Xu Miyu looked up at the sound of clicking leather shoes and saw the housekeeping department manager, Feng Kaixin, approaching—the very person who had been giving her a hard time at every turn lately.
Her heart sank. A sense of foreboding, like a sudden gathering storm cloud, enveloped her completely.
"Xu Miyu, is it?" Feng Kaixin suddenly called her name.
How rare—he actually remembered her name. He must be deeply annoyed with her to have memorized the name of a low-level employee so precisely.
"You've brought your family drama into the hotel, causing a terrible scene in public and creating an extremely negative impact. I'm informing you now—you're officially fired!"
Upon hearing that Xu Miyu was being fired, Jiao Xiumei finally quieted down for a moment.
A moment later, she realized this wasn't the outcome she wanted.
She had only intended to rally public support to her side, to make Xu Miyu lose face and crush the rebellious spirit she didn't know how she'd developed, so she would go back to being the obedient third daughter of the Xu family. The result she desired was for her to revert to the dutiful third daughter who would hand over her salary card and use her secret savings to support her brother.
But if she got fired, everything would vanish like a bubble.
This was absolutely not the outcome she wanted.
Jiao Xiumei immediately released Xu Miyu, sprang up from the ground, and rushed over to Feng Kaixin, squaring off against him with her sleeves rolled up: "What right do you have to fire my daughter? Who do you think you are—the big boss? Let me tell you, I know the law! If a company fires someone without cause, they have to pay compensation!"
Feng Kaixin sneered at the shrew before him: "Who am I? I'm her direct supervisor. And am I firing her for no reason? Come, take a look for yourself—how many people are watching you right now? What kind of negative impact have you brought to the hotel? And you dare talk to me about compensation? Are you used to dreaming? If we calculate the reputational damage you've caused the hotel today, I'm afraid you'd have to go home and sell your fields and land to pay for it!" After saying this, he muttered under his breath:
"A country woman trying to negotiate with me—what nonsense!"
Jiao Xiumei heard this and immediately exploded: "What's wrong with being a country woman? Did we dig up your ancestors' graves? If you go back three generations, weren't your family farmers too? If you were landlords, that just means your family background was problematic! Strutting around like you're better than us poor peasants with pure roots—don't think I won't report you for ideological and behavioral issues!"
Feng Kaixin clearly had never encountered someone so difficult to deal with. Furious, he pointed at Jiao Xiumei, speechless for a long moment. People around them had quietly started recording with their phones.
Humiliated and enraged, Feng Kaixin tried to suppress his anger as he asked the onlookers to stop recording and disperse, while venting his frustration on Xu Miyu: "Xu Miyu, can't you control this old hag? Haven't you embarrassed the hotel enough and caused me enough trouble? Did I owe you in a past life, that you have to torment me like this in this one? Hurry up and deal with your family's mess!"
Before he finished speaking, Jiao Xiumei's voice rang out again: "How dare you talk like that? With your attitude, how did you even become a manager? Your family's the one with problems, and your mother's the old hag! Saying my daughter torments you—what, are you two involved in some kind of emotional entanglement?"
Her words grew increasingly outrageous, until Xu Miyu couldn't take it anymore and cut her off sharply: "Jiao Xiumei, haven't you caused enough trouble already?"It was the first time Jiao Xiumei had heard Xu Miyu address her by her full name. She immediately turned to scold Xu Miyu: "You little brat, who do you think you're talking to..."
But upon seeing Xu Miyu's expression, the rest of her words involuntarily faded away.
Xu Miyu's eyes were bloodshot, her face contorted with rage, almost as if her eyes were about to burst from their sockets. She looked as though she was ready to fight someone to the death in the next second.
Jiao Xiumei had never seen such a violent side of Xu Miyu before. In that moment, she was utterly intimidated by this version of her.
"Have you ever considered leaving me even a shred of dignity? Do you think it doesn't matter if you drive me to my death? Fine, I'll die right in front of you, but you're coming with me!"
After saying this, Xu Miyu grabbed Jiao Xiumei and tried to rush outside. The street beyond was bustling with traffic; if one was determined to end it all, death would come easily.
Xu Miyu moved too quickly and too decisively. Not only was Jiao Xiumei stunned, but the others also failed to react in time.
Feng Kaixin didn't even have the chance to call for someone to restrain Xu Miyu.
Just as Xu Miyu was about to drag Jiao Xiumei out, a figure swiftly darted to her side and pulled her back.
Xu Miyu struggled fiercely, trying to break free from the person holding her, determined to rush out and put an end to both herself and Jiao Xiumei.
A cold voice, tinged with disdain, rang out.
