How can something be this delicious?!
As a proud foodie, Song Xuanxuan considered herself well-versed in the world of flavor. She had tried all kinds of delicious treats before.
But this?
This Ice Crystal Cake was completely new to her.
And the key point was—it was just so incredibly tasty!
So tasty... she was about to cry!
The macarons and strawberry shortcake she had eaten earlier? Worthless compared to even half a piece of this Ice Crystal Cake.
Lu Xiyao noticed Song Xuanxuan's enchanted expression and said smugly:
"Hmph, Sister Song, what do you think? Pretty good, huh? My daddy made that Ice Crystal Cake."
"It's too good!"
"Yaoyao, half a piece is way too little. Can you let me try another half?"
"Nope! I barely have enough for myself!"
"Just one more, come on, I know you're super generous."
Song Xuanxuan had now reverted to childlike wheedling.
"Nope, nope! You already had cake! I barely have enough Ice Crystal Cake for me~!"
"Yaoyao, sweet baby, you're the best! The most generous! Just one bite for your dear sister, and I'll take you to win plushies~!"
"I want to win a Miffy and Pikachu."
"Deal."
"Only one small bite, okay?"
"Promise! Just one little bite."
Lu Xiyao extended her soft, chubby hand and offered a tiny piece of Ice Crystal Cake.
Song Xuanxuan finally got her coveted bite.
But...
It wasn't enough.
Not nearly enough.
But that was it. The little rascal had finished the rest of the box.
Song Xuanxuan had only gotten a taste—and that taste left her wanting.
She turned to look longingly at the other boxes.
Lu Xiyao asked with a mischievous glint in her eye, "Sister Song, do you want these?"
"I... uh... no, no, I'm good."
Song Xuanxuan quickly waved her hands.
Those were reserved for the Chairman, his wife, and General Manager Shen. She definitely didn't dare touch them.
"All right, let's move forward with the plan as discussed…"
At the desk, Shen Muyan had just finished going over work matters, and the department heads quietly exited the office.
"Yaoyao."
Shen Muyan walked over to the break area. Seeing Song Xuanxuan and the little one laughing and chatting, her brows softened.
"Mama, are you done working?"
Lu Xiyao closed her tablet and looked up at her mother.
"Mm. I'll keep you company for a bit, okay?"
"Xuanxuan, get me a cup of coffee, please."
"Yes, Director Shen."
Song Xuanxuan stood up, wiped the cake crumbs from her mouth, and went to make coffee.
Shen Muyan sat beside Lu Xiyao and gently pinched her small palm.
"Yaoyao, what were you two eating?"
"Ice Crystal Cake. Mama, do you want some?"
Shen Muyan glanced at the white plastic bag and frowned.
It looked like something from a street vendor. Probably full of additives and coloring.
How could Lu Qin buy something like that for her?
"I don't eat sweets. And you should eat less of this too, okay?"
"Okay."
The little girl's eyes rolled around cleverly, then she chirped:
"Mama, this box was for you. If you don't want it, then it's mine~!"
"Fine, fine, you can have it."
When she heard it was from Lu Qin, Shen Muyan paused slightly, a faint warmth stirring in her chest.
But she still didn't want to eat that kind of snack.
Song Xuanxuan glanced at Lu Xiyao with a complicated expression.
This little trickster had intentionally kept quiet about how delicious it was so that Director Shen's portion would naturally fall into her lap.
Honestly, Xuanxuan felt the boss should try a bite of her ex-husband's Ice Crystal Cake.
Pretty sure she didn't know Lu Qin could make something that good.
Shen Muyan sipped her coffee and only spent around twenty minutes with Lu Xiyao before heading back to work.
Lu Xiyao played by herself on the tablet—Plants vs. Zombies.
"Yaoyao, you should plant Ice Peashooters. They slow the zombies down," Song Xuanxuan suggested.
"I don't like those. I want lots of Sunflowers."
"I love Sunflowers~!"
After a while, her sweet tooth kicked in, and she pulled out Shen Muyan's untouched box of Ice Crystal Cake and started nibbling away.
