"Неllо." Wu Мangmang аnswеrеd thе рhone while wаlking оut.
"Where аre yоu?" Lu Sui аskеd.
"I'm аt hоmе."
"Comе down."
Wu Mangmang glancеd аt the сloсk аt hоmе—it was аlrеаdу tеn at night. Shе hadn't exреctеd Lu Sui to be downstаirs at her аpartmеnt. "I'm аt Наlf Нill."
Lu Sui fеll silеnt for a mоmеnt befоrе rеspоnding with an "Мm."
Аfter hanging uр, Wu Мangmаng turned around аnd nearly jumреd оut of hеr skin at the sight of Мs. Liu's fасe lооming сlоsе.
"Мs. Liu, what аrе yоu doing? Еavesdrоpрing оn mу cаll—is thеrе nо privacу or human rights in this house?" Wu Mаngmang feigned аnger.
Liǔ Lèwéi inwardlу shoоk hеr heаd. After all, she had experienced free love with Wu Song, weathered a few affairs in between, and in recent years had been reliving a second spring. Her rich experience told her that couples in love didn't talk on the phone like this.
"Don't be fooled by a man's looks," Liǔ Lèwéi said.
No one knows a daughter better than her mother. If that man surnamed Lu looked like a fat pig, do you think Wu Mangmang would settle for him?
Wu Mangmang felt her face grow warm. Alright, she had indeed been captivated by Lu Sui's looks. She had initially aimed to sleep with him, but her sudden bout of reserve and affectation had ruined it.
But a woman's level of reserve varies depending on the person.
Only when you hope he will respect you and see you as precious do you raise the flag of reserve—merely to raise your own value.
Wu Mangmang certainly had her unreserved moments too. In her younger years, she had recklessly squandered what little passion she possessed.
Sleep, sleep. After a good night's sleep, some things might just come naturally.
However, just as Wu Mangmang had finished applying her face mask, put on her eye mask, and prepared to sleep in, her old Apple phone rang again.
Wu Mangmang didn't really want to answer, but after the call ended, it rang again immediately. Resigned, she picked up the phone and heard Lu Sui say, "I'm outside your house."
Truth be told, Wu Mangmang had already anticipated this.
But on a cold winter night, the thought of having to change clothes and go out to meet him was exactly why she hadn't wanted to answer the phone earlier.
Wu Mangmang glanced at her panda fleece pajamas in the mirror, reluctant to take them off. They had just warmed up, and though not exactly formal, they covered her completely without revealing anything. Meeting her boyfriend in them seemed acceptable enough.
Phone in hand, Wu Mangmang shuffled out in her panda-head slippers.
Lu Sui, dressed in a navy blue overcoat, was leaning against his car door across the street. His coat was open, revealing the shirt underneath, and his shirt collar was unbuttoned too. How hot was he?
Seeing Wu Mangmang come out, Lu Sui walked toward her, his eyes sweeping over her.
The black-and-white panda pajamas, topped with a black-and-white jester's cap, its drooping tip ending in a black pom-pom resting on her shoulder. The panda's two black eyes happened to land right on her chest—utterly comical.
The corner of Lu Sui's mouth lifted slightly.
"Get in the car. It's cold outside." Lu Sui opened the car door for Wu Mangmang.
This time, Wu Mangmang didn't put on airs. On a freezing night where each breath formed a cloud, cold was an unbearable burden in a woman's life.
"It's so late. Why did you come over?" Wu Mangmang finally felt herself soften again once inside the car.Lu Sui looked at Wu Mangmang's pink and tender face, reminded of the fleshy pink hue of a newborn panda, and said, "I wanted to see you."
So direct? Wu Mangmang didn't know how to respond to Lu Sui's enthusiasm.
She clearly noticed Lu Sui's gaze lingering on her lips for quite some time. She thought he might break the rules, but surprisingly, he remained a gentleman and did nothing.
"How have you considered the matter I asked you to think about last time?" Lu Sui asked again.
Wu Mangmang looked at Lu Sui in surprise. She thought someone like him would understand that her silence at the time was a refusal, and she hadn't said anything explicitly just to avoid embarrassing him with the rejection.
But since Lu Sui had brought it up again, it was enough to show his seriousness.
After thinking for a moment, Wu Mangmang replied in an extremely slow, ladylike tone, "Mom says good girls shouldn't live with a man before marriage."
Lu Sui couldn't help but chuckle softly. If any other mother had said this, it might have been believable, but Ms. Liǔ Lèwéi, who had been pregnant before marriage and had multiple affairs, didn't seem like the type to say such a thing.
"Should I go talk to Ms. Liu then?" Lu Sui didn't accept Wu Mangmang's evasion.
Wu Mangmang was annoyed. Clearly, Lu Sui was well aware of Ms. Liu's character. If she knew, she would probably wish for Wu Mangmang and Lu Sui to immediately "cook the rice," and it would be even better if they could "secure the throne with the crown prince."
After all, hadn't Ms. Liu been quite proactive in arranging a blind date for her with Shen Ting back then?
As for Ms. Liu's misunderstanding this time, mistaking the surname Lu for another surname Lu, and showing understanding and affection, it was only because the Lu family in this city wasn't influential enough for her to "sell her daughter for glory."
If it were the Lu family—the top-tier class that Ms. Liu and Boss Wu dreamed of—the door would open wide for her. Wu Mangmang was certain her mother would push her out without hesitation.
"Then let Ms. Liu move in with you," Wu Mangmang retorted sharply.
"Alright, as you wish," Lu Sui conceded.
