TCWSITD – Chapter 42.2

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Chapter 42.2 – The Misunderstanding Clears Up

At that moment, Shen Ju’s heart nearly stopped from fright.

He tried to stand up but was pushed back down. Instinctively, he raised his hands to prove his innocence. “I didn’t touch her!” he blurted out.

Lin Jiang sighed and rubbed his temples. “Tian Baby, let go of him.”

Shen Ju breathed a sigh of relief. So… he wasn’t accusing him after all…

He turned his face away, his ears burning red. Don’t even mention touching her—he wouldn’t even dare look at her for more than a second.

Tian Baby burst out laughing. “Aren’t you a little too innocent, little brother?”

She settled back into her seat, then cast a teasing glance at Lin Jiang. “Where’d you find such a handsome guy? Get me one too, will you?”

Lin Jiang didn’t respond right away, but the flicker of irritation in his eyes gave him away.

He placed the medicine on the table. Noticing Shen Ju’s disheveled collar, he hesitated before finally scolding her. “I already told you he’s my teammate. If you want a pretty boy, go find one in your film crew. The kids on my team are too innocent—they can’t handle your teasing…”

Tian Baby laughed again. Her smile bore a trace of resemblance to Lin Jiang’s. Her piercing gaze fixed on Shen Ju made him squirm, as if she held some secret over him.

Seeing Shen Ju still frozen in place, Lin Jiang reached out and pulled him behind himself.

He looked at Tian Baby again. “You’re not a kid anymore. Stop fooling around and find someone stable you can settle with. Mom and Dad called asking why you broke up again. Didn’t you say you were bringing someone home to meet them?”

Scolded, Tian Baby pouted and hugged a pillow defensively. “With so many handsome guys out there, if I don’t go through all of them, wouldn’t I be losing out?”

After she finished speaking, she quickly shielded her head fearing that Lin Jiang would smack her to death.

But the expected hit never came. Instead, she felt something cool touch her ankle—Lin Jiang had brought her an ice pack and was gently pressing it against her injury.

Despite his irritation, he still took care of her. “Take good care of yourself. Don’t try to act tough. I’m heading back now.”

Tian Baby hugged her pillow with a pitiful expression, almost on the verge of tears. “Jiangjiang… can I have a hug before you go?”

Lin Jiang didn’t refuse. He leaned down and embraced her softly. “There, there. It’s just a breakup—and a sprained ankle. I’m still here, aren’t I? Be good, okay?”

Tian Baby clung to him, acting spoiled for a while before reluctantly letting go.

Lin Jiang saw that Shen Ju was still in a daze and pulled him away.

The entire walk back, Shen Ju was lost in thought. He looked at Lin Jiang holding his hand, and for some reason, he seemed to feel that Lin Jiang was a little angry… but he wasn’t sure why.

It wasn’t until they reached the parking garage that Lin Jiang finally let go.

Shen Ju’s collar was wrinkled and reeked of strong perfume.

Lin Jiang suppressed his emotions and straightened it out for him. “Tian Baby’s a fickle person and loves to play around. Don’t be fooled by a few sweet words—she was teasing you on purpose. Don’t take it seriously.”

Shen Ju’s heart pounded as he glanced uncertainly at him. “She’s not your girlfriend, right?”

The parking garage was dim, the low lights casting soft shadows across Lin Jiang’s face.

“No,” he answered simply, then added, “She’s my second older sister.”

Shen Ju couldn’t quite describe what he was feeling—Just that, in that moment, he wanted to rush forward and throw his arms around Lin Jiang. Or maybe pull him close and spin him in circles like a kid who just won a prize.

If not for the last shred of rationality holding him back, he might have actually done it.

At this point, Lin Jiang could only sigh in resignation. “I really thought you’d recognize her the moment you saw her. Everyone says my second sister looks the most like me—that it’s obvious we’re from the same mother. But you didn’t notice at all.”

Shen Ju had only noticed that she was very beautiful and hadn’t dared to look too closely—much less connect her to Lin Jiang.

