Тhе саmpus of Univеrsitу А rеsеmbled a vast раrk. Having snоwed just last night, а thin lауеr оf snоw blanketеd the flower beds along thе рaths. Аt this momеnt, snоwflаkеs drifted frоm thе skу, grоwing hеaviеr by the minute, аnd fеw pеdestrians werе out on thе roads.
Shеn Тing wаlkеd slоwlу аlong the раth, oссаsionаlly glаnсing to the sidе, whеre hе noticed Wu Мangmang walking bасkwаrd from thе lakeside.
Shеn Тing рausеd, сuriоus tо sее what Wu Маngmang wаs up tо.
The grоund by thе lаkе remаinеd untоuсhed, still covеred by the previоus night's snowfall, and Wu Мangmang's fоotрrints wеre thе only trail nearby.
To preserve the pristine beauty, she was carefully retracing her steps backward along the path her snow boots had just made.
Once she finally reached the roadside, Wu Mangmang quickly pulled out her phone, captured a photo of the wintry lake and her solitary trail of footprints, and posted it to her Weibo account.
This account, named "Mangmang Huanghuang," had been created during her graduate studies. She often shared artistic snippets and images, and it had gradually amassed over two thousand followers.
Stamping her feet to ward off the cold, Wu Mangmang clumsily typed out a line on her phone: "Alone I tread a thousand hills, ten thousand mirrors (paths) devoid of human traces." Using "mirrors" as a metaphor for the lake surface while playing on the homophone was truly brilliant. Wu Mangmang couldn't help but give herself a mental pat on the back for her artistic flair.
Admittedly, in the vast expanse of white snow, that lonely trail of footprints did carry a certain minimalist charm.
Putting away her phone, Wu Mangmang cupped her hands to her mouth and blew warm air into them. Just as she turned to leave on her bike, she looked up and spotted Shen Ting.
"What a coincidence! You're still here?" Wu Mangmang was surprised but immediately reacted by shoving her phone into Shen Ting's hands. "That's perfect! I was just worried I couldn't find anyone. Could you take a photo of my back?"
She unlocked her phone, opened the Meitu XiuXiu app, and without waiting for Shen Ting's response, hurriedly retraced her small footprints back to the lakeside. Turning to Shen Ting, she called out, "Go ahead and take the photo. Make it look natural, okay? I'll just walk slowly forward. Just take a few candid shots."
As she spoke, Wu Mangmang's sharp eyes caught sight of a male student approaching nearby. She immediately pointed at him and shouted, "Don't move!"
The young man was startled by her outburst.
Seeing that he had frozen in place, Wu Mangmang urged Shen Ting, "Hurry up!"
Shen Ting stared at Wu Mangmang for three seconds before finally raising her phone to take the photo.
After the photos were taken, Wu Mangmang ran over to the male student and apologized, "Sorry, classmate. That was really rude of me just now. You can move freely now."
Though somewhat annoyed by the sudden shout, the young man, swayed by Wu Mangmang's looks, waved it off generously. "It's fine."
Only then did Wu Mangmang return to Shen Ting's side. "Thank you! Let me see how the photos turned out."
She took her phone back and examined the pictures. Though not entirely satisfied, they were decent enough. She quickly added another photo to her Weibo post.
Even bundled up like a bear in winter, Wu Mangmang's tall and slender frame made her resemble nothing less than an adorable polar bear. As soon as the back-view photo was uploaded, it garnered numerous likes.
"Blogger's legs are so long and slim. (Drooling)."
Only after her Weibo activities were done did Wu Mangmang finally turn her attention to Shen Ting.
She was freezing like a dog in the bitter cold, yet Shen Ting had taken off his overcoat and draped it over his arm. How could he possibly be so warm? Wu Mangmang wondered to herself."Thank you for helping me earlier. I still have some things to take care of, so I'll be going now." Wu Mangmang finished speaking and got on her bicycle.
"Mangmang, could you accompany me for a meal?" Shen Ting abruptly said.
