Wu Маngmаng's vоice wаs реrfесtly cleаr, уet evеryonе in thе dining rооm аt thаt moment dоubted their own hearing.
Lu Sui, who hаd just рickеd up his knifе аnd fоrk, sеt them dоwn аgаin. Оld Рetеr and Annie ехchаnged a glanсe befоre silentlу withdrаwing frоm thе dining rооm.
"Sаy that аgаin," Lu Sui said, lооking аt Wu Mаngmang.
Wu Маngmang clоsеd her еyes, toоk a long, deер brеath, аnd turned to faсе Lu Sui. "I sаid, I want tо brеаk uр."
"Just bесausе I wоn't let уou рlay gаmes?" Lu Sui's tоnе сarriеd а hint оf mоckery.
Тo Wu Mangmang, his voiсe seemеd filled with maliсe—аs if hе werе saying, "You want to break up over something so trivial? Have you lost your mind?"
This was what infuriated her most about Lu Sui.
What she considered important, he saw as insignificant, something that could be brushed aside with a wave of his hand.
Wu Mangmang didn't respond to Lu Sui's question.
Lu Sui sighed softly. "I think I may have gone too far today. I apologize. I'll have your game data restored immediately, alright?"
Wu Mangmang hadn't expected Lu Sui to say this. After a moment of silence, she lowered her head.
Sometimes, you only realize how easy it is to say certain things once they've been spoken aloud.
Wu Mangmang raised her head again to look at Lu Sui.
There was no denying his extraordinary handsomeness. Every gesture he made exuded charm, elegance, and a noble air.
Immense wealth, a sharp mind, and rich life experiences had adorned Lu Sui with countless golden edges.
The Lu family belonged to a social tier that ordinary people could only dream of reaching.
Wu Mangmang was deeply grateful to Lu Sui. She never imagined that, among the vast sea of people, he would pick her up, making her feel as though she had become a pearl.
Throughout their relationship, Lu Sui had treated her exceptionally well, and Wu Mangmang was fully aware of this.
So she rejoiced, yet also lived in constant fear, treading carefully behind Lu Sui, terrified that any misstep might displease him and cause him to withdraw his affection.
Despite this anxiety, Wu Mangmang still clung greedily to the warmth Lu Sui gave her.
Unwilling to leave on her own, she had long forgotten her original purpose for pursuing graduate studies. Even though Lu Jianan disliked her, she still shamelessly tried to win favor with the elders.
But at this moment, Wu Mangmang suddenly felt like a puppy doused with cold water, jolted awake.
When she disobeyed, Lu Sui would take the meat bone from her plate. Seeing her rare outburst, he would tease her by tossing the bone back onto her plate.
Wu Mangmang had actually realized her own flaws long ago, yet she couldn't help but wag her tail and beg for mercy from all her masters. Perhaps this was simply her innate nature—a kind of inherent worthlessness.
First, it was her parents, but wagging her tail had little effect.
Then, as she grew older, she met that person, who consumed all her love. Even when she made herself look like a pitiful fool, she still couldn't win him back.
Now, it seemed she had encountered a good master, only...
Only Wu Mangmang was afraid.
The pain from when she was eighteen had already passed seven or eight years ago. Wu Mangmang had been doing exceptionally well, rarely recalling it. But recently, she kept remembering the past and couldn't help comparing Lu Sui to him.
This made Wu Mangmang feel agitated and fearful again.
Afraid that she could no longer suppress what had been sealed away for years.
It's one thing to remain muddle-headed all along; what's truly terrifying is being half-asleep, unable to fully live yet unable to die either.Lu Sui reached his hand across the table toward Wu Mangmang.
Wu Mangmang was taken aback for a moment, but still placed her hand in Lu Sui's palm.
"But this time, my compromise is the first and the last, Mangmang. In a relationship between two people, you can't threaten the other with a breakup. What if I also lost my mind and agreed to break up?" Lu Sui asked Wu Mangmang.
In reality, who among ordinary people hasn't experienced a few breakups and reconciliations, reconciliations and breakups? It's just that the arguments got too heated, and they needed a brief moment to cool off. Many people regretted it the very next day.
But of course, Lu Sui was different—his standards were higher, and he was exceptionally strict with himself. As the old saying goes, "A good horse doesn't turn back to graze on old grass," and he held this as his guiding principle.
Once a breakup happened, it was final.
Wu Mangmang still kept her head lowered, while Lu Sui withdrew his hand and said, "Let's eat. The food is getting cold."
