Xue Rui first offered Ji Feng some technical flattery: "Boss, there's something you really foresaw and planned for long ago!" Then he shifted to the gossip topic. "You were really angry before and said you wanted Xu Miyu to have a hard time, which is why you directly promoted her to team leader. I was puzzled back then—if you wanted her to suffer, shouldn't she have remained a server being targeted by the team leader? How could promoting her to team leader achieve that? Now I finally understand: directly elevating Xu Miyu wasn't actually good for her. It was like pulling up seedlings to help them grow—she can't command respect from the team. She can't lead others, and no one listens to her. Not only is she isolated by her subordinates, but they might even resent her. You really have everything under control."
As Xue Rui refilled Ji Feng's teacup, he sighed: "But boss, her current situation is really quite pitiful."
Ji Feng pinched the cup handle and blew gently into the cup, looking down at the tea leaves floating inside. He asked indifferently and coldly: "Did I allow you to mention her name in front of me?"
Xue Rui seemed to have a sudden realization, raising his hand to lightly slap his own mouth as he quickly admitted his mistake.
"My apologies, boss!"
Ji Feng took a sip of tea, leaned forward and placed the cup on the tea table. Then he suddenly looked up and asked: "How is she pitiful?"
Caught off guard by this abrupt shift in conversation, Xue Rui found himself momentarily dazed again.
Didn't he just say not to mention Xu Miyu??
So should he continue or not?
A light reprimand from Ji Feng sounded in his ears.
"I asked you a question. Why are you spacing out? Speak."
Xue Rui thought, alright then, I'll speak—it's you who told me to. If you scold me after I finish this time, you're not human.
Urged impatiently by Ji Feng, Xue Rui began pouring out all the executive-level gossip he'd heard like spilling beans.
"That... sister Xu—at home she has an unreasonable scumbag husband; outside, she keeps hitting walls at work and gets isolated—because she became team leader immediately after her probation, everyone holds some hostility toward her. Nobody follows her directions. Actually, when you think about it, her current situation is even more miserable than when she was just an insignificant room attendant."
After he finished speaking, he saw Ji Feng's lips twitch slightly into a mocking smile, his eyes full of disdain.
"This is what you call really pitiful? The scumbag man was her own choice—clinging to a rotten marriage with a cheating man. What's pitiful about that? She brought it upon herself. The previous team leader was someone she wanted to get rid of too. If she has the ambition to remove others, she should also have the resilience to handle the position herself."
Listening to Ji Feng's words, Xue Rui almost got successfully brainwashed, circling back to the conclusion that Xu Miyu actually wasn't pitiful.
But he quickly sobered up, not falling victim to this mental manipulation.
Xu Miyu never asked to become team leader herself, so why should she need the resilience to handle the position? This was clearly imposed on her by Ji Feng—both the team leader position itself and the pressures that came with it.
But he didn't quite dare say this out loud—he valued both his life and his job."But Xu Miyu really is quite stubborn," Xue Rui continued sharing another piece of gossip he'd heard with Ji Feng. "I heard two guests from their executive level checked out just half an hour after checking in. Xu Miyu then asked her staff to clean the room thoroughly, but no one listened to her. Instead, they told her that since it was only half an hour and they hadn't stayed overnight, just straightening the bedding would be enough - no need for a full cleaning. They said the Sway Hotel had always operated this way without issues. But Xu Miyu didn't listen. When she couldn't get the staff to do a thorough cleaning, she ended up doing the complete room cleaning herself."
After finishing his story, Xue Rui sought Ji Feng's opinion: "Boss, don't you think this woman is a bit stubborn and foolish?"
This time, Ji Feng's expression actually changed.
It became somewhat surprised and softened.
"She is quite stubborn, and quite foolish," Ji Feng said, picking up his teacup again and holding it up to the window. Through the transparent glass, most of the tea leaves that had been floating on the surface had now sunk to the bottom. Only one leaf remained stubbornly floating, refusing to sink no matter how he tilted the cup - both persistent and out of place.
Just like that woman.
But this solitary leaf floating on the water's surface, when held up to the window, faced the sunlight penetrating through the cup, stretching its veins and releasing its unique beauty.
"But for the hotel industry, she did the right thing. If Sway Hotel has this so-called customary practice of 'not changing bed sheets if guests don't stay overnight,' it only shows this hotel is all show with no substance, with chaotic internal management that doesn't deserve its five-star rating. We'll need to carefully review and strictly regulate it in the future."
