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

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Li Meng sat to the side, wanting to say something, but seeing that Cui Tianqi was still there, she held back for the time being. She silently held Su Chang's hand, hoping to offer him some comfort in this way. Su Chang felt Li Meng's concern, returned a smile, and felt a little better.

After returning to the villa, Su Chang went straight upstairs to the study without saying a word.

Li Meng obediently went to the kitchen, determined to prepare a sumptuous lunch in the hope of cheering Su Chang up.

Su Chang took out his phone in the study, hesitated for a moment, and finally dialed Zheng Fangxiu's number. Zheng Fangxiu's voice came from the other end of the line: "Young Master, what can I do for you?"

Su Chang's voice was low and serious: "Big sister, I'm asking you, what's going on between Jiang Tao and Uncle Jiang Lai?"

When Zheng Fangxiu heard Su Chang ask about this, her heart skipped a beat. She had originally chosen to keep it a secret to avoid affecting Su Chang and Jiang Lai's relationship, but Su Chang had still found out. Her voice was tense: "Young Master, this matter..."

Su Chang interrupted her: "I don't want to hear your explanation, you just need to tell me the facts!" His eyes flashed with determination and anger.

Zheng Fangxiu sighed helplessly and told Su Chang the whole story.

It turns out that Jiang Lai's second uncle had been eyeing her company for a long time and wanted to join it, but Jiang Lai had always disagreed. However, after the New Year, Jiang Lai's parents and Jiang Haokun called Jiang Lai over for a talk. No one knows what they talked about, but anyway, Jiang Lai's second uncle joined the management company, Jiang Tao joined the game company, and Zheng Fangxiu, because she didn't want to affect her relationship with Jiang Lai, transferred most of the company's business to the new company, leaving the old company basically an empty shell.

As Su Chang listened, his expression grew increasingly grim, his fists clenched tightly, his heart filled with anger and disappointment.

After Zheng Fangxiu finished speaking, Su Chang's brows did not relax. Instead, he questioned, "Why didn't you tell me about such a big thing? Whose side are you on?"

"Young Master, I'm sorry!" Zheng Fangxiu knew that Su Chang was really angry this time, so she immediately apologized.

"Arrange the fastest flight back to Shanghai for me. Also, buy me a few private jets. I don't want this to happen again. If it happens again, I'll consider having the system take you all back," Su Chang immediately ordered.

"Yes, young master, there won't be a next time." Hearing Su Chang's words, Zheng Fangxiu was really frightened and immediately promised, but Su Chang did not reply and hung up the phone directly.

Zheng Fangxiu didn't dare to hesitate and immediately arranged a schedule for Su Chang. She also planned to have a good chat with the other nine sisters. Otherwise, if Su Chang really had the system take them back, they would probably become a laughing stock among the system's matched personnel.

Chapter 177 Returning to the Villa

Evening, Shanghai, Dongshan No. 8 Villa.

Jiang Lai returned home early as usual. As soon as she entered the house, she was surprised to find the ten Zheng Fangxiu sisters standing in a row in the living room without saying a word. Her heart skipped a beat and she felt a little suspicious.

Jiang Lai tentatively asked, "Big sister, why are you all standing here?"

Zheng Fangxiu heard Jiang Lai's voice but seemed not to hear it, remaining rooted to the spot without any reaction. Jiang Lai's brows furrowed tightly as her gaze swept over everyone, trying to find some clues in their expressions.

Jiang Lai's gaze finally settled on Zheng Fangyan, who was standing at the very end. Her eyes were filled with expectation. After all, she and Zheng Fangyan had become the closest of friends over the past few days, sharing everything. She hoped to get some answers from her younger sister. However, Zheng Fangyan remained standing still, without moving, as if she had become a statue.

Jiang Lai's patience gradually wore thin, and a nameless anger welled up inside her. She muttered, "What's wrong with everyone today? Are they all crazy?" With that, she turned to go upstairs, wanting to escape this eerie atmosphere.

"Jiang Lai, stand there for a moment. We need to have a proper talk." At that moment, a familiar yet somewhat cold voice came from upstairs, and Jiang Lai was immediately taken aback. She slowly turned around and saw Su Chang walking downstairs. His eyes were as cold as frost, as if they could pierce through Jiang Lai's soul.

Jiang Lai's initial excitement was instantly frozen by Su Chang's cold gaze. A look of grievance and confusion appeared on her face, and her voice trembled slightly: "Su Chang, no, what's going on? Why are you looking at me like that as soon as you come back?"

