In that moment, the air seemed to freeze, and everything around them fell into an eerie silence.
Lin Wangye felt like the two of them were just joking around, messing with each other.
So, when he saw Lu Chengxuan coming over, he tried to keep up the humor, cracking a joke to lighten the mood.
But the joke didn’t seem to land right.
Because no one was laughing!
What’s going on? Why isn’t anyone laughing? It’s funny, right?
“Hahaha…” Lin Wangye awkwardly forced out a laugh, then leaned in to greet Lu Chengxuan. “Brother Lu, what brings you here?”
Lu Chengxuan calmly shifted his gaze from Lin Shen, turning to look at him instead.
“Just came to check if you’re here.”
At his words, Lin Shen snorted quietly, lowering his head to continue eating without a word.
“Here, of course, I’m here!” Lin Wangye was relieved that Lu Chengxuan didn’t let his awkward comment hang in the air, or else the atmosphere in the room would’ve turned even colder.
While keeping an eye on everyone’s expressions, he tried to keep the conversation going with a little enthusiasm. “I just woke up this afternoon, made some lunch for myself… and for Lin Shen. Oh, no, you’ve already eaten, right? I only made one serving.”
At the mention of lunch potentially being in jeopardy, Lin Shen quickly shoveled food into his mouth.
“I ate at the cafeteria,” Lu Chengxuan replied.
“Oh, I see,” Lin Wangye said, sighing in relief. “Well, if you want, just let me know, I can make some for you, too. If you don’t like what I make, it’s fine, I can have your housekeeper do it and send it over.”
Hearing that, Yang Qingsen suddenly caught onto something, looking curious as he asked, “Do you two live together?”
Lin Wangye nodded. “Yeah, I’m staying at Brother Lu’s place.”
Talking about this, Lin Shen suddenly remembered the main topic, lifting his head to briefly explain to Yang Qingsen what he and Lin Wangye had been discussing earlier about the competition.
Yang Qingsen had been worried about the lack of a jungler for the team. A few days ago, he had gone out of town but hadn’t found any particularly promising players. Lin Shen’s recommendation came at just the right time, like finding a lifeline, giving him a bit of hope.
However, the problem was that Lin Shen’s rank was way too low, and he wasn’t particularly skilled at the game either.
When he mentioned ‘my wild dad, he plays really well,’ Yang Qingsen wasn’t sure how much weight to give it, so he quickly made a decision and invited Lin Wangye to play a few solo matches with him.
Whether he had the skills could easily be judged by his gameplay.
Lin Wangye wasn’t scared at all and happily accepted.
Yang Qingsen, with his business-focused mindset, was clearly sharp and knew how to prioritize. He wasn’t concerned anymore with who was the son and who was the dad, leading Lin Wangye to another room to play 1v1.
Once Lin Wangye left, the atmosphere in the room fell into a heavy silence again.
Lu Chengxuan didn’t say much either. He stood up and moved over to where Lin Wangye had been sitting. Seeing that the computer was still on, he opened a video browser and started watching, looking completely serious.
Lin Shen had lived for so many years and had never seen anyone watch the afternoon news in an internet cafe.
Lin Shen: “Aren’t you going to put on headphones?”
Lu Chengxuan: “There are subtitles.”
Lin Shen: “Oh.”
Once again, silence fell between them, neither saying a word.
Having been on bad terms with his family, Lin Shen had been broke for a while, surviving off the internet fees he’d topped up at Qingsen’s internet cafe.
Actually, Yang Qingsen had told Lin Shen that he could use the internet and eat or drink whatever he wanted for free.
But Lin Shen just couldn’t bring himself to take advantage that much.
Besides, if everything was free, the cashier girl would have a hard time balancing the accounts at the end of the day, making her job way harder.
So, recently, Lin Shen mostly just made do with instant noodles.
It had been a long time since Lin Shen had eaten a meal like this, full of the kind of simple, homey flavor that felt warm and comforting. In no time, he had finished everything, feeling so full he couldn’t even straighten up.
“Get me a bottle of cola,” Lin Shen turned to Lu Chengxuan and said.
Without a word, Lu Chengxuan stood up, walked out of the room, and returned a moment later, placing a can of cola in front of Lin Shen on the table. He sat back down and resumed watching the news.
Lin Shen leaned back on the couch, squinting his eyes lazily, and lifted his arm slightly.
