The Epoch of Miyu

Xu Miyu had been going up to the penthouse after work for several consecutive days to cook for Ji Feng.

Thinking about it now felt somewhat amusing. Given how much Ji Feng had initially despised and disliked her, he had practically wished she didn’t exist in this world.

Who would have thought that now, not only did he rely on her to sleep, but he also depended on her for meals?

Her sense of presence had never been this strong before.

It had to be said that although Ji Feng was cold-faced and sharp-tongued, he was never stingy when it came to compensating those who worked for him. As a part-time cook, she received a very generous daily wage, which left Xu Miyu quite satisfied.

Last night, after leaving the penthouse, Xu Miyu received a call from Yin Xiang. In a hurried and panicked tone, Yin Xiang told her, "Manager Feng just asked us again to join his drinking party to liven things up. None of us want to go. What should we do, Mi Yu?"

Xu Miyu instructed Yin Xiang to tell everyone not to go and to use the excuse that the supervisor had assigned them tasks they couldn’t leave.

Not long ago, she had been temporarily assigned to the penthouse. Out of respect for Ji Feng, unless Feng Kaixin could find concrete faults with her, he probably wouldn’t fire her immediately. If he wanted to take action against her, he would have to wait a while, lest it seem like he was disrespecting Ji Feng.

Sure enough, when the girls used the excuse that the supervisor had assigned them tasks they couldn’t leave, Feng Kaixin didn’t force them further. The girls on the executive level were spared last night. However, the next day, Xu Miyu heard that girls from other floors had suffered instead.

Unable to summon the girls from the executive level, Feng Kaixin called in girls from other floors. One of them was forced to drink so much that she ended up in the hospital.

After hearing about the previous night’s incident, Xu Miyu thought long and hard the next day at work. Mustering a great deal of courage, she carefully drafted an email, weighing every word, and sent it to the email address of Wei Siyuan, the chairman of the Siwei Hotel.

She had found Wei Siyuan’s email address in Ji Feng’s penthouse suite. While cleaning his study, she noticed an open business card holder on his desk. It was the first time she had ever snooped into someone else’s belongings, and she felt it was highly inappropriate. But she had no other choice.

Apologizing silently in her heart, she memorized Wei Siyuan’s email address from the card holder.

She hoped the content of her email would capture Wei Siyuan’s attention, assuming he genuinely wanted the Siwei Hotel to improve.

Before sending the email, she had been quite nervous. But once it was sent, she felt a sense of relief.

She carried on with her work as usual, doing what needed to be done.

In the afternoon, just before the end of her shift, Xu Miyu suddenly received a call from Feng Kaixin, the manager of the housekeeping department.

Her heart skipped a beat, unsure whether this was good or bad news.

Feng Kaixin directly asked her over the phone, "Xu Miyu, do you think someone’s got your back now? Just you wait—I’ll settle accounts with you later! For now, get your staff to clean the best executive suite on the executive level immediately. Prepare flowers, hot towels, and tea! Then bring your team to the elevator lobby and wait to receive the guests! Let me tell you, I’m hosting the newly appointed deputy general manager of Changyang Travel. If you mess this up, you’ll regret it!"

Before Xu Miyu could even say a word, he had already hung up.

She didn’t know whether she should feel temporarily relieved or not.As she recalled Feng Kaixin's mention of Changyang Travel, her thoughts couldn't help but wander for a moment.

That was Nie Yucheng's company.

Shaking her head to clear away these stray thoughts, she placed the receiver back on the landline and quickly sprang into action. She called Ke Wenxue, Yin Xiang, and Luo Qingping, and together they swiftly prepared the best business suite. Fruit platters, fresh flowers, hot towels, and tea were all arranged perfectly. After everything was ready, she notified the front desk that the VIP guests could check in at any time.

The supervisor was absent today, so she led several service staff to wait by the elevator, ready to welcome the guests.

When the elevator doors slowly opened and the people inside stepped out, Xu Miyu froze for a second.

The vice president whom Feng Kaixin warmly greeted was none other than Nie Yucheng.

He had actually been promoted to vice president. His superior, Hu Tu, had truly been generous to him. Fundamentally, it was her culinary skills that had once helped Hu Tu maintain his social connections.

