Movie/TV series: Starting with Ode to Joy, I opened my own private kitchen.

Page 64

Su Chang knew Zheng Fangxiu's abilities and fighting skills, and knew she wouldn't suffer a loss. He also didn't want Xu Hongdou and Chen Nanxing to wait too long, so he nodded in agreement. He released Zhong Xiaoyang and stood up.

Zhong Xiaoqin wanted to go forward and say something, but Zheng Fangxiu blocked her way, and a look of helplessness appeared on Zhong Xiaoqin's face.

Zheng Fangxiu's expression was serious. She looked at Zhong Xiaoqin and said, "Miss Zhong, I will handle everything here now. If there is anything, you can tell me. Please do not disturb my young master."

Su Chang left without looking back, leaving Zhong Xiaoqin standing there helplessly, waiting for the manager to arrive. Her heart was filled with anxiety and unease, unsure of what would happen next. She silently prayed that everything would go smoothly.

After Su Chang left, only Xu Hongdou and Chen Nanxing remained standing face to face in the room. The air seemed to freeze, and neither of them spoke first.

A complex emotion flickered in Xu Hongdou's eyes. She sighed softly, then reached out and took Chen Nanxing's hand, slowly leading her to sit on the bed. Chen Nanxing's gaze darted away; she seemed to be trying to hide something.

"When did you fall in love with him?" Xu Hongdou broke the silence, her voice filled with curiosity and concern.

Chen Nanxing raised her head, looking at Xu Hongdou, a resolute glint in her eyes. She took a deep breath and slowly said, "I fell in love with him the moment he pulled me back from the brink of death. Later, when I saw that he liked you, I thought I would bury that feeling deep in my heart."

Xu Hongdou's face showed a hint of surprise; she hadn't expected Chen Nanxing to have fallen for Su Chang so early. She gently bit her lip, looking at Chen Nanxing as if deep in thought.

"He has more than one girlfriend. Do you really think this is a good thing?" Xu Hongdou asked with a hint of worry in her voice.

Chen Nanxing's gaze hardened. She stared intently at Xu Hongdou and said, "Hongdou, I know that every woman wants to find her own Prince Charming, but this is not a fairy tale, this is reality."

"Hongdou, I'm not as pretty as you, nor as capable as you. I don't think I can find a man better than Su Chang. Anyway, as long as I can stay by his side, I really don't care about anything else."

Xu Hongdou was stunned by Chen Nanxing's words. She looked at Chen Nanxing, a complex emotion welling up inside her. She knew Chen Nanxing had always been a very strong girl, but she could also sense the helplessness deep within Chen Nanxing's heart. She just hadn't expected Chen Nanxing to compare herself to her.

"Have you thought it through?" Xu Hongdou asked, staring intently into Chen Nanxing's eyes.

Chen Nanxing nodded seriously and said, "I've already thought it through."

Xu Hongdou sighed inwardly as she looked at Chen Nanxing. She knew that once Chen Nanxing made a decision, he wouldn't easily change it. She gently patted Chen Nanxing's hand and said, "Alright, let's leave it at that then."

Chen Nanxing said irritably, "Hongdou, you don't know how lucky you are. Su Chang hasn't even agreed to my request yet, and you're still sighing and complaining."

Xu Hongdou waved her hand and said, "Nanxing, you know me well. I just feel that this is a little different from the feelings I have in mind."

Chen Nanxing pursed his lips and said, "You! You overthink things. If you like someone, be together; if you don't, leave. Why all the fuss?"

Seeing that Xu Hongdou was still deep in thought, Chen Nanxing continued, "Hongdou, sometimes I think you're just too lucky. You've had it all too easy. Things that others would fight tooth and nail for, you get effortlessly. That's why you can be a bit dramatic sometimes."

Xu Hongdou looked up at Chen Nanxing, a hint of surprise and confusion in her eyes. She hadn't expected that her best friend would see her this way. Her lips trembled slightly as she pointed to her own nose.

"What did you say? You said I'm being pretentious? Am I pretentious?"

Chen Nanxing glanced at her irritably, her tone tinged with displeasure: "Could you please drop the 'ma'? You're a great best friend, but you can be quite dramatic sometimes."

"Think about it yourself. Back then, Sister Hongmi offered to help you with your job, but you disagreed and stayed in Kyoto, saying you wanted to work hard on your own. In the end, didn't Sister Hongmi still give you living expenses? And then there's Brother Su Chang. He's excellent enough, and he's always been very obedient to you. Yet you're still acting all high and mighty," Chen Nanxing complained without any restraint.

Xu Hongdou's expression turned somewhat unpleasant. Her brows furrowed tightly, and a surge of resentment and dissatisfaction welled up within her. She felt she wasn't being dramatic; she simply had her own thoughts and pursuits. Looking at Chen Nanxing, her eyes flashing with determination, she said, "Stop the lawsuit!"

