy fewer things from now on. And that ring you gave me last time, I never get a chance to wear it. How about I give it to you as compensation?"
"It's just small money. I'm not so poor that I need my wife to sell her jewelry." He ruffled Ji Mingshu's hair, and the fatigue on his body seemed to suddenly lighten.
Having saved the island and the ring, Ji Mingshu was a little happy. After all, she was just making a gesture and didn't really want to sell them.
She shifted restlessly on Cen Sen's lap and, for some reason, started asking about Cen Yang again, even explaining for him in a small voice, "Actually, it hasn't been easy for Cen Yang either. It's... it's easy to go from frugality to luxury, but hard to go from luxury to frugality. Something like that, you know? He must have felt some resentment all these years..."
Of course Cen Sen knew. He could even understand why Cen Yang was still unable to let go after so many years.
In fact, there were some matters concerning the Cen family that were not for outsiders to know. Even someone as close as Ji Mingshu was unaware, and he didn't want her to know.
Being forever happy and simple was far better than being weighed down by the past.
Just as he didn't want to tell her the truth about the malicious editing incident and ruin the beautiful image of the "Brother Cen Yang" who had brought warmth to her childhood.
However, not ruining it didn't mean he could allow Ji Mingshu to keep mentioning another man in front of him.
Ji Mingshu was about to say more when Cen Sen suddenly sealed her lips with a gentle kiss.
She was a lost cause. Within seconds, she was lost in that gentleness, and what awaited her was being pulled deeper by that same gentleness, which suddenly turned fierce and conquered her territory.
She struggled back and forth in his lap, so breathless from the kiss that she whimpered, trying to make a sound.
But Cen Sen gave her no chance. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him press a key on the touch panel on his desk. The key glowed faintly, and she could vaguely make out a slash on it. Did it mean "Do Not Disturb"?
She had no time to think deeply, because as soon as the kiss ended, Cen Sen stood up with her in his arms and placed her on an empty corner of his desk.
The desk was far colder and harder than Cen Sen's lap, and not very comfortable to sit on.
Seeing Cen Sen casually wipe his lower lip with the pad of his thumb, Ji Mingshu instinctively leaned back. But Cen Sen leaned in accordingly, planting his hands on either side of her.
His pupils were deep black, gazing at her with pure clarity. He casually loosened his collar, his Adam's apple bobbing, revealing a hint of his collarbone. Ji Mingshu suddenly had a thought... this man was so desirable.
The air was quiet, and eye contact was unavoidable. Ji Mingshu's ears turned red as she asked cautiously, "Are we... are we going to have office play?"
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