After work that day, Xu Miyu, rarely not working overtime, took a taxi directly to the “Night Encounter” bar. Li Qiaoqi had invited her a few days ago.
Li Qiaoqi had heard from Xue Rui that Xu Miyu and Ji Feng quickly fell in love and then quickly broke up. She felt that Xu Miyu must have a lot to say.
So she invited Xu Miyu over, wanting to dig out what was on her mind. She told Xu Miyu, “Tonight, let’s drink and chat freely. I have a private lounge; in case we get too drunk, we can just sleep there tonight.”
Xu Miyu smiled and nodded in agreement.
“Actually, when Xue Rui told me you and Ji Feng were together, I wasn’t surprised at all,” Li Qiaoqi said, sitting with Xu Miyu at the bar, legs crossed, swaying a glass of iced whiskey. “From the first time you two came here, Ji Feng’s eyes never left your face when you were in the same frame. Back then, both of you were interesting, trying hard to convince yourselves not to like each other. The more you imposed the ‘no’ restriction on yourselves, the more irresistibly attracted you were to each other.”
Listening to Li Qiaoqi, Xu Miyu realized that outsiders had seen through the surging undercurrents between her and Ji Feng.
“But when I heard that you broke up so quickly, I was a bit surprised, but upon careful thought, not so much. I was surprised because it seemed like you both genuinely liked each other. It wasn’t so surprising because I felt you would be the more exhausted one in this relationship.”
Xu Miyu quietly looked at Li Qiaoqi, wondering how this woman could understand her, women, and human nature in love so well.
Li Qiaoqi raised her glass, lightly tapping it against Xu Miyu’s. “Cheers to your past, cheers to your breakup, and to love.”
Xu Miyu laughed and drank her glass.
“Now, do you want to talk to me about your past relationship and why you wanted to break up?” Li Qiaoqi asked.
Li Qiaoqi might not be unable to guess the reasons why Xu Miyu and Ji Feng wanted to break up, but she felt that Xu Miyu needed a chance to vent verbally.
Xu Miyu silently looked at her glass, watching the ice cubes gradually melt in the pale golden liquid. The taste of the alcohol, diluted, seemed to mirror her initial sadness when she decided to break up, slowly dissipating.
Diluted to the point where she could face it calmly now, she should be able to talk about it in a composed manner. Putting down the glass, she turned to Li Qiaoqi, recounting the process of her relationship with Ji Feng, what they did together, the differences between them, and her feelings in this relationship.
She told Li Qiaoqi that she realized she had chosen the wrong time to be with Ji Feng, something she understood after breaking up. They shouldn’t have been together when she felt so small and insignificant. Perhaps if she had been successful and confident enough, their relationship would have been more relaxed and happy.
“What nonsense,” Li Qiaoqi directly countered Xu Miyu. “Love just happens; how can you choose the right time for it? If you can choose the time, it’s not love.”
Pausing, Li Qiaoqi shook her glass and summarized for Xu Miyu, “So, the reason you ultimately decided to break up with Ji Feng is because you didn’t feel secure in this relationship. And your lack of security stems from your lack of confidence. Or to be blunt, you feel inferior in front of Ji Feng and those around him, right?”
Xu Miyu nodded uncomfortably.
Li Qiaoqi chuckled, “Xu Miyu, you’re thirty-one now, not a young girl anymore. If you can date a man, you should cherish every moment. Who cares about confidence or inferiority? Let me give you some advice; sometimes, you think too much. You’ve etched this idea of a huge gap between you and Ji Feng into your bones. The more you think, the more you confirm to yourself that you’re not worthy of him. And then, the straightforward Ji Feng doesn’t know what you’re thinking. He tries to do something for you based on his perspective, but no matter what he does, it seems like it’s confirming that you’re not good enough, like he minds your past marriage. Xu Miyu, you’re tormenting yourself with your lack of confidence; in reality, Ji Feng probably really likes you.”
Xu Miyu absorbed Li Qiaoqi’s words. She knew Li Qiaoqi was right.
She understood the logic, but the objective fact remained an objective fact—
“But no matter how confident or not I am, I really can’t match him. I’ve been divorced, I’m no longer a young girl, my family background is terrible, career, money, connections, living environment, everything is worlds apart from him.”
