The Epoch of Miyu

Returning to the dormitory later than usual after leaving Ji Feng's place last night, Xu Miyu had gone to bed somewhat late and consequently woke up half an hour later than normal in the morning.

When she arrived at her eldest sister's house, both her sister and brother-in-law wore expressions of mild reproach.

Her brother-in-law was the first to voice criticism: "Third Sister, why does your attitude toward coming to our house keep getting more and more pretentious?"

Her eldest sister chimed in: "Exactly. Before, you'd come as soon as we called. Now not only do we have to ask you repeatedly, but you also keep arriving later each time." After a pause, she broadened the topic to Jiao Xiumei: "Also, a few days ago when Mom went to your hotel to see you, did you team up with outsiders to upset her? You should remember—no matter what, Mom gave birth to you and raised you. Don't be foolish and turn into an ungrateful person."

In the past, given Xu Miyu's temperament, she would have muttered a couple of polite responses to whatever her sister and brother-in-law said, silently complained to herself, and let it pass.

But these past two days, she had received enlightenment from Ji Feng. He made her understand that weakness is even more frightening than wickedness.

So she needed to gradually stop being weak and learn to say no to others.

She first responded to her brother-in-law: "It's not that I'm being pretentious—it's that you've taken bossing me around for granted. Even if I arrive late, it's not against the law for me not to come at all. Besides, I'm here because you begged me to come. When people beg for favors, they shouldn't have such an attitude, don't you think, Brother-in-law?"

She saw him glaring at her, rendered speechless.

Ignoring him, she turned to Xu Mizi: "Eldest Sister, what Mrs. Jiao did wasn't 'visiting' me at the hotel—that's not what 'visiting' means. What she did was throw a tantrum. I didn't team up with outsiders to upset her either; even outsiders couldn't stand watching her exploit her own daughter like that."

Xu Mizi clearly didn't like what she heard. "Huh?" she exclaimed. "How can you talk about your own mother that way?"

Xu Miyu immediately retorted: "Then why don't you first ask Mrs. Jiao why she torments her own daughter like that?"

Xu Mizi was left momentarily speechless by Xu Miyu's words. Ultimately, with a pile of beef in the kitchen waiting for Xu Miyu to handle, she couldn't afford to push her too far. In the end, she could only vent her frustration verbally: "Third Sister, who have you been learning from? You've turned bad—how did you become so sharp-tongued?"

Seizing the opportunity, Xu Miyu asked Xu Mizi in return: "You think I've turned bad, but have you ever considered that what you call 'not turning bad'—constantly giving money and resources to our parents and brother—is actually the worst state to be in? Eldest Sister, to be honest, the three of us sisters have been brainwashed by our family since childhood. Our parents have always instilled in us that the boy in the family is the most precious and that we must become sibling supporters to be worthy of our parents. But have you ever considered whether our parents have been worthy of us?"

Catching her breath, Xu Miyu looked at Xu Mizi and said: "Eldest Sister, I've awakened now. I will never give money to our parents or Xu Mibao again—I want to live my own life. I hope you can wake up too."

Xu Mizi stared at Xu Miyu in stunned disbelief, as if she had heard something unimaginable and utterly rebellious.

"What are you saying? Why do you talk about our parents as if they're your enemies? What's wrong with you? Have you been possessed or hit your head?"Xu Miyu shook her head. Her eldest sister had been brainwashed by their parents far more severely than she had; waking her up in one attempt was utterly impossible.

Surprisingly, it was Sister-in-law who unexpectedly spoke up in Xu Miyu's defense: "I actually think Third Sister makes a good point this time. We've spent way too much money on your brother."

The eldest sister immediately scowled and snapped at him, "Shut up! If it weren't for me, you wouldn't even have a job in the city, let alone food to eat. Stop chiming in nonsense and get out of here!"

Sister-in-law fell silent but didn't leave. Xu Mizi urged Xu Miyu to hurry to the kitchen and start stewing the meat. "It's getting late. We can talk more after the stewing is done."

