I Snatched the Overbearing President’s Canary [Transmigration] - Chapter 48

Chapter 48: Investigation

Seeing that He Shenyu was able to speak, Ning Chen’s rationality gradually returned. He looked at He Shenyu and said, “Shenyu, I’m fine. I’m not hurt. Let’s dry our clothes first, and I’ll tell you everything slowly.”

“Alright.” Shenyu performed a quick check. Ning Chen truly wasn’t injured, save for some minor scrapes. He finally let out a long breath of relief.

“It’s good that you aren’t hurt.” Shenyu pulled Ning Chen over. The two of them sat huddled by the fire, beginning to dry their clothes in silence.

It was then that He Shenyu noticed the other person nearby. He waved to Zhao Shi. “Zhao Shi, right? Your clothes are soaked too. Come over and get warm by the fire.”

“Mhm.” Zhao Shi hesitated for a moment before walking over.

Previously, He Shenyu had his eyes closed, so this was the first time she had looked at him closely. Her impression of him shifted from “someone Ning Chen cares about deeply” to the reality of the scene before her.

Under the orange-yellow firelight, the pale man leaned against the other’s body. The shadows flickered, and his features were as elegant as a painting; he seemed to radiate a gentle halo.

Zhao Shi sighed inwardly. No wonder Ning Chen likes him—he’s so handsome and gentle. He was the type of person who seemed perfectly natural for anyone to fall for, the kind of guy who would have a stellar reputation even among girls.

“Thank you.” She sat down and quietly added a branch to the fire.

Nearby, Ning Chen began to slowly explain what had happened after He Shenyu fainted. Hearing that Ning Chen had fought with Fu Hengzhan, He Shenyu instinctively gripped his arm in tension. “Are you sure you aren’t hurt? Let me check?”

Ning Chen pressed He Shenyu’s hand down and looked at him. “I’m not hurt, Shenyu. I’m a professional. I worked as a sparring partner at a gym for a year. I’ve practiced; he couldn’t beat me.”

Shenyu blinked, momentarily forgetting that in the early stages, Ning Chen’s combat effectiveness was actually quite high. It was only after being tormented by Fu Hengzhan in the original plot that his health failed.

His leg was injured for over half a year and pained him constantly after that—how could that not affect his ability to fight? Shenyu felt a twinge of sadness mixed with relief.

He didn’t know the cause of the headache Ning Chen mentioned at the end—likely something to do with the Plot God—but regardless, this plot point had passed. It had been changed. At the very least, Ning Chen wasn’t injured, which achieved He Shenyu’s primary goal.

Still uneasy, He Shenyu asked, “Where is Fu Hengzhan?”

Ning Chen didn’t answer, so Zhao Shi spoke up. “Gone. Someone picked him up.”

“Oh, that’s good.” Shenyu relaxed.

Ning Chen, however, squeezed He Shenyu’s hand unhappily, his voice cold. “Why do you care about him?”

Shenyu turned to him and explained, “I don’t. I was just afraid he’d come back and start another conflict with you.”

“Really?” Ning Chen was clearly displeased. His semi-dry bangs clung to his eyelids, making him look like a water ghost that had just crawled onto the shore. He pressed further, “Didn’t you say he was your friend? If we fight, whose side are you on?”

Feeling utterly helpless, He Shenyu reached out to pat Ning Chen’s head and whispered in his ear, “Ning Chen, to me, you are number one in this world. You always have been.”

Ning Chen finally fell silent. An unnatural flush crept onto his face. He lowered his head and began obsessively tossing sticks into the fire.

He only stopped when the fire grew too large and He Shenyu forcibly restrained him. He stole another glance at He Shenyu, then leaned over to wrap his arms around his waist.

Since his clothes were mostly dry now, he finally dared to press close. He didn’t want He Shenyu to fall ill again.

…

Shenyu was also curious about his own “illness.” It had clearly been abnormal—he had collapsed into a dizzy spell without any warning. A cold couldn’t possibly manifest that quickly. He concluded it was definitely a punishment from the Plot God.

