Оn Моndаy morning, Wu Маngmаng hаd just gоtten out of bеd whеn Li Tong frоm next dооr роkеd hеr head in аnd said, "Mangmang, that incrеdiblу handsоme guу whо саme tо уоur dоrm уestеrday is herе, wаiting for уou downstairs."
Тo be hоnest, Wu Mаngmаng hаdn’t ехреcted Lu Sui tо still bе in Citу А, lеt alоne shоw uр so eаrlу in the mоrning. She quickly wаshed up and hurriеd dоwnstаirs.
It wasn’t thаt she was eаgеr tо seе Lu Sui, but rаthеr thаt Lu Sui himsеlf wаs a sреctаclе—just seeing him wоuld makе реoрlе соncoct аll sorts of dramatic stоries.
After twо days оf rumors sрrеading, Wu Мangmang’s story had basically settled into a mainstream plot: she was said to be a mistress kept by some wealthy boss. From there, the branching storylines multiplied.
The kinder versions claimed that the boss realized Wu Mangmang was his true love, so he came back for her after their breakup.
The more dramatic versions said Wu Mangmang had run off with stolen money and was being tracked down, or that she had fallen for a younger man and decided to turn over a new leaf, only for the boss to refuse to let her go.
Zeng Ruling had vividly recounted all these story versions to Wu Mangmang.
Even she wasn’t sure what role Wu Mangmang was playing, but the so-called "ex-boyfriend" had an overwhelming presence. The talented dancer from the dance department, who was competing with Wu Mangmang for the title of campus belle at University A, had even dissected every item of clothing and accessory Lu Sui wore. Though she didn’t have much concrete information, the limited-edition Patek Philippe watch on his wrist already spoke volumes about his wealth.
In this day and age, when a man in his thirties with money gets together with a woman in her twenties, it’s hard to find even one in ten thousand who would believe it’s true love. Power and beauty transactions seem to have become the cover story for such tales.
Although Wu Mangmang’s clothes, shoes, and bags were all high-end brands, her parents and relatives had never made an appearance. While her daily spending wasn’t exactly tight, she was by no means extravagant. This contradiction only reinforced the belief that her family was ordinary and that she relied entirely on a sugar daddy to sustain her lifestyle. Without that support, she’d naturally be left with nothing but the clothes and shoes she could carry with her.
"Mangmang, were you really…" Zeng Ruling cautiously asked, careful not to hurt Wu Mangmang’s pride, as it wasn’t exactly a glorious past.
But if Wu Mangmang really was a kept mistress, Zeng Ruling would have to keep her distance.
Even if Wu Mangmang denied it, people probably wouldn’t trust her.
Wu Mangmang did tell Zeng Ruling "no," but the looks people gave her were still filled with suspicion. After all, besides Lu Sui, Ning Zheng and Shen Ting were both typical examples of tall, rich, and handsome men. The kind of people Wu Mangmang had surrounded herself with in the past made it impossible not to misunderstand.
With rumors spreading like wildfire and public opinion turning against her, Wu Mangmang had a tough couple of days. Even when she ran into Guo Xuefeng on the street, he avoided her as if having liked someone like her was an extreme disgrace.
When Wu Mangmang reached the downstairs, she saw Lu Sui.
Today, Lu Sui was dressed in sporty casual wear, a noticeable departure from his usual style, and he was sitting on a bicycle.
Wu Mangmang glanced at the bike—typical of someone with too much money showing off. A Ferrari bicycle was truly eye-catching. She estimated it wouldn’t be long before Lu Sui’s bike got stolen."Why are you here?" Wu Mangmang stopped three steps away from Lu Sui, her hands tucked into her hoodie pockets, clearly drawing a line between them.
Lu Sui took a thermal container from the bike basket and handed it to Wu Mangmang. "I came to bring you breakfast."
Wu Mangmang hadn’t expected Lu Sui to act this way. She didn’t reach out. She knew people like Lu Sui too well—they never did anything without a motive. Was his offer really so easy to accept?
"I don’t want it," Wu Mangmang said coldly.
"I got up at five to make congee for you—the fish congee you like," Lu Sui said. "And there are spring rolls and milk." He then handed her a thermal cup containing the milk she had grown accustomed to drinking at the Lu residence.
Back when they were still together, Lu Sui had even talked about taking her to a dairy farm to milk cows herself.
Unfortunately, Wu Mangmang wasn’t a foodie, and this wasn’t Dongshan Racecourse. She wasn’t so hungry that her mind was foggy.
"Lu Sui, everything I said to you was serious. Can’t you find another woman? Don’t waste your time on me anymore," Wu Mangmang said.
"I don’t consider it a waste of time," Lu Sui replied calmly.
Wu Mangmang had no way to deal with Lu Sui’s persistence and could only resort to sarcasm. "Oh, don’t tell me you’ve realized I’m your true love after we broke up, or that you can’t live without me or something like that."
