The Epoch of Miyu

Ji Feng’s lips pressed down toward Xu Miyu with a force that held nothing back, carrying an almost tragic and cruel tenderness.

Xu Miyu’s mind went blank in an instant, her ears filled with the thunderous beating of her own heart.

She stared blankly, accepting Ji Feng’s kiss, the tears that had not yet finished flowing still rolling from her wide-open eyes.

Ji Feng’s hand, which had been cradling the back of her head, briefly withdrew to gently wipe her eyes. Once she closed them, his hand returned to support her head again.

His lips and the hand holding her head exerted force simultaneously, trapping her between them. With nowhere to hide and no retreat, she had no choice but to part her lips and yield softly.

As if encouraged by her response, he enveloped her completely, unwilling to let go of her lips for even a moment.

After a long while, Ji Feng finally released Xu Miyu.

Her legs weak, Xu Miyu stumbled backward, leaning against the wall. He moved closer, refusing to let any distance grow between them. Bending down, he braced his hands against the wall on either side of her, pressing his forehead to hers as he gasped for breath.

“I tried,” he said, his voice hoarse.

Tears welled in Xu Miyu’s eyes as she held her breath, listening to his murmured confession.

“I know Jiang Zhichun is perfect for me in every way, and I know you’re not right for me at all.”

Xu Miyu’s heart tightened, a surge of bitterness rising within her.

“But I tried,” Ji Feng lifted his forehead from hers, tilting her face up with his hand. He looked down at her, forcing her to meet his gaze. “I just couldn’t feel anything for the one who’s perfect for me. Instead, I’m uncontrollably drawn to you, the one who’s all wrong for me.”

As Xu Miyu looked into Ji Feng’s eyes and listened to his confession, her eyes grew warm, her heart stirred deeply, and the thunderous beat of her heart echoed in her ears once more.

“Heh,” Ji Feng let out a soft laugh, his lips curving into a self-mocking smile. “That’s right. It was never you seducing me. From the very beginning, it was me who was drawn to you, and I was too cowardly to admit it. Yes, when I’m with you, I lose control of myself!”

At this moment, Ji Feng had no choice but to surrender to the truth in his heart. He had resisted, struggled, and run away. He had blinded himself, refusing to acknowledge his feelings for the woman before him, comparing her point by point to the standards he had set for himself and telling himself to exclude her.

But after doing so, he had only grown stranger. He found himself paying attention to her news, caring about her actions, and constantly wanting to see her.

Hearing that she had gone on a blind date with another man filled him with a rage akin to being abandoned by a lover. Watching her interact with her date, something churned inside him, making him unbearably uncomfortable. Now he knew what that something was—it was heartache. He felt heartache seeing her with another man.

At this point, what was left for him to lie to himself about?

He had become so strange simply because he had fallen for her—this woman he had initially looked down upon in every way.

Since he couldn’t escape it, he might as well throw caution to the wind.Ji Feng traced his fingertips along Xu Miyu’s cheek, gazing into her eyes as he told her in a hoarse voice, “Xu Miyu, you’re truly wicked, utterly wicked. You’ve made me restless, turned my life upside down, and changed me so much I don’t even recognize myself anymore. This can’t just be left like this! From now on, you have to take responsibility for me—you have to be with me, understand?” He paused briefly before emphasizing again, “Xu Miyu, you have to be with me.”

In one breath, Ji Feng poured out all the inexplicable frustration, resentment, unease, and longing he had been feeling lately, laying bare the thoughts he had tried but failed to suppress in his heart.

Yes, he wanted to be with her—regardless of compatibility, suitability, or circumstances. He simply wanted to be with her.

Xu Miyu was completely stunned.

Her eyes widened, and through a thin veil of tears, she stared unblinkingly at Ji Feng.

“Do you realize what you just said?”

Her voice trembled as tears welled up in her eyes and streamed down her cheeks. “You want me to be with you? Are you sure?”

She choked back a sob and asked again, “Do you understand what you’re saying?”

Was he asking her to be his girlfriend? Could this be real?

He said his life had been a mess lately, but hadn’t hers been the same?

