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

Page 85

Seeing Pan Shuai's agitated state, Li Meng felt a pang of pity, but she knew she had to stand firm and resolve the issue once and for all.

She took a deep breath and said again with a serious expression, "Pan Shuai, I'm not saying you should be single, but at least I can't. Besides, I think we're actually quite incompatible. From now on, let's just treat each other as ordinary colleagues." Her eyes revealed a firmness and determination.

Pan Shuai's face turned extremely ugly, his eyes filled with disappointment and pain: "Then tell me what's wrong with us? If there's anything I did wrong, just tell me directly, and I'll change, okay?" His voice carried a hint of pleading, like a wounded lapdog.

Seeing Pan Shuai's persistent and nagging manner, Li Meng frowned and said irritably, "Then tell me, what do you like about me? I'll change it, okay?" Her tone was tinged with impatience and helplessness.

A look of despair crossed Pan Shuai's face, his eyes filled with sorrow and loss: "I love everything about you. As long as it's you, I love you." His voice was filled with deep affection, which moved everyone present.

Li Meng felt a surge of emotion, but she tried her best to control it.

"Pan Shuai, I don't care if you like me or not, I'm not going to like you, and I already have someone I like." Her voice was firm and resolute. As she said this, the image of a man appeared in her mind. He was always so confident and always so attractive. A blush crept onto her face.

Pan Shuai's face turned ashen instantly, and his body swayed as if he had suffered a tremendous blow: "Impossible, absolutely impossible. We're together almost every day, and you only interact with us teachers. Li Meng, you're lying to me to reject me, aren't you?" His voice was filled with despair and resentment, as if his entire world had lost its color in an instant.

Seeing Pan Shuai's excited expression, Li Meng frowned deeply, her impatience growing stronger, and her goodwill towards Pan Shuai decreasing significantly.

Her eyes turned cold, and she said stiffly, "Teacher Pan, no matter what you think, it's none of my business. I want to make it clear to you that there's no future for us, and I already have someone I like. You should go find a girl who's more suitable for you." After saying that, she even changed her form of address from "Pan (Wang Nuo Zhao) Shuai" to "Teacher Pan."

Pan Shuai's face instantly turned ugly, his eyes revealing a trace of pain and resentment, and he said in a trembling voice, "Li Meng, you said you have someone you like, right? I can give up, but you have to agree to one condition."

A sense of unease welled up in Li Meng's heart. She didn't know what conditions Pan Shuai would propose, but in order to end this entanglement as soon as possible, she decided to listen to what Pan Shuai had to say. She took a deep breath and tried to keep her voice calm: "Tell me, what are your conditions? As long as they're not too outrageous, I can consider agreeing."

Pan Shuai stared intently into Li Meng's eyes and said without hesitation, "It's simple. Let me see him. I want to know exactly where I fall short compared to him."

Upon hearing this condition, Li Meng felt a sudden pang of unease. A flicker of panic crossed her eyes, and her lips trembled slightly. She lowered her head, avoiding Pan Shuai's gaze, and pondered to herself, "What should I do? He doesn't know my feelings for him, and I'm not even sure if he likes me back. If Pan Shuai sees him, will it cause him trouble? Will he also dislike me?"

Seeing Li Meng's hesitation, Pan Shuai's anger rose. He couldn't help but say, "Is this condition so unreasonable that it's putting you in such a difficult position?"

Chapter 158 Breaking News

Li Meng looked up at Pan Shuai, a hint of embarrassed shyness in her eyes. She bit her lip and said softly, "No, it's just that I like him, but he doesn't know it yet, and I don't even know if he likes me." Her voice carried a trace of helplessness and unease.

Seeing Li Meng's rare shyness, Pan Shuai's heart stirred once again. However, the thought that the goddess he had been pursuing so desperately was about to become someone else's "lapdog" filled him with bitterness and resentment.

He struggled to suppress his anger, let out a long breath, and said, "Just tell me who it is. I'll go see him myself. Don't worry, I won't tell that person."

