Xu Miyu clearly sensed that since the Green Snake incident, her relationship with her colleagues in the front office department had become more harmonious. Colleagues at her level now consulted her when issues arose; junior colleagues carried out her instructions promptly without any pretense; and when front desk staff encountered difficult people or situations, they turned to her for help first. They trusted her abilities and fully regarded her as one of their own.
With everything going smoothly at work, Xu Miyu’s energy and spirits improved significantly. After her divorce, there had been a period when her heart felt ashen, convinced she would never find emotional happiness again, so she had given up on self-care. But now her perspective had changed.
Because that person who always seemed to mock her with his eyes had told her: even if others didn’t value her, she had to value herself. She had to love herself.
Only those who love themselves deserve happiness.
So she needed to love herself well, to take good care of herself and improve herself, even though she had been divorced and was already thirty years old. After all, even at eighty, she still had the right to elegance and happiness, didn’t she?
Xu Miyu paid attention to skincare and exercised moderately.
During the period after her divorce, she had been too thin and weak, her cheeks so gaunt there wasn’t a trace of flesh, making her look dry and aged, with a sallow complexion that required foundation to brighten her appearance.
But recently, with everything going well, her complexion had improved dramatically. Not only that, she made an effort to eat more and gain some weight. Finally, her persistence paid off—her cheeks had filled out somewhat. Her once somewhat sunken cheeks had returned to their original oval shape, with collagen barely reclaiming a hint of her fading youth.
Her current condition was excellent; lately, she didn’t even need much makeup for work. After basic skincare, a touch of lipstick was enough to make her complexion radiant.
Even Shi Huanhuan couldn’t resist asking during lunch break in the lounge: “Manager Xu, how did you start reverse aging without saying a word? Your face, your skin—oh my, I’m almost afraid to touch it for fear of being bounced away!”
Lu Xiaoyan also couldn’t help asking: “Mi Yu, what cosmetics are you using? Could you share the links? I feel like in less than two months since you joined the front office, you’ve almost become a different person!”
Xu Miyu laughed and honestly shared what cosmetics she used. But Shi Huanhuan and Lu Xiaoyan didn’t believe her; they couldn’t accept that such ordinary products could have such youth-restoring effects.
A bellboy nearby couldn’t resist chiming in teasingly: “Is it so hard for you two to admit you’re not as naturally beautiful as she is? What Mi Yu has is innate! Before, she was just going through a rough patch and occasionally looked weary, but once things passed, she easily bounced back to her best.”
Xu Miyu was amused and laughed, her smile clear and bright, captivating the bellboy who couldn’t take his eyes off her.
Shi Huanhuan tapped his head: “What are you staring at? Haven’t you seen a beautiful woman smile before? Go watch the main entrance!”
The bellboy actually seemed a bit shy, rubbing his head as he said: “Ah, you don’t get it. Mi Yu’s smile isn’t something just anyone can pull off. Hers is what you call a ‘first love smile’—the kind that makes you feel like you’re experiencing first love again!”Shi Huanhuan and Lu Xiaoyan continued eagerly questioning the bellboy about the "first love smile," but Xu Miyu had already put away her smile and let out a soft cough.
The other three picked up a hint of warning from her light cough and immediately fell silent, turning their gaze toward the hotel lobby.
Ji Feng stood not far behind them, watching them with an inscrutable expression—his eyes deep, his demeanor cold, and his emotions unreadable.
The bellboy shrank back in fear and scurried sheepishly toward the hotel entrance. As he passed Ji Feng, his steps became so clumsy he nearly tripped over his own feet.
Shi Huanhuan and Lu Xiaoyan quickly returned to their workstations, adopting serious and professional postures.
Xu Miyu walked over, hesitating for a moment, unsure of how loudly she should greet him.
In the end, she asked softly, "Hello, President Ji."
Ji Feng looked at Xu Miyu with a cold glare.
Xu Miyu instinctively held her breath a little.
She couldn’t shake the feeling that Ji Feng was about to lose his temper at any moment.
But when he finally spoke, she was taken aback.
"What’s with that timid, shrinking look? Do I eat people?" With that, he strode off.
Xu Miyu let out a silent sigh of relief.