"Is this what you meant by wanting to change, by wanting to cut ties with your family? Through suicide? Is this all you're capable of?"
The words struck Xu Miyu's eardrums like a heavy hammer.
She stilled, ceasing her struggles and her rush toward the exit. Jiao Xiumei, snapping back to her senses, immediately cursed and shook her off, then turned and ran back into the lobby. Trembling with fear, she pointed at Xu Miyu and yelled, accusing her of having lost her mind.
Xu Miyu looked up and saw that the person holding her was Ji Feng.
So, he hadn't left after stepping out of the elevator. He had been watching the entire spectacle unfold from the sidelines. Then, when she impulsively tried to rush out and no one else had reacted, it was he who had rushed over and stopped her.
Xu Miyu wondered if, at that moment, Ji Feng could be considered her savior.
She allowed Ji Feng to pull her aside, still in a daze.
She heard Ji Feng speak in his authoritative tone. He gave his assistant clear, methodical instructions: "Go and tell the onlookers to delete any videos they recorded. Say that since I was at the scene, their footage captured me and violated my privacy. If they refuse to delete it, inform them that the group's legal team will be contacting them."
"Then go and tell that woman that if she doesn't want her daughter to be fired—or if she doesn't want her and her daughter to lose their lives—she should quit while she's ahead. If she continues to cause trouble, here, take my watch. When you talk to her, find an opportunity to drop it on the ground, but make it seem like she was the one who knocked it over. Then tell her the original price of the watch and the cost of repairs, demand that she pay for it, and call the police in front of her. She'll most likely flee as soon as you start dialing."
As he spoke, Ji Feng removed his watch and handed it to Xue Rui.
Xu Miyu stood by, watching and listening in a daze.
She saw Xue Rui follow Ji Feng's instructions, asking the onlookers to delete the videos they had just recorded and dispersing the crowd.
Tasks that should have been handled by the hotel's lobby manager were now being carried out by the assistant of a VIP guest.Then she saw Xue Rui walk over to Jiao Xiumei and engage in a back-and-forth with her. Initially, Jiao Xiumei continued to make unreasonable trouble, but when she tried to grab at Xue Rui, she accidentally caught the expensive luxury watch on his wrist. With a clatter, the watch was pulled off his wrist and fell to the ground.
After bending down to pick up the watch, Xue Rui coldly informed Jiao Xiumei that she would need to compensate him for the original value of the watch and the repair costs.
Jiao Xiumei immediately shouted, "Are you trying to rob me?"
Without wasting words, Xue Rui replied, "Then let’s resolve this by calling the police. Everyone here saw you pull the watch off my wrist and break it—they’re all witnesses."
As he spoke, he took out his phone to dial the police. Jiao Xiumei finally deflated, no longer daring to cause a scene. Afraid that Xue Rui would actually make her pay, she quickly slunk away in disgrace.
Xu Miyu watched as this chaotic crisis, which should have been resolved by the hotel management but had left the hotel staff helpless, was effortlessly and swiftly defused by Ji Feng.
After dealing with the situation, Ji Feng turned to her and frowned.
"Come with me," he said curtly.
Xu Miyu couldn’t grasp the meaning of his words.
"Why should I go with you?"
"If you don’t come with me, are you waiting to be fired?" His voice was still cold, even carrying a hint of impatience.
Xu Miyu still didn’t quite understand what Ji Feng meant.
Just then, Feng Kaixin walked over, pointed at Xu Miyu, and said, "You can’t leave. You have to stay. You’ve turned the hotel upside down, and you even let your mother throw mud at me. What, are you two teaming up to extort people? Come with me now to complete the procedures—you’re fired!"
Only then did Xu Miyu understand what Ji Feng had meant by "Come with me." He had already foreseen the outcome she would face and was making arrangements in advance to help her avert this crisis.
Unfortunately, she hadn’t seen as far ahead as he had. He seemed different from everyone else. While others took one step at a time, he could take one step and see ten steps ahead, accurately predicting what would happen and planning his countermeasures in advance.
Someone like him deserved to be wealthy, deserved to live high above in the penthouse.
After all, he truly had the ability.
Sadly, she had reacted too slowly and hadn’t followed him in time, wasting his goodwill.
Xu Miyu thanked Ji Feng and prepared to follow Feng Kaixin to complete the dismissal procedures.
But Ji Feng stopped her again, pulling her back behind him.
Then he said directly to Feng Kaixin, "Your executive level team leader here is very proficient in Thai. For the next week, I need her to come to the penthouse every day to help me translate Thai documents and receive Thai clients."
