The dating reality show host just wanted to give up, but the rich girl fell for him.

The news of Lin Mo's return spread like wildfire, reaching half the street overnight.

The Lin family's son, who had been making public appearances on television, not only returned unharmed, but also settled the outrageously high penalty for breach of contract!

Not only that, I heard that he also brought back a culinary skill that even the gods would praise, and even managed to win over half of the young ladies in the capital!

Who can stand this?

The old glass door of Lin's Noodle Shop was almost pushed apart.

The welcoming wind chimes rang incessantly, and the once quiet shop was instantly filled with people.

Old Wang, who lives next door to the hardware store, was holding a screwdriver and pretending to be there to borrow pliers.

Across the street, a vegetable vendor was carrying a bundle of fresh chives that were still dripping with water. She said she was giving away some vegetables she had grown herself.

Even the shoe repairman who always dozed off at the alley entrance strolled in carrying an enamel teacup.

On the surface, everyone is just there to have a bowl of breakfast noodles and support the business of the old neighbors.

In fact, all those dozens of eyes were like searchlights, all glancing into the back kitchen.

Everyone harbored a burning passion for gossip, making them restless and uneasy.

"Old Lin, where's your Mo'er? Isn't he up yet?" Old Wang called out, craning his neck.

As soon as the words were spoken, the heavy cotton curtain of the kitchen was lifted by a hand with distinct knuckles.

Lin Mo came out.

He changed into a casual sweatshirt and tied a clean white apron around his waist.

There was no elaborate makeup or hair, and no spotlight.

But even if he just stood there lazily, the calm and relaxed demeanor he exuded after weathering many storms instantly elevated this greasy little noodle shop to a whole new level.

The once bustling shop fell eerily quiet for a moment.

The neighbors looked at the young man who was both familiar and unfamiliar to them, and they couldn't help but swallow.

Is this still the same quiet, reserved kid from before?

His overall demeanor is more composed than that of the town mayor.

"Uncle Wang, Aunt Li, Grandpa Zhang."

Lin Mo greeted everyone in a calm tone, just like any other ordinary morning.

He walked to the large pot and skillfully picked up a long-handled strainer.

"What would you like to eat today? My dad's been working hard these past few days, so I'll make noodles this morning."

In a single sentence, the noodle shop, which had been put on pause, was instantly reactivated.

The gates of the Bagua were fully opened.

"Oh my gosh, Mo'er! The internet says you owe someone five million, is that true?" The vegetable vendor was the first to charge in.

With a flick of his wrist, Lin Mo sent the noodles flying through the air in a beautiful arc before they landed steadily in the boiling broth.

"It's fake." He didn't even look up, gently stirring the noodles with his long chopsticks. "The production team miscalculated; it's already been offset."

"So, those big stars on TV, are they all acting according to a script?" Old Wang followed up with another question. "Your cooking is so delicious, did you practice beforehand?"

Lin Mo took a large blue-and-white porcelain bowl and scooped out a spoonful of rich pork bone broth.

"No script." His movements were fluid and effortless. "Cooking is just something I figured out on my own; everyone's just doing it for fun. Uncle Wang, your pickled mustard greens and shredded pork is a bit low in salt, right?"

He handled it so naturally.

There was no boasting, no panic, as if they were just chatting about how much cabbage cost per pound today.

This extreme contrast only fueled the residents' enthusiasm.

Lin Ankang was chopping vegetables on the side. Hearing his son's nonchalant reply, he involuntarily straightened his back a little.

Although the old man didn't utter a sound, his knife skills in chopping vegetables and meat were so fast that they left afterimages, and his mouth was stretched almost to the back of his ears.

However, the neighbors' criticism was clearly not going to stop there.

After the appetizers, it's time for the main course.

The vegetable vendor leaned forward, almost reaching over the food counter, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Mo'er, tell your aunt something from the bottom of your heart."

She lowered her voice, but it was still loud enough for half the shop to hear.

