LRAB Page 41
Page 41
Su Chang's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately sensed something was wrong. He thought, "I just went out with Andy last night, and they left this morning. There must have been some contact between them." But he couldn't just ignore Andy and her brother; after all, Andy was already his woman.
Andy seemed to have guessed something, and asked Su Chang with a serious expression, "Should we go look for it?"
Su Chang simply shook her head and said calmly, "I'll go back to Joyful Song with you guys later. I'll go pack my things first."
Actually, he didn't need to pack anything. He had everything he needed at Ode to Joy. Andy knew exactly what Su Chang was doing, but she wouldn't stop him. She knew Su Chang wasn't one to stay put, but she had fallen for him anyway, and Jiang Lai, the main wife, hadn't said anything yet. Su Chang simply told the housekeeper to pack Xiao Ming's things, while he went upstairs to call Xu Hongdou.
After the call connected, Xu Hongdou's tone was noticeably stiff as she said, "Su Chang, Nanxing and I are already on the plane back to Kyoto. We'll have the check-up done in Kyoto too, so Nanxing's parents can feel more at ease."
Su Chang sensed Xu Hongdou's coldness, and felt a pang of disappointment. He hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Why did you leave so suddenly?"
Xu Hongdou was silent for a while, then said, "It's nothing. I just felt that Nanxing was almost better, so to avoid making Nanxing's parents worry, it's better to go back sooner."
Su Chang's mood grew heavier. He knew Xu Hongdou was angry with him, but he didn't know how to explain.
Finally, Xu Hongdou said, "Thank you, Su Chang. I'm sorry to have bothered you these past few days. Oh, by the way, I left something for you in the room. Remember to check it and make sure you don't lose it. Okay, that's all for now. Goodbye." Then she hung up the phone decisively, giving Su Chang no time to react.
Su Chang looked at the phone that had already been hung up, shook his head helplessly, and a trace of worry flashed in his eyes. He took a deep breath and slowly walked towards the room where Xu Hongdou had stayed.
Upon entering the room, Su Chang's gaze was immediately drawn to an envelope and a familiar jewelry box neatly arranged on the bedside table. His heart pounded, and his unease intensified. Trembling, he reached out and opened the jewelry box. Sure enough, it was the "Baroda Emerald Necklace" he had previously given to Xu Hongdou.
Su Chang frowned deeply, inwardly groaning. He gently placed the jewelry box aside, reopened the envelope, revealing a thick wad of banknotes. He roughly counted them; it was about 100,000 yuan, likely almost all of Xu Hongdou's savings. Su Chang breathed a slight sigh of relief. Fortunately, no hurtful note had been left. It seemed Xu Hongdou was still unsure whether anything had happened between him and Andy, and was merely throwing a tantrum.
Su Chang smiled helplessly, secretly relieved. She thought that after arranging Xiao Ming's affairs, she would go to Kyoto in a few days to bring Xu Hongdou back. She still wanted to run away? Dream on! She would never be able to escape in this lifetime.
Su Chang then picked up the envelope and jewelry box, returned to her room, casually tossed them into the safe, and went downstairs.
On the surface, Su Chang calmly accompanied Andy and Xiao Ming, as if nothing had happened. Andy glanced at him curiously, but didn't ask any further questions.
After Xiaoming finished eating, Su Chang instructed the nannies to take care of everything in the villa, and then drove Andy and Xiaoming back to Joyful Ode.
The three returned to Ode to Joy, and Su Chang said to Andy with a fawning look, "Andy, living on the 23rd floor is great, it's spacious and comfortable."
Andy held Xiaoming's hand tightly and said expressionlessly, "I still prefer living on the 22nd floor, and I want to spend more time with Xiaoming."
Su Chang shrugged helplessly, thinking to himself, "As long as I arrange things for Xiao Ming, the blessing of having two wives will be within my grasp."