Li Meng looked at Pan Shuai with a hesitant expression, her eyes filled with contradiction and entanglement. She knew Pan Shuai's personality; if she didn't tell him, he might keep pestering her. But she was also worried about causing trouble for the person she liked. After a struggle within herself, she finally nodded and said, "Okay, but you have to promise you won't tell him, okay?" Her voice carried a hint of pleading.

"Okay!" Although he was heartbroken, Pan Shuai gritted his teeth and agreed. He also wanted to know who could win the heart of his goddess.

"Um...that...the person I like is...Teacher Su Chang." Li Meng looked towards the door and, finding no one there, stammered, her face turning bright red with embarrassment, her voice barely louder than a mosquito's buzz.

Upon hearing that it was Su Chang, Pan Shuai gave a bitter smile. Of course, he knew how outstanding Su Chang was, and he admitted that he was not as good as Su Chang. However, thinking of the reasons Li Meng had given him before, he felt even more bitter. Sure enough, when a woman wants to reject a man she doesn't like, anything can become a reason. But when she likes a man, nothing else matters.

"Alright, Ms. Li, I wish you happiness soon!" Pan Shuai gave a wry smile, shook his head, and left the office. Although Li Meng felt a little reluctant, she felt more relieved. However, when she thought of Su Chang, her face couldn't help but turn red with embarrassment.

No sooner had Pan Shuai left than Su Chang arrived at the office door and saw Fang Yifan facing the wall in repentance. He had his head slightly lowered, but a faint smile was on his lips, and his eyes revealed a cunning look, as if he was plotting something bad.

Su Chang stepped forward, gently patted Fang Yifan's shoulder, and asked in confusion, "Wait, Fang Yifan, what did you do wrong that made Teacher Li punish you by making you stand facing the wall in self-reflection?"

Fang Yifan was still engrossed in the conversation between Pan Shuai and Li Meng when Su Chang suddenly slapped him, startling him so much that he shuddered. He inwardly groaned, "Oh dear, Teacher Su is here too! This is troublesome!" He rolled his eyes and said irritably, "Teacher Su, don't you know that scaring someone can kill them?"

Su Chang wasn't going to be easily dismissed by Fang Yifan's attitude. He stared intently at Fang Yifan and continued to press, "Tell me, what mistakes did you make?"

Fang Yifan inwardly groaned. He scratched his head and stammered, "This... I... I was just gossiping about Teacher Li Meng and Pan Shuai." His eyes darted around, avoiding Su Chang's gaze, while he thought to himself, "I hope Teacher Su won't press me any further, or I'll be in big trouble."

Just as Fang Yifan was wondering how to answer, Li Meng appeared at the office door. A faint blush graced her face, and her eyes darted around nervously, as if she were a little embarrassed. She smiled and greeted Su Chang, "Teacher Su, you're here!"

When Su Chang saw Li Meng arrive, he didn't press Fang Yifan any further and greeted Li Meng with a smile: "Yes, Teacher Li Meng."

Li Meng also remembered what Fang Yifan had done outside the office. She wondered if he had heard what she and Pan Shuai had just said. She was afraid that Fang Yifan might say something to Su Chang, so she quickly sent Fang Yifan away.

She straightened her face and said seriously to Fang Yifan, "Fang Yifan, you are not allowed to give nicknames to your classmates or gossip about the teachers, understand?" There was a hint of warning in her eyes.

Upon hearing Li Meng's words, Fang Yifan felt as if he had been granted a pardon and quickly nodded, saying, "Oh, okay, Teacher Li Meng, I won't dare to do it again." He secretly breathed a sigh of relief and was also glad that he had escaped a disaster.

Li Meng quickly waved to Fang Yifan, signaling him to leave immediately.

"Oh, okay, goodbye Ms. Li Meng! Goodbye Ms. Su!" Upon seeing this, Fang Yifan turned around as if he had been granted a pardon and quickly walked towards the classroom.

As he walked, he thought, "Luckily I reacted quickly, otherwise I might have been silenced by that iron rod. But this melon is huge, it tastes really good." A sly smile appeared on his face as he wondered who he should share it with, otherwise eating melons alone wouldn't be as sweet.

