Chapter 2

Chapter 2 Rose x Kiss

As soon as Jiang Ji finished speaking, Ji Mingzhu and Lian Tang froze, their movements still stuck in a struggling posture.

For a moment, both stared blankly.

Ji Mingzhu raised her eyes to look over. The lighting inside the car was slightly dim, making it hard to see his expression.

Instead, the streetlight from outside cast in, outlining his slightly pursed thin lips.

Seeing this, Lian Tang seized the silent gap, wrapped her hand behind Ji Mingzhu, used a little force, and gently pushed her.

Ji Mingzhu wasn’t prepared and turned to look at her.

“I’ll go first.” Lian Tang smiled. “My car isn’t parked here, it’s across the street!”

Then why had Lian Tang just brought her here? Having stepped into a big pit by accident, Ji Mingzhu viciously complained inwardly.

Her mouth opened slightly, just about to speak, when Lian Tang pushed her directly. “Get in the car quickly. He’s waiting for you. Besides, the car can’t stay here too long.”

After saying that, Lian Tang slipped away, faster than a mouse.

Ji Mingzhu came up with ten thousand ways to deal with Lian Tang in her heart before stepping down the curb and directly opening the car door.

It wasn’t her first time riding in Jiang Ji’s car. After closing the door, she said to the driver in front, “Uncle Lin.”

Uncle Lin smiled kindly. “Hello, Miss Mingzhu.”

Ji Mingzhu nodded, her peripheral vision glancing at the person beside her.

Jiang Ji had his legs elegantly crossed. His usually straight back leaned against the seat, eyes half-closed.

He looked extremely tired; who knew where he had rushed over from.

Different from the usual in-car fragrance, the scent around them was clean and crisp.

Like a coniferous forest after clearing skies, covered with soft snow.

Ji Mingzhu found a comfortable position to curl into, took out her phone, and started busying herself again.

The silence in the car was first broken by Jiang Ji.

“Where to tonight?”

Ji Mingzhu had already lowered her head. Hearing this, she answered without thinking, “I’m going home tonight.”

Not long after she returned to the country, she and Jiang Ji were forced together by their respective families. On the surface it was called a shared new residence, but in reality it was simply an arranged match by the older generation.

Going back further, the Ji family and the Jiang family had always been family friends. In business they had long been partners, and several generations up had maintained good relations, with very close contact.

As time passed, by the generation of Ji Mingzhu and Jiang Ji, both families found the other particularly pleasing. They hit it off, and it evolved into a marriage alliance.

As for living together, Ji Mingzhu hadn’t actually lived with Jiang Ji yet. She had many belongings and was moving them in gradually; even now she hadn’t finished sorting everything. So even though several days had passed since the start of “cohabitation,” she was still sleeping at her own home.

Jiang Ji was even harder to see. The Jiang Group had recently officially changed hands; he had taken overall control but hadn’t yet secured his position. A series of follow-up matters needed handling, leaving him unable to spare time.

Today Jiang Ji came to pick up Ji Mingzhu—this counted as the second meeting since they were suddenly arranged to live together, one they couldn’t avoid.

“Uncle Lin, go to the Ji residence,” Jiang Ji instructed lightly.

Uncle Lin replied, “Yes, Second Young Master.”

Leaving Lise Avenue, the low-key car slowly drove out of the main city area. After turning onto the coastal arterial road, the black body merged into the night.

While waiting at a red light, Uncle Lin glanced toward the back seat through the rearview mirror.

Only a small orange lamp remained on the roof of the car. The light spilled down, separating the two seated figures.

They didn’t communicate, nor did their gazes meet, yet they strangely blended.

Ji Mingzhu leaned lazily to one side, slender wrist bent, holding her phone in one hand. The dim glow from the screen outlined half of her small face. Since that earlier sentence, Jiang Ji had made no more sound, just sitting quietly, gaze turned toward the window.

One bright like a rose, one lean like a snow cedar.

Leaving aside everything else, in appearance alone, the two seemed as if planned by God—naturally compatible.

