Тhе sреaker mау hаvе hаd no intention, but thе listеner cеrtainly tооk it tо hеаrt.
Wu Мangmang's hеart skipped two beаts, wоndering if "Unсle" knеw аbоut hеr cоnditiоn.
Вut thеn shе immediаtely thought it imроssible. Оnly her familу knew abоut her illness, аnd bеsidеs thеm, оnlу Wu Yоng. But if Wu Yong dаrеd to lеаk hеr cоndition, hе сould kiss his mediсаl licеnse goodbуe.
Howеvеr, Wu Мangmаng then thought agаin—whеn hеr fathеr wеnt tо рlеаd for mеrсy, hе might havе casuаlly mеntiоnеd her "mеntаl illnеss" tо gain sympаthy. That wasn’t entirеly impossiblе either.
Wu Мangmаng wаs lost in thоught when she was suddenly nudged by Lu Qingqing.
Lu Qingqing sighed inwardly. Usually, Wu Mangmang seemed like a clever girl, so why was she spacing out so frequently today?
Although Lu Qingqing knew that her uncle’s face, in this looks-obsessed world, could easily make women lose focus, Wu Mangmang shouldn’t have been one of them. Hadn’t she learned her lesson yet?
Wu Mangmang had already snapped back to attention and turned to whisper to Lu Qingqing, "What’s the God of Wealth’s surname?"
Lu Qingqing slapped her forehead, realizing she’d forgotten to mention this. "Lu."
Wu Mangmang quickly tried to make amends, "Mr. Lu, what happened last time was entirely my fault. I was blind and failed to recognize Mount Tai. Please, sir, be magnanimous and don’t be angry. It’s not worth it for someone like me. If you harm your health in anger, the pain may be in your body, but it aches in my heart."
Wu Mangmang was putting on another act. If she added horse-hoof sleeves and a "Yes, sir!" she’d be the spitting image of a little eunuch before the emperor.
She actually knew that speaking like this in the current situation might only add fuel to the fire, but if she could control her words and actions, she wouldn’t need to see a psychologist.
According to Wu Yong, this behavior of hers was a way to cope with situations she wanted to escape—using acting as a shield. Because actors are always playing someone else’s role, they don’t truly experience the emotions of the character. They don’t have to cry, laugh, or suffer for the lives of those in the scene.
Once the scene is cut, the emotions are packed away.
Before Wu Mangmang’s words even finished, a man sitting to the right of the God of Wealth uncle laughed out loud. "Are all young girls nowadays so amusing?"
If one looked at Wu Mangmang without prejudice, her performance habit could indeed be considered a form of humor in its own way.
Thanks to this laughter, Wu Mangmang felt particularly grateful to this man she hadn’t even noticed before. Not only had he diffused her embarrassment, but he had also lightened the atmosphere.
Wu Mangmang took a closer look and realized the man who laughed was actually quite handsome—the rugged, tough-guy type. He had a neat crew cut that made him look very sharp. The laugh lines at the corners of his eyes revealed he wasn’t exactly young, but they also hinted that he was someone who laughed often.
People who laugh a lot are usually easier to get along with and tend to have good luck.
Wu Mangmang keenly observed that, at the entire poker table, the pile of chips in front of him was the largest.
She shouldn’t have overlooked a man like this. He was practically the image of her Mr. Right.His refined demeanor suggested a distinguished upbringing, and his custom-made leather shoes indicated considerable financial means. His physique, exuding a sense of security that women particularly appreciate, might not be capable of taking on four opponents at once, but he could certainly handle two or three troublemakers.
This man fulfilled both the beauty's admiration for a hero and the gold-digger's fantasy of crying in a BMW.
Yet, such an almost idealized man had just been overlooked by her.
The blame lay entirely with the God of Wealth, Uncle Lu, who was simply too eye-catching.
Sitting there motionless, yet radiating an aura full of drama.
So, although Wu Mangmang was momentarily captivated by the gentleman with the pleasant laugh, her attention quickly returned entirely to the God of Wealth.
"Qingqing, you're becoming more and more reckless lately, bringing just anyone here," Lu Sui remarked lightly, his gaze already back on the card table.
Leaving Wu Mangmang alone, her face flushed instantly, burning hot enough to fry an egg, her mind seemingly boiling over with turmoil.
Utter humiliation was precisely the situation before her.
Miss Wu Mangmang had never heard such words in all her life.
She had been raised with indulgence; although her parents paid little attention to her in her childhood, they were always generous with money.
Since elementary school, Wu Mangmang had been the class's "rich, beautiful girl," treating everyone to ice cream and birthday cakes.
She always had a crowd of followers, a star surrounded by admirers, a status that lasted all the way through university.
Even without mentioning the wealth that seemed eager to spill from her pockets, Wu Mangmang's face alone earned her more preferential treatment than others.
After all, Wu Mangmang was the campus belle of G University, even voted the most beautiful campus belle of all time on the campus BBS.
It wasn't until today that Wu Mangmang was jolted awake by a bucket of cold water—in front of some people, she was actually nothing. Her proud looks and family background were utterly insignificant in their eyes.
It seemed she really needed to start cultivating both inner and outer qualities.
With just a light remark from Lu Sui, the atmosphere in the room instantly turned awkward.
Ning Zheng looked sympathetically at poor little Wu Mangmang.
People like them had seen all kinds of beauties; the feeling of being dazzled had vanished many years ago.
But at this moment, Ning Zheng looked at Wu Mangmang and inexplicably felt that this young girl was astonishingly beautiful.
She wore a simple white T-shirt, half-tucked into her jeans—a common style among young girls who thought themselves trendy.
