Daddy! Come Home for Dinner!

Chapter 1: Calculation

"Bang!"

Cindy Clarke, her face pale white, rushed out of a hotel room.

She ran, frantically fixing her clothes as she went.

The sky was still pitch black outside, and so was the room she had just left. She hadn't even gotten a clear look at the man who had been lying next to her.

Having rushed out of the hotel, she identified her location and decided that the only sensible option was to take a taxi home. Wandering around by herself in this state wasn't safe.

But when she reached into her pocket, her heart sank.

She hadn't brought her phone with her!

And the thought of going back to retrieve it was daunting.

Thankfully, she still had about seventy dollars in her pocket—enough for a cab ride home.

Cindy quickly hailed a taxi and gave her address.

As she sat alone in the backseat, she reflected on the events that led to her current situation.

The last thing she remembered was serving the last group of customers at her family's small restaurant the night before.

After clearing up the tables, her sister Wendy Clarke strode in. She was dressed stylishly, wearing high heels and carrying a Chanel bag.

Her model-like urban elegance seemed out of place in the small restaurant.

"Wendy, what brings you here?" Wendy and Cindy's mother, Christy Xenos, warmly greeted Wendy from behind the cash register. "After a long day at work, why did you come here?"

Cindy wondered why Wendy was dressed so elegantly if she just got off work.

Wendy gave a friendly smile and said, "Work keeps me busy, I can't look after our restaurant. So I thought I'd drop by after my shift."

Christy immediately said to Cindy, "Look at your sister, she's so busy with work and she still cares about the restaurant. You, on the other hand, are reluctant to help out despite being free most of the time. You've cost us a lot of money for your school fees. Think of this as paying them back."

"Cindy, you're complaining again?" Wendy rebuked her, "You're only a sophomore, it's not that busy. What's wrong with helping out? I don't think you even need to attend university. You're not looking for a job after graduation."

Wendy let go of Christy's hand and retrieved two bottles of beer from the fridge behind the counter.

"Even without a university degree, you have a place in our restaurant, right?" Wendy chastised her. "You could save a lot on tuition fees, do you see how hard our parents are working?"

"Why can't I attend university if you did? We can afford it. Regardless of what I do after graduation, the more knowledge and experience I gain, the better." Cindy retorted.

Cindy had genuine aspirations that diverged from Wendy's. While Wendy sought to climb the social ladder, Cindy cherished the craft of cooking and loved creating a variety of dishes.

She was willing to give up all her free time to help out, but she was also determined to pursue her education.

"I don't understand why going to university is such a sin in this family." Cindy said, biting her lip.

"Cindy! How dare you talk to your sister that way!" Christy shouted, harshly slapping Cindy on the back.

The sharp "slap" echoed in the room. Even through her clothes, it felt like a direct hit to her bare skin.

Stunned from the pain, Cindy listened as Christy said, "Your sister graduated and now she's an administrative manager at one of the most famous restaurants in Nork City. And you? After your graduation, you'll be back at our restaurant, working as a waitress. Tell me, what's the point of your education?"

"I could have found a good job too, but you didn't want me to leave like Wendy did, so you forced me to come back." Cindy said, her voice cold.

Even if she did return to their restaurant, what she wanted was to be the head chef.

"You speak one more word, and I'll withdraw you from school tomorrow!" Christy threatened, raising her hand.

Cindy bit her lip. Wendy was the family's treasure, always right and seen as the one who brought pride to the family.

Wendy's grades were barely good enough for a third-tier university, yet Christy had spent money to send her to an international school. Wendy then spent two years abroad to enhance her credentials, returned with a foreign degree, and landed a job as a Manager in Nork City.

Even though this foreign university wasn't significantly better than that of a third-tier university, it seemed prestigious enough in their small hometown—any foreign degree was seen as superior.

Cindy, however, had never received praise for her academic excellence. Christy had even refused to let her attend Belford University because she wanted Cindy to attend a local university in Nork City and help out in the restaurant.

At social events, Christy would always gloat about Wendy's success: her foreign education, her sophistication, her good job.

The reality was, after two years abroad, Wendy's English was barely up to par.

While Christy was praising Wendy, she never missed an opportunity to belittle Cindy, accusing her of wasting their money on a lousy local university.

In response, Cindy let out a sarcastic laugh.

Seeing her smirk, Christy became even angrier.

A slap was about to come crashing down on Cindy again, but was intercepted by Wendy.

"Mom, let's talk this out calmly." Wendy signaled Christy with her eyes.

Christy withdrew her hand in disgruntlement.

Wendy placed the beers on the table, "Mom, Cindy, let's not fight. You didn't eat dinner yet, did you? I brought some new dishes from our restaurant for you to try. Maybe you can learn something, and our restaurant can improve."

Wendy set the to-go food containers on the table and poured Cindy a glass of beer, "Cindy, I know it's tough for you to help out at home. I have to work, and I can't help. You're doing a lot for our restaurant."

Christy wanted to interject but was silenced by Wendy's glare.

Wendy raised a glass, "To Cindy, let's forget the past and move on."

