The Epoch of Miyu

After hearing Xu Miyu's question, Manager Yang Ling's expression shifted.

She smiled and said, "Hmm... I was a bit surprised it was you too. But these are the instructions from above. Since they've chosen you, just do your best. Many others would kill for such an opportunity." After a pause, she added, "It's almost the end of the workday, so I'm telling you in advance to help you mentally prepare. I'll make the official announcement at tomorrow's morning meeting. Congratulations in advance, Xu Miyu!"

Xu Miyu quickly humbly expressed her thanks.

After leaving the office, she wanted to figure out exactly what was going on. She wanted to confirm whether Ji Feng was behind this. If it really was Ji Feng helping her, why would he do so? He had clearly canceled his plan to help her overthrow the previous team leader.

But now, not only had he helped her remove the original team leader, he had directly installed her as the new one.

Although the outcome of being promoted to team leader surprised her, she realized she didn't actually dislike it—in fact, she felt a faint stirring of excitement.

She knew she lacked seniority compared to others, but she also recognized that this opportunity to become team leader seemed like a turning point in her life. If she didn't want to continue living like the living dead, if she wanted to make something of herself in the future, she needed to seize this chance. She really wanted to thank Ji Feng for helping her like this, for giving her this opportunity.

But why would he help her—and to such an extent?

Was it because of what happened last night?

But from his perspective, hadn't he already compensated her with two hundred thousand? Though she definitely wouldn't accept the money and planned to return the card to him later.

After work, Xu Miyu went to the Butler Department to find the penthouse suite butler. Using the excuse that she might have left something there last night, she asked to go up and check. The suite butler informed her that nothing had been found during the morning cleanup and suggested she look elsewhere.

The butler added, "Besides, Mr. Ji's room—not only is there no one there now, but even when someone is present, we're never allowed inside. How exactly did you manage to leave something there?" The other person's tone and expression made it clear they saw through her ulterior motives.

Xu Miyu paid no mind to the skepticism and mild contempt. What caught her attention was that Ji Feng wasn't currently in the penthouse suite.

She then went outside the hotel, hoping to get lucky and catch Ji Feng passing by when he returned. She recalled that Ji Feng usually went to the front entrance to get into his car—perhaps because his sensitive nose couldn't tolerate the stale air in the underground parking garage.

She stood outside the hotel, watching the sky shift from bright daylight to dusk, then from dusk to complete darkness.

Just as she began to wonder if Ji Feng's car had gone directly to the underground garage and if he had already taken the elevator straight up to the penthouse, she finally saw a sleek black Rolls-Royce pull up to the hotel entrance and come to a gradual stop.

Immediately, someone stepped out from the passenger seat, moved to the rear, and opened the back door, placing a protective hand along the doorframe.

A pair of long legs emerged and touched the ground.

Following closely, a tall figure bent forward and stepped out of the car, standing upright outside the vehicle.

Xu Miyu focused her gaze and breathed a sigh of relief—she had waited successfully. That tall figure was Ji Feng.

*Confirming that the person stepping out of the car was Ji Feng, Xu Miyu seized the opportunity and ran over.

Just as Ji Feng was about to stride through the hotel's main entrance, Xu Miyu swiftly intercepted him from the side.

She called out "Mr. Ji," her voice betraying a hint of nervousness she couldn't control.

Ji Feng stopped in his tracks and turned to look at her.

Xu Miyu clearly saw his expression shift abruptly the moment he recognized her.

His face had already carried an undertone of displeasure, tinged with a haze of self-loathing.

Now, seeing her, he was flooded with disgust, impatience, and a certain wariness.

What was he wary of? Was he afraid she might try to extort something more from him over last night's incident?

Xu Miyu thought Ji Feng must really overestimate her—she didn't even have the confidence to believe she could leverage a one-night stand to demand much of anything.

She struggled to compose herself, striving to speak to Ji Feng with as much calm as she could muster. "Mr. Ji, I'd like to talk to you for a moment."

Ji Feng looked at her with half-lowered eyelids, his tone stiff and his voice cold. "What do you want to talk about?"

He kept his words as brief as possible.

Ji Feng wondered if, after a day, this woman had realized that 200,000 wasn't enough to satisfy her appetite, so she had deliberately waited here to demand a more substantial compensation. Or perhaps her husband had found out about the incident and sent her to ask for more money?

Thinking this, he frowned in annoyance.

