He wants to adopt a younger sister, but his aloof wife disagrees.

The Lantern Festival had just passed, and the lingering snow in Jianghai City had not yet completely melted, with the early spring chill still biting. However, for all the teachers and students of the Affiliated High School of Jianghai Art Academy, today was destined to be a day filled with excitement.

The reason is simple: Su Xiaoruan, who swept 3 billion yuan at the box office with her film "Green Snake" during the Spring Festival and is now hailed as the "national fairy" and "genius actress," is going back to school today.

At 7 a.m., Tomson Riviera.

Compared to the hustle and bustle of the outside world, this luxurious penthouse is filled with a lazy atmosphere that makes you want to "stay in bed."

"Waaaah... I don't want to go... I don't want to go to school..."

Su Xiaoruan was wrapped in a silk quilt, rolling around on the large bed like a giant caterpillar. Her messy head was exposed, and her now priceless face was filled with resistance. Her hands gripped the sheets tightly, as if it were her last act of defiance.

"I'm a Best Actress! I'm the leading lady in a 3 billion yuan box office hit! Why do I still need to learn that damn trigonometric function?!"

Su Xiaoruan uttered a soul-searching question, her voice utterly heart-wrenching: "That math teacher lectures like he's chanting scriptures, I can't understand a word! Brother! Brother-in-law! You're my own brother! Please help me ask for leave, just say... just say the little green snake hasn't woken up from hibernation yet!"

Jiang Che stood by the bed, dressed in casual home clothes, holding a cup of warm honey water. He looked at the popular actress throwing a tantrum on the bed, a helpless yet indulgent smile playing on his lips.

"Hibernation?"

Jiang Che walked over, yanked off the blanket, and ruthlessly shattered her fantasy: "Snakes are cold-blooded animals, but the temperature in this room is kept constant at 26 degrees Celsius. You have no reason to hibernate."

"Moreover, I remember someone confidently stating in a previous interview that they wanted to be an idol who was 'excellent in both character and academics' and would never be illiterate."

Jiang Che held the honey water to her lips, his tone gentle yet firm: "Sweetie, drink the water and get up. You don't want tomorrow's headlines to be 'Su Xiaoruan gets arrogant after just becoming famous, skipping class and acting like a diva on the first day of school,' do you?"

Upon hearing the words "acting like a diva," Su Xiaoruan jumped out of bed. Having been in this industry for two months, she knew all too well the destructive power of public opinion.

"Get up! Fine, I'll get up!"

Su Xiaoruan angrily took the water glass and drank it all in one gulp. Then, with her hair all messy, she rushed into the bathroom, muttering, "Damn compulsory education... damn capitalists..."

Shen Qingge, who was choosing a tie in the dressing room, couldn't help but laugh when she heard the commotion outside. She came out, wearing a well-tailored Chanel haute couture suit that perfectly accentuated her queen-like aura.

"This girl got a couple of compliments from Director Feng on set, and she's gotten all wild." Shen Qingge walked up to Jiang Che, expertly straightening his collar, her eyes full of tenderness. "I'll have to trouble you to take her to school today. There's a high-level meeting at the company about acquiring the remaining assets of Tianyu Group, and I need to go and oversee it personally."

"Don't worry, leave it to me." Jiang Che casually put his arm around her waist and kissed her forehead. "Don't rush the acquisition. The Lu family is a drowning dog now; we'll hurt them more if we take it slow. Take care of yourself and don't overwork yourself."

"Okay, butler." Shen Qingge gave him a playful glare, but she enjoyed being controlled.

Half an hour later, a black Bugatti Veyron, like a ghost in the night, slowly drove out of the underground parking garage of Tomson Riviera.

Inside the car, Su Xiaoruan was fully disguised. Sunglasses, a mask, a baseball cap, and a huge scarf wrapped around her, making her look like a dumpling. She nervously pressed her face against the car window, peering out through the crack.

"Brother, do you think... my classmates will still ask me for autographs? I didn't wear makeup today, will they take ugly photos of me?" Su Xiaoruan asked anxiously.

Jiang Che gripped the steering wheel with one hand, looking straight ahead, and said calmly, "As for the unflattering photos... even if you wore a burlap sack now, they'd still call it 'vagrant style.' Be confident; you're the darling of capital now."

When the deep, resonant engine roar of the Bugatti appeared on the street where the school was located, the previously congested traffic seemed to be instantly cleared.

