Chapter 4: The Fourth Day After Transmigrating – Auntie

He turned off the lights.

He Chen looked at Yun Shuning, trying to process what she meant by those words.

Until now, he had always harbored doubts about the relationship between her and his uncle. It wasn’t that he didn’t believe it—it was just hard to accept that the man in his memory could fall in love with someone.

That cold, indifferent man who cared for no one—could he really fall for a woman?

Would he really go so far as to hide his preferences just to make her life a little easier?

Yun Shuning looked at the silent man across from her, her expression slowly settling—no, dying.

“I’m full. Thank you for the meal.” She stood up, the scraping of the chair legs on the floor unpleasant to the ears. “May I ask where the restroom is?”

Before He Chen could reply, a servant had already come forward to lead her to the bathroom on the first floor.

He instinctively followed a few steps, then frowned and stopped.

It wasn’t that he had some weird habit—it was just that her expression had been too calm. So calm that it made him uneasy.

He looked toward the restroom door for a while, then turned to leave.

But just as he was about to turn around, he heard the faint sound of dry heaving.

He immediately looked back toward the direction she had gone. After a long silence, he turned around and instructed the nearby servant:

“When Miss Yun comes out, take her directly to the study on the second floor.”

After vomiting, Yun Shuning stood up and looked at herself in the mirror. Her face was pale.

She had never liked cilantro. That one spoonful of soup had already ruined her taste buds, and now He Chen’s comment had made her nausea worse.

But… she had held on.

She washed her hands, then adjusted her expression. Her entire demeanor shifted. She now looked soft and weak.

“Miss Yun.”

When the servant saw her, she quickly said, “Mr. He said to take you directly to the study on the second floor.”

Yun Shuning’s expression didn’t change. She tilted her head and looked in the direction of the voice, her tone ethereal: “Thank you.”

The servant felt her ears had just been blessed. Although she wasn’t very cultured, one line of poetry suddenly came to mind: ‘Like hearing celestial music, my ears cleared in that moment.’

If only the voice weren’t so sorrowful, it would’ve been perfect.

With this thought, she led Yun Shuning to the study and politely said, “This is the study, Miss Yun. Please head inside.”

“Thank you,” Yun Shuning said, her gaze falling on the half-open door.

“You’re welcome,” the servant replied quickly. If it weren’t for professional boundaries, she would’ve loved to record that voice and fall asleep to it every night. She took a deep breath and smiled. “If you need anything, just press the call bell inside the room.”

Just as she turned to leave, a hesitant voice stopped her.

“You… have you been working here long?”

The servant turned back and saw the hope on Yun Shuning’s face. She shook her head, puzzled. “No, I’ve only been working here for about two years.”

“I see.” Yun Shuning gave a self-deprecating smile. “I forgot… he doesn’t like having people in the house.”

“You may go now.”

The servant turned and left, still confused by the strange question.

Yun Shuning turned around, her expression shifting—hesitation, resistance, then firm resolve—before finally pushing the door open.

She didn’t notice the figure behind the slightly open side room door. He Chen was standing there, looking at her with a complicated expression.

The study, like the living room, had a cold and minimalist decor. A pitch-black desk, bookshelves lining the wall—very simple, no trace of warmth.

One glance told her the room belonged to a minimalist.

After a brief survey, Yun Shuning’s eyes landed on a stack of documents on the desk.

That must be the information He Chen wanted her to read.

She picked up the stack and began reading with a lowered head, maintaining the persona she was playing.

She read carefully, page by page.

He Yan, just like in the novel, was strong and cold, meticulous in thought, and followed through on everything he set his mind to. Also consistent with the novel, he was extremely solitary.

More importantly, he eliminated all non-work-related activities from his schedule so no one could guess his whereabouts.

The author had written him this way to make his disappearance more believable. Since no one knew his routine or cared much about him, it was easier to explain when he went missing.

She and He Yan were just plot devices to advance the male and female leads’ relationship.