Having said that, Wendy downed her drink.

Cindy, suspicious, watched Wendy. She seemed to have changed, which was strange.

"What? Don't want to drink the toast I offered?" Wendy asked, raising an eyebrow.

Cindy glanced at her beer. She had a good tolerance, so one drink was no bother.

Still filled with doubts, she slowly finished her drink.

As soon as she put down her glass, her head started to swell, and she fell face-first onto the table.

This was the last thing Cindy remembered from last night.

Cindy clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms.

By now, was there anything else she did not understand?

She had likely been fooled by her own mother and sister.

According to her memory, though she didn't get a good look at the man's face.

He was young and had a good build, and his voice was attractive.

He wasn't the type who would need to resort to such a method to find a woman.

"Miss, we're here, that's 47 dollars," said the taxi driver, pulling over to stop.

Chapter 2: Something Must Have Gone Wrong

Because of her suspicion towards Christy Xenos and Wendy Clarke, Cindy didn't dare to return home directly.

She walked quietly and lightly on her tiptoes.

The Clarke Family lived in an old residential building that was decades old.

It was a six-story building without an elevator, and corner stairs were piled with all household items that people couldn't store in their own houses, but didn't want to throw away either.

The soundproofing in the building was terrible; if someone spoke loudly, neighbors on the higher and lower floors could hear everything.

As a result, neighborhood gossip was abundant.

Cindy's home was on the 4th floor, and when she reached her front door, she carefully placed her ear against the door to listen to the sounds inside the house.

Soon, she heard frantic footsteps coming and going within.

"Why hasn't that girl come back yet?" Christy asked anxiously. "She couldn't have been too hurt and done something stupid, could she?"

"No, that girl has a tough heart. She's very resilient no matter how much trouble comes her way. She'll carry on living." Wendy's voice replied.

"Can it be done just once?" Christy asked again.

"If it doesn't work once, we'll do it again. We can trick her once, twice, or even three times. After a few more times, maybe she'll come to her senses." Wendy said.

Cindy's fingers clenched tightly on the door, her fingertips turning white.

"Anyway, I've already talked to Mr. Lopez. As long as Cindy becomes pregnant with his child, he will give us 10 million. If it's a boy, then another 10 million will be added." Wendy said excitedly. "Mr. Lopez is over 50 years old, and his wife has been unable to bear children, let alone sons. Yet, his wife doesn't allow anyone else to bear children for him. He tried secretly several times, but his wife discovered it each time."

"Ah, this is nothing but dooming a family!" Christy shook her head and pursed her lips.

"Exactly." Wendy said, "Mr. Lopez is a regular at our restaurant. After several visits, I learned about his situation, and that's when our family's opportunity arrived."

"You indeed have great ideas, unlike Cindy, who only spends the family's money on college tuition and doesn't know anything else!" Christy looked down on her.

Wendy mused, "Our family's ancestors were well-known for their Famous Gastronome Family and our restaurant once flourished in the past. But now, all we have left is a small restaurant and a recipe passed down from our ancestors. With the recipe alone and no resources to study it, what's the use?"

"Once we get that money, we can let dad study the recipe seriously. Cindy also wants to be a cook, right? Then let her study it with dad. We will then open a proper high-end restaurant that specializes in high-quality dishes. Those dishes from the recipe will be the treasures of our restaurant."

Wendy said excitedly, "Mom, you don't know how much money that restaurant earns. I work there to learn the business model and how to make money. Once we apply that to our restaurant, we'll definitely succeed!"

"My daughter is truly talented!" Christy praised.

"Right, Cindy will definitely resent me for this," Wendy lowered her voice.

"Why should she? It's her fault for having no sense of making good ideas; she should contribute to the family. After all, the family raised her to such age, what right does she have to resent?" Christy said maliciously, "You're the clever one. You come up with the ideas, and let the stupid ones do the rest."

"If dad finds out about this..." Wendy continued.

Christy snorted indifferently, "This is all for their ancestral business. How could he object? Even if he knew, what could he do about what's already been done? He'll have to cooperate with us anyway. It's better than leaving Cindy's sacrifice in vain, right?"

"By the way, what does Mr. Lopez look like?" Christy asked.

When the topic was brought up, Wendy made a disgusted expression, "Short and fat with a mouth full of a disgusting smell from smoking. I don't know what his wife is worried about. Mr. Lopez actually wanted me to have his child at first. If he looked even a bit decent, I wouldn't have let Cindy be the one. I could have taken advantage of having a son to get ahead. But in his state, I don't even want to look at him, so I had to give Cindy to him instead."

Truth be told, domestic surrogacy was illegal, and Mr. Lopez was afraid of getting into trouble. Going abroad for surrogacy might have been too easily discovered by his wife. It was better just to find a young girl so he could take advantage.

Cindy staggered backward a few steps.

Initially, she wanted to ask for her father Joshua Clarke's help, but now it seemed that there was no need for it.

How could she dare to return to a family like this?

She dashed out of the building and hid on the rooftop of the house across the street.