Back home, Su Chang frowned and shook his head helplessly at the messy living room and the various takeout boxes on the dining table. He thought to himself, "I need to discuss it with Jiang Lai and have her move to the Dongshan Villa. It's more spacious there, and it would be more convenient to have a housekeeper." So, he dialed the housekeeping company and asked them to arrange for a few hours of workers to come over as soon as possible.
Su Chang then went to Jiang Lai's room and found it empty. He dialed Jiang Lai's number and casually asked, "Lai Lai, where did you go? I just got back and didn't see you."
Jiang Lai's voice came from the other end of the phone: "Master Su, I'm in Hangzhou inspecting projects. I won't be back for the next few days. What's wrong?"
Ignoring Jiang Lai's provocative tone, Su Chang quickly told her about buying Villa No. 8 in Dongshan. Jiang Lai wasn't surprised that Su Chang owned such a large villa, since she managed most of Su Chang's businesses and shares. After thinking for a moment, she agreed, saying, "Okay, I'll move in when I get back. It'll be convenient for me to come home then."
Su Chang hung up the phone, secretly relieved. He had wanted to tell Jiang Lai about Andy and his relationship, but felt it was better to say it face-to-face. A sly smile crept onto his lips as he thought, "If she gets angry about Andy when she gets back, I'll just drag her to her room and teach her a lesson."
Su Chang waited in his room for the housekeeper to finish cleaning, then couldn't wait to go out for a walk. Perhaps because he had been accompanied by others lately, he felt incredibly empty and bored being alone in his room. So, he started walking downstairs.
Su Chang had originally planned to go to Andy's house to see if there was anything he could help with, but as soon as he reached the 22nd floor, he bumped into Guan Juer, who was just coming out. Guan Juer's eyes lit up immediately upon seeing Su Chang, her face beaming with joy. She rushed forward to greet him, "Brother Su Chang, why haven't you been home lately?"
Su Chang was also in a particularly good mood when he saw Guan Juer, and replied with a smile, "I've been helping Andy find her younger brother recently, and I'm also helping Andy's younger brother get treatment." He didn't go into detail about Xiao Ming's condition, but just mentioned it lightly.
Guan Juer exclaimed, "So that's how it is! I never knew you could cure illnesses, Brother Su Chang!" Her eyes were filled with admiration, sparkling with stars.
Su Chang waved her hand casually and said with a smile, "It's nothing, it's nothing."
Guan Juer looked at Su Chang with a troubled expression, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated. Su Chang smiled helplessly and said, "Guan Guan, given our relationship, just tell me what's wrong. As long as I can help, I will definitely help you."
Guan Juer took a deep breath and mustered her courage to say, "Brother Su Chang, my parents came over today. They invited me to meet a boy from one of their friends' families. It's basically a blind date." After saying that, she looked at Su Chang nervously, observing his reaction.
Su Chang was taken aback. He suddenly remembered a blind date scene in a TV series, but Guan Juer seemed unaware of it at the time. How did she know now? However, he didn't dwell on it; after all, he was the one in charge, so changes in the plot were to be expected. He then asked, "So?"
·· ··Requesting flowers··· ········
Guan Juer lowered her head nervously and whispered, "Brother Su Chang, can you do me a favor?"
Su Chang gestured for Guan Juer to continue.
Guan Juer raised her head, looked at Su Chang, and mustered up her courage to say, "Brother Su Chang, will you be my boyfriend?" After saying that, she lowered her head nervously, her heart pounding.
Su Chang looked at Guan Juer with surprise. He hadn't expected her to be so bold today. He wondered to himself, what's wrong with Guan Juer today? Has she been forced to change her ways?
Seeing Su Chang's expression, Guan Juer quickly explained, "Brother Su Chang, I don't really want you to be my boyfriend. I just want you to pretend to help me reject this blind date." Her voice grew softer and softer, and her head lowered even further.
Su Chang thought for a moment and said, "That won't do." His tone was firm, which disappointed Guan Juer. Guan Juer looked dejected, but still replied, "Alright then, Brother Su Chang, I won't trouble you any further. I'll be going now."
