Whilе brushing hеr tееth, Wu Mangmаng lооkеd аt her short hair in thе mirrоr—choрped unеvеnlу аs if сhеwed by а dog—and unconsciouslу slоwed hеr brushing.
Thе issuеs with hеr mind wеre bесоming inсrеasinglу absurd. After kееping hеr long, straight blaсk hair for sо many уеаrs, shе hаd ruinеd it аll during a Singles' Dау salе.
Аnd shоrt hair—unlеss yоu livеd with a hairstуlist аt homе, it was best not tо touch it. Freshlу blоwn оut, it might loоk pure and сutе, but аfter а night's slеер, it соuld turn into а bird's nеst, and а few rubs сould makе it loоk likе it hаd beеn сhеwеd by a dog.
Wu Мangmang sank into the bаthtub, reluctantlу recаlling the еvеnts of thе evening—a classic case of "no zuo, no die."
Lu Sui had been exceptionally gracious tonight. He hadn’t publicly yelled "psycho" at her, which truly spoke to his cultivated demeanor.
Aside from closing his eyes briefly, as if to avoid the sight, Lu Sui hadn’t uttered a single harsh word to her afterward. Yet, Wu Mangmang felt an indescribable discomfort in her heart.
It was probably this kind of mindset.
Her ex-boyfriends would have yelled "psycho" at her in such situations, and Wu Mangmang’s usual response was to stubbornly deny it and yell back. A man without a hint of humor might as well be dead.
Men with hearts as narrow as a needle’s tip—how could they ever deserve a true "white, rich, and beautiful" woman?
Even a "psycho" like her couldn’t stand them.
But when faced with someone as tolerant as Lu Sui, Wu Mangmang began to self-reflect, feeling as though she didn’t deserve his patience.
Anxiously, she feared that one day Lu Sui would no longer be so forgiving.
Nothing remained unchanged forever.
Back then, that person had even dared to block a knife for her, leaving his right hand permanently disabled and weak. Yet, in the end, hadn’t he walked away without looking back?
The only difference was that back then, she hadn’t been sick yet—or rather, her illness hadn’t manifested.
So, whether she was well or unwell, everyone would eventually let her go for one reason or another.
In that case, rather than being a painfully aware person, perhaps being as she was now wasn’t so bad after all.
But tonight, because of Lu Sui’s attitude, Wu Mangmang suddenly felt a pang of guilt—guilt that she was unworthy of his kindness.
She felt childish and foolish tonight, and even now, she couldn’t help but cover her face with her hands at the thought. Yet, in the moment, she had felt nothing but excitement and thrill, completely unable to restrain herself.
"Oh," Wu Mangmang groaned, submerging herself entirely in the water. Gradually, a familiar sense of suffocation washed over her. She lingered in that state between life and death for a moment before abruptly surfacing, gasping for air.
To others, it might seem terrifying, but to Wu Mangmang, this was merely a game she was accustomed to.
Once, she had miscalculated her technique, and if not for the timely intervention of the housekeeper, Wu Mangmang would have long been enjoying her time in heaven.
If not for that incident, Ms. Liu wouldn’t have swallowed her pride and sent her to see a psychologist.
Wu Mangmang wiped the water from her face, feeling rather melodramatic.
Countless people in the world suffered far more than she did, yet they didn’t talk of life and death. Here she was, well-fed, well-clothed, with both parents alive, no mortgage to worry about, a respectable career, and a boyfriend of excellent character—and she still harbored thoughts of suicide?
It was simply asking for trouble.
But humans were precisely that kind of trouble-seeking creature.When survival is no longer an issue, people begin to feel they should rise above animals, distinguish themselves from beasts, and start pursuing emotions and ideals, demanding respect and love, and contemplating the meaning of life.
To put it bluntly, if Wu Mangmang had been born into a family struggling for survival, her psychological issues would never have become problems, because she wouldn’t have had time to wallow in melancholy.
So, the rich really do have too many trivial troubles.
Wu Mangmang stepped out of the bathtub naked, admiring her youthful body glowing with a post-bath pink hue in the mirror. She muttered, "Just a worthless shell, a coward who wants to die but doesn’t dare!"
She grabbed a nearby towel to wrap around herself and changed her tone, saying, "I’m not a coward. Death can be as light as a feather or as heavy as Mount Tai."
If she died now, not only would she not make it to heaven, but she doubted anyone in the world would shed a tear for her.
Boss Wu and Ms. Liu would probably angrily curse her for wasting food and being a nuisance.
Wù Dàndàn might cry a little.
As for Lu Sui, he’d likely be annoyed at having to deal with the police—in cases where a girlfriend dies mysteriously, the boyfriend is always the first suspect.
As for netizens, they’d probably speculate whether she’d been in a car accident.
In short, no one would remember her ten years from now.
