Flirting with a Cunning Doctor

Since he said he would treat for the meal, he certainly couldn’t forget.

Not two days later, Tang Chen contacted Ye Cheng. Since the other was quite busy, Tang Chen drove to the clinic himself to pick him up and head to a restaurant.

The waiter stood by the table waiting to take the order while the two of them flipped through the menu.

Tang Chen was unique; he started flipping from the back. The first things he saw were various exquisite desserts, the pictures looking incredibly delicious and enticing.

Noticing his gaze lingering there, the waiter immediately began recommending the popular desserts.

Tang Chen rested his chin on one hand as he looked, casting a glance at Ye Cheng.

Sure enough, he found the man looking back with a half-smile, the meaning in his eyes self-evident. Tang Chen couldn’t help but feel a bit annoyed. Curling his lip, he flipped past the dessert pages to look at the main courses.

With a hint of vindictiveness, Tang Chen ordered these items:

“Spicy crawfish, steamed crab, poached shrimp, and braised carp.”

These were all foods that required skill to eat.

Maintaining a proper image while consuming them was difficult, so they were often listed as dishes to be ordered with caution when in the company of a lady.

Tang Chen curled his lips toward the other man in a provocative manner, completely forgetting that he was the one treating the guest and yet he was the one causing trouble.

“Dr. Ye, do you eat these?”

Ye Cheng smiled, like a doting parent indulging a bratty child.

“It’s fine, as long as you’re happy.” Then, he added, “However, you should avoid spicy food for the time being. The spicy crawfish is quite hot. Unless we change it to a milder preparation, you shouldn’t eat it.”

Tang Chen frowned.

“What’s the point of eating spicy crawfish if it’s not spicy? I might as well not order it and wait until I’m better.”

He turned, intending to have the waiter remove the dish.

Ye Cheng, however, smiled with gentle harmlessness.

“It’s alright. You can’t eat it, but I can.”

“…”

[ F*ck! ]

Tang Chen wanted to swear again, but since he was the host, he couldn’t very well tell his guest not to eat. He could only fall into a mature yet aggrieved silence.

Finally, a vegetable dish was added, and the ordering was complete.

Once the dishes were served one after another, Tang Chen realized he had miscalculated.

This man was so good at acting; even when faced with difficult shellfish, he could handle them with elegance and poise, eating with the air of one enjoying top-tier French cuisine.

Ordering those dishes was a classic case of harming others without benefiting himself. He had wanted to make the other person look unsightly, but he was finding it difficult to eat them himself.

Moreover, he couldn’t even touch the spicy crawfish. Annoying.

Seeing that Tang Chen was having a bit of trouble eating, Ye Cheng asked considerately:

“Do you want me to help you?”

Tang Chen looked up at him, thought for two seconds, and pushed the empty bowl by his hand directly over. He said unceremoniously:

“Mn, then peel a bowl of shrimp for me.”

This unhesitating command surprised Ye Cheng, who had expected him to give a cold snort and refuse. However, Ye Cheng didn’t mind performing this small service for him; one might even say he was quite willing.

His well-defined hands moved skillfully and flexibly. In a few movements, the shells were removed, leaving the shrimp meat completely intact and beautiful.

They were laid out neatly; if someone with OCD saw this, they would likely feel very comfortable. Tang Chen, however, caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye and gave an imperceptible shudder.

Holy sht, what a freak.*

He had pushed over an empty bowl, but what was returned was an exquisite porcelain plate neatly filled with shrimp meat, every distance seemingly measured with precision.

Ye Cheng gestured with a smile for him to taste.

Tang Chen didn’t move, still struggling with the fish in his own bowl, picking out green peppers, onions, ginger slivers, and many tiny bones.

Watching him, Ye Cheng said:

“I didn’t expect you to be such a picky eater.”

“Is that so? I’m not.”

Tang Chen didn’t even look up as he flatly denied it.