Xu Miyu entered the kitchen, tied on her apron, and as she inspected the beef, she made a request to Xu Mizi.

"Eldest Sister, after the stewed meat is done today, I want to take some with me."

Xu Mizi immediately raised her voice in protest, "That won't do! This meat has been carefully measured and portioned!"

Xu Miyu glanced back at her.

Xu Mizi said, "Third Sister, my appetite has been really poor lately, and the only thing I can eat is the stewed meat you make. I've calculated the exact amount of beef needed—just enough for me to last. If you take some, I won't have enough! Do you know how much trouble it is to get you over here? It's almost like having to worship you."

Without saying another word, Xu Miyu began untying the apron she had just fastened.

"Then you can stew it yourselves."

Sister-in-law quickly shot Xu Mizi a meaningful look: Don't be so stubborn with her. She's clearly not herself lately.

Seeing the resolute, unyielding expression on Xu Miyu's face, Xu Mizi realized that if she didn't agree to the request, Xu Miyu would indeed leave without hesitation.

Suppressing her temper once again, Xu Mizi reluctantly conceded, "Fine, fine, you can take some with you. Is that okay?"

Xu Miyu retied her apron and began preparing to stew the meat.

Standing behind her, Xu Mizi watched as she busied herself washing the pot and meat, unable to resist asking in a sour tone, "Third Sister, have you met someone? How have you become so assertive lately?"

Without pausing her work, Xu Miyu replied briskly as she moved about, "I'm just not as weak and timid as I used to be. If I were truly assertive, I wouldn't have come here today. Wouldn't it be better to rest properly in my dorm on my day off? Why bother traveling all the way here to cook stewed meat for you and listen to your unwarranted criticisms?"

Behind her, Xu Mizi fell silent—Sister-in-law, fearing another argument between the sisters, had dragged her away.

Left alone in the kitchen, Xu Miyu reflected on the exchange she had just had with her eldest sister and Sister-in-law.

In the past, she had always been afraid of upsetting others, enduring grievances and criticisms without standing up for herself. The result was that everyone else was happy—only she was unhappy, accumulating too much negative energy within herself.

Others were stepping on her unhappiness to live joyfully.

Thankfully, Ji Feng had pushed her to the point of urgency and anger.

He made her realize that not swallowing her pride could feel so incredibly satisfying.

After finishing the stewed meat at her eldest sister's house, Xu Miyu didn't hold back this time—true to her word, she packed a generous portion to take with her.

As she wrapped the meat, Xu Mizi couldn't help muttering incessantly beside her, complaining that Xu Miyu was being ruthless by taking so much at once.Xu Miyu didn't hold back this time and retorted sharply: "You always drag me over to do unpaid labor—no dinner provided, no transportation covered. Now when I take just a few pieces of stewed meat, you go on and on about it. Fine then, elder sister, from now on let's keep clear accounts even between sisters. Next time you ask me over, you'll have to pay me for meals, transportation, and labor costs. Consider these pieces of stewed meat as payment for this time—I won't ask for more—but without proper payment next time, I really won't come."

Xu Mizi's eyes widened in disbelief: "What are you saying, third sister? How can you be like this, charging your own sister?! Have you lost your mind lately? Where's my obedient, sensible, and caring third sister gone?"

Xu Miyu smiled: "If I remained as meek and easily exploited as before, that would truly be losing my mind. Like it or not, this is settled. Without covering my expenses next time, I definitely won't come."

After wrapping the meat, she put on her shoes and left, ignoring the mixed scolding from her elder sister and brother-in-law behind her.

Exiting the old residential building, Xu Miyu took a deep breath of the sky.

Though it hadn't rained, the day was still overcast, the air damp. But with that deep breath, she seemed to catch the fragrance of soil.

This felt like the most relieved she'd been after leaving her elder sister's house.

