Mistaken Canary Chapter 52
Chapter 52
"The filial duo has reconciled!"—or so the story went, spreading far and wide through Auntie Niu’s enthusiastic retelling.
Soon, the entire ward was in the know. The two brothers were now inseparable, their bond so deep that other patients began using them as role models for their own children—
"Look how harmonious they are! Why can’t you two be like that instead of fighting all the time?"
"Would you look at that? They’re off to eat together again."
"Tch, what’s wrong with two grown men holding hands? Back in my day, your Uncle Wang and I would have our arms around each other’s shoulders all the time. That’s real brotherhood! Holding hands? That’s nothing. Heck, good brothers would even sleep shirtless together—kids these days are so narrow minded!"
...
A week later, the old man had his stitches removed and was finally discharged. As it happened to fall on the weekend, Ying Tongchen handled all the formalities, making sure everything was in order before taking the old man home.
"Where is my other filial son, Zhuo Shu?" The old man grinned as he got into the car. "He’s been circling around me like a fly, buzzing in my ears all day long— why don’t I see him anywhere now?"
"He went back to the office—there’s a mountain of official tasks he needs to catch up on." Ying Tongchen steered the car to join the traffic.
The old man leaned back in his seat, smiling deliberately. "Thanks to you two, I’ve heard quite a few stories these days."
Ying Tongchen chuckled helplessly. "What versions are going around?"
"One’s about a high-society inheritance dispute. Another says it’s a feud between a biological son and an adopted one. And then there’s the most ridiculous one—some people think I’m your big boss, playing both the role of leader and father. Now that I’m in trouble, my two loyal little brothers have united to earn money for my medical bills."
Ying Tongchen couldn’t hold back a laugh. "Hospital stays are boring. Gossip naturally thrives."
"I'm hardly bored," the old man chuckled. "Zhuo Shu's been driving me up the wall—while you were gone, he kept pestering me to tell stories about your past and even demanded photos."
Ying Tongchen’s lips curved slightly. "There aren’t any. I don’t have a single one."
"But I do," the old man said smugly.
"Wh–What?!" Ying Tongchen snapped his head toward him, then quickly turned back to focus on the road. "What kind of photos do you have of me?"
"Do you remember when you had just transferred into our school? My class happened to be putting on an English play of ‘Snow White’?"
Ying Tongchen’s lips twitched. "No. I. Do. Not."
"We were short on people at the time, so I picked a few students from your class to fill in," the old man smiled nostalgically. "You just so happened to be picked to play one of the wicked stepsisters."
"......"
"Blame it on your good looks," the old man said with a sigh. "Snow White didn’t even get a moment to shine—you stole the show with that perfectly frosty face. And that lolita dress you wore—"
"If you say one more word, and I swear I’ll disregard every bit of our teacher-student history." Ying Tongchen gritted his teeth.
After a long moment, Ying Tongchen had a sudden realization. He abruptly pulled the car over and stared at the old man in apprehension. "Wait—don’t tell me you actually have pictures of that?!"
"Of course I do." The old man nodded. "That performance was a huge success. Of course, I had to take pictures—high-definition ones too, with my professional camera."
"..." Ying Tongchen was in disbelief. "You didn’t… actually give him the photos, did you?"
"How could I hand them over so freely? These are exclusive private shots of you, after all," the old man said.
Ying Tongchen let out a breath of relief and had just started the car when he heard the old man continue, "So Zhuo Shu bought them from me at an exclusive price."
Ying Tongchen: "!"
…
Zhuo Shu had just picked up his phone when Mi Shu interrupted him. "Chairman Zhuo, you’ve looked at your phone countless times already. You’ve also attempted to scare me with that creepy laughter of yours, but it’s useless. Just sign the papers already."
Zhuo Shu protectively hugged his phone like it was his precious, before sliding it into his pocket and attending to the documents in front of him.
Just then, his phone rang. The corners of his lips curled up, but he quickly cleared his throat, suppressing his excessive grin before answering the call. "What’s up?"
