ATLAS TRANSLATES

“Boss, when facing these kinds of questions, you absolutely cannot approach them with a scientific mindset to argue logically. When asked if you will fall in love with another woman in the future, you should say, ‘In the future I can only imagine, and in that imagination, there’s only you.’ If asked who you would save if I and your mom fell into the river together, you should say, ‘I won’t let either of you fall into the river.’ If asked if you would be disgusted if I get fat in the future, you should say, ‘Then I’ll get fat with you, and neither of us will be disgusted with each other.’ And if asked how long you will love me, just say, ‘I will love you for ten thousand years.’”

Xue Rui earnestly lectured in his love class for Boss, Mr. Ji Feng.

“Boss, try learning how to speak sweet words of affection, okay? Even if you really can’t express affectionate words, there’s no need for such rational analysis! Boss, let me be clear, your answer might seem honest and responsible, but to women, it makes the man seem unreliable. They might think he only wants to enjoy her youth now and is unwilling to commit to the future. Really, men and women view the world differently.”

Ji Feng, furrowing his brows, disagreed, “My analysis is not wrong. Saying things like ‘I love you for ten thousand years’ is nonsense, completely fake. What’s the point of saying it?”

Xue Rui took a deep breath.

“Yes, yes, everyone knows your analysis is correct, logical, even scientific. But do you think women, when in a relationship, want to hear scientific reasoning, or do they want to hear unscientific sweet words? Boss, do you think women are foolish? You tell them a sweet phrase like ‘I will love you for ten thousand years,’ and do you really think women believe we can all live for ten thousand years? But they just love hearing that phrase. So, are they intellectually challenged? Of course not; they’re just happy to hear affectionate exaggerations, and the more exaggerated, the more it shows the weight of that affection!”

Normally, it was Ji Feng educating and guiding Xue Rui at work. It was a rare opportunity for Xue Rui to turn the tables and educate Ji Feng. He couldn’t resist expressing his satisfaction.

Ji Feng, with a stern look, asked, “Are you insulting me with those words?”

Xue Rui quickly replied with a humble tone, denying any intention to insult. However, inwardly, he reveled in his small victory.

Reflecting on Xue Rui’s words, Ji Feng not only rejected them but became more perplexed, “Why can’t I speak my mind? Must one change oneself when in a relationship? I can’t accept that.”

Sighing, Xue Rui realized that aside from the satisfaction of subtly insulting Ji Feng, the other words he spoke had the effect of talking to a wall.

He had to resort to a more straightforward approach, “Boss, by doing this, you’ll lose your girlfriend! This will lead you to a lonely life!”

Ji Feng raised his hand and almost threw his tablet at Xue Rui, “If you keep cursing me like that, I’ll pull out your tongue.”

After a pause, he asked a side question, “How can you analyze women’s minds so thoroughly?”

Xue Rui, with a bitter smile, replied, “It’s because of me and Li Qiaoqi, that woman. Our relationship is like a gender-swapped version of yours with Xu Miyu.”

He pursued Li Qiaoqi, seeking commitment, comfort, and a sense of security. However, Li Qiaoqi, like a natural scoundrel, refused to provide those. But he was resilient and determined not to give up. He also hoped Xu Miyu, in her relationship with Ji Feng, could be stronger and not easily give up.

Between Xu Miyu and Ji Feng, they found themselves in an inexplicable state of silent cold war.

Xu Miyu didn’t go upstairs, and Ji Feng didn’t come downstairs to find her. He also refrained from going to her apartment and persisted in not asking if something was bothering her.

Gradually, Xu Miyu immersed herself in the work of the planning department. She developed a keen interest, especially in event planning, learning diligently and quickly becoming proficient.

Work made her feel fulfilled. From initially reminding herself not to think about Ji Feng, she eventually became so busy that she couldn’t remember him.

Yet, subconsciously, she couldn’t deny that she was waiting for Ji Feng to take the initiative to find her.

However, when Ji Feng didn’t come, she unexpectedly found herself waiting for Nie Yucheng.

