The Devil Doctor's Spicy Love-Chapter 389: Quiet dinner

Jia took in a deep breath and knocked. She waited for a minute but didn’t hear any response.

She said, "It’s me."

The door opened almost instantly and Mingshen came into her view. He hadn’t been crying like Yang Bingqing but he looked forlorn all the same, just like Yang Cheng.

"It’s dinner time."

"I’ll eat later."

Which translated to skipping the meal altogether tonight and she knew that.

"I made dinner tonight."

That put him in a serious thought. His mental state wasn’t putting his stomach in a hunger mood but a meal cooked by none other than Spicy was something he didn’t want to miss.

But he didn’t want to eat.

But he didn’t want to skip it at the same time.

"I wonder who is the real devil between us."

"What do you mean?" She blinked.

"You knew you would be able to seduce me with that information," he folded his arms as if confronting her.

"...Sure. Glad to see the evil plot I concocted is working so flawlessly."

When they all sat at the dinner table, the atmosphere was heavy but not hostile. Yang Cheng finally entered the room, slower than usual, his shoulders stiff. He sat beside his wife, wordless, but reached for his plate.

It was the sort of quiet that made one feel everything more - every clink of the chopsticks and every soft pour of soup into a bowl.

Mingshen glanced at the set table and found a fourth set of plate and chopsticks. He looked around and asked, "Where’s that crybaby?"

Jia stared. She then gaze in a certain direction and a squeak sounded from behind a pillar.

"What are you doing hiding behind that pillar?" Mingshen grimaced.

Bojing’s trembling shoulders popped out first, followed by his head with tears leaking down his eyes.

"I-I was leaving anyway...!"

"Why are you leaving now when dinner is all ready?"

Bojing pressed his lips, lowering his gaze. "I sh-shouldn’t be here..."

Not today...

Yang Bingqing said, "What are you talking about, dear? Of course you should be here."

Mingshen sharply said, his dark eyes looking unforgiving. "Well, one of my siblings is already not here. The second one wants to rebel too?"

A steep silence came. The pain and anger in his voice was all too evident though his expression didn’t betray anything.

Bojing jolted and stepped out completely. He walked tremblingly and slowly took the chair beside Mingshen’s. His eyes were filled with tears.

The second one...

He wiped his eyes and picked his chopsticks. He took a look at Jia to which she only smiled.

Told you.

Jia then took out a fifth set of plate and chopsticks and put it beside Bojing’s. That chair facing that set was empty. Everybody stared at it with a neutral expression.

"I know what you are thinking," she whispered, her voice soft. "Maybe I am overstepping my boundaries and I am sorry for that. I know nobody feels like eating tonight but maybe that’s why you should eat. Because if she were really here, she would want her family to eat together tonight."

Nobody responded for a long while. Yang Cheng stared at the empty plate, expressionless. Without a word, he looked back at his own but his faintly shivering fingers could still be seen.

Yang Bingqing took a small sip and paused. "It tastes just like the one my mother used to make," she said quietly.

Jia didn’t want to admit that she had used her mother’s recipe. Maybe, all mothers’ recipes held that sense of nostalgia.

Mingshen didn’t look up from his plate for the longest time, but he ate too.

No one forced small talk. No one filled the silence with unnecessary chatter. It was enough that they were together.

Suddenly, Mingshen realized something and looked up. "Wait, why are you just standing there and watching us eat? It’s your dinner time too."

"I am fine-" 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

"I am leaving if you aren’t joining me," he said in a no-nonsense voice.

Jia didn’t want to intrude so she was actually planning to leave but Mingshen had brought her in a difficult position.

"Of course you should be eating with us. You cooked such a lovely dinner," Yang Bingqing nodded.

Bojing expressed his vehement agreement as well. She awkwardly took the other chair beside Mingshen’s.

A small sound escaped Bingqing - somewhere between a sigh and a quiet sob as the dinner progressed. She lowered her head, silently wiping her eyes. Her husband said nothing but slid his bowl of lotus root soup towards her.

Jia stayed still, observing the moment pass between them. She didn’t interrupt nor speak. She had seen Mingshen’s movements pause at his mother’s silent sob but resumed eating a moment later.

The couple retired to their room after the meal was done but not before profusely expressing their gratitude to Jia for the lovely meal.

When the table was finally cleared and the kitchen lights dimmed, Mingshen walked her back to her room.

"I enjoyed the meal."

She shrugged, trying to play it off lightly. "It was just dinner."

"When will you cook for me again? This time, I want it to be a personal meal especially made for me."

She smiled. "Sure."

Mingshen was taken aback. He pressed his palm on her forehead. "Are you having a fever?"

"Shut up."

"You will really make a meal just for me?" He probed.

"I would if you take your hand off and stop treating me like a sick person."

She then looked up at him, her voice low. "Do you think she would’ve liked it?"

Mingshen paused, trying to think how his sister’s taste buds would have developed.

"I think she would have sat beside you and asked for seconds and I would have kicked her chair under the table because I wouldn’t have allowed her hogging it all to herself."

She smiled. "You should sleep."

He pressed his lips. "I want to sleep with you."

True to his nature, Mingshen said something blasphemous. But instead of retorting back, Jia said, "I can accompany you till you fall asleep."