IRAJAS Chapter 14

Lin Lan brushed his teeth as usual, always feeling something strange.

Everyone who walked by the window would glance at him, their eyes filled with astonishment and excitement, like watching a monkey. Then, they would gather in twos and threes, saying, “Damn, he looks ordinary, completely unremarkable. I didn’t expect him to perform so well on stage. I feel like I don’t even know him anymore…”

Lin Lan: ?

He didn’t feel like they were praising him.

After quickly washing his face, he entered the training room and noticed that everyone’s attitude towards him had changed. Ayu prepared a cushion for him, Xiao Hai brewed him coffee, and Feifei smiled as soon as he saw him. His gaze resembled the expression of a proud mother watching her son grow up, a mixture of appreciation and satisfaction, making Lin Lan feel uncomfortably awkward like he was covered in goosebumps.

As he sat down, he noticed the empty seats next to him; Xiao Shengjing and Wu Tianqi were both absent. “Where did Captain and the others go?”

Ayu sighed, “Tianqi is probably getting scolded by the captain. He was called out this morning and hasn’t returned yet.”

Curious, Lin Lan asked, “Is the captain harsh when scolding people?”

“The captain is very harsh when scolding people,” Xiao Hai recalled with lingering fear. “When I first joined the team, I saw the captain scolding a new trainee. He doesn’t use dirty words but uses knives, stabbing with every word, cutting to the heart. After the captain scolded that trainee, he didn’t come to training the next day and terminated his contract with the team the day after.”

It seems like he scolds pretty harshly. Lin Lan felt relieved.

However, he asked, “Shouldn’t coaching be the coach’s job?”

“I don’t know. I only know that the captain cares a lot about the team, and he does many things that aren’t his responsibility.”

“Is he paid well?”

Xiao Hai shook his head like a tambourine, “It’s said that the captain’s basic salary has just passed ten thousand, and as for bonuses, there aren’t many.”

Lin Lan couldn’t understand. What attraction does this mediocre team have for Xiao Shengjing that he would support it like this? “Could they be relatives?”

Everyone turned to look at him as if they had discovered a tremendous secret. Lu Shi also remembered something, “Before, when I went to the restroom, I accidentally overheard Brother Mu talking to Captain Xiao. It seemed like Brother Mu asked Captain Xiao to have dinner together in the evening, and Captain Xiao said he was busy and left…”

Xiao Hai exclaimed, “My goodness! Lin Lan, you’re amazing. You can even guess that.”

Lin Lan: ?

Come on, he just said it casually!

However, Brother Mu might really be related to Xiao Shengjing. He remembers that his grandmother’s surname is Mu, and their relationship has always been good.

After Lin Lan finished two training matches, Xiao Shengjing returned from outside, his expression looking a bit unpleasant. Feifei asked him, “Where’s Tianqi?”

“He said he wanted to talk to Brother Mu,” Xiao Shengjing lightly frowned, pulling his hands out of his pockets, “Let him be.”

The tone indicated that the conversation didn’t go smoothly. Lin Lan didn’t expect Wu Tianqi to be so stubborn that even Xiao Shengjing couldn’t control him.

As soon as Wu Tianqi came back, he headed straight into the office, and faint sounds of argument could be heard. Later, Wu Tianqi stormed out, never to return.

The atmosphere in the training room became tense, and no one dared to speak.

DT’s promotion matches were truly full of challenges. First, Lin Lan attempted suicide, then Xiao Hai got injured. Just when they saw the dawn of victory, Wu Tianqi threw a tantrum at this critical moment.

“If Tianqi doesn’t come back, is our promotion match doomed?”

Lin Lan felt that with or without him, it didn’t matter. “We have a substitute for the top lane, let Lu Shi give it a try.”

“Cough,” Xiao Hai was coughing in shock, “Lu Shi’s skill level…”

Everyone showed indescribable expressions, obviously having witnessed it.

Half an hour later, Lu Shi was forcibly pressed by everyone to play a ranked game.

Lin Lan thought, how bad could it be, and then watched for a while. Watching made him question life.

Lu Shi looked helpless, “I really can’t play. I’m thinking of disbanding DT and going back to grow sweet potatoes. I dare not participate in such an important match…”

No matter how much Wu Tianqi messed up, no matter how much he threw, he could still output what he was supposed to and enter fights as needed. His skills were indeed commendable.

