9 PM.
Jiangcheng never really sleeps.
The flickering lights illuminated the bustling night market, where crowds swarmed between food stalls.
Nearby universities—engineering, finance, media—all had curfews. After browsing the night market, male and female foodie students carried various snacks and slipped through the side gates of their campuses.
Inside a dorm room of a girls' dormitory:
"Oh my gosh, dorm leader, why did it take you so long to bring me that grilled cold noodles? You trying to starve me?"
"Serves you right for being lazy. You should be grateful I even brought you anything."
"My dear dorm leader, what delicious things did you bring? I just got back from the library and I'm starving!"
"Here, take a look for yourselves—stinky tofu, spicy chicken skewers, braised pork wraps."
"Wow, my favorite braised pork wrap! Is it from Fat Sister's stall?"
A group of them gathered around the table, munching happily on their midnight snacks.
The dorm leader picked up her own portion, planning to keep it all to herself.
"Hey, dorm leader, what's that in your hand? Share with us!"
"Stir-Fried Rice Noodles. You guys don't like them."
"Stir-Fried Rice Noodles? No thanks, too dry."
"I don't eat noodles."
"I only like snacks, not staples."
They glanced briefly at the noodles and then scattered.
Just as the dorm leader wanted—the Stir-Fried Rice Noodles all to herself.
She had been late returning because she'd waited in line for twenty minutes to get that portion.
She peeled back the container lid, and a rich, savory aroma instantly filled the room.
Her stomach rumbled.
Unable to resist, she was about to dig in when her chopsticks were suddenly snatched away.
"Hey, didn't you say you don't eat noodles?"
"Uh... sorry, it smelled so good I just had to try."
...
One bite, and it almost blew her mind. So delicious!
"I want a bite too!"
"You said you don't eat noodles…"
Sizzle! Hiss!
"Wow, dorm leader, this Stir-Fried Rice Noodles are amazing—fresh, flavorful, and silky smooth!"
"Me too!"
"Wait, I want another bite!"
"Stop fighting, eat your grilled cold noodles!"
In just a few seconds, the entire container of Stir-Fried Rice Noodles was devoured.
"Dorm leader, why didn't you bring more of these noodles? They're so good!"
"Right? I only had two bites, definitely not enough!"
The dorm leader clutched the empty container, gritting her teeth, wanting to scold them all.
"I only ate one bite! How dare you say that!!!"
After enjoying such delicious Stir-Fried Rice Noodles, the other snacks lost their appeal. They took a few bites and tossed them into the trash, their tongues still savoring the noodle flavor.
...
In a class chat group, students were chatting before bed.
Lu Qin's fried rice noodle stall was the hot topic.
...
"It's that handsome guy's noodle stall down the alley. Highly recommended with both hands and feet—really tasty!"
"I think I saw it. Around 8:30 PM, it was pretty crowded. Regretted not buying some. Is it really that good?"
"Isn't the owner a super handsome young guy? Heard he already has a kid. That kid's so cute, I just want to pinch her cheeks!"
"A portion of Stir-Fried Rice Noodles shared among a dorm. Still craving it now. Tomorrow, let's go as a team—one portion each. No, make that two each!"
"Count me in. Will he still be there tomorrow night?"
"No idea. Should be. Business is so good, he's definitely coming back!"
"Anyone add the handsome boss on WeChat?"
"He's got a kid though!!"
"So what? These days, taking care of kids is the real treasure. Plus, the kid's super cute, looks amazing and adorable. Such a win!"
"Is he single?"
"Definitely. Otherwise, how could he run a stall with a kid in tow?"
...
At 9:15 PM, Lu Qin had sold out.
Over 200 portions sold, all 50 pounds of rice noodles cooked through, ham and diced meat nearly finished.
Looking at the empty baskets, some customers still in line showed disappointed faces.
"It's only this time? Sold out already? Not nearly enough, I haven't even gotten any yet!"
"Boss, the nightlife's just getting started. You're closing so soon?"
"Yeah, just smelling the aroma but not tasting it is the worst feeling!"
"Ahhh! I waited in line almost 20 minutes, and it's sold out. Not cool!"
Customers scratched their heads and stamped their feet, recalling how the earlier buyers immediately dug in—just watching them eat made it clear the taste was incredible.
So jealous!
But when their turn finally came, it was gone. So frustrating!
"Sorry everyone, I'll be back tomorrow evening. Come early then."
Lu Qin smiled apologetically. He hadn't expected business to be so hot this late.
In fact, it was quite booming.
There were almost twenty people still waiting. The alley was small, barely enough space.
Lu Qin had to sacrifice a bit of the noodle texture, cooking five portions per wok instead of fewer.
Thanks to his skill, the noodles still tasted good, though the texture was slightly less perfect.
Most customers wouldn't notice if they didn't pay close attention.
Reluctantly, the customers dispersed.
The Oden uncle from the stall next door looked over and smiled with delight:
"Told you, young man, just based on your noodles' flavor, your business can't be bad."
Though he said that, he was quite envious.
The noodle stall's booming business had not helped his oden sales much.
People barely paid attention to his oden; only iced tea, Sprite, and cola flew off his shelves.
Lu Qin packed up his cart. It was 9:45 PM now. The little one was starting to yawn.
"Let's go home and sleep, Yaoyao."
"You don't have to come tomorrow. Stay home and watch TV, okay? Sleep if you're tired."
"No, I'm not tired! Tomorrow I'll stay with Daddy. I can help him too!"
Though she said she wasn't tired, she yawned twice.
Usually, she was in bed by 9:30 PM, and after Lu Qin finished telling her stories, she'd be asleep by 9:40 at the latest.
Tonight, after washing up, it was already close to 10:30 when she went to bed.
Lu Qin felt a pang of guilt. His baby was so young, and running a stall was tough.
But the business had picked up today. Tomorrow he'd start selling earlier and wouldn't stay out so late.
Lu Qin decided no matter how much he sold, he would close by 9 PM to make sure the little one kept a good routine.
He carried his sleepy little girl onto the food cart and rode out of the alley.
At the alley entrance, Liu's fried rice noodle stall still had three or four customers buying noodles.
Master Liu was cooking and glanced up, seeing Lu Qin riding out.
He looked at him meaningfully.
His stall had been emptied for a while, no business.
All the noodle eaters had flocked inside to Lu Qin's new stall.
Maybe it was because Lu Qin was handsome that customers came.
Very likely.
Several girls came out of Lu Qin's stall, beaming after buying noodles.
Master Liu was a bit frustrated.
"Looking handsome can't fill your stomach."
"Skill is king!"
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]