It remained to be seen whether the baby would be good to Cen Sen, but after that night, Ji Mingshu did indeed become visibly gentler toward him, if only by a tiny bit.
Time passed unhurriedly for over two months. By the end of November, the capital city gradually showed signs of winter.
Ji Mingshu successfully navigated the "safe concealment period" often seen in palace intrigue dramas, and most relatives and friends around her had already learned the happy news of her pregnancy.
With this pregnancy, the attention and importance placed on her by the elders of both the Cen and Ji families could truly be said to live up to the jest that "the family has a throne to inherit."
Chinese and Western chefs, pastry chefs, and nutritionists were all arranged by both families. Whatever she wanted to eat could be freshly prepared at a moment's notice, and Ji Mingshu made no pretense of modesty—today ordering boiled cabbage in broth, tomorrow requesting Wensi tofu.
The Cen family even managed to hire a prenatal education teacher from somewhere. While other families might simply tell stories or play recordings for prenatal education, the Cen family went to extravagant lengths, even bringing in professionals to play live music at home to cultivate the little embryo's temperament, as requested by the prenatal teacher.
Fortunately, Ji Mingshu was born to enjoy such luxuries. Anyone else might have worried about shortening their lifespan with such grand gestures.
In addition, Ji Mingshu received many gifts from the elders—jewelry, luxury cars, antiques, and paintings. Among the rest, the most noteworthy were probably the card given by Old Master Cen and the two priceless gardens transferred to her name by Cen Yuanchao.
Somehow, word of this got out through loose lips, and people in their social circle sighed at Ji Mingshu's good fortune, remarking that the treatment for carrying an heir was truly different. The most crucial point was that this was just during pregnancy—what would happen after a safe delivery? They felt they were witnessing a modern version of "a mother honored through her child."
Yet Ji Mingshu herself remained remarkably indifferent to these things and scoffed at the notion of "a mother honored through her child."
In fact, as early as a week after confirming her pregnancy, Cen Sen had brought her a document to sign.
She flipped through it casually and found its contents quite unusual. The clauses appeared impartial on the surface, but upon closer inspection, they all seemed to favor Party B—and she, Ji Mingshu, was that Party B.
At the time, she was puzzled. In arranged marriages, there was never any talk of shared marital property. Which couple didn’t sign dozens of folders of prenuptial agreements?
She and Cen Sen also had a very detailed prenuptial agreement, so what was the point of this freshly drafted supplementary contract for post-marital property distribution?
Before she could ask, Cen Sen proactively explained, "The prenuptial agreement is no longer valid. Post-marital property will be shared between husband and wife."
Hearing this, Ji Mingshu was completely stunned.
The Cen family was far from an ordinary household with just a house and a car. Without exaggeration, Cen Sen's wealth changed every minute and every second, to the point where even he likely couldn’t estimate its exact amount.
And the weight of the phrase "post-marital property shared between husband and wife" meant that if Ji Mingshu so much as entertained a thought, she could instantly alter the entire landscape of Jingjian. So, had he gone mad?
After digesting this for about half a minute, Ji Mingshu decisively put down the pen, turned her back, and refused to sign no matter what.
Cen Sen didn’t pressure her, only saying calmly, "Whether you sign or not, the prenuptial agreement is already void on my end."Ji Mingshu turned around immediately upon hearing this, poking his chest as she questioned, “What are you trying to do? Are you already planning compensation for me after you cheat? Cen’s Sensen, do you have any conscience? Oh, I get it now. It seems all the dreams I had before were true. Who would’ve thought that after living for over twenty years, I’d become a prophet.”
Cen Sen replied, “I just want to give you a greater sense of security.”
Ji Mingshu, however, wore an expression that screamed, “I’m not listening, I’m not listening, you’re just a scumbag.” “Does a grown man like you really need to sign an agreement to give his wife a sense of security? How can you be so unreliable? With such an unreliable father, who knows how hard life will be for me and our child as a widow and orphan!”
Her little mouth chattered on and on, veering further and further off track, growing more and more absurd. “What use do I have for your company shares? Can I even understand them? Hey, explain yourself clearly. Are you setting some kind of trap, maybe planning to make me the legal representative so I can take the fall for you if there’s any economic crime? I may not know the law, but I’ve read novels!”
