A Dish Best Served Cold (The Man In Rage)
Chapter 425 A Woman Who Was Forsaken by the World

At the Xu family in Yanjing.

There were many cars parked in front of a massive estate.

Countless rich and powerful people of Yanjing came with their wives both in fine outfits. Servants came out to lead them into the hall.

The Xu family was causing quite a stir today. There were vividly colored flowers, a bright red carpet, and decorations in the courtyard, so their estate was splendidly adorned.

The passersby couldn't help turning to look as they stared at the guests flocking over and the posh cars parked outside their estate.

"What's going on in the Xu residence?"

"Is Miss Xu Lei getting married today?"

"Isn't it taking place on 12th December?"

The passersby were looking at the Xu residence quizzically.

Many people kept gossiping.

"Oh my, how could you have known nothing about this huge event? They didn't set this up for the second daughter of the Xu family. This is for their eldest daughter, Xu Mei-Feng. It's her birthday today. A month ago, the Xu family already released information to the media and marketed it and invited all the elite to attend it," said someone in the know.

What?

"It's just a birthday, but they're making it such a grand affair."

"There must be miles of cars out here!"

"At least half the rich and powerful of Yanjing are here!"

"It's the Xu family after all. Their family has a long history in Yanjing, so it's incomparably grand."

After they found out that a birthday banquet was being held for the eldest daughter of the Xu family, they were

instantly envious.

Many women coveted for such a grand birthday party and felt that was how one should live.

A birthday party already surpassed a state banquet!

The birthday parties of average citizens like them certainly couldn't compare to theirs.

"I think that this birthday party is just a gimmick. They are probably trying to replace Miss Xu Mei-Feng a husband."

"Miss Xu Lei is getting married soon, so Miss Xu Mei-Feng is clearly anxious since she older than her."

"But I feel so sorry for Miss Xu Lei. She's not too bad herself, but ended up getting engaged to that playboy from the Xue family." "Miss Xu Lei will probably forever get stepped on by Miss Xu Mei-Feng!" At the thought of that, many people couldn't help shaking their heads and feel sorry for Xu Lei.

Marriage was like a second lease of life to women.

If they married well, even nobodies could live like queens.

If they didn't marry well, then they could forget about holding their heads up high for the rest of their lives.

Many passersby gathered outside to look and chat about the Xu family.

Distinguished people from all spheres assembled in the Xu family's halls. Countless rich and powerful gathered together to socialize, and it was bustling with activity. But Xu Mei-Feng, the eldest daughter of the Xu family, who seemed as precious as a canary, undoubtedly garnered the most attention.

Though it was strangely quiet in one of the rooms in the bungalow while the party went on downstairs.

It was cold as autumn in there as the lavish party went on outside.

A stunning and elegant woman sat silently before a window in the room.

Although sunlight was seeping through the fine window shades and scattering lightly on her, she was covered with a haze.

From a distance, the scene appeared particularly sad.

If seemed as though someone was sitting in the corner and forgotten by the world. Despite the extravagant banquet right outside, the room was sad and cold.

"Miss Xu, they've gone too far! It's your birthday today, but no one bothered to say anything about it, and they even placed you under house arrest! They are such bullies!" blurted Lin Wen-Jing from behind in a fury.

Lin Wen-Jing walked in from outside and continued ranting to Xu Lei, "Miss Xu, it's bustling with activity out there. The T'ang family from the south, the Su family from the north, and even the Tang family from Jinling sent people to wish Xu Mei-Feng a happy birthday. Xu Mei-Feng is so smug now that she's acting like she's some princess. It doesn't cross her mind that she can now enjoy all this attention because of your parents' hard work. She was ungrateful to your parents and even placed you under house arrest. Now she wants to just marry you off to some stranger. Xu Mei-Feng keeps claiming it's for your own good, but they must have wanted to chase you out of the Xu family ages ago and openly take over the Xu family's assets!"