When Xue Rui heard the first sentence, he was immediately stunned. This was the first time Ji Feng hadn't expressed denial, disdain, or disgust toward Xu Miyu. In fact, it was the first time he had affirmed her.
"But I feel she won't last long and will retreat when facing difficulties," Xue Rui continued sharing his thoughts about Xu Miyu, seeing that Ji Feng hadn't erupted with strong annoyance. "When she steps down from supervisor back to regular staff, her life will be even harder than now. Everyone will probably look down on her even more, isolate her further, and freely step all over her."
"Then let's wait until that day comes," Ji Feng said indifferently.
By then, perhaps some of his anger toward this married woman with an unfaithful husband, with whom he had that muddled overnight encounter, might dissipate.
Ji Feng brought the teacup back to his lips and took a sip.
When his lips touched the tea leaf still floating on the water's surface, he suddenly moved the cup away.
As if triggered by something, he abruptly looked up and glared fiercely at Xue Rui, coldly rebuking him: "Did I permit you to mention her in front of me? Why are you bothering me with so many stories about her?"
"......"
Xue Rui thought indignantly to himself: It was clearly you who asked me to speak, and now you're scolding me after I've finished. Fine then, you're just inhuman!
The next morning, Xu Miyu received notification that the executive lounge had suddenly booked a business banquet. With limited time remaining, they needed to quickly complete a thorough cleaning.Although the executive lounge is located on the executive level, its management is separate from the housekeeping department. It falls under the front office department and is typically responsible for serving long-term hotel guests, VIPs, and guests with high-tier room categories. In addition to hosting cocktail parties and providing dining services, the lounge can accommodate small meeting requirements, featuring private rooms and conference rooms of varying sizes.
The executive lounge originally had its own service staff, but with the tight schedule and heavy workload, the lounge's own personnel were insufficient. The lounge manager sought assistance from the housekeeping department, so Xu Miyu received a notice from her supervisor, Yang Ling, instructing her to quickly dispatch several floor attendants to help. She herself was also required to go and oversee the situation.
Normally, the tasks assigned by Xu Miyu were met with superficial compliance and reluctance from her subordinates. However, upon hearing that they were going to work in the executive lounge, many became enthusiastic.
This was not a place just anyone could enter—much like the top floor, it was a space reserved for distinguished guests.
Even the service staff in the executive lounge seemed to carry themselves with an air of superiority compared to those in other departments.
Xu Miyu selected four people: Ke Wenxue, Yin Xiang, Zhao Kele, and Li Wan. Together with herself, the group of five went to the executive lounge to assist with cleaning.
The "Ji Feng Pavilion" within the executive lounge was a private room specially reserved for Ji Feng by the hotel owner. Located in a corner of the lounge, it offered both favorable positioning and a quiet, secluded atmosphere.
The hotel owner had explicitly conveyed a strict rule for all executive lounge staff to adhere to: without permission, no one was ever to enter the Ji Feng Pavilion privately, whether for cleaning or delivering drinks and food.
Gradually, the Ji Feng Pavilion, much like Ji Feng’s top-floor suite, became a kind of forbidden zone. No one would casually approach or disturb that private room.
Since Ji Feng did not frequently come down to the executive lounge—only having used the Ji Feng Pavilion a few times recently, and not for long periods—many staff members retained the impression that the "Ji Feng Pavilion" was essentially unused, yet remained an off-limits area where no one was allowed to snoop.
Coupled with its secluded and quiet location, the area outside the Ji Feng Pavilion occasionally turned into a hidden spot for executive lounge employees to take brief breaks and exchange gossip.
On this day, Ji Feng was unexpectedly invited by Wei Siyuan to discuss matters. Ji Feng disliked having his personal space disturbed, a fact Wei Siyuan was well aware of. Thus, the meeting place was ultimately chosen to be the Ji Feng Pavilion in the executive lounge.
Wei Siyuan, in his early fifties, had a significantly receding hairline. His facial skin, often exposed to smoke and alcohol at social gatherings, appeared more saggy and greasy than others of his age.
Eager to quickly sell his five-star property to Ji Feng for cash, he treated Ji Feng with great respect, completely disregarding the fact that he was the older one.
After all, in the current industry, Ji Feng was the only one capable of taking on his property.
