Chapter 73
Duan Mingyue seemed to have anticipated this answer long ago. The smile on his lips softened as he embraced Shen Yanjin.
He said, “I could have left her with final dignity.”
Shen Yanjin asked alertly, “Are you feeling heartache for her?”
Duan Mingyue laughed involuntarily: “How is that possible. I was just afraid you would think such a method is too unkind.”
“I am not a saint.” Shen Yanjin lowered his eyes, eyelashes fluttering: “She gets what she did before. I didn’t fix her only because I didn’t have the capability. Someone taking action, I’m too happy to be in time.”
To Shen Yanjin, those filthy methods of Lu Yuan truly disgusted him. If possible, Shen Yanjin would rather never see this person in his life than chase after her for “revenge.”
But for KW, Lu Yuan dragged down the entire team’s strength and secretly persuaded many capable and talented support players to quit, causing the team to stop at the Top 4 or Top 8 at Worlds repeatedly, unable to improve. If Kai and Duan Mingyue hadn’t turned the tide, and Song Yuan and Tans hadn’t performed excellently at this year’s Worlds, KW would have been decadent for another year.
Moreover, the current season was a Jungle-Support roam version. Support importance was higher than several previous versions. If Lu Yuan continued this… KW would be dragged down to death by her.
Hearing Shen Yanjin’s words, Duan Mingyue smiled and said, “I overthought it.”
Shen Yanjin hesitated: “That recording, do you plan to…”
He was referring to the recording he made earlier of Lu Yuan persuading him to quit and suggesting he play fake matches within the team.
Once released, Lu Yuan would be completely finished.
Every circle has its own bottom line. Match-fixing and hacking are the bottom lines of the esports circle. Shen Yanjin felt Lu Yuan knew this. Saying such words was mostly because she fundamentally didn’t realize that such behavior also counted as a type of match-fixing.
So, ignorance is terrible.
Duan Mingyue said unhurriedly: “Wait a bit longer. Not the time yet.”
Adhering to the style of walking the talk, the next few matches basically replicated the mode of the match against SYG.
Lu Yuan played the first game. Regardless of win or loss, she would be swapped out for Shen Yanjin to play an almost identical game. Although the team ownership belonged to his family, Duan Mingyue hadn’t used privileges in previous years. But with the hearts of the people aligned, even without privileges, from coach to players, everyone was cooperating intentionally or unintentionally.
Logically, such obvious targeting by KW would sway public opinion towards Lu Yuan.
Pity this wasn’t the entertainment industry or fandom, but the esports circle. Electronic sports speaks with strength; whoever is strong is the daddy.
As a famous person said: “All thanks to the peer’s contrast.”
Shen Yanjin held the resolve of “fighting for breath if not for buns” (fighting for dignity). He increased his training time even more. Basically every match, he could use the character Lu Yuan used and perform operations several times better than her.
So what if targeting was seen?
Current online trends, apart from Lu Yuan’s die-hard fans still comforting her, mostly leaned towards Shen Yanjin being KW’s starting support.
And facts proved that the people most concerned about you aren’t necessarily those who love you most, but definitely those who hate you most. That dark mass of anti-fans for Shen Yanjin online went from “Hehe hugging thighs relying on luck to win lying down” at the start to “Actually looking at it, Sliver’s mechanics are okay” later. Now quite a few have turned from black to fans.
In the base corridor, Shen Yanjin leaned alone in an unmanned corner, taking a call.
“Yanjin.” Mother Shen’s voice over the phone sounded somewhat trembling. “You went back to Cloud City?”
Shen Yanjin was silent for a while, then calmly gave an “En.”
Mother Shen’s tone suddenly rose: “When did this happen? Why didn’t you tell us? Yanjin, do you still consider us parents? If I hadn’t called Xiao Lu today, we would still be kept in the dark!”
Facing his mother’s questioning, a trace of hurt flashed across Shen Yanjin’s face. He said helplessly: “If I told you, would you support me?”
Mother Shen seemed stumped and didn’t speak again.
Shen Yanjin immersed himself in this wordless silence and laughed self-mockingly. The news of him joining KW was officially announced, and the internet was arguing noisily. Even outsiders, as long as they paid a little attention to news in this area, couldn’t possibly not know.
In five years of esports career, Shen Yanjin imagined that maybe his parents had been secretly paying attention to his news, just not letting him know. Now it seemed it was his own wishful thinking.
A feeling of loss surged in his heart—saying surged didn’t seem accurate, because this emotion was like drilling a hole in his heart. Many things flowed out through this hole. What exactly flowed out, Shen Yanjin couldn’t say. He just felt an empty discomfort.
Shen Yanjin said lightly: “Mom, I won’t talk anymore. I have training.”
“Yanjin, come back.” Mother Shen’s voice also sounded very tired. “Your dad and I are both old. We’ll retire in a few years. Now while we still have connections, go intern at your dad’s friend’s company for a few months, take some exams…”
Shen Yanjin couldn’t tell if he was more angry or sad now. He said disappointedly: “Mom, didn’t you say last time you hoped to understand me more?”
“…Yanjin.” Mother Shen said, “Two years ago your dad was hospitalized.”
Shen Yanjin froze.
“Still that old problem. That hospitalization caused his health to get worse and worse.” Mother Shen’s voice sounded equally full of helplessness. “He was hospitalized again two days ago. He didn’t want me to tell you, but… Yanjin, can you understand us too?”