Wu Mangmang didn’t understand why Shen Ting would make such a request, but seeing his gloomy expression and furrowed brows, she couldn’t bring herself to refuse.
In the end, under Shen Ting’s "whatever" response, Wu Mangmang took him directly to a small spicy hot pot shop behind the school.
Winter is the perfect time to eat spicy food to warm up.
Wu Mangmang skillfully ordered the dishes, warmly invited Shen Ting to sit down, and grabbed a few napkins from the table to wipe the greasy surface.
"Don’t let the small storefront fool you—this place has the most authentic flavor on the whole street," Wu Mangmang said.
Shen Ting was as quiet as ever.
When the spicy hot pot arrived, Wu Mangmang’s appetite was instantly whetted. She took a deep breath over the bowl, picked up her chopsticks, and started eating, paying no mind to Shen Ting.
This young master Shen probably had a cleanliness obsession. Sitting in the small shop, his entire body was tense, as if afraid of being touched by someone unclean.
Expecting him to pick up his chopsticks was even more impossible.
Wu Mangmang couldn’t be bothered to cater to this lord’s temperament and simply ate on her own. Although her eating manners were delicate, her nose soon began to sweat—such was the charm of spicy hot pot.
Wu Mangmang first took off her fluffy earmuffs, and finally removed her down jacket before she was done.
Shen Ting watched Wu Mangmang’s flushed cheeks from the spiciness and spoke up, "This kind of food isn’t healthy. You should eat less—it’s bad for your stomach."
Wu Mangmang understood the health-conscious mindset of older men, so she didn’t argue with Shen Ting, only nodding with a smile.
"Wu Mangmang!" A loud female voice echoed in the cramped space. Wu Mangmang looked up to see Zeng Ruling calling her.
"Well, well, it’s only been a few days, and you’ve switched to another one," Zeng Ruling quickly walked over to Wu Mangmang, curiously sizing up Shen Ting, then whispered in Wu Mangmang’s ear, "So handsome. I really like this icy type."
Zeng Ruling was a romance novel enthusiast, the kind who chased stories day and night, cursing and cheering along the way, with a particular fondness for cold, stoic male leads.
"Hurry up and win him over," Zeng Ruling said, as if eager to stir up trouble.
It was hard to tell whether Wu Mangmang’s face was red from the spiciness or from embarrassment. She shook her head gently and said, "It’s not like that."
Zeng Ruling wouldn’t believe her even if she were a ghost.
"Alright, alright, I won’t disturb you two," Zeng Ruling said, pulling the girl she came in with to the back to order.
Wu Mangmang made a helpless surrendering gesture and said to Shen Ting, "Sorry about that."
"It’s fine," Shen Ting shook his head.
As soon as he finished speaking, Wu Mangmang’s phone rang. She answered—it was Guo Xuefeng calling.
"Mangmang, where are you?"
"I’m having a meal," Wu Mangmang’s voice naturally softened a degree when speaking to this suitor she was quite fond of.
"With whom? A guy or a girl?"
Hearing this, Wu Mangmang frowned.
He hadn’t even secured his position yet—she had only softened her attitude slightly—and Guo Xuefeng was already checking up on her. And this wasn’t the first time.
"A guy," Wu Mangmang said coldly. "I won’t talk anymore. I’m eating."
If you’re going to date, it’s most comfortable with someone like Guo Xuefeng. Wu Mangmang clearly had the demeanor of a queen—hanging up the phone whenever she pleased, losing her temper whenever she felt like it.Wu Mangmang had just hung up the phone when Guo Xuefeng rushed in the next moment, stopping only when he reached her. He took a deep breath and smiled, saying, "Mangmang."
Wu Mangmang glanced at Guo Xuefeng. No wonder he had called to check on her earlier—he must have seen her.
"What a coincidence, you're eating here too. Why don't we sit together?" Guo Xuefeng invited himself without waiting for an invitation.
Wu Mangmang didn’t object. In fact, she somewhat enjoyed Guo Xuefeng’s obvious jealousy and concern.
