Lu Lin gаvе Lu Sui а sarcаstiс smilе, tооk out a gilded сigаrette сase frоm hеr сlutсh, lit оnе up. Thе snow-white cigarette раpеr pаirеd with hеr sсarlеt nаil роlish, hеr red liрs slightly partеd аs she сoldly eхhaled а puff of whitе smоkе. "Whаt, аfrаid I'll dо something tо hеr?"
Lu Sui said, "Yоu саn't beаt her."
Lu Lin nеаrly chоkеd on Lu Sui's wоrds, letting out a сold snort.
"Thе mаttеr yоu begged me tо hаndlе last timе..." Lu Sui's wоrds dесisivеlу hit Lu Lin's weаk sрot, fоrcing hеr to cоoреrаte. Sо this lоving brоthеr really did hаve something to saу to her.
As fоr Wu Mangmаng, she hаd bеen sеcretly sitting on the toilet lid playing with her phone for a while. But even in a five-star restroom, she couldn't just squat here forever, could she?
So she had to tidy her clothes, and while washing her hands, she glanced at herself in the mirror. Her lip color was a bit too pale today, but she had left in such a hurry in the morning that she didn't even have any makeup tools with her.
Sighing, Wu Mangmang walked out of the restroom and looked up to see Shen Ting across the way.
"Mr. Shen." "Mangmang."
Wu Mangmang and Shen Ting spoke simultaneously, though clearly their definitions of familiarity were not on the same level.
"Just call me Shen Ting."
Shen Ting was unexpectedly amiable today. Considering his relationship with Lu Sui, Wu Mangmang thought it appropriate to call him by his name.
So she obediently called out again, "Shen Ting."
"I have something I'd like to ask for your help with, if possible?" Shen Ting said.
Wu Mangmang hesitated a little, unsure what she could help him with, and it was clear Shen Ting had come up with this idea on the spot.
But being friendly and helpful had always been one of Wu Mangmang's virtues, so she nodded.
The two walked side by side toward the Western restaurant at the other end.
The restaurant wasn't crowded, with only a few scattered tables occupied. Among them, a beauty in a red woolen skirt stood out particularly.
Wu Mangmang was a sensitive person and immediately sensed trouble. Sure enough, a warm breath brushed her ear as Shen Ting deliberately leaned in close and whispered, "She's just too noisy."
Wu Mangmang felt Shen Ting was forcing her into this, but this was her specialty—she had been itching for a chance to show off.
In an instant, Wu Mangmang assessed the situation. The red-clad beauty was stunning and imposing, while she herself wasn't wearing any makeup today and was even wearing snow boots. She couldn't pull off the cold, elegant, and noble "queen" act, so she had to settle for second best.
"Shen Ting, who is this..." Lan Shan, seeing Shen Ting and Wu Mangmang walking side by side, couldn't help but feel a sudden sense of crisis.
Wu Mangmang's eyes were already putting on a deeply emotional, rain-soaked drama. She grabbed Shen Ting's hand, trembling as she pointed at Lan Shan, on the verge of tears as she asked, "Who is she?"
Before Shen Ting could speak, Wu Mangmang stole the scene again. "You said you were meeting a client today, but it's this woman? No wonder you coaxed me into getting an abortion the other day. So you..."
Wu Mangmang's skin was naturally fair, and with her pale lips today, everyone who turned to look at her formed an "oh" shape with their mouths. This woman really did look like she had just had an abortion.
It was just that their imaginations were running wild.
Then came a crisp and loud "slap."
Shen Ting tilted his head slightly.
The waitstaff in the restaurant froze instantly, not wanting to move, fully engrossed in the drama.
Now was definitely not the time to let the parties involved regain their composure.So Wu Mangmang quickly switched to holding Shen Ting's hand with both of hers, "Are you looking down on me now? Looking down on my background? But I was only sixteen when we met at the nightclub, and my first time was with you. You can't be so heartless!"
