The Epoch of Miyu

Ji Feng’s sudden approach pressed down on Xu Miyu like an immense force.

His words, devoid of any discernible emotion, laid bare Xu Miyu’s ulterior motives with startling clarity.

Xu Miyu felt utterly exposed before this man.

Just as Ke Wenxue and the others had remarked earlier, he truly possessed strikingly handsome eyes—their outer corners tilted upward, with thin double eyelids that fanned out gracefully along the upward curve. Yet they were chillingly cold, as if he had long seen through the petty schemes of ordinary people. He never exposed them outright but instead watched with detached amusement as others played their games.

In front of someone like him, hiding and evading would only make one a laughingstock.

Xu Miyu lifted her head to meet Ji Feng’s gaze, mentally urging herself to stay calm. Taking a deep breath, she spoke truthfully: “I want the hotel to dismiss the current executive level supervisor. I’ve heard you have the ear of the boss…” At this point, her heart still fluttered nervously.

After a brief pause, she continued, “The current supervisor has committed offenses serious enough to warrant dismissal. She has been secretly replacing the hotel’s supplies with counterfeit items…”

She tried to keep her voice steady and unwavering, hoping to make her request sound less like a far-fetched fantasy.

Yet, after hearing her out, Ji Feng narrowed his eyes slightly and smiled.

The smile that curled at the corners of his lips was brimming with undisguised mockery.

Xue Rui, observing from the side, understood clearly: that smile was laden with disdain and disgust. His boss now loathed this woman even more than before—disgusted that she remained mired in her wretched circumstances, lacking self-respect and independence, yet still harboring the cunning and ambition to scheme against others behind their backs.

Even he had been taken aback moments earlier by what this woman said—she actually understood Thai, and she claimed that Duan Aoxiang had deceived them that day.

Back when she was serving tea and water on-site, she hadn’t shown the slightest hint of comprehension. She had remained remarkably composed, only revealing this card as a bargaining chip when she needed something. Truly cunning.

Xue Rui watched Ji Feng, thinking that since he had smiled like that, the next moment would surely bring an even more contemptuous and resolute rejection of this woman.

Yet, in the next second, he heard Ji Feng say, “You want me to help you get rid of the current supervisor, is that it? Fine.”

Xue Rui stared at Ji Feng in stunned silence.

Meanwhile, Ji Feng was narrowing his eyes slightly, studying Xu Miyu’s face.

Then he heard Ji Feng add the second half of his sentence: “Then, at our next meeting, you can help me expose Duan Aoxiang.”

Xu Miyu’s hands hung at her sides, quietly clenching into fists.

She thought back to that night—Duan Aoxiang’s shameless obstinacy, his pettiness and grudges, his vulgar demeanor despite being wealthy… Even when she hadn’t provoked him in the slightest, she couldn’t escape his bullying. If she were to openly expose his tricks, would he fly into a humiliated rage and tear her apart on the spot?

Xu Miyu hesitated.

As she wavered, she met Ji Feng’s gaze. His eyes already held the certainty that she wouldn’t dare agree. So he was merely toying with her contemptuously—he had already looked down on her so thoroughly that her answer was irrelevant.

In that instant, Xu Miyu hardened her resolve. Clenching her fists, she replied firmly, “Alright, as you wish. I’ll help you expose them. In exchange, you’ll take care of dismissing the current supervisor!”

For a fleeting moment, she thought she caught a flicker of surprise in Ji Feng’s eyes.She thought Ji Feng must be surprised that someone who appeared as timid and submissive as her would actually dare to agree to expose Duan Aoxiang.

She also thought that, after all, she was working for Ji Feng. Even if he looked down on her, when Duan Aoxiang retaliated against her afterward, he would surely step in to protect her, right? After all, she was offending Duan Aoxiang to help safeguard Ji Feng's interests.

Thinking this way, Xu Miyu comforted herself and tried not to be afraid.

After Xu Miyu left, before Ji Feng could speak, Xue Rui wisely began to confess, repeatedly saying it was all his fault—he hadn't managed to stop Xu Miyu from rushing forward.

Ji Feng sat back on the sofa, unimpressed by his act, and asked in an unreadable tone, "Then explain why you couldn't stop her."

Xue Rui stammered.

Ji Feng glared at him.

Xue Rui immediately blurted out the truth as if startled: "I saw how carefully she had dressed up today to see you and discuss this matter, and I couldn't bear to stop her..."

