A Dish Best Served Cold (The Man In Rage) novel Chapter 1

"Young Master Fan, it's been ten years already. Whatever grudges you may have, it's time to forget about them.”

"Please go home."

"Your father, your grandfather and your brothers are all waiting for you.”

"As for your marriage, it concerns the honor of our family. After you return, we will select the most beautiful and most excellent woman to be your wife and the daughter-in-law of the Chu family."

"That Qiu Mu-Cheng from the Qiu family is not worthy of you. Or the Chu family."

Standing by the moat of Yunzhou city, a blotchy-eyed old man in traditional Chinese garment was earnestly trying to persuade Ye Fan. Compared to the others standing before him, Ye Fan's clothes seemed ordinary and shabby.

"Yes, it's been ten years. A dog would be considered old by now. But the family you speak of hasn't changed one bit.” Ye Fan laughed self-deprecatingly, with a hint of bloodshot in his eyes.

"Ten years ago, my parents kneeled down in front of the Chu family's gates. At that time, the family told my father this. They said my mother was a base commoner, not worthy of the Chu family and unfit to be their daughter-in-law. And I am born of the 'commoner' the family spoke of. My mother and I were driven mercilessly out of the family. We had to live in the streets. Until later, when I married into the Qiu family, where I had to endure humilations.”

"For the past ten years, when did you ever give a damn about my mother and I? Now, with just a few words, you expect me to forget about this grudge and my mother's humiliation, and return with you to continue the Chu's family line. Do you think that's possible?"

"Go back and tell the family, my surname is Ye, not Chu."

"And tell that useless father of mine. He's not worthy of my mother and unfit to be my father!"

Ye Fan truly hated that cold-blooded family.

But even more so, he hated that weakling father of his!

Back then, if his father had a bit more backbone, he wouldn't have to suffer so much humiliation with his mother.

Oftentimes, Ye Fan longed for his father to protect him and his mother. But his father always chose to back down and side with the family.

Even when the Chu family drove away mother and son, his father could only look on in fear. In front of the family, he didn't dare to speak up or retaliate. And could only look on as his wife and son suffered humiliation.

From the bottom of his heart, he despised his father.

"Young Master Fan, please consider carefully." "You have to understand what you are turning down. That's wealth comparable to a nation's budget and enough power for you to be able to look down on everyone else."

"As long as you return, you will be able to become the family head within ten years." The old man was still trying to persuade Ye Fan.

But Ye Fan had already turned away. With a laugh, he asked: "So what?"

"Even if you give me the whole world, I will still consider it to be inferior to a speck of cinnabar on her brow!"

His words were firm and reverberated like the sound of a rock hitting the ground.

Ye Fan left, leaving behind a crowd speechless with shock.

After a long while, somebody sighed from beside the lake.

A middle-aged man looked at Ye Fan from afar, with feelings of indebtedness and remorse swirling in his heart.

"Fan, you are even more promising than your father!" The man smiled even as tears brimmed in his eyes.

His eyes blotchy from crying, Ye Fan strode along the streets of Yunzhou.

After enduring so many years of humiliation, Ye Fan thought noting could faze him anymore. But the appearance of the Chu family did disturb him, who was but a young man in his early twenties.

But life must go on. So Ye Fan picked up the pieces and hurried on his way to the Qiu's family house.

The Qiu family was considered a somewhat prominent family in Yunzhou, a third-tier city. But they only truly rose to fame due to a scandal that had happened three years ago. The most beautiful daughter of the Qiu family, Qiu Mu-Cheng, suddenly got hitched with a luckless no-hoper and even let him marry into her family. This incident shocked the whole city and turned the Qiu family into a laughing stock.

Half-a-year into his marriage, Ye Fan finally realized the truth behind the matter.

At that time, Qiu Mu-Cheng's family had committed a serious error and caused great losses for the entire Qiu clan. The head of the Qiu clan, in a fit of rage, imposed punishment on Mu-Cheng's family branch and so she was forced to marry a trash as a warning to the other family members.

And Ye Fan, one of the leading actors in this incident, lost all respect with both men and women alike. He became a laughing stock, an object of ridicule to be talked about during meal times.

Suddenly, Ye Fan's phone rang. The caller was Qiu Mu-Cheng, his wife in name.

"Where are you? Get back here now. We don't have time to wait around for you." Her tone was cold and authoritarian, as if she was giving an order.

It's been three years already. Ye Fan had already gotten used to this. After ending the call, he hurried towards the Qiu's family house.

Today was the day of Mu-Cheng's cousin's engagement party.

The head of the Qiu family had five sons and a daughter. Qiu Mu-Cheng's father was the third eldest son. Today, the fourth eldest son's daughter was getting engaged so, naturally, Mu-Cheng had to attend the function with her family.

"Mu-Cheng, I'm sorry. I had some matter to attend to, and was held up." Thanks to his efforts, Ye Fan finally made it just in time.

At this time, the multitude of guests were gathered at the entrance and the scene was rather lively. But it was easy enough to single out Qiu Mu-Cheng from the crowd due to her outstanding looks and figure.

"Some matter to attend to? A trash like you had something to attend to?"