Chapter 33: Going Home
After the phone call, Shen Yanjin returned to the computer. Enduring the hand injury, he played two games with Duan Mingyue, then used the excuse of being too tired to log off early.
Seeing him distracted, Duan Mingyue didn’t say much and let him go very decisively.
The little support seemed to experience a sudden drop in condition every time. Before, Duan Mingyue thought it was just a little girl getting tired from playing too long. But now that this inference no longer held water, it became another unsolvable puzzle.
Curious, naturally he was curious. He had guesses too, but there was no rush.
With a thousand thoughts turning in his mind but showing nothing on his face, he smiled and said goodbye, then ended the stream at light speed.
He wanted to personally supervise YanGoldâs contract, and this was the perfect time to go to the Legal Department.
Ignoring the wails of the fans in the stream room, Duan Mingyue turned off the stream and walked out of the training room. In the hallway, he ran headfirst into Tans.
Tans’ face was as gray as if he were going to a funeral. The whole person was listless, even walking without energy.
Duan Mingyue stopped. “What’s wrong? Did something happen to the team?”
Tans looked at him listlessly and sighed deeply. “Captain, a friendly piece of advice: if you hurry back to the dorm now, there’s still time. Lucida is walking this way.”
Duan Mingyue froze, then realized: Tans had just matched with him and UOOW. Right now… he had been caught by Lu Yuan and vented on?
Having given the warning he should give, Tans finished sighing and ignored Duan Mingyue, walking straight away.
The duo lane required high synergy, so they spent the most time together.
As the AD, Tans naturally saw Lu Yuanâs changes more clearly than others.
His values were normal, so naturally, he wasn’t sexist. After knowing his support was a girl, Tans only worried about avoiding suspicion, never thinking about anything else.
However, he never expected that while he, a man, thought about avoiding suspicion, the girl didn’t!
Thanks to Lu Yuan, Tans learned that he was actually someone who strongly opposed workplace romance…
Duan Mingyue naturally wasn’t dissuaded by Tans.
The Legal Department was on the second floor of the KW base. Walking past a scenic corridor, treading upon the enchanting night view of Cloud City, one would enter a very quiet hall where business meetings and legal affairs were basically handled.
In the center of the hall sat a set of dark brown leather sofas paired with a marble coffee table, used for visiting guests to wait and rest.
Lu Yuan was sitting right there.
She looked up, appearing surprisingly haggard as well. Seeing Duan Mingyue, she rubbed her brow and said, “Brother Moon, can I talk to you?”
After speaking, without waiting for Duan Mingyueâs answer, she added urgently, “Just two minutes!”
Since Duan Mingyue had started the stream, he had considered all the chain reactions this move would bring.
Perhaps outsiders were still just suspecting if UOOW was a new member of KW Team, but within KW Team, which had been noisy recently due to this substitute position, this move evidently confirmed it as fact.
Of course, many friends in the circle sent messages asking. Duan Mingyue wanted to just admit it frankly, but…
The little support just had to play a female account, pretend to be a woman, and even use a voice changer. His brain had crashed too; he only remembered to investigate the opponent’s real identity after streaming. Now it was greatâto protect the kid’s face, Moon God could only knock his teeth out and swallow them.
Otherwise, if he said he recruited UOOW, a female support, into the team, but it turned out to be a man during the official announcement, how would he clean up that mess?
So Duan Mingyue let them guess.
The biggest problem right now was still Lu Yuan.
Duan Mingyue admitted this was his mistake.
If he had dealt with this person earlier, wouldn’t it have been fine?
Were there no other supports in the world? Why keep this woman?
As the saying goes, a moment of soft-heartedness leads to endless trouble. But things had come to this; he could only salvage the situation, not regret it.
He stopped walking and checked the watch on his left wrist. “Two minutes. I still have to go to the Legal Department; I don’t have much time.”
Hearing Duan Mingyue was going to the Legal Department, Lu Yuanâs lips turned white. Knowing this trip was nine out of ten for UOOWâs contract, a strange look passed through her eyes, but her mouth continued pitifully, “I just want to say, these past few months I… I was wrong, I’m sorry. When I played matches before, my parents opposed it strongly. Recently they kept urging me to find a partner. I got annoyed, so I… I said you were actually my partner. Now that we’re back in the country, they wanted me to bring you home, so that’s why I couldn’t distinguish the severity of things these days.”
“I really had no choice at the time to say that… I-I’m sober now. I’ll go clarify immediately, then focus on training. My attitude remains the same as before; I support all the team’s decisions.”
Finished, she stood up, bowed to Duan Mingyue, and then hurried away.
The esports circle was very messy. For Lu Yuan to stand firm in it, she naturally wouldn’t be some pure, simple little girl.
She found people to spread rumors, originally counting on Duan Mingyueâs integrity to not clarify for UOOW. Who knew Duan Mingyue was serious this time, directly streaming duo queue with UOOW, causing Lu Yuan to drop a rock on her own foot.
