When Xu Miyu brought her mother Jiao Xiumei into the room, Nie Yucheng had already put on his suit jacket and was tying his tie.
Upon seeing Jiao Xiumei, he calmly greeted her with "Mom."
Jiao Xiumei immediately beamed at the sight of her son-in-law and began lavishing praise on him—saying how sharp Nie Yucheng looked, how capable he was, and most importantly, how he cherished his wife and respected the elderly. She chattered on and on.
Nie Yucheng smiled faintly but said nothing. However, his hands grew clumsy as he fumbled with the tie, as if the disgust and irritation he couldn't show on his face had all transferred to his fingers. The tie ended up in a messy knot.
Xu Miyu quickly stepped forward and took over the task. With a few deft movements of her fingers, she neatly tied the tie for Nie Yucheng.
After finishing, she looked up at him with a sweet, ingratiating smile, as if afraid he might lose his temper. Nie Yucheng was once again disarmed by her smile and couldn't bring himself to vent his frustration, only sighing heavily inwardly. In the end, not only did he refrain from showing any bad mood, but he even managed to politely show concern for Jiao Xiumei before leaving for work: "This is a smart hotel. If there's anything you don't understand how to operate, just call the room service."
As Nie Yucheng picked up his briefcase and walked out of the room toward the elevator, waves of helplessness and regret surged within him. He detested his mother-in-law's behavior but had never mustered the courage to confront her directly. Did that make him hypocritical and complicit?
Just then, Xu Miyu's voice came from behind. She had followed him out to see him off downstairs.
They waited in the elevator area. Several elevators were busy going up and down, but none happened to stop at their floor at that moment. One elevator, however, was idle—the same one Xu Miyu and Jiao Xiumei had taken earlier.
Xu Miyu asked Nie Yucheng, "Why not take this elevator? It's free right now."
Nie Yucheng glanced at her and motioned with his chin. "Go ahead and try pressing the button."
Xu Miyu stepped forward and pressed the button. But after several attempts, the down button seemed broken—it wouldn't light up.
She turned to Nie Yucheng with a puzzled smile. "Why did it suddenly stop working?"
Nie Yucheng explained, "It's not broken. It's reserved exclusively for the VIP guests of the two luxury presidential suites on the top floor."
Xu Miyu froze in place.
The elevator Jiao Xiumei had insisted they take earlier was exclusively for top-floor VIPs? No wonder the man inside had looked at them with such a cold, disdainful gaze...
Xu Miyu didn't dare to dwell on the memory, afraid that the shame would overwhelm her.
Just then, someone approached from behind, talking on the phone as they walked: "Yes, yes, Manager Ji, we're staying on the executive suite floor... Hahaha, the top floor is too expensive; the company won't reimburse it... So if you wouldn't mind coming down to our floor, how about we meet in the executive lounge?... Great, great, I'll wait for you by the elevator."
Soon, the VIP-exclusive elevator arrived first, and two people stepped out. Xu Miyu subtly shifted behind Nie Yucheng, trying to block both her view and any potential sightlines from others.
She wished she could become invisible, but just then, Jiao Xiumei emerged from the room and stood in the hallway, suddenly calling out in a loud voice, forcing Xu Miyu back into visibility.
"Third Daughter! Where do we eat breakfast? I haven't had breakfast yet!"
Her voice was so booming that Xu Miyu's face and ears instantly flushed a deep, blood-red."Third child? Little Spare? Xu Miyu?" Jiao Xiumei, unsatisfied with the lack of immediate response, called out persistently, even using Xu Miyu's childhood nickname.
Xu Miyu felt utterly flustered. She sensed everyone in the world was now looking at her, their gazes surely filled with curiosity and disdain. She could also feel Nie Yucheng stiffening beside her.
"Hurry back before your mother shouts all over the hallway. This is utterly embarrassing!" Nie Yucheng whispered through gritted teeth.
The arriving elevator rescued Nie Yucheng. He stepped in hastily as if fleeing from something.
Left exposed without cover, Xu Miyu stood vulnerable before the others.
"Honey, I'll go home soon to pack your business trip luggage..." Xu Miyu seized the last moment before the elevator doors closed to tell Nie Yucheng.
Then, not daring to confirm whether the others' looks held more mockery or pity, she lowered her head and fled the elevator area, rushing back to her room.
Behind her, three men conversed.
The one who had come to meet them at the elevator shook his head and sighed: "I never expected such a loud, uncouth guest who doesn't care about disturbing others would be staying on the executive floor of this luxury hotel."
