Ji Feng sized up Xu Miyu standing before him. She was half-crouched in front of the coffee table, unpacking the stacked food containers and carefully arranging the stewed meat and several side dishes.
When she finished and looked up, she smiled at him, her voice soft as she said, "Yesterday, I overheard in the food and beverage department that Chef Xu had scalded his arm and needed a couple days off. I thought you might not be able to eat anything made by others and would probably go hungry, so last night I prepared some food and brought it for you today."
Ji Feng listened to Xu Miyu's words while watching her suddenly bloom into a radiant smile directed at him.
There were two large dark circles under her eyes.
So she had specifically stayed up late to cook for him?
Ji Feng narrowed his eyes.
Putting in so much effort to make food for him—did she have some ulterior motive?
Ji Feng probed subtly without showing any emotion: "Have you considered leaving the front office department and transferring up here to cook for me? After all, the front office department is ostracizing you, isn't it?"
Xu Miyu froze for a moment at his words, then quickly replied, "It's not exactly ostracism—it's more like a process of integration. Don't worry, I can handle it." At this, she gave him another bright smile. "Thank you for your concern, but the current situation isn't difficult for me at all. I've already made it through the hardest times; these things are nothing now."
Ji Feng watched her smile; it seemed even more dazzling than before.
He narrowed his eyes again.
So, her diligent efforts to please weren't for a job transfer.
Then it must be for him??
Lost in thought, he picked up his chopsticks to eat, but his ears and eyes were secretly focused on Xu Miyu's movements nearby. She was giving Xue Rui some instructions.
She explained carefully and thoroughly: "Assistant Xue, I've labeled these unopened food containers. Just find the one with the corresponding label for each meal and heat it up for President Ji. These should be enough for the two days Chef Xu is off. I've also written the heating method, temperature, and time on each label—it's very easy to follow."
After instructing Xue Rui, she turned back and, catching Ji Feng's gaze as he looked up at her, she gently and earnestly advised him: "President Ji, since stewed meat is saltier than everyday dishes, remember to drink more water during the day. Warm water or plain water is best, as it helps with detoxification and digestion."
Having given these reminders, Xu Miyu picked up the unopened containers and handed them to Xue Rui so he could take them to the kitchen and store them in the refrigerator.
Ji Feng sat on the sofa, slowly eating the stewed meat, but his eyes never left Xu Miyu.
He couldn't help feeling that she was being exceptionally attentive today, showing him such meticulous care.
He frowned.
After finishing everything, Xu Miyu turned to bid farewell to Ji Feng. The busywork had made her feel a bit warm.
As she turned to face Ji Feng, she realized he was also quietly watching her.
To her surprise, she noticed a small piece of meat stuck on Ji Feng's cheek near the corner of his mouth. This was something she had never seen before and never imagined would happen to Ji Feng—he always maintained perfect composure while eating and would never allow food to end up on his face.
Xu Miyu couldn't help but widen her eyes in astonishment.
So, had he been distracted while eating? How absentminded must he have been to get a piece of meat on his face?Ji Feng was also looking at Xu Miyu. He noticed a layer of sweat forming on her forehead. That perspiration seemed particularly bothersome to his eyes.
Ji Feng narrowed his eyes again.
Xu Miyu also appeared to have something she wanted to say but was holding back.
The next second, Ji Feng and Xu Miyu moved almost simultaneously.
Xu Miyu raised her hand and pointed at Ji Feng's face: "President Ji, there."
Ji Feng also crooked his finger at Xu Miyu: "Come here."
After speaking at the same time, both paused momentarily.
Then Xu Miyu took a step forward.
Ji Feng pulled out a tissue and handed it to Xu Miyu: "Wipe it clean."
He felt uncomfortable looking at the sweat on her forehead, as if the sticky sensation had already transferred from her to his own forehead.
Xu Miyu let out a surprised "Huh?" and accepted the tissue, somewhat hesitantly.
"Should I wipe it?"
She asked while looking at the meat fragment on Ji Feng's face.
Ji Feng raised an eyebrow impatiently: "Otherwise?"
Did she really expect him to wipe her sweat personally? How dare she even think that.
Xu Miyu hesitated again, thinking that Ji Feng wanted her to wipe the meat fragment because he couldn't see it himself.
So she stopped resisting. Leaning across the coffee table, she suddenly moved closer to Ji Feng, raising her hand to gently wipe his face with the tissue.
Suddenly she was extremely close to him.
So close that Ji Feng could only stare in astonishment.
