The Epoch of Miyu

Ji Feng sat on the edge of the bed and patted the spot beside him, signaling Xu Miyu to come over.

Xu Miyu sat down next to him, leaning against his side.

She rested her head on his shoulder and said softly, "Actually, I chose to rent this place because I can afford the rent myself."

"I want to pay my own rent. I don't want you to reimburse me."

She looked up at him and found him gazing back at her. She smiled, her eyes sparkling brightly.

"Don't underestimate my wallet. I earn a pretty high salary now because I'm the assistant specially approved by the president!"

She said this with a mix of playful pride and charm.

Ji Feng could no longer restrain himself and pulled her down with him.

As soon as they started moving, they realized that aside from being small, the apartment had poor soundproofing. The sounds of two children arguing next door were clearly audible to Ji Feng and Xu Miyu.

Xu Miyu grew nervous, afraid that the strange noises she might make would also be heard by the neighbors.

Fearing she couldn't hold back her cries, she bit the back of her hand.

But her restrained demeanor only made Ji Feng adore her even more. He pulled her hand away from her mouth, not letting her bite it.

Unable to endure, she was on the verge of crying out. In her desperation, she bit his shoulder instead.

He didn't feel any pain, only a sweet, gratifying pleasure.

When it was over, he wiped the sweat from her cheek and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

Leaning close to her ear, his voice hoarse and magnetic with emotion, he whispered, "You were so beautiful just now."

That earlier exertion had drained most of Ji Feng's energy. He rested by Xu Miyu's ear for a while, his breathing gradually calming from rapid and shaky to even and steady.

Then, mustering his strength, he got up, put on his shoes, and went to the bathroom to wash up.

Xu Miyu was too exhausted to move. Besides, she had already showered beforehand and couldn't bring herself to get up and wash again. Her eyelids grew heavy, but before falling asleep, she couldn't help but wonder where Ji Feng found the energy to uphold his fastidious cleanliness so thoroughly.

From the next day onward, Ji Feng began visiting the shabby little apartment he so despised, complaining about how cramped everything was while stubbornly refusing to leave.

Gradually, traces of another person began to fill Xu Miyu's living space. These traces gave her a dreamlike, surreal feeling—something she found utterly intoxicating.

The more she indulged in it, the more she grew anxious about losing it, and the more she questioned whether she was truly worthy of him. So she pushed herself relentlessly, striving to grow and improve as quickly as possible.

Over time, Xu Miyu began to realize that Ji Feng's frequent visits were becoming an obstacle to her growth. Whenever he came, he would distract her with other activities, leaving her with no energy for studying or self-improvement.

Eventually, she couldn't help but discuss it with him: "Could you come only three days a week and not visit the rest of the time?"

When Ji Feng first heard this request, he was so shocked he nearly lost his temper.

"What's going on? Are you already tired of me?" he asked, frowning in anger.

Xu Miyu explained earnestly, "I still have many shortcomings in my work. I need to catch up and study. When you're here, I just revolve around you and can't get anything done, let alone catch up on my studies."Ji Feng retorted defiantly, "If I come, wouldn't I be teaching you personally? Isn't that much more efficient than you studying on your own?"

Xu Miyu refused: "Stop talking nonsense with your eyes wide open. Every time you come, you only teach me a couple of things before snatching my folder away without another word and starting on something else..."

Ji Feng guiltily rubbed his forehead, then tried to negotiate properly with her: "Three days a week is too little. Make it five."

Xu Miyu nearly laughed out loud: "What, do you think you're working a job here? With a five-day workweek and two days off?" She rejected the proposal, "No, three days it is. I even think three is too many." She earnestly advised him, "Besides, you're already a thirty-year-old middle-aged man. You should take good care of your health and use your energy sparingly."

Ji Feng immediately became displeased: "Are you saying my body isn't up to it?"

Xu Miyu was left speechless, not knowing how to explain: "I just mean we don't need to be so... frequent. Save some stamina for when you're fifty or sixty and still going strong, wouldn't that be better?"

Ji Feng wouldn't listen to her explanation: "No need. Even if I come seven days a week now, I'll still be going strong later. Besides..." His voice grew hoarse, and he became different from his usual self, showing the intimate side reserved only for lovers as he leaned close to her ear and whispered huskily, "I've just been introduced to this by you and I'm addicted to it. You want me to hold back? How is that possible."

To prove his physical prowess, he snatched the folder from Xu Miyu's hands again.