From here, she wouldn't be discovered by others and could see when Christy and Wendy left.

Cindy thought about Wendy's description of Mr. Lopez and realized that it didn't match her memory.

She could remember what happened.

Although she couldn't clearly see the man's face, she distinctly remembered that he was a young man.

He wasn't fat at all; instead, he had a great physique, and she even touched his muscles.

Moreover, she remembered his gentle, low, and magnetic voice beside her ear.

There wasn't even a hint of the smell of smoke in his mouth.

He was definitely not the Mr. Lopez that Wendy described.

Cindy knew that this couldn't be her delusion.

Something must have gone wrong somewhere.

For some reason, even though she couldn't reverse what had happened, she still felt relieved that the person wasn't Mr. Lopez.

Cindy waited a long time until probably Christy and Wendy could wait no longer for her return.

Wendy had to go to work and Christy had no choice but to go to the restaurant.

Cindy finally sneaked back into her house.

She packed all her belongings and the money she had saved from secretly giving tutoring lessons.

Since she never spent any of it, she had saved quite a bit, which she stored in her bank account.

Dragging her luggage to the door, Cindy suddenly thought of something and rushed back into Christy and Joshua's bedroom.

She lifted the mattress and found the recipe that had always been hidden underneath.

Her family didn't have a safe, so Christy hid the recipe under the mattress.

Although it was an ancestral inheritance, the original version had not withstood the test of time.

This copy was transcribed and passed down later.

Wendy wholeheartedly wanted to use this recipe to make something big, right?

For her sake, her mother, father, and sister all joined together to sell her out.

Now, she would take away their sole reliance.

Even if she couldn't restore the fine dining dishes from the recipe for the time being, at least, Wendy, who had lost the recipe, would have her plans fall apart.

Cindy felt refreshed.

She put away the recipe, picked up her luggage, and left.

 

Chapter 3: Morgan Zhekova is Missing

Five years later.

In Belfard, inside a two-bedroom apartment.

Cindy Clarke took out a piece of chicken breast, tenderized it, then added salt, black pepper, cooking wine, soy sauce, and a bit of honey. She marinated and fried the chicken until it was cooked through.

Then she covered the pan and let it simmer for a while, ensuring the chicken remained juicy and tender.

After that, she sliced carrots and cucumbers, sprinkled them with salt and black pepper, and fried them on both sides in the pan.

Finally, Cindy took out some pre-made tortillas and cooked purple rice, shredded the chicken breast, and put the vegetables and chicken on top of the rice. She added a layer of mashed avocado and rolled the tortilla, wrapping it tightly with aluminum foil.

With that, the customer's low-fat meal was ready.

Cindy quickly took that day's lunch and rode her electric bicycle to deliver the order to Pingla Group.

Cindy currently runs a home-cooking business without a physical store, which saves on costs. She operates only during lunchtime and offers two dishes daily – a healthy low-fat meal and a tasty bento box with meat and vegetables – for customers to choose from.

Most of her clients, especially female office workers, prefer the healthy low-fat meal option.

"Thank you!" A white-collar worker received five lunch portions that her office colleagues had ordered together. "Ever since I tried your low-fat meal, I can't go back to other options. Our office girls' diets have become much healthier thanks to your food."

"I don't know how you do it – the chicken is so tender and juicy, and the carrots taste amazing," the worker praised.

"I'm glad you all like it," Cindy replied with a smile. "Please continue to support me in the future. If there's anything you don't like, just let me know, and I'll make adjustments."

"Sure," the worker agreed, paid for the food, and left with the lunch order.

Just as Cindy was about to leave, she received a call from the nursery.

"Morgan Clarke's mother, well... Morgan is missing. Please come to the nursery as soon as possible," the teacher nearly cried over the phone.

"What?" Cindy hurriedly rode her bike to the nursery, asking, "How did this happen out of the blue?"

The homeroom teacher finally found an excuse. "Morgan had a fight with another student and got reprimanded. Maybe his pride was hurt, so he... "

"Morgan isn't the type to fight with others for no reason. Moreover, your nursery is supposed to be secure – I'm starting to doubt its safety if a child can just walk out on their own."

And as a homeroom teacher, not even noticing that one of her 15 students was missing from class!

"Let's talk when I get there and find him first," Cindy said, hanging up the phone and quickly trying to call Morgan.

She had bought Morgan a child's mobile phone just in case he needed to contact her urgently when they were apart.

However, she tried calling multiple times without success.

Cindy trembled while riding her electric bicycle, feeling anxious.

Five years ago, she left her family home, fearing Christy Xenos and Wendy Clarke might track her down at her school, so she withdrew from her classes.

Then she bought a train ticket to Belfard and left Nork City immediately.

Nork City was small, and she didn't dare stay there, knowing they would eventually find her.

She used her savings to rent a place in Belfard and found a job as a kitchen assistant at a restaurant.

Working nonstop every day, she didn't even notice her period had stopped until she started experiencing morning sickness and her belly began to grow.

Only after getting a check-up did Cindy realize she was already four months pregnant.

