Perhaps it was because the diagnosis was confirmed, relieving him of his mental burden, or perhaps it was because Chen Yu had given him another two acupuncture treatments before bed. In any case, Hill still slept soundly through the night.
At six the next morning, Hill opened his eyes right on time, getting out of bed on his crutches to wash up.
This was at Chen Yu's request. He had said that Hill was past the acute phase of his sprain and could no longer use a wheelchair; he had to use crutches.
After washing up, Hill went to the dining room and was surprised to find Chen Yu busy in the kitchen.
"Chen, where's Laudia? Didn't she come today?" Hill asked, puzzled.
While he didn't have a full-time housekeeper, he did employ a chef who would come over on his non-game days to prepare his three daily meals according to the team nutritionist's meal plan.
Chen Yu was making shrimp dumplings. On a nearby stove, a pot of cod congee was simmering away.
"She came, but I told her that for the next two months, I'll be in charge of your diet. She doesn't need to come for the time being."
After a pause, Chen Yu added, "By the way, she seemed a little angry. You might want to give her a call later to explain."
Chen Yu recalled the plump, middle-aged woman muttering curses in Spanish as she left. 'Probably Mexican,' he thought.
'Seems like there are a lot of Mexicans here in Orlando.'
Hill was taken aback for a moment, but he reacted quickly. "Okay, I'll call her later."
'She's probably worried Chen is stealing her job.'
"Chen, what are you making? Dumplings?" Hill's gaze fell on the shrimp dumplings in Chen Yu's hands, and he subconsciously licked his lips.
'Dumplings for breakfast might be a bit heavy, but the ones Chen is making look pretty good. They even have shrimp in them.'
Chen Yu turned, poured a glass of warm water, and pushed it in front of Hill, gesturing for him to drink it.
Drinking warm water right after waking up helps rehydrate, stimulates intestinal motility, and awakens the dormant stomach.
"You could say that," Chen Yu nodded, skillfully wrapping the last shrimp dumpling and placing it in the steamer.
Before long, an enticing aroma filled the air.
Hill took a deep breath and said in surprise, "Chen, are you a gourmet chef?"
'This smell is incredible.'
Chen Yu was cleaning up the kitchen. "I wouldn't call myself a gourmet. I just know how to cook."
He'd learned from his mother. Hailing from Guangdong Province, his mother was quite particular when it came to food. It was said that part of the reason his father fell in love with his mother was that she had conquered his stomach.
Growing up around it, Chen Yu had picked up a lot himself.
Lexi used to love pizza and burgers, but after moving in with Chen Yu, she came to absolutely despise pizza.
Not to mention, his system had a dedicated category called [Sports Nutrition].
So, preparing a nutritional meal for Hill was also a way of grinding for EXP.
Hill nodded and promptly sat down at the dining table, full of anticipation.
Carried by the steam, the aroma reached its peak.
Chen Yu turned off the stove.
He took out the shrimp dumplings and poured a small saucer of Italian balsamic vinegar.
Hill might not cook, but his kitchen was surprisingly well-stocked.
Although it didn't have the unique flavor of China's aged or aromatic vinegars, balsamic vinegar made from wine had a higher nutritional value. Crucially, it was also more expensive.
Then he ladled out a bowl of the cod congee.
'It's just missing some green onions. A little sprinkle would make it taste even better.'
Chen Yu decided he would go to the Chinese District later to pick some up.
Even though he grew up in the United States, having lived with his mother, Chen Yu was still more accustomed to Chinese food.
Hill greedily inhaled the aroma of the shrimp dumplings, his appetite whetted. Then he noticed the cod congee Chen Yu brought out, and his eyes lit up again.
Unexpectedly, however, Chen Yu placed a food container in front of him.
"This is yours."
Hill stared blankly for a moment, then opened the container. The corner of his eye twitched violently.
'Dammit, chicken breast again!'
The stuff was low-fat, high-protein—an essential staple for any athlete.
'But it tastes awful!'
Hill was very disciplined when it came to his diet, but that didn't mean he actually liked eating this stuff.
Chicken breast, vegetable salad, a hard-boiled egg—low-salt, low-oil. Topped off with a glass of plain milk with its faint, fishy smell... it was just a nightmare.
