ATLAS TRANSLATES

Since Nie Yucheng and Jiang Zhichun came to see her one after another, Xu Miyu became increasingly burdened with thoughts.

When a matter, doubted not only by herself but also repeatedly confirmed by others, transitions from suspicion to certainty, the weight becomes almost unbearable.

One evening after work, Xu Miyu returned to her apartment and found a package at the door.

The square-shaped box exuded an aura of luxury and sophistication in its contours and appearance.

Upon confirming it was indeed addressed to her, Xu Miyu picked it up and brought it inside.

As she unpacked the box, the contents seemed to greet her, laid out elegantly. Inside was a splendid evening gown and a pair of high heels. The dress was white, lightweight, waist-cinching, off-shoulder, shallow V-necked, with a slit on the left leg that reached the ankle. Xu Miyu changed into the dress and put on the high heels, then stood before the mirror.

Even she couldn’t help but marvel at the image reflected in the mirror. How could the person who sent the dress know every dimension of her body? The dress hugged her curves, accentuating her slender figure. The slit on the left leg added a touch of mystery and sensuality.

Xu Miyu ran her fingertips over the fabric of the dress, smooth like skin.

The dress was truly beautiful, transforming her into a vision of beauty. Yet, she felt that this dress shouldn’t belong to her.

Her dresses, simple and ordinary, hung in the wardrobe, and she thought, “I’ve climbed too high for this dress.”

Returning to the cardboard box, she found a handwritten note inside.

Opening it, she discovered that it was a personal invitation from Ji Feng: “Get off work early tomorrow, put on the dress, and wait for me to pick you up for the party.”

Xu Miyu looked at the note, then at the dress and herself in the mirror, smiling helplessly.

In this unspoken cold war, this might be the most proactive compromise Ji Feng could make.

The next day, following Ji Feng’s advice on the note, Xu Miyu returned to her apartment a bit earlier than usual.

She meticulously applied vibrant makeup, styled her hair, allowing some loose strands on her temples and the nape of her neck, and then put on the dress and shoes.

When Ji Feng opened the door and saw Xu Miyu waiting, his eyes lit up.

He sighed deeply and extended his hand to her, saying, “Come here.”

Without hesitating, she walked over and placed her hand in his.

He held her hand tightly, a delicate and boneless feeling that melted into his chest.

He sighed again and told her, “Truly beautiful.”

Xu Miyu smiled.

After so many days, she finally smiled again.

Once in the car, neither Xu Miyu nor Ji Feng brought up the matter of the cold war. It was as if not mentioning it would erase it from existence. Thus, this cold war, which started inexplicably, ended just as mysteriously.

After the car started moving, Xu Miyu asked Ji Feng where they were going and what kind of party they were attending.

Ji Feng informed her, “Most of the people are those you met at the summit last time, and there are also some others, experts and elites in their respective fields, as well as some second-generation heirs and successors of conglomerates. They organize these parties a few times a year for networking. Many people want to get into these events because it’s like getting a ticket to access upper-tier resources. However, without a recommendation, it’s challenging for newcomers to join.”

A hint of nervousness crept into Xu Miyu’s heart. It sounded like another grand event she had never encountered before. Moreover, it seemed even more unattainable than the previous summit.

Sensing her tension, Ji Feng reached for her hand, reassuring her, “Don’t worry. The people at the party all know me, and you’re with me, so they’ll treat you with courtesy.”

Xu Miyu smiled and nodded.

However, when she stepped onto the red carpet upon getting off the car, regret surged within her.

She regretted coming with Ji Feng, regretted not deciding to escape when she heard about the party’s scale on the way.

This party didn’t seem like a place she should be. Everyone seemed inherently outstanding, superior, and arrogant. Many people who had seen Ji Feng with a companion, especially a former female assistant, wore expressions of undisguised shock.

Surrounded by acquaintances, Ji Feng and Xu Miyu became the center of attention. Ji Feng, more straightforward than usual, regardless of where he went or with whom he chatted, kept holding her hand.

The growing number of surprised glances and inquiries caused old acquaintances to gather around them. Taking advantage of one such moment, Ji Feng, with a sudden announcement, let go of Xu Miyu’s hand, embraced her shoulders, and loudly proclaimed to everyone, “Perfect timing! Let me introduce you all. This is my girlfriend, Xu Miyu.”

