TCWSITD – Chapter 40.3

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Chapter 40.3 – Witnessing Lin Jiang At His Peak

After defeating YIG, Lin Jiang’s fans completely lost it!

They’d prepared themselves for Lin Jiang getting crushed and losing the match.

They’d already started prepping damage control plans, stressing over how OT could crawl through the Regional Qualifiers and still reach Worlds.

Yet Lin Jiang delivered two teaching matches, instantly transporting everyone back to his peak two years ago!

Many old fans still remember how powerful Lin Jiang was at his peak. He was the first mid laner who could make even LCK netizens bow in respect!

If he’s really returned to his prime form, then taking home another championship wasn’t impossible at all!

The screams from the audience drowned out the commentators’ voices. The live chat exploded—whether they were Lin Jiang fans or not, everyone was electrified after witnessing those plays.

You should know that the LPL hasn’t produced a decent mid laner in years! Everyone was hoping for a second Lin Jiang to lead them in defeating the LCK!

But instead of a second Lin Jiang, they got the man himself making a comeback!

Could anything be more thrilling than this?

Old Mao, watching the result, was over the moon. Shouting about how he’d just witnessed the Lin Jiang of old, he pulled out 20,000-yuan in red envelopes to hand out to fans on the spot.

As he sent prizes flying out to the audience, he couldn’t help but get emotional:
“It’s not easy. It really isn’t. Too many players fall off—and stay down forever. But to see Lin Jiang claw his way back in my lifetime is already a tremendous blessing! Having Lin Jiang is a blessing for our entire LPL! Alright, let’s keep the draws coming!”

The prize wheel kept spinning, much like the excitement of those participating in the onsite fan event.

When it finally stopped, the lucky fan stepped onto the stage, thrilled to take a photo with their favorite player.

Lin Jiang was still, as always, the center of attention. Fans flooding the stage were clearly there for him.

Shen Ju had his own brand of teasing fans. Someone even brought a sign with one of his blacklisted nicknames printed on it. He reluctantly posed for a photo with his “anti-fan.”

Meanwhile, Song Zhixu gained a devoted fan who boldly vowed to witness his growth, while A’Deng and Zhou Wen were also gradually gaining recognition.

During the group photo, Lin Jiang grinned brightly, flashing a peace sign.

On his left, Shen Ju instinctively draped an arm over his shoulder, while A’Deng on his right subconsciously leaned in. Song Zhixu, ever the attention-seeker, squeezed toward the center from the edge, leaving Zhou Wen as the only one properly posing with fans.

The final shot captured the entire team in the frame.

The deafening music at the venue starkly contrasted the quiet office.

He Gu was filling his water bottle. His cell phone was on the table with the speaker on, and it displayed his mother’s number calling him.

“Be home by 9 AM tomorrow. Don’t say you’re busy—family banquets take precedence over everything. No matter how busy you are, you’re not allowed to be more than ten minutes late. When you arrive, the first thing you do is sit with your grandma. She mentioned yesterday that she missed you. WWatch the weather report with her for a while—no matter how bored you feel, don’t let it show. After that, come upstairs and find me. I’ve prepared gifts for your uncles and aunts. Double-check them ahead of time—I don’t want any mistakes. Oh, and your father will be back in the afternoon. Go talk to him in his study. At dinner, mind your manners—don’t bring that drinking-table behavior you’ve picked up outside back into this house. I won’t tolerate it.”

He Gu responded with an absentminded “Mhm.” This kind of suffocatingly precise scheduling was a daily routine in his family.

There was pause on the line. “Why is it so noisy? Are you watching a game broadcast again? Haven’t I told you—it’s fine to have fun, but don’t waste your time on that stuff? At your age, there’s so much to do. Why insist on this project no one believes in? Do you know how awkward your father felt yesterday when your uncle brought you up…”

Behind a transparent glass case sat beautiful butterfly specimens. He Gu gently opened it, and took out the butterfly box—now only beauty remained, with no life left inside.

Their whole lives had been destined for display—that was their sole value. Who would care about how they were when they were alive?

He softly lifted the glass cover. The moment air touched the butterfly’s wings, the colors would begin to fade, oxidation stealing their brilliance. And just before that transformation, he finally saw their most beautiful hue.

The phone call had paused briefly before the accusations resumed. “The older you get, the more disobedient you’ve become. You used to be such a good boy.”

He Gu removed the butterfly specimen from the box. Its wings were firmly pinned to a wooden block, frozen in the beauty of its final moment.

“…Mom, can I not come home for dinner tomorrow?”

“You’re not coming? It’s a family banquet. Your uncles and aunts will all be there! How can you not come? Do you even hear yourself?”

He Gu knew. “Family banquets mean nothing to me. Neither my father’s opinions nor my uncle’s industry insights are of any use to me.”

“Your dad has been investing for many years, and you…”

“Mom,” he interrupted, “I invest in emerging industries with long-term returns. He wouldn’t be interested.”

A brief silence followed before she could no longer tolerate it. “A’Gu, who taught you to speak so rudely? Is this how you talk to your mother? A family banquet is a family banquet. It’s about everyone being together, not about your so-called investments that aren’t even worth mentioning. You must come tomorrow. If you don’t, don’t even think about continuing any of your hobbies!”