Assistant Xue Rui chimed in: "It's truly astonishing. You haven't even seen how this loud auntie fought with our President Ji for the elevator earlier."
As soon as he finished speaking, he felt his boss's cold glare and immediately understood his chattering had displeased him.
He promptly fell silent.
The negotiation representative from the prospective partner led them to the executive lounge.
The executive lounge was at the end of the floor, and reaching it required passing the room of the loud, uncouth auntie.
The door to that room wasn't properly closed, and the lock was beeping an alarm, but no one paid it any mind. The auntie's noisy voice continuously spilled out from inside.
"...What's wrong with me calling you Little Spare? Will I die if I call you that, or will you? Really, since when do you tell your mother what to do!..."
"Buzz buzz buzz..."
The auntie's shouts and the door lock alarm created a symphony of chaos.
Hearing just this snippet made Xue Rui's ears ring. He turned and saw Ji Feng frowning deeply, his face dark as storm clouds.
It was an expression he had never seen before—Ji Feng looking utterly disgusted to the extreme.
After seeing Nie Yucheng off, Xu Miyu hurried back from the elevator area to her room. She dragged Jiao Xiumei, who had been standing in the hallway preparing for another round of shouting, inside. Slamming the door shut without ensuring it was fully closed, she asked Jiao Xiumei angrily and anxiously: "Aren't you ashamed to shout so loudly in such a luxurious hotel? Aren't you afraid of being reported for disturbing others?"
Jiao Xiumei shook off her hand, sounding even more indignant: "What, are people not allowed to talk in hotel hallways? Is it against the law? Then call the police to arrest me!"
Infuriated by this, Xu Miyu retorted: "The law is just the minimum standard of morality. You might not be breaking the law, but disturbing others with your noise is immoral and shows poor character!"
Jiao Xiumei poked Xu Miyu's temple: "So you marry some city slicker, some company executive, and forget your roots? Your own mother can't even speak in the hallway now? How impressive you've become!"
The door wasn't properly closed, and the lock began to beep an alarm.Xu Miyu was so exasperated by Jiao Xiumei's twisted logic that she forgot about the door. Right now, she just wanted to correct one thing: "Also, Mom, can you stop shouting 'Little Redundant' so loudly from now on?"
"What's wrong with me calling you Little Redundant? Will I die if I call you that, or will you? Honestly, you're even trying to control your own mother now!"
Jiao Xiumei noticed Xu Miyu's eyes reddening with anger and anxiety, so she clicked her tongue and softened her tone: "Alright, alright, I won't call you that in front of others anymore, okay? You're a grown woman, yet you're still so quick to tear up. Look at how little backbone you have. Go check what's making that noise and turn it off quickly—it's grating on my nerves."
Xu Miyu turned to close the door properly, then called room service to order breakfast.
Jiao Xiumei watched from the side, tutting incessantly: "No wonder you all love staying in hotels—they even deliver meals right to your mouth."
Soon, the room service arrived, delivered by a young male server who had also brought dinner to Xu Miyu and Nie Yucheng the previous day. His name tag read "Li Kunlun."
As he unloaded the trays from the cart, Li Kunlun exchanged a few pleasantries with Xu Miyu.
Li Kunlun asked her, "Will you and your husband be ordering lunch today?"
Xu Miyu replied, "No, my husband and I aren't staying here anymore. Just prepare a lady's meal for my mother at noon and have it sent over."
Not one to be left out, Jiao Xiumei seized the moment to approach Li Kunlun and ask, "Young man, is it true that the better-looking you are, the more you earn here? With your good looks, how much can you make in a month? I have a younger son at home, and I think he could earn a lot if he worked here too!"
Li Kunlun was at a loss for how to respond and could only offer an awkward yet polite smile.
Xu Miyu quickly intercepted her abrupt mother: "Mom, could you not ask everything that comes to mind? This is a five-star hotel, and not just anyone can become a server here." She then escorted Li Kunlun out of the room, thanking him and apologizing for the inconvenience.
Once Jiao Xiumei had started her breakfast, Xu Miyu said she needed to go home first to pack for Nie Yucheng's business trip that afternoon.
Jiao Xiumei promptly stopped her.
"Little Redundant, wait a moment—I haven't told you something yet!"
Xu Miyu stood there glaring at Jiao Xiumei, who quickly corrected herself: "Miyu, Little Miyu, alright?"