In the Ji Feng Pavilion, Wei Siyuan boasted to Ji Feng: "What do you think of the environment, President Ji? Has it been crafted to your liking?"After receiving Ji Feng's faint praise of "Not bad," he eagerly asked Ji Feng, "Mr. Ji, this pot of Biluochun tea I brewed for you was specially purchased at a high price during my business trip. Usually, I can't even bring myself to drink it! Pairing this tea with a guzheng melody creates an indescribably refreshing and elegant experience. How about I call in a technician now to play some music for us to enhance the atmosphere?" He added with a hint of suggestion, "The guzheng technicians I select are all exceptionally beautiful and charming!"
Before he could continue, Xue Rui promptly intervened to prevent the situation from heading in a direction Ji Feng disliked: "Mr. Wei, our Mr. Ji isn't fond of that kind of charm. There's no need for music; let's just enjoy the tea."
Wei Siyuan gave an awkward smile and quickly agreed, "Of course, of course."
Ji Feng took a sip of the tea.
It was indeed excellent tea, with a pure and refined taste. It was almost a pity that it had ended up in the hands of someone like Wei Siyuan, who was thoroughly immersed in worldly pleasures.
After praising the tea as "excellent," Ji Feng asked Wei Siyuan about the purpose of their meeting.
Wei Siyuan hurriedly explained, "Well, Mr. Ji, I recently heard that you acquired some property in Thailand—a local hotel, I believe. You see, you've been evaluating the properties under my name for some time now, and I've been fully cooperating with your inspections. But now, why have you gone ahead and acquired a hotel overseas? To be honest, after hearing about this deal, I grew a bit anxious. First, I was worried that you might have tied up all your funds, leaving no liquidity to acquire my property. Second, I'm currently in urgent need of cash and would like to divest my assets as soon as possible. So, I was hoping you could give me a clear timeline—how much longer do you need for the evaluation?"
Ji Feng poured Wei Siyuan a cup of tea and advised him not to rush, suggesting he take a sip to soothe his throat.
Then, he reassured him: "Mr. Wei, rest assured. The Thai hotel property didn't require much of my capital, and it won't affect my other acquisition plans. As for how much longer we need to evaluate your property, I think we'll still need a bit more time."
Xue Rui chimed in appropriately: "Mr. Wei, please be patient and wait a little longer. We want to conduct a thorough and detailed assessment to arrive at a fair valuation for both parties. Sometimes, things may seem fine on the surface, but given time, new issues can emerge. For instance, with the Siwei Hotel, we initially thought there were almost no problems left, but after waiting, we heard about the incident where the executive level supervisor was swapping supplies. So, you see, the evaluation process does need to continue a bit longer, as we want to see if any new issues come to light."
Wei Siyuan broke into a sweat after drinking the hot tea. Wiping his forehead with a tissue, he said, "Yes, yes, Assistant Xue, you make a very valid point. I'll make sure to instruct my staff to strengthen management in all areas. Mr. Ji, Assistant Xue, you can rest assured—I would never hand over a mess to you. If I hand it over, it will be in excellent condition!"
After exchanging a few more casual words and confirming that Ji Feng's acquisition intent remained unchanged, Wei Siyuan took his leave. Before departing, he informed Ji Feng, "I checked with the lounge manager—there's a business reception happening here later, but it won't disturb the Ji Feng Pavilion. So, Mr. Ji, feel free to stay as long as you'd like."
Then he left.
After Wei Siyuan had gone, Xue Rui said to Ji Feng, "Mr. Wei claims he won't hand over a mess to us."Ji Feng let out a scoff. "You should have noticed the first time you met him—his fatal flaw is that he’s all talk. Look at this property under his management. Isn’t it all flash and no substance? The more you dig, the more problems you uncover, with management in shambles."
Xue Rui nodded emphatically in agreement.
After Wei Siyuan left, Ji Feng didn’t rush to depart.
He had a monthly meeting to attend later at the company headquarters and was worried he might forget to harvest his crops during the session.
So he settled into Monsoon Pavilion, had Xue Rui hand him a tablet, and planned to finish tending his virtual farm before leaving.
Just as he tapped open the Monsoon Farm app on the screen, Ji Feng heard footsteps approaching outside.
The private rooms here were separated by special glass—transparent from the inside but opaque from the outside. Though divided by glass, the soundproofing was rather mediocre.
While harvesting his ripe crops, Ji Feng glanced up.
Several attendants, both male and female, had gathered outside, chattering away animatedly. Their uniforms differed—some were from the executive lounge, while others appeared to be room attendants.