“Hey, you’re silent now, aren’t you? Did I guess right? You scumbag, our child isn’t even born yet, and you’ve already got everything planned out for me!”
Cen Sen: “…”
He could naturally tell that Ji Mingshu was deliberately making a fuss, but faced with her antics, he found himself somewhat at a loss. He had considered many possibilities, but he had never once imagined that Ji Mingshu would be unwilling to share his assets.
The two sat quietly on the bed. Ji Mingshu’s burst of energy had mostly dissipated, and now that she had calmed down, although she still couldn’t quite accept it, the thought that Cen Sen was willing to go this far for her made sweet bubbles of happiness well up uncontrollably in her heart.
She stole a glance at Cen Sen and noticed that he seemed to have been rendered speechless by her. Unable to resist, she poked him again and defended herself in a small voice, “I understand what you mean, but this isn’t the way to give someone a sense of security.”
Truthfully, she had never really considered voiding the prenuptial agreement. In the past, she had been self-aware enough to feel that, since their marriage was an arranged one and she had been living off his money for food, drink, and entertainment without earning a single penny herself, demanding an equal share of his assets would be shameless.
Now, however, she felt it was unnecessary. She loved Cen Sen and trusted him, believing that the two of them could live out their lives together in happiness and fulfillment. Therefore, she no longer needed additional assets or shares as a safeguard.
Besides, if a man truly wanted to change his heart, no amount of leverage could hold him back. Even if he were forced to stay, it would only be an empty shell—nothing more than one party clinging desperately while both suffered.
If that day ever came, it would simply mean that Ji Mingshu had been blind, and she would accept her loss with grace.
Ji Mingshu shared her thoughts with Cen Sen, and Cen Sen naturally had his own arguments. The two went back and forth, neither able to completely convince the other. In the end, they reached a compromise: they would hire a new lawyer to draft a contract, and all of Ji Mingshu’s shares would be entrusted to Cen Sen for management.
In reality, however, the prenuptial agreement had already been voided, and Ji Mingshu would still legally share all of Cen Sen’s assets.
Since she was already legally entitled to share all of Cen Sen’s assets, the gifts from the elders, including the estate transferred to her name, naturally didn’t seem like much.
As for the idea of a mother gaining status through her child, that was even more absurd. Whether it was a little rascal or a little troublemaker, if they ever made her unhappy, she swore she’d make them regret ever being born into her noble womb.
Before they knew it, the year was drawing to a close, and another harsh winter had arrived.At this time, Ji Mingshu’s pregnancy was only slightly showing, with her small belly barely noticeable. Wearing a loose sweater on ordinary days, it was completely undetectable.
After carefully dressing up to conceal it, she accompanied Cen Sen to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the opening of Junyi Elegant Collection.
She had thought it was just an ordinary event, never expecting that in real life, there would actually be dedicated CEO couple fans who came specifically for her and Cen Sen.
After the event, the fans produced a set of high-definition “dog food” photos of them, including both stills and animated versions, which were truly pleasing to the eye. Unintentionally, it sparked another wave of enthusiastic discussions among netizens who enjoyed “eating sugar.”
The fan who took their photos was particularly excited and even personally started a forum post to explain.
[Ahhhhhh I saw the living, breathing CEO and CEO’s wife today! Our company is a partner of Junyi, so we received an invitation. Our boss couldn’t make it, so he sent me instead—I’m so happy I could spiral into explosion! CEO Cen is so handsome, and his wife is so beautiful—they’re truly divine! The first four photos are unedited, straight from the camera, sisters—feel the beauty overload!]
Someone commented below: [That animated version, with over a dozen bodyguards in black—is that for real? It’s like something out of a TV drama!]
The original poster enthusiastically replied: [There really were that many bodyguards! After the ribbon-cutting, there was a reception. The two made a brief appearance and then left. I followed them from a distance, and there was a huge crowd of bodyguards surrounding them! Super shocking! Because there were so many bodyguards, I couldn’t get a clear shot! But my eyes can testify that our CEO was holding his wife’s hand tightly! Look at the slightly blurry photo in p6! You can barely make out their two little hands! Ahhhh this sugar is truly sweet!!!]
