“Your husband was with another woman last night.”
Xu Miyu received this message early in the morning.
She looked at her phone, stunned for a moment.
One day earlier, in the executive suite of the Swi Hotel.
“I’ll come down to pick you up right away. Yes, yes, you’ve been waiting for half an hour, but can you give me some time to get dressed?… Mom, stop nagging, I’m coming down to pick you up.”
Xu Miyu hung up the phone and sighed deeply while holding her phone.
She walked to the bathroom door, which was left open, and her husband, Nie Yucheng, was inside washing up.
“Sorry, honey, for getting you up so early…” Xu Miyu, like a young wife, clutched the door frame, looking apologetic and pitiful as she apologized to Nie Yucheng.
Nie Yucheng’s handsome face couldn’t hide his impatience and tolerance. He held a razor to shave, wanting to do it forcefully, but it was not something he could do too aggressively on his own face. So he looked even more irritated.
Xu Miyu sensed his irritability and, still apologetic, stammered an explanation, “My mom, she… she has quite a few things to deal with…”
In the end, Nie Yucheng couldn’t help but use a bit more force, and a thin bloodstain immediately appeared on his chin.
He hissed, dropped the razor in his hand, and couldn’t hold back his complaints any longer.
“Is she dealing with quite a few things? She’s dealing with a lot! She said she wanted to come to Star City to visit, that she didn’t want to stay in a hotel because it was uncomfortable, and she wanted to stay at our place; fine, let her come, let her stay; she said it was too noisy with so many people, fine, I gave her our house to stay in, not to disturb her, and we stayed in a hotel ourselves, is that not enough? But then, as soon as your elder sister mentioned that five-star hotels were good, your mom immediately wanted to switch places with us. Miyu, can’t you talk to your mom? Don’t let her constantly squeeze us like this, as soon as she praises you a little, you forget your own last name!”
While he was venting, Xu Miyu quickly did a series of things. She let go of the door frame, walked briskly into the bathroom, and used water to clean Nie Yucheng’s chin, then found a cotton swab to treat the small wound on his chin.
As she gently swept the cotton swab over the thin wound, Xu Miyu couldn’t help but feel sorry, “Oh, why are you so careless? Even if you’re angry, you shouldn’t take it out on your own handsome face. How can you have an injury on such a handsome face?” Xu Miyu exhaled as she spoke, treating him as if he were an injured child or a small animal, full of tenderness in her heart and eyes.
Nie Yucheng looked down at her, sighing helplessly.
Xu Miyu felt his sigh, and her anger and impatience began to wane.
“You just can’t handle a few words of praise from your mom!” Her tone was still not resentful, but it softened.
Xu Miyu relaxed. She took the opportunity to raise her eyes and look at Nie Yucheng, trying to be cute. She blinked while speaking, “She’s not feeling well, and when she gave birth to me and my younger brother, she got a bad back, so I can’t be too hard on her. If my mom praises me for having skills and marrying well, isn’t she praising you? So, if she praises you like this, can’t we just let her be, okay?”
Nie Yucheng, looking down at her, couldn’t help but smile at her helpless and amusing appearance. Xu Miyu seized the moment, tiptoed, and kissed Nie Yucheng on the face, then smiled at him with her two beautiful eyes, which were bright and curved. She had two beautiful eyes, bright and curved when she smiled, charming and cute, paired with the slightly raised and naturally sweet corners of her mouth, her smile had a kind of direct and heartwarming feeling, always able to make people let down their guard.
Nie Yucheng was made helpless by her, and he deflated.
Taking advantage of the situation, Xu Miyu continued to use her fingertips to gently stroke Nie Yucheng’s chest, and said softly to him, “Ah, by the way, I counted the days, my mother should have almost finished eating the braised snacks I sent her last time. A few days ago, I made some new braised beef and vacuum-sealed it for her, and I’ve already sent it to her. You’ve been so busy lately, working late every day, I haven’t had a chance to tell you. Also, when I was braising the meat, the neighbor smelled it and came to our door to ask me for some. Can you believe it? When I was braising meat for my mother-in-law, I put so much effort into it!”
