Whether she wanted to or not was hard to say, but feeling embarrassed and annoyed was indeed a fact.
On the way back, Ji Mingshu sulked as she stared out the window, ignoring Cen Sen. Though he tried to start a conversation several times, she held back from responding, silently refuting him in her heart.
However, during the drive, Cen Sen received a call from Jiang Che and didn’t avoid her, playing it directly through the car’s Bluetooth speakers.
She pricked up her ears to listen. Although neither of them mentioned Cen Yang, she still heard the familiar names "Borui" and "Haichuan."
After Cen Sen finished the call, Ji Mingshu couldn’t help but speak first. "I read the financial newspaper on the plane. It said Sincerity Capital is interested in acquiring Borui. Sincerity Capital is a partnership between you and Jiang Che, right?"
"Mm."
Ji Mingshu asked again, "Then… have you been planning this acquisition for a long time?"
Ahead was the ETC exit of the airport expressway toll station, with several cars queuing up. Cen Sen slowed down, seemingly pondering. "Not that long. We only started planning when I returned to the country last year."
That’s not long?
"Then… what about last time when Cen Yang snatched that billion-dollar investment? Was that part of your plan too?"
In fact, Ji Mingshu had been thinking about this question the entire flight. She had always heard people say that Cen Sen was exceptionally capable and resourceful. Could it be that his exceptional skill was just frantically cleaning up the mess after being outmaneuvered by someone who had just returned to the country? Looking back carefully, it didn’t make much sense.
Just as Ji Mingshu was imagining Cen Sen carrying the entire situation and manipulating everyone with ease, he poured cold water on her thoughts. "No."
"…"
My apologies.
Cen Sen added leisurely, "He’s not worth planning for."
As he said this, he looked straight ahead, his expression indifferent, the lines of his profile smooth and sharp. Even though he was just sitting normally while driving, he inexplicably exuded a calm, confident aura.
Ji Mingshu turned to glance at him but was inappropriately captivated for a few seconds. Her fingers fiddled with the flower petals, and her heart fluttered like a startled deer.
It took her a while to snap out of it, pretending nothing had happened as she looked out the window. Catching a glimpse of Cen Sen driving attentively from the corner of her eye, she quietly took out her phone, swiftly typing out a line of text, her lips unconsciously curling upward.
Ji Mingshu: 【Wuwuwu, when my Cen's Sensen gets all alpha, no other man stands a chance!】
Jiang Chun: 【?】
Jiang Chun: 【Unauthorized distribution of dog food outside designated time and place. One red card warning.】
Gu Kaiyang: 【Ji's Shushu, you’ve changed.】
Gu Kaiyang: 【You used to say he was totally beta.】
Jiang Chun: 【Because she’s already mutated into Cen's Shushu!】
Ji Mingshu: 【…】
Ji Mingshu: 【I brought gifts for both of you. Think carefully.】
【Jiang Chun has withdrawn a message】x2
【Gu Kaiyang has withdrawn a message】x2
The reality of human nature :)
Ji Mingshu didn’t notice that during the few minutes she was chatting, Cen Sen had glanced at her three times.
Stopped at a red light, Cen Sen suddenly asked slowly, "Are you chatting with Cen Yang?"
"?"
"What are you thinking?"
Ji Mingshu was full of question marks and, without thinking, openly showed Cen Sen the chat dialogue.
Cen Sen actually took a look and, before Ji Mingshu could react, swiped upward.
【Wuwuwu, when my Cen's Sensen gets all alpha, no other man stands a chance!】
Seeing this line, Cen Sen raised an eyebrow slightly and nodded faintly before continuing to drive.
…?Ji Mingshu was momentarily dazed, yet she managed to detect a hint of delight on his otherwise expressionless face.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder.
That night, the lights in Mingshui Mansion stayed on until dawn.
Ji Mingshu experienced firsthand what it meant to be thoroughly exhausted. When she woke up the next day, lying in bed, she felt an unusual sense of peace—and a touch of world-weariness.
In the past, Cen Sen would clean up the aftermath after getting up, but ever since they started talking about having a baby, they hadn’t bothered stocking up on those destined-to-be-trash contraceptives.
However, babies didn’t seem to come so easily with just one try. Ji Mingshu’s period had arrived punctually over the past month or two.
She was starting to have slight doubts about her own fertility, but Cen Sen didn’t seem the least bit anxious.
This led Ji Mingshu to strongly suspect that he didn’t actually want a baby—he just wanted to enjoy himself.
Her suspicion wasn’t without evidence. Since they stopped taking precautions, that scoundrel’s enthusiasm and stamina had gone up a notch. Before, she was only occasionally pushed to the brink of exhaustion; now, she was pushed to the brink every single time.
Early in the morning, seeing Cen Sen emerge from the bathroom dressed in a crisp white shirt and suit, his tie neatly knotted and fastened with the tie clip she had given him, looking every bit the refined and dignified gentleman, she couldn’t help but mutter weakly from the bed, “A wolf in sheep’s clothing!”