He didn't want this person stepping into his territory again. He didn't want to take her up to the penthouse to talk.

So he coldly asked her, "Where do you want to talk?"

Xu Miyu quickly considered her options. The hotel's second floor housed various banquet halls, while outside was a large terrace with a leisure area that included shops like teahouses and restaurants. The terrace was a vast open space, with tables and chairs near the shop entrances and plenty of open areas. From there, one could look down and see the hotel's swimming pool surrounded by greenery. Many people would stroll, relax, smoke, or drink tea on the terrace after meals.

It was already dark, so finding an empty spot on the terrace shouldn't draw much attention.

Xu Miyu shared her idea.

Ji Feng turned and instructed Xue Rui to go up to the penthouse first, then turned back to Xu Miyu and said, "Lead the way."

Xu Miyu immediately guided him.

Fortunately, she had changed into casual clothes, and the lobby was bustling with people. Keeping some distance between herself and Ji Feng, they didn't attract too much attention.

Xu Miyu quickened her pace as she walked ahead, hoping to cover the distance to the second floor as quickly as possible.

Ji Feng followed at a distance, watching her back. Her waist was slender and resilient, her legs long and straight, with well-proportioned bones. And beneath the fabric of her clothes, her skin was pale and smooth.

As his thoughts drifted there, Ji Feng was startled.

Realizing where his mind had unconsciously wandered, he grew intensely irritated.

Despite loathing everything about the previous night, fragmented images would still invade his mind at unexpected moments, poisoning his thoughts and flashing before his eyes.

Between the intrusive fragments and the frustration from the unpleasant atmosphere at home during dinner, Ji Feng's mood was utterly foul.

Earlier that morning, after discussing matters with his private lawyer, Ji Feng had found himself falling back into the pattern of repeatedly showering.Xue Rui returned from his errands and saw his boss taking yet another shower. He almost felt frightened.

He briefly considered either calling the police or dialing 120 for emergency services.

Fortunately, before noon, Ji Feng finally gave his own body a break.

Xue Rui wanted to probe for information, to ask what exactly had happened last night after he had passed out like a dead pig.

But Ji Feng's icy, venomous glare shut him up completely, not even daring to let out a quiet fart.

To cheer Ji Feng up, Xue Rui specifically sought out the hotel's Chef Chen and asked him to prepare several of his signature dishes. Thanks to these dishes, Ji Feng's inexplicably irritable mood finally eased up a bit.

However, when they came to a famous Jiangnan dish, Ji Feng asked, "What is this?" Xue Rui replied, "This is Honey-glazed ham. It's made with premium ham, and Chef Chen has steamed it until it's tender and moist, helping to stimulate your appetite, strengthen your spleen, detoxify, and reduce internal heat..."

Before he could finish, Ji Feng had already thrown down his bowl and chopsticks, refusing to take another bite.

Xue Rui was left utterly confused. While wolfing down Chef Chen's excellent cooking on Ji Feng's behalf, he racked his brain trying to figure out which keyword had triggered Ji Feng's mood switch again.

After finishing that Honey-glazed ham, he thought he knew the answer.

It was the character "蜜" (honey) that had triggered Ji Feng's mood switch, making him immediately think of Xu Miyu, whom he despised and found annoying.

This was the first time Xue Rui had seen Ji Feng put so much energy and emotion into seriously disliking someone.

In the afternoon, Xue Rui answered a call from the Ji residence on Ji Feng's behalf.

It was from Ji Feng's mother, Feng Xuelan.

Xue Rui handed the phone to Ji Feng.

Feng Xuelan asked Ji Feng to recall how long it had been since he last came home to have dinner with his parents.

Ji Feng told her he had been busy with the hotel acquisition. But this excuse didn't satisfy Feng Xuelan.

She even pleaded with him, "Son, no matter what, come home tonight and have dinner with your father and me. Your father said he has something to discuss with you and specially came home today."

When Ji Feng heard that his father Ji Shengming would also be home for dinner, he couldn't help but sneer, "How rare. He still remembers where his own home is."

Feng Xuelan continued to plead, "Please don't be angry with him. For my sake, come home tonight for dinner. Your father seems to really have something important to discuss with you."

Ji Feng felt both sympathy and impatience toward his mother's pleas.

But by a little after three in the afternoon, he still had Xue Rui prepare the car and returned home.

On the way home, Xue Rui asked him, "Boss, after dinner tonight, are you staying at home or returning to the hotel?"