The baby was developing well at that point, and aborting would be both physically harmful to Cindy and cruel to the unborn child.

Struggling on her own in Belfard, she found the courage to give birth to her baby.

With her belly growing bigger, she was no longer fit for kitchen work, so she resigned from her job.

During that time, she started filming cooking videos and created a food blogger account with the nickname "Cain Velman."

"Cain" came from her own name, and "Velman" symbolized the mysterious child in her belly, conceived with the help of a stranger.

Aside from recording videos, she also registered her business on a takeout app and began selling Private Home-style Cuisine.

Because she was alone and pregnant, her energy was limited, so she could only sell a limited number of dishes each day.

Unexpectedly, her food blogger account gained a large following, and her home-cooking business also attracted a stable client base with many repeat customers.

Her income steadily increased, thanks to not only her home-cooking sales but also from the advertising revenue on her food blog.

At first, she received ads for products like bottled water, cooking oil, and condiments, but she eventually began receiving advertisements from well-known brands for kitchen appliances like refrigerators, ovens, and dishwashers.

Not only did she receive ad fees, but the brand also gifted her appliances.

Cindy's kitchen was now fully equipped with high-quality appliances – all provided for free by the brands – and she could always upgrade to the latest models without spending any money.

Living a stable and comfortable life with Cindy, Morgan didn't need to worry about their livelihood anymore.

Cindy would always remember the first time she laid eyes on Morgan after giving birth to him.

She never thought the baby would be so good-looking, not resembling her at all. Cindy thought his features must resemble the unknown man who fathered him.

Looking at Morgan's face, it was clear how handsome that man must have been.

Because her food blogger account's name was "Cain Velman" and due to the stranger's involvement, she named the baby Morgan Clarke.

Over the past four years, Cindy constantly felt grateful for her decision to give birth to Morgan.

To her, Morgan had nothing to do with the mysterious man – he was an angel sent to her by heaven.

He was the best gift she could ever receive in her most difficult times.

***

In a Rolls-Royce Cullinan parked on the roadside, Adrian Zhekova sat in the back seat.

His slender, bony fingers were holding an old-fashioned mobile phone that had seen better days.

He browsed through the photo gallery, WeChat, and other social media apps on the phone countless times throughout the years, but found no useful clues.

The phone's contact list was empty, with no call history whatsoever.

There weren't even any selfies in the photo gallery – just many photos of food dishes and numerous notes about recipes and edits in the memo app.

There were no friends on WeChat either. What was even the point of downloading WeChat, then? Just to follow various food-related public accounts?

"Master Adrian, you're looking at it again?" Sheldon Rowland asked from the front passenger seat.

 

Chapter 4: You Come Down to Me

"If you could find her, I wouldn't need to see her again," Adrian Zhekova said coldly.

Sheldon Rowland immediately fell silent.

It was his fault. Five years ago, Adrian Zhekova went to Nork City on a business trip and drank too much with a client.

Adrian had always been disciplined and didn't usually drink, but there were too many people at the time, and he was younger and not as commanding as he is now.

No one dares to force him to drink now.

But back then, Adrian got drunk.

When Adrian was drunk, he would become very obedient and do whatever anyone asked him to.

Therefore, if he got drunk, he would either stay alone or must have someone he trusts with him.

Sheldon struggled to help Adrian into the elevator, only to collide with an exiting middle-aged fat man.

The room card was knocked out of his hand.

Sheldon hurriedly picked up the card but didn't check the room number.

But in reality, even if he had checked, it would have been useless because he couldn't remember the room number.

Adrian was busy and had gone straight to the hotel restaurant after arriving in Nork City and leaving the airport with his luggage.

Only after the dinner ended did he come to the hotel to check in.

His luggage was still in the car.

With Adrian so drunk, Sheldon could only plan to deliver his luggage the next morning.

After getting in the elevator, he glanced at the room number on the card, then sent Adrian into the room to be alone.

Who knew that it would cause such a huge commotion?

He only remembered that the next day, Adrian was very angry.

Adrian thought he was set up.

Adrian threw his mobile phone at Sheldon, asking him to unlock it and crack the account inside.

Unfortunately, there was not a single clue in the phone.

After searching for five years, there was still no progress.

Adrian looked down at the mobile phone.

Over the past five years, his mindset had changed.

At first, he was furious, felt he was set up, and disgusted.

His only time ever was taken from him by deception.

He had always been above such things, and even after being set up, he didn't give in to indulgence.

But in these five years, without a single clue and unable to find the woman, no one came to blackmail him either.

Gradually, he became curious about the woman and simply wanted to find her and know who she was.

"Master Adrian, the stall is setting up." Sheldon suddenly reminded him.

Outside the car window, several people were setting up folding tables and chairs.

"Let's go." Adrian said one word, then got out of the car.

Who knew that as soon as he took a step, his leg was suddenly hugged by something, and he couldn't move.

Adrian looked down and saw a little boy hanging onto his leg with both hands and feet.

Adrian: "..."

No wonder he couldn't move his leg.

