I Snatched the Overbearing President’s Canary [Transmigration] - Chapter 27

Chapter 27: Faking Illness

Shenyu felt helpless. Forget it, he thought. Ning Chen is younger than me, after all. It’s not that hard to understand him acting a bit childish.

If anything, He Shenyu actually liked this side of Ning Chen. He preferred it when Ning Chen was relaxed and less guarded. It made him look more like a normal college student, which gave He Shenyu a sense of accomplishment. After all, it proved that his presence in this world actually meant something.

“Do you want some, Shenyu?” Ning Chen finished slicing the cake and handed a piece to him.

Shenyu wasn’t actually hungry, but the green grape cake looked too good to pass up. He took it, saying, “Maybe just a little bit?”

“Okay.” Ning Chen smiled, nodding as he handed over a fork.

“Delicious!” Shenyu took a bite. The flavor exceeded his expectations—especially the grapes, which weren’t sour at all. They balanced the sweetness of the cream with a refreshing crispness.

Seeing him eat so happily, Ning Chen took a few bites as well. However, his palate leaned toward heavier, savory flavors; he wasn’t nearly as excited about sweets as He Shenyu.

“Oh no, I accidentally finished the whole thing…” Shenyu looked a bit annoyed with himself. “Eating this much sugar at night is so unhealthy.”

“It’s okay,” Ning Chen laughed. “It was just one slice.”

Shenyu put down the fork, though his eyes remained fixed on the leftovers. To Ning Chen, he looked incredibly endearing. Noticing a smudge of white cream on the corner of He Shenyu’s mouth, Ning Chen leaned in close. Just as he reached out to wipe it away, He Shenyu looked up.

Their eyes met at close range.

Ning Chen received the signal and didn’t hesitate. He was used to providing this kind of “service” to his patron now and wasn’t nearly as nervous as the first time. He gripped He Shenyu’s shoulder, first kissing the corner of his mouth to lick away the excess cream.

In the next instant, just as he was about to deepen the kiss, He Shenyu tilted his head away. Ning Chen’s lips landed only on his cheek.

“What is it?” Ning Chen was confused. In previous kisses, He Shenyu had been shy, but he never dodged. Unable to figure out the reason, he asked directly.

Shenyu backed away slightly. “I just ate cake. My mouth… it tastes like food.”

Hearing this, Ning Chen’s brow relaxed. He let go of He Shenyu and nodded. “I understand.” He knew about He Shenyu’s germaphobia and didn’t think much of it for the moment.

Success!

Shenyu, meanwhile, was having a mini-celebration in his head. A great start! I really can’t keep kissing him casually. I made a vow! I’ll dodge whenever I can…

…

Shenyu ended the incomplete kiss with an “ostrich-in-the-sand” mentality, but he soon faced the same predicament again.

Before bed, the two of them lay together, chatting. They were both lying on their sides, which meant that as soon as the conversation died down, they were locked in a gaze. Ning Chen seemed to have learned some faulty logic: he believed that if they made eye contact for more than three seconds, he was supposed to initiate a kiss.

This time was no different.

Shenyu’s expression remained calm, but his heart was crying. I’ve decided: no more eye contact with Ning Chen! But how was he supposed to reject him this time?

Seeing Ning Chen leaning closer and closer, He Shenyu simply reached out, pulled him into a hug, and buried his face in the crook of Ning Chen’s neck. This way, Ning Chen couldn’t reach his lips. I’m a genius, He Shenyu thought.

“Goodnight, Ning Chen. Let’s sleep, I’m tired,” Shenyu whispered into his ear.

Muffled against He Shenyu’s shoulder, Ning Chen replied, “Goodnight, Shenyu.”

The two held each other as the lights went out. Before long, He Shenyu rolled over and moved away; he couldn’t actually fall asleep in that position. Ning Chen didn’t move, though his hand remained resting on He Shenyu’s arm. Shenyu didn’t notice anything else; he was exhausted and soon drifted off.

In the darkness, Ning Chen’s eyes were bright and focused, staring unblinkingly at He Shenyu’s silhouette. His fingers stroked the beads of his new bracelet, which was the only thing keeping him outwardly calm.

In truth, he was so frustrated he wanted to laugh.

Shenyu’s acting was mediocre at best, and the same script had played out twice in one night. No matter how slow Ning Chen was, he figured it out: He Shenyu did not want to kiss him.

Why? Why start rejecting him tonight? Even if the cake excuse worked for the first time, what about the second? They had just finished brushing their teeth. Had He Shenyu always wanted to reject him? Had he been forcing himself this whole time?

Ning Chen’s mind was a storm. He kept circling back to the same question: Does He Shenyu actually like me?

