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

Page 107

Huang Zhitao watched Su Chang and Zheng Shuyi's retreating figures, her heart filled with envy and curiosity. She turned to Pan Shuai and whispered, "Uncle, what do you think is the relationship between Teacher Su and this woman who came to pick him up?"

Pan Shuai also looked puzzled. He shook his head and said, "I don't know either, but judging from their appearance, their relationship must be quite special."

As the Maybach drove away, the five people speculated about the relationship between Su Chang and Zheng Shuyi. Their expressions varied: some were envious, some were curious, and some seemed thoughtful.

After getting on the bus, Qiao Weidong and Song Qian naturally sat in the front row. Pan Shuai originally intended to sit in the middle, but Qiao Yingzi and Huang Zhitao pulled him to sit in the back row, as if they were about to have a three-way interrogation.

"Uncle, tell me, what's the progress these past few days?" Huang Zhitao asked impatiently as soon as the car started moving, her eyes revealing a hint of eagerness and anticipation.

Pan Shuai shrugged helplessly, a bitter smile on his face, and said, "What's the progress? Teacher Li Meng isn't even paying attention to me." His tone was tinged with frustration and helplessness, while he secretly glanced at Huang Zhitao and Qiao Yingzi's reactions.

Qiao Yingzi patted Pan Shuai on the shoulder and said with a disappointed look, "Pan Shuai, you're such a coward! You haven't made any progress at all in the three days that Teacher Su was away." Her eyes revealed a hint of dissatisfaction and disappointment, and she shook her head vigorously.

Pan Shuai rolled his eyes and said to Qiao Yingzi in an annoyed tone, "No, it's only three days. Do you think it's three years? What progress can there be?" His face was full of resentment, and he gently pushed Qiao Yingzi's hand away.

Huang Zhitao then pressed down on Pan Shuai's other shoulder and said firmly, "Uncle, I don't think you need to be discouraged. You should still have a chance." Her eyes shone with confidence as she squeezed Pan Shuai's shoulder tightly.

Pan Shuai looked at Huang Zhitao with a puzzled expression and asked, "Taozi, what do you mean?" Even Qiao Yingzi looked at Huang Zhitao with curiosity in her eyes.

"Yingzi, let me ask you, what do you think of Aunt Pei Yin and the sister who came to pick up Teacher Su? How do they compare to Teacher Li Meng?" Huang Zhitao didn't answer Pan Shuai's question, but instead asked Qiao Yingzi.

“Of course they’re both beautiful! Aunt Pei Yin and Teacher Li Meng are about the same, and the lady who came to pick up Teacher Su today is young and pretty, definitely more charming than Teacher Li Meng.” Qiao Yingzi said without thinking, her face showing an envious expression.

"Isn't that it? Doesn't that mean you still have a chance, Uncle?" Huang Zhitong spread her hands, looking confident and smug. A hint of cunning and triumph flashed in her eyes, as if she had already seen through everything.

Pan Shuai finally realized what was happening, and an excited expression appeared on his face. He said excitedly, "You're saying Su Chang is a scumbag? How can that be? I..." A surge of anger and dissatisfaction welled up in his heart.

Huang Zhitao immediately covered Pan Shuai's mouth to stop him from shouting, and Qiao Yingzi also quickly helped to hold Pan Shuai down.

"Uncle, keep your voice down. I'm telling you, if you want to still have a chance with Teacher Li Meng, you should do this..."

After that, Huang Zhitao began to give Pan Shuai advice, and Pan Shuai immediately quieted down and listened attentively to Huang Zhitao's words. Qiao Yingzi also occasionally added to Huang Zhitao's advice.

The next morning, sunlight streamed through the windows into the campus of Chunfeng Middle School. Su Chang drove the car, with Li Meng in the passenger seat, and they arrived at the school early.

After taking Li Meng to her office, Su Chang handed her a report and then walked alone to the principal's office to report on the student's experience at the elite high school.