"I've seen all those videos online! Is that rich girl who came in a helicopter really interested in you?"

As soon as he said that, even the slurping of noodles in the noodle shop stopped.

Everyone perked up their ears.

In the kitchen, Lin Ankang's strainer slammed against the edge of the iron pot with a "clatter," splashing two drops of scalding noodle soup.

The old man was startled and quickly wiped his hands with a rag, but his eyes couldn't help but drift towards his son.

A young lady from the capital?

That's a social class that ordinary people like them wouldn't even dare to dream of.

Lin Mo paused slightly as he was chopping scallions.

The image of Jiang Ruoyun's stunningly beautiful face, which clearly wanted to be affectionate but deliberately put on a cold and aloof demeanor, unconsciously surfaced in his mind.

Her top-tier haute couture outfit, paired with her sullen expression, created a striking contrast.

A faint blush crept up his ears almost imperceptibly.

But on the surface, he remained as steady as ever.

"Auntie, you can't believe everything you see online; it's all just for the sake of the show."

Lin Mo sprinkled the chopped scallions into the bowl, poured hot oil over them, and with a "sizzle," the aroma filled the air.

He picked up the bowl of noodles and handed it to him: "Your pork rib noodles, eat them while they're hot."

He tried to shut these elderly men and women up with food.

But the vegetable vendor clearly wasn't buying it.

She took the bowl of noodles, not even picking up chopsticks, and continued gossiping: "What kind of show effect is this! I could practically see silk in that girl's eyes when she looked at you!"

"Auntie's been through this, her judgment is absolutely spot on!"

She confidently patted her chest and dropped a bombshell.

"Tell me honestly, is that Miss Jiang...?"

"Cough cough..."

Lin Mo couldn't hold back this time. He turned his head and coughed lightly twice to cover up the unnatural smile in his eyes.

Lin Mo was trying to figure out how to brush off this topic.

Just then.

Wang Cuiping, who had been busy working in the shop, quit.

This traditional Chinese mother spent a long time scrolling through short videos on her phone.

She edited together the interactions between her son and Jiang Ruoyun and watched them over and over again, no less than twenty times.

Although I was initially quite intimidated by the woman's prominent family background.

But watching the video, the girl who was so beautiful she seemed otherworldly kept saying "delicious" and even defended her son while arguing with others.

Wang Cuiping's protective instincts had long since drifted to the Pacific Ocean.

She slammed the rag in her hand onto the table.

A muffled thud.

Old Wang was so startled that he almost dropped the noodles he had picked up back into the bowl.

"Hey, Auntie, what kind of talk is that?!"

Wang Cuiping put her hands on her hips and strode to the food counter, blocking Lin Mo's way like a hen guarding her territory.

"What do you mean you won't marry anyone but our Mo'er? Dating is a matter between two young people!"

She raised her chin, her tone brimming with pride and an unquestionable authority.

"Besides, that girl is wonderful! Very sensible!"

"Not only is she beautiful, she's like an angel. Most importantly, she's not spoiled at all, and she's not picky about food. She eats whatever we make!"

"Who wouldn't like such a wonderful girl?"

Wang Cuiping spoke these words with conviction and conviction, firing off a barrage of them like a machine gun.

The entire noodle shop was completely silent.

The neighbors were all stunned.

No one expected that Wang Cuiping, who is usually honest and unassuming, would be so fierce in protecting her future daughter-in-law.

Standing behind her mother, Lin Mo looked at her not-so-broad back and felt a surge of indescribable warmth in her heart.

He sighed inwardly.

If Jiang Ruoyun heard these words, she'd probably be strutting around like crazy.

"that is!"

Lin Ankang, who had been silent all along, suddenly chimed in from behind in a muffled voice.

The old man held a bunch of lettuce in his hand, his face stern, but his tone revealed a hint of smugness.

"My son inherited my skills and looks. So what if he married a girl from Beijing? Is that so strange?"