His leg was bearing a weight it shouldn't have been at that age.

"Uncle." Morgan Clarke smiled sweetly at Adrian.

"Let go." Adrian said coldly.

He doesn't like children!

Even if this little boy in front of him is good-looking and delicate, it's not acceptable!

Upon hearing this, Morgan obediently let go of his hands.

However, his short legs were still wrapped around Adrian's leg, and he continued to hang onto him.

Adrian: "..."

"Get off me," Adrian said through gritted teeth.

But Morgan shook his head, and instead, his previously released hands embraced Adrian's leg again.

 

Chapter 5: Dad

"Uncle, I got separated from my mom. I'm so good-looking and adorable, I always feel like people on the street have bad intentions towards me. What if they sell me?" Morgan Clarke said.

Adrian Zhekova: "... "

It's been a long time since he met such a thick-skinned child.

"Do you know me?" Adrian Zhekova pointed to himself and asked him.

Morgan Clarke shook his head.

"Then how do you know I won't sell you?" Adrian Zhekova sneered.

Who knew, Morgan Clarke pointed towards Adrian Zhekova's Rolls-Royce Cullinan next to him, "At a glance, I can tell you are a rich person, so you wouldn't need to sell me off."

Adrian Zhekova snorted: "How do you know I didn't become rich by trafficking children?"

Morgan Clarke blinked his innocent big eyes: "Then should I scream 'trafficker' now?"

Adrian Zhekova: "..."

Hehe, it's been a long time since he met such an annoying child.

Sheldon Rowland quietly pulled Adrian Zhekova aside and whispered: "Master Adrian, if we don't go now, there won't be any spots left."

Following Sheldon's direction, Morgan Clarke immediately said to Adrian Zhekova: "Uncle, you guys are going to eat ravioli?"

Before Adrian Zhekova could respond, Morgan Clarke continued: "I didn't expect you guys would also eat at sidewalk stalls."

"You're quite an interesting little guy, why wouldn't we eat at a roadside stall?" Sheldon Rowland asked, smiling.

"Look, those who go there to eat are young and working people trying to check-in." Morgan Clarke pointed with his chubby little finger, "Uncle here is dressed so exquisitely, it doesn't match with a roadside stall."

Adrian Zhekova looked and indeed, the customers who were already seated were all dressed casually, looking nothing like him.

Morgan Clarke lowered his voice and asked mysteriously, "Why are you really going to eat there? Won't the owner find it strange with you looking like this?"

Adrian Zhekova: "..."

Why should he tell this child all this?

This kid must be toxic!

Little did Adrian know, Sheldon Squatted down and leveled with Morgan Clarke's line of sight: "Well to tell you the truth, Master Adrian has many high-end restaurants under his name. But recently, we heard that our restaurant's ravioli, which has become an internet sensation, is not as good as this street stall's. So, we came to try it for ourselves to see how it is."

"Business rivals!" Morgan Clarke suddenly understood.

Adrian Zhekova: "..."

Who is this street stall even a business rival to!

"Then, you guys going like this, it's easy to arouse the owner's suspicion!" Morgan Clarke said, "Do you want my help?"

"..." Adrian Zhekova's eye twitched, "Don't you need to find your missing guardian first?"

"Don't worry about the details." Morgan Clarke waved his hand and suddenly got off from Adrian Zhekova's leg.

Suddenly, Morgan Clarke grabbed Adrian Zhekova's pants and shouted, "Dad, I want to eat ravioli! I want to eat ravioli!"

Adrian Zhekova: "..."

He doesn't have a child this big!

Morgan Clarke's acting was really OK, just like a child who would act spoiled if he didn't get what he wanted.

"Let's go, we'll take you!" Sheldon Rowland hurriedly said.

Thus, the two adults and one child smoothly sat at the only remaining table.

"What would you like to eat?" The server came over and asked without any suspicion.

"We'd like three bowls of your signature ravioli." Adrian Zhekova said.

"That would be the shrimp one." The server said a word and left while shouting, "Three bowls of shrimp ravioli."

Morgan Clarke gave a thumbs up: "See, now no one will suspect us, right?"

 

Chapter 6: The Horror of Thick Skin

Sheldon Rowland also found this kid's audacity appalling.

He's definitely not one of us.

"Once you finish eating, I'll have my assistant take you to the police station," said Adrian Zhekova.

Despite everything, the kid seemed eager to help. Since he had already sat down, Adrian ordered a bowl of ravioli for him.

Morgan Clarke held himself in fright, "I did nothing wrong. Why are you taking me to the police station?"

"..." Adrian responded stoically, "Didn't you say you lost track of your family member? Of course, we need to find the police for help."

"But I remember the mobile phone number. I can contact him!" Morgan exclaimed.

Adrian Zhekova: "......"

Why didn't this kid say that sooner?

"Uncle, could you lend me your mobile phone?" Morgan asked, "I need to call my mom. She must be looking for me right now."

Adrian Zhekova: "..."

You know your mom is desperate to find you, yet you're here, leisurely eating ravioli?