Wu Mangmang was putting on a full performance, tears falling like broken strings of pearls. She then turned to plead with Lan Shan, "Miss, please don't take him away from me. He's all I have, okay? You have everything, you're better than me in every way. Please don't steal him from me, okay?"
Wu Mangmang's acting had always leaned toward the exaggerated side, and now, channeling the melodrama of a tragic heroine, she made even her scene partner feel embarrassed. Lan Shan had no choice but to flee in defeat.
"Wu Mangmang, have you lost your mind?!" Shen Ting grabbed Wu Mangmang's hand, finally seizing the chance to cut short her annual tragic drama.
In all his life, Shen Ting had probably never felt as embarrassed as he did today.
But Wu Mangmang was still caught up in the lingering dizziness of her performance, her eyes brimming with tears as she said, "It hurts, don't be like this. From now on, I'll live properly, okay? I've already had five abortions."
"Are you insane?!" Shen Ting was utterly speechless.
Wu Mangmang finally snapped back to reality at this point. Being called insane to her face felt absolutely terrible.
She didn't speak again, but her tears wouldn't stop, silently streaming down her face.
Yet when a woman cries, it's never just about one thing. Once she starts thinking about recent hardships or the sorrows and joys of life, since she's already crying, she might as well cry it all out.
Wu Mangmang sat in the chair, head bowed and silent, only continuously wiping the flood of tears with the back of her hand.
Shen Ting had probably never known how to handle quiet women. Wu Mangmang's silent grievance and sorrow struck a chord of sympathy in him, forcing him to soften his tone. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have yelled at you."
Wu Mangmang was too busy crying to pay any attention to Shen Ting's apology.
Shen Ting picked up a napkin from the table and handed it to Wu Mangmang, but she didn't take it, turning her head away to continue crying.
Left with no choice, Shen Ting had to wipe her tears himself with the napkin.
Wu Mangmang looked up and took hold of Shen Ting's hand. He really was a rough man—this kind of napkin was scraping her face painfully. But the atmosphere was so perfect; she absolutely couldn't say anything to ruin it. Holding his hand and gazing at him with tear-filled eyes, Wu Mangmang said, "Please don't look down on my background, okay?"
This was simply never-ending. Shen Ting truly couldn't understand the ways of young girls these days.
"Mangmang."
There was a voice that sounded as if it came from the snowy plateaus.
Wu Mangmang stiffened, unable to believe her terrible luck. She was still holding Shen Ting's hand, so she hurriedly let go in a panic.
After letting go, she thought again—her reaction was too much like a guilty thief. No matter what she did, it seemed wrong.
"Lu Sui," Shen Ting greeted Lu Sui.
It took him a moment to realize that Lu Sui had called out to Wu Mangmang first, not him.
Wu Mangmang was long accustomed to Lu Sui's cold treatment and didn't expect him to come over and accuse her of being unfaithful.
Wu Mangmang obediently walked behind Lu Sui and made a throat-slitting gesture at Shen Ting, signaling that he had gotten her into serious trouble.
"You two..." Shen Ting hesitantly began to ask.Before Lu Sui could speak, Wu Mangmang quickly linked her arm with his. The onlookers from earlier hadn’t settled their bills and left yet—the show couldn’t just change scripts halfway through.
"How did you get here? I know you’re doing this for my sake, but unless I see him betray me with my own eyes, I just can’t give up," Wu Mangmang said.
Then, she had no choice but to add another line, shamelessly flattering him. "After comparing, I realized you’re the one who treats me best. I’ve completely let go now."
Wu Mangmang waved at Shen Ting. "Take care, I won’t see you out."
She silently begged the "adulterer" to leave the scene quickly.
Lu Sui glanced at the two sets of tableware on the table and turned to ask Shen Ting, "Your friend left? Let’s eat together."
Shen Ting nodded.
The three of them headed toward the private room together. Halfway there, they passed the restroom, and Wu Mangmang said, "I need to use the restroom."