Feng Kaixin tried to say something, but Ji Feng cut him off, leaving no room for argument: "Is there any inconvenience in arranging this on your end? Fine, I’ll call your boss directly."
Right in front of Feng Kaixin, he had Xue Rui dial the hotel owner’s number. He didn’t speak to the owner himself but stood to the side, looking down with a condescending half-lidded gaze at Feng Kaixin, who was a head shorter, while Xue Rui communicated with the hotel owner.
Soon, Xue Rui handed the phone to Feng Kaixin. "Your boss wants to speak to you personally."Feng Kaixin took the phone, and Xu Miyu faintly heard a deep male voice from the receiver instructing him: "This President Ji is now the most important person for the hotel. If you dare offend him, I’ll break your damn legs! Whatever he asks for, make sure you fulfill it all. Alright, I’m busy, that’s it for now."
When Feng Kaixin took the phone, he used one hand. By the time he finished the call and returned the phone, he had unconsciously switched to holding it with both hands.
After returning the phone, he shot Xu Miyu another resentful glare. That one look carried too much meaning, but Xu Miyu understood it clearly.
—You got lucky today, running into this Ji Feng. Just wait until he checks out—I’ll deal with you then!
Then he shifted his gaze to Ji Feng. The vengeful, "a gentleman’s revenge can wait ten years" look instantly transformed into politeness and flattery.
"President Ji, our boss has made it clear that you are the hotel’s most distinguished guest. Whatever you need, please don’t hesitate to ask. Our housekeeping department will do everything to accommodate you! Oh, and you mentioned earlier that you wanted Xu Miyu transferred to the top floor for a week, right? Go ahead, transfer her as you wish, and rest assured—I’ll make sure she cooperates fully!"
Ji Feng ignored him.
He turned directly to Xu Miyu again.
His voice remained as cold and impatient as before, and he repeated the same words.
"Come with me."
But this time, Xu Miyu understood that Ji Feng was using these words to save her job.
After giving instructions to Feng Kaixin, Ji Feng led Xue Rui and Xu Miyu out of the lobby.
Ji Feng’s car was already waiting at the hotel entrance. Xue Rui opened the car door for Ji Feng to get in, then opened the passenger door and seated himself.
Xu Miyu stood outside the car, hesitating about whether she should get in.
Afraid that her hesitation would irritate Ji Feng again, she gritted her teeth, pulled open the rear door, and decided to get in as well.
But as soon as she opened the door, she was met with Ji Feng’s raised eyebrow.
"I’m going to discuss business—did you really think I’d take you along?" His tone held a note of disbelief.
"You just said inside that I should follow you..." Xu Miyu mumbled.
"You believed me just because I said it?" Ji Feng raised the corner of his mouth in a half-smile. "Can’t you tell which words are genuine and which are just excuses to help you keep your job?"
Xu Miyu lowered her head.
His words were a mix of truth and lies, his emotions and intentions so hard to decipher. It really was difficult to tell them apart...
"Alright, go attend to your own tasks," Ji Feng said briefly, then looked at Xu Miyu, waiting for her to close the door on her own.
Xu Miyu stood there dazed and took a step back.
Ji Feng, sitting in the car, frowned impatiently and beckoned her with his finger.
Xu Miyu stepped forward again, dazed, to hear what he had to say.
"Before you go about your business, could you please close the car door for me?" Ji Feng’s voice was flat and slightly exasperated.
Xu Miyu suddenly understood and quickly stepped back, slamming the door shut with force.
Bang.*
Ji Feng sat in the car, speechless, and pressed his fingers to his temples.
Xue Rui, in the front seat, struggled to hold back his laughter.
Xu Miyu also felt she had closed the door too hard and, at a loss, instinctively tried to make up for it by pulling the door open again.
Ji Feng looked up in surprise, about to ask Xu Miyu what she wanted.With a soft thud, the car door closed again. Though much gentler than before, the unexpected sound still gave Ji Feng a slight startle.
His brows furrowed so tightly they nearly formed a knot.
Rolling down the window, he snapped at Xu Miyu standing outside: "Do you have some kind of problem with my car having doors?"
Xu Miyu immediately bent forward to apologize, then turned anxiously to return to the hotel.
Ji Feng pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling all his patience draining away in these few minutes.
"Xu Miyu, get back here!"
She halted her steps, turned around, and hurried back to await Ji Feng's instructions.
"Did your mother's scolding just now knock all sense out of you? Where's your brain? I just saved you from your manager with an excuse to get you away, and you're going to march right back and offer yourself up like a lamb to the slaughter? Are you worried he won't get another chance to fire you? What were you thinking?"
