Chapter 15 – Shen Ju ‘Picking A Fight’?
Lin Jiang’s phone on the table suddenly rang.
Shen Ju took off his headphoneshis gaze inadvertently sweeping over the unfamiliar number.
There was no contact name saved, and the last four digits were 8888.
He remembered that number. It was the same call Lin Jiang had answered that day—after which his entire mood had shifted noticeably.
Acting as if he hadn’t seen anything, Shen Ju calmly slid his headset back on.
***
Night had fallen. The city outside the window was aglow with lights.
Song Zhixu, who was sleeping on the upper bunk, suddenly jolted awake. “What? You’re saying KUG’s management is still looking for him?”
Shen Ju gave a quiet hum. “That’s my guess.”
Song Zhixu immediately sat up. “I knew it! I knew there was something off when KUG suddenly posted on their official account acting all friendly, talking about parting on good terms. Turns out they were plotting behind the scenes!”
Gripping his phone angrily, he fumed, “And there are actually people in the comments supporting Lin Jiang going back? Saying everywhere else is just a hotel, and only KUG is home?!”
“Damn it! Lin Jiang had already signed with OT ages ago!”
“Shen Ju, what do you think the captain’s thinking? Once his anger subsides, will he really go back?”
Shen Ju didn’t know.
He shifted his position.
S City was too vibrant. Even at night, the endless lights shimmered in his eyes—fleeting yet dazzling.
Song Zhixu anxiously sought clarity: “Didn’t the captain sign a one-year contract? If he leaves, wouldn’t he have to pay a penalty fee?”
Shen Ju countered, “Do you think KUG can’t afford it?”
For the first time, Song Zhixu realized that OT’s low penalty fee wasn’t necessarily a good thing. Although, if it had been too high, Lin Jiang probably wouldn’t have even considered joining OT, right?
A troubling thought crossed his mind: “What if the captain came to OT just to mess with KUG…?”
He immediately dismissed the idea himself. “No way, no way, the captain isn’t like that…” But the more he thought about it, the less sure he felt. “What if KUG plays the emotional card? The captain is too soft-hearted… No, I need to go and sound him out.”
He suddenly turned over and got up, hugging his pillow as he climbed down from the bed.
Shen Ju fixed him with a stare. “What are you up to?”
“I’m going to gather intelligence. OT can’t be without Lin Jiang.”
Shen Ju abruptly sat up. “Are you fucking insane? Going to his room in the middle of the night?”
“I’m doing this for OT’s future! If he really leaves, you can go back to inherit your family business, and I can go home to grow sweet potatoes.”
Song Zhixu put on his slippers and ran out without looking back.
Shen Ju found it even harder to sleep now.
He lay there, head on his arm, and after a long pause, muttered a low, “F*ck.”
He rolled over, got out of bed, and slipped on his shoes.
Song Zhixu, ever the socially fearless type, crept out in the dead of night and knocked quietly on Lin Jiang’s door. “Captain, are you asleep?”
There was the scrape of a chair from inside before the door opened.
Warm yellow light spilled out from behind Lin Jiang, casting him in silhouette. He wore frameless glasses perched on his nose, a loose tank top, and the tips of his hair were slightly damp. The image he gave off was that of a cool, intellectual scholar.
For a second, Song Zhixu was caught off guard.
Lin Jiang opened the door a little wider. “What’s up?”
Song Zhixu instinctively glanced into Lin Jiang’s room. The computer was still on, replaying their match from earlier that day. A notebook lay open on the desk, densely filled with key points.
A warmth bloomed in his chest. “Captain, you’re still up this late…”
As his gaze shifted back, his eyes accidentally caught on Lin Jiang’s loose collar. His face flushed, and he clutched his pillow closer, stumbling over his words. “S-still not going to sleep?”
Lin Jiang pushed up his glasses and gave a soft smile. “I’m used to sleeping late. Did you need something?”
Song Zhixu clutched his pillow to his chest, his chestnut curls slightly tousled as he slouched his head, looking pitiful—like an abandoned golden retriever.
He swallowed hard, mustered his courage, and looked up. “Captain… I can’t sleep. I wanted to talk to you, is that okay?”
Lin Jiang leaned against the doorframe, eyebrows raised. “Did you get into a fight with Shen Ju?”