Clearly, they assumed Monsoon Pavilion was empty and had turned it into their gossip spot.
Xue Rui, concerned they might disturb Ji Feng, moved to shoo them away.
But just as he was about to act, the name "Xu Miyu" drifted in from outside.
Xue Rui paused mid-step. Coincidentally, Ji Feng raised a hand slightly, signaling him to stay put.
So they remained—Ji Feng quietly farming, both listening intently to the conversation outside.
"Hey, is it true your new room supervisor is quite the character?" asked an executive lounge attendant.
"You mean Xu Miyu? Even you guys in the executive lounge have heard about her antics?" replied a room attendant. "Yeah, she’s certainly given us plenty to laugh about during breaks!"
Another room attendant chimed in, "She’s such a sucker for flattery! Give her one compliment, and she’ll drop everything to be tricked into doing your work."
"Really?" The lounge attendant sounded skeptical, addressing another by name. "Ke Wenxue, is that true? A few praises, and she’ll do your chores? That’s even easier than dangling a carrot in front of a donkey!"
"Absolutely," Ke Wenxue confirmed. "She’s really gullible. Just shower her with compliments, and you can con her into any task. It works like a charm."
To back up Ke Wenxue’s claim, the two room attendants who’d spoken earlier eagerly volunteered examples:
"Like yesterday—I praised Xu Miyu for being pretty, capable, kind, and having a great figure. She got so flustered and pleased, I smoothly passed my duties to her, and she happily did them all. She’s such a fool!"
"The day before, I complimented her too. I told her she has beautiful eyes and a lovely smile—which is actually true. Anyway, she was so delighted, she agreed to cover my night shift for me."
The lounge attendant interjected in astonishment, "Heavens, what kind of life has she led to be so starved for validation that a few compliments make her this naive? Honestly, it’s kind of heartbreaking—I almost feel sorry for her!"In the private room, Xue Rui, who was eavesdropping on the cheap gossip, nearly nodded off.
He was starting to feel a bit sorry for that Sister Xu.
Upon closer thought, that sister wasn't so bad. Even with her personality flaws, she had never harmed anyone's interests. But now everyone could exploit her weaknesses to deceive and mock her, which made him somewhat uneasy.
He glanced sideways at Ji Feng. He was bending over, scattering seeds in the plot of land. From his standing angle, he could catch a glimpse of his brow.
His brow was furrowed.
In those creased lines, it was unclear whether it was disgust or sympathy for the woman, or perhaps disdain for the crowd outside ganging up to trample on her.
"Honestly, I feel a bit sorry for her too," a housekeeping staff member outside chimed in.
But immediately, the staff member named Ke Wenxue retorted, "Oh, come on, Yin Xiang. Ever since Xu Miyu parachuted in as our team leader, your petty grievances have made you take revenge on her plenty. You say you feel sorry, but in action, you haven't hesitated to trick her any less than the rest of us. Tasks related to engineering, front desk, marketing, food and beverage—usually done by us servers—you've all convinced her to handle personally. People from other departments even asked me, 'What's going on with your floor? Are there no servers left? Why is your team leader always the one coming to coordinate? How ridiculous!'"
After being exposed, Yin Xiang looked a bit sheepish. "But I really do sympathize with her, though I'm still angry about her betraying us."
To prevent Ke Wenxue and Yin Xiang from bickering over gossip, the other two housekeeping staff changed the subject.
"By the way, did you know? Besides being gullible at work—praise her and she'll do anything—her family is just as messed up! She's what we usually call a 'sibling supporter'! The other day, we accidentally picked up her phone call. Her mom was asking her for money to support her brother and pay off his mortgage!"
A lounge server covered her mouth in shock. "That bad? Oh, and I heard her husband cheated on her?"
Another housekeeping staff member perked up. "Exactly! Her husband brought his mistress to book a room once before, and he did it again a couple of days ago. And she actually went to clean the room like nothing happened? Oh my god, I think all three of them are despicable!"
This time, even the lounge server joined in the gasps. "Oh my god! This woman is too much. How has she even survived this long? No brains, no principles—praise her and she loses all sense of self. Her husband cheats, yet she doesn't divorce him and still works to support the family. Her brother relies on her too. Oh my god, her life is just one big tragedy!"
Inside, Xue Rui shook his head in disbelief.
He turned to look and saw that Ji Feng had already put away his tablet and stood up from his chair.