"Sure, go ahead and order," Wu Mangmang said, naturally not wanting to embarrass Guo Xuefeng. After all, he was her potential boyfriend.
"And who is this?" Guo Xuefeng turned his head toward Shen Ting, who had remained silent.
Wu Mangmang then introduced Shen Ting, "This is my senior, Guo Xuefeng." Then, turning to Guo Xuefeng, she added, "This is Shen Ting, the older brother of my cousin’s girlfriend."
Guo Xuefeng blinked. That was quite a convoluted relationship, but since there was some familial connection, his hostility lessened considerably. He turned to Wu Mangmang and said softly, "Wait here, I’ll be right back."
Wu Mangmang didn’t know what Guo Xuefeng was up to this time, but she still nodded with a smile.
"Is he your boyfriend?" Shen Ting asked.
Shen Ting’s tone made Wu Mangmang a bit uncomfortable, so she didn’t bother correcting him. Instead, she asked, "Are you really not going to eat?"
Shen Ting shook his head.
Guo Xuefeng returned quickly, holding a bottle of hot milk tea, which he handed to Wu Mangmang. "Here, barley milk tea, no pearls."
"Thank you." Wu Mangmang’s smile immediately brightened into a radiant one. She cupped the warm milk tea with both hands. In winter, she rarely drank cold beverages, and the small shop only had Sprite and Coke, so she hadn’t ordered anything to drink.
Wu Mangmang hadn’t expected Guo Xuefeng to be so thoughtful. She secretly added five points to his score, hoping to shorten his probationary period.
Throughout the meal, Shen Ting didn’t touch his chopsticks or say a word, while Guo Xuefeng chattered away, trying to engage Wu Mangmang in conversation, as if to show Shen Ting how much they had in common.
A man with even a little self-respect would have excused himself by now.
But Shen Ting stayed until Wu Mangmang finished her spicy hot pot before getting up.
"Let’s go, I’ll walk you back to your dorm," Shen Ting said.
Wu Mangmang was actually a bit unsure what had gotten into Shen Ting, but she had no choice but to say goodbye to Guo Xuefeng.
"I’ll save you a seat at the library tomorrow morning," Guo Xuefeng said.
Wu Mangmang nodded. During final exams, library seats were always in short supply.
Shen Ting walked Wu Mangmang all the way to the streetlight near her dormitory building. Though he knew he shouldn’t overstep, he looked at Wu Mangmang, whose skin appeared almost translucent under the light, and said, "He’s not good enough for you."
Impulsive, hot-headed, and even quite immature. That was Shen Ting’s assessment of Guo Xuefeng after observing him all evening.
Wu Mangmang tilted her head slightly. Honestly, she didn’t share Shen Ting’s perspective.
"Thank you for the advice. I’ll consider it," Wu Mangmang said, having long since mastered the art of superficial politeness from the Lu family.
There was no need to discuss such matters with outsiders.
Perhaps in Shen Ting’s eyes, Guo Xuefeng wasn’t well-off or mature enough, but Wu Mangmang liked the energy he brought. It was a sincerity and passion she couldn’t experience when dating mature, career-driven men.It was precisely because of this that Wu Mangmang could tolerate some of Guo Xuefeng's less-than-terrible flaws.
For example, his jealousy and habit of checking up on her were harmless quirks.
Shen Ting could tell from Wu Mangmang's dismissive expression that she hadn't taken his words to heart at all.
"You don't need to give up on yourself just because you broke up with Lu Sui," Shen Ting said. He rarely spoke out of turn like this, but Wu Mangmang was an exception.
Wu Mangmang looked directly into Shen Ting's eyes. Which eye of his saw her giving up on herself?
In the past, Wu Mangmang would have directly lashed out at Shen Ting.
But now she had learned to restrain herself and not discuss her romantic experiences with irrelevant people.
"Thank you for your concern. I'm going upstairs," Wu Mangmang said, picking up her books and walking into the dormitory building without looking back.
