Apart from a slight discrepancy in the number of collectibles to be reclaimed, the rest of the negotiations between Ji Feng and the Japanese client proceeded quickly and smoothly.
After the meeting concluded and the Japanese client was seen off, while waiting for the elevator to return to the top floor, Ji Feng suddenly turned around and asked Xu Miyu, "Besides understanding Japanese, can you speak it too?"
Xu Miyu nodded and replied directly in Japanese, "Yes, I can speak a little."
Ji Feng raised an eyebrow, surprised by how unexpectedly pleasant her pronunciation was.
"Besides Japanese and Thai, what other languages do you know?" Ji Feng asked again.
"I also know English, but I'm not proficient. I only passed Level 6 by sheer luck, and I feel my actual ability doesn't really meet that standard," Xu Miyu answered somewhat sheepishly.
But she noticed Ji Feng raising an eyebrow and asking Xue Rui, "Was what she just said what you previously called 'humblebragging'?"
Xue Rui nodded emphatically.
Xu Miyu, having spent her days at home watching dramas and browsing the internet, understood such internet slang perfectly well.
She quickly tried to explain that she hadn't meant to humblebrag, but Ji Feng interrupted her and asked another question, "How did you come to learn so many foreign languages?"
This time, Xu Miyu carefully considered her answer, afraid it might again come across as humblebragging: "I majored in languages in college, but honestly, I wasn't particularly skilled—just barely enough to graduate. Later, I often stayed home watching dramas—Thai, Japanese, and American ones. Over time, it seemed I picked up more and more. But I wouldn't really say I 'know' these languages; it's more like I can understand some of them..." Xu Miyu answered modestly.
She never dared to think of herself as someone who had mastered three foreign languages—it was more like a superficial understanding.
Ji Feng immediately turned to Xue Rui and said, "Did you hear that? She says she 'doesn't know' them, yet she understands three foreign languages. And you? You only know English and Japanese. When are you going to hurry up and get Thai figured out?"
Xue Rui's smile was like a layer of artificial skin, plastered onto his face.
Ji Feng turned back to look at Xu Miyu. The elevator arrived with a "ding," and the doors slowly opened.
As the doors slid open, Ji Feng looked at Xu Miyu and asked, "Actually, you seem to have many skills, so why were you willing to work as a housekeeper in a hotel?" It seemed a bit beneath her talents.
"Ah?" Xu Miyu was taken aback. "Do I... have many skills?"
She had always thought of herself as useless aside from being able to do household chores. Even her language skills were only good enough for watching dramas. Back when she was penniless and desperate, she just wanted a job—any job—that would pay her enough to support herself. At the time, aside from being a service worker, she truly couldn't think of anything else she was capable of doing. Even her elder sister had told her that working as a housekeeper wasn't beneath her. So, she had settled into her role as a housekeeper in the housekeeping department with contentment.
But after hearing Ji Feng's words, she couldn't help but wonder: In others' eyes, was she actually better than she perceived herself to be?
A sudden wave of happiness washed over her, brightening her eyes and making them sparkle.
Ji Feng glanced at the woman whose eyes had suddenly lit up. He straightened up and walked directly into the elevator. This woman underestimated her own abilities and worth more than anyone else did.
Xu Miyu remained standing there, slightly dazed with happiness, as if she couldn't quite believe that Ji Feng might have just given her another small vote of confidence.Xue Rui followed her into the elevator and called out to her again. She hurriedly caught up.
As she watched the elevator doors slowly close, Xu Miyu suddenly thought of something else.
It suddenly occurred to her that the Chinese document she had spent most of the day translating didn’t seem to have been of much use during the meeting.
So what was the point of having her translate it?
She was still pondering this unresolved question as she followed Ji Feng into the suite.
Beyond her thoughts was the sound of Ji Feng speaking. She snapped back to attention and realized both Ji Feng and Xue Rui were looking at her.
Ji Feng’s slightly furrowed brows showed impatience, while Xue Rui, his hands full of documents, quickly explained to Xu Miyu, “Mi Yu, Mr. Ji wants tea. I can’t get free right now—could you help with that?”
Xu Miyu immediately sprang into action.
When she returned with the teapot and poured a cup of Biluochun for Ji Feng, she heard him say disdainfully, “It’s too strong.”
Xu Miyu quickly offered to brew a fresh pot.
But Ji Feng stopped her, “Let it slide this time, but pay more attention next time.” He sipped the tea with clear distaste, then suddenly looked up and asked Xu Miyu, “What were you spacing out about earlier when I called you?”