She returned to the front desk to organize documents. Lu Xiaoyan couldn’t resist leaning in and whispering, "Mi Yu, why do I feel like President Ji is always picking on you? It’s like no matter what you do, it’s never right."
Xu Miyu smiled and told her, "Let’s just focus on work."
In the elevator, after the doors slowly closed, Ji Feng let out a derisive snort.
Xue Rui heard him mutter scornfully, "First love smile, huh." Suddenly, Ji Feng turned to Xue Rui, his face full of disdain, and asked, "Are all you young brats this shallow?"
Xue Rui took a moment to process this and realized he was being dragged into it—all because he had once remarked that Xu Miyu’s smile, when it brightened, had a "first love" quality to it.
But then he quickly sensed something off.
"Boss, how are we 'young brats'? You’re 29 and a half, I’m 25 and a half—we’re only four years apart. And besides, aren’t you also…"
He wisely choked back the second half of his sentence.
Ji Feng narrowed his eyes, radiating menace. "Finish. Your. Sentence."
Xue Rui swallowed hard and mustered the courage to say the rest: "And aren’t you also someone who’s never had a girlfriend… a virgin? If we’re talking about being young brats, we’re all in the same boat…"
His words trailed off under Ji Feng’s fierce glare.
Ji Feng stared him down, not breaking eye contact until the elevator reached the top floor and the doors slowly opened.
Only then did he say in a harsh tone, "Who said I’m still a virgin? You brat!"
With that, he stepped out of the elevator.
Xue Rui stood frozen inside the elevator. ???
What did Ji Feng mean by that? Was he declaring that he’d been with a woman? When did that happen? How could he, as Ji Feng’s personal assistant, not know about it??
This was unbelievable! Ji Feng had actually been slept with by a woman?! He desperately wanted to know who this woman was—the one who had taken Ji Feng’s long-preserved chastity!
Just before the end of her shift, Xu Miyu unexpectedly received a call at the front desk from Chef Xu of the Food and Beverage Department.
Chef Xu asked Xu Miyu not to rush off after work and, if possible, to stop by the Food and Beverage Department.
Xu Miyu agreed without hesitation.After work, she went directly to the Chinese restaurant's kitchen to find Chef Xu and asked if there was anything he needed help with. Previously, when she had coordinated work with the Food and Beverage Department, she had exchanged some culinary tips with Chef Xu. Chef Xu had greatly praised her home-style dishes and even taught her a few secrets for preparing grand dishes. This made her feel somewhat indebted to Chef Xu—after all, a chef of his caliber wouldn’t easily pass on his cooking skills to others.
Upon hearing Xu Miyu’s question, Chef Xu rubbed his hands together and said, “There is indeed something I’d like to trouble you with.”
He gestured upward with his fingertips and explained to Xu Miyu, “The gentleman on the top floor wants dumplings today. As you know, among all the hotel chefs, he only eats food prepared by me. But I have an urgent family matter and need to leave right now. I once heard Assistant Xue mention that aside from my cooking, Mr. Ji can only stomach meals made by you. So, I’d like to ask you for a favor—could you cover for me tonight and make dumplings for him?”
Xu Miyu really wanted to help Chef Xu, but she had some reservations.
She cautiously asked Chef Xu, “I’m happy to help, but if I go up there unannounced, won’t Mr. Ji be displeased?”
She vividly remembered how Ji Feng had recently snapped at her, “Why are you shouting so loudly? Trying to show off that you know me?” He had been so fierce.
Even just greeting him had earned her his intense displeasure. She understood the meaning behind his words—he wanted her to keep her distance and remember her place.
So, if she went up uninvited, she was afraid Ji Feng would be annoyed again.
But Chef Xu reassured her, “Don’t worry, I’ve already discussed this with Assistant Xue, who works closely with Mr. Ji. He said he would inform Mr. Ji. If Mr. Ji disagreed, he would notify me. Since he hasn’t contacted me, it means Mr. Ji has agreed.”
He then pleaded with Xu Miyu, “Xiao Xu, I really have no choice but to leave due to this family emergency. I can only ask you for this favor. In the future, if there’s any dish you want to learn, just come to me—I’ll teach you everything, alright?”
Xu Miyu quickly replied, “There’s no need for that.”
