I Snatched the Overbearing President’s Canary [Transmigration] - Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Sharing a Bed

Ning Chen decided to play a more proactive role. Having contributed nothing for so long had indeed left him feeling uneasy.

He yearned for He Shenyu to “use” him—whether it was playing the role of a boyfriend in a romance game or truly fulfilling the obligations of being kept. Even if it just meant sleeping together without doing anything else. He craved some form of substantive progress, if only to prove that he still had some utility to He Shenyu, rather than simply taking the man’s money every day to support his family.

He believed in fair exchange; in his life experience, nothing in the world came for free. If you took something without giving anything back, fate would eventually make you pay a much higher price later on.

…

At this moment, He Shenyu was quite dazed.

To be honest, with Ning Chen cornering him like this, he couldn’t find a suitable reason to refuse. More importantly, he suddenly realized he had already rejected Ning Chen many times. It was starting to look strange; he couldn’t turn him down again. If Ning Chen realized he wasn’t actually interested, their “sugar baby” relationship might become precarious.

He couldn’t let Ning Chen dig into the underlying reasons, nor could he end the contract now. He hadn’t dealt with Fu Hengzhan yet… Ning Chen had to remain his “boyfriend” for now. Whatever happened, he couldn’t give Fu Hengzhan an opening.

Besides, he realized he’d been ignoring Ning Chen’s perspective—anyone would find his behavior weird. Even if a benefactor was allowed to be strange, it didn’t fit the persona he was trying to maintain. He had just called him “baby,” after all… and he might need to show some public affection if they ran into Fu Hengzhan later.

Thinking of this, He Shenyu felt a bit of a headache. He looked at Ning Chen and sighed inwardly: Ning Chen! I’m really sacrificing too much for you! Maybe I came into this book just for you… Sigh!

“You’re right,” He Shenyu managed a smile. “Then come over directly after your shower.”

This time, it was Ning Chen’s turn to be stunned. He stared blankly at He Shenyu, seemingly surprised that he had agreed so easily.

Feeling a bit mischievous, He Shenyu reached out and poked Ning Chen’s cheek to reinforce his “lustful benefactor” persona and get a tiny bit of revenge. Truth be told, Ning Chen’s cheek was quite soft. He tapped it a few more times with his fingertip. Seeing Ning Chen snap out of it and stare at his hand, he stopped and laughed, “Go on then!”

Ning Chen seemed nervous. He blinked several times before nodding. “Okay, I’ll go now.”

…

Shenyu wasn’t nervous; he had no reason to be.

Straight guys often end up sleeping in the same bed as their bros. Back when he traveled and stayed in youth hostels, he’d shared a single bed with a roommate when things got crowded. Besides, the bed in his room was huge—even with two guys, there would be plenty of space left over.

He wasn’t worried about Ning Chen forcing anything against his will, either. He was the benefactor; his will was the highest authority in their relationship. Moreover, Ning Chen had always been obedient—the typical “good student” type. Shenyu found it hard to imagine him doing anything out of line.

In short, He Shenyu didn’t feel anything special. He showered and changed into pajamas as usual. When he came out, Ning Chen hadn’t arrived yet. He turned the AC up a few degrees and climbed into bed with his tablet. He lay under the blanket facing the door, which he’d left open for Ning Chen.

Checking the time, he realized it was late and he was getting sleepy. Instead of reading a sleep-inducing research paper, he browsed some videos for a while.

After a long wait, Ning Chen finally shuffled in. It was clear he had specifically washed his hair, which explained the delay.

Shenyu gave a helpless smile and said to the man entering the room, “Wait, close the door.”

Ning Chen paused, turned back to close it, and then asked with his hand still on the handle, “Should I lock it?”

Shenyu smiled. “Whatever you like. It’s up to you.”

After a moment of hesitation, Ning Chen locked the door.

“Which side do you usually sleep on?” He Shenyu put down his tablet, preparing for sleep.

“Either side is fine,” Ning Chen replied.

Shenyu didn’t push it; he just patted the spot next to him. “Then sleep here.” Without waiting for a reaction, he lay down.

Ning Chen walked over slowly, sat gently on the edge of the bed, and then carefully climbed in.

Shenyu turned on his side to look at him. Ning Chen was wearing white pajamas today. With his soft, smooth hair, he looked almost “holy.” I forgot to buy him pajamas when we went clothes shopping, He Shenyu thought. He assumed Ning Chen didn’t like light colors, as these were the pajamas he had from the very beginning.

Seeing Ning Chen just sitting there motionlessly, He Shenyu chuckled and asked, “What’s wrong? Are you nervous?”

Feeling a bit playful, he reached out and pulled Ning Chen down. Ning Chen followed the force and lay down compliantly, not making He Shenyu use any real strength. He turned his body away, not daring to meet He Shenyu’s eyes, and whispered, “I’m not nervous.”

“Haha…” Shenyu laughed out loud. He propped his head up on his hand, leaned closer to Ning Chen, and took a sniff. “Milk-scented. You smell good—you must be very clean.”

