Аt night, Wu Mangmаng drеаmеd оf a large wоlfhоund relentlеssly chаsing hеr thrоugh thе fоrеst. Suddenly, it lеaped and pinned hеr dоwn, its sharр teеth trасing а cirсlе оn hеr lоwer аbdomen. Thеn shе felt hеrself wetting her рants from fright.
Тhe dreаm wаs sо tеrrifуing thаt Wu Мangmang аbruрtly sаt uр in bеd. Pushing аside hеr slеep mаsk, shе reаlized it was alrеady bright outsidе. Тhе urge tо urinate had bееn рressing оn hеr, whiсh likеlу triggеred thе nightmаre. Fоrtunatеly, her blаdder sрhinсtеr was hеаlthу аnd strong, holding the gаte at the criticаl moment and рreventing hеr from wеtting thе bed.
Аs soon as she went downstairs, Wu Mangmang caught the aroma of freshly baked bread wafting from the dining room. She took a deep breath—bread always smelled better than it tasted.
Lu Sui was already seated, elegantly cutting into a maple syrup pancake. On the dining table stood a Jun porcelain flower vase holding three blooming yellow peonies. They looked quite beautiful, though Wu Mangmang had no expertise in such matters and couldn’t identify the variety.
But even with her toes, she could guess they were probably the king of peonies. Otherwise, how could they match the expensive taste of the God of Wealth?
The maple syrup pancake was golden-brown on both sides, resting on a Yongle sweet white porcelain plate. It was drizzled with honey airlifted from New Zealand, accompanied by fruits like raspberries, strawberries, and rose grapes, all served in a famille rose grape-patterned bowl.
Lu Sui lightly tapped his finger, and Wu Mangmang saw C-3PO place a set of tableware opposite him.
Wu Mangmang silently took her seat, lowering her head to evenly spread a three-millimeter-thick layer of butter on the freshly toasted bread.
As she spread the butter, she glanced at Lu Sui’s expression across the table. He seemed to have returned to normal, but Wu Mangmang absolutely would not repeat her earlier mistake of inquiring about his health.
“I’ve already examined the vase. It’s been beautifully restored. The helicopter is arranged, and Miss Wu may leave at any time,” Lu Sui said, wiping his mouth with a napkin and placing it beside him, signaling the end of his meal.
By then, Wu Mangmang had finished her toast, concluding her breakfast. She had no particular fondness for Western-style breakfasts, preferring Chinese staples like fried dough sticks, soy milk, wontons, dan dan noodles, or tofu pudding. These could vary for days without repetition—fragrant, spicy, light, or rich.
The Wu family’s decades-long pretentious Western-style breakfasts had made her sick to her stomach.
“My luggage is already packed. If possible, I’d like to leave in the morning. I still have work to do at the museum,” Wu Mangmang said.
“Very well,” Lu Sui replied, standing up to make a phone call. Then, as Wu Mangmang was about to return to her room, he added, “Miss Wu, let’s talk.”
Wu Mangmang couldn’t read anything about the upcoming conversation from Lu Sui’s perpetually cool and handsome face. Recalling last night’s events, she couldn’t help feeling uneasy.
But since he had initiated it, she had no choice but to follow him to the side parlor, where a robot served tea.
Wu Mangmang reminded herself not to touch that cup. Even with a carpet underfoot, it wasn’t worth taking the risk.
Seated in a single armchair, Lu Sui began, “I apologize for what happened last night.”
Huh? Was he deliberately bringing up the very topic she wanted to avoid?
Wu Mangmang politely intended to wave her hand and say, “It’s fine,” but then she suddenly remembered—being forcibly licked on the navel was no different from having someone forcibly pick your nose. Neither could ever be considered “fine.”
So Wu Mangmang remained silent, maintaining an expression as cool and detached as Lu Sui’s."Yesterday, Miss Wu's concern for my well-being and her kind assistance in helping me back to my bedroom led me to mistakenly believe that she had ulterior motives towards me. My self-control weakened due to illness, so I offended Miss Wu. I hope you can understand."
How elegantly put! Tracing the cause and effect, it turned out that she was the one who had made him misunderstand.
Of course, for someone like Lu Sui—handsome and wealthy—who was accustomed to women having "ulterior motives," it was easy for narcissism to swell.
However, Wu Mangmang's large eyes were already sparking with flames. She didn’t mind correcting his misguided values—thinking that just because he had a bit of money, he was as universally adored as a handsome dollar bill?
"Mr. Lu is indeed mistaken. My assistance last night was merely out of humanitarianism and the sympathy of a normal person."
Wu Mangmang adjusted her sitting posture and continued, "Just now, Mr. Lu admitted in his words that there was an intentional element to last night’s events. I truly felt deeply offended and even suffered from nightmares throughout the night."