“This isn’t a difficult task at all. As long as Mr. Ji allows me to go up, it’s just a small effort for me. Please don’t stand on ceremony.”
Xu Miyu agreed to the request.
Chef Xu checked the time and exclaimed, “Oh dear!” He urged Xu Miyu, “Hurry up and go! Making dumplings is already a bit time-consuming. If you delay any longer, the gentleman upstairs will get hungry and upset. Go, go!”
Under his urging, Xu Miyu didn’t even have time to call Xue Rui first. Chef Xu quickly ushered her into the elevator and swiped her up to the top floor.
As soon as Xu Miyu stepped into Ji Feng’s suite on the top floor, she was met with a glare from Ji Feng, who was pouring himself a glass of water at the bar.
He frowned slightly, looked at Xu Miyu, and asked coldly, “What are you doing up here?”
Xu Miyu was taken aback.
Hadn’t Chef Xu said everything was arranged with the top floor…?
She answered truthfully, “Chef Xu asked me to come up and make dumplings for you.”Ji Feng held the water glass, narrowed his eyes slightly, and asked coldly, "Where is he? Why didn't he come up himself?" After a pause, he pressed further, "What, can you all privately decide who comes up to make dumplings now, completely bypassing me?"
Xu Miyu instinctively wanted to explain: "Chef Xu said Assistant Xue..."
But she cut herself off as soon as she started.
She glanced around and noticed Xue Rui wasn't there. He must have been sent out on an errand by Ji Feng.
Clearly, Xue Rui had been too busy with his tasks to inform Ji Feng that Chef Xu had something to attend to tonight and she would be coming up to make dumplings instead. If she mentioned that Chef Xu had already discussed this with Xue Rui, it would imply Xue Rui had neglected his duty by forgetting to relay the message.
So she stopped in time, choosing to take the blame herself.
She changed her tone and directly apologized: "I'm sorry, Mr. Ji. It was my fault for coming up without notice. I apologize for disturbing you. I'll go back down now."
After speaking, she bowed slightly and turned to leave.
But Ji Feng's cool voice stopped her from behind.
"Stop."
Ji Feng's single command froze Xu Miyu in her tracks.
She stopped and turned back, looking toward Ji Feng by the bar, waiting warily and confused for what would come next.
"Is this a marketplace to you, where you can come and go as you please?" Ji Feng raised his eyebrows and tone as he asked.
Xu Miyu caught her breath, unsure how to respond.
Fortunately, Ji Feng continued on his own.
"Are you very familiar with Xue Rui? You seem quite protective of him."
Xu Miyu couldn't gauge what answer Ji Feng wanted to hear. Should she say they were familiar or not?
It seemed any wrong word would upset him. His temper was more unpredictable than the city's weather—whether he was pleased or displeased was impossible to discern just by looking.
So she could only offer an awkward smile, one meant to appease and ingratiate.
Facing her smile, Ji Feng suddenly narrowed his eyes.
Then he averted his gaze, gripped his water glass, walked to the sofa, and sat down. Leaning back, he lazily crossed his legs and, without looking at Xu Miyu, coldly instructed, "Finish making the dumplings before you go down."
Xu Miyu immediately said, "Yes," and made to head toward the kitchen at the back.
Just as she took a step, she heard a loud, hollow rumbling sound, as if emanating from a vast emptiness.
Xu Miyu paused, feeling a pang of sympathy. How hungry must someone be for their empty stomach to produce such a loud rumble?
She glanced at Ji Feng, who was also looking at her.
His face was stern, using coldness to mask the embarrassment of being betrayed by his own stomach.
In that moment, Xu Miyu felt a mix of amusement and pity.
She couldn't help but reach into her pocket. Inside were a few chocolates she kept for energy boosts—when she felt exhausted from standing in the lobby, she'd eat one to keep her strength up.
She pulled out a chocolate, walked to the coffee table, placed it on the surface, and carefully pushed it toward Ji Feng.
As she straightened up and lifted her eyes, before she could say anything, she met Ji Feng's furrowed brow.
"What's this supposed to mean?"
Ji Feng asked in a flat tone.
