Chapter 33 has 3 parts; 33.2 and 33.3 will be uploaded tonight at 20:00 and 21:00 EST, respectively
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Chapter 33.1 – Whether It’s You or KUG
In the third game against SNG, Lin Jiang chose Azir.
It wasn’t the first time. Back in KUG’s most pivotal battle, it was this very champion that had carried him to victory.
He Gu still remembered what Lin Jiang had said to him before stepping onto the stage: “Azir is a high-risk, high-reward champion. I’m willing to bet on it with you. If I win, I want you to stick to your vision and lead KUG forward.”
He Gu had asked him, “And if you lose?”
Lin Jiang had smiled and replied, “I won’t let you lose.”
In that game, Lin Jiang’s Azir stood unyielding like a god, enduring to the very end.
Even when there were no soldiers left at his side, he rallied an army of the dead and led ghostly cavalry to crush enemy lines again and again.
“He took us to witness a miracle!”
The cheers nearly blew the roof off the venue. Both domestic and international media reported on it—no one had expected Lin Jiang to be the one standing victorious in the end.
If your win-rate is only 0.5%…
…I’ll pull it up to 100%.
I won’t let you lose.
A thin haze of smoke hung in the office air. On the screen before him, the third match between OT and SNG played out in real time.
The manager watched the screen while stealing glances at the stern-faced He Gu. “Young Master He, that contract wasn’t my idea. It was approved by the board. I’m just the one carrying it out.”
His face twisted in distress, afraid of being implicated. “The project manager repeatedly assured me it was fine. Since everyone else agreed, I didn’t see a reason to oppose it, so…”
A document hit the table with a heavy thud, the sound sharp in the quiet room.
He Gu tapped the ash off his cigarette, voice cool and even. “You don’t have that kind of authority. Talk. What else?”
The calmness carried an innate pressure. The manager didn’t dare lift his head. “The project manager told me it was your decision… and Alike is your cousin, after all. Your mother even called me personally, hinting that we should take care of Alike. We all assumed you had silently approved it and didn’t dare bother you…”
During the year he spent studying abroad, He Gu had handed over all executive authority of KUG.
But he had made one thing clear—anything involving Lin Jiang had to be reported to him directly.
Clearly, someone had gone out of their way to block the message.
He Gu wasn’t one to show his emotions openly. But now, he ground the cigarette into the glass ashtray—pressing it so hard the stub crumbled to ash. “I never silently approved anything. You don’t need to speculate. I built KUG with my own hands—if I’m just going to follow others, then what’s the point of me sitting here?”
The manager regretted his actions deeply. Even back then, he had felt something was off. But the project manager had been eager to cozy up to Alike, making Lin Jiang a natural target.
“I didn’t handle this well, Young Master He. Please punish me as you see fit.”
“Punishing you won’t bring Lin Jiang back.”
In He Gu’s indifferent tone, the manager suddenly sensed something—as if, compared to KUG’s severe decline, he cared more about Lin Jiang’s departure.
There had been rumors about them before. Could they really be…?
“Get out.”
“Ah—y-yes, of course.”
The game was still playing on the screen. Lin Jiang turned the tide with a precise spiral R[mfn]Emperor’s Divide (R) – this ability creates a wall of sand soldiers that dashes forward, knocking back and damaging enemies it collides with.[/mfn], pushing back all three opponents. With Shen Ju’s clutch damage output, they secured the crucial team fight.
The cheers from the live audience nearly drowned out the game audio. After confirming their victory, Lin Jiang threw his head back and laughed—wild and free.
This was OT’s final match of the regular season—also their desperate comeback.
He took off his headset and stood, pulling Shen Ju into a tight embrace. The way Shen Ju looked at him was anything but innocent.
The barrage was already buzzing with jokes—
[Shen Ju, this dog, definitely has feelings for Lin Jiang.]
[He turns into a damn puppy the moment Lin Jiang’s around.]
[Shen, you damn dog, stop hesitating. Just hug him if you want to!]
He Gu’s fingers, still lightly tapping the desk, came to a stop. His gaze dropped behind his glasses, lenses catching the last shimmer of the match footage.
On that stage, Lin Jiang shone too brightly.
He was so dazzling that even the stage lights around him seemed to dim in comparison.
He led his teammates, walking confidently onto the stage to claim the glory that belonged to them.
The scene overlapped with the one from years ago.
He was back in that audience again, in that fateful match from years ago—
Watching Lin Jiang at the front of the stage, smiling as he turned to wave at him.
At that moment, golden confetti rained down abruptly. Lin Jiang held the trophy as he walked toward him—radiant and blazing, an irresistible brilliance.
It was as if he were saying, “See? I won’t let you lose.”
It was probably then that He Gu first realized his heart belonged to Lin Jiang.
He let his feelings grow unchecked, indulging himself in a life that, for more than twenty years, had never allowed such freedom.
Then came the day his mother summoned him to her room, tossing a pile of photos onto the table.
“What exactly is your relationship with Lin Jiang?”
He Gu knelt on the floor, picking up the scattered photos one by one. Staring at Lin Jiang’s bright smile, he finally realized this dream had reached its end.