The previous tests hadn’t provided an answer; they had only made things more confusing. Could someone’s affection be like a quantum state—existing and not existing at the same time? If so, did that mean he couldn’t “observe” it without changing the result?

No, Ning Chen thought. I should observe even harder to force the state to collapse into a definitive outcome.

He decided on a drastic move. He got out of bed, went to the bathroom, turned the shower to the coldest setting, and stood under it.

…

“Ning Chen? Ning Chen, why aren’t you up yet?” Shenyu shook Ning Chen’s arm. It was the weekend and summer break, but it was almost noon. Surely he was hungry?

“Cough, cough…” Ning Chen opened his eyes with difficulty. His throat was raspy, and he couldn’t speak.

“What’s wrong? Do you have a cold?” Shenyu grew worried. He grabbed Ning Chen’s hand. “Wait here, I’ll get the thermometer.”

“Shenyu…” Ning Chen gripped his hand, stopping him. “Don’t go…”

He searched for Shenyu’s face. The worry there wasn’t an act; it was genuine. So, he has at least a sliver of true feeling for me, right? But then again, He Shenyu was a doctor and a generally kind person—he would worry about any patient. Ning Chen felt dejected again.

“Okay, I won’t go. I’ll stay here with you,” Shenyu patted him. “Just stay put, I’ll be right back.”

He ran to the living room, grabbed the thermometer from the medical kit, and dashed back. Ning Chen felt a bit guilty, but seeing He Shenyu’s dedication, he chose to keep quiet.

“Let me check your temperature. Don’t be scared.” Shenyu checked the reading and blinked. He sat on the edge of the bed and looked at Ning Chen. “Open your mouth so I can check your throat. Does anything else hurt?”

Ning Chen complied. Shenyu used a light to check; his tonsils were normal. He put the light away. “Does anything else feel wrong?”

Ning Chen shook his head. “No.”

“Are you hungry? Do you want to eat something first?” Shenyu asked. “If you still feel bad later, we’ll go to the hospital for a check-up.”

“I’m not hungry,” Ning Chen rasped.

“Really? You’ve barely eaten since yesterday afternoon.” Shenyu leaned in close, studying him.

Ning Chen felt a rare sense of embarrassment. He grabbed He Shenyu’s hand and whispered, “I’m sorry, Shenyu. I was wrong.”

Ning Chen was mortified. To test He Shenyu, he had stood under freezing water for nearly an hour, but he hadn’t realized his constitution was so strong—he hadn’t caught a cold at all. Waking up healthy was awkward, but since he had already started faking a cough, he felt he had to commit to the bit.

Shenyu let out a sigh of relief and pinched his cheek. “Why fake being sick? You don’t even have classes to skip.”

Ning Chen couldn’t tell him the real reason. He turned his head away, not daring to meet his gaze.

Shenyu laughed and gently turned Ning Chen’s face back to him. “You don’t want to get up? That’s fine. I can bring your food to the bed. How about that? You just have to get up to brush your teeth.”

Ning Chen stared at him in shock. He never expected this response. Even knowing he was faking, He Shenyu wasn’t angry? He was going to indulge him?

He must like me, right? Ning Chen couldn’t ignore the thick sense of doting affection in He Shenyu’s eyes.

After a moment of silence, Ning Chen decided to stop embarrassing himself. His mood had improved significantly. “I’ll get up…”

Shenyu chuckled. “It’s really okay, Ning Chen. I used to do this as a kid too. I was even more of a rascal—I’d keep wailing even after I got caught. My dad almost beat me for it. It’s no big deal, don’t take it to heart…”

Ning Chen sat up, but his heart felt heavy again. He finally realized what was wrong. The “doting” look in He Shenyu’s eyes… It was exactly like a father looking at a son. He hadn’t seen it before, but with He Shenyu’s story, it finally clicked.

What kind of situation is this? This realization didn’t make him happy at all; in fact, his face darkened.

Shenyu, thinking Ning Chen was just being thin-skinned and embarrassed, sat closer and stroked his hair. “Ning Chen, you just turned twenty. It’s okay to be willful occasionally.”

Ning Chen looked at him, his heart full of bitterness. Angry and desperate, he blurted out, “Can I be willful about anything?”

Shenyu nodded with a smile. “Anything.” He was actually happy—Ning Chen hadn’t been a naughty child, so seeing him act out a little now felt like he was finally “reclaiming his nature.” To He Shenyu, it was a sign of progress.

He was so busy being proud of Ning Chen’s “growth” that he didn’t notice the look in Ning Chen’s eyes had changed completely.

Ning Chen grabbed He Shenyu’s hand with significant force, staring intensely into his eyes. He spoke slowly and deliberately:

“Then I want you to initiate a kiss with me, Shenyu. Can I do that?”