I Snatched the Overbearing President’s Canary [Transmigration] - Chapter 17

Chapter 17: The Wish

The mountain forest was alive with the constant chatter of birds and insects; even when they didn’t speak, it didn’t feel lonely.

Ning Chen walked forward, leading He Shenyu in silence, feeling a twinge of regret. Perhaps he shouldn’t have brought up such a heavy topic; their relationship didn’t seem suited for such depth.

Yet, when He Shenyu had looked at him earlier, he seemed to genuinely want to know, his eyes even carrying a trace of sorrowful empathy. Ning Chen couldn’t explain why, but the words had simply poured out. This was the first time he had ever spoken to anyone about his family matters; hearing it aloud, it almost sounded like he was fishing for pity.

Ning Chen sighed inwardly. Whatever. What unsightly side of me has He Shenyu not seen already?

Besides, judging by the look in He Shenyu’s eyes—Ning Chen observed him carefully—it seemed to be genuine heartache. Or at least, deep sympathy. Although it felt like “selling a sob story,” it seemed to have worked?

After a long silence, He Shenyu finally spoke: “The Bodhisattva will watch over you, Ning Chen.”

Ning Chen smiled and looked back at him. “Mhm. I’ll ask the Bodhisattva to watch over you too in a bit.”

“Okay.”

They walked from the first light of dawn until the sun was high in the sky, witnessing a sunrise over a sea of clouds from a unique vantage point on the winding mountain road. This time, He Shenyu remembered his phone and snapped several photos of the sunrise. Ning Chen, unaccustomed to being in photos, simply watched him quietly from the side.

Since they had started early, Ning Chen was prepared for He Shenyu’s slower pace, so their frequent stops didn’t delay them.

As they neared the summit, they began to encounter other travelers on the stone path. The scent of incense from the mountaintop temple drifted toward them in the breeze. Perhaps influenced by the atmosphere, He Shenyu looked up to see the Pagoda Temple draped in the golden light of the morning sun, appearing truly sacred.

“Are we almost there?” He Shenyu asked, panting. After walking for so long, he was indeed exhausted.

“Almost. About ten minutes more,” Ning Chen replied.

Shenyu nodded. “Finally… I haven’t hiked in so long. I’m spent…”

Ning Chen looked at him and asked softly, “Did Shenyu go hiking with others before?”

“Yeah, I did…” Shenyu hit the brakes just in time, nearly mentioning Mount Tai. “In college, I went with my roommates. It was exhausting…”

Ning Chen smiled but said nothing. He had spent his college days working part-time jobs, only returning to the dorm to sleep; he wasn’t close to his roommates and had since moved out.

Accompanied by the distant sound of chanting, they followed the crowd up the stone steps toward the mountain gate. The name “Pagoda Temple” was as ancient as its architecture, clearly showing its age. The stone steps were etched with countless marks of the people and things that had passed over them.

Finally, as they stepped onto the last stair, cheers erupted from the crowd.

Shenyu glanced at his sports watch and gasped. “Holy crap! Almost 20,000 steps. I’ve exceeded my exercise quota for the day.”

Ning Chen, neither flushed nor breathless, seemed unfazed. He followed He Shenyu’s gaze to the watch. He had seen classmates wear them before, but this was the first time he saw clearly what was displayed on the face.

After resting for a while, Ning Chen led He Shenyu to an information board near the entrance and gave him a brief history of the temple. It was a local landmark, so bringing He Shenyu here felt like a proper sightseeing trip.

They entered through the main gate and followed the flow of people to light incense in the Great Hall. This was a ritual for almost every visitor. Entering the hall, they knelt before the largest Bodhisattva statue and began to pray sincerely. The tourists were respectful; despite the crowd, the hall remained quiet.

Shenyu whispered in his heart: Bodhisattva, please keep us both healthy and let everything go smoothly.

He wasn’t entirely sure of the protocol, so he assumed praying in the main hall was enough. To his surprise, Ning Chen led him through the corridors, praying at almost every single shrine in the entire temple. At first, Ning Chen explained which Bodhisattva was which and what they protected, but eventually, there were so many that He Shenyu couldn’t keep track.

He wondered what the Bodhisattva thought of someone as “insincere” as him. If the Bodhisattva is unhappy, then just protect Ning Chen!

He added that postscript to every prayer thereafter. Since he wasn’t originally from this world, if a Bodhisattva truly existed here, his only wish was for Ning Chen’s well-being.

Ning Chen remained stoic throughout, his cold expression mirroring the statues. His kneeling posture was perfect; to any outsider, he looked profoundly devout. Some monks even recognized him, chanting a greeting from afar. Ning Chen then told He Shenyu that he came here almost every year.

Passing through the final Sangharama Hall, the journey reached its end. Shenyu didn’t expect the exit to be even more crowded. There stood a massive banyan tree in the courtyard, draped in red prayer ribbons. Swaying in the mountain breeze, it possessed a solemn beauty. A small stall nearby sold ribbons and wooden plaques, and a long line had formed of people writing their wishes.

Shenyu wasn’t about to miss out on the excitement—after all, he was already here. He’d already prayed to the Buddhas; what was one more ritual?

