I Snatched the Overbearing President’s Canary [Transmigration] - Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Living Together

The reason He Shenyu suddenly suggested this was because he remembered that in the original novel, Ning Chen’s roommates were all troublemakers.

In the original plot, it was these roommates who leaked the news of Ning Chen being “kept” as a kept man, making it known to the entire school and leading to Ning Chen being pointed at and gossiped about for the rest of his college years.

By making Ning Chen move out early, He Shenyu figured he could cut off any further contact with them.

When he picked Ning Chen up yesterday, too many people had seen them, and Ning Chen had seemed a bit unhappy about it. Shenyu hadn’t thought much of it at the time, but today he planned to wear more casual clothes; after all, he was technically the age of a graduate student anyway.

Dr. He shared the exact same birth date as him, but their resumes were worlds apart. This Dr. He’s credentials were over a hundred times better than his own. It made sense that while he was still struggling through grad school, this Dr. He already owned a private hospital.

Forget it, no use comparing myself to a character in a novel, He Shenyu comforted himself. The people surrounding a CEO are bound to have elite settings.

He found a beige knit sweater in the closet. It wasn’t summer yet, so long sleeves were still comfortable.

Today was another day of “slacking off” at work. There were still a few days before Fu Hengzhan’s check-up, so he could cram a bit more. Truthfully, he wasn’t too worried; most of it involved basic examinations. If He Shenyu couldn’t handle those, he wouldn’t have even passed his internship.

When clock-out time arrived, He Shenyu walked out of his office in his casual clothes. The nurse at the front desk looked at him in surprise and said, “Dr. He, are you going on a date today? You look so soft and gentle in those clothes.”

Dr. He usually had a good temperament at the hospital, and over the past few days, it was clear he got along well with his colleagues.

Shenyu looked down at his outfit and smiled. “No, I just felt like changing styles lately.”

Dr. He’s taste in clothes was quite different from his own; he didn’t enjoy wearing formal suits as much as the original character did. He preferred soft, casual fabrics—comfort was key.

By the way, I should take Ning Chen to buy some clothes today, he thought. Ning Chen didn’t seem to like the ones I bought for him.

Upon arriving at the school, He Shenyu went inside this time, chatting with Ning Chen via text as they prepared to meet. Ning Chen soon came running from a distance. He wasn’t wearing his glasses today—perhaps to make running easier—and had stuffed everything into his backpack.

“Slow down, no rush,” He Shenyu told him.

Ning Chen’s face was damp with sweat. Standing before He Shenyu, he froze for a moment before saying, “I was afraid of making you wait.”

Shenyu was quite interested in the campus and said with a smile, “Ning Chen, why don’t you show me around your school?”

“Okay,” Ning Chen nodded. The two started from the main road and began walking around the campus.

As they approached a certain teaching building, it became obvious that more people recognized Ning Chen.

Ning Chen explained, “This is the School of Information Technology. Most of my major’s classes are held here.”

“Oh,” He Shenyu tried to recall. Did the novel even mention Ning Chen’s major? Or had he just forgotten? “What are you studying?”

“Computer Science,” Ning Chen replied.

Shenyu was certain now: the original novel definitely hadn’t mentioned this. It was quite surprising that Ning Chen was a CS major. If it had been written, he would have remembered.

Then again, the original novel was basically a “two-person show” where most scenes took place inside Fu Hengzhan’s villa. There were very few scene transitions. Especially later on, when Ning Chen was essentially under house arrest and couldn’t leave at all.

Thinking of this, He Shenyu couldn’t help but glance at Ning Chen. He still found it hard to reconcile the person standing before him with the character in the book.

Ah well, Ning Chen’s fate has been changed by me. From now on, he’ll just live as a normal person.

Seeing He Shenyu staring at him in silence for so long, Ning Chen couldn’t help but feel nervous. He forced a smile and racked his brain for something to say. “There are a lot of couples at the artificial lake… shall we go take a look?”

“Sure!” Shenyu nodded with a smile.

Ning Chen finally breathed a sigh of relief. If his benefactor wanted to play a game of “pure innocent romance,” he had no choice but to cooperate.

Putting aside the fact that He Shenyu had already invested so much money in him, Ning Chen had to think of his younger brother lying in the hospital. Even if the surgery was successful, the boy would need expensive medication for the foreseeable future to stay healthy. Over the years, his mother’s health had also declined from the stress of caring for his brother. As a mere sophomore, Ning Chen had no other way to secure that kind of money.

Pleasing He Shenyu was the most direct solution. Besides, the contract was already signed; it would be hypocritical to act “above it all” now.

Ning Chen took a breath and looked at He Shenyu. “Shenyu, do you want to hold hands?”

Shenyu blanked for a second. Looking at the hand Ning Chen offered, his brain suffered a momentary lapse, and he reached out and took it.