Even as she said this, her arm remained hooked in Lu Sui’s elbow, as if she intended to drag him into the women’s restroom.
"You go ahead first. Lu Lin is in the private room, the Pavilion of Prince Teng," Lu Sui said, nodding to Shen Ting.
When Shen Ting turned to leave, Wu Mangmang finally breathed a sigh of relief. Based on her experience, such matters had to be explained promptly, or else who knew what strange misunderstandings might brew.
"Um, just now when I came out of the restroom, I happened to run into Shen Ting," Wu Mangmang said. Of course, she couldn’t actually drag Lu Sui into the women’s restroom, but fortunately, there was a large potted plant nearby. She pulled him into a corner and began explaining.
"He was here for a blind date, but he found the woman too noisy, so he forced me to help him out of the situation," Wu Mangmang said, rolling her eyes helplessly. "I really don’t know what kind of fate I have. Back then, Xiao Gugong didn’t like Shen Yuanzi, and he also dragged me into it to help him out. I’m practically becoming a professional love-wrecker."
Wu Mangmang clasped her hands together in front of her chest, looking pleadingly at Lu Sui, whose emotions were unreadable. "You understand, right?"
"As for why I held his hand earlier, it was because I got too into the act and couldn’t snap out of it right away," Wu Mangmang explained everything she could. "You know me, don’t you? I’ll make an appointment with Dr. Wu on Monday, okay?"
But Lu Sui still showed no reaction. Wu Mangmang felt her legs go weak under his gaze. It seemed he wasn’t swayed by soft tactics, but she couldn’t bring herself to be tough either.
Wu Mangmang had no choice but to put on a serious expression. "Whether you believe me or not, I will never cheat in this lifetime. If I ever fall for someone else in the future, I’ll definitely tell you first and only start after we break up."
"Fall for someone else?" Lu Sui repeated the phrase slowly.
Wu Mangmang quickly added, "But I think the chances of that happening are extremely slim, at most one percent. With someone as exceptional as you by my side, how could I possibly be interested in other ordinary people, right?"
Wu Mangmang felt that her skill in coaxing Lu Sui was improving by leaps and bounds.
This role reversal between men and women left her feeling a bit dazed herself.
"Weren’t you going to the restroom? Why aren’t you going?" Lu Sui said.
"I didn’t actually need to use the restroom. I was just in a hurry to explain to you, afraid you’d get too angry," Wu Mangmang said, her sweet talk flowing more smoothly than ever. She was starting to understand how Ning Zheng had honed such skills.
"Go wash your hands," Lu Sui said.
It wasn’t until Wu Mangmang stood in front of the sink that it dawned on her—could it be that Lu Sui was jealous?
This man’s way of expressing himself was too subtle. She could only rely on guesswork.When she came out, Wu Mangmang spread her fair, delicate little hands before Lu Sui, showing off her work: "All clean, and I even used hand soap."
Now only my scent remains—this sentence Wu Mangmang didn’t dare say aloud, afraid of provoking Lu Sui into an embarrassed rage. Being someone’s girlfriend was truly not easy.
“Mm,” Lu Sui responded.
Wu Mangmang’s hand was taken by Lu Sui, and she followed him into the private room, one after the other.
Wu Mangmang felt that such public displays of affection were genuinely childish, but she didn’t dare say so to Lu Sui.
“Why are you two so slow?” Lu Lin said impatiently. “Do you have to go to the restroom together? Surely you don’t need Mangmang to hold it for you while you pee?”
Wu Mangmang answered without thinking, “Hold what?”
When she realized what she’d said, she really wanted to kneel before Lu Lin. It wasn’t that she didn’t understand these things—she just hadn’t expected Lu Lin to speak so boldly, so it hadn’t even crossed her mind.
But now, following Lu Lin’s line of thought, Wu Mangmang couldn’t help but shudder.
Fortunately, both gentlemen possessed the skill of selective hearing and simply ignored the crude joke.
