Shеn Тing turnеd his head slightlу tо lооk аt Wu Mangmang.
Неr short hair wаs perkу, hеr fасе glоwing, though therе was still a faint redness arоund hеr eуes. Вut shе nо lоnger lооkеd likе thе girl who hаd been crуing аnd sniffling while kissing hеr young boуfriend at thе airpоrt just mоmеnts аgо.
Тhе overhеаd light shonе оn hеr faсe, giving hеr skin а strangelу trаnslucеnt, crystallinе quality.
Feеling а bit аwkward, Wu Мangmang withdrew hеr hеаd. Shen Тing sееmеd likе sоmeоnе who dislikеd being disturbеd and didn’t cаre fоr tаlkаtive wоmеn.
Тhеir last meeting hаdn’t exactly bеen pleаsant eithеr.
"Sorrу tо bothеr you. I just thought it was such a coincidence running into you here, so I came over to say hello," Wu Mangmang said awkwardly, scratching her head to show she was just being a polite, well-behaved girl.
Of course, as Lu Sui’s good friend, there really wasn’t much for them to talk about now.
Wu Mangmang raised the partition. Since her drowsiness had vanished, she decided to take out her postgraduate entrance exam politics textbook from her bag. She found herself amusingly dedicated—even while traveling for fun, she couldn’t forget to review politics.
But politics was truly boring. Since the plane offered internet service, Wu Mangmang couldn’t resist checking Weibo again.
Everyone was drooling over her little fresh meat, William, so Wu Mangmang uploaded another photo of herself resting her head on William’s bronze-toned abs.
A WeChat notification popped up, indicating a private message. Wu Mangmang opened it and saw it was from Zhen Wo Fengcai, who had been missing for a long time.
"Did you and Lu Sui really break up?" —Zhen Wo Fengcai
What did he mean, really or not?
Wu Mangmang replied with a "Yes."
"Why?"
Why? Incompatible personalities, of course. Wu Mangmang typed a few words but then reconsidered. Since she was bored on the plane, why not have a little fun?
This person was so nosy—might as well satisfy his curiosity.
"Didn’t I tell you before? He’s well-endowed and skilled, a three-times-a-night kind of guy. I’m delicate and tender, couldn’t handle it, so we broke up." —by Wu Mangmang
"Utter nonsense." —by Zhen Wo Fengcai
"How do you know it’s nonsense? Have you tried him yourself?" Wu Mangmang pouted.
The other person didn’t answer and instead asked, "How’s your little boyfriend?"
"Fantastic. Foreigner’s size, you know. Young but highly skilled." Wu Mangmang hummed while typing, "Though I’m young, my skills are top-notch…"
"You said you couldn’t even handle Lu Sui, so how can you handle your little boyfriend?" Zhen Wo Fengcai cornered her.
Caught in her lie, but fortunately it was online, Wu Mangmang decided to simply stop replying.
"Liar, are you angry?" —by Zhen Wo Fengcai
Your whole family are liars!
Feeling embarrassed and angry, Wu Mangmang decided politics was much more likable.
"Lu Sui is into health preservation," Zhen Wo Fengcai sent another private message. "Him not touching you doesn’t necessarily mean you’re not good enough."
What the hell?!
What was this? He actually, actually guessed everything right.
Health preservation?!
Such a high-end lifestyle, Wu Mangmang thought. Should she start refining elixirs or something?
Although Taoism also has its arts of the bedchamber, it generally emphasizes moderation and restraint.
But Wu Mangmang wasn’t easily fooled—after all, her major wasn’t just for show.
Didn’t Taoist health preservation also say that a virgin’s first blood was highly nourishing?So much for health preservation!
But then again, this person even knew about Lu Sui's emphasis on health preservation—something she hadn't been aware of.
Wu Mangmang couldn't help but start guessing again who Zhen Wo Fengcai might be.
It must be someone very close to him.
A friend? Lu Lin? Assistant Peng Ze? The old butler Peter? Or perhaps the housekeeper Annie?