Her touch was gentle, her body carried a faint fragrance, and they were close enough to feel each other's breath.
That gentle wipe on his face, even through the tissue, allowed him to feel the softness of her fingertips and the tenderness of her touch. Her movements carried an inexplicably alluring quality that could make one's heart flutter.
After a moment of shock and that heart-fluttering sensation, Ji Feng abruptly leaned back against the sofa. Frowning deeply, he coldly demanded: "What are you doing?"
Xu Miyu was taken aback by his question. She opened the tissue in her hand, revealing a small piece of stewed meat residue. She replied to Ji Feng: "There was some meat stuck to your face. Didn't you give me the tissue to help you wipe it off?"
Looking at her innocent expression, Ji Feng furrowed his brows even tighter: "I was telling you to wipe the sweat off your own forehead! It's bothering me to look at!"
"Ah?"
Xu Miyu was completely stunned.
She hadn't even realized she was sweating, only feeling somewhat warm and busy. It seemed that when facing him, even when she tried to appear perfectly composed and natural, there was still some underlying nervousness and unease deep inside.
Ji Feng swept another glance at Xu Miyu, then raised his arm to shoo her away: "You're not needed anymore, go on, leave."
His tone carried a touch of unpredictable irritation.
Xu Miyu hesitated for a moment - should she apologize to Ji Feng? She knew he didn't like people getting close to him.
But it wasn't intentional on her part. Ji Feng hadn't made himself clear, which led to her misunderstanding his instruction.
While she was hesitating, Xue Rui had already returned from storing the food. Ji Feng directly instructed Xue Rui: "Take her downstairs."
So Xu Miyu took the elevator back to the hotel lobby.
When Xue Rui returned to the suite after seeing her off, he was surprised to see that Ji Feng actually appeared somewhat unsettled.
He had never seen Ji Feng with such an expression before. Driven by curiosity, his courage grew, and he couldn't help asking Ji Feng: "Boss, did something happen just now?"
Ji Feng, who was picking up stewed meat with his chopsticks, paused mid-action. He turned his head and glared fiercely at Xue Rui.
"Can you not survive a single day without prying into other people's business?"
Hearing this, Xue Rui immediately became certain that something must have happened during that brief period when he was away."Boss, did Mi Yu do something to upset you again?" he began to probe.
He noticed a thoughtful expression flicker across Ji Feng's face.
After a long pause, Ji Feng asked Xue Rui: "That woman Xu Miyu - has she been showing excessive concern for me lately?"
Chef Xu just injured his arm, and she already knew about it. Has she been keeping tabs on Chef Xu? And the only reason she'd be paying attention to Chef Xu would be because of him.
The moment she learned Chef Xu was taking leave due to injury, she immediately brought up stewed meat and side dishes.
She's truly worried he might go hungry.
"Now that you mention it, and from what I've observed, Mi Yu does seem quite concerned about you," Xue Rui replied.
"As soon as she heard Chef Xu was taking leave, she voluntarily stayed up late to prepare food for me, even developing dark circles under her eyes," Ji Feng said, as if speaking to Xue Rui yet also to himself.
"Exactly! That shows genuine effort and dedication!" Xue Rui agreed.
"And when she came, she kept smiling at me enthusiastically, as if trying to bloom like a flower. Not just once either - you saw that, right?" Ji Feng asked Xue Rui.
Xue Rui nodded: "I saw it! I have to admit, when Mi Yu smiles, she looks particularly beautiful - gives people that first love feeling!"
His analogy earned him a cold glare from Ji Feng.
Xue Rui quickly tempered his expression.
Yet Ji Feng continued mentally listing the things about that woman that struck him as unusual.
Previously, wearing that first-love smile, she gave him chocolate...
Just now, standing across from him, she was so nervous she was sweating.
Why would she be nervous? People only get nervous when they have ulterior motives.
And then, using the excuse of wiping meat crumbs from his face, she suddenly got so close to him, touching him through thin tissue paper with her fingertips, even blowing gently on his face...
Thinking of this, Ji Feng grew suddenly irritable. He tossed his chopsticks onto the coffee table and asked Xue Rui impatiently: "Have I been helping her too much recently?"
Had he given her the wrong impression?
After thinking for a moment, Xue Rui replied: "Now that you ask - actually, you have helped quite a bit. Just earlier, you were concernedly asking Mi Yu how she was doing in the front office department and whether she needed to be transferred to work closer to you."
Ji Feng felt his heart sink.
Even Xue Rui thought so, no wonder Xu Miyu might have misunderstood.
