I Snatched the Overbearing President’s Canary [Transmigration] - Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Gazing

By the time they finished dinner, it was already quite late, so they kept the clothes shopping quick and decisive.

Ning Chen didn’t act difficult; when told to pick what he liked, he quickly selected items that caught his eye. Unsurprisingly, he still preferred dark-colored clothing.

By the time they drove back to He Shenyu’s house, it was nearly midnight. Shenyu was exhausted; in the short time it took Ning Chen to get the clothes from the trunk, he nearly fell asleep leaning against the steering wheel.

Ning Chen noticed his condition and asked softly, “Shenyu, are you tired? Let’s get inside and rest quickly…”

Shenyu nodded, opened the car door, and stepped out, grabbing something from the storage compartment as he did. He handed a box to Ning Chen and said quietly, “I had my assistant help me buy this at noon. I almost forgot to give it to you.”

Ning Chen froze for a moment before reaching out to take it. “Why did you buy me a phone?”

Shenyu yawned, seemingly indifferent. “Your phone screen is cracked; looking at it for a long time is bad for your eyes. Ah… I’m dead tired…”

It wasn’t an exaggeration; He Shenyu could barely keep his eyes open.

“Then… lean on me while we walk?” Ning Chen suggested in a low voice.

“Sure! Thanks, bro…” With his brain turned to mush, He Shenyu reached out and draped an arm over Ning Chen’s shoulder, leaning half his weight on him.

Ning Chen glanced at him from the side, a faint smile touching his eyes. He took the car keys from He Shenyu’s hand, locked the car, and then supported He Shenyu as they began to walk.

Shenyu remained still throughout the walk, as quiet as an accessory attached to Ning Chen’s body. Taking advantage of the moment, Ning Chen scrutinized the man beside him without restraint, thinking that He Shenyu was truly a strange person. He had countless doubts in his heart, but he couldn’t voice them.

When they reached the door, Ning Chen unlocked it. On the first day he arrived, He Shenyu had already registered his fingerprint.

Beep—

The electronic prompt of the door lock didn’t even make He Shenyu open his eyes.

Ning Chen thought for a moment, set the things in his hands on the floor, and then bent down to pick the man up in a horizontal princess carry.

The person in his arms was as compliant as a doll; only the sound of his steady, shallow breathing could be heard. The world fell silent. Ning Chen walked forward step by step, his pace steady and slow. To Ning Chen, He Shenyu didn’t weigh much at all; even if he held him for a while longer, he wouldn’t feel tired.

However, they soon reached the sofa. Ning Chen stopped, bent down, and carefully placed He Shenyu on the cushions, not forgetting to tuck a throw pillow under his head as a makeshift pillow.

The living room lights were smart sensors, which automatically shifted to a soft, dim mode. The pale yellow light hit He Shenyu’s face, making him look incredibly gentle. In truth, He Shenyu’s features were more of a mixed-race type—sharp and deep; usually, one wouldn’t use the word “gentle” to describe him. But for some reason, at this moment, that was exactly what Ning Chen felt.

His gaze returned to the eye-catching little mole on He Shenyu’s earlobe. Ever since he had discovered it, he found it impossible to ignore. Ning Chen took a breath, and his right index finger rose involuntarily. In the next second, his fingertip dipped slightly and lightly brushed against it.

It was a touch-and-go contact; he didn’t actually feel anything significant. But Ning Chen acted as if he had been shocked, pulling back and standing up awkwardly. He finally remembered his task, walked back outside to retrieve the items left by the door, and gently closed it.

After hesitating for a long time, he returned to the side of the sofa and began to wake He Shenyu. “Shenyu, wake up. We’re home. You can go take a shower and go to bed.”

Shenyu knitted his brows, his expression looking quite pained.

“Ah… okay…” Shenyu struggled to open his eyes. “What if I don’t want to move…” He was completely talking to himself.

Beside him, Ning Chen felt a wave of internal conflict. He pursed his lips and asked softly, “Then… Do you want me to help you bathe?”

“Huh?” Shenyu blanked out, his brain restarting. “What?! No, no need.”

He suddenly became much more alert. Shenyu sat up and looked at Ning Chen, who was kneeling beside him and watching him, feeling a bit out of sorts. “I was just talking nonsense. Uh, you go take a shower and rest too. Don’t worry about me.”

“Okay,” Ning Chen nodded and stood up.

Shenyu followed suit. He tapped his dizzy forehead and let out another involuntary yawn.

Wait, how did he get back inside just now? He had no memory of it…

…

The next afternoon, He Shenyu picked up Ning Chen as usual. The main reason was that the hospital where Ning Chen’s brother was staying was a bit far, and since He Shenyu didn’t have much else to do, he figured he might as well act as the driver.

Ning Chen naturally didn’t stop him, nor did he have a reason to. A benefactor’s requests should be met, and besides, He Shenyu’s request wasn’t unreasonable.

When they reached the hospital entrance, He Shenyu hesitated about whether to go up with Ning Chen. He was curious, but he was afraid Ning Chen would feel uncomfortable. Their current relationship was, after all, not exactly something to show to a parent.