The options were far too many.
Wu Mangmang imagined the stern and meticulous Peter being curious about Lu Sui's private life—the mental image was oddly adorable.
But it probably wasn't him.
Weibo finally quieted down, but after a long while, Zhen Wo Fengcai became active again.
How utterly bored must this person be? Wu Mangmang thought.
"Your short hair looks beautiful." So youthful, so pure, so... tempting.
Seeing this message, Wu Mangmang suddenly glanced at the partition, then narrowed her eyes. Should she trust her intuition?
But the tone of these private messages seemed so different from Shen Ting's style.
Yet how did he know she and Lu Sui hadn't...?
Peter would probably know, since he was in charge of things like changing the bedsheets.
Annie might also know.
But would Lu Sui's close friends know?
It was hard to imagine three grown men discussing private matters like that.
But if women were close enough, they would definitely talk about such things.
Wu Mangmang quietly stood up, peeked over the partition, and glanced at Shen Ting. He was resting with his eyes closed, and no communication devices were visible within her line of sight.
Could it really be him?
Wu Mangmang sat back down and bit her finger.
Truthfully, she had always leaned toward the idea that Zhen Wo Fengcai was Ning Zheng. She had always been blunt when talking to him—after all, he was a playboy.
But if it were Shen Ting instead?
Wu Mangmang bumped her head against the partition. She was horrified!
Better to just block him decisively.
If it really were Shen Ting, Wu Mangmang could only say that everyone had issues. Being so concerned about Lu Sui's private life—could he be a potential gay?
When they got off the plane, Wu Mangmang had quite a bit of luggage. Women just loved to shop, but fortunately, Shen Ting and his entourage were all refined gentlemen, happy to assist a lady.
"Does anyone come to pick you up?" Shen Ting asked, pushing Wu Mangmang's luggage cart.
Wu Mangmang shook her head.
She had bought her return ticket on a whim.
"Let me give you a ride," Shen Ting offered.
Although she could take a taxi, her luggage was too much, and it seemed unlikely to fit in a taxi's trunk, so she nodded in agreement.
However, since Shen Ting had become her suspect, interacting with him felt particularly awkward.
Wu Mangmang barely spoke the entire way.
Shen Ting spoke even less.
"Is my short hair pretty?" Wu Mangmang suddenly turned and asked Shen Ting as she was about to get out of the car.
Shen Ting looked at her and said, "Pretty."
Wu Mangmang studied him for a few seconds but ultimately gave up. His expressionless face revealed nothing.
Back home, Wu Mangmang called Ms. Liu, saying she would deliver the gifts after her postgraduate entrance exams over the weekend.
Ms. Liu responded with a noncommittal "Hmm."
After a good night's sleep, Wu Mangmang ordered takeout for dinner. While eating Kung Pao chicken, she heard her phone ring. Picking it up, she saw it was Lu Sui.
Wu Mangmang casually tossed her phone aside. Over the past month or so, Lu Sui had called many times, but she hadn't answered any of them. This, however, had indirectly led to her habit of not staying in one city for more than two days.Lu Sui hadn't called again after that, and now he suddenly reappeared. Could it be he knew she was back?
"Come down!" This time it was a private message on Weibo.
She could tell at a glance it was Lu Sui's account, with the username: Lu Sui Ren Mangmang.
Wu Mangmang's fingers brushed across the screen, then she gently set the phone down and continued eating her rice.
Their story was ancient history, long since over. There was no need to meet.
But while her mind thought this way, her heart couldn't help but ache. After a few bites of tear-soaked rice, Wu Mangmang angrily slammed her chopsticks on the table.
So useless!
She wiped her tears with her fingers, only to find them flowing even more.
So useless. Even grown up now, when faced with trouble, all she could do was cry.
But she'd heard tears had a detoxifying effect, so maybe it wouldn't hurt to let them flow a little longer.