And hold on, if you remembered the number, why didn't you call sooner? Why only say it now!

There were so many points for Adrian to complain about, but he didn't even know where to start.

Adrian handed his mobile phone to Morgan after unlocking it.

Morgan dialed the number straight away.

At this moment, Cindy Clarke was about ten minutes away from the nursery, riding her electric bike. She was extremely anxious.

Suddenly, the mobile phone rang. She stopped her bike by the side of the road and checked her phone. It was from an unfamiliar number.

Cindy answered, "Hello."

"Mum." Morgan's voice came from the mobile phone.

Cindy instantly released a sigh of relief, feeling as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders, "Morgan! Where are you now? I've been calling you, why didn't you pick up the phone!"

"My mobile phone broke," Morgan replied weakly.

He had snuck out on his own, hoping to secretly repair his mobile phone.

He didn't dare to let Cindy know that he had been involved in a fight at the nursery, and that the other party had broken his mobile phone.

"Where are you now? Whose mobile phone did you borrow?" Cindy asked immediately.

"I'm at the popular ravioli stand near the nursery. I borrowed the mobile phone from a kind-hearted uncle," replied Morgan, glancing at the kind-hearted Adrian.

Adrian Zhekova: "..."

"Wait for me there, I'm coming to find you now. Don't you dare wander off again, do you understand?" Cindy said immediately.

"Yes, I won't go anywhere. I'll wait for you. Take your time and be careful on the road," Morgan responded softly.

Cindy, who was initially planning to discipline him due to anger, found her heart softened by his sensible words.

Both frustrated and concerned, Cindy replied, "You know I was worried, yet you still sneaked out! Wait there, I'm coming over now."

After ending the call, Cindy quickly hopped on her bike and rode off.

She was familiar with the ravioli stand; she would pass by it every time she went to pick up Morgan.

However, she had only ever observed it from a distance and never stopped to try their ravioli.

"Thank you, Uncle," Morgan returned the mobile phone to Adrian.

They still had to wait as there were many customers.

They could only watch as the vendor swiftly prepared the ravioli. With a small wooden spoon, they would scoop just the right amount of filling onto the dumpling skin, quickly molding it into a ravioli with a swift squeeze of their hand.

After about ten minutes, Adrian's mobile phone rang again.

Adrian answered the call, nodding gravely after hearing the words, "Understood."

After ending the call, Adrian turned to Sheldon, "I need to head back to the company first. Once the ravioli comes, you try it and let me know what's different about it later."

 

Chapter 7: Skilled in Choosing People

After saying that, Adrian Zhekova hurriedly left.

He just got into the car and didn't notice that behind his car, Cindy Clarke hurriedly arrived, riding her electronic scooter.

Adrian Zhekova then drove away.

Meanwhile, Morgan Clarke stood up and waved happily, shouting, "Cindy Clarke!"

As soon as Cindy heard her sister, she rushed over and hugged Morgan tightly.

She didn't see that Morgan's mouth had twisted a bit in pain.

"Why did you run out alone like this?" Cindy anxiously asked. "Do you know how worried I was when your teacher said you were missing?"

Morgan glanced at Sheldon Rowland and said, "Let's not discuss family matters in public. I'll talk to you about it later."

Cindy: "..."

Sheldon Rowland: "..."

Don't want to give him any ravioli.

However, Cindy also didn't want to scold Morgan in front of Sheldon, and whispered, "I'll settle accounts with you later!"

Then, she bowed deeply to Sheldon, saying, "Thank you so much for your help. This child's disappearance really frightened me to death."

Cindy was on the verge of crying.

Sheldon hurriedly waved his hand and said, "It's good that the child is found, and she's so smart too."

She even knew how to pick the right person, as she had clung to Adrian Zhekova's leg immediately.

Not everyone could do that.

"Thank you so much, and I'm sorry for the trouble," Cindy gratefully said. "I don't know how to express my gratitude."

Cindy quickly took out her business card, "I make Private Home-style Cuisine and can deliver it to customers. If you ever need anything, just let me know. I will provide it free of charge, even for life."

"Actually, I didn't do much," Sheldon gave Cindy his business card as well. "This little girl found my boss. It's really up to my boss."

"I won't bother you any longer," Cindy said. "If you need anything regarding food, just let me know."

"You are leaving now?" Sheldon asked.

"She sneaked out of the Nursery, I have to take her back and talk to her teacher," Cindy explained.

"Since you've been out for quite some time, there's no rush for now." Sheldon pointed to the three bowls of ravioli on the table. "There are exactly three bowls here. Finish them before leaving. Otherwise, it'll be a waste if I eat them alone."

Morgan was genuinely curious to try out the famous ravioli.

However, since she had done something wrong, she dared not ask for it so easily, so she could only stare longingly at the steaming, fragrant ravioli on the table.

Cindy thought it was inappropriate to accept help from Sheldon and then eat his food.

Seeing Morgan's longing to eat, Cindy also looked at the ravioli for a moment.

Suddenly, she paused and sniffed the air.