As soon as Lu Sui sat down, his phone rang. It was Ning Zheng.
While he took the call, the other three couldn’t just sit in silence. Lu Lin turned to Shen Ting and said, “By the way, I didn’t get a chance to ask earlier. Didn’t Yuànzǐ say you had a date today with Miss Lan from Kaiyue Electronics? It ended so quickly?”
This was truly touching on a sore spot. Wu Mangmang and Shen Ting’s eyes met briefly in the air before each looked away.
“Mm,” Shen Ting responded.
He and Lu Sui really were cut from the same cloth. Wu Mangmang had often wondered how these two even communicated.
One “mm,” the other “ah.”
“Ning Zheng is coming over later,” Lu Sui said, putting down his phone and signaling a waiter to clear all the dishes and bring a fresh set.
In fact, Ning Zheng and Shen Yuanzi were already nearly there, so they soon appeared in the private room.
“Well, what’s the occasion today? Everyone’s here,” Ning Zheng said with a smile as he walked in, Shen Yuanzi on his arm.
But the next second, Ning Zheng realized something was off about the seating arrangement.
Why was Wu Mangmang sitting next to Lu Sui?
Wu Mangmang was sharp. Without waiting for Ning Zheng to ask, she spoke up under the astonished gazes of the newcomers, saying to Lu Sui, “I want some soup.”
Lu Sui picked up the small bowl in front of Wu Mangmang and ladled her a serving.
With that, their relationship was clear as day, leaving no room for doubt in Ning Zheng and Shen Yuanzi’s minds.
“How did you get here so fast?” Lu Lin asked.
“He suddenly said he wanted to come play with guns,” Shen Yuanzi replied, sitting down next to Lu Lin. The “he” naturally referred to Ning Zheng.
“Oh,” Lu Lin said, giving Ning Zheng a meaningful look.
Just then, Shen Yuanzi received a call and got up to step outside and answer it. Ning Zheng turned to Lu Sui and Wu Mangmang, who was busy drinking her soup, and asked, “Since when has this been going on?”
“I only found out yesterday,” Lu Lin promptly clarified, showing no trace of sibling affection.
“You two really keep things low-key,” Ning Zheng said with a laugh, though his smile would have been more sincere if his gaze toward Wu Mangmang hadn’t been so sharp.
Ning Zheng hadn’t expected to misjudge her. Wu Mangmang’s coldness toward him had simply been because she wanted to latch onto Lu Sui’s thicker thigh.
What he hadn’t anticipated, however, was that after Lu Sui’s years of being single, he’d actually been ensnared by this little temptress, Wu Mangmang."This morning when I saw the Weibo post you shared, I wondered who was picking the scallions for you," Ning Zheng said.
"What scallions?" Lu Lin turned her head and also took out her phone to scroll, feeling her eyes dazzled for a moment.
Others might not know Lu Sui's private side, but how could Lu Lin not be clear? She had watched him grow up wearing diapers.
Lu Sui was fundamentally a man spoiled by his family and women, yet he was indeed exceptional enough that his brilliance seemed to mask all his flaws.
But Lu Lin felt Lu Sui was like an oncoming car driving with high beams at night—not only instantly blinding you, but also taking your life the next second.
What on earth did these women see in him?
It had to be said, the photo of Lu Sui picking scallions struck Lu Lin as utterly unbelievable, and she couldn’t help bursting into laughter. The image was truly unimaginable.
Can’t we just enjoy our soup in peace?! Wu Mangmang really wanted to throw her bowl.
Fortunately, Shen Yuanzi pushed the door open and directed the accusation straight at Shen Ting.
"Brother, what’s going on? Lan Shan was so upset she cried, saying you’re keeping a nightclub hostess outside," Shen Yuanzi said with dissatisfaction.
The first half of the sentence was fine, but the latter half made Wu Mangmang almost bury her head in her bowl.
Shen Ting couldn’t be bothered to entertain Shen Yuanzi’s "hearsay."