Ji Feng sneered, "You're quite the chivalrous one, aren't you? And you don't even discriminate."

Xue Rui defended himself weakly, "She did look quite different from usual today... just... much prettier..."

Ji Feng sneered again and scolded him, "Have you never seen a woman before?"

Xue Rui trembled at the question. To appease Ji Feng, he quickly and deftly offered a cup of hot tea and changed the subject, asking, "Boss, I can tell you really dislike Xu Miyu's scheming and ambitious nature, so why did you agree to her request?"

Ji Feng took a sip of tea.

He truly detested that woman's cunning and ambition. She had even dressed up and put on makeup just to negotiate with him. When she looked up at him, she had clenched her fists to bolster her courage, making herself appear pitiful. She really had a way about her.

Did she think he, Ji Feng, was the kind of man who would lose his principles at the sight of a pretty woman? What a joke. Besides, she wasn't even that beautiful. He, Ji Feng, didn't spare a glance for all the elegant and stunning socialites, let alone a woman like her, trapped in a messy marriage and clueless.

To achieve her goals, she would stop at nothing, even using herself as a bargaining chip.

Disgust flickered in Ji Feng's eyes.

He set down the teacup and said calmly, "Isn't it good to have her take the lead and offend people on our behalf?"

Xue Rui nodded, "It is good, but I'm afraid given President Duan's petty nature, he might come up with some nasty revenge afterward."

Ji Feng traced the rim of the teacup, a mocking sneer curling his lips, "Do you think she doesn't know the consequences? She simply tilted the scale between ambition and retaliation and chose the former."

Since she had chosen ambition, she would have to bear the consequences that came with it. After all, there was no such thing as a free lunch in this world.

The second meeting between Ji Feng, Duan Aoxiang, and Prayut—the one to finalize the transaction price—was scheduled for the evening after Xu Miyu's visit to the top floor.

The next day, Xu Miyu was on the mid-shift, which was the small night shift, working from noon until midnight. Just after 6 p.m., she received a notification from Zhang Cailu: The top floor needed to borrow extra staff for assistance. Since you helped last time, the VIP specifically requested that the same attendant—you—come up again.

Xu Miyu thought that the VIP on the top floor who had requested her must be Ji Feng.Just like yesterday, she washed her face clean again, combed her hair, and went to the locker room. From her locker, she retrieved the cosmetics she had dug out of her luggage in the dormitory last night—thankfully, she hadn’t thrown them all away.

She carefully applied her makeup again. Though light, it lifted her spirits considerably. Before undertaking something significant, dressing up felt like a ritual that could boost her confidence. Before applying lipstick, she also ate a piece of chocolate. Now, in addition to confidence, she had strength.

Before heading upstairs, she psyched herself up: she now had both confidence and strength, so there was no need to fear or be nervous. No matter how things unfolded, she would remain calm and composed.

In the elevator, the butler from the top-floor suite who came to fetch her this time was a new face. Xu Miyu thought, this must be the butler in charge of Ji Feng’s suite.

But when the elevator reached the top floor, the butler led her directly to another suite—the one Duan Aoxiang had stayed in last time. Xu Miyu assumed it was the same as before: the meeting was still being held in Duan Aoxiang’s suite, which was why she had been brought there.

The suite butler escorted her into the living room.

Xu Miyu glanced around subtly. The room’s atmosphere was similar to last time—a group of people clinking glasses, drinking, and partying in a decadent haze. For a moment, she almost felt as if the previous meeting had never ended and had continued until today.

After scanning the spacious living room, however, she didn’t see Ji Feng’s figure.

She felt a flicker of confusion. Ji Feng had already sent someone downstairs to bring her up, yet he himself hadn’t arrived.

Just then, she heard the suite butler call out over the swaying, dancing crowd to the tall man at the center who was partying more wildly than anyone else: “Mr. Duan, the person you requested has been brought to you!”

Xu Miyu was startled by the announcement.

The man at the center of the crowd parted the human wall around him and, in the process, snatched a glass of red wine from someone’s hand. Swirling it, he walked over.

“Alright, you’ve done your job by bringing her here. You may go attend to your duties,” Duan Aoxiang dismissed the suite butler before turning to look at Xu Miyu.

He let out a surprised “Huh?” and abruptly leaned in close to her, his voice laced with insolence. “You’ve dressed up today? What, did you hear I was having you brought up and specifically did this for me?”

Xu Miyu jerked backward.

