TCWSITD – Chapter 26.1

Chapter 26.1 – Lin Jiang’s Livestream (Pt. 2)

After banning the accounts, Shen Ju turned back as if nothing had happened. “Captain, can you add an extra sugar cube for me?”

“Sure,” Lin Jiang replied, bringing over the coffee. “Won’t two sugars be too sweet?”

By now, most of the accounts that had cursed him earlier in the livestream had been banned, leaving only a few scattered compliments for Shen Ju—each adding a parenthetical “(please don’t kill me)” at the end.

Lin Jiang frowned slightly. “Why is the barrage so quiet now?”

“It’s late,” Shen Ju replied casually. “Everyone’s probably asleep.”

A flood of question marks instantly floated across the screen.

Dog Shen… actually has the nerve to smack talk us right in Lin Jiang’s stream??

[Ahhh Shen Ju, you damn traitor!!]

[Traitor, I’ll fight you to the death!]

[We’ll avenge our fallen comrades!]

Lin Jiang handed the coffee to Shen Ju, then sat down and adjusted his position. Seeing the barrage of insults aimed at Shen Ju, he tried to explain, “No, you’ve misunderstood him. He’s actually very well-behaved on the team.”

The fans collectively gasped—eyes wide with disbelief.

Jiangjiang, you’re still too naive!

Behind him, Shen Ju seemed to chuckle slightly.

He sat behind Lin Jiang with a cup of coffee, watching him play games, wearing a satisfied expression like a well-fed kitten.

From Lin Jiang’s perspective, Shen Ju looked docile and harmless. But from time to time, Shen Ju would shoot a glance at the barrage that seemed to say, ”Keep talking, I dare you.” It sent chills down their spines.

Anyone who dared to criticize him while Lin Jiang was away grabbing water or using the bathroom would be swiftly hunted down and permanently silenced.

His swift and decisive actions were even more precise than when he secured a triple kill on stage.

Lin Jiang remained oblivious, fully immersed in his livestream.

His fingers glided across the keyboard, unleashing mind-blowing mechanics that had the audience gasping in awe.

They all raised their keyboards in excitement—only to find their main accounts had been banned, forcing them to return with alt accounts.

[I swear eternal enmity with that damn Dog Shen!]

[Come at me! I’ve borrowed ten alt accounts. I dare you to ban them all!]

[In my past life, I followed General Lin Jiang through countless battles, only to be betrayed by the treacherous Dog Shen. Please unban my main account so I may share my revenge plan in detail…]

[Help! SOS.]

After finishing two games, Lin Jiang felt a bit tired and finally checked the barrage. “Why is everyone spamming SOS?”

The fans collectively wailed: SOS! Save us!

Behind him, Shen Ju’s voice came unhurried: “You were playing too aggressively.”

Lin Jiang looked at his 17-kill record and actually believed Shen Ju’s nonsense. “Maybe I did play a bit aggressively, but this account doesn’t have a high hidden MMR[mfn]MMR (Matchmaking Rating) is a numerical value that represents your skill level, but it’s not displayed on your profile.[/mfn]…”

Barrage: !!! Shen Ju, you really are a dog!

The barrage erupted with complaints, but Shen Ju suddenly stood up and urged, “Captain, how about we end the stream here? It’s almost 1 AM.”

Lin Jiang checked the time. “You’re right. Come downstairs with me to pick up some stuff.”

He spoke as he ended the livestream.

In the final moment before the screen went black, fans saw Shen Ju stand up behind Lin Jiang, his gaze sweeping downward past the camera with an unintentional yet imposing air—both in height and presence.

Then the screen went dark.

Nobody knew what happened afterward!

The barrage went wild:

[Ahhhh don’t go!]

[Dog Shen is faking it! Lin Jiang, don’t believe him!]

[Wuwuwu… Lin Jiang fell for it…]

[Does anyone know OT’s address? I want to call the police!]

[(Eyes shaking) Dog Shen isn’t going to assassinate Lin Jiang, right…]

[My Jiang is in danger!]

Lin Jiang turned off the computer and went downstairs.

The night was a little chilly. He pulled his collar up and tucked his hands into his pockets. “I just wanted to buy some cigarettes. During the day, I was afraid they’d smell smoke on me, so I only dared to smoke at night. Shen Ju, don’t follow my example, okay?”

Shen Ju nodded obediently. “Mhm, I won’t.”

He felt like he was standing too far from Lin Jiang, so he quickly took two steps forward to walk by his side.

Their shoulders brushed lightly. At this distance, he could clearly smell the faint scent of mint and rosemary on Lin Jiang.

He used to think it came from Lin Jiang’s detergent or cologne. Only later did he realize—it was from the cigarettes Lin Jiang often smoked.

When had he started smoking?

That Lin Jiang, so dazzlingly perfect in the eyes of the world, so untouchable…

… what was he really carrying inside?

Shen Ju lowered his intense gaze, quietly fixating on Lin Jiang’s shoulder.

Although Lin Jiang was slender, he wasn’t short at all. Shen Ju used to be shorter than him; only after growing for two years did he become slightly taller.

