The Epoch of Miyu

The moment Xu Miyu stepped into Night Encounter, she felt as if she had entered another world.

Waves of music grew increasingly intense, crashing against her face with an impact that jolted her spirits.

Upon entering the bar, a server immediately guided her to one of the few remaining booth seats.

The booths surrounding the one the server selected for her were already packed, apparently with a group of trendy, fun-loving young people.

Just as Xu Miyu sat down, she heard someone whistle at her.

She ignored it. Soon after, a second whistle sounded.

She continued to ignore it, flipping through the drink menu to order a mint ice wine. The server took the menu and walked away. Suddenly, the sofa beside Xu Miyu sank.

She turned her head and was met with the smell of alcohol.

"Hey beautiful, alone? Join us!"

Xu Miyu saw a face flushed red from drinking, topped with pink hair.

He appeared to be a man in his early twenties, with a lecherous look and demeanor.

The pink-haired guy invited her while eyeing her legs, whistling again: "So hot! Beautiful, is this your first time here? How come I've never seen you before?"

Xu Miyu coldly informed Pink Hair that she wasn't alone, her friend would arrive soon, and asked him to return to his own seat.

Pink Hair seemed too drunk to understand human language—not only did he not leave, but he reached out to grab Xu Miyu.

Just as his hand was about to touch Xu Miyu's arm, someone caught it firmly.

Followed by a sharp female voice: "Young Master Zhao, how much have you drunk? Acting up and harassing pretty ladies again? Didn't we agree that if you did this again, you wouldn't be allowed in Night Encounter anymore?"

Zhao Xinghua yelped in pain, his drunken stupor mostly gone as he sobered up instantly: "Sister Qi! Boss! Have mercy, let go of my hand! I just couldn't help it—she's so pretty! I was just joking with her!"

The female boss released his hand and snapped at him: "Go play by yourself somewhere else!"

Zhao Xinghua hurried back to his table and continued drinking with his good-for-nothing friends.

His friends teased him: "Got shot down, huh?"

Zhao Xinghua gritted his teeth: "Just wait! Even if I can't have her, my sworn brother will definitely get her when he arrives!"

His friend asked curiously: "You've only known that guy for a few days? Already calling him sworn brother?"

Zhao Xinghua said proudly: "My brother got hired as his assistant, and he's quite satisfied with my brother, so he told me to call him sworn brother."

His friend said enviously: "Lucky you, I wish I had a rich, playboy sworn brother too!"

Meanwhile, after the bar's female boss chased Zhao Xinghua away, she placed the drink from her tray on the table and pushed it toward Xu Miyu: "Here, your mint sake."

Xu Miyu looked up at her and said thank you.

The dance floor lights flashed brightly, illuminating the female boss's face.

It was indeed a stunning yet sharp-featured face.

Staring at that face, Xu Miyu's eyes suddenly widened.

The club lights dimmed again, flickering with the rhythm of the music.

Xu Miyu heard the female boss say to her: "First time here? This place has all kinds of people. If it's your first visit, you should bring company. If anyone else bothers you, just press the buzzer for me." After giving these instructions, she turned to leave.Xu Miyu quickly called out to her, "Wait a moment!"

The female boss stopped and turned around, asking in confusion, "Is there something else?"

Xu Miyu stood up, moved closer to her, and looked at her face as she asked, "Are you... Li Qiaoqi?"

The female boss froze at the sound of her name, then pulled Xu Miyu a couple of steps away from the booth. Under the flickering lights of the dance floor, she got a clear look at Xu Miyu's face.

"Xu Miyu?!"

She exclaimed in astonishment.

"How is it you? You seem different—so pure yet alluring! Why are you here alone? Where's your husband?"

Xu Miyu looked at Li Qiaoqi, her university classmate and former dorm roommate, and was suddenly overwhelmed with mixed emotions, unsure of what to say.

They had once been inseparable—attending classes together, sharing meals, copying homework assignments, and going shopping side by side.

One of them was gentle and timid, the other bold and unyielding; their contrasting personalities complemented each other perfectly, making them the closest of friends.

Yet this close friendship only lasted until Xu Miyu met Nie Yucheng.

At first, when Li Qiaoqi heard she was in a relationship, she insisted on meeting the boyfriend to vet him.

