A Dish Best Served Cold (The Man In Rage)
Chapter 57 Let's Go and Pick a Present

Preparations for dinner did not take long. When it was ready to be served, Han Hai's family, Qiu Mu-Cheng and Ye Fan went to take their seats at the table. "Mu-Cheng, come and sit next to Yu-Hao."

Qiu Mu-Cheng was about to sit next to Ye Fan but, unexpectedly, Han Hai told her to sit with Sun Yu-Hao.

"Uncle, I don't think I should. I~"

"And what's wrong with that? Yu-Hao is our guest. We have to be hospitable," Han Hai rumbled as he glared at his niece.

And so Qiu Mu-Cheng meekly sat down beside Sun Yu-Hao.

But Ye Fan was no pushover. He mirrored Sun Yu-Hao by taking the other empty seat next to his wife.

"Did we invite you to dinner? Aren't you too thick-skinned?" Han Fei-Fei whispered disdainfully and rolled her eyes at Ye Fan.

Okay, let us eat the food while it is hot.

Don't let it get cold."

"Especially Yu-Hao. Don't stand on ceremony. Treat this place like your own home from now on. We are all one family." "And please call her Mu-Cheng from now on. Stop calling her 'Miss Qiu.' You are treating her like an outsider."

"That's right, that's right. Mu-Cheng is really easy to get along with. Yu-Hao, you don't have to treat her like a stranger." During the meal, Han Hai and his wife were solicitous and affectionate toward Sun Yu-Hao.

It was as if instead of Ye Fan, Sun Yu-Hao was their real nephew-in-law.

"Mu-Cheng, one takes on the color of one's company. You should socialize with Yu-Hao more often. Otherwise, if you keep hanging around useless people, you will become a useless person yourself."

"Let me tell you. It isn't just Yu-Hao, but his family is excellent as well. If you marry him, you will rise above all others. And we will be able to share your limelight." Han Hai's wife laughed as she gave her sales talk.

"That's right. Yu-Hao is young and capable. This year, he is expected to be chosen as one of the ten most outstanding youths of Jianghai city. Not only is he capable, but he also comes from a good family. Yu- Hao is completely different from someone who is useless and only knows how to brag." Han Hai added supportively.

Qiu Mu-Cheng did not contribute to the conversation and only smiled perfunctorily. From time to time, she would glance at Ye Fan.

Meanwhile, Ye Fan was being ignored like an abandoned child by the Hans. So he did not try to join the conversation and continued to eat his meal quietly.

Seeing her husband being treated like this made Qiu Mu-Cheng feel unpleasant. She wanted to say something but did not know how to start.

And soon, dinner ended.

Sun Yu-Hao then took the opportunity to invite Qiu Mu-Cheng out for a walk to admire the night scenery in Jianghai.

"Look at how thoughtful Yu-Hao is. Mu-Cheng, you haven't had the opportunity to go out and have fun yet. Jianghai looks really beautiful at night. Let Yu-Hao take you out."

"Yes, Mu-Cheng. Yu-Hao knows Jianghai really well. He knows where the fun spots are." Han Fei-Fei seemed especially eager to bring Sun Yu-Hao and her cousin together.

"I am afraid that will not be possible. My wife and I have to go buy a present for grandmother. So we will not be able to accompany you on your walk." Just then, Ye Fan's indifferent voice drifted to the group. Heavy emphasis was placed on the word "wife."

Sun Yu-Hao frowned immediately, and the

Hans' expression turned terrible.

"Shit, are we talking to you?"

"How dare a piece of trash like you interrupt us?" Han Fei-Fei retorted. "Wife? Aren't you embarrassed to call her that? You think she is your wife, but does my cousin think of you as her husband?"

"If that crazy old man from the Qiu family had not made that stupid decision back then, do you think you would be able to marry my cousin? I don't think she would have accepted you, not even as a live-in son- in-law," Han Fei-Fei scolded angrily. She had not thought that Ye Fan would be so audacious that he would interrupt their conversation.

