DT’s victory was truly spectacular. The massacres in the first two games and the strategic lane swap in the final game, along with their perceptive awareness, all demonstrated the strength of DT. They didn’t win by luck; it was sheer skill.
Especially notable was Lin Lan, who was pushed to play AD. His strength was evident for all to see, and after the game, he was immediately thrust into the spotlight. Numerous industry experts sensed the buzz, leading to articles with attention-grabbing titles like “Shocking! Support Player Forced to Play AD? Is it Compelled or Intentional?” and “Didn’t Expect This, He’s Actually an AD.” Fans’ initial reactions to such headlines were dismissive, but upon clicking, they were genuinely surprised.
The third wave of excitement reached the live streams of various broadcasters. They too smelled the fragrance of increased viewership. Analyzing Lin Lan’s every move frame by frame on enlarged screens and slowed-down videos, the experts deciphered flawless gameplay. This analysis further elevated Lin Lan’s status, prompting cheers from fans of teams lacking an AD player, proclaiming, “He’s ours—!”
The third blaze spread to LPL’s professional players, particularly those in the AD and support roles. After watching, their reactions could be summed up in two words: “Oh, wow!”
AD players were eager to challenge Lin Lan, while support players hesitantly attempted to play AD, only to sheepishly return to their original roles.
In particular, support player Jiang Jin, who had recently experienced a string of devastating losses yet continued to play, bewildered his teammates. He even argued, “Support players should know how to play AD.”
Online discussions about Lin Lan continued to intensify, but Lin Lan himself was still contemplating whether to spend a considerable amount of money to get his hair cut. With his salary almost depleted and a limited concept of money, he had spent generously on takeout, leaving him with little. Just as he was deeply conflicted, Brother Mu returned.
Dressed in a suit with a neatly tied tie, shiny combed hair, and a radiant face, the manager immediately instructed Coach Zhang to purchase the necessary items for everyone. He asked Xiao Shengjing to inspect and replace any equipment deemed necessary. Upon seeing Lin Lan standing in front of the mirror with his messy hair almost covering his eyes, the manager expressed his disdain, saying, “Go downstairs and get your hair cut. Let finance reimburse you.”
Lin Lan: Huh? Is this really happening?
Without a second thought, he changed into new clothes and headed downstairs.
As Lu Shi said, the downstairs hair salon was indeed expensive. Just by looking at the decor, one could tell it catered to a wealthy clientele. Lin Lan found a seat inside and asked, “Boss, how much for perming and dyeing?”
The hairstylist quickly handed him a price list, trying to persuade him to go for the expensive options. Lin Lan, living up to expectations, said, “Give me the most expensive one.”
Once he uttered those words, everyone around, including the customers waiting beside him, turned to look at him. Lin Lan felt that some of those gazes were familiar, and when he turned to look, it was Xiao Shengjing, sitting in the waiting area with a magazine in his hands.
Wearing thin-framed glasses on his nose, he rarely spoke or smiled. At that moment, he was silently looking at Lin Lan, then at the price list in his hands, and finally, his gaze shifted back to Lin Lan’s face.
Hmm… Is he going to complain to Brother Mu when we get back?
Seeing the prices and feeling a bit extravagant, Lin Lan reluctantly settled for a mid-range option.
Both of them sat together in the lounge waiting area. Strangely, despite knowing each other, the atmosphere was quite awkward. Lin Lan felt sure that the awkwardness was all because of Xiao Shengjing. He got along well with Lu Shi and the others, but every time he saw Xiao Shengjing, there was nothing to say.
After an awkward silence, two customers inside finished simultaneously, and they were both notified to go for hair washing. The more awkward part was that their washing stations were next to each other.
The hairwashing assistant noticed that neither of them moved and urged them in broken Mandarin, “Which one of you is getting your hair washed?”
“Me.”
“Me.”
“Then lie down.”
Lin Lan lay down, and Xiao Shengjing also lay down. The two beds were quite close, but neither of them spoke, making the atmosphere even more awkward.
After lying there for a while, Lin Lan couldn’t help but break the silence, “Um, Captain, about that cola last time…”
“I’ll buy it for you later.”
“Okay.”
The conversation ended, and the hairwashing assistant was confused, “Do you two know each other?”
Lin Lan: “Yes.”
The assistant chuckled, “Why aren’t you talking then?”
Lin Lan looked at Xiao Shengjing beside him, “My captain is shy.”
Xiao Shengjing: ????
The assistant burst into laughter. She was already a talkative person, and once she found a topic, she teasingly joked with him. Xiao Shengjing felt like this hair-washing session was the longest he had ever experienced.
