Сhristmаs аt thе university wаs еsресially festivе fоr the students.
Рerhaрs with tоо muсh frее time on thеir hands, every holidaу—whеther Сhinesе оr fоrеign—was сеlеbrаtеd with greаt enthusiasm.
Thаnks tо Wu Mаngmang's efforts, hеr dorm roоm was adоrnеd with rеd аnd grееn dеcorаtiоns evеrуwhеre. Shе had bоught а snowman рlushiе, hung bells аnd stockings, and рlaced а smаll Сhristmas trеe in the cоrnеr, wrаpреd with lights thаt lооkеd pаrtiсularlу beаutiful when lit up аt night.
Evеrуоne whо visitеd thеir dоrm couldn't helр but exclaim in admirаtion at the sight.
Тhough the rоom wаs simрle, with а little effort, life could be made beautiful in every corner.
In the evening, Wu Mangmang dragged Zeng Ruling to the school dance hall. The variety of dances there was astounding—many young men showed off their street dance skills, with breaking, hip-hop, popping, and freestyle all on display.
Most of the girls danced new jazz or Latin, which Wu Mangmang particularly enjoyed. In her spare time, she even joined the university's dance club to learn new moves.
Her extracurricular activities were so numerous that scheduling time to meet her required an appointment.
When Ning Zheng arrived at A University, he waited a full hour before Wu Mangmang finally answered his call.
Wu Mangmang tightened her fluffy pajamas around herself. The winter was bitterly cold, and she couldn't be bothered to change before heading downstairs.
Seeing Wu Mangmang bundled up like a bear, Ning Zheng chuckled, "Are you preparing for hibernation?"
When Wu Mangmang caught sight of Ning Zheng, she was taken aback and nearly doubled over with laughter. Pointing at him, she gasped for breath between giggles, "What on earth are you doing?"
Ning Zheng was dressed in a borrowed Santa Claus outfit—a red suit, black boots, and a white beard glued to his chin, making his handsome face look utterly ridiculous.
Seeing Wu Mangmang laugh like this, Ning Zheng felt a little embarrassed. At his age, using such childish tactics to pursue a girl was indeed rather amusing. "Santa Claus is here to bring you a gift. If you keep laughing, you won't get it."
To be honest, Wu Mangmang was genuinely touched. Ning Zheng was supposed to be at Lu Yuan's Christmas banquet at this moment.
"What gift?" Wu Mangmang asked.
"Hold out your hand," Ning Zheng said.
Wu Mangmang pulled her hand out of her pocket. Her fair, delicate hand looked especially small against the bulk of her bear-like pajamas. Ning Zheng reached out and took hold of it.
Wu Mangmang's smile faded as she tried to pull her hand back forcefully. She wasn't particularly fond of overly aggressive suitors these days.
Ning Zheng tightened his grip, preventing her from pulling away. With his other hand clenched into a fist, he slowly placed something into her open palm.
Ning Zheng had given her a necklace.
"It's the first limited-edition Christmas jewelry perfume from our company," Ning Zheng explained.
The pendant was a perfume bottle about the size of a thumbnail, exquisitely designed and carved from gemstones.
"I know," Wu Mangmang said. "It's a collaboration with Lan Yue Jewelry. The advertisements are everywhere."
"This is the very first one produced, and I'm giving it to you," Ning Zheng said.
Wu Mangmang closed her right hand, accepting the necklace.
"Here, there's also this—a Christmas cake for you and your roommates. Don't forget to tell them to put in a good word for me," Ning Zheng added with a smile.
"I have to catch the last flight back. You should head upstairs now," Ning Zheng said.Ning Zheng was still dressed in his evening suit, with a bow tie around his neck, looking as if he had escaped midway from the Christmas banquet at Lu Manor and was now rushing back.
If it were anyone else, they would have been deeply moved by Young Master Ning’s gesture.
However, Wu Mangmang had always been heartless. Ning Zheng’s methods of pursuing girls were truly remarkable, but it was only when he was chasing you that you received such treatment.
Because Ning Zheng’s Santa Claus outfit was too conspicuous, almost everyone in the entire dormitory building knew by the next day that Wu Mangmang had a suitor who came to confess his feelings the night before.