“We’re just ordinary friends.”
“Ordinary friends? Ordinary friends, and you’d postponed investments just to watch his matches? I’ve asked A’Wen, and he told me you’re incredibly close to him. You even keep his photos in your phone, yet all these years, you’ve never saved a single picture of me. How am I supposed to believe your feelings for him are innocent?”
The photos burned beneath his fingertips. He’d thought about breaking free, but in the end, all he could do was lower his hands in defeat.
His mother said, “I want to meet him.”
He Gu looked up sharply. “There’s no need. If you don’t trust me, I’ll leave the country.”
His mother scoffed. “The more you say that, the more it makes me want to meet him.”
His body no longer felt like his own. Standing before his mother, he remained frozen for a long time, unable to move. Looking back on a life destined to be put on display for over two decades, he disobeyed orders for the first time:
“No. I won’t let you see him.”
The result was predictable.
She still managed to track down Lin Jiang by any means necessary.
Upon learning the news, He Gu experienced for the first time in his life what it meant to be burning with anxiety.
He could no longer maintain his dignified composure or uphold his refined manners.
Traveling fast and weary, he arrived at the restaurant to find his mother sitting rigidly opposite Lin Jiang. Lin Jiang looked a little tense but greeted her politely.
When the topic of their relationship came up, He Gu suddenly stepped forward, grabbing Lin Jiang’s hand tightly. “Come with me.”
The car sped through the streets. Lin Jiang seemed to realize something—his hand burning hot within He Gu’s grasp. “Your mother asked me today… what exactly our relationship is.”
He looked up at him cautiously. “What do you think it should be?”
He Gu recoiled as if scalded, withdrawing his hand.
The unspoken truth between them had never been voiced—not because they hadn’t thought about it, but because they couldn’t.
Conflicted and tangled in emotions, he told Lin Jiang, “Let’s just stay friends.”
Lin Jiang paused, then pouted, “Fine. We’ve always been friends anyway.”
The second meeting was initiated by Lin Jiang, who requested to see his mother again.
He greeted her politely as before, then solemnly stated, “Auntie, Young Master He and I are merely ordinary friends. Besides, I already have a girlfriend.”
He tapped open a WeChat profile picture—a girl as beautiful as a rose, enough to make anyone’s heart flutter.
“She and I have grown together and have a very good relationship. I have no plans to break up with her for the time being.”
He dialed her number. “What are you up to?”
A sultry, lazy voice answered, “Shooting a drama, what else… Why, do you miss me again?”
Lin Jiang hummed in reply. “I bought you a bag. Keep an eye out for the delivery.”
“Another one? My closet’s already overflowing.”
“It’s a new design. Didn’t you say you wanted it last time?”
The voice on the other end suddenly brightened. “Wow! A’Jiang, you’re such a sweetheart! I love you so much! Mwah! Mwah!”
He Gu stood silently behind them the entire time, his eyes frozen with coldness.
As Lin Jiang stood to leave and brushed past him, He Gu reached out to grab him—but Lin Jiang moved to evade his grasp.
His mother called out, “A’Gu, stop making trouble. Come home with me.”
Come home.
Back to his gilded cage.
Wrapped tight by creeping vines, unable to take even a single step out until death.
Such was his fate.
Suddenly, the office door swung open—it was Alike.
“Ge, you’re really here today? Why didn’t you come see me?”
He cheerfully approached He Gu, only to be met with undisguised disgust. “From now on, don’t enter my office without permission.”
Alike’s smile slowly faded. Unwilling to accept this, he protested, “Ge, I know you’re disappointed with KUG’s performance, but it’s not my fault. The other four are just terrible. If we replace them, I could definitely—”
“Out.” He Gu repeated his order to leave.
Alike clenched his hands tight, turning away with frustration.
Then, as if recalling something, he looked back with lingering resentment. “Ge, are you really mad at me because KUG’s ranking dropped… or because I told Auntie about you and Lin Jiang back then?”
He Gu’s gaze immediately turned cold.
He locked eyes with Alike, a deadly chill simmering beneath the surface.
The more He Gu acted like this, the deeper Alike’s hatred for Lin Jiang grew, bleeding from his heart. “I don’t regret doing that! Lin Jiang doesn’t deserve you at all!”
The office door slammed shut heavily.
He Gu rose and called the front desk with a voice sharp and cold as ice. “Tell security—no unauthorized personnel are allowed here from now on, especially players of the team.”
After hanging up, the last ounce of strength drained from him.
When he was young, he lacked the courage to fight for love. By the time he finally could, the chance was gone.
He flicked open his lighter and lit a cigarette.
Amid the swirling smoke, the screen played Lin Jiang’s post-match interview.
When asked if he had any regrets, Lin Jiang shook his head. “Everything I do now is what I want to do. I’ve never had any regrets.”
Never had any regrets.
He left KUG. Left him. And Lin Jiang said he never regretted a thing.
He Gu’s hand shook as he lit his cigarette.
He had always been rational and composed, but in that moment, he truly felt the urge to destroy everything.
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