Xu Hongdou felt increasingly uneasy as she listened. If she continued, it would all turn out that she was in the wrong, and she should be thankful that Su Chang was a womanizer: "Hey! Chen Nanxing, what are you saying? What do you mean it's lucky he's a womanizer, otherwise I wouldn't be in the picture? Am I that bad?"

Chen Nanxing, seemingly oblivious to Xu Hongdou's murderous glare, continued, "Hongdou, don't be angry. I'm just telling the truth. I'm not saying you're bad. You're beautiful, kind, and capable, you know..."

Chapter 123 A Terrible Idea

Hearing Chen Nanxing's words of praise, Xu Hongdou's expression softened somewhat, but her clenched fists remained tight, and her anger hadn't subsided. She was furious that Chen Nanxing had only said half of what he meant.

"Don't just say half of what you mean. I'm so outstanding, how could I not be good enough for him?"

Chen Nanxing looked at Xu Hongdou, a hint of helplessness flashing in her eyes. She knew she might have gone a bit too far today, but she was only trying to help Xu Hongdou. She took a deep breath and said, "I didn't say you weren't good enough for her, it's just that Su Chang could obviously find someone less pretentious."

Xu Hongdou's eyes were filled with anger and disappointment. She felt wronged; even her best friend didn't understand her. Her voice rose eight octaves as she said, "Chen Nanxing, I'll kill you! I'm not being coy!" With that, she lunged at Chen Nanxing.

"Xu Hongdou, you're just being pretentious."

Chen Nanxing wasn't about to give up. She quickly dodged to the side, grabbing Xu Hongdou's arm and pulling hard. Xu Hongdou lost her balance and almost fell onto the bed. She regained her footing and lunged at Chen Nanxing again.

The two of them wrestled and grappled, neither willing to give in.

Finally, exhausted from their playful antics, the two lay down on the bed, heads together, panting and staring at the ceiling.

Xu Hongdou broke the silence first, saying coquettishly, "You naughty Nanxing, are you still going to say I'm being pretentious?" Her eyes held a hint of reproach, but the corners of her mouth turned up slightly.

Chen Nanxing curled her lips into a mischievous smile: "You're always so dramatic, but it's actually quite nice this way. We can be with the people we like without having to be apart, isn't that great?" Her tone was relaxed, as if she didn't take the matter to heart.

Xu Hongdou shook her head helplessly and said worriedly, "Nanxing, your parents aren't so strict with you now, but what will they think if they know your boyfriend has more than one girlfriend? Will they agree to it? Not to mention my mom and sister, I reckon they'd tear Su Chang apart if they found out." Her brows furrowed, and 647 was filled with unease.

Chen Nanxing patted Xu Hongdou on the shoulder and comforted her, "Hongdou, you're just overthinking things. My parents are very simple-minded. Su Chang saved my life, so all this extra time is given to me by Su Chang. What reason do my parents have to object? And you are even easier to deal with." Her expression was full of confidence, as if she already had a perfect plan.

Upon hearing this, Xu Hongdou's eyes widened, and she exclaimed incredulously, "What nonsense are you talking about? How can it be simple?" Her voice carried a hint of surprise and dissatisfaction, feeling that Chen Nanxing was just spouting nonsense.

Chen Nanxing smiled dismissively: "What's so difficult about that? Just have Su Chang win over your sister, and the two of you together won't be afraid of not being able to handle your mother." Her eyes gleamed with cunning, as if she was pleased with her idea.

"What nonsense are you talking about? How could you..." Xu Hongdou retorted subconsciously, but stopped halfway through her sentence.

"Will this work?" Xu Hongdou looked at Chen Nanxing with a strange expression, her eyes revealing a hint of doubt and worry.

"You know what kind of person my sister is, she's a complete workaholic, and there's such a big age gap between them, do you think Su Chang would like my sister?"

"Hey!" Chen Nanxing interrupted her immediately upon seeing this, waving his fist and saying confidently, "Never mind all that, I'm just asking you, is Su Chang outstanding?"

Xu Hongdou answered without hesitation, "(ccdj) is excellent!"

Chen Nanxing then followed up with, "Is Su Chang handsome?"

A blush rose on Xu Hongdou's face, and she whispered, "Handsome!"

Chen Nanxing smiled smugly and continued, "That's settled then. I believe that as long as Brother Su Chang takes action, and with our help, we'll definitely be able to win over Sister Hongmi." Her eyes shone with determination, as if she could already see the dawn of success.

Although Xu Hongdou still had reservations, she couldn't help but waver a little. She thought to herself, "Maybe Nanxing is right. Su Chang is indeed very outstanding, and my sister has always admired strength. She has always wanted to find a man like Tan Zongming, and Su Chang is a good candidate. Perhaps this can really solve the problem of me being with Su Chang."

