As the regular season approaches its end, DT has only two remaining matches.
These two matches are against ENG and IB, with a significant gap in strength. Fans didn’t have much hope, especially since YTF’s tactics against Feifei proved effective, and other teams also found ways to counter DT, focusing on disrupting Feifei to disrupt Xiao Shengjing’s rhythm, leading to successful victories.
DT gave their all in these two matches, coming close to turning the tide several times. However, facing formidable opponents, the margin was too significant. In the end, they had to accept a 0:2 defeat.
With these results, DT officially concluded the regular season with an 11-5 record, securely sitting in the fourth position.
Those who previously mocked them for inconsistent performance and doubted their playoff qualification is now silent. Underneath DT’s ranking, there are formidable teams like FO, YTF, and KIG.
Among the top six teams, DT has already eliminated half of them.
Who dares to ridicule DT’s lack of strength now?
Isn’t this a slap in the face for those teams?
Brother Mu is extremely busy, and the resources are unprecedentedly abundant. Investors keep coming, and Lin Lan and Xiao Shengjing’s popularity is quickly catching up with other top players. Many streaming platforms are eager to sign them all before the playoffs begin.
Initially, they wanted the contracts of Lin Lan and Xiao Shengjing the most, and other players could be bundled together.
Jiang Jin already had a live-streaming contract, so he didn’t need one. However, Feifei and Xu Shengwei are newcomers without live-streaming contracts, making such a deal crucial for boosting their visibility.
Brother Mu is even more eager as maintaining the players’ popularity is also a valuable resource.
However, Lin Lan adamantly refuses to do live streaming, leaving the burden on Xiao Shengjing. He helplessly says, “Why do I feel like I’m signing a contract to sell my soul?”
Fearful that he might change his mind, Lin Lan quickly hands him the pen, saying, “Captain, sign it quickly, or it’ll get cold.”
Teammates burst into laughter without any mercy.
After he finished signing the contract, Lin Lan felt relieved. When he went back to his room to get something, he was suddenly grabbed by Xiao Shengjing and pulled into his room.
Xiao Shengjing closed the door, asked him to sit down, and considerately poured a cup of hot water for him. “Speak up, why don’t you want to livestream.”
“Because I’m lazy. I just don’t want to live stream.”
“The training content can also be broadcasted, killing two birds with one stone, and it won’t take much of your time. Your usual training volume is already enough, and there’s no conflict.” Xiao Shengjing sat across from him, getting straight to the point. “You like to keep a low profile.”
“Aren’t you short of money?” This reason didn’t convince Xiao Shengjing. “Livestreaming can bring you a considerable income. Keeping a low profile is not a reason.”
Unable to come up with another reason, Lin Lan spoke the truth, “I’m afraid of online harassment.”
Xiao Shengjing fell silent. In fact, he had sensed it during the last photo incident, but he couldn’t understand why. “Lin Lan, I remember you’ve never been harassed online.”
Online harassment and campus violence are two different things.
Lin Lan had been bullied in Shengyuan, so it was normal for him to fear Xie Zilu. However, he wasn’t afraid of Xie Zilu at all. He would even meet Xie Zilu alone without any fear.
But when it came to online harassment that had never happened before, his reaction was so intense.
This made Xiao Shengjing unable to help but think of his dream, where Lin Lan was the center of online harassment, not even spared while lying in a hospital bed.
Suddenly, he couldn’t distinguish which one was the dream and which one was reality.
Xiao Shengjing tightly clasped his fingers together, feeling scared of his own speculations. However, he was not articulate and didn’t know how to describe this eerie feeling.
Lin Lan felt a bit nervous being questioned by him. If it were someone like Lu Shi, who could easily be fooled, it would be fine. But Xiao Shengjing was different. Lies could easily be exposed.
With a sudden flash of inspiration, Lin Lan reached out and cupped Xiao Shengjing’s face, looking at him very seriously. “Captain, I’ve realized something.”