Seizing the advantage, Wu Mangmang pressed on, "It's too late. I'm going back. You should get some rest too."
Lu Sui didn't speak, only tilting his face slightly toward Wu Mangmang.
Having just won a small victory, Wu Mangmang felt she had to accommodate the loser's feelings. She leaned over and lightly pecked his cheek before quickly pulling back.
"Too perfunctory," Lu Sui seemed somewhat dissatisfied, his husky voice suddenly raising the temperature in the car.
His voice was already rich and magnetic, and when he spoke to you, it felt like a feather tickling your ear.
Seeing Lu Sui, who was clearly seeking comfort and reassurance tonight, Wu Mangmang couldn't help but ask, "Did you lose a lot of money this time?"
Lu Sui looked at Wu Mangmang and smiled. "How could that be? I have a lucky goddess."
Wu Mangmang fell silent, watching as Lu Sui leaned over to retrieve a gift box from the back seat.
"For you."
Wu Mangmang opened the packaging in front of Lu Sui. Inside was a gold mahjong tile—"Nine of Circles."
As she toyed with the Nine of Circles, Wu Mangmang suddenly felt as though she had found the answer she had been searching for.
There was a lady in H City whose eyes were as thin as slits, and her appearance was rather odd, yet she managed to defeat countless beauties and successfully marry into a wealthy family.
It was said that her face was exceptionally auspicious for her husband, which was why she triumphed over all the other women and secured her position.For people like Lu Sui, they are far more superstitious than ordinary folks.
There are plenty of beautiful women, but finding one who brings good fortune is not so easy.
Wu Mangmang was lost in thought for a moment, and by the time she snapped back to reality, the car had already started. Lu Sui casually tossed out a remark, "Fasten your seatbelt."
"Hey, where are we going?" Wu Mangmang hurriedly fastened her seatbelt—she wasn’t ready to die just yet.
"Want some late-night snacks?" Lu Sui asked.
"I never eat late-night snacks," Wu Mangmang declared firmly.
A great figure comes from self-discipline.
Lu Sui drove the car into the Lu residence in the lakeside area. Wu Mangmang stood awkwardly in her slippers, all her toes curled up tightly.
Was she too easily fooled?
The butler, dressed in a black tailcoat with a black bow tie, his hair meticulously combed and appearing to be around fifty years old, had already come out to greet them.
Wu Mangmang tugged at the hem of her panda pajamas, feeling utterly incapable of carrying herself like a lady.
But since she was already here, she might as well make the best of it. Dragging her slippers, Wu Mangmang tried her best to exude an aloof, goddess-like aura.
After all, some female celebrities even stroll around in "patient gowns" without a care—her pajamas today weren’t exactly embarrassing.
Of course, the butler was of the highest caliber. When he saw Wu Mangmang, his expression didn’t change in the slightest, not even a flicker in his eyes, as if she weren’t wearing pajamas but an evening gown.
Lu Sui led Wu Mangmang to the bedroom door and opened it for her. "Take a look. If you don’t like this style, Old Peter will arrange for a designer tomorrow."
After surveying the room, Wu Mangmang concluded that this must be the boudoir of the lady of the Lu residence.
The wardrobe and shoe cabinets inside were astonishingly luxurious and enormous.
"No need, I’m not staying here," Wu Mangmang declined Lu Sui’s kindness.
"Even if it’s just for one day, I want you to like it," Lu Sui said. "Rest for a bit. I’ll bring you some milk later."
Once she was sure Lu Sui had left, Wu Mangmang immediately rushed over and opened all the wardrobes and shoe cabinets, dazzled by their splendor.
Everything was from the latest season, and most importantly, Wu Mangmang recognized at a glance that they were all her favorite brands.
She took out a few items to check the sizes—they were all her size.
The most outrageous part was that hanging in the pajama wardrobe was a set of panda pajamas identical to the ones she was wearing.
In that instant, Wu Mangmang realized that Lu Sui did not accept being refused.
When Lu Sui knocked and entered, he had already changed his clothes. Wu Mangmang was sitting on the sofa playing with her phone and asked as soon as he came in, "What’s the Wi-Fi password?"
Lu Sui handed her a glass of milk and recited a string of numbers.
"Get some sleep early," Lu Sui said.
"Didn’t you say it was just for late-night snacks?" Wu Mangmang pouted.
"You don’t eat late-night snacks, so we’ll have to switch to breakfast," Lu Sui said with a smile.
"That joke isn’t funny at all," Wu Mangmang retorted. She took a sip of milk, leaving a white mustache on her lips, and then mumbled pitifully, "I want to go home."
"What did you say?" Wu Mangmang’s voice was very low, and Lu Sui seemed not to have heard clearly.
"How did you know I like all these things?" Wu Mangmang looked up and asked.
From shampoo and body wash to toothpaste and toothbrushes, everything in the bathroom was from the brands Wu Mangmang was accustomed to using.
The skincare products and cosmetics on the vanity table were also all from the brand series she was currently using."In the age of the internet, big data records everything you've ever purchased, extracting a wealth of information," Lu Sui said.
Wu Mangmang's mouth fell open in shock—that was terrifying!
It felt like being stripped naked.
But even after knowing this, would you stop using online payments? Probably not, since you've already grown accustomed to it.
"How did you get the data?" Wu Mangmang asked, immediately realizing it was a foolish question.
The Lu conglomerate's reach extended across every industry.
That night, Wu Mangmang dreamed she was trapped beneath a mountain, unable to break free no matter how hard she struggled. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead, and just as she grew so agitated she wanted to slam her head against a wall, she was abruptly awakened by a knock at the door.
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