The bus ride back took a full hour of jostling and dawdling. By the time she got off, Xu Miyu was ravenous. She ate a bowl of noodles at a small roadside noodle shop before returning to her dorm.

After washing up, she leaned on her bed and started reading. Perhaps tired from running around all day, she unknowingly fell asleep while reading.

When she woke again, she felt dazed and disoriented. Outside the window was the deep black of late night, the surroundings held the quiet that only comes when all things are asleep. Except for a persistent ringing sound filling the room.

Collecting herself, Xu Miyu realized the noise was her phone ringing.

She had been awakened by a phone call.

Grabbing her phone, she saw it was already nine o'clock in the evening.

The caller was Xue Rui.

Answering the insistently ringing phone, she heard Xue Rui first sigh in relief.

"Sis, you finally picked up!"

With a hint of sleepy hoarseness, Xu Miyu asked: "What brings you calling so late?"

Xue Rui stammered: "La-late?" As if someone had reminded him that contacting others for favors this late might be inappropriate. But something compelled him to call, making him nervously stutter.

Xu Miyu quickly helped him save face: "It's not that late, Assistant Xue. What can I do for you?"

Xue Rui cleared his throat and asked: "Well, Manager Ji wanted me to check—when you went out to make braised beef for someone else during the day, did you bring back a few pieces for him as agreed?"

"..." Xu Miyu never expected their urgent late-night contact was to confirm this bit of food.

She told him: "I did bring some."

Xue Rui immediately said: "Great! Sister Mi Yu, where do you live? I'll come get them now!"

So urgent...

Xu Miyu had originally planned to bring them to the hotel for Ji Feng during her shift tomorrow.Counting the days, her temporary assignment to serve VIP clients on the top floor would end after tomorrow, and she would return to her original position on the executive level.

She had been thinking that tomorrow she would neatly slice the stewed meat, arrange it in a food container, and bring it to the hotel for Ji Feng as a farewell gift.

It would also serve as a token of gratitude for all his help during this period—even though his expression remained stern, his temper as foul as ever, and his gaze still full of disdain and sarcasm, he had ultimately helped her immensely.

Others might not see how he had helped her, but she knew very well—he had helped her transform completely.

But she never expected Ji Feng to be so impatient that he couldn’t even wait until the next day.

On the other end of the phone, Xue Rui was chattering away: "Mi Yu, sorry to keep you up so late. Here’s the thing—Chef Chen isn’t working today, and our Mr. Ji won’t eat anything made by anyone else. So, he hasn’t eaten a single thing all day. On top of that, the drizzling rain last night kept him up all night. Can you imagine how he looks now after a whole day and night without food or sleep? He’s practically the male version of Lin Daiyu! I thought maybe reading some English to him would at least help him sleep, but no matter how I read, he couldn’t fall asleep and kept correcting my pronunciation! It’s unbelievable—I’m starting to doubt if all my previous English speaking practice was for nothing! Since he couldn’t sleep, I figured he should eat something, so I ordered a bunch of takeout. But he acted like he was pregnant—just smelling or tasting a bite made him look like he was about to throw up. I’m at my wit’s end!"

Listening to Xue Rui’s rambling complaints, Xu Miyu couldn’t help but chuckle silently.

Ji Feng must have really worn him out today for him to vent so unreservedly about his boss to her.

But beneath all the complaints lay genuine concern.

Xu Miyu sighed and said, "Forget it, I just took a nap and feel wide awake now. You must be exhausted after such a long day—don’t bother coming over. I’ll bring the stewed meat to you instead."

Xue Rui quickly replied, "No, no, I’ll come get it. I can’t let you make the trip so late."

Xu Miyu added, "Should I read some English to him while I’m there?"

Xue Rui immediately changed his tune: "Mi Yu, I’ll wait for you. Don’t stand me up!"

After hanging up, Xu Miyu got up immediately, washed her face quickly, sliced the braised beef she had brought back from her sister, packed it into a container, grabbed an umbrella, and left the dormitory.