Beside Nie Yucheng stood Lu Zhenzhen, her belly already rounded like a ball. Clinging to Nie Yucheng, she lifted her face and cast a proud, defiant glance at Xu Miyu.

Feng Kaixin ushered them out of the elevator.

When Feng Kaixin turned to look at Xu Miyu, his previously warm expression instantly turned cold. He said to her, "Why are you just standing there? Hurry up and lead the way so President Nie and his wife can return to their room and rest properly!"

Xu Miyu followed service etiquette, greeting them perfectly and gracefully as she led the way.

Her composed and unruffled demeanor irritated Lu Zhenzhen.

Lu Zhenzhen silently scrutinized Xu Miyu. It seemed she had been promoted and was wearing a new uniform that cinched her waist into a slender line and accentuated the graceful, straight contours of her legs. Her figure appeared even better than before.

What was most infuriating was that she seemed to have been resting well lately, and her spirits seemed to have recovered from the shadow of divorce. She looked exceptionally vibrant, her entire demeanor different from before.

She actually seemed more radiant now than when Nie Yucheng had kept her sheltered at home. This newfound glow made her even more beautiful than before.

In the past, her beauty was merely superficial, but now, damn it, there was an indescribable charm added to it—a charm that made her appear confident, resolute, and even more captivating.

As Lu Zhenzhen observed Xu Miyu, she unconsciously clenched her fists.

She had deliberately damaged the furniture at home, using the repairs as an excuse to claim the noise would disturb the baby in her womb, demanding that Nie Yucheng take her to stay in a hotel. She had specifically chosen the executive level where Xu Miyu worked.

Her real intention was to flaunt her status to Xu Miyu—to let that old woman who couldn't bear Nie Yucheng a child see with her own eyes that she was pregnant with a son and that Nie Yucheng had been promoted to vice president.

She wanted to parade her superiority in front of Xu Miyu, to show her how well and happily she and Nie Yucheng were living after she had taken her place.

Yet, in this encounter, she felt it was she herself—swollen and dull from pregnancy—who was being overshadowed.

Feeling displeased, she turned to look at Nie Yucheng, only to find him staring intently at Xu Miyu. His gaze was focused, restrained yet fervent, to the point where he seemed to have forgotten the need for discretion.

Resentment surged in Lu Zhenzhen's heart, and she gritted her teeth in silent fury. Suppressing her displeasure, she smiled and tugged at Nie Yucheng's arm, saying softly, "Honey, what are you staring at? I'm tired. Let's hurry back to our room."Nie Yucheng finally snapped back to attention as she shook him, tearing his eyes away from Xu Miyu with difficulty before stepping forward.

Feng Kaixin quickly matched his pace, walking alongside Nie Yucheng while speaking.

"President Nie, if you have any needs, just let me know—I can fulfill all your requests!" He winked suggestively at Nie Yucheng.

He assumed Nie Yucheng had taken a liking to Xu Miyu. He wanted Nie Yucheng to understand that he was willing to help him secure the person he fancied. At the same time, he also needed to secure his own collaboration.

"Your company has grown significantly, with passenger orders surging every year. If you're satisfied with your stay, why not direct your guests here in the future? You won’t need to go through the marketing department for contracts anymore—just deal directly with me. I’ll match whatever terms the marketing department offered you, and I’ll even give you rebates they couldn’t! Don’t worry, my position at Sway Hotel is special—I mean what I say!"

Xu Miyu, leading the way ahead, overheard this and suddenly understood why Feng Kaixin was being so deferential to Nie Yucheng. It turned out he wanted Nie Yucheng to send guests to the executive level suites at Sway Hotel. Once the revenue from this floor increased, he would give rebates to Nie Yucheng. He was bypassing the hotel’s marketing department to pocket the profits that should have gone to them.

Xu Miyu was inwardly shocked. The hotel appeared grand and orderly on the surface, but internally, had it become so chaotic that the housekeeping department could directly snatch earnings from the marketing department?

The more she dug into it, the more she realized how flawed the hotel’s management was.

She even wondered if there was any hope left for this hotel.

But the present reality didn’t allow her to dwell on it too much.