Thinking of the home cook's skills, Ji Feng almost didn't want to eat dinner at all and considered turning right back to the hotel.

He rubbed his temples wearily and told Xue Rui, "If there were a cook at home who didn't make such terrible food, I might consider staying."

Xue Rui immediately understood his boss's indirect meaning and quickly said, "Then the driver and I won't leave. We'll wait for you outside your home."

Ji Feng told him, "No need to wait around doing nothing. Starving yourselves while staring blankly won't earn you any praise or raises from me. Remember to find a good restaurant and get something to eat. You can expense the meal later."

Xue Rui immediately responded happily, "Okay."When Ji Feng arrived home and stepped through the door, it was only a quarter past four. Yet the dining table was already laden with an array of dishes, though the culinary style seemed somewhat different from before.

Seeing him return, his mother Feng Xuelan immediately rose from the sofa to greet him.

Though already in her fifties, Feng Xuelan maintained a figure that rivaled younger women, with dignified and elegant features. Only the corners of her eyes and mouth couldn’t withstand closer scrutiny.

Overall, however, she remained a beautiful woman whom time had treated kindly.

Ji Feng could never understand why, with such a respectable and lovely wife at home, his father still had the greedy appetite to seek affairs outside.

He changed his shoes and entered the living room.

His father Ji Shengming was seated on the sofa. From his current appearance, one could glimpse the striking handsomeness of his youth—even now, with age, he carried an imposing presence. Combined with his wealth, even today, many women lacking in moral scruples still flocked to him with ulterior motives.

What Ji Feng found even more contemptible was that his esteemed father, despite his age, never resisted these sordid affairs and messy entanglements, indulging in them freely.

And his mother, astonishingly, was willing to cling to such a husband. Even knowing he had established another household outside, she still waited with foolish hope, refusing to divorce. On the rare occasions his father returned home, she was as joyful as if it were a holiday.

This kind of home was one Ji Feng had no desire to return to—he’d rather stay in a hotel.

Seeing Ji Shengming, Ji Feng thought of his father’s mistresses and that other household. He lost all inclination to greet him.

On the other side, Ji Shengming sat on the sofa, exuding authority without anger, glaring at Ji Feng as he waited for his son to address him as "Father."

The two stood in silent confrontation.

Feng Xuelan hurried over to smooth things over: "Son, don’t just stand there! Call your father, and let’s go eat as a family of three!"

Ji Feng didn’t address Ji Shengming. Instead, he turned and walked toward the dining room.

Feng Xuelan quickly went to the sofa, softening her posture as she helped Ji Shengming to his feet. Her obsequious demeanor made Ji Feng almost irritable watching from the side.

It seemed his mother would never learn to stand up for herself in front of his unworthy father.

Feng Xuelan settled Ji Feng and Ji Shengming into their seats before sitting down herself. Positioned between father and son, she was overjoyed, as if today were truly a celebration. She busily served dishes to both, urging them to eat.

She first coaxed Ji Feng: "Son, try these dishes. I specially had the newly hired chef prepare them to your taste—he just won an international award!"

Ji Feng forced down a few bites but couldn’t continue.

Feng Xuelan sighed. "Even a chef like this can’t satisfy your palate? Son, how about this—since you only enjoy Chef Chen’s cooking from the Siwei Hotel, I’ll just poach him for our home."

Ji Feng replied indifferently, "If I wanted to poach him, I’d have done it long ago. There’s no need. Let him stay at the Siwei Hotel." He dabbed the corners of his mouth with a napkin. "Sooner or later, he’ll become one of my people anyway. No point in making a fuss now."

Feng Xuelan explained with a smile, "I just thought if we brought Chef Chen home, you’d come back for meals and to stay every day."

At her words, Ji Feng paused, then glanced at his father and said flatly, "My unwillingness to come home isn’t just because of that."The implication in his gaze and words instantly provoked Ji Shengming.

Ji Shengming slammed down his chopsticks and glared at Ji Feng. "I haven't even started questioning you yet, and you're already talking back to me. Do you even remember which one of us is the father?"

Ji Feng responded with a cold sneer.

Feng Xuelan, fearing that this rare family reunion would once again turn into a clash between father and son, immediately tried to soothe both sides and calm them down.

After taking a sip of the tea Feng Xuelan handed him, Ji Shengming composed himself and began interrogating Ji Feng. "Tell me, did you get into a fight with that Duan family kid this morning? I heard it was over some unreliable woman?"