Su Chang ignored her and walked straight to the sofa, sitting down. His movements were somewhat stiff, as if he was trying hard to control his emotions. His eyes were fixed on Jiang Lai, as if he wanted to see right through her.

Jiang Lai felt uncomfortable under Su Chang's gaze. Her hands unconsciously fiddled with the hem of her clothes as she muttered to herself, "What's going on? Why is Su Chang looking at me like that? I haven't done anything to offend him." She tried hard to recall what had happened recently, trying to find out what might have caused Su Chang's displeasure.

Su Chang's voice broke the silence, his tone icy and devoid of any emotion: "Jiang Lai, tell me, what happened at home and at the company while I was away?"

Hearing Su Chang call her by her name directly, and with such a bad expression, Jiang Lai's heart skipped a beat. She felt her heart start racing. Although she felt a little wronged, she took a deep breath and tried to keep her voice calm: "Everything is normal, nothing special."

Su Chang's heart sank even further upon hearing Jiang Lai's answer. He had originally intended to give Jiang Lai a chance to be honest, but she still chose to conceal the truth. His gaze sharpened, as if trying to see right through Jiang Lai's heart.

"Then let me ask you, what's the deal with arranging bodyguards for Yang Tao, and your second uncle and that Jiang Tao?" Su Chang's voice was tinged with anger, and his hand unconsciously tightened its grip on the sofa armrest.

Jiang Lai's face turned pale, her lips trembled slightly, and she inwardly groaned. She knew she couldn't hide these things from Su Chang, but she didn't see anything wrong with it.

Under Su Chang's intense gaze, Jiang Lai finally mustered her courage. Her eyes flickered, her lips trembled slightly, and she stammered, "Su Chang, I... I'm doing this for your own good. Arranging bodyguards for your woman is something only a wife should have. What kind of wife is she if she hasn't even entered the family? Otherwise, if any woman comes along and is given the same benefits as everyone else, it's not good for family harmony."

"As for my second uncle and Jiang Tao, they are my relatives. Now that the company is getting bigger and bigger, of course I need to find some trustworthy people to help. Besides, my brother said that this will help you better integrate into the business circle of Shanghai."

Jiang Lai's fingers clenched the hem of her clothes tightly. Her heart was filled with grievances, and she felt that Su Chang could not understand the good intentions she and her family had put in.

Su Chang was so angry at Jiang Lai that he almost laughed. His face turned gloomy and his voice became stern: "Let's not talk about Yang Tao for now. I'm asking you, is it Jiang Haokun's idea to let your second uncle and Jiang Tao join the company, or is it the idea of ​​the entire Jiang family?"

Jiang Lai felt that Su Chang was making a mountain out of a molehill, and her brows furrowed, her anger reaching its peak.

She glared at Su Chang and retorted, "Su Chang, is this necessary? Didn't I just say that you don't have any connections in Shanghai? Bringing them in is to ensure that I have someone I can trust in the company, and also to have the Jiang family protect you. Isn't that killing two birds with one stone? How can you not understand the good intentions my brother and I have for you? Besides, didn't you say at the beginning that this company is entrusted to me, and how I manage it is none of your business?"

Hearing this, Su Chang didn't know what to say to Jiang Lai. He felt both helpless and angry. He looked at Jiang Lai and thought she was both naive and foolish, so he calmed himself down and asked, "Do you know that your second uncle and Jiang Tao are interfering in the affairs of all departments in the company? And they've even planted quite a few new people in there."

Jiang Lai's heart tightened. Although she sensed that something was off with her second uncle and Jiang Tao, she still stubbornly said, "I'm not sure, but they're probably just trying to manage the company better. After all, everyone has their own way of hiring. I'll talk to them about it later." A hint of unease flashed in her eyes, but she quickly concealed it.

"Jiang Lai, do you consider yourself a young lady of the Jiang family or my wife, Su Chang's wife?" Su Chang's eyes revealed a hint of impatience as he stared intently at Jiang Lai and directly questioned her.

Jiang Lai's face turned pale instantly. Her eyes widened as she stared at Su Chang in disbelief. "No, Su Chang, what do you mean? If I'm not your wife, then whose wife am I? Who am I busy from morning till night for? What? You're tired of playing with me and don't want me anymore? And what does being your wife have to do with whether I'm the eldest daughter of the Jiang family?" Her voice was trembling with sobs, her hands shaking slightly, her heart filled with grievance and anger.

