TCWSITD – Chapter 45.2

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Chapter 45.2 – The Puppy’s Confession

There are still many people in the hospital late at night, bustling with the cycle of life and death.

Lin Jiang and Shen Ju sat quietly in the corridor, waiting for their scans.

Both remained silent. Shen Ju kept his head down, wanting to say something but unsure how.

Just as he began to speak, Lin Jiang broke the silence: “You…”

Shen Ju looked up at him, his eyes shining and hopeful.

Lin Jiang hesitated, with a touch of awkwardness. His raised hand didn’t know where to go, so he placed it on the bench. “You played really well today.”

Suddenly, Shen Ju said, “Captain, you should put your hand on my head.”

Lin Jiang blinked. “Huh?”

Then, like an unloved little puppy, Shen Ju gently picked up Lin Jiang’s hand and placed it on his own head, lowering it to quietly receive his comfort.

“Didn’t you say you’d treat me the same as before? You used to put your hand on my head to encourage me…”

Lin Jiang had always considered himself pretty composed and experienced, but even he found himself thrown off this time.

It was the same gesture as always, yet this time, there was an unspoken tension quietly brewing. Even his fingers felt strangely unsure.

He tried his best to act like nothing had changed, but after what had happened between them, things inevitably felt a little awkward.

His fingers twitched slightly. Shen Ju’s hair was so soft, just like a puppy’s when rubbed. Lin Jiang had to restrain himself not to keep ruffling it.

Just then, the patient next to them got called in.

Lin Jiang cleared his throat and used the chance to pull his hand away. “I’ll check if Li Qian and the others went back already.”

He pulled out his phone, only to realize it was out of battery.

Shen Ju handed him his own phone. Lin Jiang opened WeChat and was about to message Li Qian when he suddenly noticed something.

Shen Ju, the kind of person who even mutes group chats, had actually pinned Lin Jiang’s chat to the top.

Lin Jiang had only been on the team for two months, and the messages he’d sent Shen Ju could be counted on one hand. Was there really a need to pin him at the top?

Lin Jiang’s hand stiffened. Shen Ju, glancing down briefly, calmly took the phone back, scrolled to Li Qian’s contact, and passed it back without a word.

Adhering to the principle of “if he’s not embarrassed, then I won’t be either,” Lin Jiang dialed Li Qian and casually stood by the door, trying to put some space between them.

“Hello?”

“It’s me, Lin Jiang.”

“Why are you calling me from Shen Ju’s phone again?”

“My phone’s dead,” Lin Jiang said, sneaking a guilty glance back into the room. “Uh… did you all make it back?”

“Yeah.”

“Everyone got back safely?”

“What’s there to be unsafe about? It’s not like we’re special ops or something.”

“Mm, as long as you’re safe.”

“That’s it? Then I’m hanging up?”

“Wait.” Lin Jiang looked inside again and started grasping at straws. “So, uh, have you reviewed the match yet? Any thoughts to discuss?”

There was silence on the other end before Li Qian suddenly asked, “Did you get yourself into trouble?”

“What kind of trouble would I be in?”

“Okay then. I’m hanging up.”

“Hold on!” Lin Jiang called out again, rubbing his forehead. “Can’t I just chat about the match with you?”

“The summer split’s over—what’s left to review?” Li Qian sounded increasingly suspicious. “Seriously, did something happen? Why are you making small talk? Just tell me what’s going on.”

Lin Jiang took a deep breath, then quickly deflated. “I’m fine. You can hang up now.”

After Li Qian ended the call, Lin Jiang scrolled through the contact list again, thinking about calling Song Zhixu.

Just then, Shen Ju’s voice suddenly came from behind: “Captain… is it that you don’t want to be around me?”

Lin Jiang was so startled he nearly dropped his phone. “No, of course not.”

Behind him, Shen Ju suddenly rested his head against Lin Jiang’s back.“Captain… since there’s no going back anyway… why don’t we give it a try? What if you end up liking me too?”

