Divorced and Determined: The CEO's Ex-Wife Fights for Love - Chapter 36

Chapter 36 I’m Here to Lose Weight! But I’m Already Full Before Even Starting My Hike!

At Huaguoshan Park, most people came here for a walk or to exercise. But the appearance of Lu Qin’s snack stand disrupted the original balance.

At 2 PM, Around Lu Qin’s snack stand, a crowd of 30 to 40 people had already gathered. Some were standing in line for stir-fried noodles, while others, having already made their purchase, were eating nearby. The scene resembled a bustling food market.

“Hey, old man up front, can you hurry up with your order of noodles? You’re taking forever!”

“Iced mung bean smoothie! Hurry, hurry! Just got down from the mountain, and I need something to quench my thirst!” “Boss, I see stir-fried pork on your menu. Do you have any? If so, I’ll take a plate!” “Oh my gosh! Stir-fried pork? That’s insane!”

“Mung bean smoothie paired with crystal cake! Stir-fried noodles with stir-fried pork!” “This is crazy! I came here to run and lose weight, but I haven’t even started yet. I’ve already wolfed down a plate of stir-fried noodles, a mung bean smoothie, and a box of crystal cake. Screw it, bring on the stir-fried pork too—might as well try everything! It’s just too good!”

“Ugh, I can’t eat anymore. Two plates of noodles, a box of crystal cake, three mung bean smoothies… I’m stuffed. Boss, will you be here tomorrow? I’m calling it a day for now, but I’ll be back to conquer more tomorrow!”

“Someone lent me a stomach, I’m struggling here! But my mouth still wants more!”

“Huh? Why is my stomach so big? Am I pregnant?”

“Boss, other people’s noodles just cost money, but yours are life-threatening!” “Boss, I think you’re trying to overstuff me so you can inherit my lizard’s payment app debt!”

Half an hour later. A wave of customers from People’s Square rushed into Huaguoshan Park. The already busy snack stand became even more crowded. The park’s security patrol was dumbfounded. How did so many people show up all of a sudden? A mob… eating stir-fried noodles? This crowd is insane!

The security captain quickly instructed his team to move two trash bins closer to avoid environmental issues.

“Captain, those noodles smell amazing!” “Hurry up and get in line! Let’s give them a try!”

Lu Qin looked at the large crowd of customers in front of him and shouted.

“Please line up properly and don’t litter! If the city inspectors come and we can’t set up here anymore, none of you will get to eat.”

His words had an immediate effect, the noise subsided, and the line became more orderly.

“Boss Lu, don’t worry! I know the city inspectors in the west part of town. I’ve already asked them, it’s fine to set up here.” “Everyone, let’s keep it clean and not throw trash around. It’ll affect Boss Lu.”

Lu Qin quickly cleaned the pan and began preparing the next order of stir-fried pork. With a hot pan and cold oil, he unlocked the fresh-preserving temperature box, grabbed a handful of sliced meat, and tossed it into the pan. The freshness of the meat hadn’t changed one bit. As the meat sizzled and crackled in the pan, it was just right. The slices curled slightly, indicating they were releasing the fat. Any longer, and they’d be overcooked.

By now, the rich aroma of the pork filled the air. The surrounding customers all swallowed hungrily. This stir-fried pork was making everyone’s mouth water!

Lu Qin added a large spoonful of Doubanjiang (fermented bean paste), a spoonful of black beans, and some chopped garlic. Over medium heat, he sautéed everything until the red oil surfaced, then tossed in the pork slices for a final stir. Lastly, he threw in some scallions, green and red peppers, a spoonful of cooking wine, a spoonful of sugar, a pinch of salt, and a generous splash of soy sauce. After a few quick stirs, it was ready to be served.

The lucky customer who had first ordered the stir-fried pork couldn’t wait any longer. “Boss Lu, let me have it first! I’ll pay after I finish eating!”

He was practically drooling as he spoke.