Duan Aoxiang pressed forward again. This time, he didn’t bend down but looked down at her from his height, assessing her. “Hmm, you do look much better than last time,” he remarked. Swirling the red wine in one hand and stroking his chin with the other, he raised an eyebrow at her and smirked provocatively. “But someone like me, Duan Aoxiang, isn’t into your type—not tender enough, too much effort. I had you brought up here simply to torment you!”

Xu Miyu’s throat tightened, and she grew tense instantly.

She subtly clenched her fists, refusing to let Duan Aoxiang’s harassment make her tremble with fear.

Fortunately, new noises at the entrance finally interrupted Duan Aoxiang’s malicious teasing.

Duan Aoxiang glanced toward the door and then brushed past Xu Miyu to greet the newcomers.

Xu Miyu looked back and saw Ji Feng and Xue Rui entering this time.

She breathed a sigh of relief.

She looked at Ji Feng and Xue Rui with a gaze that sought belonging. But the two men acted as if they didn’t know her, as though they hadn’t met yesterday or reached some kind of agreement.Duan Aoxiang ushered Ji Feng toward the sofa while chattering, "Old Ji, you were just next door—what took you so long?" "Prayut is resting in the bedroom; I'll have the butler fetch him right away." "Come, have a seat on the sofa first. Once Prayut arrives, we'll head to the meeting room together."

As they passed Xu Miyu, Duan Aoxiang pointed at her and said to Ji Feng, "Old Ji, remember her? Last time I was drunk, she made me suffer quite a bit. Today I'm sober—just wait and see how I'll make her pay!"

Ji Feng cast a fleeting glance at Xu Miyu before turning back to Duan Aoxiang. A faint smile touched his lips as he remarked, "Even at eighty, your pettiness might still be that of a three-year-old. Be careful—too much spite can backfire. Don't let her turn the tables on you later."

Duan Aoxiang waved his arms dismissively and boomed, "Impossible!"

Only Xu Miyu grasped the true meaning behind Ji Feng's words.

They had just settled on the sofa when the suite butler approached and addressed Duan Aoxiang in a sweet tone, "Mr. Duan, the meeting room is ready for you. Temperature and humidity have been adjusted per your requirements. Mr. Prayut has just woken up and is freshening up—he said he'll go directly to the meeting room. Would you like to proceed there now?"

Duan Aoxiang agreed.

He instructed the butler to entertain his party friends in the living room, then pointed at Xu Miyu. "You—come with me to the meeting room. Yes, you! Stop dawdling and start serving tea and water!"

Xu Miyu glanced at Ji Feng, but he showed no reaction.

She thought perhaps he didn't want to reveal their prior arrangement. Maintaining composure, she decided to play things by ear.

Inside the meeting room, the seating arrangement mirrored the previous occasion.

Just as before, Xu Miyu served tea, water, and warm towels to each person.

Duan Aoxiang launched into his rambling translation act again.

After chattering with Prayut, he turned to Ji Feng with a grin. "Old Ji, this Thai buddy initially asked for 120 million, but I bargained him down to 100 million for you. Saved you 20 million—pretty decent of me, huh?"

"Oh? Is that so?" Ji Feng's tone remained unruffled.

Xu Miyu glanced at Ji Feng upon hearing this. He raised an eyebrow almost imperceptibly in her direction—a silent signal: You claimed he's setting me up. Now prove it by exposing his scheme.

Taking a deep breath, Xu Miyu turned to Duan Aoxiang and spoke in fluent Thai.

"Mr. Duan, there seems to be a discrepancy between the price you just discussed with Mr. Prayut and what you told Mr. Ji. The specific figures don't match."

Duan Aoxiang whipped his head toward her, his face instantly shifting. His cavalier expression froze into something sharp and severe.

"You speak Thai?" he asked in the same language.

"A little," Xu Miyu replied in Thai, her heart pounding like vigorous lion dance drums, though she fought to stay calm.

"How much did you understand?" Duan Aoxiang pressed.

"Everything," Xu Miyu answered, clenching her fists for courage.

Duan Aoxiang stared at her with icy intensity, his gaze—unlike his usual frivolity—piercing as if scrutinizing a stranger who'd been hiding depths.

Beside them, Prayut also gaped at Xu Miyu in astonishment.Duan Aoxiang switched to Chinese to give Xu Miyu an order: "This doesn't concern you. Don't cause trouble here with your broken Thai. Get out."

