The Devil Doctor's Spicy Love-Chapter 401: The step to friendship

Mingshen stared at the beautiful crimson, with her words that kept resonating in his ears. His thumb brushed against the fabric of the tie with an...inexplicable emotion swelling within him.

It wasn’t the first time he had received a gift. But it was the first time he felt as if he wanted to keep it very close to him. He felt it was the most meaningful present he had ever received in his life.

Despite his apparent protests and snide remarks, Mingshen did consider Wei as a good friend. And now Jia was added to that world.

A friend huh...

Jia nervously cleared her throat. "Do you like it? I took a guess from the kind of clothes you wear and thought this tie would suit you. But you can tell me if you don’t like it. I’ll get it changed."

"I don’t want it changed."

He took it out of the box and tied it around his neck that perfectly accentuated his black shirt. He stared at the tie dangling along his chest and a beautiful smile bloomed on his lips.

"I love it! I love the tie!"

For a moment, his excitement took her aback but she felt relieved. She wasn’t really sure of his taste but her little heart jumped with joy upon his reaction.

Mingshen then asked, "This is definitely expensive. How much did you spend?"

"It’s not really expensive..."

His eyes narrowed. "I know high quality when I see high quality."

She smiled. "There is no math to be done when it’s a gift for a good friend."

Once again, he stared at her with an unreadable expression but this time, he found his hand reaching out to touch his chest.

"Something wrong?" Jia asked.

"...I don’t know."

But the rhythm feels abnormal. Am I falling...

Sick?

When Yang Cheng passed by, Mingshen stopped him. "Dad, check my heartbeat. I think it’s off."

He frowned. He was on his way to eat his pudding. But he was still a doctor so he took the stethoscope out of his pocket and checked him.

Jia was speechless. "Uncle carries...his stethoscope with him?"

He glanced at her and nodded once. "It’s convenient."

He listened to Mingshen’s heartbeats and said, "It’s normal."

"I don’t think you did it correctly, Dad. Check again."

Yang Cheng threw him a look as if saying, ’Are you gonna ask me that stupid question after the years of my life I spent in medicine? Really? You wanna die?’

Huojin whistled as he joined in too. "Yo, what’s this I’m seeing? The great Dr. Yang Mingshen is sick?"

"He is fine."

Yang Cheng replied and promptly kept his stethoscope back in his pocket.

Huojin raised his brow. "Some problem with your heart?"

"I feel it off-"

"He is fine," Yang Cheng cut him midway the second time.

Mingshen grimaced. "Don’t start shedding tears if I happen to die out of the blue because of your wrong diagnosis."

"Evil doctor!" Lihua arrived hopping by and gasped. "You...you actually look a teensy-tiny bit handsome."

He sneered. "It’s only your half- developed brain that would utter the word teensy-tiny."

"You should thank my sister for that! It’s actually the tie that’s doing all the work for you," she scoffed. "Otherwise your heart is all black!"

"I must say the tie does suit you. Jia’s choice is bang on," Huojin then added. "Is that perhaps why you are having some chest problems?"

"Why would a tie give me chest problems?" Mingshen furrowed his brows.

"The person who gifted you the tie might be the real culprit-"

He felt a foot pressing hard on his foot which turned out to be Jia’s.

"You better stop before I crush it for good."

He pouted. "This is why things are going so slow between you two."

Lihua choked. "W-what slow? What are you insinuating, Mo Huojin?"

"You should start getting mentally prepared now, Lihua. You cannot feign blindness forever."

"I don’t know what you are talking about! Sis and evil doctor are...are not...!" She breathed heavily.

Yang Cheng took his stethoscope out once again and this time checked Lihua. "Your heart is beating a little erratically. Take deep breaths."

Mingshen marveled. "My heart was beating erratically too!"

"You are fine. And if you make me say it the fourth time, then..." the cold warning in his voice was crystal clear.

"Cheng."

Zhao Weizhe arrived too, joining in the little group. His brows knitted. "Is Lihua sick?" His concern only grew.

"Just a little breathlessness," Yang Cheng plainly said.

Zhao Weizhe patted Lihua’s head. "Don’t worry too much, whatever it is. I will solve everything for you."

"Dad..." she sniffled emotionally. "This evil doctor is brainwashing my sis! That’s unacceptable to me..."

He eyes Jia. "Do you want to live with us?"

Lihua’s face brightened by several shades.

Mingshen’s gaze darkened by several shades too.

"No thank you, Uncle. Spicy is very happy in the Yang mansion."

"Who are you to judge that!"

He smirked. "This tie is the evidence," then he proudly added. "I will wear it everyday!"

Jia coughed. "You don’t have to wear it everyday, Mingshen."

"I will! This tie will go on all my shirts now!"

"..."

Zhao Weizhe left the banter and looked at Yang Cheng. "Did you receive the engagement ceremony invitation?"

Jia blinked.

Engagement ceremony invitation?

He said, unaffected. "We are not going."

Lihua asked, "Is it about Huo Tengqi’s engagement?"

Jia’s eyes widened.

It’s their engagement?

She knew how Meng Rin was suffocating in that relationship. She was aware what kind of a man Huo Tengqi was and she hoped she would get out of that relationship before it got too late. The marriage would only end in disaster.

Is it really happening? But wait, what about Bai Yingtai? Didn’t Mingshen say he was interested in her?

Amidst this, Jia also held more questions. If the Yang family had an invitation, then it was a good chance to meet Huo Jielun and know more about Nuwa’s supposed connection with the Huo family.

Ugh, but considering their history, I cannot force them to go...

Mingshen interjected. "We will attend the ceremony."