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

Page 125

Zhu Tingting, with a righteous and resolute expression and a determined look in her eyes, said, "I'm not some feudal and ignorant woman. From free love to marriage, what's this talk of dowry? The banquet is on November 8th. Sister, I wonder if you'll be free then?" Her tone carried a hint of pride and confidence.

Hearing Zhu Tingting's words, Zhu Zhe's heart sank, but she tried to keep her expression calm and said softly, "November 8th, it's an auspicious date, good for making money. I do have time, but..."

Seeing Zhu Zhe's hesitant expression, Zhu Tingting immediately stared intently at her, wanting to see what she was going to say.

Zhu Zhe continued, "I can't take that many days off by train; the round trip takes too long. And I can't buy a plane ticket. So how much should the bride price be?"

Seeing Zhu Zhe's determined attitude, Zhu Tingting frowned and said impatiently, "Free love! Free love!" Her voice rose slightly, carrying a hint of dissatisfaction.

Zhu Zhe, however, pretended to be indignant and raised her voice, saying, "Even free love requires a bride price, right? How can you get married without a bride price? You can't expect me to buy your dowry and then claim reimbursement, can you? This family... how exactly did you two negotiate?" Her expression was somewhat agitated as she stared intently at Zhu Tingting.

Zhu Tingting immediately stood up impatiently, put her hands on her hips, and complained to Zhu Zhe, "No... Sister, why have you become so worldly? You live in a big city, how come you've become so materialistic?" Her eyes were full of disappointment and dissatisfaction. After speaking, she walked to the side, not wanting to get entangled with Zhu Zhe any further.

Zhu Zhe grabbed Zhu Tingting's hand, looked at her seriously, and said, "Let me tell you, it's because you live in a big city that you have to face reality if you want to survive." Her eyes revealed a kind of determination and helplessness.

Zhu Tingting turned her face to the sky, looking utterly dejected, seemingly very disappointed by Zhu Zhe's words. Zhu Zhe, however, didn't care whether Zhu Tingting wanted to listen or not, and continued, "Little sister, listen to me. You're getting married soon, and you have a lot to think about. For example, should you rent or buy a house? When should you have children? Where will your children go for kindergarten? Where will they go for school? These are all things you need to think about." Her tone was filled with concern and anxiety.

Zhu Tingting quickly interrupted, "Big sister, I came here to talk to you about marriage, not to have you pour cold water on me. Why have you become so unreasonable?" Her expression turned angry, and her voice became shrill.

Outside, Zhu Minjie was on the balcony, fawning over Xiaojie and saying flattering things to her, while Xiaojie's mother sat on the sofa with a gloomy face and a dazed look in her eyes, as if she was thinking about something.

At this moment, He Minhong and Yu Chuhui exchanged a glance. Yu Chuhui quickly stood up, a fawning smile on her face, and looked at Xiaojie's mother, saying, "Auntie, are you tired?"

Xiao Jie's mother replied irritably, "I'm not tired!" Her tone carried a hint of dissatisfaction.

Seeing this, He Minhong quickly chimed in, "Auntie, then we'll make room for you here so you can rest later."

As she spoke, she pointed to the small cabinet next to the sofa and said to Yu Chuhui, "Take this to your room."

Yu Chuhui replied without any politeness, "Why can I put it in my room? I just bought a double bed in my room, and there's no room for it. I'll put it in your room." Her eyes revealed a hint of dissatisfaction and stubbornness.

He Minhong was not to be outdone and argued, "If this thing is in my room, I can't even walk. Am I supposed to sleep with it?" Her expression showed some anger and helplessness.

Yu Chuhui retorted without backing down, "Hey! Just because you put it in my room doesn't mean I can walk around." She put her hands on her hips and glared at He Minhong menacingly.

He Minhong asked impatiently, "Then what should we do?"

Yu Chuhui said without any politeness, "Put it in your room." Her tone was firm and decisive.

He Minhong said angrily, "Fine, put it in my room, then move it. I don't care anymore, do whatever you want." After saying that, she turned around and angrily went back to her room, slamming the door shut.

Seeing that He Minhong had left, Yu Chuhui knew that the charade had been played out long enough. So, she pretended to be angry, put her hands on her hips, and shouted at He Minhong's back, "Hey! You suggested moving, if you don't move, who will? If you don't move, I won't move either. Whoever wants to move can move." After saying that, she also stormed back to her room and slammed the door shut.

Xiao Jie's mother was a shrewd and experienced woman. Her eyes revealed a hint of intelligence, and the corners of her mouth were slightly upturned, as if she were mocking the two little girls' childish performance.

Zhu Zhe pretended to try to stop Yu Chuhui. She staggered and looked anxious, waving her hands in the air as if trying to grab Yu Chuhui.

