Parallel world—Jiangcheng, Annan District Civil Affairs Bureau.
With the swift fall of the official seal, Lu Qin and Shen Muyan were divorced.
The two of them each put away their divorce certificates and stood up from their chairs.
In an instant, this stunningly attractive newly divorced couple drew the attention of everyone in the hall.
Many whispered in regret:
"What a shame... Such a talented man and beautiful woman, and they got divorced!"
"The guy's so handsome, clean-cut and pleasant to look at. The woman has such an elegant aura and gorgeous looks—like a movie star. They seemed like a perfect match… How could they just split like that?"
Standing outside the civil affairs office.
Shen Muyan put on her sunglasses, concealing her breathtakingly beautiful face. Tall and graceful, her features were like those of a painting—delicate and refined. Her long, straight black hair cascaded down like a waterfall.
She glanced at Lu Qin and spoke in a cool, composed tone:
"You should seriously reconsider not taking any of the assets."
"Yaoyao's (Lu Xiyao) preschool tuition isn't exactly cheap."
Raising a child isn't easy—it's like feeding a gold-devouring beast. And now that they were divorced, Lu Qin had no support, no job, and no income.
"No need." Lu Qin shook his head calmly, his tone indifferent but his gaze resolute.
Since Lu Qin insisted, Shen Muyan didn't say anything more. She turned and stepped into the Maserati parked at the curb, driving off without hesitation.
She had always been decisive and firm.
They were both adults—every decision came with responsibility.
Shen Muyan was genuinely surprised that Lu Qin didn't want a single cent. After all, he could've walked away with a large sum of money—most people wouldn't be able to resist.
The little one was incredibly stubborn and insisted on staying with Lu Qin. Shen Muyan understood her attachment to her father—she'd barely spent any time with her since birth.
She wasn't worried about the child being with Lu Qin. Once she left the life of luxury behind, Shen Muyan believed it wouldn't even take half a month before the little girl would come crying back to her.
Lu Qin refusing the money also worked in her favor—when life got hard, custody would naturally come back to her without lifting a finger.
Lu Qin hailed a cab and headed for Starlight Kindergarten.
Leaving the marriage with nothing, he had only 35,000 yuan in savings. Now divorced, he also had to find a place to rent.
They used to live in Shen Muyan's villa—well-off, no worries about food or shelter. He wasn't sure if his little girl would be able to adapt to this new life.
That was his only real concern.
He and Shen Muyan never had much affection between them. The child was a result of a drunken mistake at a banquet.
They'd registered their marriage hastily because of the pregnancy, never even held a wedding.
Shen Muyan was a workaholic, managing several five-star hotel chains. Despite her wealth in the tens of millions, she paid little attention to Lu Qin or their daughter, Lu Xiyao.
To spend more time with their child, Lu Qin had resigned from his high-paying job at a publicly traded tech company and became a stay-at-home dad.
The years passed in a flash. Shen Muyan remained busy, sometimes away on business for half a month without a trace.
Lu Qin took care of their daughter daily, keeping the house in perfect order.
There was no conflict between them, no arguments—but their affection was paper-thin, and they never had a chance to truly bond. The divorce felt like something both had anticipated.
They parted peacefully, without resentment.
Outside Starlight Kindergarten.
Wearing a plain white shirt and jeans, Lu Qin's tall figure and handsome face quickly drew glances from the moms waiting to pick up their kids.
"Daddy!"
A little girl ran out the moment she saw him, turning into a little leg-hugging koala.
Dressed in a pink princess dress, bright-eyed and lively, Lu Xiyao had perfectly inherited both her parents' excellent genes.
Her chubby little face rubbed against Lu Qin's leg as she clung to him, her soft voice calling out "Daddy" sweet enough to melt anyone's heart.
Lu Qin's eyes filled with affection as he stroked her little head.
"Miss Li, I'm here for Yaoyao."
He showed the pick-up card to the teacher, then scooped up the little girl in his arms.
"Goodbye, Miss Li!"
"Bye-bye, Yaoyao!"
The little one waved politely to the teacher.
Most of the kindergarten teachers knew Yaoyao's dad—Lu Qin was warm, gentle, and very handsome. And with such an adorable daughter, he was hard to forget.
They never saw the mother at pick-up, so many single female teachers and single moms assumed Lu Qin was unmarried and occasionally tried to approach him.
Yaoyao often got milk or lollipops from these admirers.
Hand in hand, the father-daughter duo walked slowly along a sun-dappled, tree-lined path.
"Yaoyao, were you good at school today?"
"Super good!"
Lu Qin raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Then keep it up."
"Daddy, since I was so good, can I get a popsicle as a reward?"
"I can reward you with a flick on the forehead."
"Waaah, never mind then." Yaoyao pouted for a second before bouncing along happily, still holding his hand.
As long as she was with her daddy, Yaoyao was always happy.
Of course, a popsicle would make it even better.
There were many grandparents picking up their grandkids after school. Whenever one of the kids wanted a popsicle, it was bought instantly.
Lu Qin soon heard the sound of gulping beside him.
He thought for a moment—Yaoyao hadn't had a popsicle in three days. Today was okay.
Upon hearing the good news, her little face bloomed with joy.
"Daddy, I want the strawberry Chocliz one!"
With the treat she'd been dreaming about finally in hand, even her eyebrows looked happy.
After walking a while, Lu Qin finally brought it up.
"Yaoyao, Daddy and Mommy are going to live apart now. Do you know what that means? It's…"
"Daddy, you mean divorce, right?" After finishing the popsicle, Lu Xiyao took the tissue from Lu Qin and wiped her mouth.
"You know what divorce is?" Lu Qin looked at her in surprise.
"Sure!" she replied nonchalantly. "They show it on TV all the time—divorce means Mommy and Daddy live separately, don't sleep in the same bed, and don't live together anymore."
Lu Qin gave a bitter smile. Kids these days seemed to understand everything.
Now that he thought about it, even after they got married, he and Shen Muyan always had separate rooms.
One, because there was no real affection.
Two, because Shen Muyan was always busy—managing multiple hotels meant late nights and constant travel.
"What do you think about it?"
"Doesn't matter. I barely saw Mommy anyway. She never came to school events, only spent one birthday with me."
She was down for a second, but quickly bounced back. "I have Daddy, and that's enough. I'll stay with Daddy from now on."
Lu Qin's heart warmed.
"Living with Daddy might mean no more big villa, or big TVs to watch cartoons…"
"That's okay. As long as I'm with Daddy every day, I don't need a big TV."
Lu Qin beamed.
His precious little girl was warm and loving—his perfect "little cotton-padded jacket."
The reason he didn't want any of Shen Muyan's assets was simple—he had his own hands, his own feet. He believed he could earn enough to raise his child on his own.
And just then—
Ding!
[Gourmet Street Stall System activated. Set up a stall to earn points…]
[100 points awarded for first-day activation]
[100 points automatically spent for a first-time draw…]
[Draw complete. Congratulations! You've obtained "Max-Level Stir-Fried Rice Noodle Technique." You can now make the most delicious Stir-Fried Rice Noodles in the world.]
In an instant, an overwhelming wealth of knowledge on Stir-Fried Rice Noodles surged into Lu Qin's mind. Cooking techniques, seasoning combinations, heat control… countless intricate details integrated effortlessly, all becoming second nature.
Lu Qin had never imagined that something as simple as Stir-Fried Rice Noodles could involve so many refined methods.
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