The Epoch of Miyu

Not long after, Ji Feng officially took over the management of Sway Hotel.

Though it was merely a hotel, the change in ownership made Xu Miyu inexplicably feel it resembled the dynastic transitions of ancient times.

The acquisition of another five-star hotel by the CEO of Star Century Group inevitably attracted numerous interview requests. As always, Ji Feng declined to appear on camera himself, delegating all such matters to the spokespersons of the group’s public relations department.

Within the hotel, undercurrents of tension surged for several days as everyone began frantically recalling whether they had ever shown any negligence toward the VIP on the top floor.

Li Kunlun, the food delivery staff from the catering department, suddenly became the center of attention. Even many mid-level managers began inviting him for tea and snacks—particularly those who had secured their positions through nepotism. Aware that Wei Siyuan’s influence had waned, they grew anxious and attempted to glean insights into the new owner’s temperament and preferences from Li Kunlun, as he had previously been responsible for delivering meals to the new boss.

However, their efforts could not salvage their positions.

Upon assuming leadership, Ji Feng’s first action was to optimize and restructure the hotel’s internal management in response to the various issues previously identified.

Those who had obtained managerial roles through nepotism were removed if found incompetent; individuals suspected of embezzlement were handed over to the group’s disciplinary committee for investigation and handling; outdated regulations were replaced with the group’s standardized systems, ensuring strict and unified management.

Ji Feng specifically demanded that every employee fulfill their designated responsibilities, and high-level managers were prohibited from coercing subordinates into tasks beyond their job scope—such as accompanying drinks—with severe penalties for violations.

Sway Hotel had previously resembled an ornate but hollow facade: splendid in appearance yet chaotic in internal management.

After Ji Feng’s decisive and thorough reorganization, the hotel’s internal framework became solid and reliable.

As Xu Miyu observed the hotel’s transformative rise, she grew even more impressed by Ji Feng’s genuine capabilities.

He was truly not just a picky guest on the top floor; he was a magician who could revitalize troubled enterprises.

Compared to his formidable abilities, his difficult personality seemed almost negligible.

During this period, Xue Rui finally found a new chef. Since he shared the same culinary lineage as the departed Chef Chen, Ji Feng could tolerate his cooking.

Privately, however, Ji Feng felt that many of the new chef’s elaborate dishes—though complex in preparation, visually appealing, and flavorful—were not as satisfying as the simple home-style dishes prepared by Xu Miyu.

Yet, unwilling to become overly dependent on a woman, he still let Xu Miyu go.

From then on, Xu Miyu no longer needed to tend to Ji Feng’s dietary needs on the top floor. She felt considerably relieved, yet a faint sense of loss lingered. She attributed it to the loss of her high daily wage—certainly, there couldn’t be any more complicated reasons.

The autumn rainy season finally ended, and the city of Xing no longer faced daily overcast skies. As the weather gradually cleared, people’s moods lightened accordingly.

Ji Feng could finally sleep without relying on Xu Miyu’s recordings and had found a new chef to replace her. His slight dependence on her in daily life was now completely resolved.Somehow, he breathed a huge sigh of relief over this. It was as if, without removing that dependency, something terrible would eventually happen. But what exactly that terrible thing might be, he suppressed his subconscious from delving deeper into it.

Xu Miyu became even busier than before.

She had initially thought that when Ji Feng stood up for her that evening, telling Feng Kaixin, "You can't fire her, she's not from your department. Just now, she's been transferred to the Front Office Department," it was merely a casual remark, something said in the heat of the moment.

But to her utter surprise, Ji Feng actually meant what he said, even if it was spoken offhandedly. Later, she was indeed transferred to the Front Office Department, and not as an ordinary employee.

The former front desk supervisor of the Front Office Department had been specially recruited through a relative's connection with a certain executive. That executive, much like Feng Kaixin, had secured their high-ranking position due to some familial ties with Wei Siyuan. Both of them, similar to Feng Kaixin, lacked any real competence but were highly skilled at creating chaos and messing up perfectly good situations.

After Ji Feng took over the hotel, he demanded an investigation into nepotism and incompetent personnel, which quickly led to the removal of both that executive and the front desk supervisor who had entered the hotel's Front Office Department through their connection.

