Wu Маngmаng glаnced dоwn аt hеrsеlf. Shе was wearing а littlе red dress thаt evening, with thе hеm аbоvе hеr knees. Whеn she twirled, it was easy fоr sоmething tо show, аnd shе hаdn’t wоrn safеtу shоrts—whаt а disastеr.
Lu Lin, on the othеr hаnd, was drеssed in trousers, сlearlу the "toр" tуре.
Wu Маngmаng felt that if shе wеre еvеr tо swing that wаy, shе wоuldn’t want to bе thе bottоm.
But then agаin, maybe wоmеn didn’t nеed tо distinguish between tорs аnd bottоms.
Nоw, shе wаs bеing fоrcеd intо this situatiоn—like а duck driven оnto а реrch—whеthеr shе likеd it or not.
Wu Mаngmang had no choiсe but to stand uр. The sаmba musiс wаs full of rhуthm and energy, irresistibly tempting people to sway. At the dining table, Du Yijun and Lu Qingqing had already started wiggling their hips in their chairs.
Seeing Wu Mangmang’s somewhat stiff demeanor, Lu Lin took the lead, striking a pose to start the dance and guiding Wu Mangmang slowly.
Wu Mangmang was so embarrassed she didn’t know what to do, but after a few rounds, she realized Lu Lin was an excellent dance partner, carefully accommodating her movements and steps.
Once she started dancing, the old feeling quickly returned.
Wu Mangmang tried her best to rise slightly on her toes, lifting the heels of her high heels off the grass. With every turn, she had to focus on pressing down her skirt hem.
She managed to turn a passionate and unrestrained samba into a shy and reserved "let’s go."
Ning Zheng was the first man to cross his legs when he saw Wu Mangmang and Lu Lin swaying their hips side by side, moving in sync.
It was said that in the eyes of men, women in red dresses were the most attractive. Red symbolized passion and boldness, capturing attention effortlessly.
Wu Mangmang’s red chiffon dress, as she twirled, resembled a red diamond, refracting dazzling light from every angle. Yet within that brilliance lay a hint of shy restraint, like the snow-white, sweet, and juicy flesh inside a red lychee shell.
"You’re something else, keeping your hand on your skirt the whole time. That dance was downright seductive," Lu Qingqing said, approaching Wu Mangmang before she even returned to her seat. "Who are you trying to seduce, you little minx?" Lu Qingqing pinched the flesh at Wu Mangmang’s waist.
Wu Mangmang hadn’t even caught her breath yet. With that pinch, she gasped sharply, her voice soft and alluring, sounding almost like a complaint from being thrust too deeply in bed.
Wu Mangmang quickly grabbed Lu Qingqing’s hand. "It’s not like that. I didn’t wear safety shorts today, so I was just afraid of showing something."
Even though she spoke in a low voice, those sitting nearby could still hear—for instance, Jiang Baoliang looked up at Wu Mangmang at that moment.
Under the starry sky, even a casual remark, if listened to with intent, could carry another meaning.
It was all the fault of the stars.
Meanwhile, Lu Sui, sitting beside Jiang Baoliang, seemed to let the words go in one ear and out the other, showing no reaction.
After Lu Qingqing and Wu Mangmang took their seats, Lu Qingqing leaned close to Wu Mangmang’s ear. "Does Lawyer Jiang have a thing for you? I saw him watching you earlier. When you were dancing, his eyes never left you."
Wu Mangmang replied, "Lawyers are experts at shifting blame and hiding assets. Marry one, and you might end up with nothing."
Lu Qingqing nodded. "That’s true. You can’t beat them in a fight, and you can’t out-argue them. Thinking about it, it really doesn’t seem like a life worth living."
Wu Mangmang glanced at Lawyer Jiang’s belly and said leisurely, "I think I could take him in a fight."A soft chuckle came from the diagonal opposite. Wu Mangmang turned to look, half-suspecting she had misheard or seen wrong. Lu Sui’s timing was just too coincidental. Yet from such a distance, she didn’t think he could have overheard their earlier conversation.
So what was he laughing at?
Looking beside him, only Jiang Baoliang was seated there. Neither of them seemed particularly humorous.
Lu Sui’s gaze shifted back toward her. Wu Mangmang met his eyes for a moment before quickly looking away, her heart pounding. She felt his stare was far too sharp.
By then, Jiang Baoliang had already risen and walked over to Wu Mangmang. He bowed slightly and made a gesture of invitation. “Miss Wu, may I have this dance?”
On such a lovely evening, refusal was clearly not an appropriate choice. Wu Mangmang smiled and stood, placing her hand in Jiang Baoliang’s palm.
“I must have left a rather poor impression on you when we first met, didn’t I?”
Jiang Baoliang lightly rested his hand on Wu Mangmang’s waist—a gesture that undoubtedly earned him a touch of goodwill from her.
“Just call me Mangmang,” she said with a laugh. “You were quite intimidating the first time, Mr. Jiang. You startled me, but it wasn’t a bad impression.”
Ms. Liu had taught Wu Mangmang a life philosophy: never get on the bad side of a lawyer. Who knew when you might need their services?
Jiang Baoliang took the opportunity and called her “Mangmang.” “Regardless, I’d still like to salvage a bit of my image in your eyes. Of course, I had no idea you were such a lovely girl. If you ever need my help in the future, I can offer you a fifty percent discount.”
Fifty percent?! Wu Mangmang’s eyes widened. For someone like Jiang Baoliang, who was considered decent if he didn’t raise his rates, this was practically a fire sale.
Wu Mangmang couldn’t help but laugh sincerely, her eyes curving like the mischievous crescent moon hanging in the sky. “Thank you so much, but I’d rather never have to use that favor.”