Morgan knew her sister well, and from the way Cindy was acting, she knew something was amiss. Morgan immediately asked, "What's wrong? Is there something wrong again?"

Without speaking, Cindy pulled Morgan to sit down and leaned in closer to the bowl, sniffing it several times.

Afterward, she shyly smiled at Sheldon, "Let me have a taste."

Sheldon also noticed something was wrong and saw that Cindy seemed to have discovered something strange.

Considering she was also a chef, maybe she could taste something different in this ravioli.

He then quickly gestured for Cindy to go ahead.

Cindy scooped a spoonful of soup first, took a small sip, and carefully savored it.

Suddenly her face darkened.

Then, she took a small bite of the ravioli and immediately threw the rest back into the bowl.

"Don't eat this ravioli," Cindy said sternly.

 

Chapter 8: Concealment

"What's wrong?" Sheldon Rowland quickly asked.

"This soup has poppy shell in it, and I can taste it in the ravioli filling too. I don't know if it's soaked in from the soup or if they added it directly to the filling," Cindy Clarke said gravely. "Poppy shell is addictive. Even though they've only added a small amount, it can still make customers crave the taste and want to come back."

"No wonder there are always so many customers here," Morgan Clarke said.

Cindy felt relieved that Morgan had never eaten it before.

"It's not so bad for adults, but children have weaker immune systems. If a child ate this, they would suffer even more harm," Cindy continued gravely. "We must report this to the police. We cannot let this illegal business continue."

"Are you sure?" Sheldon whispered. "You could tell just by tasting it?"

"Of course! My mom is amazing!" Morgan immediately exclaimed. "No matter what dish it is, she just has to taste..."

Cindy quickly covered Morgan's mouth.

Although this ability was useful, it shouldn't be casually revealed to strangers - who knows what trouble it might attract.

Sheldon was taken aback for a moment - he had not expected Cindy to be Morgan's mother.

From Morgan's address and Cindy's age, he had assumed that Cindy was her sister.

Then, Sheldon nodded and picked up the plastic bag covering the bowl, which could cleanly hold both the ravioli and soup.

These small street-side stalls would put a plastic bag over the bowl for easy cleaning before serving the ravioli.

"I'll take these for testing. If I find something, I can use the evidence to report it to the police," Sheldon said. "Don't worry, I won't mention you. No one will come to trouble you."

Grateful, Cindy nodded and said, "In that case, I won't say anything more for now. I don't want to alert them and give them a chance to change their soup base, making testing impossible later."

Even if she reported it, the police would have to test it when they arrived.

"Thank you," Sheldon said immediately. "You're going back to the Nursery? I can give you a ride."

"You've already gone to so much trouble today, and you have important things to do," Cindy said, looking at the ravioli in Sheldon's hand. "The Nursery is not far from here; we'll go back by ourselves."

Morgan had only walked a short distance from the Nursery.

"Alright then," Sheldon agreed, without any more politeness. "I'll contact you when I have results."

"Okay."

Since Adrian Zhekova had driven the car away, Sheldon called for another one.

As they waited, Sheldon looked back at Cindy and Morgan, who were walking away.

Thinking of Morgan's face, Sheldon felt like the child looked familiar, as if he'd seen him somewhere before.

Cindy led Morgan to her electric bicycle.

When she took Morgan with her, she didn't ride the bicycle out of safety concerns but pushed it instead.

"Tired?" Cindy asked Morgan.

Morgan shook his head sensibly.

Cindy smiled and lifted Morgan onto the bicycle seat. "I'll push you."

As she was putting Morgan down, she noticed a slight contortion in his face.

"What's wrong?" Cindy asked quickly.

"It's nothing," Morgan immediately shook his head.

Not believing him, Cindy saw the tension on Morgan's face and frowned, "Morgan, are you going to start hiding things from me now too?"

 

Chapter 9: I won't allow others to talk about you like that

Morgan Clarke hung his head lower as Cindy Clarke asked, "Did you get hurt from fighting with someone?"

Before Morgan could answer, Cindy lifted his T-shirt to look.

Thin clothing in summer made it easier to get hurt.

As she lifted the T-shirt, Cindy saw bruises and scratches on Morgan's body, where two spots of skin were torn.

Even unscratched areas had a tinge of red, almost breaking the skin.

Cindy trembled with anger and said, "Let's go to the hospital first!"

At this point, Morgan's injury was a priority. Children's bones are soft and susceptible to internal injuries.

Their skin is also delicate, and scratches could lead to infections.

Cindy locked her electric bicycle by the side of the road, hailed a taxi, and carried Morgan into the car.

"Didn't you tell me because you didn't want me to worry?" In the car, Cindy held Morgan and asked.

Morgan remained silent, not wanting Cindy to know why he had fought.

However, it seemed impossible to hide now.

"You're making me more worried like this. What if I hadn't noticed due to my carelessness, and your injuries got worse or life-threatening? How devastated and guilty would I feel?" Cindy asked.

"Mom, I'm sorry, I didn't think it through." Morgan tugged at Cindy's clothes in her arms.

