Wu Маngmаng wаs nо naive уоung girl, аnd shе immеdiately blushеd аt Lu Sui's implicаtion. Althоugh in mаttеrs оf рhуsical сontact and intimacу, wоmen usuаlly fееl thеу arе thе оnеs аt a disаdvantage whilе mеn gain thе upper hаnd, when it cаme to Lu Sui, Wu Маngmаng аlwауs fеlt as if she wеrе the оnе tаking advаntagе оf him.
The рlаcе they atе at was a smаll fаmilу-run shoр, famous for its "Соuрle's Sliсеd Вееf in Сhili Sauсе"—a Siсhuan dish thаt was hard tо find authеntiс еven in Siсhuаn nоwаdays. This shоp's version was spiсy, numbing, fragrant, аnd deliciоus, with high-qualitу ingrеdients, but mоst importantly, the female proprietor's seasoning was just right.
Wu Mangmang absolutely loved this shop's chili oil dumplings.
"You seem to really like these small shops?" Wu Mangmang asked Lu Sui.
"How so?" This was actually the first time Lu Sui had taken Wu Mangmang out to eat.
"Last time, Ning Zheng took me to a bun shop that was really delicious. He said you recommended it." Wu Mangmang's words clearly showed a lack of tact.
"Is that so?" Lu Sui replied indifferently and then offered no further comment.
Wu Mangmang felt Lu Sui was a master at killing conversations, making it impossible to continue, so she simply shut up and focused on eating the dumplings.
"I like these small shops because they often have ancestral skills or recipes passed down through generations," Lu Sui suddenly added after a long pause.
So this was about eating intangible cultural heritage?
Thinking about it, Wu Mangmang also felt they should support such shops to ensure their traditions didn't die out.
"Well, I'll try to pass down a recipe to my grandson in the future," Wu Mangmang said offhandedly.
"Great, I'll look forward to it," Lu Sui gave her a thumbs-up.
Wu Mangmang deeply regretted her quick tongue. She wasn't desperate to get married; she was just trying to keep the conversation going. But now she decided to just eat and not speak.
Lu Sui didn't talk much either. The two of them sitting in silence felt like many long-married couples who had reached the point of having nothing left to say.
Throughout the meal, Wu Mangmang was responsible for eating, while Lu Sui was responsible for watching.
Wu Mangmang's face turned bright red from the spiciness, and she kept fanning her tongue with her hand, feeling the numbing sensation.
When it was time to pay, the proprietress mentioned that paying through a review website would give them a 10% discount. Although Wu Mangmang usually loved using such online payments, today she definitely wasn't considering it. So she just silently stared as Lu Sui paid.
"Do you have the review website's app?" Lu Sui turned and asked Wu Mangmang.
"Yes," Wu Mangmang replied, unsure if she had misunderstood Lu Sui's meaning.
Lu Sui gave an "mm" sound. "Then you pay."
Lu Sui, isn't it usually the man who pays when Chinese men and women are dating? Only after marriage does the wife start paying! Besides, as a capitalist, how could you be so shameless as to chase a 10% discount on a meal that costs just over a hundred yuan? Although it wasn't much money, Wu Mangmang felt this wasn't quite right.
As they walked out, Lu Sui looked at Wu Mangmang, who clearly hadn't recovered from her shock, and explained, "I just hope we can be more casual with each other."
Wu Mangmang glanced at Lu Sui. You, sir, really don't treat yourself as an outsider. When people reach the point of sharing finances, their relationship truly becomes casual.At the roadside, Lu Sui's driver immediately stepped forward to hand him the car keys, then turned and got into a small pickup truck, with Lu Sui's motorcycle loaded in the back.
Wu Mangmang thought to herself that this was quite troublesome—it seemed Lu Sui truly disliked others touching his motorcycle.
In that case, Lu Sui's attitude toward her at the time was worth pondering.
Wu Mangmang should have felt secretly pleased, but for some reason, her heart felt inexplicably heavy.
She didn’t dare to delve too deeply into the reasons behind this.
When the car stopped at the entrance of Wu Mangmang’s luxurious apartment building, Lu Sui turned off the engine and looked at Wu Mangmang, who had been silent the entire way.
Wu Mangmang unbuckled her seatbelt and quickly said, "I’ll head up then."
Lu Sui didn’t speak, only continued to watch her quietly.
Wu Mangmang couldn’t bear the silence and placed her hands on her knees, sitting as obediently as a child in kindergarten waiting for snacks.
However, Lu Sui was exceptionally patient, forcing Wu Mangmang to turn and look at him, wondering what he meant.
Though one may have the ambition to conquer a mountain, they must still fear the storms and blizzards on its slopes, forced to abide by the mountain’s rules.
If the mountain is in a good mood, with gentle winds and clear skies, you may ascend.
But if it’s in a foul mood, with raging storms and snow, no matter how capable you are, you can only gaze up from base camp. Worse still, even the base camp might be buried.
Thus, Wu Mangmang’s feelings toward Lu Sui could best be described as "Lord Ye’s love of dragons."
The moment the dragon descended, it overwhelmed her.
Moreover, Lu Sui gave off an aura that was truly difficult to approach.
This sense of inaccessibility was different from Shen Ting’s aloofness.
Though Shen Ting was cold, you knew that behind his coldness lay great passion. If you could break through the ice, there was a fire beneath that could burn an entire desert.
But Lu Sui gave the impression that nothing could truly interest him, as if he were detached and serene to the core, making others unconsciously restrain their true nature, avoiding appearing too frivolous or immature.
