ATLAS TRANSLATES

He frowned.

Duan Aoxiang swung his wine glass casually and said to him, “Relax, we’re just getting started. No rush.”

Ji Feng shook his hand off in irritation and wanted to rush over again. But then he saw Xu Miuyu was already walking over to those gossipy loudmouth madams.

Xu Miuyu overheard what those women behind her were saying. This time she did not want to hide. Instead, she elegantly walked over with a glass of wine in hand, smiling as she said to them, “That’s right, I’m that divorced woman Ji Feng fancied. I really am quite lucky.” She laughed with elegance and confidence, even joking about herself, “As for why Ji Feng would take a fancy to me, it must be because I have some exceptional qualities. Oh right, my name isn’t ‘that woman’. I’m called Xu Miuyu. How may I address you ladies?” She was calm and composed. With just a few words, she had subtly taken control of the conversation.

Xu Miuyu was very satisfied with how she handled herself this time. She realized that when one was self-confident, one would truly stop caring about gossip and rumors behind one’s back. One would no longer feel insecure, inferior or gloomy because of them.

She examined herself—where did this self-confidence of hers stem from? She figured it likely originated from the sense of security Ji Feng gave her, as well as from how he made her believe in her own abilities—her work capabilities and her ability to captivate him.

Seeing how relaxed and natural Xu Miuyu was in her chatting and laughter, those madams panicked instead. They first apologized, saying they shouldn’t have been gossiping just now. Then they introduced themselves.

Feeling awkward about having just gossiped over Xu Miuyu earlier, the women were now eager to help her network with others. They busily introduced her to newcomers: This is Madame So-and-so, her husband does such-and-such…

And so, Xu Miuyu gradually blended in with these women of no particular standing yet not completely horrible either.

After chatting with the madams for a while, Xu Miuyu went over to the career women circle. Seeing her emerge from the madams’ side, some career women felt that she must be like them—brought in by a man. So they were rather aloof and cold towards her.

In the past, when faced with such prickly characters, Xu Miuyu would feel very awkward, already telling herself to back off instead of forcing her way in to be a nuisance.

But now, she didn’t feel awkward at all. She confidently and openly discussed workplace matters with the career women, proving she wasn’t just some hanger-on brought in by a man. The career women gradually dropped their aloof attitude and started enthusiastically chatting with her.

Xu Miuyu directed the conversation towards her expertise, telling them: “By the way, Luo Shi Jewelry will be having their new season showcase at our hotel soon. I’m in charge of it. Since a lot of people want to attend but space is limited with the entrance passes, if any of you are interested, I can try to help reserve tickets.”

Immediately someone expressed excitement about wanting a ticket. Changing her previous cold attitude, she became eager and sincerely thanked Xu Miuyu.

For those who were late in indicating interest, Xu Miuyu said she couldn’t guarantee availability. They became disappointed. Xu Miuyu then told them, “But our hotel will keep having all kinds of events and fashion shows afterwards, with luxury handbags, jewelry and clothes too. If you’re interested in any, I can also try to help reserve tickets.”

They crowded around Xu Miuyu, actively exchanging name cards and contact details with her.

Xu Miuyu smiled as she interacted with them one by one.

No longer insignificant in the crowd, she shone like the center of attention, exuding confidence and grace.

Not far away, Ji Feng and Duan Aoxiang watched her.

Duan Aoxiang nudged Ji Feng with his elbow. “Not bad, your woman.” He turned to Ji Feng, “To be honest, I’m starting to like her a bit.”

Ji Feng immediately glared furiously at him.

Duan Aoxiang laughed at him. Then he added, “But I like you more.”

Ji Feng was rendered speechless.

He wished the world could give him a pair of ears that hadn’t heard that nauseating line just now.

After holding it in for a long time, he finally couldn’t stand it anymore and glared at Duan Aoxiang. He even cursed, “F*ck, piss off!”

Epilogue

Not long after Xu Miuyu and Ji Feng got back together, Xue Rui also brought them joyous news.

“Sis Miuyu! I’ve finally captured your bestie’s heart!”

When Xue Rui passed this news to Xu Miuyu, he was so emotional that snot and tears covered his face.

“That sly vixen tortured me until I was sick with lovesickness before finally agreeing to—”

Ji Feng couldn’t help interrupting, “Marry you?”

Xue Rui: “Be my girlfriend!”

Xu Miuyu thought inwardly: scoff.

“Scoff.” Ji Feng directly voiced her thought. His tone oozed contempt.

Xue Rui was indignant. “What do you mean, Boss? Don’t just mock me! Have you forgotten what great pains you went through chasing after Sis Miuyu? We’re on the same starting line now. You have a girlfriend and so do I. Neither of us are married. What are you scorning me for?”

Ji Feng was actually rendered speechless for once, unable to retort back. He resentfully thought to himself: Fine! Then I’ll get married first and make you eat your words out of sheer envy.

