Divorced and Determined: The CEO’s Ex-Wife Fights for Love

Chapter 30 If It’s for Business, Then It’ll Be Justified!

Around 9 PM, Lu Qin rode his motorized food cart back to the neighborhood. At this time, the old district was quiet and peaceful. This area had many elderly residents who tended to go to bed early.

Two overworked young professionals, dragging their tired bodies home from overtime, passed by. Living a life where they ‘wake up earlier than the chickens and sleep later than the dogs’, they stopped at the convenience store to buy instant noodles for a late-night snack. Seeing Lu Qin return, they quickly greeted him.

“Lu Boss, you’re done for the night? Any fried noodles or mung bean smoothies left?”

Lu Qin braked and replied, “Sorry, everything’s sold out.”

“Ah, I knew it. Your fried noodles are so good, they are bound to sell out.”

“Guess it’s instant noodles for us tonight. How sad.”

“Lu Boss, you should set up your stall under our company building. I’d eat your fried noodles for all three meals, and I’d even pay for a monthly pass!”

Lu Qin chuckled.

“Thanks for the support. Stop by the stall when you get a chance, and get some rest.”

“You too, Lu Boss. Good night.”

Lu Qin unlocked the gate to his courtyard, pushed the food cart inside, and closed the door behind him. Without his daughter, Lu Xiyao, calling out Daddy in her sweet voice, he found himself missing the little one. It had only been half a day apart. He thought about video-calling her but figured it was too late and that she was probably already asleep.

By tomorrow afternoon, he’d be able to pick her up again. After a full day of work, Lu Qin didn’t feel tired. Thanks to the system’s fatigue-reducing aura, he had boundless energy.

Business at his stall was getting better by the day, and more and more customers were discovering his fried noodles. This was a good thing.

Today, he sold over 550 portions of fried noodles, 600 cups of mung bean smoothies, and around 240 boxes of Ice Crystal Cakes. After deducting costs, he still made a comfortable profit of over ten thousand yuan. The total revenue for the day was 13,288 yuan, and he accumulated 1,433 system points.

Lu Qin didn’t rush to use the points. Instead, he focused on cleaning up his food cart, washing the plastic baskets, condiment containers, and other items.

There was a washing sink in the courtyard, making cleanup easy. A bit of the system’s powerful detergent effortlessly dissolved the grease, and with a strong cloth, everything was spotless in no time.

Lu Qin was efficient, finishing the cleaning in just over ten minutes. Next, he began preparing ingredients for tomorrow’s morning stall. He had already established a long-term partnership with a local rice noodle vendor and Zhao, the owner of a disposable tableware store.

As his stall’s sales grew steadily, the demand for fresh rice noodles and takeaway boxes also increased. Lu Qin arranged with these suppliers to have a batch of noodles and containers delivered to him every afternoon.

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Zhao had a small delivery truck, so Lu Qin also had him bring items like ham, lean meat, vegetables, mung beans, and glutinous rice, saving him the time of going to the market daily.

After preparing some ingredients and condiments, Lu Qin was about to take a shower when his phone rang. To his surprise, it was Shen Muyan calling.

…

On Shen Muyan’s side, she had just finished her work at the company and missed dinner. She called Fang Ya, hoping to meet up for food.

Fang Ya was always good at picking out gourmet spots, and eating with her would give her a better appetite. But Fang Ya was at the University City night market tonight and wasn’t available.

The weekend buffet at the Ourei Hotel on the 6th floor was open to the public to attract more foot traffic and provide a bit of publicity. Initially, promotional deals had drawn in many customers, but people mostly came out of curiosity and rarely returned for a second visit. As a result, the buffet wasn’t as popular anymore.

It was the usual fare—seafood, steak, barbecue, and free-flowing drinks. Having grown up with access to such foods, Shen Muyan had long lost interest in them.

She had someone from the hotel’s kitchen pack her a ham and cheese croissant, then drove back to her villa. Throughout the drive, she kept thinking about what Shen Hongda had asked of her.

