NOVEL WEB Chapter 72
Chapter 72 What’s Going On? A Beauty Battle? How Amazing is Lu Qin?
When Shen Muyan uttered the words “I am Lu Xiyao’s biological mother,” paired with her stunningly beautiful and cold face, her aura was commanding, and her intimidation was palpable, leaving that ‘stepmother’ speechless and ashamed.
The customers waiting in line didn’t expect to witness such a spectacle. First, there was a godmother, and now the biological mom? Forming a team!
“Tsk tsk tsk! Boss Lu is in high demand now! Not only is he handsome, but he also cooks so well! Which woman wouldn’t fall for that?”
“Yesterday, over 20 women asked for his WeChat, and today another 10 or so. Wow, he’s a hot commodity!”
“This stunning beauty really does seem to be Yao Yao’s real mom. They look about 70-80% alike!”
“Boss Lu’s taste is impressive—his wife is so nice! No wonder the other women didn’t stand a chance. If his first wife is this high caliber, it’s understandable!”
“Yao Yao’s mom is truly beautiful, but she’s a bit cold and doesn’t talk much. It would be better if the couple communicated more.”
“Yao Yao’s mom seems a little fierce, and she’s ice-cold. She looks like a strong woman. Boss Lu is so gentle, he must have suffered in the relationship. It’s probably for the best that they split up—he deserves someone better.”
…
The gossiping customers chattered on, and some of their comments reached Shen Muyan’s ears, making her uncomfortable.
Fierce? Strong? Suffering?
Shen Muyan’s face became serious as she pondered and recalled the past.
Fang Ya, standing beside her, observed her friend’s expression with a hint of schadenfreude. The public’s eyes are sharp, their assessment of Shen was quite objective.
…
Another beautiful woman arrived at the fried noodle stand. She stood tall and graceful, a feast for the eyes. This beauty had neat short hair and wore a colorful shirt with a white tee underneath, paired with black denim shorts, looking both stylish and fresh. Her long, slender, fair legs were exposed to the air, and her figure was excellent.
“Whoa! Another beauty! What’s going on—beauty battle?”
“No wonder Boss Lu’s charm is irresistible!”
“My eyes are dazzled—anyone got eye drops?”
“Beautiful women and delicious food—I’m coming here every day!”
…
Lu Qin smiled at the beauty and asked, “What would you like to order?”
“I want your WeChat.”
Chen Yue was outgoing and carefree, with plenty of men chasing her, and she had pursued men she liked as well.
Although her father, Chen Dahai, had encouraged her to do this, Chen Yue truly found Lu Qin appealing.
Part of it was the instant attraction—simply put, Lu Qin looked good and fit her aesthetic. The other part was that Lu Qin could cook, and he cooked incredibly well.
Even though this was Chen Yue’s first time meeting Lu Qin, she saw no issue with asking for his WeChat.
“Oh—”
“Wow—”
“Ooh—”
The onlookers let out a series of odd cheers.
“She’s asking for his WeChat straight up! Boss Lu is seriously impressive!”
“Man, some guys get no attention, while others are overwhelmed. If just one of these beauties asked for my WeChat, I’d wake up smiling!”
“Lu Boss has it all—he could easily coast on his looks, but no, he has to be an amazing cook too. Where’s the fairness in that?!”
“Uh…”
…
Lu Qin was slightly taken aback but shook his head.
“Sorry, I don’t have one.”
“Hmm, alright.”
Rejected, Chen Yue remained calm and proceeded to place her order.
“Boss Lu, I’ll take three servings of fried rice noodles, no chili, with extra egg and ham cubes.”
“I’ll also take the twice-cooked pork, chicken and bean curd, and crystal cake. How much is it?”
“197 yuan.”
Lu Qin had already started cooking.
After scanning the QR code, Chen Yue kept her gaze fixed on Lu Qin’s face—it was even more attractive when he was cooking.