"Ms. Su, our class ranked first in the whole grade in Chinese in this monthly exam, but we are still a bit behind in math. I would like to ask you for some advice. Is that alright?" After Fang Yifan left, Li Meng looked at Su Chang shyly and said.

Su Chang was taken aback by Li Meng's sudden shyness, and shivered involuntarily. She wondered if Li Meng had eaten something bad today, but she still nodded in agreement.

“Okay, let’s talk in the office then.” Su Chang’s voice was calm and gentle.

"Okay, Ms. Su." Li Meng's eyes revealed a hint of anticipation as she responded softly and then walked into the office with Su Chang.

Fang Yifan had been holding back in the classroom for the entire period, his heart itching like a kitten scratching at him. Finally, when the bell rang, he could no longer contain himself. Seeing Qiao Yingzi and Huang Zhitao walk out of the classroom together, he followed them swiftly like a nimble cheetah.

"Yingzi, Taozi, wait for me!" Fang Yifan's voice was urgent as he called out and hurried forward.

Hearing Fang Yifan's call, Qiao Yingzi turned around, her eyes showing a hint of dissatisfaction. She said irritably, "Big Mouth Monkey, what's wrong? You want to follow us to the toilet?" The corners of her mouth turned up slightly, as if she was mocking Fang Yifan's behavior.

Fang Yifan felt a little displeased upon hearing the nickname "Big Mouth Monkey," but to make the story even sweeter, he tried to maintain a smile and said, "It's okay, we'll go together. I'm going too anyway. I'll tell you some big news on the way." His eyes sparkled with excitement, as if he was anticipating Qiao Yingzi and Huang Zhitao's reactions.

Hearing about the big news, Qiao Yingzi immediately became interested, and even Huang Zhitao unconsciously perked up her ears and came closer. However, Qiao Yingzi still teased, "What? What big news is it now? Aren't you afraid that Li Tiegun will deal with you again later?" A sly smile appeared on her face, as if she was waiting to see Fang Yifan make a fool of himself.

Upon hearing Li Tiegun's name, Fang Yifan's heart tightened. He looked around and, after confirming that he did not see Li Tiegun, he breathed a sigh of relief.

He feigned composure and said, "What does it matter? Don't make a fuss over nothing. At most, you'll get a few words of criticism, but it won't hurt you. Look at how timid you all are." His voice carried a hint of bravado, but he was actually quite uneasy inside.

Qiao Yingzi and Huang Zhitao rolled their eyes in unison, thinking that if you didn't look around like a thief and lower your voice, we would really believe you.

Qiao Yingzi found Fang Yifan's pretentious act somewhat amusing, but she still continued, "Tell me, what big news is it? If it's not big news and you're wasting our time, I'll make you regret it." Her tone carried a hint of threat, and she even showed Fang Yifan her little fist, making it all the more menacing.

"Let me tell you, this is absolutely earth-shattering news, and this is guaranteed to be true." Fang Yifan didn't take Qiao Yingzi's threat to heart at all. His face was full of a smug smile, and his voice unconsciously rose a few decibels, as if he were announcing this important news to the whole world.

Qiao Yingzi became impatient when she saw that Fang Yifan was still keeping her in suspense. She shouted, "Speak quickly!" Her eyes revealed a hint of urgency, and her hands unconsciously clenched into fists, as if she was about to punch him at the slightest provocation.

Fang Yifan was startled by Qiao Yingzi's shout. He quickly said, "Okay, okay, I'll tell you. You know what? I was just called to Li Tiegun's office, and I ran into Pan Shuai..." He lowered his voice, his eyes flashing with a mysterious light, as if he were telling a shocking secret.

"Isn't it normal to run into Pan Shuai in the office? Can you tell us something else we wouldn't expect? Keep it short and get to the point." Seeing that Fang Yifan was still keeping her in suspense, Qiao Yingzi interrupted him impatiently.

"Uh..." Fang Yifan was speechless for a moment, but in order to share the "gossip", he reluctantly reorganized his words and then said, "Li Tiegun said that Pan Shuai should stop pursuing her. He also said that he already has someone he likes, and we know this person. Can you guess who he is?"