She stood up and pulled Xu Miyu back, saying, "I forgot to mention this to your husband earlier. Your eldest sister and her husband have been working at your husband's travel company for a good year now without a raise. Later, talk to your husband about giving them one. If you don't look out for your own family, what kind of fool are you?"
Xu Miyu laughed in frustration. "How has Yucheng not been looking out for family? Wasn't it Yucheng who went out of his way to get my eldest sister and her husband jobs at his company? That was hard enough as it is. Asking for raises all the time—they should at least work hard and not just lie around like dead fish all day! Besides, Yucheng doesn't own the travel company. At the end of the day, he's just an employee working for a boss. Did you think he was a money-printing machine?"
Jiao Xiumei was unconvinced, sticking to her own reasoning: "That's different. Your husband is a high-ranking executive, isn't he? It's perfect—he has the authority and can give our family raises without using his own money. What a great deal!"Xu Miyu was speechless. "Mom, I really can't with you. Can't you know when to stop? You can't just keep squeezing our family dry, can you?"
Jiao Xiumei's eyebrows furrowed. "Little Xuyu, watch your tone! If I had treated you like your older sisters and made you go work early instead of letting you take the college entrance exam, would you be where you are today? Would you have married so well?"
This topic only made Xu Miyu angrier. "You didn't want me to go to college either at first! If you hadn't heard that college graduates earn higher salaries, would you have let me go? Besides, my tuition was covered by student loans, and I worked at a restaurant to support myself during college."
Xu Miyu didn't want to argue anymore. The more they argued, the more it always ended with her feeling hurt.
She told Jiao Xiumei, "Alright, I need to go home. If you need anything, call the room service. You can charge food and drinks to the room, and I'll settle the bill later." As she reached the door, she suddenly turned back and added, "Call room service by phone—don't stand in the hallway shouting!"
Jiao Xiumei shooed her away. "Got it, now hurry up and leave. You never stop nagging over trivial things."
The moment Xu Miyu opened the door to her home, she was stunned.
The house was in complete disarray, as if it had been ransacked by thieves.
Her shoes were scattered messily at the entrance. Jiao Xiumei must have tried on every single pair.
In the living room, takeout containers were left uncleared on the coffee table, used tissues were thrown everywhere, and most of the sofa cushions had fallen to the floor.
Xu Miyu recalled her mother's words: "If I'm staying at your place, I shouldn't have to clean up for you." She wondered how her mother had the nerve to say that.
She also thought it was fortunate that Nie Yucheng had gone straight to the office. If he had come home first and seen this, he would have been furious enough to need oxygen.
Checking the time, she saw there were just over two hours until noon. Xu Miyu quickly rolled up her sleeves and started cleaning. After six years of marriage and being a homemaker, she might not excel at many things, but tidying up and household chores were her forte.
Soon, the house returned to its usual cleanliness. Catching her breath, Xu Miyu began gathering clothes for Nie Yucheng's business trip.
She remembered the new shirt she had bought him just two days ago—a current-season piece from a luxury brand, expensive and not on sale. To afford it, she had skipped buying herself a new dress for the season.
After all, Nie Yucheng was the one working to support the family, so he needed to look presentable. As for her, staying at home, it didn't matter if she didn't have a new dress for the season.
She went to the wardrobe to look for the shirt but couldn't find it no matter how hard she searched.
After a moment's thought, she picked up her phone and called Nie Yucheng. "Honey, do you remember that new shirt I bought you the day before yesterday? The one you really liked. Do you remember where I put it? I thought I hung it in the wardrobe, but I can't find it now."
Nie Yucheng was silent for a couple of seconds before replying, "Call your mom and ask her."
Xu Miyu instinctively asked, "How would she know where I put it?"
Her husband's tone sounded strange, almost like a cold laugh. "Just ask her. Go ahead and ask."
After hanging up, Xu Miyu dialed Jiao Xiumei's number.
She asked Jiao Xiumei if she had seen the shirt.Jiao Xiumei immediately said: "Oh right, I was just about to tell you—I thought that shirt would probably fit your brother well. I figured you two wouldn't miss just one piece of clothing, so I packed it in my suitcase."
Xu Miyu grew anxious upon hearing this: "Mom, how could you? Why do you always take things from our house without asking?"
Jiao Xiumei remained unperturbed: "What's this 'yours' and 'ours'? I'm your mother—I gave birth to you and raised you. Without me, there'd be no you. We're so close we don't distinguish between what's yours and mine—isn't it only natural for your mother to take a few things from you?"