Following this, he specifically named Xu Miyu to fill the vacancy as the front desk supervisor in the Front Office Department.

After receiving the transfer order, Xu Miyu couldn't hold back and asked Xue Rui to inquire on her behalf about the reason for this transfer.

Xue Rui brought back the reply: "Manager Ji said that given your qualifications—speaking several foreign languages, holding a bachelor's degree, and having strong learning abilities—if you were left to muddle through with a vague sense of self-positioning and stayed in the Housekeeping Department, it would be a waste of your talent. You should train in the Front Office Department, where tasks like guest reception can make good use of your language skills."

Hearing these words, Xu Miyu couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion in her heart.

She never expected Ji Feng to hold her in such high regard. It surprised and moved her.

In the past, she had only thought about not letting herself sink into despondency and focusing on working hard and living well, but she had never had a clear career plan. She only knew she had to do her current job well but had never considered what her future career advancement path might look like.

Now, Ji Feng's arrangement served as a wake-up call for her—she should pursue work that allows her abilities to be fully utilized, and she should strive to improve herself in that direction.

With this realization, she told herself that she hoped the next transfer or promotion in the future would not be arranged by someone else but would be something she actively earned through her own achievements and abilities, having found the right direction herself.

For now, she poured all her energy into it, reminding herself to perform well and work hard. She had to achieve results in her new position to live up to Ji Feng's transfer and affirmation of her.

After completing her job training, Xu Miyu was personally mentored by the Assistant Manager for two weeks before officially assuming her role as the acting Front Desk Supervisor in the Front Office Department.

She changed into a new uniform, which was more stylish and form-fitting than her previous one. The new uniform seemed to signify the slight difference between front office reception staff and housekeeping personnel—as front office staff, they are the first and most frequent point of contact for guests entering the hotel. To some extent, they represent a large part of the hotel's image, so their makeup and attire are more refined and elegant.The new uniform accentuated Xu Miyu's figure, making her lines appear more supple and elegant. The pencil skirt ended just above her knees, paired with high heels, making her calves look even more slender and straight. With every step she took, even Xu Miyu herself felt she was becoming graceful and poised.

On the day of her official transfer, Xu Miyu returned to the housekeeping department to bid farewell to her former colleagues. Everyone was reluctant to see her go, but they were all happy for her.

Ke Wenxue nearly teared up from the sadness of parting: "Mi Yu, we've just gotten to the point where we can share our deepest thoughts, and now you're leaving for another department. Don't forget about me after you go!"

Xu Miyu patted her head and assured her she wouldn't.

Yin Xiang's eyes also reddened slightly as she asked Xu Miyu, "After you move to the new department, will you still bring us stewed meat to eat?"

Xu Miyu said of course.

Yin Xiang then asked, "Will you come back often to see us?" Her tone carried a sense of eternal separation.

Luo Qingping, standing nearby, couldn't take it anymore: "She's still living in the dormitory, right? And the dormitory isn't far from us. What's with you two? Why are you acting like she's going to the ends of the earth?"

Xu Miyu thought about it and realized it was true, so she couldn't help but feel like laughing. The sentimental atmosphere instantly dissipated.

She smiled and looked at Luo Qingping.

Luo Qingping had finally gotten her wish and taken over Xu Miyu's position as team leader.

As the new team leader, Luo Qingping was in such high spirits that even her smiles toward Xu Miyu became warm and free of past grievances.

She said to Xu Miyu, "Although you haven't worked here long, and although I'm reluctant to admit it, you're actually more capable than I am as a team leader. I've learned a lot from you too—like how to be a leader whom others genuinely respect. But the front office department isn't like our housekeeping department. The people there have more temper and are more complicated. It might take you some time to adjust and fit in when you first arrive. Still, good luck. With your ability and character, you deserve this acting supervisor position. I believe you'll quickly integrate into the front office department."

This was the most Luo Qingping had ever said to Xu Miyu, and it was also the most sincere and heartfelt. Xu Miyu was touched and thanked Luo Qingping solemnly.

After joining the new department, Xu Miyu quickly realized that Luo Qingping was absolutely right. Although the front office department was one that greeted customers with smiles every day, its staff hadn't prepared many sincere smiles for her arrival. She could clearly sense that they held reservations and judgments about her.