A sharp-eyed detective also chimed in: [The CEO’s wife seems to be wearing flat shoes? Is she pregnant? And the sweater underneath is loose-fitting too.]
This observation instantly caused an uproar!
—Thus, while Ji Mingshu remained completely unaware, she opened her Weibo private messages as usual, ready to reply, only to inexplicably receive a flood of inquiries and congratulations about her pregnancy.
There was no hiding it, nor was there any need to hide it. After some thought, she posted a Weibo update, thanking everyone for their concern and openly admitting that she was indeed pregnant. She also took the opportunity to blatantly advertise Junyi Elegant Collection.
This direct and eye-catching advertisement directly led to the B612 Planet-themed suite she designed for Junyi Elegant Collection being fully booked for the next three months in advance. This was only because Junyi Elegant Collection’s official website currently only allowed bookings up to three months ahead—otherwise, it would have been fully booked for who knows how long.
Although it initially seemed like fans were showing their support, as more and more photos of the B612 Planet suite were shared, people realized that the design was truly special, innovative, and perfect for taking photos.
For a time, wealthy young women and influencers were constantly refreshing the official website to book the suite, just to take photos and check in at the B612 Planet. This marked the beginning of Junyi Elegant Collection’s journey as an internet-famous hotel.
At the same time, the documentary program Old Street Impressions also came to a successful conclusion at the end of the year.
The program was in the midst of gaining popularity, and Ji Mingshu’s Weibo followers increased daily. As a result, she received many rare opportunities in the field of interior design, such as being recommended to participate in high-level design competitions and being invited for academic exchanges in European and American countries.Cen Sen fully supported her in pursuing her interests and developing her strengths, but on the condition that she didn’t overexert herself. If she sat in front of the computer for more than an hour, someone at home would quietly cut off the internet. As for the nearly week-long overseas exchange, Cen Sen also specially made time to accompany her throughout.
Before they knew it, another New Year’s Eve had arrived.
This year, Cen Sen and Ji Mingshu only had lunch and dinner with their respective families before returning to Mingshui Mansion to celebrate the New Year’s Eve.
Late at night, Mingshui Mansion was brightly lit like a beautiful crystal house, with snow still falling outside.
Ji Mingshu nestled in Cen Sen’s arms as they watched the festive Spring Festival Gala, chatting and laughing intermittently.
Cen Sen often gave others the impression of being aloof, distant, quiet, and reserved, but when he returned home and was alone with Ji Mingshu, he always had plenty to say. Even trivial and meaningless topics seemed particularly amusing when they were together.
Which dish wasn’t quite tasty enough, which one had too much salt, where they would travel together after having the baby and leaving him behind, and how annoying some of their distant relatives were—didn’t they know that Grandpa Xiao Ming lived to a hundred because he minded his own business? And so on.
Trivial yet heartwarming.
After becoming pregnant, Ji Mingshu became particularly prone to sleepiness. Around eleven o’clock, she could barely keep her eyes open, her eyelids drooping, though she was still mumbling.
"Cen's Sensen, do you remember confessing to me on this day last year?"
"I was really, really happy at the time."
Cen Sen hummed in acknowledgment.
"Actually, I’ve been so happy this whole year."
"I really hope it’ll be like this for the rest of my life."
"Will you always like me?"
"No, you must always like me."
Her voice grew softer and softer, and by the end, she even mustered a slightly commanding tone. Hearing Cen Sen hum again, she turned over like a lazy little kitten, hugged him contentedly, and fell asleep.
Cen Sen kept his gaze lowered, his eyes inexplicably gentle as he looked at her.
He wasn’t someone who openly expressed his emotions; many words were only quietly echoed in his heart—
Actually, I’ve been really happy this year too.
I also hope it’ll be like this for the rest of my life.
I will always like you, only you.
At midnight, the New Year’s fireworks illuminated the entire sky, bright and dazzling as if it were daytime.
Ji Mingshu was awakened by the noise, frowning in her drowsiness. Hazily, she realized it was midnight, the start of the New Year. Instinctively, she wrapped her arms around Cen Sen’s neck, leaned closer, and whispered in his ear, "Happy New Year... um... I love you."
Cen Sen kissed her ear, his voice low and husky. "Happy New Year, I love you too."
—How fortunate I am, in this lifetime, to be your unwavering loyalist.
OpenNovel