"It’s not quite that extreme," Lu Sui said with a light laugh, his hands resting on the bicycle handlebars.
Wu Mangmang truly couldn’t understand Lu Sui’s mindset. She wasn’t so arrogant as to think he couldn’t find someone better than her in this world, which made his attitude all the more puzzling.
People like him weren’t exactly arrogant, but chasing after a woman to this extent, lowering himself so much—this wasn’t Lu Sui’s style.
But if it was about revenge, Wu Mangmang didn’t think Lu Sui was that bored.
"If I said that after you left, even the most delicious food tastes like it has no salt, would you believe me?" Lu Sui asked.
Humans become higher beings because they have emotions and higher-level needs—needs that go beyond mere survival and safety. They need to be loved, respected, and needed, and they pursue the realization of their own life’s value.
For some people, these needs can even become more precious than life itself at certain times.
Wu Mangmang had heard the classic fairy tale about something being "as precious as salt."
"Eating less salt isn’t a bad thing. The risk of high blood pressure increases with age, so it’s good to eat less salt," Wu Mangmang said, unmoved by the man’s sweet talk.
Lu Sui leaned in and whispered softly but dangerously in Wu Mangmang’s ear, "Do you really think I’m old?"
Though Wu Mangmang felt she wouldn’t compromise—only a fool would make the same mistake twice—her instinctive fear of Lu Sui kept her from bringing up his age again. That mistaken night had already worn her out enough.
Threatened like this, Wu Mangmang’s expression turned even colder. She turned and walked away, eager to get to her classroom.Lu Sui rode his bicycle at a steady pace beside Wu Mangmang, who turned her head angrily and said, "Can you stop following me?! Do you know what I hate most about you? It’s this stubbornness of yours that forces others to bow down to you!"
"Do you know what I like about you?" Lu Sui asked.
Wu Mangmang didn’t know, but her curiosity had already begun to bubble, so she stopped in her tracks.
Lu Sui smiled, looking as sly as an old fox. "I like this feisty spirit of yours that goes against me. It’s quite amusing."
What kind of lunatic is this? Wu Mangmang even wondered if Lu Sui had been taken over by someone else, his personality completely changed.
Lu Sui followed Wu Mangmang all the way to the teaching building, and she felt he even had the intention of following her into the classroom to sit in on the lecture. It was truly unbearable.
People around them had already started pointing and whispering.
"Can you please not do this? My classmates are already spreading nasty rumors about us, saying I’m being kept," Wu Mangmang stomped her foot in frustration.
Lu Sui frowned slightly. "The innocent remain innocent."
"You don’t understand anything!" For Wu Mangmang, her mental fortitude wasn’t as strong as Lu Sui’s. She might be able to face such baseless rumors with indifference, but deep down, she longed for others to know she wasn’t that kind of person. She also didn’t want to lose classmates and friends like Zeng Ruling.
"Eat your breakfast. I’ll take care of these things for you," Lu Sui handed the insulated lunchbox to Wu Mangmang again. "Mangmang, I know what you’re afraid of. This time, we can have a different way of getting along. I was too arrogant before."
Wu Mangmang blinked. She wasn’t afraid of Lu Sui mocking or ridiculing her; what she feared most was this gentle attitude of his—it was like poison wrapped in sugar.
"Eat. If you finish it, I won’t make porridge for you tomorrow," Lu Sui said.
There’s still tomorrow?! Lu Sui had hit her weak spot right away. Wu Mangmang could only obediently take the lunchbox. "Then we have a deal. No more breakfast deliveries tomorrow."
"Mhm," Lu Sui agreed, leading Wu Mangmang to sit down in the small garden in front of the teaching building.
Wu Mangmang took a sip of the porridge. Lu Sui’s cooking had always been good. "Why do I feel like you’re so familiar with our school?"
Lu Sui smiled. "I am quite familiar." He glanced at his watch. "Eat up. Class is about to start."
For the rest of the day, Wu Mangmang didn’t see Lu Sui again, but her day wasn’t boring either. In the afternoon and evening, her mentor and counselor each spoke with her, telling her not to mind the rumors. They wouldn’t believe them anyway.
Wu Mangmang knew right away that Lu Sui must have spoken to them to clear things up.
Even Zeng Ruling, when Wu Mangmang returned to the dormitory, changed her distant attitude from the past two days and greeted her with a smile, apologetically saying, "I’ve fetched hot water for you."
With just that one sentence, all past grievances were forgotten.
In the evening, Zeng Ruling pestered Wu Mangmang to tell her the story between her and Lu Sui.
"I don’t believe you broke up with Mr. Lu because of his age. He’s only in his early thirties, the most charming age. Just his face alone would make you endure what others couldn’t. If it were me, I’d never break up with him, no matter what," Zeng Ruling said.
Wu Mangmang remained silent."You don't like him at all?" Zeng Ruling asked. "That can't be true, can it?"
