I Snatched the Overbearing President’s Canary [Transmigration] - Chapter 19

Chapter 19: The Real Kiss

Shenyu finished processing documents in his office and did a routine patrol of the hospital, which was part of his duties. In the examination room next door, the wails of a child could be heard from a distance.

He opened the door to take a look. It was a little boy getting a vaccination, crying inconsolably.

“Where is his family?” Shenyu took the chubby little fellow from the nurse. The boy was clutching a sheet of forehead stickers tightly in his hand, refusing to let go. Several stickers had already been plastered on his own face, making him look like a traditional New Year’s doll.

The nurse was glad to hand him over. “His dad said he was going to pick up the mom from work. The boy kept crying and wouldn’t get in the car, so the dad left him here, saying he’d be back soon to pick him up and grab a report. Doctor He, could you watch him for a bit? I have a line of people waiting, and I’ll come get him as soon as I’m less busy.”

She knew Doctor He had a good temper, which was why she dared to speak to her superior this way.

Shenyu didn’t refuse. “Go ahead and get back to work. I’ll take him to my office so he doesn’t start a chain reaction of crying kids here.”

“Thanks! I’ll come get him in a while,” the nurse nodded and was quickly called away to help someone else.

Shenyu picked up the little boy and, ignoring the tears, asked, “What do you have in your hand? It’s so pretty.”

This was a classic distraction technique. When a child is crying, it’s best not to try to persuade them to stop; that only makes them cry harder.

Sure enough, the boy opened his eyes and lifted the sheet of stickers to look at them. “Pretty,” he mumbled.

“It is, isn’t it? Who bought them for you?” Shenyu asked gently. He had rotated through pediatrics during his internship and was no stranger to coaxing children.

The boy reached up with his other hand to touch a sticker on his forehead, sobbing as he answered, “Mommy. Mommy bought them for me.”

“Ah, Mommy,” He Shenyu pushed open his office door. “Daddy went to get Mommy. Let’s wait for her here with me, okay?”

“Mhm…” The boy sat on a chair, swinging his legs. He pointed at the stickers and said, “I’ll put one on you too.”

Shenyu shook his head awkwardly. “It won’t look pretty on me. It looks best on you. By the way, what’s your name?”

The boy looked at He Shenyu, thought for a second, and replied, “My name is Chen Yulu. I’m five years old. I’m in the senior class at Xiangyang Kindergarten. I live at…”

“Alright, alright,” He Shenyu laughed, interrupting him. “Lulu, I have candy here. Which one do you want?”

Shenyu opened a drawer filled with snacks he’d bought but rarely ate. Chen Yulu picked out a cheese stick and bit the package open himself before He Shenyu could help. While the boy ate, He Shenyu searched his bookshelf and found an illustrated fairy tale book. It was something a previous patient had left behind.

“Come here, Lulu. How about I read you a story?” Shenyu sat beside him.

The boy nodded while chewing. “Okay.”

When Ning Chen walked in with his backpack, he was met with this sight and was momentarily confused. “Shenyu, who is this?”

“Oh, you’re here, Ning Chen.” Shenyu smiled at him. “A kid who came for a vaccine. His dad went to pick up his mom and left him with the nurse for a bit.”

Ning Chen walked over, saw him reading, and said, “Keep reading to him. I’ll sit for a while.”

“Pretty Big Brother, do you want a sticker?” Chen Yulu held up his sheet again, trying to make a sale.

Ning Chen froze, looking at He Shenyu hesitantly.

Shenyu laughed. “Ning Chen, go sit over there and rest. Lulu, come, let me keep reading. Wait, you should probably call me ‘Big Brother’ too, or the generations are going to get messy…”

Chen Yulu didn’t understand what he meant; his attention was already back on the pictures in the book.

Ning Chen set down his backpack and sat in He Shenyu’s lounge chair. It was quite comfortable, and he couldn’t help but lean back. Listening to the soft, rhythmic sound of He Shenyu’s storytelling, he suddenly felt sleepy. After his eyelids fluttered a few times, he stopped fighting and closed his eyes.

What was the story about? Scales? Was it the Little Mermaid…?

…

“Big Brother, the Pretty Big Brother is asleep!” Chen Yulu whispered into He Shenyu’s ear, as if he’d discovered a grand secret.

Shenyu put down the book. “Wait here a second.”

He stood up, found the blanket he usually used in the cabinet, and prepared to cover Ning Chen. However, he noticed the little boy on his tiptoes, sneaking around Ning Chen’s side.

Shenyu leaned in and saw that Ning Chen’s forehead now had a bright red circular sticker right between his eyebrows. Honestly, it didn’t look bad. Against Ning Chen’s face, it actually added a strange sense of divinity, making him look like a Bodhisattva. Shenyu glanced at Ning Chen’s neck; if the Jade Buddha were pulled out from under his shirt, the image would be even more fitting.

