Норing fоr a sucсеssful blind dаtе, Wu Мangmang had gоnе to get hеr hair stylеd bеаutifullу thаt mоrning. She tried оn four or five outfits in front of thе mirrоr befоre finаllу sеttling оn a nаvу bluе оff-shоulder lоng sweater раired with а gray short skirt, rеvealing just а hint of graу hеmlinе. Shе соmрleted thе lоok with knее-lеngth blaсk suedе lеather bооts and grаy over-thе-knee soсks.
Тhоugh it seеmed a bit toо уоuthful, it did makе hеr lеgs аррeаr lоnger. Wu Мangmаng added а graу рlаid woоlеn shаwl, whiсh brought out an аcademic, quiet еlegancе—making her lоok еvеry bit thе good girl.
Having heard that the other party was somewhat older, Wu Mangmang had actually struggled for a long time between a mature and a youthful style. In the end, she decided to win with youthfulness—older men often prefer young girls, trying to grasp the shadow of youth, after all.
The blind date was set at Jungle Garden, which, as the name suggests, was a place that valued privacy. Under the dim greenish lighting, everyone was hidden in the shadows of the trees. Wu Mangmang frowned slightly. For a first meeting, she actually preferred brighter places, as they made it easier to observe the other person.
The waiter led Wu Mangmang to table eight, where the other party had already arrived, sitting with his back to her. Wu Mangmang walked over softly and tentatively called out, "Mr. Lu?"
This blind date had come about in a rather roundabout way—Ms. Liu had asked a friend, who then asked another friend for the connection. All she knew was that he was surnamed Lu, came from a good family with a respectable background, had a decent job, and had a simple family structure. The only downside was that he was a bit older, in his thirties.
Ms. Liu expressed no concern at all, saying that older men knew how to cherish their partners.
Wu Mangmang hadn’t seen a photo of him. The matchmaker had acted as if introducing him was a blessing she had earned over eight lifetimes, so neither Ms. Liu nor Wu Mangmang dared to insist.
However, the matchmaker’s status and reputation were reliable, so this Mr. Lu was likely not a bad catch.
When Lu Sui turned around, Wu Mangmang nearly stumbled. "You’re actually going on blind dates too?"
Wu Mangmang looked as if she had been struck by lightning.
Lu Sui smiled and gestured for her to sit. "I’m getting old, practically a grandfather now. I need to find a companion to see me off, don’t I?"
Wu Mangmang felt utterly deflated. If she were to date Lu Sui, wouldn’t that make her a grandmother too?
"You still look very young, just with a higher seniority. If I really had a son, you’d practically be a grandfather," Wu Mangmang said as she sat down.
She thought to herself that there were actually quite a few women her age who already had children.
"Shall we have dinner here, or would you prefer to go somewhere else?" Lu Sui directly skipped over Wu Mangmang’s topic.
Wu Mangmang blinked repeatedly. It was still afternoon tea time, after all. "Let’s skip dinner, shall we?" Wu Mangmang felt that she and Lu Sui were, after all, somewhat acquainted. Being set up on a blind date with him felt rather absurd and laughable.
Better to say goodbye quickly and go their separate ways.
Seeing Lu Sui raise an eyebrow, Wu Mangmang quickly clarified, "I didn’t know it was you I was meeting today." There were so many people surnamed Lu, and so many surnamed Lu—even with her wild imagination, she could never have guessed it would be Lu Sui.
Lu Sui glanced at Wu Mangmang.
Wu Mangmang immediately leaned forward, squinting her eyes. "Did you know the blind date was with me?"
Wu Mangmang’s photo wasn’t as valuable as Lu Sui’s—it had long been sent to the matchmaker."I wouldn't come to a blind date without knowing who the other person is," Lu Sui said calmly.
Wu Mangmang felt a surge of pride at first, but then she sensed something more in his words—as if he were implying she was so low that she'd agree to meet anyone. "I don't just meet anyone either," Wu Mangmang smiled like a fox, effortlessly slipping into flirtatious banter.
Resting her elbow on the table and propping her chin on her hand, she said, "Mr. Lu's conditions are quite impressive."
"No in-laws to serve, no burdensome children to raise, handsome, successful in career—though a bit older, my mom says older men know how to cherish people," Wu Mangmang added with a grin.
"You keep bringing up my age—subconsciously, do you think youth is the only thing you have to match me?" Lu Sui remarked.
Wu Mangmang straightened up and leaned back, unwilling to admit she was seeking superiority in her youth. "Youth is indeed a precious asset, but aren't experience and wisdom just as valuable?"