“Huh? No, no, no, nothing like that. I just… suddenly wanted to chat.” He blinked and added with exaggerated grievance, “Captain, can I come in? There are way too many mosquitoes out here…”
With a sharp slap, Song Zhixu killed a mosquito on his arm. So there really were mosquitoes.
Lin Jiang’s eyes flicked to the pillow clutched in Song Zhixu’s arms.
He was fine with a heart-to-heart talk—but sharing his bed was out of the question.
He was just thinking of how to refuse—
When suddenly, the door next to them banged open. Shen Ju strode over, radiating an icy aura. Without saying a word, he wrapped his arm around Song Zhixu’s neck and dragged him away unceremoniously.
Low curses drifted through the door. “Song Zhixu, you’re seriously messed up.”
Song Zhixu shot back, “I’m doing this for you!”
“You’re doing it for yourself.” With that, Shen Ju kicked Song Zhixu’s butt, sending him stumbling back to their room.
Moments later, Lin Jiang could hear the two of them shouting—chairs banging, tables getting kicked—each voice louder than the last.
“Don’t tell me they’re gonna fight?” Lin Jiang sighed, pushing his glasses up and gently knocking on the door. “Hey, you two, maybe chill a bit…”
He opened the door and saw Song Zhixu lying on the bed, while Shen Ju was stepping on his butt, asking, “Song Zhixu, did you leave your brainstem behind when your brain was still developing?”
Lin Jiang quickly backed out, “My bad.”
The two inside the room were stunned for a moment, then jumped up and separated.
Song Zhixu complained, “It’s all your fault, acting like a mad dog. The captain definitely thinks we were fighting.”
Shen Ju withdrew his foot. “Who told you to go to his room in the middle of the night? What were you thinking? Do you have a death wish?”
Song Zhixu started off defiant, “I just wanted to talk to the captain about some stuff—is that not allowed?”
But then he remembered Lin Jiang’s frameless glasses resting on his nose under the light—pure yet subtly alluring—and his confidence slowly waned. “Fine, fine, my bad. I won’t go again, okay?”
They both turned away, clearly still annoyed but holding it in.
Song Zhixu got over his anger after a short while.
Shen Ju, however, only grew angrier the more he thought about it.
He stood up, grabbed his jacket from the table, and headed for the door. Song Zhixu asked, “Where are you going?”
“Going to explain.”
Knock knock, Lin Jiang’s window sounded.
He got up and opened it to find Shen Ju standing awkwardly outside. “What’s up?”
After a long pause, Shen Ju finally squeezed out a sentence. “Song Zhixu and I weren’t fighting.”
Lin Jiang chuckled. “I know. I won’t report you two to the manager.”
Shen Ju grew even more uncomfortable. He realized he couldn’t even meet Lin Jiang’s eyes.
Standing against the light, Lin Jiang looked so clean it made people think impure thoughts. The frameless glasses perched on his nose caught just enough light to magnify every inappropriate idea.
His heart was pounded wildly in his chest.
He explained again, “I’m not worried about you telling the manager. I just… didn’t want you to think I’m always causing trouble.”
After speaking, he turned away, lips pressed into a tight line.
Lin Jiang let out a soft chuckle. Warm golden light spilled across the room, casting sharp contrasts between shadow and glow.
With slender fingers, he gently removed his glasses. But the sinful thoughts didn’t fade—in that instant, they only surged stronger.
“I know,” he said, his voice unbelievably gentle.
“Rumors aren’t reliable. What I see with my own eyes is what matters. Since I joined the team, I’ve never seen you fight with your teammates or curse at anyone without reason. I know you’re not like what people say.”
Shen Ju looked up—just in time to feel Lin Jiang’s hand gently ruffle his hair.
The warm, reassuring touch made him freeze on the spot.
“Alright, go to bed now. We have to wake up early for training tomorrow.”
Shen Ju froze in place.
Then, suddenly, he covered his nose and dashed off without looking back.
When he got back to the room, Song Zhixu asked, “What happened to your nose? Did you bump into the door?”
Without a word, Shen Ju flopped onto the bed and quickly buried himself under the covers.
The next morning, still half-asleep, Song Zhixu went to the bathroom and noticed some bloodied tissue tossed in the trash.
