In the afternoon, Nie Yucheng carried his suitcase and prepared to leave. For some reason, Xu Miyu felt a bit melancholic without knowing why.
Due to his work, Nie Yucheng often went on business trips, and Xu Miyu had already grown accustomed to it. Sometimes, he would be away for a whole month, and Xu Miyu didn’t feel too sad about it; after all, they were a long-married couple.
But this time, for some unknown reason, she had a strange feeling that he was embarking on a long and distant journey, even though he said it was just a short business trip of three to five days. It was as if he was going far away for a very long time.
She thought it might be because of her mother’s recent visit, which had caused some discomfort for Nie Yucheng. Her sudden attachment to him might be due to a sense of guilt. She decided that after her mother left and Nie Yucheng returned from his business trip, she would make sure to compensate her husband with extra care and affection.
Xu Miyu sat on the sofa for a while, lost in thought. Then she had a simple lunch and went to the market to buy a large piece of high-quality beef.
Back at home, she meticulously marinated the beef. Soon, the kitchen was filled with a delicious aroma.
Rural children often learned how to cook at a young age, and Xu Miyu, with her attention to detail and a touch of culinary talent, had always been better at cooking than most. During her college years, she had worked in a restaurant to earn her living expenses, honing her culinary skills even further.
Before Nie Yucheng became a company leader, he used to decline any social engagements that could be avoided, just to come home and eat the meals she prepared. Nie Yucheng once said that even the five-star restaurants couldn’t compare to the taste of her dishes, especially the beef stew. He claimed that she had spoiled his palate from childhood to adulthood, making him unable to eat the cafeteria food at the office during lunch, let alone takeout.
Gradually, she started preparing his lunch every day. Every morning, she packed a lunchbox for Nie Yucheng to take to the office, and at noon, he would reheat it in the microwave.
One day, she included beef stew in his lunchbox. When Nie Yucheng returned home, he told her that the entire office was filled with the aroma of the beef stew after he heated it. Hu Tu, the vice president of the company and Nie Yucheng’s superior, happened to love beef stew. He followed the scent and found Nie Yucheng’s office, talking about various topics while subtly mentioning the beef stew in the lunchbox.
Nie Yucheng politely invited him to try it, and Hu Tu couldn’t resist the deliciousness. He tasted all the beef stew and seemed unwilling to leave.
Xu Miyu was impressed by Nie Yucheng’s words and decided to make more beef stew. The next day, she bought high-quality beef and meticulously marinated it, then sent it to Hu Tu’s home.
Nie Yucheng was very happy that day. When he returned home, he hugged her and said that before he became a company leader, he had been suppressed by his former boss, to the point where he considered changing jobs. He hadn’t told her about it because he didn’t want her to worry. But now, he wasn’t afraid anymore. Under Hu Tu’s protection, he had the opportunity to shine and was quickly promoted, thanks in part to the delicious food she prepared.
Nie Yucheng held her hand tightly and told her that it was all thanks to her skills in the kitchen, which captured Hu Tu’s heart.
As time went on, the food she sent to Hu Tu’s family started to pay off. Hu Tu’s wife really liked Xu Miyu’s cooking, and every time she sent a dish over, she would praise her skills.
Hu Tu’s wife told Xu Miyu that she was a great wife, both likable and capable of taking care of her husband. She confided that without Xu Miyu’s support, it would have taken much longer for her husband to gain Hu Tu’s approval and get promoted.
Xu Miyu sat back in the leather sofa, feeling somewhat shy about the compliments. She understood that Hu Tu’s wife didn’t want her to leave immediately because she wanted to show her appreciation.
Hu Tu’s wife placed the beef stew in the kitchen and returned to sit on the sofa, holding Xu Miyu’s hand and saying, “Miyu, you are truly a virtuous wife for your husband. You are both endearing and prosperous. Let me tell you the truth, if your husband didn’t have you supporting him, it would have taken much longer for him to gain my husband’s favor and get promoted. My husband is quite particular!”
Xu Miyu sat in the elegant leather sofa, feeling somewhat restrained, not daring to use the intricately carved cups that cost eight thousand each in Hu Tu’s house to drink water. She knew that the reason Hu Tu’s wife didn’t want her to leave immediately was that she wanted to express her gratitude and show her appreciation for her.