Uncle Lin slowly withdrew his gaze and cheerfully pressed the play button on the car audio.

…

When Ji Mingzhu returned home, the place was brightly lit.

The Ji residence and the Jiang residence both sat in the southern part of Yin City, backed by mountains and facing the sea. Most of the time the area was quiet and still. The land here had been passed down for generations, with nearly a hundred years of history. On the left bordered the Mid-Mountain Villas, on the right the South Garden Estate.

Those who could enter and leave this area were either rich or noble.

The Jiang family and the Ji family were close to each other, but the location of the two’s new residence was somewhat far away, near the city center.

Uncle Lin stopped the car outside the main residence. Ji Mingzhu didn’t let anyone send her to the door. It was already very late, and calling someone to open the gate would be inconvenient, so it was better to walk in herself.

She pushed open the dark iron gate and crossed the garden. Before she even stepped inside, she heard cheerful voices different from usual.

The sound of Ji Mingzhu opening the door wasn’t loud, but it was enough to interrupt the lively conversation inside.

“Mingzhu is back?” Shu Yuhua looked toward the entrance, smiling warmly, her voice soft.

She was over forty yet showed no signs of aging, well-maintained, with the soft, glutinous accent of a Jiangnan woman, as if meeting her brought spring.

While Ji Mingzhu changed shoes, Shu Yuhua slowly spoke again, “Shopping so late, are you tired? It’s so cold—shall I have Sister Li make you a cup of warming tea?”

Her tone seemed caring, yet she remained seated on the sofa without any intention of getting up, surrounded by several women of similar age.

Ji Mingzhu couldn’t be bothered to respond. She ignored her goodwill, only lifting her eyelids slightly, glancing around, and directly asking, “Did my dad not come back today?”

The group of women who had been chatting and laughing around Shu Yuhua suddenly fell silent.

Shu Yuhua’s expression paused slightly, then she quickly replied, “You mean Shaoyan? He’s upstairs in the study.”

After hearing that, Ji Mingzhu brushed past her, carrying her bag, and went upstairs.

Shu Yuhua sat in place, her face stiff for quite a while before relaxing.

…

Entering her room, Ji Mingzhu hooked the door shut with her foot and threw herself onto the soft bedding, thoughts swirling.

When she was very young, her mother passed away due to a plane crash. Before she had even formed memories of her mother, her world contained only her father.

Ji Shaoyan had originally been a prominent figure in Yin City. Coupled with his handsome and romantic appearance, and his reputation as a playboy before marriage, less than a year after his wife’s death, countless women approached him.

But the once carefree young master changed after his wife’s accident. No matter how the Ji clan urged him, he never remarried.

Though there were occasional scandals, no woman had ever stepped into the household.

In recent years, the Shu family had been trying hard to arrange this marriage. Yet Ji Shaoyan remained indifferent and never showed any intention of agreeing. Ji Mingzhu knew about Shu Yuhua before returning to the country, but she hadn’t expected the Shu family to have her move directly into the Ji residence.

Ji Mingzhu was still lost in thought when her door was gently knocked twice, neither light nor heavy.

Her face buried in the pillow, she spoke muffledly, assuming it was Sister Li. “Sister Li, just come in.”

There was no imagined response. Feeling something was off, she raised her eyes. The first thing she saw was Ji Shaoyan already stepping into the room.

After being apart and meeting again, until tonight Ji Mingzhu was still thinking that time was like amber, freezing Ji Shaoyan’s appearance in the past—he hadn’t changed at all, just as before.

“Dad, why did you come over?”

“Why can’t I come?” Ji Shaoyan’s peach-blossom eyes were full of laughter. “Our little princess isn’t happy, so I came to take a look.”

Ji Mingzhu snorted heavily through her nose and turned her head away.

Ji Shaoyan, who was decisive outside, softened his voice now. “How are things between you and Jiang Ji?”

Ji Mingzhu stayed silent for a while, refusing to lift her head, then finally replied after a long time, “Just like that.”