This little one would only call her mom when he knew he had done something wrong.

Usually, he would address her as Cindy.

Seeing such an adorable child, Cindy couldn't help but feel her heart trembling, fearing the thought of losing him.

Cindy gave him a long kiss on his forehead, "Never hide anything from me again, okay?"

"Okay," replied Morgan obediently, before adding, "It doesn't really hurt, it just looks severe."

"Then why were you gritting your teeth when I held you?" Cindy unmasked him with a stern face.

"..." Morgan stopped talking.

"Didn't you just promise me that you won't hide anything from me?" Cindy asked again.

Morgan nodded and listened as Cindy asked, "So why did you get into a fight? I know you're not the type of kid to fight for no reason."

Morgan pursed his lips, and Cindy did not press him.

After a while, Morgan softly said, "It was Arthur Woods from the Moon Class next door. He said I was a wild... wild-born child because I don't have a father, and that you're promiscuous. That's why you had me at such a young age."

"He can say anything about me, but he shouldn't say that about you! I won't let anyone talk about you like that!" Morgan said indignantly.

Cindy fell silent.

She never felt ashamed of raising Morgan on her own at a young age.

That's why she didn't avoid the topic of being a single mother when attending nursery activities, picking up her child, or meeting teachers, parents, and children at the nursery.

Everyone knew that she had a 4-year-old son at 24.

It was easy to calculate when she became pregnant.

She didn't find it disgraceful, but she never expected others to have such dirty thoughts.

Didn't children just repeat what adults said?

"Has anyone else ever said something like that to you?" Cindy asked.

Morgan shook his head, "No, only Arthur Woods. In the nursery, everyone likes me. I am the popularity king."

 

 

Chapter 10: Hurry Up and Find a Girlfriend

Cindy Clarke looked at her son's delicate, beautiful face and his surprisingly thick skin.

She believed him.

"Probably because Arthur Woods likes our classmate Penelope Carter, but Penelope likes me. He got jealous and came to say those things." Morgan Clarke said proudly.

"..." Cindy was silent.

Are kids these days already playing the game of love and hate?

"No one has the right to belittle you or me. You know I'm a good person, but I also know you're a good person. We both shouldn't be looked down upon by others." Cindy said, "I understand you did it this time for my sake. But you can't do this anymore."

"Either way, fighting is not right. And you're so young, fighting with a friend who is older than you puts you at a disadvantage. If you don't know how hard you're hitting, what if you cause irreparable damage?"

"You can go to the teacher or come back and tell me. I'll go and ask for justice. I'll go and ask how the teacher teaches and how parents educate their children. But Morgan, you can't take matters into your own hands, you can't put yourself in danger, do you understand?"

Morgan nodded obediently: "I remember."

At the hospital, Cindy signed Morgan up quickly and took him to the surgery department.

Fortunately, it was just a superficial wound, and the doctor prescribed ointment. It would be fine with just a little application.

***

Sheldon Rowland hurriedly entered: "Master Adrian, I just sent the ravioli from that restaurant for testing."

"What? Anything wrong?" Adrian Zhekova asked immediately.

"Just after you left, Morgan Clarke's mother came to pick her up and tasted the ravioli soup. She said the soup had poppy shell added, and she wasn't sure about the ravioli filling because the ravioli had been soaked in the soup. It might have absorbed the taste from the soup."

"She was very sure about her claim, so I sent the ravioli for testing. The result will be out soon." Sheldon Rowland explained.

Adrian Zhekova nodded, seeing Sheldon Rowland still standing there, he raised his eyebrows: "Anything else?"

"No, but Master Adrian, I didn't expect Morgan Clarke's mother to be so young, she looks only in her early twenties. She is so beautiful ..."

Adrian Zhekova said disdainfully: "You've been single for too long. You're eyeing someone's mother now. Hurry up and find a girlfriend."

Sheldon Rowland's face turned green.

Has Adrian Zhekova forgotten that he's single himself and is driving their Old Madam crazy?

Besides, if it weren't for his constant servitude to Adrian Zhekova, would he still be single now?

Sheldon Rowland didn't want to deal with this out-of-touch boss.

***

Cindy and Morgan returned home. While changing shoes, Cindy asked: "What do you want to eat tonight?"

Today Morgan was wronged and Cindy wanted to find a way to make him happy.

And the thing that could make Morgan the happiest was eating.

Sure enough, foodie Morgan immediately said excitedly: "I want to eat Coke Chicken Wings!"

Cindy thought and said with a smile: "My previous video inventory is almost finished, I have to record new ones. I haven't filmed the method of making Coke Chicken Wings, so I might as well record it this time."

Cindy finished changing their shoes and asked, "Will you help me record?"

"Leave it to me!" Morgan puffed out his chest and patted it.

Cindy first accompanied him to change his clothes.

Morgan had long been able to change his clothes on his own. Today, he was injured, and Cindy was afraid that he might hurt himself if he wasn't careful with his movements.

After changing their clothes, Cindy took the chicken wings out of the refrigerator and put them in the microwave to defrost.