—Was it you who stopped the designated driver for us?
Xu Miyu looked at Ji Feng and blurted out the question.
As she spoke, her eyes sparkled like two stars washed clean by the night's water.
"The driver should have arrived quickly, but he was so slow... So was it you blocking the way here, deliberately giving him wrong directions so he had to take a long detour before coming back?" Xu Miyu reasoned and analyzed.
Ji Feng coughed, struggling to maintain his cold expression, his tone still dripping with sarcasm: "Figured it out? Still dare to say your arrangements were thorough?"
Xue Rui immediately stepped over to Ji Feng's side, grabbing his arm: "Boss, my dear boss! You actually helped us block the bug!"
Ji Feng shook him off as if flicking away an accidental snot bubble, utterly disgusted: "Talk if you want to talk, but if you touch me randomly again, you can go home and stop working!"
Li Qiaoqi stood to the side, laughing as she enjoyed the drama, clapping her hands and saying: "I see it now—we're all actually in this together! Since that's the case, let's not stand around here. Come on! Let's go back to my place. My treat—we'll celebrate this successful ambush victory!"
Li Qiaoqi led the way into the bar.
Xu Miyu assumed Ji Feng wouldn't join their celebration and very politely bowed to say goodbye, making Ji Feng's cold face seem to stretch another ten centimeters longer.
Xue Rui followed her example, also saying goodbye to Ji Feng before turning to enter the building.
But as soon as he lifted his foot, Ji Feng clamped a hand on his shoulder, holding him in place like he was on a treadmill—taking two steps without moving forward.
"Boss?" Xue Rui asked in confusion, turning his head.
Ji Feng glared at him, his eyes like ice: "That female boss—wasn't she inviting me to join the celebration too?"
Xue Rui quickly realized what had upset Ji Feng: "Ah... Ah? Well, but don't you always refuse to participate in these group activities? I just assumed you definitely wouldn't want to join us this time either. Then, Boss, come! Hurry, come! You walk in front of me!"
He eagerly stepped aside, making a welcoming gesture for Ji Feng to go first. But inwardly he thought, How strange. When the sun rises tomorrow morning, I wouldn't be surprised if there were three suns in the sky.
If it weren't for the Trisolarans invading, Ji Feng probably wouldn't be acting so abnormally!
Li Qiaoqi had just pulled off a major feat and was feeling immensely pleased. She decided to hand the bar's management over to her assistant for the moment, planning to personally host Xu Miyu and the other two, drinking together to celebrate this rare triumph.
She wanted to take them to her private office, but Xue Rui objected: "That's too quiet—not lively at all. We'd lose the grand and passionate atmosphere."
Ji Feng shot him a cold glance, objecting to his objection: "Quiet is better."
Li Qiaoqi looked at Xue Rui, then at Ji Feng, and finally at Xu Miyu: "It's one to one now, Miyu. You cast the deciding vote."
Xu Miyu didn't dare look at Ji Feng and said directly: "I choose lively."
What had she come out for tonight? Wasn't it to overthrow her previous loneliness? Of course it had to be lively.
Ignoring how half her cheek felt nearly frozen through by Ji Feng's gaze, she bravely stood her ground: "I think right here is perfect; let's just go to the booth I was sitting in earlier."
Except for Ji Feng, all three agreed with the suggestion.Xu Miyu looked at Ji Feng, who was eyeing her sideways, and timidly suggested, "President Ji, how about..." we call you a cab so you can go home first?
But before she could finish, Ji Feng coldly interrupted, "When I leave is my decision."
Xu Miyu widened her eyes.
She had only spoken three words, yet he already knew what she was going to say? He must have been really good at predicting exam questions back in school!
Xue Rui also stared at Ji Feng in surprise. "Boss, did you really know what Mi Yu was about to say?" He then turned to Xu Miyu. "Mi Yu, did he actually guess right?"
Li Qiaoqi grew impatient with their back-and-forth and simply herded everyone over to the booth where Xu Miyu had been sitting earlier. Ji Feng and Xue Rui sat on one side, while Xu Miyu and Li Qiaoqi sat opposite them. Two men and two women faced each other perfectly.
After they were seated, Li Qiaoqi casually grabbed a server who had just delivered drinks and was passing by with a tray, instructing him to fetch her privately stored fine wine from a specific compartment in a certain cabinet, giving him the passcode as well.
Xue Rui quickly interjected, "My boss only drinks red wine. He'll be knocked out after one glass of anything stronger."
Ji Feng shot him a glare, annoyed by the unnecessary addition.
Li Qiaoqi laughed. "What a coincidence! The treasured good wine I have is red wine." She turned back to the server. "Go on, bring both bottles."
As the server walked away, Xue Rui couldn't help asking Li Qiaoqi, "You just gave out the password like that?"
Li Qiaoqi crossed her legs, which gleamed with a healthy, dazzling wheat-colored sheen under the lights. "What's there to worry about? I'll just change it to a new one later."
Xue Rui chuckled, realizing she had a point. He wondered why he seemed to turn a bit foolish whenever he faced Li Qiaoqi tonight. Unable to figure it out, he eventually blamed it on being dazzled by her legs.