Ye Cheng curled his lips and refrained from commenting, instead saying:

“Eating onions and ginger is good for your health.”

Tang Chen curled his lip, looking up at Ye Cheng in obvious disagreement as he defended himself:

“Green peppers have a weird smell, onions are pungent, and ginger slivers taste terrible. I can eat other things to get those nutrients. Why should I torture myself?”

Both acted as if they were in the right. Ye Cheng didn’t argue with him, lowering his head to continue eating the fresh crab meat while occasionally chatting about trivial matters. The atmosphere was quite harmonious and pleasant.

Until an oblivious person walked over.

“Heh, isn’t this the great Young Master Tang Chen?”

An obviously arrogant entrance—his voice arrived before he did, dripping with contempt. A strange young man looked down at Tang Chen with a disdainful glance.

Tang Chen swept a look out of the corner of his eye. He had some impression of this person; he was essentially an “appendage” to the original host’s half-brother.

Compared to Tang Chen, the illegitimate eldest son, his brother Tang Zhe was the true heir-apparent of the Tang family and the target of many people’s flattery. Some small families would have their sons get close to the “Crown Prince” of the Tang family.

Since they wanted to please the “Prince,” they inevitably had to step on the “commoner son” the Prince detested.

“Young Master Tang is still so leisurely? Have you prepared a birthday gift for Uncle Tang? Sigh… with such an indifferent attitude, Uncle will be very heartbroken when he finds out.”

The person put on a mock-concerned pose, then suddenly acted as if he remembered something.

“Ah, could it be that no one told you? The birthday banquet is the day after tomorrow.”

Tang Chen looked at him and gave a cold snort, showing no face at all.

“What I do is none of your damn business. Does catching mice really make you this happy?”

Being directly called a dog, the man’s expression naturally turned ugly. He spoke recklessly:

“You really are a bastard left outside—no upbringing at all. It’s benevolent of Uncle Tang to even bother with you. If it were me, I’d have left you to fend for yourself long ago. Heh, what a disgrace.”

“What did you say? Say that again!”

Tang Chen stood up abruptly and slammed his hand on the table. He glared at the man with a dark face, looking as if he would rush over and punch him in the next second.

The man was intent on infuriating him, giving a contemptuous sneer:

“Can’t understand human speech? I can record it and let you listen as many times as you like.”

“F*ck!”

His hands clenched into fists, his knuckles turning white and veins throbbing on the back of his hand.

His expression was even more terrifying. Tang Chen took a large stride, intending to smash a fist into the other’s face, but he was intercepted by Ye Cheng, who caught his wrist with quick reflexes and pulled him into an embrace to restrain him.

“Don’t be impulsive.”

Ye Cheng tilted his head and whispered a gentle warning in his ear,

“People like this aren’t worth the effort.”

Tang Chen naturally wouldn’t be obedient so easily, struggling hard. However, the other man had considerable strength and held him firmly.

Seeing this, the intruder laughed.

“Since when did Young Master Tang become so well-behaved? Truly getting more useless by the day.”

Watching Tang Chen grit his teeth, wanting to rush forward but unable to, made him even happier. He laughed a couple of times and finally turned to leave, satisfied.

Now that the person was gone, Tang Chen couldn’t continue looking for trouble. He only lowered his head and said coldly:

“You can let go now, can’t you?”

Ye Cheng immediately released him and even patted his shoulder gently to comfort him. But Tang Chen didn’t want to deal with him at all, swatting his hand away and sitting down with a darkened face.

The table full of delicious dishes now looked completely unappetizing.

Tang Chen picked up his chopsticks, then put them back down. Given his awkward status, that “bastard” comment had truly struck a chord with the original host.

He had always lived like a shadow, hiding in a corner—an unacknowledged identity without a single decent relative, left to jump around alone like a total clown.

Now, he had finally managed to make someone who seemed like a friend, someone he could chat and bicker with, and they had been getting along reasonably well. Yet, such a pathetic and miserable side of himself had been exposed just like that. Even though he wasn’t actually an illegitimate son, and even though none of it was his fault, his face still burned with pain.

