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

Su Xiaoxiao picked up the tray and handed the bowl of beef noodles to Shen Man.

"Sister Man, Brother Lin specially added meat for you."

Shen Man looked at the bowl of beef noodles, which had more meat than noodles, and turned to look at Lin Fan in the kitchen. Lin Fan didn't look at her; he was wiping the cutting board with his head down.

"Thanks." Shen Man didn't stand on ceremony.

She picked up her chopsticks and took a sip of soup first.

The piping hot, rich broth slid down her esophagus, dispelling the chill she'd felt all morning. She ate the noodles in large mouthfuls, and soon a fine layer of sweat appeared on her forehead.

"Aunt Shen."

A soft, sweet voice called out from the side.

Shen Man put down her chopsticks and turned her head.

Tuantuan came running over at some point, holding a piece of drawing paper torn from a picture book.

"This is for you." Tuantuan handed over the drawing paper.

On the paper, a chubby orange cat was drawn with red and yellow watercolor pens, and next to it was a woman holding an IV bottle.

"Did you draw me?" Shen Man's eyes welled up with tears.

"Mmm." Tuantuan nodded. "Dad said you were with me when I got my shot the night before last. Thank you, Auntie."

Shen Man reached out and touched Tuan Tuan's hair: "It's drawn so beautifully, Auntie will stick it on the refrigerator when I get home."

Tuantuan ran back to Su Xiaoxiao's side and continued to tease the shrimp dumplings.

Shen Man folded the drawing paper and put it in her bag. After finishing her noodles, she took a tissue and wiped the sweat from the tip of her nose.

Lin Fan came over with a rag and started clearing the empty bowls off the table.

"It came back to life?" Lin Fan asked casually while wiping the table.

"I'm alive again." Shen Man leaned back in her chair and let out a long sigh of relief.

"This bowl of noodles today really saved my life." Shen Man looked at the empty bowl and smiled self-deprecatingly.

"After starting my own business, I realized how difficult it is to attract investment. Before, I had the title of a big company, and people respected me for the brand. Now, when I present a business plan, people look at me like I'm a fraud."

Lin Fan wiped the table with a rag, his movements steady.

"Everything is difficult at the beginning," Lin Fan said calmly. He wasn't good at saying nice things, so this was just his way of offering comfort.

"Thank you for your kind words." Shen Man tidied her stray hairs and turned to look at Tuantuan, who was quietly drawing by the cashier.

"This girl seems to be in good spirits. Has no one bothered her since that incident?"

"No." Lin Fan wiped the water stains off the table. "My lawyer told me that the other party has requested a postponement of the court hearing. It will be quiet in the store during this time."

Shen Man nodded: "A delaying tactic. But it's good, the child just got sick and needs some peace and quiet. It's better for you to look after the shop than anything else."

Lin Fan picked up the empty bowl and turned to walk towards the kitchen.

"Brother Lin, check please." Shen Man stood up and took out her phone to scan the code.

"This meal is on me today," Lin Fan said without turning his head. "It's a thank-you gift from the night before last."

Shen Man smiled, didn't insist any further, and put her phone away.

"Okay." Shen Man picked up her trench coat and put it on, then grabbed her briefcase. "I'm going back now; I have to meet a client this afternoon. I'll come back when I have time."

Shen Man pushed open the heavy windproof curtain and stepped into the cold wind outside.

The moment the curtain was lifted, a blast of cold air rushed in.

As the cold wind blew, the few diners waiting outside squeezed into the hall, shivering.

Behind these regular customers followed a woman who was completely covered up.

She was wearing a large, unflattering black long down jacket and a black baseball cap pulled low over her head.

Most of his face was completely covered by a black medical mask, revealing only a pair of eyes that looked somewhat wary and tired.

The woman's name is Ye Wanxing. She recently accepted a role in a big-budget production and is currently in the spotlight.

The weather was a bit warmer than before today, and I was thinking of going out to get something to eat.

But somehow the news leaked out, and as soon as they stepped out, several experienced paparazzi began to follow them closely from the entrance of the residential area.

To shake off those sycophants, she had her assistant drive the van towards the city center to divert attention, while she quietly got out of the car at a traffic light.

After a series of twists and turns, I frantically ran into this relatively remote old street.

She happened to see a line of people outside the restaurant, and to avoid being noticed, she didn't think twice and simply lowered her head and blended into the back of the line.

My appearance on this somewhat dilapidated Phoenix Golden Street today was purely accidental.

The early winter wind outside was so cold it chilled you to the bone.

To look good on camera, Ye Wanxing has been dieting and controlling her weight for years. She only drank a cup of black coffee this morning, and now, with the cold wind blowing, her stomach is empty and she is feeling a little hungry.

The moment I followed the group into the store, a warm breeze carrying the rich aroma of meat and beans wafted towards me.

Ye Wanxing's frozen body trembled slightly.

She ate boiled vegetables and salads without sauce for years, and her sense of taste had long since become numb.

But for some reason, the aroma wafting from this hole-in-the-wall restaurant didn't make her feel greasy; instead, it aroused her most primal appetite.

She found a secluded corner to sit in, with her back to the glass door.

He glanced warily out the window, making sure no suspicious telephoto lenses were following him, before finally letting out a slight sigh of relief.

"Hello, what would you like to eat?"

Su Xiaoxiao walked over with her tablet and habitually handed her a glass of warm water.

Ye Wanxing pulled her hat down low, her voice muffled by her mask: "What do you have here?"

Su Xiaoxiao pointed to the small blackboard on the wall by the door:

"Our restaurant doesn't have paper menus; all the dishes are written on a blackboard, or you can order by scanning the QR code on the table with your phone."

"Recently, our most popular dishes include the Premium Beef Noodles, Clear Broth Noodles, Mushroom and Chicken Rice Bowl, and the newly launched Minced Meat Stuffed Tofu. Which one would you like to try?"

Ye Wanxing glanced in the direction Su Xiaoxiao pointed.

When she saw the "Premium Minced Meat Stuffed Tofu" dish marked "328 yuan/serving", she raised her eyebrows slightly, which were hidden under her mask.

As a well-paid artist, three hundred yuan is not even enough for her to buy a cup of afternoon tea.

But in a small street-side restaurant of this size, selling a piece of tofu for over 300 yuan is indeed quite surprising.

However, she has no time to worry about these things right now.

"Give me one of those minced meat stuffed tofu dishes, and a bowl of clear soup noodles, please." Ye Wanxing deliberately lowered her voice and didn't take off her mask.

"Okay, that'll be five hundred and sixteen yuan in total."

Ye Wanxing took out her phone, scanned the QR code, and successfully made the payment.

Su Xiaoxiao put away her tablet, glanced at the strange customer who was fully armed, and although she felt puzzled, she had seen all kinds of people in the store, so she didn't ask any questions. She turned around and handed the order to Lin Fan in the open kitchen.