He had also roughly figured out the reason. At that moment, Fu Hengzhan had been forcibly controlled by the Plot God to seek out Ning Chen. By trying to stop Fu Hengzhan, He Shenyu had essentially gone head-to-head with the Plot God. It would have been strange not to be punished.

But why did he recover so quickly this time?

He no longer felt dizzy; he was just weak from the drenching rain. He wasn’t actually “sick.”

Come to think of it, how did he recover last time? Both times, Ning Chen had been by his side. Could it be because of him?

Shenyu whispered to Ning Chen, “You mentioned a sudden headache earlier. Besides the pain, did you feel anything else?”

This was absolute direct interference. In the original book, Ning Chen and Fu Hengzhan never fought. By that point, Ning Chen had been brainwashed into being an “obedient canary”; it was impossible for him to strike Fu Hengzhan. He had merely kept refusing him. Sliding down the slope during a struggle was very different from a direct brawl.

“It felt like a multitude of people were reciting textbooks in my head, but their voices overlapped so much I couldn’t understand a single word,” Ning Chen recalled. “And after the pain passed and I cleared my head, I suddenly had a very strange feeling…”

“What kind of feeling?” Shenyu pressed. His intuition told him this was vital information.

“It’s hard to describe,” Ning Chen paused. “It was like being trapped in a fog for a long time and suddenly coming out to breathe fresh air…”

Shenyu was stunned. What did that mean?

Did it mean that because the Plot God hadn’t successfully executed the plot for so long, its power was weakening?

His eyes suddenly lit up. Yes! He should have realized. If the Plot God derived power from the narrative, then the further the current events strayed from the original text, the weaker its power would become.

That explained why it had intervened so desperately. In the beginning, it stayed hidden. Now, it was ignoring all logic just to control Fu Hengzhan.

Ning Chen said they both felt the headache at the same time. If Ning Chen felt that “clearing of the fog,” then Fu Hengzhan probably did too.

Shenyu suddenly started laughing. Although he and Ning Chen were quite a mess right now, it was worth it. Not only had he saved Ning Chen from injury, but he had found a way to deal with the Plot God. There was no better bargain than this!

“Shenyu, what are you laughing at?” Ning Chen pulled at him. “Are you… are you feeling okay? Don’t scare me.”

Sorry, brother. I’m just so happy I’m laughing like a villain…

“I’m fine, Ning Chen. I just thought of something happy,” He Shenyu said.

Utterly confused, Ning Chen asked, “What happy thing?”

Shenyu racked his brain. He couldn’t tell Ning Chen about the original novel, so after a long pause, he said, “My birthday is coming up. I’m about to turn a year older. That’s something to be happy about.”

“Shenyu, what are you talking about?” Ning Chen reached out to feel his forehead, looking worried.

Shenyu caught his hand and stopped laughing. “I’m serious. My birthday is on Labor Day. Ning Chen, did you not know? Are you trying to sneak out of getting me a gift?”

Ning Chen shook his head. “How could I not know? Did you forget? I’ve seen your file. As for the gift… I’ve already started preparing it…”

“Huh?” Shenyu was surprised. “Isn’t it still over a month away? You’re preparing for it this early? What is it?”

“I’m not telling you…” Ning Chen regretted letting it slip. “I haven’t finished it yet.”

“Fine, fine… I won’t ask…”

…

Later, the search and rescue team sent by the teachers found them and brought the three of them back safely.

According to Ning Chen, Zhao Shi was punished by the teachers with a written self-reflection and had to read it in front of the whole class. She said she was dying of embarrassment. Ning Chen received a few verbal reprimands, but because he had gone to save someone and remembered to have a classmate report to the teachers, he also received some praise.

Shenyu didn’t see Fu Hengzhan after that. The routine check-ups stopped. He only heard from hospital colleagues that President Fu had taken a leave of absence due to a headache issue and gone abroad for a check-up.

This was where Fu Hengzhan differed from Ning Chen. Shenyu guessed that the reason Ning Chen was fine while Fu Hengzhan suffered was that Fu Hengzhan had been directly controlled by the Plot God, leaving some lingering side effects.

It was impossible for such a strange power to act on a human without consequences. Even Shenyu himself got sick every time he was punished.