By the time he realized he was being led forward by Ning Chen, it was too late…

Wait, this—ah, whatever, it’s just two friends holding hands… it’s not a big deal…

He decided not to overreact and keep up the “benefactor” act. If he suddenly yanked his hand away, Ning Chen would probably think he was a lunatic. Why would you sponsor someone if you dislike them that much? What’s the point?

The artificial lake was indeed a prime dating spot. The water shimmered, the willow trees along the path looked greener, and the intermittent chirping of birds made the area feel serene. There were many couples sitting in pairs, but because the lake was massive, it didn’t feel crowded.

They sat down on a bench by the lake, and their hands naturally parted. Shenyu felt a wave of relief. He never thought he’d hold hands with a guy for five minutes…

Well, although Ning Chen wasn’t exactly just a guy…

Shenyu rubbed his hands together, feeling the lingering warmth of the other person. To be honest, the skin on Ning Chen’s palm wasn’t delicate; likely due to his many part-time jobs, his palms were calloused. But his “hardware” was excellent—long fingers, broad palms… enough to completely envelop He Shenyu’s hand…

No, stop. What am I reminiscing about?

Shenyu’s eyes snapped wide. He looked at the calm surface of the lake and said casually, “My school had an artificial lake too, just smaller than this one.”

Ning Chen suddenly turned his head. “Didn’t you graduate from our school, Shenyu?”

“Huh?” Shenyu froze, finally remembering Dr. He’s resume. The original Dr. He had done his undergrad at this university’s medical school. He quickly tried to cover his tracks. “Oh, I meant my grad school. But… how did you know?”

Ning Chen replied, “I saw it while helping a professor organize files. Your name is very unique; I didn’t think there would be anyone else with the same name.”

They sat by the lake for a while as the sun began to set. It was time to go.

Shenyu followed Ning Chen to the dormitory. He had originally wanted to see what those “eccentric” roommates looked like, but since it was after-school hours, the room was empty when they entered. Better that way—no need to be seen by others.

Ning Chen had obediently packed his belongings beforehand. All they had to do was carry them down. Since there was no elevator, they had to haul the boxes down the stairs.

Ning Chen originally didn’t want He Shenyu to help—He Shenyu was his benefactor, after all; it felt strange to make him do manual labor. But He Shenyu acted so naturally that he didn’t even give Ning Chen a chance to refuse, even taking the lead.

Ning Chen followed him in silence.

After one trip, He Shenyu’s hands were completely red, but he didn’t complain. Ning Chen watched him, his thoughts drifting.

Maybe… he really is different from those other rich heirs?

The moment that thought flashed through his mind, Ning Chen took a deep breath and immediately crushed it. What am I thinking…

“That’s everything, right? Anything else?” Shenyu did a final check of Ning Chen’s bed.

Ning Chen shook his head and picked up a bag from the desk. “No more. I’ll carry this one.”

“Alright then…”

As they were speaking, the door was suddenly pushed open. A guy wearing thick glasses walked in. He looked surprised to see Ning Chen standing at the door. “Ning Chen? You didn’t go to your part-time job today?”

Ning Chen stepped aside to let him through, shaking his head. “I quit all my evening jobs.”

“Oh,” the guy said, picking up a cup to drink some water. “Wait, who’s this?”

Ning Chen hesitated.

Shenyu spoke up first. “I’m Ning Chen’s brother. He’s moving out, so I came to help him with his things.”

“Oh,” the boy nodded, then looked back at Ning Chen. “When did you apply to move out? That’s so sudden…”

Ning Chen replied, “I applied yesterday. The teacher approved it immediately.”

“Oh, I guess the treatment for top students is just different… If I applied, they’d definitely block me. But if you’re moving out, did you find a job that provides housing?”

The boy kept talking, but He Shenyu was losing patience. He didn’t have a good impression of any of Ning Chen’s roommates, so he grabbed Ning Chen’s wrist and led him away.

He only looked back to say one thing: “We have things to do. We’re leaving now.”

Ning Chen followed him quietly without saying a word.

As they walked downstairs, He Shenyu thought for a moment and asked, “You said you quit your evening jobs. Do you still have others during the day?”

Ning Chen’s footsteps paused. He answered honestly, “Yes.”

Shenyu sighed and looked at him. “Quit all of them. Don’t be afraid to use the card I gave you.”

He couldn’t help but marvel at Ning Chen’s stamina. In the original novel, he was exactly like this—working at night and taking any available shift during the day. It felt exhausting just reading about it.

“Okay, I understand,” Ning Chen replied obediently, pursing his lips slightly.

Shenyu looked at him seriously and said, “Just focus on your studies at school. Don’t worry about anything else.”

Ning Chen lowered his eyelashes like a student being lectured by a teacher. He whispered, “Okay. I’ll be obedient.”