Crimson Chambers Part 5

"May I ask who are you sir?" Yu Han finally mustered up the courage to speak.

"I am just a passerby." He said in a deep tone of voice. "I saw this restaurant and decided to give it a try."

"I hope you liked the food." Yu Han turned towards the kitchen sink.

"Yes of course. It was delicious!" The stranger licked his lips.

"Happy to know that sir!" Yu Han's face was filled with glee. "Do visit us again."

"I shall come back in a few days," The stranger walked towards his table and placed a 100 Yuan coin near the bowl.

Yu Han could not stop staring at the stranger. There was something very special about him. Maybe it was his melancholic aura, which was almost poetic. The way his eyes saw the empty bowl suggested that he knew the true value of food. Yu Han's eyes could not help but follow the stranger's steps till he exited the restaurant. The jingle of the bells snapped the span of his concentration.

'Where have I seen him before?' He pondered.

"Stop dreaming and get back to work." Bo Jian tapped his shoulder.

"I cannot work. My hand is burnt."

"Yeah, don't work. Who needs money? We don't need money. We are rich heirs of this country's Imperial family." Bo Jian sneered sarcastically.

"Can you not be a little considerate for me?"

"Where money matters, kith and kin does not." He remarked.

"Watching those cheap movies has taken a toll on your mind." He replied.

"If it brings money, then sure." His voice trailed off as he retreated back upstairs.

Yu Han went back to his cleaning and cooking duty. This time, he made sure to stand atleast a foot away from the gas stove and continued serving the food. For some reason, he could not get the stranger out of his head. The warm smile on his moist lips and the concerned eyes surely reminded him of someone.

'Where have I seen him?' He wondered as he wiped the countertop with a blank mind.

It was almost sunset time and the soft red rays of the sunlight sank in through the glass windows. All the customers were leaving and there was a synchronized sound of coins clinking and chairs being dragged. After a chaos of five minutes, there was an eerie pin drop silence in the entire room.

"Wow! This is... peaceful." He muttered.

He proceeded to switch off the main gas outlet and placed the washed bowls near the sink. Before heading to his room, he made sure to turn over the board that said 'Open' to the side which said 'Closed'. After which, he switched off the lights and headed to his room located upstairs.

His barged into his room and saw his brother checking his laptop as usual.

"What do you want from me?" He said with a deep sigh. "I don't watch anything inappropriate. Just food videos."

"How do you want me to believe that food videos can get you so hyped up?" Bo Jian questioned.

"Don't say it in such a way." He seemed offended.

Bo Jian became alarmed. He slammed the laptop flap down and moved back to his own bed. He sat upon it and continued working on his mobile.

Yu Han switched on the laptop and opened his routine video streaming site. As soon as it opened, he noticed his homepage was full of recommendations from a single channel, FoodWorld. For him, binge watching the videos of that channel was a breeze. He opened up a random video titled 'Food tour in Ho Chi Minh' and rested his back against the bed's headbord, waiting for it to load.

'Damn this internet!" He yelled.

After a patient wait of five minutes, the video loaded and a bright face covered the screen. The face had an uncanny ability to attract the viewer's attention. He had a fair face and beautiful, raven black hair. His round, brown eyes made him seem like a cute puppy. However, the only thing Yu Han was concerned about was food.

"Welcome to my channel once again, foodies!" He exclaimed.

'Oh my god!" Yu Han suddenly yelled.

"What has gotten into you?" Bo Jian was startled.

"Come here right now!"

"Now what happened?" He reluctantly walked to Yu Han's bed and sat upon it.

"Look at him. Doesn't he remind you of the kind customer who came today?"

"Come to think of it, he kinda does." Bo Jian agreed.

"If it is him, then I will die out of happiness!"

"Calm down bro. It may not be him." He patted his head.

Yu Han spent his entire evening watching the videos. It was almost midnight time and the night sky was donned with the moon's soft glow that peeked through the bamboo blinds on the window. Yu Han switched off his laptop and walked towards the window, with a piece of you tiao in his hand.

'What if my doubt turns out to be true?' He wondered.