Nie Yucheng approached her while she was helping with conference arrangements in the banquet hall.

He pulled her to a corner of the hotel terrace.

Curious, Xu Miyu asked what was going on. Was there still some connection between them?

Nie Yucheng’s eyes showed bloodshot veins, and there were veins pulsating on his forehead. Xu Miyu knew that this was how Nie Yucheng looked when his emotions were stirred.

He was visibly excited but forced himself to sound calm, avoiding the main topic, talking in circles as if having a casual chat with Xu Miyu.

“Your hotel has a rooftop butler who resigned a few days ago. She was a confidante of a certain boss. She told this boss something, and this boss, who happens to be acquainted with me, immediately shared it with me.”

“The information she passed on is that one night, the rooftop butler was on duty in the adjacent suite, and she saw you enter Ji Feng’s suite and didn’t come out the entire night.”

Nie Yu Cheng looked at Xu Mi Yu, his eyes hiding a restrained pain. His voice, like a thread flattened by a heavy hammer, sounded as if bearing immense grief, as he asked, “Mi Yu, did you sleep with Ji Feng?”

Xu Mi Yu stared at Nie Yu Cheng. Indeed, there was such a night. It was raining outside, and Ji Feng didn’t let her leave. So, she spent the night on the rooftop.

Only that one night, and someone witnessed it.

And now, that someone had brought it to this man’s attention.

The world is indeed full of unexpected coincidences.

Thinking about Nie Yu Cheng’s words just now, Xu Mi Yu looked at him as if she were looking at a man she had never known.

An ex-husband who had once cheated now came to interrogate her about sleeping with another man after their divorce. It was ridiculous; what right did he have?

“This is none of your business,” Xu Mi Yu coldly replied, turning to leave.

Nie Yu Cheng pulled her back, pressing her against the wall, blocking her way.

“Nie Yu Cheng, what are you doing? Haven’t you forgotten that we’re already divorced? Haven’t you forgotten that you’re married with another woman and have a child?” Xu Mi Yu asked with a cold, stern voice.

Nie Yu Cheng’s eyes turned red, and within a second, he transitioned from suppressing his pain to crying. When he heard about Xu Mi Yu spending the night in Ji Feng’s room, he felt unbearably tormented. Even though he scolded Lu Zhen Zhen angrily, if it weren’t for her intentional seduction, he wouldn’t have lost Xu Mi Yu, wouldn’t have lost his marriage. Despite Xu Mi Yu having such a troubled family background, he loved her.

Tears rolled down as he cried pitifully, asking Xu Mi Yu, “Did you really sleep with Ji Feng? Are you his lover or just a fling? Why are you demeaning yourself like this? Is it to get back at me?”

Xu Mi Yu retorted at Nie Yu Cheng’s absurd words, “Nie Yu Cheng, should I understand your words like this: you can have other women, but I can’t have other men? What kind of logic is this? Do you want your ex-wife, even after divorcing due to your affair, to remain unable to forget you for a lifetime? Meanwhile, you can continue your life with other women. Is that what you want? Nie Yu Cheng, you’re despicable!”

Nie Yu Cheng thought, yes, Xu Mi Yu was right. That’s exactly what he wanted. When he heard about Xu Mi Yu spending the night in Ji Feng’s room, he felt unbearable pain. Even though he had married other women after the divorce, he never thought that one day Xu Mi Yu would have other men, would find pleasure in the arms of another man.

Just the thought of it drove him to madness. He understood that he didn’t want Lu Zhen Zhen, Wang Zhen Zhen, or Li Zhen Zhen. He only wanted Xu Mi Yu. If time could turn back, he would never have cheated with any woman, never lose the love of his life for a momentary comfort. But he realized it too late. Since the divorce, Xu Mi Yu had no connection with him.

“Mi Yu,” Nie Yu Cheng pleaded with tears, “Give me another chance, please. Let’s start over. Now that you’ve been with other men, we’re even. Let’s start anew, okay?”

Xu Mi Yu looked at Nie Yu Cheng in shock. He had truly become a stranger.