Li Qiaoqi shook her head, “So what if you’ve been divorced? It’s the modern age; why should divorce be a mark of inferiority? I think it’s just you who thinks that. Besides, are you dating Ji Feng’s conditions, or are you dating him as a person? If you’re dating his conditions, then you might have these concerns, but if you’re dating him, just love freely. Why overthink it?”
Looking at the woman in front of her who lived so transparently, Xu Miyu was somewhat stunned by Li Qiaoqi’s words. After digesting Li Qiaoqi’s words, she continued to express her troubles and doubts.
“Also, when he gives me expensive gifts, I unconsciously think that these things are proof of the huge gap between us. So, the more expensive the gift, the more upset I feel when I accept it.”
Rolling her eyes, Li Qiaoqi exclaimed, “My goodness, have your family brainwashed you into feeling inferior? Your thought process is wrong. The correct way to think is this: when a man gives you an expensive gift, it proves that in his heart, only the best things are worthy of you. If a man can clearly afford expensive gifts but only gives you cheap things, it doesn’t mean he’s practical or equal; it means you’re only worth that cheap thing to him. So when a man gives you an expensive gift, learn to accept it with confidence. Tell yourself that you deserve to be treated with such high regard!”
Listening to Li Qiaoqi was like opening a new window in her mind. Through this window, she seemed to see a new world.
It turns out the value of a gifted item is a reflection of her place in his heart, not an emphasis on the gap between them.
“So,” Li Qiaoqi knocked on the bar, signaling the waiter to bring them two new glasses of alcohol. She then handed one of the glasses to Xu Miyu, replacing the diluted whiskey with a fresh one. “Put away your inferiority complex and be more confident. As long as you maintain your kindness, resilience, and that exceptionally beautiful smile of yours, taking care of yourself while helping others around you, bringing joy to those close to you, then you are a capable and outstanding person.”
Li Qiaoqi took a sip of wine, cleared his throat, and continued, “In fact, bringing joy to those around you, Ji Feng is not as good as you. He only has money. Apart from money, he just looks down on people with a sour face, bringing pressure instead of joy. But you are different. You are considerate, caring about others’ feelings, with a healing smile. Your qualities are enough to make people around you feel relaxed and happy.” Changing the direction of the conversation, Li Qiaoqi smiled and raised her eyebrows, “You see, you have strengths compared to Ji Feng, and much stronger. You should make him feel inferior to you, make him worry occasionally about whether you will fall in love with someone more outstanding than him!”
Xu Miyu burst into laughter, genuinely laughing from the bottom of her heart for the first time since the breakup.
“Li Qiaoqi, you are really a master of controlling men, no wonder Xue Rui is devoted to you.”
Li Qiaoqi clinked glasses with her, and after drinking, her expression softened.
“I actually love Xue Rui a lot, but I won’t tell him. If I tell him, he won’t have the motivation to pursue me. Letting him be uncertain about whether I truly love him or not keeps him enthusiastic. He does everything in his power every day to make me unable to resist him.”
Listening attentively, Xu Miyu praised Li Qiaoqi sincerely, “So, your strategy to win Xue Rui is to let him pursue you? Wow, you’re really a legendary expert in the art of seduction!”
Li Qiaoqi patted her on the shoulder, “Well, you better take to heart the lessons of a seduction expert and be more confident. Nowadays, a woman’s sense of security relies on herself, not on a man. Once you achieve this, you can confidently and calmly date someone at Ji Feng’s level without feeling awkward about the gifts he gives you. You will realize that those things are just expressions of his love for you.”
Xu Miyu laughed and nodded, “You’re right. Women’s confidence and sense of security should indeed come from within. Don’t worry; I’ll work on it!” She clinked glasses with Li Qiaoqi.
Unbeknownst to them, they had already drunk several glasses of wine together. Xu Miyu felt like she was in a slightly tipsy state, where her senses and the world seemed separated by a thin veil. As she became slightly dulled, she also felt the urge to share her thoughts.
“Actually,” she leaned on the bar, chin resting on her hand, looking at Li Qiaoqi with a somewhat misty gaze, and poured out the words she had kept inside, “sometimes, I just want to hear him say to me, ‘I like you’ from the bottom of his heart. When he upsets me, I wish he could take the initiative to apologize and admit his mistake. After a cold war, I don’t want him to keep a cold face and wait for me to initiate reconciliation. It makes me feel like I’m not a woman worth comforting, and I wonder if a girl without a divorce history would be coaxed by him in such a situation. Does he always keep his distance because he thinks being with me is the result of compromising with himself, as I am an older divorced woman with fewer conditions?”