Suddenly, he felt a bit afraid to keep looking.

Shenyu tucked the blanket around Ning Chen and carried the little boy back out. Since Ning Chen was asleep, he’d let him rest. It was time to see if the boy’s parents were back—and besides, why wasn’t Fu Hengzhan here yet?

In the lobby, he ran into the nurse. She smiled and took the boy from him. “Doctor He, I was just coming for you. Lulu’s parents are back.”

“Great. Take him then, I’m heading back,” He Shenyu said. He leaned down to say goodbye to the boy. “Lulu, be good at home. Don’t cry next time you get a shot!”

Lulu waved. “I didn’t cry!”

Shenyu shook his head with a smile, watching the nurse walk away. He looked toward the hospital entrance and finally saw the car Fu Hengzhan usually drove. The license plate was too unique to forget. Fu Hengzhan had arrived.

Shenyu turned quickly and hurried back to his office.

The door to his office was half-glass; for the convenience of staff, he usually didn’t pull the blinds. Standing at the door, one could see almost everything inside. More importantly, his desk chair faced the door. The timing was perfect. Even Ning Chen being asleep was a perfect coincidence.

However, as He Shenyu looked at the sleeping Ning Chen and thought about what he was about to do, he began to feel incredibly nervous. He took a deep breath and leaned down, but his nerves failed him several times. He never imagined the final step of the plan would be the one he couldn’t get past.

He stared at Ning Chen, trying and failing repeatedly. Every time he felt Ning Chen’s light breath, he recoiled as if burned. Finally, he just reached out and gently peeled off the sticker Lulu had put on Ning Chen’s forehead. If Ning Chen saw this, how would he react?

Shenyu smiled and stuck the sticker onto the cover of his own notebook. Then, his mood plummeted again. The area near the Director’s office was quiet, but the sound of footsteps in the corridor was now unmistakable—like a countdown to a deadline.

He took a deep breath, prepared to go for it in one go, but suddenly met Ning Chen’s opening eyes.

“Shenyu?” Ning Chen’s voice was slightly raspy from just waking up.

Shenyu was startled. Now that Ning Chen was awake, he was even more terrified to do it. Forget it, maybe next time…

Shenyu was about to pull away, moving his hands off the armrests, when Ning Chen reached out and grabbed his tie.

Ning Chen seemed to realize what he was trying to do. He proactively tilted his head up and closed the distance.

The moment their lips met, He Shenyu’s eyes widened. He almost wanted to run again, but this time, Ning Chen hooked his arms around his neck. He tried to pull back slightly, but they didn’t separate.

Ning Chen pulled away just a fraction and whispered, “If Shenyu wants to kiss, just kiss. You don’t have to be like this…”

Great, he misunderstood…

Shenyu’s face turned bright red. He wasn’t the type to sneak kisses because he was seduced by beauty; he just… didn’t have the guts. He wanted to cry.

He caught the sound of footsteps getting closer and closer. He looked at Ning Chen—well, since they were already doing this…

He cupped Ning Chen’s face, steeled his heart, closed his eyes, and pressed back into the kiss.

Their lips were pressed tight, no gap between them. Ning Chen didn’t close his eyes; he didn’t really know the “rules” of kissing. He just watched He Shenyu’s expression with open eyes, holding him tighter.

Neither was experienced. The slightest movement caused a friction of lips and tongues. When He Shenyu’s lips brushed the soft inner part of Ning Chen’s lower lip, a rush of blood went to his head. Hearing the footsteps stop abruptly at the door, he stopped thinking and let his tongue slip through, making the kiss appear more intimate and lingering.

Shenyu, after all, knew more than Ning Chen—having spent plenty of time online, his theoretical knowledge was extensive. However, he soon realized that Ning Chen was a terrifyingly fast learner. Before He Shenyu could even use his full “theories,” Ning Chen was chasing him, deepening the kiss. The hand on his neck tightened; he couldn’t escape this small, private space.

By the end, He Shenyu was practically pressed down onto Ning Chen. Ning Chen stroked He Shenyu’s flushed face, breathing heavily. He kissed away a stray trace of moisture at the corner of He Shenyu’s mouth and asked, “Shenyu, do you want to kiss more?”

Shenyu’s mind had gone blank since the kiss deepened, and he had forgotten to listen for the footsteps outside. He was currently facing away from the door and couldn’t look back. To be safe, he looked into Ning Chen’s eyes and nodded gently.

Ning Chen’s lips were red and swollen, and his smile was like that of a soul-stealing spirit. He cupped He Shenyu’s chin, rubbed it gently with his thumb, and leaned back in again.