Taking advantage of the situation, Zhu Minjie blocked Zhu Zhe's path. He leaned forward slightly, looked at Zhu Zhe with a determined gaze, and said softly, "...Forget it, forget it, sis, let's move out."

Zhu Zhe feigned reluctance, her brows furrowed and lips slightly pouting as she complained, "Going out to stay? It's two hundred yuan a day for one person, six hundred yuan for three people. That's enough to buy my second sister so many clothes in a day. Why spend this money?" Her voice carried a hint of helplessness and reluctance.

Zhu Minjie gave Zhu Tingting a wink, and Zhu Tingting understood immediately. Her eyes flickered, and she seemed a little nervous. She immediately spoke up, "Big sister, we can make do, but what about our future sister-in-law and future mother-in-law? We can't make do with them." Zhu Tingting's voice carried a hint of flattery and caution.

Zhu Zhe stared at Zhu Tingting, a hint of doubt and dissatisfaction in her eyes, and questioned, "Are you going to move out too?"

Seeing Zhu Zhe's gaze, Zhu Tingting lowered her head guiltily and stammered, "I... I came with my brother, so of course we have to leave together." Her hands unconsciously twisted together, revealing her inner unease.

　(Zhao Nuo's) Zhu Zhe sighed. She had completely given up hope. She still forced a troubled expression on her face, then sighed again and said helplessly, "Alright then, while the subway is still running, I'll take you to a hotel near the hospital. That way it will be convenient for you to register tomorrow morning. It's just a bit far from me. It's not easy for you to come all this way, and I can't even have a proper chat with you." Zhu Zhe's tone was full of regret and pity.

Upon hearing Zhu Zhe's words, He Minhong's eyes lit up. She immediately picked up her phone and quickly sent a message to Ye Zhenzhen. Her fingers flew across the screen, and an excited expression appeared on her face.

Zhu Zhe then approached Xiao Jie's mother, who looked embarrassed and lowered her head slightly, saying softly, "Auntie, I'm so sorry! It's my fault for making you go through all this trouble." Her voice was filled with guilt and self-reproach.

Hearing Zhu Zhe say that, Xiao Jie's mother felt a little embarrassed to sit there with a cold face any longer. She stood up, forced an apologetic smile, and said to Zhu Zhe, "Look, I feel really bad too. It's already too much trouble for you. You still have to go to work, so we won't bother you any longer."

Zhu Zhe quickly tried to persuade her to stay, saying, "Auntie, please sit a while longer and have some water. I'll go check out some hotels near the hospital. Please wait for me." With that, she went straight back to her room.

Chapter 238 The Bitterness in My Heart

Zhu Minjie quickly followed suit, saying obsequiously, "Auntie, please sit down and have some water." He then reached out to pull Xiaojie's mother closer.

Xiao Jie's mother now harbored deep hatred for Zhu Minjie, all because of him she had been so humiliated. She forcefully shook off Zhu Minjie's hand, but still sat down. After all, she was completely unfamiliar with this strange city, Shanghai, and knew nothing about it. Now that Zhu Zhe was helping to make arrangements, she was happy to accept it.

At this moment, Ye Zhenzhen learned from He Minhong that Zhu Zhe was going to take the family to a hotel near the hospital by himself. A sense of unease welled up in Ye Zhenzhen's heart, and she hurriedly called out towards the living room, "Su Chang, come quick!"

Su Chang was resting when she heard Ye Zhenzhen calling out. She asked impatiently, "What is it?"

Ye Zhenzhen walked over quickly, grabbed Su Chang's arm tightly, and explained urgently as they walked, "Gigi is going to take the subway by herself to take that family to the hotel. Let's go together to see them off."

Su Chang wanted to refuse, but when he saw Ye Zhenzhen's expectant eyes, his heart softened, and he reluctantly nodded and agreed, "Okay."

Then, as soon as the two stepped out of the room, they saw He Minhong sneaking towards them. She asked Ye Zhenzhen with a curious look, "Zhenzhen, what's going on?"

Ye Zhenzhen patiently explained, "Think about it, Gigi took them all the way here in a taxi. They were so disoriented along the way that they couldn't remember the way at all. Without Gigi leading the way, they definitely wouldn't have been able to find our front door. But it's different if we take them away from the subway. As long as they know the subway station, they can easily find our front door. If they come to our door on their own later, and Gigi didn't arrange anything, wouldn't that give us away?"

Upon hearing this, Su Chang was deeply impressed by Ye Zhenzhen's wit and couldn't help but give her a thumbs up. Ye Zhenzhen, on the other hand, proudly raised her head, as if to say, "Look how amazing I am!"

He Minhong nodded repeatedly and said, "That makes sense. Then you... no... I'll go tell Sister Zhu." After saying that, He Minhong ran back to 2202 like a gust of wind.

Watching He Minhong's departing figure, Su Chang and Ye Zhenzhen exchanged a smile.