“……”
When Duan Mingyue found Shen Yanjin, the young man was leaning by the window, staring at the river view outside in a daze. Unlike last time, he wasn’t smoking, but putting mint candies into his mouth one by one non-stop.
Hearing footsteps, Shen Yanjin turned his head: “Captain.”
Duan Mingyue saw he had something on his mind. He raised his hand to ruffle his hair: “You okay?”
“Okay.” Shen Yanjin didn’t want to say too much, but remembered he promised Duan Mingyue no more secrets. He hesitated and said: “My mom called just now.”
For such a long time, this was the first time Duan Mingyue heard the little support mention his family situation. He looked at Shen Yanjin’s expression—face gloomy, mood low. It seemed the content of this call wasn’t very pleasant.
He said: “What did the call say?”
Shen Yanjin didn’t hide it and told the content completely. After speaking, he immediately felt much lighter in his heart: “After so many years, they are still stubbornly disapproving of my choice. I… I don’t know what to do either.”
Duan Mingyue said: “Do you want to go back?”
Shen Yanjin didn’t hesitate for a second: “Impossible.” After answering, he smiled bitterly. “If there was a tiny shred of possibility, it wouldn’t have reached this stage. Captain, I came out of the closet to them.”
Duan Mingyue looked at him with some surprise.
Shen Yanjin bit through the mint candy in his mouth. Excessive coolness provoked a slight pain: “Not because of you… Um, at that time I just wanted to anger them, force them to kick me out of the house, haha.”
He turned back to look at the wide river surface: “I am unfilial.”
Shen Yanjin had walked obediently on the path set by his parents for so long, learning early how to hide his true heart and preferences. Who knew he would meet Duan Mingyue by a twist of fate.
Esports, same-sex… these were things the former Shen Yanjin never thought about.
Like unlocking the shackles of restraint, the bird imprisoned in the cage finally understood what it truly wanted.
Duan Mingyue was a trigger, and also his direction.
Shen Yanjin didn’t regret it.
But things in the world are always hard to have both ways. Mother Shen’s words just now were clearly telling Shen Yanjin he must choose one between parents and the person and career he loved.
After a long time, he closed the window and said: “Let’s go back to training. Brother, duo queue today?”
Duan Mingyue didn’t say anything, nor did he continue to question. He squeezed the young man’s hand and said: “Okay.”
Lu Yuan sat in her room holding her phone. Her expression was calm, but her eyes were full of crazy colors.
After these few matches, the cursing in her Weibo had far exceeded the fans’ praise.
Her heart was icy cold. She couldn’t believe KW really abandoned her just like that.
From love to career… she actually lost to a man!!!
Even her family who always supported her started persuading her to leave quickly.
Why?
On what basis!!
This is all wrong!
Lu Yuan clicked open an audio file on her phone.
“…Shen Yanjin and I are in a legitimate romantic relationship. He is my lover. I like him…”
The audio was very clear. One could easily hear the person speaking was Duan Mingyue.
A sneer spilled from the corner of her lips. She tapped her finger, sending this file out.
In just a moment, the person who received her file sent a reply.
[HG Team Manager: Received.]
KW vs WOF. WOF’s home court. Powerhouse against powerhouse. So hot a ticket was hard to find.
Backstage, the two teams met.
Yue Fengling was nearly 1.9 meters tall, with short hair and an expressionless face, looking very unapproachable. WOF’s uniform was silver-white; worn on him, it made him look even more imposing.
The good relationship between Sliver and Mountain was no secret. Shen Yanjin greeted him very generously.
Yue Fengling smiled and nodded. Beside him followed a slightly shorter young man, waving his arm very enthusiastically at Shen Yanjin.
It was WOF’s Mid laner, SeeD.
Similar to Duan Mingyue, SeeD, as a wealthy scion, also had the trouble of inheriting billions in assets.
However, unlike Duan Mingyue who accepted it steadily, he had an older sister above him. According to himself, he was striving to slack off while his sister strove to work, aiming to let the old man at home give the family assets to his sister so he could muddle along eating and waiting to die for a lifetime.
Although SeeD sounded like a salted fish (slacker) in reality, on the field he was crazy. The heroes he excelled at were all assassin-type Mid laners. Godlike when ahead, ghost-like when behind. When in good condition, he killed one if one came, two if a pair came. When in bad condition, he Flashed to deliver solo kills.
Combined with WOF’s three support players whose conditions were equally erratic before, the match process was very stimulating, oscillating between god and ghost. WOF fans needed quick-acting heart relief pills to watch matches, otherwise they might pass out and not wake up.
Today Lu Yuan claimed illness and didn’t come, so Shen Yanjin played from the first game.
Currently, KW’s record was 5-0, five wins zero losses, while WOF’s record was 4-1. The pressure was definitely higher on WOF’s side.
Shen Yanjin didn’t have much psychological pressure. After all, it was preseason, and he trusted his teammates.
Ten minutes before going on stage, he checked his peripherals and habitually picked up his phone.
Suddenly, Kai next to him walked over and covered his phone screen.
“Almost on stage,” the smile on Kai’s round face looked a bit forced and flustered. “Don’t look at the phone for now.”
Translator’s Note: Hi everyone! This is your translator-nim~ Just a little trivia (I know most readers already know this LOL): “Green tea” refers to someone who acts innocent/pure but is actually manipulative. “Dog couple” is a slang term often used affectionately (or jealously) for a couple, specifically a male-male couple here. “Salted fish” means someone who has no ambition or just wants to slack off. Hope you enjoy the chapter!
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