After teasing Xiao Shengjing, the hairstylist found it boring and turned her attention to Lin Lan. “Little handsome, you must have a girlfriend, right?”
“No, I don’t.”
“I’ll introduce my cousin to you, do you mind?”
Lin Lan smiled. Being accustomed to making jokes, he casually replied, “If the captain doesn’t mind, then I don’t mind.”
After saying this, he looked at Xiao Shengjing. With his hair swept up, his delicate features were revealed. His lips had a thin peachy color, appearing enchanting in the soft lighting. Especially those beautiful eyes, when he looked at Lin Lan, his eyelashes would flutter gently, like soft feathers, itching the heart.
As if that wasn’t enough, he smirked mischievously at Xiao Shengjing, a smile that made one’s heart skip a beat.
Suddenly, Xiao Shengjing coughed, his ears turning red. The hair-washing assistant kept asking if the water was too hot.
After finally finishing the hair wash, they realized that their hairstylists’ stations were next to each other. Now, not only were they sitting close, but they could also see each other’s faces in the mirrors.
Lin Lan couldn’t help but keep looking at him. Xiao Shengjing felt uneasy all over and could only pick up a magazine to cover himself. However, after staring at it for a while, he hadn’t read a single word. Lin Lan, on the other hand, was fully engaged in the conversation between the hairstylist and himself.
“What kind of hairstyle do you want?”
“Handsome.”
The hairstylist chuckled, “They’re all handsome; which kind of handsome do you want?”
“I want the kind that’s irresistibly handsome.”
The stylist, Toni, couldn’t hold back a burst of goose-like laughter. Xiao Shengjing took a deep breath and continued observing.
Lin Lan’s hairstylist spread out examples for him to consider, “What about this one? This color should suit you well.”
“No.”
“How about this one? It’s also nice.”
“Almost there.”
Lin Lan couldn’t express exactly what he wanted, so he tried to describe the hairstyle he had in his original world. “Do you know that ashy blue color? Not too dark, a bit lighter. The curls should be about this much, but the bangs shouldn’t be too thick. Then, the sides should have a slight curl. I prefer it loose…”
The hairstylist immediately caught on, excitedly discussing with him. They even planned to add a lock color enhancement based on his original preferences.
Xiao Shengjing couldn’t understand their discussion, and he didn’t even know what color ashy blue was. He looked at the mirror, seeing his perpetually dull black hair, and next to him, Lin Lan was animatedly chatting. It felt like they were from two different worlds.
As someone who found small talk dull and could be bored to death after a few sentences, is Lin Lan really the type he likes?
As he pondered, Lin Lan glanced at him through the mirror and smiled.
Xiao Shengjing felt that his heart rate was a bit abnormal. He quickly picked up a magazine, successfully masking his emotions but failing to hide the reddening tips of his ears.
The hairstylist asked him, “Is the hairdryer too hot?”
Xiao Shengjing uttered a faint “Mm,” and his ears continued to blush.
After finishing his haircut, Lin Lan’s hair dyeing process began. Lin Lan was already tired, his eyelids drooping. He grabbed the sleeve of Xiao Shengjing’s clothes, “Captain, I want a cola.”
Xiao Shengjing stopped and uttered another “Mm” before leaving.
Once outside, not only did he buy a cola for Lin Lan, but he also curiously peeked at the mouse. Approaching the hair salon, he pretended to put it away, “I got the cola; I’m leaving.”
Lin Lan reached out and grabbed his hand, briefly holding it. The short touch made Xiao Shengjing suddenly withdraw his hand, feeling uneasy as he walked away.
Suddenly awakened from a half-drowsy state, Lin Lan wondered if he had just touched the hand of the esteemed, aloof, clean-freak captain. However, why were the captain’s hands so cold?
Just wear more if you’re feeling cold.
Whenever Lin Lan descended from the gaming stage, his mind couldn’t process much. So, with a cola in hand, he began to drift into a light doze.
The surroundings seemed distorted, his senses gradually fading. He slowly opened his eyes, finding himself sitting under the scorching sun, his body parched. In a daze, a figure approached him, “They’ve all left. You don’t need to sit here and sunbathe. Go back.”
It was Xiao Shengjing’s voice. Lin Lan heard the heartbeat of the original owner pounding, and he softly replied, “Thank you, Senior.”
“Your condition seems off, are you suffering from heatstroke?” Xiao Shengjing said, pouring the remaining half bottle of water onto his hands and sprinkling it on Lin Lan’s forehead.
The icy water significantly sobered Lin Lan up. Xiao Shengjing, half-kneeling on the ground, had a focused and serious expression. His skin was slightly reddened under the sunlight, and his youthful complexion was exquisitely maddening.