She also understood why they felt this way.

Most of them had witnessed the farce in the front lobby when her unreasonable mother had caused a scene at the hotel, which had already left them with a negative impression of her. They had also seen how Ji Feng, who wasn't the hotel owner at the time, had helped her extricate herself from her mother's chaotic drama.

They all knew that the new owner had a special regard for Xu Miyu, a divorced woman. He frequently summoned her to the top floor, occasionally helped her out of tight spots, and now had her parachuted into the department.

Although she had originally been a floor team leader and her transfer to the front office as acting supervisor seemed reasonable in terms of hierarchy, the front office staff didn't see it that way.In their view, Xu Miyu had parachuted in through some bizarre connection with the new boss—though it likely had nothing to do with romance, since with Ji Feng’s qualifications, he would never choose a divorced woman older than himself. So it was probably that Ji Feng had some kind of leverage held against him by this woman.

Leveraging this connection, Ji Feng had Xu Miyu directly parachuted into the Front Office Department, immediately appointing her as acting supervisor. Though it was only an acting role, this was merely a rationalization given her short tenure and lack of seniority. In time, she would naturally transition into the formal position, a process no one could find fault with.

Additionally, they had heard that Xu Miyu’s previous promotion to floor supervisor in the Housekeeping Department had also been a parachute appointment by the hotel’s former senior management.

Later, those former executives were purged by the new boss, yet Xu Miyu remained completely unaffected.

And now, not only was she unaffected, but she had even managed to secure another parachute promotion. It all seemed rather surreal.

In this state of bewilderment and suspicion, not only were the front desk staff in the Front Office Department resistant to Xu Miyu, but employees across other positions also regarded her with skepticism and opposition.

Xu Miyu quickly became acutely aware that her new subordinates were clearly resistant to her, their attitudes tinged with sarcasm and insincerity.

They neither respected her as a person nor heeded her instructions.

Whenever she assigned tasks, no matter who it was, they would do a half-hearted job—agreeing readily but executing poorly, skillfully engaging in passive resistance.

Xu Miyu reflected that Luo Qingping’s advice had been accurate: compared to the Housekeeping Department, the Front Office Department was a tougher nut to crack. The people here were indeed more cunning, adept at smiling to your face while rolling their eyes behind your back.

One day, the front desk staff once again paid lip service to Xu Miyu’s instructions while undermining her, leaving her to take the blame.

Her mood soured.

She wondered how to handle such a situation: should she, as she had in the Housekeeping Department, first gather leverage on everyone and then apply a soft approach, or should she resort to using her authority to forcefully suppress them?

If she stuck to the old method, she would inevitably have to endure humiliation and hardship for a long time. Moreover, the Front Office staff were shrewd and might not leave any handles for her to grasp.

But if she directly used her position to crush those passively resisting her, it could easily unite everyone against her, leading to collective opposition.

As a newcomer who hadn’t yet solidified her footing, if she faced a collective protest, even if she had cooked for Ji Feng, he probably wouldn’t be inclined to protect someone so incompetent.

So what should she do to improve this situation?

During her lunch break, Xu Miyu went to the hotel’s second-floor terrace to clear her mind.

The sky was clear and cloudless, the air fresh and pleasant after the autumn rains.

Standing on the terrace, she tilted her head back, closed her eyes, and took deep breaths, silently releasing her negative emotions.

After a few deep breaths, her mood seemed to lighten.

Xu Miyu reached into her uniform pocket and pulled out a chocolate bar.

She unwrapped it, popped the chocolate into her mouth, hoping it would bring her a bit of joy and strength.A voice suddenly sounded from behind, its faint mockery and disdain so deeply ingrained in its tone and timbre that it felt achingly familiar.

"How long are you going to stand there blocking my sunlight?"

Xu Miyu froze at the sound, immediately turning around.

She saw Ji Feng sitting in a wicker chair outside the tea room, sipping tea and basking in the sun.

The autumn rainy season had passed, and he seemed to enjoy the breeze and sunshine here. She had overheard others excitedly exclaiming several times: "I just saw President Ji sunbathing on the second-floor terrace—our new boss is so handsome!"

—This time, she had encountered him too.

