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“Yes, Su Chang, our cooking skills have improved these past few days.” Hearing their conversation, Lu Yuan also came out of the kitchen.
Su Chang went to the kitchen to check on the food preparations the two had made, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes. He asked, "How has Pinzhentang been these past few days? Have there been any problems? I'll be having lunch here later."
Xiao Cai and Lu Yuan exchanged a glance, and Lu Yuan quickly said, "Su Chang, there haven't been any major problems at the shop these past few days. Those old men have invited you to come over for dinner next weekend. It's just that we don't have enough tables for five people a day right now. There are so many people coming that we're basically full by noon. So we're thinking of whether we should just lift the restriction."
Su Chang pondered for a moment and said, "The previous limit of five tables per day was because I had limited energy and implemented this limit to ensure the quality of the dishes. Now that you have taken over, you can gradually add more tables. Don't add too many at once, after all, scarcity increases value. But you must ensure the quality of the dishes. Otherwise, it's better not to add any more tables and not ruin the reputation of Pinzhentang."
"No problem, we'll be careful, Su Chang."
"Yes, Brother Su Chang, we've got it."
Xiao Cai and Lu Yuansu nodded seriously. They understood Su Chang's positioning of Pinzhentang, and they didn't want to ruin Pinzhentang's reputation, since Su Chang had already said that they would receive dividends at the end of the year.
Su Chang tasted Lu Yuan's cooking at noon and said with satisfaction, "Hmm, not bad, you've definitely improved. But you still need to work on your sense of taste, otherwise it will always be a little off."
Upon hearing Su Chang's words, Lu Yuan's face immediately fell: "Su Chang, is it necessary to do this to restore my sense of taste?"
"Sigh!" Su Chang sighed and patted Lu Yuan on the shoulder: "This is a mental illness. If you want to solve it, you have to tell the people you care about what's on your mind. Otherwise, even a god can't save you. And I believe that Sister Gan Jing also has that hurdle in her heart. If you want what's best for her, you should tell her even more."
Seeing that Lu Yuan remained silent, Su Chang didn't say anything more. Seeing that there were more and more guests, he patted Lu Yuan on the shoulder again.
"Alright, think it over carefully. Spend more time with Xiao Cai when you have time. You guys go ahead with your work, I'm leaving now."
After leaving Pinzhentang, Su Chang went to the mall and bought three gifts and some groceries before returning to Joyful Song. He texted Andy and Guan Juer, inviting them to dinner at his home that evening. Andy and Guan Juer quickly replied, both agreeing. As for Jiang Lai, Su Chang planned to give her a surprise.
Around four o'clock in the afternoon, Su Chang dragged his tired body home. As soon as he opened the door, he was stunned by the scene before him. Jiang Lai's clothes were scattered all over the living room floor, even her underwear was strewn about. There were also a pile of instant noodle boxes and fast food containers on the dining table.
Su Chang shook his head helplessly, muttering to himself, "Jiang Lai is indeed a pampered young lady. Her place is too messy, like a doghouse. How does she manage to live like this?"
Knowing that Andy and Guan Juer were coming that evening, Su Chang quickly picked up his phone and dialed the property manager of Dongshan Villa, getting the number of a housekeeping service center. He then promptly called two hourly workers to help clean the house. After all, the house wasn't large, and hiring a regular housekeeper plus having a stranger in such a small space seemed inconvenient to Su Chang. He wished he'd known he was going to have a harem!
Su Chang went into the kitchen and started working. Less than half an hour later, two housekeepers arrived. They seemed experienced and worked skillfully, tidying up the house perfectly in less than an hour. Su Chang finally breathed a sigh of relief, thinking, "Thank goodness I hired hourly workers. If I had done it myself, it definitely would have taken me three or four hours."
After the housekeeper left, Su Chang finished preparing the dishes, took out her phone, and dialed Xu Hongdou's number.
Xu Hongdou's beautiful voice came from the other end of the phone: "Hello, Su Chang, what's up?"
Su Chang asked with concern, "Hongdou, is Nanxing alright today? Did you take your medicine? How was your day?"
Xu Hongdou replied with a smile, "Don't worry, Su Chang, Nanxing is fine. I made sure she took all her medicine on time. We've been staying in the villa all day, it's quite comfortable, and we have people taking care of us, so we don't have to do much."
Upon hearing this, Su Chang smiled with relief and said, "Okay, remember to eat on time, don't go hungry."
"Hmm... When are you coming back?" Xu Hongdou hesitated for a moment before asking Su Chang.
