A Dish Best Served Cold (The Man In Rage)
Chapter 1042 Reunited

Too many things had happened within such a short span of time.

The life that Qiu Mu-Cheng had lived prior to Ye Fan's death had seemed so much more peaceful compared to the tumultuous times that she was suffering now.

When Ye Fan had been alive, Qiu Mu-Cheng had believed that she couldn't live without the man because of how much she loved him.

She had thought that her emotions had been her only crutch.

She hadn't realized the important role that Ye Fan had played in other aspects of her life.

She had always strived to be a strong and independent woman.

During the first three years that Ye Fan had married into the Qiu family, she had been the one doing all the work in and outside the family.

She had been the one who had kept the family from complete ruin.

Those three years had been the cause of Qiu Mu-Cheng's misconceptions.

She had been convinced that the only important role that Ye Fan had played in her life had been that of her romantic partner.

She had thought of herself as a strong and independent new age woman.

She had built her career with her own hands and could live an independent life.

What Ye Fan had given her had simply been spiritual and emotional companionship and comfort.

Then, Ye Fan had died. That had been when Qiu Mu-Cheng had truly realized how important this man had been in her life.

He hadn't simply been a romantic partner. He had been her protector who had kept her and her career safe.

The successes and status that she had achieved had all been because of Ye Fan.

Without Ye Fan, she had nothing.

Having lost his protection, she wouldn't even hold on to her own house. She had no power to save and keep Mufan Group standing.

You only realized what someone truly meant to you when you lost him.

Qiu Mu-Cheng wallowed in depression as she stood outside the surgery room. Her eyes had turned red.

Ye Fan was dead and Mufan Group had gone under. Qing Tan, who had been Qiu Mu-Cheng's loyal companion, had been severely injured and her life was hanging by a thread. Qiu Mu-Cheng had suffered tragedy after tragedy.

An old person hardened by life and its hardships would have found it tough to preserve her composure in the face of

repeated disasters.

Qiu Mu-Cheng was only a young woman.

She had never felt more hopeless.

The sight of Qiu Mu-Cheng's despondent look put a similar forlorn look on Chen Nan's face. Tears filled her eyes within moments.

Chen Nan had told Qiu Mu-Cheng about Ye Fan's death after she had returned to the country. Shortly after that, Chen Ao had sent her back to Yanjing to continue her studies in the city.

When she had heard that Qiu Mu-Cheng had arrived in Yanjing, she had hurried over to see her.

"Mu-Cheng, I'm so sorry. If not for me, Fan might still be alive. You wouldn't be in this state right now. Qing Tan wouldn't be in the hospital and in a critical condition either." The thought of that terrible day flooded Chen Nan with unbearable guilt.

She wished that she were the one who had died that day.

There wouldn't be so many people suffering right now.

Qiu Mu-Cheng appeared not to have heard Chen Nan's words. She simply stood there, her back leaning against the wall, and said nothing.

The dim lights cast a faint gloom in the corridor.

The two young women stood silently outside the surgery room.

The only sound stirring in the silence was that of the icy wind hissing outside the hospital.

The silence did not last.

The door at the end of the corridor creaked open suddenly.

A tall and slim figure stepped into the corridor.

"Mu-Cheng, Nannan, I'm back."

The man's voice was soft, yet his words carried the immense weight of guilt and longing. They seemed to have traveled across thousands of years before finally arriving at this moment.

The sound of that strange yet familiar voice sent tremors rippling through Qiu Mu-Cheng and Chen Nan. They turned and saw who had arrived. At that very instant, reality itself seemed surreal and dreamlike. "Ye... Ye Fan?" Qiu Mu-Cheng's eyes turned red as she stood, rooted to the ground.

"F-Fan...?" Tears welled in Chen Nan's wide eyes.

Qing Tan finally emerged from the surgery room half an hour later. She was immediately sent to the ICU ward.

Ye Fan stood next to her bed and was assailed by self-reproach and remorse as he stared at the young woman's deathly pale face.

Qing Tan must have sensed his presence because she opened her eyes.

Tears began to stream uncontrollably down her cheeks when she saw Ye Fan.

"Brother Fan...I knew it. I knew you couldn't have been killed that easily. I'm so sorry... for how useless I was. I couldn't protect Miss Qiu. Please, Dragon Master...punish me as you deem fit..." said Qing Tan in a voice that was nearly inaudible.

Ye Fan couldn't bear to see her like that.

He leaned in and clutched her hand tightly.

"Qing Tan, you just focus on getting well. Don't worry, Brother Fan will make them pay for what they did to you. They'll suffer a hundred times the pain that you suffered!"

Having said that, Ye Fan turned around

and left.

He had come to Yanjing for two reasons. He had wanted to take a look at Qiu Mu-Cheng. In addition, he had been worried about Qing Tan.

Qing Tan was no longer in a critical condition now. That lifted the huge stone off Ye Fan's chest.

He was going to return to Jiangdong and deal with what was going on there.

Qiu Mu-Cheng was still waiting outside the ward when Ye Fan emerged from the room.

Her eyes reddened when she saw Ye Fan. She threw herself into his arms instantly.

She didn't say a word and simply hugged the man, feeling the warmth of his body, the rise and fall of his chest and the steady beating of his heart.

She had hugged Ye Fan for nearly half an hour when Ye Fan had first appeared just now. Regardless, she couldn't control her urge to hug him again and keep him in her arms forever.

"Alright, stop it. I'm back, am I not? You're a grown woman. Stop acting like some silly little girl. Nannan's going to make fun of you if you don't stop," Ye Fan said teasingly in an attempt to ease her fears. Tve been meaning to ask you. Where's Xu Lei? Wasn't she the one who brought you to Yanjing?"

Ye Fan hadn't seen Xu Lei around at all. Her absence seemed suspicious.

Qiu Mu-Cheng froze instantly, as if she had just recalled something important.

"Ye Fan, we have to get back to Jiangdong now. Mom might be in danger. Miss Xu returned to Jiangdong after receiving a call. I think she went to get Mom."

What?

Alarm flashed across Ye Fan's eyes when he heard what Qiu Mu-Cheng had said.

He had thought that Xu Lei would take his mother Ye Xi-Mei along with her when she had come for Qiu Mu-Cheng.

It appeared that she had not!

His mother was still in Jiangdong and Lu Ming-Feng was going after her.

This wasn't the time to linger and talk to Qiu Mu-Cheng. Despite having just arrived at Yanjing, a panicked Ye Fan rushed back to Jiangdong again.

As Qiu Mu-Cheng stared out the window and watched Ye Fan disappear into the distance, she prayed that everything would turn out fine.