When Xu Miyu brought her mother-in-law, Jiao Xiumei, into the room, Nie Yucheng was already dressed in his suit jacket, busy with his tie.
Upon seeing Jiao Xiumei, he calmly greeted her with a “Mom.”
Jiao Xiumei, at the sight of her son-in-law, immediately put on a smiling face and began to lavish him with praise. She complimented Nie Yucheng on his sharp mind, his capabilities, and most importantly, his love for his wife and filial piety. She chatted away, full of enthusiasm.
Nie Yucheng smiled but remained silent. However, the way he was handling the tie became increasingly disorganized, as if the aversion and irritation he couldn’t show on his face had transferred to his hands. The tie was left in a complete mess.
Xu Miyu quickly stepped forward to take over the task. Her fingers moved swiftly, and in just a few moments, she had the tie neatly done for Nie Yucheng.
After finishing, she smiled at Nie Yucheng, a sweet and conciliatory smile, as if she was afraid he might suddenly become upset. Nie Yucheng was won over by her smile once again, unable to bring himself to show any negative emotions and could only sigh deeply in his heart. In the end, he not only didn’t display any negative emotions, but before leaving for work, he also expressed his concern for Jiao Xiumei, “This hotel is automated; if there’s anything you don’t understand, you can call the room service.”
With his briefcase in hand, Nie Yucheng walked out of the room and headed for the elevator. Inside him, a sense of helplessness and regret began to churn. He detested his mother-in-law’s behavior but never had the courage to confront her face-to-face. Did this make him hypocritical or complicit in her actions?
A voice from behind caught his attention. Xu Miyu came out to see him off.
The two of them waited in the elevator area. Several elevators were busy going up and down, but none passed their floor. One of the elevators was idle, the same one Xu Miyu and Jiao Xiumei had taken earlier.
Xu Miyu asked Nie Yucheng, “Why don’t we take this elevator? It’s free.”
Nie Yucheng turned to look at Xu Miyu and raised an eyebrow, “You try pressing the button for it.”
Xu Miyu stepped forward to press the elevator button. She pressed it several times, but the down button didn’t light up.
She turned to Nie Yucheng with a puzzled smile, “Why did it suddenly stop working?”
Nie Yucheng explained, “It didn’t stop working, but it’s a dedicated elevator for the two luxury presidential suites on the top floor.”
Xu Miyu was momentarily stunned.
So, the elevator Jiao Xiumei had insisted they take was exclusively for VIPs on the top floor? No wonder the man inside had looked at them with such coldness and disdain.
Xu Miyu didn’t dare dwell on it any longer. She felt a rush of embarrassment rising, threatening to drown her.
Someone approached from behind, talking on the phone as they walked, “Yes, Mr. Ji, we’re staying on the executive suite floor… Haha, the top floor is too expensive, the company won’t reimburse us… Would you mind coming down to our floor, Mr. Ji? We can sit in the executive lounge together… Alright, I’m waiting for you at the elevator.”
Soon, the VIP-exclusive elevator arrived, and two people emerged from inside. Xu Miyu discreetly moved a step closer to Nie Yucheng, hoping to hide her gaze and prevent others from noticing her.
She wished she could become invisible, but unfortunately, at that moment, Jiao Xiumei walked out of the room and shouted loudly in the corridor, forcing Xu Miyu to reveal herself.
“Third child, where are we having breakfast? I haven’t eaten breakfast yet!”
Her voice was loud and clear, and Xu Miyu’s face and ears turned beet red.
“Third child? Extra small? Xu Miyu?” Unperturbed by the lack of an immediate response, Jiao Xiumei continued calling, repeatedly using Xu Miyu’s nicknames.
Xu Miyu felt utterly embarrassed, as if the whole world was now watching her with curiosity and disdain. She also sensed that Nie Yucheng beside her had stiffened.
“Hurry back, don’t let your mom keep shouting in the corridor; it’s embarrassing enough!” Nie Yucheng whispered in a low voice, almost through gritted teeth.
The elevator arrived, saving Nie Yucheng. He hurriedly stepped into it, as if escaping from something.
Leaving Xu Miyu exposed and vulnerable in front of the others.