Xu Miyu's Thai was far from broken—on the contrary, her pronunciation was accurate and pleasant. She knew Duan Aoxiang was saying this to drive her away.

But his glare had shaken her, leaving her somewhat flustered. Instinctively, she turned to look at Ji Feng, who was seated on the other side of Duan Aoxiang.

Ji Feng, however, acted as if nothing was amiss. He leisurely lifted his teacup and took a slow, elegant sip, neither responding to her gaze nor speaking.

His demeanor made it perfectly clear: "Handle it yourself."

Xu Miyu began to understand why Ji Feng had seemed not to recognize her since entering the room.

She had told him that Duan Aoxiang was taking advantage of his lack of Thai to deceive him. But that was merely her word. Until she could prove it, Ji Feng couldn't openly doubt or confront Duan Aoxiang.

So, she really did have to handle it herself.

With this realization, Xu Miyu stopped hoping for anyone to help her or lessen the severity of offending Duan Aoxiang.

She had never openly offended anyone before, but now she was about to do so fiercely. She took a quiet, deep breath, steeled herself, and said to Duan Aoxiang in Chinese, "Mr. Duan, my Thai is actually quite good. I understand everything you're saying."

Duan Aoxiang's eyes were like invisible yet sharp blades, coldly targeting Xu Miyu as if ready to strike her down in the next second.

Xu Miyu desperately commanded herself not to flinch under his gaze. Only by holding her ground could she avoid immediate defeat. If she looked away now, she would lose without even a fight.

Just as she was about to break, Duan Aoxiang suddenly smiled. His smile wasn't his usual roguish, carefree one—this time, every trace of it was laced with a chilling coldness.

He knew Xu Miyu had used her fluent Thai earlier to assert herself. She was telling him that she did, in fact, understand Thai, and that from the last meeting onward, she had comprehended everything he said. She was making it clear that she was aware of the information gap and had silently witnessed his deceitful tactics.

This was the first time Duan Aoxiang had misjudged a woman.

No, strictly speaking, it was the second time—and the previous time had also been her. He had mistaken her for a charming, alluring young woman just by her silhouette.

The first misjudgment was about her appearance, but now he realized he had misjudged her inner self as well.

This seemingly insignificant woman, like a speck of dust, had just outmaneuvered him.

Duan Aoxiang continued to smile as he looked at Xu Miyu and said, "Okay, fine. Your Thai is excellent, and your pronunciation is very standard. But let me say it again: we're in a meeting. You're just a service staff—don't cause trouble. Get out now. If you want to practice Thai, you can come find me alone after the meeting. For now, don't be so clueless. Don't make me lose my temper with you."

He was hinting at her to stop now, leave, and that they could negotiate terms later. But if she stayed and caused more trouble, she should be wary of future consequences.

This was the first time Xu Miyu had confronted someone so directly. Hearing Duan Aoxiang's warning, she felt a surge of fear in her heart.She couldn't help but turn to look at Ji Feng again and said to him, "Mr. Ji, perhaps I could stay and help with translation..."

Duan Aoxiang frowned and called out, "A Ni."

His assistant behind him stood up, preparing to come around and escort Xu Miyu out.

At that moment, Ji Feng finally spoke.

"A Ni, sit down first."

His words nailed A Ni back to his original position. Then he put down his teacup, wiped his hands with the hot towel prepared nearby, and looked up at Duan Aoxiang with a faint smile. "Since she's so eager to translate, let her give it a try. I'm quite curious to see how she'll manage."

Duan Aoxiang's expression changed instantly. He chuckled and said to Ji Feng, "Old Ji, isn't this a bit frivolous? Letting a mere service staff meddle in our billion-dollar deal—isn't that just asking for trouble?"

Ji Feng raised an eyebrow but didn't respond to that.

He turned to Xu Miyu and asked, "I don't want to hear anything frivolous either. Can you take responsibility for the content and words you translate?"

Xu Miyu immediately nodded. "If there's any inaccuracy in my translation or words, please feel free to call the police or sue me directly."

Ji Feng turned back to Duan Aoxiang with a smile. "See, she's made her stance clear. Why don't we hear what she has to say? Consider it a bit of entertainment."

Duan Aoxiang then warned Xu Miyu, "Since Old Ji has spoken, say what you want to say. Be careful and speak properly!" When he emphasized "speak properly," his eyes were sharp, reminding her that he was not to be trifled with and that she should watch her step.