Her mother-in-law has always been mild-mannered, but she particularly loves the food that Xu Miyu makes, especially the braised snacks. Initially, her mother-in-law didn’t quite agree with Xu Miyu and Nie Yucheng’s marriage, thinking that Xu Miyu’s background and education didn’t match her son. If it weren’t for Xu Miyu’s cooking skills that won her mother-in-law’s stomach, she might not have been able to marry Nie Yucheng.
Hearing Xu Miyu say this, Nie Yucheng couldn’t help but soften.
Xu Miyu raised her hand and used her fingertips to gently caress Nie Yucheng’s chin, continuing to coax him, “Honey, calm down. Look, my mom doesn’t come every day, let’s endure a few days until she goes back, if she does anything wrong these days, I’ll make it up for you, is that okay?”
Nie Yucheng sighed. Xu Miyu’s skill in coaxing him was something he couldn’t resist. He pulled down Xu Miyu’s hand, unwilling to dwell on it, and said, “Let it go, let it go. I have a business trip this afternoon. Wherever your mom wants to stay, let her stay.”
Xu Miyu exclaimed, “Huh?” She was surprised, “An afternoon business trip? This is so sudden!”
Nie Yucheng furrowed his brows, about to say something when Xu Miyu’s phone rang again.
Xu Miyu answered the phone, and her mother, Jiao Xiumei, sounded like a thunderous reminder, making the air vibrate.
Xu Miyu was immediately bombarded by Jiao Xiumei’s urgency, and she quickly responded, “I’m coming, I’m coming. I’ll come downstairs to pick you up.” Then she turned to her husband and said, “I’ll go downstairs to pick up my mom first. You hurry up and get dressed for work, so you don’t have to meet her and get annoyed by her. After I settle my mom, I’ll come back home to pack your business trip luggage.”
She said this and hastily put on her coat, picked up her key card, and rushed out.
Nie Yucheng stood behind her, watching the room door slowly close. His face was reflected in the mirror, filled with frustration and impatience.
In her haste, Xu Miyu took the elevator downstairs and headed to the hotel entrance.
The Swi Hotel was a luxury five-star hotel frequented by influential and wealthy individuals. If Jiao Xiumei stayed at the hotel entrance for too long, causing a commotion, Xu Miyu was afraid that people would make fun of her.
As she walked out of the lobby, she saw her mother’s attire, and Xu Miyu widened her eyes.
Jiao Xiumei, who now looked nothing like a rural old lady, was not only stylishly dressed but also had a pair of large sunglasses perched on her nose. However, her appearance seemed somewhat out of place.
“Mom, why are you wearing my clothes?” It was her best and most expensive piece, bought by Nie Yucheng during a business trip abroad. “And where did you find my sunglasses? You really have some skills; I couldn’t even remember where I left them, but you managed to find them.” Xu Miyu said as she tried to take off the sunglasses, intending to return them to their rightful owner.
Jiao Xiumei raised her hand to block Xu Miyu’s arm and said loudly, “I’m your mother, I raised you, and you’re making such a fuss about borrowing your clothes and wearing your sunglasses? What’s the big deal? I’ve already worn these sunglasses, and now that they’re on my face, do you still have the nerve to take them back?” She spoke loudly, making Xu Miyu reluctant to argue with her.
In the bustling hotel lobby, she still wanted to save face.
She quickly took Jiao Xiumei’s suitcase and led her into the hotel.
Once inside the lobby, Jiao Xiumei exclaimed, pushing the sunglasses up onto her forehead and looking around, “No wonder your elder sister said five-star hotels are good, it’s so different from ordinary hotels. This is indeed impressive! Look at the high ceilings, and the decorations, so grand; it’s like a royal palace!”