Seeing Jiang Lai's aggrieved expression, Su Chang felt a pang of annoyance. He wanted to scold her, but the words wouldn't come out. Helplessly, he said to Zheng Fangxiu, "Little sister, why don't you show her all the documents? Otherwise, she'll think I'm deliberately picking a fight with her."

Upon hearing Su Chang's instructions, Zheng Fangxiu took a document and walked to Jiang Lai. A respectful expression appeared on her face as she handed the document to Jiang Lai and said softly, "Madam Jiang Lai, please take a look."

Jiang Lai glanced at the two of them with a puzzled look, hesitated for a moment, and then took the document. She slowly opened it, her gaze sweeping over the pages. However, as she turned each page, her expression grew increasingly grim, and her lips began to tremble slightly.

"Snapped!"

After reading the documents, Jiang Lai slammed her hand on the table, her eyes bloodshot like burning flames, her anger seemingly about to erupt. She gripped the documents tightly, her lips trembling, unable to utter a single word, before turning and storming out the door.

"No, Jiang Lai, where are you going?" Su Chang felt a sense of foreboding when he saw Jiang Lai's appearance. Something bad was about to happen! He hurriedly got up and rushed out the door.

However, as soon as he reached the door, he saw Jiang Lai already in the car. Without hesitation, she stepped on the gas, and the car shot out of the villa like an arrow. Jiang Lai's female bodyguard didn't even have time to get in the car and could only watch helplessly as she drove away.

"Hurry up and get the car to follow them!" Su Chang shouted anxiously at the female bodyguard who was still somewhat dazed.

Hearing Su Chang's shout, Cui Tianqi and the female bodyguard snapped out of their daze and sprang into action. The bodyguard drove off in one car, quickly giving chase. Cui Tianqi, on the other hand, drove off in another car in front of Su Chang. After Su Chang opened the door and got in, Cui Tianqi immediately stepped on the gas and followed.

Three cars sped through the villa area at breakneck speed, like lightning. The screeching of their wheels on the pavement angered many, who immediately called the property management company.

The three cars soon stopped in front of Jiang Lai's parents' villa. Jiang Lai grabbed a baseball bat from one of the cars and, like an angry tigress, stormed into the villa.

Seeing Jiang Lai's state from his car in the distance, Su Chang (Zhao De) inwardly cursed. He knew that things were unlikely to end well today.

So, after getting out of the car, he shouted, "Hurry up and follow!" Then, he led Cui Tianqi and the female bodyguard into the villa.

As soon as Su Chang entered, she saw Jiang Lai pointing a baseball bat at Jiang Haokun in the living room. Jiang Lai's parents were not there. Jiang Lai cursed loudly, "Jiang Haokun, do you want to die? What were you doing sending Uncle Er and Jiang Tao to Su Chang's company? Do you believe I'll trade my life for yours today?"

Seeing Jiang Lai's furious expression, Jiang Haokun remained calm. He said slowly, "Lai Lai, didn't I tell Mom and Dad before? This is all for your and Su Chang's good!"

"For my own good?" Jiang Lai laughed in anger, her laughter filled with despair and rage. She took the document out of her bag and threw it at Jiang Haokun, then roared angrily, "This is what you call 'for our own good'? Draining Su Chang's company is for my own good? Are you trying to ruin me?"

Jiang Lai's voice echoed through the villa, her eyes filled with pain and despair. She couldn't understand why her own brother would do such a thing. She felt betrayed, and the anger within her burned even more fiercely.

Chapter 178 Choice

Jiang Haokun bent down to pick up the documents from the ground, his brows furrowing tightly. He looked at the contents in disbelief, muttering to himself, "How could my second uncle and cousin be so careless, leaving behind so much evidence against us!"

Knowing he couldn't argue, he ignored Jiang Lai and turned his gaze to Su Chang behind her. He calmly asked, "Tell me, Su Chang, what are you planning to do? As a man, there's no need for Lai Lai, a girl, to be the one charging ahead for you, is there?"

Su Chang was so angry at Jiang Haokun's shamelessness that he laughed. He retorted directly, "What do I want? That's what I should be asking you! Your second uncle and the others secretly outsourced so much business to the Jiang Group, and the accounts are so inconsistent. I want to ask you what your Jiang family is really up to! If it weren't for Lai Lai, do you think I would be wasting my breath talking to you here? Are you doing this as corporate espionage or...? Do I need to explain your intentions?"

