The Epoch of Miyu

Xu Miyu retorted, "You taught me well, thank you." One moment Ji Feng was smiling, the next Xu Miyu's tone shifted, turning serious. "Thank you for standing up for me, Boss Ji."

She uttered the words "Boss Ji" with such softness and tenderness that Ji Feng's heart suddenly raced. His hand trembled, accidentally hanging up the call.

He was utterly frustrated, slapping the hand holding the phone with his other hand, blaming it for failing him at such a critical moment.

In disbelief, he touched his chest—his heart was pounding wildly, even more intensely than when they were dating. He marveled at how, at his age, he was acting like an impulsive young man.

After calming himself, he was about to call back when his phone suddenly rang—Xu Miyu was calling again.

Ji Feng quickly explained that he had accidentally ended the call. Xu Miyu didn't mind and continued with what she had been saying.

"Now for my important announcement—you can't interrupt. I want to tell you, thank you, Boss Ji. Thank you for standing up for me, thank you for helping me live with my head held high in front of them now. Thank you for letting me not deny my past life and my former self, for allowing me to walk proudly in front of people from my past. And thank you for helping me reclaim the dignity that was trampled at that evening's banquet, as well as the confidence I feel when facing you again."

Xu Miyu spoke these words with gentle grace, and by the end, she was moved, her voice slightly hoarse.

Ji Feng held the phone, listening intently. The more he heard, the more his heart stirred, until by the end, he was so restless he couldn't sit still.

Through the receiver, he said hoarsely to Xu Miyu, "I want to see you, the sooner the better. Alright, I've decided—I'm returning to Xing City right now. I need to see you; I have something to tell you!"

Ji Feng said to Xu Miyu, "Wait for me, I'm coming back now!"

His tone carried an urgency that brooked no delay—he had to leave immediately.

Xu Miyu was both surprised and delighted.

But she quickly composed herself and tried to dissuade him. "It's pouring in Xing City—really heavy rain. You should come back tomorrow."

"But I want to see you today," he said, his voice husky and fervent.

Xu Miyu could hardly imagine that the cold, domineering CEO would one day become so stubborn and impulsive, like a passionate young man in love.

"You just arrived there this morning—have you finished handling everything?" Xu Miyu attempted to use work to restrain him, after all, he prided himself on separating business from personal matters.

"I finalized all the major issues during the meeting this afternoon."

Well, it seemed work couldn't hold him back either.

Xu Miyu had no choice but to emphasize again, "It's raining really hard outside, truly torrential. Flights won't be able to take off."

It was strange—the rain in Xing City had been falling nonstop for a month, and since this evening, it had grown even heavier.

But the bad weather couldn't deter Ji Feng, whose heart was set on returning. "Then I'll take the high-speed rail or bullet train back. If I leave for the station now, I should reach Xing City around 11 p.m. Wait for me; I have something to tell you in person."

Xu Miyu knew exactly what he wanted to say, and she couldn't suppress the anticipation and sweetness welling up in her heart.

Since he was determined to return, and she genuinely wanted to see him too, she didn't try to stop him this time.

So she replied in a soft, melodious tone, "Alright!"The voice seemed to have a hook, tugging at Ji Feng so intensely that he wished he could teleport back to Xing City in the next second.

Ji Feng had asked Xu Miyu to wait for him at home. But Xu Miyu couldn’t sit still. She had already made up her mind to meet him at the station, wanting to surprise him.

About half an hour before Ji Feng’s high-speed train was due to arrive, she grabbed her umbrella and headed out.

The world outside had turned into a blurry, watery mess. The rain was pouring down with increasing intensity, falling in sheets onto her umbrella as if someone were dumping buckets of water from above.

But the heavy rain didn’t deter Xu Miyu.

She stood in the rain for two minutes before the ride-hailing car she had booked earlier pulled up. The rain was so heavy that water had pooled along the roadside, and as the car approached, it splashed and soaked the bottom of Xu Miyu’s pants.

Though her legs felt a chill, Xu Miyu didn’t mind. When in a good mood, even being drenched like a drowned rat wouldn’t bother her. She closed her umbrella and got into the car.

The vehicle had been modified by the owner. The backseat was separated from the driver’s seat by welded iron bars, with hard transparent plastic panels between them. Only a few small holes were left for ventilation and communication. In this car, passengers in the back could see the driver through the transparent panels but couldn’t touch them.

