IRAJAS Chapter 107

“Drip, drip,” Xiao Shengjing’s phone began to ring incessantly, all for this matter.

With one hand holding onto Lin Lan, he answered the phone, “Hello, Brother Mu… Yes, I already know about this matter… Right, I’ll find a way to handle it… Okay, feel free to contact me anytime about matters in the marketing department. I’ll cooperate actively… My phone will be on 24 hours, Brother Mu, rest assured, I’ll accompany him. It won’t affect the competition…”

As he spoke, he also hugged Lin Lan’s shoulder, signaling him to go back to the room to get something.

Lin Lan really didn’t know what to bring. He went back to the room and looked around for a while. Finally, he returned to Xiao Shengjing with a pillow and said, “Captain, I don’t think it’s necessary…”

Xiao Shengjing was still on the phone, gesturing for him to come in with his hand, then closing the door after Lin Lan entered. Lin Lan was left inexplicably in his room, sitting on the edge of the bed, waiting for him to finish the call.

After Xiao Shengjing finished calling Coach Zhang, he called the manager, and then the operations department. With one hand holding the phone, he searched for information on the computer. When he finally finished all the calls and put down his phone, he saw Lin Lan sitting on the bed with a pillow in his arms, looking bored. He paused for a moment and asked, “Why did you bring a pillow?”

Lin Lan nodded at first, then shook his head. “No, I just thought…”

Before he could finish his sentence, Xiao Shengjing pinched his cheek with the tone of coaxing a child, “Be good, bring your pajamas too. It’s not good to sleep naked.”

Lin Lan: ? What naked sleep?

He immediately pulled his face away from Xiao Shengjing’s hand, like a startled kitten, becoming wary. “Xiao Shengjing, what are you thinking? What I mean is, I can sleep by myself.”

Xiao Shengjing’s movement paused for a moment as he stood up. He bent down to touch the back of Lin Lan’s neck, gently rubbing with his fingertips, carrying a slightly chilly sensation. When he lowered his head, his tone was gentle, as if coaxing, “I worry when you’re alone. Be good. Go get your pajamas, you can wear my slippers.”

Lin Lan blushed slightly from his touch. He didn’t mind Xiao Shengjing’s touch, even kind of liked it, so he just made a sound of agreement.

The person touching his neck smiled gently, then touched his cheek before busying himself with something else.

Lin Lan got up and went next door to take a shower, then came back to bed directly in pajamas and slippers.

Xiao Shengjing left the door unlocked for him. Lin Lan pushed it open and saw Xiao Shengjing with his phone pressed to his ear, calmly communicating while his fingers tapped away at the keyboard, creating a small composition in no time. This scene reminded him of the first time he saw Xiao Shengjing. He was just like this, aloof and distant, calm and composed, as if nothing could disrupt his rhythm.

Suddenly, Lin Lan wanted to see what he looked like when disrupted. He pushed the door open and closed it behind him.

The sound startled Xiao Shengjing. The person who had just been aloof and proud moments ago suddenly turned around to look at him and smiled a gentle and radiant smile. He pointed to the table, indicating that there was hot water there.

It was strange. There was clearly none just now. Could it be that the captain was making a call and, incidentally, boiled water for him, pouring it into a cup?

Lin Lan tested the temperature of the water and found it just right. He took a few sips, then sat down on the sofa. He noticed that Xiao Shengjing’s bedroom was always clean and tidy, completely different from his own casually arranged room.

He had never imagined what it would be like to live with the captain. Would it disrupt his rhythm, like the time he stayed at his house? He kicked off his shoes, and Xiao Shengjing neatly arranged them. He messed up the cushions on the sofa, and Xiao Shengjing tidied them up promptly, never stopping for a moment.

Sometimes Lin Lan wondered if living with Xiao Shengjing would be exhausting. Two people with such different personalities wouldn’t last long together, right?

As he pondered, he started feeling a bit sleepy and dozed off on the sofa.

A soft blanket was placed over him, and someone was gently stroking his hair. Xiao Shengjing’s soft voice sounded in his ear, “Why don’t you go sleep on the bed?”

The feeling was too comfortable. Lin Lan subconsciously took him as a pillow and hugged his arm, somewhat dependently saying, “I want to sleep together with you.”