He pulled Ning Chen into line. The wooden plaques were more expensive than the ribbons because they came with both, but He Shenyu didn’t lack for money and bought two. He preferred the plaques because they looked better and allowed for gold-ink writing.

Once purchased, they moved to the long tables behind the stall to write. Because of the crowd, the tables were packed. They had to squeeze in whenever someone left, which meant they didn’t write side-by-side.

The extra cost was worth it; the plaque came with a small cover plate. If you didn’t want to display your wish, you could cover it up.

Shenyu thought for a long time before using his somewhat clunky calligraphy to write: “I hope the Bodhisattva protects Ning Chen’s health and lets everything go smoothly for him.”

The mountain wind danced with the ribbons, making the tree look as if it had donned a crimson skirt, spinning freely between heaven and earth. Shenyu hung his plaque and took a few photos; the red ribbons against the green leaves were striking.

“Done? Should we head back? I haven’t eaten yet, I’m starving.” He Shenyu went to find Ning Chen on the other side, only to find him standing right behind him.

Ning Chen nodded. “Done. Let’s eat on the mountain; there are restaurants nearby with fresh wild mushrooms that are quite good.”

Shenyu brightened up. “Great! Mountain food must be delicious.” He was already salivating.

Ning Chen smiled at him, but his heart wouldn’t settle. When he had gone to find He Shenyu just now, he had accidentally glimpsed the words on the plaque.

It only contained a wish for him…

What kind of person, when given the chance to make a wish, only wishes for someone else? He hadn’t even written anything for himself.

Why? Ning Chen couldn’t fathom it. Truly. Shenyu was such a strange person.

…

After sitting down and ordering at the restaurant, both took out their phones. Shenyu handled some work messages, and Ning Chen didn’t disturb him. Instead, he searched for a question online:

Why would a person pray to a Bodhisattva only for another person’s safety and not their own?

The answers were long and varied, but they all shared one central theme: Because they view the other person as more important than themselves. This kind of love is common between parents and children, or between romantic partners.

Partners…?

Ning Chen frowned. He felt like he was going crazy. Why was he researching this…? Did He Shenyu truly like him?

The next moment, Ning Chen shook his head. What am I thinking?

There was no point in obsessing over this. Even if it was “liking,” it was probably the kind of affection one has for an exquisite plaything. Could a sugar daddy truly have feelings for his pet? Manager Cheng’s words echoed in his mind, and Ning Chen sighed. He was losing it. How could he be swayed so easily when he had decided not to let these things bother him?

Besides, it was useless to overthink—it was almost laughable. He glanced at He Shenyu, who was typing away on his phone, looking perfectly normal as if he hadn’t just done something so easily misunderstood.

Then again, He Shenyu didn’t know that Ning Chen had seen the plaque, so he shouldn’t have had a reaction. Ning Chen took a sip of tea, the faint bitterness spreading over his tongue. He cleared his mind. Worry is the interest paid on trouble before it is due.

Yet, if he tried to think of nothing, his brain wouldn’t allow it. How could he not wonder why strange things were happening? He wasn’t like He Shenyu, who was so simple-minded that even after they kissed, his first words were: “I didn’t do it on purpose.”

Thinking about it now made Ning Chen want to laugh. Was that even the point?

Sigh…

“What’s wrong? Are you getting hungry waiting?” Hearing him sigh, He Shenyu put down his phone to look at him.

Ning Chen looked back and nodded slightly. “Mhm. Hungry.”

Regardless, their relationship wasn’t for him to decide. He could only go along with whatever He Shenyu wanted. In this process, perhaps playing the fool was better.

“Ah, here it comes! It smells so good.” Shenyu’s eyes followed the server’s tray. As soon as it was placed down, he immediately grabbed a morsel with his chopsticks. “Delicious! Ning Chen, try some.”

Ning Chen nodded. Better to just eat for now…

…

Full and satisfied, the two strolled around the mountain. Besides the temple, there was a famous bamboo forest that Ning Chen took He Shenyu to see. They wandered leisurely, taking photos as they descended.

By now, the mist had cleared. Small waterfalls cascaded down the mountainside—sights they hadn’t seen on the way up. Shenyu spotted some people taking photos in traditional costumes (Hanfu) and watched with great curiosity.

Before long, He Shenyu had befriended them by helping them pick up a fallen prop. The photographer even took a Polaroid of the two of them as a gift. Ning Chen, always uncomfortable around strangers, stayed close behind He Shenyu, even looking at him while the photo was being taken. This caused the photographer and her model friend to giggle for quite some time.

When the photographer handed the Polaroid to He Shenyu, Ning Chen noticed she seemed a bit reluctant to stop. She offered, “Can I take a few more? One photo is hard for two people to split.”

Shenyu thought this made perfect sense. “Sure!”

He pulled Ning Chen under a waterfall and struck a pose. The result was excellent; wearing identical windbreakers, they looked remarkably harmonious.

The photographer distributed the photos. When she handed one to Ning Chen, she leaned in and whispered in his ear: “Handsome, keep it up! Good luck!”

Ning Chen frowned. “What do you mean?”

But she quickly retreated, simply waving goodbye as they left.