"Whаt's gоing оn bеtween уоu аnd Lu Sui?" Liu Lеwеi asked Wu Mаngmаng, restraining hеr tempеr.
Wu Маngmаng соvered thе phone and glancеd аt her rоommаtеs, thеn gоt out оf bеd аnd wеnt tо the bаlcony. "Wе brоke uр."
"Why did you brеak up?" Liu Lеwei demаndеd.
"Wе just wеrеn't соmpatiblе," Wu Мangmаng аnswеred сasuаllу.
But her rеsрonsе infuriated both Вoss Wu and Ms. Liu оn thе оther еnd of the line.
"I think уоu'vе beеn sроilеd rоttеn, throwing а tаntrum like а little рrincess, hаven't уоu? Nоw yоu'vе drорped a rоck on your own fоot—does it hurt?" Вoss Wu's voiсe саme thrоugh the phone.
So they had it on speakerphone.
"Who do you think you are? Who else in this world would put up with your awful attitude like your mother and I do? Go apologize to Lu Sui right now," Boss Wu commanded in a patriarchal tone.
"Apologizing won't help, and besides, I have nothing to apologize for. I broke up with him completely. There's absolutely no chance of getting back together," Wu Mangmang said.
"What the hell do you know? Have you lost your mind? If you keep being stubborn now, you'll be crying about it later," Boss Wu spat angrily.
"Isn't it all about money? I never expected to find a rich guy anyway. I just wanted..." Wu Mangmang's understanding was still at the stage of believing love alone could sustain her.
Boss Wu and Ms. Liu clearly understood Wu Mangmang's implication.
"You've grown up and think you can fly on your own now, is that it? Don't want to find a rich man? That's only because your old man here is making money for you. Since you're so capable, you can rely on yourself from now on. Don't come begging to your mother or me either." Wu Song slammed the phone onto the table and cursed, "Idiot."
Three days later, Wu Mangmang received another call from Ms. Liu, telling her to come back and transfer the ownership of the mansion on Qiming Road.
It was originally compensation from Boss Wu and Ms. Liu when they had just reconciled, promised as a dowry and registered under her name. But now Boss Wu wanted to take it back.
Before Wu Mangmang could speak, she heard Wu Song say, "Wu Mangmang, if you have any pride left, come back and transfer the house. You look down on money, don't you? Then go be noble on your own, and don't let your father's stench of money taint you."
Wu Mangmang held the phone silently. A child doesn't resent their mother's ugliness, and she had never despised her father's pursuit of wealth—otherwise, she wouldn't have enjoyed such a comfortable life. But in the heat of an argument, harsh words were inevitable.
However, Boss Wu refused to listen to Wu Mangmang's explanation and hung up angrily.
Wu Mangmang had no choice but to book a flight ticket, but then it occurred to her that her financial support had likely been completely cut off. She still had some money left for tuition, but she would have to be frugal in other areas.
As for the money from selling the car back then—when Lu Sui had dumped her, using it felt justified. But now, with her newfound sense of pride, using that money again felt somewhat cheap.
Yet returning the money to Lu Sui would likely anger him even more. One shouldn't be too extreme in life or actions.
Wu Mangmang sighed and switched to booking a train ticket instead, only to realize that high-speed trains were actually quite comfortable, and the journey wasn't long either.
The transfer process went smoothly, as Boss Wu had already arranged everything in advance.
"Pack up your things quickly. I've already found a buyer for the house," Wu Song said.
Wu Mangmang replied with an "Oh" and spent the next few days immersed in packing.At University A, she shared a dorm room with three other girls, so space for books was extremely limited. Wu Mangmang simply rented a storage unit and packed all her belongings inside.
These past few days, Wu Mangmang had been staying at the villa on the mountainside, and Boss Wu hadn’t given her the slightest bit of a friendly look.
In the evening, Wu Song returned home drunk. Liǔ Lèwéi helped him to bed and brought him some honey water. "You’ve been too harsh on Mangmang. She must be feeling awful inside right now."
"Stop spoiling her. She’s been spoiled rotten and simply hasn’t grown up. She thinks we’re too pragmatic, but I think she’s too naive. This time, she needs a good, hard lesson," Wu Song said.
