Around 9 p.m., Lu Qin rode his three-wheeled food cart back to the neighborhood.
At this hour, the old district was peaceful and quiet.
The residential area housed mostly elderly folks who typically turned in early.
Two overworked office workers had just dragged their weary bodies home from overtime, living the kind of life where they "wake up earlier than the rooster and sleep later than the dog."
They bought some instant noodles from the convenience store for a late-night snack.
Seeing Lu Qin return, they quickly greeted him.
"Boss Lu, you're done for the day? Got any more Stir-Fried Rice Noodles or mung bean slush?"
Lu Qin hit the brakes and replied as he stopped:
"Sorry, all sold out."
"Ai, I figured as much. Your Stir-Fried Rice Noodles are too good—no way they'd last this late."
"Guess we'll be eating instant noodles again for supper… tragic."
"Boss Lu, if only you set up your stall outside our office building—I'd eat your Stir-Fried Rice Noodles for all three meals and even subscribe for a monthly plan!"
Lu Qin smiled, "Thanks for the support. Come by the stall when you get the chance—and sleep early."
"You too, Boss Lu. Good night!"
Lu Qin took out his keys, unlocked the gate, pushed the food cart into the courtyard, and shut the door.
Without Lu Xiyao's soft little voice calling out "Daddy~", he found himself missing the little one—
even though they'd only been apart for half a day.
He thought about video calling, but seeing the time, she was probably already asleep.
Once tonight passed, he could pick her up again tomorrow afternoon.
Even after a full day at the stall, Lu Qin didn't feel tired at all.
The fatigue-relieving aura he'd gotten from the system's lottery was insanely effective.
His street food business was getting better by the day.
More and more customers were learning about his stall.
That was a good thing—
because he was also making more money.
Today alone, he sold over 550 portions of Stir-Fried Rice Noodles, more than 600 cups of mung bean slush, and around 240 boxes of Ice Crystal Cake.
Even after deducting costs, the profit easily topped ten thousand yuan.
He made ￥13,288 in total today, and 1,433 system points.
Lu Qin wasn't in a rush to use the lottery feature again.
First, he cleaned up the food cart, washing all the plastic tubs and condiment boxes used for ingredients.
There was a washing sink in the courtyard, which made things convenient.
He squeezed out some of the system's super-powered detergent—
the grease melted right off. A quick wipe with a strong cleaning cloth, and everything looked brand new.
Lu Qin worked efficiently. In just over ten minutes, everything was spotless.
Next, he prepped ingredients for the morning shift.
He'd already reached a long-term supply agreement with the rice noodle vendor at the small market and Boss Zhao, who sold disposable tableware.
Since Lu Qin's sales volume was steadily rising, his daily usage of fresh rice noodles and takeout containers was also increasing.
He arranged for several suppliers to deliver the ingredients each day around noon.
Boss Zhao had a small pickup truck, so Lu Qin also had him bring items like sausages, lean meat, vegetables, mung beans, glutinous rice, etc.
This way, Lu Qin didn't need to go to the market every day, which saved a lot of time.
After prepping the ingredients and seasonings, he had just planned to take a shower when his phone rang.
He looked at the screen in surprise—it was Shen Muyan.
On Shen Muyan's end:
She had just wrapped up work at the company, well past dinnertime.
She tried calling Fang Ya to go grab a bite together.
That foodie always picked out the best spots, which helped boost her appetite.
But today Fang Ya was at the University Town night market and couldn't make it.
The Aure Hotel opened its 6th-floor buffet to the public on weekends.
One, to boost hotel visibility and offer a bit of PR.
Two, to bring in extra revenue.
At first, the discounted buffet attracted plenty of diners.
But buffets were often a one-and-done deal—after trying it once, most people rarely came back.
So, popularity had been dwindling.
The usual buffet fare—seafood, steak, barbecue, all-you-can-drink—held no appeal for Shen Muyan.
She'd never lacked good food growing up, so she was long past being excited about it.