Wu Mangmang certainly didn’t want to die like this.
Her desire to pursue a master’s degree wasn’t just a whim. She felt she had some talent in this area and believed that with effort, she could become an expert.
If she died someday in the future, she hoped someone would say, "Wu Mangmang’s passing is a significant loss to the field of antique restoration."
Then she could rest in peace.
Alternatively, she could become a deranged female serial killer. In the future, when police academies discussed case studies, they’d surely analyze her psychology.
Given these two possibilities, Wu Mangmang spent the entire weekend buried in postgraduate entrance exam materials.
When she got tired of studying, she’d flip through an Agatha Christie mystery novel, like Murder on the Orient Express.
Unfortunately, those stories were set too far in the past. With modern investigative techniques, there’d be no need for a detective like Poirot.
So, Wu Mangmang switched to reading Keigo Higashino instead.
When Lu Sui returned home from an evening engagement and walked to the door of the side room, he saw Wu Mangmang sitting inside, scratching her head with a pen as she buried herself in her books. It really felt like he was raising a daughter.
The young woman seemed to have encountered a difficult problem. After scratching her head, she started chewing on the pen cap.
Finally, she put down the pen and flipped through the book to the end.
She must have been checking the answers.
Lu Sui could clearly read the words "What kind of answer is this?" on Wu Mangmang’s face.
"Thinking about taking the postgraduate entrance exam?"
Wu Mangmang was so absorbed in her studies that she didn’t notice Lu Sui until she heard his voice and felt him embrace her from behind.
"Have you been drinking?" Wu Mangmang wrinkled her nose.
"Yes," Lu Sui loosened his grip slightly and undid the top button of his shirt.
Wu Mangmang instinctively felt that Lu Sui’s attitude tonight was off. Alcohol was the catalyst for desire.
Lu Sui’s demeanor instantly brought a word to Wu Mangmang’s mind.
Flirting.
Trying not to startle him, Wu Mangmang said, "The postgraduate entrance exam is so hard. English is manageable." Which high-profile blogger couldn’t throw in a few English phrases?
"But are the people who write the political questions even human?" Wu Mangmang got every multiple-choice question wrong, completely baffled by the bizarre logic of the examiners.Lu Sui took a sip of the mineral water Peter handed him. "Stop scratching your head. I’ll have someone hire a tutor for you tomorrow."
He sat down beside Wu Mangmang. "What school are you aiming for? Have you contacted any professors?"
Just look at how efficient he was—in an instant, he had taken full control of the situation.
Wu Mangmang bit the end of her pen and looked at Lu Sui, hesitating as she spoke. "I want to apply to University A. My uncle is quite familiar with the professors there, and I’ve already gotten the specialized exam questions."
Her hesitation stemmed from the fact that University A wasn’t located in their city.
"Your major is indeed strongest at University A," Lu Sui remarked.
Wu Mangmang carefully observed Lu Sui’s expression. This person didn’t seem to mind at all that University A wasn’t in their city.
That was absolutely abnormal. Was he indifferent? Or was he too concerned, so he didn’t want to alert her prematurely?
Lost in thought, Wu Mangmang slowly packed her books and stationery.
Lu Sui watched with amusement as she placed her pen into the stationery case.
A pink bunny stationery case—was she getting too into her role?
"I’m heading upstairs. Studying all day is really exhausting," Wu Mangmang said, even yawning for added realism.
"Hmm, what a pity. I was actually planning to give you the prize you lost tonight," Lu Sui said, watching as Wu Mangmang hugged her books to her chest in a defensive posture.
You can’t be this cunning!
As adults, Wu Mangmang couldn’t possibly misunderstand Lu Sui’s meaning.
This was undoubtedly a variation of "there’s no such thing as a free lunch."
But since they were both adults with desires, and the barrier between them would eventually be broken anyway, Wu Mangmang didn’t bother being coy.
If she could get a photo of Lu Sui’s abs in exchange, it wouldn’t be a bad deal.
After all, Lu Sui would be the one putting in the effort.
"I’ll come to your room with the camera later," Wu Mangmang said.
"Alright," Lu Sui smiled but didn’t move, as if afraid she might change her mind.
Wu Mangmang waved her hand dismissively. "You should go take a shower now."
Wasn’t that clear enough?
Back in her room, Wu Mangmang took a refreshing shower and quickly applied a sheet mask.
She thought about changing into something more seductive, but it just wouldn’t match her hairstyle.
Instead, she rummaged through her closet and pulled out a lively and adorable pink bunny hoodie with two long rabbit ears drooping from the hood—utterly cute and charming.
Unable to find suitable bottoms at the moment, she hastily slipped on a pair of shorts.
The hem of the bunny hoodie reached just to the top of her thighs, hiding the shorts, though they’d be visible if she raised her arms.
