TCWSITD – Chapter 50.1

Chapter 50 has 2 parts; 50.2 will be uploaded today at 16:00 EST.

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Chapter 50.1 – Rejoining The Team

Lin Jiang never expected that he would spend the last day of his break in a hospital.

When he opened the door and told He Gu to leave, the other man refused.

The alcohol had numbed his pain. His hands were covered in blood, yet he showed no reaction, kneeling lifelessly before him.

“Lin Jiang, can we start over?”

He stretched out his hand and stiffly grabbed his sleeve. All traces of his usual elegance and composure were gone, leaving behind only a hollow shell. The blood on his hands stained Lin Jiang’s wrist. He abandoned his prized negotiation skills and laid his heart bare.

A sudden thought struck Lin Jiang—

He felt as if he were slowly killing He Gu.

Their story had spiraled into a strange, torturous cycle.

The events of their previous life had created an insurmountable rift between them, but for the He Gu of this life, it always seemed like they were just one step away—so he clung onto hope, believing Lin Jiang would one day return to him.

A strange, unbreakable loop had formed between them, one Lin Jiang couldn’t unravel. All he could do was sweep up the broken pieces at home, put on his shoes, and hail a taxi to take He Gu to the hospital.

The doctor worked inside, carefully cleaning He Hu’s wounds while Lin Jiang sat quietly outside, eyes fixed on the ceiling. Weariness suddenly left his mind completely empty.

After the wounds were treated, He Gu developed a high fever in the middle of the night. The mix of alcohol and sickness left him groggy as he lay on the hospital bed, hooked up to an IV drip. Lin Jiang was treating the wound on his foot beside him, while He Gu watched him through half-lidded eyes.

A nurse asked them, “How did you get hurt? Did you fight?”

Lin Jiang remained silent, but He Gu weakly opened his eyes. “No, we’ve never fought.”

Never fought?

Suddenly, Lin Jiang found himself unable to distinguish what had truly happened.

From He Gu’s perspective, they truly had never fought. But in their previous life, they had.

During the four years trapped by the contract at KUG, He Gu’s obsession grew increasingly severe. He would cancel Lin Jiang’s matches over injury reports and argue with him over every disagreement. Once, after Lin Jiang exchanged a few words with Yu Ming, He Gu drunkenly barged into his apartment in the middle of the night, demanding to know if he still loved him.

When fear took hold, love became meaningless. The first time Lin Jiang struck He Gu was when the latter pinned him defenselessly onto the bed.

Lin Jiang punched him hard twice, smashed the watch He Gu had given him, and screamed at him to get out.

He Gu had been drunk that night too. Perhaps convinced Lin Jiang belonged to no one else but him, his voice was full of conviction when he said, “Who else could you be with besides me?”

For the first time, Lin Jiang realized that even a normal person could be driven into madness. He truly didn’t understand how He Gu could say such things—why he thought Lin Jiang should forever be his possession.

The two had a huge fight and smashed a lot of things in the process. It was then that Lin Jiang understood that He Gu would never learn how to love someone, and no one could ever teach him.

The memories began to blur. Lin Jiang no longer had the strength to dwell on the past.

After everything that had happened, he believed sending He Gu to the hospital, calling his assistant, and even paying the hospitalization fees already made him the kindest person in the world.

Exhausted, Lin Jiang picked up his coat and stood to leave. Glancing at his phone as he exited the hospital, he saw it was already 3 AM—nothing but streetlights illuminated the darkness.

Shen Ju should be asleep by now, right? he wondered.

Meanwhile, across town, the door to Lin Jiang’s apartment was being stealthily opened. He entered the password with practiced ease and slipped inside quietly.

Although Shen Ju had promised Lin Jiang he’d restrain himself, in the end, he couldn’t control his feet and ran over like this.

He was afraid of scaring Lin Jiang, so he walked lightly, carefully changed his shoes, and took off his coat. He quietly tiptoed to the bedside—just brushing his fingers against the blanket before even touching the person beneath filled him with overwhelming satisfaction.

He really had missed him too much.

Coming here in the middle of the night had been the right decision.

Shen Ju climbed onto the bed and gently hugged what he thought was Lin Jiang, but something felt off. He squeezed again—wasn’t this a pillow?

He abruptly sat up and turned on the light, staring at the empty bed and the quiet, deserted apartment.

What the hell? Where’s his Lin Jiang?

He immediately called him in panic, Lin answered quickly, and his cool voice came through the phone: “Hello? Why aren’t you asleep yet?”

A strange panic twisted in Shen Ju’s chest, as he grabbed his coat and shoved his feet into his shoes. “Where are you?”

Lin Jiang’s response poured cold water over him: “I’m at home.”

Shen Ju froze mid-motion, one shoe half on. Holding the phone, he seemed to realize something. His mouth opened slightly, but no sound came out.

Lin Jiang’s voice was tired, unwilling to talk much. “Be good. Don’t make a fuss. Go to bed early.”

It took Shen Ju a long time to find his voice. “…Okay.”

The call ended, and the air turned frigid. Those white monsters seemed to crawl out from the walls again, silently surrounding him.