"Cough cough..." Hearing Xu Hongdou's words, Su Chang was secretly delighted, but he couldn't forget his old love for a new one. That wouldn't be building a harem, but being a scumbag. He patiently explained, "Hongdou, I live quite far away, so I won't be going back tonight. I'll be back tomorrow morning. I'll try to come back as soon as possible."
"Hmm... okay, then take care of yourself." Although Xu Hongdou was a little disappointed, she still gave Su Chang a word of advice.
"Okay, Hongdou, I'll hang up now." Su Chang felt a pang of guilt, afraid that if he didn't hang up soon he would rush back to the villa to be with Xu Hongdou. It seemed he needed to speed up his conquest of Xu Hongdou.
Around 7 p.m., Andy and Guan Juer finally arrived late, while Jiang Lai had not yet returned.
Su Chang frowned slightly and said to Guan Juer, "Guan Guan, call Jiang Lai and ask her when she's coming home. Remember, don't tell her I'm back, just ask her if she wants to have dinner with you."
Guan Juer (Li Lihao) nodded obediently and dialed Jiang Lai's number. When Jiang Lai heard that Guan Juer had invited her to dinner, she agreed without thinking: "Okay, I'm on my way and will be home soon. I'll go back and change my clothes and then come downstairs to find you."
After all, who knows? Miss Jiang has been quite busy during the day these past few days, and Su Chang has been cooking for her at home until the evening, so she always has something to eat when she gets home. Unlike now, she only has takeout and instant noodles to eat. What a tragedy!
Guan Juer replied softly, "Okay, then be careful on your way, we'll wait for you."
Upon hearing that Jiang Lai would be home soon, Su Chang said to Andy and Guan Juer, "Guan Guan, Andy, you two can have some tea or coffee in the living room and watch some TV. I'll go to the kitchen to get busy; the food will be ready soon."
“Okay, no problem.” Andy nodded calmly.
"Brother Su Chang, do you need my help?" Guan Juer asked with concern.
"No need, you guys should rest for a while, you've been busy all day." Su Chang gently patted Guan Juer's head and went to the kitchen to cook.
Not long after, Jiang Lai returned. Seeing the lights on, a joyful smile spread across her face, and she thought, "Could it be Su Chang back?" She hurried to the living room, only to find Andy and Guan Juer there instead. Jiang Lai's smile froze instantly, and she asked Guan Juer in confusion, "Guan Guan, Andy, how did you get in?"
Chapter Sixty-Four: Showdown
Guan Juer didn't say anything, but weakly pointed in the direction of the kitchen.
Jiang Lai only then heard the sound of stir-frying coming from the kitchen. A hint of surprise flashed in her eyes, and she rushed into the kitchen.
Seeing the busy Su Chang, Jiang Lai's eyes immediately reddened. She cursed, "You bastard, you finally decided to come back." Then she hugged Su Chang tightly from behind.
Su Chang sensed Jiang Lai's attachment and sighed inwardly. He turned his head, looked into Jiang Lai's eyes, and said gently, "Lai Lai, it's alright, I'm back now. Go outside and wait for a while. There's a lot of smoke in here, but the food will be ready soon."
Jiang Lai just shook her head desperately, her hands tightly wrapped around Su Chang's waist, as if Su Chang would disappear if she let go. Her voice was tinged with a sob: "No, I want to hold you, what's it to you, you bastard."
Su Chang smiled helplessly, gently patted Jiang Lai's head, and said, "Alright then, you can stay here with me."
A satisfied smile appeared on Jiang Lai's face. She hugged Su Chang's waist tightly, clinging to him like a sloth, breathing in his scent deeply, her smile impossible to hide.
Before long, the dishes were ready. Su Chang turned around, gently hugged Jiang Lai, lightly kissed her cheek, and whispered, "Lai Lai, Andy and Guan Juer are still outside. How about we talk about it after they leave tonight? I promise you'll be satisfied."
Jiang Lai reluctantly let go of Su Chang, laughing and scolding, "You bastard, you're so annoying!" She patted his chest and hurriedly ran back to her room to change her clothes.
Su Chang served all the dishes, then took a small jar of Shaoxing wine and smiled as she called the women over to eat. She then went back to her room to retrieve the three gifts she had bought at noon.
He returned to the living room, placed the gifts on the table, and said to the three women with a smile, "These are what I bought for you during my trip to Kyoto. There are also some things on the way, and I'll give you more when I get back."
Jiang Lai looked at the gift excitedly, not in a hurry to open it, but eager to know what else was coming. She kissed Su Chang and said coquettishly, "Oh, Su Chang, tell me what else is coming!"
"Alright, let's eat first. I'll give you the food when it arrives, you'll see then." Su Chang patted Jiang Lai's head and said affectionately.
