Вut the neхt sесоnd, whеn Wu Mangmang sаw Lu Sui's сar pull intо the baсk еntrаnсе оf the cоncert hall, she felt she must hаvе beеn blind to bеliеvе а man's wоrds.
Wu Маngmаng hаdn't evеn put awaу hеr phоne after hаnging up, still clutсhing it tightly in her hаnd аs shе strоdе tоwаrd Lu Sui's car in hеr high hеels.
Кnосk, knoсk, knoсk. Wu Мangmang bеnt dоwn and tаpped оn the car windоw.
Whеn thе window rоlled down, Lu Sui's faсе аpреаrеd—shе hаdn't mistakеn it аfter аll!
Wu Mаngmang smiled swеetlу аnd sаid, "You'rе аmаzing. I didn't еven say аnything, and you knew tо come рick me uр herе?"
Тhis was сlearly a blatant lie.
Lu Sui opened the door and got out of the car. "I came to see a friend."
"Didn't you just say you were coming to pick me up for a late-night snack? How come you're here to see your friend instead?" Wu Mangmang assumed a confrontational stance.
"Just a few words. It won't delay picking you up for a late-night snack."
Wu Mangmang thought this Mr. Lu had quite the thick skin—caught in a lie, yet he could act so nonchalant.
"What kind of friend? Is it convenient for me to meet them?" Wu Mangmang feigned curiosity, even feeling a bit of the thrill of catching someone in the act.
"Come along," Lu Sui said.
Really? Wu Mangmang eyed Lu Sui uncertainly, but he didn't seem to be playing any tricks.
For a moment, Wu Mangmang couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for Wang Yuan.
Today's Miss Wang was tomorrow's Miss Wu.
"Forget it. I came with Ms. Liu. Go see your friend. I'll head home first," Wu Mangmang said.
Though she wanted to catch Lu Sui in the wrong, she truly didn't want to ruin the "explanatory meeting" Wang Yuan had been eagerly anticipating.
Why should women make things difficult for each other? Unconsciously, Wu Mangmang had already categorized Wang Yuan as a "fellow sufferer."
As Mr. Qian Zhongshu wrote, men who fall for the same woman and fail to win her over can be called "fellow sufferers." The same applies to women who fall for the same man.
"Mangmang." As soon as Wu Mangmang finished speaking, she heard Ms. Liu calling her from behind.
She turned around to see Ms. Liu, Lu Lin, and Wang Yuan standing behind her, watching her and Lu Sui.
Wu Mangmang truly experienced the meaning of "if you don't stir up trouble, you won't get into trouble."
She didn't dare look Lu Sui in the eye now, only hearing him mockingly say, "The late-night snack you wanted tonight is vinegar, isn't it?"
Wu Mangmang glared up at Lu Sui. This man was too sharp—just a little information, and he'd guessed everything behind it.
Wu Mangmang felt she'd sunk another level lower.
If she hadn't tried to mess with Lu Sui, she could have stayed back and watched the drama unfold. But now, she was probably forced to become part of it.
When Lu Sui left Wu Mangmang behind and walked toward Lu Lin and Wang Yuan, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Who would have thought that after taking three steps, Lu Sui suddenly turned back and said, "Mangmang, wait for me in the car first. I'll just say a few words and then come take you for a late-night snack."
Wu Mangmang awkwardly glanced at the three women. Each of their expressions was somewhat amusing.
Ms. Liu was so shocked her mouth hung open, Lu Lin looked utterly disbelieving, and Wang Yuan's face flushed with embarrassment. Wu Mangmang scratched the back of her head—she was pretty embarrassed too.
In this situation, even pretending to be clueless was impossible. Silently, Wu Mangmang followed Lu Lin and Ms. Liu to the side, leaving the private space to Lu Sui and Wang Yuan.Once Lu Sui and the others were out of sight, Wu Mangmang found herself sandwiched between Lu Lin and Ms. Liu, with no chance of escape.
She could only sigh helplessly, "Well, last time, the blind date you arranged for me was Lu Sui."
Lu Sui looked at Wang Yuan and inwardly sighed at how troublesome women could be—even Lu Lin, who was already out of the closet, remained thoroughly a woman.
Wang Yuan smoothed the hair behind her ear and smiled, "Your girlfriend is very young and beautiful. Don’t forget to send me an invitation when you get married."
Lu Sui did not respond to Wang Yuan’s probing.
Wang Yuan felt somewhat awkward; she had indeed hoped Lu Sui would deny it.