Thus, Tang Chen kept his head low, seemingly terrified of losing this rare friend. A flash of panic crossed his eyes, and his lips were pressed tightly together in a stubborn line.

He’s just a friend. I can’t even relax with him like I do when playing games with Yu Shijian, and I often lose face in front of him. Why be so nervous about such a person? Even if he really looks down on me because of the ‘bastard’ status, wouldn’t that just prove he’s not worth knowing? But why…

Tang Chen stood up abruptly and said coldly:

“I’m leaving.”

Ye Cheng also stood up immediately, grabbing his wrist—not tightly enough to hurt, but enough that he couldn’t break free. He looked up at Tang Chen with a serious expression.

“Are you angry? Because I stopped you?”

“None of your business.”

But Ye Cheng still wouldn’t let go, softening his voice.

“I wasn’t stopping you; I just didn’t want you to suffer a loss by confronting him directly. I was worried about you.”

These overly direct words made Tang Chen’s struggling movements pause. He looked down and met a pair of incredibly gentle dark eyes.

Ye Cheng took the opportunity to pull him back down into his seat, comforting him softly.

“There’s no need to care about other people’s words. You just need to let yourself live happily. Know what you like and what you want to do.”

He didn’t mention Tang Chen’s awkward status at all. Instead, he clearly indicated that he was on Tang Chen’s side—that there was no need to care about the nasty nonsense of others. One cannot choose their parents, but life belongs to oneself; one must truly live for themselves.

In this manner of both a teacher and a friend, Ye Cheng spoke slowly, skillfully soothing Tang Chen’s emotions. He gave a harmless smile and asked:

“Want to drink some wine to improve your mood?”

Tang Chen glanced at him and nodded.

Perhaps considering that Tang Chen liked sweets, he ordered cherry brandy—rich with fruit aroma, but with a significant alcohol content.

The two exchanged toasts, drinking cup after cup.

Tang Chen spoke of his own life—trivial details like how his parents ignored him when he was young, leaving him to watch longingly as his younger brother was doted on. Ye Cheng sipped his wine and patiently played the role of the listener.

As he spoke, Tang Chen slumped onto the table. The guarded and flamboyant expression on his face faded, replaced by profound loneliness and confusion. With his eyes half-closed and his hand loosely clutching his wine glass, he murmured:

“They don’t like me… then I don’t like them either…”

Such childish words—treating others exactly how they treat you—were somewhat amusing yet also a bit heart-wrenching. He only said such things because he was mostly drunk and his consciousness was blurred.

Ye Cheng walked over to the sofa on Tang Chen’s side and sat down beside him.

His slender hand came to rest on Tang Chen’s flushed face. The slightly cool temperature was quite comfortable, and Tang Chen, his eyes nearly closed, subconsciously nuzzled against it.

Ye Cheng’s lips curved into a smile, the color of his eyes deepening as he said softly:

“It’s alright if you don’t like them. For now, I quite like you, so I’ll help you out for a bit.”

His fingertips slid down the cheek and stopped on Tang Chen’s rosy lips. His thumb rubbed gently, carrying an indescribable hint of ambiguity.

Tang Chen still seemed to be out of it, leaning most of his body into the other’s embrace, seemingly unaware. He just subconsciously smacked his lips. Feeling the foreign object on his lips and wanting to move it away, he instinctively flicked his tongue—

‘Pah, get lost, you freak.’

Unexpectedly, in the next second, that finger shamelessly slid into his mouth, pressing and kneading his tongue.

Tang Chen instinctively frowned. He was instantly reminded of those hands during the dental treatment and couldn’t help but shudder.

Noticing his reaction, the curve of Ye Cheng’s mouth deepened as he sighed:

“Truly cute.”

Tang Chen turned his face away, barely suppressing the urge to kick him.