“Help me open it, I’m too full to move.”
“…”
Lu Chengxuan picked up the can, opened it with one hand, and handed it to him.
Lin Shen took a big gulp of the cola, sighing in satisfaction before placing the can back on the table, sinking deeper into the couch, and resting his head as he began to doze off.
Time passed quietly, and no one disturbed the stillness.
After a while, Lin Shen, on the edge of sleep, suddenly jolted awake, feeling like he’d bumped into something soft. He shook his numb wrist in confusion, glanced at the time, and realized it had been nearly half an hour.
Lu Chengxuan was no longer watching the news. Now, a sci-fi movie was playing on the computer.
Stretching lazily, Lin Shen broke the silence, trying to make conversation.
“How’s that guy doing at your place? Is he adjusting okay?”
Lu Chengxuan nodded. “Mm.”
“I recommended he go with Yang Qingsen to play in the competition. His skills shouldn’t be a problem, but he doesn’t want to go professional. Going professional would be great—if I wasn’t so bad at the game, I would’ve quit school and just focused on that,” Lin Shen rambled.
Lu Chengxuan asked, “Why doesn’t he want to?”
Lin Shen couldn’t help but laugh at the question. He shook his head, both amused and exasperated. “He said he wants to be in a relationship and doesn’t have time.”
Lu Chengxuan fell silent for a few seconds, not commenting on it.
Lin Shen, still thinking about it, picked up his cola and started complaining again, “Seriously, with his potential, he should go professional. I really think he’s got a bright future. If Yang Qingsen likes him, I’ll have to talk to him again. You should help convince him, too.”
Lu Chengxuan didn’t respond to the suggestion. Instead, he said, “Everyone has their own aspirations. When it comes to decisions about his life, only he can make them.”
“And what about you?”
Lin Shen suddenly shot the question back at him, locking eyes. “How did you decide your life? Like your family arranged—go to university, inherit the family business, and marry a rich, perfect girl from a good family?”
Lu Chengxuan lifted his eyelids and quietly stared at him, not answering the question.
“Back!” Lin Wangye suddenly appeared, pushing open the door and striding into the room with one hand raised in a victory pose. “I made it!”
Yang Qingsen followed right behind him and, turning to Lin Shen, said:
“He really does have talent, just a few minor flaws. Whether or not he’ll make it depends on how he performs in the trial run with the team. But it shouldn’t be a problem—he just needs some solid training.”
“I was just saying that,” Lin Shen responded. “Tell me, do you think he’s got what it takes for gaming? Can he go professional in the future?”
Yang Qingsen nodded, shrugging with a regretful look on his face.
“Yeah, I spoke with him earlier, but he’s not willing. His attitude is pretty firm. Can’t help it; this kind of thing depends on personal will.”
Lin Shen had to let it go, but then asked, “So, he’ll just play one game?”
“Yep,” Yang Qingsen said. “This should give me enough time to find a new jungler. Thanks to both of you. I know his situation now. Before the match, I’ll make sure he gets paid. If they win, he’ll get a bonus.”
As he said this, Yang Qingsen winked at Lin Wangye.
“We’ve agreed—one thousand for each kill.”
“That’s pretty good,” Lin Shen chuckled. “But what if we lose? We can’t afford to pay you; we’re both broke.”
Yang Qingsen waved him off, his indifferent attitude subtly showing his complete confidence in the team. “Just do your best. If we lose, it’s no big deal. We’ll just lose a few points, and we can make it up later. I’ve got something to take care of, so I’ll head out now.”
Once Yang Qingsen left, the atmosphere in the room seemed to lighten.
Lin Wangye looked around, then crawled over the couch to sit in the middle of the two-person sofa, pulling out a card and slapping it down on the table.
“Boss Yang is really great. He loaded five hundred onto my card, told me it’s not part of my salary and that I can just spend it however I want!”
Lin Shen, lounging on the couch, struck a proud pose as he boasted.
“It’s all thanks to my connections.”
For some reason, the air in the room seemed to get a little colder again.
“I forgot to ask you earlier,” Lu Chengxuan suddenly opened the conversation, addressing Lin Wangye. “Now that Lin Shen is here, we can discuss it. He said earlier that you’re not planning to go professional. So, what are you planning to do in the future?”
What to do in the future.