In the midst of gasps and astonishment, Xu Miyu turned to Ji Feng with eyes widened. She looked at him, her face full of disbelief. He thought she was pleasantly shocked by the unexpected official announcement. Perhaps she needed some personal space to stabilize her mixed emotions of surprise and joy.

Ignoring the astonishment and discussions around, he led Xu Miyu to another place.

Xu Miyu was in a daze the entire way until he pulled her into a corner, lightly tapped her cheek, and smiled, asking, “Didn’t expect me to officially announce our relationship in front of everyone, did you? Surprised? Well, now you’ve seen my attitude, right? Publicly acknowledging you as my girlfriend should give you more security than those vague promises of eternal love, don’t you think?”

Xu Miyu looked up, meeting Ji Feng’s gaze. She observed the expression on his face, as if he had just done her a great favor and was waiting for acknowledgment.

In this moment, she clearly sensed that they lived in different worlds. Their joys and sorrows didn’t quite align.

He treated the sudden and direct announcement of their relationship as something she should be pleasantly surprised about. Behind this, it implied that, in his subconscious, publicly acknowledging a romantic relationship with her was seen as a kind of favor.

Unconsciously, he had personally defined their positions and differences. He, the elite CEO of a high-profile group, was towering above, while she was merely a Cinderella—or at best, an elder Cinderella.

Having just ended the silent war, Xu Miyu thought that even if there were discomforts and unpleasant feelings, she should chew and swallow them, not embarrass Ji Feng in such a setting.

Looking at Ji Feng, she forced a smile and said, “It’s too sudden. Didn’t you say before that you didn’t want to make our relationship public because it would complicate things at work? Why did you suddenly decide to announce it today without telling me beforehand?”

Ji Feng raised his hand, gently touching her cheek. “I used to think keeping it private would be better for you. Even if you achieved success at work, others wouldn’t say you relied on me. But I neglected that having a secret relationship might make you feel insecure, thinking you’re not worthy of public acknowledgment. I want you to feel more secure. Besides, your work speaks for itself. Your recent achievements in the Planning Department were remarkable, and everyone acknowledges it, even the department manager praised you. So, I think it’s time to go public.”

Emotions swirled in Xu Miyu’s mind. She told herself to let it go; even though the timing and approach were questionable, he was ultimately considering her.

Ji Feng was called over by someone nearby, making him ask Xu Miyu, “Can you stay by yourself for a while? I need to discuss some project matters with them, not suitable to bring family along.”

Just arriving at the party and already feeling uneasy, especially after the unexpected announcement, Xu Miyu made an effort to smile and replied, “Sure, go ahead.”

Before leaving, Ji Feng told her, “Feel free to explore. There’s food and drinks over there. Don’t be reserved; grab whatever you want. There are many unique things you can’t find outside.”

As Ji Feng walked towards the other side of the party, a group of women gathered not far away, all elegantly dressed, discussing something in hushed voices.

One of them, holding a phone, approached Xu Miyu, saying, “Sisters, look at this. I just secretly took a photo of the girlfriend Ji Feng just announced. Have any of you seen or know her? What’s her background? I heard Ji Feng has high standards for a partner, and no girl could meet his criteria. But now, look at her, not exactly a young girl. Could it be that Ji Feng prefers someone older?”

Another lady replied, “Show me the photo. Oh, she’s quite stylish, but indeed not a young girl. Does Ji Feng really prefer someone older?”

At this moment, another middle-aged lady approached, accompanied by a younger companion. The middle-aged lady asked the group, “What’s so lively here? What are you all talking about?”

The first lady, who took the photo, replied, “Mrs. Hu, you’re late today. You missed the exciting part.”

Mrs. Hu laughed and said, “Then, later you’ll have to catch me up.” She then pulled the young lady beside her into the crowd and introduced her, “This is Zhu Zhenzhen. She’s my husband’s capable right-hand and the wife of our company’s vice president. She’s quite talented; for my sake, she even studied how to make braised dishes. She begged me to take her out to broaden her horizons. This is her first time here; everyone, please take care of her.”

Mrs. Hu introduced Zhu Zhenzhen with enthusiasm, but the others showed little interest in the new wife of some vice president. In this circle, even a competent wife of a vice president didn’t stand out, let alone someone like Xu Miyu, who didn’t fit into either the elite ladies or the wives of the elite men.