It wasn't until Xu Miyu begged him with tears in her voice that he reluctantly stopped.

But afterward, he still respected Xu Miyu's wishes, going to her apartment three days a week and leaving the remaining time for her to focus on improving herself.

Industry system knowledge, company operations and structure, departmental functions, hotel marketing and large event planning, business negotiation skills... Xu Miyu felt there was so much waiting for her to learn, and time seemed insufficient.

She felt some regret. If she hadn't been confined at home as a housewife for the past six years, if she hadn't only known how to watch dramas and cook every day, if she had stepped out into the workplace like other girls to work hard and gain experience—six years would have been enough for her to learn and grow comfortably.

Thinking about how she had wasted such a long period of time, she now wanted to double her efforts to make up for what she had lost from her passing life.

During the day, Ji Feng took her to various work settings, teaching and training her hands-on.

Xu Miyu witnessed how Ji Feng conducted himself during contract negotiations. No matter how assertive the other party was or how well-prepared they were, he could always guide them onto his own turf, then lead the rhythm and steer them by the nose. He had thorough knowledge of industry information and could casually provide the latest accurate data. He was intimately familiar with industry regulations and legal changes—when the other party was uncertain if something could be done, he could always effortlessly cite the newest and most precise legal basis.

Xu Miyu thought Ji Feng glowed during negotiations. Sometimes she absurdly wondered if his real purpose in keeping her by his side was to let her see him at work, so she would fall deeper under his spell.

If this absurd thought were true, she thought, then Ji Feng had achieved his goal.She truly seemed to be falling deeper under his spell.

When Ji Feng first took her to the group headquarters for a monthly meeting, she remained in a state of awe throughout almost the entire event.

It was her first time sitting among so many elites, participating in their discussions, listening to their speeches, and contemplating their debates. There were too many things she had never heard before, knowledge that couldn't be acquired solely from written materials. She strained but persisted in absorbing everything. Whatever she couldn't understand immediately, she diligently noted down to study privately later.

It was during this monthly meeting, surrounded by a room full of elite executives, that she realized the Ji Feng she had seen at Siwei Hotel was merely a fraction of who he truly was. Beyond Siwei Hotel, Ji Feng had built an entire business empire of his own making. In this kingdom, he was the undisputed ruler—commanding with authority, strategizing with brilliance, and compelling others to submit.

She felt she had already surrendered to Ji Feng. But this secret must never be known by him. She was already humble enough.

Beyond attending such important meetings, Ji Feng later began taking her on business trips. Though labeled as work trips, they carried a subtle undertone of a publicly funded romance. In Star City, they cautiously conducted their clandestine relationship, but during these trips, in unfamiliar locations and environments surrounded by strangers, they could let go—strolling hand in hand through evening markets.

The night before negotiating an important contract in a neighboring city, Ji Feng took Xu Miyu to the most stylish and luxurious commercial center in the area, which featured nearly every global luxury brand.

He led her from one boutique to another, buying her bags, jewelry, and clothing.

Xu Miyu was repeatedly stunned by the prices of these luxury items. Even during her relatively comfortable life with her ex-husband, she had never dared to dream of owning season-new pieces from such high-end places.

They were simply too expensive. Facing them, she felt not as if she were using them, but as if they were demanding she worship them.

She tactfully expressed to Ji Feng that she didn’t want him buying such expensive clothes, jewelry, or bags for her.

There was another thought she kept hidden beneath her tongue.

Adorning herself with these items would make her look like a kept mistress.

After carefully choosing her words, she rephrased her reasoning to Ji Feng: "When you give me these expensive gifts unilaterally, and I lack the ability to reciprocate with gifts of equal value, it makes me feel incompetent. So I don’t want them. How about waiting until I’m capable of giving you gifts of comparable worth before you buy these things for me?"

But Ji Feng responded bluntly: "No."He spoke a bit quickly, his tone carrying a sense of incomprehension and helplessness as if to say, "This really isn’t a big deal." Yet he still patiently explained to his girlfriend: "When I give you something, it’s not because I expect you to give something back to me. What are you doing? Trying to reciprocate with me? Am I an outsider that you have to calculate everything so clearly?" He pointed to the ostrich leather bag inside the counter, signaling the sales assistant to bring one over for a look, then continued speaking to Xu Miyu, a hint of teasing surfacing in his tone. "Instead of wasting time figuring out how to reciprocate with your boyfriend, why don’t we hurry up and finish shopping here so you can go back to the hotel and prepare for tomorrow’s contract negotiation. Tomorrow is going to be a tough battle, and the other party is a big shot. If you don’t dress appropriately, they’ll think we’re being careless and disrespectful toward them."