His tone was cold, making it immediately clear to Xu Miyu that he detested inattentiveness when speaking to others.
Xu Miyu quickly considered how to answer—what to say, how much to reveal, and in what manner: “I’m sorry, Mr. Ji, it was my fault for zoning out. It won’t happen again! I was just thinking… you asked me to translate the document, which is definitely a good thing for me. It helps improve my skills, and I’m happy to do the work. It’s just that I have a very small doubt… the document I spent most of the day translating didn’t seem to be used during your meeting with the client… Oh, I don’t mean that it wasn’t worth translating if it wasn’t used. Actually, this translation was still great practice for me…”
“Get to the point. Don’t beat around the bush—you’ve said a lot without saying anything.” Ji Feng, having listened to her ramble, couldn’t help but cut her off.
He lowered his eyes to take a sip of tea, then looked up, staring directly at Xu Miyu’s face as he said, “If you keep spouting pointless nonsense, I’ll send you back to Feng Kaixin.”
Xu Miyu immediately summarized her question concisely: “…I just wanted to ask you, since the translated document wasn’t needed for the meeting, what was the purpose of having me spend most of the day translating it…”
Afraid that being too direct might upset Ji Feng, whose moods were hard to predict, her voice gradually trailed off toward the end.
But after hearing her question, Ji Feng lifted one corner of his mouth and chuckled.
“Since I told Feng Kaixin I was bringing you up to help translate documents, didn’t I have to let you translate something?” He sat on the sofa, crossing his legs with extreme elegance, one hand holding the teacup, the other resting on the armrest. His eyes lifted slowly as he looked at Xu Miyu and spoke deliberately.
“…”
So the point of translating a document that wouldn’t be used was… to uphold the honesty of his words?
Xu Miyu felt a slight twinge of dissatisfaction, as if she had been played in some small way.
But she didn’t dare express it.She had always known that Ji Feng was not an easygoing or approachable person. He was a lofty CEO who spent most of his time looking down on and despising her. Perhaps he only helped her on a whim. She wouldn’t lose her self-awareness over these occasional acts of assistance, thinking that Ji Feng treated her differently from others.
She understood her own insignificance and ordinariness all too well. Such Mary Sue-like luck would not befall a divorced woman like her, already thirty years old.
But Xue Rui, standing nearby, seemed to see through the faint resentment hidden beneath her calm and humble expression.
He quickly stepped in to smooth things over: "Mi Yu, actually, this isn’t just for the sake of putting on a show for your department manager. When these documents are archived, an accurate Chinese translation is always needed. You’ve actually saved my translation secretaries in the secretariat a lot of trouble."
Hearing this, Xu Miyu thought that the work she had spent most of the day on wasn’t entirely meaningless after all—at least it could be used for archiving.
Although the significance wasn’t great, it was still better than nothing.
Her previously tense mood eased slightly.
But aside from translating the documents, she had another question.
She didn’t dare ask Ji Feng again, much like a primary school student who only dared to challenge the homeroom teacher’s authority once a day and wouldn’t risk a second attempt.
So, while assisting Xue Rui and organizing the issues discussed during the meeting, she quietly asked him another question.
"Assistant Xue, there’s one more thing—since you didn’t actually need me for the meeting, why were you in such a hurry to bring me down to the executive lounge?"
Xue Rui let out an "oh" and replied, "Well, it’s all part of the act. Bringing you along to the meeting was also for your department manager’s benefit—you see, our CEO Ji borrowed you, and he really is making use of you, proving that you are indeed useful. That way, when you return to the housekeeping department later, out of respect for CEO Ji, your department manager, Feng Kaixin, won’t easily find a reason to pick on you or fire you without justification. He’ll have to consider CEO Ji’s reputation."
Listening to Xue Rui’s explanation, Xu Miyu felt a stir in her heart.
She had initially thought Ji Feng was just bored and using her pointlessly to pass the time.
But it turned out he was doing it for her benefit.
She discreetly turned to glance at Ji Feng.
He was sitting on the sofa, loudly complaining to Xue Rui that Chef Chen was off duty today and dinner was practically inedible. His tone was harsh and sarcastic, his words nitpicky, and his expression full of disdain.
In the past, Xu Miyu would have wanted to stay as far away as possible upon seeing Ji Feng like this, avoiding any chance of earning his scorn or disgust.
But at that moment, she found herself thinking that maybe she should borrow the pot from the security lady again that evening and stew some beef for him as a thank you. After all, today, from that sharp-tongued mouth of his, he had acknowledged her not once, but twice.
