Chapter 1576 The Ke Family (Part One)


    "What should I do with my time then? How about taking me out to dinner with you?" Daisy teased,


    smiling broadly. She had developed beyond the aloof military officer and could now rx with the


    people she cared about.


    "No. Leena and I are going out on a date." Edward raised his head, acting proud and offended.


    "Daisy, I''d rather go out on a date with you. Let''s go and leave him behind." Leena winked at Daisy and


    hugged her dear friend. She pulled a face at Edward and stuck out her tongue.


    "Yeah, sure, why not?" Daisy pinched Leena''s chubby cheek softly, and cast a challenging nce at


    Edward.


    "Never mind! Women are way too fickle to ever understand. Alright, my two beloved princesses, where


    would you like to eat? It''s my treat," Edward said feigning a hurt expression as he raised his wallet.


    "Leena, where would you like to go for dinner? You''re pregnant, so you decide." Daisy asked Leena to


    select a restaurant. When Daisy had received the news of Leena''s pregnancy, she had breathed a long


    sigh of relief. She immediately called Leena up to rte her joy and her own experiences with


    pregnancy.


    "Uh... Anywhere is fine with me. You don''t have to specially cater for me." Leena thought, ''They are all


    overreacting, and they are even more nervous than me.''


    "Let''s go to the Westin. I''ll ask them to prepare some delicious soup for Leena," Edward suggested


    seeing the two women''s indecisiveness.


    "Sure. Leena, let''s go there." Daisy held Leena''s hand and they walked slowly towards the elevator.


    She was a caring maternal figure.


    The three entered the elevator, joking and chatting at ease. When the elevator stopped at the first floor,


    an unexpected figure was waiting for them outside — Rain. He was leaning against a pir in the lobby,


    hands resting in his pockets. His face still bore the ever present cynical scowl.


    "Rain, what are you doing here?" Leena asked in surprise, walking up to Rain.


    "I was waiting for you." Rain reached out and embraced Leena with genuine warmth. He had also


    heard the news and was extremely happy for her.


    "How did you know we were going out?" Edward asked with a frown. This time, he was not as sharp


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    witted as normal.


    "I saw Mark in the lobby, and the elevator was going down. No one could have been using it, except


    you," Rain exined with a shrug. It was such simple reasoning that he was amazed at Edward for not


    putting two and two together. He could not believe that Edward was so slow this time.


    "Fine! Hats off, you are the smart one!" Edward conceded through gritted teeth. Although Rain didn''t


    say anything to ridicule him, Edward could feel his momentary contempt.


    "Thank you." Rain shed a cunning smile. It was the first time that he had outwitted Edward, and he


    relished the moment.


    "Rain, why don''t you have dinner with us?" Sensing the increasingly tense atmosphere, Leena butted


    in to defuse the situation.


    "Why not? Edward, you''re paying, right?" Rain as always acted indifferently and nomittally, like he


    was not interested in anything.


    Daisy was secretly d to see her husband being beaten by Rain. She tried hard to conceal her true


    feelings, but the raised corner of her smile betrayed her.


    "You are so happy to see me fall short, aren''t you?" Edward whispered in Daisy''s ear.


    "No, I''m not. Come on! Don''t read into things that aren''t there." Daisy was a clever woman. She would


    never admit to taking pleasure at her husband''s embarrassment.


    "Mrs. Gu." As they walked outside, Mark, who was waiting outside the building, stepped from his car


    and greeted Leena respectfully.


    "Hi, Mark. I didn''t know you were here!" Leena was surprised at seeing Mark, as she thought Daisy had


    driven herself there.


    "Hey, Mark! You saw me when I arrived here earlier, right? Why didn''t you bother to greet me?" Rain


    asked with a teasing smile. He was right; Mark had seen Rain earlier when he had arrived at the


    building, however, he had made no move to greet Rain.


    "Because Mrs. Gu is different. She is Major General Gu''s wife. I should greet her to show my respect to


    her," Mark exined very seriously. The soldiers were always respectful to military spouses.


    "So, is this a kind of civilian discrimination?" Rain was really not letting this go. He enjoyed seeing Mark


    squirm nervously.


    "Mark, just ignore him. Follow us with your car." Edward, seeing Mark''s uncertainty, spoke to help him


    out of the predicament.


    "Sure, Mr. Mu." Mark bowed slightly, much relieved to Edward, and got in his car. He now realized that


    he was unable to deal with the likes of Rain.


    "Leena, why don''t you travel with us? Stay away from this ass," Edward said while casting a


    challenging nce at Rain. He was somewhat amused when Mark fled in disarray and thought, ''He still


    has a lot to learn.''


    "Who are you calling an ass?" Rain stared defiantly at Edward.


    "You know who I''m referring to." Edward smiled coldly.


    "Your whole family are asses!" Rain said with short, clipped words.


    "Leena, he just said that you are an ass," Edward said dryly as he took Daisy''s hand, leading her to


    their car.


    "Rain!" Leena shouted, casting a reproachful nce at Rain. Aware that they were joking, she decided


    to y along.


    "Uh... Leena, let''s go." Rain scratched at the back of his head in embarrassment. ''Damn it! I was so


    stupid," he mentally cursed himself.


    "Hmm!" Leena snorted, blowing through her lips in imitation of a donkey before following Rain. She


    would fetch her own carter.


    Rain shed a stoic smile, and then started the car.


    The Westin Western Restaurant was always fully booked. As they arrived, Rain was shocked to see his


    father, Sanford Ke, waiting for him.


    "Are you Rain?" Sanford Ke asked. He looked old and tired, and he walked with the aid of a cane.


    "Sorry. You''ve mistaken me for somebody else." Rain and Leena had entered hand in hand, and


    Sanford Ke''s sudden appearance made Rain tighten his grip on her hand. Leena''s hand pained


    sharply, but she didn''t show it, nor did she pull away. She could tell from Rain''s reaction that he knew


    this old man somehow. Otherwise, Rain wouldn''t have acted this way.


    "I know that you still hate me, even after all these years." Sanford Ke''s frail body trembled like a candle


    me flickering in the wind.


    "I don''t even know you. Why would I hate you?" Rain asked coldly. His face was twisted in a cold rage


    and he looked very frightening at this moment.


    "Rain," Leena called out to him, worried now.


    "Mr. Ke, why don''t you join us in our private lounge?" Edward suggested. The lobby was too public to


    talk.


    "Sure!" Sanford Ke answered, happy for the opportunity to speak privately.


    "I don''t think that''s necessary," Rain interrupted angrily. He really had nothing to say to the old man.


    "Rain. Come now, this is not the ce for this conversation." Edward patted Rain''s shoulder in


    appeasement. He knew Rain hated his father, but he also believed Rain needed to talk with him.


    Rain pursed his lips and rushed to their private room, still holding Leena''s hand and dragging her away.


    Daisy momentarily stared at the old man in confusion. He and Rain shared some resemnce; then


    she realized that the old man must be Rain''s biological father. She sighed with resignation.


    "Let''s go, Mr. Ke," Edward said to the old man. Yes, Sanford Ke had mistreated Rain when he was


    young. But now he was old, and possibly did not have many more years to live. Edward was afraid


    Rain would feel regret for not talking with his father now if the old man died.