So Xu Miyu and Nie Yucheng treated Li Qiaoqi to a meal. After dinner that evening, Li Qiaoqi returned to the dorm and went to bed early. The next morning, she woke up and said to Xu Miyu with a smile: I never expected your boyfriend to be the heartthrob of that prestigious neighboring university! So many girls at his school have a crush on him, yet you managed to win him over—you’ve really brought honor to our third-tier college!

At the time, Xu Miyu was still naively delighted. Only later did it dawn on her—how did Li Qiaoqi know so much about Nie Yucheng from the neighboring school?

Later, whenever Xu Miyu went out to eat with Nie Yucheng, she often invited Li Qiaoqi along. Gradually, from small details in their conversations, Xu Miyu realized that Li Qiaoqi had actually known Nie Yucheng before she did—back when Li Qiaoqi attended a lecture at the neighboring university, Nie Yucheng, as a student union officer, had been responsible for maintaining order and giving the opening speech.

Xu Miyu also sensed that Li Qiaoqi had strong feelings for Nie Yucheng. She recalled that the mixer where she first met Nie Yucheng was one Li Qiaoqi had dragged her to. Belatedly, she realized that Li Qiaoqi had gone there specifically for Nie Yucheng—never expecting that in the end, it would be Xu Miyu who caught Nie Yucheng’s eye. (Chapter 6)

After realizing Li Qiaoqi also had feelings for Nie Yucheng, Xu Miyu felt torn. She never imagined such a melodramatic scenario would play out in her life—she and her best friend falling for the same guy.

She didn’t dare ask Li Qiaoqi directly: Do you like my boyfriend? And even if she did, what good would it do? Feelings hidden in someone’s heart couldn’t just be dragged out and crushed with a simple "no." Besides, Li Qiaoqi’s affection for Nie Yucheng had started earlier than hers.

Yet, knowing the truth but pretending ignorance, she could no longer invite Li Qiaoqi to join her and Nie Yucheng for meals and outings as freely as before.

Later, as everyone became busy with graduation and internships, they drifted further apart. It was also around that time Xu Miyu learned that Li Qiaoqi’s family was wealthy—she was different from ordinary folks like Xu Miyu.

After graduation, it was as if they had an unspoken understanding: because of a man, they kept their distance and never contacted each other again.Not long after graduation, she had married Nie Yucheng, and it wasn't until today that she encountered Li Qiaoqi again. She never imagined that Li Qiaoqi would turn out to be the owner of this "Night Encounter" bar.

Xu Miyu looked at Li Qiaoqi, overwhelmed with mixed emotions.

Back then, they had severed their friendship over a man—how utterly worthless it seemed now.

Moved, she gazed at Li Qiaoqi and spoke from the heart: "Qiaoqi, it's really been a long time!"

Li Qiaoqi let out a sharp laugh. "It really has been!" Suddenly, she extended a finger tipped with bright red nail polish, making her hand and its movements appear all the more striking. She poked Xu Miyu's shoulder with just the right amount of force. "And you have the nerve to say it's been a long time? After graduation, when you and Nie Yucheng got married, you didn't even invite me!"

"I did invite you," Xu Miyu defended herself. "On Q.Q."

"Ha!" Li Qiaoqi laughed again, her voice cutting through the deafening music with unmasked mockery. "Who still uses Q.Q after graduation? If you really wanted to invite me, you should've called me directly!"

Xu Miyu said, "I did call. Your phone was always off."

Li Qiaoqi froze for a moment, then slapped her forehead. "Oh, right. I got so drunk at our graduation farewell dinner that I lost my phone."

She paused, and her previously subdued temper flared up again. "But you still weren't 100% sincere about inviting me. If you'd truly wanted me there, you would've found some way to get in touch."

Xu Miyu looked at her calmly and asked, "If I had managed to contact you back then and asked you to come, would you really have attended my wedding? Can you honestly say you weren't deliberately avoiding Q.Q and didn't intentionally change your number? Deep down, you didn't want me to be able to reach you, did you?"

Li Qiaoqi stood there in silence for a long while. Finally, she stopped a passing waiter and snatched a bottle of alcohol from his tray. The waiter protested, "Sister Qi, that was ordered by a customer!"

Li Qiaoqi fired back, "So what if it's for a customer? Can't I, the owner, intercept one bottle? Just go back to the bar and get another one! Will one extra trip kill you?"

The waiter muttered "Okay, okay" repeatedly and scurried back to the bar.