But maybe that was a good thing. At first, she’d feared her lie would be exposed, but now, looking at He Yan’s itinerary, she was relieved. If even the police couldn’t find anything, how could He Chen?

As for her own past—five years ago, she was just a regular person. No one would’ve noticed her. Even if there were surveillance footage, it would’ve been deleted by now.

All she had to do now was make her lie more convincing.

With that thought, Yun Shuning calmly flipped through the schedule meant to prove He Chen’s innocence. After all, she already knew He Yan’s disappearance had nothing to do with him.

She was even a little thankful for the chaotic drama crews she had worked with. The lead actors often demanded last-minute script changes, so she was used to memorizing lines within minutes. Over time, her memory had improved.

While reading, she memorized He Yan’s final schedule—just in case she needed to make something up later.

After finishing, she set down the documents and stared at the desk, like a soulless puppet.

As expected, someone knocked on the door shortly after.

“Come in.” Her voice was so soft that if He Chen hadn’t been paying attention, he wouldn’t have heard it.

The door had been slightly ajar. He pushed it open and immediately saw her.

She sat quietly at the black desk, her hands pale and translucent. Her head was lowered, so he couldn’t see her expression, but he could feel the sorrow and despair radiating from her.

It felt like she was being swallowed by the study.

He Chen stood at the door, at a loss for what to say.

“That orchid,” Yun Shuning slowly looked up, her eyes filled with lingering sorrow. She wasn’t looking at him, but rather through him—at someone else. “Isn’t it a bit out of place in an office?”

After piecing together the plot, she guessed where the orchid in his office had come from. Since he tested her, she naturally had to retaliate.

He Chen met her eyes, then looked away.

That orchid had been a gift from his uncle for his birthday. Very few people knew that. That same day, his uncle had also helped his newly started company by placing a big order.

At this moment, He Chen was almost certain of her identity.

If she were lying, how could she have known such a private detail?

“That flower is monitored for temperature and humidity every day.” He Chen stood at the door, remembering how Yun Shuning always glanced at the orchid when she came to his office.

Back then, he thought she just liked the orchid’s graceful elegance. Now he realized—what she liked was the person who gave it.

If Yun Shuning knew what he was thinking, she’d definitely be annoyed. The original Yun Shuning stared at that orchid only because she overheard how expensive it was.

That flower cost millions! Who wouldn’t stare?

“I see,” Yun Shuning murmured. “I thought… you didn’t like it.”

She seemed indifferent to everything now, which made He Chen frown. Instead of asking if she knew he wasn’t guilty, he asked another question—one he knew would get a reaction:

“Would you like to see my uncle’s bedroom?”

“Can I?” Yun Shuning looked up, her eyes finally lighting up with a bit of emotion.

“If it’s you, then yes.” He Chen stepped aside, gesturing for her to go ahead.

Yun Shuning stood up and, step by step, slowly but resolutely walked to his side. “Thank you.”

“This is what I should do,” he replied, closing his eyes. His voice carried a respect unlike anything he had shown before.

Once they arrived at He Yan’s room, he stopped at the doorway and spoke softly, “My little uncle doesn’t like others entering his private space.”

“I’ll wait for you out here.”

As soon as Yun Shuning heard the sound of the door closing, the calm expression she had been holding onto instantly broke.

While reading the documents earlier, she had already begun to feel discomfort in her stomach. After walking this distance, the situation had worsened significantly.

She hadn’t been eating healthily these past two days, and she had only had a spoonful of soup at lunch. Now her whole stomach felt as if it were twisting in knots.

She pulled out her phone and glanced at the time. It was around 3 p.m.

She couldn’t leave now—it didn’t align with her persona. Someone who was deeply in love with He Yan—after entering his room, what would she do?

She had no choice but to stay here, even if the pain was unbearable.

Within moments, she was drenched in sweat from the pain.

Staggering, she made her way to the bed and collapsed onto it.

…

In the hospital’s VIP ward, the smell of disinfectant lingered in the air. On the bed lay someone pale as a sheet.