“Honey, I’ll go home later to pack your travel luggage…” Xu Miyu hurriedly said to Nie Yucheng just before the elevator doors closed.
Then she didn’t dare to check whether the gazes of the others were more mocking or sympathetic. She lowered her head and quickly left the elevator area, rushing back to the room.
Behind her, there were three men having a conversation.
The one who went to pick up the person at the elevator shook his head and sighed, “I can’t believe that on the executive suite floor of this luxury hotel, there would be such a loud and uncouth guest who doesn’t care about disturbing others.”
Assistant Xue Rui chimed in, “It’s truly unbelievable. You haven’t seen how this loud lady was trying to snatch the elevator with our CEO earlier.”
His words had barely left his mouth when he felt a cold glare from their boss, and he immediately realized that his chatter had displeased the boss.
He fell silent immediately.
The representative from the prospective business partner led them to the executive lounge.
The executive lounge was at the end of this floor, and to get there, they had to pass by the room of the loud and uncouth lady.
The door to that room wasn’t fully closed, and the door lock was in alarm mode, but nobody was paying it any attention. The lady inside continued her noisy rant.
“…I called you ‘extra small,’ so what? Does someone die if I call them that? Really, you’re still trying to control your mother now…”
“Buzz, buzz…”
The lady’s loud rants and the door alarm’s beeping formed a chaotic symphony.
Xue Rui, after hearing just a bit of it, felt his ears and eyes vibrating. He turned to see Ji Feng, who had a furrowed brow and a face as cold as ice.
It was a look of disdain and disgust that Xue Rui had never seen before, a look of utmost repulsion.
After saying goodbye to Nie Yucheng, Xu Miyu rushed back from the elevator area. She pulled Jiao Xiumei, who was about to start another round of shouting in the corridor, into the room. With a flick of her hand, she closed the door. She didn’t even bother to lock it, too agitated, and said to Jiao Xiumei, “How can you be so loud in such a luxurious hotel? Aren’t you afraid of complaints and disturbing others?”
Jiao Xiumei shook off her hand and retorted even more angrily, “What? Can’t people talk in the hotel corridor anymore? Is it against the law? Call the police if you want to arrest me!”
Xu Miyu was getting irritated, “Laws are just the minimum standards of morality. You might not have broken the law, but making a scene and disturbing others is immoral and shows a lack of manners!”
Jiao Xiumei raised her hand to poke Xu Miyu’s temple, “What’s wrong with calling you ‘extra small’? Does someone die when I call you that? Geez, you even try to control your mother now!”
The door was not securely closed, and the door lock started beeping an alarm.
Xu Miyu, ignoring the door, only wanted to correct one thing with Jiao Xiumei, “And another thing, Mom, can you stop loudly calling me ‘extra small’ in front of others?”
“I called you ‘extra small,’ so what? Does someone die if I call them that? Really, you’re still trying to control your mother now!”
Jiao Xiumei looked at Xu Miyu, who was getting red-eyed and upset, and sighed, “Fine, fine, I won’t call you that in front of others in the future, okay? You’re a grown-up now, but you still shed tears so easily. Look at your lack of backbone. Now, go check what’s making that noise and turn it off quickly; it’s giving me a headache.”
Xu Miyu turned to close the door properly, and then she called room service to order breakfast.
Frustrated by her mother’s tactlessness, Xu Miyu said, “That’s why you love staying in hotels. They even bring the food to your mouth.”
In no time, the breakfast delivery person arrived, a young male server named Li Kunlun, who had also delivered dinner to Xu Miyu and Nie Yucheng yesterday. His name tag read “Li Kunlun.”
As he was setting the breakfast plates from the cart onto the table, Li Kunlun exchanged a few words with Xu Miyu.
Li Kunlun asked Xu Miyu, “Do you and your husband need to order lunch for later?”
Xu Miyu told him, “No, we won’t need lunch. Just prepare a lady’s meal for my mother and have it delivered in the afternoon.”
Jiao Xiumei, not wanting to be left out, approached Li Kunlun and asked, “Young man, do you earn more the better looking you are? With looks like yours, how much can you make in a month working here? I have a young son at home, and I think if he works here, he can make quite a bit!”
Li Kunlun was taken aback by the question and didn’t quite know how to respond, so he just offered an awkward but polite smile.
