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

Page 38

Dean Zhou frowned and complained, "Why did you two kids come here? Where are Andy's parents? Judging from Andy's clothes, they should be well-off. How could they bear to leave my Xiaoming in the orphanage? If Xiaoming hadn't been lucky enough to come to our nursing home, who knows what would have happened to him."

Upon hearing this, Andy trembled slightly, a hint of sadness flashed in his eyes, and tears welled up uncontrollably in his eyes.

Seeing this, Su Chang quickly explained, "Dean Zhou, thank you so much for taking good care of Xiaoming. Actually, Andy is also an orphan. She was adopted by a couple in the United States and then went there. She just returned to China and has been looking for Xiaoming ever since. Old Yan only told Andy yesterday that Xiaoming was here, so Andy rushed over last night. Unfortunately, it was too late and Xiaoming needed to sleep, so we came over this morning."

Upon hearing this, Dean Zhou's face showed a pained expression. He looked at Andy and said, "Child, I'm sorry, I misunderstood you."

Andy shook his head, his voice choked with emotion, and said, "Waaah... No, Dean Zhou, thank you so much. It was my fault for not taking good care of Xiaoming."

Dean Zhou sighed deeply and said, "Alas! They are all poor children. Come with me."

Dean Zhou led the two to a park-like area and pointed to a solitary, thin man sitting on a bench, deep in thought with a drawing board in his hand. He said, "That's Xiaoming. He gets up to paint every morning. When you go over there, please don't disturb him while he's painting, or he'll get angry."

Upon hearing this, a hint of urgency flashed in Andy's eyes. She wanted to rush forward immediately, but Su Chang, who was quick-witted and agile, grabbed her and held her back.

While wiping Andy's tears, Su Chang gently reminded her, "Andy, let's wait until Xiaoming finishes drawing before we talk. If he gets angry, it will be difficult to communicate with him later."

Andy bit her lip, trying to calm herself down. The three of them quietly approached Xiaoming from behind. Andy looked at the drawing board and saw a slightly older girl holding a slightly younger boy's hand. Her heart was filled with longing and guilt, and she was about to lose control of her emotions again when Su Chang quickly hugged her.

"Okay, we've found it! Don't worry! Don't worry!"

Xiao Ming was focused on his drawing, seemingly unaware that someone was behind him. His expression shifted between deep thought and casual sketching, as if he were recalling something.

Andy, Su Chang, and Dean Zhou stood quietly behind Xiaoming, watching him slowly complete his painting.

When Xiaoming stopped painting and picked up his canvas to admire his work, Dean Zhou walked over, gently patted Xiaoming's shoulder, and said softly, "Xiaoming, you painted very well today!"

Xiao Ming seemed used to Dean Zhou's behavior, smiled sweetly, and replied, "Yes, Aunt Zhou."

Dean Zhou then said, "Xiaoming, some older brothers and sisters are coming to visit you today. Do you want to go and play with them?"

Xiao Ming was stunned for a while before slowly nodding and saying, "Okay." His eyes were a little confused, as if he hadn't fully reacted yet. Su Chang could tell that Xiao Ming wasn't just dazed; he was just a little slow to react.

Andy looked at Xiaoming in front of her, her heart filled with disbelief. She remembered that Xiaoming was very smart when he was a child, just like herself, and had a special sensitivity to numbers.

Dean Zhou then pulled Xiaoming over and introduced him to Andy and Su Chang, saying, "Xiaoming, how about these two older brothers and sisters come and play with you?"

Xiao Ming thought about it for a while longer before softly replying, "Okay."

Then, Dean Zhou added, "Our Xiaoming is very smart. How about he recites pi for his older brothers and sisters?"

Whether it was because he memorized it often or something else, Xiaoming blurted out: "3.1415926..."

Seeing this, Su Chang inwardly cried out in alarm, "This is bad!" Sure enough, Andy was about to rush forward, saying, "Yes, yes, this is Xiao Ming. He and I were just like this when we were kids!"

Su Chang immediately hugged Andy to calm her down: "Andy, calm down. If you rush up like this, Xiaoming will be scared."

"Su Chang, shall we take Xiaoming home? We'll take him home right away," Andy pleaded, still nestled in Su Chang's arms.

“Andy, we need to get to know Xiaoming first before we take him home, otherwise it will hurt Xiaoming a lot.” Su Chang gently stroked Andy’s head and said softly, “Once we get to know Xiaoming, we’ll take him home, okay?”