The night before, Lin Wangye had actually spent some time lying in bed, thinking seriously about this.
“I want to go to school,” Lin Wangye said. “I want to go back to school and take the college entrance exam.”
Lin Shen was stunned. “What the hell? You’re giving up on gaming to go back to school? You’ve got problems.”
Lin Wangye: “…”
It was hard for him to believe that these words were coming from his dad.
Lu Chengxuan didn’t seem particularly surprised by this. Instead, he asked, “Your schedule will be pretty tight. Do you think you can keep up with the lessons?”
It was clear that Lu Chengxuan wasn’t just learning about him from Lin Shen; he’d done his own research.
The fact that he was asked whether he could keep up with the lessons—without being questioned about where he would start—indicated that Lin Wangye’s record showed he had made it to senior year.
That made things easier.
In his past life, Lin Wangye had just taken the college entrance exam. He had only gotten his results, and before he could even enjoy a few days of freedom, his life had taken a major turn.
Even though he loved gaming, Lin Wangye hadn’t forgotten about his studies.
Lin Shen was very concerned about his son’s education. From a young age, he had always had one-on-one tutoring with top-tier teachers from prestigious schools.
So, while Lin Wangye’s grades weren’t exceptional, they were still good enough to make it into college without too much trouble.
Going back to school and retaking the college entrance exam wasn’t a huge stretch for him; it was basically just repeating the year.
“I’ll give it my best shot,” Lin Wangye said, knowing he couldn’t rely on his dad for support right now. He turned to Lu Chengxuan and promised, “I can keep up.”
At this point, Lin Shen started to get upset.
He grabbed Lin Wangye’s shoulder and forcibly turned him to face him. “Why didn’t you tell me about such an important thing? What, two meals at his place and you’re bought off? Have you forgotten our street-side spicy hotpot friendship?”
Lin Wangye was speechless. “Who paid for the hotpot when we went there?”
“You’re only focused on who paid? You don’t care who invited you to eat?” Lin Shen acted extremely hurt, scolding him severely. “Xiao Lin, you’ve got a problem with your mindset.”
“…”
Lin Wangye had no words to reply. He just ignored him, turning back to Lu Chengxuan. “Brother Lu, I want to go to school.”
Lu Chengxuan nodded. “I’ll take care of it.”
Hearing this, Lin Wangye’s face lit up with a smile. Before he could even thank him, Lin Shen suddenly stood up, slammed his hand on the table, and yelled.
“You two are pushing me out, isolating me, bullying me!? Tell me the truth, did you sneak into bed together last night behind my back?”
“There’s no such thing,” Lin Wangye looked up at him. His expression was sincere, but his tone a little dismissive. “The main issue is, with you and your family in a cold war, how can you help me? Are we supposed to go to the school gate hand in hand and kneel there?”
Lin Shen was speechless, choking on his words, but still tried to defend himself, not backing down.
“Even so, you can’t just go straight to him to discuss it! This is a matter of attitude. And besides, even if I can’t solve the problem, I can at least encourage you!”
Lin Wangye: “…”
Lu Chengxuan: “…”
The lunch break during senior year wasn’t long. Before long, Lin Shen and Lu Chengxuan had to head back to class. The model student, Lu Chengxuan, was very punctual and decisive, and seeing that Lin Shen was still chatting with Lin Wangye, he left first.
When it was finally time to leave, Lin Shen stretched lazily and stood up. His pack of White Sands fell out of his pocket and onto the sofa, and a wave of panic hit him immediately.
Lin Wangye was quick to react and snatched the pack up before he could, glaring at him. “Smoking again? No way!”
Lin Shen didn’t quite understand why he felt guilty, awkwardly touching his chin.
“Then I’ll return it, that’s ten bucks.”
Of course, Lin Wangye didn’t believe him.
He cautiously followed Lin Shen to the counter, keeping an eye on him as he returned the cigarettes.
The cashier confirmed that the pack hadn’t been opened, put it back on the shelf, and then processed the transaction on the computer before telling Lin Shen.
“Return completed, brother. There’s 535 left on the card.”
Lin Shen: “…?”
Where did that extra 500 come from???
Hello, everyone ヾ(＾∇＾). I hope you enjoyed the story! If you’re feeling generous, please buy me a coffee, share/comment on my translated works! Check out the link below for early chapters. (๑>ᴗ<๑)