However, her reason quickly prevailed, and she said irritably, "Nanxing, you crazy girl, you've led me astray! How can this be? Isn't this imitating the legendary sisters Ehuang and Nüying, sharing a husband? How can this be? What will others think of us?"

Seeing that Xu Hongdou had regained her composure, Chen Nanxing hurriedly grabbed her arm and shook it, anxiously saying, "Hongdou, think about it. Aren't you afraid that Sister Hongmi and your mother won't approve of you being with Brother Su Chang? Only by dragging Sister Hongmi into this can you get through this. Besides, why not just talk to Brother Su Chang about this directly? Maybe he has a solution. Two heads are better than one. What's the use of thinking so much?"

Xu Hongdou fell into deep thought after listening to Chen Nanxing's words. She was torn, worried that doing so would cause conflict in her family, yet longing to be with Su Chang.

Seeing Xu Hongdou's hesitant expression, Chen Nanxing's lips curled into a sly smile. She knew that Xu Hongdou was beginning to waver.

Xu Hongdou finally nodded and said, "Alright, let's talk to Su Chang and see if he has any good ideas." Her voice carried a hint of helplessness and compromise.

Chen Nanxing immediately chimed in, "Okay, let's go find Brother Su Chang."

After saying that, the two went downstairs together to find Su Chang. Su Chang, on the other hand, had already gone out to buy ingredients, a hobby she had developed in Kyoto.

He planned to throw a barbecue dinner that evening to celebrate Xu Hongdou's arrival and also let Xu Hongdou meet Jiang Lai and the other girls. The two girls didn't bother Su Chang and planned to talk to him about it later.

······

That evening, the women gradually returned home. Jiang Lai was the first to arrive, walking briskly through the door with a relaxed smile on her face. Now, with Zheng Fangxiu and the others helping her, she rarely worked overtime anymore, and occasionally even left early.

As soon as Jiang Lai entered the house, her gaze was drawn to two unfamiliar women in the living room. She stared blankly at Xu Hongdou and Chen Nanxing, her mind filled with questions. However, when she saw the two women's stunning beauty, she had a rough idea—they were probably Su Chang's new women.

As for Xu Hongdou and Chen Nanxing, seeing Jiang Lai's dashing and capable demeanor, they couldn't help but feel a pang of envy. Jiang Lai had recently been managing the company, exuding the aura of a powerful woman. Xu Hongdou couldn't help but compare her to her own sister, and they really did feel they were evenly matched.

Jiang Lai walked up to the two of them and introduced herself in a graceful manner: "Hello! I am Jiang Lai, one of Su Chang's girlfriends. I look a bit older than you, so you can call me Sister Jiang Lai."

Xu Hongdou and Chen Nanxing immediately stood up. Xu Hongdou smiled and replied, "Hello, Sister Jiang Lai! My name is Xu Hongdou, you can also call me Hongdou. I am also Su Chang's girlfriend."

Not to be outdone, Chen Nanxing then said, "Hello, Sister Jiang Lai, my name is Chen Nanxing, you can also call me Nanxing. I am Su Chang's prospective girlfriend."

"Preparatory girlfriend? What kind of nonsense is this?" Jiang Lai was speechless, looking at Chen Nanxing with a puzzled expression. She was filled with surprise and confusion, not understanding why he would use such a term.

Xu Hongdou covered her face, giving Chen Nanxing a look that said, "I don't know Chen Nanxing." She inwardly groaned; Chen Nanxing's social arrogance had struck again.

Chen Nanxing didn't seem to realize that there was anything wrong with what she said. She said nonchalantly, "Yes, Su Chang has seen my body and touched me, but we haven't officially started dating yet, so I'm Su Chang's prospective girlfriend."

"What?!" Jiang Lai was furious upon hearing Chen Nanxing's words. Her eyes widened, filled with anger and disappointment. She cursed inwardly, "That bastard Su Chang did all this to you and then refuses to take responsibility? Does he think he's above everyone else?"

Jiang Lai's hands clenched into fists, her body trembling slightly with anger. She gritted her teeth and said, "Come on, Nanxing, I'll take you to settle accounts with that bastard." With that, she pulled Chen Nanxing towards Su Chang.

Xu Hongdou and Chen Nanxing were immediately taken aback; they hadn't expected Jiang Lai to have such a fiery temper. Xu Hongdou glared at Chen Nanxing, then quickly pulled the enraged Jiang Lai aside, saying, "Sister Jiang Lai, you've misunderstood! Calm down and let me explain."

Jiang Lai stopped in her tracks, her eyes still gleaming with barely suppressed anger. She stared intently at Xu Hongdou, her face filled with confusion.