As soon as Xu Miyu got in, she couldn’t help but remark, “Driver, your car’s safety rating is quite high.”

The driver chuckled and replied, “No choice. When driving at night, I’m afraid of getting robbed or something. With the front and back separated like this, even if a bad person gets in, they can’t strangle me from behind or stab me with a knife. My wife arranged all this for me.”

After praising the driver’s wife, Xu Miyu settled in as the car started and drove through the rain toward the station.

The rain grew heavier along the way. The driver made small talk with Xu Miyu: “I was hesitating about going home for dinner, but in the end, I decided to take your ride. Luckily, it’s not too far—just a short trip. But this rain, it’s getting heavier and heavier.”

Xu Miyu noticed the roadside water had already risen past pedestrians’ calves and felt that this rainstorm was unexpectedly intense.

“It’s been raining so much this year—it’s been going on for a month without stopping. Hopefully, after today’s downpour, the weather will finally clear up,” the driver said as he prepared to drive into the tunnel ahead. Once past the tunnel, the station wasn’t far.

Xu Miyu glanced at the rain outside and said to the driver, “Driver, maybe we should take a detour and avoid the tunnel? With such heavy rain, could the tunnel be flooded?”

The driver replied confidently, “It rains every year in Xing City, but I’ve never heard of the tunnel flooding. Trust me, it’ll be fine. Taking the tunnel will get us there faster, and I can finish work and go home sooner.”

Seeing the driver’s firm insistence, Xu Miyu didn’t press further. The tunnel was just ahead, and the driver stepped on the accelerator, driving resolutely into it.

Xu Miyu turned to look out the window. The world outside, already blurred by the rain, became even more indistinct. As they entered the tunnel, the surroundings grew relatively quiet.

But upon closer listening, it wasn’t entirely quiet—the sound of water swirling around the tires echoed in the tunnel. Xu Miyu’s heart skipped a beat. It seemed the driver was wrong. This year, the tunnel was indeed flooded, and the water was deep. At that moment, every vehicle in the tunnel seemed to transform into a boat, splashing through the water as if navigating a river.The driver now felt some regret. "Ah? There really is standing water in the tunnel. I should have listened to you and taken the longer way around instead of this route."

Xu Miyu didn't respond. Hindsight or complaints after the fact were meaningless.

Listening to the sound of the wheels rolling through the water, for some reason, her heart grew unsettled along with the noise. Still, she comforted herself inwardly: It's fine, we're already halfway through. Just a bit more driving and we'll be out of the tunnel.

But just as they reached the middle of the tunnel, traffic came to a standstill. A whole row of cars was stuck in the flooded tunnel, everyone inching forward like snails in a river.

The driver grew irritable, rolled down his window, and lit a cigarette to smoke.

Xu Miyu checked the time. Ji Feng's high-speed train should be arriving at the station soon, but she was still stuck in the tunnel. She couldn't help but grow anxious too.

After a moment's thought, she tapped on the partition between the front and back seats and told the driver, "Sir, I'm in a hurry. Maybe I should get out and walk the rest of the way myself!"

But the driver stopped her. "You'd better not get out. Look how deep this water is! And if the cars start moving while you're halfway through, it'd be dangerous for you to be standing alone in the tunnel."

Xu Miyu thought about it and agreed, forcing herself to wait a little longer.

But after waiting a while longer, it seemed the train must have already arrived at the station, yet the car in the tunnel had barely moved. Meanwhile, the water level kept rising. The trapped cars in the tunnel began honking their horns, one urging the other, but no one could move. Everyone grew increasingly agitated.

Xu Miyu grew more and more frantic. She decided she didn't care anymore—she would get out and walk.

But as she looked down, she was startled to discover that water was starting to seep into the car.

She quickly alerted the driver. He looked down and was also shocked, cursing under his breath.

Suddenly, chaos erupted up ahead. Voices became a tumultuous roar, with what sounded like screams, shouts, and even wails. The sounds were sharp and terrified, as if the gates of hell had been thrown open and deadly monsters and demons were rushing in. Along with those sudden cries, shouts, and sobs, a massive wave of water surged into the tunnel.

Xu Miyu would never forget the scene before her. Looking through the windshield, she saw a gray, towering wave violently rushing into the tunnel, mercilessly swallowing and submerging everything in its path.