With one sentence, Lu Sui laid bare Wu Mangmang's hidden insecurities, making her feel narrow-minded and inferior in his presence. She truly didn't want to be friends with someone like him.
Fortunately, Lu Sui had already raised his hand to signal for the bill.
Seizing the opportunity, Wu Mangmang quickly took out her phone and typed a line into her close friends' group chat: "Guess who my blind date is today?!!!" followed by a string of shocked emojis.
As expected, the group flooded with question marks: Who? Who?
Satisfied, Wu Mangmang curled her lips, enjoying over a dozen "who" messages before preparing to reveal the answer.
But then, Lu Sui's slightly chilly voice came from above: "Don't use your phone in front of me from now on."
Wu Mangmang, being somewhat timid, quickly put her phone away at his words, leaving a group of women desperate for answers.
"Let's go."
At Lu Sui's command, Wu Mangmang hurriedly stood up, inwardly breathing a huge sigh of relief.
When they reached the elevator, she saw Lu Sui press the upward arrow and tensed again—were they really going to eat?
Wu Mangmang felt irritated. Being around someone important was stifling, especially when that person wasn't particularly approachable. She wanted to breathe freely.
"Mr. Lu, I don't eat dinner—I'm on a diet," Wu Mangmang tried to assert her freedom.
"Then watch me eat," Lu Sui glanced sideways at her.
What?!
In shock, Wu Mangmang followed Lu Sui into the elevator.
She didn't quite understand her own psychology—she was unwilling, yet she couldn't help but follow him into the elevator, feeling powerless to resist.
The helicopter waiting on the rooftop took Wu Mangmang to Lu Sui's private island.
It was only halfway there that she realized she had boarded a pirate ship, losing all personal freedom from then on.
Once on the island, without Lu Sui's permission, she couldn't leave at all.
Standing outside Lu Sui's villa, Wu Mangmang refused to move, feeling as if she were entering a prison.
Lu Sui turned back and waited for her for half a second before walking over and taking her hand.Wu Mangmang was stunned by this lightning-fast pace of progress. Her other hand instinctively covered her lower abdomen, fearing that the transformed Lu Sui might devour her tonight.
She hoped the rule that animals were not allowed to become spirits after the founding of the nation would also apply to Lu Sui.
After entering the villa, Lu Sui took off his coat and handed it to C-3PO, then very gentlemanly helped Wu Mangmang remove her shawl.
"Mr. Lu, we..." Wu Mangmang's tone carried a pitiful sense of trepidation. Now that she was in someone else's territory, she had no choice but to behave.
"Just call me Lu Sui. On certain special occasions, you can also call me uncle."
Wu Mangmang's heart skipped several beats. As she had suspected, Lu Sui was indeed interested in her.
"I'll go cook. Feel free to look around." Lu Sui handed the remote control to Wu Mangmang and mentioned that the internet signal had been unlocked. "Don't take photos."
Wu Mangmang obediently nodded and sat on the sofa.
With a signal, Wu Mangmang could ignore the whole world.
WeChat was nearly exploding, especially from Lu Qingqing, who sent a message every minute asking who the blind date was.
At this moment, Wu Mangmang had long lost the cool feeling of "meeting Lu Sui on a blind date is like seeing Jay Chou while eating."
So, Wu Mangmang ignored those WeChat messages. After scrolling through Weibo and finding no trending topics, and with mobile games holding no appeal, she stood up and wandered around.
When she reached the kitchen and dining area, Wu Mangmang saw Lu Sui, who had rolled up his shirt sleeves and was swiftly chopping vegetables. Her face immediately showed an expression of utter astonishment.
Lu Sui could actually cook?!
And he was so skilled at chopping?!
Wu Mangmang felt a bit dizzy.
With all this free time, wouldn't it be better to go earn more money?
"It'll be ready soon," Lu Sui said as he poured carrots into the pan.
Carrots were the food she hated the most. Wu Mangmang sighed inwardly.
Braised red wine beef brisket, cheese-baked crab meat, tuna potato salad, and avocado mousse—all looked pleasing to the eye.
But as Wu Mangmang sat at the dining table, she couldn't help thinking, "Why not just give me a bowl of spicy beef noodles? Isn't the reason I don't go abroad because I only crave Chinese food?"
"Don't like Western food?" Lu Sui asked.
Wu Mangmang couldn't help but touch her face. Was she really that obvious?
Lu Sui stood up and walked back to the kitchen counter to gather ingredients.
Wu Mangmang quickly stood up and said, "Mr. Lu, there's no need to trouble yourself. I don't usually eat dinner anyway."
Lu Sui acted as if he hadn't heard.
When someone shows excessive courtesy, they must have ulterior motives. Wu Mangmang's heart was in her throat.