Who knew such a surprise was hidden beneath the surface…

“You’re probably wondering why we don’t share the same last name, huh?”

“She used to be called Lin Mei, but she thought it was too old-fashioned. When she was twelve, my parents took her to change it. They said a fortune-teller had calculated that this name would help her become famous in the entertainment industry. And sure enough, her career took off pretty well. After that, she wouldn’t let us call her by her old name anymore. Everyone had to call her Baby.”

Now that he thought about it, Shen Ju had seen the name Tian Baby on trending searches before.

So this “Baby” wasn’t that kind of “baby.”[mfn]Yep, if you go back to last chapter, there’s a difference between “baby” and “Baby”. I deliberately capitalize the word when Lin Jiang is saying it because it’s a proper noun, the name of his sister. Meanwhile, all of Shen Ju’s ‘baby’ is in lowercase.[/mfn]

So their closeness wasn’t what he’d imagined—it was just the natural affection between siblings.

Shen Ju quickened his pace to catch up with Lin Jiang. All his questions had been answered, and in his mind, he automatically started filling in all the excuses on Lin Jiang’s behalf.

But…

He slowly came to a stop, finally realizing what was off. “Captain, then why did you pretend to have a girlfriend?”

Lin Jiang was already 21—not exactly young anymore. No matter how busy he was, it was still the age that one should start thinking about dating. If he wasn’t opposed to the idea of dating, shouldn’t he be showing at least some kind of interest?

Yet Lin Jiang had gone out of his way to pretend to have a girlfriend, discouraging anyone who might have had feelings for him.

It was as if the entire circle silently acknowledged this unspoken secret: Lin Jiang had a very beautiful girlfriend, but no one knew exactly what she looked like.

Almost as if… it was a lie deliberately created to hide an even bigger secret.

Lin Jiang stopped ahead.

The night around them was pitch-black, not a single flicker of light in sight.

Shen Ju braced himself for the worst, waiting for that answer to come.

“I… liked a guy once. But his family didn’t approve. His mother came to me and said some unpleasant things. At first, I thought maybe that was just the price I had to pay. But when I asked him if he wanted to make it official, he refused without hesitation. That’s when I realized… maybe it was meaningless for me to insist alone.”

“I was ready to give up, but his family had too much influence. Even when I said there’s no relationship between us, they wouldn’t believe me—it was like they needed some kind of proof. I had no choice but to pull in my second sister as a shield. I don’t know if they bought it, but they seemed satisfied enough. They never bothered me again after that.”

“Over the years, his family kept a close watch on me. It’s like the moment I step forward to clarify it, they will immediately find another excuse to attack me.”

“Eventually, everyone in the industry started believing it, and I just went along with it quietly.”

Lin Jiang walked a few steps ahead before realizing Shen Ju wasn’t following.

He stopped and turned back. In the darkness, he could see Shen Ju’s gaze fixed intently on him—eyes glistening, almost like he was about to cry.

Trying to lighten the mood, Lin Jiang teased, “What’s wrong? Afraid now that I’m gay? Don’t worry, it’s not contagious.”

He even managed a laugh—fragile like a porcelain doll about to shatter in a shop window.

Shen Ju couldn’t hold back any longer. Without a word, he strode forward and pulled Lin Jiang into a tight embrace.

That embrace gave Lin Jiang a strength he hadn’t felt in ages.

Back then, when he desperately wanted this kind of strength, He Gu hadn’t provided it. Even now, He Gu’s mother’s words still echoed in his mind: “Can you give him a child?”

No matter how beautiful the love was, it could be brutally crushed by words like that.

He had carefully hidden his sexuality, not wanting to face that kind of humiliation again.

He’d even resigned himself to the possibility of growing old alone.

But Shen Ju’s tight embrace dispelled all those negative emotions.

Lowering his head, Lin Jiang finally laughed in relief.

He realized that when you truly matter to someone, they’ll hold you without hesitation at your most vulnerable.

Lin Jiang felt a little tired after persisting for so long. Now that he finally had a chance to rest, he tentatively leaned into the embrace.

“Do you think I was wrong?”