The more Lin Wen-Jing thought about it, the angrier she became. She was so furious that her face was crimson red.

She had been with the Xu family for a long time and knew their situation well.

Although the Xu family was an important family with a long history, they truly soared to power under the leadership of Xu Lei's father when he was head of the family.

Xu Lei was far away in Jiangdong when her parents passed away in an accident, so all their family assets naturally fell into her second uncle's hands.

The so-called eldest daughter of the Xu family today was naturally that uncle's daughter, Xu Mei-Feng.

In Lin Wen-Jing's view, the true eldest daughter of the family was always Xu Lei.

"Times have gotten so tough without your parents around for you to rely on. After getting bullied by your family, you can only swallow it. Miss Xu, don't be sad. Even if no one else celebrates your birthday, I will do it for you," said Lin Wen-Jing as she sighed. She found Xu Lei particularly pitiful.

They had already snatched Xu Lei's birthright, and now Xu Mei-Feng took even a birthday party that only happened once a year.

Lin Wen-Jing couldn't imagine how Xu Lei was to overcome all her future woes.

The Xu family had two daughters who were born on the same day.

But they were now celebrating it for Xu Mei-Feng and not Xu Lei. Lin Wen-Jing was naturally upset about it.

Lin Wen-Jing placed a birthday cake on the table as she sighed. Then she helped Xu Lei to light the candles.

Xu Lei smiled when she saw it. But her smile was filled with a boundless sorrow.

"Wen-Jing, thank you. I'm so glad you stayed with me all these years. You're the only person who remembers my birthday. If it weren't for you, I would have been completely forgotten by everyone in the world," said Xu Lei softly. She didn't look as strong and powerful as she did in Yunzhou. All that was left was endless sadness and loneliness.

Her family assets were taken away from her after her parents' accident. Now even her birthday was snatched from under her nose. No matter how strong Xu Lei was inside, she felt painful and sorrowful now.

Xu Lei went into a daze. She could almost look back and see years ago on this day when she was at the Chu residence that night.

A silly young man was holding two apples which he had stolen and got his clothes torn by tree branches in the process as he offered them to her and wished her happy birthday.

Xu Lei recalled that she didn't have a knife with her since she didn't like apples, so the youth used his mouth to bite the apple skin off.

Then Xu Lei pared another apple with her mouth to thank him.

After paring the apples, they took turns eating it.

They were young and clueless back then. In hindsight, their actions were so intimate and ambiguous.

It felt as though he had kissed her countless times.

It was the first time Xu Lei ever received a birthday present from an outsider.

It was also the first and only present this young man ever gave one to her!

But after so many years, the young man finally got married.

He had probably long forgotten her and her birthday.

He might have even forgotten about the little lass who called him, 'Fan'.

In the end, so many things changed with time.

Xu Lei wanted to go back to those days so badly.

Back when she was young and innocent.

And he was an inexperienced young man!

Tears unknowingly trickled from her eyes.

They cascaded down her stunning face like chains of cold and sparkling beads.

The dazzling young woman Lin Wen-Jing once knew had now ended up like this. She had lost all hope to live and was now like a luminous precious stone that had lost all radiance.

Lin Wen-Jing felt as though her heart was about to break.

She clenched her fists tightly as she bit down hard on her lip and almost blurted out the message that Ye Fan had for Xu Lei.

But Lin Wen-Jing managed to suppress herself in the end.

She was afraid Ye Fan wouldn't turn up.

Lin Wen-Jing was even more worried that Xu Lei would be disappointed.

Lin Wen-Jing didn't dare to give Xu Lei false hope as she wasn't in the condition to suffer another blow.

So Lin Wen-Jing didn't tell Xu Lei she had gone to Jiangdong or that Ye Fan was coming over.

But Lin Wen-Jing was praying nonstop in her heart, "Mr Ye, you must absolutely come. You must."