Xu Miyu quickly intervened to stop her mother’s impromptu questioning, “Mom, can you please not ask everything? This is a five-star hotel, and the service staff here are not hired just by anyone.” She then escorted Li Kunlun out of the room, thanking him and apologizing for her mother’s behavior.
Once Jiao Xiumei had finished her breakfast, Xu Miyu told her that she needed to go home to pack Nie Yucheng’s luggage for his business trip in the afternoon.
Jiao Xiumei quickly stopped her, “Xiao Duoyu, I still have something to tell you!”
Xu Miyu stood there glaring at Jiao Xiumei. Jiao Xiumei quickly corrected herself, “Miyu, alright!”
She got up and pulled Xu Miyu back, saying, “I forgot to tell your husband earlier. You see, your elder sister and her husband work in his travel company. It’s been about a year since they got a raise. When you talk to your husband, ask him to give them a raise. Family should support family. Isn’t it a smart move?”
Xu Miyu chuckled in exasperation, “Hasn’t Yucheng already supported them enough? He arranged jobs for them in his company. That’s not easy. Besides, it’s not like he’s printing money. The travel company isn’t even his own; he’s just an employee. Do you think he’s a money-making machine?”
Jiao Xiumei was unconvinced and had her own reasoning, “But it’s different. Your husband is some kind of executive, right? Perfect! He has the power and can give a raise to his family without using their own money. That’s a great deal!”
Xu Miyu was speechless, “Mom, can’t you just leave it at that? You can’t always expect us to squeeze every penny out of our family, right?”
Jiao Xiumei raised her eyebrows, “Xiao Duoyu, why are you talking like that? If I had treated you like I did with your elder and second sister, you would have been working instead of going to college. Do you think you could have the life you have today? Could you have married so well?”
Bringing up this topic only infuriated Xu Miyu. She retorted, “You didn’t want me to go to college at the beginning either. If it weren’t for hearing that college graduates earn higher salaries, would you have let me go? Besides, I used a student loan for tuition fees during my time at university, and I earned my own living expenses by working at a restaurant.”
Xu Miyu didn’t want to argue with Jiao Xiumei any longer. The more they argued, the more heartbroken she felt in the end.
She told Jiao Xiumei, “Alright, I have to go home now. If you need anything, just call room service. You can charge your meals and drinks to the room, and I’ll settle the bill later.” As she reached the door, she remembered something and turned back to tell Jiao Xiumei, “When you call room service, don’t stand in the corridor shouting!”
Jiao Xiumei shooed her away, “I know, just go. It’s such a small matter.”
When Xu Miyu returned home and opened the door, she was shocked.
The house was in complete disarray, looking as if it had been ransacked.
Her shoes at the entrance were scattered all over the floor. It seemed that Jiao Xiumei had tried on every pair of her shoes.
The takeout containers from the previous meals were left untouched on the coffee table, used tissues were strewn everywhere, and most of the sofa cushions had fallen to the floor.
Thinking back to her mother’s statement, “I’m staying at your place, so I’ll tidy up for you,” Xu Miyu wondered how her mother had the audacity to say that.
She also realized how fortunate it was that Nie Yucheng had gone straight to the office. If he had come home first, he might have been so frustrated that he needed oxygen.
Checking the time, she realized there were just over two hours until noon. Xu Miyu quickly rolled up her sleeves and began to tidy up the house. After six years of marriage and being a homemaker for six years, she might not be good at many things, but she was skilled at cleaning and housekeeping.
Soon, the house was restored to its usual cleanliness. Xu Miyu took a deep breath and began to prepare clothes and pack luggage for Nie Yucheng’s business trip.
She remembered that she had just bought a new shirt for Nie Yucheng two days ago. It was from a top brand and the latest season, quite expensive, and not on sale. To secure this shirt, she had even sacrificed buying a new dress for herself this year.
After all, Nie Yucheng was going out to work and earn money to support their family, so he had to look presentable. Meanwhile, she stayed at home, and it didn’t matter if she didn’t wear the latest dresses.
She went to the closet to find this shirt, but no matter how she looked, she couldn’t find it.
Thinking for a moment, she picked up her phone and called Nie Yucheng, “Honey, do you remember the new shirt I bought for you two days ago? The one you really liked. Do you remember where I put it? I remember hanging it in the closet, but I can’t find it now.”