Lin Jiang had thought about it before, but…

He still couldn’t bring himself to take that step.

Shen Ju’s background was too much like He Gu’s. Both came from privilege, had status, and advantages that looked dazzling from the outside—but to Lin Jiang, those were red flags, not bonuses.

Because he already knew how it would end, he didn’t have the courage to hold onto a relationship like that again.

And more than anything, he didn’t want to repeat the past—turning a good friend into someone he’d never speak to again.

Shen Ju suddenly reached out from behind, wrapping his arms gently around him.

He spoke in a tone full of dependence: “Captain, I know what you’re afraid of. Don’t worry. None of the things you’re worried about will happen. I’m the family’s good-for-nothing. There are two outstanding older brothers waiting to inherit everything. My parents don’t expect anything from me. In that house, it’s no different from being dead…”

“Captain, things won’t be like before. Let’s give it a try.”

When he finished, he held on tighter, resting his face in the hollow of Lin Jiang’s shoulder, waiting for an answer.

And Lin Jiang… found himself wavering.

There was no denying he was attracted to Shen Ju—but he wasn’t sure if this attraction would last, or if it was even the right thing.

Hesitantly, he tried to pry Shen Ju’s hands away but couldn’t.

Shen Ju pressed close behind him and asked in a muffled voice, “Captain, what is it you really want?”

What did he want? There were so many things he wanted.

Lin Jiang smiled bitterly. “Shen Ju… I’m done making mistakes. You haven’t been through what I have. What I want now is someone I can spend the rest of my life with. If I’m not ready to get married, then I don’t think I’ll start another relationship at all…”

Hearing this, Shen Ju held him even tighter. “Captain, I can marry you. I’m not acting on impulse. I’ve liked you for a long time. Since the first time I saw you two years ago… I’ve liked you ever since.”

Two years ago?

Lin Jiang thought back to that time—and immediately felt lightheaded.

“You… back then?”

Shen Ju’s ears turned slightly red. “I never told anyone, but I liked you from the first moment I saw you. When you joined our team, I was really happy. That day, I didn’t skip your welcome ceremony on purpose—I just didn’t know how to face you. And later, when I gave up my room for you, it was voluntary. No one forced me…”

He wasn’t used to sharing a room, the whirring of the cheap air conditioner, or the overly dry air. After moving into Song Zhixu’s room, he often had trouble sleeping.

But he never complained, so no one knew he had deliberately given his room to Lin Jiang.

In fact, he also wanted Lin Jiang to stay.

He just couldn’t express it as passionately as Song Zhixu did.

So he had always been afraid—terrified that Lin Jiang would never know his feelings. After learning Lin Jiang’s true sexual orientation, the emotions he’d bottled up inside could no longer be held back.

Shen Ju buried his face in the crook of Lin Jiang’s shoulder, his gaze darkening. Back then, I liked you very, very much. After spending some time together, I liked you even more. I have never liked anyone else, so I know this isn’t just some fleeting feeling. I’m not asking you to give me an answer, I just want you to know how I feel. Even if you reject me in the end, that’s okay.”

He gently took Lin Jiang’s hand, his emotions too overwhelming to express in words.

Shen Ju knew deep down he liked Lin Jiang far more than he let on. Being apart from him was physically painful, and those inner demons would devour him whole.

But it didn’t matter. As long as he could stay by Lin Jiang’s side, that was enough.

Truth be told, Lin Jiang felt a faint flutter in his chest—especially when Shen Ju’s pinky hooked around his—that sudden surge of emotion was impossible to ignore.

Clearing his throat awkwardly, Lin Jiang turned to face Shen Ju. The younger man’s earnest, unguarded gaze and the undisguised flush on his ears tugged at Lin Jiang’s heartstrings again.

Youthful love really is beautiful, making people want to cherish it.

