*Knock! Knock!*
Twisting the doorknob, Hyson pushed the door and craned his neck inside as he waved, "Hi, Lieutenant!"
Xiang Weimin was rather taken aback when he saw Hyson showing up in his room. Although he remembered that Hyson said he'd come again to see him, to be honest, Xiang Weimin didn't really take it seriously.
After all, he believed Hyson was a busy person. Not only that, they weren't even that close. They only met twice. But he clearly wasn't familiar with Hyson's way of doing things.
Hyson rushed inside with an insulated food box in his hand. "Are you that touched, Lieutenant? You can't find words to express how happy you are to see me here?" Hyson didn't mind Xiang Weimin's surprised look. It really amused him a lot. "But you can take it easy. I'm just this kind of person. Wherever I go, people are touched."
Xiang Weimin laughed at Hyson's obvious bragging. "It's really a surprise to see you here."
"I know," said Hyson as he set up the table for him and placed the food box on it while telling him, "But as I said, don't be so touched. I told you I'll come, so I have to come, no? A person is nothing without his integrity. If I won't even value my own words, how will others do?"
Xiang Weimin just silently listened to him. He didn't know whether Hyson ever noticed it himself that he often spoke too profoundly in his own playful way.
"Did you have lunch?" Hyson questioned Xiang Weimin while opening the food box. "Even if you did, you should still eat what I got you. Trust me, you'll thank me later." He put each dish on the table and even added his personal comments, "First, try this soup. It is super delicious. It's like flavors are having a party in your mouth. Just too good! These vegetables are also good for you. It'll provide with all the right nutrients."
Xiang Weimin looked at the variety of food placed before him.
"You didn't have to bring all this," said Xiang Weimin. "You could have just come empty-handed."
"Again, don't be so touched," Hyson repeated himself. "I was indeed coming empty-handed but when I was about to leave, my mum asked where I am going and I told her that I'm going to the hospital to see a friend who is a patient there and she was mad at me for not telling her sooner. And well, one thing led to another and I ended up with this lunch for you."
Xiang Weimin felt like someone had set Hyson to 2x speed since he was talking too fast today.
"As a huge fan of good food, my suggestion to you is to drink this soup. My Yanyan has outdone herself with this soup. You might even want to swallow your tongue with it."
Unknowingly, a smile had crept up on Xiang Weimin's lips as he continued to listen to Hyson's chatter and didn't even find it annoying. The hospital was too quiet as always. And Xiang Weimin's life had also been too quiet. The only loudness in his life came from the fighter jets.
But he had no one in his life who loved to talk as much as Hyson. Just looking at Hyson one would know just how much he loved to talk.
"Why aren't you eating?" asked Hyson when he noticed that Xiang Weimin was staring at himself intently without moving.
Xiang Weimin snapped out of his thoughts and smiled at Hyson, "Did you eat?"
Hyson nodded his head like a chicken pecking on grains. "It's impossible that gorgeous ladies of my family would allow me to walk out of the house without feeding me. Their favorite job is to feed me."
"Aren't you busy?" asked Xiang Weimin.
"Nah! I'm so free that I might start rusting soon enough," was Hyson's response.
Xiang Weimin chuckled at Hyson's words, "You say all sorts of things eh?"
"I also do all sorts of things, you know," added Hyson. "I'm just that kind of a person." He laughed at his own words and went on, "On a serious note, you should eat well. This is also a part of the treatment. If you won't eat well, how will you get better?"
"Food is a part of treatment?" questioned Xiang Weimin curiously.
"Yes!" said Hyson. "Food is therapy. It's the mood maker. Food is that part of our life that can fit in every situation. You're feeling sad, eat ice cream. Feeling happy? Eat ice cream! Even if there is no reason, just eat ice cream! Why? Because ice cream doesn't need an excuse!"
"Do you want to eat ice cream?"
"I do," answered Hyson looking pitiful. "I really do. But I am not allowed to eat any for now. Such a heartbreaking love story it is... Me and my ice cream!"
Xiang Weimin laughed heartily at Hyson's words. He picked up a spoon and tasted the soup. His eyes widened a little as he nodded, "It seems you were not exaggerating when you said it's good."
"Isn't it?" Hyson clapped happily. "Oh, wait! What do you mean by exaggeration? I never exaggerate when it comes to food!"
"Yes, of course, you don't!" agreed Xiang Weimin but he looked too perfunctory. "Uncle, do you want to try some?"
Hyson frowned at his question and turned around to see what Xiang Weimin was looking at. And when he saw a man sitting there sipping on tea, he was taken aback a little.
"How long he had been there?"
"Since you came," answered Xiang Weimin with a big smile on his face. He was amused by Hyson's facial expressions that seemed to say that Hyson was currently questioning his life.
But even Xiang Weimin was really too surprised that Hyson didn't even notice someone else's presence in the room.. Since he came, he had rushed to his bedside. How would he have time to see if anyone else was there or not?
Updated from fr𝒆ewebnov𝒆l.(c)om