At a corner not far from the office, Huang Zhitao, Qiao Yingzi, and Wang Yidi were staring anxiously at Pan Shuai.

Huang Zhitao frowned, her eyes revealing a hint of urgency. She said to Pan Shuai with a hint of exasperation, "Uncle, hurry up and go! Didn't we already tell you what to do last night?"

Upon hearing Huang Zhitao's words, Pan Shuai looked hesitant. He unconsciously scratched his head and said with difficulty, "Taozi, is it wrong for me to do this? I feel like it's a bit too petty."

Upon hearing Pan Shuai's words, Wang Yidi flew into a rage. She glared fiercely at Pan Shuai and demanded, "Teacher Pan, what do you mean? Are you implying that we're villains? Who are we doing this for? Isn't it all so you can win over Teacher Li Meng? I think you're just a coward!"

Seeing the three girls' unfriendly expressions, Pan Shuai shuddered. He waved his hands repeatedly, trying to explain, "Don't misunderstand, I just meant that we're not sure if Teacher Su is a scumbag. What if he isn't? We're just..."

Qiao Yingzi interrupted Pan Shuai directly, her eyes firm and resolute, and said, "Stop! Pan Shuai, we only asked you to tell Teacher Li Meng what we've seen, not to slander Teacher Su. As for what Teacher Li Meng thinks, what does that have to do with us?"

Chapter 203 Let's Talk

"That's right, you should go now." Huang Zhitao couldn't stand Pan Shuai's timid appearance any longer, so she started pushing him. Qiao Yingzi and Wang Yidi quickly joined in to help.

Pushed along by the three girls, Pan Shuai staggered a bit, but he was still half-pushed and half-forced to walk towards Li Meng's office.

Pan Shuai was in a dilemma. On the one hand, he felt that Huang Zhitao and the others made sense and that he should tell Teacher Li Meng. On the other hand, he felt that it was inappropriate to do so, since he was not sure about Teacher Su's true situation.

As Pan Shuai was wheeled into Li Meng's office, his heart began to race. He saw Li Meng look up at him, a hint of confusion in her eyes. Pan Shuai gave an awkward smile, took a deep breath, and prepared to speak.

When Huang Zhitao, Qiao Yingzi, and Wang Yidi saw Li Meng looking over, they immediately turned and ran. As they ran, they cheered Pan Shuai on in their hearts, hoping that he wouldn't back down this time.

When Li Meng saw it was Pan Shuai, a forced smile appeared on her lips before she quickly lowered her head and focused on her work. Her eyes betrayed a hint of helplessness and annoyance, as if to say, "Why is it him again?"

Pan Shuai noticed Li Meng's expression and felt increasingly uneasy. He muttered to himself, "What should I do now? If I tell her, I'm afraid it will ruin our relationship, but if I don't, I feel like I'm letting her down." After being manipulated by the three girls all night, he felt that he should tell Li Meng what happened, so he took a deep breath, mustered up his courage, and said, "Teacher Li Meng, I have something I want to tell you, it's about Teacher Su Chang."

Li Meng was just about to pack her things and go to the classroom when she heard Pan Shuai mention Su Chang. She suddenly stopped, looked up, and asked Pan Shuai with a puzzled expression, "Teacher Pan, what happened to Su Chang?" Her eyes were full of curiosity and vigilance.

Seeing Li Meng's reaction, Pan Shuai breathed a slight sigh of relief. He then organized his thoughts and said, "Teacher Li Meng, you should know about my niece Tao Zi and Teacher Su Chang's trip to Jiangzhou Elite Middle School, right?" His voice was slightly low, as if he was trying to hide his nervousness.

Li Meng nodded, her confusion deepening. She said somewhat impatiently, "Teacher Pan, just say what you want to say. I'm going to the classroom soon, I don't have time to beat around the bush with you." Her tone carried a hint of dissatisfaction, as if she was very annoyed by Pan Shuai's hesitation.