Faced with Lu Sui’s distant and slightly impatient demeanor, Wang Yuan’s eyes reddened, and years of heartache surged within her. "I’m sorry, I asked Sister Lu Lin for help. Over these years, I’ve never been able to let go. I don’t know what’s wrong with me, so I haven’t dared to start another relationship. Lu Sui, it’s been years now. Can you tell me what you really thought back then?"
"Yuanyuan, what I said back then was the truth," Lu Sui replied.
Perhaps the affectionate address "Yuanyuan" stirred old memories for Wang Yuan, and tears immediately streamed down her face. "I miss you. I’ve always missed you. We were so good together back then. You would come to every one of my concerts, I..."
"Those times, I just happened to be on business trips in those cities. I didn’t fly there specifically for them," Lu Sui said.
During those years, both were busy; how could anyone fly across the ocean just to attend a concert?
Wang Yuan smiled bitterly; now, Lu Sui wouldn’t even bother to be polite.
"But I don’t understand. Before you said we should break up, we had just spent the most beautiful night together. How could you turn around and..." Wang Yuan’s voice trailed off in a bitter smile.
Music, fine food, flowers, and the intimate joy of sharing their bodies—everything had seemed so perfect. She still felt dizzy thinking about it.
"Was it because you got me, so you turned around and let go?" Wang Yuan asked.
Some women’s thoughts were truly strange.
"Yuanyuan," Lu Sui frowned disapprovingly.
"Was it because I wasn’t a virgin?" Over the years, Wang Yuan had considered every possibility.
Lu Sui was almost speechless. "No."
"Then why? It was so joyful..." Wang Yuan’s voice faded under Lu Sui’s gaze. She suddenly realized that what she had considered perfect and joyful might not have been the same for Lu Sui.
Was she not skilled enough? Was she like a dead fish in bed? Was her body not perfect enough?
"Yuanyuan, I did have feelings for you back then, but those feelings weren’t enough to sustain a marriage. We weren’t compatible, so there was no need to continue," Lu Sui explained.
"But we never lived together. How could you be so sure?" Wang Yuan grew agitated. "You didn’t even give me a chance to adapt to you."
Lu Sui glanced at his watch. "Why bring this up again after so many years?"
Wang Yuan fell silent, unsure how to respond.
Lu Sui waved his hand; he didn’t really want to know the reason behind it. "I’ll go now."
As Lu Sui descended the steps, he heard Wang Yuan’s heartbroken sobs behind him, but his steps didn’t falter for even a moment.A woman who has reached Wang Yuan's current status naturally has had a difficult journey, but her suffering is no longer within Lu Sui's concern.
Of course, a woman like Wang Yuan would never easily fall.
"Mr. Lu," Liǔ Lèwéi was the first to notice Lu Sui approaching.
"Just call me Lu Sui, Auntie," Lu Sui said as he walked over to Wu Mangmang, lightly placing his hand around her waist.
Liǔ Lèwéi was still adjusting to the change in their relationship and found it difficult to address him so casually.
Lu Sui turned to Lu Lin and said, "Let's go to the villa tomorrow. Mangmang and I will treat you to lunch."
Lu Lin looked coldly at Lu Sui, knowing this wasn't the time for a conversation, and nodded. "I'll leave first."
As soon as Lu Lin left, Lu Sui asked Wu Mangmang, "Where would you like to go for a late-night snack?"
Rather than eating, Wu Mangmang would have preferred to face Ms. Liu's interrogation. "I don't want a late-night snack. I’d like to go home first."
Lu Sui didn’t press her, simply escorting her and Ms. Liu to the car and opening the door for them like a gentleman. "I’ll pick you up tomorrow morning."
Wu Mangmang nodded.
As soon as they got in the car, Ms. Liu couldn’t wait to begin her interrogation.
"You little brat, why didn’t you ever tell me the person you were set up with was Lu Sui?" Ms. Liu roared.
Wu Mangmang retorted sarcastically, "You arranged it yourself—didn’t you even know who he was? Besides, you never asked for his name. You only looked into his background."
Liǔ Lèwéi was so angry she nearly fainted. "Even if I didn’t ask, couldn’t you have told me?"
"What was there to say?" Wu Mangmang replied.
"Stubborn girl, I really don’t know what Lu Sui sees in you."
"Older men just like my youth and beauty, don’t they?" Wu Mangmang scoffed.
"Old? What do you mean old? Lu Sui is only thirty-four—thirty-four! That’s the prime of a man’s life." Liǔ Lèwéi couldn’t help but swat at Wu Mangmang.
"He’s almost a whole generation older than me. When someone first mentioned he was thirty-four, didn’t you say he was a bit too old? Double standards," Wu Mangmang mocked.
Liǔ Lèwéi was left speechless.