Li Qiaoqi also leaned forward, looking at Xu Miyu, and said, “What do you want? Just tell him directly. Let me tell you, men are stupid. If you don’t tell them what you want and expect them to figure it out, if they can’t understand, they may not love you. So, understand men’s emotional intelligence in love, silly girl.”
Xu Miyu pondered, “Is that so? Should I tell him directly what I want?”
Unfortunately, since they had already broken up, she didn’t have the chance now. Otherwise, she really wanted to try. If she directly told him what she wanted, would he become more proactive and not act so distant?
Unfortunately, now there was no chance.
After work, Ji Feng’s phone beeped with a notification. He immediately picked up his phone to see an urgent message from the ride-sharing app, notifying him that Xu Miyu had taken a taxi directly to “Night Encounter” after work.
He glanced at it calmly and put down the phone. But afterward, he uncontrollably entered a state of distraction: either spilling a water glass or messing up documents, or staring at a line of text without really comprehending it.
In the end, he had to compromise with his absent-mindedness. He looked up and asked Xue Rui, who was preparing to leave, “Do you have plans for tonight?”
Xue Rui couldn’t figure out what Ji Feng was up to, hesitatingly replied, “Should I say yes or no?”
Ji Feng gave him a disdainful look, “Are you performing a skit with me here?” After a pause, he said, “If there’s nothing, then accompany me for a drink at ‘Night Encounter’ tonight.”
“Uh… huh?”
To “Night Encounter.” Well, that was not a problem. This was just right on the way to meet his resentful lover.
When they arrived at “Night Encounter,” as soon as they entered, Xue Rui saw Xu Miyu and Li Qiaoqi sitting together at the bar, enjoying their drinks.
He knew that Ji Feng had also noticed. In fact, he suspected that Ji Feng had some special and mysterious channel that informed him in advance that Xu Miyu was already here.
He turned to Ji Feng and asked, “Boss, Miyu Sister is here. Should we go over and say hello?”
Ji Feng, with a cold face, looked at him, “If she’s here, do I have to go over and say hello? Can’t she drink hers, and I drink mine?”
“…” Xue Rui looked at Ji Feng’s feigned indifference and decided not to say anything more.
They found a private booth and sat down.
A man approached the bar, trying to strike up a conversation with Xu Miyu, inviting her for a drink or to dance. Xu Miyu gracefully declined each one, enjoying her solitude.
Xue Rui observed every time someone approached, Ji Feng’s eyes turned into sharp knives. Unfortunately, Ji Feng stubbornly refused to admit that he cared.
This made Xue Rui really want to insert another knife into this verbally inconsistent straight man, “Boss, look, Sister Miyu is quite popular. Many young ladies sitting at the bar with her are not as attractive as her. You should encourage some handsome guys to go over and make friends with Sister Miyu!”
Ji Feng raised his wine glass, took a sip, and when he put down the glass, he sneered, “What handsome guys? Just a bunch of unreliable perverts.”
Xue Rui almost suspected that Ji Feng had drunk vinegar instead of wine a moment ago. The acidity in the air was beyond normal levels.
They overheard the quarrel of a young couple at the adjacent booth.
The young man was excitedly telling the young girl, “Where’s the dress I bought for you? Why don’t you wear it? It’s so expensive. Why do you insist on wearing your cheap dress? My friends coming later are all influential. You need to dress better for them to take you seriously!”
Ji Feng commented, “The guy is not wrong with what he said.” Presentation matters. Expensive clothes can make a person appear sophisticated, creating a favorable impression from the first moment, preventing others from underestimating you in business or cooperation.
Xue Rui, on the side, said, “…”
The young girl, after hearing the man’s words, became angry. She questioned him, “Do you look down on me? Do you think I embarrass you by wearing my cheap dress? Is it only when I wear the expensive dress you bought that I’m worthy of you?”
Ji Feng frowned, “Escalating the situation, being overly dramatic.”
Xue Rui, on the side, said, “…”
Unfortunately, the girl’s words made the situation worse, and she angrily asked the man, “Do you think I’m not worthy of you unless I wear the expensive dress you bought? Is that the only way to prove my worth to you?”
Ji Feng raised an eyebrow, “Overgeneralizing, being overly emotional.”
Xue Rui, on the side, said, “…”
But just after Ji Feng sneered, he couldn’t help but think of the expensive dress and shoes he had once bought for Xu Miyu. She had mentioned that those were not what she wanted.
