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Chapter 47.3 – Keeping An Appointment
Lin Jiang stepped out of the restaurant and immediately caught Shen Ju peeking around the corner.
The two of them stared at each other in silence.
Shen Ju looked a little guilty. “I was just out for a walk.”
“A walk five kilometers away from the base?” Lin Jiang didn’t buy his excuse and scrutinized him. “How did you know I was here?”
“I asked Song Zhixu. He told me you were alone, so I came.”
As expected, from the moment Shen Ju peeked through the door crack this morning, Lin Jiang had known he wouldn’t stay put.
Lin Jiang couldn’t be bothered to interrogate him further. He looked around, afraid of running into He Gu. He dragged Shen Ju into a nearby mall. “Don’t you have anything you need to buy?”
“No.”
“But didn’t you say you wanted a new cup last time?”
“I already got one.”
“Then buy another one. You can alternate between them.”
“Hmm…”
They entered a store specializing in daily necessities. Lin Jiang had only intended to kill time, but when he saw a cup printed with a dog design, he suddenly couldn’t walk away.
He turned the cup around—one had a Samoyed printed on it, the other a Golden Retriever. Both were adorable, and looked like a perfect couple’s set.
As he hesitated over which one to buy, Shen Ju’s hand reached out from behind him and grabbed both. “Captain, let’s buy them together. One for each of us.”
Lin Jiang: “?”
He suspected Shen Ju had ulterior motives, and he had proof.
“I already have a cup. I don’t need one.”
“Alternate between two cups, wasn’t that what you said, Captain?”
Shen Ju stole a glance at him, looking just as innocent as the Golden Retriever on the cup. “They’re just two cups. Captain, are you thinking something weird?”
Lin Jiang: “???”
Who exactly is thinking weird here?
Lin Jiang took one of the cups. “Fine, I’ll take the Samoyed one.”
“Okay, the Golden Retriever is mine.”
After they’d picked out the cups, Shen Ju got even bolder, grabbing a matching mouse pad. “Well, we can use them alternately…”
Then he grabbed a pair of matching slippers. “Hmm, alternate between them too.”
Lin Jiang followed behind, silently putting back every item Shen Ju picked up.
When Shen Ju turned around and saw the empty basket, he instantly deflated. Captain, can’t we just buy them and use them later?”
“Nope.”
Shen Ju’s expression right then was just like the little Golden Retriever on the cup, and Lin Jiang couldn’t help but smile.
He glanced around uncomfortably, then secretly patted his head. “Be good and behave.”
The moment Shen Ju was patted, he instantly became obedient.
“Okay, Captain. I’ll listen to you.”
Amid the bustling crowd in the mall, the elevator doors slid open to reveal a group of sharply dressed people stepping out.
A sales representative was giving a professional presentation with a report in hand. “Young Master He, once our new business district opens, it will draw in all the surrounding foot traffic, just like this one here…”
She was halfway through when the person in front raised his hand to signal her to stop.
He Gu stopped at the entrance. Even though there were so many people, he immediately spotted Lin Jiang, who was waiting in line to pay.
Lin Jiang was holding a cup, standing in line to check out, just like before—he liked simple and cute things, with a personality so easygoing it didn’t seem like he was a public figure.
He Gu’s heart softened. He asked proactively, “What kind of store is that?”
“It’s a domestic original brand specializing in daily essentials. The quality is pretty good. If you’re interested, Young Master He, we can accompany you inside.”
He Gu gave a faint “Hmm” and was about to move forward when someone suddenly approached Lin Jiang, holding another cup from behind and insisting on checking out together.
The two leaned in naturally, Lin Jiang’s smile bright and unguarded.
Shen Ju habitually rested his chin on Lin Jiang’s shoulder, waiting alongside him.
The person who had messaged just moments ago saying he missed him was now nearby, accompanying him while shopping, his gaze fixed on him the whole time like an obedient puppy.
He Gu seemed to understand a little why Lin Jiang liked Shen Ju.
Because Shen Ju offered exactly what Lin Jiang needed—a blatant, unwavering favoritism.
He Gu suddenly felt a sting in his eyes. He didn’t want to admit it, but he had to—Lin Jiang truly would fall for such a passionate person.
The salesperson behind him continued enthusiastically, “That store is very popular among young people, attracting mostly couples. It performed exceptionally well in the domestic market these past few years…”
He Gu watched silently, his voice gradually becoming colder. “Got it. I’m pressed for time. Let’s move straight to the next agenda.”
