After the divorce, he took care of his child and sold fried rice; his ex-wife was filled with regret

Will they not even sell me a bowl of clear soup noodles anymore?

The thought of Lin Fan looking at her with that cold, disgusted gaze sent a shiver down Shen Man's spine, and an unprecedented panic spread through her.

But if she didn't say anything, Shen Man felt incredibly guilty and suffocated.

Having spent the last few days together, she had witnessed firsthand how Lin Fan cherished Tuantuan, treating her like a precious gem, his lifeline, something he would protect with his life. If Tuantuan were truly taken away, Lin Fan would go mad.

"Lin Fan, there's something I've been keeping from you..."

Shen Man took a deep breath, and in the end, reason and kindness prevailed over fear. Her eyes became resolute, and she gritted her teeth, preparing to tell the whole story.

"squeak--!"

A sudden, extremely piercing screech of brakes came from outside the door, abruptly cutting off the words Shen Man was about to say.

Immediately afterwards, a black Rolls-Royce Phantom stopped in front of "Lin's Shop" in an extremely domineering manner.

The car door was pushed open from the inside.

It's Qin Lang.

Today, Qin Lang changed into an extremely formal black haute couture tuxedo, with an exquisite Windsor knot at the collar. Even his usually unruly blond hair was meticulously combed and shiny with hair gel.

He looked like a groom on his way to a wedding of the century, a stark contrast to his usual self as a street urchin in a floral shirt and baggy shorts, squatting by the roadside eating noodles.

"Brother Lin! Are you ready? Time's almost up, I'm here to get you to show off your skills!"

Before Qin Lang even entered the door, his excited, loud voice rang out, immediately breaking the somewhat oppressive atmosphere in the store.

Distracted by this incident, Shen Man's hard-won courage instantly vanished.

"Never mind, I'll tell him after the banquet tonight," Shen Man sighed inwardly.

She forced a smile, walked to the sofa, and gently patted the sleeping Tuantuan:

"Tuantuan, wake up! Auntie will take you to pick out a pretty little dress, and we're going out for a big meal tonight!"

The little girl rubbed her sleepy eyes and sat up. Upon hearing that she could wear a pretty dress, she immediately perked up.

"Yay!!"

Lin Fan put down his water glass, turned around, picked up the black constant-temperature refrigerator he had prepared beforehand, and instructed Shen Man:

"There will be many people and distractions tonight, so please take good care of Tuantuan."

"Don't worry! With Miss Shen here, who would dare to lay a finger on our Tuantuan? We'll be waiting for you in the front hall!" Shen Man patted her chest.

Qin Lang stepped forward, snatched the refrigerated box from Lin Fan's hand, and made an extremely obsequious "please" gesture, chuckling as he said:

"Chef Lin, get in the car! Tonight, we're going to teach those country bumpkins who eat fast food what real art is!"

Lin Fan smiled faintly and got into the back seat of the Rolls-Royce.

……

7 PM.

Outside the magnificent banquet hall of the Grand Hyatt Jiangcheng Hotel.

As the highest-level annual charity gala of the Jiangcheng Chamber of Commerce, the Grand Hyatt Hotel was bustling with activity and glittering with stars tonight.

A red carpet hundreds of meters long was laid out at the hotel entrance, extending all the way to the grand lobby. The flashing lights on both sides made it as bright as day, so bright that people couldn't open their eyes.

Limited edition luxury cars lined up like a car show at the start of the red carpet.

Rolls-Royce Phantom, Bentley Mulsanne, Maybach S-Class... and even a few Hongqi sedans with extremely special license plates.

The car doors opened one by one.

Business tycoons who usually only appear on the covers of financial magazines, socialites in haute couture evening gowns, and even A-list celebrities who are invited to support the event at great expense, all showed their most dignified side on the red carpet.

Elegant attire and gleaming hairpins, a dazzling display of wealth and status. This is the true arena of fame and fortune in Jiangcheng.

Every guest who walks the red carpet is greeted with a flurry of camera flashes from the media on both sides and hushed gasps from the onlookers.

Meanwhile, in the middle of the red carpet.

A black Mercedes-Benz S-Class slowly came to a stop. The doorman respectfully opened the car door.

The people who got out of the car were Su Qing's parents, Zhang Cuihua and Su Ming.

Zhang Cuihua clearly went all out today.

She wore an extremely eye-catching bright red evening gown, her hair was styled in a high bun, and a thick diamond necklace that exuded a nouveau riche vibe, reflecting a dazzling light under the spotlight.

She held tightly to Su Ming's arm, tried to straighten her back, and wore an almost stiff, self-perceived elegant smile as she walked step by step down the red carpet.

"Old Su, straighten your back! This is a chamber of commerce banquet; lots of big bosses are watching. Don't look like you've never seen anything like it before!"

Zhang Cuihua lowered her voice and squeezed out these words through gritted teeth.

Su Ming frowned as his wife pinched him, and somewhat guiltily tugged at his tight tie.

"That's enough. Although our Su family has some money, we're just a nobody in this circle. We only got this invitation because Qingqing pulled some strings. With such a big chain on you, aren't you afraid people will laugh at us for being nouveau riche?"

"A joke? Who dares to laugh!"

Zhang Cuihua snorted coldly, unconvinced, and arrogantly raised her chin:

"Our Qingqing is currently on a roadshow in Europe! Once we secure investment and take the company public, we'll be a legitimate powerhouse! We're here today to get acquainted with the industry beforehand."

As they were talking, Zhang Cuihua noticed with her sharp eyes that a woman in a dark green cheongsam, with an elegant and noble demeanor, was being led inside by several people not far ahead.

"Oh my! Isn't that Mrs. Li? The one whose family is in the import/export business!"

Zhang Cuihua's eyes lit up, as if she had spotted prey. She immediately grabbed Su Ming, quickened her pace, and squeezed past several minor celebrities taking photos to get closer.

"Mrs. Li! Oh, Mrs. Li, it's been so long!"

Zhang Cuihua's face was beaming with smiles, so bright that it was as if she had seen her long-lost sister.

The lady, known as Mrs. Li, stopped and turned around, frowning slightly as she looked Zhang Cuihua up and down, seemingly trying to remember who she was.

"You are... Mrs. Su?" Mrs. Li's tone was indifferent, carrying an inherent sense of detachment and politeness.

"Yes, yes, yes! It's me!" Zhang Cuihua nodded excitedly, and tried to take Mrs. Li's hand, but the other woman subtly avoided her.

Zhang Cuihua wasn't embarrassed at all. Her gaze immediately fell on Mrs. Li's wrist, and she exclaimed in surprise:

"Oh my, Mrs. Li, your bracelet is so beautiful! Is it a limited edition Cartier? The clarity and design... only someone with your elegance could pull it off!"

Mrs. Li glanced out of the corner of her eye at the diamond necklace around Zhang Cuihua's neck, which resembled a dog leash, a barely perceptible hint of disdain flashing in her eyes, and replied with a forced smile:

"Mrs. Su, you're too kind. It's just something I wore casually. Mrs. Su, your outfit today... is quite festive."