"Did you really sell her apartment?" Liǔ Lèwéi massaged Wu Song’s temples.
"Not yet, I just wanted to scare her. The apartment is still there for her, to be decided when she gets married in the future. If she still doesn’t wise up, we’ll give it to Dandan," Wu Song said.
"I want Mangmang to continue seeing Dr. Wu," Liǔ Lèwéi said, her brow slightly furrowed with worry for Wu Mangmang.
Anger aside, after Wu Mangmang’s breakup with Lu Sui this time, she had been acting too calmly, which gave Liǔ Lèwéi a bad feeling.
"Fine, fine," Wu Song waved his hand impatiently, perhaps also recalling past events. "She’s never had a peaceful day. She was so adorable as a child, never causing any worry."
When Wu Mangmang heard that Boss Wu was still willing to pay for her psychological counseling sessions, she was happy to comply.
This was the difference between having blood ties and not having them.
No matter how harsh Boss Wu and Ms. Liu were with her, or how tense things became, Wu Mangmang felt absolutely no psychological burden spending their money.
But when it came to Lu Sui, she had all sorts of considerations.
When Wu Yong saw Wu Mangmang, he smiled and said, "You look better than I expected."
Wu Yong had already learned about Wu Mangmang’s breakup with Lu Sui from Liǔ Lèwéi. After all, she was her mother; no matter how angry she was, she still worried about Wu Mangmang. That’s why she had called Wu Yong first, afraid that Wu Mangmang might hide it herself, which wouldn’t be helpful for her treatment.
Wu Mangmang scratched the hair behind her ear with her index finger. "Ms. Liu told you everything?"
Wu Yong nodded. "How are you feeling now?"
With Wu Yong, Wu Mangmang felt no need to hide anything. She shrugged. "Not much, actually. It’s better than I expected. Mainly, I’m quite busy right now. My advisor has a lot of tasks, and I just started but already have to decide on a thesis topic. Researching materials has made my head spin."
"Didn’t you say before that you just wanted to be lazy?" Wu Yong asked.
That was true in the past. Otherwise, Wu Mangmang would have pursued graduate studies much earlier instead of waiting until now, making her practically the oldest "big sister" in her dorm.
Time waits for no one.
"I think being busy is quite good now," Wu Mangmang said, looking down at her fingers. "From now on, I have to rely on myself, so of course I need to work harder."
"Did this breakup have no effect on you at all?" Wu Yong noticed that Wu Mangmang didn’t want to talk about this relationship. She had hardly mentioned it during her previous visits, so he decided to be direct.
Wu Mangmang lifted her eyelids to look at Wu Yong and smiled. "Of course it did. But you know me—I’ve already cultivated the ultimate skill."Wu Yong paused his note-taking pen upon hearing this, feeling somewhat perplexed himself.
He had only taken over Wu Mangmang’s case when she was around twenty years old.
Before that, she had been seeing other psychologists.
It was only later that Wu Yong gradually learned Wu Mangmang had spent two months in a psychiatric hospital right after graduating from high school at eighteen. She recovered quickly and was discharged, then began seeing a psychologist from the age of nineteen.
When facing Wu Mangmang, Wu Yong often felt that the human psyche was particularly wondrous—their creativity truly surpassed imagination.
At eighteen, Wu Mangmang hadn’t been insane, merely overwhelmed by pain. She had resorted to self-harm, and when repeatedly thwarted, her frustration escalated into violent outbursts.
But once admitted to the hospital, leaving wasn’t so simple—unless her mental state recovered enough to pass all the hospital’s assessments.
Wu Yong could largely imagine everything Wu Mangmang had experienced in the hospital, but no one could have predicted she would heal herself in such a way.
It was an incredibly powerful form of self-suggestion.
Wu Mangmang intensely rejected the psychiatric hospital, so she repeatedly and persistently convinced herself that the relationship she had experienced was merely a play. She was an actress deeply immersed in her role, but now the curtain had fallen. Therefore, she shouldn’t remain trapped in it, unable to break free—that wouldn’t befit a competent actor.
In the end, this young girl actually succeeded.