Li Qiaoqi plunked the bottle she'd commandeered from her own establishment onto the small table in Xu Miyu's booth. "Anyway, you're the type who forgets friends once you get a boyfriend. If you drink this bottle today, we'll consider the past water under the bridge—one bottle to settle old scores. If you don't drink it, we'll keep going like we have these past years, treating each other as strangers. No contact, and don't come to my place to hang out in the future. Two options—you choose."

Without another word, skipping any negotiation, Xu Miyu pulled out the cork, tilted her head back, and started drinking.

Ji Feng and Xue Rui soon arrived at "Night Encounter" with Mr. Jingtian and Jiang Zhichun.

A waiter came to greet them. Mr. Jingtian asked Jiang Zhichun to help translate: please take them to a lively booth.

He then explained to Ji Feng with a smile: Since we're here to have fun, of course we should find a bustling spot, don't you think?

Ji Feng frowned. Of course he didn't think so. This place was unbearably loud. To seek out an even noisier spot in such a chaotic environment would probably deafen him.

He regretted coming and almost turned to leave.But Xue Rui tugged at him, then pointed in a certain direction: “Boss, look, it’s Mi Yu.”

He lifted his gaze. The dance floor lights had just shifted to a blinding white, illuminating not only the dance floor but also making the booth area outside clearly visible.

He saw Xu Miyu standing beside a nearby booth, raising a bottle of liquor and drinking it straight up.

Her neck elongated as she tilted her head back, her long hair cascading like waves down her back. Under the bright-as-daylight illumination of Night Encounter, her body’s curves were sharply outlined, revealing every contour.

Ji Feng narrowed his eyes.

Xue Rui sighed beside him: “Wow, Mi Yu is looking really hot tonight!”

The intense light vanished, and the entire bar returned to flickering, multicolored lights, fading in and out of view.

Ji Feng had just noticed what seemed to be an empty seat not far from Xu Miyu’s booth. He instructed the server to lead them to that booth.

Xu Miyu tilted her head back and drank heartily.

But after just two sips, Li Qiaoqi snatched the bottle from her hand.

“Are you stupid? Just because they tell you to drink, you drink?”

Xu Miyu laughed, her smile carrying a hint of charming naivety. That smile made it impossible for anyone to stay angry with her.

Li Qiaoqi sighed, pulling Xu Miyu back to sit on the sofa.

After a moment’s thought, she asked Xu Miyu: “How are things between you and that guy, Nie Yucheng? Do you have kids yet? By the way, why didn’t he come with you?”

Xu Miyu looked at Li Qiaoqi, smiled calmly, and told her: “Nie Yucheng and I are divorced.”

Just then, the music in the dance hall hit an ear-splitting note, and Li Qiaoqi didn’t catch what she said.

“What did you just say?” she shouted.

Xu Miyu leaned close to her ear and yelled back: “I said—we’re divorced!”

But at the exact moment she shouted, the music paused on a silent note, and the entire venue’s lights blazed brightly.

The sudden silence after the clamor made Xu Miyu’s words stand out as if amplified through a loudspeaker.

Xu Miyu froze.

Li Qiaoqi froze too.

At a nearby table, Jiang Zhichun also froze for a moment.

So that Manager Xu was divorced. For some reason, she felt a sense of relief in her heart. She had previously overestimated Xu Miyu, even sensing a hint of threat from her. Now it seemed completely unnecessary.

Given Ji Feng’s status, position, and tastes, there was no way he would be interested in a divorced older woman.

Jiang Zhichun relaxed. The subtle tension and concern that had been hanging over her chest vanished entirely.

The music started again, the lights dimmed, and shimmering orbs cast a kaleidoscope of colors across the venue, alternating between brightness and shadow.

Li Qiaoqi had recovered, staring at Xu Miyu with a sigh.

“I never thought you two would divorce.” After a pause, she admitted frankly, “Actually, I liked him back then too.”

Xu Miyu nodded: “I know.”

Li Qiaoqi also nodded: “I know you know.”

At this, the two looked at each other and laughed.

Li Qiaoqi asked: “You two were so close back then. How did you end up divorcing?”

Xu Miyu replied: “Nie Yucheng got involved with his young female client.”

Li Qiaoqi was utterly shocked: “He cheated on you during the marriage?”

Xu Miyu nodded softly."Right after the divorce, I resented him deeply." But now, through her efforts to change herself, she had discovered issues within her own behavior. Her marriage had indeed been dragged down by her family of origin, and her failure to establish proper boundaries with them had ultimately led to the marriage's collapse. "Now though, I realize I'm also at fault. I didn't handle matters with my parents well, allowing them to make many unreasonable demands of Nie Yucheng."