Nie Yucheng paused for a couple of seconds and then told her, “You should ask your mom.”
Xu Miyu couldn’t help but ask, “How did she know where I put it?”
There was a strange tone in her husband’s voice, and it sounded like a cold, mocking laugh as he replied, “Ask her, go ahead and ask.”
After ending the call, Xu Miyu dialed Jiao Xiumei’s phone number.
She asked Jiao Xiumei if she had seen that shirt.
Jiao Xiumei immediately said, “Oh, right, I was just about to tell you. I thought your younger brother would look good in that shirt, so I thought you and your husband wouldn’t mind. I put it in my suitcase.”
Xu Miyu was frustrated, “Mom, why are you so casual about taking things from our house?”
Jiao Xiumei didn’t see the problem, “What do you mean, our house? I’m your mother, I gave birth to you. Without me, where would you be? We don’t differentiate between yours and mine anymore. It’s only natural for your mother to take something from you.”
Xu Miyu was infuriated and speechless. Her emotions were like a rollercoaster.
The sound of the front door opening echoed through the hallway. Nie Yucheng had returned home. Xu Miyu hung up the phone.
As Nie Yucheng changed his shoes at the entrance, he asked, “So, did your mom help you find the shirt?”
Feeling that her mother was in the wrong, Xu Miyu quickly put on her shoes and said, “I’ll go buy you another one right now.”
Nie Yucheng stopped her. He pinched his brow, looking very tired. There was a hint of determination on his handsome face, which showed the strain of inner conflict.
“Never mind. It’s too late now,” he said with a somewhat melancholic tone. Then he paused for a moment as if making a decision and added, “Give me the suitcase; I have to leave.”
After finishing negotiations with the representatives from the potential cooperation company, Nie Yucheng’s assistant, Xue Rui, asked, “Mr. Nie, are you heading back to the top floor or to the company?”
Nie Yucheng gave a concise instruction, “The company.”
Xue Rui pressed the elevator button to go down.
Inside the elevator, Xue Rui commented, “It seems like this Mr. Wu is quite easy to talk to.”
Nie Yucheng’s lips curled up in a faint smile. His smile was a mix of coldness and sensuality, with a touch of mockery.
“Some people being easy to talk to is an advantage, while for others, it’s a smokescreen. This guy today may have agreed to everything quickly, but his flaw is that he will definitely cause trouble later on.”
Xue Rui stood behind Nie Yucheng, and he silently made a “Wow” gesture.
“Mr. Nie, you’re really amazing. You can always see through people’s flaws the first time you meet them.”
The elevator door suddenly opened, and the two of them walked out.
Xue Rui suddenly exclaimed, “Oh.”
Nie Yucheng stopped abruptly, and Xue Rui almost bumped into him from behind.
Turning around, Nie Yucheng stared at Xue Rui with a cold, piercing gaze.
Xue Rui stammered, “Wha-what’s wrong, Mr. Nie?” Realizing he had spoken too much, he quickly apologized, “I’m sorry, Mr. Nie, I talked too much again.”
Nie Yucheng opened his mouth, and his voice was as cold as his gaze. Xue Rui almost thought he was about to be reprimanded for talking too much. But what he heard was:
“No matter the reason, it’s not an excuse for infidelity.”
After saying this, Nie Yucheng turned and continued walking ahead.
Xue Rui was momentarily stunned in place, watching the tall and graceful figure in front of him.
He was undeniably handsome, effortlessly stunning in any suit, enough to outshine even professional models. He was undeniably wealthy, despite being under thirty, his fortune was immeasurable. Yet, he was also undeniably cold and heartless. Sometimes, Xue Rui even wondered if this man was secretly a high-tech AI robot, perfect, emotionless, and driven only by sarcasm and disdain. He only knew how to make money and seemed to lack any other emotions—a money-making machine without feelings.
It was rare for him to comment on Xue Rui’s chatter about someone else’s flaws.
Suddenly, he heard a cold and demanding voice from the front.
“Are you just standing there waiting for me to drive for you, Mr. Xue?”
Xue Rui snapped out of his thoughts and quickly jogged to catch up with the man in front of him.
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