She settled Nie Yucheng and Lu Zhenzhen into the suite with meticulous care, just as she would with any unfamiliar guest.

Polite, yet neither subservient nor arrogant.

Unlike before, when she had been gloomy and timid.

Feng Kaixin chatted a bit more but, sensing Nie Yucheng’s disinterest, took his leave. Before going, he instructed, "Xu Miyu, make sure President Nie and his wife are well taken care of, or I’ll hold you accountable."

His words gave Lu Zhenzhen courage and strength.

After Feng Kaixin left, Lu Zhenzhen called out to Xu Miyu and began venting her frustrations, finding fault and ordering her around.

But this time, Xu Miyu was no longer willing to endure it meekly as she had in the past.

When Lu Zhenzhen made an excessive demand to humiliate Xu Miyu, Xu Miyu calmly and clearly refused.

Lu Zhenzhen complained that her legs were swollen and her feet hurt, demanding that Xu Miyu massage them.

Xu Miyu immediately contacted the recreation department via walkie-talkie: "Please send a massage therapist to the executive level business suite. The guest requires massage services." Turning to Lu Zhenzhen, she asked, "Shall we add the charge to your room bill and settle it together later, ma’am?"

Lu Zhenzhen smiled and said, "No need for a therapist."

Xu Miyu relayed into the walkie-talkie, "The lady says it’s not needed."

Lu Zhenzhen felt irritated by this. "Why does it sound like I’m making a fuss? I asked you to massage me, not to call a therapist. Do you understand?"

Xu Miyu smiled politely. "My apologies, ma’am. Professional services should be provided by professionals. I am the housekeeping supervisor, responsible for cleaning up messes, not for massages. Are you sure you want to enter my cleaning domain?"

Lu Zhenzhen’s face darkened. "Are you implying that I’m a mess?"Xu Miyu maintained her smile. "Ma'am, you're reading too much into it. Is there anything else you need? If not, I'll leave you and your husband to rest."

Lu Zhenzhen called out to stop her. "Wait!"

She glanced at Nie Yucheng.

Since entering the room, he had remained silent, yet he quietly observed everything happening around him, his gaze lingering mostly on Xu Miyu's face.

Lu Zhenzhen felt bitterness and sourness in her heart, tormented by jealousy and resentment. She couldn't bear to let Xu Miyu off so easily—she had to make her feel humiliated!

She found fault with the bed, claiming it wasn't made properly, and pulled the sheets off, demanding that Xu Miyu remake it.

Xu Miyu remained calm and unruffled, remaking the bed without a hint of anger.

Lu Zhenzhen then complained that the bathroom wasn't clean enough and demanded Xu Miyu clean it again. Xu Miyu removed her suit jacket, rolled up her sleeves, and went to clean the bathroom.

Lu Zhenzhen immediately regretted it. She had practically given Xu Miyu a chance to show off her figure. In just her white shirt, her upper body was even more accentuated. The shirt cinched her slender yet resilient waist, while her chest was anything but small, rising prominently.

Glancing down at her own pregnancy-altered figure, Lu Zhenzhen irritably stopped Xu Miyu. "Alright, alright, you don't need to clean the bathroom anymore. Get me a glass of water—I'm thirsty."

Xu Miyu went to fetch water. The water dispenser was beside the sofa where Nie Yucheng sat.

As if she didn't see him, Xu Miyu bent over to fill the glass. The shirt stretched taut across her chest and hugged her waist.

Nie Yucheng watched her with a burning gaze.

Unable to bear it any longer, Lu Zhenzhen sneered, "Could you put your clothes back on? Must you so blatantly flirt with someone else's husband?"

Only then did Xu Miyu glance at the "someone else's husband," as if she had just noticed there was a man in the room.

In that glance was endless disdain and mockery.

Though it stung deeply, it also carried an inexplicable allure.

Nie Yucheng painfully averted his eyes.

Ignoring him, Xu Miyu brought the water to Lu Zhenzhen.

After taking the glass, Lu Zhenzhen suddenly raised her hand, about to splash the water in Xu Miyu's face.

As if she had anticipated this, Xu Miyu swiftly grabbed Lu Zhenzhen's wrist, stopping her.