Five minutes later, in the Bentley, Chen Dahai couldn’t wait to open the plastic bag and took a bite of the twice-cooked pork.
“Mm, delicious! How does Lu Qin make this twice-cooked pork taste even better than what they serve at the Rong Mansion banquets?!”
Chen Yue took a sip of her mung bean soup and said to Chen Dahai, “Dad, he didn’t give me his WeChat.”
Chen Dahai, chewing on a delicious imperial chicken wing, replied nonchalantly, “I expected that. A son-in-law I approve of won’t be that easy to win over. You’ll have to put in effort and sincerity, understand?”
To be honest, Chen Dahai had anticipated Lu Qin’s initial rejection since Shen Hongda’s daughter was indeed more beautiful than his own. But that didn’t mean there was no chance—persistence would lead to victory.
“Prepare yourself for a long battle.”
Chen Yue widened her eyes.
“Why should I suffer through this rejection?”
“Rejection? Just once? That’s nothing. Let me ask you this, is Lu Qin outstanding or not?”
“He’s definitely pretty impressive,” Chen Yue said and nodded.
Having met many elite young men and wealthy heirs, none of them could compare to Lu Qin. But when they talked about excellence, it wasn’t about how much money a man had or how much he could make. With the Chen family’s wealth in Jiangcheng, money wasn’t really a concern anymore.
What made Lu Qin stand out was a mix of his appearance, personality, character, worldview, and skills—basically, his overall qualities. Without a doubt, Lu Qin was flawless. If there had to be a ‘flaw’,it would be that he was divorced with a child. But even that could be seen as a plus.
Divorced men often understood women better and appreciated them more. And as for the kid, who wouldn’t want to have an adorable child like that? It was an added bonus.
“Do you like him?”
“It’s too early to say ‘like.’ At most, I have a good impression of him.” Chen Yue replied.
“You’re not getting any younger. Finding a good man isn’t easy, let alone one in a million like him. You should seize the opportunity.”
Chen Yue fell silent, deep in thought.
Meanwhile, Chen Dahai was digging into his fried noodles when his phone rang. It was Shen Hongda calling, but he silenced the phone, not bothering to pick up. Eating came first.
The ringtone snapped Chen Yue out of her thoughts. Seeing her father about to take a bite of the third imperial chicken wing, she quickly snatched the box away.
“Dad, I bought all this food, and you’re not even saving me the last wing?”
…
“Boss Lu, let us help you pack up!”
“There’s really no need, I can handle it myself,” Lu Qin politely declined the customers’ offer and started packing up his stall.
“Hmm, this imperial chicken wing… he’s better than me at this,” commented Ma Dejun from a distance after taking a bite of the chicken wing he bought.
Standing beside him were his two protégés. One of them was Xiong Tianmin, the pastry chef at the Ourei Hotel. Back when the hotel was facing frequent customer complaints, Fang Ya introduced him to Shen Muyan, who brought in Xiong Tianmin along with a Michelin-starred pastry chef from abroad. Together, they greatly improved the pastry department.
The other protégé was Sui Xiaofu, an expert in Shandong, Sichuan, and Huaiyang cuisines. He was a naturally gifted chef who had climbed the ranks quickly, going from a novice to head cutter, then to head chef, and finally executive chef in just four years.
Hearing Ma Dejun’s high praise, Sui Xiaofu was understandably shocked.
“Master, how is that possible?”
Ma Dejun was a chef at the national banquet level. No matter how talented this young street vendor was, his skills couldn’t surpass Ma Dejun’s.
Xiong Tianmin, on the other hand, was less surprised. He had already known about Lu Qin and had even called Ma Dejun specifically to ask about his crystal cake. Xiong, a pastry chef for 18 years and a national champion in traditional Chinese pastry, was particularly proud of his pea cakes. Yet, Lu Qin’s crystal cake surpassed his pea cakes by at least three levels. He had to admit that Lu Qin’s skills were freakishly advanced.