A Dish Best Served Cold (The Man In Rage)
Chapter 445 A Life That Made One Despair

But these were all wishful thinking on Xu Lei's part.

She envied Qiu Mu-Cheng for being able to replace her pillar of support, for replaceing a man whom she was able to rely on for the rest of her life.

Her tears fell like the rain.

Who would have thought that after she had missed Ye Fan back then, it would become a regret that she could never make up for.

"Lei...are you asleep?" Ye Fan's voice gently called out from outside the room as Xu Lei was crying.

Xu Lei quickly sorted herself out and wiped her tears away so that Ye Fan wouldn't be able to tell that she just cried.

She was a prideful woman and didn't want to reveal her fragile side in front of Ye Fan and made him worry.

"Fan, not yet," smiled Xu Lei faintly after she opened the door.

But of course, she couldn't hide her tears well enough to hide from Ye Fan.

"Lei, are you alright? What's wrong?" asked Ye Fan worriedly. His voice was filled with concern and tenderness.

Xu Lei was a little younger than himself.

She was supposed to be at the prime of her life, but she was now suffering a pain that someone her age shouldn't have to go through. Ye Fan felt that Xu Lei must have led a difficult life all these years. "I'm fine, Fan. I just overheard your conversation with Mu-Cheng and I miss my parents. You'd understand how nice it is to have close family members particularly when you're sick and feeling helpless." One only felt how warm your bed was on a cold winter's day.

One only realized how wonderful it was to have the protection of your parents when all your relatives betrayed you.

"I used to live all by myself in Jiangdong, and even though I had no relatives around me, my parents were still at home and I'd visit them over New Year's. Whenever I ran into problems or felt lonely, I could talk to my parents and complain to them. When I fell ill, they would show their concern and ask if I was okay. But now they're no longer around and I can't go back to the Xu family anymore. I suddenly feel as though the entire world is left with nobody but myself."

"Fan, have you heard of this phrase? With parents around, we have a place to go. Without parents, we can only wait to die. Our parents are like the wall between us and the grim reaper. Now that the wall is gone, we will have to face impending doom."

The dim yellow light in the room swayed gently.

It landed on the woman in front of it and cast a shadow on the floor.

Xu Lei's eyes were a little ed as her long dress reached the floor. She spoke as she looked listlessly out of the window. The smile on her face was filled with such disappointment and worry.

To other people, she was the goddess of Jiangdong, the esteemed daughter of the Xu family. She was a bright star who commanded respect.

But how many people knew the pain and suffering that this bright star felt?

Xu Lei's parents were both dead and her family was heartless. And even the Fan that she thought she could rely on for the rest of her life had already married someone else and became that person's pillar of support.

Even though Ye Fan was by her side now, she knew that he would eventually have to return to Yunzhou.

Sometimes Xu Lei didn't understand why she ended being all alone in life as the years went by.

Her mood slowly became more and more depressed.

Her eyes were no longer as bright.

She was like a beautiful flower atop a snowy mountain that was slowly fading.

Its color was fading and it no longer bloomed beautifully.

Was this lady still the gorgeous CEO of Hongqi Group?

Was she still that goddess of Jiangdong that fought hard with Li Er?

The young lady in front of Ye Fan now just looked like a young girl who had lost all confidence in herself.

Then again, no matter how strong a front Xu Lei put up in public, she was still a frail woman after all.

Even if Qiu Mu-Cheng suffered setbacks, she could still go home to Ye Fan's comforting and she could complain about it to her parents.

But Xu Lei didn't have anything.

Her parents were both dead and her only friend was Ye Fan. But he had already become someone else's husband.

He wasn't hers and he wasn't her Fan anymore.

Xu Lei didn't want to interrupt Ye Fan's life.

And that was why she just kept everything in her heart, no matter how much pain she felt inside.

There was a limit to how much one could take.

Those negative feelings couldn't go anywhere and she had nobody to tell, so Xu Lei began to despair.

She had lost the fighting spirit she used to have towards the future and her life.

She was now plodding along like an old lady. The air around her was heavy and foggy, and she didn't look full of life like someone her age ought to.

But just when Xu Lei's motivation was slowly disappearing, she heard the lovely sound of a harmonica.

The melody was enchanting and melodious.

It sounded like the fresh water stream in the mountains, or like the cool breeze in a valley.

It washed over her heart and mesmerized her.

It took away the dark clouds in her heart, and also wiped out the depression and dejection she felt earlier.

The melody eventually stopped playing, but the resonance continued to resound beautifully.

After a long time, Xu Lei finally snapped out of her enchanted daze.

"Fan, the only thing that hasn't changed is this melodious harmonica sound of yours," said Xu Lei as she smiled at Ye Fan. Back when Ye Fan was still living in the Chu house, Xu Lei would sit by the riverside and listen to Ye Fan play the harmonica. Back then, whenever she heard him play the harmonica, all the tiredness and frustrations of the day would just disappear.

Ye Fan didn't reply her directly. He put his harmonica away and looked at her. "Lei, no matter what happens in the future, I just hope that you will always remember that you still have me."

"Even though your parents are no longer around, I will be the one who will be the one who walks with you through life! Do you still remember my promise to you back then? Once I become strong and powerful, I will protect you for the rest of your life!"

"Even when you've gotten married and have children and you replace your own happiness in the future, this promise of mine will still stand! An-Qi is like my younger sister, and so are you."

"So what if your parents are no longer alive? So what if your uncles are heartless? So what if your family is ruthless? Even if everyone deserts you, I'll be your family!"

"As for tomorrow, you don't have to worry. Trust me. If you don't want to do something, and you don't want to marry that guy, nobody can force you to. No sister of Chu Tian-Fan should ever have to suffer!"

BOOM...

His words were authoritative and firm.

They clanged loudly in the room.

Xu Lei was so stunned that she just froze on the spot.

She looked up with a strange but bright gleam in her eyes.

She was so stunned and her eyes grew red as she started to cry.

All she could hear was the echoing of Ye

Fan's incredible words piercing her ears...