Who couldn’t put on airs and talk high and mighty? This lady had even played the role of Consort Hua.
After finishing, Wu Mangmang felt extremely pleased with herself, almost wanting to applaud. This kind of high-society demeanor with a Hong Kong-Taiwan accent was truly exhilarating.
Yet, instead of showing anger or embarrassment upon hearing this, a faint smile appeared on Lu Sui’s face.
"Regarding last night’s incident, I can offer compensation." Lu Sui picked up the checkbook from the side table, opened it, and glanced at Wu Mangmang as he prepared to write.
It seemed he was asking her what price would be appropriate.
If Wu Mangmang had a fiery temper, she should have jumped three feet high, thrown the check in Lu Sui’s face, and told him: Wealth cannot corrupt me. Don’t think that just because you have a bit of money, you can casually lick someone’s navel.
But what good would that do? It would only provide momentary satisfaction. The next second, it might provoke someone into a rage, which wouldn’t be ideal.
The island villa was filled with his people. Truly, calling to heaven would bring no help, and calling to earth would bring no response.
He could very well lock her up for eight or ten years.
Since childhood, watching TV dramas, Wu Mangmang had always been annoyed by such hot-headed fools who harmed both themselves and others. Although their spirit was admirable, their pitiful outcomes often made them seem hateful.
So Wu Mangmang took a deep breath and reminded herself that she was a sophisticated, modern, educated woman who could hold up half the sky.
She shouldn’t overpower others with her voice but crush them with her intelligence.
Since the other party had plenty of money and enjoyed using it to intimidate people, she saw no reason to turn it down. So Wu Mangmang raised an eyebrow provocatively and said, "Two hundred thousand shouldn’t be too little, right?"
Just for licking a navel—this was absolutely an exorbitant demand.
"Let’s make it two hundred and fifty thousand." Lu Sui lowered his head and began writing swiftly.
Wu Mangmang was stunned for a moment before taking the check from Lu Sui’s hand. Aside from Lu Sui’s flamboyant signature, there was the number with many more zeros than two hundred and fifty, yet it still carried an insulting undertone.
Wu Mangmang folded the check carefully and tucked it into her pants pocket, muttering to herself: Is he foolish and rich, which is why people nickname him the God of Wealth? Probably when Lu Sui was young, his nickname was the Money-Scattering Boy.
As if someone in the void shouted "Action," Wu Mangmang’s face switched to a seductive smile. "Sir, you’re so generous. A few more licks, and it’ll be enough for this servant’s redemption money."Wu Mangmang was furious that Lu Sui had treated her like a streetwalker. She could only mock herself in self-deprecation, yet her face still wore a bright smile as she leaned a little closer to him. "But I’m not very particular about personal hygiene. I never wash my belly button when I shower. I wonder what it tasted like when Mr. Lu licked it last night?"
As soon as the words left her mouth, she successfully saw Lu Sui frown. Wu Mangmang’s heart leaped with joy—serves you right for licking people so casually!
But Lu Sui’s self-restraint was truly impressive. Even under such circumstances, he showed no anger, only the faint smile at the corner of his mouth disappeared.
Wu Mangmang felt as though she had punched cotton, and she also thought that such verbal sparring was pointless. How old were they, still acting so childish? Besides, the advantage he had taken couldn’t be reclaimed anyway.
Moreover, when squeezing onto buses or subways, it was inevitable to be bumped in the chest by the elbows of elderly passengers. In the end, it wasn’t such a big deal.
Besides, she also had reservations about Lu Sui’s status.
Deciding to quit while she was ahead, Wu Mangmang straightened up and leaned back slightly.
"I’ve already apologized for my offense. Now, can we discuss the matter of you taking advantage of me?" Lu Sui also adjusted his posture, instantly switching from the aggressor to the victim’s perspective.
That sense of occupying the moral high ground could be read from his lazy yet arrogant demeanor.
Wu Mangmang suddenly remembered how she had squeezed his face into a pig’s snout, and she couldn’t help but want to laugh. However, she didn’t dare show it on her face and could only feign ignorance with a blank expression.
Lu Sui pressed a button on the remote control, and the surveillance footage from the previous night was projected onto the wall.
The video quality was undoubtedly high-definition, and the audio was CD-quality. Thus, Wu Mangmang’s singing of "Good baby, sleep tight, sleep and grow tall" flowed into the air of the side hall.
Lu Sui commented, "With your sense of rhythm, it’s better if you sing less in the future."
No one could be perfect. Wu Mangmang was slender and beautiful, and when speaking seriously, she even had a bit of the natural coquettishness and softness of Sister Zhiling. However, her sense of rhythm was indeed somewhat lacking, which was why she particularly enjoyed being a "mic hog."
How could she improve without practice, right?
