Both Ji Feng and Xuerui felt that it wouldn’t be long before Xu Mi Yu couldn’t endure it and went back home.
There couldn’t possibly exist a second possibility other than this.
But after some time passed, Xuerui felt Xu Mi Yu should’ve reached her limit of tolerance soon. He took the chance while serving meals to ask Li Kunlun about things at the admin floor, “Has there been new changes in personnel at the admin level?”
He assumed Li Kunlun would tacitly understand what he meant. But instead, Li Kunlun returned a blank look. “Huh? What personnel changes do you mean?”
Xuerui also paused in surprise for a bit — could Xu Mi Yu not have been replaced yet?
“Has the admin floor got a new supervisor again?” Xuerui asked instead.
Li Kunlun parsed his words before scoffing. “Are you trying to ask if that admin floor supervisor Xu Mi Yu got replaced by someone else yet?”
Xuerui promptly nodded.
“Nope, she’s still at it.” Li Kunlun said.
Stunned by the news, Xuerui couldn’t help feeling shocked.
She hasn’t gotten replaced?
She’s apparently still doing fine?
That means to say, she endured it all? She persevered through everyone’s exclusion and ridicule?
Just as Xuerui was feeling astonished, Li Kunlun shocked him once more. “Now everyone at the admin level gets along harmoniously. They all listen especially obediently to Manager Xu!”
This time Xuerui was not only shocked speechless with mouth agape. He also struggled reacting to the update.
He immediately grabbed Li Kunlun and urged him to elaborate everything that has happened between Xu Mi Yu and the admin floor girls recently.
Xuerui listened to Li Kunlun’s narration for a long time. He even personally called down to the F&B department midway, telling their supervisor Li Kunlun had something to help him with, which was a nice excuse granting Li Kunlun time off for gossiping.
Afterwards he brought Li Kunlun to the admin lounge’s Season Breeze Pavilion and chatted for a good long half day.
When Xuerui returned with Li Kunlun to the top floor suites and saw Ji Feng’s gloomy expression, his heart thudded nervously.
In his eagerness helping Li Kunlun ask for time off at the F&B department, he had forgotten to request leave from Ji Feng for himself! He left the cellphone on the living room coffee table without bringing it along downstairs earlier. By now Ji Feng would have finished eating already yet calling out yielded no response at all since the phone lay ringing on the table.
Ji Feng was currently fuming at his audacious assistant wandering off without reason. Seeing Xuerui, he nearly sliced him into pieces with icy glares.
“Speak. Where have you been this whole morning? If it’s a reasonable explanation you get to keep your job. Otherwise this afternoon I’ll give you time to go hand in resumes.”
Xuerui quickly placated: “Boss, I was gathering intel within the hotel which is also part of the tasks you assigned me — to closely monitor all kinds of matters around the hotel daily. Any info I can probe out, hidden insider news, gossip or anything that could expose problems within the hotel, I shouldn’t let slip by.”
He rattled off righteously.
Ji Feng frowned, asking sardonically: “Then tell me, what useful info did you manage to gather this time?”
Xuerui answered: “It’s about the admin floor.”
Ji Feng raised a brow. “Did that woman finally crack from the pressure and left?”
Xuerui’s eyes lit up. “On the contrary! She not only endured it, she has the entire admin team under her control now!”
Voiceless, Ji Feng lifted both eyebrows and the corners of his eyes steeply. Clear astonishment hung plainly from those arches.
Rarely seeing Ji Feng reveal such huge surprise and mood shift, Xuerui couldn’t resist tempting his appetite further.
“Boss, wanna know what has happened recently? How Xumi Yu managed to rebound from rock bottom?”
Another icy glare streaked over, nearly impaling Xuerui dead on the spot.
“Have I been pampering you lately? Do I look curious about that woman’s matters?”
Xuerui promptly deflated deferentially. He told himself not to continue seeking death at the edge of provoking his boss for amusement.
Ji Feng demanded coolly after a pause, “Speak.”
Xuerui still cheered inwardly despite himself. No matter how aloof the boss acted about lack of interest in these events, he evidently couldn’t restrain his curiosity any longer.