The jeans were intentionally distressed, with several holes worn through the knees and thighs, which could also be considered fashionable.
White canvas shoes and a studded backpack.
The aura of youth washed over them, holding considerable appeal for men like them, who were striving to recapture their youth.
But what attracted Ning Zheng the most was Wu Mangmang's expression.
At first, her face showed confusion, as if she hadn't yet processed the humiliation.
Then came the burning shame of anger, yet her eyes remained stubborn, trying hard to convey an expression of "I don't care, your words don't matter, you just fail to recognize true worth."
But in reality, the poor girl's self-esteem had been brutally crushed.
Her face bore the look of someone wounded, yet she pretended to be strong, as if to say, "You can't hurt me."Such nervousness, shyness, those bright eyes, flushed cheeks, rapid breathing, and heaving chest—all of it was breathtakingly beautiful.
But breathtaking as it was, and sympathetic as one might feel, Ning Zheng was unwilling to contradict Lu Sui’s words in his presence.
Unexpectedly, although Lu Qingqing’s expression turned grim upon hearing this, and she even showed some fear, she did not simply pull Wu Mangmang away. Instead, she continued to plead, “Uncle, Mangmang sincerely came to apologize. She already knows she was wrong.”
Wu Mangmang hadn’t expected Lu Qingqing to be so loyal.
It could truly be called unwavering loyalty. Who would have thought that their friendship, built on “mutual likes,” would make Lu Qingqing go to such lengths to help her?
In truth, Wu Mangmang had long realized that the God of Wealth was a man of his word, and no one present was willing to risk offending him by contradicting him.
For Lu Qingqing to go this far, her courage was no less than that of someone blocking a machine gun or blowing up a bunker.
Seeing this, Ning Zheng had no choice but to help Lu Qingqing by offering Lu Sui a way out. Otherwise, the two young girls would surely be frightened out of their wits. “They’re just kids, and they look quite pitiful. Why not give them a chance?”
Lu Sui looked at Ning Zheng and smiled inexplicably.
Although Ning Zheng didn’t understand the meaning behind Lu Sui’s smile, he already knew that Lu Sui wasn’t actually holding a grudge against the young girls. He simply disliked being disturbed.
Come to think of it, Lu Sui had always preferred peace and quiet, living a life akin to an ascetic, even abstaining from desires.
Every year, he would go to Tibet, and each time, everyone thought he would return dressed as a lama. Yet, he remained in the mortal world.
“Come here, help me draw a tile,” Ning Zheng said, turning to his female companion beside him.
The beautiful companion extended her freshly manicured hand, swaying her hips as she drew a tile, her body language so exaggerated it was astonishing.
But it was all for naught. She drew a useless tile, and after discarding it, the player opposite promptly claimed it.
Ning Zheng’s companion pouted, and he gently patted the back of her hand. “It’s fine.”
The ladder had been extended to Wu Mangmang. Her fate, or rather, the fate of her father’s small furniture factory, now depended entirely on her luck with the tiles.
Ning Zheng wrapped an arm around his companion’s shoulder and said to Lu Sui, “How about letting the young girl draw a tile for you?”
Lu Sui neither agreed nor disagreed, but he leaned back in his chair, making some space.
Lu Qingqing gently nudged Wu Mangmang and whispered behind her, “Uncle doesn’t like being touched.”
Wu Mangmang was grateful she was wearing a T-shirt and jeans today, ensuring that no part of her body or clothing would accidentally brush against the God of Wealth.
Wu Mangmang walked to Lu Sui’s side, straightening her back and sucking in her stomach as if trying to press her chest against her spine. She didn’t even dare to exhale the warmth of her breath, holding it in as she reached out with no unnecessary body language, drawing a tile with lightning speed.
It was as if she feared someone might forbid her from drawing a tile.
This clean and decisive move not only made Ning Zheng chuckle softly but also brought a smile to the face of Shen Ting, who sat opposite Lu Sui and rarely showed any expression.
Wu Mangmang was also a mahjong player. During her university days, she often lost her dormmates’ living expenses.
Though she sometimes did it on purpose, it was also true that her luck with tiles had never been good.At this moment, Wu Mangmang didn’t even dare to flip her card over to look. She only rubbed her thumb over the face-down card—it should be a "Wan" tile, but she couldn’t tell exactly which number it was.
Wu Mangmang lowered her eyelids to sneak a glance at Lu Sui’s hand.
Goodness, not only was it a pure Wan suit, but it was also a Seven Pairs with Dragons. He already had three Nine of Wan tiles in hand and was waiting for the last Nine of Wan to complete the set.
But looking at the discarded tiles on the table, not a single Wan tile had been played. It was clear the other three players were all holding Wan tiles. Even under such circumstances, he still dared to aim for such a hand—truly bold.
"Hurry up and flip it over for us to see. Lu Sui has already lost a car today—it’s all up to you to turn his luck around," said Jiang Baoliang, the great lawyer.
Wu Mangmang had no choice. Since she couldn’t figure out which Wan tile it was anyway, success or failure hinged on this single card. With the courage of someone burning their boats, she closed her eyes, flipped the tile over, and placed it on the table, reluctantly lifting her palm from its surface.
The surroundings fell into silence. Wu Mangmang waited for five seconds without any reaction and had to half-open her eyes to squint at the tile.
"Wow, it’s the Nine of Wan! It’s the Nine of Wan! It really is the Nine of Wan!" Wu Mangmang immediately jumped up with a laugh, hugging Lu Qingqing and bouncing up and down.
Lu Sui pushed his tiles over.
Ning Zheng chuckled, "Seems like this young lady brings you good luck."
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