With that, he handed the schedule to his assistant and turned back the way he came.
After buying the cup, Shen Ju was as happy as a puppy, humming to himself and occasionally pulling it out to admire it.
Lin Jiang warned him, “If you break it, I won’t buy you another one.”
Shen Ju quickly put it back and obediently followed Lin Jiang, suddenly struck by a thought.
“Captain, did you bring me to the mall… just to buy me this cup?”
Lin Jiang pressed the elevator button. “No.”
“No? But…”
Shen Ju stared at him again, so sweet and clingy, making Lin Jiang feel a little embarrassed.
Honestly, who could withstand being stared at like that every day?
The elevator arrived. Shen Ju stepped in and pressed the button for the parking lot, but Lin Jiang canceled it and pressed for the first floor instead.
“Captain, didn’t you drive here?”
“Nope.”
But then Lin Jiang caught Shen Ju giving him that exact look again. Clearing his throat, he added, “There’s a driving restriction[mfn]限号了 (xiàn hào le) – these policies restrict certain license plate numbers (usually based on the last digit) from being used on specific days of the week to reduce traffic congestion and pollution.[/mfn] today.”
Shen Ju let out an “Oh,” then suddenly remembered, “Captain, isn’t your plate number…”
“Shut up.”
Who the hell memorizes license plate numbers?
Lin Jiang really wanted to crack open Shen Ju’s head to see if it was filled with nothing but lovestruck thoughts.
He dragged Shen Ju out of the elevator and hailed a taxi home.
At first, Shen Ju was quite well-behaved, leaning against the window to enjoy the scenery. After a while, he hooked his pinky finger around Lin Jiang’s hand.
Lin Jiang didn’t pull away immediately.
Then he heard Shen Ju ask, “Captain, do you like me?”
Lin Jiang pulled his hand back like a spring, helplessly rubbing his temples. Lovestruck idiots were truly terrifying.
“You’re mute now, no talking allowed.”
When Lin Jiang and Shen Ju returned to the base, Shen Ju placed the bag on his desk and took one item from it himself.
Initially, Lin Jiang didn’t notice. It wasn’t until evening when he reached for the bag that he realized Shen Ju had taken his Samoyed cup, leaving behind a pitiful-looking Golden Retriever cup instead.
Lin Jiang looked at the cup, then glanced next door.
He couldn’t help but smile.
Forget it, a little Golden Retriever was fine too.
The next day, teammates and staff gradually left one after another. Only Duren and a few staff on holiday-duty remained.
Song Zhixu was the last to leave. Lin Jiang drove him to the airport.
As he departed, Song Zhixu kept waving enthusiastically, “Captain, I’ll bring you back some local specialties!”
Lin Jiang nodded with a smile, “Sure.”
From the passenger seat, Shen Ju scoffed disdainfully, “Song Zhixu always says he’ll bring specialties. It’s been two years now, and I’ve yet to see him actually bring anything back.”
Lin Jiang gave him a playful tap on the head. “Cut the complaining.”
Shen Ju obediently shut up.
He fastened his seatbelt and followed Lin Jiang back.
Days blurred past, both of them busily cooperated with the officials to film promotional video shoots, leaving little time for either of them to leave the base.
When the filming finally concluded, Shen Ju eagerly packed his luggage that very evening, ready to follow Lin Jiang home.
Watching him pack, Lin Jiang asked without thinking, “Are you going home?”
Shen Ju suddenly looked up, “Aren’t we going to your place to play games?”
Lin Jiang had nearly forgotten about this. He uttered an “Oh,” then said, “Right, go ahead and pack then.”
Shen Ju resumed hurriedly stuffing things into his bag, his breath coming out in little huffs.
With nothing else to do, Lin Jiang sat on the balcony with his coffee, scrolling through his phone.
These past few days, KUG had been very lively. First, He Gu withdrew his investment causing the company’s finances to collapse and leaving them unable to pay salaries, leading to massive layoffs.
Then during the Regional Qualifiers, the entire team performed poorly and lost their chance to qualify for Worlds.
Soon after, Alike was exposed for frequent nightclub visits and got into a fight that landed him in police custody.
Following this, rumors surfaced that Zeng Yuan was in contact with WG and might leave the team next year.
