A Dish Best Served Cold (The Man In Rage)
Chapter 985 Home

Even though Ye Fan had been away for most of his life, the old lady in this house had remained on his mind and in his heart all this while. She was his safe harbor. His time spent with the Chu family had been a painful childhood that Ye Fan never wished to speak of.

He hated everyone in the Chu family.

His father. His grandfather. His uncle.

This so-called family was but a herd of pigs in Ye Fan's eyes.

They had given Ye Fan nothing but their scorn and mockery.

There had been only one exception.

That was the Old Madam Chu, the old lady who had remained in the old family house and had kept solitary watch over the house.

When Ye Fan had been born, his mother Ye Xi-Mei and his father Chu Zheng-Hong had still been working for the Chu family

business in China.

His parents had been overwhelmed with work and had no time to take care of him.

Ye Fan had been sent to the Chu family's old family house and placed under the care of Old Madam Chu.

Ye Fan's great grandmother was the only elder in the Chu family to share a deep bond with Ye Fan.

In fact, she had been the one who had given Ye Fan his name.

She had everything to do with Ye Fan's greatest secret-his possession of the Book of Celestial Cloud.

Ye Fan's achievements were largely due to her efforts.

Those few years spent with the old lady had transformed Ye Fan's life and shaped his future.

Ye Fan would never forget the tears in the old lady's eyes the day Chu Zheng-Hong had brought him and his mother back to the family.

He would run to his great grandmother weeping when he had been bullied by the others.

Old Madam Chu would do what she had done when Ye Fan had first learned to walk. She would pull him into her arms, brush his hair and speak to him in a soft, comforting manner. "Fan, your great grandmother knows that the rest of the family disapprove of you and want you gone. But it's alright. Your great grandmother is on your side. I have your back."

"I chose you. You're the only one in your generation to have a 'Tian' in your name. No one can change that fact. Not even your horrible grandfather can do anything about it."

"Fan, you can hate your grandfather, your uncle and your other relatives. But you can't hate the entire Chu family clan. You can't hate our ancestors. The blood of the Chu family and our ancestors flow inside you. You would not be here without their sacrifice. Neither would your father nor the power and prestige that the Chu family enjoys today. Without their sacrifice, you would not possess the limitless power that you will have when you grow up. Remember, no matter what happens, always remember. Your family name is Chu. It was passed down from your ancestors. One day, you will find out the power that lies behind that family name."

"Remember, Fan. No matter where you go, no matter what obstacles you face, you will always have a home and a safe harbor at your great grandmother's place. As long as I'm around, I'll protect you from harm. Nothing will touch you."

Those had been the words that the old lady had uttered to him during his last visit after he had been cast out from the Chu family.

In Ye Fan's memories, his great grandmother had been a godlike figure who could do anything.

She had the power to make withered plants blossom, make the waters rise in riverbeds that had dried out, and bring life back to dead dogs and cats.

She had been the one whom he would run to as a child whenever he had been faced with a setback.

No matter the problem that had confronted him, it would be easily solved as soon as his great grandmother got to it.

The kind old lady glowed with a heavenly light in Ye Fan's memories.

She had seemed invincible.

The reliance that he had developed since he had been a child could be the reason why he was here now. At his most despairing and hopeless moment, Ye Fan had chosen to return to the place where his first memories had been made and where his dream had begun.

Within the ancient mansion, everything appeared peaceful and quiet.

It was May. The leaves on the trees were lush and a bright verdant while beautiful flowers had begun to blossom in the pomegranate bushes flanking the gates.

There was a small farm on the left side of the courtyard. Planted along the rows were vegetables commonly seen in rural villages like chives and cowpeas.

Sprawling next to the vegetable patch was a black farm dog. It was napping.

An old lady stood in the courtyard. She had a head full of white hair. Despite her age, she looked in the pink of health and in great spirits.

She was carrying a bucket of water and watering the vegetables in her vegetable patch. She resembled a mother as she took care of those young plants like she would her own children.

"I wonder how Yun is doing? She's been away for six months. I can't believe I haven't heard any news about her," the old lady muttered to herself worriedly as she watered her vegetables. She shook her head and sighed.

"These children are more trouble than they're worth," said the old lady with an exasperated smile. She stopped worrying about Yun and instead turned her attention to the plants under her care. She might be old and no longer had any grand ambitions, but she still had to find something to do to fill her time.

How else was she going to spend the days?

She was halfway through watering her vegetables when she heard the faint sound

of dragging feet outside..

Then, someone knocked on the door.

A terrible cry rang out. It sounded familiar, and came like a shot out of the past, striking her squarely in the heart.

"Great grandmother...your unfilial great grandson, Chu Tian-Fan...is here to see you..."

The weak and faint voice boomed like thunder in the old lady's ears.

Suddenly, all she could hear was the voice outside the gates.

"Is it...is it Fan?"

She stood, frozen to the spot, as if struck by lightning.

Tremors coursed through her aged body.

The ladle in her hand fell to the ground with a loud thud, sending fresh and sweet water that had been drawn from the well splashing across the ground.

Breaking out of her momentary daze, the old lady raced to the gates as quickly as she could and pulled the doors to the old mansion open.

She was greeted with the sight of Ye Fan, disheveled, dirty and sprawling on the ground weakly. He was breathing faintly, his puffs of exhalation as weak as a dying flame that could go out at any moment. "Fan...is it really you?"

The old lady was overwhelmed with emotion at the sight of the young man.

Her voice shook as tears began to wet her cheeks.

Ye Fan struggled to lift his head and call out to the old lady. "Great...great grandmother..."

His voice was faint and weak, easily carried away by the slightest wind.

The young man fell silent after that and collapsed onto the ground.

Waves of weakness rose like a tsunami and pulled him under.

Sheer willpower had gotten Ye Fan this far, but he had reached his limits and had finally collapsed.

Fortunately, he had arrived.

Like a wanderer, he had arrived home and found safe harbor just as he was going to die alone in the cold and frozen wastelands.

Ye Fan's consciousness slipped into a deep and seemingly infinite darkness.