Ying Tongchen listened to his usual tone, unable to tell whether he had seen the photos or not. Testing the waters, he asked, "What are you up to?"
"Handling business matters," Zhuo Shu replied.
Still filled with uncertainty, Ying Tongchen lowered his pride and pleaded, "Can I beg for a gaze untainted by those photos?"
Zhuo Shu let out a muffled chuckle. "You’re too late."
Ying Tongchen: "......"
Half a minute later, Ying Tongchen said in utter despair, "Let's break up."
"No way," Zhuo Shu said. "Come to the hotel tonight. I have something to ask you."
"What is it?"
"You'll know when you get here."
After hanging up, Zhuo Shu couldn’t resist taking another look at the photos.
In the picture, Ying Tongchen stood on stage, dressed in an elegant gown, wearing a wig, holding a small white folding fan in one hand. His makeup was alluring, his expression indifferent as he turned coldly toward the audience.
Bang—direct hit to the heart.
Mi Shu looked up just in time to see her boss clutching his chest and banging his head against the desk. Startled, she blurted out, "Chairman, what's wrong?! Don’t do this—at least write your will first!"
Zhuo Shu lifted his head and shot her a sharp glance. "Is the thing I asked you to prepare ready?"
"It'll be delivered right away," Mi Shu replied.
"Alright, you can go now." Zhuo Shu waved her off with a composed expression. But the moment she stepped out, he immediately pulled out his phone and obsessed over the photos again.
He couldn't hold back any longer and ended up posting on his Moments—visibility as always limited to a single individual.
[.]: So pretty! [Image]
[Homeroom Teacher]: Do you have a death wish?
[K.W. Zhuo Shu]: So beautiful! [Image]
[Yale Lexis Ying Tongchen]: Do you have a death wish??
[Zhuo Shu]: Incredibly beautiful! [Image]
[Ying]: Just you wait.
Zhuo Shu instantly chickened out and sent Ying Tongchen a string of pleading, cutesy emojis: 🥺🥺🥺
Only then did Ying Tongchen belatedly realize—they were both kings of alternate accounts, and, against all odds, all their accounts perfectly aligned...
…
After dinner that evening, Ying Tongchen originally planned to stay and watch some TV, but the old man shooed him away. "Go on, go back to your own place. I’ve got my own nightlife to enjoy."
Left with no better alternative, Ying Tongchen headed to the hotel, brimming with murderous intent. As soon as he opened the door, he saw Zhuo Shu sitting at the desk, looking all serious as he read a book. He was the picture of quiet obedience—already showered, hair soft and damp, falling over his forehead, the collar of his bathrobe slightly open.
"Your book is upside down," Ying Tongchen pointed out.
Without changing his expression, Zhuo Shu calmly rotated the book and continued with his charade as he flipped to the next page.
Ying Tongchen closed the door and stepped closer. However, before he could speak, Zhuo Shu, without raising his head, reached out to encircle his waist, pulling him onto his lap and tilting his head to claim his lips.
"Why are you so late?" Zhuo Shu lightly nipped at his lip. "The food’s almost cold."
"You ordered food?" Ying Tongchen asked, surprised.
Zhuo Shu gestured toward himself. "If you hadn’t shown up, my junior and I would’ve withered."
"......" After a long silence, Ying Tongchen pushed him away. "I’ll go take a shower first."
"Alright."
Once Ying Tongchen entered the bathroom, Zhuo Shu perked up. He quickly reached under the desk and pulled out a gift box.
After Ying Tongchen finished his shower and opened the door, he saw a large box with a bow on the bed. He walked over, lifted the lid, and asked, "Wh–What is this?!"
Zhuo Shu smiled. "This piece is a close replica to the original."
Ying Tongchen lifted the lolita dress and shot Zhuo Shu a cool glance, his lips curling into a chilling smile. "You want to wear it?"
"No, I don't," Zhuo Shu quickly clarified. "Actually, there's something I want to confirm."