Xu Miyu mumbled in defense: "You told me to... go attend to my own business..."
Ji Feng felt like he was using up a month's worth of patience in these few minutes.
"When I told you to attend to your own business, couldn't you have gone back to the dorm to rest instead of returning to work? Has your brain stopped working completely?"
His words were as harsh as ever. But this time, Xu Miyu didn't feel inferior or stifled by his sharp tone. Instead, she even felt a warmth in her heart.
Her own family was eager to squeeze the last drop of blood from her, her supervisor wanted to fire her for not giving him advantages. Yet this man before her, with his fiercest tone and harshest words, had protected her job and told her to go rest.
Across the car, Xu Miyu bowed deeply to Ji Feng inside, expressing the gratitude in her heart.
The sudden gesture caught Ji Feng off guard. He quickly rolled up the window and ordered the driver in a stiff voice: "Drive. Drive now."
Watching the car pull away, Xu Miyu turned and walked toward the dormitory.
Returning to her dorm room, she collapsed wearily onto the bed, feeling like everything that had just happened belonged to another lifetime.
The scene Jiao Xiumei had caused in the hotel lobby had chilled her heart completely.
She became more determined than ever to make a clean break from Jiao Xiumei. She would never again soften because she couldn't withstand Jiao Xiumei's complaints and crying.
For now, she thought, Jiao Xiumei probably wouldn't dare cause another scene at the hotel, fearing being held responsible for the hundred-thousand-yuan watch repair costs.
Even if she did return later, Xu Miyu had decided she would call the police herself. If Jiao Xiumei wasn't embarrassed, why should she be? If Jiao Xiumei's disturbances became too severe and made it impossible for her to stay at the Sway Hotel, she still wouldn't compromise. At worst, she'd resign and find work elsewhere. But no matter what, she could no longer satisfy any of Jiao Xiumei's greed.
Because from now on, she wanted to live like a proper human being.
Starting to want to live like a person at thirty—she hoped it wasn't too late.
After lying on the bed for a while, sorting out her thoughts and calming her emotions, Xu Miyu got up.
She went to the market first to buy some quality beef and fruits, then to the supermarket for seasonings and spices. Returning to the dormitory building, she remembered that the security lady on the first floor had an induction cooker and cooking pots. Bringing some fruits, she went to chat with the lady, skillfully saying many things the woman loved to hear, and successfully borrowed the induction cooker and pots.Back in her dorm room, she started stewing the meat.
Fortunately, everyone else hadn't returned from work yet, so the aroma of the stewed meat was only noticed by the security auntie downstairs.
The auntie followed the scent up the stairs and found Xu Miyu's room. She stared at the meat in the pot, practically drooling with craving.
After Xu Miyu finished stewing the meat, she immediately gave the auntie two pieces first. The auntie held the meat, grinning from ear to ear, and nearly tried to force the induction cooker and pot on Xu Miyu, on the condition that she would frequently stew meat and share it with her.
Xu Miyu promised the auntie that whenever she cooked food in the future, she would set aside a portion for her. The auntie was so delighted she almost wanted to drag Xu Miyu into swearing sisterhood over the induction cooker.
That night, just before bed, Xu Miyu received a phone call from her supervisor, Yang Ling. The supervisor informed her that the higher-ups had already coordinated everything: for the next week, her duties would be temporarily covered by the supervisor, while she was assigned to assist with translation work for the VIP on the top floor.
Before hanging up, the supervisor couldn't help but remark with a hint of envy, "Miyu, you're quite capable, huh? I didn't know you had such a specialty. Maybe you'll be promoted soon, and the executive level won't be able to contain you anymore."
Xu Miyu quickly expressed her gratitude for the supervisor covering her shifts.
After hanging up, Xu Miyu thought to herself that Ji Feng not only went all out with the act but also executed it meticulously, even notifying the executive level.
Early the next morning, Xu Miyu packed the stewed meat into a food container and brought it to the hotel.
She didn't go to the housekeeping department on the executive level but went straight to the top floor.
The only skill she could somewhat boast about was her stewed meat. She wanted to use it to express her gratitude to Ji Feng for his help the day before.
When she reached the door of Ji Feng's suite, both doors were wide open, and a breakfast cart was parked outside. She knocked lightly twice, but no one responded. She stepped inside and peeked, seeing Ji Feng sitting on the sofa in the spacious living room, frowning at a bowl of porridge and a plate of meat on the coffee table as if they were some kind of poison he couldn't bring himself to swallow.