He looked up.
Chen Yu had already set his own place and was leisurely unfolding a newspaper, eating and reading at the same time.
Staring at the steaming, fragrant shrimp dumplings, Hill's gaze was filled with resentment.
'Now *that's* what I call breakfast!'
'What I'm eating is just to stay alive.'
With a sigh, Hill silently picked up his fork and began to eat.
He took a forceful bite.
Hm?
Hill's eyebrows shot up.
'This... actually tastes pretty good!'
He chewed vigorously as juices flooded his mouth. Hill's eyes widened. It wasn't just the texture of the meat; the seasoning was perfectly balanced, too.
And it wasn't just the chicken. The vegetable salad also had a flavor Hill had never tasted before.
In terms of taste alone, it completely blew the team nutritionist out of the water.
Detroit, true to its industrial city nature, was a culinary wasteland. The Pistons' nutritionist seemed to operate on the principle of just getting the food cooked, with no consideration for flavor whatsoever.
He'd finally made it to Orlando, only to find it was the same damn story.
'If it weren't for my iron self-discipline, who could eat this crap every day?'
His taste buds awakened, Hill wolfed everything down until all the food in front of him was gone.
"Chen, your nutritional meal is delicious."
Hill gave a thumbs-up, but his eyes couldn't help but drift toward the shrimp dumplings in front of Chen Yu.
'Those dumplings look different. The skin is actually translucent, and you can even see the cooked shrimp inside.'
'They must taste amazing.'
"Thanks."
Chen Yu got up and poured a glass of medicinal tonic for Hill.
It was brewed from medicinal herbs to improve circulation and reduce swelling.
While Chen Yu's back was turned in the kitchen, Hill gritted his teeth, snatched a shrimp dumpling with lightning speed, and stuffed it into his mouth.
'Just one. It should be fine.'
'I'm injured, what's wrong with indulging just a little?'
'Chen even said I should eat and drink well.'
Hill silently rationalized his actions.
The moment the dumpling entered his mouth, a burst of sweet, savory juice erupted.
For a second, Hill felt like he was in heaven.
'This is too delicious!'
Chen Yu returned and placed the brown liquid in front of Hill.
Hill's mouth was clamped shut, not daring to move his teeth.
Chen Yu sat down, finished his cod congee in a few quick bites, and then pushed the plate of dumplings toward Hill. "It's fine to have a few."
'There were only a few to begin with, and he still had to sneak one. Does he think I can't count?'
Hill cringed with embarrassment. He mumbled an apology, hurriedly speared a dumpling with his fork, and, mimicking Chen Yu, dipped it in vinegar before popping it into his mouth.
Mmm, another unique flavor.
"By the way, I have to go out this morning. This is the rehabilitation plan I've set up for you. Follow it, and I'll try to be back before lunch."
Even with a sprained ankle, he couldn't just lie around doing nothing. If he did, he'd need a long athletic recovery period to get back on the court even after it healed.
Most importantly, the swelling in Hill's ankle had gone down, which meant he could slowly begin some rehabilitation exercises.
Bed rest, in fact, would be detrimental to his recovery.
Hill took the plan and glanced over it, noticing it was all training for other parts of his body.
"Okay, I'll follow it diligently."
Chen Yu nodded. He had already witnessed Hill's self-discipline.
A cleaning service would be coming in the morning, and there was a dishwasher, so Chen Yu didn't need to wash the dishes. He just grabbed his bag and headed out the door.
Hill's words from yesterday had served as a reminder for Chen Yu.
He really did need to set up a clinic first.
For one, it would be convenient. For another, Chen Yu also needed a way to accumulate experience points and grind for treatment results.
Hill's recovery would require a large amount of those treatment results for support.
However, Chen Yu's plan was to open a small clinic, mainly offering Acupuncture and bone-setting massage services.
It didn't need to be large; the main purpose was to grind for EXP.
He wouldn't need to buy equipment either—it was too expensive. If he really needed it, he could rent it from other clinics.
There were clinics that specialized in providing X-ray and blood testing services.
All things considered, an initial investment of a few thousand to ten thousand US dollars should be enough.
He could ask Hill for an advance on his treatment fees to cover the cost.