Seeing this, Dean Zhou didn't know why Andy was acting this way, but he still stood in front of Xiaoming, afraid that Andy would hurt him. Xiaoming, however, seemed completely unaware, continuing to recite pi, his face filled with an innocent smile, as if he were immersed in his own world.

Su Chang thought to himself, "Thank goodness, otherwise if Xiaoming gets startled later, we'll be in trouble again." He hugged Andy tightly. Andy's eyes were glistening with tears. Her heart was filled with heartache for Xiaoming, but she calmed down for the time being after hearing Su Chang's words.

Seeing that Andy had calmed down, Dean Zhou's worries eased slightly, but he remained wary of her. Su Chang quickly explained, "Andy just misses Xiaoming too much, so she was a little emotional. Besides, Andy is a financial elite on Wall Street in the United States, and she recently returned to China to become the CFO of a large company!"

Chapter 75 Taking Xiaoming Back to Shanghai

As Su Chang spoke, she observed Dean Zhou's expression, hoping to reassure her. After all, Andy's performance made it hard to believe that she could take good care of Xiao Ming. She could only rely on her abilities; otherwise, it would be difficult to take Xiao Ming away, and she wouldn't be able to use the Panacea on Xiao Ming here.

Sure enough, Dean Zhou breathed a sigh of relief after hearing this, and his doubts seemed to have been somewhat relieved, but he still looked at Andy with a wary expression.

At this moment, Lao Yan also rushed over. Su Chang asked Andy and Lao Yan to accompany Dean Zhou to verify some information, and took the opportunity to tell Andy to go and inquire about some things with Xiao Ming. Although Andy was reluctant to leave Xiao Ming, she chose to trust Su Chang and left with Dean Zhou and Lao Yan.

After they left, Su Chang came up to Xiao Ming and asked gently, "Xiao Ming, besides pi, what else do you like to do?"

Xiao Ming then stopped what he was doing, looked up, and carefully examined Su Chang. His eyes revealed a hint of curiosity and doubt, as if he were wondering why this stranger had asked him this question.

After a while, Xiaoming pondered for a moment and then said softly, "Draw."

Su Chang then asked, "Xiao Ming, could you take me to see your paintings?"

"Okay, let's go!"

Xiao Ming's face immediately lit up with an excited smile. He seemed to think that someone wanting to see his paintings was something to be very happy about, just like a child. Without hesitation, he packed up his easel and paintbrush and pulled Su Chang toward the dormitory.

On his way to the dormitory, Xiaoming walked briskly, his face beaming with pride and excitement. As he walked, he would occasionally turn back to look at Su Chang, as if worried that he might suddenly disappear.

Su Chang silently followed behind Xiao Ming, pondering Xiao Ming's condition. He knew that to treat Xiao Ming, he must first gain Xiao Ming's trust.

A few minutes later, Xiaoming brought Su Chang to his dormitory. After Su Chang entered the room, he ignored her and started rummaging under the bed for something. Su Chang, on the other hand, began to observe the furnishings in the dormitory.

The room was very simple, but clean and tidy, showing that Xiaoming was being well taken care of. Xiaoming was struggling to pull something, but his arms seemed to lack strength. Su Chang quickly stepped forward to help, and together they pulled out a cardboard box.

"Brother, look!" Xiaoming said excitedly, his eyes sparkling with anticipation.

Su Chang smiled in response and said gently, "Okay, Xiaoming, thank you."

Xiao Ming pointed earnestly to the painting in the cardboard box, then patted his chest, his face beaming with pride: "Look, mine!"

"it is good."

Su Chang smiled helplessly, responded, and began flipping through the paintings one by one. He discovered that, just as Dean Zhou had said, most of the paintings were similar to what Xiao Ming had drawn today—a girl holding a boy's hand. This one was clearly a painting of Andy holding Xiao Ming's hand, showing that Andy, as his older sister, still held a significant place in his heart.

Perhaps in Xiaoming's heart, he had always been waiting for his older sister to arrive. Su Chang was carefully looking through the paintings, while Xiaoming happily squatted to the side watching her.

Su Chang then pointed to the two children in the painting and asked, "Xiao Ming, who are these two people in the painting?"

Xiao Ming answered without hesitation, "My sister and me." A pure smile appeared on his face, as if he were recalling the wonderful times he spent with his sister.