"What? Teacher Li Meng won't let my uncle pursue her anymore?" Upon hearing this news, Huang Zhitao couldn't care less about "eating melons" and asked anxiously. She was mainly worried that Pan Shuai might do something rash, as she knew how much her uncle liked Teacher Li Meng.

"Taozi, don't worry about your uncle yet, that's not the point." Seeing Huang Zhitao's worried look, Qiao Yingzi quickly changed the subject and said, "Big Mouth Monkey, tell me quickly, who does Li Tiegun like? If you keep me in suspense, I'll sew your mouth shut."

"Alright, alright." Fang Yifan saw Qiao Yingzi's dangerous gaze and immediately dared not retort. He could only curse Qiao Yingzi a hundred times in his heart. Then, a strange smile appeared on his face, and he said softly, "It's Teacher Su, and it's Li Tiegun's unrequited love!"

Chapter 159 Inviting Someone to Dinner

Upon hearing that it was Su Chang, Qiao Yingzi and Huang Zhitao both paused in their steps, their expressions somewhat unnatural. Then, upon hearing that it was Li Meng who had a one-sided crush on her, their expressions improved, but they both felt a sense of urgency and a bit of dejection.

At 5 p.m., Li Meng, unusually, did not extend get out of class time today. As soon as get out of class ended, she grabbed her books and rushed back to her office. Her hurried steps, as if she had something urgent to attend to, attracted the attention of the students, who began to discuss among themselves.

When Li Meng returned to her office, her eyes immediately swept over Su Chang's seat, only to find it empty. Su Chang had vanished, and a wave of disappointment washed over her.

She dragged her heavy steps, like a deflated balloon, slowly returning to her seat. After placing the books on her desk, she closed her eyes and slumped weakly into her chair, seemingly devoid of all energy.

"Teacher Li, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" After some time, Li Meng suddenly heard a familiar voice. She opened her eyes abruptly and looked in the direction of the voice. She saw Su Chang looking at her with a worried expression, her eyes filled with concern. Li Meng's heart was instantly filled with excitement, and her heartbeat quickened involuntarily.

"It's nothing, Teacher Su, are you still here?" Li Meng's voice was a little shy, her eyes flickered, and she didn't dare to meet Su Chang's gaze directly.

Sensing that Li Meng seemed to be in good spirits, Su Chang breathed a sigh of relief. He casually said, "I left earlier, and only realized I'd forgotten something in the office when I got home, so I came back to get it."

"Really? If you forget something again next time, you can tell me and I'll bring it to you." Li Meng suddenly realized that her words were a bit ambiguous, and her face instantly turned bright red, but she still stubbornly raised her head and bravely looked at Su Chang.

Su Chang felt a little uncomfortable under Li Meng's almost suggestive gaze. He coughed twice to cover his embarrassment and nodded, saying, "Okay, I'll definitely ask for your help next time."

"Um... Ms. Su, are you free tonight?" Li Meng had completely let go of her inhibitions and asked directly.

"It's nothing, what's wrong? Teacher Li Meng, is there anything I can help you with?" Su Chang sensed Li Meng's unusual behavior today, but he still tried to remain calm and asked casually.

"I'd like to invite you to dinner, is that alright?" Li Meng asked, her head bowed, her voice barely audible. Her fingers gripped the hem of her clothes tightly, revealing her nervousness.

“That won’t do.” Su Chang’s expression suddenly turned serious, and his tone was firm and decisive.

"Ah? Never mind then." A look of disappointment and frustration appeared on Li Meng's face. Her eyes were dull and lifeless, as if she had lost all hope. Just like Pan Shuai in the morning, she could now understand Pan Shuai's feelings in the morning.

"However, I can still treat you to a meal," Su Chang said playfully.

Upon hearing this drastically different reply, Li Meng was initially delighted, but then became furious. She knew perfectly well that she had been tricked by Su Chang.

She stared wide-eyed at Su Chang, her voice trembling with emotion: "Su Chang, how could you be so mean?" Her eyes gradually reddened, as if she had suffered a great injustice.