Ji Feng raised an eyebrow and retorted, "Did Duan Aoxiang's father tell you that?"

His mind worked quickly. He figured Duan Aoxiang must have been afraid that he would retaliate fiercely afterward—even if Duan Aoxiang himself could handle the embarrassment, the Duan family likely couldn’t. So Duan Aoxiang had turned to his own father, who then used their friendship to negotiate with Ji Shengming.

"Listen to me, Ji Feng," Ji Shengming said, his voice rising sharply as he saw the defiance and disdain on his son’s face. "Whatever happened between you and that Duan kid over this woman, I want it to stop right now. Consider the matter closed, and don’t dwell on it any further! Fighting over some unreliable woman—isn’t that shameful? As for the woman, if something has already happened, just give her some money if she wants it. Pacify her so she doesn’t make a scene. Remember this, Ji Feng: with women like that, you can play along if you must, but don’t you dare fight over her or take her seriously. Settle it cleanly with money and be done with it!"

Ji Feng laughed, his smile dripping with sarcasm. His father didn’t care about the truth of what had happened; he probably assumed Ji Feng and Duan Aoxiang had fought over who would sleep with the woman.

"Everything you think I’ve done is actually what you’ve done yourself," Ji Feng sneered mockingly. "And even if I did the same, what right do you have to lecture me, old man? The beam above is crooked, yet you expect the one below to stay straight—how greedy."

Feng Xuelan had been listening quietly nearby. But when she heard the parts about playing with women and paying them off, it was as if a switch had been flipped inside her. Suddenly, she seemed like a different person, her temperament completely altered.

Her usual gentle, elegant smile vanished instantly, replaced by a trace of resentment and ferocity on her still-beautiful face.

She turned to Ji Shengming and taunted him, "Teaching your son so clearly—you must have plenty of experience, right? So you’ve been paying off women left and right, never getting tired of it? Is that why you’re hardly ever home, always fooling around with women outside, and never feeling ashamed?"

Ji Shengming’s expression darkened as he scolded her, "Look at yourself! If you can’t take it, then divorce me. Isn’t it you who doesn’t want to? Then shut up!"

Feng Xuelan became hysterical. She stood up and violently overturned the table. The exquisite dishes prepared by an award-winning chef crashed to the floor, turning into a disastrous mess.

Yet the other two people in the room seemed accustomed to such scenes. They weren’t shocked—only deeply saddened."Divorce? I've endured hardship with you from nothing to success my whole life, and now that you've made it, you want to kick me aside? Ji Shengming, you wish! Don't even think I'll make room for you and that home-wrecker—never!"

Feng Xuelan was practically roaring by the end. Her frenzied, crazed demeanor was a far cry from the elegant lady Ji Feng had seen when he first entered.

This was the family Ji Feng had to face—a family that drove people to madness, to demons.

Ji Shengming stood up from his chair, scolding Feng Xuelan angrily, "What's gotten into you again? You blame me for not coming home, but look at yourself—can you even hold a civil conversation for five minutes? Enough, I can't be bothered to argue with you."

He straightened his collar and prepared to leave. Before going, he paused, turned back, and warned Ji Feng, "Your company is still in the middle of acquisitions; you can't afford a scandal. Besides, I have some ties with Old Duan. Whatever happened between you and the Duan boy, right or wrong, let it end here."

With that, he turned and walked out resolutely.

Feng Xuelan stood behind him, grabbing whatever she could—bowls, plates, chopsticks, cushion covers—and hurling them at his back.

"Go find your home-wrecker! Don't come back tonight! Never come back! Don't even bother showing up if I die!"

Her hysteria didn't make Ji Shengming pause or look back; it only quickened his steps.

Ji Feng remained seated, unmoving. He stared at the mess on the floor and at his mother, lost in her hysterics.

After her sudden, fierce outburst and Ji Shengming's departure without a glance back, Feng Xuelan gradually deflated, sinking into despair.

She sat down in a chair, tidying her hair and dress, then apologized to Ji Feng with unease and panic, "Son, I'm sorry... Mom lost control again..."

Ji Feng sighed, called the housekeeper, and asked her to clean up the disarray.

He helped Feng Xuelan to the living room sofa.

Once seated, she finally broke down, crying uncontrollably.