It was another night of drizzling rain—not heavy but persistent. It seemed that if she didn’t read some English to Ji Feng to help him sleep, he would likely spend another sleepless night.

When she arrived at the hotel and saw Ji Feng, she almost gasped in surprise.

His usually handsome and spirited face now looked haggard and dull, his eyes seemingly sunken into their sockets.

Lack of sleep and picky eating had reduced his once vibrant self to a listless, weary state.

It almost stirred a maternal instinct in Xu Miyu.

Seeing her, Ji Feng was also taken aback.When he saw the food container in her hand, Ji Feng’s eyes lit up like a traveler in the desert finally spotting water. He raised his hand and pointed at the container. “Is that the stewed meat you brought for me? Hurry and give it to me!”

Xu Miyu looked at Ji Feng. In that moment, she no longer saw him as an intimidating, unapproachable figure.

With a faint smile, she carried the container over, opened the lid, and watched as Ji Feng devoured the food as though he hadn’t eaten for three days.

Nearby, Xue Rui drooled at the aroma of the meat.

Suppressing a laugh, Xu Miyu whispered to him, “Assistant Xue, I saved a piece for you too. I’ll give it to you quietly later.”

Xue Rui’s entire face brightened, looking so moved he seemed ready to declare Xu Miyu his sister on the spot.

After finishing the meat, Ji Feng leaned back on the sofa, closed his eyes, and rested contentedly.

After a while, both Xu Miyu and Xue Rui thought he had fallen asleep. Xu Miyu tiptoed, preparing to leave, but before she did, she quietly handed the piece of stewed meat she had saved for Xue Rui to him.

Just then, Ji Feng spoke.

“Both of you, stay right there. Xu Miyu, you dare bribe my assistant right in front of me?”

His voice was cold, half-serious and half-joking, making Xu Miyu feel a little afraid again.

Xue Rui, however, grinned cheekily, confident that Ji Feng’s mood wouldn’t be too bad after a full meal. He changed the subject: “Boss, you’ve been sitting here for a while. Why don’t you go lie down on the bed and try to sleep?”

Ji Feng’s demeanor paused for a moment, as if seriously considering the feasibility of trying to sleep.

“Mi Yu said she could read English to you for a while,” Xue Rui added.

Ji Feng stood up from the sofa and walked toward the bedroom.

After a few steps, he turned back and raised an eyebrow at Xu Miyu, who was still standing in place. “Are you staying put because you think my hearing is good enough, or are you planning to read to me from the living room using a loudspeaker?”

Snapping back to reality, Xu Miyu quickly followed him.

She had just been unsure whether she was allowed to follow Ji Feng into his bedroom. During her time here, one thing had become clear to her: Ji Feng disliked others entering his territory, and the most forbidden part of that territory was his bedroom. Aside from Xue Rui, who occasionally went in to tidy up, no one else was allowed inside.

...Well, on second thought, there had been a second person.

Herself.

And that night, not only had she entered, but she and Ji Feng had...

A sudden explosion of noise seemed to ring in Xu Miyu’s ears.

She felt utterly flustered.

How was she supposed to pretend everything was fine and step into that bedroom, which held memories of an unexpected night?

Just as her emotions were in turmoil, Xu Miyu suddenly realized that Ji Feng was leading her to a different bedroom.

...He had switched bedrooms.

Xu Miyu couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.

At the same time, she understood something else—given Ji Feng’s level of fastidiousness, he would no longer sleep in the bedroom she had accidentally occupied.

So he had moved to another room, even if it was slightly smaller than the previous one.

Ji Feng entered the room, kicked off his shoes, and got into bed. Leaning back against the pillows, he closed his eyes and instructed Xu Miyu in a low voice, “Pull up a chair and sit here. Start reading.”

Obediently, Xu Miyu dragged a chair to the bedside, turned on the bedside lamp, switched off the main light, picked up an English book, and began to read.Outside the window, the steady patter of rain soaked the night in a damp, icy chill. A soft yellow lamp glowed in the room, casting a warm and tranquil ambiance.