Only then did she make out what the people ahead were shouting:

"They've released the floodgates up ahead! The tunnel is going to flood! Everyone, get out of your cars and run!"

And also—

"Help!" "Save me, pull me out!"

Water abruptly flooded into the car. The driver tried to roll up the window he had lowered while smoking, but he found that the controls had shorted out after being submerged.

Water immediately surged violently through the driver's side window.

Sitting in the back seat, Xu Miyu tried to push the door open to get out, but she realized the entire car had malfunctioned—she couldn't open the door at all.

The tunnel was in complete disarray. People in the cars were desperately trying to climb out. This scene of a life-and-death escape made Xu Miyu tremble all over.

She had never been so terrified, never been so close to death.When the water was about to overflow into the car, the driver finally managed to squeeze out through his window that wouldn't close. Floating in the water, he tried to pull the car door open from the outside to help Xu Miyu, but no matter how hard he pulled, it wouldn't budge. Inside the car, Xu Miyu attempted to call for help, finally retrieving her phone from the back seat only to find it had shut down from water damage. Her teeth chattered—another path to survival had been blocked.

She had no choice but to press her head against the car roof, screaming for help in the last pocket of air that was about to be squeezed out by the rising water.

The driver tried to break the window with his elbow, but the glass remained unmoved. He then gestured for Xu Miyu to move to the front of the car and climb out through the driver's window.

Xu Miyu patted the welded metal barriers, which stood firm, blocking her path and sealing off her escape.

Suddenly, she remembered something she had once read in a science article: the headrests of the front seats could be removed to break the window and escape. She hurriedly tried, but the barriers and seals held the headrests firmly in place, making it impossible to pull them out.

Xu Miyu was on the verge of breaking down. The safety measures she had once praised were now obstructing her every attempt to survive.

She desperately pounded on the window, begging the driver to help her from the outside. The water was about to fill the car completely, and she didn't want to drown inside without seeing Ji Feng one last time—without hearing the words he had meant to say to her.

But the driver was equally helpless outside. He couldn't find any tools, his elbows couldn't break the glass, and when he tried to call for help from others nearby, everyone else was busy trying to save themselves.

Finally, the driver knocked on the window and shouted, "Hold on! I'll go find someone to help. Stay strong!"

With that, he swam toward the tunnel exit.

Watching the driver swim away, Xu Miyu suddenly felt as if she had no chance of survival left.

Eventually, even the last bit of air in the car was forced out by the water, and the tip of her nose, stretched as high as it could go, was finally submerged.

Tears streamed down her face as she drowned in the water, pounding on the window in despair. She was so unwilling—unwilling to die like this, unwilling to leave without seeing Ji Feng, unwilling to miss the words he had wanted to say to her, unwilling to never tell him how much she loved him, loved him enough to cast aside her pride and self-respect just to be with him.

In the darkness, she grew numb from suffocation, her tears mingling with the floodwater. In her fading consciousness, she desperately bid Ji Feng farewell in her heart.

She closed her eyes, ready to embrace death.

But suddenly, a loud shattering sound echoed in her ears. She opened her eyes, but the dizziness from suffocation made it hard to see what was happening.

The next moment, she was dragged out through the broken car window and lifted above the water.

Someone shouted loudly in her ear, "Miyu, breathe! Breathe!"

Xu Miyu finally realized she was no longer underwater. She gasped greedily for air, trembling violently all over.

Once she had caught her breath, she was abruptly pulled into an embrace.

The arms held her tightly, with immense force.

The person holding her was also trembling violently.

His voice was choked with a ragged nasal tone and fear as he called her name, over and over.Xu Miyu finally snapped out of her suffocating daze. Pushing away the embrace, she saw Ji Feng's face.

She could actually see him again.

He had actually rescued her.

It seemed she had almost lost him forever just moments ago.

What should she do? From now on, it felt like she could never be without him again.

Staring at Ji Feng's face, confirming she was truly still alive, she finally couldn't hold back and burst into loud, wailing sobs.

**

As soon as Xu Miyu got into the ride-hailing car, Ji Feng—who had previously been set as her emergency contact—received her trip details.

Looking at the route, Ji Feng immediately knew Xu Miyu was heading to Xing City Station to pick him up.