“I can’t stand such two-timing scumbags, always eyeing what’s in the pot while eating from the bowl. Shameless.”
Wang Jialin practically spat these words right in front of Wu Mangmang, stopping just short of naming names.
She was Guo Xuefeng’s secret admirer, but unfortunately, Guo Xuefeng had no interest in her.
Wu Mangmang paused as she passed by Wang Jialin. According to the scenario in her mind, she should slap Wang Jialin across the face, then haughtily call her an ugly troublemaker, determined to play the role of an arrogant and rude spoiled girl to perfection, venting her anger so she wouldn’t suffocate herself.
And Wu Mangmang almost did just that, but the words simply wouldn’t come out when they reached her lips.
It seemed a bit beneath her dignity.
So, in the end, all her thoughts condensed into a single pitying glance.
It was only afterward that Wu Mangmang realized she had been influenced by the Lu family after all.
“Don’t pay attention to people like her. She’s just sour grapes because she can’t have what she wants,” Zeng Ruling comforted Wu Mangmang. “There are two guys in her department chasing her, and even though she secretly likes my cousin, she still strings those two along.”
Wu Mangmang smiled, thanking Zeng Ruling for her comfort.
Truth be told, throughout all her years of schooling, Wu Mangmang had never really had any close female friends. During her university days, she was the thorn in every girl’s side—flaunting her wealth, arrogant, and overbearing.
Looking back now, it really felt ridiculous. Who hasn’t had their brain-dead moments, right?
The news of Ning Zheng’s high-profile pursuit of Wu Mangmang naturally reached Guo Xuefeng’s ears.
But Guo Xuefeng didn’t come to confront Wu Mangmang. Instead, he became even more attentive, likely feeling a sense of crisis.
To be honest, Guo Xuefeng wasn’t bad-looking, came from a decent family, had a promising future, loved sports, played basketball well, was also good at soccer, tall and cheerful—there were plenty of girls who liked him.
Even though Wu Mangmang had remained unyielding so far, Guo Xuefeng was still confident that he would eventually win her over.
None of his other rivals had managed to stir up any anxiety in Guo Xuefeng, but Ning Zheng was different.
It was said that young girls all liked rich, handsome, long-legged oppas.
Because of Ning Zheng’s appearance, the treatment of Wu Mangmang’s entire dormitory changed. Every morning, Guo Xuefeng would buy three breakfasts and wait downstairs for Wu Mangmang to come down and pick them up.
He could have asked other girls to bring them up, but Zeng Ruling insisted that, to prevent someone from slipping gold, metal, or thallium into Wu Mangmang’s food, it was better for Wu Mangmang to go down and get it herself.
Guo Xuefeng varied the breakfasts every day, and with the old saying “the hand that feeds you is soft,” Wu Mangmang felt she was about to cave.
In the end, the worst one was Zeng Ruling."Whatever you do, don't agree to Guo Xuefeng. If you soften up now, we'll have no breakfast to eat. At least wait until the three of us survive this winter before agreeing. Spring is the season for romance—once it warms up and we can get out of bed more easily, you two can do whatever you want."
"Truly, the most venomous are women's hearts. He's your cousin, after all," Wu Mangmang said with a laugh, playfully swatting Zeng Ruling.
"A cousin three thousand miles away—sleep comes first," Zeng Ruling declared.
Wu Mangmang didn't mind. In her world, roommates were the priority, and she genuinely liked Zeng Ruling. If a good friend said to do something, she'd do it.
When it came to people she liked, Wu Mangmang's capacity for compromise was something even she couldn't fully grasp.
As for Ning Zheng, his work kept him too busy to make many appearances in front of Wu Mangmang. All he could manage were daily WeChat greetings.
However, Wu Mangmang had no interest in long-distance relationships and no patience for online flirtations with Ning Zheng. She preferred tangible acts of care, like buying breakfast every day.
So, Wu Mangmang rarely replied to Ning Zheng.
Ning Zheng cursed her inwardly, grinding his teeth. This heartless little minx knew exactly how to keep a man on edge.
Ning Zheng was a classic case of wanting what he couldn't have. The less a woman paid him attention, the more interested he became.