Yun Shuning opened her eyes, her brows slightly furrowed. “Where is this?”

“This is the hospital,” He Chen said, standing at her bedside, his face tinged with reproach. “Why didn’t you tell me you weren’t feeling well?”

If he hadn’t noticed something was wrong, was she really planning to just endure the stomach pain and stay in that room until she died?

“My body?” Yun Shuning slipped into character quickly, casually shifting her gaze away. “I thought I was fine.”

“Acute gastritis.” He Chen stared at her seriously, enunciating each word. “Do you know what would have happened if we’d gotten here any later?”

“I understand. I’ll be more careful next time,” she replied lightly, as if his words meant nothing to her.

He felt as if he had just punched a pile of cotton—soft, yielding, but deeply frustrating.

Yun Shuning turned her head and saw the frustration written all over his face. She spoke gently, “Thank you.”

She refused his help and struggled to sit up on her own. The sunlight filtered through the window and landed on her profile. Strength and fragility blended contradictorily within her.

“And,” she turned her head slightly. The sunlight formed a faint halo around her hair. “I’m sorry.”

“I’ve made a lot of mistakes lately. I’m truly sorry.”

He Chen was wearing a dark overcoat. He stood there stunned, looking at the person sitting on the stark white hospital bed. In that moment, he suddenly felt as if the two of them lived in completely different worlds.

“It’s okay.” He clenched his hand, not even sure what he wanted to hold onto. “Those documents are only accessible to a select few. I understand your suspicions.”

“He Chen.”

It was the first time Yun Shuning had spoken his name so seriously.

“I’m here.”

She turned to him, her eyes solemn. “After He Yan went missing, do you really want him to come back?”

“I…” He Chen opened his mouth, but when he met her knowing gaze, the words ‘I do’ never made it out.

When his little uncle first went missing, he truly was anxious. Whether it was reporting it to the police or conducting a private investigation—he did everything he could.

But as time passed, and he gradually became the most promising heir to the He family, he started receiving honors and respect he had never enjoyed before.

It was the same with the company. Though he had never directly used the He family’s resources, other businesses began yielding to him.

Did he still genuinely want his little uncle to return?

He couldn’t seem to come up with an answer.

“It’s fine. You don’t need to say anything,” Yun Shuning shook her head. “I’ve already submitted my resignation to the company. From now on…”

“Let’s just be strangers.” Her tone was unusually gentle. “I understand how you feel, but I can’t forgive it.”

After saying this, she turned her head and looked out the window.

This was the plan she had finally come up with—one that matched her persona.

As a supporting female character, she absolutely couldn’t be entangled with the male lead. Now was the perfect time. In a few days, she would leave under the pretense of taking a break.

Once she was far from the capital, she wouldn’t have to live like she was walking on a knife’s edge every day.

He Chen looked at her, as if she had let go of everything and no longer cared about anything. Then he suddenly remembered her background.

She had grown up dependent on others, with no family and no particularly close friends. If she left the company and one day simply gave up on life…

“My little uncle doesn’t like other people going into his room,” he said, glancing at her pale face, nearly translucent. He asked softly, “Miss Yun, would you be willing to come once a week to help tidy up his bedroom?”

It was the best idea he could think of.

Yun Shuning lowered her head, her heart silently swearing WTF. She had finally managed to escape all this drama, only to be dragged back in by a single line from the male lead.

But when she looked up, her expression and her inner thoughts couldn’t have been more different. Her indifferent eyes held a trace of almost undetectable anticipation. “Really… is that okay?”

“Of course.” Seeing the look in her eyes, He Chen let out a sigh of relief. A term of address slipped out naturally, “Little Aunt.”

Yun Shuning looked at him in surprise. Her lips couldn’t help but curve into a slight smile, and for a moment, all the frost around her seemed to melt away.

He Chen had initially felt regretful, but when he saw the brief smile on her face, he blinked and swallowed the apology he had meant to say.

This was fine too.