Before the two had to wait long, Zhu Zhe led his group out. Upon seeing Su Chang and Ye Zhenzhen, Zhu Zhe quickly stepped forward to express his gratitude: "Zhenzhen, Mr. Su, I really don't know how to thank you enough."

Ye Zhenzhen said irritably, "What are you thanking me for? It's so late, and it's not convenient for you to walk. Su Chang is here too, and since there are many of you, it's perfect for us to take you there in two cars. Don't say so much, let's go quickly."

"Okay, let's go then." Zhu Zhe didn't stand on ceremony anymore, nodded to Su Chang, and then the group went down to the underground parking lot.

After arriving at the underground parking lot, Xiaojie's mother gave Xiaojie a wink, and the two of them got directly into Su Chang's Rolls-Royce Cullinan. Zhu Minjie originally wanted to follow, but Xiaojie's mother glared at him and told him to stay put. He had no choice but to get into Ye Zhenzhen's car with Zhu Zhe and the others.

On the way, Xiaojie's mother kept asking Su Chang how old he was and where he worked, clearly looking like she was testing her future son-in-law. Su Chang replied directly, "Auntie, I'm just a driver, I drive for people. I'm driving and can't be distracted, so I'll stop talking to you for now."

When Xiaojie's mother heard Su Chang say that he was a driver, she lost interest in talking to Su Chang anymore.

Inside Ye Zhenzhen's car, Zhu Tingting took out her phone and started searching for the prices of Ye Zhenzhen's car and Su Chang's car. Then she leaned close to Zhu Zhe and whispered, "Sis, your neighbor's car is so expensive!"

Zhu Zhe also said with a surprised look, "So expensive? This is my first time riding in one."

Zhu Tingting looked at her with disbelief and said, "Really? Aren't you neighbors?"

Zhu Zhe could only explain, "We don't usually get together much."

Zhu Tingting said, "But I think she's very nice to you. What does she do? Does she have any jobs she can introduce you to? Sister, you should take advantage of your proximity."

Zhu Zhe gave a wry smile and explained, "Don't overthink it. I just clean her house regularly. Of course, she has to give me some face. People like them, who are high and mighty and civilized, generally won't make things difficult for us ordinary folks unless there's a conflict. When we meet, it's always 'Good morning! Good night! Goodbye!' They're incredibly polite, and they always bring back souvenirs for you when they go on trips. They're so good at putting on a show, that's all they do." After saying that, Zhu Zhe glanced guiltily at Ye Zhenzhen, who was driving. Ye Zhenzhen was secretly overjoyed, but she managed to hold it in.

Just then, Zhu Minjie's phone rang. Seeing that it was a message from Xiaojie, he had no choice but to turn around and ask Zhu Zhe, "Sister, you've worked in Shanghai for so many years, could you recommend a good orthopedic doctor to Xiaojie's mother?"

Zhu Zhe simply smiled and replied, "The hospital I took you to in Shanghai specializes in orthopedics. And don't worry, the doctors here are very responsible and treat all patients equally. You don't need to be picky about which doctor you choose."

Zhu Minjie did not respond to Zhu Zhe's words. Instead, he took out his phone, looked down, and started searching online. After taking a screenshot, he sent it directly to Xiao Jie.

At this moment, the car arrived near the hotel. Zhu Zhe pointed to a spot not far in front of the car and said to Ye Zhenzhen with excitement, "Zhenzhen, the hotel is in the alley not far ahead."

Ye Zhenzhen looked at the location ahead, her brows furrowing slightly. She said with some concern, "Jiji, it's a one-way street ahead. How far is the hotel from here? I'm not familiar with the roads in Shanghai. If it's far, I'll find another entrance."

Zhu Zhe waved his hand repeatedly, a confident smile on his face, and said, "It's not far, it's only two or three hundred meters away. You can just park your car on the side of the road."

Ye Zhenzhen hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded in agreement: "Okay."

Ye Zhenzhen and Su Chang then parked the car on the side of the road one after the other. Xiao Jie's mother politely thanked Su Chang and then helped Xiao Jie out of the car.

After Zhu Zhe, Zhu Minjie, and Zhu Tingting got out of the car, Zhu Minjie started carrying the luggage. Zhu Zhe opened the passenger door for Ye Zhenzhen and said to her, "Zhenzhen, you and Su Chang go back first. I'll take the subway home by myself."

"Huh?" Ye Zhenzhen looked surprised. She looked at Zhu Zhe, feeling puzzled and wanting to say something.

Just then, Xiaojie's mother came over again, with a polite smile on her face, and said to Ye Zhenzhen, "Thank you! It's so late and you're still bothering me."

Then he looked at Zhu Zhe and deliberately said loudly, "This girl is really nice!"