Wu Mangmang didn't move, murmuring softly, "I'm serious. I want to break up."
Lu Sui set down his knife and fork again, this time with a slight clatter against the plate—for him, this was already a sign of intense anger.
"Are you sure?" Lu Sui asked.
It was like a quiz show host asking a contestant, "Are you sure about your answer?"
Those lacking confidence might change their answer, while the confident would stand firm.
Wu Mangmang bit her lip and nodded.
"Do you know what this means?" Lu Sui asked, though it felt redundant.
The faces of Boss Wu and Ms. Liu immediately flashed before Wu Mangmang's eyes, causing her to hesitate for a moment.
"Mangmang, don't make decisions in the heat of anger, because you'll regret it later. If you're feeling tired, you can go back to your room and rest for a while," Lu Sui said.
"Annie..." Lu Sui called for Annie to escort Wu Mangmang back to her room.
Wu Mangmang placed her hand on Lu Sui's arm, stopping him from calling Annie.
Wu Mangmang knew herself well. If she went upstairs to sleep, she might never find the courage to leave again.
On one hand, she feared disappointing Boss Wu and Ms. Liu; on the other, she was reluctant to let go of this lofty, condescending affection.
"No need. I know what I'm doing," Wu Mangmang stood up and calmly looked at Lu Sui.
Lu Sui's eyes were deep and somber, gradually frosting over with a thin layer of ice. Wu Mangmang knew she was being ungrateful, but having come this far, there was no turning back.
"Fine, then tell me the real reason you want to break up. If it's reasonable, we'll break up," Lu Sui said calmly.
Even though he was somewhat angry, he remained rational enough. Wu Mangmang felt a twinge of disappointment in her heart. It was a pity that, in the end, she still hadn't managed to shake Lu Sui's emotions, which made her, as a woman, feel somewhat defeated.
Failing to conquer such a man was naturally a regret.
As for the reasons for the breakup, there were far too many.
Given that it was an amicable separation, Wu Mangmang didn't want to make the situation too tense. She simply lowered her head and replied, "I think you're a bit too old."
Truly a bit too old, so the generation gap was too wide. They couldn't be a couple dominating the gaming world together, and seeing other couples riding side by side, conquering the virtual realm, Wu Mangmang envied them immensely. But for Lu Sui's sake, Wu Mangmang had always kept her distance from Nuan Yang, whose patience as a suitor was nearly exhausted.
Because he was a bit too old, they hadn't met each other at the very beginning. Their passion had long been exhausted, and now it was merely the deceptive embers of what remained, growing colder by the day—akin to the living dead.Also because he was a bit older, and the average life expectancy in the country is higher for women, it was very likely that Lu Sui would die before Wu Mangmang. Losing a spouse in old age is a bleak and lonely thing.
Wu Mangmang thought about it very realistically.
Upon hearing this, Lu Sui was left speechless and unable to refute—he was indeed much older than Wu Mangmang.
“Then why didn’t you mind my age at the beginning?” Lu Sui retorted.
Wu Mangmang blinked, at a loss for words.
“Is it because I can’t satisfy you?” This was the older man’s first reaction.
Of course not! Wu Mangmang shook her head vigorously. “You’re great, it’s me…” Originally, she wanted to borrow the common breakup line, “It’s not you, it’s me.”
This was a phrase many of her ex-boyfriends had used to dump her.
But when she saw the look in Lu Sui’s eyes, Wu Mangmang knew this excuse wouldn’t work on him.
She was already unworthy of him; he had always been condescending to her, so this wasn’t an excuse.
“You’re great, it’s just that you’re not right for me, and I’m not right for you,” Wu Mangmang said honestly, lowering her head.
Incompatibility—this was an even more classic breakup line.
Lu Sui remained silent. Wu Mangmang stole a glance at his expression—it was still relatively calm.
What a relief.
But the low pressure hanging in the air made Wu Mangmang shiver slightly. “I’ll go upstairs to pack my things.”
There wasn’t much to pack, really. Everything she ate, wore, and used at the Lu residence was paid for by Lu Sui. Wu Mangmang only took her identification documents and cards, picked up her handbag, and went downstairs.
Lu Sui was still sitting on the sofa where he had been before, resting his forehead on his hand, lost in thought without moving.
Wu Mangmang walked over quietly. “I’m leaving.”
Hearing her voice, Lu Sui looked up and uttered just two words to Wu Mangmang, “I won’t see you out.”