Two months later, she had fully regained her youthful vitality, showing no signs of abnormality.
But after being discharged, Wu Mangmang’s minor quirks gradually surfaced—an inability to control her tendency to “act.”
Of course, as long as she didn’t self-harm or hurt others, there was no need for her to return to the hospital.
Hence, she transitioned to seeing a psychologist.
“You’ve employed intense self-suggestion again this time, haven’t you?” Wu Yong asked Wu Mangmang.
This was also the source of his confusion. He knew full well that such suggestions were merely treating the symptoms, not the root cause, yet he had no better way to liberate Wu Mangmang’s mind.
And Wu Mangmang’s self-suggestion was, in its own way, a means of self-healing.
Wu Yong was beginning to lose his certainty about what was right or wrong.
But Wu Mangmang was sufficiently astonishing and impressive to Wu Yong. For the sake of her unique case, he had even passed up several opportunities to study abroad.
Wu Mangmang was undoubtedly intelligent. That was how she knew what was good for her and what wasn’t, enabling her to use her strong willpower to create this method of escaping reality.
Such intense self-suggestion was something few could achieve on their own.
To put it more gravely, Wu Mangmang was essentially hypnotizing herself, transforming reality into a play or a dream.
Wu Mangmang tilted her head, thought for a moment, and said, “I think this method works quite well. I feel very calm and relaxed now.”
“Life is like a play, Dr. Wu. Have you ever considered that we believe we truly exist, but in reality, we might just be a dream of some god or person?”
“Mangmang…”
Wu Yong’s words were cut off by Wu Mangmang.
“But even if that’s not the case, it doesn’t matter. Life is short; we just need to live happily and joyfully,” Wu Mangmang said.
After leaving Wu Yong’s office this time, Wu Mangmang didn’t return to the city for a long while.
The first year of her postgraduate studies at University A was packed with courses, and outside of class, she had to assist her advisor with research projects. Wu Mangmang was happily busy.In truth, this coursework could be taken either seriously or casually—some chose to simply get by, but Wu Mangmang approached it with exceptional diligence.
Nowadays, although graduate students still had to pay tuition, scholarships had increased significantly, and there were monthly living allowances. Well-funded advisors even gave their students additional stipends.
Professor Cheng had an abundance of projects and plenty of private work, and he was always generous. However, when giving money to Wu Mangmang, he still felt a bit awkward.
"I know you don’t care much about this amount, but I’ve given it to all my students, so I should treat you equally," Professor Cheng said.
Wu Mangmang replied, "Professor Cheng, I actually really need the money. I’m already this old and shouldn’t keep relying on my family’s money. Besides, my boyfriend and I have broken up."
When she went to see Professor Cheng, Lu Sui had accompanied her, so he knew her boyfriend was no ordinary person and that her family background was quite impressive.
Hearing Wu Mangmang say this, Professor Cheng didn’t react much, just nodded slightly.
"Professor Cheng, if you ever need help with any projects in the future, could you consider me? I’ll definitely work very hard," Wu Mangmang boldly recommended herself.
Professor Cheng looked into Wu Mangmang’s eyes and smiled. "Sure, it’s rare to find someone willing to take on hardship voluntarily."
Wu Mangmang had learned a lot from her uncle and was now exceptionally diligent and hardworking, naturally earning Professor Cheng’s favor. She kept herself busy and felt particularly fulfilled.
"Mangmang, are you going hiking this weekend?" Zeng Ruling asked Wu Mangmang, who was brushing her teeth.
"Sure," Wu Mangmang replied. She never turned down extracurricular activities.
University A was nestled between mountains and rivers, with excellent feng shui, which was why it had become one of the most prestigious institutions in the country.
Since arriving at University A, Wu Mangmang had gone hiking almost every week because so many people invited her, and she had a particular fondness for it.
This time, although there were quite a few people going, the hike was actually organized by Zeng Ruling’s cousin.
He was also one of Wu Mangmang’s suitors. His family circumstances were decent—his father was the head of a local bureau.