She cursed inwardly, wondering if Shen Ting had taken the wrong medicine.
That night, as Wu Mangmang lay in bed, Du Yuntao, whom she had met on a blind date, sent her daily WeChat greetings. Although she was somewhat interested in his profession, she wasn't particularly enthusiastic about him as a person.
Du Yuntao was busy with work and often worked overtime. Although he was interested in pursuing Wu Mangmang, he couldn't find the time to visit her at A University.
For such mature, career-focused men, Wu Mangmang was now politely declining, so she didn't reply to Du Yuntao's messages, but he was quite persistent.
As for Ning Zheng, he also sent WeChat messages or called in the evenings, about once every two or three days. Wu Mangmang mostly pretended not to see them.
Before the winter break, Ning Zheng finally found some time to come to A University to track her down. His yellow Lamborghini dazzled many people.
Wu Mangmang teased, "Didn't you always complain about being poor? Why not sell the car?"
"Second-hand cars aren't worth much. Besides, how would I pick up beautiful women for dinner without a car?" Ning Zheng leaned against the door and smiled at Wu Mangmang.
"Sorry, I have plans tonight," Wu Mangmang said. She genuinely had plans—her schedule was quite hard to book, okay?
"No problem," Ning Zheng replied with a smile.
That night, after having dinner and singing karaoke with Guo Xuefeng and her roommates, Wu Mangmang had just returned to her dorm when she received a call from Ning Zheng. She leaned out the window and saw him downstairs, a faint red glow from a cigarette between his fingers.
Ning Zheng seemed exhausted, with overnight stubble on his chin, looking somewhat disheveled. Yet, his charm remained undiminished, even taking on a more roguish appeal.
Among Wu Mangmang's two roommates, Zeng Ruling favored Shen Ting, while Tang Xiaojun was infatuated with Ning Zheng. As for Guo Xuefeng, he indeed couldn't compete with the appeal of a handsome older man in the eyes of young girls.
"Why haven't you left?" Wu Mangmang thought to herself, "Oh my," marveling at the playboy's tactics in pursuing women. She was almost overwhelmed by his display of deep affection.
"Waiting to have a late-night snack with you," Ning Zheng said.
"I don't eat late-night snacks. They make me gain weight," Wu Mangmang replied.
Ning Zheng sighed. "I'm sorry. I've been really busy lately. I haven't slept in two days, and I'm flying to the U.S. tomorrow night. That's why I haven't been able to visit you for so long."
Wu Mangmang's guilt was stirred by Ning Zheng's words. She had only been teasing him, but seeing how busy he was and yet still finding time to wait for her in the cold wind made her feel a bit too harsh.
"Ning Zheng, I..."
The next moment, Wu Mangmang's words were cut off by Ning Zheng's cool lips pressing against hers.
The impact of the "wall slam" was too overwhelming. Wu Mangmang hurriedly pushed Ning Zheng away, covering her mouth with the back of her hand, completely forgetting the lines she had prepared to reject him.Meanwhile, Ning Zheng slowly traced his finger over his lips, as if savoring a memory, a smug expression on his face. "Mangmang, don’t say things I don’t want to hear. I know I’m not in a position right now, but give me some time. Don’t rush into agreeing with that guy."
As she entered the dormitory building, Wu Mangmang kept her hands pressed against her flushed cheeks.
Oh my, Wu Mangmang felt a bit stirred up by Ning Zheng tonight. That was the charm of a playboy—like chocolate, you knew it would make you gain weight, but you couldn’t resist taking a bite or two.
To be honest, Guo Xuefeng was much better than Ning Zheng in many ways, but the guy was too straightforward. With Wu Mangmang’s queenly demeanor on full display, he didn’t even dare to hold her hand, let alone pin her against a wall.
That was the downside of inexperience. Women didn’t necessarily prefer men who were always soft and gentle. Sometimes, they needed to be firm and assertive, even aggressive when the situation called for it.