The unexpected proximity momentarily stunned Xiao Shengjing, causing a brief loss of thought. His mind buzzed, and in his eyes, he could only see Lin Lan’s beautiful eyes, reflecting his own image, bright and clear.
“I’ve figured it out,” Lin Lan pinched his face, suddenly smiling brighter than the sun, “I found out you didn’t sleep well last night. I’ll get you some brain-boosting herbal supplement.”
“Cough, cough…” Xiao Shengjing choked on his words. He suddenly forgot what he wanted to ask, got up to fetch water, and said, “I don’t need it. Don’t change the subject…”
After he finished speaking and turned around, Lin Lan had already opened the door and slipped away.
To drink or not to drink when the cup is at the lips?
Why did it feel like Lin Lan had him in the palm of his hand?
Lin Lan hurriedly returned to his seat, handing Xiao Shengjing the herbal supplement. When Lu Shi saw this, he asked, “Did you get a grip on him?”
“I got a grip… Oh, forget it, it’s none of your business.” Lin Lan left grumbling, “Nonsense…”
Lu Shi chuckled and said to Jiang Jin, “He’s definitely just covering up embarrassment.”
Jiang Jin, immersed in his analysis, didn’t have time for him. “Move away, you’re blocking my thoughts.”
Lu Shi was feeling uncomfortable and went to talk to Xu Shengwei. After talking for a while, Xu Shengwei finally took off his headphones and asked, “What did you say?”
This counter-question left Lu Shi bewildered. He wanted to complain to Feifei but noticed that Feifei had been away from his seat for a long time.
“Weird, taking so long to go to the bathroom?”
After the end of the regular season, there was a month and a half break before the playoffs, and Brother Mu considerately gave them a three-day mini-vacation.
Feifei packed up and left that evening, while Lu Shi, Jiang Jin, and Xu Shengwei chose to stay for adjustments. Lin Lan and Xiao Shengjing bought tickets for the next day to return to the orphanage.
Lu Shi teased Lin Lan, “Private time for the two of you?”
Lin Lan rolled his eyes vigorously; he didn’t want to explain to Lu Shi anymore. It was really exhausting, and he didn’t want to be led into a conversation by him.
Lu Shi, with an “I understand” expression, patted him on the shoulder, “Have a good time with the captain, strengthen your relationship.”
Jiang Jin, who was nearby getting water, accidentally overheard and widened his eyes in shock as if he had discovered some incredible secret, “Are you together with the captain?”
Lu Shi quickly told him to keep it down, “Shh! This is a secret, it can’t be known by others, you understand? Underground romance, got it?”
Jiang Jin nodded as if he understood, then shook his head.
Oh no, he felt that Lin Lan’s status in DT was getting higher and higher, and he didn’t know how to interact with him anymore…
Lin Lan looked utterly hopeless.
Can someone please take Lu Shi away?
In the evening, everyone gathered for dinner, and the aunt who cooked for them prepared a table full of delicious food. While they were halfway through their meal, they received a video call from Xiao Hai.
Xiao Hai had gotten a bit tanned, and grown taller. His smile became brighter.
Wearing a hat and speaking in a fluent local dialect, he said, “Congratulations on making it to the playoffs, fourth place, well done, bros.”
Unexpectedly, Xiao Hai became so cheerful after returning to his hometown. Lu Shi looked at his phone and chuckled, turning the camera toward the table, “We’re having dinner, what about you?”
“I’m going to Ayu’s place to have fish, a 6-kilogram big grass carp from his pond.” Xiao Hai picked up something in his hand, “I brought the side dishes for him.”
“Oh, you two are living the good life. One provides the fish, and the other provides the side dishes.” Lu Shi teased him, “When you were on the team, you didn’t develop anything, but after leaving the team, things progressed quickly. What’s up, did DT inspire you guys?”
Xiao Hai chuckled, his face blushing slightly, “What about Lin Lan? Is he next to you?”