His expression was grim, his brow tightly furrowed, and an inexplicable anger seemed to gather around him.
Xue Rui almost thought Ji Feng was about to storm out the door and break up the messy gossip outside.
But just before they could step out, a voice called from afar, "I told you to work! Where is everyone? Hiding somewhere cool? Get over here and clean up now!"
The crowd outside scattered instantly.
Ji Feng handed the tablet to Xue Rui, fastened his suit button, and pushed the door open to leave.They didn't want to pass through the main hall of the executive lounge, so they detoured around the back of the private room where there was a small exit-only door.
The moment Ji Feng turned the corner, he abruptly halted his steps.
Xu Miyu was standing there, in the corner behind the private room, quietly and dazedly.
She had clearly overheard all the previous discussions about her.
Realizing that someone's shadow had suddenly fallen over her, she sharply lifted her head to look at the newcomer.
The instant Ji Feng's eyes met hers, his brows furrowed tightly once more.
He swept a glance over Xu Miyu before him. She looked somewhat different from before.
She had changed into a new uniform—a suit set with a white button-down shirt underneath. It was the attire of a supervisor, one rank higher.
This uniform enhanced one's demeanor and was more fitted. It made her waist appear slimmer and her legs straighter.
She seemed somewhat more spirited than before.
Yet his irritation and disgust toward her grew even deeper and heavier.
In that moment, he felt an indescribable restlessness, as if something inside him would fester if not vented.
He walked past her coldly, as if he didn't know her.
Yet just as they were about to pass each other, he suddenly stopped.
He tilted his head, lowered his gaze, and let out a soft, mocking laugh as he asked her quietly, "Have you no self-respect? Must you live in such a wretched way?"
She abruptly lifted her head to look at him.
This was the first time he had seen her eyes up close.
Surprisingly, when observed carefully at such proximity, they turned out to be a pair of remarkably clear eyes. Dark pupils set against a pristine backdrop. They held no scheming, no ambition—only an overwhelming sense of hurt.
She gazed at him silently with those eyes brimming with injury.
Her expression inexplicably startled him, sending a jolt through his heart.
He turned his face forward. Without another word or another glance in her direction, he coldly strode past her and walked away.
As he stepped out of the executive lounge, Ji Feng felt unusually agitated. It was like a perfectly clear day where the sun was intermittently blocked by scattered dark clouds, causing both the weather and his mood to shift unpredictably between brightness and gloom. He wanted to ignore it, but the constant fluctuations inevitably affected his state of mind. Yet when he considered addressing it seriously, he felt it wasn’t worth troubling himself over such trivial patches of shadow.
Still, his mood had been persistently disturbed.
Why did those eyes look at him with such grievance and hurt?
Once inside the elevator, Ji Feng could no longer restrain himself. He raised a hand to loosen his tie, unbuttoned the top button of his collar, and took a deep breath.
His actions left Xue Rui, who was following behind him, silently astonished. He had never seen Ji Feng so close to losing his composure.
Suddenly, Ji Feng turned to him and instructed, "If her subordinates continue to defy her authority, find a pretext to have her dismissed from the housekeeping department."
Since she was working without any dignity, perhaps being fired would be better for her.
Xue Rui replied, "Understood, boss. After all, she can do the same job at another hotel. The important thing is that she doesn’t remain under your watch and affect your mood."
Ji Feng shot him a glare. After withdrawing his gaze, he changed his mind. "Forget it. Leave her be. Let her sink or swim on her own."
Maybe she actually wanted to keep doing this humiliating work. Why should he meddle?
Xue Rui immediately responded, "Very well, boss. Once she can’t take it anymore, she’ll leave on her own. That way, you won’t gain a reputation for being harsh."
Ji Feng turned and scrutinized Xue Rui from head to toe. The man appeared entirely obedient and respectful.
Yet why did it feel like there was a hint of sarcasm in his tone? As if he were deliberately twisting his meaning.
Still, Ji Feng reflected, Xue Rui had a point: once that woman reached her limit, she would leave on her own.
However, neither Ji Feng nor Xue Rui had anticipated that Xu Miyu, who seemed so timid and weak, would prove to be remarkably resilient.
As days passed, Xue Rui discovered through his inquiries that not only had Xu Miyu not given up and left, but the atmosphere within the executive level housekeeping department had actually begun to shift.
Those who had once mocked her behind her back were gradually becoming more compliant.
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