I Snatched the Overbearing President’s Canary [Transmigration] - Chapter 47

Chapter 47: Awakening

Ning Chen wasn’t actually all that surprised. Over the past few hours, he had noticed someone following from a distance who bore a striking resemblance to Shenyu.

He was far too familiar with He Shenyu—familiar with his frame, familiar with his gait. He had recognized him almost effortlessly.

However, there was a fair distance between them, and He Shenyu was supposed to be at home. Everything had seemed normal when Shenyu saw him off earlier. Ning Chen figured that if He Shenyu wanted to come, there was no reason for him not to say so. Thus, he hadn’t gone back to confirm.

He had planned to find a quiet spot to call Shenyu, but the situation turned before he had the chance.

“Wait for me, Shenyu. Stand there and don’t move.” After saying this, Ning Chen ignored his fallen hat and dashed down the slope.

Following his own nature, he wasn’t one to meddle in other people’s business. However, as one of the organizers of this activity, he bore responsibility if anything went wrong. That was why he had acted immediately.

But now, seeing He Shenyu here…

He certainly couldn’t stop.

Although Shenyu had told him not to go, Ning Chen knew deep down that Shenyu was a kind person—a natural idealist who wanted to help others. If Ning Chen stopped because of those words and something happened to Zhao Shi, He Shenyu would likely live with that guilt for the rest of his life.

Ning Chen understood him too well; therefore, he could not stop. He didn’t want He Shenyu to suffer for a single moment.

The wind whipped his face and rain drenched his hair. He scanned ahead and finally spotted Zhao Shi’s back. He breathed a sigh of relief and moved to catch her.

“Stay here, don’t move. I’ll go down and get it,” Ning Chen said.

The flag had fallen off the rocks into a small gully. Zhao Shi’s face was numb from the wind. She nodded with difficulty. “Thank you.”

…

“Ning Chen!” Shenyu never expected that the usually obedient Ning Chen would ignore him this time.

Has the Plot God exerted its power?

But considering what Ning Chen had just said, it didn’t quite feel like that.

Shenyu was stunned. He could only watch Ning Chen’s receding figure until he disappeared beneath a ledge of rock, lost from sight.

It wasn’t that he was unwilling to chase him, but Ning Chen was simply too far ahead. He wasn’t as fast as Ning Chen and couldn’t catch up. Moreover, he noticed that Fu Hengzhan and his group were already walking this way.

His shout had been heard not only by Ning Chen but likely by Fu Hengzhan as well. He had called out Ning Chen’s name so clearly.

According to the original plot, it started with just Ning Chen and Zhao Shi. Originally, Ning Chen wasn’t badly hurt—just some scratches on his hand from the brush. But after Fu Hengzhan arrived, he insisted on forcing Ning Chen to leave. Ning Chen refused, they argued, and in the scuffle, they slid down the slope. Ning Chen’s leg was broken, while Fu Hengzhan escaped mostly unscathed.

Shenyu stayed back partly to intercept Fu Hengzhan. He began walking toward the man.

The rain was pouring harder now. Tourists and students were scrambling for cover. There were a few structures on the mountain, so the area emptied out quickly. Finding Fu Hengzhan was easy; his assistant was holding an umbrella for him while they talked.

“President Fu, what a coincidence,” He Shenyu said.

Fu Hengzhan nodded to him. “Did you see Ning Chen run down there just now?”

Shenyu nodded. “I know. I’ve already informed the teachers, and they’ve arranged for people to find him.”

“Oh. Need help?” Fu Hengzhan frowned, not understanding where the ache in his heart was coming from. He said, “I’ll have my bodyguards help look.”

Shenyu hesitated, still fearing a plot complication. “No need, President Fu.”

Fu Hengzhan seemed to catch He Shenyu’s drift then. “What do you mean? You think I have ill intentions?”

“No,” He Shenyu didn’t know how else to put it, so he spoke bluntly, “What happens to Ning Chen has nothing to do with you, does it? President Fu, you should go find shelter from the rain.”

“Exactly, exactly, President Fu,” Assistant Fang chimed in tentatively. “It really has nothing to do with you. I don’t know what’s gotten into you today, wanting to go look yourself…”

Fu Hengzhan’s brow furrowed deeply. His expression shifted several times before he suddenly charged forward.

Caught off guard, He Shenyu was stunned for a second before running after him.

The Plot God… truly powerful…

Shenyu didn’t even have the strength to complain. He felt numb, constantly wiping rain from his eyes, his vision blurring. For some reason, his body felt incredibly heavy, and the world before him was becoming increasingly illusory. The sky was a hazy gray. He stared at Fu Hengzhan’s back and shouted, “Fu Hengzhan, don’t you dare go!”

The person ahead paused for a fraction of a second but ignored him.

Shenyu didn’t know what to do. He kept trying to run forward, but his feet felt like lead. He couldn’t move anymore…

Ning Chen… Ning Chen… what should I do?

…

“Get away! Let go of him!” Ning Chen handed the flag to Zhao Shi and sprinted over.

He saw He Shenyu collapse on the ground. His heart hammered against his ribs as he covered the distance in a few strides, taking He Shenyu from Fu Hengzhan’s arms.

He looked at Fu Hengzhan, his eyes fierce and predatory. “What did you do to him?”