“He’s not next to me; he’s next to the captain.” Lu Shi said and then turned the camera to Lin Lan, adding an inexplicable rhythm.
Xiao Hai caught on, “I get it, I get it. I’ve noticed it a long time ago.”
Lin Lan was utterly speechless, “What did you notice?”
Originally, he sat here first, but everyone avoided sitting next to him, leaving only one spot, so Xiao Shengjing came over.
What the heck could they possibly notice?
Lu Shi chatted with Xiao Hai for a few more moments, discussing the two new team members, Jiang Jin and Xu Shengwei. Both were mute, so after a couple of greetings, the conversation fell silent.
Xiao Hai nodded, suddenly thinking of something, “Did Tianqi really leave the team?”
The table fell silent instantly, everyone exchanging glances, and even Lu Shi smiled awkwardly, “He, he left, and Brother Mu didn’t keep him.”
Xiao Hai uttered an “Oh” and seemed somewhat sentimental, “He must have really angered Brother Mu, doing this for the second time.”
“That’s right, let’s not talk about him.” Lu Shi quickly changed the topic.
Suddenly, Xiao Hai exclaimed, moving closer to the camera, “Feifei? Why haven’t I seen him?”
“He went home. The team gave us a three-day short break, and he left yesterday.”
“Isn’t his hometown far away? Why would he go home for a few days off?”
Lu Shi also recalled and slapped his forehead, “How could I forget? So, if he’s not going home, where else could he be? Sneaking around having a secret love affair or meeting an online friend?”
As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Lan threw a tissue box at his head, “You see everyone as if they’re in a romantic relationship.”
“Hahaha…”
Xiao Hai was also laughing so hard that tears came out. Suddenly, someone called him, and he quickly prepared to hang up, “I gotta go. Ayu is urging me to get the vegetables.”
The video call ended, and Lu Shi was still making a clicking sound, “This is really a love affair, no joke. Everyone, get ready for the betrothal gifts.”
Jiang Jin exclaimed, “Do I have to give too?” He didn’t even know Ayu and had only seen Xiao Hai a few times.
“Of course, didn’t we all just see each other? None of you can escape.”
Xu Shengwei, who was about to eat a meatball, heard what Lu Shi said and dropped the meatball he had just picked up.
Lu Shi laughed so hard that tears streamed down his face, “Hahaha, buddies, I was just joking…”
Xiao Shengjing also smiled faintly. He lowered his head to pick up some vegetables in his bowl, lost in thought. Suddenly, he looked up and glanced at Lin Lan, making Lin Lan shudder.
Why did he suddenly look at him like that?
This has nothing to do with me, okay?
The next day, as they had bought the tickets for the early morning at 8 o’clock, Lin Lan was exhausted on the train. As he fell asleep, he leaned on Xiao Shengjing.
Xiao Shengjing gave him the window seat and sat on the aisle side. Not only did he have to protect Lin Lan at all times, fearing his head might fall off, but he also had to occasionally pay attention to people getting on and off the train.
When Lin Lan woke up, they had just arrived at a service area. Both got off the train, and each had a bowl of instant noodles with ham sausages.
Lin Lan was starving. After finishing his noodles, he added a braised egg for himself. Whenever he saw grilled corn, he took one. When he spotted grilled sausages, he grabbed one, and when he saw fried potato wedges, he ordered a portion.
Seeing him eat like a hamster, cheeks bulging with food, hands full, and eyes scanning the convenience store, Xiao Shengjing couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
“Why are you laughing?” Lin Lan kicked him, but he didn’t dodge and even took out his phone to earnestly snap a picture of Lin Lan.
Instinctively, Lin Lan was a bit resistant to the camera. He kept saying, “Don’t post it online; my image is crucial.”
Xiao Shengjing looked at the photo, “Not bad.” He felt that Lin Lan looked quite cute.