Xuerui first brewed a cup of tea for Ji Feng to placate him comfortably before starting his tale about that woman he detested.
“Previously with Xumi Yu, the moment anyone complimented or affirmed her, she’d lose all sense of direction and start working her head off for them unconditionally. The admin floor girls weren’t just using this trait of hers to openly exploit free labor while secretly ridiculing her together afterwards?”
Ji Feng took a sip of tea silently. Yet he thought inwardly: That’s right, she is indeed silly and pathetic without any self-respect.
“But everyone has underestimated her!” Xuerui dramatically revealed the twist. Ji Feng narrowed his eyes slightly.
“She’s not actually naive or stupid. On the contrary, she had it all calculated! While helping out others from their praises, she swiftly grasped comprehensive understanding of the housekeeping department’s overall operations, the various job scopes’ skillsets, and even the focal points and techniques of inter-departmental coordination for all tasks!”
Ji Feng’s hand stirred the tea, splashing some onto his hand accidentally.
Though reluctant to admit it, this turn was indeed rather unexpected.
“There’s more!” Xuerui continued. “Exploiting others’ impression of her as a fool during their mockery, Xu Mi Yu not only familiarized herself with each work scope by enduring humiliation. She also discovered everyone’s prone errors at their respective posts when they relaxed their guard ridiculing her! Hence she quickly grasped where each of them was slipping up.”
Ji Feng held his teacup without drinking for a good while, nearly forgetting what’s in it.
“Then did she threaten them with those faults?” Ji Feng asked.
Xuerui’s eyes lit up again as he answered: “That was my initial guess too. But Li Kunlun said while Xu Mi Yu caught their mistakes, she neither penalized them nor took revenge. Instead, she had a heartfelt talk with everyone!”
Xuerui recounted Li Kunlun’s entire narration to Ji Feng.
“There’s one called Luo Qingping amongst the room attendants who had always aspired to be supervisor. She also believed the position would naturally fall on her next. Then you specially arranged for Xu Mi Yu’s appointment instead which Luo Qingping felt robbed her of the role. Hence she resented Xu Mi Yu greatly without bothering to hide it, even leading everyone else against Xu Mi Yu. The rest of the attendants’ attitude towards Xu Mi Yu was practically trained into them by this Luo Qingping.
Xu Mi Yu penetrated Luo Qingping’s personality despite appearing obliviously hardworking from the praises. Luo Qingping tends to be selfish, only clearing what’s in front of her own door without taking on extra work. Sometimes she even shirks duties carelessly. Yet when she fooled Xumi Yu into helping her, Xumi Yu noticed Luo Qingping only wiped surfaces clean for the visible areas while neglecting inconspicuous spots like behind the TV, inside cabinets etc. Later when Xumi Yu collected enough intel to make her move as supervisor conducting hygiene inspections — results of which would incorporate into each person’s performance assessment that impacted their benefits — white gloved sweeps around Luo Qingping’s rooms easily collected blackened smears from those oversight areas. Such cleanliness blind spots that accumulate over time could directly cause Luo Qingping to fail her assessments! Yet Xumi Yu did not submit these outcomes. She merely wanted Luo Qingping to know her mistakes have been found out.
There was also someone called Xiang Yin who initially seemed close to Xumi Yu. She had even helped devise ideas to prevent Xu Mi Yu from getting schemed out by the former supervisor. Then Xumi Yu directly became the new supervisor instead which made Xiang Yin feel betrayed on top of Luo Qingping’s goading. Hence she turned against Xumi Yu as well.
Xu Mi Yu figured Xiang Yin preferred servicing wealthy guests. She would describe to everyone what luxurious items the guests had and how expensive those products were, estimating how rich that person must be. Later when fooled by Xiang Yin into helping her clean rooms, Xumi Yu realized those ‘wealthy’ items couldn’t be seen openly. Thus Xumi Yu suspected Xiang Yin might have secretly rifled through the guest’s belongings when they weren’t in. The next time Xiang Yin cleaned rooms herself, Xumi Yu covertly observed her stealing glances into guest’s items out of temptation, even trying on their rings and bangles. While Xumi Yu caught Xiang Yin’s mistake, she similarly did not report it but seriously admonished Xiang Yin to correct this habit.