Jiang Baoliang chuckled.
The two chatted back and forth until the song ended, both seeming reluctant to stop.
“Didn’t you say you weren’t interested in lawyers?” Lu Qingqing asked discontentedly when Wu Mangmang returned. “Look at that belly of his. Whether it’s from the front or behind, even if he’s eighteen centimeters long, with that belly in the way, he’d probably just be hovering at the entrance.”
Though Wu Mangmang privately agreed, putting on airs was part of being a lady. She could only reply, “Have you tested that theory?”
Lu Qingqing made no effort to hide her flirtatious nature. “He’d crush the breath out of you. That belly would take up all the space in your lungs.”
Even though it was already evening, Wu Mangmang wasn’t used to discussing such late-night topics outside of the internet and quickly changed the subject.
The details of the Weibo post she had sent at dusk had already been analyzed by others.
The bloodline of the pure white horse in the background had been guessed with reasonable accuracy. Some particularly resourceful individuals had even deduced the horse’s owner from its lineage.
In this city, only a handful of people could afford, maintain, and had the inclination to raise such a horse.
Wu Mangmang’s “rich, beautiful white girl” identity was once again confirmed.
A few of her usual detractors, who often accused her of buying counterfeit goods on Weibo, resurfaced, claiming she had bleached the horse.
Lu Qingqing scolded Wu Mangmang, calling her a “scheming bitch,” but then began tirelessly defending her online.The dinner party finally came to an end. The gentlemen moved to the bar area for a drink, while the ladies had multiple entertainment options to choose from, though most also opted to join the bar for a drink.
Wu Mangmang was exhausted to the point of collapse and headed straight upstairs to rest.
Lu Qingqing pulled Wu Mangmang back in dissatisfaction. "Why go to bed so early? Look at them..." Lu Qingqing pointed toward the people at the bar. "They’re all interested in you, you..."
These gentlemen were of good quality, with competitive backgrounds. Wu Mangmang understood what Lu Qingqing meant, but she just replied lazily, "It’s not necessarily a good thing."
"Enough already?" Lu Qingqing gave Wu Mangmang a light tap. "Stop pretending after getting all the advantages. You’ve charmed the whole world, how hypocritical."
It really wasn’t hypocrisy.
Being widely adored by men was undoubtedly the highest form of praise for a woman, but being pursued by most of the men she knew wasn’t necessarily a good thing.
Men were very pragmatic creatures. Before pursuing a woman, they usually assessed how difficult she would be to win over.
If she was too difficult, she became a goddess—admirable from afar but not to be touched. They wouldn’t take the initiative, only silently holding onto their admiration.
Only women who were easy to win over, or those who required just a little effort, would men bother to pursue.
Wu Mangmang understood this distinction all too well. In the eyes of Ning Zheng, Shen Ting, and even Jiang Baoliang, she was the kind of vain girl who would eagerly throw herself at them with just a wave of their hand, which was why they felt so free to flirt with her casually.
True affection wasn’t like this.
For example, Wu Mangmang noticed that Jiang Baoliang had glanced at Shěn Yuànzǐ no less than ten times throughout the evening, yet he hadn’t dared to pursue her further.
Mature men could sometimes be such dogs.
Wu Mangmang began to reminisce about her first relationship in college—that male classmate who would blush at the sight of her. If only her illness hadn’t scared him away.
Looking back now, those days were truly innocent.
Going to bed early meant waking up early. Last night, Wu Mangmang had ignored Lu Qingqing’s various complaints, firmly refusing to sacrifice her beauty sleep for a few men.
Now, with dew still clinging to the blades of grass and the first rays of sunlight just appearing on the horizon, Wu Mangmang walked to the wooden terrace by the first-floor swimming pool, ready to begin her spiritual yoga meditation.
However, just as Wu Mangmang was spreading out her yoga mat, she happened to glance up and saw a person on the second-floor balcony. With a flying fish-like parabolic dive, they leaped directly from the second floor into the swimming pool.
Wu Mangmang hadn’t expected anyone else to be up as early as she was.
But during morning exercise, it was best not to disturb each other. Wu Mangmang shifted her gaze back and began her meditation.
Half an hour later, as Wu Mangmang changed positions to start her Sun Salutation, she noticed the person in the pool climbing out of the water.
Given this person’s previous unusual fondness for her navel, Wu Mangmang couldn’t help but pay tribute to his in return.
Her own navel seemed round, but Lu Sui’s resembled a narrow, elongated eye. It was true—people often cherished what they didn’t have.
Lu Sui’s skin tone wasn’t fair, but it wasn’t the sun-tanned bronze kind either. It was a natural, wheat-like shade.Above the navel were the six-pack abs that signified sex appeal and core strength, while below lay the coveted Adonis belt that countless people clamored to possess.
His physique was truly impressive!
At his age, maintaining such a figure must require considerable time and effort, Wu Mangmang thought to herself.
Staring at a man’s waist and abdomen for too long seemed to carry an ambiguous implication. Wu Mangmang promptly lifted her gaze, only to meet Lu Sui’s eyes.
She nodded politely, realizing that since arriving at Lu Sui’s villa, they hadn’t exchanged a single word. Lu Sui treated her as if she were merely a passerby.
As for what happened on his island last time, she figured it must have been a momentary lapse during his illness.
Lu Sui nodded casually in return, picked up the towel draped over the armrest of the chair, and began drying his hair.
Wu Mangmang wanted to look away, but a woman’s admiration for strength was akin to a man’s fondness for gentleness—given the chance, she couldn’t help but steal another glance.
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