He sent the photo to Lin Lan and casually set it as their chat background.
During the short 20-minute break, Lin Lan didn’t manage to eat enough. Before leaving, he even bought two oranges and continued munching on the bus.
The more Xiao Shengjing looked at him, the more he felt like a hamster. How did he not notice Lin Lan’s hearty appetite before?
It seemed like Lin Lan used to have a poor appetite, taking a few bites and losing interest. He used to be thin, almost skeletal, but now he enjoyed everything he ate, even buying two oranges, which he had never eaten before…
Xiao Shengjing suddenly stopped in his tracks.
He looked at Lin Lan’s profile, observing his eating habits. The more he looked, the more he felt like there were two different people.
He quickly shook his head, trying to shake off these absurd thoughts.
The remaining time passed quickly, and they finally reached their destination.
The two of them took a taxi and arrived at the orphanage. Lin Lan was somewhat familiar with the place, knowing the way around.
“The adoption records are in the administrative office.”
Lin Lan arrived downstairs at the administrative office, next to which was the status wall displaying information about the orphanage. His previous caretaker, who had guided him, was no longer listed.
He hadn’t been back here since turning 18 and returning under these circumstances was unexpected. “The caretaker who guided me had health issues, and in the past couple of years…”
Lin Lan didn’t continue. Someone from the administrative office approached, and he quickly followed to explain the purpose of their visit.
Xiao Shengjing stood a few steps away, the dappled shadows of the trees falling on Lin Lan’s face. Small and subtle, Lin Lan always exuded a powerful vitality, making it hard for Xiao Shengjing to look away.
After a lengthy discussion, the administrative office staff finally agreed to let him in. Since it was a holiday, there were not many people inside. The head of the administrative office searched for the records for a long time.
Lin Lan squatted on the ground to help, sometimes stopping to glance at familiar records. He would pause for a moment, seemingly moved, before putting them back and continuing the search.
Suddenly, Lin Lan came across a record that made him freeze. He frowned, staring intently at it, not letting any detail escape his attention. Xiao Shengjing was suddenly very curious about what he was thinking, what emotions were running through him, and what kind of information could stir his emotions. As Lin Lan stared at a particular document, he seemed deeply engrossed.
Xiao Shengjing realized something. He found an excuse to divert the attention of the administrative office head, giving Lin Lan enough time to capture images of the documents.
Once he had the records, Lin Lan couldn’t wait to leave.
Seemingly having made a discovery, his face turned visibly pale. Clutching his phone tightly, he wanted to find a secluded place. Eventually, he pulled Xiao Shengjing to the backyard filled with ginkgo trees.
“What did you discover?”
Lin Lan took out his phone, hands trembling. “Look at this, under the adoptive parent section.”
The adoptive parent’s name was Tai, Tai Songshan, a truly wealthy individual. More importantly, he had two sons, twin brothers named Tai Zhen and Tai Yuan.
These two were the twins who frequently bullied Lin Lan in his class, similar to Xie Zilu. In fact, they were even more terrifying and disgusting than Xie Zilu.
It was hard to imagine that after facing bullying from classmates at school, Lin Lan had to endure violence from the two sons of his adoptive parent when he returned home.
How can one survive in such an environment?
The previous owner was forced to death.
As Lin Lan thought about this, his whole body trembled with anger.
The information page also included a photo of Tai Songshan. He appeared benevolent in the image, but for some reason, in Lin Lan’s mind, there flashed the image of a cold and ruthless man.
Lin Lan felt so cold as if he had a fever. His mind was hazy, and terrifying scenes kept flashing through it.
Suddenly, Xiao Shengjing anxiously called out to him, but he couldn’t hear. He could only see Xiao Shengjing’s worried expression, becoming increasingly blurry in his mind…
Lin Lan felt like his body was being thrown into the water.
These were the “memories” of the previous owner.