..... .... 0
Guan Juer lowered her head, preparing to leave, when Su Chang suddenly reached out and grabbed her arm. Guan Juer looked up at Su Chang, her face full of confusion.
Su Chang patted Guan Juer's head and said softly, "Guan Guan, I just said that pretending to be a boyfriend is not okay, but being a real boyfriend is still fine, right?"
Guan Juer's face instantly showed a shocked expression. Her eyes widened, and she asked eagerly, "Brother Su Chang, did you break up with Sister Jiang Lai?"
Su Chang gently patted Guan Juer's head, eliciting a soft gasp from her. He chuckled and said, "Guan Guan, can't you think of me for once? Jiang Lai and I are doing just fine, what are you thinking about?"
Disappointment immediately appeared on Guan Juer's face. She said "Oh," and then her mood noticeably dropped. She said somewhat aggrievedly, "Then why are you joking with me like this, Su Chang? You already have Jiang Lai, and you still want me to be your girlfriend."
Su Chang smiled and said jokingly, "It's okay, who says a man can only have one girlfriend?"
Guan Juer looked at Su Chang with surprise. It seemed she had only just discovered that Su Chang was this kind of person, and she felt somewhat disappointed. She bit her lip, lowered her head, and pondered Su Chang's words.
Seeing Guan Juer's conflicted expression, Su Chang shook his head helplessly. He knew that Guan Juer, being a well-behaved girl, had been raised with strong moral principles and might find it difficult to accept. So, he decided to change the subject and said, "Guan Guan, don't think about anything else for now. Let's pretend to be boyfriend and girlfriend and cancel this blind date your parents arranged, okay?"
Guan Juer thought about it and agreed that the suggestion was good. She thought that even if she couldn't be with Su Chang in the future, having this experience of pretending to be boyfriend and girlfriend would be a good memory. She looked up at Su Chang, nodded, and said, "Okay, let's go meet my parents first."
Su Chang breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Guan Juer had agreed.
Guan Juer walked with Su Chang, her heart filled with mixed feelings. She liked Su Chang, but didn't know how to face these feelings. She told herself not to think too much and to enjoy the present moment.
Chapter 81 Little Rebel
In a mid-range coffee shop in Shanghai, Guan Juer led Su Chang in, a hint of nervousness in her eyes. After looking around for a moment, she led Su Chang to a seat by the window.
At that moment, two middle-aged couples, dressed in jewels, sat facing each other. The two middle-aged women were chatting enthusiastically, while the two middle-aged men listened with smiles. Next to the couple sat a young boy, about the same age as Guan Juer, wearing glasses. He looked unhappy and sat awkwardly to the side, not saying a word, just keeping his head down, seemingly lost in thought.
Guan Juer took Su Chang's hand and walked over, politely greeting them: "Mom and Dad, I'm here! Hello, Aunt Zhou and Uncle Zhou."
The two middle-aged women then stopped talking, and all five seated people turned their gazes over. They had initially been happy to see Guan Juer, but their expressions instantly darkened when they saw Guan Juer holding Su Chang's hand.
Guan Juer seemed oblivious to all of this and continued to introduce him, "Mom and Dad, this is my boyfriend, Su Chang."
Su Chang pretended not to see Guan's mother's murderous glare and smiled as he greeted her, "Hello, Uncle and Aunt." Then, he smiled and nodded at the three people from "570" opposite him.
Mr. Guan was stunned, his brows furrowing involuntarily as he cautiously observed the changing expressions of the three people opposite him. Mr. and Mrs. Zhou's faces were noticeably grim, while the boy looked utterly relieved.
Guan's mother stood up abruptly and yelled at Guan Juer, "Guan Juer, what do you mean?" Her voice echoed in the coffee shop, attracting the attention of everyone else.
Although Guan Juer trembled with fright, she still stubbornly said, "What's wrong with me? Didn't I bring my boyfriend to meet you? So you don't have to set me up on blind dates again!"