Then there was Wenxue Ke who got along well with Li Kunlun from the F&B department that regularly sends meals over. But her personality was rumored to be rather weak with no independent stand, easily swayed by others. Since everyone disliked Xumi Yu, she naturally felt the same and remained hostile against Xumi Yu. Oh right—she also had a habit of being gossipy, particularly keen on rumors.”
At this, Ji Feng chuckled mockingly, critiquing: “Isn’t this just like you?”
Xuerui choked slightly before hurrying to defend himself. “Boss! I’m always out probing for hotel gossip because it’s your order. You got me probing out everything about this hotel—big news or trivial details, open or underlying matters, even the worms burrowing tunnels—and reporting back to you clearly!”
Ji Feng threw him an icy sideways glance. “I barely said ten words and you whipped up a whole essay to argue back. You’re the definition of talkative.”
Xuerui forcefully resisted debating further with Ji Feng.
He told himself let it go. Competing with Ji Feng would only harm himself financially. Eccentric as the boss may be, his open handed generosity would be hard to find again.
So he returned to the previous discussion.
“Xumi Yu noticed Wenxue Ke’s love for gossiping. Calculating timings, she realized going down herself for inter-department coordination with F&B would save thirty minutes to an hour compared to when Wenxue Ke does it. Thus when Wenxue Ke went down again, she secretly tailed along and validated that Wenxue Ke used up those extra half hour or one hour chatting idly instead of working. Xumi Yu caught Wenxue Ke’s mistake of encroaching on working hours to gossip but likewise did not report or document it into Wenxue Ke’s assessments.
As for the rest like Xiaoli, Zhao, Xiaogeng, Xiaodu etc. Properly speaking they didn’t bear any deep enmity against Xumi Yu either. Ultimately it was just blindly following others’ lead to dislike Xumi Yu.
Gradually Xumi Yu discovered Xiaoli tended to pilfer small guest leftovers that should have been submitted to Lost & Found, but she directly pocketed instead like mini bar drinks, unfinished fruit or makeup items, unused stationery etc. Sometimes guests might return seeking them but she would claim to not have seen any items left behind. They were inconsequential low value items so guests typically didn’t investigate further after her denial. But Xumi Yu found out about Xiaoli’s bad habit and held it in grasp.
Then there was a certain Zhao with a negligent personality. She often made mistakes at the critical frontline tasks of liaising with Bell Services to receive VIP guests for instance she once mixed up two important guests’ luggage, nearly causing them to miss flights due to delayed luggage. Xumi Yu grasped evidence of this blunder yet didn’t document it into assessments. Instead, she personally helped withstand the complaints from those two guests.
There were also others…”
Xumi Yu held other missteps and faults of theirs yet didn’t notch any into their assessments.
She didn’t exploit these weaknesses to retaliate nor make things difficult for others. She just had a heart to heart talk with everyone very sincerely.
The day before her talk, she deliberately purchased beef and swallowed grievances begging to borrow her eldest sister and brother-in-law’s kitchen to properly braise a big pot of meat despite their nagging.
The aroma braising permeated so fragrantly it seduced her siblings’ gluttony leading them into taking some meat forcibly.
Xumi Yu portioned the remaining braised meat into smaller packs after bringing it back to the dorms.
Next morning, after everyone completed their daily duties, she gathered them to lounge together at the housekeeping department for a heartfelt talk.
She first distributed the braised meat, saying “This is the extent of my mediocre culinary skills. Have a taste—I’ll make it again if you like it.”
Then she started opening up sincerely about herself to everyone.
She clearly explained her ridiculed family matters — what was truly going on. For the first time, she bravely bared her wounded heart to the girls. She told them what happened in her marriage — her husband’s affair with her friend — and how she chose divorce. She confessed to not working previously as a full time housewife. To support herself after the split, she had no choice but to find employment from scratch.
Contrary to staying with an adulterous husband or refusing to divorce, she actually persisted in leaving him firmly despite all opposition and criticisms from those around her.
Yet she was simultaneously blamed by them for insisting on divorce over merely one affair even when her ex treated her well, earning and providing for her all these years. By leaving, she devalued herself into damaged goods that could only marry men over fifty thereafter they lectured.