He was delighted but pretended not to know, wanting to preserve the surprise she had planned for him.

The further they traveled toward Xing City, the darker the sky grew and the heavier the rain poured. By the time the train pulled into the station, the downpour had reached an astonishing intensity.

Xue Rui stared at the torrential rain outside, which seemed to pour down like smoke, and couldn't resist grumbling, "Is Bai Suzhen fighting with Fahai again? Is she trying to flood Xing City or what?"

Ji Feng also watched the heavy rain outside, feeling deeply unsettled. He checked his phone and saw that Xu Miyu's trip had stalled inside the tunnel.

The entire tunnel route was marked in deep red, almost black, indicating extreme congestion.

After exiting the station and seeing the flooded roads, Ji Feng decided to drop the pretense of not knowing Xu Miyu was coming to pick him up. He needed to confirm her location and safety first.

He called her, only to hear the automated message that her phone was switched off.

For some inexplicable reason, his heart sank instantly, and a foreboding feeling washed over him.

Xue Rui drove the car out from the station parking lot. The moment Ji Feng got in, he told Xue Rui, "Head to the tunnel, now!"

Though confused, Xue Rui stepped on the accelerator, plowing through the flooded streets.

They quickly reached the vicinity of the tunnel. Xue Rui, his voice grave, informed Ji Feng, "Boss, it looks like the tunnel is flooded!"

Ji Feng's heart plummeted. Hoarsely, he told Xue Rui, "Stop the car. Let me out, hurry."

Xue Rui swiftly parked the car on higher ground. As soon as the car stopped, Ji Feng leaped out without even grabbing an umbrella. After a split-second thought, he snatched the window breaker stored in the car and sprinted frantically toward the tunnel entrance.

The closer he got to the tunnel, the deeper the floodwaters became. By the time he reached the entrance, Ji Feng was no longer running but swimming.

He grabbed someone swimming out from inside the tunnel and asked, "What's happening in there?"

"It's flooded—it's terrifying! Hey, don't go in there, you'll drown! Hey, hey!"

Everyone was fleeing the tunnel, but Ji Feng alone fought against the current, swimming desperately inward.

He searched frantically for the car Xu Miyu was in within the submerged tunnel. Midway, he collided with a middle-aged man swimming outward. Instead of rushing away, the man stopped Ji Feng and pleaded urgently, "Can you help me? Help me swim back to save someone? My passenger is trapped in the car. Please, help me go back. I've begged so many people along the way, but no one has time. If my passenger drowns in my car, I'll regret it for the rest of my life!" The middle-aged man begged Ji Feng, frantic and panicked.Ji Feng’s heart stirred, and he immediately recited the license plate number of the ride-hailing car that the app had sent to him as the emergency contact. He then asked the middle-aged man, "Is this your car?"

The man nodded eagerly. "Yes, yes, it’s mine. But how did you know?"

Ji Feng had no time to answer such irrelevant questions. Anxiously, he asked the man, "Where did you park your car?"

The man replied promptly, "Just ahead, about twenty meters away. It’s easy to spot—the cars in front and behind are black, but mine is white…"

Before he could finish, Ji Feng had already swum away.

Ji Feng swam frantically forward until he finally found the middle-aged man’s car.

When he reached the car window, he saw Xu Miyu trapped inside, nearly suffocating.

His own heart raced as if he, too, were on the verge of suffocation. Forcing himself to stay calm, he immediately used a safety hammer to shatter the window glass and pulled Xu Miyu out of the car’s interior.

Holding her, he surfaced and shouted her name, urging her to breathe, to gasp for air.

She took deep, ragged breaths. She was recovering—she was going to be okay!

In that instant, all the strength seemed to drain from his body. No one could fathom the terror he had just endured. Had he been even a moment later, she might have… He dared not think of that horrifying word. The fear of what could have happened overwhelmed him.

He held her tightly in his arms, as if clutching a precious treasure he had nearly lost.

He called her name over and over, his voice trembling with fear.

Gradually, the person in his arms responded. She pushed him away slightly and looked at him.

When she recognized his face, she could no longer hold back, bursting into loud, wrenching sobs.

"Ji Feng? How is it you? I thought I was done for just now—I thought I’d never see you again! I was so unwilling… I haven’t even heard what you wanted to say to me!" Xu Miyu choked out between sobs.