"What is it?"
Zhuo Shu, embarrassed, mumbled, "I just want to see—if I still feel the same way about you if you wore women’s clothes." (/ω＼)
"?" Ying Tongchen warned in a low voice, "Think it through before you speak."
Zhuo Shu scratched his head, somewhat scared of his warning. Ultimately, he finally bent his index and middle fingers and placed them in the palm of his other hand, making a kneeling gesture. With a pitiful expression, he pleaded, "Please, wear it."
Soon after, Zhuo Shu found himself banished outside with the dress in hand.
A passing room service attendant was about to approach when he quickly waved them off, sending them away. He gently knocked on the door, whispering, "Open the door, please..."
At that moment, an unexpected person walked out from the adjacent room.
"Chairman Zhuo? Fancy seeing you here." Liu Li'ang approached.
Zhuo Shu quickly pressed himself against the door, turning his head away to avoid looking at him. "You’ve got the wrong person."
Liu Li'ang circled to the other side. "I could never mistake that face—so handsome and distinguished. Who else but Chairman Zhuo could it be?"
Zhuo Shu immediately nodded in acknowledgment. "Hello, it is I."
"It’s been a while, Chairman Zhuo. But why are you dressed like this, standing in the hallway?" Liu Li'ang sized him up from head to toe. When his eyes landed on the dress in Zhuo Shu’s hands, he suddenly froze, his hands trembling. "This dress..."
Zhuo Shu looked up to the sky and decided to play dead.
To Zhuo Shu's surprise, Liu Li'ang reacted intensely. He reached out and snatched the dress, his expression seeming almost nostalgic as he murmured, "Is that you? My princess."
Zhuo Shu: "?"
When Liu Li'ang looked up again, his eyes were full of light and energy. "Chairman Zhuo, do you know Random City High?"
"Yes." That was the school where Ying Tongchen and the old man had been. Zhuo Shu eyed him curiously. "Were you a student there?"
"I was! Take another good look at me—don’t I look familiar?" Liu Li'ang excitedly moved closer, nearly pressing against Zhuo Shu.
Zhuo Shu hurriedly took several steps back.
"Don’t tell me you’ve truly forgotten?" Liu Liang said, as if recalling something, "Oh, right—I changed my name before I debuted. My original name was Liu Mang. Does that jog your memory?"
Zhuo Shu: "......No."
"I even confessed to you back then, my princess!" Liu Li'ang clutched the dress, saying, "I was your junior, and the way you looked on stage back then was so captivating, I was completely entranced. That’s when I developed a dream of the stage... and a dream about you. After the performance, I went backstage to confess, but without saying a word, you pushed me away. You were so cold, so heartless, and so handsome! Unfortunately, the next day I was expelled from the school for repeatedly getting into fights and never had the chance to confess again."
As he spoke, Liu Li'ang suddenly became shy, nudging Zhuo Shu with his shoulder. "So it turns out my princess was you all along. Maybe this is fate’s arrangement... Hmm? What’s with your expression?"
Zhuo Shu's face was as dark as the bottom of a pot. He shot him a look so sharp it could flay him alive—over and over again.
Noticing the heat in his gaze, Liu Li'ang couldn’t help but blush. "Chairman Zhuo, my room is just next door~"
He barely finished his sentence when the door to Room 2808 swung open.
Liu Li'ang had been leaning half his weight against the door. The sudden motion nearly sent him tumbling inside, but fortunately, a hand shot out and caught his arm just in time to steady him.
And then—he was pushed away.
He looked at the person in shock, only to recognize Ying Tongchen… Oh come on, not again!
Ying Tongchen gave Liu Li'ang a brief glance before turning his attention to Zhuo Shu.
Zhuo Shu immediately walked into the room, and a moment later, he stormed back out, seething with anger. He pointed fiercely at Liu Li'ang, grinding his teeth. "I’ll remember you. You’d better wait for me."
Liu Li'ang: "Okay~"
Ying Tongchen: "......"