Yet she endured all that and divorced. To support herself post-breakup, she worked outside. Hence she cherished this job opportunity to finally stand on her own feet, determined to persevere and excel in it no matter the difficulties.
She also described how wretched she felt when her cheating ex and his mistress booked a stay after their divorce.
That experience marked a turning point pushing her to reflect deeply about life. She realized she shouldn’t continue floating obliviously anymore but to brace up towards living and becoming an even better version of her former self — only then could she avoid humiliation by ex-husband and mistress in future.
Looking at everyone, Xumi Yu conveyed her sincerity and poignancy. She told them: “I don’t think I made mistakes….my consequent divorce and need to support myself aren’t shameful…I didn’t choose having an unequal home environment biased towards males either. I’m already striving my best to confront those negativities. So why should I be mocked for all that by everyone? If someone falls and fractures their leg, do you feel they deserved it and laugh at them? No! We would all find it agonizing and offer utmost sympathy, calling ambulances for assistance right? We sneak feed strays out back too…I know everyone here is kind at heart.”
Her words rendered the girls speechless with self-reflection.
Listening to her, they began questioning themselves exactly why they disliked this woman before them originally? Weren’t their baseless illogical hostility rather malicious?
“Women are already the weak disadvantaged group in this society. Why must we further jeer at each other as well for men to point fingers calling us petty with tendency to internal strife amongst ourselves? When clearly those guys seeking schadenfreude amusement on the sidelines are the despicable ones! We should no longer laugh at one other in future but together make fun of those standing by waiting to rejoice over misfortune instead! That’d be much more thrilling right?!”
“At work — I may have many deficiencies ahead but will support everyone to the best I can. For personal life, if you’re curious about anything you can ask directly. I’ll be transparent with you all. Alright, it’s about time for lunch, everyone go on ahead!”
Fearing everyone would delay if she didn’t exit first, Xumi Yu deliberately left ahead of them.
Yet the girls remained motionless and silent for quite some time after she departed from housekeeping.
It took someone sighing “alas” awhile later before that seal of guilt was lifted, spurring them into action.
Together they went to the cafeteria for lunch.
Sitting down and starting on their food and Xumi Yu’s braised meat—that first mouthful instantly blow their minds! So tasty it felt as if their tongues wanted to swallow it down too!
They exclaimed animatedly to each other: “Oh my god this is too delicious! Her skills are no less than Chef Chen from our hotel kitchens!”
“No, I think her braised meat is slightly better than his! The flavors are so finely layered and nuanced. Heavens—I can almost cry from tastiness!”
Everyone excitedly raved about post-meat experience feelings.
Their rave reviews gradually shifted into self reflections:
“Xu Miyu’s actually very nice. I’ve eavesdropped and gossiped about her behind her back before, and she’s also discovered my work mistakes yet bore me no ill will. Just the other day when I fell sick, she helped cover my cleaning work.”
“Your words make me regretful as well—” another girl took over, “—I haven’t cut her less slack before. That day I was reconciling used linen counts with the collection guy. For some reason I tallied less than actual. I worried about penalties so I refused to admit my mistake and even argued back at that person threatening to report this to my manager. I was actually quite nervous but Xu Miyu came to communicate apologies on my behalf, getting me out of trouble. But I didn’t even thank her then. Now I feel I’ve been overly unfair to her! I feed and care for those stray cats yet showed no goodwill towards her. My actions must have hurt her!” Tasting the braised meat reminded her to chide herself.
Another person stabbed slices of thebeef, watching them and starting to self reprimand as well: “I accidentally damaged guest belongings while cleaning once. That guest threatened to complain and demand doubled compensation from me. I feared both penalty deductions and complaint demerits that could affect my performance bonus. But curiously I discovered afterwards no complaints were ever filed against me. I assumed the guest only wanted to intimidate me at first. Yet I found out days later that he did submit feedback to Xumi Yu but she was the one who profusely apologized until the guest softened his stance. She never told me about this so I hid behind feigned ignorance then. Since everyone disliked her, I thought no need for courtesy on my part too. But clearly I’m the petty one—how could I shamelessly benefit from her care yet join others openly mocking her!”