Ji Shaoyan let her sulk. “Remember to cover yourself well at night. If there’s anything you’ve taken a liking to recently, anything you want, tell Dad.”

Ji Mingzhu: “Oh.........”

Ji Shaoyan patted her, not forgetting to remind, “Remember to spend more time with Jiang Ji.”

Ji Mingzhu pretended not to hear, grabbed a pillow, and pressed it hard over her head, barely covering her ears, looking completely rogue-like.

Ji Shaoyan chuckled softly. “Why are you still like you haven’t grown up.”

…

Perhaps because the previous day had been too busy, or perhaps because she had chatted with Ji Shaoyan late into the night, after washing up Ji Mingzhu slept soundly, dreamless all night.

When she woke in the morning, she packed some of the remaining luggage herself and had the driver take her to the city center.

Her and Jiang Ji’s residence was located at Park Hyatt Mansion in the city center. Carving out such a place in the land-worth-its-weight-in-gold downtown area was truly rare.

But such a convenient yet quiet residence was actually a good place for her. Since she had to live somewhere anyway, she might as well live somewhere she pleased.

The Park Hyatt Mansion had connected rowhouses, which were too spacious for young people. On the matter of layout, she and Jiang Ji rarely reached agreement; the new home they chose was a split-level apartment spanning two and a half floors, with a small attic.

As soon as Ji Mingzhu pushed open the door, a long-stagnant atmosphere rushed to her nose.

It wasn’t that the air wasn’t fresh—just that since no one lived there, it lacked a bit of lived-in warmth.

She found her room and, relying on herself, took out the filming equipment she had purchased one by one.

Although she and Jiang Ji were living together, they stayed in separate rooms. The room doors faced each other, with only the side balcony connected.

Once the door closed, nothing interfered—only her own small world remained.

As she was organizing things, her phone buzzed.

The only one capable of making such relentless chain calls was Lian Tang.

“Zhu Zhu!”

Lian Tang’s voice seemed ready to pierce the clouds.

“I’m here. I came to Park Hyatt to drop off some things. What’s up?” Ji Mingzhu didn’t bother picking up the phone, turning on speaker and placing it on the table, continuing to tidy up.

“Wow—interesting. So, was last night exciting?”

Ji Mingzhu’s hand paused. Exciting, my foot.

“What exciting or not? You don’t even need to ask this time. I went home last night.”

Lian Tang sounded a little regretful and sighed on the other end. “You actually learned to answer in advance. You’re teachable.”

“Lian Little Tang, I haven’t settled accounts with you yet. Last night you completely defected to my opposing side, right?”

“Isn’t there compensation!”

“What compensation?”

“Last time I went to your place, I left a package. Go open it!”

When Ji Mingzhu came here before, Lian Tang had followed to visit, holding what she called a housewarming gift.

Lian Tang’s tone was mysterious, as if the package contained diamonds.

“What did you leave that’s so mysterious?”

“A big gift. Just open it~”

Ji Mingzhu pulled it over and carefully cut it open with scissors.

Layer after layer, wrapped meticulously. She gently brushed it aside, and what came into view was black stockings with lace trim.

Ji Mingzhu frowned, lifting one side with her fingertips. “Why do I feel like your big gift isn’t very proper?”

Lian Tang laughed, obvious teasing in her tone. “How can you be happy if you’re proper? Wishing you happiness every day—happy cohabitation~”

Just as Lian Tang’s last two deliberately raised syllables were about to fall, the door behind Ji Mingzhu made a “click.”

Though the sound was small, it was enough to tighten the heart.

Ji Mingzhu immediately felt a bad premonition.

She slowly turned her head and saw the tall figure standing at her doorway. Her heart jolted, and her fingertips reflexively sprang upward and withdrew.

The edge of the black stockings that Ji Mingzhu had originally lifted caught force, was suddenly yanked up, and then flew straight toward the doorway, landing on the floor at the entrance.

Spread out boldly.

Jiang Ji lowered his eyes, stared at the thing at his feet for a moment, then glanced at her faintly. “Still happy?”