Li Qiaoqi raised her voice: "But no matter how excessive your family was, that's still no excuse for cheating during marriage! If he couldn't take it anymore, he should have divorced first, then found comfort with other women afterward!"

Xu Miyu looked at Li Qiaoqi, inwardly admiring what a clear-headed woman she was.

Li Qiaoqi poured two glasses of wine and handed one to Xu Miyu.

"Looking back now, it was so unnecessary how we deliberately distanced ourselves from each other back then because of that man."

They clinked glasses, exchanged smiles, and both threw back their heads to drain their wine in one go.

All the past grievances seemed to vanish with that glass of alcohol.

Xu Miyu felt her stomach and body growing warm from the alcohol, her thoughts becoming hazy too.

She thought how coincidental life could be - she had intended to go out and find some entertainment, some social circles, never expecting fate to work so efficiently by immediately bringing her face-to-face with her college roommate, her former close friend.

This should count as her wish coming true, shouldn't it?

Xu Miyu smiled genuinely.

Li Qiaoqi suddenly reached out to pinch Xu Miyu's cheek: "Still the same as before - one smile and you radiate that soul-stealing charm. How come even divorce hasn't diminished your ability to captivate people?"

Xu Miyu stared in surprise, pointing at herself: "Me? Captivating?"

Li Qiaoqi pinched her cheek harder, almost exasperated, before letting go.

"Look at you! Women like you who remain completely unaware of your own advantages are truly terrifying!"

Xu Miyu smiled again.

She glanced around the bustling bar and told Li Qiaoqi: "You're really impressive, opening such a large bar at thirty."

Li Qiaoqi waved dismissively: "This isn't my achievement - it's my parents'. They provided the money."

After a pause, she asked Xu Miyu: "This bar has been open for years. Why did you only come now?"

Xu Miyu laughed: "My ex-husband wouldn't let me enter bars when we were married, said these places weren't proper."

Li Qiaoqi spat contemptuously: "Such a misogynist. Tell me, how could I have liked a misogynist when I was young? I must have been somewhat blind."

Xu Miyu shook her head with a smile: "Wasn't I the same?"

"So are you coming here now to defy your ex-husband?" Li Qiaoqi pressed.

Xu Miyu shook her head: "Not because of him. I just want to change myself. Before, I lived my life, well..."

She paused, considering how to accurately express her thoughts.

"...Well, I used to live too obediently, too confined, gradually losing even my sense of self. Now I want to try living with some self-awareness, with my own style. So," she looked at Li Qiaoqi, pointed to her red lips, her sexy V-neckline, then her pale calves visible beneath her knee-length skirt, her eyes sparkling as she said, "today I really want to cut loose."The music suddenly surged with intensity, as if accentuating Xu Miyu and Li Qiaoqi's current moods.

Li Qiaoqi stood up directly from the sofa and extended a hand to Xu Miyu: "Come on, I'll take you out to have some wild fun right now!"

Li Qiaoqi pulled Xu Miyu into the dance floor.

Amidst the deafening music, she taught Xu Miyu how to dance with addictive, uninhibited moves.

Xu Miyu learned quickly. She discovered that as long as she found the right rhythm and repeated a few sets of movements, she could become an instant dancer on the floor.

She swayed her body along with Li Qiaoqi in the music.

The more she moved, the more she seemed to sync with the beat—both joyful and exhilarating.

Li Qiaoqi leaned in close, pressing against her ear, and raised her voice above the music to say: "Xu Miyu, you're such a little enchantress! You said you couldn't dance, but look at you now—twisting so seductively you're about to steal the souls of the men around you!"

Xu Miyu paused in surprise, glancing around to find many men indeed dancing around her.

At first, she felt a bit flustered, but she quickly learned to compose herself. She looked at Li Qiaoqi and laughed with a sense of liberation.

She had never known she could be so attractive. The feeling was incredibly wonderful; it made her realize she wasn't just a jaded, divorced woman past her prime—she could still live vibrantly.

Not far away, in a dimly lit booth flickering with lights, several pairs of eyes were hidden.

Somehow, Ji Feng's gaze swept over the dance floor and was captured by the woman with wavy long hair and a tight black dress.

He watched her swaying her body and moving her arms lightly under the shifting, interwoven lights and the deafening, stimulating music.