The fine wine was brought over, and the four of them poured glasses.
Xu Miyu raised her glass and proposed a toast. "To celebrating the success of our mission tonight, cheers!"
Xu Miyu thought for a moment before responding, "Let's hold off on sending it for now. We can send it later if he crosses the line again."
After speaking, she picked up her glass and took a sip. She had talked quite a bit just now and felt her throat was dry.
Ji Feng watched as Xu Miyu tilted her head back to drink.
Her slender neck seemed to glow with a radiant whiteness, even in the dim lighting.
Right now, she looked like a swan.
He suddenly realized he couldn't let his attention linger on her any longer. In an environment like this, it was all too easy for reason to be overtaken by alcohol. Alcohol could seize his rationality and create a false illusion of attraction. He needed to be a fraud-buster and not let alcohol deceive him.
He shifted his focus to what Xue Rui and the bar owner were chatting about beside him.
Diagonally across, Li Qiaoqi had already lit a cigarette.
Xue Rui's sense of morality kicked in, and he reminded her, "You can't smoke indoors, right?"
Li Qiaoqi leaned forward, resting one elbow on the table with the cigarette between her fingers. Her other hand suddenly shot out, grabbed Xue Rui's collar, and pulled him toward her. Then she took a drag and blew the smoke slowly into his face. "Silly boy, this booth is a smoking-permitted area."
Xue Rui was left dazed by her smoke.
Li Qiaoqi laughed, then pursed her red lips and blew another puff of smoke at his face. "Little brother, now that we've pulled off our little scheme successfully, how about having a fling with your big sister? I get the feeling you quite like me too."Xue Rui flushed so deeply it seemed even his hair might turn red, unsure whether to deny the relationship rumors or his feelings for her first: "Who said I like you? I just think you're very... seductive... Ugh, no, I mean... Forget it, I won't date you anyway! Because my principle is no dating older women!" He declared with resounding force and unwavering conviction.
Li Qiaoqi blew another puff of smoke in his face, smiling with utmost allure: "Well, you're not wrong there. This older sister is indeed quite seductive. But since you don't want to date an older woman, fine—we won't call it dating an older woman." She grabbed his collar and pulled him closer, breathing softly against his eyes, nose, and lips as she murmured, "How about we just do seductive things directly instead?"
Xue Rui was utterly stunned. His blush spread down his neck like a tide; had his clothes not shielded him from view, his entire body's crimson state would have been exposed to the world.
Yet he stubbornly held his ground, refusing to show weakness: "You're too wicked, sister! Aren't you afraid I might actually say yes?"
This time it was Li Qiaoqi's turn to burst into laughter. Releasing Xue Rui, she turned to Xu Miyu, who had been watching the spectacle with Ji Feng since earlier: "He's so fun. I want to sleep with him—may I?"
Xue Rui protested loudly beside them, implying the decision should be his to make.
Xu Miyu maintained a calm expression as she replied to Li Qiaoqi: "That's something for the two of you to decide."
Li Qiaoqi winked at her: "I just want to avoid repeating that tragedy where we fell for the same man. But judging by your response, he's probably not your type, so I'll feel free to enjoy him."
Xu Miyu told her: "Suit yourself."
Across from them, Ji Feng glanced subtly at Xu Miyu when he heard "fell for the same man."
Seeing her completely unruffled response, he averted his gaze.
Xue Rui continued his noisy protests, incoherently reiterating: I don't date older women, and I don't spend nights with them either!
Hearing his declarations, Li Qiaoqi turned to blow smoke in his face again: "Noted, noted. Then I just won't call you 'little brother', alright?" Another puff. "Would you prefer I call you 'big brother' or 'uncle'? Your choice."
Xue Rui was teased into such a state that even his cerebral cortex probably glowed red with heat, his babbling becoming completely unintelligible.
Watching Li Qiaoqi deliberately provoke Xue Rui until he turned crimson and his usually sharp tongue stumbled over itself, Xu Miyu nearly laughed herself breathless.
She watched them.
She watched this night.
She watched Ji Feng across from her.
She felt incredibly happy tonight.
It seemed like forever since she'd felt such unbridled joy, since she'd laughed so recklessly.
This was truly an extraordinary night. Once again she felt her own transformation—from someone who would only complain weakly in her heart when dissatisfied, to daring to resist and say no, and finally taking the initiative to counterattack today. For her, this was both a bold and transformative change. Smiling, she reveled in becoming a new version of herself.
Ji Feng also watched Xu Miyu from across the way.
He watched her laugh continuously, her mouth curved and eyes crinkled.
There was no elegance to it whatsoever—one could even say she had no decorum at all.Yet that expression was so pure, as if contagious, making him unable to resist the urge to smile along.
At a time when he had no idea why he felt somewhat happy, he found himself inexplicably cheered up by her in this muddled way.
The night was wild and joyful, but ultimately not without boundaries.
When the gathering ended, everyone retained their necessary rationality.
Li Qiaoqi only talked big without actually sleeping with any younger man.
