Everyone gathered at the dinner table and only then did Fang Yiwen, Huang Shuyi, and Pei Zi Hong get to meet Yue Yue. Since they had already learned about her from Lin Zhen, they didn't show any surprise knowing that she couldn't talk. In fact, they all understood now why Hyson didn't want to introduce them to his family.
Hyson was quite protective of his mother and he didn't want them to have any opinions about her. But the only opinion they had about Hyson's mother was that she looked quite young and she was also quite adorable.
As Mu Chenyan was about to sit, Yue Yue pinched her arm making her hiss, "Yue, what? What have I done now? Why are you pinching me?"
Yue Yue gave her a look that reminded Mu Chenyan making her sigh in exasperation.
She stood up again and said, "Okay, so as a host, I should be welcoming our guests. Lin Zhen, Fang Yiwen, Huang Shuyi, and Pei Zi Hong. It's very nice to have you guys here with us for dinner."
"What about others?" asked Shui Koshing.
Mu Chenyan gave him a stinky look, "Are you still a guest? Who else here counts as a guest anymore?" She ignored him and smiled at those young handsome boys saying, "Since we made this dinner especially for you all. This has been made according to your likes and dislikes. We have Lin Zhen's favorite mellow goose in the clay pot." Lin Zhen was taken aback when he heard that. "Also, Fai said Huang Shuyi likes Spicy and Sour lemon Duck. For Pei Zi Hong, I made stuffed lotus roots. And Fang Yiwen, Yue cooked coconut chicken for you. Authentic Cantonese recipe. We know you're from the south and must be missing home a lot. So, we hope you enjoy it."
Fang Yiwen didn't know about the others but his mind went blank when he heard that they cooked him coconut chicken. There was no doubt that he missed home. But home is with people. In recent years, he lost both his parents one after another. So, now that place couldn't be counted as home. He had an elder brother and an elder sister as well but they were both married and had their own lives.
It was one of the reasons he loved to lock himself in his room and play games on the computer. He didn't even know how to react right now.
"Wen Ge," called out Hyson. "Don't be so touched. If you want to show your appreciation for their effort, please enjoy the meal."
Fang Yiwen smiled at Hyson with tears hanging at the corner of his eyes that he held back desperately. He really didn't want to cry at this age before all these people.
Cloe raised her hand as if she was in a class to ask, "Miss Mu, I also don't count as a guest?"
"It'd be tiring for me if I started counting you as a guest every time you came over," replied Mu Chenyan as she sat down and picked up the chopsticks to eat.
"I haven't been coming for a while now," said Cloe. "Not since Chief got married. Before she got married, I could mooch off a breakfast here every now and then. Sigh! Life is hard now that she is married."
"How is it hard? Don't you now have a boyfriend who brings you breakfast in bed?" asked Hyson.
Cloe glared at him while Raelle looked at her. Cloe smiled sheepishly, "It can't be counted as breakfast in bed. I promise it doesn't!"
"But there was breakfast," said Raelle blankly.
"Wait," Shui Xian chimed in. "You're telling me that Cui Xukun made you breakfast?" Cloe nodded her head in reply. "Does he even know how to turn on the stove?"
"Time," said Zhai Yanjun. "Time teaches everything."
Shui Xian gave him a look, "How come it never managed to teach you anything? How come it was your ex-girlfriend who had to go through the effort of learning how to cook for you?"
Zhai Yanjun cleared his throat awkwardly, "I never managed to have time for that."
"You're telling me, your ex had more time than you? I highly doubt that."
"Whose side are you on?" questioned Zhai Yanjun.
"Of truth!" answered Shui Xian solemnly.
"I'd like to disagree with Captain," said Raelle. "Time is not a teacher. If you don't want to learn anything, even time can't help you. It's not time that makes a difference. It's how you are perceiving the time." She stared at Zhai Yanjun and added, "It's not time's responsibility to change you. It's your responsibility to change the time. Whether you like it or not, you'd have to make an effort to change the time. If you don't, even after years you'd standing right where you started."
After saying this much, Raelle silently picked up her chopsticks to eat and that was also a signal that she wasn't gonna speak anymore.
Hyson lowered his face as his smile widened. He just knew his best friend won't stay quiet. Apart from Hyson, only Cloe had a knowing smile on her face. The rest of the people didn't have such reactions since most of them fell into deep thought because of Raelle's words.
Come to think of it, her words held a deeper meaning that seemed easy to understand but it really wasn't. Who hasn't heard that time changes? But what Raelle said was also right. Time is always those 24 hours in a day. Day after day, month after month, and even year after year, it's always the same cycle. What changes are the people?
The change we see around is brought by people. Nothing happened on its own. People say learn to adapt to changing times. No, one should learn to adapt to the changing mentality of the people in this time. It's hard to keep up, not with time.. But with the creativity of the human brain that's creating wonders every single day.
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