Xu Miyu read English aloud in a measured tone, neither too loud nor too soft, her pace unhurried and flowing gently.

Before long, she heard Ji Feng’s faint, even breaths.

Gradually, her reading voice softened, fading into silence.

He had fallen asleep.

Perhaps exhausted from a full day and night of activity, he was truly tired—so much so that even when she stopped, he didn’t stir.

Bathed in the dim lamplight, Xu Miyu gazed at the sleeping Ji Feng.

She had to admit, she had never seen a man more handsome than him.

The gentle light softened his usually sharp brows and eyes, casting a soft glow over his full forehead, slightly prominent brow bones, straight nose bridge, and lips that seemed neither fully pressed nor relaxed.

In his sleep, he bore no resemblance to the difficult person he was when awake. Now, he was quiet, gentle, free of sarcasm or aggression—perfect, like a masterpiece crafted by a master artist.

Xu Miyu withdrew her gaze from Ji Feng’s sleeping face. She stood up, turned off the bedside lamp, allowing him to rest fully in the darkness, and then tiptoed out of the room.

Seeing her emerge, Xue Rui pointed toward the room in surprise and asked softly, “He’s asleep? Already? So quickly?”

Xu Miyu nodded.

Xue Rui gave her a thumbs-up. “You’re the one with the knack!”

Xu Miyu smiled at him, her eyes curving into crescents, her lips parting slightly to reveal pearl-like, delicate white teeth. Her smile seemed to brighten the night itself.

She bid Xue Rui a soft farewell and left.

As he saw her off, Xue Rui couldn’t help but dwell on the sudden radiance of her smile.

When this sister smiles, she really is beautiful, he thought. If I were Ji Feng, relying on her for food and sleep, and seeing her smile like that, I’d probably have been moved without realizing it.

But Ji Feng wasn’t someone easily moved. Not only did he demand perfection from himself, but he also adhered to a principle of perfection when it came to his future partner—so strictly that he was almost hard-hearted.

So why was he letting his thoughts run wild? No matter how beautifully this sister smiled, it was unlikely to move someone as unyielding as Ji Feng.

Upon returning to her dorm, Xu Miyu washed up and went straight to bed.

In stark contrast to Ji Feng, she slept deeply and soundly, lulled by the steady patter of the rain.

The next morning, she woke up refreshed, washed up, and prepared to give her best on her final day working on the top floor.

When she arrived, she was surprised to see that Ji Feng also seemed in good spirits this morning—a clear sign that he had slept well the night before.

By the time Xu Miyu arrived, Ji Feng had already finished breakfast, changed into his suit, and was preparing to head out with Xue Rui.

As they passed each other—one entering, the other leaving—Ji Feng glanced at her and gave a slight nod as a greeting before moving on.

What others might have seen as a rather cold acknowledgment was, in Xu Miyu’s eyes, an unusually warm gesture.

Given Ji Feng’s nature, he had never greeted her before. She figured this glance and nod were his way of acknowledging her role in helping him fall asleep—and sleep well—the previous night.Xue Rui followed behind Ji Feng. As he passed by Xu Miyu, he paused briefly and quickly told her: "Mi Yu, I have to accompany President Ji to three meetings today. Getting through all of them will probably take the whole day. If there's nothing going on during the day, you can rest on the living room sofa. When it's time to clock off in the evening, just leave on time—no need to wait for us. There's no telling when we'll be back."

Xu Miyu only had time to reply "Okay" before she could say anything else, as Xue Rui had already hurried off after Ji Feng.

Xu Miyu didn't get the chance to tell Xue Rui that today was her last day on duty here, and that tomorrow she would return to the executive level to resume her role as team leader.

During the day when Ji Feng was away, Xu Miyu felt completely at ease.

So much so that she grew almost bored. She simply rolled up her sleeves and cleaned the entire large suite from top to bottom.