Only when his phone clattered to the floor did he snap back to reality.

No way. Lin Jiang wouldn’t treat him like this. He wasn’t that kind of person.

Shen Ju shook his head hard, trying to dislodge the absurd thought. He bent to pick up his phone and his gaze caught on a fragment beneath the doorway. Picking it up, he recognized it instantly—it was the tail of the little golden retriever.

Shen Ju looked blankly at the table and finally noticed—the two cups that had been sitting there were long gone.

Could it be that…

Lin Jiang regretted it?

Elsewhere, Lin Jiang didn’t bother calling a taxi. Since returning home meant being alone anyway, he figured he might as well walk and clear his head.

Wrapped in his coat, he wandered the empty late-night streets. His mind was tangled with too many overlapping thoughts to sort through. He even felt like he was still trapped in that dream—the street was desolate, the apartment cold and quiet. If not for the need to eat and drink, he might have mistaken himself for a wandering ghost too.

When Lin Jiang returned to the apartment, he hadn’t expected much.

Until he turned on the light by the door and saw Shen Ju sitting on the couch. For a moment, Lin Jiang thought he was dreaming.

His first reaction was: “What are you doing here?”

The second reaction—he suddenly began explaining: “Um, Shen Ju, listen to me, just now I…”

Shen Ju didn’t listen at all. He abruptly got up from the couch, rushed over, and pulled Lin Jiang into a tight embrace.

The chill on his body instantly dissipated, and Lin Jiang finally understood what he truly wanted.

What he truly desired was someone who could be by his side, always.

The puppy’s voice was full of grievance as he hugged him tighter. “I know you didn’t mean it… Where did you go? I thought you didn’t want me anymore.”

Lin Jiang hadn’t even gotten the chance to explain before Shen Ju had already talked himself out of the worst possibilities.

He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

If it had been He Gu, he probably would’ve smashed seven or eight cups before Lin Jiang even got back.

Lin Jiang stroked his hair, selfishly not wanting him to know about such a terrible thing, and said, “I accidentally broke a cup while cleaning and cut my foot, so I went to the hospital to get it treated.”

Shen Ju immediately checked his foot. He didn’t even question why such a small wound required a hospital visit, quickly lifting Lin Jiang onto the couch and crouching down to examine it.

“Why didn’t you call me?”

“I thought you were asleep.”

“You should’ve called me even if I was asleep.” Shen Ju’s tone was urgent, but seeing that the wound wasn’t as bad as he’d imagined, he relaxed slightly. “How could I not worry about you going to the hospital alone?”

The hospital was a scary place for Shen Ju. He had bad memories there. Seeming to realize he was overreacting, he leaned gently against Lin Jiang’s knee.

“Sorry, I was just really scared.”

Lin Jiang didn’t say anything. He softly stroked Shen Ju’s hair, vaguely understanding why he hated hospitals so much.

He had heard that Shen Ju’s mother passed away from an illness, and that later his father remarried twice—one of whom had already given birth to an illegitimate child before marriage, a son even older than Shen Ju by a year.

He changed the subject. “You came here so late. Aren’t you tired?”

“Not at all. The thought of you got me so excited I couldn’t sleep. On the way here, I even imagined sneaking into your bed and scaring you when you woke up tomorrow.”

But who knew Lin Jiang wouldn’t even be home?

Thinking about it now just made Shen Ju annoyed again.

Lin Jiang burst into laughter. He could practically picture Shen Ju’s expression at the time. He pulled the little puppy onto the couch and asked seriously, “What were you thinking at that time? Were you imagining that I was sneaking out to cheat on you?”

Shen Ju turned his face away uncomfortably. “I wasn’t thinking that.”

Lin Jiang turned his face back toward him and pinched his cheek. “Really?”

Shen Ju finally admitted, “Fine, maybe a little. Try to put yourself in my shoes—your boyfriend disappears in the middle of the night, says he’s home but clearly isn’t. What would you think?”

“Let me think, hmm…” Lin Jiang actually considered it. “Then it must be… my little puppy couldn’t sleep, so he snuck out to spy on someone else’s dog. Yeah, that’s definitely it.”

Shen Ju, angry and embarrassed, pinned Lin Jiang onto the couch. “You’re laughing at me! And I did it all to cheer you up! You better keep this to yourself. Don’t you dare tell anyone!”

Lin Jiang laughed until his stomach hurt. He collapsed onto the couch, ticklish and helpless, begging for mercy. “Okay, okay, okay!”

Back then, Shen Ju had been terrified. He’d even imagined Lin Jiang regretting everything and dumping him on the spot. But in the end, it was all in his head.

Feeling both scared and relieved, Shen Ju pulled him into a hug. “Lin Jiang, let’s make a promise. Don’t hide anything from each other, no matter what happens, tell the other immediately.”

Lin Jiang suddenly grew quiet. He looked at Shen Ju intently, making Shen Ju a little flustered. “What’s wrong?”

He shook his head. “Nothing.”

Then he asked, “But what if it’s something really absurd? If I told you, would you believe me?”