Wu Mangmang had originally been determined to keep her mouth shut, but she couldn't withstand Zeng Ruling's persistence and ended up telling her story.
"Don't you think he's too much? He actually deleted my in-game equipment—that's an unforgivable sin. He treats me like a child, controlling everything. If you don't listen to him, he always finds a way to make you obey—no hitting, no scolding, but he definitely has a way to make you back down. You have no idea. When we argue, other couples have the guy comforting the girl, but not us. I always have to be the one to make up with him, saying nice things. I could write a book called The Complete Guide to Love Letters." Once Wu Mangmang started talking, she couldn't stop.
"And his family is so hard to please. I feel like an ugly duckling thrown into a flock of swans. Everything I do is wrong, everything I do isn't good enough. I have to learn this, learn that. My education isn't good enough—I didn't study at a top-ten global university—and these are unforgivable flaws. It's just too exhausting. I feel like even if I were reborn, I couldn't meet their expectations." Wu Mangmang slumped her shoulders.
Zeng Ruling listened quietly, then asked, "Have you ever told Lu Sui about these complaints?"
Wu Mangmang was taken aback for a moment before replying, "What's the use of telling him?"
Zeng Ruling thought for a moment. "I think you're also somewhat at fault, Mangmang."
Wu Mangmang immediately widened her eyes at Zeng Ruling.
Girls have a particular way of making friends: they're emotional creatures who believe, "If you're my friend, you should support me unconditionally, whether I'm right or wrong. You have to stand by my side." That's what they call a best friend.
"Don't glare at me like that. Your eyes are so big—it's kind of scary." Zeng Ruling raised her hands in mock surrender.
"I'm just calling it as I see it," Zeng Ruling insisted. "Think about it. You haven't even tried, yet you've already sentenced him to death. On top of that, you act like the victim. That's definitely not right."
"What more can I do?" Wu Mangmang retorted indignantly. "I've tried my best to listen to him, doing whatever he says, putting his family first in everything. What more does he want? He even took away my last bit of freedom—gaming. I couldn't take it anymore." Wu Mangmang huffed angrily.
"Have you ever considered that maybe because you were so compliant, Lu Sui misunderstood and thought you were willing? Of course, it was wrong of him to stop you from gaming, but his intention was for your health. Besides, you're just making excuses. After you broke up, you didn't even game that much, did you? So it's clearly just an excuse," Zeng Ruling pointed out.
"Hey, whose side are you on?" Wu Mangmang snapped. "Little brat."
Zeng Ruling rolled her eyes. "Of course, I'm on your side. Don't underestimate me just because I'm younger. Understanding principles isn't about age. You're a classic case of being too close to see clearly."
Wu Mangmang didn't want to talk to Zeng Ruling anymore.Zeng Ruling shook Wu Mangmang's arm and said, "From an outsider's perspective, after hearing your story, although I think Lu Sui is quite domineering, I can at least see his efforts. But you've just been enduring it all along. To put it nicely, it's endurance; to put it bluntly, it's passivity—extremely passive. You haven't made any effort for your relationship."
"How else am I supposed to try? I learn this and that, and I have to endure all the nitpicking from his aunt." Wu Mangmang felt terribly wronged.
"Alright, that counts as effort. But why don't you think about why you're willing to learn all those things? Mangmang, you don't even realize how lucky you are. You have someone you like, and he likes you too. Yet you're unwilling to communicate with him. Even as an outsider, I can tell how much he likes you. If he didn't, why would he marry you? When his aunt spoke ill of you, he didn't hesitate for a second to stand up for you. I believe that as long as you communicate properly with him, he'll definitely help you. It's because you like him so much that you don't want his family to think poorly of you, so you try hard to fit in, right? Later, the pressure became too much, and you ran away. Poor Lu Sui doesn't even know the reason and is still being criticized by you for being too old. Honestly, the fact that he's willing to pursue you again is like your ancestors burning incense for eight lifetimes."
Although Wu Mangmang couldn't say Zeng Ruling was wrong, something about her words felt off. She tentatively asked, "Did Lu Sui bribe you?"
Zeng Ruling immediately bristled like a cat with its fur standing on end. "What kind of nonsense is that? I'm trying to help you analyze the problem, and you think of me like that? Fine, I'd be more than happy if you and Lu Sui broke up for good. A good man like him—I'm waiting in line."
"Sorry, I shouldn't have misunderstood you like that." Whether it was a misunderstanding or not, Wu Mangmang apologized first, as she really didn't want to lose a friend like Zeng Ruling.
"I didn't expect someone as young as you to analyze relationship problems so thoroughly. How many relationships have you been in?" Wu Mangmang asked with a smile.
Zeng Ruling retorted indignantly, "Although I haven't been in many relationships, I've read a lot of books. Reading is beneficial, you know. And looking at you, even though you've been in quite a few relationships, you've always been muddled."
Lying in bed, Wu Mangmang stared at the white top of the mosquito net and asked herself, "Have I really not made any effort?"
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