He frantically cried for help in the water. Countless hands held him down, and more and more water choked his nasal passages. The face of the assailant was reflected on the water’s surface, twisted into a grotesque and sinister appearance, like a demon.
Lin Lan saw it clearly—the perpetrators were the twins!
Their faces were sickly, each with a mole at the corner of their eyes. Tai Zhen had one on the left, and Tai Yuan had one on the right. Their bodies were slender and frail like girls, but their strength was terrifyingly strong.
“Just you dare to report us?”
“Who gave you the courage? Huh? If there’s another time, we’ll make sure to kill you…”
In the next moment, Lin Lan was pushed off a high platform, breaking one leg. Tai Zhen’s face flashed by, and when Lin Lan returned home, everyone thought his leg was broken from skipping classes.
Tai Songshan didn’t care about the truth; he only cared if Lin Lan was the obedient child he was looking for. He made Lin Lan stretch out his hand and harshly punished him with a ruler ten times.
The pain in his palm brought Lin Lan to another scene—Tai Yuan ruthlessly stepped on his hand, saying cruelly, “Who are you pretending to be pitiful for? Our father? You’re really a well-behaved dog raised by him. Do you even deserve to look in the mirror, wanting to monitor us with just yourself?”
After saying this, someone ordered, “Give him a cold water bath to wake him up.”
Water with ice particles poured from head to toe, freezing Lin Lan all over, unable to distinguish whether it was cold or hot.
Turning his head, he saw himself barefoot, running on the playground, sweat sliding down his cheeks, under the scorching sun.
The PE teacher scolded him in pain, “Lin Lan, how many times have I told you to change into running shoes for PE class? What do you mean by repeatedly refusing? Are you challenging my authority? Run ten more laps!”
Tai Zhen and Tai Yuan sat in the crowd, laughing wildly.
Lin Lan didn’t know how many laps he had run; his vision was blurry. Suddenly, everything went black, and he collapsed to the ground.
When he opened his eyes again, it was a dark classroom. Tai Zhen threw a stack of money on his face, “Go buy us some alcohol and deliver it to the rooftop.”
His desk mate asked him in a low voice, “Are you okay? Do your family members know about how they bully you?”
Lin Lan first shook his head, then nodded, looking dazed.
The desk mate whispered to him, “You can’t go on like this; I feel like you won’t make it to graduation. Do you know about the eSports club? It’s run by Xie from our class. They say that as long as you join his club, you’ll be protected. He’s the person those two brothers are most afraid of. I saw you playing games quite well last time; you should give it a try…”
The original host nodded. In the next scene, he went to sign up for the eSports club. Although he hadn’t played this game for long, he barely defeated three members of the club with his talent and successfully joined.
Xie Zilu noticed him. He was wearing an oversized school uniform, looking at the original host with a playful expression. “I heard you’re good. Let’s play a solo match. If you win, you stay; if you lose, get lost. Oh, by the way, let’s make it more interesting. The loser has to kneel in front of the winner and call them daddy. How about it?”
He finished speaking and burst into laughter like a maniac.
The people around him joined in the laughter.
Who dared to make Xie Zilu kneel and call someone daddy? This was undoubtedly a losing situation.
Lin Lan could feel the original host’s overwhelming sense of suffocation. When pushed to the limit and on the verge of losing the match, he summoned another version of himself from a different world with a strong will to help.
Lin Lan felt that he had taken control of his body, and after sharp maneuvers, he defeated Xie Zilu and added a few words.
It was these few words that changed Xie Zilu’s gaze toward the original host.
He seemed to have found a kindred spirit, a fun toy to play with. He sat in the darkness, observing him, occasionally asking in that creepy voice, “When will you come out again?”
The original host was very afraid, trembling under his gaze, but fortunately, with Xie Zilu’s protection, Tai Zhen and Tai Yuan didn’t dare to do anything to him at school.
But the original host needed to go home.
The adoptive parents often couldn’t come home due to social engagements.