Shenyu parked the car, turned off the engine, and turned to look at Ning Chen. “Go ahead, I’ll wait for you here.”

Ning Chen instinctively nodded at first, then turned his head and asked, “Are you going to stay here and wait for me?”

Shenyu smiled. “I have nothing to do anyway. Are you staying at the hospital overnight? If so, I’ll head back first…”

“No,” Ning Chen shook his head. He unbuckled his seatbelt, paused for a few seconds, and then continued, “Shenyu, do you want to come up with me?”

Ning Chen couldn’t quite bring himself to leave his benefactor waiting in the car alone. Besides, it might be good for He Shenyu to see his brother—to let him know exactly where his money was going. Although He Shenyu had given him a card, Ning Chen didn’t dare use a single cent beyond what was absolutely necessary. He even kept a ledger in his memo app; despite knowing he could never pay it back in his lifetime, he didn’t know why he kept recording it.

In his hand was the new phone He Shenyu had given him yesterday. A message popped up on the screen. It was from his brother, who knew Ning Chen was coming and was very excited, asking every few minutes how much longer it would take.

Ning Chen took out the phone, just about to reply.

He heard Shenyu answer his question: “Sure, as long as you don’t mind. I won’t say anything inappropriate.”

“I trust you,” Ning Chen smiled. He hoped his efforts to please He Shenyu were to the man’s liking and that he wouldn’t actually reveal their arrangement in front of his family. But even if he did, Ning Chen would simply have to accept it.

He had actually prepared himself for the day his family might find out. There are no walls without cracks, and after years of working various part-time jobs, Ning Chen’s innocence had long since eroded.

The hospital was filled with the scent of disinfectant. Shenyu felt right at home—he almost went looking for an office to change clothes. Fortunately, Ning Chen was there to remind him that this wasn’t the hospital where he did his daily internship. And he… could never go back there.

By comparison, Dr. He’s private hospital was very different from this public one; its decor felt high-end and exclusive, making He Shenyu feel less “at home” when he went to work.

Ning Chen kept his head down and walked in front without speaking. Shenyu followed him quietly until they reached a ward. A middle-aged woman with short hair looked up and said, “You’re here, Chenchen…”

“Yes, Mom,” Ning Chen walked in and asked, “Is Xiaoyou still in the ICU?”

The woman nodded. “The doctor said he needs to stay there for at least a week.” Her gaze drifted outward toward He Shenyu, and she asked softly, “And this is…?”

“This is…” Ning Chen hesitated. He didn’t know how to introduce He Shenyu. Although he had thought about it on the way up, when the moment came, the words wouldn’t come out. To be honest, he really didn’t know how to face his mother. Since he was a child, he had always been the image of a well-behaved, obedient, and excellent student in her eyes. Now that he had done such a thing, how could he tell her?

He couldn’t bring himself to lie… but he also couldn’t bear to tell the truth.

“Hello, Auntie. I’m Ning Chen’s friend, He Shenyu,” He Shenyu took the initiative to break the tension.

“A friend…” Ning Chen’s mother repeated softly. She didn’t say anything more and simply beckoned them. “Come, come in and sit.”

The two sat down on chairs, and Ning Chen’s mother quickly poured two cups of tea. Shenyu took a sip; he happened to be quite thirsty. When he looked up, he saw Ning Chen’s mother standing before him with a smile. She said, “I’ll take Ning Chen to see his brother. Xiao He, you sit here for a while. There’s fruit over there, help yourself…”

“Okay, Auntie, go ahead. Don’t feel like you need to entertain me,” He Shenyu nodded and smiled back.

Since the mother didn’t seem to want him to go see Ning Chen’s brother, there was no need for him to insist. He was only a little bit curious, anyway. Besides, with the brother still in the ICU, it would be inappropriate for an outsider to follow them.

Shenyu took another sip of tea and watched them leave. Ning Chen glanced back at him one last time, seemingly letting out a tiny sigh.

Shenyu didn’t mind. He pulled out his phone and began scrolling through posts to pass the time. He hadn’t been idle lately; whenever he had time, he lurked in his social circles, managing to memorize about seventy to eighty percent of Dr. He’s professional network.

Among them was a person named Assistant Fang, a chatterbox who posted eight hundred times a day. He was Fu Hengzhan’s executive assistant, and through him, He Shenyu had learned a wealth of information about Fu Hengzhan.

…

Ning Chen followed his mother to a secluded spot in the hospital corridor and stopped. When they passed his brother’s ward, they only paused for a moment; seeing him sleeping through the glass, they didn’t go in to disturb him.

Seeing his mother choose this spot, Ning Chen had an idea of what was coming. She hadn’t mentioned the medical fees for the past few days—not because she forgot, but because she hadn’t had the chance to ask.

“Chenchen, tell me the truth,” his mother said, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear and looking up at him. “Where did you get the money for Xiaoyou’s medical bills? And that… friend you brought… who exactly is he?”

Ning Chen’s heart plummeted. What was meant to come had finally arrived.