“How absurd? I want to hear it.”

“Not telling you.”

“Lin Jiang…” The puppy gnashed his teeth in frustration, biting him lightly, too reluctant to hurt him. “You always bully me. Don’t think I won’t—”

“What?” Lin Jiang looked at him, his gaze clear yet somehow provocative.

Shen Ju couldn’t hold back anymore. He pressed him onto the couch and bit him twice, expecting Lin Jiang to resist. Instead, Lin Jiang immediately adjusted his position, lying suggestively on the couch, waiting for him to do as he pleased.

At the last moment, Shen Ju retained a shred of rationality. “Are you sure? We’re out of supplies. It might hurt.”

Lin Jiang let out a cool “Mm,” then chuckled softly, his tone laced with temptation. “Why do you keep asking? Are you not up for it?”

Shen Ju blinked in confusion.

Do you even realize how badly you’re going to regret this?

That night, neither of them slept. They kept going until dawn. Shen Ju tried several times to let him rest, but Lin Jiang was alarmingly enthusiastic, teasing him: “Once we go back, you won’t get to touch me anymore.”

If he could still hold back after that, he wouldn’t be a man.

He kissed Lin Jiang from head to toe, clutching him tightly. No matter how fiercely he held him, it never felt enough. Afraid of leaving marks that their teammates might notice, he had to restrain himself over and over until his restraint burned like fire. Unable to resist, he left bruises in places no one else could see.

He thought Lin Jiang would be mad when he saw them, but oddly enough, Lin Jiang didn’t care at all. Lying there, he looked just as eager for the fierce passion of the night.

Lin Jiang was so strange that day. How to describe it? There was a fierceness in him, as if he wanted to die in that bed.

Shen Ju was truly going insane.

He swore it was the most intense experience of his life.

How intense?

The next day, Shen Ju had to carry Lin Jiang to the hospital. Both of them wore hats and masks. When the doctors and nurses gave him those looks, Shen Ju wanted to bury his face in the ground. Aside from paying the bill, he didn’t dare say a word.

On the way back, Lin Jiang leaned against him, listless and barely able to keep his eyes open. By the afternoon, he was running a slight fever.

Shen Ju suddenly felt a pang of regret. He lightly touched Lin Jiang’s burning forehead and said miserably, “Why did you have to provoke me?”

Lin Jiang gave a weak smile, took his hand, and gently kissed it. Then, with a playful glint in his eyes, he said, “Because I like you.”

The fingers that were kissed immediately curled inward, and even the back of Shen Ju’s ears tingled. It wasn’t his fault. Who could resist this?!

Lin Jiang asked for a day off, and Duren approved it. By evening, Shen Ju didn’t want to leave, but Lin Jiang scolded him, “Don’t forget what you promised me.”

Shen Ju grumbled, “Fine, I’ll go back and show my face, then sneak over here tonight.”

“What about tomorrow?”

“I’Il wake up early and sneak back.”

Lin Jiang sighed. Lovestruck people really were something else. The round trip to the base took an hour, yet Shen Ju didn’t mind the hassle at all

Before leaving, Shen Ju cooked porridge for him and even cleaned the apartment thoroughly.

The apartment fell silent once again. Lin Jiang sighed, lying on the couch and looking out the window. Truthfully, he didn’t like this floor-to-ceiling window at all—every time he looked at it, he worried he would jump out.

Old Mao had once complained during a visit, “Why’s the decor so cold? Isn’t it lonely living here alone?”

Lin Jiang had been too embarrassed to admit he’d decorated it according to He Gu’s preferences. At that time, he thought he’d visit often.

Looking back now, he must have been out of his mind.

Once the team matters were settled, he’d redecorate the entire place.

Lost in his thoughts, he suddenly sensed the door opening, snapping him out of his haze. He saw Shen Ju dash in like an excited puppy, arms wrapping tightly around him.

“You weren’t going back to the team?”

“Changed my mind,” Shen Ju held him tight. “I just called Old Du and said I’m sick, took a day off.”

The unexpected news made Lin Jiang inexplicably happy. He patted Shen Ju’s head, motioned for him to come closer, and planted a quick kiss on his lips.

Shen Ju blushed slightly, his lips curling into a smile. He then swallowed hard and said softly, “Don’t tempt me. We really can’t do it today.”

Lin Jiang smacked his head. “What are you thinking?”

That night, they slept in each other’s arms. Lin Jiang, who usually struggled with insomnia, slept soundly. The next morning, when Shen Ju had to leave, Lin Jiang suddenly felt reluctant to let him go.

“Go on, get back quickly,” he said, trying to sound casual. “I’ll wait till you arrive before I head out.”

He slowly zipped up Shen Ju’s backpack, realizing how absurd it was. He never thought he’d one day be drowning in the cloying sweetness of love.

Quickly handing the backpack to Shen Ju, he practically pushed him out the door.

When Shen Ju’s message came through that he’s already at the base, Lin Jiang finally packed up his things and got ready to drive back.

His back was genuinely sore.

In the end… staying rational might actually be the better choice.

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