She smoothed out every bed sheet and duvet cover until not a single wrinkle remained, meticulously vacuumed every inch of the suite's carpets, and thoroughly scrubbed all the bathrooms—especially the one Ji Feng used daily, polishing the bathtub and toilet until they gleamed with a pale, reflective shine.

Finally, before leaving work in the evening, she thought for a moment and left a note on the living room coffee table.

Ji Feng had attended three major meetings throughout the day and didn't return to the hotel until nightfall.

When he opened the door to the penthouse, he was met with complete darkness. He paused in slight surprise.

This didn't match his expectations.

In his mind, the suite should have been brightly lit, with Xu Miyu waiting for their return on the living room sofa.

Xue Rui quickly activated the suite's lighting system.

In the brilliantly illuminated room, there was no sign of Xu Miyu.

She had already left.

Ji Feng walked over and sat on the sofa, an indescribable weariness spreading and churning through his limbs into his core.

His gaze swept across the coffee table and landed on a note.

Ji Feng initially intended to call Xue Rui over to read it to him, but then changed his mind and leaned forward to pick up the note himself.

Several lines of text were written on it—neither particularly elegant nor unattractive, but neat and delicate, quite pleasant to read.

Scanning the content, he saw it was Xu Miyu's message of gratitude left for him before concluding her temporary assignment to the penthouse.

She wrote that today was her last day working upstairs, and tomorrow she would return to the executive level.

Although her time here had been brief, it represented the most important and meaningful days of her life. Because she had discovered a new version of herself—one who wanted to live a different kind of life. She even suggested that these few days had opened the door to her new existence. She also thanked him for helping her out of a difficult situation and saving her job. For this kindness, she promised to find a way to repay him properly in the future.

At the end of the note, signed in careful, deliberate strokes, were the three characters: Xu Miyu.

Ji Feng looked at the note in his hand and let out a derisive laugh.

How carefree of her—leaving a note, promising future repayment, then departing without even needing to meet face-to-face.

In the background, he could hear Xue Rui chattering excitedly: "Wow, I just went to tidy up your room and found that Mi Yu cleaned everything before she left! The beds are so perfectly made I'm afraid to touch them—one touch would create wrinkles! The bathtub is polished enough to see your reflection, and the bathroom glass walls are so clean they practically vanish into the air—I almost walked right into one! Mi Yu is really something—not only can she cook delicious food and speak foreign languages, but she's also a cleaning master!"

Ji Feng couldn't help but let a mocking smile escape the corner of his mouth. Those three parallel sentences of Xue Rui's—he had no idea how they'd been forced together like that. But glancing around, he had to admit the woman had indeed cleaned every corner of his rooms spotlessly. Though her presence lingered faintly in the air—a subtle scent of laundry detergent mixed with light lemon freshness. Even though she was gone, that trace of her essence seemed to still permeate the space.He truly detested having other people's scents lingering in his room. For this reason, he forbade hotel housekeepers from tidying his space. Those attendants always carried strong perfumes on their bodies. Even Xue Rui wasn't allowed to wear anything with the slightest fragrance - whether cologne, scented products, or even laundry detergent had to be as odorless as possible.

Yet surprisingly, he didn't mind the faint lemon scent she left lingering in the air.

Outside the window, the rain continued its persistent drizzle. This damned autumn rainy season in the city, well aware of its unwelcome presence yet stubbornly refusing to leave.

Thanks to this cursed season, he found himself suffering from insomnia again tonight.

Tossing and turning in bed until the mattress seemed ready to collapse, yet not a hint of drowsiness could be summoned.

In a moment of frustration bordering on despair, he even considered calling Xu Miyu back to read English to him.

But he restrained himself.

What a joke it would be - a woman who had left so decisively, while he appeared unable to function without her.

He resolved to endure it, believing everything would improve once these rainy autumn days passed.