She thought those people were right. Ji Feng reclined in the wicker chair under the sunlight, legs crossed, savoring his tea. Though he seemed slightly disdainful of the tea's flavor, he drank it with abandon. Even the faintest glance from his captivating eyes felt like a subtle, teasing caress. He was undeniably handsome, and even the faint mockery etched in the corners of his eyes seemed to add a unique kind of sexiness to his demeanor.

But his expression now was clearly displeased, as if disturbed during his sunbathing.

Realizing that her earlier actions—tilting her head back and taking deep, meditative breaths—had been fully observed by Ji Feng behind her... Xu Miyu immediately felt a wave of embarrassment prickling her scalp.

She must have looked utterly ridiculous just now.

To dispel that awkwardness, she greeted him with a "Hello, President Ji" and tried to slip away.

But Ji Feng stopped her.

"Stay where you are."

Xu Miyu had no choice but to halt.

"Come back."

She reluctantly retraced the two steps she had already taken to escape.

"How are you settling into the new department?"

Xu Miyu was taken aback to hear Ji Feng ask her such a question.

Once the autumn rains ended, Ji Feng began sunbathing with a vengeance. He would often descend to the terrace outside the second-floor tea room, send Xue Rui away on errands, and leisurely enjoy the sunshine while sipping on mediocre Biluochun tea. Occasionally, he would eavesdrop on customers who came to the terrace to drink tea, chat, and sunbathe, gathering their opinions about the hotel.

Today, the weather was pleasant—the sun was bright but not scorching—so he came down to the terrace.

He had just finished his first cup of Biluochun when a shadow fell across the sunlight in front of him.

Frowning, he looked up and saw the back of a woman dressed in the front desk uniform. Under the sunlight, the well-fitted uniform outlined an excellent figure—slender and tall, with a straight back and a narrow waist. Her legs, in particular, were long, straight, and perfectly proportioned. And the high heels she wore visually elongated those already stunning legs.

Ji Feng narrowed his eyes slightly.

The more he looked, the more familiar that silhouette seemed.

It was as if every uniform she wore suited her better than the last, as if the uniforms were guiding her along the path of promotion she deserved.

Yet he knew that since moving to the new department, she seemed to be struggling to make headway.

He watched her stand in front of him for what felt like an eternity, tilting her head back and taking deep breaths, rooted to the spot.

Her obliviousness and slowness almost made him laugh in frustration, so he spoke up irritably, asking how long she intended to block his light.

But he had a vague sense that this wasn’t really what he wanted to ask, nor was it the answer he sought.

—What he truly wanted was to hear from her directly how she was faring in the new department.

He wondered if she would complain or perhaps seize the opportunity to ask for his help.If it were either of these two scenarios, he thought he might start disliking her again.

He wasn't that familiar with her. She had merely cooked for him for a while, and he had casually helped her with some minor matters. But that didn't mean she could assume there was no distance or boundaries between them.

If she exhibited either of the two situations mentioned above, it would indicate she lacked self-awareness and a sense of boundaries. Then he could freely continue to dislike her and explain away the recent phenomenon of her suddenly popping into his mind as her pushing her luck.

He waited expressionlessly to hear her answer.

"I'm doing quite well in the new department," she told him with a smile.

A faint smile tugged at the corner of Ji Feng's lips.

Good. She wasn't complaining after all.

"But I heard from Xue Rui that you weren't doing particularly well."

He tempted her further, wanting to see if her previous answer was just tactical maneuvering. He wanted to see if she would take the opportunity to pour out her grievances this time.

"After all, I've only been in the new department for a short while. It's normal to occasionally have some friction while adjusting to everyone. Assistant Xue might have misunderstood a bit. Don't worry, Manager Ji, I'm almost fully adapted to everything in the new department!" Xu Miyu still answered with a smile.

Ji Feng narrowed his eyes slightly and raised his hand to pour himself another cup of tea.

After taking a small sip, he began subtly steering the conversation in another direction.

"Don't you need any help?"

He looked up at Xu Miyu with an expression that seemed to invite her to try asking him for help, luring her in.

But Xu Miyu immediately shook her head and firmly refused: "No help needed, absolutely not."

Ji Feng raised an eyebrow.

She genuinely seemed to be begging him not to intervene and help her.

"What, can you handle it yourself?"