“Beep beep beep—”

The call ended abruptly.

Indifference filled He Gu’s eyes as he slowly crushed the butterfly in his palm. Its wings disintegrated into shimmering dust. The silver pins that once held it in place fell one by one.

The empty office space reverberated with the live broadcast’s commentary.

This time, it was Lin Jiang being interviewed. When asked about those two teaching games, his eyes glowing with an unmistakable fire.

“The past is the past. What I want to do most now is to build a better future. I hope that one day my future will be more brilliant than my past.”

I hope that one day my future will be more brilliant than my past.

Those youthful jokes, that so-called idealism, He Gu had never taken them seriously. Yet Lin Jiang was making it happen, one steady step at a time.

Is it ridiculous?

Maybe the truly ridiculous ones are those without any dreams at all.

Standing before the wide-open window, He Gu let the fierce wind extinguish the cigarette in his hand.

He took a long drag, the smoke thick and heavy in his lungs.

Staring into the night, he’d never felt more clearly the distance growing between him and Lin Jiang.

He picked up his phone and carefully dialed the other party’s number.

As he waited, he kept thinking over and over what words he should say, but the moment the call connected, only a slight tremor remained in his heart.

He hung his head like a defeated man and whispered, “Lin Jiang.”

The line was noisy on the other side. Perhaps the call had been picked up by accident, and no one responded for a while.

He heard someone speaking to Lin Jiang. “Captain, where’s my backpack? Didn’t you grab it for me?”

Lin Jiang retorted, “Get it yourself, you spoiled brat.”

The other person started whining playfully, “Captain, you’re my favorite captain, what’s wrong with spoiling me a little…”

Then a woman chimed in, “Everything’s ready, we can go back now!”

Lin Jiang suddenly raised his voice. Where’s Shen Ju? Why’s he been in the bathroom so long? Did he fall in there? Song Zhixu, go pull him out of the bathroom…”

He slammed the call shut.

The voices stopped, plunging the room into a dead silence.

It was as if he could see Lin Jiang from back then, bustling around the team but occasionally looking up at him with a clean, bright smile.

That Lin Jiang… he had somehow lost him.

Clenching his phone, he opened a drawer filled with pictures of Lin Jiang.

As he pulled out a thick stack, he suddenly noticed something amiss and immediately dialed the front desk, “Who came into my office today?”

Meanwhile, Lin Jiang finally had time to check his phone. He scrolled through messages while walking with the team.

Suddenly, a hand reached over his head and snatched his phone. Shen Ju, with a mix of mischief and apprehension said, “Didn’t you say looking at your phone while walking will make your eyes go blind?”

Lin Jiang shot back seriously, “So, are you afraid I’ll break your hand if you try to snatch my phone?”

Shen Ju realized his mistake and immediately bolted.

Lin Jiang lunged forward, catching him in a headlock. Grinning, he pinched Shen Ju’s cheek, “Puppy Shen, haven’t eaten? Running so slow? Hurry and give me back my phone.”

Shen Ju’s ears turned slightly red, pretending to be cool as he returned the phone.

Seeing Lin Jiang laugh so freely, he couldn’t help but feel happy too, though he half-complained, half-whined, “Captain, you’re so double-standard.”

Lin Jiang tightened his grip around Shen Ju’s neck, smirking, “Our ranks aren’t even in the same league, and you’re trying to lecture me?”

A fan passing by caught the moment on camera and posted it online, where it quickly went viral.

Although only their backs were visible, Shen Ju’s deliberate stoop to accommodate Lin Jiang’s height was instantly labeled as “pampering” by netizens.

Shen Ju’s fans chimed in with their own takes—

[From my many years of raising dogs, Dog Shen definitely likes Lin Jiang!]

[Wow, this crazy dog is finally falling in love!]

[This guy’s bold, daring to go after Lin Jiang?]

[??? A younger guy?[mfn]年下 (niánxià ) – term for a younger romantic interest[/mfn] Holy shit.]

[Has Shen Ju lost his mind?]

[Classic Dog Shen behavior.]

Lin Jiang’s fans were left speechless: “???”

Can they at least grow some hair before coming to hit on their White Moonlight[mfn]白月光 (bái yuè guāng) – a metaphor for one’s ideal, untainted first love or dream partner.[/mfn]?

As OT advanced to the finals, multiple trending topics popped up, and quietly, Lin Jiang and Shen Ju’s ship quietly climbed the ranks.

Early that morning, Lin Jiang woke up to a message from Old Mao.

[Old Mao: Damn, dude, seriously? You didn’t join OT just because of Shen Ju, right? Why’s everyone online saying you two are dating?]

[Lin Jiang: ?]

[Lin Jiang: We’re not, who said that?]

Then Old Mao sent a link, filled with photos of Lin Jiang taken secretly outside the club.

The photos showed Lin Jiang and Shen Ju, at different times, in different outfits, hanging out alone late at night in the same spot. It definitely looked quite ambiguous.

The headline blared in bold letters—Does anyone actually not know Lin Jiang joined OT for Shen Ju?

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