Hu Tu’s wife had sent the beef stew into the kitchen and returned to the sofa. She held Xu Miyu’s hand and continued, “Miyu, you’re a wonderful wife for your husband. You’re likable and supportive. Let me tell you, if it weren’t for you, it would have taken my husband much longer to earn my husband’s approval and get promoted. My husband is quite picky!”
Xu Miyu realized that the vice president’s wife was praising her, so she graciously accepted the compliment.
She inquired with great concern, “Has your shoulder pain improved recently? If you have some time, I can give you a massage.”
The vice president’s wife immediately smiled brightly and said, “I must be so lucky!”
She positioned herself comfortably on the sofa, and Xu Miyu went to wash her hands before returning to start the massage.
As soon as her hands touched the vice president’s wife’s shoulder blades, she let out a sigh of comfort.
“Miyu, your hands are so skilled. You’re not only a great cook but also excellent at massages! I haven’t asked you before, where did you learn massage?”
While Xu Miyu worked on massaging, she replied, “I’m a full-time homemaker, and Yucheng is the one who goes out to earn a living for our family. I felt that doing household chores alone was too simple, and I wanted to have some other skills. So, I decided to learn massage. That way, when Yucheng comes home from work, I can give him a good massage to help him relax.”
The vice president’s wife was so relaxed that her voice became dreamy as she spoke. “Your technique is spot on, so comfortable! Let me tell you, Miyu, that husband of yours is really fortunate to have you. Every night, being massaged by you, he must feel like a god! Honestly, compared to your skills, our massage chair that cost over fifty thousand is just rubbish!”
While Xu Miyu’s arms were getting tired, the sense of fulfillment she felt from receiving compliments made it all worth it. Whenever she heard someone’s praise, she felt like a useful person.
She continued to massage with even more dedication and modestly replied, “You’re too kind.”
Suddenly, she remembered what the vice president’s wife had said earlier: “Every night, being massaged by you, he must feel like a god.” Her face turned red.
Nie Yucheng had said the same thing to her. He mentioned that her hands could set him on fire, and it was a scorching sensation. Often, while she was massaging him, it would lead to something more intimate.
After massaging the vice president’s wife’s entire body, Xu Miyu politely suggested that she should take her leave.
The vice president’s wife lazily lay on the sofa and said, “Miyu, you can leave now. I won’t send you off.”
Xu Miyu quickly responded, “Please rest, it’s not good for someone who just had a massage to move around too much. You should take it easy.”
As she left the vice president’s house, Xu Miyu couldn’t help but think about how she had managed to speak convincingly to gain favor with others. She wondered why the person being massaged would be so tired.
When she returned home, it was already evening. Xu Miyu prepared a simple dinner for herself, but she served her own stomach with much less care than she did for others. After a casual meal and washing the dishes, she sat cross-legged on the living room carpet, took out her phone, and started watching the latest episode of a Thai drama she had been following.
This was the most enjoyable and relaxing time for her as a full-time homemaker. She didn’t have to go to work, deal with the stress of socializing with people outside, and could simply sit down after dinner and indulge in watching Thai dramas, Japanese dramas, and American TV series. She hoped that these simple and beautiful days could last a lifetime.
Interestingly, during her school days, she majored in foreign languages and cultures. However, her university was not prestigious, and the language proficiency requirements were not very strict. As long as the exam results were passable, they would issue graduation certificates and degrees.
So during her time in university, learning languages wasn’t her favorite activity. She would only put in effort when compelled to, such as for exams. At the time, her first foreign language was English, the second was Thai, and during holidays, she even dabbled in Japanese, spurred on by her high-achieving classmates. Her English was passable, Thai was a blur, and as for Japanese, it was a mere glimpse.
It wasn’t until after graduation, to facilitate her enjoyment of Thai, Japanese, and American dramas, that she intensified her language studies. She even purchased the latest language textbooks. Fortunately, her foundational knowledge from school, while not particularly deep, made self-study relatively effortless.
Later, even Nie Yucheng admired her dedication to non-academic pursuits. He would tease her, saying, “If you applied the same determination you use to learn languages for the sake of watching dramas to something else, you might have even become the company’s chairperson.”
However, whenever she seriously considered working outside the home, Nie Yucheng would object. He argued that coming home after a long day’s work and not being able to enjoy a hot meal promptly would significantly reduce their happiness quotient. Moreover, he believed that his earnings alone were sufficient to support the family, considering that he had promised her during their engagement that he would take care of her.