Jiang Haokun knew he was in the wrong, but he still responded forcefully: "Su Chang, didn't you say that this company was given to Lai Lai? Now this is a family matter of our Jiang family, what does it have to do with you? Do you want to go back on your word?" His tone was provocative, as if he wanted to provoke Su Chang.

Upon hearing Jiang Haokun's words, before Su Chang could even speak, Jiang Lai was instantly enraged. She swung the baseball bat at Jiang Haokun, but Su Chang swiftly snatched it away.

Jiang Lai was stunned for a moment, then pointed at Jiang Haokun and roared angrily, "Jiang Haokun, what do you mean? Even if the company was given to me by Su Chang, it is still my company and his company. What does it have to do with the Jiang family?" Her face turned red, and her eyes flashed with anger.

Seeing Jiang Lai's agitation, Jiang Haokun felt a pang of panic, but he still feigned composure and said, "Lai Lai, remember, you are also a member of the Jiang family. Don't forget who gave you your life before." His voice was low and carried a hint of warning.

Jiang Lai was thoroughly enraged by Jiang Haokun's words. She angrily said "Fine" three times in a row, then pointed at Jiang Haokun and questioned, "Do Mom and Dad mean the same thing?" Her eyes were filled with disappointment and pain.

Jiang Haokun looked at Jiang Lai and remained silent for a moment. He was conflicted; on one hand, he didn't want to lose his younger sister Jiang Lai, but on the other hand, he couldn't go against the interests of his family. In the end, he remained silent.

Seeing Jiang Haokun's silence, Jiang Lai's last glimmer of hope was extinguished like a candle flame.

She gave a bitter laugh, a desperate smile playing on her lips, her voice seemingly squeezed out from between her teeth: "You guys are really something. Tell me, how much money do you want? I'll give it to you, and then we'll cut all ties. I'll have nothing to do with the Jiang family anymore."

After speaking, she stared straight at Jiang Haokun, her eyes cold and devoid of any emotion, as if the person in front of her was a stranger.

Upon hearing Jiang Lai's words, Jiang Haokun's face darkened to a grim hue. His lips were tightly pressed together, revealing a suppressed rage. His hands clenched unconsciously, as if he were struggling to control his emotions. A slap, swift as lightning, landed on Jiang Lai's face, carrying his anger and dissatisfaction.

Su Chang had been keeping a close eye on Jiang Haokun and Jiang Lai, his gaze sharp as an eagle's, never wavering. The moment Jiang Haokun made a move, Su Chang noticed. His body moved with the agility of a cheetah; before the slap could land on Jiang Lai's face, Su Chang swiftly kicked Jiang Haokun, sending him flying. Jiang Haokun curled up on the ground in pain, unable to get up.

The female bodyguard and Cui Tianqi quickly stepped in front of Su Chang and Jiang Lai. Jiang Lai then realized that Jiang Haokun was about to slap her, and her eyes were filled with anger and disbelief.

She pushed aside the female bodyguard blocking her way, her fingers trembling as she angrily pointed at Jiang Haokun on the ground and roared, "Jiang Haokun, you did something wrong, why are you hitting me?" Her voice echoed in the air, filled with uncontrollable rage.

Jiang Haokun clutched his stomach and struggled to his feet. His face was ashen, and his forehead was covered in fine beads of sweat. He pointed at Jiang Lai, his voice trembling slightly: "You have the blood of the Jiang family flowing in your veins. Everything you have was given to you by the Jiang family. When have we ever mistreated you? What nonsense are you spouting? Shouldn't I hit you?" His eyes revealed a deep disappointment and anger, as if Jiang Lai's words were a betrayal of him.

Jiang Lai had already been subjected to PUA once before, and she had built a strong defense in her heart. Her eyes were firm and resolute as she retorted without backing down, "So, just because of this, you're going to use me to help the Jiang family seize Su Chang's company? Wasn't it enough that I handed over so much of the company's business to the Jiang Group before?" Her heart was filled with grievance and resentment. She felt that she had been treated as a tool by the Jiang family, a pawn that could be manipulated at will.

"Not enough, of course not enough! Why should Su Chang get to eat meat while the Jiang family can only drink soup?" Jiang Haokun no longer concealed his anger and roared.