Xu Miyu was so angry her tongue seemed to trip over itself. Then Jiao Xiumei's tone shifted as she began coaxing Xu Miyu: "Alright, alright, my dear third daughter, honestly speaking, among all my children, you're the most capable and accomplished—the one who lets your mother hold her head high in front of relatives. When I take things from you, isn't it really because I want to show off to the neighbors and relatives that my daughter is capable, married well, and uses only the finest things?"
Xu Miyu felt anger one moment, then found herself unable to sustain it the next. Her emotions were like a rollercoaster.
The sound of the door opening came from the entryway. Nie Yucheng had returned. Xu Miyu hung up the phone.
While changing his shoes at the doorway, Nie Yucheng asked: "So, did your mom help you find out what happened to the shirt?"
Feeling embarrassed about her mother's behavior, Xu Miyu hurried to the doorway to put on her shoes: "I'll go buy you another one right now."
Nie Yucheng stopped her. He pinched the bridge of his nose, looking utterly weary. On his handsome face was a trace of resolute determination born from inner conflict and distress.
"Forget it. There's no time." When he said "no time," his voice carried a faint, distant quality. "Let it be." After these words, he paused for a moment. Then, as if having reached some decision, he added, "Give me the suitcase. I need to get going."
After concluding negotiations with representatives from the prospective partner company, assistant Xue Rui asked Ji Feng: "Boss Ji, should we return to the penthouse or go to the company?"
Ji Feng replied succinctly: "The company."
Xue Rui pressed the elevator's down button.
Once inside the elevator, Xue Rui remarked: "I get the feeling this General Wu seems quite easy to deal with."
Ji Feng's lips curved slightly. That almost-smile, hovering between cold severity and sensual charm, also carried a faint hint of mockery.
"Some people being easy to deal with is a virtue. Others being easy to deal with is a smokescreen. Although this man agreed to everything readily today, his flaw is that he'll definitely keep creating minor troubles afterward."
Standing behind Ji Feng, Xue Rui silently formed a "wow" with his mouth.
"Boss Ji, you're truly remarkable—you can always see through people's flaws at the first meeting."
The elevator doors opened, and the two men stepped out.
Xue Rui suddenly made a surprised sound.
Ji Feng asked casually: "What is it?"Xue Rui pointed toward the hotel front desk: 'Isn't that man over there the husband of the younger sister who argued with us for the elevator this morning?" Didn't he just leave this morning? Why is he checking in again now? And with another woman?"
Ji Feng's gaze lightly swept past the front desk before returning to rest on Xue Rui's face.
Xue Rui began deducing: "Looks like he's cheating. This guy is bold—daring to stay at the same hotel as his mother-in-law while having an affair with another woman. Is this hiding in plain sight or just not caring about consequences?" As they walked toward the hotel exit, Xue Rui continued, "But considering he has such an eccentric mother-in-law, it's somewhat understandable if he's reached his limit and decided not to care anymore."Ji Feng suddenly halted his steps.
Xue Rui belatedly realized and stopped, nearly bumping into Ji Feng's back.
Ji Feng turned his head, casting a cold glance at Xue Rui.
Xue Rui unconsciously stammered.
"W-what's wrong, President Ji?" He quickly reacted and immediately self-criticized, "I'm sorry President Ji, I've been talking too much again."
Ji Feng spoke, his voice as cold as his gaze. Xue Rui almost thought Ji Feng was going to punish him for talking too much. But what he heard was:
"No matter the reason, it's never an excuse for infidelity."
After saying this, Ji Feng turned back around and continued walking forward.
Xue Rui stood slightly stunned, watching the tall, long-legged, and elegantly straight-backed figure ahead.
This man was truly handsome - any suit he wore would instantly outshine professional models. He was genuinely wealthy too - not even thirty years old yet, with an already immeasurable fortune. But he was also truly cold and unfeeling. Sometimes Xue Rui suspected this person might actually be a high-tech AI robot secretly developed - perfect, indifferent, possessing no emotions beyond sarcasm and disdain, only capable of making money, a truly emotionless money-making machine.
It was rare to see him comment on Xue Rui's chattering.
Suddenly came the icy question from the person ahead.
"Standing there motionless - are you waiting for me to drive for you? President Xue?"
Xue Rui jolted to attention and quickly jogged to catch up with the footsteps ahead.
OpenNovel