This series of events had been overwhelming, and as a former core member of KUG, Lin Jiang couldn’t help but feel concerned.
After some thought, he decided to call Zeng Yuan to check on him.
Zeng Yuan was aware of his own situation. He told Lin Jiang, “My playstyle doesn’t suit KUG anymore. Staying would just be a slow death. A’Jiang, after seeing you win the championship that day, I suddenly had this thought. I also want to gather courage and carve out a new path.”
Lin Jiang naturally supported him.
But when he thought about how much criticism he faced when he left the team, and how long it took to finally clear his name—
He didn’t know if Zeng Yuan would be as fortunate as he had been, or whether he could carve out his own path after leaving KUG.
“But if you’ve made up your mind, then just go for it.”
The peak period of a professional player is too short. If one hesitates or stagnates, they’ll quickly be left behind by the times.
Sure, change was painful.
But the thrill of finally seeing the fruits of your efforts made it all worthwhile.
Lin Jiang picked up his coffee and gazed at the twilight outside the balcony, quietly reflecting on the journey he had taken.
He had reached the top before and knew just how breathtaking the view was from the top.
That’s why he hoped to make it back there someday.
“Captain.”
A voice came from behind—it was Shen Ju, holding a cup. “Can I leave this cup at your place? That way, if I come over again, I won’t have to bring one…”
Lin Jiang couldn’t help but laugh. “Shen Ju, can’t you think about anything else?”
Shen Ju suddenly came over to Lin Jiang’s side, gazing down at him as he lounged in the chair.
“My mind’s full of only you and the game—there’s no room for anything else.”
Then, with those puppy-dog eyes fixed on him, he glanced at Lin Jiang’s lips. He swallowed hard, and bravely pressed a kiss to his forehead.
Lin Jiang froze for a moment, caught off guard.
Shen Ju asked softly, “Captain, you’re not pushing me away… does that mean you like it?”
As he leaned in for another kiss, Lin Jiang immediately scrambled up to hit him, but Shen Ju had already bolted two miles away, dashing upstairs.
Shen Ju, that damn brat.
He would deal with him later.
Lin Jiang held his coffee, his earlier melancholy completely dispelled by Shen Ju’s antics.
Damn it, was he really going to let this dog Shen Ju stay at his place? Something told him this week wouldn’t be peaceful.
That night, Shen Ju was unusually restless.
He kept sending messages now and then. Lin Jiang replied politely at first, but soon there was soft knocking on the door: “Captain, are you asleep? Can I come in to see you?”
Lin Jiang shot back, “Get lost.”
All his good manners vanished at that moment.
The next day, the two packed up and got ready to leave.
Shen Ju thoughtfully bought water and snacks, then started bombarding him with random questions as soon as they got in the car.
“Captain, am I the first person to stay over at your place?”
No.”
“Then who else?”
“Zeng Yuan, Old Mao, Brother Yu, and others had all been there. The gaming setup at home was bought because of their urging. Oh, and there are two computers, too.”
“Captain, you have so many friends?”
“Hm, I’m someone who enjoys a lively crowd. Sadly, everyone got famous eventually and got caught up with their own busy lives. It’s been a long time since we last got together.”
So it seemed he really just wanted to bring him home to play games.
Shen Ju wasn’t discouraged either. “Captain, you can call me anytime you want to do something in the future. I’ll accompany you unconditionally.”
After he finished speaking, Lin Jiang suddenly glanced at him. “Are you sure?”
Shen Ju nodded with absolute certainty. “I’m sure.”
Lin Jiang wasted no time bringing him home, and by the afternoon, he was whisking him off to a nearby amusement park.
Shen Ju slowly looked up at the seemingly endless super-long roller coaster in front of him, his mind completely blank. “Captain, this is the lifelong dream you mentioned…?”
“Yep. Are you scared?”
Lin Jiang grabbed his hand, grinning brighter than the sunlight behind him. “Puppy Shen, it’s too late to regret now!”
In that instant, Shen Ju’s heart felt like it was about to leap out of his chest.
He thought to himself—he didn’t regret it at all.
He was going to follow him for the rest of his life.
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stawberrypoptl: Really sorry for forgetting to upload a chapter. I was in a business trip and it was extremely hectic and tiring I have no more time for leisure. (╥ᆺ╥；) To compensate, I will be uploading 1 chapter at this time and 2 more chapters tonight. Hope you guys can forgive me. 🍓🍓🍓
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