Xue Rui was standing nearby, looking troubled as he tried to persuade him: "Boss, just make do and eat a couple of bites! Chef Chen is off duty today, there's no helping it—he can't work every single day, right? This meat was stewed by his own apprentice. Although the flavor isn't quite as good as Chef Chen's, it's not that far off... right?"
As he said "not that far off," Ji Feng looked up and gave him a cold glare, instantly draining Xue Rui of his confidence and voice.
"I'll give you a chance to rephrase that," Ji Feng said sarcastically to Xue Rui.
Xue Rui immediately put on an indignant expression: "What's wrong with this hotel? Only Chef Chen's stewed beef is edible. What are the other chefs even making? Is this fit for human consumption?"
Hearing what he wanted to hear, Ji Feng's expression gradually softened.
Watching this scene from the doorway, Xu Miyu was not only dumbfounded but also regretted having the audacity to bring her own stewed beef.
Ji Feng was an extremely picky eater. If he couldn't even appreciate the food made by the hotel's various chefs, how could he possibly appreciate hers...
As she thought this, she instinctively tried to hide the food container she was holding behind her back.
She misjudged the movement, and the container bumped against the door behind her, making a clear sound.
The two people in the living room turned to look at her simultaneously."What are you hiding behind your back?" Ji Feng narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked at her and asked, "Either don't bring it at all, or if you've brought something, why hide it? Is that amusing?"
Xu Miyu felt her cheeks burn from the sting of his words. She found it strange how Ji Feng managed to sound both hypocritical and self-righteous without uttering a single profanity.
She brought the lunchbox she had been hiding behind her back to the front, approached Ji Feng and Xue Rui, and placed it on the coffee table. With a timid voice, she said, "Th-this is some beef I stewed myself. It's not very good... If... if Manager Ji doesn't mind, please give it a try..."
Her claim that it "wasn't very good" was merely a humble remark she had grown accustomed to saying out of her previously low self-esteem.
Ji Feng, however, raised the corner of his eye, his brow carrying a hint of mockery as he retorted, "If it's not good, of course I'd mind. Why would you offer me something that's not good?"
Xu Miyu was left speechless, once again plunged into a state of helplessness.
Xue Rui, seeing how both her confidence and self-esteem had been wounded, felt a pang of sympathy. He quickly bent down to open the lid of the lunchbox.
As soon as the lid was lifted, the trapped aroma of the stewed meat burst forth, spreading in all directions as if set free.
Xue Rui inhaled the savory scent and thought it really wasn't any worse than what the hotel's chefs could make.
But Ji Feng had an exceptionally discerning palate. Xu Miyu had once been an inconspicuous full-time housewife—no matter how good her stewed meat was, it couldn't possibly surpass that of the hotel chefs who held first-class chef certifications.
At most, Ji Feng would take just one bite and then stop.
But even that one bite would be enough to save face for Xu Miyu.
As he thought this, Xue Rui picked up a slice of the stewed meat with his chopsticks, placed it in the bowl of congee, and handed it to Ji Feng. With a tone of earnest persuasion, he urged him to take just one bite, only one.
Ji Feng wore an expression of utter distaste.
Yet he didn't outright refuse. In the end, he half-heartedly took a bite of the congee along with the slice of stewed meat.
But the moment he swallowed that bite, his expression changed instantly.
Xue Rui, watching from the side, felt his heart drop at the sudden shift. He immediately thought, "It's over. Ji Feng is about to lose his temper. He's going to throw the bowl and chopsticks and say this is worse than chicken feed."
He saw Ji Feng extend his arm and held his breath in tension—surely, he was about to fling the chopsticks!
But the next second, his eyes nearly popped out in shock.
Ji Feng stretched out his arm, but instead of throwing the chopsticks, he plunged them into the lunchbox and picked up another slice of stewed meat.
He directly put the meat into his mouth.
Then he went for another slice...
Just like that, he continued eating, one bite after another.
Xue Rui watched, dumbfounded. Was it really that delicious, or was he forcing it down?
Meanwhile, Xu Miyu, whose heart had been in her throat, finally let it settle quietly back into place.
Suddenly, Ji Feng turned to Xu Miyu and asked, "Are you close with Chef Chen?"
Xu Miyu was taken aback and shook her head. Before she could speak, Ji Feng had already picked up another slice of meat, put it in his mouth, and mused, "No, that's not right. On closer taste, what you made doesn't have the same flavor as his. Yours isn't as chewy as his."
Xu Miyu's heart leaped back into her throat.
After a pause, Ji Feng swallowed the stewed meat, turned to look directly at Xu Miyu, and added, "But what you made has a more lasting aftertaste than his."
OpenNovel