I Snatched the Overbearing President’s Canary [Transmigration] - Chapter 13

Chapter 13: The Promise

A certain obscure netizen once said that readers naturally feel sympathy for the protagonist and instinctively take their side.

Therefore, as a reader who had experienced the story through Ning Chen’s eyes, He Shenyu clearly remembered a specific monologue from the book.

It was the scene where Ning Chen watched Fu Hengzhan’s nephew carelessly throw away boxes of unwanted toys, reminding him of how he had cried as a child when his mother scolded him for wanting a toy bear.

He had tried to get the nephew to keep a teddy bear that was half as tall as a person, only to be bluntly mocked as a “country bumpkin” who didn’t know how he had managed to climb his way into the Fu family.

At that moment, Ning Chen hadn’t been angry; he just felt sorry for the bear.

When He Shenyu read that part, he felt a deep sense of empathy. When he was a child, his parents also refused to buy him the toy racing cars he wanted. As a result, when he grew up, he bought an entire floor’s worth of them to display in glass cabinets—for collection, not for play.

This was precisely why He Shenyu asked Ning Chen that question.

He knew Ning Chen wanted a bear, but he couldn’t just buy it outright. Manager Cheng’s investigation report couldn’t possibly be that detailed, right?

Ning Chen took a deep breath, seemingly having tucked his emotions away, and said, “When I was little, I really wanted a plush toy to hold while I slept.”

“Then let’s go buy one. We can put it on the bed.” Shenyu had already spotted where the plush toys were. As soon as Ning Chen answered, he impatiently pulled him toward that section.

Ning Chen followed He Shenyu, and seeing him like this, he actually felt a sudden urge to laugh, though he didn’t quite know why.

“Which one do you want?” Shenyu turned back to ask.

Facing a whole wall of teddy bears, Ning Chen was momentarily overwhelmed. As he had said, he was long past the age of wanting toys, and past the period of craving such things. But he still chose very seriously because He Shenyu was being so earnest. Regardless of the reason, he didn’t want to dampen He Shenyu’s spirits.

“This one?” Ning Chen picked out a very ordinary white bear. Aside from its pure white color and soft fur, there was nothing special about it.

Ning Chen squeezed it in his hand and looked at He Shenyu. “This color should match the room’s decor well.”

Shenyu also reached out to give it a squeeze and nodded. “Okay, it looks like it’ll be very comfortable to hold.”

“Yeah, it’s very soft,” Ning Chen smiled.

Shenyu smiled back. “Then you hold onto it now. Is there anything else you want?”

Ning Chen hugged the bear and shook his head. “Just this is enough.”

Shenyu didn’t say more and continued pushing the cart forward. “Then let’s go check out!”

“Okay.” Ning Chen pinched the bear’s ear and followed behind. Suddenly thinking of something, he asked, “What about you, Shenyu? Is there anything you want?”

Shenyu thought for a moment. His gaze landed on a keychain on the bottom shelf, drawn to a pair of black and white bears.

He bent down to pick them up and held them out to Ning Chen. “How about these? They’re pretty cute. You can hang one on your backpack. Pick one…”

Ning Chen didn’t know why, but everything he chose today was white. He took the tiny bear and shook it in front of his eyes. “This one looks shy; its face is so red.”

“That’s called blush, okay?” Shenyu felt Ning Chen was even more of a ‘straight guy’ than he was. But then he realized Ning Chen probably never had time to care about such things and felt he had spoken out of turn.

He quickly tried to fix it. “Where should I hang mine?”

Ning Chen didn’t seem to mind his previous comment at all. Instead, he seriously considered it for He Shenyu. After a while, he said, “In the car? Or on the car keys?”

Shenyu thought about it. “I’ll put it on my keys. If it’s in the car, the color might fade from the sun.”

After choosing their items, they quickly checked out and left.

Once they got into the car, He Shenyu threaded the black bear onto his keychain. Surprisingly, the black one matched quite well. Ning Chen still wanted to hold his bear, but the passenger seat was too cramped, so the poor bear had to sit in the back for a while.

…

When they arrived at the hospital, they didn’t bring the big bear up, only the Ultraman gift for his brother.

While the big bear stayed behind, Ning Chen had already hung the small white one on his jeans. The white bear against his black outfit swayed as he walked, giving off a strangely lively vibe. Shenyu couldn’t help but stare at it the whole way until the swaying stopped, signifying they had arrived.

“Brother!”

As soon as Ning Chen opened the door, the child’s voice rang out. It was clear that Ning佑 (Ning You) loved his brother very much; the joy in his voice was unmistakable.

“Mm,” Ning Chen smiled and walked to the bedside to introduce him. “This is He Shenyu, my friend. You can just call him Brother He.”

“Hello, Brother He!” Ning You smiled, his voice sweet. He looked a bit like Ning Chen—both were beautiful children. Shenyu’s smile became more genuine. “Hey, what a good boy. Brother and I brought you a gift. See if you like it?”

Ning You took the Ultraman box, and his eyes widened. “Wow! I love it! Thank you, brothers!”