Once this idea crystallized in his mind, he was shocked to discover not only was he not averse to it, he actually looked very forward to it. From then on, whenever he gazed at Xu Miuyu, there would be an extra hint of intention in his eyes—he had to make this woman his wife.

At that investment salon event, Duan Aoxiang hit it off with many strategic partners. Shortly after, their first cooperative buyout target was none other than Changyang Travel Agency.

After Changyang Travel was acquired, management was promptly overhauled. The former President Hu Tu and Vice President Nie Yuchen were let go. The new president and vice president appointed were trusted confidantes of the investors themselves.

Having sold his shares, Hu Tu at least had some money left. But Nie Yuchen was worse off. Without any shares in Changyang Travel, when the company was sold, he didn’t get a single cent. On top of that, he was kicked out by the new boss.

Unemployed in his middle age, it became very difficult to find a new job. Good jobs didn’t want him while he didn’t want bad jobs either. He idled at home, living off his savings until he could no longer even afford to hire a high-salary nanny. His child used to have a nanny caring for him but now had to be looked after by Lu Zhenzhen herself, who complained incessantly everyday. When Nie Yuchen’s mother came to help with household chores, she also fought fiercely with Lu Zhenzhen daily.

After having enough, Lu Zhenzhen demanded divorce so she could split Nie Yuchen’s property. His furious mother locked her in a room and screamed at her until she was covered in spit.

Unable to tolerate this family environment anymore, Nie Yuchen fled with his luggage to a neighboring city where he found a job and rented a place to stay. Soon, he started cohabiting with another woman there. When Lu Zhenzhen went to cause trouble, it was very humiliating for both, yet she stubbornly refused to divorce him. She didn’t want to make things easy for the mistress and Nie Yuchen.

It was the mistress who later reminded Nie Yuchen—she said to him that his ex-wife was married to him for six years without getting pregnant. How did Lu Zhenzhen conveniently get pregnant so quickly when they were briefly together? She and Nie Yuchen didn’t do it much and never took precautions, yet she never got pregnant.

Inspired by this, Nie Yuchen secretly took some hair from his child to run a DNA test. The result almost drove him insane. The child was indeed not his.

He couldn’t accept this outcome. He felt that if not for this child, he wouldn’t have ended up divorcing Xu Miuyu. He also wouldn’t have had to marry Lu Zhenzhen after the divorce.

This time it was his turn to firmly ask for a divorce. Lu Zhenzhen still insisted on dividing his house, otherwise she would refuse to divorce. The two finally ended up in court, making themselves look very bad.

In the courtroom, Nie Yucheng scolded Lu Zhenzhen for being unclean, and let her be a cuckold to raise someone else’s child; Lu Zhenzhen talked about Nie Yucheng’s affair within the marriage to ask for more property distribution. The two fought fiercely.

When Li Qiaoqi told Xu Miyu about these things, she couldn’t help sighing, “Nie Yucheng and that Lu, they really are like dogs biting each other with their mouths full of fur. A man like Nie Yucheng, the failure in his life lies in not being strong and decisive enough, whenever there’s a problem he wants to escape. He felt your original family was difficult to deal with, so he escaped by finding that Lu, and later felt that Lu and his mother were too much for him to bear, so he escaped again to find a mistress in the neighboring city.” She shook her head, “Some people are destined to be unhappy due to their personality. Let’s wait and see, he still has a lot to bite with Lu Zhenzhen.”

Xu Miyu only smiled when she heard it, too lazy to even comment.

To her, those people and things were already in the past.

Ever since Xu Miyu escaped from her family that time, her family members were sentenced for illegal detention, and they would not be able to bother her again in the short term.

Ji Feng did not tell Xu Miyu that afterwards, he privately contacted her parents through a lawyer. He warned Qiao Xuemei: “Xu Miyu will be my woman for the rest of her life. Until I die, none of you should think about bullying her again. I have a bad temper and no patience, I’m ruthless, and if you want to make trouble to bully her again, I will be 10 times more ruthless than now in dealing with you properly and legally, especially your precious son Xu Mibao.”

Qiao Xiumei knew that Ji Feng was not the same as Nie Yucheng. Nie Yucheng was easy to manipulate and did not dare to make threats or take ruthless actions. But Ji Feng dared to make threats and take ruthless actions. They did not dare to treat Ji Feng the way they treated Nie Yucheng. For the sake of her precious son Xu Mibao’s safety, they had no choice but to honestly promise that even if they went home after getting out of jail, they would definitely not dare to harass Xu Miyu again.

Ji Feng was very satisfied with this reply. From now on, he would protect the woman who held his heart, and completely free her from the shadow of her family of origin.

Of all the things that happened, the most comforting was that Ji Lan, after realizing the harm she had caused Ji Feng in his childhood, finally decided to divorce Ji Shengming, the perpetrator of it all.