“Lin Jiang, they were the ones in the wrong, not you. From the start, they were the ones who refused to admit their mistakes, and then tried to shift the blame onto you.”

Shen Ju’s voice trembled with emotions he’d kept bottled up for so long. He had never held anyone this tightly before.

He didn’t know Lin Jiang’s past, or the kind of treatment he had suffered.

All he knew was that the Lin Jiang he cherished deeply—so much that he barely dared to reach out—had been treated like this by others.

His Lin Jiang had been broken elsewhere, then painstakingly glued himself back together to become who he was now.

Shen Ju’s heart ached so much he could hardly breathe. “Those people aren’t worth remembering. Just forget them. From now on, whatever happens, they have nothing to do with you.”

In the darkness, only by holding him tightly could he calm the turbulent emotions deep inside.

After what felt like forever, Lin Jiang patted his arm and joked weakly, “You’re going to strangle me to death.”

Shen Ju released his grip, lowering his head.

In the darkness, a flicker of light appeared.

Lin Jiang paused, reaching out to gently touch his face. “Did you cry?”

It was the first time Shen Ju had ever cried in front of him. He kept his head bowed, trying not to let him see.

Now Lin Jiang truly believed Shen Ju didn’t despise him. Without hesitation, he wiped Shen Ju’s tear-streaked face and teased him, “Is my second sister pretty?”

Shen Ju nodded at first, then caught himself and shook his head quickly, his eyes wide and guilty like a scolded puppy. “I don’t like her that way…”

“It’s not embarrassing at all. My second sister is pretty, and it’s only natural for guys your age to have a crush on her.” Lin Jiang sniffed the air around him and chuckled, “You smell like her perfume.”

Shen Ju suddenly felt awkward. He took off his jacket and gave it a sniff—it was probably the leftover scent from the makeup table he’d accidentally knocked over earlier.

He followed behind him, quietly emphasizing again, “I really don’t like her like that.”

Lin Jiang smiled but said nothing.

The late night was supposed to feel heavy and stifling, yet somehow, their moods were unexpectedly light and clear.

After a while, Lin Jiang joked again, “Now you know my biggest secret—you can’t tell anyone, okay?”

Shen Ju nodded vigorously. Realizing Lin Jiang couldn’t see him, he solemnly promised, “I won’t let anyone find out.”

Lin Jiang chuckled softly again. Shen Ju wasn’t sure what he meant, but he felt a fluttering warmth inside, like emotions ready to spill over.

A sudden thought struck him: Since Lin Jiang likes guys, maybe there’s a chance for him after all?

Climbing into the car, Shen Ju felt the rollercoaster of emotions from the past two hours—it was time to take a moment and settle his mind.

Suddenly, Lin Jiang pointed at Shen Ju sitting beside him. Shen Ju rolled down the window. Lin Jiang pointed again, and Shen Ju rolled it back up.

Lin Jiang burst into laughter, then unbuckled his seatbelt. He leaned over to fasten Shen Ju’s. “What are you thinking about? So distracted?”

Shen Ju’s ears turned slightly red.

He was pretty sure Lin Jiang didn’t really want to know.

The car started driving back, and though he was still in the passenger seat, everything felt a little different this time.

Shen Ju looked at him boldly, the more he looked, the more he thought Lin Jiang was handsome in every way—even his fingers on the steering wheel were beautiful. Who could be so blind as to let him go?

People who didn’t know how to cherish him deserved to be kicked to the curb as early as possible, making room for those who truly appreciated him.

As the car climbed onto the overpass, Shen Ju looked into his eyes, wanting to compliment him but not daring to be too direct. “Captain, your eyes look just like your sister’s.”

Lin Jiang’s expression turned serious. “My second sister may be pretty, but she’s got a wild streak. Don’t get yourself tangled up with her.”

Shen Ju quietly replied, “Mm.”

He wasn’t interested in Lin Jiang’s second sister—he was interested in Lin Jiang himself.

The city lights outside sparkled brilliantly, and the atmosphere inside the car grew quietly intimate.