Xu Miyu nodded firmly: "I absolutely have to handle it myself. You said it before—if you want to be respected, you have to rely on yourself."

Ji Feng subtly raised the corners of his eyes and brows again.

She hadn't turned back into someone he disliked.

He didn't know whether he was relieved or disappointed.

Still, seeing that she had learned to be self-reliant and self-respecting, he felt somewhat pleased. He set down his teacup and generously offered her a valuable piece of advice.

"Remember, some methods work very well the first time but may not be effective a second time. The front office department and the housekeeping department have different employee temperaments. What works well in housekeeping may not necessarily work in the front office. So instead of relying on catching others' mistakes to restrain them, it's better to win people over with your abilities."

Xu Miyu listened to Ji Feng's words.

She suddenly realized that Ji Feng seemed to be enlightening her on how to establish herself in the front office department and integrate into the new work group—he was teaching her to let her skills and capabilities speak for themselves. As long as she could show the people in the front office that she was truly capable of handling the supervisor position, they would naturally respect her and follow her lead.

The problem that had been troubling her just moments ago was now resolved in an instant.

Xu Miyu felt suddenly enlightened, and her mood cleared up as if the sky had turned bright and sunny.

Overjoyed, she couldn't help but pull a chocolate from her pocket and, smiling, handed it to Ji Feng, saying, "I know what to do now! Manager Ji, thank you for your guidance. Please have this!"

Under the clear, sunny sky, she smiled brilliantly and happily, her entire being radiant and dazzling.Ji Feng's mind wavered as he watched her suddenly bloom into an extremely radiant smile directed at him. Seeing her extend a piece of chocolate toward him, he couldn't help but narrow his eyes.

She had smiled so beautifully at him, only to then offer him... a piece of chocolate?

He was extremely wary of this thing. Back in his school days, girls would always come to confess their feelings to him, and without exception, they would bring a box of chocolates. Later, according to Xue Rui, this was something girls specifically gave to boys they liked as a token of love confession.

Why did she give this to him, and why did she deliberately flash such a bright, beautiful smile at him while doing so? Did she cross the boundary after leaving the rooftop and develop feelings for him, then quietly try to seduce him??

During this period, had his shadow frequently appeared in her thoughts? Did she think of him while eating braised beef, while lying awake at night, while studying English?

If such situations occurred, she absolutely should restrain herself.

How could she allow herself to like him, fantasize about him, attempt to seduce him?

How utterly unreasonable!

Ji Feng even furrowed the worry lines between his eyebrows.

This woman had casually pulled chocolates out of her coat pocket. Didn't this mean she had prepared them long in advance?

When he called out to her earlier, the look she gave him was clearly filled with light and pleasant surprise.

"Do you know what it means when a woman gives chocolates to a man?" Ji Feng asked, his tone seemingly flat and emotionless.

Xu Miyu was taken aback: "Huh?"

It was just a piece of chocolate, just a small snack—what could it possibly mean??

Ji Feng looked at Xu Miyu and narrowed his eyes again.

What was this? Feigning ignorance? Playing dumb? Playing hard to get?

Ji Feng glanced at the chocolate in Xu Miyu's hand, raised the corner of his eye, and said coldly: "Take it away. Don't give it to me."

Xu Miyu returned to the front office with a puzzled heart.

She felt that Ji Feng had suddenly become a bit strange.

She kindly offered him candy, and if he didn't want it, he didn't have to act as if she were trying to poison him.

But she didn't have time to think more about it because she saw a familiar figure entering the lobby through the hotel's main entrance.

At first glance, she thought she had mistaken the person. But after looking more carefully, she realized it was indeed the noble lady who was Hu Tu's wife—Nie Yucheng's direct superior. In the past, to help Nie Yucheng's career, she often visited Hu Tu's home to bring his wife braised beef.

It's just that since the divorce, she had never gone again.

Xu Miyu walked toward Hu Tu's wife, greeted her with a smile.

When Hu Tu's wife first saw her, she was momentarily stunned. After clearly seeing her face, she first showed some surprise but immediately broke into a smile and said warmly, "Oh, it's you, Xiao Xu! What a coincidence to run into you here. Oh, but speaking of which, isn't it about time you sent me some more braised beef?"