At this moment, Xu Miyu realized her legs were trembling slightly. She silently admonished herself not to be intimidated by Duan Aoxiang. She reminded herself of the humiliation she endured while cleaning the room for Lu Zhenzhen and Nie Yucheng. She couldn't let them trample her into the mud and look down on her forever.

With that thought, she gritted her teeth and steadied herself. She walked to stand between Ji Feng and Duan Aoxiang.

Ji Feng asked her, "What did you initially say to Duan in Thai?"

Xu Miyu replied, "Mr. Ji, what I initially said to Mr. Duan in Thai was: The price you just confirmed with Mr. Prayut seems to have a verbal discrepancy from what you quoted to Mr. Ji. The specific numbers don't match up."

Ji Feng glanced at her, let out a questioning "Hmm?" and asked, "How do they not match?"

Xu Miyu bit her lower lip lightly and said, "I heard Mr. Prayut confirm the quoted amount to Mr. Duan as eighty million..."

Ji Feng looked at Xu Miyu, raised an eyebrow, and asked, "So what are you implying? Are you saying that when Duan quoted me one hundred million, he overcharged me by twenty million?" He shifted his gaze to Duan Aoxiang. "Old Duan, is she hinting that you're trying to cheat me?"Duan Aoxiang maintained his usual carefree grin and said flippantly, "How could that be, Old Ji! Don't listen to her nonsense—has she even been to Thailand? What could she possibly understand clearly? I haven't even finished telling you the rest! Brother Prayut just told me that if you pay him in installments, it'll cost one hundred million, but if you make a one-time payment, he's willing to knock off another twenty million. The total would be eighty million, and it's a done deal!" After speaking, he shot Xu Miyu a glare filled with a warning to shut her mouth.

Then he turned back to Ji Feng and asked, "Old Ji, what do you think?"

Ji Feng smiled and replied, "If there are no issues, I might consider paying in full upfront."

Duan Aoxiang burst into hearty laughter, looking utterly pleased as if the deal was sealed, and exclaimed loudly, "That's fantastic!"

Though a smile was plastered on his face, a storm of emotions churned within him.

His original intention had merely been to play a trick on Ji Feng, swindling him out of twenty million just for a laugh and to vent his resentment.

Since childhood, everyone around him had incessantly sung Ji Feng’s praises in his presence. His father, in particular, idolized Ji Feng to the skies, almost wishing Ji Feng were the true son of the Duan family.

What did it matter if his family was wealthy? What did it matter if he was a rich second-generation heir? He was still fucking unhappy, still living his entire life under the shadow of Ji Feng—that "other people’s child." To escape Ji Feng’s influence, when he learned that Ji Feng had studied in many countries but never set foot in Thailand, he resolutely chose to study abroad there. Finally, he had found a pure land uncontaminated by the name "Ji Feng"!

After returning home with his degree, he felt he had matured and grown enough to open his heart magnanimously and accept Ji Feng, who had cast so many shadows over his life.

He had even sincerely considered trying to become genuine friends with Ji Feng. But that guy Ji Feng always acted arrogantly and condescendingly around him. Though Ji Feng never voiced it aloud, he could keenly sense a deep-seated disdain emanating from him.

The more he thought about it, the more his hatred festered.

What gave Ji Feng the right to look down on him? He was determined to teach him a lesson!

But he never expected that a spendthrift woman like Xu Miyu would burst onto the scene, exposing his little game right in front of everyone and ruining his chance to humiliate Ji Feng.

Not only was his plan foiled, but he now felt a burning shame at having been publicly unmasked. While Ji Feng and Prayut shook hands to celebrate their successful cooperation, he shot a venomous glare at Xu Miyu.

He instructed Xu Miyu to bring everyone fresh hot tea, suggesting they toast with tea instead of wine to celebrate the smooth progress of their collaboration.

As he uttered the words "smooth progress," his eyes sliced into Xu Miyu like daggers.

Xu Miyu replaced everyone’s tea and provided fresh hot towels. When she reached Duan Aoxiang, he suddenly seized her wrist and squeezed hard, taking advantage of an angle hidden from the others’ view.

Xu Miyu immediately lifted her gaze to meet Duan Aoxiang’s.

A sharp pain shot through her wrist, making her heart jolt.

Duan Aoxiang tightened his grip even more, squeezing so hard she could barely suppress a cry of pain.

He looked at her with a sinister smile, his eyes blazing with a ferocity that seemed eager to tear her apart.

Leaning in, he hissed in a low, menacing voice, "Just you wait, you bitch."