Wu Mangmang's fried rice was soon served.
Red, yellow, orange, green, and white—all colors were present. Unfortunately, there were carrots again.
Wu Mangmang carefully used her spoon to push aside the carrot cubes as much as possible, occasionally lifting her eyes to sneak a glance at Lu Sui.
Though her liver trembled a little, Wu Mangmang mustered the courage to speak. Afraid that if she spoke too slowly, she would lose her nerve, she blurted out with all her bravery, "Mr. Lu, what exactly is going on between us?"
Wu Mangmang had actually been in a state of confusion the whole time. Without saying a word, he brought a girl to his villa and even cooked for her personally. No matter how she thought about it, it just didn't feel right.If he was interested in her, wasn't this a bit too erratic? Just a while ago when they met, he had been aloof and distant as if floating above the clouds. Did he suddenly wake up today?
Lu Sui put down his knife and fork, wiped his mouth with a napkin, took a sip of water, and then spoke slowly.
"What do you think is going on?" Lu Sui threw back a question.
Wu Mangmang didn’t want to be looked down upon by Lu Sui, so she spoke directly, "Are you saying you want to see where things go with me?"
Lu Sui nodded. "You could put it that way."
Such an uncertain choice of words!
"Mr. Lu, the reason I’m going on blind dates is because I want to get married. So I’m looking for someone to date with marriage as the goal," Wu Mangmang stated her position with righteous seriousness.
Lu Sui gazed at Wu Mangmang for a few seconds without speaking. Just as Wu Mangmang was about to lose her composure, he finally said, "As you wish, then let’s date with marriage as the goal."
Wu Mangmang really wanted to bang her forehead against the table. What did he mean, "as you wish"? She was actually indirectly rejecting him, okay?
"Mr. Lu..."
Wu Mangmang’s words were interrupted again by Lu Sui. "Since our relationship is now established, you can call me Lu Sui, or some other affectionate term."
Wu Mangmang was having a bit of trouble adjusting to Lu Sui’s fast pace and efficiency.
Affectionate term?
Wu Mangmang put on a full-faced smile and said in a sweet, coquettish voice, "Hubby, I don’t like carrots. Could you not put them in next time?"
Upon hearing this, Lu Sui merely raised an eyebrow.
Unfortunately, Wu Mangmang didn’t get to see Lu Sui lose his cool, but she did manage to disgust herself.
"Carrots are good for your eyes. Your eyes are very beautiful; they should be protected," Lu Sui said.
Wu Mangmang had a flaw: whenever someone praised or complimented her, she found it hard to argue with them afterward.
Carrots it was, then. It wasn’t like they were poison anyway.
After dinner, Lu Sui invited Wu Mangmang for a walk. There was a large greenhouse on the island, with shelves of soilless cultivated crops. Wu Mangmang looked around—rows and rows of carrots. How much did he love eating them?
"Are you born in the Year of the Rabbit?" Wu Mangmang asked, secretly scheming to indirectly find out Lu Sui’s age.
"I just like eating them," Lu Sui replied.
After the walk, Lu Sui went into his study to handle work matters. Wu Mangmang stood blankly outside the glass door. Had they already entered the life of an old married couple?
Eat dinner, take a walk, then he works while she plays on her phone?
This was the price of dating an older man.
And what had Lu Sui said earlier? "You can play on your phone for a while, but don’t play too long. It’s bad for your eyes and your neck."
Wu Mangmang cursed inwardly. Out of nowhere, this random person had appeared in her life, and now he even wanted to control whether she played on her phone or not?
"I want to go home," Wu Mangmang said, pulling open the study door and facing Lu Sui directly.
Lu Sui looked up. "I’ll take you back tomorrow."
Wu Mangmang knew this guy was up to no good.
"But I didn’t bring any change of clothes," Wu Mangmang insisted.
"You can pick a shirt or a sweatshirt from my room to wear. Wash and dry your underwear, and you can wear it tomorrow morning," Lu Sui said, as if it were no problem at all.
But to Wu Mangmang, it was a huge problem. It was only the first day, and she was supposed to wear his shirt? Was this pace heading straight for third base?Wu Mangmang stood there without moving. Lu Sui raised his head to look at her again. "Any other questions? I only need half an hour here, then I'll come out to accompany you."
Wu Mangmang was practically speechless. She wasn't staying because she wanted his company, so she could only say weakly, "I still want to go home."
"This is your home," Lu Sui stated briefly.
Just as Wu Mangmang was about to speak again, she saw Lu Sui frown.
"Can you go out first? I need to work now," Lu Sui said with a hint of impatience.
Wu Mangmang could only close the door dejectedly.
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