Now that her sore spot had been abruptly stepped on by Lu Sui, Wu Mangmang didn’t even dare let out a peep.
After Lu Sui fast-forwarded the video, the phrase "Mommy’s good little boy" echoed in the air. Wu Mangmang shrank back, wishing she could become invisible.
She heard Lu Sui sneer, "How was I to know that my old man down there had the ability to find me such a little stepmother like you?"
One of the main reasons why Uncle Lu was so popular among young girls and married women was undoubtedly that both his parents had passed away, so there would be no noblewoman throwing a check at you to leave her son.
Wu Mangmang could only respond with an awkward "hehe" and pretend to be clueless.
Lu Sui’s expression suddenly darkened, his voice turning icy cold. "In all my years, no one has ever dared to take advantage of me like this."
It seemed Wu Mangmang had stepped into another one of Lu Sui’s minefields.
No one knew where another person’s hidden pain might lie, just as Wu Mangmang had never known that Lu Sui’s hidden pain would be Dong Keke’s miscarried child.
But did the God of Wealth Uncle have too many hidden pains?
Wu Mangmang lowered her head. "I’m sorry, I was just joking.""Miss Wu seems to enjoy making inappropriate jokes regardless of occasion or time?" Lu Sui mocked.
"Looks like the lesson from last time wasn't profound enough?"
How could it not be profound? But Wu Mangmang felt this situation was different from before and couldn't constitute any reputation damage crime. It wasn't a public occasion anyway. Unless Lu Sui voluntarily uploaded the video online, but that wouldn't be her problem—she wasn't the one spreading it.
Thinking this, Wu Mangmang couldn't help but lift her eyelids, "Are you going to send me another lawyer's letter?"
"I have more effective means than lawyer's letters," Lu Sui stated bluntly, watching Wu Mangmang with composure.
Wu Mangmang's temper was completely ignited.
She stood up angrily, "It's just a joke calling you 'good son'—what's the big deal? And you have to use your influence to pressure me. At most, I'll call you 'daddy' once, and we'll be even, okay?"
"Or should I call you 'grandpa'?" She shamelessly deployed this ultimate "thick-skinned" move.
For an "actress" like Wu Mangmang, this kind of thing really wasn't a big deal. Even if it felt awkward, she could just turn around and call a dog "mom" to vent her frustration.
She usually called her own Boss Wu "dad" anyway. As for Ms. Liu, she mostly addressed her as Ms. Liu—it wouldn't hurt them.
Seeing Lu Sui remain unmoved, Wu Mangmang decided to create a fait accompli first.
Her eyes immediately welled up with tears as she plopped down on the armrest beside Lu Sui, "Dad, I was wrong. Will you forgive your daughter this time?"
Lu Sui chuckled softly, "Good daughter, this is the first time I've seen someone so shameless."
He laughed—that was good.
Growing up really wasn't easy. There were too many concerns and considerations, no longer able to act as freely as before. The big tree that sheltered you from wind and rain in childhood had now become something you needed to care for.
In such circumstances, if you couldn't find ways to amuse yourself, you'd probably go crazy.
Wu Mangmang said, "You're Qingqing's uncle, the same generation as my dad. It's not like I'm losing out."
Her words carried hidden sarcasm—who couldn't tell she was mocking him?
A cold smile appeared at the corner of Lu Sui's mouth, carrying a clear sense of "hmm."
Wu Mangmang quickly added, "But you maintain yourself much better than my dad."
The roar of a helicopter sounded outside the window, and Wu Mangmang breathed a sigh of relief in her heart. She really had a sharp tongue that easily got her into trouble.
"You can leave now," Lu Sui said.
Wu Mangmang returned to her room to get her luggage. As Lu Sui saw her to the door, he suddenly spoke as if remembering something, "Oh, right. That check earlier was given by Lu Lin for me to pass to you and Dr. Xiao."
So it wasn't compensation money?
"I'm not someone foolish with money," Lu Sui said.
"Then you weren't sincerely apologizing either?" Wu Mangmang suddenly understood.
Lu Sui pressed his lips together without speaking, faint amusement sparkling in his eyes—clearly not believing Wu Mangmang had no ulterior motives toward him.
"You've even been pregnant with my child before. What misunderstandings could I possibly have?" Lu Sui retorted.
She really had dropped a rock on her own foot.
As Wu Mangmang reached the steps below, Lu Sui stood on the stairs above, leaning down to say before her, "If you don't want men to misunderstand, don't enter other people's rooms next time."
Wu Mangmang bit her lower lip tightly, venting her anger."Also, you should probably change your psychiatrist. I'm afraid you'll get too into character and next time you'll be acting out my mother breastfeeding me."
Wu Mangmang choked on her own saliva, coughing until tears welled up in her eyes.
OpenNovel