Wenxue Ke and Xiang Yin also sighed, describing incidents of themselves wronging Xumi Yu recently. She could easily expose their mistakes yet chose to shield them when issues cropped up later, even taking the fall for them.
Wenxue Ke berated herself: “I can’t believe my awful behavior lately. Did I lose my mind? Was I compelled to bully her purely because she seemed meek and easily taken advantage of?”
While Xiang Yin admitted: “I also feel like a horrible person looking back recently!”
Echoing self-recriminations rippled among the others.
“Yeah we really harbored no deep grudges with her. She watched over us so selflessly too. Comparing that to our persecution…we really stooped pretty low huh…”
“Ganging up to ostracize her really reflects quite terribly on us in hindsight!”
“I’ll take care of my own duties myself from now on – no more opportunistically targeting nice people!”
“Me too!”
…
The girls started lunch chatting merrily. But halfway through, the meat and memories sank in, turning collective mood remorseful.
The next day, they discovered the husband-snatching mistress from before had checked into the admin level again, obviously intending to flaunt her pregnant belly from the adultery.
Unlike previously where they would deliberately evade so Xumi Yu had no choice but to serve that room herself, this time the girls scrambled to vie cleaning that suite. They didn’t wish for Xumi Yu to face the nasty treatment from that insufferable mistress again.
But that smug mistress was truly annoying. No matter who served, she chased them out while insisting: “I want your supervisor to personally come clean my room! Otherwise I’m lodging complaints at your hotel for neglecting my needs as an expectant mother!”
Her terrible attitude left a bad aftertaste. When someone couldn’t resist pushing her slightly, that mistress seized it like clutching deadly blackmail material. “Get your supervisor here to apologize to my face immediately! Otherwise based on your physical assault of a vulnerable pregnant woman, I’ll guarantee none of you can keep your jobs after my report later!”
In the end when Xumi Yu hurried over, she endured humiliation by lowering her head to apologize to that mistress.
The girls knew Xumi Yu had never bowed subserviently to the mistress even for herself before. But in order to protect them this one time, she swallowed that bitterness.
“Boss can you see — now even the housekeeping attendants staunchly defend their Supervisor whereas she in turn shields them desperately. For fear of their losing jobs she bears all accountability herself no matter what grievances faced! When leaders mutually guard followers like this, how can it not forge cohesion huh? They’ve twisted themselves into one taut rope!”
After concluding the full sequence of events, Xuerui sighed feelingly from his heart.
“This Xumi Yu looks gentle and delicate but who knew she actually has strong resilience and wisdom! Turns out she grasped the art of tempering authority with benevolence! Clutching others’ faults yet refraining from punishment while bestowing grace instead induced both shame, gratitude and allegiance from them! Carrying out this entire approach has directly led to capturing everyone’s hearts firmly in her palms! I truly underestimated Manager Xu before. She’s honestly quite unexpectedly remarkable!”
After his rhapsodizing, Xuerui observed Ji Feng’s reactions.
He saw Ji Feng seated motionless on the couch, teacup in hand. Head lowered while staring into his cup as if examining the tea leaves, his unblinking eyes rendered his stillness akin to a frozen picture.
That look left Xuerui suspecting he might have fallen into some state of petrified shock.
So which part of the updates exactly stunned him into this stupor?
Listening to Xuerui, the moment Ji Feng heard Xumi Yu was already divorced left him astonished…
Turns out she has divorced after all…and insisted on leaving despite familial objections….
That invalidated his original reasons for disdaining her — thinking she warranted others’ sympathy for neither resenting nor fighting back against an unfair marriage. Turns out she actually possessed pride and self-love.
He was abruptly reminded of his hurtful words during their elevator encounter at the admin lounge before: “Do you have no self-respect forcing yourself to live so wretchedly?”
Ji Feng shifted his hand and tea from the cup splashed out wetting him.
He slammed the teacup onto the coffee table and snatched some tissues to wipe clean.
Then somewhat irritated, he tugged loose his tie and unbuttoned his collar.
Such annoyance.
Why did her eyes brimming with wounds float up in his mind again?
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