Xu Miyu smiled, a charming and pleasing smile, and told him, "Please eat this to hold you over. I'm worried you might get hypoglycemic from being too hungry."Ji Feng furrowed his brows even more tightly, his vocal cords seeming to tense up as he spoke again: "Is that all you meant?"
Xu Miyu was momentarily taken aback and instinctively retorted: "What else?" Realizing her tone had been somewhat sharp, she quickly softened it: "I mean, what other meaning could I possibly have? If you don't like this, I'll take it away right now."
As she spoke, she bent down to retrieve the chocolate she had just pushed toward Ji Feng.
Watching her movements, Ji Feng curled his lips in a silent, mocking smile, inwardly sneering:
Here we go again. Playing hard to get, here we go again!
He glared at the woman before him, and before she could reach for the chocolate, he lifted his hand and picked it up from the coffee table.
Ji Feng examined the object Xu Miyu had used to play hard to get with him and said coldly: "Mind your own business and go wrap the dumplings."
"?" Xu Miyu looked at Ji Feng with some confusion. He seemed to dislike the chocolate, yet didn't let her take it back; he told her not to meddle, yet took the chocolate she had given him...
She really couldn't figure out what he was thinking.
When a man's thoughts become hard to decipher, comparing them to a needle at the bottom of the ocean isn't enough—it's like throwing that needle into the vastness of the universe.
Afraid that any further complications might upset this important figure, Xu Miyu quickly and without pause headed toward the back kitchen to prepare the dumplings.
No sooner had she entered the kitchen than Xue Rui hurried in from outside.
As soon as he entered the room, he gasped for breath and urgently reported to Ji Feng: "Boss, I didn't get a chance to tell you earlier—Chef Xu said he has family matters tonight, so he asked Mi Yu to come up and prepare your dinner for today."
Ji Feng twirled the chocolate in his hand, examining it as he replied indifferently to Xue Rui: "I already knew before you said anything."
Xue Rui let out an "Ah?" and said: "You already knew?"
Ji Feng glanced at him, his smile not reaching his eyes, and said: "Next time, try to report a chef change before the chef arrives, alright, President Xue?"
Xue Rui felt a chill down his spine from the sarcastic tone.
He immediately realized that Xu Miyu had already come up to cook. He quickly apologized to Ji Feng and said: "Ah, I'll go see if Mi Yu needs any help. Two people working together will be faster than her doing it alone, so you won't go hungry!" Having said that, he made a quick escape, darting toward the back kitchen.
Ji Feng glanced displeased at his retreating figure. Such an obvious attempt to avoid him, as if he were some kind of plague.
He looked again at the chocolate in his hand.
This damned thing that the woman repeatedly used to play hard to get with him—he was going to taste what it was really like.
He unwrapped the packaging and shoved the dark object into his mouth.
Surprisingly, it wasn't as cloyingly sweet as he had imagined; instead, it had a clear, slight bitterness.
At first taste, the slight bitterness was unpleasant, making him want to frown.
But after waiting a moment and savoring it, once he accepted the flavor, he seemed to detect a hint of lingering sweetness.
This hint of sweetness inexplicably made him feel relaxed and at ease, and somehow made him reminisce about the taste.
Is this the damned dopamine? That substance that can bewitch one's emotions.
He thought to himself, this damned dopamine. This damned dark chocolate. And why the hell does it taste a bit like that woman.Xue Rui was assisting Xu Miyu in the kitchen, the two chatting and laughing together.
After kneading the dough and mixing the filling, Xu Miyu casually told Xue Rui a corny joke while wrapping dumplings: "Do you know how dumplings came to be? One day, a dumpling wrapper encountered some trouble and went to a meatball for help. The meatball patted the dumpling wrapper and said, 'No problem, just leave this matter to me.' And that's how dumplings were born."
Xue Rui shivered exaggeratedly from the "cold" joke while laughing heartily.
Ji Feng had approached at some point, standing at the doorway listening to their cheerful banter for quite some time.
He had originally come to hurry them along with the meal, but found himself inexplicably lingering to hear their trivial conversation.
Watching their harmonious interaction, he felt an inexplicable irritation brewing within him.
He noticed how differently Xu Miyu behaved with others compared to when she was with him. Around him, she was cautious and obedient, occasionally playing hard to get. But with others, she turned out to be quite amusing.