Pan Shuai knew Li Meng was getting impatient, so he quickly said, "Teacher Li Meng, don't worry, it won't take up too much of your time. I'll get to it now. Actually, it was Tao Zi and the others who told me yesterday that Teacher Su and..." His voice trailed off, as if he was having some difficulty speaking, but he still told them exactly what the three girls had described about Su Chang, Pei Yin, and Zheng Shuyi without embellishment.

Upon hearing Pan Shuai's words, Li Meng frowned deeply, a flash of anger crossing her eyes. It was unclear whether her anger stemmed from dissatisfaction with Pan Shuai or from resentment towards Su Chang's alleged flirtation with another woman. Her hands clenched unconsciously, her fingers trembling slightly, revealing her inner unease.

However, after a moment, Li Meng seemed to remember something. Her expression returned to calm, and she said indifferently, "Pan Shuai, is that all? Is there anything else? If not, I have to go to class." Her tone was so calm that it was somewhat frightening, as if she had seen through everything.

"Huh? Oh, okay, then you go to the classroom first, I should go too." Pan Shuai had no idea what Li Meng was thinking, he just felt that Li Meng was a little scared, so he left Li Meng's office as if he were escaping.

Seeing Pan Shuai's disheveled appearance, Li Meng shook her head helplessly, then grabbed a few books and headed towards the classroom.

When the third period ended, Su Chang returned to Li Meng's office and saw Li Meng standing there in a daze. Su Chang walked over, waved his hand in front of Li Meng's face, and asked softly, "Mengmeng, what's wrong? Why are you spacing out here?"

When Li Meng heard Su Chang's voice, she came back to her senses and looked at Su Chang with annoyance, saying, "What is it? It's all because of you, you womanizer."

Hearing Li Meng's words, Su Chang was stunned for a moment. Didn't Li Meng already know that he was a womanizer? Why was she blaming him now? He then looked at Li Meng with a puzzled expression and asked, "What did I do? Did someone say something to you again?"

“It wasn’t Pan Shuai, he just…” Li Meng didn’t hide anything and told her everything Pan Shuai had told her before.

Su Chang breathed a sigh of relief after hearing Li Meng's words. He guessed that this was probably not Pan Shuai's intention. After all, there were many things that Pan Shuai did not know. Only the three girls knew. Moreover, Pan Shuai did not embellish anything. He did not blame Pan Shuai for tattling behind his back.

Su Chang smiled slightly and teased, "Mengmeng, are you jealous?"

Li Meng rolled her eyes and said, "Jealous? Why would I be jealous? Besides, aren't you surrounded by plenty of women? If I were jealous, wouldn't I die of envy?"

Su Chang smiled awkwardly, touched his nose, and said, "So what are you thinking about?"

Li Meng said helplessly, "Su Chang, I feel like we're being watched every day while we're in the same school, which makes me very uncomfortable."

After listening, Su Chang nodded, thought for a moment, and suggested, "How about I resign and go back to Shanghai?"

“But I don’t want you to be too far away from me,” Li Meng immediately shook her head and said.

"That······"

"Alright, we'll talk about it later. What did the principal say to you?" Li Meng quickly interrupted Su Chang before she could finish speaking. Her mind was a complete mess, and she didn't want to continue the topic.

Having no other choice, Su Chang simply told Li Meng about his conversation with the principal, mainly because the principal saw how outstanding Su Chang was and wanted to make him a full-time employee.

Just after school let out that evening, Fang Yifan was about to go find Huang Zhitao, but he discovered that Huang Zhitao, Qiao Yingzi, and Wang Yidi had already dashed out of the classroom, looking rather secretive. Fang Yifan immediately became interested and quickly tiptoed after them.

He followed cautiously behind, his heart filled with curiosity. When he saw that the three girls were actually going to the office to find Pan Shuai, his expectations vanished instantly, and he turned to leave.