She also said that they seemed to constantly remind her that she couldn’t afford them herself, that she wasn’t worthy of such expensive clothes and shoes.
With this in mind, Ji Feng put down his glass. Suddenly, he wanted to listen attentively to the argument between the couple next door.
The young girl accused the young man loudly, “Clearly, it’s your subconscious feeling that I’m not good enough for you. Why else would you emphasize that your friends are distinguished? Why do I have to wear the dress you bought to save face? And you say I’m being melodramatic?”
The young man shouted back, “Wanting you to dress better doesn’t mean I think you’re not good enough for me. Is it not a matter of etiquette to dress nicely? If you go to a five-star hotel, they also require you to dress neatly to enter!”
The girl screamed, “You never consider me, don’t know what I want!”
The young man shouted even louder, “How should I consider you then?”
The girl said, “Considering me means you shouldn’t widen the gap between me and your friends. By doing that, you’re emphasizing that I’m not good enough for you, not good enough for all of you!”
The man was momentarily choked, and the girl took the opportunity to push him away, telling him, “Go find a woman who can chat with your distinguished friends while wearing your own dress. I’m not good enough for you!” Then, angrily and aggrieved, she ran away.
The young man stood there, furious enough to smash the glass. A server, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, promptly protected the property of their bar.
The young man, enraged, stomped his foot and said to the server, “Did you see that? Clearly, she’s unreasonable. I bought her nice clothes, and she’s still not happy. Isn’t that crazy?”
Ji Feng pondered on the side and said, “I think what he said isn’t entirely wrong.” He had completely empathized with the young man just now.
Xue Rui: “…”
After shaking his head, Xue Rui finally gave his own commentary, “This guy, either his brain is too shallow, or his emotional intelligence has fallen into a pit.”
Ji Feng turned his head, giving Xue Rui a cold stare.
Xue Rui said, “Oh,” “I forgot that you agree with him. But boss, I really didn’t mean to blame you.” I was clearly mocking you, Mr. Straightforward Ji.
Ji Feng coldly glared at Xue Rui, and Xue Rui, thinking that Ji Feng had figured out he was talking behind his back, almost confessed in guilt.
“Could it be that I misunderstood?” Ji Feng suddenly asked.
Xue Rui secretly sighed in relief.
“Well, of course, boss, you haven’t thought correctly about handling relationships between men and women.” Xue Rui directly criticized Ji Feng, but fearing he might lose his job after the criticism, quickly added, “But it’s understandable. After all, you’ve never been in a relationship.”
Ji Feng, this time, wasn’t unwilling. He even had a rare patience to seek advice from others.
“Then tell me, how did I think wrong?” Asking like this, he felt a bit unwilling. Wasn’t he directly admitting his mistake in front of his assistant? He changed his tone, “Or was it that guy just now, what did he do wrong?”
Xue Rui didn’t expose Ji Feng’s forced dignity restoration and continued with his words, “That guy just now was wrong in emphasizing the gap between him and the girl. The girl would feel insecure because of this gap. So, what the guy should do at this moment is to give the girl a sense of security, not increase the gap between them.”
Ji Feng listened thoughtfully.
“In fact, that guy should have said to the girl like this: I want to buy you these clothes not because they are expensive, but because they are only valuable when worn by you. Your original T-shirts are also good-looking, but for a friend’s gathering, it’s better to dress a bit more formally. Dressing etiquette is also a way of respecting others. Today, I bought you clothes. Later, you remember to buy me a T-shirt that you often like to wear. This way, I’ll have one more daily couple outfit with you.”
Ji Feng stared at Xue Rui without blinking. He felt stunned by this young man who was so articulate in discussing the skills of dealing with men and women.
“Boss, you see, it’s really simple to handle. Just remember, don’t unintentionally emphasize the sense of gap with women. Don’t say things like everything you see later is clothes you bought, and your own clothes are not good enough. Instead, give women a sense of security. Tell her that dressing a bit more formally is also a sign of respect, and that you’re willing to wear street vendor couple outfits with her. This way, women won’t think—Is the gap between me and my boyfriend and the circle around my boyfriend too big? Do people around my boyfriend think I’m not good enough for him?—These kinds of questions.”
Ji Feng listened and thought, feeling a bit enlightened.
After a while, he said to Xue Rui, “But I actually never thought there was a gap between her and me.”