That evening, as Xu Miyu was leaving the suite after her shift, Xue Rui caught up with her at the elevator.
He was carrying a stack of books in his hands.
He handed the stack over to Xu Miyu.
She felt her arms suddenly sink under the weight, as if the books had shortened her by a few centimeters.
She quickly looked down at the pile of books in her arms—they were all about the hotel business and appeared to have been read before.After examining the books, she looked up at Xue Rui and asked, "Assistant Xue, are you giving me these books... to translate into Thai?" The mere possibility made her voice tremble as she spoke.
This was utterly insane!
Xue Rui, however, burst out laughing. "Our boss wouldn't go that far to make things difficult for you. These books aren't for translation—they're for you to study while reading."
Xu Miyu was taken aback for a moment before asking, "So it was your boss, President Ji, who asked you to give me these books to study?"
Xue Rui immediately shook his head. "My boss said he's not that idle!"
Realizing his choice of words might have been inappropriate, he smiled awkwardly, locking eyes with Xu Miyu in a silent standoff.
"..." Xu Miyu said, "Oh, so it was still your boss who wanted me to read these books."
Xue Rui's smile froze on his face.
Not wanting to put him on the spot any further, Xu Miyu quickly bid farewell. "I'll make sure to read these books carefully. Thank you, Assistant Xue. See you tomorrow."
She hugged the books and stepped into the elevator.
Whoever it was who wanted her to read these books, and for whatever reason, she decided not to dwell on it. After all, learning more could never be a bad thing.
When Xue Rui returned to the suite, Ji Feng was sitting on the sofa, tending to his virtual farm on his tablet with the same dedication he had shown for years.
Hearing Xue Rui's footsteps, he didn't even look up, merely asking, "Did you give her all the books?"
Xue Rui replied, "Yes, all of them."
Ji Feng lifted his head. "What was her reaction?"
Xue Rui said, "She was very surprised," then paused before adding, "But she figured out that it was you who wanted her to read those books."
Ji Feng narrowed his eyes immediately.
Xue Rui hurried to explain, "I swear, she guessed it on her own!"
Ji Feng shot him a disdainful glance, as if his eyes had hands and a voice, pointing at Xue Rui's nose and saying, "Useless, you can't even keep such a small thing under wraps."
Xue Rui quickly tried to change the subject to divert Ji Feng's simmering irritation. "Boss, if I may ask, why did you specifically have me find these books for her to read?"
Ji Feng retorted at once, "That's not the right way to put it. I didn't specifically have you find these books for her. It's just that since I've finished reading them, they're taking up space here. Might as well have you give them to her to broaden her horizons."
Xue Rui fell silent. He simply watched quietly as his boss tried to talk his way out of it.
"I want to see how much this woman can learn from them," Ji Feng said, lowering his head again to rearrange the plots in his farm. As he fiddled with them, he added somewhat nonchalantly, "I'm curious to see just how surprising she can be."
Xu Miyu brought the books back to her dormitory. After briefly flipping through each one, she grew increasingly convinced that every book would be immensely helpful for her work. She had a vague feeling that after studying these books seriously, her professional perspective and way of thinking would expand significantly.
She didn't know why Ji Feng had asked Xue Rui to give her these books to read. She was almost afraid to entertain the thought in a certain direction—that Ji Feng wanted to help her grow in her career.
She felt unworthy of such an idea.
So, it was very likely that Ji Feng simply found the books cluttering up his room and picked out the ones related to the hotel industry to pass on to her.
Nevertheless, these books were helpful to her. And Ji Feng had been helpful to her as well. So, she ought to thank him properly again.
That evening, she borrowed a pot from the security lady once more and stewed another batch of beef.The aroma of the stewed meat was so rich during the process that it permeated the entire hallway, luring over the two food enthusiasts, Ke Wenxue and Yin Xiang.
Xu Miyu generously gave each of them a few pieces of beef. The two of them held their bowls and feasted heartily in Xu Miyu's dorm room, almost swallowing their tongues along with the food.
While eating, Ke Wenxue mumbled to Xu Miyu through a full mouth, "Mi Yu, you know, ever since you shared your heartfelt thoughts with us and gave us beef last time, I've been craving this braised beef you make so much that I can't even eat or sleep properly. It's even more unbearable than thinking about men!"
Yin Xiang, also eating, chimed in teasing Ke Wenxue, "With such delicious braised beef, who needs men? Men might even come and fight me for a bite!"
Xu Miyu was amused by their words and laughed. She promised the two girls that whenever she made braised beef, she would bring them each a portion.