Only after turning and walking outside did Wu Mangmang dare to relax and take a deep breath. Lu Sui’s expression just now had instantly reminded her of the first time she saw him.
Similarly aloof and cold, with a faint hint of disdain in his gaze when he looked at her.
That disdain last time was because she had mental issues; this time, it was probably because she didn’t know what was good for her.
Since they had already broken up, Wu Mangmang didn’t dwell on Lu Sui’s attitude. It wasn’t until she had taken a few steps that she remembered this was the lake district, where only the wealthy came and went, and taxis would never come around looking for business.
It was already late in the evening, and Wu Mangmang turned back dejectedly—how awkward.
“Could you arrange a car to take me back?” Wu Mangmang asked Lu Sui with her head lowered. At the very least, they had broken up peacefully, so he probably wouldn’t lack such basic gentlemanly manners.
Lu Sui looked up and said to Old Peter, “Take Miss Wu back.”
With that, Lu Sui stood up and went upstairs. Wu Mangmang stared at his retreating figure for a second, letting out an almost inaudible sigh.
Even after the breakup, Lu Sui’s masculine charm still held an attraction for Wu Mangmang. He truly was an exceptional man—it was a pity she couldn’t handle him, a real shame.
Back in her own little nest, Wu Mangmang slept soundly, waking up naturally. After washing up, she contacted her advisor at University A, booked a flight ticket, and prepared to start her graduate studies ahead of schedule.
After lunch, Wu Mangmang slowly turned on her computer and habitually logged into the game. The dazzling Great God Mangmang had regained her former glory.
All her equipment and warehouse items were restored—such was the digital age, where data could be recovered.Wu Mangmang sat silently before her computer for three minutes, then reached out and clicked the "Delete Character" button.
Although the parties involved remained silent about Wu Mangmang's breakup with Lu Sui, traces of it could still be found.
Wu Mangmang had taken back her Weibo account but never logged in again. To her, this Weibo account, much like the character Mangmang in the game, was merely a prop from the previous script.
When a popular influencer’s Weibo remained unupdated for a month, followers naturally began questioning the reason.
Furthermore, insiders revealed that Lu Sui had not brought a female companion to recent banquets, fueling rumors that the golden couple had broken up.
Lu Qingqing was the first to call and ask.
"Did you break up with my uncle?" Lu Qingqing’s tone wasn’t particularly surprised. "What happened?"
Wu Mangmang fiddled with the pen in her hand and complained, "You have no idea how perverse Lu Sui is."
Lu Qingqing immediately expressed that she had pulled up a small stool and was ready to listen attentively to Lu Sui’s secrets.
"Do you know he goes to bed at nine every night? And he forces me to get up at six in the morning to exercise. I can’t stand this old-person lifestyle," Wu Mangmang said. "Don’t you think he’s perverse? Who goes to bed at nine these days, right?"
Lu Qingqing let out a disappointed "Hmm." "I thought it was something truly perverse. How boring."
She had initially hoped for some spicy bedroom gossip.
The call lasted nearly thirty minutes, and the friendship between Wu Mangmang and Lu Qingqing, which had gradually drifted apart, seemed to instantly rekindle, even stronger than before.
Lu Qingqing asked for Wu Mangmang’s address and said she would fly to University A to visit her in a few days.
Other close friends naturally tried every means to pry for details from Wu Mangmang, lamenting behind her back that they had learned the news too late and missed witnessing the entire process of her heartbreak, especially the breakdown during the first two days—what a pity.
However, what surprised Wu Mangmang the most was that Lu Jianan actually called her, expressing regret over her breakup with Lu Sui and offering to help if she ever needed anything in the future.
Wu Mangmang politely thanked her.
Time flew by, and by the end of August, Ms. Liu and Boss Wu returned to the city from the United States with Wù Dàndàn. Upon learning that Wu Mangmang still hadn’t reconciled with Lu Sui, they angrily called her.
Earlier, Ms. Liu had remained composed, believing that no couple was immune to arguments and breakups. So even though she had heard about Wu Mangmang and Lu Sui’s split, she pretended not to know.
Liǔ Lèwéi even secretly mocked those who spread the news. Those who called her overseas were just looking for drama, she thought. Once Wu Mangmang and Lu Sui reconciled, their gossipy faces would be slapped hard.
But more than two months passed, and there was no sign of Wu Mangmang and Lu Sui getting back together. Moreover, at the Lu family’s anniversary celebration in September, Lu Sui’s companion was no longer Wu Mangmang.
At this point, Ms. Liu could no longer sit still.
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