"Aren't you eating noodles? If not, I'm taking the bowls away!"

Lin Ankang glared at him, displaying the authority of a shop owner.

The neighbors were completely bewildered by the elderly couple's mixed doubles attack.

Then, everyone burst into laughter.

"Oh dear, Lao Lin, look how anxious you are!"

"Alright, alright, your daughter-in-law is definitely going to be yours. Don't forget the neighbors when you hold the wedding banquet!"

Old Wang chuckled and quickly lowered his head to finish the pickled mustard greens and shredded pork noodles in his bowl.

The first bite of noodles.

Old Wang's eyes lit up instantly.

The noodles are chewy and springy, and the salty and savory pickled mustard greens and the savory meat flavor blend perfectly.

The most amazing thing was the soup; it was so delicious that you'd want to swallow your tongue.

"Holy crap..." Old Wang couldn't help but swear, "Mo'er, your cooking skills... are amazing!"

Seeing this, the others also started eating.

For the next half hour, no one in the noodle shop gossiped anymore.

All that remained were the sounds of slurping and the heavy breathing of people drinking soup while covered in sweat.

Delicious food is always the best weapon to shut people up.

Time slipped away quietly amidst the rising steam and white mist.

Until sunset.

Evening always comes exceptionally early in the town.

The afterglow of the setting sun spilled onto the wet bluestone slabs, giving them a gentle golden glow.

After a busy day, Lin's Noodle Shop finally enjoyed a moment of peace.

The shop was a bit messy, with empty bowls piled up on the tables.

But the air was filled with a long-lost, vibrant energy.

Wang Cuiping sat behind the cashier, with a pile of loose change spread out in front of her.

She counted today's sales figures over and over again, her wrinkles smoothing out as she smiled broadly.

"Old man, tell me, how many bowls did we sell today?"

She waved excitedly, lowering her voice, "More than we sold in the past two weeks!"

Lin Ankang stood at the door, a freshly lit cigarette between his fingers.

The red sparks flickered uncertainly in the dim light.

He exhaled a thick cloud of white smoke, his back ramrod straight.

The gloom brought by the red "Shop for Sale" sign that was posted and torn down repeatedly has completely dissipated.

"What's there to be so happy about?" the old man muttered stubbornly. "Those are the neighbors who came to watch the excitement. There might not be so many people tomorrow."

Despite saying that, his hand holding the cigarette was steady and firm, no longer trembling as it had yesterday.

Lin Mo untied the apron from her waist and hung it on a hook to the side.

He picked up a cup of warm barley tea, walked to the glass door, and leaned against the door frame.

He gazed quietly at the familiar, narrow old alleyway outside the door.

The lightbox of the grocery store across the street lit up, its dim yellow glow spreading in the cold winter air.

The shoe repairman was packing up his stall, and the chain of his tricycle made a dry, grinding sound.

Several children, having just finished school, ran past, splashing water everywhere they went.

This scene is beautiful and realistic.

This is the warmth and humanity he longed for most when he was struggling in the world of fame and fortune in his previous life.

but.

Lin Mo took a sip of barley tea, the warm liquid flowing down his throat, but it couldn't completely soothe the thoughts in his heart.

He glanced down at his phone in his pocket.

The screen wasn't lit, but he knew it connected to a completely different world.

A program team with millions of followers, a powerful and influential family in Beijing, and...

A rich girl who would get angry if her shoes got wet in the rain, but was willing to eat at a roadside stall for him.

This incident, while helping him pay off his family's debts, also propelled him onto a much larger stage.

The townspeople were all watching the spectacle, assuming he would continue to stay in that small noodle shop and live a quiet, ordinary life.

But Lin Mo knew very well what was going on.

He can't stay here forever.

His current skills, fame, and the complicated ties he has with the town mean he cannot simply fade into obscurity.

With parents healthy and well, the crisis is over.

But in this home filled with the warmth of everyday life, how should he rearrange his life?