Lin Lan’s words were hard not to give a hint. Xiao Shengjing paused for a moment, then confirmed repeatedly, “Are you serious?”

The person in his arms made another sound of agreement, soft and affectionate as if wanting to snuggle into his embrace.

Xiao Shengjing inexplicably swallowed, not understanding what Lin Lan meant.

If he meant that and he didn’t understand it, would Lin Lan think he was too awkward?

And if he didn’t mean that and he misunderstood, would Lin Lan think he was particularly indecent?

Or maybe he just wanted to test himself?

For Xiao Shengjing, this was like a difficult exam question. The more he wanted to score full marks, the harder it was to calm down and think rationally.

Lin Lan’s legs were not obediently placed on him, like a koala clinging onto whatever it could find for a sense of security.

This rare display of intimacy from Lin Lan made Xiao Shengjing unable to help but feel his heart race. He cleared his throat and asked hoarsely, “Should I go take a shower and come back? Will you wait for me?”

Lin Lan was half-asleep, murmuring in agreement, finally letting him go.

This was indeed a very clear hint. Xiao Shengjing took a deep breath, immediately pushing all the remaining work tasks to tomorrow, and went to the bathroom to take a shower. As he washed, he kept thinking about what had just happened, unable to calm down no matter what. He could only lower the temperature of the water in an attempt to not appear too flustered.

Lin Lan must have meant that, right? Although he was only 18 in this world, his psychological age was already 24, so it was normal to have such desires.

He shouldn’t be considered abnormal, right? It was only natural to have feelings for his boyfriend.

But what if he didn’t mean that? Or perhaps, this was just a test from him? How could he pass this test?

Xiao Shengjing couldn’t control his wandering thoughts, his breathing becoming erratic. After finally finishing his shower and drying his hair, he opened the door and saw that Lin Lan was already fast asleep.

He was sprawled across the sofa, sleeping in a messy manner, limbs not arranged properly, and everything on the sofa beside him was knocked to the floor. His face was distorted from being pressed against his arm.

With just one glance, Xiao Shengjing knew he had overthought things. Lin Lan didn’t mean that at all. When he said he wanted to sleep together, it wasn’t the kind of sleep Xiao Shengjing had interpreted.

Xiao Shengjing could only suppress the tender thoughts in his heart. Seeing Lin Lan’s helpless sleeping posture, he smiled wryly and then bent over to lift Lin Lan from the sofa to the bed, tucking him in tightly under the covers.

If things had only developed to this point, it would have been the best outcome.

But Lin Lan, who hadn’t fully woken up, exuded an indescribable softness that constantly tugged at Xiao Shengjing’s heart. He silently watched Lin Lan, desire overcoming reason. Unable to resist, he kissed him once. Seeing Lin Lan offer no resistance and remain soft, he dared to kiss him again.

Lin Lan, still in a daze, responded slightly, and things quickly spiraled out of control.

Xiao Shengjing’s rationality was gradually fading away as he deepened the kiss. Lin Lan’s body was fragrant and soft, making him unable to restrain himself from wanting to get closer. His hand slipped under Lin Lan’s clothes, feeling his firm waist. But feeling it was too offensive, he quickly withdrew his hand…

His heart was still pounding violently. His liking for Lin Lan is uncontrollable, especially evident when Lin Lan is asleep. He didn’t need to hide or suppress it. The surging desire almost consumed him, turning him into someone else…

But what was the difference between this and being a pervert?

Xiao Shengjing didn’t want to admit that he was a pervert. He cursed inwardly, quickly stopped himself, turned off the light, and forced himself to lie down beside Lin Lan, closing his eyes to sleep.

In the darkness, the gentle sound of Lin Lan’s breathing could be heard. This was Xiao Shengjing’s first time sleeping in the same bed with someone else, feeling very unfamiliar. Yet, he felt as if every part of his body was filled, and Lin Lan’s presence gave him a kind of perverse satisfaction, a satisfaction he couldn’t obtain anywhere else.

Only Lin Lan.

Only he could make him feel this way.

Xiao Shengjing covered his eyes with his hand, calming down slowly along with his breath. However, his rapidly spinning mind refused to rest, constantly thinking about many things. Eventually, he thought of what Lin Lan had encountered. Xiao Shengjing couldn’t fall asleep anymore. He suddenly turned over, carefully got up, and approached the desk in the dark. He turned on the desk lamp and continued working on the document he had left unfinished.