The scene at the school gate was no longer what it used to be. In addition to the original students and parents, dozens of media outlets with their long lenses and microphones were also waiting on both sides of the street, and there were even many fans who came after hearing the news, holding up signs that read "Su Xiaoruan I love you" and "Xiaoqing's wife", blocking the school gate completely.

"Oh my god... this is too exaggerated!" Su Xiaoruan shrank back in fright.

"It seems that keeping a low profile won't work."

Jiang Che frowned slightly as he looked at the frenzied crowd. He didn't want Su Xiaoruan's normal campus life to be ruined by this excessive fervor.

He picked up his phone and dialed the principal's number.

"Hello, Principal Wang. This is Jiang Che."

"I'm at the school gate. You have three minutes to clear a dedicated passage. Also, I don't want any non-school-affiliated media equipment on campus. If even a single candid photo of Su Xiaoruan in the classroom gets leaked..."

Jiang Che paused, his tone calm yet carrying a chilling, authoritative air: "Then your school's sponsorship fee for next year might need to be rescheduled."

The principal on the other end of the phone was so startled he almost dropped his phone, and readily agreed.

In less than two minutes, more than twenty security guards rushed out from the previously crowded and chaotic school gate. They joined hands to form a human wall and forcibly separated a passage. Immediately afterwards, the dean of students personally led several teachers out to maintain order, blocking all the reporters who tried to rush forward from behind the cordon.

"boom--"

The Bugatti Veyron roared as it powerfully drove through the crowd and came to a steady stop in the VIP parking space below the teaching building.

The car door opened.

Jiang Che got out of the car first. He was wearing a long, dark gray trench coat over a black turtleneck sweater. He was tall and slender, and with his sunglasses on, he looked even more stylish than those top male celebrities.

The screams around him were even louder than before when he appeared.

"Ahhh! It's Jiang Che! It's that amazing brother-in-law!"

"He's even more handsome in person than in the movie trailers! His legs are insanely long!"

"I heard he wrote both the script and the soundtrack for 'Green Snake'? That's a true talent!"

Ignoring the surrounding noise, Jiang Che walked around to the passenger side, gentlemanly opened the car door, and extended his hand.

Su Xiaoruan took a deep breath, adjusted her mask, placed her hand in Jiang Che's palm, and stepped down.

Although her face couldn't be seen, her iconic tall figure and aloof demeanor instantly made the entire audience erupt in cheers.

"Little Softie! Look this way!"

"Su Su! I'm your fan!"

Unlike before, Su Xiaoruan didn't flinch. Encouraged by Jiang Che, she waved to the crowd. Then, she followed closely behind Jiang Che and entered the teaching building under the escort of security guards.

In the corridor, students who were reading aloud in the morning began to peek out.

Those classmates who once mocked her as a "transfer student" and a "poor girl" now looked at her with awe and envy. Even Gu Yiming, the school heartthrob who once wanted to pursue her, now hid at the back of the crowd, not daring to raise his head, afraid of being glanced at by this now-top actress.

this is the truth.

When you stand at the foot of the mountain, you are surrounded by garbage and malice; when you stand at the top of the mountain, you are surrounded by flowers and smiling faces.

Jiang Che escorted her all the way to the classroom door of Senior Three (2).

The homeroom teacher, Mr. Wang, was already waiting at the door, his face beaming with smiles: "Oh, Mr. Jiang! Student Su! Welcome back to school! Welcome back to school! Student Su's grades are now a shining example for our school!"

Jiang Che took off his sunglasses, looked at his homeroom teacher, and said politely but distantly, "Teacher Wang, although Xiao Ruan has acted in a movie, she is still just a student at school. I don't want her to receive any special treatment, nor do I want any classmates to harass her. I hope you can take care of this."

"Absolutely! Don't worry! I'll be the first to object to anyone who dares to disturb Su's studies!" Old Wang patted his chest and assured him.

Jiang Che nodded, turned to Su Xiaoruan, and straightened her slightly crooked scarf.

"Go on. Pay attention in class."

"I'll pick you up after school."

"Mmm!" Su Xiaoruan nodded vigorously, her eyes overflowing with dependence. "Goodbye, brother! Remember to miss me!"

Jiang Che turned and left only after watching Su Xiaoruan walk into the classroom.

However, he didn't know that the moment he turned around, the envious and jealous looks from the girls in the classroom almost overwhelmed Su Xiaoruan.

"Oh my god, having a brother like that is so wonderful!"

"This isn't just an older brother, this is a doting dad! He spoils me rotten!"

