NOVEL NEXT Chapter 74
Chapter 74 Li Xue Invites Them to a Performance! Lu Qin has Already Become an Internet Celebrity!
At home, Lu Qin was preparing dinner, while his ‘vegetable washer’ helped wash the veggies and then obediently sat on the living room sofa, watching Mickey’s Clubhouse. Lu Qin barely watched TV, it was always the little one watching alone.
The TV had been set to kid mode, so she wouldn’t accidentally come across inappropriate family dramas like Temptation of the Countryside or Wife’s Lies.
At this moment, Lu Qin’s phone rang. The little one crawled over to check, her big, grape-like eyes lighting up in excitement. She jumped off the sofa and ran to the kitchen door.
“Daddy! My sister Li Xue is calling through voice chat. Can I answer it?”
Lu Qin, while making braised eggplant, responded, “Sure, you can answer.”
The little one ran back excitedly and answered the call.
“Hello~! Sister Li Xue, it’s Yaoyao. My dad is busy in the kitchen, so I answered for him. Is that okay?”
Her soft, sweet voice made Li Xue melt with affection. Li Xue almost wanted to kidnap this little cutie and keep her for herself.
“Of course, it’s okay, Yaoyao. If you’re free tonight, how about coming with your dad to the cultural square to watch a performance? Would you like that?”
“Of course, I’d love to go! Sister, hold on for a second. I’ll ask Boss Lu!”
The little one jumped off the sofa and ran to the kitchen again.
“Boss Lu! Sister Li Xue invited us to the cultural square tonight to watch a performance. Can we go?”
Lu Qin, while whisking eggs, looked up and said, “Ask her what time the performance starts.”
“Okay!” The little one ran back.
“Sister Li Xue, Boss Lu is asking what time the performance starts.”
“Eight o’clock,” Li Xue replied.
“Got it!”
The little one ran back again but suddenly realized something was wrong.
“Oh no! Silly me! I can just take the phone with me!”
She slapped her forehead, realizing her excitement had made her forget the obvious.
“Hahaha!”
Li Xue’s laughter echoed from the other side.
Without using the speakerphone, the little one didn’t hear it. She carried the phone to the kitchen door.
“Boss Lu! The performance is at 8 o’clock!”
“That works, no problem.”
The little one repeated his words into the phone: “Sister Li Xue, Boss Lu says it’s no problem!”
“Great! Can Boss Lu bring some food? I’ve been craving it for days.”
The little one shouted back to Lu Qin.
“Boss Lu! Can you bring some food? Sister Li Xue has been craving it!”
Lu Qin responded, “Sure.”
The little one relayed, “Sure, Sister Li Xue.”
Li Xue laughed.
“Alright, see you tonight, Yaoyao!”
“See you tonight, Sister!”
After the call ended, the little one was so happy that her tummy started to rumble with hunger. Lu Qin served dinner—three dishes and a soup—braised eggplant, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, garlic lettuce, and winter melon rib soup. The fragrance made the little one’s mouth water.
“Wash your hands, time to eat.”
“Okay~!”
After dinner, the little one insisted on washing the dishes, and Lu Qin had to agree, mentally preparing to buy three new bowls.
Lu Qin, meanwhile, prepared ingredients for his food stall. He still had two hours to set up before the performance started. He wouldn’t have time to make ice crystal cake or chicken tofu, so tonight’s menu would be fried noodles, mung bean soup, twice-cooked pork, and imperial chicken wings.
The little one’s dishwashing skills had improved—she didn’t break any bowls, though she used too much dish soap, filling the sink with bubbles. The dishes, however, were squeaky clean, with no grease left behind.
“Hmm, nice work, Yaoyao. Thumbs up for you.”
Lu Qin gave her a thumbs-up, pressing it lightly on her forehead.
“Daddy~! I think you should give me a real reward, like an ice cream~!”
Lu Qin chuckled.
“How about a brain flick as a reward? Want one?”
“No, thank you!”
Yaoyao rolled her eyes playfully.
Lu Qin rinsed the dishes, placed them on the rack to dry, and wiped down the stove. Once everything was cleaned up, he hung a cartoon water bottle around the little one’s neck, turned off the lights and TV, and they headed out.
…
The cultural square was brightly lit. Beneath the enormous dome-shaped glass wall, the ‘naked-eye 3D’ screen displayed breathtaking, realistic visuals—a deep-sea shark seemingly coming straight at them.
The little one’s eyes were filled with excitement. Although Lu Qin had brought her here before, the lively atmosphere still felt fresh and exciting. It was clear that she was eager to explore.
Lu Qin made a slight miscalculation—tonight, he probably shouldn’t have set up his food stall. Spending time with the little one seemed more important. However, since he had already notified customers in the group chat, many were already heading his way. It wouldn’t be right to suddenly cancel.
“Daddy! Let’s set up the stall!” The little one said, pulling at Lu Qin’s hand, ready to get to work, just as the giant shark on the 3D screen vanished.
At that moment, Lu Qin’s phone vibrated in his pocket. It was a message from Fang Ya.
“Lu Qin, is there a long line? We haven’t had dinner yet. Can you save two portions for us? We’re heading over now!”
Fang Ya was, of course, referring to her and Shen Muyan. The two had become so spoiled by Lu Qin’s cooking that they had little appetite for anything else.
“Sure, no need to pay. It’s on me. The little one really wants to explore the cultural square, so you guys can take her for a stroll while I stay here,” Lu Qin replied.
“Good! Perfect, we’re on our way!”
Putting his phone back in his pocket, Lu Qin hopped onto his small food cart and rode to a secluded spot to set up his stall. The cultural square didn’t have much space for street vendors, and most preferred not to set up there, since the nearby mall’s basement food court was already packed with hungry customers at this hour.
For the first ten minutes, Lu Qin’s stall didn’t attract a single customer. The crowd was large, but everyone hurried past, clearly headed for the mall. But even the little one wasn’t worried about the lack of customers—every time, without fail, their stall was packed, with food selling out fast. That was just the magic of her dad!
The little one grabbed a small folding stool and sat in front of the stall, holding a cup of iced mung bean soup, slurping happily. She was like a living mascot—irresistibly cute!
Several passersby slowed down, unable to resist glancing at her. This little girl was too adorable! Some might even want to kidnap her on the spot!
As the flies started to buzz around under the trees, Lu Qin pulled out a bottle of insect repellent he had won in a system lottery and placed it on the edge of the food cart. The results were immediate—not a single insect dared come within five meters of the stall.
Before long, passersby started recognizing Lu Qin.
“Hey, are you the famous Boss Lu?”
“Wow, it really is the guy from Douyin!”
“Yes, yes! The one who made those kids cry for food in kindergarten! I saw the video on Douyin!”
“He’s the one from the hot search, right? So good it made the police come!”
…
Soon, Lu Qin’s stall was swarmed with people, although he was still unaware that he had become a full-fledged online celebrity.
Just then, little Yaoyao sprang into action.
“Customers~! Please line up in an orderly fashion! One by one, okay? No pushing~!”
“Don’t forget to scan the QR code to pay!”
“Boss Lu! The customers are here! Fire up the grill!”
The little one jumped into the food cart, standing next to Lu Qin, and together, the father-daughter duo began serving their hungry customers.