Fu Hengzhan pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling his dizziness clear slightly. He explained, “We came to find you together. He’s too weak and fainted on his own. I didn’t do anything…”

“Why would you come looking for me? Are you sure you didn’t do anything to Shenyu? How could he just faint out of the blue?” Ning Chen shielded He Shenyu from the rain with his body, touching the man’s face, his eyes turning red with panic.

At this point, Zhao Shi walked over. “Ning Chen, now isn’t the time to look for causes. Your friend probably got sick from the rain. Let’s hide under that rock first. When the teachers arrive, we can get him to a hospital.”

“Right. Shelter first.” Ning Chen took a deep breath and hoisted He Shenyu onto his back.

The path under the rocks was treacherous, even more so with a person on his back. Even with Zhao Shi’s help, it took them a long time to descend. He didn’t dare move too fast, fearing he would slip and take He Shenyu down with him, so he checked every footing before stepping.

After an exhausting effort, the three finally reached a dry overhang.

Ning Chen stripped off his outer shirt to lay on the ground, placing He Shenyu on top. He patted He Shenyu’s cheek, but the man remained unconscious, his lips pale—a sight that tore at Ning Chen’s heart.

Zhao Shi didn’t know what to say seeing him like this. She only said, “The stone is too cold. Hold him. I’ll go find some firewood. I have a lighter in my bag. Let’s start a fire to dry his clothes.”

“Thank you,” Ning Chen said, his voice hoarse.

He kept wiping the rain from He Shenyu’s face, but his own tears began to fall uncontrollably. “I’m sorry, Shenyu… it’s all my fault… it’s all my fault…”

Zhao Shi was shocked when she returned to see this scene. A woman’s intuition told her that the relationship between Ning Chen and the person in his arms was anything but ordinary. She usually saw Ning Chen as a cool, business-like individual; she never expected him to have this side.

She quietly piled up the branches she had gathered and took out her lighter. Though the wood was damp, she used a pack of tissues as tinder and finally managed to get a fire going.

“Ning Chen, bring him over here,” Zhao Shi said.

Ning Chen regained some composure. He removed He Shenyu’s soaked jacket and held him near the fire. As He Shenyu’s body temperature finally began to rise, Ning Chen’s logic returned.

He looked at Zhao Shi. “Hold Shenyu for a moment. I have a set of clean clothes in my bag.”

“Okay,” Zhao Shi nodded.

“Thank you.” Ning Chen retrieved the clothes and took He Shenyu back.

Zhao Shi shook her head. “Don’t thank me. If anything, it’s my fault for trying to get the flag…”

They didn’t linger on the topic. Ning Chen needed to change He Shenyu’s clothes; Zhao Shi tactfully moved to the mouth of the cave. She looked out at the curtain of rain and froze. She looked at the man on the slope—the one from earlier. “Why are you still following?”

Fu Hengzhan said, “It’s so desolate here, I have nowhere else to go…”

Zhao Shi thought that was fair, but given Ning Chen’s attitude, she didn’t dare let Fu Hengzhan in. She said, “Wait a bit. Ning Chen is changing his friend’s clothes.”

Ning Chen dressed He Shenyu in the dry clothes he had prepared. He laid his extra garments on the ground; once the floor-padding clothes were dry, he laid He Shenyu back down.

Only then did he realize Zhao Shi was talking to someone. He stood up, and seeing it was Fu Hengzhan, his anger flared. He charged forward with his fists clenched.

Fu Hengzhan, naturally, wouldn’t just take the beating. He was struck once and his expression darkened with rage. “Can’t you fucking listen? I told you what happened to He Shenyu has nothing to do with me!”

Ning Chen ignored him, ruthlessly employing the techniques he had learned as a Sanda sparring partner. He was merciless.

Zhao Shi, terrified, rushed into the rain. “Stop it, Ning Chen! Stop! Aren’t you going to watch your friend? What if he wakes up and can’t find you?”

“Stop fighting, Ning Chen! If you get hurt, how are you going to carry Shenyu out later? I certainly can’t carry him.”

“Ning Chen, do you hear me? Stop it, both of you!”

Whether it was one of her sentences or something else entirely, both Ning Chen and Fu Hengzhan stopped simultaneously. They both crouched down, clutching their heads as if in immense pain.

Seeing them stop, Zhao Shi hurried over to pull Ning Chen back inside. Afraid he would act out again, she sat him right next to his friend, hoping the sight would bring him to his senses.

Ning Chen breathed heavily, clutching his head. He felt like his skull was about to explode. Strange voices echoed in his mind, but no matter how hard he tried to listen, he couldn’t make out a single word.

He felt like he was going insane, but he couldn’t—Shenyu hadn’t woken up yet. It was all his fault…

“Ning Chen…” Shenyu slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was Ning Chen crouching beside him like a drenched puppy, water dripping from his hair. He reached out and touched Ning Chen’s finger, calling his name.

Ning Chen seemed to snap out of it. He looked up, then down at He Shenyu, pulling him into a tight embrace. “Shenyu, Shenyu… thank God, you’re awake…”

“Ning Chen, cough… relax a bit,” He Shenyu patted his back. “I can’t breathe…”

Ning Chen realized what he was doing and let go slightly. “I… I got your clothes wet again… I…”

“Ning Chen,” He Shenyu held his hand. “Don’t cry. I’m fine. Did something happen? Tell me…”