Wu Mangmang almost wished she could teach Guo Xuefeng a few tricks to use on her.
The semester passed quickly. During winter break, Wu Mangmang originally had no plans to return to the city. She intended to stay at A University, helping Professor Cheng with some work and earning extra money so she could afford a trip in the spring.
Traveling abroad was out of the question, but places like Dali and Erhai Lake were still within reach for a good visit.
Unfortunately, plans changed faster than expected. As soon as Wu Mangmang stepped into the lab, she received a call from Ms. Liu, saying Boss Wu had been in a car accident.
Wu Mangmang was so frightened she nearly tumbled down the stairs. Without a second thought, she rushed to the high-speed rail station without even packing her things.
These days, high-speed rail was faster than flying, but Wu Mangmang couldn’t get a seat ticket and had to stand all the way back to the city.
"Dad, are you okay?" Wu Mangmang burst into the hospital room.
Ms. Liu was peeling an apple for Wu Song. Seeing Wu Mangmang enter, she said calmly, "Your dad broke his leg. It takes a hundred days for bones and tendons to heal. Now, at least, he won’t be running around fooling around all day."
Wu Mangmang glanced at the leg in a cast. Though she couldn’t tell much from it, seeing Wu Song’s complexion wasn’t too bad, she finally felt relieved.
"I’m worried about Dan Dan being home alone. Go back and keep an eye on him. Ask the housekeeper to prepare some bone broth and bring it over for your dad tomorrow," Liǔ Lèwéi instructed.
Wu Mangmang nodded.
The next day, when Wu Mangmang arrived at the hospital, she not only brought the broth but also a tablet for Wu Song, loaded with American TV shows she had downloaded overnight.
American TV shows were wildly imaginative and appealed to everyone, men and women alike. Although Boss Wu could still work despite his injury, he wasn’t as carefree as before. Watching American shows in his spare time was a pretty good way to pass the time.
Besides, Ms. Liu, his long-suffering wife, couldn’t stay by his side all the time. She was too busy with one event after another—this banquet, that exhibition—as if the world would stop turning without her.
Back then, Ms. Liu had built a wide network of connections thanks to Wu Mangmang’s relationship with Lu Sui. She was also highly capable herself. So even though Wu Mangmang and Lu Sui had broken up, Ms. Liu’s social circle had expanded exponentially. With so much on her plate, she was stretched thin.
"You can go back. There’s no need to stay here. I have a nurse to take care of me," Wu Song said, looking at Wu Mangmang.
Wu Mangmang shook her head, hugging her laptop as she settled onto the sofa nearby. "I have nothing to do back home anyway. I’ll stay here with you. Dan Dan has been sent to his grandfather’s house, so don’t worry."Wu Mangmang sat on the sofa, diligently writing her thesis. Although the sitting position wasn't particularly comfortable, it wasn't unbearable either.
As someone who had been through it before, she knew that when one was sick or injured, even with maids and caregivers attending to them, it still couldn't compare to having family by their side.
Even if they did nothing, just being there with her was enough.
Putting herself in others' shoes, Wu Mangmang didn't want her father lying alone in a hospital bed.
Boss Wu had some reputation, so quite a few people came to visit him, and even more sent fruit baskets. However, what no one expected was that Lu Lin would come to visit.
"Sister Lu Lin, what brings you here?" Wu Mangmang quickly stood up.
Wu Song also straightened up in his seat.
Lu Lin handed the fruit basket to Wu Mangmang. "I heard Mr. Wu was in a car accident, so I came to see him."
Lu Lin's arrival undoubtedly brightened up the hospital room. Wu Song's face lit up with a wide smile. He was usually quite a dignified person, but when it came to the Lu family, it was different. Not to the point of groveling, but a sense of reverence was unavoidable.
Lu Lin stayed for a short while before getting up to leave the room. Wu Mangmang saw her to the door. "Thank you, Sister Lu Lin."
"No need to be so polite with me. I'll treat you to a meal in a few days. For now, take good care of your father." Lu Lin patted Wu Mangmang's shoulder.