Han Hai also looked unhappy. He turned to Ye Fan and said, "I advise you to know your limits. No matter how hard you try, there are some things you can never have."

"Mu-Cheng, listen to me. You should go with Yu-Hao since he has invited you. Nobody can stop you from leaving.”

Sun Yu-Hao smiled proudly when he heard the voices of support from the Hans. When he looked at Ye Fan, Sun Yu-Hao's eyes were filled with disdain and mockery. You insignificant trash. How are you going to compete with me?

But even as he faced the onslaught of criticisms from the Hans, Ye Fan simply ignored them and kept his composure.

He had never cared for what others thought of him. He only valued his wife's opinions.

"Come down when you have finished your meal."

"I will be waiting for you downstairs."

After saying a few indifferent words to his wife, Ye Fan got up and went downstairs.

"Shit, for a useless piece of trash, he sure has a huge temper."

"How dare he try to boss Mu-Cheng around when he is just a useless person." "Mu-Cheng, pay him no mind. Let him wait downstairs by himself. I hope he never comes back." "What a useless bastard. He only knows how to validate his existence by bullying women."

"Mu-Cheng, you don't have to concern yourself with a useless person like him. He can't stop you from pursuing your own happiness."

Ye Fan had not left yet, so he could hear the disdainful criticisms coming from the Hans.

Sometimes, he could not help but wonder why society was like that.

Why was it that there was always such mercenary people around, wherever he went?

In this mortal world, righteous and sentimental people were too few in number after all.

It was already late at night.

The lonely moon and the night breeze brought about a slight chill.

It was dark in the residential district. At this time, most people had already finished their meals or were resting. They might be watching TV together or playing games on their phones.

The road was wide but there was nobody on it. Meanwhile, the weak lamp lights swayed gently in the darkness.

The homes in front of Ye Fan was lit up and, through the windows, Ye Fan could see scenes of the young and old bonding together.

But just then, Ye Fan was all by himself and far away from home. As he stood there in the dark, his slim body cut a desolate figure.

Ye Fan had already waited for a long time.

But the person he was waiting for did not come.

Flash

Suddenly, lightning tore through the sky, followed by a rumble of thunder.

It was raining.

Ye Fan did not bring an umbrella with him, so he sought shelter from the rain at a nearby pavillion.

And a short while after Ye Fan had left, Sun Yu-Hao and the others came down from the apartment.

A moment later, the roar of the BMW's engine drifted to the pavillion. When Ye Fan lifted his head to look, he saw the beautiful and graceful figure of a woman getting into the BMW, under the solicitous care of

a man.

"Be safe-"

"Have a good time. We are all one family, so there is no need to treat Yu-Hao like a stranger. You hear?"

Vroom-

As its orange headlights tore through the darkness, the BMW zoomed off into the distance, carrying the beauty with it.

Han Hai and his family laughed heartily, but the sound of their laughter stabbed into Ye Fan like swords.

It hurt.

Ye Fan smiled, and self-deprecation consumed him.

He suddenly felt that his three years with Qiu Mu-Cheng had become a joke.

He had worked so hard to treat her well. From the moment she had married him, Ye Fan had sworn to be a good husband; at least a better one than his unfeeling father. He had promised himself that he would not let Qiu Mu-Cheng suffer like his mother did.

But what happened in the end?

His three years worth of silent effort was no match for a BMW owner his wife had just met.

"Forget it. Let this end now."

"I thought you would be the one to enjoy my wealth with me. But it looks like I was wrong-"

Ye Fan smiled lightly as he turned to walk into the rain, while carrying the burdens of self-deprecation and desolation. The freezing rainwater beat down on him and soaked into his clothes, but he paid it no mind.

Suddenly, it stopped raining around Ye Fan. But he could still hear the pattering of rain drops.

He looked up and saw an umbrella over his head.

"Let's go and pick a present for grandmother."

In the rainy night, Qiu Mu-Cheng held the umbrella for her husband. Her graceful and slender figure stood there like a lotus flower emerging from a pond. And her smile was bright as a blossoming flower.