As Ying Tongchen was about to close the door, his gaze inadvertently fell on the dress still in Liu Li'ang’s grip. He immediately reached out and snatched it back.
"Hey, what are you—" Before Liu Li'ang could get another word out, he caught a fleeting, familiar frosty glance before the door was firmly shut.
Liu Li'ang blinked, a stronger sense of déjà vu washing over him.
After a long moment, his mouth dropped open in surprise. He held his head with both hands, muttering to himself, "Wait, something’s off... why does that punk seem more like my princess???"
Back in the room, Zhuo Shu asked, "Do you remember him?"
Ying Tongchen replied, "Not at all."
"Ah, so you were eavesdropping."
"......"
Zhuo Shu sulked, burying his face in the bed, grumbling, "That man is an eyesore. You’d better not recall a single thing about him."
"Don’t you know who he likes?"
"Who?"
Ying Tongchen tilted his head, glancing at him with a silent smile. "Idiot."
The more Zhuo Shu thought about it, the more irritated he became. If Ying Tongchen had already been attracting admirers before they even met… wasn't that a serious threat?
So falling in love came with this much anxiety?
No, he couldn’t waste any more time. He had to figure out how to secure a man’s heart.
Zhuo Shu grabbed his phone and searched online for a while, then realized there was no movement from Ying Tongchen. Turning over, he glanced around the empty room. "Tongchen?"
"I'm here." Ying Tongchen’s voice floated from the bathroom. "Uh... can you come in here for a second?"
Zhuo Shu opened the door and was greeted with the sight of Ying Tongchen already wearing the dress. The purple satin fabric, adorned with silver star-like beads, perfectly hugged his tall and slender figure, radiating elegance.
Ying Tongchen’s ears flushed slightly, his gaze evasive. He turned around, revealing his smooth, bare back. "Can you help me zip it up?"
Zhuo Shu took a sharp breath, tugged for a while without success, and finally decided to simply pick Ying Tongchen up and carry him back to the room.
Ying Tongchen landed on the soft bed, pushing against Zhuo Shu’s shoulder with a smile. "First, you’ll have to promise me you’ll do what I ask."
"Anything, anything! I’ll do whatever you say." Zhuo Shu said, his impatience clear.
That evening, the two shared a fun night in bed, blissfully observant as the meteor shower was radiant once again.
Zhuo Shu was unusually affectionate, finding that whether Ying Tongchen was in men's or women's clothing, he was equally delighted.
As Ying Tongchen drifted into a deep sleep, Zhuo Shu secretly kissed his forehead, whispering softly, "I love you."
…
The next morning, a wail echoed through the room.
"Owww! You’re going too far!"
"Who promised me?" Ying Tongchen tugged firmly.
Zhuo Shu bawled again, feeling like his waist was about to snap. He looked down at the dress he was wearing, wanting to cry but having no tears. "I was truly blinded by greed."
"Stop breathing, it’s almost zipped up," Ying Tongchen was heartless.
Zhuo Shu exhaled thoroughly, nearly toppling over in the process; to his dismay, the zipper only went up a tiny bit.
"Forget it." Ying Tongchen let go.
Zhuo Shu finally let out a sigh of relief, but then he heard the sound of a shutter-like *snap* and looked at Ying Tongchen in horror.
With a slight shake of his phone, Ying Tongchen raised an eyebrow. "Okay, we’re done. You’re free to go home."
Zhuo Shu: T^T
Soon after, Ying Tongchen also posted a few updates on his Moments.
[Homeroom Teacher]: So pretty! [Image]
[.]: Please stop, anymore and I’ll die.
[Yale Lexis Ying Tongchen]: So beautiful! [Image]
[K.W. Zhuo Shu]: Mighty tiger sheds tears.jpg
[Ying]: Incredibly beautiful! [Image]
[Zhuo Shu]: Kneeling.jpg
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TL Note: Ying Tongchen’s pettiness is 😩 👩🍳🤏🏻💋