Meanwhile, not far away, the women continued gossiping about the photo of Ji Feng’s girlfriend.

Mrs. Hu, after understanding what she missed due to her late arrival, decided to take a look at the photo. As she glanced at it, she exclaimed, then turned to Zhu Zhenzhen and said, “Isn’t this…?”

Zhu Zhenzhen quickly interrupted her, “Isn’t this Xu Miyu?”

She feared Mrs. Hu might inadvertently mention something like, “Isn’t this your husband’s ex-wife?” Thinking quickly, she added a sentence that everyone would love to hear, “What an amazing woman. After a divorce, she still managed to capture Ji Feng’s heart.”

“The fact that she’s been divorced?” This information, like a bomb, immediately shocked and excited the ladies, “I didn’t expect Ji Feng’s criteria for choosing a partner to be discounted like this.”

Lu Zhenzhen calmly said, “Yes, she’s divorced, and she’s in her thirties now. However, she’s quite capable. People around me know her; she actually worked in Ji Feng’s hotel. Do you know what she used to do? It’s hard to believe, but she started as a housekeeping attendant, making beds, sweeping floors, and cleaning toilets.”

“Ah?” The ladies widened their eyes in surprise. “How could Ji Feng be interested in someone like her? Given his conditions, it’s really outrageous. Has something happened to him mentally, suddenly being so open-minded?”

The attention of the ladies shifted immediately to this newly revealed wife, as she seemed to possess exclusive insider information.

Lu Zhenzhen continued, “She knows how to flatter Ji Feng. From a housekeeping attendant, she quickly rose to supervisory roles in various departments. There are eyewitnesses who saw her send herself to Ji Feng’s room…” Lu Zhenzhen, with a cautious look, lowered her voice and continued, “to accompany him, you know, intimately. So, you see, ladies, whether a woman is capable at work is not important. What matters is, can she please a man. And she succeeded in catching Ji Feng’s eye.”

The ladies listened with surprise, and as they looked at the photo of Xu Miyu, they started to scorn her, lowering her status in their eyes.

Xu Miyu had a few sips of cocktails. They tasted innocuous at first, like cool sweet fruit juice. However, the aftereffects hit quickly and strongly. Suddenly, she began to feel dizzy.

She quickly picked up a glass of plain water, intending to return to the seating area to sit down and slowly drink some water to recover.

She rarely wore ten-centimeter high heels, and even walking in them required utmost care. Now, feeling a bit lightheaded, she walked on these thin heels. It felt like walking on wet mud, one step deep and the next shallow, as if she was about to slip.

As she passed by a group of women, she seemed to hear her name from within.

Distracted, Xu Miyu twisted her ankle slightly, making her lose balance. In that moment of falling, she even thought quickly – she didn’t want to spill the water on anyone else. So, she directed the water to spill on herself.

Sitting on the ground, she found her fall somewhat elegant. Her legs were crossed, bent from the left side to the back. However, the dress on her left side split, revealing her thigh above the midsection. This accidental fall made her appear as if she was deliberately showcasing something.

The water had soaked the front of her thin dress, making it semi-transparent.

Xu Miyu quickly covered her chest, intending to stand up. However, her head was spinning, her ankle hurt, and she found herself unable to stand. Trying to rise failed, and she felt a sense of despair.

The judgmental voices around her were relentless, and she felt isolated, facing disdain, mockery, and judgment all alone. All of this started because Ji Feng unilaterally announced their relationship.

In this sense of helplessness, she sat on the ground, turned to the women gossiping about her, and smiled, asking each question in response:

“When others fall, you just stand aside and make sarcastic remarks. Is this your nobility and elegance? Does Ji Feng need your aesthetic approval to choose a woman? Whether I’ve been divorced or not, what’s it to you? I don’t think divorce is low-class, but gossiping like this is truly low.”

Her words annoyed the elegant and noble ladies even more. They united in looking down on her, showing their disdain.

Xu Miyu tried hard to cover her transparent front and struggled to lift herself from the ground. However, these two things just couldn’t happen at the same time.

Suddenly, a suit jacket fell on her shoulders.

Someone walked up to her immediately, crouched down, and overlapped a suit jacket in front of her chest, blocking the revealing spring scene. Then, with hands on her shoulders, a strong effort helped her up.