He took the bag handed to him by the sales assistant, didn’t check the price, only inspected the bag’s condition to confirm there were no flaws, then said to the sales assistant, "This one will do."

Xu Miyu noticed the sales assistant smiling so broadly that eight perfectly aligned teeth were on full display.

Ji Feng turned back to Xu Miyu and said, "As long as you’re by my side, you’ll experience many important occasions in the future. Without a few decent outfits, people will look down on you."

Xu Miyu stood to the side, a faint melancholy lingering in her heart, while she forced a smile onto her face and reluctantly accepted the expensive gift.

After all, at her current level, she still couldn’t present herself adequately on her own.

The next day, when meeting the client, she was dressed impeccably, wearing the new clothes and shoes she had purchased the day before. The important figure from the other party complimented her on her exceptional elegance, adding that he particularly appreciated counterparts who paid attention to their attire. If someone couldn’t even bother to tidy themselves up before meeting him, how much importance could they possibly attach to this encounter?

His words helped convince Xu Miyu that such formal dressing was indeed necessary.

Yet she still felt somewhat uncomfortable wearing these luxury brand clothes.

They seemed to constantly remind her of the vast gap between her and Ji Feng—things she couldn’t afford on her own, she could only rely on Ji Feng’s casual generosity.

Xu Miyu didn’t know what had come over her lately. At work, she had gained a lot of insight and learned many things from Ji Feng. Logically, her job should have given her a sense of achievement and satisfaction, yet she found herself growing increasingly unhappy in her work.

It seemed the more she experienced the world alongside Ji Feng, the more it highlighted how insignificant she was.

The more she tried to grow professionally to narrow the gap between them, the more her actual work repeatedly proved just how wide that chasm was.

The job she had once looked forward to so much now brought her immense pressure every day.

Fortunately, outside of work, in their private time, there were still moments of intimate and pure happiness shared between the two of them—

Xu Miyu had always assumed that a high-quality, domineering CEO like Ji Feng, with his pride, wouldn’t spare a second glance at any other man. But she later discovered that Ji Feng could actually get jealous.

And it was over the most unnecessary things—like how he could even feel jealous of Xue Rui.Xue Rui was a chatterbox who loved to ramble on about everything and nothing. Ji Feng, on the other hand, was the reincarnation of a clam, sparing words whenever possible. Whenever Xue Rui ran into Ji Feng, he always ended up being cut off with a "shut up" before he could finish venting.

But ever since Xu Miyu moved upstairs to become the CEO's second assistant, the "shut up" seal on Xue Rui's mouth could no longer hold.

On Monday, Xue Rui came to the hotel to report to Ji Feng on the group's recent developments. After finishing his report, he seized the moment when Ji Feng wasn't paying attention, whisked Xu Miyu out of the study, and dragged her to the small bar in the living room to pour out his grievances.

"Mi Yu, tell me, does that woman Li Qiaoqi even have a heart? I told her that a big-shot client we're collaborating with recently has taken a liking to me and wants to marry his daughter off to me. When I asked her what she thought, guess what she said?"

Xu Miyu put herself in Li Qiaoqi's shoes and replied to Xue Rui, "She encouraged you to give it a try, saying you might be able to climb the social ladder through this opportunity?"

Xue Rui slapped the bar counter. "Mi Yu, you know her too well—almost word for word! But that's not all. There was something even worse afterward. I asked her, 'Aren't you afraid that if I marry the young lady and we have no feelings for each other, we might end up unhappy and divorced?' And she actually said, 'No problem, I’ve got your back. You can come to me with the assets you get from the divorce.' Tell me, isn’t she just like the heartless, vicious female antagonist in a romance novel?"

Xu Miyu couldn’t help but laugh.

"You sure know a lot about character tropes in romance novels."

Xue Rui fumed, "It’s all because that woman Li Qiaoqi forced me to read them! She said she reads too slowly and has no patience, but she still wants to know what the story is about, so she makes me read them and then retell them to her. How can she be so infuriating?"

Xu Miyu chuckled. "Maybe it’s precisely her infuriating nature that’s tamed you, like one thing subduing another."

Just as they were chatting animatedly, Ji Feng suddenly appeared with a cold, stern face.

