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

The moment they heard Zhong Shuyi ask Lu Qin to make rice noodles for her, little eyes lit up around the room.

“Uncle, I want to eat your stir-fried noodles too!”

“Yao Yao’s dad, I want to eat your twice-cooked pork!”

“Me too!”

“Me too!”

“Me too!”

…

A group of kids stopped eating their own lunches, all turning to stare at Lu Qin. Teacher Li, at a loss, gently turned their little heads back to their meals.

“Come on now, eat your own food.”

But after just a couple of bites, all their heads swiveled back in Lu Qin’s direction.

“Daddy! I’ll eat the kindergarten food instead,” Lu Xiyao said. She didn’t want her dad to go through any extra trouble, thinking she could hold off until the evening to eat his cooking.

Lu Qin gently patted her head. She had even shed a few tears just now, which was unusual for his strong little girl, who normally wouldn’t cry over minor bumps or scrapes. It was clear she truly missed his cooking.

He turned to Teacher Li.

“Teacher, my daughter would really like to eat my cooking. Could I possibly borrow the kitchen? I have some ingredients in my cart, and if it’s alright, I’d love to prepare a couple of dishes for her.”

The portable stove in his three-wheeler cart couldn’t do much more than basic heating, and he didn’t even have a proper kitchen knife, so cooking on the cart wasn’t an option. He’d need access to the kindergarten kitchen. Although he knew the school had strict rules, he hoped they might make an exception.

Teacher Li thought about it for a moment. Technically, it wasn’t against the rules, but she wasn’t sure if the kitchen staff would allow it.

“I’ll check with the kitchen. If they agree, you’re welcome to use it,” she said.

“Thank you so much, Teacher Li.”

Excited, Lu Xiyao gave her dad a kiss on the cheek and cheered.

“Daddy, you’re the best!”

Zhong Shuyi, full of admiration, added, “Yao Yao, your dad is really amazing!”

She was envious. Her dad was always busy with work and didn’t even know what she liked to eat, let alone cook for her. Plus, her dad couldn’t cook at all.

Many of the other kids also looked on with envy. At this moment, only Yao Yao’s dad was there; none of their own parents were around. They couldn’t help but feel a bit of jealousy.

“Yao Yao is so lucky to have such a wonderful dad!”

Seeing the looks from the other kids, Yao Yao felt incredibly proud, hugging her dad’s neck even tighter, refusing to let go. Not long after, Teacher Li returned with the good news, the kitchen staff had agreed to let Lu Qin use the space. Yao Yao cheered in excitement.

Lu Qin took out the pork and some seasonings, then followed Teacher Li to the kitchen, with Yao Yao toddling close behind him, determined not to be separated from her dad.

Inside the kitchen were a head chef and three assistants, who had already finished preparing lunch and were leisurely cleaning up. When Lu Qin entered with the ingredients, the staff eyed him curiously. So, this was Yao Yao’s dad? He didn’t look like someone who could cook!

Lately, little Yao Yao had been bringing her own lunch, leaving the other kids drooling with envy. The teachers knew all about it, and word had even reached the kitchen.

They were curious—could stir-fried noodles really be that good?

The head chef nodded at Lu Qin, his face expressionless.

“You can use this stove and the kitchen tools. If you need any help, these three assistants can lend a hand.”

“Thank you. I can handle it on my own; just making a couple of simple dishes for my daughter,” Lu Qin replied as he got to work.

The head chef and his three assistants stood by, watching him closely. The food at Starlight Kindergarten was already known for being quite good, with flavorful, hearty dishes—not like other kindergartens where the meals were plain and oil-free, in the name of ‘healthy carbs, protein, and fiber’.

Here, everything was carefully prepared to be tasty, but even so, the kids were still picky sometimes, especially wanting fried rice noodles and green bean soup that Lu Xiyao’s dad supposedly made. They said it was incredibly delicious. And now, here he was—just like the man in the story of ‘Cao Cao arrives when you speak of him’.

The head chef and his assistants watched Lu Qin intently as he moved through each step. Teacher Li was also observing him cook, while two female teachers stood by the kitchen door, peeking in.

“Daddy! I can help you wash the vegetables!” said Lu Xiyao, eager to help just as she did at home. Though she could only wash the vegetables and wasn’t allowed near anything sharp, she was enthusiastic.

Lu Qin nodded.

“Then wash the garlic shoots and the bell peppers.”

“Okay!” She chirped, looking around before dragging over a small stool to reach the sink and get started.

Teacher Li was taken aback. She hadn’t expected Lu Xiyao to be so proactive and helpful. At this age, most kids were only interested in playing with toys or watching cartoons.

Parents usually treated their children like precious treasures and wouldn’t let them do any chores. Just getting the children to put their plates on the collection tray was already an achievement, and some kids still wouldn’t follow through, running off as soon as they finished.

Yet here was Lu Xiyao, actively helping to wash vegetables—a real surprise. Teacher Li wondered how Lu Qin had managed to teach her so well. Looking at her, everyone felt a sudden desire to have a little helper just like her.

Meanwhile, Lu Qin blanched the pork, cooled it in ice water, and started slicing it. His knife skills were fast and smooth, with no hesitation—like the effortless expertise described in the story of the ‘Oil Seller’.

The head chef, a professional himself, could see immediately that Lu Qin’s knife skills were far from ordinary. Each slice was precisely 2 millimeters thick, perfectly even without any deviation. And he was cutting at an impressive speed! Achieving both speed and precision like this was no easy feat.

Lu Xiyao finished washing the garlic shoots and even shook off the water before handing them over.

“Daddy, all done! Here you go!”

This was all part of what Lu Qin had taught her, and she remembered it all after just one lesson. He took the garlic shoots, cut them into small sections, and prepared the other ingredients. The onlookers were impressed, they now realized that Lu Qin wasn’t being polite when he said he didn’t need any help—he truly didn’t need it. His hands were steady and quick, commanding the kitchen space as if it were solely his domain.

In just eight minutes, he had a plate of garlic-shoot twice-cooked pork ready to serve. The aroma filled the kitchen, rich and mouth-watering.

“That smells amazing!” Teacher Li couldn’t help but exclaim.

The enticing fragrance was so strong it made her salivate unconsciously. The teachers hadn’t had their lunch yet, as they typically waited until the children were done eating. Now, with the smell of twice-cooked pork wafting around, her stomach started to grumble, and she coughed to cover her embarrassment.

The head chef and assistants swallowed, also captivated by the scent. This twice-cooked pork smelled like the ultimate comfort food. If it tasted as good as it smelled, the flavor would be phenomenal.

The head chef, who prided himself on his Sichuan cuisine, including twice-cooked pork, now felt humbled. Watching Lu Qin, he realized there were details in his cooking that he had overlooked. Even without tasting it, he could tell Lu Qin’s twice-cooked pork was on a whole other level.