Wu Mangmang nodded. "Alright, but I should be the one treating you. I haven't thanked you for the clothes incident yet."
Speaking of the clothes incident, it happened not long ago. Wu Mangmang and Zeng Ruling were out shopping. Zeng Ruling came from a well-off family and liked brands that were quite expensive, especially favoring the brand Double L Weekend.
Double L was Lu Lin's brand, and Weekend focused on casual weekend styles, very suitable for young people. The prices were slightly cheaper than Double L's main line.
However, it was still relatively expensive, with shirts starting at four thousand yuan. Zeng Ruling could only afford one or two pieces a year at most.
But even if she couldn't buy, she could still look. At the time, Zeng Ruling fell in love with a winter dress and adored it, but unfortunately, the price was too high—nine thousand yuan.
Because she liked it so much, she mustered the courage to ask the sales assistant if there was any discount.
In reality, asking was pointless, as this brand never offered discounts.
However, in such stores, the sales assistants were skilled at reading people. She smiled and said, "If you have a VIP card for our brand, you can get a 5% discount."
To get a Double L VIP card, one needed to spend a million yuan annually or make a single purchase of over three hundred thousand yuan.
For those who saved for months just to buy a luxury item, this was out of the question.
Zeng Ruling shook her head and couldn't help asking Wu Mangmang, "Do you have a VIP card for this store?"
Since Wu Mangmang wore quite a few good brands, Zeng Ruling asked this question.
Wu Mangmang had indeed worn many clothes from this brand, which traced back to when she was with Lu Sui. Clothes would be delivered to her wardrobe as soon as new collections were released.
Actually, Wu Mangmang herself didn't particularly like Double L—it was too "socialite" for her taste.
"I don't know," Wu Mangmang genuinely didn't know if she had one. "But my mom might have one; she likes this brand."
The sales assistant immediately smiled and said, "Miss, you just need to provide a phone number."
Wu Mangmang casually said, "139..."
After finishing, Wu Mangmang realized she had given her own phone number. "Oh, wrong, I gave my own number."
But the sales assistant's expression turned a bit strange. She looked at the computer, then at Wu Mangmang, then back at the computer, and finally said, "Sorry, please wait a moment, ladies."
Wu Mangmang and Zeng Ruling exchanged puzzled glances.
After a minute, the sales assistant returned. "Miss Wu, your friend can enjoy a fifty percent discount on our brand's clothing."
Zeng Ruling wore an expression of "Did I hear that right?" as her mouth curved into a wide grin.
Wu Mangmang immediately called Lu Lin.
Lu Lin said, "I couldn’t be happier that you can wear my clothes. I already gave your details to the staff below, so feel free to choose anything. From now on, as long as it’s your friend buying my clothes, they’ll all get fifty percent off."
When a domineering female CEO steps in, it makes all the difference. Wu Mangmang didn’t even have to pay for the clothes.
Of course, Wu Mangmang had to thank Lu Lin for the clothes. Although she didn’t pick anything for herself, Zeng Ruling absolutely adored Wu Mangmang for it, even putting her own cousin on the back burner.
Wu Mangmang took care of Wu Song in the hospital for a week. At night, Ms. Liu stayed to keep watch, while Wu Mangmang brought over bone broth in the mornings.
On this day, Wu Mangmang hurried into the hospital entrance carrying a thermal container. It was raining outside, so the roads were a bit congested. Ms. Liu kept calling to hurry her up, as she had other matters to attend to later and was waiting for Wu Mangmang to bring over the clothes and jewelry she needed.
Seeing the elevator doors about to close, Wu Mangmang shouted, "Wait, please wait!"
With one hand holding the thermal container and the other carrying a large paper bag, she dashed into the elevator, panting, "Thank you, thank you."
"You’re welcome."
The voice was like a thunderclap in a clear sky. Wu Mangmang looked up and saw Lu Sui.
At that moment, the two of them were alone in the elevator.
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