He glared icily at the two overly chatty assistants who had forgotten there was a boss in the room and snapped coldly, "Don’t you have work to do? If you’re so fond of chatting, why not set out some drinks and whip up a few dishes to chat over?"

Xue Rui nearly froze on the spot and stammered, "B-boss, it’s lunch break right now..."

A flicker of embarrassment seemed to cross Ji Feng’s cold, drawn face. But he quickly masked his failed attempt to pick a fight with something akin to defensive anger and continued to berate Xue Rui, "You know it’s lunch break? Don’t I need to eat? Doesn’t my assistant need to eat? I’m not talking about you—don’t point at yourself! You’ve been dragging her into your endless chatter. Do you only have eyes for her, or are you completely ignoring me?"

With this baseless accusation thrown at him, Xue Rui almost dropped to his knees.

Terrified, he blurted out, "Boss, are you jealous and taking it out on me?"

Ji Feng, whose nerve had been struck, narrowed his eyes murderously. "I’ll fire you this afternoon. Get lost."

Xue Rui scrambled away in a panic, leaving Xu Miyu alone to deal with the sour-faced boss.

Deep down, Xu Miyu found it somewhat amusing and felt a bubbling sweetness.

So even the most stubborn, rational straight man, no matter how busy and detached his life seemed, could still stoop to such down-to-earth jealousy."From now on, don't chat with Xue Rui for more than three minutes," Ji Feng's sour mood hadn't subsided even after lunch, and he brought up the topic again. "Also, don't laugh like that while talking to him."

Listening to Ji Feng's demands, Xu Miyu suddenly found him incredibly childish. She couldn't help but laugh.

Ji Feng immediately seized this as a reference standard, pointing at her face and declaring, "Yes, exactly this kind of smile. From now on, it's only for me, don't show it to anyone else."

"Why?" Xu Miyu asked.

Ji Feng raised an eyebrow and grumbled irritably, "Why don't you know yourself? When you smile like that, it's so captivating it makes people lose control!"

Sweetness bubbled up from the depths of Xu Miyu's heart. She actually found this straight man's complaints more moving than sweet nothings.

It suddenly occurred to her that maybe she didn't have to look up to her boyfriend so meekly at times like this. Maybe they could joke around freely, just like ordinary couples on the street.

So she deliberately teased him: "What if I can't help smiling like that at Xue Rui?"

Ji Feng frowned fiercely: "I'll fire him."

"You've said that many times, but I've never seen you actually fire him," Xu Miyu laughed, calling his bluff. "Actually, I've been wanting to ask you for a long time - you don't talk much yourself, but Xue Rui is so chatty. You're always threatening to fire him if he doesn't stop gossiping, so why have you never actually done it?"

Thinking of Xue Rui's chattering demeanor, Ji Feng curled his lip and chuckled: "He really does chatter like a sparrow spirit. But aside from being talkative, he does everything else very well. If I really fired him and found another assistant, I'm afraid they might not only be talkative but also incompetent at other tasks - wouldn't that be even more annoying? So I'll just make do with him."

But Xu Miyu looked at Ji Feng and said, "I always feel like you're keeping him intentionally, and intentionally letting him chatter on."

Ji Feng looked at Xu Miyu, his gaze deepening.

"Why do you think that?" he asked her.

Xu Miyu replied, "I've always felt that you tolerate Xue Rui's chattering because, on one hand, you want to know what's happening in life beyond work. Xue Rui is like a big loudspeaker with absorption function - he can gather all kinds of gossip from all directions and then tell you about it. You, well, you're quite aloof, but you still need to experience worldly life. You don't socialize much privately to begin with. If there weren't someone as chatty as Xue Rui in your life, your days would be too quiet and lonely." Xu Miyu smiled at Ji Feng, "Although you say you hate his chattering, actually his chatter probably adds a lot of color and fun to your life."

Ji Feng stared unblinkingly at Xu Miyu, his gaze deeply penetrating her eyes and reaching into her heart.

It seemed no one had ever so accurately understood his thoughts, and the loneliness he never showed to others.

He hadn't expected her to understand him better than he imagined.

He was somewhat moved, but uncomfortable with being so moved. So he covered it up with a fierce expression.

"I'll fire him tomorrow, this time I mean it for real."

Xu Miyu laughed again: "You're just trying to scare people. I must have been right just now - you feel embarrassed so you're bluffing. You would never actually fire him."Ji Feng, having his true thoughts exposed, feigned a fit of pique and pulled Xu Miyu over, pinning her against the sofa while glaring at her fiercely.