Su Xiaoruan sat in her seat, listening to the discussions around her, and couldn't help but let her lips curl into a wild smile.

Hmph, envious, aren't you?

That's mine! Nobody can take it away from me!

……

Meanwhile, Jianghai International Airport.

A Gulfstream private jet that had flown in from Paris landed slowly.

At the VIP entrance, there wasn't a large group of people waiting to pick up passengers. Instead, there was only a woman wearing a black trench coat and oversized sunglasses, pushing a silver Rimowa suitcase and walking out in ten-centimeter high heels, exuding an aura of confidence.

Her name is Chu Ran.

She is a top international fashion designer, the newly appointed CEO of LVMH Group Greater China, and Shen Qingge's best friend and confidante since kindergarten to university. She is also the woman who accompanied Shen Qingge through her darkest time after Gu Yanzhi's betrayal.

If Shen Qingge is an ice queen, then Chu Ran is a black rose with thorns. She is alluring, shrewd, sharp-tongued, and has an extreme distrust of men.

"Is this Jianghai?"

Chu Ran took off her sunglasses, revealing a pair of narrow, aggressive phoenix eyes. She looked at the hazy sky in front of her and frowned in disdain.

She took out her phone, and on her slender finger was an extravagantly designed ruby ​​ring.

On the screen was a photo of Jiang Che. It was a photo she had secretly taken with the help of a private investigator.

"Jiang Che... Hah."

Chu Ran sneered, parted her red lips slightly, and uttered a standard French swear word.

"A writer of online novels? A gigolo who climbed the social ladder by relying on women?"

"Qingge, Qingge, you've been so smart all your life, how could you be so foolish with a man? Didn't Gu Yanzhi teach you a lesson back then?"

"They actually went to war with that idiot from the Gu family for this man? They even used the Shen Group's working capital to make some movie for him?"

In Chu Ran's mind, all men are scoundrels, especially handsome men with no background. Approaching Shen Qingge must be for ulterior motives.

"Now that I'm back..."

A dangerous glint flashed in Chu Ran's eyes as she lightly traced Jiang Che's face on the screen with her finger:

"Then I'll have to properly 'test' this man's true colors for you."

"If you dare to cheat Qingge out of her money and feelings... I'll show you what a Parisian guillotine is like."

She dialed Shen Qingge's number.

"Hey, honey. I've arrived."

Her voice instantly switched to a sweet, cloying best friend mode, but her eyes were as cold as ice.

……

Evening at Tomson Riviera.

Tonight's dinner was exceptionally lavish. Shen Qingge had called ahead to say her best friend had returned from abroad and was coming over for dinner.

Jiang Che, wearing an apron, was busy in the kitchen.

He had heard a bit about Shen Qingge's best friend. She was said to be a ruthless character, a notorious "female devil" in the fashion world.

"Ding-dong—"

Doorbell rang.

Shen Qingge hadn't returned yet; Su Xiaoruan was doing her homework in her room. Jiang Che wiped his hands and went to open the door.

The door opened.

A rich yet not overpowering scent of sophisticated perfume wafts over you.

Standing at the door was Chu Ran, wearing an extravagant fur coat over a deep-V velvet red dress, carrying several ridiculously expensive-looking gift bags.

She looked Jiang Che up and down.

My gaze moved from his impeccable face to the cheap apron he was wearing, and finally settled on his hands, which were slightly damp from cooking.

A hint of undisguised contempt flashed in his eyes.

"You're Jiang Che?"

Chu Ran did not enter the room, but remained standing at the doorway, adopting a condescending attitude and speaking arrogantly:

"I am Chu Ran. Qingge should have mentioned me to you."

"I mentioned it." Jiang Che said calmly, stepping aside. "Please come in. Qingge is still on her way and will be there soon."

Chu Ran walked in on her high heels, without changing her shoes. She glanced around the living room and frowned even more at the cozy yet distinctly masculine decor.

"Qingge bought this house, right?"

Chu Ran casually tossed the gift bag onto the sofa, sat down, crossed her legs, revealing her long, slender legs:

"The decorating style has been changed into a hodgepodge. Qingge used to love minimalism, but now there's so much... household garbage?"

The "household trash" she was referring to was Su Xiaoruan's snack bag on the coffee table and a book that Jiang Che had casually placed there.

The visitor is not good.

Jiang Che understood. They were here to cause trouble.

He wasn't annoyed; he maintained his hostly demeanor and poured her a glass of water, placing it in front of her.

