Divorced and Determined: The CEO's Ex-Wife Fights for Love - Chapter 39

Chapter 39 Boss Lu, Can You Be My Brother-in-Law?

At the alley’s entrance, a man and a woman appeared one after the other. They weren’t related, but both were there for the same reason—Lu Qin’s food stand.

The man was Mr. Rossi. He had originally planned to check out of the Euro International Hotel and leave Jiangcheng. To him, the city was an absolute culinary desert.

But after stumbling upon Lu Qin’s crystal cake, it was as though he’d tasted a rare delicacy. He decided to extend his stay and hunt down Lu Qin’s food stand to fully indulge in the chef’s culinary skills.

The woman was Fang Ya. When she saw the long line snaking through the alley, her jaw nearly dropped.

“What on earth?” She muttered in disbelief.

“This is busier than a supermarket clearance sale.”

Despite being a mega-influencer and a food blogger with millions of followers, Fang Ya knew that when it came to food, everyone was on equal footing. She obediently took her place at the end of the line.

But she wasn’t the last to join the queue—more and more customers kept arriving.

“Will there even be enough food left?” Fang Ya wondered, starting to feel anxious. The smell in the air made her excitement soar. The noodles had to be amazing.

“Hey, guys up front, save some for those of us who came late!” She shouted playfully.

“And take it easy with the stir-fried pork, Peng Yuyan wannabes! I brought my own rice!”

Fang Ya was dumbfounded. The customers were practically turning into competitors, fighting over food. It was surreal!

The aroma of stir-fried noodles wafted through the air, sometimes mingling with the rich sauce of the stir-fried pork. The smells were intoxicating, a ten-out-of-ten on the tempting scale. It was pure torture, smelling all that deliciousness but not being able to eat it.

Suddenly, Fang Ya heard a familiar phrase. “Crystal cake.”

She froze for a moment and turned her head, puzzled.

Someone in the crowd was shouting about crystal cake.

“Hey, save some crystal cake for the rest of us!” A voice called out.

But such pleas had little effect. The people in line were resolute—each grabbing two boxes, no one willing to miss out on the famed treat. If there wasn’t a limit on purchases, they would probably buy ten boxes each.

Fang Ya’s eyes widened in shock.

“It really is the crystal cake… no way.”

She stepped out of the line and hurried forward.

What she saw first was a familiar small figure. This afternoon, she had taken her to play the claw machine, ride the kiddie rides, eat ice cream, and devour candied hawthorn. It was none other than little Yaoyao!

Everything felt like a wild coincidence. The stir-fried noodle stand recommended by Douyin users was actually Lu Qin’s!

Fang Ya quickly took out her phone. Sure enough, the QQ group announcement matched the night market’s location. Her heart raced as excitement bubbled up inside her.

At that moment, little Yaoyao was sitting on her small stool, looking like the cutest mascot ever. The customers around her adored the little girl, and her tiny hands were already full of snacks—lollipops, candied hawthorn, jelly, apples, strawberries, bananas, yogurt… She was a hit.

“Little beauty, how old are you?” One customer asked.

“Uncle, it’s rude to ask a lady her age! But I’m definitely not a little three-year-old anymore~!” Yaoyao replied cheekily.

The crowd burst into laughter.

“Little cutie, smile for the camera! I’m taking a picture!”

“Sis, did you turn on the beauty filter?”

“You know about beauty filters? You’re so pretty, you don’t even need one.”

“Who would say no to being prettier? I want to look my best~!”

“Whose kid is this? She’s so adorable, I just want to take her home!”

“Auntie, that’s a dangerous thought~! My daddy will call the police~!”

“Hahaha, I’m just kidding, sweetheart!”

“Little beauty, can I be your stepmom?”

“Does your family own a chain of luxury hotels~?”

Boss Lu’s Ex-Wife is Blind”

“No,” little Yaoyao replied.

“Do you have a mansion?”

“Also no.”

“At least your family must have a huge TV, right?”

“That too, no.”

“Then you can’t be my stepmom!”

The people around were stunned. The little girl’s innocent face was full of sincerity, yet her words held no trace of superficiality or materialism.

People started speculating if the conditions she mentioned were her mom’s requirements. If Lu Qin were to remarry, wouldn’t the stepmom need to at least meet the same standards as the biological mom? Otherwise, why settle for less?

Those young women who had entertained the idea of being her stepmom started backing off. It was a joke, after all—they didn’t have mansions. And looking at how amazing both Lu Qin and his daughter were, it was easy to imagine that Lu Qin’s ex-wife had to have been quite something.

“Boss Lu’s ex-wife must be blind. How could she give up such a great husband and daughter?”

“Exactly! With Boss Lu’s cooking skills, how could she not stick around for a lifetime?”

Hearing the chatter, even Fang Ya couldn’t help but nod in agreement. She blurted out, “Who wouldn’t agree? Boss Lu’s ex-wife must be blind!”

“Right, pretty lady? Great minds think alike.”

“Yeah,” Fang Ya nodded seriously, then took out her phone and sent a WeChat message to Shen Muyan.

Two minutes later, Shen Muyan replied with a single question mark.

Fang Ya followed up by sending a picture of little Yaoyao sitting sweetly on her small stool, holding a pile of snacks. Around her, the customers treated her like a little princess, showering her with affection.

Shen Muyan quickly responded.

Fang Ya, however, decided not to continue the conversation. She put her phone on silent and focused on more important things.

“Yaoyao, sweetie!”

Fang Ya’s sudden appearance caught little Yaoyao by surprise. She looked delighted and exclaimed.

“Auntie Fang Ya, how did you get here?”

Turning towards her father, she called out, “Daddy, Auntie Fang Ya is here~!”

Lu Qin, who was busy packing a few orders of stir-fried noodles, glanced over and responded, “I see her, sweetheart.”

He then looked at Fang Ya with a smile and said, “You’re here? There’s no place to sit except for some small stools.”

Before they could chat any more, the customers in line were getting impatient.

“Boss Lu, please hurry up with the stir-fried noodles! Lives are on the line here! Keep talking while cooking, but don’t stop!”

Lu Qin gave an apologetic smile to Fang Ya and then turned to his daughter, saying, “Yaoyao, please take care of Auntie Fang Ya while Daddy works.”

Fang Ya smiled and said, “Don’t worry about me, Boss Lu. You focus on your work.”

Little Yaoyao patted her chest confidently.

“Daddy, you go ahead. I’ll take care of Auntie Fang Ya.”

With that, Yaoyao went to the food cart and brought out another small stool. She unfolded it and placed it right next to hers, patting the seat invitingly.

“Auntie Fang Ya, let’s sit together~!”

It was as if they were both meant to be the stall’s mascots.

Fang Ya chuckled and sat down. Meanwhile, little Yaoyao went to the foam cooler and retrieved two cups of iced mung bean smoothies and a box of crystal cake.

Fang Ya’s eyes lit up with excitement.

“Auntie Fang Ya, try my daddy’s mung bean smoothie! It’s super delicious~!”

“And this crystal cake is so tasty~!”

Fang Ya swallowed, unable to hide her excitement, and accepted the treats without hesitation.

“Come on, Yaoyao, let’s eat together.”

“Okay~!”

…