The Thai dramas she followed were licensed by a Chinese video streaming website. Although they came with Chinese subtitles, she found the translations lacking accuracy in many instances. Oddly enough, these mistranslations sometimes impacted her viewing experience negatively. So, she decided to forego the subtitles and focused on listening to and watching the content directly.
Sometime later, she noticed that after watching an entire episode, she could understand about ninety-nine percent of the content without relying on subtitles. Occasionally, when she encountered something she couldn’t grasp, she would pause the video and take notes. After finishing the episode, she meticulously resolved these uncertainties one by one, delving into textbooks, study guides, online resources for vocabulary, grammar, and semantics. She also participated in language forums, seeking discussions with fellow learners and even engaging in seamless conversations with foreign friends in language learning groups.
It was amusing to think that the language proficiency she had cultivated while being a homemaker for several years, largely through watching dramas at home, had surpassed what she had learned in a few years of university lectures.
After thoroughly completing an episode, she realized that it was already nine o’clock in the evening.
Checking the time, she figured that Nie Yucheng must have settled into his accommodation for the business trip. She picked up her phone and attempted a video call.
The ringtone echoed for a moment before being disconnected.
Holding her phone, she thought that perhaps Nie Yucheng was dealing with something on his end.
Just as she was thinking about it, her phone rang again, and it was Nie Yucheng calling back.
Quickly answering the call, she asked, “Why not use video?”
Nie Yucheng explained from his end, “The hotel’s internet speed here isn’t great; the video would lag. Let’s just talk on the phone.”
She casually suggested, “Well, then, don’t use the hotel’s network; just use your mobile data.”
Nie Yucheng paused for a moment and then said, “Even the mobile signal isn’t great here.”
Perplexed, she questioned, “Really? The call doesn’t seem to have any issues right now; it’s not lagging.”
Another pause from Nie Yucheng, and he replied, “Calling works fine, but using the internet for video or anything else doesn’t. I tried to use my phone to check our company’s website, and it took forever.”
She felt a bit unsatisfied, but there wasn’t much she could do but to compromise, “Alright then. Actually, I don’t have anything specific to talk about; I just wanted to see you.”
Nie Yucheng’s tone held a hint of indifference, “Didn’t you just see me a few hours ago?”
She playfully teased him with the affection of an old married couple, “Why, it’s not the same at all. A day apart feels like three autumns. We haven’t seen each other for half a day now, and if we convert that, it’s already been a year and a half!”
Nie Yucheng went silent on the other end for a moment. After a while, his voice, which had taken on a slightly hoarse quality and an inexplicable tinge of guilt, called out her name.
“Miyu, I…”
Suddenly, the ringing of another call intruded on her phone.
Quickly glancing at it, she saw that it was from Jiao Xiumei.
She informed Nie Yucheng, “Honey, it’s my mom calling. I should take this call; you know how she is. If I don’t answer, she’ll hound me relentlessly.”
Nie Yucheng seemed to sigh on the other end. When he spoke again, the hoarseness was gone, and the vague tone of guilt had dissipated.
He addressed Xu Miyu calmly, with a touch of detachment, “Then go and deal with your mom quickly.”
Xu Miyu answered Jiao Xiumei’s call.
Jiao Xiumei’s voice flooded the phone’s earpiece with a sudden force, almost shaking up Xu Miyu’s brain.
“Xiao San, I mean, you just left your mom in the hotel like that and don’t care about my well-being at all?”
Xu Miyu felt that this statement was absolutely an unjust accusation. “No, Mom, when I left this morning, didn’t I tell you? If you need anything, just call room service. You can even order meals to your room, and the bill doesn’t have to be settled; it can be charged to the room. How can you say I don’t care?”
Jiao Xiumei didn’t accept her explanation and continued to complain relentlessly. “Is that all? Is that considered caring? Don’t you even ask if I’ve been uncomfortable all day cooped up in this room? You should have asked why I came here in the first place! Stop the nonsense and come over right now. Come and ask me, show some concern for me!”
Xu Miyu was somewhat exasperated. “Now? Can’t it wait until tomorrow? It’s already late in the evening…”
Before she could finish her sentence, Jiao Xiumei interrupted, “It’s just past nine; how can you call it late in the evening? Don’t be overly delicate. Is there something wrong with you coming out at night? Come now, come quickly. You have a car, it’s not a big deal to drive over.”
Xu Miyu, feeling somewhat helpless, ended the call and grabbed her car keys, heading straight for the Swi Hotel.