She was heartbroken but forced herself not to show it. She was in pain, torn, yet pretended everything was fine.

Even though she had developed feelings and desires, she had desperately tried to suppress them.

Whenever the thought crossed her mind that he might treat her differently from others, she would immediately snap herself out of it, telling herself it was just wishful thinking.

He had been suppressing himself, but so had she.

And she had suppressed herself even more despairingly and painfully than he had.

Suddenly, her tears burst forth uncontrollably, like a dam breaking. Crying with a heavy nasal tone, she choked out, “You say you want to be with me—are you really sure?”

Watching the large teardrops roll from Xu Miyu’s eyes, Ji Feng felt both flustered and at a loss. “Why are you crying? Is this such a bad thing that you have to cry like this? Stop crying!” Frantically, he brushed his fingers across her cheeks, wiping away her tears.

The wet, cool sensation beneath his fingertips filled him with tenderness and pity.

As her tears continued to fall, his fingers grew damp from wiping them away. In his panic, he even lifted his sleeve and pressed it against her face to soak up the tears.

Xu Miyu watched his actions… and abruptly stopped crying.

She wondered how a man could be so straightforward—using the sleeve of his expensive custom-made suit to wipe her face so casually…

Seeing that she had finally stopped crying, Ji Feng breathed a sigh of relief. He had always thought he was indifferent to women’s tears, but now he found himself feeling unexpectedly flustered.

“Alright, no more crying.”

He looked at her reddened eyes, her flushed nose, and the way she sniffled, trying hard not to cry again.

He reached out and gently tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. His fingertips brushed against the soft curve of her earlobe, but this time, instead of pulling back as if shocked, he lingered, gently rubbing and caressing it.

Xu Miyu shivered, the sensation spreading across half her cheek and down her neck.

He released her ear, pulled her from against the wall into his embrace, pressed her head against his chest, and wrapped her arms around his waist.Then he wrapped his arms tightly around her, rested his chin on her shoulder, and sighed into her ear: "You ask if I'm sure? Xu Miyu, let me tell you, of course I'm sure, more certain than I've ever been. I'm sure I want us to be together. If you don't understand, then let me put it more plainly: I want you to be my girlfriend, starting right now."

Ji Feng felt Xu Miyu tremble violently in his embrace.

"If you agree, stay right here in my arms. If you don't agree, break free from my embrace. If you break free, I'll accept your refusal. If you can't break free, then that means you've agreed to be with me."

Xu Miyu was momentarily stunned, thinking this criterion sounded rather strange. She struggled slightly, and Ji Feng's arms suddenly tightened around her, holding her firmly in place.

This was... truly shameless.

She buried her face in Ji Feng's chest and smiled.

She felt like she was dreaming.

Was she really going to be with him? Was she allowed to? Could she really date this man? The gap between them was so vast—if they started dating now, would there truly be a good outcome in the future?

Should she agree to him?

Her remaining rationality told her it was better not to agree.

But soon, rationality was suppressed deep within her heart by her pounding heartbeat.

She clearly sensed that if she didn't agree to him, she would truly be very, very sad. This sadness almost surpassed how she felt when she was preparing for divorce.

So she steeled herself, deciding not to hesitate any longer, and agreed to him. At the very least, the happiness of this moment was unparalleled.

As long as she had experienced such happiness in her life, what couldn't she do?

At this moment, she was genuinely enveloped in his embrace.

She decided she no longer wanted to be the Xu Miyu who had to hide her feelings, who had to restrain and suppress her heart's desires. She wanted to indulge herself recklessly this once, to follow her heart, even if the future held uncertainty. But in this very moment, she only wanted to face her true feelings.

She lifted her head from Ji Feng's chest and looked up at him. Her eyes, glistening with tears, reflected fragmented light as she gave him a radiant smile.

"Then let's try being together."

She had bravely made her decision.

The next day, Ji Feng issued a transfer order, appointing Xu Miyu as the second assistant to the CEO on the top floor.

When Xu Miyu received the transfer order, she was actually more shocked than her colleagues.