So, could she actually have fallen for him? And was now actively pursuing him with skillful enthusiasm, trying to seduce him?
When she leaned in close to him earlier, claiming to wipe meat crumbs from his face - that was actually her seducing him!
Getting so close, making such ambiguous movements, yet stopping at just the right moment, retreating after a brief touch, then putting on an innocent face afterwards. She was far more sophisticated and skilled than all the other women who had tried to seduce him before.
How could he have ever thought she was clumsy and timid? She was clearly anything but ordinary!
With these thoughts, Ji Feng suddenly stood up and walked to the window without a word.
He looked down upon the world outside, standing at a ruler's height.
He stood high above at the very top, while she had already descended to the very bottom.
Looking down at the world, he thought: He absolutely must not give Xu Miyu any further opportunities for misunderstanding.
She didn't meet a single one of his criteria for an ideal partner. Therefore, she must not develop feelings for him, nor entertain any indescribable thoughts about him.
He glanced back at the stewed meat on the coffee table, feeling somewhat perturbed.He firmly told himself that those few bites of food weren't enough to sway him in any way. Next time if she found another excuse to bring food over and then tried to tempt him with all sorts of suggestive hints, he would have to make things clear to her face-to-face—she couldn't harbor any improper thoughts about him!
The climate in Xing City was pleasant. Being near the coast, temperatures never dropped too low throughout the year. After the autumn rainy season, the weather was no longer as scorching hot as in midsummer, nor was it constantly overcast and drizzly. Instead, every day brought sunny skies with comfortable temperatures. Such fine weather ushered Xing City into a peak tourism season. The Sway Hotel also experienced a small surge in occupancy, with tourists and travel groups from all over the country checking in daily.
The lobby staff became stretched thin, and Xu Miyu found herself acting like a jack-of-all-trades, stepping in wherever help was needed. She didn’t seem like an acting supervisor so much as someone available to assist everyone with their tasks.
One afternoon, a middle-aged man with a distinct accent dragged his suitcase into the hotel. It seemed to be his first visit—after entering the main door and stepping into the lobby, he stopped, took out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from his face and his glasses, and looked around as if searching for the front desk to check in.
Xu Miyu quickly asked her subordinate receptionist Deng Rong to assist the guest and ensure his check-in process went smoothly.
But Deng Rong resisted her authority. Though she hadn’t been busy, as soon as Xu Miyu gave the instruction, she immediately assigned herself another task—informing Xu Miyu that she had to attend to a VIP guest right away, and then walking off.
Left with no choice, Xu Miyu personally went forward to welcome the guest. She warmly and attentively guided him to the front desk, where the front desk staff member Shi Huanhuan handled his check-in.
The guest handed over his ID card. Shi Huanhuan took it, glanced at it, and said, "Mr. Huang, please wait a moment."
Xu Miyu heard Mr. Huang reply, "Okay." Then he added, "Please make a note for me—I need a wake-up service tomorrow at 3 o’clock in the afternoon."
He spoke with a slight accent, which carried the pleasant, distinctive tones of the Sichuan-Chongqing region.
Just then, a large group of people entered through the door—it looked like another tour group had arrived.
With insufficient staff to handle the influx and seeing that the front desk didn’t require immediate attention, Xu Miyu hurried over to assist with the newly arrived tour group.
After a considerable amount of effort, the entire business tour group was finally settled.
The lobby finally had a brief moment of respite.
Xu Miyu wasn’t originally scheduled to work the night shift, but given the high number of check-ins that day, she decided to stay on for the night shift as a precaution.
Fortunately, although minor issues kept cropping up, no major emergencies occurred. In the process of handling various situations, Xu Miyu quickly absorbed and accumulated practical methods and experience.
During a brief lull, Xu Miyu sat down and checked the time—it was already 2:30 in the morning.
Time flew by when she was busy; she hadn’t even realized how late it had gotten.
She planned to review the list of guests who had requested wake-up services. If everything was in order, she would take a short break herself.
When she came across Mr. Huang, who had checked in that afternoon, Xu Miyu remembered him clearly—she had personally received him and guided him to the front desk.
She noticed that the front desk staff member Shi Huanhuan had recorded Mr. Huang’s wake-up service for 3 o’clock in the afternoon.
Frowning slightly, she felt that something didn’t seem quite right.Recalling Mr. Huang's exact words during check-in this afternoon: "I need a wake-up service at three o'clock tomorrow during the daytime."
So, what exactly does "three o'clock during the daytime" mean? Is it 3:00 AM or 15:00 in the afternoon?
