The Protagonist in This Bad Ending (BE) Story Is Reborn [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 5

Inside the hospital room, a gentle woman leaned against the head of the bed. She wore the standard blue-and-white striped patient gown, yet the morning sunlight filtering through the window lent her an air of quiet elegance. Despite the strands of white appearing at her temples, her beauty remained undeniable; she was a quintessential “Jiangnan beauty,” possessing the poised aura of someone well-read. Her only flaw was her excessive frailty. This was Yu Wan, Shang Linyi’s mother.

A little over a decade ago, the Shang family had been quite wealthy. However, after his father’s business ventures failed, the man had deceived Yu Wan, using her identity to secure numerous massive loans. Yu Wan, who loved her husband deeply and believed he was simply working on a grand project, never questioned him.

A few years later, the father vanished without a trace, leaving behind a despairing Yu Wan and her seven-year-old son, Shang Linyi. Although she appeared fragile, Yu Wan possessed a resilient spirit. After a brief period of depression, she looked at her young son and the relentless stream of debt collectors on her phone, then rekindled her resolve to raise her child and pay back every cent.

Yu Wan’s greatest talent was embroidery. She eventually moved with Shang Linyi to the south, where she specialized in custom garment design and needlework. When Shang Linyi was nine, she brought home another child she had found; her heart was soft, and thus, Shang Linyi gained a younger brother.

Raising two children while carrying a mountain of debt meant Yu Wan worked day and night. She nearly embroidered herself blind, and as she aged, her body began to fail, leaving her dependent on medication to survive.

“Mom.”

Yu Wan looked up to see her two sons. She offered a tender smile, smoothing the hair at her temples. “My boys, you’re both here.”

“Mhm.” Shang Linyi placed his bags on the table.

Shang Linhe rushed to his mother’s side, immediately launching into a restless stream of chatter. He always had a million things to say, and Yu Wan waited patiently for him to finish before turning to Shang Linyi. “Linyi, a friend of yours came by today. He was worried I might need something after the surgery, so he went to the boiler room to fetch some hot water.”

Shang Linyi felt a flicker of confusion. A friend? Visiting Yu Wan?

Yin She? Aside from Yin She, no one else should have known about his mother’s illness.

“Alright, I’ll go check,” Shang Linyi said calmly.

“Go and thank him for me, okay?” Yu Wan said, patting Shang Linhe’s back while looking at her eldest.

“I will.” Under his mother’s commanding gaze, Shang Linyi turned and headed toward the boiler room.

The hospital was bustling with people, and the boiler room was no exception. Amidst the crowd, Shang Linyi spotted someone he never expected to see: Yan Chen. The man had a powerful presence that made him stand out anywhere, though today he had traded his permanent suit for a simple white T-shirt.

His skin looked clean and pale. As he leaned over to check the water level in the kettle, he exposed the elegant line of his neck. His long bangs dangled forward, brushing against his eyes, and he couldn’t help but blink against the irritation.

Shang Linyi leaned against the doorframe to watch him. Since this was a private hospital, the biggest perk was that he could walk around without a mask and remain undisturbed. His expression was unreadable; in all their years together in the past life, he had never seen Yan Chen like this.

Once the kettle was full, Yan Chen capped it and turned around, only to freeze when he saw the man leaning in the doorway. Shang Linyi reached out a hand, signaling for him to hand over the kettle.

After a moment of hesitation, Yan Chen handed it over. Out of a sense of guilt, he didn’t quite dare to meet Shang Linyi’s eyes. He hadn’t actually planned on running into the man; his intention was simply to help out and leave, acting as a “secret good samaritan.” He was worried his unauthorized investigation into Shang Linyi’s life might lead to a misunderstanding.

“Why are you here?”

As they walked back from the boiler room, one following the other, Shang Linyi was the first to break the silence. His eyes felt a bit dry from staying up the night before, and the atmosphere between them was far too quiet.

Since Shang Linyi didn’t ask how he had found the hospital, the tension in Yan Chen’s body began to drain away. He kept his eyes fixed on the kettle in Shang Linyi’s hand.

“You said it yourself,” Yan Chen said firmly. “The next time I saw you, I had to show you my sincerity.”

When Shang Linyi had left him with those words, the implication was that Yan Chen needed to offer a piece of his heart. Yan Chen believed that pursuing someone required patience and genuine effort; therefore, the moment he got home, he had looked into Shang Linyi’s past, which eventually led him to the hospital today.

Shang Linyi let out an internal “tsk,” suppressing the urge to rub his own face. Do I really look that much like his substitute? Enough for a powerful CEO like Yan Chen to go to these lengths?

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Yan Chen asked suddenly. He was walking half a step behind, and with the hospital room just a short distance away, he stopped in his tracks.

“Hmm?” Shang Linyi was puzzled. What else did Yan Chen want to know?

When Yan Chen stopped, Shang Linyi naturally followed suit. The scene was somewhat awkward: a hospital corridor, two men standing face-to-face in a staggered stance—one holding a kettle, the other staring with stubborn intensity. It was an undeniably bizarre sight.

Shang Linyi wasn’t in a hurry; he waited for Yan Chen to continue. The other man looked as though he were performing a difficult mental exercise.