Xu Hongdou gave a helpless bitter smile, took a deep breath, and recounted in detail how Chen Nanxing was seriously ill and how Su Chang treated her by giving her acupuncture.

After listening to Xu Hongdou's explanation, Jiang Lai slowly shifted her gaze to Chen Nanxing, seemingly waiting for her response.

Chen Nanxing stuck out his tongue a little shyly, nodded slightly, and looked at Jiang Lai with a shy yet firm gaze, as if to say, "What Xu Hongdou said is true."

Seeing Chen Nanxing's adorable expression, Jiang Lai's anger dissipated considerably. She lightly patted Chen Nanxing's shoulder, scolding playfully, "You little devil!"

However, Chen Nanxing took the opportunity to hug Jiang Lai's arm and acted like a child, saying, "I'm sorry, Sister Jiang Lai. But I didn't say anything wrong, Brother Su Chang did do it anyway."

Jiang Lai rolled her eyes in annoyance and said, "You little devil, you really know how to make excuses for yourself." But the corners of her mouth unconsciously turned up, revealing a doting smile.

"Hehe! Sister Jiang Lai, I know you can see through me but I won't say anything. We're good friends, aren't we?" Chen Nanxing replied with a grin, his face beaming with an innocent smile.

Jiang Lai looked at her, a warm feeling welling up in her heart. She shook her head helplessly and said, "Alright, you little devil, I can't be bothered with you."

Then she looked at Xu Hongdou and said, "Hongdou, I'm going upstairs to take a shower and change my clothes. I'll come down and chat with you later." After saying that, she turned and walked upstairs.

Xu Hongdou watched Jiang Lai's retreating figure and breathed a sigh of relief. She felt that Jiang Lai was a good person. Although she had a fiery temper, she was easy to get along with.

Chen Nanxing winked mischievously at Xu Hongdou, as if to say, "Look, I've won over Jiang Lai!"

Chapter 124 Preparing for Settlement

Xu Hongdou smiled helplessly, feeling both annoyed and amused by Chen Nanxing. She felt utterly helpless, thinking that perhaps Chen Nanxing's personality was more likely to get along well.

Not long after, Andy, Xu Li, Guan Juer, and the deceps returned one after another. Seeing this, Su Chang quickly smiled and said to everyone, "Let's go, since you're all back, let's have a barbecue dinner tonight to welcome the newlyweds!"

The four girls looked at Su Chang, their eyes filled with longing, yet they were also somewhat shy, unsure of what to say.

At this moment, Guan Juer suddenly spoke up and told Su Chang, "Brother Su Chang, Sister Fan and Xiao Qiu have all moved away. Qu Xiaoxiao also moved away because her parents divorced due to her brother Qu Lianjie's gambling debts. Now the entire 22nd floor is empty."

Guan Juer was particularly downcast, after all, that place held many fond memories for her, but now...

Upon hearing this, Andy couldn't help but sigh, "Ah, life is so unpredictable! When we first moved to the 22nd floor of Ode to Joy, everyone got along so well. I never imagined that things would change so much now." A hint of regret and emotion appeared in her eyes.

"Guan Guan, Andy, everyone experiences many sights, but eventually everyone returns home. As long as home is there, that's all that matters," Su Chang comforted them. Andy and Guan Juer nodded, but their spirits weren't very high, after all, their family was quite peculiar.

However, no one talked about this topic much. After all, who hasn't encountered a few passersby in their life? Besides Guan Juer and Andy, who else would remember what those three looked like?

Jiang Lai then asked Su Chang curiously, "What are your plans before the end of the year? It's almost the end of the year, and there are many occasions at the company that require your participation."

Su Chang thought for a moment, then frowned, pondering to himself, "I really need to calm down a bit. There are actually quite a few beautiful women around me, and I get a lot of rewards from signing in. I realize that I've become a slave to the system, always looking for beautiful women and opportunities to sign in. Now I need to adjust my mindset."

His gaze swept over the group of women, then he thought, "The right thing to do is to get the beauties around me back first. Wen Gaoruohan and Song Nuan should be fine, as for Zheng Shuyi and the others, we can put them on hold for later. After that, I'll just focus on two lines: Kyoto and Shanghai. I've acquired quite a few properties in Kyoto, and I'll find a mid-range neighborhood to move into. As for Shanghai, the other large apartment in Ode to Joy that I just signed up for is pretty good. People always need some social interaction, otherwise they always feel alienated from the world."

At this point, a hopeful smile appeared on Su Chang's face, as if her mind had suddenly become much clearer and she was no longer so confused.

Seeing that he didn't speak, the women didn't disturb him, but chatted quietly among themselves, their eyes revealing their concern and curiosity for Su Chang.