Upon hearing Jiang Haokun's words, Su Chang immediately understood why he was targeting her company—it was all because of the land auction at the last event.

A flicker of surprise crossed his face. He knew Jiang Haokun was petty, but he hadn't expected him to be this petty. His gaze turned dark and cold as he stared intently at Jiang Haokun, saying, "Jiang Haokun, do you think your Jiang family can get that land without me?"

“Nonsense! If you hadn’t maliciously raised the price, that land would have belonged to our Jiang Group. And don’t forget, you’re also a shareholder of our Jiang Group.” Jiang Haokun roared at Su Chang, his eyes bloodshot.

Su Chang chuckled coldly. He realized that Jiang Haokun had completely fallen into demonic possession, so he didn't bother to say anything more. He pulled Jiang Lai and said, "Let's go. You don't need to get involved in what happens next."

"No, since this matter started because of me, I will resolve it myself!" Jiang Lai said firmly and stubbornly.

She bit her lip tightly, her heart filled with self-reproach and guilt, feeling that she had brought endless trouble to Su Chang. If she couldn't resolve this matter properly, she would have no face to stay by Su Chang's side any longer.

"You'll solve it? How will you solve it? Haven't you noticed that Jiang Haokun has become possessed by a demon?" Su Chang's voice carried a hint of anger as he stared directly at Jiang Lai, his eyes revealing disappointment and helplessness.

Knowing Jiang Lai's temper, he knew that gentle persuasion would be useless at this point, so he directly threatened, "If you consider yourself the lady of the Su family, then come home with me now. If you still consider yourself the eldest daughter of the Jiang family, then I have nothing more to say, and you can continue to stay in the Jiang family! The choice is yours!"

Jiang Haokun and Jiang Lai were stunned by Su Chang's words. Jiang Lai's face turned extremely pale, her eyes filled with contradiction and struggle. She naturally didn't want Su Chang and the Jiang family to have a serious falling out, but she didn't know what to do.

Jiang Haokun showed a shocked expression. The reason why the Jiang family dared to be so blatantly arrogant was twofold: first, they thought Su Chang had no backing and could only suffer in silence even if she found out; second, they thought Su Chang would not dare to do anything to their family because of Jiang Lai's relationship with her. They did not expect Su Chang to be so resolute.

Su Chang didn't give Jiang Lai time to hesitate. He turned and left, his steps firm and swift, without the slightest pause. Jiang Lai hesitated only for a moment, then glared fiercely at Jiang Haokun, gritted her teeth, and chased after Su Chang without hesitation.

Jiang Haokun watched the two figures disappear into the distance, his face growing even more grim. He clenched his fists tightly, inwardly frustrated. He realized that things had completely spiraled out of his control and were becoming increasingly difficult to manage.

Moreover, after reviewing the information, he discovered that his second uncle and cousin also had their own agenda, which made him even more uneasy. He began to doubt Su Chang's true strength and background, because he still hadn't figured out exactly how much wealth Su Chang possessed, and he always felt that Su Chang wasn't as simple as his family claimed. Thinking of this, his heart began to race, and a nameless fear welled up inside him.

Jiang Haokun took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. He knew this wasn't the time to panic; he had to find a solution as soon as possible. He quickly pulled out his phone and began contacting various forces to prepare for Su Chang's possible counterattack.

After Su Chang came out, he saw Jiang Lai follow him out. He smiled slightly, pointed to the car he had been in, and said firmly, "Lai Lai, get in my car."

Seeing this, Cui Tianqi quickly handed the keys to Su Chang. Jiang Lai hesitated for a moment, but she still threw her keys to Cui Tianqi and got into the passenger seat.

Su Chang started the car and drove towards Villa No. 8, while Cui Tianqi and another female bodyguard followed closely behind in their own cars.

The atmosphere inside the car was somewhat heavy. Jiang Lai lowered her head, fidgeting nervously with the hem of her clothes, and whispered, "I'm sorry, Su Chang, I didn't expect them to do this."

Su Chang focused on driving while glancing at Jiang Lai out of the corner of his eye. His expression was serious, and his eyes revealed a hint of gravity. After a moment of silence, he did not directly comfort Jiang Lai, but instead asked, "Have you made up your mind? Do you want to be the wife of the Su family or the eldest daughter of the Jiang family?"

Jiang Lai raised her head and looked at Su Chang, her eyes filled with determination, and replied matter-of-factly, "I am now the wife of your Su family."