"Yaoyao, look! There's a rainbow outside the window!"
"Huh?"
"Where? I don't see any rainbow…"
Lu Xiyao turned her head in confusion, only to see Song Xuanxuan sitting there with a poker face, not saying a word.
Something felt off.
The little girl looked down at her box—it felt like a piece was missing.
Just as she was about to count, cheerful laughter echoed from the doorway.
"Yaoyao darling, Grandpa and Grandma are back!"
"Chairman! Ma'am!"
Song Xuanxuan quickly swallowed the bite of cake and greeted them respectfully.
"Grandpa!"
"Grandma! You're back?!"
Seeing Shen Hongda and his wife, Lu Xiyao lit up with joy.
Shen Hongda strode forward and scooped her up in one big hug.
Jiang Qin gently stroked her head, eyes full of love and affection.
"Grandpa, Grandma, weren't you tired from the flight?"
"Seeing you, our precious Yaoyao, all the fatigue vanished."
The grandparents took the little girl out right away.
First stop: amusement park.
Shen Hongda, still spry and energetic, even went on the pirate ship with her.
"Yaoyao darling, are you hungry? Grandpa will take you to get something yummy."
Their Mercedes pulled into a secluded estate—home to a hidden gourmet private kitchen.
Dishes were served.
Shen Hongda and Jiang Qin each had two bowls of rice.
Foreign food just can't compare to what we have back home—the couple couldn't get used to it at all.
Lu Xiyao only took a few bites of the dishes—not much at all.
"What's wrong, Yaoyao darling? So many tasty dishes, and you're barely eating?"
"Grandpa, I'm not really hungry."
She really wasn't. She'd already had Ice Crystal Cake earlier, and during their amusement park visit, she'd had ice cream and fries too.
Besides, even though this private kitchen offered beautifully presented dishes with top-quality ingredients—
They just didn't taste as good as Lu Qin's simple home cooking.
"That's all right. When you're hungry, Grandpa will take you to eat something else."
…
They got back to the villa around 6:30 PM.
Lu Xiyao called Lu Qin via video chat.
Lu Qin had already eaten and was prepping ingredients for his night market stall near the university.
Shen Hongda and Jiang Qin stayed out of frame, quietly watching from the side.
They saw Lu Qin busy organizing the food cart, clearly exhausted and worn out.
The two elders exchanged a look—both feeling a pang in their hearts.
Since the divorce, Lu Qin had not only been supporting the family financially but also caring for the little one all on his own.
It was simply too hard.
Even now, he was heading out to run a night stall.
A man raising a child alone—it wasn't easy.
Jiang Qin's nose turned sour. Her eyes welled up with tears.
She stood up abruptly and went to the bathroom to compose herself.
Shen Hongda also got up, walked to a corner, pulled out his phone, and made a call to an old friend.
…
That night—
Jiang Qin played games with Lu Xiyao upstairs in her room.
In the living room, an elderly man with graying hair sat beside Shen Hongda. The two of them sipped tea together.
"Ah, I see what's going on now."
"Your son-in-law—oh, no, your former son-in-law—can't find a job. And you folks can't step in directly, so you've come to me for help finding him a decent one."
"That's easy. A small matter."
Shen Hongda: "Old Chen, you have to be subtle about it. We can't let him notice that someone's helping him."
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."
"Say, Old Shen, why did your daughter suddenly get divorced?"
"Ah, young people and their relationships—we old folks don't meddle."
"What a shame though. That kid Lu really is a good one. I've always treated him like my own son."
"So, Old Shen, how are you going to thank me for helping you out?"
"Hey! Weren't you the one who said it was no big deal?"
"There's no such thing as a free lunch."
Shen Hongda shot Chen Dahai an exasperated look. Then, spotting two boxes of plainly packaged pastries on the coffee table, he said:
"Here! These two boxes of whi—uh, rice cakes. You take them. Brought them back from abrjust for you."
"Rice cakes? From abr"
Chen Dahai picked them up with a look of disdain and examined them.
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。