The matter was irrevocable, but fortunately, she could cut her losses in time.
Lu Yuan knew she wouldn’t be swapped out immediately because the season was starting soon. Even if UOOW joined, the time available for training synergy was too short. But she was different; her contribution to the team, whether in matches or traffic, was something UOOW couldn’t compare with.
In professional competition, to get on the starting lineup, not only did you have to be good, but the original starter also had to cooperate by playing absolutely terribly for you to get a precious chance.
After all, some people were fierce in ranked but trash in matches. Fielding a rookie carried risks, and KW Team wouldn’t easily shoulder such risks.
She was a support holding four championship trophies! As long as she put in a little effort, stepping on UOOW would be effortless.
Duan Mingyue was soft-hearted toward her back then; this time, he would definitely be soft-hearted too.
After thinking through the pros and cons, Lu Yuan made up her mind to retreat in order to advance, leading to this scene.
Duan Mingyueâs heart was clear as a mirror; how could he not know her thoughts?
He glanced at Lu Yuanâs retreating figure, then walked toward the Legal Department.
Lu Yuanâs calculations were indeed good.
But the premise was… if UOOW wasn’t YanGold.
Shen Yanjin straightened his collar. Looking at the familiar yet strange house before him, his movements revealed a nervousness of being near home but afraid.
He stood before the door, unable to gather the courage to ring the doorbell for a long time.
Just as Shen Yanjin became more and more timid, almost wanting to flee, the door handle moved slightly, and the door opened from the inside.
Mother Shen gave Shen Yanjin a deep look from inside the door.
That lookâhow to describe it? It contained too many emotions. Shen Yanjin felt as if he had been scalded, his whole body shrinking back involuntarily.
He opened his mouth but made no sound.
After a long while, he called out in an extremely small voice, “Mom.”
Mother Shen tucked her hair behind her ear. “Come in.”
The furnishings in the house were the same as before, everywhere colored with memories. Familiar furniture, yellowing lights, fine dust in the air, and a nostalgic scent.
Walking through it, Shen Yanjin felt like a child who had taken a time machine, seemingly returning to when he was seventeenâcarefree, with no lofty goals or pressure. His heart was like a balloon, unrestricted by tethers, drifting and soaring in the boundless blue sky.
No need to face reality; home was the strongest fortress.
Sometimes Shen Yanjin wondered, if he hadn’t chosen to put all his eggs in one basket, following Duan Mingyueâs footsteps to Cloud City to chase an ethereal shadow, would everyone be happier and more joyful now?
You see, he really was an annoying child no one liked.
Five years ago, he hurt the two people who loved him most. He ran forward with all his might, ran and ran, but never won a single trophy, nor received the approval of the person he missed most. In the end, everyone hated him and hoped he would get lost quickly.
He returned to Bincheng in such a sorry state, yet had to face the problems he left behind five years ago.
Friends, parents, and hand injury.
He closed his eyes and followed his mother into the living room.
The Shen family was a typical strict father, loving mother household. From the time Shen Yanjin could remember, it often happened that he was too naughty, so his father would chase him all over the house with a belt or stick. He was only safe when he hid behind his mother.
Especially on the day he was kicked out of the house five years ago. His father held a stick, and he really hit hard, causing Shen Yanjin to feel lingering fear every time he recalled that day.
But, could anyone tell him, who was this white-haired middle-aged man sitting on the living room sofa?
Shen Yanjin felt like he had been slapped out of thin air. This slap pulled him out of the nostalgia created by the scent.
He re-examined the surrounding furnishings and his parents beside him with shocked, incredulous eyes.
In his memory, his mother was gentle, his father was tall, and his home was warm and full of color.
Therefore, wandering outside for so many years, he was unwilling to look back, feeling he wasn’t qualified.
But now, the various furnishings in the house had lost their original colors due to age. The smile on his mother’s face had disappeared, and his father had grown so much white hair, aged so, so much.
Shen Yanjin recalled his mother’s action of tucking her hair earlier. Thinking about it now, that must have been to cover the white hair on her head.
â“Drop out to play esports? Are you crazy? What stupid things are you saying! I think your brain isn’t clear. From today on, don’t leave your room. Think clearly before speaking.”
â“Yanjin, think about it properly, okay? Even… even if not for yourself, think about Mom and Dad, okay?”
â“How could it be… it’s all Mom’s fault…”
â“Get out! Get out! Never come back!”
Seventeen-year-old Shen Yanjin was beaten up but remained stubborn.
He fasted very toughly in his room for two days. Mother Shen couldn’t stand it first and let him out.
Unexpectedly, Shen Yanjin hadn’t been idle during those two days. He packed a simple luggage for himself. As soon as he came out, he devoured three bowls of rice, then wiped his mouth and unleashed his ultimate move.
With a bang, he knelt on the floor and said frankly, “Dad, Mom, I like men.”
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