When Pan Shuai saw that it was those three girls again, and their expectant expressions made him even more worried.

He asked, feigning composure, "Taozi, Yingzi, Yidi, why are you three here after school instead of going home?"

Huang Zhitao rolled her eyes in annoyance and said, "Uncle, stop pretending to be stupid. Tell me quickly, did Teacher Li Meng have any reaction?" Her face was full of curiosity, and her eyes seemed to pierce through Pan Shuai's heart.

Wang Yidi also came over excitedly and asked eagerly, "Teacher Pan, did Teacher Li Meng fly into a rage after hearing this and have a conflict with Teacher Su?" Her eyes were shining, as if she couldn't wait to hear the answer.

Qiao Yingzi was also keeping a close eye on Pan Shuai, wanting to know how Teacher Li Meng would react.

Pan Shuai shook his head helplessly and sighed, saying, "No, she was very calm, but her eyes were a little scary." His voice carried a hint of unease, as if he was still somewhat frightened by Teacher Li Meng's eyes that morning, which made him avoid Li Meng all day.

Upon hearing Pan Shuai's words, the three girls were immediately stunned. Qiao Yingzi frowned even more and muttered to herself, "What exactly is going on? There's nothing wrong with it. Teacher Li Meng shouldn't be reacting like this."

Huang Zhitao and Wang Yidi also looked puzzled. They exchanged glances and then looked at Pan Shuai, hoping he could give a reasonable explanation.

Huang Zhitao continued, "Uncle, then tell us everything that happened after you entered the office, from beginning to end, and we'll help you analyze it." Her tone was firm, as if she was determined to find out the truth.

Pan Shuai originally didn't intend to continue talking. He felt the matter was already embarrassing enough and didn't want to say anything more. However, seeing the expectant looks in the three girls' eyes, he knew that if he didn't tell them, they would keep pestering him with questions. So, he sighed helplessly and recounted everything that had happened that morning.

After listening to Pan Shuai's story, the three girls fell into deep thought, staring at each other in bewilderment.

Qiao Yingzi was filled with doubt. She couldn't understand why Teacher Li Meng was so calm, which was completely out of character for her.

Huang Zhitao pondered to herself, feeling that this matter might not be so simple.

Wang Yidi looked disappointed. She had expected to hear news of a conflict between Li Meng and Su Chang, but to her surprise, there was no reaction at all. How could she not be disappointed?

Looking at the expressions on the three girls' faces, Pan Shuai felt a little helpless and a bit strange. He had a feeling that these three girls cared about this matter more than he did. He could only say, "Alright, you three girls, don't think too much about it. Don't worry about Teacher Li Meng's matter. Your main responsibility now is to study hard. Go home now."

The three girls, though still somewhat doubtful, could only nod after hearing Pan Shuai's words. They knew that further questioning would be pointless, and besides, they had no better solution for the time being; they could only wait and see.

Chapter 204 The Agreement

The three girls walked and talked, trying to figure out what had gone wrong, but they couldn't come to a conclusion. As they approached the school gate, they suddenly saw a figure standing there, staring intently at them and waving.

The three girls' hearts skipped a beat, especially Qiao Yingzi, whose face instantly turned pale, and a hint of fear appeared in her eyes. She instinctively tried to run away, as if Su Chang were a ferocious beast that would devour her whole, but Huang Zhitao grabbed her arm.

"Taozi, why are you pulling me? Teacher Su must have guessed that we instructed Pan Shuai to report us behind our backs. Why are you staying here instead of running away?" Qiao Yingzi asked in a panic, her voice trembling noticeably.

A hint of nervousness appeared on Huang Zhitong's face, but she tried her best to remain calm. She held Qiao Yingzi's hand tightly and comforted her, "Can you calm down? Didn't you see that Yidi didn't run away? Maybe it's not about this. Wouldn't it be guilty if you ran away?" However, her heart was actually pounding with anxiety, and she kept praying that Su Chang wasn't looking for them because of this.