Instead, her colleagues, seeing her remain wide-eyed and stunned for too long, came over specifically to comfort and reassure her:

"Mi Yu, you don't need to be so surprised. Actually, if you think about it carefully, it makes perfect sense. Although President Ji is often moody and yells at you, aside from Assistant Xue, you're the only person in the entire hotel with permission to freely enter and leave his top-floor suite."

"That's right, so when you think about it, it's really not surprising that President Ji transferred you upstairs as an assistant."

Xu Miyu had originally been worried about how to explain her sudden favor to everyone, but she didn't expect her colleagues to have already laid out the reasons for her without any effort on her part.

She nodded slowly at the two front desk colleagues: "You two are quite something, making sense of my confusion."

Others also came over to congratulate her on her promotion, saying that going straight from the lobby to the top floor was like a meteoric rise. They joked that when she became successful, she must remember to share the wealth and bring them good fortune.Xu Miyu quickly agreed, saying it was no problem at all, and from now on, they would share both the good and the bad—feasting together when there was meat, sharing porridge when times were lean, and enduring the boss’s bad temper as one.

Everyone immediately waved their hands in protest. "No, no, no!"

"To be honest, I wasn’t too afraid when our former boss, Wei Siyuan, lost his temper, but with President Ji, it’s different. His presence is just too overpowering. When he glares, I tremble; when he coldly mocks, I feel as insignificant as a speck of dust, instantly wanting to kneel and kowtow to atone for my sins!" one person exclaimed.

Another chimed in, "Exactly! I’d rather poke a hornet’s nest than serve President Ji up close. Being near him always makes me feel so small, and his moods and preferences are so hard to read. In this grand hotel, only you, Mi Yu, can handle his temper a bit."

Xu Miyu raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Why do you think I can handle President Ji’s temper? Do I have that ability? I didn’t even know it myself."

Lu Xiaoyan chuckled and said, "Mi Yu, you’re too close to see it clearly, but we outsiders can tell—President Ji treats you differently from the rest of us."

Xu Miyu’s heart stirred. Did he really treat her differently? Even these people could see it? So, was it true that he treated her in a special way?

Her heart softened slightly as she asked Lu Xiaoyan, "How does President Ji treat me differently? I feel it’s the same as with all of you."

Shi Huanhuan jumped in to answer, "Not at all! President Ji calls us ‘that one’ or ‘whoever,’ but he calls you by your full name, Xu Miyu, loud and clear. We’re just extras in his eyes, but you’re the distinct and specific Xu Miyu."

Xu Miyu laughed. "Well, when you become a supervisor, he’ll know you’re not an extra—you’re Shi Huanhuan."

Shi Huanhuan quickly replied, "Then I’d rather not be a supervisor. The thought of him remembering me is nerve-wracking enough. His presence is just too intense and oppressive."

Xu Miyu and the others all burst into laughter.

After handing over her duties and packing her things, Xu Miyu headed up to the top floor.

Standing in front of the room door, she paused for a moment.

She couldn’t quite explain why, but the thought of stepping through that door to face the man inside made her feel a bit flustered, nervous, and… somewhat shy.

Last night, her emotions had been too turbulent, so she wasn’t fit for the night shift and had swapped with someone else. Ji Feng had wanted to take her back to the top floor, but she refused, needing to return to her dorm to calm down. When he offered to escort her, she turned him down directly.

The reason was the same: she needed to cool off.

Walking back from the hotel to the dorm, she felt as if she were in a dream, unable to believe that she was actually with Ji Feng.

She was really with Ji Feng!

In the dorm, lying on her bed, she would sometimes pull the covers over her head to hide her silly, secret smiles.

Other times, she’d sit up abruptly, trying to confirm whether the evening had been a dream—whether she was still dreaming and hadn’t woken up yet.

After finally drifting into a fitful sleep, she woke up in the morning staring at the ceiling, dazed for a long while.

Her phone suddenly chimed with a message.

She snatched it up quickly—it was from Ji Feng. "Good morning," it said.

She bit her lip, smiling silently at the message, then suddenly wondered if she was still dreaming.

How could Ji Feng possibly be her boyfriend? How could he have chosen her to be his girlfriend?She quickly raised her hand to her mouth and bit down hard, the pain nearly bringing tears to her eyes.