Hearing this, Cen Sen turned back, walked to the bedside, tucked her in, smoothed her disheveled long hair, and kissed her on the lips, admitting calmly, “Mm, I’m in sheep’s clothing now.”
—And I’ll be the wolf tonight.
Ji Mingshu couldn’t resist kicking him.
“Don’t move around. I just applied some medicine for you.”
Cen Sen caught her ankle, as naturally as if they were having an ordinary conversation.
Ji Mingshu was so angry she couldn’t speak for a while.
Fortunately, Cen Sen knew when to stop. “I’m heading to the company. You rest well at home today.”
After standing up, he seemed to remember something and leaned down again, whispering two words into Ji Mingshu’s ear.
He certainly knew how to hit the right note. Upon hearing it, Ji Mingshu’s lingering anger dissipated instantly. Feeling awkward yet affectionate, she even wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a kiss.
Although Cen Sen had told her to rest at home, Ji Mingshu couldn’t stay idle once she remembered the endless design work piling up on her plate.
Moreover, during dinner the previous night, she and Cen Sen had discussed the documentary program in detail. After careful consideration, she had given the producer a definitive yes.
The program was ultimately titled Old Street Impressions and would be broadcast in a documentary format with voiceover narration. The designers would introduce the renovation projects but wouldn’t appear on screen too frequently.
This was fundamentally different from Designer. Designer prioritized filming over design, whereas this program prioritized design over filming.
In late June and early July, the main building of Junyi Elegant Collection, the designer brand hotel under Junyi Group, was completed, and the interior decoration officially began.
At this stage, the designers didn’t need to be hands-on. They could visit the site occasionally to offer guidance if time allowed, or monitor the progress remotely if it didn’t.
Ji Mingshu’s schedule didn’t allow for frequent visits, as she had already thrown herself wholeheartedly into the new challenge of Old Street Impressions.
Initially, when the producer mentioned they wanted to restore the charm of old Shanghai, Ji Mingshu thought the renovation site would require a trip to Shanghai. To her surprise, it was actually located on Shanghai Street in the capital.Hujie Street lies hidden within the city, boasting an excellent location, yet due to various historical reasons, it has been difficult to fully relocate residents here, nor has the area received adequate architectural preservation.
The old public housing they were tasked with renovating for preservation was one of the few buildings on Hujie Street that had already been relocated—a three-story Western-style villa whose dilapidated exterior could not fully conceal the charm of the Republican era.
The renovation was a two-pronged effort, both inside and out. The exterior focused primarily on restoration, and due to the technical complexities involving wall structures and other specialized issues, the production team enlisted the help of a renowned architectural designer in the industry.
The interior renovation, on the other hand, was carried out by Ji Mingshu and several other interior designers, with the assistance of architects.
Initially, the production team estimated the renovation would take two months, but they had greatly underestimated the difficulty of the project.
Moreover—the production team was a bit too whimsical. They had originally agreed to renovate the unoccupied old public housing for exhibition purposes, but the producer and screenwriter suddenly remarked, "It lacks warmth and humanity."
So, on a whim, they reached an agreement with the relevant authorities to also take on the neighboring building, which was filled with elderly, weak, sick, and disabled residents.
When Ji Mingshu first learned of this news, her mind was flooded with a stampede of camels, and she was ready to drop the project altogether—let whoever wanted to take it on do so. But the producer reasoned with her and appealed to her emotions, and in the end, she somehow found herself agreeing.
Due to the sudden increase in workload, the entire summer was spent on this project, and even then, they had barely completed two-thirds of it.
By the time the project was officially completed in late autumn, Ji Mingshu felt as though she herself had been thoroughly transformed.
The unoccupied building was manageable, but the occupied one was an absolute headache. Every day, it felt as though she could hear ten thousand chickens, ducks, and geese chattering away, transporting her back to a small-scale farming era in her dreams.
Residents refused to dismantle their illegally constructed additions, fought tooth and nail over half a square meter of public space, and so on—all of which belonged to a world entirely separate from Ji Mingshu's life up until then.
She had only ever heard that poverty limits one's imagination, but now she realized that wealth could also limit one's imagination.
She had to admit that this last-minute addition to the renovation plan had squarely hit her weak spot—she really wasn't very good at putting herself in others' shoes to make designs more relatable to everyday life.
However difficult it was, everything eventually came to a satisfying conclusion. By the time filming wrapped up, Ji Mingshu seemed to have gained many insights she had never had before.
The renovation delay caused a number of subsequent issues, such as the inability to change the broadcast slot given by the television station.
There was no other choice—post-production had to work frantically to catch up. Just one week after the renovation was completed, the promotional video was already released.
Ji Mingshu quietly reposted the promotional video from the official blog, thinking it was just a formality. To her surprise, after lying low for over half a year, her sudden reappearance still garnered considerable attention and engagement.