Wu Mangmang walked to the window at the other end, slightly lifted the curtain, and looked down at the main road. She could vaguely see many cars parked along the side.
She thought to herself, Lu Sui was actually quite good at sweet-talking—just look at the username he chose.
She hadn't been sure why Lu Sui wanted to see her, but now it seemed clear as day.
Whether a woman truly wanted to break up with you was actually easy to tell.
If she went down now, it meant she was still hesitating, wanting to give him a chance to explain.
No matter how firmly or hurtfully she spoke, she was just putting up a tough front.
And if she didn't go down? Then the game was really over.
But in reality, most women would comfort themselves like this:
"I'm just curious about what he wants to say. I don't actually want to forgive him."
Curiosity can kill a cat.
And a cat's nine lives wouldn't be enough.
Wu Mangmang felt she couldn't be fooled by foolish curiosity.
A good horse doesn't turn back for old grass, especially when she'd already moved on.
Besides, if Lu Sui wanted to see her, why didn't he come upstairs to confront her?
It wasn't until the middle of the night that Wu Mangmang remembered—her luxury apartment required a card to activate the elevator.
Still jet-lagged, she couldn't sleep.
Wu Mangmang walked to the window, lifted the curtain, and saw cars still parked below. She dug out a telescope from some forgotten corner and looked down.
A man was leaning against a car door, head bowed, as if smoking.
Wu Mangmang remembered Lu Sui didn't smoke.
But what if he'd started now?
She checked the time on her phone—4 a.m.
She put her clothes back on—gray fleece-lined leggings and a gray hoodie—ran her hands through her hair a couple of times, and put on a hat.
Not exactly presentable.
She hadn't showered, washed her face, or even brushed her teeth.
Wu Mangmang picked up her keys and phone and started heading out.
Sometimes, for women, other people could be simply divided into two categories.
One type you had to shower, wash your hair, do your skincare, and groom your hands before meeting.
The other type you could meet without doing any of that.
Lu Sui had once been the first type for Wu Mangmang.
Standing at the elevator door, she hesitated a little.
If she went down now, she'd feel a bit pathetic.
If she didn't, she'd feel like she was being too difficult.
So Wu Mangmang decided to go down to the 24-hour fast-food restaurant and buy some breakfast instead.But in reality, regardless of which scenario it was, once she stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the first floor, the decision was no longer in her hands.
You think all the power to decide is still yours? Actually, it isn’t.
If the other party handles it well, then it’s a happy ending for everyone.
If they handle it poorly, then it’s goodbye forever.
The man smoking by the roadside turned out not to be Lu Sui.
Wu Mangmang felt a pang of disappointment. She had thought he might make an exception for her, resorting to nicotine to numb his nerves out of frustration and gloom. It was purely her own overactive imagination.
When the driver saw Wu Mangmang appear, he looked somewhat surprised. He quickly stubbed out his cigarette and opened the car door for her.
Lu Sui’s face was hidden in the darkness, his expression unclear.
When the interior light came on, Wu Mangmang caught a glimpse of weariness on his face, but even so, he sat upright and composed.
The self-deceptive excuse about buying breakfast was now completely forgotten. Wu Mangmang rubbed her hands together as she settled into the car.
Suddenly, she thought of Wang Yuan.
Some things, if not clarified face-to-face, could indeed leave a lifelong knot in one’s heart.
In the face of curiosity, any resistance is ultimately futile in the long run. It’s like reading a mystery novel that abruptly stops halfway—you’d probably spend the rest of your life wondering who the killer was and what their motive was.
So Wu Mangmang also wanted to know the reason she had been dumped.
“Did you have fun outside?” Lu Sui asked.
“It was fun. Can you turn off the light?” Wu Mangmang asked.
The car was plunged back into darkness. Under the glow of the streetlights, the faces inside the car flickered between light and shadow, more elusive than the darkness itself.
“You’ve misunderstood some things,” Lu Sui said. “If I were to break up with you, I would tell you clearly and in person.”
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