Lan Yue leaned against the terrace railing, swirling the red wine in her glass, smiling awkwardly without daring to look into Lu Sui’s eyes: “I feel a bit ashamed. Back then my ultimatum failed and I left the country in disgrace, now I’ve come back in disgrace too. I originally wanted to bring a man to show off in front of you, but then I thought it was childish, and besides, you wouldn’t care anyway.”

“Lan Yue, you’re a very good friend,” Lu Sui said.

“Don’t worry, I’ve come to terms with it. No need to use the word ‘friend’ to reject me,” Lan Yue smiled self-mockingly. “These two years I’ve traveled many places, seen many sights and many people. Looking back now, I feel I was truly narrow-minded then. I regret it.”

Lan Yue walked directly in front of Lu Sui, looking up at him, so close she could almost count his eyelashes: “What about you? Do you still need this female companion who comes whenever called?” Lan Yue didn’t want to describe herself as a bed partner.

Though she and Lu Sui had only a simple relationship that talked needs, not feelings.

Lu Sui slightly stepped aside to avoid this ambiguous distance.

Lan Yue sighed: “Afraid your little girlfriend will get angry? When did you change your taste? I’m really a bit curious.”

Lu Sui naturally wouldn’t answer such a private question.

Lan Yue understood, then continued: “I really envy her – meeting you just when you want to settle down, right in her prime years, clean and pure.”

“Don’t overthink it. It’s not because you’re divorced, Lan Yue.” Women who appeared very mature actually had very irrational sides in their hearts.

Lan Yue had always attributed her inability to capture Lu Sui to her divorce – it was the only stain on her.

But after all, they were so compatible in bed that for several years, she was the only one by Lu Sui’s side.

So it gave her illusions.

However, after Lan Yue left, she finally understood her position – she was just Lu Sui’s substitute for not wanting to find call girls.

Men were so beastly – they had to have outlets. If not you, then someone else.

Their arousal wasn’t even from being interested in seeing you, just because their physiological needs had accumulated to a point requiring release. If there were no women left on earth, they’d probably be willing even with female gorillas.

“Sorry, harping on old themes again,” Lan Yue smiled, then said: “Alright, I won’t keep you. You can call me anytime you have needs – I enjoy it too.”

A forty-year-old woman, married and divorced, now settling for second best, just wanting to enjoy physical pleasure.

While Lu Sui and Lan Yue had their former lovers’ reunion, Wu Mangmang was quite miserable, clearly feeling excluded.

Lu Lin and Shen Yuanzi were chatting happily, Lan Shan could also join the conversation, but even when Wu Mangmang tried to join in, no one paid attention to her.

Shen Yuanzi had grudges against Wu Mangmang because of Ning Zheng, Lan Shan had no good feelings toward Wu Mangmang either, and Lu Lin clearly planned to give cold treatment to this former pursuit target.

So Wu Mangmang had no allies among the girls.

As for Ning Zheng and Shen Ting, women had even less way to insert themselves into men’s world, and today Ning Zheng seemed to have taken the wrong medicine, actually learning to be aloof like Shen Ting.

Wu Mangmang didn’t have real-world social anxiety, but today Weibo had been flashing too joyfully and her phone had tragically died. Now she could only sit alone in the corner because the charging outlet was only here.

Lu Sui was the kind of person who understood Wu Mangmang’s situation at a glance upon entering.

Though the little girl looked quite content curled up on the sofa playing with her phone, she looked like a pitiful abandoned thing.

“I’m taking Mangmang home first,” Lu Sui went over and pulled up Wu Mangmang’s hand, turning to tell everyone.

Wu Mangmang exclaimed: “Hey hey, it’s only charged to thirty-six percent!”

Wu Mangmang was extremely regretful.

Sitting in Lu Sui’s car, Wu Mangmang opened her notes app and added an entry: Actually didn’t let me fully charge my phone.

Several revenge options flashed through Wu Mangmang’s mind: decisively answer phone calls halfway through when doing that in the future? Not let him come inside when doing that in the future?

Just thinking about these scenarios was refreshing.

Monday afternoon Wu Mangmang made an appointment with Wu Yong.

“How have things been lately?” This was Dr. Wu’s standard opening line.

Wu Mangmang wasn’t pretentious, spilling out everything from the past two weeks like pouring beans.

Including, of course, the performance with Shen Ting.

Wu Yong made a note in his record book – Wu Mangmang had once again played a weak woman forced to have an abortion.

“Why did you play a woman forced to have an abortion with a poor background again? Don’t you always like challenging different roles?” Wu Yong asked.

“Again? When?” Wu Mangmang couldn’t quite remember.

“Last time, with that person who sued you,” Wu Yong said.

“Ah!” Wu Mangmang made an enlightened gesture. “Him.” He became my boyfriend.

Wu Mangmang remembered there was such a thing.

“Why did you play this again then?” Wu Yong asked once more.

“No particular reason. It just came naturally – the lines just came to me without thinking. Sometimes I feel these things aren’t created by me, but already exist in my brain, just waiting to be decoded,” Wu Mangmang said.

If these things went through her conscious mind, she could control herself not to have episodes.

Wu Yong made a key notation.

But he suddenly had a feeling that Wu Mangmang’s psychological knots probably hadn’t lessened with time’s passage and mental maturity, but rather were buried under layers of years, like ghosts that would follow her for life.

Why was abortion always mentioned subconsciously?

This dramatic tendency hadn’t appeared in previous years but had suddenly occurred twice this year. However, the sample size wasn’t enough, so more observation was needed.

But Wu Yong made a very bold inference.

Since he’d started as Wu Mangmang’s counselor, she’d never played any positive roles, always running down the path of female cannon fodder.

This was a subconscious complete denial of herself.