Andy simply said thank you, a faint smile playing on her lips as she thought to herself, "Su Chang actually remembered to bring me a gift."
Guan Juer looked at Jiang Lai with envy. She also wanted to kiss her Su Chang-ge, but she wasn't as bold as Jiang Lai. She could only lower her head and weakly express her gratitude: "Thank you, Su Chang-ge." She felt a little disappointed, wondering what her status was in Su Chang-ge's heart. Moreover, she was the first to meet Su Chang-ge, so how could Jiang Lai have gotten there first?
Su Chang chuckled inwardly as he looked at the expressions of the three women. He knew that Jiang Lai was a passionate and outgoing girl, while Andy was more reserved, and Guan Juer was somewhat shy; each of the three women had her own unique charm.
Afterwards, the four of them began to eat. After a satisfying meal, Andy and Guan Juer thanked Su Chang with their gifts and then went downstairs with the gifts.
As soon as the two women left, Jiang Lai jumped onto Su Chang's lap, wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, and beamed with a happy smile.
Su Chang looked at Jiang Lai with affection, smiled and tapped her forehead, then carried her to the balcony to sit down. Jiang Lai leaned on Su Chang's shoulder, her eyes full of anticipation, and whispered, "Tell me quickly what you've been doing in Kyoto (ccdj)."
Su Chang hugged Jiang Lai and said gently, "Okay, I was going to Kyoto to host Old Tan's birthday banquet, right? He took me to a club, and there was a collection hall in the club... The owner of the club is called Brother Ding. Brother Ding has a wide network of connections... So I asked him to help me find a lot of high-quality assets, and I bought them."
Su Chang told Jiang Lai about most of his experiences in Kyoto, but he kept the matter of Xu Hongdou and Chen Nanxing a secret. After all, he hadn't won Xu Hongdou over yet, so why tell Jiang Lai so early? It would only cause trouble.
Jiang Lai asked curiously, "Then why did you stay in Kyoto for so long?" A hint of doubt appeared on her face.
Su Chang sighed softly and said, "Do you think acquiring these properties is so easy? Of course, it takes time to find them." There was a hint of guilt in his eyes, but he still pretended to be calm.
Jiang Lai nodded, still harboring some doubts, but choosing to trust Su Chang. She leaned on Su Chang's shoulder, listening quietly as he continued to recount his experiences at Brother Ding's collection.
When Su Chang mentioned that he would continue to purchase some properties in Shanghai and asked Jiang Lai to prepare to set up another investment company, Jiang Lai's eyes lit up. She exclaimed in surprise, "200 billion? That's so much!" Her heart was filled with excitement and anticipation.
Su Chang thought to himself that 200 billion was too much, since he already had over a trillion. He smiled and said, "This is just the initial capital. There will be more in the future. By the way, Brother Ding also has a company in Beijing that he can acquire. We can go and take a look under the guise of an investment company." His eyes were full of confidence.
Seeing Su Chang's confidence, Jiang Lai nodded and agreed without hesitation, saying, "Okay, then I'll have someone take care of the new company's opening tomorrow. By the way, the company is hiring recently, would you like to go and take a look?" A hint of anticipation appeared on her face.
Su Chang shook her head and said, "Forget it, I have a lot of things to do recently, and I might have to go to Kyoto. But don't worry, I'll take care of it as soon as possible." She thought to herself, "How can I have time to go to the company? I still need to treat Chen Nanxing and spend time with Xu Hongdou."
After chatting for a while longer, Jiang Lai urged Su Chang to go take a shower. Su Chang picked Jiang Lai up in his arms, a mischievous smile on his face, and said, "Let's shower together."
Jiang Lai's face flushed instantly. She lowered her head shyly and said, "You bastard, go wash first. I don't want to." Although her heart was filled with sweetness and happiness, she still pretended to refuse.
Su Chang couldn't help but laugh at Jiang Lai's shy expression. He then ignored her feigned resistance, carried Jiang Lai into the bathroom, and proceeded to the payment stage.
Over the next few days, Su Chang spent her days treating Chen Nanxing and accompanying Xu Hongdou, and also kept checking in by Chen Nanxing's side. However, she did not get a solution from Chen Nanxing and could only continue acupuncture. Although Chen Nanxing's condition was not completely cured, it was almost under control. After that, he only needed acupuncture once a week.
Su Chang basically goes back to Ode to Joy every night to be with Jiang Lai, living a very busy life between the two places.
Su Chang had all the things he bought from Brother Ding transported back to the Dongshan Villa. Looking at the luxury cars and sports cars in the underground garage, as well as the Trek Butterfly, he finally didn't have to drive that Aston Martin ONE77 every day anymore; he had a choice now.