Xue Rui also struggled to maintain his sobriety amid the alcohol, avoiding drunken antics that might compromise his dignity before his senior.
Before parting, Xu Miyu finally reverted to her subordinate's demeanor toward the boss, respectfully addressing Ji Feng with "you" again.
She said: "President Ji, please take care on your way, goodbye."
As Ji Feng got into the car to leave, somewhere between drowsiness and mild intoxication, he faintly, very faintly, seemed to feel a trace of melancholy.
That night, everyone had somewhat stepped out of their usual roles.
But the next day, after sobering up, each person precisely found their way back to their proper place.
Xu Miyu continued as the modest and polite front desk supervisor, Xue Rui remained Ji Feng's most trusted executive assistant, and Ji Feng was still the aloof boss with inherent sarcasm and disdain.
Everything seemed no different from before. Yet somehow, everything appeared to have undergone extremely subtle changes.
Lately, the weather had been gradually turning cooler.
Fortunately, Star City was coastal, so even approaching year-end, it wasn't as bitterly cold as the north. Just adding an extra layer over single clothing sufficed when going out.
Counting the days, time had flown surprisingly fast. Xu Miyu realized the New Year was approaching soon.
The hotel was about to welcome a new wave of peak season guests for the holidays. To prepare for this busy period, Xu Miyu had been intensively coordinating with various departments recently regarding New Year bookings for rooms, meals, transportation, and other arrangements.
Waking up in the morning, washing away the lingering effects of last night's indulgence and revelry, she tucked away her after-hours unconventionality and transformed back into Xu Miyu, the diligent, low-key, and steady front desk supervisor.
After changing into her uniform at the hotel, while busy calculating room reservations, Xu Miyu saw Jiang Zhichun limping into the hotel lobby.
She immediately set aside her work and hurried over, supporting the beautiful girl who seemed barely able to stand steadily.
Jiang Zhichun leaned softly against Xu Miyu, bringing with her a delicate fragrance. She appeared pitiable yet still maintained an innate elegance and pride. Xu Miyu inwardly sighed—this was genuine, high-quality feminine grace, where even a state of distress carried an air of refined haughtiness.
She quickly asked Jiang Zhichun what had happened.
Jiang Zhichun said pitifully, "I slipped and fell near the entrance. My leg hurts badly."
Xu Miyu promptly instructed staff to clean the entrance. After checking, the employee reported no visible slippery stains or water traces. But Xu Miyu still insisted they thoroughly clean the area again—even if it meant sanitizing the air, it had to be done.
After arranging this, she intended to ask Jiang Zhichun if she needed help going upstairs.
But Jiang Zhichun spoke first: "Supervisor Xu, could you contact President Ji for me? Tell him I've hurt my leg and ask him to come down and escort me."
Her beautiful face showed vulnerability and expectation, making even another woman reluctant to refuse her request.Xu Miyu very much wanted to fulfill her request, but had no choice: "President Ji went out early this morning with Assistant Xue, probably to attend a meeting or meet with clients. I'm not sure when he'll be back. Would you like to call him to check? If he'll be away for a long time, I can arrange a car and someone to accompany you to the hospital to have your leg examined."
Jiang Zhichun looked disappointed and shook her head. "Never mind, no need to go to the hospital. I'll just wait for him here."
She asked Xu Miyu to help her to the lobby coffee shop. She chose a seat where she could see the entrance and had Xu Miyu assist her into the chair.
As she sat down, Jiang Zhichun leaned close to Xu Miyu and subtly sniffed twice. Then, sitting in her seat, she looked up at Xu Miyu and asked in an innocent whisper, "Director Xu, were you drinking until very late last night?"
Xu Miyu was taken aback and instinctively whispered back, "Can you still smell alcohol on me?"
Jiang Zhichun smiled at her. "No alcohol smell, but you're wearing more perfume than usual today. I guess it's to cover the scent of alcohol. Since you're trying to mask it, that means you must have had quite a lot to drink last night, right?"
Xu Miyu looked at Jiang Zhichun's sweet, harmless, and pretty face. She realized this girl was anything but simple.
Suddenly changing the subject, Jiang Zhichun asked, "I remember President Ji had Xue Rui take you home earlier last night. Did you all continue drinking for a while after I left?"
Xu Miyu smiled and answered truthfully, "Yes, I reunited with an old friend and wasn't ready to call it a night, so we had a few more drinks."
"How nice," Jiang Zhichun said with an envious expression. "It seems I left too early, otherwise I could have joined in the fun. So, was President Ji very drunk when he left in the end?"
When she asked that last question, Xu Miyu suddenly realized something. Her heart gave a sudden thump.
Was Jiang Zhichun trying to fish for information? Beating around the bush, she seemed to just want to know whether Ji Feng had joined them for drinks later?
But why would she ask that?
Xu Miyu suddenly realized she had overlooked one thing: last night, Ji Feng had left with Jiang Zhichun—he was supposed to take her home.
So why did he later show up at "Night Encounter"?
Thinking back carefully, it seemed he hadn't actually taken Jiang Zhichun home last night. Instead, he had turned back and drank with her and Xue Rui until very late.
Why would he do that?
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