I Snatched the Overbearing President’s Canary [Transmigration] - Chapter 44

Chapter 44: New Year

Ning Chen had now mastered the art of the secret kiss. He could even tell, with his eyes closed, whether He Shenyu was about to wake up.

For instance, at this moment, He Shenyu’s breathing suddenly grew a bit heavier. Ning Chen knew he was struggling for breath, so he quickly released his lips.

Shenyu shifted his head slightly but didn’t truly wake up.

His lips were glistening with moisture, turned the color of ripe cherries from the intensity of the kiss, looking almost as if he were wearing lipstick.

His features were naturally deep and defined; with his face and lips flushed red now, he looked strikingly beautiful.

Ning Chen gently caressed He Shenyu’s chin, applying a bit of pressure to push it down. The lips parted, revealing the tongue resting obediently inside.

He stared for a while, unable to resist reaching out to rub the reddened flesh of the lips.

“Wifey, why are you so good at seducing me?” Ning Chen muttered, losing himself in the sight of the tip of that tongue.

He desperately wanted to reach in and play with it with his fingers, but he knew He Shenyu was fastidious about cleanliness and likely wouldn’t approve, so he held back.

Since he couldn’t use his fingers, he had to use his own lips and tongue.

Ning Chen slid his tongue into He Shenyu’s mouth, hooking and teasing his tongue with his own. Unfortunately, the sleeping He Shenyu couldn’t respond.

“Mnh… mnh…” Because Ning Chen lingered too long this time, an impatient hum vibrated from He Shenyu’s nose.

“Alright, I’ll stop kissing you.” Ning Chen chuckled, finally letting him be. He grabbed the blanket from the sofa and draped it over He Shenyu.

“Sleep, wifey…” Ning Chen gave his cheek one last kiss and adjusted him into a comfortable position.

He pulled his laptop out of his bag, set it on the armrest, and opened it to deal with some emails.

It wasn’t too late yet; he could let He Shenyu sleep a bit longer.

Ning Chen typed with one hand. For a time, the only sound in the room was the crisp clicking of the keyboard.

Half an hour later, having cleared his backlog of emails, he opened his programming software and continued writing code.

He glanced down at He Shenyu. There was still no sign of him waking. The lips he had reddened were gradually returning to their natural color.

Ning Chen watched him and licked his own lips. He leaned down to He Shenyu’s ear and whispered softly, “Wifey, just wait for me a little longer. Wait for…”

He stopped, leaving the sentence unfinished, but his gaze grew even more determined.

…

Because Ning Chen was staying on campus for the winter break, their daily lives didn’t change much.

Ning Chen still came back every night, so He Shenyu didn’t feel any sense of displacement.

However, as the Lunar New Year approached, Ning Chen’s professor gave them a week off.

Ning Chen, after all, had a family, and it was only natural for him to go home for the holidays.

To an elder, spending the New Year in a rented room was unthinkable, so Ning Chen returned to his hometown.

Shenyu, naturally, would not tag along. In the context of their country’s customs, that would be extremely improper. Moreover, he didn’t have an appropriate status to go.

When Ning Chen left, he assumed He Shenyu would be spending the holiday with his own family, so he didn’t suggest going back together.

Only He Shenyu knew that the last time his parents returned, it was merely because Fu Hengzhan had instructed them to…

Perhaps because his mother truly was in poor health, his father sent him a message as the New Year approached, asking if he wanted to fly abroad to join them.

When He Shenyu declined, they didn’t press further. They were likely used to “Dr. He” saying no.

It made sense; Dr. He likely harbored resentment toward his parents, so why would he spend the New Year with them?

While work wasn’t usually overly hectic, a long break was still welcome.

Shenyu declined all social invitations—he even claimed to be ill when Fu Hengzhan called.

For the first three days, he enjoyed sleeping in at home and didn’t feel much of anything.

But on New Year’s Eve, the atmosphere in the streets suddenly became festive. Looking through the floor-to-ceiling windows at the holiday decorations outside, He Shenyu couldn’t help but feel a twinge of loneliness.

He couldn’t go home, and he couldn’t see his own real parents anymore.

Even Ning Chen, the only familiar person in this world, wasn’t around.

Shenyu felt a sudden wave of isolation.

He didn’t mistreat himself, though. Even with the maid away on holiday, he ordered a feast of takeout. His New Year’s Eve dinner was quite lavish.

Of course, he couldn’t eat much alone. He luxuriously tasted a bit of every dish and then opened a bottle of soda to sip slowly.

The New Year’s Gala didn’t seem to exist in this world, so He Shenyu put on a musical film as background noise.

Ning Chen sent him a photo of his own New Year’s Eve dinner. The food was abundant and clearly prepared with care. In the photo, Ning You was drinking cola, smiling happily.

Shenyu smiled and sent him two red envelopes—one for Ning Chen and one for Ning You.

As for Ning Chen’s mother, he didn’t have the status to send her one.

Ning Chen wasn’t pretentious about it; since it was a New Year’s gift, he accepted them both.

He even had Ning You send a voice message, chirping a bunch of auspicious greetings that made the corners of He Shenyu’s mouth curl up instinctively.

He chatted with Ning Chen for a bit. Ning Chen mentioned he was going to set off firecrackers with Ning You, and He Shenyu encouraged him to go.

Fireworks were prohibited in the city, but people still set them off intermittently in defiance. Shenyu stood by the window, watching the distant displays, and snapped a photo.

As midnight approached, Ning Chen placed a video call to him. He was standing outside, the camera pointed at the sky where the sky was filled with beautiful fireworks.