Su Chang asked again, "Do you miss your sister?"

"Yes!" Xiaoming answered much faster than before, his voice filled with longing.

Su Chang then kept coaxing Xiaoming to talk about his sister. He hoped that this would give Xiaoming a psychological suggestion so that he could communicate better with Andy later.

Xiao Ming's face was always beaming with a happy smile as he shared stories about himself and his sister when they were little. Although he didn't speak very clearly, Su Chang listened attentively and offered responses and encouragement from time to time.

Su Chang and Xiao Ming were chatting enthusiastically when Andy and Dean Zhou rushed over. Dean Zhou was surprised to see Su Chang and Xiao Ming, and thought to himself, "I've never seen anyone talk to Xiao Ming for so long and communicate with me. He's usually very sparing with words, only uttering one or two words at a time! This Mr. Su really has a way with words."

Andy had calmed down by now, and seeing how well the two got along, a huge weight was lifted off her shoulders. She knew she wasn't very good at handling interpersonal relationships, but seeing this scene, she couldn't help but feel a sense of relief; Su Chang was indeed a capable person.

Su Chang smiled and introduced Andy to Xiao Ming, then looked at Xiao Ming expectantly.

"Xiaoming, do you think this lady looks like your sister?"

Su Chang and the other two hoped he could give a satisfactory answer. Xiao Ming carefully observed Andy, who was so nervous she dared not move, even her breathing became cautious, afraid of disturbing Xiao Ming. Dean Zhou and Su Chang also held their breath nervously, quietly waiting for Xiao Ming's reply.

Xiao Ming was silent for a moment before finally speaking, "Like..." Andy and Su Chang exchanged a glance, a hint of surprise flashing in their eyes. However, Xiao Ming immediately followed up with, "Doesn't seem like..." This sudden turn of events caught all three off guard, leaving them with confused expressions.

Andy felt a pang of disappointment, wondering to herself, "Have I changed?"

Andy was getting anxious and tried to guide Xiaoming: "Look again carefully, how do I look like your sister?"

Xiaoming ignored Andy's question and started talking to Su Chang about the sister in the painting again.

The three shook their heads helplessly, but still listened patiently to Xiaoming's story. Although Andy felt a little disappointed, he decided that once they brought Xiaoming back to Shanghai, they would immediately have Su Chang treat him.

At noon, the four of them sat around the dining table, enjoying a sumptuous lunch. After the meal, Su Chang coughed lightly, breaking the silence, and proposed the idea of ​​bringing Xiao Ming back to Shanghai.

Dean Zhou frowned slightly, a troubled look on his face. His gaze fell on Andy, as if he were worried about something.

Seeing this, Su Chang quickly explained, "Dean Zhou, don't worry, we will take good care of Xiaoming. Also, I have two more requests that I hope you can grant."

Dean Zhou looked up at Su Chang with a puzzled expression and asked, "Oh? What is the request?"

Su Chang took a deep breath and said solemnly, "My first request is to donate 10 million yuan to the nursing home." It wasn't that Su Chang was unwilling to donate more; to Su Chang now, money was just a number. He could pretend to be nonchalant and say, "I'm not interested in money."

But to his surprise, the 1000 million also shocked Dean Zhou. Dean Zhou's eyes widened suddenly, his mouth gaped open, and his face was full of astonishment. He kept saying, "I dare not accept it, I dare not accept it! How can I accept so much money?"

Su Chang quickly interrupted Dean Zhou and said sincerely, "Dean Zhou, I am also an orphan, and I know the difficulties of nursing homes. This money is my way of giving back to society and also to thank you for taking care of Xiaoming."

Upon hearing this, Dean Zhou's eyes flashed with emotion, and he nodded slightly in agreement.

Su Chang then made a second request: "Dean Zhou, I would like to ask you to accompany Xiaoming back to Shanghai for a while."

·· ··Requesting flowers··· ········

Dean Zhou hesitated for a moment, but ultimately agreed. She muttered to herself, "Sigh! Why are there so many orphans in this world..."

Upon hearing this, Su Chang was startled. He suddenly realized that there were indeed quite a few orphans around him. He thought to himself: he had been an orphan in both his lives, and Andy, Gan Jing, Lu Yuan, and even Peng Jiahe were practically orphans. Perhaps this was just the orphan plot of those idiotic screenwriters, but it was alright, there were no worries, it was better than having parents like Fan Shengmei's.