“You’re shameless. How can you say such dirty words?” she scolded him.

“Leaving aside the affairs between adults, have you thought about your child? Don’t you want your child? Don’t you feel a sense of responsibility as a father?” She pushed Nie Yu Cheng away, telling him firmly, “Nie Yu Cheng, listen, this is not about evening the score. You had an affair, and your relationship has always been dirty. I, on the other hand, am in a legitimate relationship. I won’t go back to you, and especially not to raise someone else’s child. Nie Yu Cheng, get a grip!”

“Xu Mi Yu, you need to get a grip!” Nie Yu Cheng shouted loudly, “Do you think you’re openly in a relationship with Ji Feng? Is that how you see it? Wake up and see Ji Feng’s status, family, and social standing. Look at your lousy family background, your divorced status, and your not-so-young age. What do you have that matches someone like Ji Feng? Mi Yu, think clearly. Do you believe your relationship with him is legitimate? Will Ji Feng really love you? He’s high and mighty, never experienced the life of an ordinary woman. He’s just enjoying your freshness. Don’t be foolish! You two have no future; he won’t give you a future! You won’t last long; he’ll soon fall in love with another woman who matches his status! Right now, he’s just using and playing with you. Mi Yu, get a grip!”

Listening to Nie Yu Cheng’s words, Xu Mi Yu initially maintained a strong facade, seemingly unaffected. However, as she heard more, those words, deliberately meant to provoke her, resonated with the doubts and insecurities deep within her.

She straightened her back, raised her chin, trying not to let Nie Yu Cheng see her hidden vulnerability.

Looking at him, she gritted her teeth and said, “Nie Yu Cheng, even if I was played by Ji Feng, I won’t turn back to you. Also, your hysterical attempt to suppress me won’t change anything. You’re no different from the family sore spot I left behind.”

She finished speaking and walked away, leaving a straight, strong, and resolute back for Nie Yu Cheng.

He couldn’t see the hidden uneasiness on her face. It was her projection of her growing lack of confidence in their relationship with Ji Feng.

Two days after Nie Yu Cheng visited Xu Mi Yu, Jiang Zhi Chun unexpectedly came to find her.

Jiang Zhichun arranged to meet Xu Miyu at a coffee shop not far from the hotel, expressing a reluctance to set foot in the heartbroken place that was the SW Hotel.

Initially hesitant about the meeting, Xu Miyu was pushed to attend by Jiang Zhichun’s provocations: “I asked Ji Feng, and he said you two have confirmed your relationship. With things at this stage, are you still afraid to meet me? I can’t force you to leave him with just words.”

Intrigued, Xu Miyu decided to attend the meeting during her lunch break.

Seated face to face in the coffee shop, Xu Miyu observed that Jiang Zhichun seemed a bit more worn than before.

“You seem more radiant than when I last saw you,” Jiang Zhichun elegantly remarked with a hint of mockery and bitterness. “So, this is the nourishment of love?” Her tone carried a touch of sarcasm.

Xu Miyu smiled and replied, “It seems like it.”

Jiang Zhichun’s smile gradually froze as she continued, “Do you want to know what Ji Feng told me the last time I went to the rooftop to find him?”

“If you want to share, feel free,” Xu Miyu calmly responded.

Looking at Xu Miyu, Jiang Zhichun said, “You are quite an unyielding person. None of your words directly confront me, but they don’t align with my wishes either. In my opinion, at this moment, you should ask me: What did we talk about? But you didn’t. Are you truly not curious at all?”

Xu Miyu shook her head.

With a dismissive smile, Jiang Zhichun said, “This is what attracts Ji Feng to you, isn’t it? You appear submissive but are actually untamed, eager to be conquered.”

Xu Miyu’s brow twitched slightly.

“Miss Jiang, my lunch break is limited,” she reminded. If the conversation continued in this ambiguous manner, she would have to leave.