…

The next day, Lin Lan was awakened by the alarm clock. As he got up and looked around the room, everything seemed unfamiliar. Gradually, his brain started working again, and he remembered that this was Xiao Shengjing’s room.

So, where was Xiao Shengjing?

Xiao Shengjing was no longer in the room, but there was breakfast on the table. Lin Lan checked the time; it was only ten o’clock, so he didn’t wake up late, did he? Why did the captain leave so early?

Feeling annoyed, Lin Lan got out of bed, got dressed and washed up, then took his breakfast to the training room. Still, he didn’t see him there. “Where did the captain go?”

Lu Shi had just gotten up as well. “I don’t know. I woke up late too. Maybe he went to the operations department. I just checked the group chat; he was asking if the operations department was working at 8 in the morning. Who works that early… Lin Lan, where did you buy breakfast? Why didn’t you bring me some? Can I have a bit of yours?”

Xiao Shengjing had prepared two sandwiches for Lin Lan. In theory, one would have been enough for both Lin Lan and Lu Shi, but Lin Lan didn’t want to share. “I’ve already taken a bite out of it.”

Lu Shi was puzzled. Wasn’t it still in the packaging? Couldn’t he come up with a better excuse for refusing to share?

With nothing else to do, Lin Lan secretly went to the operations department. As expected, he saw Xiao Shengjing at the computer, discussing something with the person in charge, looking unusually serious.

Wow… A man who works so diligently is indeed handsome.

Lin Lan nibbled on his sandwich while waiting outside for him.

Xiao Shengjing looked up and saw him. He stood up and walked towards him. “Up so early?”

Lin Lan “hmphed” twice, expressing his dissatisfaction. “It’s already ten o’clock. Shouldn’t I be up? Being late means getting fined.”

“Tsk,” Xiao Shengjing reached out to pinch his cheek again, teasingly disdainful. “You used to never get up before eleven. You were late every day. If we really fined you, you’d have no salary left.”

Lin Lan pulled his face away from Xiao Shengjing’s hand, mentioning the fines. “Back when we first met, you fined me two hundred.”

“I’ve sent you so many 520s, and you only remember that 200, hmm?” Xiao Shengjing said, pinching his cheek again. He thought to himself: this little ingrate, still holding a grudge after all this time. “Was the breakfast I bought you tasty? Were the red envelopes I sent you useful? Was the cola delicious?”

Lin Lan shamelessly replied, “Delicious.”

Anyway, he wanted breakfast, to receive red envelopes, and to drink cola. If he couldn’t take advantage of his own boyfriend, then whom could he take advantage of?

Lin Lan seemed to be in decent spirits these days, just not livestreaming anymore. His teammates were also worried about the public opinion affecting him, so they agreed not to livestream for a few days, accompanying Lin Lan to get through this matter.

Fans had been squatting for several days without catching Lin Lan’s livestream, feeling that he was being influenced by antis, which made them all furious. They grabbed their keyboards and started arguing with the antis.

Isn’t ignoring them the best way to deal with them?

Among them, the most awesome was Qi Rong. Because she was too fierce in her retorts, she trended on the hot search that day.

Jiang Xu, casually scrolling through his phone at the time, suddenly saw a hot search: “Lin Lan’s fans angrily retort for 18 hours until antis retreat from the internet”. He thought: who is this? So formidable?

He clicked on it and realized, damn, isn’t this Qi Rong’s account?

The incident began with some antis leaving ambiguous comments on the official account, and then, either through paid trolls or something else, all started attacking Lin Lan with baseless accusations. This enraged Lin Lan’s fans, who began to argue furiously. The worst part was they couldn’t win against them, so they had to let those negative comments hang prominently on the official account, which left the fans feeling utterly defeated.

Qi Rong saw this and immediately went berserk, conveniently on her day off.

She grabbed her keyboard and relentlessly argued with the antis for 18 hours straight, digging into their ancestors and promising to etch their names in history. She declared that whoever backed down first would have to delete their comments. Eventually, after enduring 18 hours of non-stop confrontation, the antis couldn’t keep up with Qi Rong anymore. They had to back down and delete their comments. Some even left the internet entirely. Now, their accounts were all wiped clean, with only one pinned post remaining: “I admit defeat. I bow down to superior skills.”