“You talk as if you’ve seen a royal palace before.” Xu Miyu grumbled while pulling Jiao Xiumei toward the elevator area. She was genuinely worried that if she left Jiao Xiumei alone, she might go up to the hotel manager and touch his clothes, saying, “Your outfit is really elegant, this isn’t a uniform, is it? Did you modify it from a dragon robe?”
Several elevators in the elevator area were currently stopped on higher floors, except for one that was on the first floor, and its doors were about to close. Xu Miyu couldn’t afford to look carefully and hurriedly took Jiao Xiumei a few steps forward. She shouted, “Please wait!” and reached out her hand to stop the elevator just as its doors were about to close.
The elevator doors slowly opened. Xu Miyu saw that there were only two people inside, two tall and well-dressed young men, both looking quite displeased, as if they were very unhappy about having their elevator ride interrupted.
Judging from their positions, one was clearly the boss, and the other was his assistant.
The boss, in particular, had an outstanding appearance and an even more imposing aura. When he cast a brief glance at Xu Miyu, she suddenly felt as if she were being disliked and looked down upon. When she wanted to argue or question it, she found herself unable to do so—the man had just given her a slight glance, and she interpreted it herself.
For a moment, she wanted to step back and wait for another elevator with Jiao Xiumei, so as not to disturb these people and feel strange and guilty about it. However, Jiao Xiumei had already stepped confidently into the elevator and pulled Xu Miyu in, urging her not to dawdle.
Xu Miyu had no choice but to enter, pulling out her key card from her pocket and attempting to swipe it to select the elevator’s destination floor.
But whether it was the key card malfunctioning or the elevator malfunctioning, no matter how she swiped, the elevator didn’t respond.
The assistant-like man among the two spoke, “Miss, we’re in a hurry. How about you wait for the next elevator? This elevator is for V…”
Before he could finish his sentence, Jiao Xiumei turned back with a displeased look and said, “Young man, is this elevator in your home? If not, then please move elsewhere! Whoever wants to use it can use it. If you’re in a hurry, you can take the next elevator.” Jiao Xiumei’s words were delivered with a fluctuating tone, and her eyes rolled gracefully.
The assistant was taken aback by her response, and Xu Miya glanced at her boss, noticing the disdain in his eyes once again.
At that moment, Xu Miya wanted to apologize to the whole world. She hated her personality, always afraid of offending anyone, always afraid of being disliked.
She wore an apologetic expression on her face and tried to pull Jiao Xiumei out of the elevator. “Mom, my card isn’t working for this floor. Let’s try another one.”
Jiao Xiumei shrugged off her arm, determined to ride this elevator. “No, why change? My feet are already warming up this elevator. We can’t waste that.”
Xu Miya couldn’t argue with her mother’s stubbornness.
Finally, the man who appeared to be their boss spoke. His tone was cold as he told his assistant, “Just swipe their floor for them. Let’s not waste time on trivial matters. We can’t be late for the appointment.”
The assistant swallowed his pride and replied, “Yes,” as he extended his arm to swipe the elevator. Xu Miya pressed the button for their desired floor and muttered a faint “thank you.”
She glanced at the two men and noticed that they were heading to the top floor of the hotel.
The elevator finally started moving. As it ascended slowly, Jiao Xiumei couldn’t resist opening her mouth.
She complained to Xu Miya, “Why did you make me wait for so long just now? You knew my back isn’t well, and you made me stand outside for so long. Did you want to see me suffer from a backache? You said you’d come down when I called the first time, but when I called the second time, you were still up there. I almost thought this hotel had hundreds of floors, and it would take you a year to come down. And another thing, my dear, now that you’ve married a good man, do you no longer want your mother? Is that it?”
Xu Miya was afraid that her mother would continue rambling, so she quickly interrupted her. “Mom, what are you talking about?” She paused and lowered her voice. “Didn’t you say you wanted to stay peacefully at my place? To ensure you have peace and quiet, Yu Cheng brought me here to stay. We even cleared the house specifically for you. But why did you suddenly want to come here and swap with us after just one day?”