Guan's mother was about to slap Guan Ju'er in anger when Guan's father quickly grabbed her and whispered, "We're outside, calm down."
Su Chang was also startled. He quickly pulled Guan Juer behind him and stood between Guan's mother and Guan Juer. Guan's mother's eyes were red, and she stared at Su Chang and Guan Juer like an angry lion. Her heart was filled with anger and disappointment.
Su Chang was also a little flustered. He didn't know how to deal with this situation. After all, he had never encountered this situation in either of his lives. But for Guan Juer's sake, he could only bite the bullet and stand between the mother and daughter. Guan Juer, with tears in her eyes, hid behind Su Chang and stared stubbornly at her mother.
At this moment, Guan's father apologized to the three people opposite him with a face full of remorse. He bowed slightly and said sincerely, "Old Zhou, I'm really sorry. I'm so sorry about what happened today. It was my Guan Guan who was so ignorant. I will definitely treat you to a meal separately when I have time, and apologize to you properly and explain."
Zhou's mother wanted to say something more, but Zhou's father gently nudged her. Zhou's mother could only snort coldly. She glared at the young boy inside who was still eating melon seeds and said irritably, "What are you looking at? You're being looked down upon like this and you still have the nerve to sit there!" After saying that, she picked up her bag and stormed off.
Zhou's father forced a smile and said to Guan's father, "Old Guan, it's alright, he's just a kid. We'll be going now. You take care of things at home first. Our matter isn't urgent, we'll talk about it later."
Mr. Guan had no choice but to apologize again. This time, Mr. Zhou simply nodded slightly without replying, then quickly left with the boy who still wanted to watch the drama unfold.
After the three left, Mr. Guan's face darkened, his brows furrowed, and his lips trembled slightly. However, he suppressed his anger, took Mrs. Guan's hand, and gently comforted her, "Don't be angry, don't be angry, let's talk it out."
Su Chang stood aside, watching all this, and gave a wry smile to himself. He hadn't expected Guan Juer, this usually well-behaved girl, to have this side to her, directly confronting her own mother. It had to be said, Guan Juer was a little rebellious after all.
After comforting her for a while, and after Guan's mother asked him to let go of her hand and promised not to hit her again, Guan's father let the two of them sit opposite each other.
Su Chang carefully seated Guan Juer inside, away from her mother. He was genuinely worried that if Guan's mother did it again, he might not be able to react in time.
After the two were seated, Guan's father looked at Guan Juer with a serious expression, his eyes revealing a hint of sternness and incomprehension.
"Guan Guan, tell Dad what happened."
Guan Juer glanced at her stern father and nervously grabbed Su Chang's hand, her fingers trembling slightly as if seeking comfort.
Guan Juer still had a stubborn expression on her face. She bit her lip and said, "I already said I have a boyfriend. I don't need you to introduce me to any blind dates."
Seeing that Guan Juer was still being stubborn, Guan's mother suddenly became furious again. Her eyes widened, and her voice rose eight octaves as she growled, "Guan Juer, what do you mean? Are you deliberately trying to slap your mother in the face? How are we supposed to face your Uncle Zhou and Aunt Zhou after this?!"
Guan Juer's face turned pale, and a hint of grievance and helplessness flashed in her eyes. She gripped Su Chang's hand tightly, as if trying to draw strength from him.
Su Chang sensed Guan Juer's nervousness and gently patted her hand to reassure her. Then, looking at Guan's parents, he said sincerely, "Uncle and Aunt, please don't be angry. I didn't know things would turn out this way. Guan Guan is probably too young to know your friends were here. She just wanted to introduce her boyfriend to her parents so they wouldn't have to worry about her marriage. I'm so sorry!"
Seeing that Mr. and Mrs. Guan still didn't react, Su Chang inwardly groaned. He knew he had to apologize quickly. He put on a sincere expression and said in a slightly nervous voice, "Uncle and Aunt, I'm so sorry. I know my behavior today was a bit abrupt and caused you trouble."