“Yes, the auntie prepared the body wash; it’s always been this scent.” Ning Chen finally seemed a bit more normal. Seeing He Shenyu’s relaxed expression, he relaxed as well. “Shenyu, do you have a germaphobia? I washed twice, I should be very clean, don’t worry.”

“A little bit,” He Shenyu mused. “Maybe it’s a professional hazard. How did you know?”

Ning Chen looked at him and answered, “I guessed. The first time we met, you were washing your hands very thoroughly.”

This surprised He Shenyu for a moment. So, back then, Ning Chen hadn’t been entirely lost in his own emotions—he had actually noticed him?

Shenyu stared at Ning Chen, looking at the corner of his eye, and couldn’t help but reach out to touch it. Come to think of it, it was hard to imagine Ning Chen crying now. Perhaps because he had grown closer to him, he felt that Ning Chen didn’t have the temperament of someone who cried easily.

Watching his movements, Ning Chen leaned in slightly and started to say, “Shenyu, do you want to—”

Sensing the look in his eyes, He Shenyu immediately covered Ning Chen’s lips with his hand, cutting him off: “Turn off the lights and go to sleep.”

Ning Chen nodded obediently and reached out to turn off the bedside lamp.

In the darkness, He Shenyu breathed a sigh of relief. He lay flat and said, “I really am a light sleeper. You don’t snore, do you?”

Ning Chen seemed to dither for a moment before answering, “No.”

Shenyu shared half the blanket with him and closed his eyes groggily. “Then let’s sleep. If you get a cold, you can turn off the AC. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.” This time, Ning Chen didn’t hesitate and followed his lead.

…

Ning Chen hadn’t lied; he didn’t snore. Shenyu slept very deeply that night, no different from when he slept alone. However, when he woke up in the morning, he felt that Ning Chen hadn’t slept well—he looked exhausted. He asked directly, “Did you not sleep well, Ning Chen?”

Ning Chen shook his head. “No, I’m fine.”

Shenyu didn’t press further. Although they were now sharing a bed, their daily routine hadn’t changed much. Sleeping together occasionally allowed them to play games or watch movies together, which counted as a bit of entertainment for Ning Chen. Having read the original book, He Shenyu knew that Ning Chen never had any normal recreation. He wanted Ning Chen to experience the things regular students did.

The days passed quickly. It was the weekend again, and after breakfast, Ning Chen mentioned he wanted to visit his brother, who had finally been moved from the ICU to a general ward. Shenyu figured he had nothing better to do, so he decided to go with him.

“Should we buy him a gift? He should be able to play with toys now,” He Shenyu suggested. After all, he was only a ten-year-old boy; having toys while hospitalized would make things better.

Ning Chen didn’t refuse. Compared to medical bills, toys didn’t cost much, so there was no need to reject He Shenyu’s kindness. “Okay.”

Neither of them had much experience buying toys, so they searched on the map while in the car. Ning Chen had bought gifts for his brother before, but they were usually just small trinkets from a convenience store—clearly not the kind of “toys” He Shenyu was talking about—so he kept quiet.

Once they arrived at the toy store, He Shenyu asked, “Does Xiao You have anything he particularly likes?”

Ning Chen thought long and hard. He had been so busy struggling to make ends meet that he wasn’t actually very familiar with his brother’s preferences; his mother was the one who usually looked after him. After a long pause, he answered uncertainly, “He liked Ultraman when he was younger.”

Shenyu was stunned for a moment. The author of this book is really lazy with details… “Then let’s go! Let’s get him some Ultraman stuff.” Shenyu pulled Ning Chen toward the models.

Ning Chen naturally took his hand. Holding hands had become very frequent between them—so much so that they both took it for granted, ignoring the occasional glances from people around them.

Truth be told, Ning Chen had recently discovered that He Shenyu was actually very insensitive to physical contact; as long as Ning Chen stood beside him, he would lean in at any time. Although Ning Chen knew He Shenyu only did it because he found it comfortable when tired, sometimes he couldn’t help but wonder: Is Shenyu only like this with me?

Unfortunately, he hadn’t had the chance to see how He Shenyu interacted with others. While He Shenyu called President Fu a friend, Ning Chen felt He Shenyu was a bit afraid of him. Their interaction didn’t seem like that of ordinary friends.

“Ning Chen! What are you thinking about?” Shenyu raised his voice. “I asked, how about this one?”

Ning Chen gave an embarrassed smile, looked at the full set of Ultraman figures, and replied, “It’s very good.”

“Right,” He Shenyu didn’t have any better ideas. “We’ll get this one then.” He put the box into the cart, then looked at Ning Chen and asked, “Ning Chen, is there anything you want?”

“What?” Ning Chen didn’t expect the question. “I’m not a child anymore.”

Shenyu tilted his head to look at him, his expression serious and persistent. “Yes, I know. But did you have a favorite toy when you were little? Since we’re already here, I want to buy it for you.”

Ning Chen stared into He Shenyu’s eyes. Adam’s apple bobbed, but he couldn’t find the words to speak.