Jiao Xiumei laughed at her words. “I didn’t think it through at first. Oh, you two are staying at a five-star hotel, and you want me to stay at your place. I’d have to clean your house for you. Am I your mother or your servant? I’m already so old, and I raised you and took care of you when you were young. Shouldn’t you be treating me well? But you just conveniently let me play the role of your mother. What kind of talk is that?”
Jiao Xiumei’s voice grew louder as she spoke. Xu Miya quickly said, “Yes, yes,” to placate her. Even though the facts weren’t exactly as Jiao Xiumei described, as long as she could silence her mother’s complaints, Xu Miya had no hesitation.
Suddenly, a loud mobile phone ringtone echoed in the elevator. Xu Miya was startled, and embarrassment immediately washed over her.
It was Jiao Xiumei’s phone that was ringing.
As soon as Jiao Xiumei answered the call, she instantly lit up with a smile and shouted, “My dear son,” instructing him, “Don’t touch anything if it’s broken. Wait for me to come back and fix it. Don’t try to fix it yourself, you might hurt yourself.”
Xu Miya couldn’t help but mutter under her breath, “Xu Mibao is already in his thirties, not a three-year-old. Is it necessary to pamper him like this?”
Jiao Xiumei replied without hesitation, “He’s the only son in our family. Don’t say I’m spoiling him. All three of you sisters should spoil him together. It’s a decision made by the whole family. What are you grumbling about? Besides, even though he’s three minutes younger than you, he’s still your younger brother. You’ll have to take care of him more in the future. It’s only right. Sibling love is deep, and he’s your sibling. Shouldn’t you show him some affection?”
Xu Miya surrendered and said, “Alright, alright.” She once again realized that she could never win an argument against her mother, who was a master of rhetoric.
The elevator arrived at the floor where they needed to get off, and the doors opened with a “ding.”
Xu Miya dragged her suitcase and led Jiao Xiumei out of the elevator.
The elevator doors closed behind them.
Assistant Xue Rui turned to look at his boss, Ji Feng. He saw a cold and disdainful look in his boss’s eyes.
He cautiously asked, “Mr. Ji, why didn’t you let me tell them that this is the VIP-exclusive elevator for top-floor VIP guests?”
Ji Feng narrowed his eyes slightly, concealing the cold and sharpness in his gaze. A hint of mockery escaped his lips. “The older one doesn’t seem reasonable at all. If you had explained it to her, she would have argued with you for ten minutes. She’s not embarrassed, but I would be embarrassed for wasting time.”
The assistant shook his head in frustration. “I’ve never seen such a lack of manners in a luxury five-star hotel. Listening to them chat about their family matters is truly astonishing.”
As the elevator reached the top floor, Ji Feng walked out before turning to Xue Rui and coldly instructed, “Go tell the front desk to make it clear in the future when assisting guests with check-in that the VIP-exclusive elevator to the top floor is reserved for top-tier VIP customers.”
Xue Rui quickly followed, responding, “Yes, understood.”
Author’s Note:
This story has a different style from my previous works, focusing on the emotional relationship between adults. It combines elements of reality (how a divorced woman transforms herself and seeks personal growth) and romance (how a divorced woman gradually captivates a reserved, dominating CEO). There will be tension and chemistry between the characters. I hope you will support and enjoy it. Kisses! ?
The initial chapters may seem a bit low-pressure as the female lead has been influenced by her dysfunctional family, but believe me, we’ll move past the divorce part (it will happen soon), and the female lead will gradually awaken and transform. She’s a character on a journey of growth.
The male lead is essentially a noble, aloof, and reserved man who doesn’t allow women to get too close to him. He’s the archetype of a restrained and enigmatic character. However, as the story unfolds, he falls in love with a woman he never expected to love, both physically and emotionally, and this love pulls him down from his pedestal.
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