“Why didn’t you tell me? And why didn’t you tell me the real reason you were performing at the Gezi Auditorium?” The more Yan Chen thought about it, the more frustrated he felt. He blamed himself; if he had been more attentive to Shang Linyi from the start, perhaps that performance would never have happened.

Shang Linyi couldn’t help but let out a light laugh. As the sound reached him, Yan Chen’s eyelashes fluttered.

“Why are you so hung up on it?” Shang Linyi asked. “Don’t tell me you actually like me?”

Before Yan Chen could respond, Shang Linyi turned back around and said quickly, “Let’s go.”

*****

Inside the patient room, Shang Linhe had moved from the bed to a chair, where he was busy reporting his latest grades to Yu Wan. Seeing a figure out of the corner of his eye, he tossed his phone aside and shouted excitedly, “Ge, you’re back!”

“Mhm,” Shang Linyi replied nonchalantly.

Shang Linhe watched his brother enter, but his eyes widened when a second person followed. As their gazes met, Shang Linhe felt a slight shiver. Yan Chen had occupied a high position for a long time, and he had a habit of studying people with the piercing intensity of a lion.

Even in a simple white short-sleeved shirt, the man looked exceptionally handsome. Shang Linhe had always believed that no one could rival his brother’s looks, but he had to admit that Yan Chen didn’t lose much ground standing beside him. However, the scales of the human heart are rarely balanced; because he loved his brother more, he still felt Shang Linyi was the more handsome of the two.

“Ge, is this your friend?” Shang Linhe asked.

Shang Linyi hesitated, unsure of how to introduce Yan Chen. Not a friend—a future partner? When he didn’t answer, Yan Chen spoke up for himself. “I’m his friend.”

Shang Linyi placed the kettle in the cabinet while Yu Wan expressed her gratitude profusely. “Linyi’s friend, thank you so much for coming to see me today. What should I call you?”

Yan Chen wasn’t accustomed to speaking with elders. He lowered his gaze and said softly, “My name is Yan Chen.”

“Xiao Yan,” Yu Wan replied with a bright smile.

The atmosphere in the room grew harmonious. Shang Linyi pulled over a chair for Yan Chen to sit while he remained standing. Yan Chen wasn’t much for small talk; all the words he actually wanted to say were reserved for Shang Linyi. Instead, the conversation flowed between Shang Linyi and his mother, mostly consisting of her asking questions and him answering.

Yu Wan was a beautiful woman, and her children had naturally inherited her fine features. Shang Linyi was her most prized “work”; in embroidery terms, he was the most exquisite piece of Su embroidery she had ever created. However, her children had always lived difficult lives. From the time he was small, Shang Linyi never asked for cool toy blocks from a shop window; instead, he was always thinking about how to earn money.

Now that Shang Linyi was in the entertainment industry, Yu Wan’s somewhat traditional mindset made her worry. She had always believed that world was chaotic, with news constantly breaking about stars getting mixed up with the wrong people.

Thinking of this, a trace of sadness entered her eyes. “Linyi, you’re not a child anymore.”

She watched his expression carefully, and seeing no immediate rejection, she continued, “Auntie Xu’s daughter is graduating this year too, isn’t she?”

Shang Linyi: “…”

He knew exactly where this was going. Since he had never shown much interest in romance throughout his life, Yu Wan was terrified he would end up alone.

Yan Chen’s heart stirred. He felt like an outsider listening to these family matters, yet he couldn’t help but sit up straighter, eager to hear Shang Linyi’s response.

Afraid of affecting his mother’s mood before the surgery, Shang Linyi said vaguely, “Mom, don’t worry about those things.”

Yan Chen stole a glance at him.

Shang Linyi rubbed the bridge of his nose and added, “If you want grandkids, you’d better count on Linhe.”

Shang Linhe: “?”

His brother… He looked toward where Shang Linyi was standing beside Yan Chen, and a sudden realization dawned on him. He lowered his head and gently patted Yu Wan’s hand.

Yu Wan smiled but didn’t push further. Soon, it was time for the surgery. Shang Linyi and Shang Linhe accompanied her to the doors, with Yan Chen following behind. Together, they watched her being wheeled inside.

Shang Linhe blinked, unable to hide his worry. “Ge, Mom will be fine, right?”

“Mhm.”

“Okay.” It didn’t matter if his brother had someone he liked; as long as Yu Wan was safe, everything was fine. He was terrified that if she were gone, he would have nowhere left to go.

The group settled in to wait outside the operating room. Considering Yan Chen might have work to do, Shang Linyi walked over to his side.

“Don’t you have work today?”

“I do,” Yan Chen said quietly.

“Then go back to work.”

Yan Chen remained in his seat while Shang Linyi stood beside him. “It’s fine,” Yan Chen said. “Even if I skip work for a day, I can still afford to take care of you.”

Shang Linyi’s heart felt complicated for a moment. Love that can make a powerful man bow his head is usually indestructible. 

Does Yan Chen really love the person who looks like me this much? Enough to be this humble?

Shang Linyi let out a frustrated, silent laugh, though his face remained neutral. If Yan Chen wanted to stay, let him stay. It wasn’t his job on the line. If Yan Chen wasn’t afraid of being “fired,” why should he worry?

Then again, Yan Chen was the boss. There was no one who could fire him.

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