Seeing his happiness, Ning Chen couldn’t help but smile. He reached out to pat the boy’s head and asked, “Where’s Mom?”

Ning You looked up and replied, “She went home to get some things. She said she’ll be back soon and asked you to sit here for a while and wait for her.”

“Okay.” Ning Chen nodded and pulled over a chair, gesturing for He Shenyu to sit as well.

Shenyu didn’t stand during the ceremony. He looked at Ning You and asked, “Do you want to play now, Xiao You? Should I help you open it?”

“No need, brother, I can do it myself.” Ning You insisted on opening it himself. He Shenyu didn’t push further.

At this point, Ning Chen asked him, “Do you want some water?”

“Sure.” Shenyu was indeed a bit thirsty.

Ning Chen stood up and skillfully picked up the thermos, but it seemed to be empty. Having cared for his brother before, Ning Chen was familiar with the hospital layout. He picked up the bottle and said to He Shenyu, “Shenyu, I’m going out to get some hot water. I’ll be back soon.”

“Okay.” Shenyu nodded.

Ning Chen turned to Ning You. “Xiao You, play by yourself. Don’t be noisy and bother Brother He.”

“Mm! I know, Brother! I’m very good.” Ning You looked up from his toys and gave his brother a smile.

Only then did Ning Chen leave with the water bottle.

The ward fell quiet for a moment. Ning You stopped playing with his toys and instead tilted his head to stare at He Shenyu. Being stared at by a child made He Shenyu a bit uneasy. He couldn’t help but ask, “What’s wrong, Xiao You? Is there something on my face?”

Ning You shook his head and said, “Brother He, you are my brother’s first friend. He never said he had friends before.”

“Oh? Is that so?” Shenyu hadn’t really noticed. The original book didn’t mention much about this. Come to think of it, it seemed like no one had ever helped Ning Chen; the only kind people in the book were random strangers on the street…

“Yes!” Ning You nodded solemnly and continued, “Brother must care about you very much.”

“How can you tell?” Seeing him act like a little adult, He Shenyu was somewhat amused.

Ning You said seriously, “Brother is someone with very strong self-esteem. The fact that he could bring you to see me shows that he trusts you deeply in his heart. You must be his best friend.”

Well, although the conclusion seems correct, the premise is a bit off… He Shenyu sighed inwardly. Ning Chen bringing him to see his brother was actually quite a heavy situation because, in essence, He Shenyu was the one paying for all of Ning You’s medical bills…

However, Ning Chen was indeed much more relaxed around him now, not as tense as at the beginning. So, calling them friends wasn’t entirely wrong, was it?

“You’re very smart,” He Shenyu praised the boy with a smile, but didn’t say anything more. It felt too weird to explain things to a child; he wasn’t some “creepy uncle”…

Ning You suddenly leaned in closer and whispered to He Shenyu, “Brother He, can you always be best friends with my brother? He has very few friends; he will definitely cherish you.”

Being stared at by those big, round eyes, He Shenyu really couldn’t say no. Although the request was a bit misplaced, He Shenyu still agreed.

“Okay, I promise you,” He Shenyu said.

“Really?!” Ning You happily reached out his hand. “Brother, pinky swear!”

“Pinky swear, hang yourself, don’t change for a hundred years.” Shenyu made the promise with Ning You.

Just then, Ning Chen pushed the door open. He looked at Ning You and asked curiously, “What are you so happy about?”

“Brother can’t ask, it’s a secret!” Ning You put a finger to his lips.

Ning Chen stopped asking. “Alright, I understand.” He looked at He Shenyu, who returned a helpless smile.

To be honest, He Shenyu didn’t know how he would explain this to Ning Chen. He really didn’t know how many different kinds of relationships he was supposed to maintain with him… Being best friends for life? From the current situation, Ning Chen would probably find that awkward… Even after the contract ends, who stays “best friends” with their former benefactor?

Ning You proceeded to open the Ultraman toys, and He Shenyu and Ning Chen spent some time playing a “Ultraman vs. Monsters” game with him.

Not long after, Ning Chen’s mother returned carrying a large bag of things. Seeing He Shenyu there, she was momentarily surprised before putting on a polite smile. This time, she still didn’t mention the past events in front of He Shenyu and only spoke to Ning Chen about recent matters.

When it was time for them to leave, Ning Chen’s mother spoke hesitantly, “Chenchen, Mom has something I need you to do.”

Ning Chen glanced at He Shenyu, thought for a bit, and replied, “What is it? It’s okay, Mom, just say it.”

“Alright,” she didn’t hesitate further. “Xiao You’s condition is improving now; it’s all thanks to the Bodhisattva’s protection. It happens to be Bodhisattva’s birthday soon. I can’t leave right now, so I want you to go back to our hometown to fulfill the vow for me. While you’re there, go see your father and tell him about this.”

Seeing Ning Chen didn’t respond immediately, she continued, “Is that okay, Chenchen? Ask your teacher for a few days off. If it’s hard to explain, Mom will talk to them for you.”

Ning Chen looked toward He Shenyu hesitantly. Asking for leave from his teacher was easy, but he still needed to ask for He Shenyu’s opinion.