Finally, everyone decided to return to Shanghai that afternoon. Xiao Ming didn't have much to pack; he clutched his sketchbook tightly, as if it were his most precious treasure. As for the old clothes, Andy said she would buy Xiao Ming new clothes in Shanghai, and they could leave the old ones behind. Su Chang carefully carried the box of paintings into the car. After Dean Zhou finished explaining the relevant matters, the five of them, filling the car to capacity, embarked on their journey back to Shanghai.

On the way back, Su Chang was in a good mood. After all, he had pretty much won over Andy, and the car seemed to be driving faster than it had been on the way there. Around seven o'clock, they entered downtown Shanghai. Su Chang pondered for a moment and then drove directly to the Dongshan Villa.

..... .... 0

Andy was somewhat surprised by Su Chang's actions, but did not object. She thought to herself, "Perhaps Su Chang did this to facilitate the treatment, after all, Chen Nanxing is here too."

Upon arriving at the villa, Old Yan was speechless with astonishment. He thought to himself, "Although I've heard Old Tan say that Su Chang is quite wealthy, I never imagined he would be this rich. He's probably no less wealthy than Old Tan."

If Su Chang knew what Lao Yan was thinking, he would definitely point his finger at Lao Yan and say, "What kind of vision is that! What about your perspective? Lao Tan, that old bastard, can he compare to me? I can easily outdo dozens of him! Brother Cash has trillions of dollars. If it weren't for the system's protection, I'd probably be called in for tea by now."

Dean Zhou seemed somewhat reserved. Although she didn't know the exact value of the villa, she knew it certainly wasn't cheap. However, considering that Su Chang had casually donated 1000 million to the nursing home before, she wasn't so surprised. She just felt out of place here.

Meanwhile, Xu Hongdou, Xu Hongmi, and Chen Nanxing were eating. Upon seeing Su Chang return, the three women quickly stood up.

Su Chang looked at them with a smile on his face, but felt a little awkward inside. He thought to himself, "What should I do? This must be Xu Hongmi. I came back without even saying hello. Xu Hongdou is going to give me trouble."

Xu Hongdou seemed to see through Su Chang's thoughts and said with a smile, "Su Chang, this is my older sister, Xu Hongmi."

Su Chang quickly extended her hand and said warmly, "Hello, Sister Hongmi, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Xu Hongmi responded with a smile, "Hello, Su Chang, thank you for taking care of Hongdou and curing Nanxing."

Chen Nanxing joked from the side, "Su Chang thinks this is all as it should be. I'm only doing this because of Hongdou."

Su Chang scratched his head, somewhat embarrassed, and said, "Haha, not at all, not at all, we're all friends. Besides, as a doctor, how could I stand by and watch someone die?" Su Chang dared not say anything carelessly, otherwise, if Xu Hongmi dragged Xu Hongdou into her trap, how would he ever build his own harem?

Afterwards, Su Chang introduced Andy, Xiaoming, Lao Yan, and Dean Zhou to the group, and also mentioned Xiaoming's situation. The three women looked distressed upon hearing about Xiaoming's condition and comforted Andy. Fearing that the women would become too sentimental, Su Chang quickly asked the nanny to take them to arrange guest rooms, while she invited Lao Yan to stay for dinner. Lao Yan readily agreed, and Su Chang went to the kitchen to prepare a meal.

Chapter Seventy-Six: Before Treatment

For the next few days, Su Chang stayed at the villa, and Andy also stayed there temporarily. One day, Su Chang and Andy were talking in the living room.

Su Chang looked at Andy seriously and said, "Andy, you know how amazing the effects of that medicine are. Let's wait until Dean Zhou leaves before we start the treatment. It will be more convenient that way."

Andy nodded, a hint of understanding flashing in her eyes: "Yes, I understand. I've been feeling much better physically and mentally lately, and you should also try to use this kind of pill as little as possible." A look of worry appeared on her face.

A week later, Xiaoming had gradually adapted to life here. That day, Dean Zhou was preparing to return to Daishan. Su Chang specially arranged a driver to take Dean Zhou back and bought her many local specialties.

As Su Chang saw Dean Zhou off, she took out a large brown paper bag, handed it to Dean Zhou, and said with a smile, "Dean Zhou, this is a small token of my appreciation for your care during this time."