Shen Yuanzi was already used to her brother’s reticence. Served him right for having wealth and looks but never a girlfriend—who could stand him?
"I don’t care anymore. Lan Shan is coming over later, so you explain it to her clearly," Shen Yuanzi said angrily as she sat down.
Oh my god, wouldn’t they be exposed right on the spot? Wu Mangmang couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy for herself and Shen Ting.
Speak of the devil, and he shall appear. Although Lan Shan had stormed off in anger because of Wu Mangmang, she hadn’t left.
However, she didn’t come alone; behind her followed an elegant and graceful beauty.
It was Lan Yue!
Wu Mangmang couldn’t contain her excitement and whispered to Lu Lin beside her, "Is that Lan Yue from Lan Yue Jewelry?"
Lu Lin nodded.
This was absolutely Wu Mangmang’s idol.
Noble family background, outstanding talent, and, to top it off, looks that could instantly outshine today’s top female celebrities. Lan Yue Jewelry never hired other stars as spokesmodels—its founder, Lan Yue, had once been the dream girl of countless otaku, topping the city’s list of women men most wanted to [be with] for several years.
She had also held the title of the city’s most beautiful woman for five consecutive years, and to this day, no one had broken her record.
Most importantly, the now-famous Lan Yue Jewelry was founded by Lan Yue herself when she was just eighteen. Although she undoubtedly benefited from her family’s backing, Wu Mangmang knew that few with similar backgrounds could achieve the level of success Lan Yue had.
Even though Lan Yue was no longer in her youth—already forty years old—her appearance seemed to defy aging, looking no more than thirty, and her poise was truly beyond reach.
Lan Yue was Wu Mangmang’s idol because she knew she could never achieve the same level of success in her lifetime.
And Lan Yue was Lan Shan’s older sister.
As soon as Lan Shan entered, she spotted Wu Mangmang and couldn’t help but sneer, turning to leave immediately. But Lan Yue gently stopped her. "What’s wrong? Throwing another tantrum?"
Even her real voice was so gentle and pleasant—Wu Mangmang was completely captivated.
Lan Shan said resentfully, "Since she’s sitting here, why should I come and humiliate myself?"“Her?” Lan Yue followed Lan Shan’s gaze and spotted Wu Mangmang.
Wu Mangmang felt extremely awkward—how could she possibly explain that Shen Ting had asked her to act because Lan Shan was being too noisy?
Lan Shan leaned over and whispered a few words into Lan Yue’s ear. Lan Yue glanced at Wu Mangmang, then at Lu Sui, before smiling and pulling Lan Shan to her seat. “You must have misunderstood. This young lady was surely just joking with you.”
Wu Mangmang quickly seized the lifeline Lan Yue had thrown her. “I’m sorry, I was just making a silly joke earlier. I wanted to tease Shen Ting and see if I could make him lose his composure. The angry look on his face was actually quite amusing.” Without waiting to see if anyone else laughed, Wu Mangmang forced a smile herself.
“Who jokes like that?” Lan Shan’s anger toward Shen Ting might have subsided, but her irritation with Wu Mangmang had skyrocketed.
Lan Yue gently squeezed Lan Shan’s hand under the table. “What a pity I wasn’t there. Honestly, I’d love to see Shen Ting lose his composure too. He wears the same expression all year round—it does get a bit monotonous.”
Great minds think alike. Wu Mangmang almost wanted to rush over and clasp Lan Yue’s hands to pour out her heartfelt agreement.
Lu Lin nodded in approval, while Shen Yuanzi watched Wu Mangmang with a cold, indifferent expression.
With Lan Shan’s anger now defused, the group of old acquaintances quickly warmed up the atmosphere.
“When did you return to the country? You didn’t even let us know so we could welcome you back,” Lu Lin asked Lan Yue.
“I just got back yesterday. I haven’t had the chance to reach out to everyone yet,” Lan Yue replied with a smile.