In a shift of scenes, Lin Lan felt the original host quickly returning to his room, locking the door, refusing to open it no matter what they said. The next day, he would leave for school early before they woke up.
Outside, Tai Zhen could be heard grumbling, and he angrily kicked the door twice.
The scene shifted again, and on his way home, the original host was suddenly intercepted by the two brothers and dragged to an abandoned factory, where he was subjected to inhumane and brutal beating, each kick harsher than the last.
“Heh, got some skills now? You know how to hide?”
“Lin Lan, you’d better never leave the school for the rest of your life. Otherwise, every time I see you, I’ll make you suffer. I, Tai Zhen, keep my word!”
The original host was terrified, hearing that obtaining a spot in the school was possible by securing a qualification in the esports team league.
However, Xie Zilu’s team had already been formed.
Taking a risk, the original host asked Xie Zilu if he could join another team. Xie Zilu clearly didn’t take him seriously, but unexpectedly, the original host’s luck was so good that he made it to the elimination rounds. He even defeated Xie Zilu in the most crucial battle.
It wasn’t the original host who defeated Xie Zilu at that time; it was Lin Lan.
At the most critical moment, the original host called upon another version of himself.
Lin Lan remembered saying offensive words to him at that time, and he could vividly recall the look of rage in Xie Zilu’s eyes, that fury of being fooled and the desire to annihilate the opponent.
The original host managed to escape from Tai Zhen and Tai Yuan but, in doing so, offended Xie Zilu. Xie Zilu kept him in the esports club, the closest place to himself, observing him closely every day, testing him in various ways, and not allowing anyone else to bully him.
Initially, everything seemed fine, but as time passed, Xie Zilu’s patience wore thin, and his attitude toward him became increasingly volatile.
Countless scenes flashed through his mind, the senses becoming clearer and clearer.
Lin Lan felt his head being forcefully knocked on the table by Xie Zilu. He was like someone afflicted with a disease, unable to control his emotions, shaking violently. “I’m asking you, where did you hide him? You useless piece of trash, why aren’t you the one hidden away? Why aren’t you the one disappearing? Huh? If you don’t release him, I’ll make sure you leave the school lying down today…”
He cursed harshly, throwing the original host to the ground, his head hitting the table, blood flowing. In the last moment of rage, Xie Zilu, who was furious, suddenly picked him up and carried him to the infirmary.
In the hazy state between consciousness and unconsciousness, Lin Lan saw a tattoo on Xie Zilu’s neck, not a dragonfly, not a moth, but a black butterfly.
It was a simple one, the kind that transforms from a caterpillar into a butterfly.
He was taken to the infirmary, where the doctor did not attend to the wound on his head but instead treated the skin and flesh injuries on Xie Zilu’s hands.
After Xie Zilu was bandaged, he stood by the window, facing away from him, and said some inexplicable words, “Lin Lan, I know you can’t come out now, but you should be able to hear what I’m saying. We are all the same kind of people, with very tough lives. But it’s okay; as long as we get through the process of breaking the cocoon, we can have a different life. Lin Lan, I’ll wait for the day you break free from the cocoon and become a butterfly…”
Clearly separated by several years and two different worlds, Lin Lan didn’t expect Xie Zilu’s words to be conveyed to him in such a way.
The dizziness returned to his mind, and Lin Lan saw the original host graduate. Due to the academic failures of the two brothers, he was also required to postpone graduation.
Lin Lan instinctively felt a physiological urge to vomit, a sensation brought about by the original host. It’s not hard to imagine how terrified the original host was at that time.
In desperation, he even went to the DT tryouts, believing that if he succeeded, he could forever escape that home.
The tryout process was not easy, and in the moment of almost losing, fear enveloped his entire being. The original host instinctively brought the version of himself from another world, helping him overcome this difficult situation.
![Mister, I Want a Divorce [BL]](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/先生，我想离婚.jpg "Mister, I Want a Divorce [BL]")