She had someone from the kitchen pack her a ham and cheese croissant and drove back to her villa.
The whole way, her mind was on the matter Shen Hongda had tasked her with.
How exactly was she supposed to bring it up to Lu Qin?
Even when they were still married, she'd never asked Lu Qin for anything—
let alone now, after they were divorced.
Pulling into the garage, Shen Muyan sat inside her sports car, hesitated a moment, then dialed the number.
She could only use the little one as an excuse for this.
"Hello?"
On the other end, Lu Qin's voice was calm and gentle, just like it had always been.
"Hi… Lu Qin, are you asleep yet?"
"Not yet, I was just about to shower. How's Yaoyao? Already asleep?"
"She is. My parents took her to the amusement park today. She got all sweaty and knocked out soon after we got home."
"Tell them thanks for the trouble."
They were divorced.
Weekends, the kid stayed with her, but she was always working, so it was the grandparents who accompanied her.
On the topic of motherhood, Shen Muyan had always felt guilty—
and she acknowledged that.
Every time she tried to make up for it, the opportunity just never seemed right.
Yet Lu Qin… had never once blamed her or expressed discontent.
He was—
a really good man.
Shen Muyan hesitated for a few seconds before asking:
"About the Ice Crystal Cake you sent through Yaoyao today… you made that yourself?"
"Yeah. Did you like it? Did your parents?"
"Uhh…"
Shen Muyan hadn't eaten it at all.
She assumed it was something from a roadside vendor and hadn't even looked at it.
"It was delicious. My parents liked it too. Your skills are impressive."
"Actually, the little one's got a sweet tooth and still wants more. Could you maybe make five or six more boxes tomorrow? I'll send someone to pick them up."
Lu Qin declined:
"She shouldn't be spoiled too much. If you let her, she'd eat all five or six boxes in one go."
"Once I bring her back tomorrow, I'll let her have a little to satisfy her cravings."
Shen Hongda and his wife doted on Lu Xiyao like a princess.
She only needed to act cute a little and she could eat whatever she wanted.
"She probably had ice cream at the amusement park yesterday, right?
Could you ask your parents to make sure she doesn't have any more tomorrow?"
Ice cream these days was full of additives and way too sweet—
kids were better off not eating it.
"Alright."
Shen Muyan didn't know what else to say.
When it came to parenting, she was clueless.
But—what about the Ice Crystal Cake?
Should she really say it… was for herself?
That thought crossed her mind, and in an instant, a faint blush colored her exquisite face.
Lu Qin: "If that's all, I'll hang up. Sleep early."
"W-Wait!"
"Hmm?"
"Actually… that Ice Crystal Cake… it was for me.
Would it be too much trouble to…"
By the time she got to the last few words, Shen Muyan's voice was barely a whisper.
So embarrassing.
She never would've believed she'd say something like that out loud.
"Sure. I'll bring it over tomorrow morning at nine."
Lu Qin agreed readily.
"Thanks."
Shen Muyan finally relaxed a little.
"How many boxes do you want?"
"Um… six."
"25 yuan per box. Six is 150.
Just send me the money via WeChat."
…Huh?
He wants money?
Shen Muyan was momentarily stunned, gripping her phone with a complicated expression.
Lu Qin said:
"Don't take it the wrong way. It's not about being stingy.
We're divorced now. If I keep giving you things for free, people will start making assumptions."
"If it's business, then it's perfectly legitimate."
Shen Muyan was speechless.
There were more men offering her free things than she could count on both hands and feet.
And yet, this man wouldn't even give her a few desserts without charging.
This guy!
"Fine, I'll transfer the money.
Are you going to charge a delivery fee too?"
Lu Qin said that, so Shen Muyan didn't bother sending a driver—gas isn't free, after all.
"No need, I'll be passing by after wrapping up the morning stall. I'll leave it at the hotel front desk."
"Alright."
Shen Muyan felt inexplicably annoyed and wanted to transfer the money.
But then she thought, I haven't even received the goods yet—why should I pay first?
She'd pay tomorrow.
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。