Although Guo Xuefeng was a year younger than Wu Mangmang, dating younger men was all the rage these days. Besides, Wu Mangmang always wore her hair in a ponytail with jeans and a T-shirt, making her look no different from the undergraduates at the university—except she was prettier than all of them. Not long after arriving on campus, her popularity had rivaled that of the campus belle, though she lost out slightly due to her age, unable to compete with the youthful undergraduate girls.
Guo Xuefeng’s approach to pursuing her was something Wu Mangmang hadn’t experienced in a long time.
He sent flowers every day, always saved her a seat in every class, and attended lectures with her.
Guo Xuefeng was already in his third year of graduate school and had plenty of free time.
He studied automation control, a highly sought-after major, and had already been pre-hired by a large company during his second year, with a high annual salary just around the corner.
Besides all this, Guo Xuefeng made it a point to treat Wu Mangmang’s entire dormitory to lavish meals every week, since he couldn’t get her to go out alone. This had made all the girls in the dormitory favor him, with some even secretly calling him "brother-in-law."
Among her many suitors, Wu Mangmang also leaned toward Guo Xuefeng. If nothing unexpected happened, she was already prepared to accept him—otherwise, she wouldn’t have agreed to go hiking.
However, on Friday, Wu Mangmang was suddenly summoned home by Ms. Liu, who began arranging blind dates for her again after a six-month hiatus.Wu Mangmang couldn't do anything about Ms. Liu, so she could only say, "Could you introduce me to someone from City A? I might be developing my career there in the future. I plan to pursue a doctorate and stay at the university."
Ms. Liu felt a pang in her chest from Wu Mangmang's words. "Don't you even consider that your elderly parents are still here?"
Wu Mangmang laughed. "What elderly parents? When we go out together, everyone says you're my older sister. Besides, transportation is so convenient nowadays. If you ever need me, I'll be right by your side in no time."
"Get yourself tidied up tomorrow and go meet the other party," Liǔ Lèwéi said.
Wu Mangmang replied, "Actually, there's someone at my school who's pursuing me."
Liǔ Lèwéi raised her willow-like eyebrows. After finding out about Guo Xuefeng's family background, she curled her lips disdainfully. "Being an official these days comes with high risks. You can't tell a person's ability while they're still studying. Wait until he's worked for a few years before judging. But are you sure, at your age, you can afford to wait for him?"
A woman's age is such a strange thing.
Before turning twenty-five, you always feel incredibly young. After twenty-five, it's as if you age overnight, becoming an old woman.
"Then how about giving me some pocket money so I can get some beauty treatments to stay young?" Wu Mangmang leaned her face close to Ms. Liu.
Liǔ Lèwéi pushed Wu Mangmang's face away. "Don't even think about it. You made your bed, now lie in it."
The next day, Wu Mangmang was still dragged by Ms. Liu to the blind date venue. The man had just returned from abroad, so he didn't know about Wu Mangmang and Lu Sui's past.
Du Yuntao worked in the gaming industry, with a monthly salary of over 200,000. Although Ms. Liu didn't exactly look up to such a small sum, it was enough to barely support a family.
Because he worked in gaming, Du Yuntao's aesthetic standards had long been elevated by the stunning goddesses in games. He had never found a suitable girl until today, when he suddenly met Wu Mangmang and realized that the beauties he had seen before were nothing in comparison.
Wu Mangmang had deep insights into gaming, and the two of them chatted animatedly. After afternoon tea, it felt natural to have dinner together.
Du Yuntao knew of a particularly delicious spare ribs restaurant and invited Wu Mangmang to join him.
Along the way, Wu Mangmang kept pulling Du Yuntao to ask about gaming matters, then listed a long string of her own needs, hoping Du Yuntao would consider them all when designing games in the future.
"Ah, when will technology advance enough for us to have holographic games?" Wu Mangmang sighed. That way, she wouldn't have to live in reality anymore.
Du Yuntao found Wu Mangmang's thinking particularly expansive and gained a lot from their conversation, a smile lingering on his face.
As Wu Mangmang and Du Yuntao walked toward the restaurant, chatting and laughing, she looked up and saw Lu Sui coming out of the shop.
Their eyes met. Lu Sui acted as if he saw nothing, while Wu Mangmang quickly averted her gaze.
They passed each other by, truly becoming strangers.
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