He suddenly thought, if only he could grow a bit more for another two years.

At least then…

He secretly measured the distance, and his fingers barely grazed Lin Jiang’s hair.

Shen Ju froze, then quickly withdrew his hand.

In the darkness, some desires could really be infinitely magnified.

Lin Jiang arrived at the convenience store. He bought cigarettes, a can of coffee, and a pack of chewing gum.

He kept the cigarettes and coffee for himself, then handed the gum to Shen Ju. “You eat this.”

“Captain, I’m not a three-year-old child.”

“I wouldn’t dare give gum to a three-year-old,” Lin Jiang said, tucking the cigarettes into his pocket without lighting one, and found a clean spot to settle. “Come sit here.”

Lin Jiang picked a four-seater table, with free seats both across from and in front of him.

Shen Ju chose to sit next to Lin Jiang. His wide sleeves brushed gently against Lin Jiang, the soft rustling sound barely audible in the quiet night.

The evening breeze swept through their hair, and though neither had touched a drop of alcohol, there was a subtle, drifting sensation that was hard to pin down.

Shen Ju felt a faint flush at his ears. Realizing it, he looked up and asked quietly, “Captain, aren’t you going to smoke?”

Lin Jiang shook his head and opened a can of coffee instead. “I really called you down for something important, not for you to breathe secondhand smoke.”

He pulled out his phone, its memo filled densely with recorded data.

Although he was just a player, Lin Jiang had taken on the duties of captain, coach, and data analyst all at once.

Shen Ju’s eyes darkened slightly.

His mind wasn’t on the work. Staring at Lin Jiang’s lips, he could almost imagine that sweet, minty taste.

As for what Lin Jiang was saying, it seemed not a single word registered in his brain—he only knew to respond with a hum.

Lin Jiang suddenly put down his phone and firmly pinched Shen Ju’s cheek. “Puppy Shen, have you not been listening at all? I asked you about Zhou Wen, and all you do is hum.”

Shen Ju’s face reddened under the pinch.

His fair skin bore faint red marks that looked pitiful.

He stared intently at Lin Jiang—his heart pounding faster than ever before—while his fingers slowly crawled up to hold Lin Jiang’s hand.

The instant their palms touched, a faint shiver ran through him.

“Captain,” Shen Ju murmured, “it hurts.”

His bright eyes fixed solely on Lin Jiang, while his soft curls danced in the breeze—he really did look like a little puppy.

The difference from two years ago was clear: Shen Ju’s delicate, beautiful features were now fully revealed, carrying a hint of fierceness.

But what remained the same was Lin Jiang’s lingering fondness from back then. The stark contrast only made Shen Ju’s cuteness more endearing, stirring deeper affection.

Lin Jiang’s heart melted. He gently rubbed the reddened cheek.

Time to get down to business.

“When did Old Wen stop attending training?”

“Two years ago.”

“So he never trained with the team from the start?”

“Mm,” Shen Ju nodded. “He prefers analyzing data, so he spends most of his time watching videos. He’s not very interested in training matches.”

Lin Jiang had never heard of such a training style before. He took a sip of coffee and pondered for a long time but still couldn’t figure it out. “Do you think there’s something wrong with his approach?”

Shen Ju shook his head honestly, “I don’t really know.”

“All I know is that he has no fixed playstyle. He’s versatile and unpredictable. Even with the same lineup, he can produce completely different results.”

No fixed playstyle. Versatile and unpredictable. Different results.

Lin Jiang’s hand paused mid-air. Although it sounded absurd, his seasoned instincts told him this might just be the key to a breakthrough.

Over the many times Fang Luxing had come looking for him to talk about Zhou Wen, Lin Jiang had his doubts too — but in the end, he chose to trust his teammate.

“Does his training style put pressure on you?”

Shen Ju shook his head without hesitation.

Not only did he feel no pressure, he actually enjoyed the pace of this kind of training.

“Alright, I have a rough idea now.” Lin Jiang patted his head and picked up his coffee to stand.

He had pieced everything together. Suddenly, everything felt clear, and his usual confidence returned.

“Zhou Wen’s playstyle is unpredictable; as his partner, you will have a hard time. f you run into any problems, just come to me. I’ll help sort things out.”

Shen Ju gave a quiet “Mm” in agreement and got up alongside him.

Watching Lin Jiang’s back, his gaze deepened slightly. He slipped a piece of the chewing gum Lin Jiang had bought him into his mouth—mint flavor, so sweet.

“Captain.”

“Mm?”

“Aren’t you going back?”

“I’m stepping out for a smoke. You head upstairs first.”

Lin Jiang held his coffee, waved his hand, and disappeared into the dimly lit street lined with locust trees.

The night was slightly cool.

Shen Ju watched him go, lingering longer than he should.

His toes twitched slightly. He really wanted to follow.

But… the captain probably liked obedient ones, right? Only when he was well-behaved would the captain pat his head.

Shen Ju took the hint and obediently headed upstairs.

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