Her voice was gentle and soothing, her smile warm and kind. Though stunningly beautiful, she carried the approachable charm of an older sister next door and seemed to be on good terms with Ning Zheng, Shen Ting, and the others.
“Perfect timing, then. Since everyone’s here, let’s do it tonight,” Lu Lin suggested.
Lan Yue nodded with a smile, then turned her gaze openly toward Lu Sui. “Long time no see.”
Lu Sui replied, “Indeed.”
Wu Mangmang glanced at Lu Sui and noticed the corners of his lips were curved into a gentler smile than usual. The allure of a goddess truly knew no bounds.
Lu Lin leaned slightly toward Wu Mangmang’s direction. “She’s Lu Sui’s bedmate.”
Wu Mangmang immediately choked on the water she had just sipped. Fortunately, she turned away quickly, preventing herself from spraying it across the table.
Lu Sui handed her a napkin and gently patted her back.
Once Wu Mangmang caught her breath, she turned back to the group. “Sorry.”
Though she was initially shocked to hear that Lan Yue was Lu Sui’s bedmate, an inexplicable sense of pride soon welled up inside her—a pride that seemed to stem from the thought, “My boyfriend actually slept with my goddess.”
It was akin to the widespread sentiment of “My boyfriend actually slept with Sister Zhiling.”
“I don’t believe I’ve met this young lady yet,” Lan Yue said, smiling at Wu Mangmang, who didn’t seem to belong to their circle.
“My girlfriend, Mangmang,” Lu Sui stated.
Lan Yue’s smile remained unchanged, but Lan Shan’s expression of disbelief and incredulity was impossible to suppress. If it had been anyone else, the second Miss Lan would likely have blurted out, “Are you blind? How could you choose this lunatic over my sister?”However, she dared not provoke Lu Sui's temper, so she could only widen her eyes as big as a cow's to emphasize her shock.
In fact, Lan Shan's inner thoughts mirrored those of Wu Mangmang.
Had Lu Sui lost his mind?
"Your girlfriend is really beautiful," Lan Yue praised. "And very young."
"Thank you," Lu Sui replied.
The dialogue between mature men and women, with just a few words, perfectly conveyed each other's feelings.
Lu Lin probably felt that Wu Mangmang hadn’t choked enough on water, so she leaned over and whispered in her ear, "Lan Yue dumped Lu Sui."
Ding-ding-ding-ding!
If Lan Yue had been a golden brand in Wu Mangmang’s heart before, now she was gold inlaid with diamonds.
As for Lan Yue dumping Lu Sui, Wu Mangmang wasn’t surprised at all—a goddess deserved a better man.
Wu Mangmang’s expression took Lu Lin by surprise. She had expected to see the jealousy of a young girl, but instead, Wu Mangmang’s gaze toward Lan Yue was one of starry-eyed admiration.
Compared to men, women actually prefer looking at other women. When they see a woman they admire, they can’t help but look again and again, appreciating everything from head to toe, from hairstyle to clothing, and imagining themselves dressed the same way.
But Wu Mangmang felt that even if she wore a qipao, she could never exude the same enchanting charm as Lan Yue.
Originally, everyone had come to the villa with the intention of playing with guns, but Lan Yue seemed uninterested in such activities. Naturally, everyone accommodated her and moved the gathering to the rose garden.
Rose Manor was Lan Yue’s property, filled with roses collected from all over the world. It was especially famous for its rose-themed afternoon tea.
When Madame Xx visited the city, she also made a point of stopping by Rose Manor.
The emblem of Lan Yue Jewelry was a diamond rose, a testament to the hostess’s love for roses—so much so that Wu Mangmang had also grown particularly fond of the flower.
"Mind if I borrow your boyfriend for a word, Mangmang?" Lan Yue looked at Wu Mangmang.
"Of course not." Wu Mangmang would have gladly packed Lu Sui up and delivered him to Lan Yue’s bed. She couldn’t help but feel a sense of guilt for being the one who disrupted their perfect pairing.
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