Xin Yu held the delivery bag, reached out, and knocked on the front door. While waiting for someone inside to answer, he looked around curiously. I didn't expect someone living in a small villa like this would order takeout.
He had delivered to affluent areas like this before, and usually, each household seemed to have a dedicated housekeeper for cooking; orders for delivery were rare.
After a short wait, the main gate opened electronically. Xin Yu walked in and saw a thin, frail old man emerge after the front door opened.
The old man had sparse, pale white hair, his face a landscape of deep wrinkles. Although his eyes were clouded, they still looked ahead with spirit. His walk was already somewhat shaky, relying on a cane in his hand to stabilize himself.
This old man looked to be over 80 years old.
"Eh?"
Xin Yu looked blankly at the emerging old man, then glanced at the fried chicken combo in his hand, somewhat puzzled.
"Old sir, are you getting the delivery for your child?"
Surely this old man didn't order fried chicken delivery.
"No, I ordered this delivery myself."
...Sir, at your age, is eating this kind of thing really okay?
"Hehe," the old man seemed to have encountered this situation many times before and could read the confusion on Xin Yu's face. He turned slightly to the side and said to him, "Child, if you're not in a hurry, would you like to come in and sit for a bit?"
Xin Yu nodded. Anyway, he had no more orders today; this was his last delivery. Sitting for a bit wouldn't hurt.
...Although, thinking about it this way, something feels off. Why does it seem like every last delivery these past few days involves some kind of situation?
After entering the house, Xin Yu noticed the entire room was spotlessly clean. But why is the decoration style so starkly white?
Most of the decorations in the living room were white, including the furniture and various ornaments.
Xin Yu politely took off his shoes and walked in, placing the fried chicken on a nearby table. Looking at the slowly entering old man, he asked puzzledly, "Old sir, why is this house decorated so white?"
"This way, when this old man dies, they won't need to set up a mourning hall. Saves the sons some trouble."
Hearing the old man say this so nonchalantly, Xin Yu scratched his head awkwardly, feeling the relationship between this old man and his descendants might not be very good.
"Young man, you must be wondering why I ordered fried chicken, right? Being so old, eating this kind of high-fat junk food will definitely cause health problems."
The old man went to the tea area beside the living room, picked up a teapot, and poured tea, which had apparently been brewed earlier, into a cup.
"Actually, ah, none of my sons, grandsons, or whatnot are here... This old man just stays here alone, feeling a bit bored. So occasionally, I order some takeout, hoping to find someone to chat with."
"That delivery I ordered is also for you youngsters. After all, this old man can't eat that stuff."
"Young man, if you're willing, come chat with this old man for a while. If you have urgent matters, this old man won't keep you either."
Xin Yu didn't refuse. Anyway, he had already mastered the art of 24/7 automatic background cultivation. Even if he went back now, he'd just watch TV or browse his phone. Chatting with an old man now, doing a good deed, was certainly fine.
Xin Yu sat opposite the old man, picked up the tea the old man had poured for him, and took a sip. Mm, still no taste.
"Ai! The children have all grown up. They have their own families, their own careers, very busy, busy every year... My old wife also passed away early. I worked hard to raise them, just wanting to see them start their families, establish careers, and have their own happy lives. Later, they indeed didn't disappoint my expectations; they all became outstanding people!"
"You wouldn't know! My eldest son is a senior executive at a company! It's that ME Corp. Didn't their president cause a huge scandal before? My son wasn't affected by that turmoil; instead, he climbed even higher, becoming a senior executive there now. Quite prestigious! Haha!"
"My younger son is also capable, became a director at some research institute abroad! Hmm, although I don't quite understand what their institute researches, they say it's a particularly large one, with annual investments in the hundreds of millions of US dollars..."
"Both those kids make me proud. They're both progressing in their careers, their families are happy and harmonious, and they've both given me grandsons and granddaughters. When they come back for holidays every year, those are my happiest times..."
"But after the New Year, they all go back... Didn't feel much before. Back then, this old man could still walk around, chat more with old friends... But now, my old friends have either passed away before me or moved far away. I'm too old to walk much anymore, lost interest in many things. Can only stay in this house alone, drink tea, watch TV... I'm not like you young people who can quickly accept new things. That 'smartphone' thing, every one of you can find fun in it, but this old man can't even operate it properly, ai!"
The old man rambled on for a long time afterward. People who hate loneliness always have a strong desire to talk, share their inner bitterness with others, vent their troubles. The feeling of loneliness in their hearts tends to dissipate significantly then.
"Fortunately, lately, this old man also feels like I can't move much anymore. Probably won't be long now, I can go down and accompany my old wife... Then I can proudly tell Mika, I raised our children to be even more outstanding than us. I also kept our promise, loved only you, loved you for a lifetime. I feel, I've already surpassed most people..."
"It's just... just..."
"I always can't help remembering... the time you first called my name on our first date, the time we entered the hall of marriage, when I put the ring on your finger and you called me 'husband'... I always can't help recalling the many moments we spent together. What I can't forget most is you on your sickbed telling me, I must take good care of the children... Back then, you kept telling this big man not to cry, and even at the very end, you urged me, told me to find someone who would love me like you did..."
"But how is that possible? How could anyone in this world possibly love me more than you..."
"Mika... Mika..."
Xin Yu silently left the white house. He recalled the old man, teary-eyed, caressing a photo frame. Inside was a picture of a young, beautiful woman. Beside the woman stood a man who looked rather plain, but whose smile was exceptionally happy.
"...Even though that person has been gone for decades, he still can't forget, still can't let go... Love turns out to be such a heavy thing. From the beginning, until the very end."
Xin Yu decided he should visit the old man more often when he had time. Mainly, he wanted to hear more stories from this old man whose life experience far surpassed his own.