This move was hailed as “666” by Lin Lan’s fans, instantly recognized as a textbook-style way of handling haters. Qi Rong’s account also gained fame overnight, being regarded as Lin Lan’s top fan.

Even Lin Lan’s haters admitted, “Next time we criticize Lin Lan, we must choose a weekday. She goes to school on weekdays.”

Jiang Xu never expected Qi Rong, who seemed soft and weak, to have such explosive power.

This incident stirred up the internet for a full two days, during which Lin Lan didn’t livestream. Coupled with Lu Shi and others speaking positively on Lin Lan’s behalf, the situation was starting to calm down.

But the showdown between DT and ACG came quickly.

The matter of Feifei betraying Lin Lan hadn’t been resolved yet, and the two teams were about to face off. If Feifei really took the stage, it would surely bring back some unpleasant memories for Lin Lan, right?

Before the match even started, fans were already worried about Lin Lan’s state. They waited anxiously in front of their screens, and after two days, they finally saw Lin Lan again.

There was a sense of detachment on the young man’s face, devoid of expression. He went about his business smoothly, never showing a smile throughout the entire stream.

This reminded them of how Lin Lan was when he first debuted. He seemed to deliberately avoid the spotlight, the camera, and the crowds. Eventually, he became a bit more familiar with his fans, willing to joke around with them and even open up livestreams. But all of this was ruined by the baseless accusations from antis!

Seeing this, the fans felt the urge to retaliate against the antis: [Ah, Lin Lan is really being affected!]

[I hate those antis so much! What do they want to achieve?]

[Why are they so jealous? Does hurting Lin Lan benefit them in any way?]

[The truth hasn’t even come out yet, why are people so reckless in causing harm?]

[If you think it’s true, then provide evidence!]

[Stop using baseless accusations to tie Lin Lan down! Let him focus on the competition!]

These past few days, they’ve been desperately trying to explain on the internet, fearing that bystanders might be misled. But the antis kept stirring the pot, spreading negativity: Yeah, yeah, everyone who leaves the team is a bad person, only your idol is good.

Feifei’s betrayal was a huge blow to Lin Lan, and before he could recover, the two teams were about to clash, causing them to worry about Lin Lan’s condition.

As the first round of the match began, it was evident that Lin Lan was in good shape. He swiftly dismantled the opposing team, establishing dominance along the midline and helping his teammates gain an advantage, leading to a quick victory.

ACG was completely powerless against DT’s onslaught. After a brief break, Feifei was urgently brought onto the field.

Seeing Feifei come on stage, DT’s fans were infuriated. What’s ACG’s intention? Are they bringing Feifei to target Lin Lan? Is resorting to such despicable tactics their only way out when they can’t win?

Fortunately, Lin Lan wasn’t affected at all, and Feifei himself wasn’t in good shape either. He couldn’t even stabilize the midline, let alone put up a fight against Lin Lan.

However, in the second round, it was evident that Lin Lan had left some face for Feifei.

Every time between Feifei and the opposing AD, Lin Lan would always prioritize targeting their AD, allowing Feifei to not suffer too embarrassing of a defeat in ACG’s debut.

This scene silenced the audience in the venue, and even the viewers in front of the screens were moved.

After all, they were former teammates. Despite being treated this way by Feifei, Lin Lan still didn’t want to sever ties with him. He wouldn’t forgive him, but he also wouldn’t deliberately try to vilify him. That’s Lin Lan’s principle.

[Sob sob sob, Lin Lan is still so kind to Feifei…]

[Even as opponents, they still subconsciously take care of each other’s emotions.]

[Lin Lan must be thinking about the time when Feifei was on the team.]

[Before, Lanbao also took care of Feifei like this…]

[Back then, Lin Lan carried the entire team’s output alone, and Feifei basically never got scolded…]

[After such a long habit, it’s not something that can be changed overnight.]

[Why are they so easy to cry? Tears.jpg]

After the match, the winning side needs to perform a friendly handshake with the losing side. There’s a small detail here: when shaking hands with the others, Lin Lan didn’t make any extra movements, but when shaking hands with Feifei, he put on his hat, seemingly unwilling to face the fact that he was betrayed by him.

The closest blade often inflicts the deepest wounds.

Fans were in tears when they saw this, with comments flooding the screen, urging Feifei to turn over a new leaf.