"Lu Zhenzhen," Xu Miyu smiled, radiant and beautiful. Mimicking Lu Zhenzhen's overly sweet and gentle tone, she asked softly, "Have you regressed? Using the same old tricks over and over? And these are tricks I've already grown tired of. Come up with something new, or else you'll bore people with my leftovers."

Lu Zhenzhen's face turned ashen.

Xu Miyu took the glass from her hand, set it aside, picked up her suit jacket, and prepared to leave.

Lu Zhenzhen immediately challenged her, "Xu Miyu, is this how you serve guests? Aren't you afraid I'll report you to your manager and get you fired?"

Before Xu Miyu could respond, Nie Yucheng finally spoke.

"Enough!" He was actually stopping Lu Zhenzhen. "When will you realize that others are humoring you not out of fear, but to mock you? Aren't you ashamed?"

Lu Zhenzhen froze, as if struck by a sudden blow.There was a time when she had looked at Xu Miyu as a laughingstock. She saw her as humble and weak, a complete joke, yet she had a good husband. Consumed by jealousy, she had used every trick in the book to finally steal her husband away. But how had things come to this? How had Xu Miyu shed her humble weakness, and how was it now that she had become the one Xu Miyu was laughing at?

How had their positions reversed?

She refused to accept it; she wanted to trample Xu Miyu into the mud. She could do it.

She called out to Xu Miyu and said with a smile, "Mi Yu, I know a guy, surnamed Luo, who came to your hotel for a meal recently. Guess what? He told me that there's a housekeeper surnamed Xu at the Siwei Hotel who isn't exactly clean, eager to climb the social ladder, willingly drinking with men. Brother Luo also said that this Xu housekeeper even tried to seduce him, but he wasn't interested, thought she was a bit old. And because she didn't succeed, she drowned her sorrows in alcohol. Don't you think she's shameless?"

Hearing this distorted account, Xu Miyu was so speechless she almost laughed. The "Brother Luo" Lu Zhenzhen mentioned was none other than the sleazy man who had tried to get her drunk with ulterior motives but ended up being outdrunk by her.

Beside them, Nie Yucheng's face turned ashen, his eyes cold as he asked Xu Miyu, "Is it true?"

Xu Miyu felt he had no right to act this way and retorted, "Whether it's true or not, what does it have to do with you, Mr. Nie?"

On one hand, he acted as if he couldn't let go, still harboring feelings for her; on the other, he repeatedly brought his new lover to flaunt in front of her, allowing her to bully Xu Miyu. Even if he stepped in at critical moments to stop it, what was the point? It only showed he wasn't man enough for either his new lover or his old flame.

He was always so indecisive.

Xu Miyu didn't want to say more to Nie Yucheng. She turned to Lu Zhenzhen and mocked, "Since you call someone like that 'Brother' and seem to be on good terms with him, I think I know exactly what kind of person you are."

This remark seemed to hit a nerve, causing Lu Zhenzhen's expression to change.

She could no longer maintain her fake gentle demeanor and shouted at Xu Miyu, "Get out! Get out of here!"

She pretended to clutch her stomach.

Nie Yucheng, worried about the child, didn't bother to figure out what Xu Miyu meant or to inquire further about what kind of person this "Brother Luo" was.

He carefully helped the groaning Lu Zhenzhen up from the floor and took her to his large office.

He ordered Xu Miyu not to leave work and to follow them to the office.

Lu Zhenzhen clutched her stomach with a pained expression, while Feng Kaixin loudly demanded that someone call an ambulance immediately.

Outside his office, a few people gathered, peeking in to see what the commotion was about.

Lu Zhenzhen stopped Feng Kaixin, putting on an act of being willing to suffer in silence to keep the peace, saying, "Forget it, I don't want to cause a scene in your jurisdiction, Manager Feng. There's no need to call an ambulance for now. I'll just sit for a while and catch my breath." As she spoke, she stroked her stomach, as if calming herself.