Zhu Zhe also responded politely, "Of course, don't let her young age fool you, she's already a scientist, an associate researcher." Xiao Jie's mother's face showed surprise. She had only meant to be polite, but she hadn't expected Ye Zhenzhen to be so outstanding.

Ye Zhenzhen took out her phone and searched for a bit, then said to Zhu Zhe, "I'll be going now."

Zhu Zhe quickly said, "Bye-bye! Be careful on the road." She pulled Zhu Tingting, who was still taking selfies in front of Ye Zhenzhen's car, and hurriedly caught up with the three people who were already walking ahead.

Ye Zhenzhen drove around in circles and returned to the alley, parking not far from the hotel. Su Chang, who had been following behind her, had no choice but to stop as well.

After getting out of the car, Su Chang quickly walked to Ye Zhenzhen's car and gently knocked on her window. Ye Zhenzhen was focused on sending Zhu Zhe her location and messages. Hearing the knock, she looked up, saw Su Chang standing outside the car, and smiled slightly before lowering her window.

"Get in the car." Ye Zhenzhen waved to Su Chang, a hint of curiosity in her eyes.

Su Chang didn't refuse. He locked his car, opened the passenger door, and got in. Ye Zhenzhen looked at Su Chang with a gossipy expression, her eyes sparkling with excitement, seemingly eager to ask the question on her mind.

"Su Chang, can I ask you a question?" Ye Zhenzhen's voice carried a hint of coquetry.

When Su Chang saw Ye Zhenzhen's gossipy little eyes, a bad feeling welled up in his heart, and he quickly shook his head and said, "No."

However, Ye Zhenzhen did not give up. She hugged Su Chang's arm tightly and shook it, saying, "Su Chang, just let me ask." Her voice became even softer, as if she was pleading for something.

Su Chang felt uncomfortable with Ye Zhenzhen's high-pitched voice. He looked at her helplessly and muttered to himself, "Why is this devil so torturous?" But when he saw Ye Zhenzhen's cute appearance, he couldn't help but laugh.

"Ask away, what do you want to ask?" Su Chang's tone was full of affection.

Ye Zhenzhen's eyes darted around frantically, trying to figure out how to ask the question. She took a deep breath and then cautiously asked, "Su Chang, with so many beautiful women around you, who do you actually like?"

Su Chang knew women were always so gossipy. He smiled helplessly and casually said, "I like them all except He Minhong."

Upon hearing He Minhong's name, Ye Zhenzhen's face showed a hint of helplessness. She knew what kind of person He Minhong was, but this was not the answer she wanted.

She bit her lip and pressed on, "That's not what I meant. I wanted to ask you who you want as your girlfriend."

Su Chang's heart stirred at Ye Zhenzhen's earnest expression. He deliberately adopted a look of concern for someone with intellectual disabilities and said to her, "Since I like them all, of course they'll all be my girlfriends, including you."

Upon hearing Su Chang ask her to be his girlfriend, Ye Zhenzhen's face flushed as red as a ripe apple. A surge of joy welled up inside her, but then she remembered Su Chang's greed and, in a fit of irritation, shoved him while saying, "Go to hell, you scumbag! So greedy! Get off the bus right now!"

Chapter 239 Li Qixing Arrives

Seeing Zhu Zhe's figure appear ahead, Su Chang knew he couldn't continue arguing with Ye Zhenzhen. He smiled, opened the car door, and half-heartedly got out. Ye Zhenzhen watched Su Chang's departing figure, feeling a little disappointed, but also realizing her reaction had been somewhat excessive. She could only sigh softly.

Upon seeing Su Chang, Zhu Zhe immediately approached her with a grateful expression and said, "President Su, thank you so much for tonight!"

Su Chang waved her hand and said, "It's okay..."

At this moment, Ye Zhenzhen rolled down the car window and shouted to Zhu Zhe, "Jiji, get in the car quickly, don't pay attention to that scumbag, he has ulterior motives towards you, let's go quickly."

Upon hearing Ye Zhenzhen's words, Zhu Zhe blushed instantly, while Su Chang patted Zhu Zhe's shoulder helplessly and said, "Get in the car quickly."

"Oh, okay, President Su." Zhu Zhe quickly replied and then got into Ye Zhenzhen's car.

After Zhu Zhe got into the car, Ye Zhenzhen made a face at Su Chang and then sped off.

Watching Ye Zhenzhen's car drive away, Su Chang shook his head helplessly. He then got into his own car and quickly followed. With Ye Zhenzhen's driving skills, how could she possibly shake off Su Chang? In just a few minutes, Su Chang caught up with Ye Zhenzhen's car. However, he didn't rush to catch up; he simply stayed behind and slowly protected the two of them.

Throughout the journey, Zhu Zhe was in low spirits, and Ye Zhenzhen would glance at her from time to time, fearing that something bad might happen to her.