A Dish Best Served Cold (The Man In Rage)
Chapter 1834

In Jiangbei, Livingsfill, the classes in school had just ended, so the street was packed with people. Parents gathered near the entrance of a kindergarten, and they were all there to pick their kids up.

It was noisy all around. People and cars filled the place, making it impossible for anyone to move freely.

The people around, however, seemed to be used to the chaos surroundingthem.

That was understandable since the same thing happened every day when school was off.

It was especially bad when it snowed or rained. The traffic jam would worsen, and the place would be packed.

"Mommy, I'm here."

"Daddy? Why are you the one to pick me up today?"

There, at the entrance of the school, kids chirped as they searched for their parents. Every single one of them ran into their parents' arms.

As time passed, the entire street slowly became less congested because most kids had already been taken home.

In the end, a single, lonely boy stood at the side of the school entrance. He stared numbly at the road and waited patiently.

"Fan Junior, why is your mommy always so late? I can't reach her via her phone, either. My gosh, we've been waiting for an hour, and the sun is setting. I still have to rush home today to cook." A teacher stood beside the boy and seemed impatient.

As she complained, she dialed the same number repeatedly.

"I'm sorry. My mommy might be busy at work," replied the obedient boy as he bowed to apologize to the teacher.

"What about your dad? If your mom is busy, then maybe your father is free? Give me your father's phone number. I'll call him," said the teacher as she turned her attention to the boy.

The boy had been with the kindergarten for quite some time, but the teacher had only just realized that his mother was always the one who picked him up. I don't think I've ever met his dad before. Those words upset the boy. Suddenly, he was depressed, and those bright eyes glowed with less enthusiasm.

"My mom said that I don't have a dad..."

No one noticed it, but when the boy gave his answer, a thin figure hiding behind a tree suddenly trembled. "Fan Junior!"

Just then, a lady suddenly called out from the other side. She sounded worried.

It didn't take long before a beautiful lady showed up in an aging vehicle.

"I'm so sorry for making you wait for such a long time. I promise I won't be late again," said the woman as she looked apologetically at the teacher.

"Don't bother. I've heard that promise a dozen times by now. Seriously, if you want what's best for the kid, then you should get him a father. It's tough to take care of the kid by yourself, after all," replied the teacher, who sighed before heading to her car and leaving.

The mother and the son became the only ones left there.

"Mommy, did you have a hard time at work today?"

"Not at all. I received a bonus today. Let's go, Fan Junior. I'll treat you to something nice today."

"No, I don't want that. Everything is expensive nowadays. Let's hurry home. You've worked hard all day, so I'm sure you want to rest now."

As the two of them spoke, they moved forward and eventually disappeared into the crowd.

The figure hiding some distance away only stepped out after they were gone.

He stood at the spot where the mother and the son stood earlier. As he stared into the distance, his gaze turned gloomy.

"It's been over two weeks. Are you going to keep stalking them? Do you have no intention of reuniting with them?"

While the guy was lost in his thoughts, a woman with a stunning figure appeared.

If Han and the others were around, they would immediately recognize the woman as Junie, the medical expert that used to serve the Dragon God Hall.

The thin man standing before her was none other than Ye Fan, who had already left the north for over a month.

Ye Fan secretly went to Jiangdong after he returned to the country.

He hadn't fully recovered yet, so he couldn't publicize the news of how he had survived.

That was also why he didn't visit anyone after returning to Jiangdong.

All he did was drop by the Ye residence in Mount Yunding.

After Ye Fan returned to the country, the first thing he did was to go to the one person he wanted to see the most.

Unfortunately, the place in Jiangdong was already abandoned by the time he reached his destination.

Ye Fan had no choice but to contact Han and ask the latter to help locate his wife.

That was how Ye Fan found out that the woman he missed dearly was in the city of Jiangbei.

As for Junie, she came because Han told her about Ye Fan's request.

Naturally, she was there to tend to Ye Fan's injuries.

Her earlier question prompted Ye Fan to shake his head, though.

"There's no need for a reunion. She's well, isn't she? And her life seems good. What's the point of showing up? A dead man like me would just mess her life up. Besides, I'm guessing she doesn't want to see me again, and I'm content with just seeing them from afar."

Ye Fan shook his head while grinning bitterly. His tone and his words echoed with guilt and self-mockery.

Qiu Mucheng gave up the comfortable life in Jiangdong and left Ye Fan's assets and wealth untouched. She chose to move to Jiangbei and turn to her distant family in Livingsfill to start over.

Qiu Mucheng didn't even ask for a penny from Mufan Group when she left Jiangdong.

She simply left.

Others might not understand why she did all that, but Ye Fan did.

Her actions proved she was leaving her past in Jiangdong behind and had chosen to start over.

It was her way of fleeing, abandoning, and severing all ties from her past, and it was a clean break.

Some might find Qiu Mucheng to be extremely heartless.

Her husband passed away, and she left Jiangdong without looking back. It was as though she didn't care.

Ye Fan, however, understood that Qiu Mucheng wasn't being cruel. She was simply heartbroken.

Ye Fan's life had been filled with hardship, and he had too many near misses in the past few years.

To Qiu Mucheng and Ye Ximei, hearing about Ye Fan being in grave danger was torture.

The worry, the pain, and the intense sorrow the news brought were not something words could describe.

That was why, after the incident in the rainforest, both Qiu Mucheng and Ye Ximei asked Ye Fan to settle down. They wanted him to lead a safe, stable life. They simply couldn't go through that pain and torture again.

Unfortunately, Ye Fan didn't listen to them.

He ignored his family's advice and ignored the pain his partner endured. Armed with nothing, he dove into danger once more and fell into death's embrace. That day, Li Erand the others didn't just take Ye Fan home in a coffin. They also killed Qiu Mucheng's heart because it died of pain and torture. She was sad, disappointed, and angry.

Why? Why won't that assh*le treasure his own life? Why must he be so freaking selfish and repeatedly hurt the people close to him?

Disheartened, Qiu Mucheng decided to leave Jiangdong, a place filled with memories and heartbreak.

Ye Fan knew what Qiu Mucheng felt, and that was why he was too ashamed to go back to them.

"So... Your plan is to be a living dead? You're going to ignore your wife, your son, your mother, and everyone else you've ever known?" asked Junie in a confused tone.

He's alive, so why won't he share that news with the people he loves the most?

"I don't know. All I know is that even if I decide to go back, that reunion will still have to wait. I have to make sure that I finish everything I set out to do, and I will only return after I have survived everything. The pain of losing someone you love... that is something they need only experience once. I won't make them go through it again."

Ye Fan's heart overflowed with guilt. He knew just how much he hurt everyone.

It had been two years, and there was a possibility that the pain within their hearts had eased.

Hence, why would he risk disrupting that peace?

If he died in the future, they would have to go through the same pain again.

Ye Fan had already died once, so he no longer dared to hope for certain things.

At the very least, he wouldn't dream of being happy until he had accomplished his mission.

Love and family... those were things he no longer deserved.