Shenyu didn’t have much to show on his end, so he just kept the camera on his own face.

Ning Chen turned the camera back to himself and said with a smile, “Happy New Year, Shenyu.”

Shenyu replied, “Happy New Year, Ning Chen.”

After the fireworks faded, Ning Chen’s surroundings were pitch black. Shenyu asked curiously, “Ning Chen, where are you? Why aren’t there any lights?”

Ning Chen answered, “I was afraid Ning You would cling to me, so I ran up to the roof. I wanted to talk to you properly.”

Shenyu laughed. “Now that you’re not here, I actually miss you a bit!”

Ning Chen seemed to realize only then that He Shenyu was still in his living room. He asked, “Did you not spend the New Year with your parents, Shenyu?”

“No,” He Shenyu shook his head. “They’re abroad, and I didn’t want to go.”

Ning Chen’s voice sounded pained. “So you’re spending the New Year alone? Why didn’t you tell me?”

Shenyu chuckled. “What’s wrong with being alone? I’m not a child. It’s just… you’re usually hovering in front of me every day, and now that you’ve been gone for so long, I’m just not used to it.”

“Mhm,” Ning Chen seemed to take a breath. “I’m coming back right away, Shenyu.”

“It’s only a few more days anyway,” He Shenyu smiled. “Stay home and have fun with Ning You. Don’t worry about me.”

“Okay,” Ning Chen added, “Is the maid away too? Did you make your own dinner?”

Shenyu shook his head. “You know how lazy I am. I ordered a lot of takeout. Don’t worry, I ate plenty of delicious things…”

Ning Chen smiled. “That’s good. Wait for me, Shenyu. Message me if you miss me.”

Shenyu laughed. “I don’t miss you that much. I’ve been sleeping all day; it’s very comfortable.”

“Well, I miss you, Shenyu.” Ning Chen’s smile vanished, his voice turning deep. “I miss you very, very much.”

Shenyu was momentarily stunned by the sincerity in his tone and didn’t know how to respond for a moment.

Someone on the other end called Ning Chen’s name. Ning Chen sighed. “I have to go help carry things, Shenyu.”

“Okay, go ahead!” Shenyu nodded.

Ning Chen held the phone as he walked toward a light source, revealing his face. He leaned in close, looking at the He Shenyu on his screen, and said, “Shenyu, wait for me.”

“Okay,” He Shenyu nodded.

…

Shenyu didn’t sense anything strange in Ning Chen’s tone. However, the very next day, while he was still sleeping in, he was suddenly hugged through the duvet.

The person was hugging him so tightly that He Shenyu had no choice but to wake up.

“Ning Chen?” Shenyu thought he was still dreaming. How could Ning Chen be back so soon?

“Mhm. Shenyu, I’m back.” Ning Chen smiled.

“Really?” Shenyu reached out to touch his face. It was real; it was warm.

Surprised, He Shenyu tried to sit up but was held down by Ning Chen, so he simply rested his hands on Ning Chen’s shoulders. “Why are you back so early?”

Ning Chen nuzzled against his shoulder. “Shenyu said he missed me, so I came back. Besides, I didn’t want you to be alone.”

“But didn’t your mother say anything?” Shenyu knew that in this regard, the novel world wasn’t much different from reality. “Aren’t you supposed to go on New Year’s visits today?”

Ning Chen wrapped his arms around his waist and took a breath against his shoulder before answering, “I got up early this morning to pay respects to my father’s grave, and then I told my mom I had something to take care of and left. She only cares about the ritual; she didn’t scold me.”

“That’s good then.” Shenyu patted his head. “Are you hungry? Have you been traveling all morning?”

“Mhm.” Ning Chen nodded, not loosening his grip at all.

Shenyu gave him a shove, prying him off a bit. “Then let me get up first so we can eat.”

“Okay.” Ning Chen reached out and scooped him up, carrying him horizontally. “We’ll go together.”

Shenyu didn’t object; he had grown accustomed to being carried by Ning Chen.

Ning Chen set him on his lap to put on his slippers before picking him up again.

“Shenyu, do you need the bathroom?” Ning Chen placed He Shenyu in front of the vanity, hugging him from behind.

Shenyu shook his head and began brushing his teeth with his electric toothbrush.

As he squeezed the toothpaste, Ning Chen had already prepared the mouthwash and placed it by hand.

Shenyu hesitated for a moment, feeling this was a bit excessive, but seeing Ning Chen’s calm expression and the way he refused to let go, he couldn’t bring himself to say anything.

“Alright, Ning Chen, let’s go eat!” After washing up, He Shenyu looked at Ning Chen in the mirror.

Ning Chen nuzzled his chin against him, lingering. He stared at He Shenyu in the reflection and said, “Didn’t you say you missed me, Shenyu? I don’t think you miss me much at all.”

His expression was somewhat aggrieved, as if He Shenyu had done something wrong.

At first, He Shenyu didn’t catch the hint—until Ning Chen’s fingers pressed against his lips, rubbing them for a long time. Finally, he understood.

He hesitated slightly before turning around to give Ning Chen a kiss.

He was about to say they should go eat, but Ning Chen propped his hands on the vanity, trapping He Shenyu in his arms so he couldn’t leave.

The intention was blatant, the look in his eyes fervent.

Shenyu sighed inwardly, wrapped his arms around Ning Chen’s neck, and kissed him back.

Ning Chen let him lead for a while, the hands on his waist gradually tightening. Finally, unable to hold back, he pressed against the back of He Shenyu’s head and returned the kiss deeply.