As if she’d decided she was bad, so that’s why she wasn’t valued or loved.

Better than no matter how good she was, she still couldn’t exchange it for others’ love – that was more comforting.

As for abortion, perhaps hidden deep in Wu Mangmang’s heart was the thought that she shouldn’t have come to this world at all.

And two people who didn’t love each other shouldn’t have children either.

Of course, these were all Wu Yong’s personal speculations, which he couldn’t voice to Wu Mangmang.

“This acting range is a bit narrow. Why don’t you try other types of roles?” Wu Yong said.

“Like what?” Wu Mangmang inquired.

“Like a female wasp.”

“So you do make jokes, Dr. Wu,” Wu Mangmang laughed.

“I’m seriously recommending it,” Wu Yong said.

“I come here for consultation to never have episodes again in the future,” Wu Mangmang raised an eyebrow.

“Actually, having an outlet is better than having none. Next time remember to try positive, upward roles,” Wu Yong said.

Wu Mangmang swayed as she left Wu Yong’s office, and just as she stepped out, she received a call from Lu Sui.

“Hello,” Wu Mangmang’s voice was artificially sweet by at least forty-five degrees, just like a girl deeply in love.

Mainly because tonight was time to collect the gambling winnings, and Wu Mangmang had deliberately brought a backpack containing her DSLR camera that she hadn’t used in years.

But Mr. Lu’s abs were worth having a DSLR for.

“Where are you? I’ll have the driver pick you up,” Lu Sui said.

“No need, there’s a subway downstairs. I’ll come myself,” Wu Mangmang said.

Having lost the Hummer for too long, Wu Mangmang had completely gotten used to public transportation.

At this time, waiting for Lu Sui’s driver to come, then getting to the restaurant, they’d definitely be stuck in traffic until 8:30 PM.

Better to take the subway – convenient for everyone and they could eat on time.

“Stay there, don’t leave. I’ll come pick you up,” Lu Sui changed his mind.

Wu Mangmang sighed. Lu Sui had misunderstood, thinking she was angry he’d only sent a driver. She didn’t think she was that pretentious.

“Really no need, I’m getting in the elevator now. That’s it,” Wu Mangmang hung up.

Though Wu Mangmang was confident in public transportation, she still couldn’t arrive at the restaurant on time.

Lu Sui looked at his watch – Wu Mangmang was already half an hour late, exceeding his tolerance limit.

Given Mr. Lu’s usual pickiness about punctuality – he’d deal with people for being even thirty seconds late – Wu Mangmang had really refreshed his bottom line.

Actually, Wu Mangmang was also helpless at the moment. Her phone screen had broken when she hit a pervert on the subway, and she’d ended up at the police station.

The pervert’s mother came rushing over, insisting Wu Mangmang had slandered her son, making a huge fuss, wanting to find a lawyer to sue her and demanding she kowtow to apologize to her son.

Wu Mangmang naturally disagreed – that pervert had clearly been groping her butt on the subway.

The woman said Wu Mangmang’s skirt was short, deliberately trying to get men to touch her.

A scholar meeting a soldier couldn’t reason clearly, and the woman was full of foul language. Wu Mangmang was furious but helpless.

Though her skirt wasn’t long, she was wearing thick wool stockings!

After half an hour, the other party really did find a lawyer as sleazy-looking as the son. They seemed to have some dirty money, which made them so arrogant.

Wu Mangmang first called Ms. Liu, but Boss Wu and Ms. Liu were currently on a plane with phones turned off.

As for others, Wu Mangmang couldn’t remember anyone’s phone number, including Lu Sui’s, so she couldn’t even call to say she couldn’t make it.

One could imagine the fury of Mr. Lu being stood up.

Wu Mangmang wasn’t rescued from the police station until two hours later when Ms. Liu’s plane landed and she turned on her phone to be notified and sent a lawyer.

Fortunately Ms. Liu was currently out of town, or Wu Mangmang would definitely face exhaustive bombardment.

After finishing the procedures, it was already past 10 PM. Wu Mangmang got out of the taxi and walked home with her head down, feeling completely drained.

Unreasonable middle-aged aunties were definitely human biological weapons.

A car parked by the roadside flashed its lights. Wu Mangmang had to look up and saw Lu Sui getting out.

Wu Mangmang’s head drooped powerlessly to one side. She really had no energy to deal with anyone tonight. Not only had she been scolded by that human weapon, but she’d also been severely lectured by Boss Wu. Right now Wu Mangmang didn’t want to see anyone at all.

Wu Mangmang simply gave up and stopped, waiting for Lu Sui to scold her. He’d come all the way to her door to demand an explanation.

But Wu Mangmang waited a long time and only felt Lu Sui cupping her face.

“What happened to your mouth?” Lu Sui asked. There was a blood scab on her beautiful red lips, quite unsightly.

Wu Mangmang blinked, feeling Lu Sui’s thumb gently stroking her lips. Her nose tingled and she buried her head in Lu Sui’s chest.

At this moment, no matter who it was, even just a little comfort, Wu Mangmang would grab onto like a drowning person grabbing a life preserver.

Cold winters always made people especially crave warmth.

The weather forecast had said it would snow tonight. Everyone had taken it as a joke, but now snow was actually starting to fall.

Lu Sui held Wu Mangmang, originally wanting to take her to the car, but Wu Mangmang refused to move. The moment Lu Sui moved slightly, she’d cling to his waist like a startled rabbit, not letting him move.

Lu Sui had no choice but to hold Wu Mangmang and stand in the snowy wind like snowmen.

Lu Sui waited a long time. When he felt Wu Mangmang had stopped moving and her hands were starting to relax, he gently moved his arms, only to find Wu Mangmang had no reaction.

This girl’s ability was truly remarkable – she’d actually fallen asleep standing up.