Only then was she certain it wasn’t a dream.

Ji Feng really was her boyfriend now.

Standing at the suite’s entrance, Xu Miyu took a deep breath. In the past, whenever she stepped through this door, he had held many different roles.

At first, he was the distinguished VIP who utterly despised her.

Later, he became Mr. Ji, who didn’t dislike her as much.

Then, he was the boss, President Ji, who woke her up and helped her stand on her own feet.

Soon, the moment she stepped inside, she would see her boyfriend, Ji Feng.

Her heart grew increasingly nervous. The step she usually took so easily now seemed impossible to make.

As she took another deep breath, a tall, slender figure suddenly appeared before her, casting a shadow over her.

A teasing voice sounded: "Why aren’t you coming in? Planting mushrooms at the door?"

Xu Miyu immediately looked up and saw Ji Feng gazing at her with a half-smile. His eyes were completely fixed on her.

She blushed instantly and stammered, "President Ji." Her voice was soft, the tone delicate and charming.

Ji Feng’s lips curved upward as he leaned in close to her shoulder, whispering in her ear: "Trying to seduce me again, aren’t you?"

Xu Miyu’s ears turned red. She didn’t understand what was wrong with her—she wasn’t some inexperienced young girl, yet she couldn’t hold her composure around Ji Feng.

Xue Rui’s voice came from inside the room: "Boss, I’ve made your coffee. Boss? Boss??"

Hearing Xue Rui’s voice, Xu Miyu quickly stepped back, putting distance between herself and Ji Feng.

Ji Feng raised an eyebrow at her. She pointed toward the room and whispered breathily, "Someone’s here."

Ji Feng chuckled softly, then suddenly leaned forward and swiftly pecked her lips.

Xu Miyu stared at him wide-eyed, her heartbeat so loud it threatened to overwhelm her.

"If you keep staring like that, your eyes might pop right out," Ji Feng teased, watching her cheeks flush as red as fire. "Don’t worry about Xue Rui knowing—he already does."

Xu Miyu stared blankly at Ji Feng, letting him lead her by the hand into the room.

When Xue Rui saw Xu Miyu enter, he immediately greeted her with a smile. His eyes held a clear understanding of her relationship with Ji Feng, so he didn’t seem at all surprised by their joined hands.

Xu Miyu felt silently grateful for this.

Right now, if anyone showed surprise—"You’re actually with Ji Feng?"—it would feel like an embarrassing humiliation to her.

After all, the gap between her and Ji Feng was truly vast. Even she herself inwardly agreed with others’ astonishment—it was unimaginable that someone as outstanding as Ji Feng would be with someone as lacking in every aspect as her.

Unaware of the turmoil in Xu Miyu’s heart, Ji Feng led her to the sofa. He sat on the longer couch, intending for her to sit beside him, but Xu Miyu chose the single-seater sofa instead.

On the coffee table, Xue Rui had prepared exactly two cups of coffee. Ji Feng picked up one and gestured for Xu Miyu to take the other.

Xue Rui retreated to the bar counter, flipping through his tablet and arranging Ji Feng’s work schedule, leaving the living area to the newly-minted couple.

Ji Feng took a sip of coffee and looked up at Xu Miyu."Do you have any thoughts about me suddenly transferring you up here?" he asked aloud.

Xu Miyu thought... Of course I do. You didn't even give me a heads-up before making this decision. If you were just my supervisor, my boss, there'd be no problem with you doing this—it would be your prerogative from on high. But when you issued the transfer order, you were already my... boyfriend. Shouldn't you have talked to me first, asked if I was willing?

These words surged to the tip of Xu Miyu's tongue, only to be swallowed back down.

It was only their first day together; she didn't want to seem overly sentimental and ruin their newly established relationship. So she made herself smile and replied, "No other thoughts... It's fine."

But Ji Feng set his coffee cup down on the tea table with a sharp clink.

"Liar," he stated bluntly. "Of course you have thoughts. All that inner conflict is written all over your fake smile."

Xu Miyu's heart stirred. She felt a flicker of anticipation—had Ji Feng already understood her feelings? Was he asking just to hear her say it out loud? Her heart thumped loudly in her chest.