He gave Jiang Lai the "Unparalleled" diamond necklace, representing passion; Andy the "Rockefeller" sapphire necklace, representing calmness and composure; Xu Hongdou the "Baroda Emerald Necklace," representing nobility; and Guan Juer the "Marilyn Monroe Pearl Necklace," representing purity. All four women were overjoyed, even though most people didn't know the exact value of the necklaces.
However, this blissful, carefree life was interrupted by a sudden phone call. After receiving the call, Su Chang went to Shengxuan Group and went directly to Tan Zongming's office.
As soon as he entered the office, Su Chang asked eagerly, "Old Tan, where are the quality assets you mentioned?" His eyes revealed a hint of expectation and urgency.
"Su Chang, can't you be a little more composed?"
Tan Zongming chuckled and scolded him, not taking it to heart. Instead, he had his secretary deliver an invitation. Su Chang merely curled his lip and scoffed. He thought to himself, "If I were like you, looking like an old man with a zombie face every day, how would I ever pick up girls?"
When Tan Zongming handed the invitation to Su Chang, Su Chang looked puzzled, wondering to himself what Tan Zongming meant.
Su Chang opened the invitation and began to read it. When he saw that it was an auction held by the Shanghai Municipal Government in three days, he looked at Tan Zongming with a puzzled expression. He didn't understand what this auction had to do with high-quality industries. In his previous life, he had only read about auctions online, which involved antiques and even celebrity autographs. What did this have to do with high-quality industries?
“Su Chang, this auction not only features various treasures and antiques, but also some high-value properties,” Tan Zongming explained, seeing Su Chang’s appearance and knowing he had probably never attended such an auction before.
Upon hearing this, Su Chang was extremely excited. He nodded and said with a smile, "Oh, I see! I definitely have to go and see for myself."
Su Chang thought to himself, "Great! I still have two cashback cards left to use. Now that I have plenty of cash flow, I can totally buy out the entire auction. I'm going to make a fortune again!"
Afterwards, Su Chang and Tan Zongming agreed to go to the auction together three days later, so Su Chang refused Tan Zongming's offer to see her off and went straight to Andy's office.
When Andy saw Su Chang arrive, she looked surprised. She thought to herself, "Why is Su Chang, this hands-off boss, coming to Shengxuan Group?" She knew that Su Chang had left his own company to Jiang Lai to manage, and she rarely saw him. Jiang Lai had complained about it many times.
Su Chang jokingly replied, "I came here specifically to find you!"
Andy didn't believe her, and said with a laugh, "Stop joking, tell me honestly, what are you doing here?"
Su Chang smiled, took out the invitation, waved it in front of Andy, and said, "I've been thinking of buying some quality properties lately, and Old Tan said there's an auction in three days, so he sent me to pick up the invitation."
Chapter Sixty-Five: Arrival at the Villa
Andy knew about the auction; Tan Zongming had asked her before if she wanted to go and see it for herself, but she declined his invitation because she wasn't interested in such things. She didn't expect Su Chang to want to go too.
Su Chang didn't intend to invite Andy to the gathering. After all, for this kind of party, Su Chang's female companion had to be Jiang Lai. After all, she was his official girlfriend, and they had already met each other's parents. If he had another woman as his companion, the Jiang Group's reputation would be completely ruined.
"Let's go, it's already noon, let's go have lunch together," Su Chang invited.
Andy didn't say much, but pointed to the thick stack of documents on the desk in front of her, making it very clear that she had to continue working and wouldn't go.
"We can talk about work after we finish eating." Seeing that Andy wouldn't agree, Su Chang went straight behind the desk, grabbed Andy, and started to walk out.
Andy was startled by Su Chang's sudden action. She complained, "Hey, be gentle, I can walk by myself," but still followed Su Chang out of the office.
Andy thought to himself, "This Su Chang is really domineering. What will the people in the company think of him?"
The two found a Western restaurant nearby. Su Chang remembered that Andy liked Western food. After they ordered, Su Chang took advantage of the time before the food was served to tell Andy that she wanted Andy to be her girlfriend.
Andy looked at Su Chang with surprise and confusion in her eyes. She frowned and said, "Jiang Lai is your girlfriend! Did you two break up?"
Su Chang hurriedly explained, "No, Jiang Lai is my girlfriend, but I like you too." His eyes revealed a hint of sincerity, as if he was trying to convince Andy of his words.
Andy's expression turned serious, and she said firmly, "Shouldn't a man only have one girlfriend?" There was a hint of dissatisfaction in her tone.
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