Xue Rui said, “Thinking like that yourself isn’t enough. The key is to express how you think directly to Sister Miyu. Don’t try to let her understand it by herself. Believe me, boss, men and women think differently. What you think women can figure out on their own, as long as you don’t say it, they won’t understand or even think in the wrong direction. We men rely on actions, but women just want to hear you say it with your own mouth.”
Ji Feng, after listening to these words, raised his cup and clinked it with Xue Rui.
After finishing the drink, Xue Rui put down the cup and sighed, “Actually, Sister Miyu is a very easygoing woman, really. She’s much easier to handle than that enchantress Li Qiaoqi. She just hopes you can be more proactive, not always being aloof and distant, making her feel insecure…”
Ji Feng interrupted him, “I’m aloof? Distant?”
Xue Rui nodded, “Exactly.”
“When did I become like that?” Ji Feng disagreed.
“…” Xue Rui sighed, “You’ve always been like this, such as during your cold war. You want to be aloof, waiting for Sister Miyu to come to you; or when you broke up, you still want to stand there waiting for her to regret it. And you openly disdain the small and old apartment she rented… There are too many instances.”
Ji Feng frowned, pondering, immersed in self-reflection.
So, his actions and attitude were perceived as aloof and undermining others’ sense of security?
He took a sip of his drink.
After putting down the cup, he told Xue Rui, “I understand. Continue.”
Xue Rui continued from where he left off, “Also, Sister Miyu just wants to hear you say, in person, that you like her, don’t despise her, and don’t mind her past marriage. If you just say these words, she’ll be assured and won’t have irrational thoughts.”
At this point, Xue Rui paused and directly asked Ji Feng, “Boss, have you never said these words to Sister Miyu? Do you think saying them is too cheesy, believing that even if you don’t, she must already know?”
Ji Feng looked at Xue Rui and nodded.
Xue Rui slapped his thigh, “My boss, your mistake is right here!”
Ji Feng held the glass, making an unpleasant friction sound against the smooth glass wall.
He defended himself, “If she wanted to hear me say these words, couldn’t she just tell me directly?” Now he thought, as long as she told him, even if he found it cheesy, he would still say it to her.
“If she doesn’t make it clear, how would I know what she really wants?” Then she feels wronged, directly goes into a cold war, breaks up.
Xue Rui weakly argued, “Actually, Sister Miyu may not have said nothing… she did ask you before if you would like other women in the future, but you thought it was pseudoscience and didn’t answer properly…”
Ji Feng was momentarily silenced.
Xue Rui had explained this to him before, but he refused to yield at the time, unwilling to admit that his approach was too serious. Now, after being tortured by the breakup day by day, he couldn’t help but reflect on himself.
It seemed he had indeed done poorly. Talking about science in relationships only intensified her insecurity.
Unfortunately, he only now softened and recognized this fact.
After sighing heavily in his heart, he turned to look at the slender figure in front of the bar. His eyes were filled with unknowing deep affection and subtle infatuation.
He raised his head and finished the drink in his cup.
After the liquor went down, he suddenly turned his head back, glaring at Xue Rui, “Why didn’t you say these things earlier tonight? It’s your fault for being late in saying them, leading to our situation today!”
“…………”
Xue Rui wanted to just swallow the glass and end it all.
How could he have such an emotionally immature boss who loved to shift blame?
Xu Miyu and her team successfully planned and executed a global product launch event for a major corporation, achieving great success. Because of the event’s effectiveness, its impact far exceeded expectations.
The CEO of the major corporation, Lu Qiankun, was very satisfied with everything Xu Miyu and her team had done. After the event concluded successfully, he immediately expressed his intention to entrust all major events related to the company to Xu Miyu and her team for the next three years.
The planning manager of the company, Tian, was overjoyed by this unexpected windfall and promptly submitted a commendation request for Xu Miyu to Boss Ji Feng. Additionally, he submitted a promotion application, proposing to elevate Xu Miyu to his assistant and planning supervisor.
Ji Feng, looking at the commendation and promotion requests, couldn’t help but chuckle.
Xue Rui asked why he was laughing.
Ji Feng tapped his fingers on the two applications and said, “Look at this woman, so capable. She’s only been in the new department for a short time, and she’s already conquered it.”
Xue Rui nodded, “Indeed, Sister Miyu has some skills and charisma.”
Ji Feng signed his name in the approval space, saying sarcastically, “So, what does she have to feel inferior about?”
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