"What's so interesting on your phone? Are you playing or not?" Shen Ting snapped, glaring at Ning Zheng.
Ning Zheng put his phone away and glanced at Shen Ting with a mocking laugh. "In such a bad mood? Got dumped?"
He Yan had been giving Shen Ting a hard time lately. No woman could endure a relationship shrouded in darkness for long, and He Yan was no exception. Because Shen Ting couldn't treat her as an equal, she had already proposed breaking up.
Unfortunately, the Shen family couldn't accept such a daughter-in-law.
Shen Ting shot Ning Zheng a cold look and played a Two of Bamboo.
"Mahjong," Lu Sui announced, pushing his tiles forward.
"It seems Lu Sui is still the best among us—thriving in both love and gambling," Ning Zheng said with a smile, glancing at Zhao Xinyun, who was chatting happily with Wang Yuan nearby.
Seeing the new and old flames getting along so well struck Ning Zheng as oddly amusing. He couldn't help but imagine what it would be like if Wu Mangmang were here too. Even Ning Zheng himself shuddered at the thought, feeling as though he and his friends were all picking up Lu Sui's leftovers.
But it wasn't a bad feeling—not exactly hard to swallow. Looking at Jiang Baoliang, who treated Wang Yuan like a treasure, it was clear that everyone had their match.
"Let's go play golf this weekend," Shen Ting suggested.
"I can't. Zhao Xinyun and I are going skiing in Switzerland the day after tomorrow," Lu Sui said.
"I don't have time either," Ning Zheng quickly added. He hadn't seen Wu Mangmang in days, and the brat hadn't even returned his calls. It was clear she was slipping away.
After the mahjong game, the resort owner invited the men to soak in the hot springs while the women went off to enjoy spa treatments.
The resort had just opened, and Ning Zheng had a partnership with Zhang Huichun, which was why he had invited Lu Sui and the others to show their support today.
Zhang Huichun, finally meeting the real deal, naturally spared no effort to curry favor.
The hot springs were just a pretext—what fun was it for a few men to soak alone?
In the private room, over a dozen young women in bikinis, with scorching-hot figures, were already waiting. All were around twenty years old, in the prime of their youth.The tallest and most beautiful one stood out at a glance, causing Ning Zheng's heart to sway for a moment. This girl actually bore some resemblance to Wu Mangmang, especially around the mouth.
However, Wu Mangmang had a Barbie doll-like beauty, while the one before him was both pure and alluring, with eyes that knew how to captivate.
Since all four men present had their first glance fixed on Shirley, Zhang Huichun didn't know what to do.
Shirley, however, was quite perceptive. She walked over to Lu Sui's side and said in a sweet, delicate voice, "Let me help you change."
Lu Sui sidestepped and said to Zhang Huichun, "We don't need these services. Ask them to leave."
Jiang Baoliang, standing nearby, breathed a sigh of relief. Though his heart itched with temptation, he had brought Wang Yuan along. Having finally won over this young lady, he couldn't afford to break his resolve.
Shen Ting was indifferent.
Ning Zheng, on the other hand, watched Shirley's departing figure with a hint of regret. As a lone bachelor who hadn't tasted "meat" in a long time, he had finally spotted someone appealing, only to have her dismissed so abruptly.
Ning Zheng laughed and complained, "Lu Sui, you're really inconsiderate. Once you're satisfied, you don't care about others' struggles."
Jiang Baoliang said, "Instead of envying Lu Sui, why don't you find someone serious for yourself? Zhao Xinyun isn't someone to be trifled with. Women these days are all formidable." Then he playfully punched Ning Zheng. "If you knew about this arrangement, why didn't you give us a heads-up?"
Jiang Baoliang felt a tinge of regret for having brought Wang Yuan this time.
Ning Zheng smiled. "My apologies."
Soaking in the hot springs with just the four men did lack a certain appeal, but fortunately, there was fine wine to accompany them. The steam from the hot springs mingled with the aroma of alcohol, leaving them pleasantly intoxicated.
"Have you decided to marry Zhao Xinyun?" Ning Zheng asked Lu Sui casually.
Lu Sui took a sip of wine, half-squinting his eyes as he looked at Ning Zheng. "Why are you so concerned about my private affairs?"