Panicking, he immediately yanked Shen Ju out from under the covers. “Where are you bleeding? Did I hit you? Let me see!”
Shen Ju refused to come out at all costs.
He raised his leg and kicked Song Zhixu. “Get lost!”
Later, the two went downstairs together for training—Shen Ju with a nosebleed, Song Zhixu clutching his butt.
Duren looked at them and asked, “Did you two fight?”
One shook his head, the other nodded.
Then one nodded, the other shook his head.
Duren: …
“Both of you, come to myoffice—now.”
Zhou Wen grinned gleefully, “Captain, we’re about to see a good show.”
Lin Jiang grew curious. He followed Zhou Wen and A’Deng as they sneaked from the bathroom to the office, peeking through the window just in time to see the big boss reprimanding Shen Ju and Song Zhixu.
Shen Ju and Song Zhixu stared ahead with utter despair, their hands forcibly taped together. Both looked utterly disgusted and trapped, on the verge of breaking down.
Lin Jiang chuckled quietly.
Now he finally understood why Shen Ju had been so eager to explain himself the night before.
The moment Shen Ju and Song Zhixu came out of the office, they rushed straight to the bathroom and started scrubbing their hands frantically, almost fighting over the hand sanitizer.
“Can’t you fucking wait until I’m done?”
“I fucking want to wash this off too—it’s disgusting! Damn it!”
“Song Zhixu, if you try to grab it again, I swear I’ll smash it on your head.”
“Bring it on! Who’s scared of who here?”
Lin Jiang watched them with a soft chuckle and sighed, “Those two really get along well.”
Zhou Wen and A’Deng exchanged puzzled glances. Where did that come from?
“Alright, the training match is about to start. Everyone, set aside your personal stuff and grudges for now.”
OT had a solid win yesterday, and right after the match, some teams began inviting them for training matches. Coincidentally, the team that invited them today was none other than FOU—the very team they’re set to face next.
“FOU wants to scrim with us? No way, aren’t they a mid-tier team? Since when do they bother with us?”
Song Zhixu’s complaint wasn’t unfounded. OT had tried to arrange training matches with FOU before but had been rejected every time. So no one expected FOU to be the one extending an invitation this time.
Coach Fang Luxing weighed in, “Playing a training match with FOU has both advantages and disadvantages. It depends on how we play. We need to gauge their strength while preserving our own.”
FOU was a team of seasoned veterans, while OT was made up entirely of rookies—except for Lin Jiang. Balancing scouting with holding back was nearly impossible, but passing up this rare opportunity would be a waste.
Just as Fang Luxing agonized over the dilemma, Lin Jiang had already taken his seat. “Holding back will only make us fall behind. The regular season isn’t just about winning—improving our skills is just as crucial.”
Not only was he determined to play, but he also intended to give it his all.
He believed that only a team tempered through trials could truly stand out.
Inspired by his confidence, his teammates quickly took their places.
“I’m not afraid of FOU at all.”
“Me neither.”
“Like anyone’s scared. Let’s log in.”
Fang Luxing saw the team so united that he felt a surge of emotion. “Alright, let’s give it our all!”
Both sides gradually entered the room.
Seeing the familiar IDs, Zhou Wen couldn’t contain his excitement. “There are so many well-known players on the other side. I used to watch their matches when I was still in school.”
A’Deng nodded vigorously, “Me too, me too…“
Song Zhixu, who didn’t follow any matches, shouted, “I don’t care who they are, we’ll beat them all the same!”
Before everyone was ready, the enemy mid laner started typing to tease Lin Jiang:
[Enemy Mid Laner: What is A’Jiang playing? Not [Zed] again, right? Please no, I don’t want to get robbed by you again.]
[Enemy AD: Ban it, ban it, don’t let him pick it.]
[Enemy Jungler: Don’t worry, I’ll camp mid as soon as the game starts. Won’t even let him farm minions…]
[Enemy Support: Wow, you guys are shameless. Don’t tell anyone you know me.]
[Enemy Top Laner: A’Jiang, look carefully. Those words are all theirs. It has nothing to do with me.]
[Enemy Jungler: Kick this top laner out, quick! He’s a spy from the other team.]
Faced with the overly lively FOU team, Lin Jiang could only type helplessly:
[Lin Jiang: Long time no see, everyone.]
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