Hearing this, Ke Wenxue was so delighted that she held up her bowl and jokingly proposed to Xu Miyu, "Mi Yu, marry me! For this food, I'm willing to turn to women!"
Xu Miyu's smile widened even more. "I've suffered emotionally because of men, so be careful not to actually turn me gay."
Ke Wenxue immediately seized the opportunity to reply, "Don't worry, Mi Yu. From now on, we'll make sure you taste the sweetness of life. Your blessings are yet to come!"
A smile lingered on Xu Miyu's face for a long time.
After finishing one piece of meat, Ke Wenxue couldn't bear to eat the rest. She licked her fingers and smacked her lips, savoring the lingering taste.
Seeing how pitiful Ke Wenxue looked while licking her fingers, Xu Miyu gave her another piece of stewed meat. Noticing Yin Xiang glaring jealously, she quickly gave Yin Xiang an extra piece as well.
She smiled as she watched Ke Wenxue and Yin Xiang thank her joyfully.
Suddenly, she realized that she could now face the topic of her ended marriage with ease and laughter.
Perhaps, at this moment, she had truly emerged from the shadows of her past.
The next day, Xu Miyu brought the braised beef to the top floor and gave it to Ji Feng.
When Ji Feng saw the food container, his expression remained indifferent, his entire demeanor cold and aloof.
However, with the stewed meat as a side, he ended up drinking one more bowl of plain congee than usual for breakfast.
After finishing his meal, he stopped Xu Miyu, who was about to go clean the suite, and said to her in the same cold and detached tone, "The braised beef was quite good." After a pause, he added, "I don't like owing people. Since I've eaten your stewed meat, you can make one request of me in the future, and I'll fulfill it."
Xu Miyu immediately replied humbly, "No, no, it's just a little braised beef!" After catching her breath, she added, "Any request at all?"
Sitting on the sofa, Ji Feng raised his eyes and eyebrows at her abrupt shift in tone: "..."
Then he let out a faint hum through his nose. "Mm. Any request at all."
Xu Miyu asked timidly but eagerly, "I started reading those books last night, but there are many parts I don't understand. Can I ask you about the parts I don't get?"
"No," Ji Feng replied without hesitation, his tone firm and resolute.
"..." Xu Miyu hid her disappointment and responded with a humble and respectful "Oh."
—And yet you said you'd fulfill one of my requests.
—And that any request would do.—Only to regret it the very next second.
—What’s the difference between saying something like that and just passing gas…
Xu Miyu maintained a humble and respectful expression on her face, but inside, she was secretly unleashing a torrent of sharp criticism.
Just as she finished her mental tirade, she looked up and abruptly met Ji Feng’s faintly mocking expression.
His expression seemed to suggest he had already seen through the real thoughts she was hiding beneath her humble facade. Yet he didn’t expose her, merely observing her with detached scrutiny.
His cold yet captivating eyes always seemed capable of seeing right through everyone, leaving no place to hide.
Feeling a little guilty, Xu Miyu couldn’t help but offer Ji Feng a tentative smile.
That smile finally saved her.
As soon as Ji Feng saw her smile, he immediately averted his gaze. Lowering his eyes to the documents in his hand, he said to her indifferently, “Go attend to your own tasks.”
Xu Miyu began to study those books earnestly.
Some of the materials and books were highly technical, and Xu Miyu found them quite challenging. When she encountered minor points she didn’t understand, she searched online for answers. For more complex issues that she couldn’t find explanations for online or couldn’t comprehend, she turned to Xue Rui for help.
The first time she asked Xue Rui, she was afraid of disturbing him and felt somewhat guilty about it.
But to her surprise, Xue Rui was nothing like his boss—he was very approachable and willing to talk. Often, when Xu Miyu asked one question, he would eagerly provide three different answers.
Xu Miyu sometimes wondered if Xue Rui was compensating for his boss, who rarely spoke and, when he did, tended to shut people down with cutting remarks.
With this back-and-forth—her asking one question and Xue Rui offering three answers—it appeared as though she and Xue Rui had hit it off and could chat easily.
But deep down, she still regarded both Xue Rui and Ji Feng as people from a different world, individuals she had to look up to whenever she interacted with them.
At least, she had managed to relax and converse naturally with Xue Rui without feeling nervous.
However, every time she saw Ji Feng, she would freeze up, unable to react naturally.