When she realized that Ji Feng had insomnia every rainy night because she had forced him as a child to go looking for his father in the damp rain, she felt extremely pained and guilty. She began to reflect on her failure and incompetence as a mother, and made the painful decision to divorce Ji Shengming.

After the divorce, she discovered that life was not as bad as she had imagined. She was not taking advantage of Ji Shengming and his mistress. She was merely liberating herself.

And after going through a divorce herself, she was no longer picky about Xu Miyu being a divorcee. She finally understood—a woman who Ji Feng likes so much, a woman who can heal the wounds of his childhood, must be the most suitable for him.

So at their first meeting, she directly gave her heirloom bangle to Xu Miyu, prematurely acknowledging her as the daughter-in-law.

[Finale]

Xu Miyu already had some reputation and fame in the industry. It was indisputable that she had a very capable boyfriend, but to her, this was not something she needed to avoid, because she believed in her own abilities.

She had earned herself a very good reputation in the industry with her work, and in everything she did, she was always able to start from the most humane perspective, allowing people to feel sincere emotions.

She was also happy to help women in various difficulties. She helped girls from families in need to go to school, helped divorced older women train and find jobs in hotels, and helped housewives who had suffered family misfortunes become independent and re-enter society to rebuild their confidence.

She herself had gone from being a submissive 30-year-old divorcee who lacked self-confidence, to now a career woman who could hold her head high with confidence and brilliance in the workplace. She thought she should be grateful to the mentors and loved ones in her life, Ji Feng, for this change.

So now, she was also willing to become a mentor to women in similar situations, to help them and encourage them to stand up again with confidence, and live wonderful and brand new lives independently.

Outsiders all said that Xu Miyu had something going for her – a divorced older woman who could have Ji Feng so crazily in love with her.

When Xu Miyu heard such words again, she would just smile. She no longer took such words to heart.

But Ji Feng would yell back at those people, as if wanting the whole world to know:

“Yes, I am utterly obsessed by this woman Xu Miyu, so what? What does it have to do with whether or not she has been divorced? What era is this that people still keep harping on about divorce to judge others, isn’t that low?”

Xu Miyu felt that Ji Feng at this moment was so dazzlingly handsome.

Before she knew it, her birthday came around again.

It was still the same group of people who met at the “Night Encounter” bar to celebrate her birthday. After finding out that she was with Ji Feng, they all said, “I knew it, I could tell when I saw you two last time that you were not just ordinary colleagues, I knew there was something between you two!”

After finding out Ji Feng was Xu Miyu’s boss, they cried out in surprise, “Oh my god, we actually have such a big boss sitting among us! I now feel like I have become royalty by association!”

Amidst their cries, Ji Feng desperately tried to dodge their slaps on his shoulders. When he really couldn’t dodge them, he just laughed and endured it.

Everyone happily drank together. When they were all slightly tipsy, Ji Feng asked them to quiet down.

Then Xu Miyu received a bouquet of fiery red roses, a ring set with a huge diamond, and a Ji Feng looking at her affectionately.

Ji Feng held up the ring and gazed into her eyes and into her heart. He did not care whether there were people around them, she was all he saw. He looked at her and said:

“I’ve never said mushy words in my life, but I’m going to say them to you now.

Xu Miyu, today I want to tell you, from the day I decided to be with you, I have never cared whether you were divorced or not. So what if you were divorced? Your divorce made you who you are today. All the tracks of your past life led to the current you I love.

So I actually really want to thank your past for bringing such a you into my life.

I also want to thank you for changing me, and for helping to heal the hidden pains from my family. And you turned me from someone who was always condescending, full of contempt and ridicule, always finding faults in others, into a man who cares, who has empathy, who dares to make commitments and provide a sense of security. You made me become a real man.

Now I want to promise you this – in the days to come, I will give you happiness and faithfulness, so please marry me, okay?”

Xu Miyu, upon hearing these words which were not particularly mushy and could even be considered quite plain, cried streams of tears. He had been a man who was unwilling to give pseudo-scientific sweet words, even refusing to make conjectures on what five years later would be like. But now he had promised her his entire future.

Tears were still clinging onto her eyelashes, but she smiled brilliantly with tears in her eyes, and nodded heavily at the man before her, saying – Okay, then I’ll marry you.

Ji Feng was extremely delighted. His fingertips trembled slightly as he put the ring on her ring finger, and passionately kissed her.

There were deafening cheers all around them, but at this moment, the two of them only had each other in their hearts and eyes.

Next to the bouquet of red roses Ji Feng gave Xu Miyu, stood a card.

On it was handwritten by Ji Feng:

Miyu, thank you for appearing in my life;

The first half of my life belongs to myself, the second half belongs to you.

I love you – this is something I will insist on doing for the rest of my life, every day without stopping, every day persisting.