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

Chapter 103 “Outstanding Men Are Always in High Demand! Now I’m Really Interested!”

The last bit of gravy from the plate of imperial chicken wings was snatched up by Xiao Feng’s dad, who mixed it into his rice and cleaned it out completely.

Chef Hu watched as the dishes and plates gleamed spotless, even the soup on the tips of the chopsticks licked clean.

“What’s this? Are you trying to save the kindergarten on dishwashing soap?” He joked.

As he spoke, he scooped up a single grain of rice and a trace of scrambled egg with tomato from his bowl and licked it clean before tidying up the tableware.

One by one, parents and children alike were full and satisfied, belching contentedly. Some even started leaning against the walls for support.

“Burp~! It’s been years since I’ve eaten like this! What a feast!”

“Last month, I visited Beijing and dined at Yi Pin Xuan, enjoying dishes like Crispy Pipa Duck, Spicy Tiger Crab, and Double Pepper Beef with Wild Mushrooms, but they’re nothing compared to the homemade dishes by Lu Xiyao’s dad!”

“Today, I ate four and a half bowls of rice—broke my personal record!”

“The imperial chicken wings were out of this world! If I were given unlimited portions, I could eat enough to bankrupt the chicken farm!”

“You all haven’t tried Boss Lu’s Crystal Cakes—they’re amazing! Easily the best dessert I’ve ever had!”

“Boss Lu’s culinary skills have surpassed those of star chefs. I’ve never tried state banquet-level dishes, but I think he could match the masters who prepare them!”

“Lu Xiyao’s dad is wasted running a food stall. If he joined the culinary world, his future would be limitless!”

“Please, Boss Lu, don’t lose your head. Stay at the food stall. I still haven’t gotten to try the Chicken Bean Curd!”

“Exactly! If he becomes a high-end chef, how would we ever eat his food again?”

Zhong Shuyi’s dad leaned against the wall, listening to the crowd’s chatter, and dismissed the idea he had been mulling over.

Initially, he had intended to offer Lu Qin a high-paying job as the head chef at a hotel he had invested in—so he could enjoy Lu Qin’s cooking for free every day. But now he realized he had underestimated the man.

Lu Xiyao’s dad seemed to be a man indifferent to fame and fortune. With his skills, he wouldn’t need to run a food stall; any top-tier restaurant would eagerly take him. Heck, even preparing meals for high-ranking officials as a state banquet chef was within reach.

Zhong Shuyi’s dad felt fortunate. Choosing not to send his daughter to an elite private school but instead enrolling her at Starlight Kindergarten was undoubtedly the right decision.

At Starlight, many kids had parents who were big bosses or entrepreneurs. He’d heard that Lu Xiyao’s mom was the CEO of the Ourei International Hotel chain.

Secretly, he felt relieved that his restaurant investments were located in the north of the city. If they were in the south, they would have to compete with Ourei Hotels—and with Lu Qin’s level of culinary artistry, they’d definitely go out of business.

Unsurprisingly, the prize for the cooking activity went to Lu Xiyao’s team, well-deservedly so. Teacher Li handed a beautifully crafted photo album to Lu Xiyao—a custom-made leather-bound album with space for 200 photos. The little girl loved it and thanked Teacher Li.

The afternoon was filled with parent-child activities on the playground. Families participated in games like crab races, fun ping-pong challenges, and tossing and catching games. Everyone had a great time.

Shen Muyan, experiencing her first parent-child activity, genuinely felt happiness and joy.

______

Meanwhile, Shen Hongda finally managed to get through to Chen Dahai on the phone.

“Old Chen, what’s your deal? You haven’t been answering my calls or messages these past few days. I was about to report you missing!”

“Ahaha, I lost my phone recently and just got a new SIM card,” Chen Dahai fibbed.

“Really? Well, what about that thing I asked you to handle after you ate so many of my crystal cakes?”

“Old Shen, after observing these past few days, I feel like you don’t need to push your former son-in-law into any big corporation. Running his food stall suits him perfectly.”

“What? He doesn’t want to work for a company?”

“Of course, he prefers the stall! You have no idea how popular it is. Wherever he sets up, customers flock, and there’s always a line!”

Shen Hongda frowned.

“I know that, but food stall income isn’t stable. He’s a single dad with no house or car—there’s no security…”

Chen Dahai thought to himself, Old Shen must have lost his mind from overthinking. How could Lu Qin’s food stall not be lucrative?

“Income instability? Sure, some days he makes 10,000 to 20,000 yuan, and others, 30,000 to 50,000 yuan—it’s all over the place,” Chen Dahai said sarcastically.

Shen Hongda froze.

“10,000 to 20,000? 30,000 to 50,000? Per day? Are you kidding me?”

“The other day, I had someone estimate roughly. For his morning stall, he sold nearly 300 servings of fried noodles, 250 cups of green bean smoothie, and 200 portions of crystal cake. That’s about 9,500 yuan in revenue, with an 8,000-yuan profit.”

“In the afternoon and evening, he adds dishes like twice-cooked pork at 30 yuan per serving, chicken bean curd at 50 yuan, and imperial chicken wings at 28 yuan. Each dish sells over 200 portions, easily more. Conservatively, afternoon and evening profits are around 40,000 yuan.”

“Actually, how much he earns depends entirely on how much he makes. There are always more customers than food available. No dish ever goes unsold. Old Shen, do you get it now?”

On the other end of the line, Shen Hongda remained silent for a long time. Chen Dahai didn’t rush him, knowing that Shen was still processing the shock. He had felt the same way initially.

Having battled in the business world for decades, Shen Hongda and Chen Dahai understood how hard it was to achieve their current level of wealth and status.

The idea that Lu Qin could earn millions annually just from running a food stall felt almost unbelievable. Perhaps the times really have changed.

This was the age of traffic and flow. Some internet celebrities could effortlessly earn millions through live-streaming and sales. But Lu Qin was different.

Internet influencers relied on luck, hype, and marketing to gain traffic, while Lu Qin’s popularity was built on solid skills. His reputation came from serving one delicious dish after another.

Influencers could face backlash or fade into obscurity. But not Lu Qin. His food stall business would only grow because his culinary skills would keep improving.

After a long silence, Shen Hongda exhaled deeply.

“Old Chen, forget about what I asked you to do earlier.”

“Exactly. No company could pay him better than his food stall does!”

“Old Chen, since you didn’t do anything, make sure to return the crystal cakes you owe me.”

“Shen Hongda, you’re such a scoundrel!” Chen Dahai snapped.

The call ended before he could finish venting. He spat angrily, thinking, Just wait until my daughter Chen Yue wins over Lu Qin. Then you won’t even get a single bite of his crystal cake!

With that thought, Chen Dahai called his daughter.

“How’s it going with Lu Qin? Have you held hands yet?”

Chen Yue, sipping water, nearly choked. “Cough… Dad! What are you talking about? We’re not even close! He’s so cold. I had to use the excuse of ordering meals for employees just to get his WeChat, and even then, he doesn’t respond when I message him!”

“You’ve got to step up your game. Shen Hongda’s daughter is getting close to Lu Qin—it seems like they’re heading toward remarriage!”

“What? No way! Outstanding men are always in demand! Now I’m really fired up!” Chen Yue’s eyes sparkled with determination.

“Good! Persevere and stay motivated! That’s the spirit of my daughter, Chen Dahai’s bloodline! Seize the moment!”