Why was she so relaxed with everyone else, yet put on such a different facade around him? Like some artificial version of herself.
Suppressing his irritation—whether from hunger or something else—he called out from the kitchen doorway, "Xue Rui!"
Xue Rui turned and raised the dumpling wrapper in his hand. "Boss, I'm working at full speed to make your dumplings!"
Ji Feng frowned at the response. "What kind of monstrosity are you making? Get out here."
Looking at what had been called a "monstrosity" in his palm, Xue Rui realized his dumpling indeed lacked proper form. Sheepishly putting it down, he approached the kitchen doorway.
In a tone audible to all present, Ji Feng told Xue Rui, "What are you doing causing trouble here? All that flirting—no decent behavior. Go brew me some tea."
With that, he turned and walked away.
Xue Rui desperately wanted to defend himself but found no words, following after Ji Feng with frustrated grunts.
Xu Miyu's dumpling-wrapping hands paused at the exchange.
She realized Ji Feng's reprimand to Xue Rui was actually meant for her, wasn't it?
He was displeased that she had grown too familiar with his assistant, using those words to warn her. But she truly had no such intentions toward Xue Rui—she hoped he wouldn't misunderstand.
Resuming her dumpling wrapping, she decided she would maintain proper distance from both him and his assistant from now on, to avoid giving him reasons for complaint.
After the dumplings were wrapped, they were boiled in the pot. Xue Rui came to check on them and took the opportunity to bring out the bowls, plates, and essential dumpling condiments like soy sauce, vinegar, and sesame oil.
Confirming Ji Feng intended to eat at the coffee table in the living room, Xue Rui arranged everything before the boss who sat on the sofa.
He unscrewed the condiment bottles to prepare the dipping sauce for Ji Feng.
After pouring soy sauce and vinegar, he reached for the sesame oil. Some oil slicked his hand, causing him to lose his grip on the prepared dipping sauce plate. To his horror, the plate slipped from his grasp and crashed onto the floor.
The sharp crack announced the disastrous scene. Fortunately, the spilled contents didn't splatter onto Ji Feng—otherwise, Xue Rui knew he would have been doomed.Facing Ji Feng's look of disdain, he immediately began apologizing nonstop: "I'm sorry, boss! Please don't move, I'll go get the rag and air freshener right away!"
Just as he ran off, Xu Miyu arrived carrying the freshly boiled dumplings.
She placed the dumplings in front of Ji Feng and noticed he didn't have a plate, letting out a surprised sound. She remembered Xue Rui had brought the plates over earlier.
"Let me get you a plate."
After saying this, she turned and stepped forward to return to the kitchen for a plate. Unfortunately, her foot landed precisely in the puddle of dipping sauce that had spilled on the floor.
The sesame oil in the dipping sauce had made the floor exceptionally slippery. The moment Xu Miyu stepped on it, her center of gravity was completely thrown off. With a startled "Ah!", she slipped and fell sideways.
When she regained her composure, she was shocked to find herself leaning against Ji Feng's chest, sitting on his lap.
She had actually slipped right into Ji Feng's arms!
Their current position made it look as though Ji Feng was properly holding her sideways on his lap.
She was nestled against his chest, their eyes locked.
Her face instantly flushed with heat.
Ji Feng stared steadily at her and asked, "Why is your face red?"
The question snapped Xu Miyu back to reality, and she quickly stood up from Ji Feng's lap, moving as if she'd been scalded. She raised a hand to touch her cheek—it was burning hot. Ji Feng was right; it really had turned red.
Just then, Xue Rui returned with a rag and air freshener, witnessing Xu Miyu spring up from Ji Feng as if burned and noticing the smeared stain on the floor.
Xu Miyu hastily said that since the dumplings were cooked, she should leave, then quickly apologized to Ji Feng with "Sorry, I didn't mean to do that," before darting away.
Ji Feng's expression darkened, his heartbeat inexplicably quickening. He told Xue Rui to hold off on cleaning the floor and fetch him a glass of water instead. Ice water.
After downing half the glass in one go, Ji Feng set it down.
He was furious. Looking up, he nearly gritted his teeth as he asked Xue Rui, "Was she... trying to seduce me again just now?"
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