"Mangmang, consider moving in with me," Lu Sui said.
Wu Mangmang was stunned.
Capitalists truly were efficient.
They had confirmed their relationship on their first blind date, and now, on their second date, he was already asking her to move in.
Wu Mangmang didn’t operate at such efficiency.
"We don’t have to share a room, but since we’re dating with marriage in mind, the sooner we adjust to each other’s habits, the better it will be for both of us," Lu Sui explained.
So if they couldn’t adjust, it was better to end things early and move on, right? Wu Mangmang thought to herself.
"Think about it," Lu Sui said, opening the car door for her and walking her to the elevator, escorting her all the way to her doorstep.
Wu Mangmang closed the door in Lu Sui’s face, showing no intention of inviting her boyfriend in for a drink of water or to use the bathroom.
While brushing her teeth, Wu Mangmang looked at herself in the mirror and couldn’t help but bite down hard on her toothbrush, imagining it was Lu Sui.
The romantic views of older men were indeed pragmatic.
Love and affection were trivial matters—what truly mattered was whether two people were compatible.
And they couldn’t even be bothered to waste time on you, immediately demanding adjustment. Efficiency was everything.
Actually, there was no need for adjustment—Wu Mangmang could answer Lu Sui right away: they were completely incompatible.In the following days, Lu Sui disappeared for three days. It was said there was a high-stakes gambling event on the high seas, specifically designed to provide thrills for those with more money than they knew what to do with.
Wu Mangmang declined Lu Sui’s invitation to join him—after all, she had a job to attend to.
Moreover, recently pressured by her uncle, Wu Mangmang had already begun preparing for the postgraduate entrance exams. In their line of work, a low level of education was a significant disadvantage.
Thanks to Xiao Sen, Wu Mangmang could take shortcuts for her major courses, so she only needed to focus on English and politics. She planned to study in another city.
Liǔ Lèwéi found it strange—Wu Mangmang, who had always refused to compromise and continue her studies, had suddenly changed her tune.
“What’s gotten into you?” Liǔ Lèwéi asked Wu Mangmang.
“I think it’s time to become a knowledgeable, cultured, and ambitious young person,” Wu Mangmang replied.
Liǔ Lèwéi naturally didn’t believe her nonsense. “Did the guy look down on you?”
Probably not, right? It all depended on whether he’d be lured away by some other temptress on this gambling trip.
“I’ve told you before—it’s good for girls to study more,” Liǔ Lèwéi seemed rather gleeful.
In modern society, education wasn’t everything, but it was absolutely essential to have it.
“When are you going to invite him over for a meal?” Liǔ Lèwéi added.
“He only eats meals with cultural heritage. Do you have any ancestral recipes, Ms. Liu?” Wu Mangmang asked.
“Such pretentiousness,” Ms. Liu snorted through her nose.
Ms. Liu’s lifestyle was already quite refined these days, but compared to those families whose wealth was inherited, she still seemed rather rustic.
So, looking up, they thought others were pretentious.
And those families, looking down, felt that the rustic ones hadn’t fully shed their earthy origins.
Although Liǔ Lèwéi mocked the idea, she silently ran through the notable families surnamed Lu in the city. There were two decent ones, relying on the success of the previous generation and putting on airs, though they had long since fallen beyond the top fifty on the wealth rankings.
Liǔ Lèwéi doubted whether Wu Mangmang’s personality could adapt to such a family.
Liǔ Lèwéi said, “Look at you now—you’re as listless as the Monkey King trapped under Five-Finger Mountain. Why don’t I find someone else for you?”
Of course, it was possible, but definitely not now. Wouldn’t that offend Lu Sui to the core?
“Start looking around first, and we’ll talk after this is over,” Wu Mangmang said.
“Find an opportunity to go back with him and meet his elders,” Liǔ Lèwéi suggested.
“Huh?” Wu Mangmang was taken aback.
Liǔ Lèwéi felt Wu Mangmang was truly clueless. “If you can win over his elders, your life will be easier. If they don’t like you, things will naturally fade away.”
Recently, Shěn Jìngméi had gone abroad to visit her daughter, so Liǔ Lèwéi had no way to gather detailed information about the Lu family. Wu Mangmang, on the other hand, knew nothing when asked. Liǔ Lèwéi felt she was worrying herself to death.
Seeing Ms. Liu frown, Wu Mangmang grew furious first. “It’s all your fault. You didn’t even investigate properly before pushing me into a pit of fire, and now you’re making things difficult for me.”
Liǔ Lèwéi also flared up. “You’re the coward, and you blame me? Were you mute on the blind date? Couldn’t you refuse? You actually followed him to his villa for the night.”
Wu Mangmang was left speechless. “If I dared to refuse, would I be in this situation now?!”Wu Mangmang cursed silently in her heart. If she had been born from a stone, just see if she dared to kick Lu Sui to the curb.
Actually, Wu Mangmang wasn’t being entirely honest with herself. If she hadn’t been holding onto the mindset of wanting to taste pufferfish to see if it would actually poison her, she wouldn’t have obediently gone along with Lu Sui.
Liǔ Lèwéi thought Wu Mangmang was utterly unreasonable and was about to scold her when she heard Wu Mangmang’s phone ring.
Wu Mangmang pointed at her phone and mouthed to Ms. Liu, “It’s him.”
The phone kept ringing, “You are my old, old apple, loving you never feels like too much, your dark, old face smashes into my heart, lighting the fire, fire, fire, fire in my soul…”
Liǔ Lèwéi was utterly exasperated. What kind of nonsense had Wu Mangmang recorded for her ringtone?
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