"That's the feeling of home. Minimalist style is suitable for showrooms, not for everyday life."

"Making a living?"

Chu Ran chuckled as if she had heard a joke, her phoenix eyes fixed intently on Jiang Che:

"Mr. Jiang, do you seem to have some misunderstanding about your own position?"

"You're just a... plaything that Qingge uses to relieve her loneliness. Or to put it more nicely, a stay-at-home husband."

"The term 'living together' is only used by two people who are evenly matched."

She leaned forward, her imposing aura, honed from years of battling in the world of fame and fortune, pressing directly at Jiang Che:

"I heard you recently used Qingge's money to make a movie? You got lucky, you guessed right. But that doesn't change anything."

"I've seen plenty of gigolos like you who climb the social ladder by relying on women. As long as you give them a little something, they'll think they're something special."

"I advise you to face reality as soon as possible. Get your money's worth from Qingge and leave. Don't wait until you're kicked out in the end; that wouldn't be dignified."

These words were extremely harsh.

If it were an ordinary man, he would probably have been furious or so ashamed that he couldn't lift his head.

Jiang Che simply smiled faintly.

He picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and his eyes were as calm as a deep pool, showing no sign of being provoked.

"Miss Chu."

Jiang Che put down his teacup and looked directly at her. That gaze actually made the usually aggressive Chu Ran feel a strange pressure.

"First, although Qingge bought the house, the current owner is both of our names."

"Secondly, I funded the film production. I am also the legal representative of Qingche Entertainment."

"third……"

Jiang Che stood up and slowly walked to Chu Ran. He didn't deliberately release his aura, but his calm and confident demeanor was far more powerful than Chu Ran's aggressive and menacing manner.

"To live off a woman and still act tough is also a skill."

"Since Miss Chu cares so much about Qingge, why not care more about yourself?"

Jiang Che pointed to the ruby ​​ring on Chu Ran's hand, his tone playful:

"If I'm not mistaken, this ring should be Van Cleef & Arpels' limited edition 'pigeon blood red' from last year. But unfortunately..."

"Its color is a bit dark, and its brilliance isn't very clear."

"Miss Chu, you've spent so much time in Paris, the fashion capital, and you're wearing a... high-quality replica?"

boom--!

Chu Ran's expression changed instantly.

She instinctively covered the ring on her hand, her eyes filled with shock and panic.

This ring was indeed a "bargain" she bought at an auction after being tricked into buying it. Later, it was discovered to be a defective product that had undergone heat treatment, but because it was difficult to tell from its appearance, she continued to wear it to show off.

How could I tell at a glance that this guy who just looks like a gigolo can only cook is actually a freeloader?!

"You... what nonsense are you talking about!" Chu Ran said, her voice trembling with fear.

"Whether it's nonsense or not, Miss Chu knows perfectly well."

Jiang Che smiled, turned and walked towards the kitchen:

"The water's gone cold, Miss Chu, please enjoy."

"Also, when Qingge comes back later, I hope this meal can be enjoyable. After all, I don't want to see someone I care about making things difficult for a best friend who wears a fake ring."

Chu Ran sat on the sofa, watching the figure busy in the kitchen, trembling with anger.

She actually got killed?!

She was ruthlessly humiliated by a gigolo on their very first meeting!

"Good...very good."

Chu Ran gritted her teeth, and the hostility in her eyes not only did not subside, but burned even more fiercely.

"Jiang Che, right? You've successfully caught my attention."

"We've settled this score."

Just then, the door opened.

"I'm back!"

Shen Qingge walked in, covered in snow and exhausted. Seeing Chu Ran sitting on the sofa, a genuine smile immediately appeared on her face.

"Ranran! You're finally here! I've missed you so much!"

She rushed over and gave Chu Ran a big hug.

Chu Ran immediately dropped the ferocity on her face and put on a gentle and caring best friend's face. She hugged Shen Qingge back, but her eyes went past Shen Qingge's shoulder and gave Jiang Che a cold glance in the kitchen.

I miss you too, darling.

"I brought you a lot of 'surprises' this time I came back."

In the kitchen, Jiang Che chopped vegetables, listening to the insincere yet warm greetings in the living room, and shook his head helplessly.

This is hardly a reunion of best friends.

This clearly means that "Empresses in the Palace" is about to start filming again.

but……

Jiang Che glanced at the sharp kitchen knife in his hand.

Trying to cause trouble in this house?

We'd have to ask him, the "head of the household," if he agrees.