Lin Jiang didn’t reject him outright. After some thought, he said carefully, “Let’s focus on the matches first. If, after the World Championship, you still feel the same, then maybe I’ll consider it.”

Those words were like causing a dead branch to bloom with splendid new buds again.

Shen Ju struggled to keep his emotions in check but still grabbed Lin Jiang’s wrist and planted a firm kiss on it. “Okay.”

The nurse called their number. Lin Jiang stepped inside to get the scans, then returned to Doctor Cen’s office to ask for his evaluation.

Lin Jiang’s hand was simply overworked and a few days of rest would suffice. But Shen Ju’s condition was far more serious.

Doctor Cen’s frown deepened. “Young man, if you don’t take care of yourself now, you’ll regret it when you’re older. Your hands are already in the state of a 26-year-old’s. Keep this up, and you might not even be able to continue as a professional player…”

Lin Jiang’s chest tightened. “Why is it so bad?”

“Sometimes, when the heavens grant someone exceptional talent, they take something else in return. The more talented a player is, the more likely they are to develop problems with their hands. It’s unavoidable.”

With his immense talent and relentless training, Shen Ju had reached a level many only dreamed of. But the price was a burden the human body couldn’t bear…

But he was still so young—it shouldn’t be like this.

Lin Jiang felt a sudden pang in his chest. “What treatment should be done?”

“My advice is to stop training for at least two months and try conservative methods. If it gets worse and nothing helps, surgery might be the only option.”

Even then, surgery won’t guarantee a full return to normal professional-level training.

And what about the risks of surgery?

What happens if it fails?

A player would never choose surgery unless it’s absolutely necessary, unless they are truly at the end of the road.

And Shen Ju is only 19 years old.

Lin Jiang looked at the scan and began to feel dizzy.

He remembered that in his previous life, Shen Ju’s hand didn’t deteriorate this fast…

Lin Jiang turned his head to look at Shen Ju, who did not dare to look him in the eye. During this period, he had indeed secretly increased his training volume by a significant amount.

After leaving the hospital, they walked down the bustling street. Lin Jiang couldn’t hold back any longer. “You heard what the doctor said, right? You need to stop training.”

Not training for two months was practically a death sentence for Shen Ju, who was preparing for the World Championship.

Shen Ju said nothing and they walked on for another half a block.

Finally, Lin Jiang couldn’t take it anymore. “What are you thinking? Is training more important than your hand?”

Shen Ju looked at him and blurted out, “You are more important.”

Lin Jiang was taken aback, “You…”

Shen Ju turned his head away. He was not good at speaking softly. All he knew was: “The triple crown is your dream. If you can’t get it, it would be a regret for you. And if I don’t win a championship with you, it’ll be a regret for me too. No number of championships can make up for that. Captain, let me train, just this once. After the competition, I will cooperate fully with the treatment…”

“Besides, didn’t you say so yourself, Captain? For professional players, dreams come before everything.”

Lin Jiang couldn’t describe the emotions surging inside him. Shen Ju actually valued him as much as his own dream? He had always been skeptical of Shen Ju’s feelings for him, but in this moment, he was utterly convinced.

The intensity of the emotions overwhelmed Lin Jiang.

They walked another half-block before he asked again, “Are you sure you won’t regret it?”

Shen Ju immediately shook his head, “No regrets.”

If he weren’t afraid of scaring Lin Jiang, he would have expressed even more firmly.

Lin Jiang realized that Shen Ju was similar to him in some ways, yet vastly different in other aspects.

“What if you really go through with the surgery, and it fails…”

“Captain will take care of me.”

Lin Jiang wanted to say, “Take care of you my ass,” but before the words left his mouth, he was already laughing in exasperation.

“I haven’t even agreed, yet you’re already getting ahead of yourself.”

Shen Ju’s ears turned slightly red as he walked beside Lin Jiang. For the first timefelt that he could be so close to him.

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