When Feifei held Lin Lan’s hand, he couldn’t help himself and started crying on the spot, unable to control his emotions and unwilling to let go of Lin Lan’s hand.

The feeling of seeing his former teammate in person, rather than just over the phone, was overwhelming for him this time.

He remembered how kind Lin Lan had been to him when they were on the team together. Lin Lan always chose positions that allowed him to be close to Feifei, shouldered all the pressure of outputting, and even when public opinion was against him, Lin Lan was the first to show him kindness on stage. Because of his tolerance, DT’s fans were willing to tolerate him too.

So much so that even though Feifei’s skills were mismatched, even after winning the Spring Championship, he never received any criticism.

At that time, Feifei naively believed that his skills had improved…until he left DT, left Lin Lan, left Xiao Shengjing, and was repeatedly rejected by his teammates in ACG.

It was only then that he finally realized how naive he had been before.

Society is cruel, and the beauty lies in those teammates who are willing to accept him. But he ruined this beauty with his own hands, creating a barrier between them.

Lin Lan still didn’t want to take off his hat. He was reluctant to face the person who had hurt him. Despite Feifei’s plea, he finally pulled his hand away from Feifei’s grasp, turned around decisively, and left without hesitation. Perhaps for him, Feifei’s betrayal was even more painful than Wu Tianqi’s slander.

This action revealed Lin Lan’s attitude to everyone.

He’s not the type to hold grudges and completely cut ties with his former teammates. But he’s also not indecisive. He won’t choose to forgive those who have hurt him.

Parting ways and mutual respect are his choices.

That’s the attitude he left Feifei with.

Seeing Lin Lan leave, the other teammates didn’t linger around Feifei either. They politely shook hands and left, leaving Feifei crying uncontrollably on the stage.

The barrage suddenly erupted into intense discussions:

[I think Feifei must have done something to Lin Lan.]

[Feifei’s emotions are quite intriguing.]

[Lin Lan doesn’t even want to acknowledge him. How can he claim he didn’t do anything wrong?]

[He deliberately waited for 5 minutes before deleting the post. Dare he say it wasn’t intentional?]

[I think Fei Fei is lying.]

[If Feifei didn’t do anything wrong, he wouldn’t cry like this.]

[Feifei, stop crying and clarify things online!]

[Damn it, Lin Lan was so good to him!]

[What’s the point of crying? Go clarify things quickly!]

Despite the intense emotions online, after the match ended, there was still no apology from Feifei.

As long as Feifei doesn’t apologize, the stain on Lin Lan’s reputation will never be cleared.

It’s been 10 days since Lin Lan stopped broadcasting. During this time, he continued to compete as usual, but he didn’t interact with fans like before, and he didn’t participate in any post-match interviews.

With Feifei not clarifying and Lin Lan not explaining, the official account remained silent. The ambiguous attitudes from all sides made the black fans even more brazen. Unable to vent their anger elsewhere, they even invaded Lu Shi’s live broadcast room.

Lu Shi’s temper was never good to begin with. Seeing the endless barrage of comments during the livestream, he immediately got angry: “You rumor-mongers are sick! Can’t you restrain yourselves a bit? Do you really think the internet is a lawless place? The team is already preparing legal letters. Let me tell you, spreading baseless rumors carries legal consequences! Once it spreads beyond a certain point, you’ll all be held legally accountable!”

At first, the black fans didn’t take it seriously. However, the next day, DT’s official account unexpectedly posted a bunch of screenshots. The first was a lawyer’s letter addressing Wu Tianqi’s defamation, followed by lawsuits against various online bloggers for spreading rumors, along with some outcomes after handling.

Damn it. So DT’s silence all this time was for something big!

This move directly bewildered the black fans. Just as they were at a loss and panicking, several influential black fan accounts in the circle deleted all their content overnight, issuing apologies one after another, collectively apologizing to Lin Lan. Some even stubbornly refused to apologize. But, in the end, they all ended up compensating to varying degrees.

Although the compensation wasn’t substantial, DT didn’t let any of them off the hook. It’s said that immediately after the incident, they collaborated with a law firm specifically to handle this matter.

The black fans finally realized that the internet isn’t truly a lawless place…

---

Translator’s corner:

Who’s cutting onions? _(:‚‹」∠)_