For some reason, his chest felt tight, making his breathing grow somewhat rapid. He frowned.

Beside him, Xue Rui's voice boomed, trying to overpower the music: "Boss, look over there! On the dance floor—Mi Yu is dancing. Wow, she's really hot today!"

Ji Feng picked up a glass from the table and shoved it directly into Xue Rui's mouth. The glass rim clinked against Xue Rui's teeth, making him yelp in pain and forget all about his commentary.

But as Xue Rui's voice faded, Mr. Jingtian's rose loudly.

"That woman with wavy hair on the dance floor has an amazing figure—such a tiny waist and such a full bust, she's a real gem. I'm going over to get to know her!" he exclaimed loudly in Japanese.

Ji Feng turned his eyes directly toward him.

He had intended to find some excuse to stop Jingtian from approaching Xu Miyu, but his words came out twisted: "Why bother with her? She just loudly announced herself that she's divorced."

His words reassured Jiang Zhichun beside him once more. She felt certain again that Ji Feng would never be interested in a divorced woman. And this time, her confidence wasn't based on speculation—it came directly from Ji Feng's own words.

Mr. Jingtian, however, laughed heartily and replied to Ji Feng: "Mr. Ji, you know her? Haha, no worries, I'm not planning to marry her—just getting to know her for some fun."

After saying this, he stood up to head toward the dance floor.

Ji Feng grabbed his arm firmly.

Jingtian looked at him in confusion, and Ji Feng wondered to himself what he was doing.

"If she rejects you," Ji Feng paused, speaking seriously, "you can't force her."Jingtian was taken aback for a moment, then said of course. Ji Feng released his grip, and he squeezed into the dance floor.

Xue Rui downed the drink Ji Feng had forced into his mouth, set down the glass, and as he turned his head, he caught Ji Feng's gaze—intensely cold and sharp—fixed on a particular spot in the dance floor during a brief moment of bright lighting.

He turned to look at the dance floor, but the lights dimmed again, leaving him unable to pinpoint exactly what Ji Feng had been staring at.

When she turned to look at Ji Feng again, the lights had brightened, but his expression had already returned to normal.

Xue Rui couldn't shake the feeling that during those two moments of shifting light and shadow, he had seen two different versions of Ji Feng. One was the usual Ji Feng, while the other was vastly, vastly different from his usual self.

But what exactly was different? The strong liquor had dulled his senses, leaving him unable to grasp the distinction in that moment.

On the dance floor, the Japanese man squeezed his way next to Xu Miyu and greeted her in oddly accented Chinese: "Hello!" That was the only Chinese he knew. Immediately after, he began chattering away in Japanese: "May I get to know you? How about we go over there and have a drink?" As he spoke, he made a gesture inviting her to drink.

Xu Miyu widened her eyes, her face full of bewilderment, perfectly portraying someone who didn't understand what he was saying.

The Japanese man switched to English and repeated what he had just said.

Xu Miyu still shook her head in confusion, like a beautiful fool.

From the booth, Ji Feng watched this scene and silently curled the corner of his mouth into a smile. That smile actually carried a hint of relief. At the same time, a strangely tense energy—a force that seemed ready to burst forth at any moment—also relaxed.

—She's really grown cunning, even learning to play dumb to outsmart others.

Ji Feng thought mockingly to himself.

The Japanese man began gesturing vigorously with his body:

Could you—please—go over there—have a drink together—he pointed toward the booth below the dance floor. In a flash of light, Xu Miyu saw that seated in that booth were none other than Xue Rui, Jiang Zhichun, and... Ji Feng.

She couldn't help but freeze for a moment.

Her gaze almost collided with Ji Feng's. So he must have seen her before she looked at him.

And this Japanese man, pointing at Ji Feng's table, was clearly here with him. She recalled hearing Xue Rui mention a few days ago that a Japanese client would be arriving soon and that they might need her help with the reception.

So, this Japanese man before her was a business client who had come with Ji Feng.

So, was he just happily watching as his Japanese client came over to flirt with her?

At this moment, Xu Miyu couldn't quite describe what she was feeling. Nor did she want to delve into the components of that emotion.

She withdrew her gaze and continued shaking her head at the Japanese client with a look of utter confusion.

Her foolish, clumsy demeanor directly wore down the Japanese man's patience and killed his interest. He waved his hand dismissively and said, "Forget it, forget it," before turning and heading back to the booth.