Xu Miyu stared blankly at the person in front of her.

Surprisingly, it was Duan Aoxiang.

He was actually at this cocktail party.

Thinking about it, his presence wasn’t particularly unexpected; he was also a second-generation from a wealthy family.

Duan Aoxiang was wearing a white shirt, looking much cleaner and fresher than the previous times.

However, when he turned to speak to the group of ladies, he remained as carefree as ever: “Are you all gossipy women? Don’t you think gossiping openly like this is rude and vulgar?”

Some of the ladies recognized Duan Aoxiang, knowing he was a playboy in the circle, with a strong sense of retaliation. They had been warned by their husbands to avoid such characters, not to provoke them.

They used various excuses and dispersed.

Lu Zhenzhen, unaware of Duan Aoxiang’s background, didn’t leave and instead looked at Xu Miyu, saying, “You’re quite something, even bewitching a man to stand up for you.”

Xu Miyu looked at her coldly, retorting, “You’re the one with skills, stealing someone else’s husband and then throwing dirt on others. The things they just said, were they misled by you?”

Lu Zhenzhen smiled, “I didn’t lie. You did get divorced, and you did sleep with your boss.”

She looked at Duan Aoxiang and said with a smile, “Don’t be fooled by her; she’s not a clean woman.”

Duan Aoxiang’s expression turned wicked, and he directly scolded her, “Get lost,” looking like he couldn’t be bothered to say more.

Lu Zhenzhen looked at Duan Aoxiang in disbelief, “I was trying to help you, why are you like this?”

Duan Aoxiang seemed impatient, his playboy attitude taking over. He grabbed Lu Zhenzhen’s waist, pulling her close, and loudly said, “What? You want to sleep with me tonight?”

The people around turned their gaze towards them, and Lu Zhenzhen, scared, broke free from Duan Aoxiang, almost retorting with a teary voice, “You’re talking nonsense, you’re insane!”

She swiftly ran away.

Duan Aoxiang rolled his eyes and cursed, “Idiot.”

Then, he looked back at Xu Miyu, asking in a displeased tone, “Where’s the guy who brought you here? Brought you here and didn’t take responsibility to look after you?”

Xu Miyu said he was discussing matters with someone. She also added, “Thank you for just now.”

Duan Aoxiang grinned again and started acting nonchalant, “If you want to thank me, give me a smile.”

Without waiting for Xu Miyu’s response, he glanced at someone behind her and said, “Forget it, consider it a debt. I’m leaving.”

Xu Miyu turned around and saw Ji Feng walking towards her.

It seemed he had finished talking with those people, so he came over to find her.

Approaching her with a furrowed brow, he obviously noticed the interaction between Xu Miyu and Duan Aoxiang.

When he stood beside her, he immediately nodded towards the suit jacket on her, asking, “What’s the story with this piece of clothing?”

Xu Miyu, expressionless, replied, “Water was spilled on my chest, it’s see-through.”

Without saying a word, Ji Feng took off his own suit jacket, then opened the neatly draped one on Xu Miyu’s shoulders, throwing it to a passing waiter. He put his own jacket on Xu Miyu.

The waiter, looking at the sudden addition of a suit jacket on the tray, asked in confusion, “Mr. Ji, how should we handle this piece of clothing?”

Ji Feng, with a touch of annoyance, said, “Throw it away, burn it, whatever.”

Xu Miyu tilted her head and kindly answered the waiter, “This jacket belongs to Mr. Duan Aoxiang.”

The waiter acknowledged and turned to find Duan Aoxiang to return the clothing.

After the waiter left, Ji Feng frowned, looking at Xu Miyu.

Xu Miyu also quietly met his gaze.

Finally, Ji Feng compromised and spoke first.

“In the future, if you encounter such a situation where water is spilled on you, let the waiter find me directly. There’s no need to use another man’s clothing to salvage the situation, especially someone like Duan Aoxiang. I don’t like you wearing his clothes.”

He spoke with a clear and flat tone, making it evident that he really disliked it.

Xu Miyu felt a mixture of numbness and chill in her heart.

He didn’t ask what she had just experienced or who was responsible for that experience.

He only cared that she used another man’s clothing in an emergency.

Throughout the night, various emotions swirled inside Xu Miyu, all erupting at this moment.

She didn’t expect that the final straw on her back would be added by Ji Feng.