Rolling her eyes, Jiang Zhichun said, “Okay, you are truly experienced. Let me take the initiative. That day when I went to Ji Feng, I wanted to ask why, after initially showing interest in me, he suddenly became silent. I wanted to understand where I went wrong and how I could improve. However, he surprisingly spoke first, telling me that he might have feelings for another woman and didn’t want to hold me back. When I asked who it was, he said it was someone who shouldn’t have been a possibility, yet he fell for her.”

Xu Miyu’s heart stirred. She remembered the day when Jiang Zhichun stood in front of her, asking, “What’s so special about you?”

“He didn’t directly reveal who it was, but I guessed. It’s you. But I agree with Ji Feng’s words; he said he fell for someone who shouldn’t have been a possibility because you and he are too different. Frankly, from every aspect, you’re not a match for him. So, I thought he was just infatuated for a while. However, last week, when I contacted Ji Feng to invite him for a meal, he directly told me that you two are together. Xu Miyu, not to hide it from you, at that moment, I felt insulted. Because I never expected that I would actually lose to a woman like you. Honestly, I think you are far inferior to me. You really don’t deserve Ji Feng.”

Xu Miyu looked at Jiang Zhichun.

She understood why Jiang Zhichun came to her today. She came to suppress her, to make her realize how undeserving she was of Ji Feng. And Ji Feng’s choice of her was bound to carry a sense of compromise and reluctance. Therefore, they were destined not to last.

Although every word Jiang Zhichun said struck Xu Miyu’s heart and wounded her pride, she made an effort to respond without revealing her inner turmoil. She replied calmly, “Thank you for telling me in person that Ji Feng hasn’t even given you his first kiss. Yet, he willingly gave it to me, even forcefully. It wasn’t something I asked for.”

She finished speaking and stood up, leaving with an elegant and composed posture.

However, her heart felt both bitter and weary.

In a matter of days, it seemed like the whole world was reminding her that she and Ji Feng were incompatible, had no future, and wouldn’t last. She remembered the conversation with Ji Feng that morning, a conversation that seemed to confirm the events of the past few days, emphasizing the gap between them and the possibility that their love might not extend to a distant future.

From that night on, Xu Miyu couldn’t stop dreaming. In her dreams, Ji Feng always walked ahead of her, and no matter how she called or chased after him, he never turned back. She ran desperately, with tears streaming down her face, but she couldn’t catch up to him.

In the end, when she wanted to scream, she found her throat producing no sound.

Then she woke up, lying on her pillow, tears from the dream still wet on her cheeks.

She hugged herself tightly, feeling exhausted.

Ji Feng became increasingly restless. He didn’t know how Xu Miyu was right now, perhaps reveling in his favor. When she was just a subordinate, she wouldn’t have dared to give him the cold shoulder for so

many days.

But now, she had been silent toward him for quite a few days, seemingly setting up a stance to make him bow down first.

Yet, he didn’t want to bow down.

Gradually, as the days passed, his sternness and indignation transformed into anxiety and unease.

Especially when Xue Rui informed him that, not long ago, her ex-husband came looking for her, his anxiety and unease intensified.

Xue Rui mentioned that her ex-husband took her to the terrace on the second floor of the hotel. It was said that the cleaning staff heard snippets of their conversation, as if the man surnamed Nie was tearfully pleading for her to come back.

Upon hearing this, Ji Feng immediately became even more agitated and uneasy.

He resentfully thought, so she dares to use this against him because she isn’t worried about the next one?

Fine, he admitted that she had him wrapped around her finger, this troublesome woman! He indeed feared that her ex-husband would take her away, especially considering their six-year marriage foundation.

He sought advice from Xue Rui, asking him for suggestions, “Tell me, how should I end this damn and inexplicable cold war… without losing face?”

After careful consideration, Xue Rui, the tactical adviser, earnestly said, “To save face, you need to have face. Having face means making the woman feel moved by you, especially in front of many witnesses, because the more people, the more face… Alright, I got it, Boss. You, in front of everyone, do something that can touch Sister Miyu. That’s how you won’t lose face!”

Upon hearing this suggestion, Ji Feng began to contemplate.