Looking up at Xiao Shengjing, from this angle, he genuinely appeared divine in Lin Lan’s eyes.
No wonder he fell hopelessly in love with him. With a senior like him, who wouldn’t be captivated?
After Xiao Shengjing finished sprinkling water, he handed over the remaining water, “Don’t stay here and sunbathe.”
Lin Lan nodded cautiously, taking the water Xiao Shengjing handed him. Accidentally brushing against the other’s hand, Xiao Shengjing frowned and withdrew his hand.
With just one action, it shattered the humble and sensitive image of the original owner.
Lin Lan felt the original owner’s heart weeping, an inexplicable sadness enveloping him. The surroundings gradually twisted and disappeared, slowly pulling him back to the real world.
After the senses returned, Lin Lan felt a lingering ache in his heart.
Did the original owner love Xiao Shengjing too deeply?
Indeed, love is not something to be taken lightly; otherwise, it might lead to losing oneself completely, just like the foolish dog and “Lin Lan.”
After a five-hour-long battle, Lin Lan’s hair was finally done.
The hairstylist was very satisfied with his style. While working on it, the hairstylist admired it from various angles, even taking out his phone to snap pictures, continuously stating that this was his most satisfying work of the year.
Lin Lan took a glance and felt it was okay. It was a bit darker than the previous ashy blue, but a good wash should make it more or less the same.
He took out his phone, sent a message to Brother Mu, and asked him to transfer the money.
Upstairs, Brother Mu received the bill and couldn’t believe his eyes. “W-what? Spending over two thousand on a haircut?”
Coach Zhang advised him, “Oh, just forget it. Let him tidy up; it’s not expensive. Besides, didn’t we agree to do whatever it takes to keep him? Open up your mind. It’s just a bit over two thousand. Mu Zhenghong, you’re being too stingy…”
Although, truly, it did hurt.
Brother Mu, who had been frugal his whole life, had never spent over two thousand on a haircut.
With his hair done, Lin Lan felt refreshed. No longer burdened with the unlucky hairstyle, he casually greeted Lu Shi, who looked bewildered, “Hey, handsome, who are you?”
“I’m Lin Lan.”
Lu Shi’s jaw dropped. Seriously, who could recognize Lin Lan after a haircut? It was like getting plastic surgery.
Returning to the resting room, he exaggeratedly exclaimed, “Damn, let me tell you guys, I just found out today that Lin Lan is a big hottie.”
“What happened?”
“I just went downstairs to buy something and bumped into him. He got a little haircut, that kind of gray color, like a star. I feel like all his features have become more handsome. That guy is really, click-click, handsome. I even asked him: ‘Hey, handsome, who are you?’ He said: ‘I’m Lin Lan.’ I couldn’t hold it in and hurriedly came up to tell you guys about it…”
Lu Shi’s performance was overly dramatic, and nobody believed it at first. However, when Lin Lan came up and they saw the change, they collectively exclaimed, “Hey, handsome, who are you?”
“Me? Lin Lan.” He sipped his cola, and his freshly styled hair truly looked better than a celebrity’s.
His originally pale face, appearing somewhat melancholic, now took on a near-transparent icy white tone with the new color. The thinned hairstyle suited him well, giving off a delicate beauty, like the dappled light of fallen leaves. Moreover, he had gained a bit of weight on his petite face recently, making him look even more attractive.
Suddenly, Lu Shi didn’t know how to talk to him. He felt like he wasn’t worthy. However, Lin Lan drank his cola, stepped on his slippers, “Pat-pat,” and behaved as casually as before.
Lu Shi quickly approached, trying to get closer, “How much did it cost? Which hairstylist? Look at my hairstyle; can they save it downstairs…”
Lin Lan recalled, “With a discount, a bit over two thousand.”
Lu Shi: “Sorry! Goodbye!”
Lin Lan sat down at his spot, feeling exhausted. His voice, soft and tender, sounded like a coquettish plea, “Captain, we won the match. Can we have a day off tomorrow?”
His soft voice sounded like a petulant complaint, making Xiao Shengjing somewhat uncomfortable. “Yes.”
Lin Lan felt that he was really kind and considerate. He bought cola, gave away the mouse, and agreed to let him rest. Immediately, he smiled at him, “Thank you, Captain.”
Ahem…
Xiao Shengjing dared not look at him.
The soft voice was bad enough, but the sweet laughter made it even more awkward.
![Poor Little Thing Reborn as a Spoiled Child [ABO]](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/529280897e9ecfdd9f221749897bd3c6.jpeg "Poor Little Thing Reborn as a Spoiled Child [ABO]")