However, since Fu Hengzhan was gone for now, He Shenyu stopped thinking about it. He was happy to have a moment of peace. Ever since he arrived in this world and met Ning Chen, his heart had never truly relaxed.

Moreover, because Ning Chen had gone to get the flag, carried him on the mountain road, and fought, he had many minor injuries that hadn’t fully healed.

“Ning Chen, come here. Time for your medicine.” Shenyu put down his tablet. This had become his nightly routine before bed. Ning Chen had some scrapes on his back that he couldn’t reach himself.

“Maybe… maybe I should do it myself?” Ning Chen hesitated. He Shenyu’s technique was professional—gentle and painless—but for him, it was a different kind of torture.

“How are you going to do it yourself? You don’t have eyes in the back of your head,” Shenyu took out a cotton swab and coaxed him. “Hurry up. You’re a grown man, why are you afraid of this? Lie down.”

Left with no choice, Ning Chen obediently lay face down.

Whatever. Shenyu asked for this. If he sees something he shouldn’t, it’s his own fault. Ning Chen decided to give up and closed his eyes.

“Mnh…” Ning Chen gritted his teeth, letting out a small sound.

“What? Does it still hurt? It’s scabbed over; it should be better by now,” He Shenyu stopped.

Ning Chen couldn’t take it anymore and sat up. “Is the back finished?”

“Yeah. Haven’t done the front yet,” He Shenyu said.

Ning Chen snatched the swab and the medicine from his hand and bolted into the bathroom.

Shenyu was left standing there, bewildered. What does that mean? Is my technique bad and he’s too polite to say? Impossible—even the head nurse has praised me…

Shenyu scratched his head and sat back on the bed.

Inside the bathroom, Ning Chen finished applying the medicine in the mirror and finally let out a sigh of relief. He had applied it properly because he knew Shenyu would scold him if he didn’t.

He put the things down and looked down. His pajama pants were being tented, but he didn’t feel like touching himself. At first, there was a sense of novelty, but lately, he couldn’t even finish just by looking at photos of him and Shenyu kissing.

Sometimes he had to wear headphones and listen to audio he’d secretly recorded of the sounds Shenyu made while they kissed, looping the sound of Shenyu calling his name, just to get an impulse.

But he had come in too quickly just now and hadn’t grabbed his headphones. He wasn’t arrogant enough to play that audio out loud. Besides, the audio had been meticulously edited by him; it was honestly a bit embarrassing. If Shenyu ever heard it, he would be absolutely shocked.

He had actually told Shenyu he wasn’t a “pure” person, but Shenyu’s filter on him was too thick; he always saw him as a “good student.”

Out of sheer desperation, Ning Chen had to maintain this persona. Until he successfully won Shenyu over, his strategy had to remain conservative. If Shenyu got scared and ended the contract, he’d be truly finished.

Ning Chen took out his phone and scrolled through the materials Manager Cheng had given him. He had learned almost everything there; he just lacked “practical combat.”

Unfortunately… It’s a long and difficult road…

Speaking of the contract, Ning Chen frowned.

Ever since the mountain incident, he had realized something was wrong with Fu Hengzhan. He had checked his social circle and found zero overlap with the man.

Ning Chen suddenly realized that Shenyu and Fu Hengzhan knew each other. It didn’t quite make sense for Shenyu to go to a KTV alone. Could the first day the three of them met have been the same day?

Come to think of it, Shenyu had come to the office early to take him away that day. Before that, Manager Cheng hadn’t said who he was taking him to see. When they ran into Shenyu, Manager Cheng seemed quite surprised…

In the past, he felt that being “sponsored” was a humiliation. He had been in a daze that day, and many details were blurry. He usually deliberately avoided those memories, but thinking about it now, there were many strange points.

Ning Chen opened his chat and sent a message to Manager Cheng:

[Ning Chen]: Manager Cheng, that day, if He Shenyu hadn’t come, who were you planning to take me to see?

[Manager Cheng]: Ning Chen! Why the sudden message? How have you been? Do you want me to find you a new home or what?

[Ning Chen]: …Can you just answer my question?

[Manager Cheng]: Ning Chen, that’s client confidentiality. I can’t just talk about it.

[Ning Chen]: Was it Fu Hengzhan?