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

"I...I'm not wronged..."

"But the project..." Ye Wan'er tried to argue a bit more, "I'm the main speaker at tomorrow's video conference for that cross-border merger and acquisition deal, Grandpa!"

"Push it!"

Ye Weiguo slammed his cane down on the floor with a loud thud, startling Ye Wan'er.

"Can you ever earn enough money? If a project fails, you can find another one; if a business falls through, you can negotiate again! But what good is all that money you earn if I starve to death?!"

The old man puffed out his beard, glared, and pointed at Ye Wan'er's nose, scolding her:

"I'm telling you, the vice president will cover for that meeting tomorrow! You only have one task—to get that thing called 'Boiled Cabbage in Clear Broth' back for me! If you don't, don't call me grandpa, and don't come back to work at the company. Go clean toilets in the logistics department!"

"Grandpa! You..."

Ye Wan'er's eyes were red with anger. From childhood to adulthood, she had always been the apple of her family's eye and an elite executive of the group. When had she ever suffered such grievances?

Just for a bite to eat, she, the eldest daughter of the Ye family, actually had to queue at a roadside stall at four in the morning? If word got out, how would she ever be able to face people in the industry again?

But looking into her grandfather's unwavering gaze, she knew the old man was serious.

"Okay... I'll line up! I'll line up, alright?"

Ye Wan'er gritted her teeth and glared fiercely at Lin Fan, who was cleaning the stove. In her heart, she blamed the ungrateful cook for this whole mess.

"You just wait! If the cabbage isn't good tomorrow, I'll tear your shop down!"

After uttering those harsh words, Ye Wan'er helped Ye Weiguo up and stormed off.

Watching the Hongqi L5 disappear into the night, Qin Lang finally snapped out of his shock and gave Lin Fan a thumbs up:

"Brother Lin, you're a god! You're the first in Jiangcheng to push Miss Ye to this point!"

Lin Fan simply smiled faintly at this, not caring at all.

"Alright, you've worked hard today. Go home and get some rest."

Lin Fan picked up the insulated bag, waved to Qin Lang, and said, "I have to hurry home too, Tuantuan must be hungry."

After saying that, he didn't hesitate at all and pressed the remote control.

"Splash—"

The roller shutter door slammed shut, shutting out several billionaires.

Lin Fan drove his Wuling Hongguang van at high speed under the midday sun.

What Mr. Ye, what blank checks, what multi-million dollar annual salary?

In his heart, nothing was more important than rushing home and watching his daughter eat this hot cabbage.

……

……

Jinmao Mansion.

Lin Fan returned home and pushed open the door.

The room was quiet, with only the soft hum of the central air conditioning.

"dad!"

Tuantuan was drawing on the living room carpet when she heard the door open. The little girl immediately dropped her paintbrush and rushed into Lin Fan's arms like a little cannonball, making Lin Fan's heart warm.

"Dad, you're back!"

"Are you starving? Daddy brought you something delicious."

Lin Fan affectionately picked up his daughter, walked to the dining table, and opened the insulated bag.

He took out a white porcelain cup that was even more exquisite and smaller than the one in the store.

Upon lifting the lid, an exquisitely delicate fragrance instantly filled the entire restaurant.

Inside the bowl, a cabbage heart, no bigger than a baby's fist, lay quietly.

This is the tenderest and most perfect core of today's batch of top-quality cabbages.

"Wow! It smells so good! What is this?" Tuantuan's eyes sparkled, and she was practically drooling.

"This is boiled cabbage in clear broth, the most delicious cabbage in the world. Dad specially saved it for Tuantuan."

Lin Fan scooped up a spoonful of clear soup, blew on it gently, and brought it to his daughter's lips.

"Come on, ah—"

Tuantuan opened her little mouth and took a sip.

The next second, the little girl's eyes curved into crescent moons, and an extremely happy and satisfied smile appeared on her face:

"Delicious! Sweet! Fresh! It tastes like drinking dew!"

Looking at his daughter's satisfied smile, Lin Fan felt that all the fatigue of the day, and even the "loss" of refusing the 100 million check, was worth it at this moment.

That is the whole meaning of his efforts.

In fact, Lin Fan was not entirely unmoved when he rejected Ye Weiguo.

That was a blank check, a fortune that ordinary people couldn't earn in several lifetimes, a ticket to the top circles of Jiangcheng.

If it were back in the Su family, when he had to watch Su Qing's face every day for a few hundred yuan for groceries, he might have really wavered in the face of such temptation, or even felt so inferior that he dared not refuse.

But now, things are different.

With the system in hand, money will eventually just be a string of numbers in his bank account.

With his god-like skills, Lin Fan is destined to be a man who stands at the pinnacle of the culinary world. Why should he rely on a wealthy family?

More importantly—freedom and companionship.

If you agree to Old Master Ye's offer and become the Ye family's personal chef, it may seem like a glamorous life, but in reality, it's like jumping from one "cage" into an even more precious one.

He will no longer be "Boss Lin", but "Master Lin".

He has to be available at a moment's notice, be mindful of others' moods, and be on call 24/7 to cater to their appetites.

Would he still have time to casually pull down the shutter every noon to cook for Tuantuan, just like he does now?

Will there still be time to sit with her under the setting sun, draw on the carpet, and tell her interesting stories?

Can we still feed her the most exquisite, freshest cabbage heart in the world, the kind that even the richest man can't get his hands on, and watch her show this angelic smile?

No.

If that's the case, he's at best a high-level employee with an annual salary of tens of millions, an "invisible father" who, despite being wealthy, is absent from his daughter's upbringing.

Now, he is the owner of "Lin's Shop", the Boss Lin who is sought after by countless diners, and the all-powerful superhero dad in Tuantuan's eyes who is always by her side.

"Dad doesn't want to be that shadow who only revolves around others and can't even straighten his back anymore."

Lin Fan reached out and gently wiped a drop of soup from the corner of Tuan Tuan's mouth with a tissue, his eyes gentle yet firm:

"Dad will raise you with dignity and integrity. What I want to give you is not just money, but the best love in the world and a dignity that no one can take away from you."

"Tuantuan, is it delicious?"

"Delicious! Daddy's cooking is the best!" Tuantuan nodded vigorously and buried her face in Lin Fan's big palm.

Lin Fan smiled.

To hell with that hundred million.

That one word, "Dad," is priceless.

……

Happy times always fly by.

The father and daughter spent the afternoon in the spacious living room.

Building blocks, drawing, telling stories, Lin Fan even watched two episodes of "Peppa Pig" with Tuantuan, which was quite rare for him.

As night fell, the little girl, exhausted from playing, finally succumbed to sleepiness and fell into a deep sleep on the sofa, clinging to Lin Fan's arm.

A sweet smile still lingered on her lips, as if she were still savoring the sweet taste of boiled cabbage in water in her dream.