If it's 3:00 AM, it's still dark outside—hardly considered daytime.
But if it's 3:00 PM, to avoid confusion, one would typically say, "Please wake me at fifteen o'clock tomorrow." Of course, it's also possible the guest has a habit of referring to 15:00 as three o'clock.
So now the question is: In Mr. Huang's statement, "three o'clock during the daytime," which part carries more weight—"daytime" or "three o'clock"? If the emphasis is on "daytime," then it should be 15:00; if it's on "three o'clock," then it must be 3:00 AM.
Xu Miyu pondered for a moment, then opened her computer to search for flight schedules. Sway Hotel isn't too far from the airport—a 30-minute drive during the day and just over ten minutes at night.
Mr. Huang had a heavy Sichuan-Chongqing accent, suggesting he has lived in that region for a long time—if someone from Sichuan-Chongqing lived elsewhere, their accent would naturally fade over time.
Assuming he resides in the Sichuan-Chongqing area, she first checked for flights between that region and the city, looking for departures or arrivals around 3:00 AM or 3:00 PM.
Xu Miyu found no flights at 3:00 PM.
However, there was one flight arriving from Sichuan-Chongqing at 3:30 AM.
She also checked outgoing flights from the city to various destinations—none were scheduled around 3:00 or 3:30 PM.
From this, it seemed more likely that Mr. Huang meant 3:00 AM—based on the flight schedule, he couldn't be traveling or picking someone up at 3:00 PM, but at 3:00 AM, he might very well be meeting a fellow townsman or colleague arriving from Sichuan-Chongqing.
Of course, these were all Xu Miyu's deductions. She wanted to confirm some details with the front desk staff.
Coincidentally, Shi Huanhuan was on night duty, dozing off behind the front desk. Hoping to clear up her doubts, Xu Miyu walked over and asked, "When Mr. Huang checked in this afternoon and requested the wake-up service, did he explicitly say 3:00 PM?"
Shi Huanhuan was in a hazy, half-asleep state, enjoying the comfortable drowsiness. Suddenly jolted awake by Xu Miyu, she felt as if someone had grabbed her scalp and yanked her upward—a forced awakening that was utterly unpleasant.
Irritated, Shi Huanhuan glanced down at the records impatiently, then looked up with a sweet smile. "Of course he said it. Why would I make up records out of thin air?"
As she spoke, she rotated her neck, trying to ease the tightness in her scalp.
Xu Miyu pressed further, "This afternoon, I heard the guest say, 'Wake me at three o'clock tomorrow during the daytime.' Did you later confirm with him whether 'three o'clock during the daytime' meant 15:00?"
Shi Huanhuan paused briefly but quickly defended herself, "My dear supervisor, you saw how busy it was during check-in this afternoon. There were so many people—how could I waste time asking him such repetitive questions? Besides, he said 'three o'clock during the daytime,' so isn't that obviously 3:00 PM? 3:00 AM is still nighttime."Xu Miyu showed the flight details to Shi Huanhuan, explaining that the guest had likely meant 3 a.m. rather than 3 p.m.
Shi Huanhuan had always resented Xu Miyu’s authority, and being abruptly awakened only fueled her irritation. Now, having flight information shoved in her face, her impatience boiled over. In an instant, she turned passive-aggressive—smiling sweetly, her voice gentle, but her words dripping with sarcasm: “So what, my dear supervisor? Are you trying to tell me with this flimsy evidence that I misheard or misremembered? That I should—” she glanced at the time, 2:58 a.m., “—immediately inform the switchboard operator to make a wake-up call in two minutes?”
Pausing, Shi Huanhuan widened her smile, softened her tone, and sharpened her sarcasm: “Oh, esteemed supervisor, disturbing a guest’s peaceful sleep in the dead of night—waking them up for no good reason—if they complain, who’s going to take the blame?”
Xu Miyu replied calmly, “I will.”
“Even if you take the blame, your performance metrics will suffer. Why insist on causing trouble and offending the guest? Besides, the guest clearly said 3 p.m.”
“What if he misspoke and actually meant 3 a.m. to catch a flight? What if he misses something important because we failed to provide the wake-up service?”
“Well, that’s his fault for not being clear!” Shi Huanhuan threw up her hands, her voice trailing off dismissively.
“But you didn’t proactively confirm with the guest, did you? You didn’t explicitly ask, ‘Do you mean 3 p.m.?’” Xu Miyu pointed out Shi Huanhuan’s oversight.