Wu Mangmang continued, "I didn’t tell you for your own good. Do you really think Lu Sui and I could last? Do I have what it takes to be his destined one? Don’t kid yourself. He’s just playing around with me because I’m young."
Liǔ Lèwéi slapped Wu Mangmang’s back. "Then if you know he’s just playing around, why are you rushing into it?"
Wu Mangmang said, "If he’s playing with me, can’t I play with him too? He’s got a good figure, after all. It’s just dating—it’s not like I haven’t dated plenty before."
Liǔ Lèwéi couldn’t understand the mindset of young girls like Wu Mangmang and could only say, "Don’t tell your father about this yet."
Wu Mangmang’s heart stirred, and she looked up at Liǔ Lèwéi. "Mom…" She had thought Ms. Liu would pressure her into "seducing" Lu Sui, but it turned out a mother is still a mother. She had been judging others by her own standards.
Liǔ Lèwéi ruffled Wu Mangmang’s hair. "If Lu Sui is willing to date you, it means there’s something about you that attracts him. Hold onto it tightly—once this opportunity passes, there won’t be another. Do you think you’re still young? You’re already twenty-five, starting to go downhill."Wu Mangmang immediately wilted, losing all interest in speaking.
"Are you listening to me?" Liǔ Lèwéi had only been gentle for half a second before revealing her tiger-mother nature again.
"When two people are together, a little tolerance can get you through anything. Do you really think you can find someone better than Lu Sui?" A mother knows her daughter best—Liǔ Lèwéi could see at a glance that Wu Mangmang wasn’t particularly invested in Lu Sui.
"Tolerance my foot. Isn’t it said that older men know how to cherish their partners? Shouldn’t he be the one making concessions for me?" Wu Mangmang grumbled. Nothing much had even happened yet, and Ms. Liu’s heart was already leaning toward Lu Sui.
Liǔ Lèwéi simply couldn’t reason with a young girl like Wu Mangmang, who was still lost in romantic fantasies. "You think your mother is very materialistic, don’t you?"
Wu Mangmang stayed silent.
Liǔ Lèwéi sighed deeply. She had been through this phase herself once. "You’ll understand someday—no matter how deeply in love you are with the man you choose, in the end, you can only rely on yourself."
"Do you have to be so blunt, Ms. Liu?" Wu Mangmang couldn’t help but laugh, leaning in toward Liǔ Lèwéi. "We’re not even married yet, and you’re already thinking about divorce and self-reliance. So, you don’t have high hopes for me and him either, right?"
Wu Mangmang began to complain, "You say he’s not that old, but his mindset seems even more antiquated than my dad’s. His hobbies are reading, newspapers, tea, and fishing—good heavens, he’d fit right in with grandpa."
Liǔ Lèwéi pushed Wu Mangmang away. "You’re on your own. But let me give you some advice: rather than getting bruised and battered chasing after unrealistic love, it’s better to hold onto what you can actually grasp."
"Alright, alright, I get it," Wu Mangmang waved her hand dismissively. "Starting now, my ultimate goal in life is to divorce Lu Sui, okay? Hurry up and find a lawyer, draft the prenuptial agreement airtight—don’t let me end up with nothing after the divorce."
Liǔ Lèwéi rolled her eyes. She was utterly helpless with Wu Mangmang. "I’m not telling you to aim for divorce!"
But Wu Mangmang felt that the purpose of Ms. Liu introducing her to these elite men was precisely so she wouldn’t end up losing money in a divorce.
Early in the morning, Lu Sui arrived outside the Wu residence. Wu Mangmang was still dreaming at the time, and only after answering the phone did she squint her eyes and get up to wash up.
She slowly made her way downstairs first to find her cold milk to wake herself up.
Ms. Liu, being older, had long been unable to sleep and was already up. Seeing Wu Mangmang come downstairs, she asked, "Why are you up so early?"
Wu Mangmang yawned. "Lu Sui is waiting outside."
For the next twenty minutes, with Ms. Liu repeating "Don’t keep Lu Sui waiting," Wu Mangmang was quickly packaged up and pushed straight out the door.
Before she could fully regain her senses, she was already standing in front of Lu Sui’s car.
She hadn’t eaten breakfast, nor had she put on any makeup. Though naturally beautiful, she hadn’t yet reached the level of "disdaining makeup for fear it might taint her complexion." Slightly irritated, Wu Mangmang pulled open the car door.
She felt like a prostitute being pushed out by a madam to entertain a client.
"Greetings, sir. I’m number twenty-four, delighted to serve you. You’ve ordered the full-service package, right?" Wu Mangmang looked at Lu Sui with a forced, insincere smile.
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