How was she supposed to bring this up with Lu Qin?

Before the divorce, Shen Muyan had never asked Lu Qin for anything, let alone now that they were separated. She parked her car in the garage, sat in her sports car for a moment, and then, after some thought, dialed his number. There was no other excuse but to use their child as a pretext for this matter.

“Hello.”

On the other end of the line, Lu Qin’s calm and gentle voice sounded the same as before.

“Hey, Lu Qin, are you asleep?”

“Not yet. I was just about to take a shower. How’s Yao Yao? Is she asleep?”

“Yeah, she is. My parents took her to the amusement park today, so she was exhausted and fell asleep not long after coming back.”

“Your parents are very kind to do that.”

After their divorce, their daughter spent weekends with her mother, but since Shen Muyan was always busy with work, it was her parents who spent time with the child.

As a mother, Shen Muyan often felt guilty about this, and she acknowledged it. She always wanted to make up for it but never seemed to get the chance. Yet, Lu Qin never once voiced any complaint or dissatisfaction about the situation. He was such a good man.

After a few moments of hesitation, Shen Muyan finally spoke up.

“The Ice Crystal Cakes you sent with the little one today—did you make those yourself?”

“Yeah. Did you like them? How about your parents?”

“Uh…”

In fact, she hadn’t even tasted them. She assumed they were store-bought and hadn’t given them a second glance.

“They were delicious. My parents loved them too. You’re quite skilled.”

“Good to hear. I’m glad they liked them.”

“Uh… the little one keeps asking for more. Do you think you could make five or six more tomorrow? I’ll send someone to pick them up.”

Lu Qin refused gently.

“You can’t spoil her too much. She loves sweets, and whether it’s five or six boxes, she’ll gobble them all up. I’ll let her indulge a little when I bring her back tomorrow.”

Shen Muyan’s parents doted on Lu Xiyao endlessly, and with just a bit of pleading from the little one, they’d let her eat anything she wanted.

“She probably had ice cream at the amusement park yesterday, right? Could you remind your parents tomorrow to limit the sweets for her? Too much modern ice cream is full of additives and too sweet for young kids.”

“Got it.”

Shen Muyan felt awkward. She knew nothing about parenting. But what about the Ice Crystal Cakes? How should she bring it up?

An idea came to her, and her delicate face flushed with embarrassment.

Lu Qin interrupted her thoughts.

“If that’s all, I’m going to hang up and get some sleep.”

“Wait… hang on.”

“Is there something else?”

“Actually… um… the Ice Crystal Cakes… I’m the one who wants them. Could you make some for me?”

By the time she finished the sentence, her voice was as quiet as a whisper. It was utterly embarrassing. Shen Muyan couldn’t believe she was saying this.

“Of course, I’ll bring them over at 9 a.m. tomorrow.”

Lu Qin agreed readily.

“Thanks.”

Shen Muyan’s composure gradually returned.

“How many boxes?”

“Hmm… six.”

“One box is 25 yuan, so six boxes will be 150. Just send it over via WeChat.”

Huh?

He wanted her to pay?

She was stunned, holding her phone with a complex expression.

Lu Qin clarified.

“Don’t take it the wrong way. It’s not about being stingy. We’re divorced, and if I keep giving you things for free, people might misunderstand. But if it’s business, then everything’s above board.”

Shen Muyan was speechless. There were countless men who would willingly give her anything for free. Yet here was Lu Qin, hesitating over a few boxes of food.

This man!

“Fine, I’ll send you the money. Will you need a delivery fee for bringing it to the hotel?”

With Lu Qin’s attitude, she figured there was no point sending a driver, considering the cost of gas.

“No need. I’ll drop it off at the hotel’s front desk after I finish my morning shift at the stall.”

“Alright.”

Despite herself, Shen Muyan felt a bit annoyed. She wanted to transfer the money right away but then reconsidered.

Why pay before she even received the cakes?

She’d wait until tomorrow.