Other customers looked on with envy. With the first bite, the flavors exploded in his mouth. The garlic sprouts and pork slices were perfectly intertwined—rich but not greasy, spicy but not overpowering, fatty yet tender. The customer was too focused on eating to say a word. The only sound came from his teeth crunching through the food. All around, the sound of people swallowing their saliva filled the air.

Lu Qin moved on to the second, then the third serving of stir-fried pork. A group of people supposedly on a diet found themselves devouring plate after plate, feeling guilty but unable to stop praising, “Damn, this stir-fried pork is ridiculously good!”

“Boss Lu, you should create a group chat. Let us know where you’ll set up each day by dropping a location pin so we don’t miss out.”

The suggestion came from a chubby young guy in his twenties who looked like a natural foodie. As soon as he said it, the other customers all nodded in agreement.

Lu Qin thought for a moment and agreed. He opened an old messaging app he hadn’t used in years and created a group with a 500-member limit. He wrote the group number on the small whiteboard. Customers scrambled to join the group.

Lu Qin made the chubby guy the group admin to help maintain order. The chubby guy’s name was Zhou Weiwei, a loyal fan of Lu Qin’s snack stand. Lu Qin remembered him because just a few days ago, Zhou had ordered six servings of stir-fried noodles in one go.

Zhou was very familiar with managing groups and immediately posted a group announcement.

“This group is solely for sharing Boss Lu’s food! No inappropriate pictures, political discussions, or advertisements allowed… violators will be kicked out!”

“I feel miserable if I go even a day without Boss Lu’s food!”

“+1”

“+1”

“+1”

…

Within a few minutes, the group surpassed 100 members. In this age of instant communication, the group Lu Qin created quickly spread by word of mouth.

As the last order of stir-fried noodles was packed up, Lu Qin’s food cart was completely cleared out.

In just two hours at Huaguoshan Park, he sold 255 servings of stir-fried noodles, 300 cups of mung bean smoothie, 150 boxes of crystal cake, and 81 orders of stir-fried pork.

His total earnings for the day reached 10,545 yuan, easily breaking the 10,000 mark. The system’s points had accumulated to 1,367. On average, the daily profit from the stall had been around 12,000 yuan for the past few days.

Lu Qin was very satisfied with this income.

At 4 PM sharp, Outside the Ourei International Hotel, Lu Qin parked his three-wheeled food cart in its usual spot by the roadside. The doorman greeted him with a smile.

In just a day’s time, the smiles from both the doorman and the hotel front desk had grown noticeably more genuine. In their private conversations, they gossiped about Lu Qin’s background.

On the surface, he seemed like just another street vendor. But that couldn’t be the whole story. After all, his crystal cake had won over the notoriously picky Mr. Rossi.

There was a good chance that Lu Qin was actually a low-key master chef. Lu Qin waited on the lobby sofa, while a server brought over tea and snacks.

Seven or eight minutes later, a tall woman walked in, holding the hand of a little girl. The girl was adorable, with big, expressive eyes that sparkled with intelligence.

Anyone who saw her couldn’t help but take a second look.

When the girl saw Lu Qin, her face lit up like a flower blooming.

“Daddy~!”

In a sweet, soft voice, she called out and ran into Lu Qin’s arms.

Fang Ya stood to the side, watching enviously. The bond between father and daughter was so sweet.

When Shen Hongda and his wife had dropped off Lu Xiyao, Fang Ya had taken her out to play. Shen Hongda and Jiang Qin had originally planned to meet with Lu Qin, but ultimately decided against it.

They felt a bit guilty towards him.

“Lu Qin, long time no see.”

Fang Ya greeted him with a smile.

Lu Qin stood up.

“Long time no see.”

Fang Ya sized him up. They hadn’t seen each other in over six months.

She noticed that Lu Qin hadn’t changed much—his eyes were still clear, his smile warm.

Such a good man.

Shen Muyan, oh Shen Muyan, you really didn’t know how to appreciate him.

And now, Lu Qin could make such delicious crystal cakes.

For a foodie like Fang Ya, that was a fatal attraction!