A Dish Best Served Cold (The Man In Rage)
Chapter 697 The Plump Boy's Situation

"Young Master, you've finally picked up the phone. If you didn't pick up soon, I was about to send someone to Jingzhou to look for you," came Han's worried and anxious voice once the call got through. This faithful old man was like an elderly butler who constantly worried about Ye Fan's day to day needs and personal safety.

Ye Fan was already long used to it.

"Han, it's been ten years and you're still so jumpy at every single thing. I'm no longer that boy I was ten years ago. There are very few people in this world who could possibly endanger my life now. There's no need for you to be so antsy and jumpy all the time," laughed Ye Fan helplessly as he shook his head.

Ye Fan had told Han these words many times, but they always fell on deaf ears.

This old fellow refused to remember any of it.

"This concerns your safety, Young Master.

How could I be so casual about it?"

"Alright now, enough of this unnecessary talk. I have to call my wife in a few moments, so say what you need to say," Ye Fan hurried him after laughing.

Han immediately reported, "Young Master, according to my sources, a strong fighter from Japan's Sword Shrine has entered China. If I'm not wrong, he's coming for you. If that's so, judging from the time he's been here, he should be in Jingzhou by now. So you have to be more careful over there. Do you want me to send Tong Shan over? He's not super amazing, but he's got a tough body and thick skin, so he can blocked off few attacks for you when you need it."

Ye Fan snorted, "That's not necessary. Is there anything happening over at our own country's War God Castle?"

"Nothing at the moment," replied Han.

Ye Fan's faint smile grew brighter. "If War God Castle isn't moving at all, then I don't think the person who's entered our borders is that powerful, so there's really no need to worry. Regardless of who it is, since he's here, then he can forget about going back. That's that then, I've taken note of this."

With that, Ye Fan hung up the phone.

After that, Ye Fan gave Qiu Mu-Cheng a call and chatted for a while before going to bed.

The night soon passed by.

The next day, Ye Fan went over to visit his grandparents.

The two old folks lived in the house nearest the front of the estate and was a few steps away.

Normally, Ye Xi-Mei was the one who took care of the two old folks. Now that Ye Fan had come back and brought along the lively and adorable Lu Wen-Jing, it had brought some life to this old estate. While eating, Ye Fan asked about his plump friend from his childhood days.

The plump boy was from the same village as Ye Fan but Ye Fan had left for a few years and didn't know how his old buddy was. Now that he was back, he wanted to pay him a visit. "Sigh...you're talking about Yu-Xiang, right? He's the only one who got along with you in this entire town. But he's not in very good shape lately, you'd better go and see him." The plump boy's name was Shin Yu-Xiang. He didn't live too far off from them, and lived just east of the town.

But when she mentioned Shin Yu-Xiang, Ye Xi-Mei sighed and she sounded like she pitied him.

"Hmm? Mum, what's happened? Did something bad happen to his family?" Ye Fan immediately frowned when he saw his mother's reaction and had a bad feeling about this. Ye Fan had spent several years in Yeyang.

Because of his identity, many of the kids refused to play with him.

When he went to school, even his own cousins would gang up with others to bully him.

That was the thing that left the deepest impression on Ye Fan. Ye Yu-Yan and the other cousins always left him out.

Every time Ye Yu-Yan's family went on holiday, they'd come back with a lot of souvenirs.

After reaching school, Ye Yu-Yan would give them out to all her friends and relatives.

All except Ye Fan!

Ye Fan wasn't too bothered by these childish antics.

But Shin Yu-Xiang couldn't stand it.

At that time, Shin Yu-Xiang's family business was doing pretty well.

After he saw that Ye Fan's cousins always left him out, every time he went to the city, he would bring back many rare toys and snacks and give them to only Ye Fan. It was as if he was purposely trying to anger Ye Fan's cousins.

At that time, Ye Fan realized that sometimes, these so called relatives were even worse than someone who wasn't related to him at all.

And so Ye Fan cherished this friend of his very much.

Now that he was back in Yeyang, Ye Fan wanted to visit him.

"It's a long story and I don't know that much either. You'd better ask him yourself," said Ye Xi-Mei with a sigh.

Ye Fan nodded and didn't ask anymore.

After eating, he went out to look for Shin Yu-Xiang.

Lu Wen-Jing went everywhere with Ye Fan, so she went along too.

"This little girl goes everywhere that Fan goes to, like a little lamb," laughed Ye Xi-Mei to herself.

Shin Yu-Xiang's house wasn't too far. Ye Fan walked over based on his memories of the place.

In no time, Ye Fan found himself at a double storied bungalow.

An old Audi A6 was parked on the ground floor.

Shin Yu-Xiang used to be sent to school in this car and was the envy of everyone.

But many years later, this luxury car now looked out of date.

"Hello Auntie, is Yu-Xiang in?" Ye Fan walked through the gate and spotted a middle-aged lady.

"You are...?" The lady looked Ye Fan up and down and was puzzled.

Ye Fan smiled and replied, "Auntie, I'm Fan."

The lady was instantly surprised.

"Oh my! Fan? Haha! When did you come back? I haven't seen you in years! My Yu-Xiang thought you had gone missing and wanted to go out there to look for you. I'm glad you're here. Come in, come in, Yu- Xiang is inside," said the lady with a smile and was very friendly towards him.

But after she was done laughing, she pulled Ye Fan towards her and quietly said, "Fan, I know that Yu-Xiang is very close to you and he always listens to you. When you go to and see him, you have to help me to talk to him and help him to walk out of his depression. There are so many fish in the ocean, why miss the forest for one tree? Alright I won't say anymore, you two buddies can talk it out."

Her words were filled with worry and heartache for her own son.

Ye Fan had no idea what was going on but nodded anyway.

Then he walked into Shin Yu-Xiang's room.

The room was a little messy.

Ye Fan walked in to replace a tall and stout man with messy hair lying on the sofa as he drank beer.

The floor was littered with cigarette butts.

The TV was on and showing some TV drama.

But the man wasn't watching TV at all and was just slumped on the couch.

He looked so despondent, like a pile of mud. He looked like he had lost all hope for the future.

"Xiang, I've not seen you for a while and you've become like this? You've even learnt to smoke?" Ye Fan walked over and took the cigarette that the man just lit. He flung it onto the floor and stepped hard on it.

"I told you to get lost! Stop harassing..." Shin Yu-Xiang thought that his parents had found someone to try to counsel him again and was about to start yelling at the visitor

but he was dumbstruck when he saw who had come and his tiny eyes grew wide instantly.

"Bro... Brother Fan?!"