This was the first time Su Chang had seen Li Meng look so adorable. Her pouting lips perfectly matched the "cute" in her name. The stark contrast left Su Chang momentarily speechless.

He snapped out of his daze, a sly grin spreading across his face, and teased, "So, even though I'm this bad, Miss Li, do you still want to come have dinner with me?"

Li Meng felt conflicted. She knew Su Chang was teasing her again, but she still couldn't resist wanting to go out to eat with him. She bit her lip, mustered her courage, and said, "Yes, of course I'm going! I'm going to eat you out of house and home!" Her voice carried a hint of coquettishness, making her all the more endearing.

"Alright, then, Miss Li, what would you like to eat? It won't be easy to bankrupt me, you know," Su Chang replied with a smile.

Li Meng's face flushed red with embarrassment. She lowered her head, not daring to look at Su Chang again, but in her heart she was thinking, "How could I say such a thing? It's so embarrassing!" But at the same time, she also felt a sweetness she had never felt before.

"Then I'll eat you for the rest of my life. I don't believe I can't eat you out of house and home." Li Meng blurted out these words, and then she froze. Her heart suddenly raced, as if it were about to leap out of her throat. She secretly glanced at Su Chang and saw a look of surprise on his face.

"Alright, Miss Li, you want to eat me for the rest of your life? I'm honored. Let's go now, otherwise what if the good places close down because it's too late?" Su Chang stopped teasing him and a hint of tenderness flickered in his eyes.

"Sure, we can go to my house and I'll cook for you," Li Meng said shyly.

"That's a good idea. Let's go grocery shopping together, then go to my place and cook together," Su Chang suggested after thinking for a moment.

Li Meng nodded, quickly tidied her desk, slung her backpack over her shoulder, and walked towards Su Chang. Her steps were somewhat hurried, as if a deer was pounding in her heart: "Let's go," she said softly.

Su Chang looked at Li Meng, and his heart stirred. He reached out and gently took Li Meng's hand, feeling that her hand was a little cold.

Li Meng's body trembled slightly. She looked up at Su Chang, her eyes filled with shyness and joy. She struggled for a moment before giving up. If it were anyone else, Li Meng would have already spoken up, after all, she valued her reputation among the students. But now, she couldn't bear to say a word. She thought to herself, this must be what it feels like to fall in love.

The two walked hand in hand out of the office, went downstairs, got into their car, and drove towards the market. They chatted and laughed all the way, seemingly forgetting all their troubles.

Unseen by the two, four pairs of eyes were fixed on them, and the expressions of all four men turned grim. After the car drove away, Pan Shuai emerged from behind a pillar downstairs in the office building. Looking at Su Chang and Li Meng's expressions, he knew he had lost, and lost completely. He had never seen Li Meng so lively and cheerful, nor had he ever seen her so relaxed. This was something he could never achieve no matter how hard he tried, and he was instantly devastated, losing all his energy.

"Uncle." At this moment, Huang Zhitao walked out from behind another pillar and called out to Pan Shuai.

Pan Shuai turned around when he heard Huang Zhitao's voice. Although he was a little surprised, he was in no mood to care about such things at the moment. Instead, he casually asked, "Taozi, why aren't you home for dinner yet?"

·· ··Requesting flowers··· ········

Huang Zhitao didn't rush to answer. She looked at Pan Shuai for a long time, as if she had made up her mind, and then said to Pan Shuai, "Uncle, do you really like Teacher Li Meng?"

Pan Shuai shook his head with a wry smile after hearing Huang Zhitao's words, and then said, "What's the use of liking someone? She has someone she likes now, and the two of them are a good match. I won't think too much about it and will just wish her well."

Although Pan Shuai felt a pang of conscience saying these words, he still forced himself to say them. Otherwise, would he have to cry in front of his niece and tell her how much he loved Li Meng and how heartbroken he was? Wouldn't he have no shame at all?

"It's okay, I'll help you win over Teacher Li Meng." Huang Zhitao patted her chest and assured her. Her idea was simple: as long as she helped her uncle win over Teacher Li Meng, Su Chang would be hers.

"Yes, I can help you too."