Perhaps it was Ji Feng’s cold disdain and his naturally sarcastic aura that made her feel an urge to flee in embarrassment. Each time she faced him, she became acutely aware that they were from two entirely different worlds. Between their worlds lay a vast chasm, filled with her self-awareness—she could never bridge the gap to reach his lofty world.
This chasm made her deeply uncomfortable whenever she was around Ji Feng. When faced with something too perfect, one is always reminded of their own inadequacies.
Fortunately, her time on the top floor would last only seven days. Once those seven days were over, she could return to her own world and strive to be a humble but content ordinary person.
Ji Feng noticed that Xu Miyu often went to Xue Rui with questions. The two of them would engage in lively, endless conversations, laughing and chatting as if they got along exceptionally well.
But the moment he appeared, no matter how animated their discussion had been just seconds before, Xu Miyu would immediately fall silent. She would adopt a reverent expression, slightly bowing her back like a subservient attendant, waiting for his instructions.
Her exaggerated display of obedience irritated him.
He knew perfectly well that beneath that compliant exterior, she harbored thoughts entirely contrary to obedience—thoughts that were likely critical or even scornful of him.He wanted to see when she would honestly pour out the thoughts in her heart, instead of pretending to be an obedient, well-behaved puppet like she was now.
When Xu Miyu went to ask Xue Rui questions again, he found it annoying and directly called Xue Rui’s name, sending him to the company to retrieve documents.
As soon as the documents were brought back, Xu Miyu immediately seized the opportunity to try asking Xue Rui questions again.
Ji Feng then assigned Xue Rui to send a courier package.
When Xue Rui returned, Xu Miyu wanted to ask questions again.
Ji Feng sent Xue Rui to wash the car once more.
Xue Rui immediately said, "Boss, couldn't we just have the driver wash the car?"
Ji Feng immediately replied, "The driver? He has family matters today. I approved his leave."
Xue Rui was puzzled. "Family matters? But that can't be right—he was the one driving me back to the company just now to retrieve documents!"
Ji Feng said, "It just came up."
"..."
Xue Rui had no choice but to go downstairs again to wash the car.
Xu Miyu stood there, watching eagerly as Xue Rui returned, then watching just as eagerly as he left again, over and over.
Her gaze annoyed Ji Feng to no end. Finally, after sending Xue Rui off to wash the car, Ji Feng asked Xu Miyu coldly, "Is your mouth incapable of opening in front of me? Or do you think Xue Rui knows things I don’t, that he’s more knowledgeable than I am, and I’m not worth your questions?"
Xu Miyu was taken aback by his words. Then, stammering slightly, she asked, "C-can I really ask you about the parts I don’t understand?"
Ji Feng mimicked her stammering tone and retorted, "H-have I ever told you that you can’t ask me?"
Xu Miyu mumbled, "I think... you did say I couldn’t..."
Ji Feng paused, raised an eyebrow, and stubbornly insisted, "Oh. That was just an offhand remark."
"..." Xu Miyu didn’t know how to respond to his logic, which always seemed to favor him.
Instead, it was Ji Feng who grew impatient first and commanded, "If you have questions, ask them quickly."
Xu Miyu hurriedly flipped through her notebook, found the notes she had taken during her study sessions, and tentatively began asking Ji Feng.
To her surprise, Ji Feng actually answered her. Although his expression was sour, cold, and impatient, he addressed every single question she had recorded one by one.
It had to be said that, compared to Xue Rui, Ji Feng’s answers were more professional and to the point. His insights and analyses were also uniquely his own.
Gradually, Xu Miyu grew bolder. Even when Xue Rui was present, she dared to ask Ji Feng questions directly.
The first time Xue Rui heard Xu Miyu ask Ji Feng a question, he panicked and quickly tried to stop her, afraid she would upset Ji Feng. "Sorry, Mi Yu, our General Manager Ji never answers questions. He doesn’t like being disturbed. Come on, Mi Yu, let’s go sit over there. I’ll answer your questions!"
Xu Miyu listened in a daze. Xue Rui’s description seemed to differ from what she had personally witnessed.
But she still said, "Oh," and prepared to retreat from Ji Feng’s presence with Xue Rui, leaving him in peace.
This time, however, Ji Feng stopped them.
His tone was cold and slightly mocking as he said to her, "What do you mean, 'oh'? As if I didn’t answer your questions yesterday."
Then, sitting there with a stern face and cold voice, he answered her question again.
Xue Rui stood by, utterly stunned.
Looking from Xu Miyu to Ji Feng and back, Xue Rui thought, almost in confusion, "So Ji Feng can be approachable after all. It turns out I’ve misunderstood him all along!"
OpenNovel