“I’m here now, so spill the beans. What did you come here for?” Xu Miyu asked as she sat on the suite’s sofa, addressing Jiao Xiumei, who was getting a massage in the massage chair.
She didn’t dare to scrutinize the room too closely; it had been an executive suite, and she couldn’t fathom how Jiao Xiumei had managed to turn it into a complete mess in just one day.
Jiao Xiumei was being vigorously massaged in the chair, and her speech trembled with each thump. “I just remembered to ask; you really have a big heart. As the saying goes, no one goes to the temple for no reason. I came all the way here, so there must be something going on.”
After a pause, she reclined in the massage chair with her eyes closed, enjoying the massage, and said, “The main reason I came this time is to buy a house for your younger brother. He’s not getting any younger, and at thirty, he should have his own home. I’ve already found one I liked yesterday; it’s in the neighborhood near your house, lively, and convenient for you and your husband to take care of your younger brother.”
Xu Miyu burst into laughter. “Mom, you’re really something. Buying a house near my place? Do you know how expensive the houses are in my neighborhood? Our house was bought with money from Yucheng’s parents; we can’t afford it on our own.” She paused and added, “Besides, Xu Mibao doesn’t have the money, and he’s not even working. You’re really thinking one thing and saying another.”
Jiao Xiumei glared at Xu Miyu seriously, “You help him, or else why did I come on this trip? Your eldest sister said she’d contribute a hundred thousand for buying a house for your brother, and so did your second sister. The rest, your family can afford it since you earn more. So, your brother’s housing problem is solved. As for a job, let your husband arrange a higher-paying position for him at their company; he even arranged a job for your eldest sister and her husband, your brother isn’t any less capable.”
Xu Miyu was taken aback by Jiao Xiumei’s audacious demands. She was getting increasingly frustrated and didn’t want to argue with her mother anymore. She simply got up and left.
She felt that Jiao Xiumei was being unreasonable. She had worked hard all her life to gain some presence and attention in her family, but why was her mother still unsatisfied?
No matter how wasteful Xu Mibao was, simply because he was a boy, he was the apple of the Xu family’s eye. No matter how well Xu Miyu was doing now and how much she could contribute to the family, she was still considered the “extra” one in her mother’s eyes.
Xu Miyu was becoming more and more upset, almost on the verge of tears. As she entered the elevator, she couldn’t help but feel wronged. She had tried so hard all her life to gain recognition and attention at home, but why did her mother still treat her like this?
As the elevator descended to the thirteenth floor, it suddenly stopped, and a hotel staff member pushing a food cart entered.
Xu Miyu managed to hold back her tears and forced a smile. “Hi, just finished delivering meals?”
But the hotel staff member, who turned out to be Li Kunlun, seemed to hesitate for a moment as he looked at Xu Miyu. It was a very obvious hesitation.
“Yes, just delivered… uh, no, there’s another room to deliver to!” Li Kunlun hurriedly explained, “We can use the guest elevator when delivering meals, but not when returning. I’m going to another room now, so I had to use this elevator. Sorry for any inconvenience to your elevator experience!”
Xu Miyu quickly reassured him, telling him not to worry about it.
Then she noticed an odd expression on Li Kunlun’s face, one that seemed like he wanted to say something but was holding back.
Xu Miyu couldn’t help but ask him, “What’s wrong?” She guessed, “…Is it because my mother caused you trouble when she ordered meals? I’m sorry if she did. My mother can be difficult sometimes. If she inconvenienced you, I apologize on her behalf.”
Li Kunlun agreed, “It’s not just because of your mother…”
Seeing Xu Miyu’s smiling face, he hesitated for a moment longer, and then said, “Oh well, forget it. There’s nothing important. Have a pleasant day, ma’am. Take care!”
He escorted Xu Miyu out of the elevator.
Xu Miyu had a feeling that her mother had pried into something about Li Kunlun’s salary or other matters, causing him to feel uncomfortable. She decided to scold Jiao Xiumei for it tomorrow.
Upon arriving home, she somehow felt an inexplicable exhaustion from the day.
After taking a hot shower, Xu Miyu lay down and fell asleep.
Early in the morning, as the sky was just starting to brighten, Xu Miyu received a message:
“Your husband was with another woman last night.”
As Xu Miyu looked at the message, her mind seemed to short-circuit. She recognized each word, but the simple sentence they formed somehow eluded her understanding.
Immediately, another message appeared on her phone screen, forcefully entering her eyes:
“Siwei Hotel, Room 1314, come quickly.”
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