"I know," Ji Feng continued, "you're proud. You want to climb up step by step on your own merit, not suddenly shoot up because of our personal relationship. So you're not entirely happy about me transferring you up directly, but you're afraid to speak the truth in case I get upset, so you're holding back."

Xu Miyu's pounding heart gradually slowed. That was indeed one reason, but when it came to work matters, she would handle them rationally without getting overly emotional.

There was a slight discrepancy between what he guessed she was feeling and what she actually felt.

So, the unhappiness he assumed she had was about her career path. But what truly tugged at her heartstrings was their relationship.

Watching Ji Feng earnestly analyze his motives for doing this, Xu Miyu sighed inwardly. Forget it, he was already trying to comfort her in his own way. Even if he hadn't quite hit the mark, this was Ji Feng—when had he ever explained his actions? When had he ever tried to soothe a woman's heart? This was already pretty good.

Xu Miyu smiled and nodded at Ji Feng. "Thank you for thinking of me."

But Ji Feng seemed a little dissatisfied with her polite demeanor and frowned slightly. "Actually, I decided to transfer you up because I want to teach you some things myself. It's faster than you slowly grinding your way up. With me personally guiding you, you'll become the best in the shortest time."

Ji Feng looked at Xu Miyu, his words clear and resonant.

Xu Miyu felt a surge of excitement too. She was going to receive personal training from Ji Feng. She would quickly become outstanding. Once she improved rapidly, then when others found out she was Ji Feng's girlfriend, they probably wouldn't react with too much surprise mixed with doubts like "Why her? How could it be a woman like her?" Right? Then in the public eye, she might actually be considered worthy of him.

Xu Miyu lifted her chin slightly and said to Ji Feng, "I'll work hard to learn from you."

Ji Feng raised his hand and patted her head, paused for a moment, then ruffled her hair. His touch was a bit forceful and somewhat awkward—clearly the effort of a man who'd never been in a relationship trying to show his boyfriend skills.Xu Miyu smoothed her hair, which had been ruffled by Ji Feng's clueless head pat, and curled the corners of her lips into a faint smile.

But after the smile faded, she couldn't help but secretly sigh in her heart.

She couldn't quite explain why, but it felt as if a trace of disappointment had settled deep within her.

Perhaps Ji Feng's straightforward approach today was for her own good, wanting her to improve quickly. Yet the flip side of this was precisely proving that she still wasn't good enough for him—hence his efforts to make her excel rapidly...

She quickly shook off this disheartening thought.

Looking up, she met Ji Feng's gaze. He smiled at her before adopting a stern expression and delivering an impartial, official statement: "I'm a man of principle. Between us, we must keep professional and personal matters separate. I hope that during work hours, we only discuss work and not personal feelings." After a pause, he asked Xu Miyu, "Can you do that?"

Xu Miyu immediately straightened up, creating a professional distance, and replied earnestly in a businesslike manner: "Yes, I can, President Ji."

Ji Feng gave an approving "Hmm." Seeing her upright and serious demeanor, he suddenly found this thirty-one-year-old woman uniquely endearing, and couldn't resist the urge to reach for her hand.

But Xu Miyu swiftly dodged and reminded him: "President Ji, it's work hours. Professional and personal matters should be kept separate."

"..." Ji Feng awkwardly withdrew his hand and turned to pick up his coffee instead.

The slightly bitter taste of the coffee washed over his throat. He had been afraid that women might become too clingy in relationships, and even Xu Miyu was no exception. He worried he would quickly grow impatient if that happened, which was why he had set this rule about separating professional and personal matters to regulate their interactions.

But strangely enough, Xu Miyu had adapted to the rule immediately, while he himself felt restless and constrained by the very rule he had set.

Is this what being in a relationship feels like? he wondered. Damn it.

After briefing Xu Miyu on some basic matters, Ji Feng told her to find Xue Rui: "For the specifics of what you should do next, go ask Xue Rui. He'll give you a detailed explanation."

Xu Miyu then got up and went to the bar counter to find Xue Rui.