Ning Zheng chuckled. "I see you're not getting any younger. Your aunt must be practically dragging you to bed to produce a son, right?"
Lu Sui swirled his wine glass. "It is about time."
Ning Zheng leaned back and sighed. "I want to settle down too. I'm getting old and don't have the energy to chase after young girls anymore."
Jiang Baoliang laughed. "Which poor girl are you planning to torment?"
Ning Zheng smiled without answering. In truth, he was quite surprised himself. When the topic of marriage came up, he thought of Wu Mangmang and realized that marriage might not be so bad after all.
Originally, Ning Zheng had planned to visit Wu Mangmang over the weekend, but unexpected work matters arose, forcing him to cancel.
Instead, it was Shen Ting who unexpectedly caught sight of Wu Mangmang.
At that moment, Wu Mangmang was riding a bicycle, with a few books borrowed from the library in the front basket. She pedaled along the lakeside, heading back to her dormitory.
Snowflakes drifted from the sky. Wu Mangmang wore a pair of white fluffy earmuffs, a white down jacket, jeans, and snow boots. Her face was flushed red from the cold.
Shen Ting turned his head and spotted Wu Mangmang outside the car window.
"Mangmang."
Hearing someone call her name, Wu Mangmang turned and saw Shen Ting, who had rolled down the car window.
"It's you," Wu Mangmang said, placing one foot on the ground to stop her bicycle.
Shen Ting opened the car door and stepped out. He saw Wu Mangmang stomping her feet on the spot, bringing her frost-reddened hands to her mouth to warm them with her breath.Her nose was red, like a pitiful little rabbit.
Shen Ting's heart twisted slightly; he had never seen Wu Mangmang like this before. In the past, she had always been proud and lively.
Shen Ting knew a little about how Wu Mangmang's parents had treated her after her breakup with Lu Sui—all of it from Shen Yuanli.
When Wu Mangmang saw sympathy in Shen Ting's eyes, she felt a mix of amusement and exasperation. Honestly, she thought she was doing quite well now and didn't need pity.
"I just forgot my gloves," Wu Mangmang quickly explained. Riding a bicycle on campus was perfectly normal—after all, the school was so large that walking was too much effort, and driving was unnecessary.
"Do you have time for a cup of coffee?" Shen Ting asked.
Wu Mangmang hesitated for a moment, unsure why Shen Ting would want to have coffee with her.
"It won't take much of your time."
Only then did Wu Mangmang nod.
The café Wu Mangmang chose was on campus, run by students working part-time. The environment was average, but the coffee tasted good.
"Did you come to A University to see He Yan? Why haven't I seen her?" Wu Mangmang asked, holding her warm milk tea. Since she and He Yan weren't in the same college, they didn't interact much, only occasionally passing by each other without much conversation.
"We broke up," Shen Ting said.
"Oh." Wu Mangmang wasn't surprised. Lu Sui had once said there was no hope for Shen Ting and He Yan.
Wu Mangmang and Shen Ting sat for a while, but Shen Ting wasn't much of a talker. After asking about her recent life, he had nothing more to say.
Feeling awkward, Wu Mangmang excused herself, claiming she had a club activity to attend.
As soon as Wu Mangmang left, He Yan entered the café. When she saw Shen Ting, her eyes reddened, and she turned her face away, ordering a coffee to go.
By the time He Yan looked back, Shen Ting had already walked out of the café.
Seeing Shen Ting's tall, straight back, He Yan couldn't stop the tears from streaming down her face. She had once thought she was different, that they had been so deeply in love. Every intimate night had made her believe Shen Ting loved her.
But when feelings faced reality, they proved so fragile.
He Yan's pride wouldn't allow her to settle for being Shen Ting's mistress, watching him marry another woman.
"Shen Ting, you jerk." Driven by an impulse she couldn't explain, He Yan pushed open the café door, rushed out, and threw the scalding coffee cup at Shen Ting's back.
Shen Ting felt the heat on his back, stopped, turned to look at He Yan, and gently waved goodbye.
Because of love, parting is always painful.
Because the love wasn't enough, they couldn't overcome all obstacles.
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