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

Chapter 97 Reliable Good Man!

In the morning, the next day, at 4:30 a.m. sharp, Lu Qin woke up, went to the bathroom to wash up, and headed to the yard to stretch his muscles.

Today, the family of three had a parent-child activity to attend at the kindergarten. Based on past experiences, these events would take up most of the day.

So yesterday, Lu Qin informed his group chat that he wouldn’t be setting up his street food stall during the day. The chat was instantly filled with complaints.

He also canceled the delivery service for Boss Zhao, knowing no one would be home at noon. He planned to consider setting up his late-night snack stall, depending on how the evening unfolded. Meanwhile, he decided to buy ingredients early in the morning.

Pushing his tricycle food cart, Lu Qin made his way to Jingyuan Market. The three-kilometer trip took twenty-six minutes due to a major road under repair. Half the road was full of potholes, reducing the driving lanes and causing more traffic than usual.

At the market, Lu Qin bought all the necessary ingredients. Pork prices had gone up by fifty cents, but it wasn’t a big issue. Last night, Lu Qin had drawn a max-level skill for making Osmanthus Oolong Tea. He initially wanted to buy the ingredients to try it out, but the market didn’t have what he needed.

Oolong tea required a trip to the tea market, and coffee beans needed a supplier. He also needed dried osmanthus flowers, fresh milk, and butter.

Though sourcing these materials was a hassle, selling this tea could be highly profitable. The cost per cup was around 5 yuan, but it could sell for 28-30 yuan per cup.

With milk tea prices already around 20 yuan per cup, a tea drink made with max-level skills would easily justify the price. As the range of items he sold at his stall expanded, production time became a challenge. It was impossible to prepare every dish and drink every day. Lu Qin was considering rotating his menu.

After returning home on his tricycle cart, Lu Qin found the mother-daughter duo still sound asleep. Carrying the ingredients, he quietly entered the kitchen. He had over two hours to prep. He decided to start by boiling mung beans, which could then be refrigerated and sold as chilled mung bean soup at the night stall.

The landlord’s double-door, 750-liter fridge could store a maximum of 200 servings of mung bean soup. Lu Qin realized he might need a bigger freezer.

Better check with Boss Zhao later. He might know where to get one,

Lu Qin boiled a large pot of water, adding green onions, ginger, and garlic before placing the pork inside. As it simmered, he marinated chicken wings and began kneading dough.

Each dish he made was limited by storage capacity. The system’s temperature-controlled freshness locker could only hold so much.

Prepared foods like imperial chicken wings, chicken flower soup, and crystal shrimp dumplings had to be stored in the freshness locker to maintain their taste and texture. Leaving them out would compromise quality unless they were made fresh, which wasn’t practical.

Once everything was ready, the freshness locker was packed full. It could keep items fresh for 24 hours—perfect for the night stall.

While preparing breakfast, Shen Muyan appeared in the kitchen doorway, holding a dazed Lu Xiyao by the hand.

“What time did you wake up?” She asked, standing there in a Mickey Mouse T-shirt, her long, fair legs paired with flip-flops, exuding casual elegance.

“Four-thirty,” Lu Qin replied, plating a fried sunny-side-up egg.

“That early?”

Shen Muyan’s eyes widened slightly.

“Every day?”

“Mm-hmm.”

Watching him in his apron making breakfast, Shen Muyan felt a twinge of heartache.

Lu Qin didn’t seem to mind. Looking down at the still-sleepy Lu Xiyao swaying back and forth, he smiled and said,

“Yaoyao, time to wake up. We’ll be late for kindergarten.”

“Okay~!”

The little one instinctively responded but kept her eyes half-closed.

“She’s got quite the morning grumpiness,” Shen Muyan noted. “How do you usually wake her up?”

“By flicking her forehead—three flicks, and she’s wide awake.”

Lu Qin winked at her.

Amused, Shen Muyan curled her finger and brought it to her lips.

“Really? Let me try!”

Suddenly, Lu Xiyao’s long lashes fluttered violently, and she opened her eyes wide.

“Mommy, Daddy! I’m awake! I’m really awake!”

Her dramatic declaration amused Shen Muyan, who smirked playfully.

“I don’t think you are. I think I’ll have to flick your forehead!”

“Nooo! Mommy! I’m really awake! I’ll go wash my face and brush my teeth now!”

The little one covered her forehead and bolted to the bathroom. Lu Qin and Shen Muyan exchanged smiles.

Breakfast consisted of crystal shrimp dumplings, fried eggs, and soy milk. When Shen Muyan noticed a cup of coffee on her side of the table, she paused in surprise.

“What’s this?”

“A mocha, no cream, low-fat. I remember you used to drink this every morning.”

Before the divorce.

A warm, fuzzy feeling grew in Shen Muyan’s chest.

“You made it?”

“No, I bought it from a café while getting groceries.”

It was an Italian-style café that wasn’t usually open so early. The barista made an exception because Lu Qin was so handsome. Sometimes, good looks came in handy.

The coffee tasted average, but to Shen Muyan, it felt special. She decided she’d finish the whole cup.

Lu Qin wasn’t trying to impress her—his meticulous care for their daughter naturally extended to her. His habit of considering everything from all angles made him seem thoughtful, attentive, and utterly reliable.

Which woman wouldn’t be charmed by a man like that?

Thinking back on the divorce, Shen Muyan felt it might’ve been a foolish decision at the time.

After breakfast, both Shen Muyan and Lu Xiyao volunteered to do the dishes.

“Daddy works so hard every day! Let your little cutie handle this!”

“You cooked breakfast, I’ll take care of the dishes.”

The two ladies pushed Lu Qin to the sofa to rest. Shen Muyan even poured him a glass of lemon water. Lu Qin felt a subtle warmth in his heart.

In the kitchen, little Lu Xiyao, who often helped with chores, was much more skilled than her mother.

“Mommy, you’re using too much dish soap! You only need a little—just the size of your pinky!”

“Mommy, rinse off the grease with water first, then scrub with the sponge!”

“Mommy, shake off the water droplets before putting the plates in the sanitizer!”

Shen Muyan felt a bit defeated, needing a child to teach her how to wash dishes. But she was also proud—her daughter’s maturity was clearly the result of Lu Qin’s excellent parenting.

Without him, she doubted Yaoyao would be so cheerful, considerate, and clever.

At 8:15 a.m., the family of three put on their matching bear-themed outfits and left for kindergarten.

“I’ll drive. If you’re tired, nap in the car,” Shen Muyan offered.

“You’ll drive?”

Lu Qin glanced down and noticed she’d slipped on his flip-flops. The high heels she wore yesterday didn’t match the family outfits.

Realizing her mistake, Shen Muyan’s cheeks reddened slightly. She opened the trunk and found a pair of casual shoes.

“I forgot I left a pair in here.”

Lu Qin: “…”

The Porsche Macan’s engine roared as it sped off, leaving the old neighborhood behind.