Feng Kaixin, however, wasn't sure if Lu Zhenzhen was really okay. Afraid that any real trouble might cost him his side income, he insisted on taking Lu Zhenzhen to the hospital for a check-up.Lu Zhenzhen had no choice but to repeatedly assure everyone that she probably hadn't harmed the baby from her fall just now—it was more of a psychological shock and trauma. However, she insisted on seeking compensation for these damages.

Feng Kaixin immediately asked how she planned to seek redress.

Lu Zhenzhen pointed directly at Xu Miyu, who was standing nearby: "This attendant has offended me multiple times, and I've let it slide each time. But today, she outright pushed me to the ground, endangering me and my child. Manager Feng, I demand an explanation right now—I want your hotel to fire her immediately!"

Up in the penthouse suite, Ji Feng checked his watch for the second time.

By this hour, that woman should have already come upstairs to prepare his dinner. Yet today, there was no sign of her, and she hadn’t informed Xue Rui in advance about any delays or issues.

Ji Feng had never waited for anyone before, and no one dared keep him waiting without good reason.

So he quickly grew impatient and irritably ordered Xue Rui to call Xu Miyu.

The phone rang repeatedly but went unanswered, even after several attempts.

Ji Feng immediately became sulky and resentful, blaming Xu Miyu: "How can she be so unreliable and unprincipled? Have I been too lenient with her lately? If she can’t come on time, she should at least notify someone in advance. And now that she’s already late, she’s not even answering her phone? What’s wrong with her? Does she think I won’t hold her accountable? Well, she’s sorely mistaken!"

The more he spoke, the more his sulking escalated, making Xue Rui shrink back, afraid to utter a word for fear of collateral damage.

But Ji Feng’s irritable mood still managed to affect him.

After venting his frustration toward Xu Miyu from afar, Ji Feng suddenly turned his anger on Xue Rui: "Xue Rui, are you just a block of wood standing there? Why don’t you go down and see what’s going on, and bring her up here? Are you trying to starve me to death?"

Xue Rui immediately scrambled out of the suite and into the elevator, terrified that if he moved too slowly, he’d be scorched by Ji Feng’s sarcastic fury.

A short while later, Ji Feng received a call from Xue Rui.

Xue Rui spoke rapidly: "Boss, could you come down to the floor above the executive level, to the Housekeeping Manager’s office? Wow! The situation here is chaotic—Mi Yu is getting attacked from all sides!"

Ji Feng frowned slightly and asked what had happened.

Xue Rui continued: "Based on what I’ve gathered from the hotel gossip group and what I’m seeing now, I think Mi Yu’s ex-husband’s new flame is teaming up with Housekeeping Manager Feng Kaixin to force Mi Yu out of the hotel. Their excuse is that Mi Yu pushed a pregnant woman and made her fall. Wow, this is intense..."

Before he could finish his exclamation, Ji Feng cut in coldly: "If you keep dragging this out, will my meal ticket already be fired by the time you’re done? Next time, skip the unnecessary buildup and get straight to the key point!"

Xue Rui was left speechless by the rebuke.

Meanwhile, Ji Feng had already strode quickly into the elevator while talking. He hung up, swiped his card, pressed the floor button, and repeatedly hit the door-close button to speed up the process.

Every movement was executed swiftly and seamlessly.

By the time Ji Feng reached Feng Kaixin’s office, he saw a crowd of onlookers gathered outside, secretly watching the commotion.Feng Kaixin's office was quite impressive, featuring double doors that were currently wide open, as if someone deliberately wanted everyone to see what a vicious person Xu Miyu was.

Ji Feng spotted Xue Rui among the onlookers at the door. He was thoroughly engrossed in the spectacle, completely unaware of Ji Feng's arrival.

Ji Feng walked over and stood beside Xue Rui, suddenly patting him on the shoulder.

Xue Rui snapped back to attention, turned to see Ji Feng, and lowered his voice to call out "Boss."

After glancing at the situation inside, Ji Feng asked Xue Rui: "Just standing here watching the show? Why not go in and back Xu Miyu up?"

Xue Rui blinked. He truly got that Ji Feng was worried about losing his meal ticket. But—

"There's no need for me inside! Miyu isn't timid at all now, she can hold her own just fine. I'll just keep watching from here for now."

Ji Feng couldn't help but raise an eyebrow: "Then why did you ask me to come down?"