Shi Huanhuan choked back a retort, then laughed bitterly. “My dear supervisor, why are you so stubborn? Do you get some kind of satisfaction from dragging everyone into chaos in the middle of the night? If you’re so sure it’s a 3 a.m. wake-up call, fine—you’re the boss. But I’m feeling unwell and need to use the restroom. You’ll have to handle the wake-up call yourself! Oh, and since you’re new to the front office and lack experience, don’t blame me if the guest chews you out. You brought this on yourself!”
With that, Shi Huanhuan stood and hurried toward the restroom.
Xu Miyu sighed.
It felt like when she had first been promoted to team leader in the housekeeping department. Back then, everyone had been resentful, undermining her authority with passive-aggressive remarks, making her job incredibly difficult.
She mentally bolstered herself, repeating that it would be okay. She had managed to turn things around in housekeeping, and she believed she could do the same in the front office.
The front office staff doubted her capabilities. Well, she would prove them wrong.
Xu Miyu checked her watch. It was already 3 a.m.
Wasting no more time, she dialed the front office switchboard operator and instructed her to make the wake-up call to Mr. Huang immediately.
But the operator, like Shi Huanhuan, resisted Xu Miyu’s authority. Unconvinced and dismissive, she responded with polite refusal—all smiles and pleasant tones, yet passively resisting action. Another soft rejection.
Xu Miyu checked the time again: 3:03 a.m.
If the guest truly needed a 3 a.m. wake-up call, they were already three minutes late.
There was no more time to waste.She got up and walked to the lobby restroom, summoning Shi Huanhuan—who had been rubbing her face while gazing at the mirror—back to the front desk to keep watch. No matter how fiercely Shi Huanhuan rolled her disobedient eyes behind her back, she simply warned that any further dawdling would be counted as an unexcused absence from work.
Shi Huanhuan drawled with a laugh, "Got it, my big—supervisor—," then returned to the front desk.
Xu Miyu took the elevator directly upstairs, found Mr. Huang's room, and stood at the door.
The guest had pressed the "do not disturb" button, and the doorbell was muted.
Looking at the words "do not disturb," Xu Miyu hesitated. The guest clearly wanted a good sleep. If he had indeed scheduled a wake-up call for 3 p.m., knocking now to disturb him might very well provoke his anger and lead to a complaint against the staff.
But if she didn’t wake him, and he had actually scheduled a wake-up call for 3 a.m., causing him to miss something important, the responsibility would still fall on them.
So, should she take the risk and knock?
Xu Miyu checked her watch. It was already 3:07.
There was no time to hesitate. She raised her hand, formed a loose fist, and knocked on the door with her knuckles.
If it wasn’t a 3 a.m. wake-up call, she was willing to bear the complaint from the guest.
If it was 3 a.m., then her actions wouldn’t have caused the guest any inconvenience.
She chose the possibility that carried the greatest risk for herself and the smallest loss for the guest. She believed this was what she should do and bear in her position.
After knocking three times, she paused and called out, "Mr. Huang." There was no response from inside. She continued knocking, paused again after three knocks, and called out once more, "Mr. Huang."
After repeating this several times, there was finally a sound from inside—but it wasn’t an optimistic one.
Mr. Huang was practically hopping mad in the room, roaring angrily, "Who is it? Are you insane? Don’t you know people are sleeping? What’s with the knocking in the middle of the night?"
Standing at the door, Xu Miyu explained, "Mr. Huang, did you schedule a wake-up call for three o’clock?"
Mr. Huang, still furious, continued shouting through the door, "Are you done yet? Are you done yet?!"
Xu Miyu apologized repeatedly before quickly walking away.
When she returned to the front lobby, Shi Huanhuan tentatively asked, "Was it 3 a.m.?"
Seeing that Xu Miyu didn’t respond, she understood, a slight smirk curling at the corner of her lips, betraying a hint of smug satisfaction. "My supervisor," she said, emphasizing the words, "I already told you. You haven’t been at the front desk long, you haven’t seen much, and you lack experience. We should’ve treated this wake-up call as 3 p.m., but you just wouldn’t listen. You insisted on relying on the flight information you checked and the guest’s accent to make your judgment. Now, what I told you earlier has come true, hasn’t it? The guest was sleeping soundly, got woken up, and is now furious and going to complain, right?"
Shi Huanhuan stressed the words "my supervisor" heavily.
Xu Miyu remained expressionless and went about her tasks as usual.
But she couldn’t help asking herself in her heart, had she really done something wrong?
A few minutes later, someone hurried out from the elevator area.
Xu Miyu looked up and saw that it was Mr. Huang running over.
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