Suddenly, Shen Ju felt a fierce determination rise within him: he would help Lin Jiang claim the championship, achieve his dream of a triple crown, and never let anyone hurt him again.

Together, they would stand at the highest peak, creating glory that would make everyone understand—

Lin Jiang deserved nothing less than the very best this world had to offer.

The car rushed across the overpass at full speed, charging forward without hesitation.

The next morning, Lin Jiang overslept and was running late.

He hurriedly freshened up and went downstairs to find everyone diligently attending to their tasks without slacking. When they saw him, they greeted him warmly.

Lin Jiang gave a polite reply. Just as he settled in, Song Zhixu hurried over with a cup of coffee.

“Captain, you’ve worked hard. Here’s some coffee for you. I’ve already launched the game…”

Setting the cup down, he immediately hopped into his seat and grabbed the mouse to log in.

Lin Jiang was utterly confused. He turned to Shen Ju and asked, “I overslept, why didn’t anyone wake me up?”

Shen Ju was still in the middle of a game but immediately spared a moment to reply, “I told them you worked hard reviewing the footage yesterday, so we let you sleep a little longer.”

No wonder everyone was so enthusiastic today.

Lin Jiang suddenly felt a pang of guilt. “You don’t need to cover for me. Next time, just tell them the truth.”

He turned on his computer and started the day’s training.

Today’s match was a fierce battle between YIG and SNG. The winner would earn points for third place, and the loser would have to go play in the promotion tournament.

The match had nothing to do with OT, so Lin Jiang only gave it a quick glance.

YIG was indeed strong. After being defeated by Lin Jiang, Emperor F didn’t crumble—instead, he grew even stronger.

In the final moments of the game, he pulled off a “true form double Q”[mfn]The “true form double Q” is a technique where Zed uses his W to pivot his real body, changing the direction of his main Q attack so that both Q projectiles overlap perfectly—dealing double damage![/mfn] with Zed, securing a triple kill and clinching the victory.

The speed of the “true form double Q” was astonishing—mastering it required reflexes faster than the game’s mechanics.

It seemed that Emperor F had specifically trained this signature move after being provoked by Lin Jiang that day.

This year’s LPL teams were performing quite well overall.

Lin Jiang refocused and prepared for a training match against XIG.

The match followed a BO3 format—whoever took two games first wins.

XIG showed no mercy. With no shot at Worlds even if they made the playoffs, they were playing like they had nothing to lose—aggressive and relentless from start to finish.

Playing it safe with their draft, OT lost the first game right out of the gate.

The team fell silent, and Lin Jiang’s mood sank…

Then, without a hint of panic, Shen Ju pulled out Nilah in the next two games, completely overwhelming XIG and forcing them to surrender twice in a row.

After the match, the manager specifically called Fang Luxing, joking, “If Nilah gets nerfed, it’s definitely Shen Ju’s fault.”

Staring at the post-match stats, Lin Jiang couldn’t help but marvel, “Shen Ju, what on earth did you eat growing up?”

Before Shen Ju could respond, Song Zhixu, who was even more excited, jumped up and wrapped an arm around his neck. “Shen Ju, can you be any more insane? I’m about to fall for you…”

“Song Zhixu, are you f*cking sick or something…”

“HAHAHAHA…”

The teammates burst into laughter and chaos. Lin Jiang watched them with a smile in his eyes.

Loud and chaotic as they were, this team never let him down when it mattered.

He finally exhaled, a weight off his chest. In his hand was Shen Ju’s performance chart from the summer split—

His six-dimensional chart was nearly maxed out, and his damage output stat was practically off the charts.

There were two types of players in the world.

The first was the naturally gifted type—those who could dominate opponents with minimal training.

The second was the hardworking type—those who compensated for their lack of innate talent with relentless effort and intelligence.

Shen Ju was both—he was blessed with extraordinary talent and also had an insane work ethic, resulting in this staggering performance.

Even the usually critical Li Qian came over and nodded approvingly.

“Not bad,” he said.

Lin Jiang couldn’t help but smile too.

Perhaps OT really could create a miracle.

He’d be waiting to see it.

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