The first time he did this, Xu Miyu felt uncertain and even scared. But now she had long since figured out his bluffing tactics. He was just putting on a fierce front to intimidate her.

Under his intense gaze, she suddenly reached out to wrap her arms around his neck, then leaned forward and kissed him on the lips.

The ferocity on his face instantly crumbled, replaced by stunned surprise.

She had never taken the initiative with him before—this was the first time. He couldn't help but feel a flutter of excitement.

Seizing his dazed state, she kissed him again, one kiss after another, each one deeper and longer than the last.

Finally, her kisses darkened Ji Feng's gaze. Cupping the back of her head, he asked hoarsely, "Tempting me again, aren't you?"

Without waiting for an answer, he reclaimed the initiative, sealing her lips with his own.

Just as things were about to spiral out of control, Xu Miyu remembered the meeting scheduled for the afternoon and forced herself to push Ji Feng away.

Catching her breath, she reminded him about their work commitments.

Ji Feng was furious: "How can you hold back at a time like this? Do I really have so little appeal to you?"

He wanted to continue, but Xu Miyu stopped him and reminded him: "You're the one who said we should keep work and personal matters separate. It's almost time to start work!"

Ji Feng, struggling with restraint, said hoarsely: "I can't control it anymore. Please understand me—you've awakened my desires, and now I'm craving more. It's normal that I can't resist this. I'm not like you..." At this point, he kissed her, swallowing the words "so composed and restrained" into her mouth.

But to Xu Miyu, this unfinished sentence was like a bomb, instantly shattering the lingering intimacy and tenderness into ashes.

She couldn't help but mentally complete his unfinished thought: I'm not like you—you've been married and experienced this many times before, so you're not as eager for it.

She pushed Ji Feng away abruptly, preventing him from continuing the kiss.

Ji Feng looked at her in astonishment and asked what was wrong.

Seeing her expression, he immediately realized that his unfinished sentence might have triggered her sensitive misunderstanding.

He hurriedly tried to explain: "Miyu, I didn't mean what you think..."

Xu Miyu raised her voice to interrupt him, not letting him continue: "Mm! I understand, it's fine, it's really okay. It's time for work—let's focus on our tasks."

She didn't want Ji Feng to explain further. She felt his explanation would only make her feel more embarrassed.

Throughout the afternoon, both of them seemed subtly affected. Whether it was Ji Feng or Xu Miyu, they kept making mistakes at work.

Ji Feng originally had other plans to discuss with someone in the evening, scheduled a week ago. But as work was about to end, he asked Xu Miyu to cancel it because he wanted to go back to the apartment with her.

Xu Miyu refused to carry out this instruction.

"I need to study hard tonight, and you have a work appointment. So don't come with me—stick to your original plans," she said as lightly and casually as possible, then immediately left work.

On her way back to the apartment, the forced lightness and nonchalance gradually crumbled.

She kept inhaling and exhaling repeatedly along the way. In truth, when Ji Feng said he wanted to cancel his plans to accompany her back to the apartment, she desperately wanted to look up and tell him: The more you try to accommodate and compensate for my feelings, the sadder I feel. If neither of us cared about my past relationships and marriage, you wouldn't feel the need to soothe my emotions over that half-finished sentence, and I wouldn't feel somewhat apologetic toward you for being called out—you're my first love now, but my first love wasn't with you. I've been married and divorced. You make me think this way, and then I feel that because of this marriage history, I'm actually not worthy of you.

But why didn't she say it? Was she afraid? Did she fear that she might see in Ji Feng's expression or eyes that he truly minded her past marriage?

She returned to the apartment, went into the bathroom, turned on the shower, and hugged herself tightly under the rushing water.

She forgot what time she had eaten or what she had eaten. She also forgot when she had lain down. She felt somewhat dazed all night.

Lying in bed, unsure how long she had been tossing and turning, she finally drifted into a hazy state.

It felt like she was asleep, yet also awake. In that half-dreaming, half-awake state, she only felt exhausted, as if even breathing had become difficult and labored.

Suddenly, the mattress beside her sank with added weight.Someone embraced her from behind. She jolted awake instantly.

His heartbeat traveled through her back, merging with her own. The restlessness that had plagued her all night seemed to quietly dissolve, replaced by an inexplicable sense of peace.

With her eyes still closed, she whispered softly, "What brings you here?"