Madam Guan glanced at Su Chang with an unfriendly expression, secretly amazed by his good looks, but her face still showed displeasure, and she snorted coldly. She thought to herself, "Hmph, what's the use of being good-looking? The key is character and family background."
After hearing Su Chang's words, Guan's father knew there was some falsehood in them, but he still breathed a sigh of relief. He thought, "At least I have someone to keep me company; I don't have to face this situation alone." Then, he seriously criticized Guan Ju'er, "Guan Guan, how could you bring Su Chang here without even saying hello? You should at least have told us first! This makes us and Mr. and Mrs. Zhou look so bad; we might not even be able to be friends anymore..."
Guan Juer wanted to argue further, feeling wronged: "I already told my mom I didn't want to go on blind dates, but what can I do if she insists on arranging them for me?"
Su Chang looked at her helplessly, quickly stopped her, and said first, "Uncle and Aunt, it's all my fault today. Guan Guan may have been under a lot of work pressure lately, so she's not in a good mood. I hope you can forgive her."
When Guan's father saw that Guan Ju'er was about to argue back, his expression darkened even more, but when he heard how well Su Chang handled things, his expression softened considerably. He thought to himself, "This child is quite eloquent; she seems to have some sense after all." Then, Guan's father inquired about Su Chang's family and work situation.
Having had the experience of meeting Jiang's parents last time, Su Chang was relatively relaxed. He smiled and replied, "Uncle and Aunt, I am an orphan with no family background. I just graduated with a master's degree from Harvard University in the United States and have now returned to start my own business. Let's go to my private restaurant later and see how the food is."
Upon hearing that Su Chang was an orphan, Mr. and Mrs. Guan's expressions turned sour. Mr. Guan thought to himself, "In a family like ours, we still hope that our daughter can find someone of equal social standing, someone whose parents can take care of her, so that life will be easier for her in the future."
Guan's mother sighed inwardly. She had originally had a good impression of Su Chang, but when she heard that he was an orphan, she hesitated.
Seeing the changes in Guan's parents' expressions, Su Chang felt a sense of helplessness. He thought to himself, "I've been an orphan for two lifetimes, what can I do?"
Guan's father's eyes flickered, and he said to Su Chang in a tactful tone, "Su, as parents, we really hope that Guan Guan can find a family that is of equal social standing. We don't expect her to have much wealth or great abilities, we just want her to live a peaceful and healthy life. Su, we hope you can understand." He paused slightly, as if considering his next words.
A flicker of displeasure crossed Su Chang's face as he thought, "Who cares about understanding?" but he quickly regained his composure. He smiled and said to Guan's parents, "Uncle and Aunt, I understand your thoughts. But I'd like you to try my cooking at my private kitchen first. After all, I'm still Guan Juer's boyfriend. Consider it an invitation to your friend's parents for a meal. We can talk about anything while we eat, how about that?"
Mr. and Mrs. Guan exchanged a glance, a hint of hesitation in their eyes. Guan Juer looked at Su Chang with heartache, feeling that if it weren't for her, Su Chang wouldn't be in such pain.
Mr. Guan looked somewhat troubled. He frowned and said, "This... isn't a good idea? We'd better not trouble you."
Su Chang quickly waved her hand and said, "It's no trouble at all, Uncle and Aunt. This is just a small token of my appreciation, and I hope you can give me this opportunity."
A hint of hesitation appeared on Guan's mother's face. She looked at Guan Juer, then at Su Chang, pondering to herself.
In the end, Mr. and Mrs. Guan nodded and agreed to Su Chang's invitation. They sighed inwardly, wondering how they had never discovered this side of their beloved daughter before.
Chapter 82 The Date
Su Chang first called Lu Yuan and asked him to reserve a private room, saying he would come over shortly. Lu Yuan readily agreed, and it was clear they were quite busy on their end. He then hung up the phone.