Seeing her approach, Xue Rui put down his tablet, winked at her, and said in a hushed, amused tone: "Mi Yu, last night, President Ji called me in the middle of the night to tell me you two are together. He warned me not to make a big fuss when I saw you today." He leaned in closer, lowering his voice even further, and added, "He was acting like a clueless young guy yesterday—it was hilarious!"

A secret, sweet warmth bubbled up in Xu Miyu's heart. She smiled, pressing her lips together.

But there was one thing she didn't understand, so she asked Xue Rui: "Why did he call you that very night? I thought, given his personality, he wouldn't bother mentioning it unless someone asked him directly."

Xue Rui recalled Ji Feng's state during the call—excited, flustered, and somewhat bewildered.

He had been almost incoherent, saying he was with that "bad woman" Xu Miyu. That he could no longer resist her allure. That for that "bad woman" Xu Miyu, he had ultimately failed to uphold his damned principles for choosing a partner. Finally, he asked: "Was this just a momentary impulse?"

Xue Rui could tell that Ji Feng, who had never experienced romance before, urgently needed someone to affirm that although he had betrayed his long-held principles and standards, it wasn't a mistake.

So he told Ji Feng: "Boss, stop overthinking it. Just ask yourself: what does your heart want? Follow your heart! Don't worry about principles or rules—they're rigid. Overturning them isn't a betrayal of yourself; maybe it's a different kind of progress. But if you insist on going against your own feelings, that would be committing fraud against yourself."Ji Feng calmed down. Then he said: "Follow my heart? Then I can't stand the thought of her being with another man in the future." After a pause, his voice turned fierce: "She has to be with me!"

Finally, he regained his usual rationality and composure, as if completely forgetting how explosive his emotions had just been. Putting on a boss-like attitude, he said: "I'm officially notifying you now that Xu Miyu and I are together. When you see her tomorrow, don't startle her with any exaggerated reactions."

Xue Rui didn't want to tell Xu Miyu about Ji Feng's emotional fluctuations from the previous night. He was afraid the sensitive woman might overthink it and wonder if Ji Feng had momentarily regretted his decision to be with her. But he understood that Ji Feng's reaction wasn't regret - last night's Ji Feng was simply struggling with having overturned his own principles.

Changing the subject, Xue Rui clearly explained to Xu Miyu what a CEO assistant's daily responsibilities entailed and what she needed to pay attention to.

After covering all the details, Xue Rui smiled and winked at Xu Miyu, lowering his voice to say: "Mi Yu, with you here to share the assistant workload, I'll be able to spend more time handling matters at the group headquarters. You can take over dealing with this difficult big demon lord's daily needs!"

Xu Miyu also lowered her voice: "So I'm not the only one who finds him difficult to handle."

The two shared a conspiratorial laugh.

After laughing, Xue Rui also told Xu Miyu that after acquiring the Sway Hotel, they should have moved back to work at the group headquarters long ago, and Ji Feng should have moved out of here to live in any of his other properties.

But for some reason, Ji Feng had stubbornly refused to move out. At first, Xue Rui thought Ji Feng couldn't bear to leave behind Chef Xu's cooking, but later he realized he was mistaken.

"The reason Chairman Ji refuses to move from here is actually because you're here. He actually wants to be able to see you every day. It's just that having never been in love before, he doesn't even realize this about his own behavior."

Xu Miyu listened with a suppressed smile, her cheeks uncontrollably flushing slightly.

Ji Feng walked over, irritably grabbed Xu Miyu's wrist, and pulled her toward the study. Without looking back, he dismissed Xue Rui: "Aren't you supposed to attend that meeting for me at the company? Get going already."

After turning the corner where Xue Rui could no longer see them, he suddenly pressed Xu Miyu against the wall and unexpectedly leaned down to gently peck her lips.

Xu Miyu stared wide-eyed in surprise.

Didn't you say we shouldn't do private things during work hours...

After lifting his head, Ji Feng stared at her, frowned and scolded irritably: "Don't smile so beautifully at other men from now on. It might make others fall for you like I did, understand?"

Xu Miyu pressed her lips together, treasuring the kiss he had just given her, and nodded in agreement.

She suddenly felt that today's bittersweet feelings of love were surprisingly similar to those of first love.