NovelXXXChapter 263 After meeting with Patten Reed, Citrine finally headed to Manley's hospital room.
The moment she stepped inside, her eyes fell on a mountain of fruit piled high in the corner-clearly it had been sitting there for days.
She couldn't help but recall the scene from an hour earlier at the grocery store with Travis.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtCitrine had been staring helplessly at a shelf full of health supplements, uncertain what to buy. With a sigh, she turned to Travis for help. "Hey, what does Uncle Manley actually like to eat? Should we buy him something special?" Travis glanced at the box of supplements in her hand, then looked up at the price tag-four digits.
Without hesitation, he took the box from her and put it right back on the shelf.
Citrine stared at him, confused.
Travis shook his head earnestly. "Trust me, my dad hates this stuff. No need to waste your money." "Then what does Uncle Manley like?" Citrine asked, taking him at his word.
Travis frowned in concentration, then nodded with conviction. "He likes fruit. Simple, healthy, and not expensive. That's all he ever wants." The seriousness in his eyes was almost comical, but Citrine believed him. In the end, they each bought a bag of fruit.
Now, seeing the fruit mountain in Manley's room, Citrine froze for a split second. "Citrine, cin!" Manley called out, snapping her back to reality.
Forcing a smile, she set her bag of apples on the nightstand. "Uncle Manley, I brought you sfresh fruit." Manley stared at the bag for a moment, then flashed a perfectly convincing smile and nodded. "Fruit, my favorite! You knowso well." Travis rolled his eyes. "Wow, could you be any more obvious?" Manley ignored the jab and went on, "Hospital food is so bland. I really look forward to a little fruit after meals." He shot Travis a meaningful look. "Go on then, wash one of the apples Citrine brought." Travis let out a long sigh. "Didn't I bring fruit too?" He rummaged in his own bag and pulled out an apple. Just as he was about to head to the sink, Manley gave a derisive snort. "I don't want yours. I want Citrine's." Travis stared at him, a shiver running down his spine despite the sweltering summer heat. "You're ridiculous," he muttered, exasperated. "We bought them from the sstore, from the sshelf!" Manley was unmoved. "Doesn't matter. I want the one Citrine picked." Travis nearly burst out laughing in disbelief. Gritting his teeth, he said, "Hate to break it to you, but I picked out all the fruit myself." Manley shrugged, unbothered. "I still want the bag Citrine brought." Citrine could only stand there, at a loss for words.
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"Fine, I'll wash your precious apple," Travis grumbled, shoving his own apple back into the bag a little too forcefully. He stomped over to the nightstand, yanked an apple from Citrine's bag, and stalked off to the sink. Whenever Citrine visited, Manley's spirits always improved. Even the bland hospital food seemed to taste like a gourmet meal when she was there.
After lunch, Manley and Citrine got to talking, and once they started, there was no stopping them.
Citrine's knowledge seemed boundless-whether Manley brought up history, business intrigue, the latest corporate projects, or even medical issues, she always had something insightful to say.
And every word carried weight. In just a few sentences, she could pinpoint the flaws in a new business venture N and casually suggest solutions, as if they were simply having a friendly chat.
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