Through her sobs, she lamented to Ji Feng, "Son, tell me, what did I do wrong? Why is Ji Shengming treating me like this? I've forgiven his affairs, but he keeps pushing me further. Does he have no heart at all?"

Listening to his mother's cries and recalling his parents' interactions, Ji Feng felt nothing but irritation.

At first, he had sympathized with his mother, pained by her misfortune in marriage. He had also resented his father for his numerous affairs and lack of responsibility toward the family.

So he had pushed himself to succeed, refusing to spend a single cent of Ji Shengming's money since his student days. The businesses under his name now were built entirely through his own efforts, with no connection to Ji Shengming. This was his response to an unfit father—since Ji Shengming wasn't responsible, he would strip him of any chance to be one. When Ji Shengming realized his son had deprived him of his paternal role, that would be the most powerful punishment.

He wished his mother could be like him—more resilient, more determined. Since the marriage was so rotten, why not just discard it? Step out of the muck and live for herself—wouldn't that be better?Yet Feng Xuelan stubbornly clung to her rotten marriage, refusing to divorce no matter what. Hysterical yet still clinging to illusions about this failed union, as if waiting for the day when Ji Shengming would grow weary of his escapades and finally return home properly.

She guarded this decaying marriage, bitterly awaiting that day, transforming herself from an elegant, noble woman into a hysterical, emotionally unstable resentful wife.

Ji Feng had gone from initially sympathizing with his mother to now, facing Feng Xuelan who stubbornly clung to a rotten marriage, feeling nothing but pity for her misfortune and disdain for her lack of resolve.

Confronted with his mother's tearful complaints, Ji Feng bluntly told her, "You're the one who refuses to divorce, insisting on staying with such a man. Naturally, you have to endure his mistreatment."

Feng Xuelan had hoped for comfort from her son but instead received sarcasm.

She was on the verge of descending into hysteria again.

Before she could fully transform, Ji Feng stood up and left.

Stepping out of the house, he irritably loosened his collar.

Once in the car, his icy aura silenced Xue Rui, who didn't dare ask a single question.

Sitting in the back seat, Ji Feng picked up his tablet, opened the farm game, and tried to soothe his emotions by harvesting crops and planting seeds.

By the time the car pulled up at the hotel entrance, he had mostly regained his composure. He was almost back to his usual self.

But the moment he stepped out of the car, he was intercepted by this woman named Xu Miyu.

At the first sight of her, the self-loathing and disgust within him were triggered like a reflex.

Seeing her reminded him that after last night, he was no longer the person he used to be, stirring up feelings of self-revulsion and irritation.

And hating her seemed to have become an instinct deeply ingrained in his consciousness. Over time, he had almost forgotten why he started hating her in the first place.

Now he remembered.

Because she was so much like his mother.

Knowing full well that her husband was unfaithful, she still clung to a rotten marriage, refusing to divorce even when her life was miserable.

They lived without dignity and without the will to fight.

He watched Xu Miyu's back as she led the way, growing more and more disgusted. The frustration and helplessness he felt toward his mother were now entirely redirected as annoyance toward the woman in front of him.

Reaching the terrace and stepping into a dim, secluded corner, Xu Miyu stopped and turned around.

Lights embedded in the terrace floor cast a warm, golden glow, but they couldn't thaw the icy aura surrounding Ji Feng.

Ji Feng found a wicker chair, sat down, crossed his legs, and looked up at Xu Miyu. Despite his upward gaze, she felt as if he were still looking down on her.

"Speak," he said tersely, his voice cold.

Knowing she was unwelcome, Xu Miyu hurried to keep her explanation as brief as possible.

She told Ji Feng that she had come to see him because she had suddenly received a notice from her supervisor that afternoon, informing her that she would be replacing Zhang Cailu, who had been fired for misconduct, and promoted to team leader.

She asked Ji Feng if he had changed his mind about not helping her. After a moment's thought, she asked if it was him who had helped her.

Unsure how to phrase it, she finally stammered and asked: Was it because of what happened last night that he had decided not only to help her overthrow the original team leader but also to help her become the new one?

Only after she had finished asking her questions did she realize that, although she thought she had been relatively composed, her words had been utterly incoherent.

After listening to her disjointed stream of questions, Ji Feng said expressionlessly, "Are you asking me if I'm helping you like this because I slept with you last night and want to compensate you?"

He suddenly raised an eyebrow, his gaze sharp.

"How can you be so sure that this is me helping you?"