Her crying made Ji Feng’s heart ache unbearably. Seeing her face streaked with tears and grime, he was filled with lingering fear and heartache.

He reached out to wipe the dirty water and tears from her face, his voice hoarse as he asked, "Xu Miyu, don’t talk nonsense. Tell me, if you died, how could I go on living?"

As he spoke, his entire body trembled with residual terror. He glared at her and said fiercely, "Xu Miyu, you’ve given me enough scares for one day. You’ve left me with a heart condition—for the rest of my life, you’ll have to take responsibility for me!"

Then he kissed her fiercely, his lips sealing hers with desperate intensity, heedless of everything else.

Xu Miyu responded to him with equal fervor.

Just then, an awkward voice cut in abruptly: "Ahem… Boss, Mi Yu, could you two please calm down a bit? How about we all swim out first, and then you can continue kissing?"

Xue Rui’s voice finally brought back a shred of rationality to the two, who were still half-submerged in water, recklessly pouring out their love and kissing as if no one else were there.

The three of them finally swam out of the tunnel and got into a car. Later, they heard on the news that no one had drowned in the tunnel—everyone had managed to escape safely. Xu Miyu breathed a sigh of relief.

In the car, Ji Feng instructed Xue Rui, "The apartment is in a low-lying area and must be heavily flooded. Let’s head straight back to the hotel."

After saying this, his gaze never strayed elsewhere again, remaining entirely fixed on Xu Miyu.

Throughout the journey, the two sat in the back, their eyes locked intently on each other as if unable to look away.The rain continued to fall outside the car, the wheels rolling over the waterlogged road with a sound like tearing silk. That splashing noise made Xu Miyu shudder with lingering fear, but Ji Feng's hand holding hers gave her warmth and comfort, gradually calming and soothing her.

In the front seat, Xue Rui couldn't stand being so overlooked - driving diligently in such weather only to be fed "dog food" (witnessing public displays of affection).

He glanced at the time. It was already past midnight. It was the next day now.

He began mischievously forcing his way into their conversation: "Boss, it's past twelve. Did you collect your crops yesterday?"

Ji Feng suddenly frowned.

He had forgotten.

Something he had persisted in for over ten years had been interrupted yet again.

"Why didn't you remind me on the train?" Ji Feng turned his head irritably, glaring through the rearview mirror at Xue Rui who was driving in front.

"The signal was bad on the train..." Xue Rui glanced at Ji Feng through the rearview mirror and said weakly.

Xu Miyu looked at Ji Feng's angry expression and then at Xue Rui's fearful appearance, unable to resist asking with concern: "Is missing one day very serious?"

Ji Feng immediately turned to comfort her: "Not serious."

Xue Rui exposed his bluff: "It's not too serious, just some regret after returning home, maybe kicking slippers, ruffling hair, slapping the table or something..."

"Ah?" Xu Miyu grew curious.

Xue Rui told her: "Let me put it this way, Mi Yu, regarding this farm planting thing, President Ji has persisted for over ten years, doing it every single day without interruption. Do you know how determined he is? When the company that developed this game was about to go bankrupt, President Ji simply bought the entire company just to keep doing this."

Xu Miyu's eyes widened with disbelief.

"But why persist with this for over ten years? Does it have some special meaning?"

Wasn't it just planting and harvesting crops online?

"I also asked President Ji before why he insisted on such a boring game," Xue Rui glanced at Xu Miyu through the rearview mirror and said, "President Ji told me at the time that he wanted to use this boring game to temper his perseverance. He said he wanted to see if there was one thing he could persist in doing for his entire life—never stopping, persisting every day, even if it was something boring."

Hearing this, Xu Miyu couldn't help but click her tongue: "That does sound like something he would do."

He had absolutely firm willpower and perseverance. Once he decided to do something, he could persist in doing it, even if it was boring.

Xue Rui looked in the rearview mirror and smiled: "But later President Ji combined the farm game with agricultural charity activities, so now this game is quite meaningful."

Xu Miyu let out a "wow." This sounded even more like something Ji Feng would do—he would make boring things valuable.

Ji Feng was dissatisfied with Xu Miyu and Xue Rui's back-and-forth conversation as if he didn't exist. He squeezed her hand, protesting being ignored.