This was mainly because her comeback was perfectly timed. Recently, a well-known wealthy socialite blogger, who frequently posted vlogs showcasing her bags, watches, and walk-in closets, had been exposed. The drama kept unfolding with one twist after another, spreading from Weibo to various forums and causing a stir for three whole days.
It all started when the socialite blogger was unboxing a Hermès bag, and a small Chanel bag serving as a background prop was questioned by a minor fan for having an incorrect pattern. The fan was then attacked by other die-hard followers.
Indignant, the fan painstakingly gathered various pieces of evidence proving the Chanel bag was off and submitted them to a relevant bot.The incident of a wealthy beauty blogger carrying counterfeit goods blew up. The blogger tried to shift the blame, claiming the Chanel bag was a gift from a friend, and even subtly hinted on her alternate account that the gift-giver was a certain "plastic sister" who had already left the online scene.
The sister in question had a fiery temper, and even after leaving the internet, she was provoked into returning. After clarifying that she hadn’t gifted any fakes, she used her main account to expose the wealthy beauty for fabricating her academic credentials and being kept by a wealthy businessman. This directly ignited a three-day-long drama of netizens digging up dirt while fans fiercely defended their idol.
Ji Mingshu neither knew nor cared about such trivial matters that had nothing to do with her, but netizens could easily drag her into it!
[Among all these online wealthy beauty personas, I only recognize the CEO’s wife.]
[Fake wealthy beauties flaunt bags, watches, and walk-in closets every day, while the real one is busy with charity renovations.]
[Please stop hyping up every low-tier, unknown social climber as a top-tier socialite, okay? The CEO’s wife hasn’t even boasted about herself, so stay quiet.]
Other bloggers who had conflicts with the exposed wealthy beauty also came forward with revelations:
[They’re not on the same level; this is a desperate attempt to ride on her coattails.]
[The CEO’s wife owns over 700 Hermès bags—why would she bother filming an unboxing for just one Kelly?]
[Have you heard of Baicui Tianhua? The owner of the penthouse is surnamed Ji. Look into it.]
Ji Mingshu inexplicably gained a wave of popularity and received nearly a thousand "pleading letters" from people wanting to see her collection of over 700 Hermès bags. She was utterly confused and only managed to piece together the story with Jiang Chun’s explanation.
Gu Kaiyang, who worked in magazine media, was adept at spotting trends. "You could just film a casual vlog. Isn’t that documentary you recorded about to air? You could promote it at the same time."
Ji Mingshu couldn’t fathom how Gu Kaiyang came up with such an utterly shameless idea—filming a vlog to flaunt her wealth under her real name. Just thinking about it made her cringe with embarrassment.
Still, Gu Kaiyang’s suggestion wasn’t entirely without merit. Promoting the documentary, for instance, was a good idea.
It wasn’t that she wanted to become wildly famous and reach the peak of life, but she had spent a solid four to five months on this project. It would be disheartening if no one watched or paid attention to the hard work she’d put in.
So, after resting for two days, she asked Zhou Jiaheng to assemble an entire team—to help her film the video.
...
"To be honest, I’ve never been particularly skilled at residential design. It wasn’t until filming began that I learned the plan had changed to include renovations for residential buildings.
"At first, I was quite disheartened because I often struggle to understand the true needs of residents. I even believed that since I wasn’t good at it, I didn’t need to bother learning this aspect.
"But during these renovations, I encountered many moving experiences. For example, one homeowner had limited mobility, and another had an elderly family member with Alzheimer’s. In such cases, interior design must fully serve the daily lives of the residents. It’s not just about artistic flair—warm, lived-in spaces are also a form of interior design."
...
The video was only three minutes and forty seconds long but was thoughtfully divided into three parts.
One part focused on Ji Mingshu’s insights into preservation-oriented renovations, another shared her reflections on residential building transformations, and the final part was a straightforward promotion for the documentary.She was quite adept at making the most of her resources, and in the end, she even mentioned that her design work would be featured in the Junyi Elegant Collection, set to open for trial operations at the end of the year.
Worried that no one would notice, Ji Mingshu followed Gu Kaiyang’s suggestion and organized a repost giveaway.
Unfamiliar with the norms of such giveaways, she was afraid that offering too little would come across as stingy. After some thought, she posted: 【Repost to enter! One winner will receive a Hermès Birkin, ten winners will have their shopping carts cleared, and one hundred winners will receive a thousand-yuan red envelope.】
When Gu Kaiyang saw the Weibo post she had quietly published, she suddenly sent her a string of question marks: 【Girl, isn’t this a bit too extravagant?】
Ji Mingshu: 【…Is it?】
But even more extravagance was yet to come. The official Junyi Weibo account promptly reposted, adding another prize: one winner would receive lifelong free stays at any hotel under the Junyi brand.
The comments section instantly exploded.
【Rounded up, this is basically giving away a house.】
【The Junyi Shuiyunjian Private Hot Spring Suite costs 8,999 yuan per night. Is that the price range you’re talking about?】
【What kind of bootlicker reincarnated as this official account? Is the CEO using it personally?】
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