Wang Yidi suddenly said, "Taozi, it's not that I don't want to run, it's that my legs are weak and I can't run anymore. Please help me up, I can't stand up straight." Her voice was full of helplessness and fear, and her legs seemed to have lost their strength and could not support her body.

Huang Zhitao looked at Wang Yidi and immediately felt embarrassed. She sighed inwardly: These two are so useless, what would they do without me? And they even want to compete with me for Teacher Su.

But she quickly helped Wang Yidi up and took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down.

Huang Zhitao then said to the two of them, "Alright, whether Teacher Su knows or not, she can't hide. Are you not coming to school tomorrow? Go see what Teacher Su has to say." Her tone was firm yet tinged with helplessness, as if she were encouraging herself.

Wang Yidi and Qiao Yingzi exchanged a glance, agreeing with Huang Zhitao's point. They nodded and walked towards Su Chang together with Huang Zhitao.

"Teacher Su, is there something you need?" Huang Zhitao asked, feigning innocence. A forced smile lingered on her face, but a hint of unease flickered in her eyes.

Su Chang calmly beckoned to the three girls, his gaze deep and sharp, as if he could see through their thoughts. He said slowly, "Tell your parents, then come with me. We need to have a good talk. I'll treat you to hot pot."

The three girls were overjoyed to hear the word "hot pot." But then they realized that Su Chang wanted to talk to them, and they quickly understood that Su Chang's invitation to hot pot was definitely not a reward for them, but rather because their secret had been exposed.

Qiao Yingzi clenched her fists tightly, her nails digging deep into her palms. Her heart was pounding, as if it would leap out of her throat. She silently prayed that Su Chang wouldn't criticize them too harshly.

Huang Zhitao hesitated for a moment, unsure whether to accept Su Chang's invitation. She glanced at Wang Yidi and Qiao Yingzi, noticing their equally confused and uneasy expressions. She bit her lip, deciding to go with Su Chang after all; running away wasn't an option. So, she took out her phone and called Pan Shuai.

Wang Yidi's legs were still a little weak. She clung tightly to Huang Zhitao's arm as if it were her only support. Her eyes were filled with fear and helplessness, but when she saw Huang Zhitao making a phone call, she also dialed Wang Qing's number. Qiao Yingzi had no choice but to call Qiao Weidong to ask for leave.

After the three girls finished talking, they got into the car together with Su Chang and left the school.

In a hot pot restaurant in a commercial center not far from Chunfeng Middle School, Su Chang led Huang Zhitao and her two girls to a private room.

The three girls, who should have been excited to eat hotpot, sat there silently with their heads down. Mainly because Su Chang was sitting there without a word, his gaze so calm it was almost frightening, as if he could see right through them. The three girls dared not make a sound, afraid that Su Chang would be the first to turn his anger on them.

Seeing the expressions on the three girls' faces, Su Chang shook his head helplessly and sighed. He tried to keep his voice calm and said, "What happened to Commander Pan this morning was probably instigated by you three girls, wasn't it?"

The three maids looked up when they heard Su Chang's question. They exchanged glances and then nodded cautiously.

Su Chang had already guessed this, so he wasn't surprised. He continued, "Before we went to Jiangzhou, Taozi and Yingzi, we had a chat, right? And when I was having dinner with Pei Yin in Jiangzhou, I also told you that you're still young, and we should talk about things after you go to university. You shouldn't have forgotten, right?"

Upon hearing this, the three girls shook their heads repeatedly, a hint of grievance on their faces.

Su Chang sighed again, her tone tinged with dissatisfaction, and said, "Then why are you still doing this? Speak up! Don't think that you'll get away with it just because you don't speak."

The three girls exchanged glances, each wanting the other to speak first. Su Chang couldn't stand it any longer. He pointed at Huang Zhitao and said, "Stop pushing each other, take turns. Taozi, you go first."