Once dressed, Wu Mangmang dug out her DSLR camera, checked the battery to ensure everything was in order, and then went to knock on the door across the hall.
Lu Sui had likely just finished showering as well. He had changed into jeans and a white T-shirt, looking several years younger. With his naturally refined and noble demeanor, the boundaries of age seemed to blur entirely.
In truth, Lu Sui wasn’t old at all, but Wu Mangmang liked to silently label him as an "old man"—just as Lu Sui had said, she was simply seeking a sense of superiority.
Now, as Wu Mangmang caught a glimpse of Lu Sui’s faintly visible abs beneath his fitted T-shirt, she couldn’t help but swallow nervously, feeling a little intimidated.
Meanwhile, Lu Sui’s eyes swept past Wu Mangmang’s rabbit ears and landed directly on the key area.
Wu Mangmang pouted and lifted the bunny hoodie with both hands. "I’m wearing pants."
Even if they were practically invisible, it made all the difference in her confidence.Lu Sui stepped aside, and Wu Mangmang walked in wearing her bunny-head slippers.
Turning her head, she saw Lu Sui taking off his T-shirt.
"What, what are you doing?" Wu Mangmang stammered.
"Didn't you say you wanted to take pictures of my abs?" Lu Sui retorted.
"Ah, oh." Only then did Wu Mangmang realize, inwardly complaining that Lu Sui was being too direct, not giving her any psychological preparation.
Wu Mangmang lowered her head, fiddling with the camera to hide the blush on her face.
It wasn't that she hadn't seen the world before, but the lines of the Adonis belt disappearing into his jeans were simply irresistible, making her mind wander uncontrollably.
"How should I pose?" Lu Sui asked.
Wu Mangmang then realized that Mr. Lu, who seemed capable of anything with his wealth, actually had no idea how to strike a pose.
Blushing and keeping her head down, Wu Mangmang said, "Just do whatever feels natural."
Handsome and well-built, a natural clothes hanger, and unafraid of the camera—he looked good no matter how he was photographed.
To be honest, knowing how to pose was truly a powerful skill.
Mr. Lu, of course, didn't need to strike a pose. Just standing there, he looked like a magazine cover.
Wu Mangmang snapped a few photos in quick succession, then suddenly exclaimed, "Ah, I almost forgot."
She walked over to Lu Sui, reached for the button on his pants, and looked up at him. "In our agreement, the button wasn't supposed to be fastened."
Lu Sui grabbed her hand. "Don't cause trouble."
But even as he said this, it was already too late.
Before Wu Mangmang could even undo the button, something had already grown restless.
As a woman, Wu Mangmang couldn't understand this tendency of men to ignite at the slightest spark.
But at times like these, women always felt a sense of smug superiority—proud of their immense charm and of being more evolved than men.
Wu Mangmang was no exception, but when people become smug, they tend to let their guard down. By the time she was thrown heavily onto the bed, Lu Sui was already on top of her.
The next second, Wu Mangmang's lips were sealed. Clearly, Lu Sui had learned from last time and was determined not to give her a chance to speak.
Once laughter broke out, things couldn't continue.
"I think I might not be able to respect your principles anymore," Lu Sui whispered in Wu Mangmang's ear, his voice low and husky, sending what felt like a series of electric sparks running beneath her skin.
Men could truly be described as two-part creatures.
The upper half gently soothed and comforted you, treating you as delicately as Japanese tofu, afraid you might melt with a single breath.
But the lower half was unyieldingly strong, not allowing you to retreat. In just a moment, Wu Mangmang felt like meat on a chopping block.
Only, Lu Sui seemed a bit impatient, his kisses falling more and more densely.
Wu Mangmang's dazed spirit drifted thousands of miles away, only snapping back to reality when she felt a chill on her body.
It turned out Lu Sui had pulled back slightly to take off his own clothes.
Wu Mangmang took one look and was terrified.
Though she had never experienced it firsthand, her knowledge in this area was quite thorough. Lu Sui's size was clearly beyond the standard.
Wu Mangmang couldn't help but shrink back, but Lu Sui quickly closed in on her.
Though declaring herself a virgin at this point felt a bit like putting herself up for sale, Wu Mangmang thought it was better to say it. "I... this is my first time."
The main point was, you'd better be gentle, or at least better prepared.Wu Mangmang felt Lu Sui's movements clearly pause, his body immediately pulling away from her. She could hear him take several rapid breaths before he rolled over and got out of bed.
Wu Mangmang scrambled up, pulling the blanket over herself, confused by Lu Sui's actions.
After putting on his pants, Lu Sui turned back and said, "Sorry, we should be more careful."
Although Wu Mangmang found the shift somewhat abrupt, as a girl, she couldn't just shamelessly throw herself at him when he said they should be cautious, could she?
OpenNovel