Yet this year's drizzling weather seemed exceptionally prolonged, as if heaven itself had encountered some profound sorrow, refusing to grant sunshine until it had cried its fill.

Thus, after these days, Ji Feng felt as if only half his life remained.

Eighty percent of his nights were spent staring wide-eyed with insomnia, while the remaining twenty percent brought only exhausted half-sleep.

The cruel irony - unable to sleep at night, yet still having to handle affairs normally during the day. The world wouldn't stop rotating just because he had insomnia last night. All matters continued their usual progression.

So he endured sleepless nights, agonizing daytime fatigue, yet persisted in handling various tasks. His physical stamina, endurance, and mental strength were all approaching their limits.

It felt as if just one more ounce of exhaustion would cause his entire being to collapse under the burden.

What should he do?

Deep down, he knew the most urgent matter was getting proper sleep.

Yet the very woman who could help him sleep well was someone he didn't want to summon again.

He didn't want to call Xu Miyu back to read English, especially since she had returned to her original position.

He refused to appear so dependent on a woman. Particularly one so flawed and imperfect. Though he didn't dislike her as much as before, he still felt no affection, maintaining that faint disdain.

He disdained her for being half a year older than him, yet having made such a mess of her life, only learning to start over at thirty. He disdained how she had inexplicably given him sexual experience, tarnishing his former purity and perfection. Every time this thought surfaced, irritation surged through him so intensely he wanted to hit someone.

He also disdained her six years as a housewife, leaving her completely out of touch with society upon her return, understanding nothing. He disdained her lack of self-awareness and planning - proficient in three foreign languages yet believing herself only fit to be a room attendant.

His disdain for her...

Too many reasons to count.

Therefore, he couldn't allow himself to become overly dependent on such a woman who provoked nothing but disdain.

He needed alternative solutions. After all, he had survived before this woman started reading English to him, hadn't he?

*The next day, Ji Feng instructed Xue Rui to select and arrange a few people from the company to read English to him.

He specifically reminded Xue Rui: Choose those who read English like chanting sutras.

Xue Rui obediently screened several people from the company, each of whom read English so monotonously it resembled religious chanting. During their interviews, he nearly fell asleep listening to them.

He thought these individuals would surely meet Ji Feng's requirements—they might just cure Ji Feng's insomnia.

But when these people actually went to the recliner to read English to Ji Feng, he didn't feel drowsy at all. Instead, he grew intensely irritable.

"Stop. Everyone out. Xue Rui, come here."

Xue Rui hurried over.

"Look at the people you picked! What are they reading? Yes, I told you to find people who read like chanting, but you should know when to stop. These ones are way too much like chanting! Don't you find it annoying? Doesn't it make you restless? Don't you feel like tearing paper or cloth?!"

Xue Rui thought to himself that if it were allowed, he'd like to punch his boss right now.

...They had to read like chanting yet not sound like chanting—Ji Feng was contradicting himself, leaving those carrying out his orders utterly confused about what to do.

After dismissing the readers, Ji Feng, with dark circles under his eyes, leaned back in the recliner by the floor-to-ceiling window in the grand living room. He began pondering the woman who could make him fall asleep—what was different about her English reading? Why was it only her voice that lulled him to sleep?

After comparing repeatedly, he realized none of the others had Xu Miyu's unique cadence and tone.

Xu Miyu's voice was clear and gentle, her rhythm unhurried. Even if some pronunciations were off, he never felt compelled to interrupt and correct her. Instead, he wanted to keep listening, as if immersed in a black-and-white story stretched languidly through time. In such an atmosphere, falling asleep was inevitable.

But with the others, all he could hear were flawed pronunciations, monotonous intonations, misplaced stresses... It nearly drove him mad with annoyance.

So it seemed the only solution was to have Xu Miyu read English to him after all?

Ji Feng resigned himself to this conclusion with a sense of fate.

Then, giving up further resistance, he called Xue Rui over, dark circles still prominent under his eyes, and instructed him: "Go to the executive level and handle something for me."