But Xu Miyu paid him no mind and continued confirming with Xue Rui: "So he's really never missed a single day of planting and harvesting crops in over ten years?"

If someone could persist in something to this extent, that would be truly impressive.

Ji Feng voiced his displeasure from the side: "Why are you asking him? The person involved is right beside you. Ask me."

Xu Miyu turned to look at him. Ji Feng answered firmly: "Yes, never missed a single day."

Xu Miyu thought to herself: Wow.

But Xue Rui immediately exposed him again: "Mi Yu, don't listen to President Ji. He actually missed twice, but he's too proud to admit it."

Ji Feng immediately told him to shut up or he'd be fired.

Xu Miyu immediately told Xue Rui: "You won't lose your job, he's just scaring you. So which two times did he miss, and why does he feel embarrassed about it?"Xue Rui glanced at Ji Feng in the rearview mirror, confirming that despite his fierce, coldly angry demeanor, he was essentially a paper tiger when sitting beside Xu Miyu. With a grin, he said, "The first time was after your breakup—CEO Ji quit farming for several days. He was in such a foul mood back then, picking fights with everyone and finding fault with everything."

Xu Miyu turned to look at Ji Feng, who feigned nonchalance. "Who said I was upset over a breakup? That's nonsense." He then turned to gaze out the car window, acting as if the topic was beneath discussion. But the tips of his ears turned red. Xu Miyu felt a tender warmth stir in her heart.

If Xue Rui hadn't been there, she would have wanted to hug him and pat his back to comfort him.

Xue Rui's voice suddenly chimed in, "The second time he quit was today—or strictly speaking, yesterday. CEO Ji was so eager to see you on the train that he forgot all about it. When he got off and saw the heavy rain, couldn't reach you, and was frantically searching for you, it slipped his mind again. So, he broke his habit once more."

At this, Xue Rui's tone turned serious. "Mi Yu, I've finally realized it today—you're truly important to our CEO Ji. You're the only one who can make him break a habit he's kept for over a decade."

A wave of warmth surged through Xu Miyu's heart, her eyes growing hot with emotion. How could she, having entered her thirties, be so fortunate as to receive the affection of such an exceptional man?

She quietly reached out to hold Ji Feng's hand. Though he was still looking out the window, he immediately clasped hers in return.

When the car pulled up to the hotel entrance, Xu Miyu was about to get out but realized she had lost one of her shoes—probably back in the tunnel.

During the return trip, her mind and heart had been wholly focused on Ji Feng, so she hadn't noticed the missing shoe. Now, faced with stepping out, she was at a loss.

Without a word, Ji Feng got out, walked around to her side, opened the door, bent down, and removed her other shoe, tossing it casually into the car. Then he leaned forward, scooping her up in a princess carry.

Xu Miyu gasped softly in surprise.

"Put me down quickly—people will see!" she pleaded.

But Ji Feng held her tight, even giving her a playful bounce that made her cling to his neck in alarm.

Ji Feng instructed Xue Rui, "Drive straight home. Take the day off tomorrow and get some proper rest."

He then turned and carried Xu Miyu into the hotel.

Seeing she couldn't stop him, Xu Miyu swept her bangs forward to cover her face and buried her head against Ji Feng's chest.

She could feel that as Ji Feng carried her through the lobby toward the elevators, everyone there, though pretending to mind their own business, was straining their necks and staring in astonishment, trying to see who the woman in his arms was.

Prickled by their curious gazes, Xu Miyu clung tighter to Ji Feng's neck, burying her face deeper into his shoulder.

Ji Feng seemed delighted. Once in the elevator, he teased her, "Do you like my neck that much?"

Back in the room, worried she might catch a chill from being drenched in the rain, Ji Feng immediately set her down in the bathroom for a hot shower.He ended up joining her in that hot bath later.

He truly couldn't resist, so under the showerhead, in the bathtub, and in front of the sink, he pinned her down each time.

By the time they finally finished bathing and emerged from the bathroom, a very, very long time had passed.

After putting on their bathrobes, Ji Feng carried Xu Miyu into the large bedroom.

Xu Miyu's face instantly flushed red when she saw the bed in the bedroom.

Their first time had happened right here.

Ji Feng pressed Xu Miyu down to sit on the bed, kissed her lips once, looked into her eyes and told her: "I have something to give you. Wait here for me."