Lu Shi, on the other hand, belonged to the category of players who couldn’t produce the expected damage.

Even with the jungle helping him get kills, he couldn’t win against the opponents. During mid-game team fights, he was always hesitating and entangled, resulting in being invisible throughout the entire game.

Well… Lin Lan fell silent.

He really didn’t expect it to be this disastrous.

If Wu Tianqi didn’t come back, he could try playing top lane himself. But the problem was, Lu Shi couldn’t play support, and not only that, he would drag Ayu down, possibly derailing the whole team’s rhythm. This arrangement would only make the situation worse.

“Ah,” everyone sighed.

Upon seeing the training results, Xiao Shengjing stood up, remained silent for a while, and made up his mind, “Lu Shi, practice a few tank heroes, be ready to play at any time. Feifei, be his sparring partner, improve his ability to withstand pressure. We don’t need him to output damage, just ensure that his frontline capabilities are strong enough.”

Feifei, upon hearing this arrangement, instantly understood. He excitedly told everyone, “Captain is getting serious; he might choose a damage-dealing hero!”

Is Xiao Shengjing planning to use a damage-dealing hero?

Lin Lan was a bit curious. In the original world, the silly dog mostly played supportive jungle roles. He had never seen him dominate the arena with killing sprees.

Later, Xiao Shengjing was called into the office, and Lin Lan didn’t know what they discussed. Suddenly, his phone rang, and picking it up, it was a message from Xiao Shengjing.

Xiao Shengjing: Come and help me fend off the attack.

Lin Lan raised an eyebrow slightly.

He actually sought his help?

Lin Lan quietly approached the office. It wasn’t soundproof, and he heard Brother Mu earnestly advising Xiao Shengjing, “Why did you provoke him? You know he has a bad temper, and he’s petty. By doing that, you just hurt his pride, right? Xiao Xiao, endure for a while, let things calm down. Give him some leeway, even if he’s wrong. After all, it’s a matter of life and death for the team, you have to make concessions.”

Xiao Shengjing usually stuck to his decisions, but when facing relatives on his grandmother’s side, he was truly helpless. When he went back later, he would be lectured endlessly by his grandmother, listening to her preaching.

He could only act as if he hadn’t heard, letting it enter one ear and out the other.

A shadow passed by the window, and he looked up, seeing only half a head peeking out from behind the greenery, sneakily watching the commotion but refusing to enter.

What bad thoughts could a little cat have?

A little cat could have very mischievous thoughts.

Xiao Shengjing lowered his eyes and sent him a message: 200 for one, come in.

Lin Lan replied: Deal, come again next time!

Brother Mu spoke fervently, but the person across from him seemed to not have heard a word. “Did you hear what I said? Apologize to Tianqi and get him to come back.”

At this moment, the office door was suddenly knocked. Coach Zhang opened the door and saw Lin Lan looking extremely weak, holding his head. “Coach, I’m feeling a bit unwell, probably due to the aftereffects of the sleeping pills I took earlier. Please ask the captain to take me to the hospital quickly; I can’t affect the upcoming matches.”

Upon hearing that it might affect the upcoming matches, Brother Mu hurriedly told Xiao Shengjing, “Hurry, take him to the hospital.”

Xiao Shengjing hadn’t expected to get out of this so easily.

As he and Lin Lan walked on the street, night fell, and the lights were bright.

The Lin Lan in front seemed very relaxed, walking around without hiding his curiosity. He seemed to possess a kind of authenticity that persisted no matter where he was.

Having immersed himself in this circle for too long, Xiao Shengjing had seen too much selfishness, witnessing people lose themselves in it and ultimately become the person they despised. Trying to find authenticity had become a luxury for him.

He was curious about what Lin Lan was thinking.

Suddenly, the Lin Lan walking ahead turned around, looking serious, “Captain, can you buy me a bottle of cola? It’s only 3 yuan, very cheap.”

Xiao Shengjing paused, “Drinking too much cola is not good.”

Lin Lan widened his eyes, “Cola is the happiest thing in the world. Captain, I won’t allow you to slander it!”

Xiao Shengjing stared at him with big eyes but eventually didn’t argue.

Lin Lan came to the counter, picking and choosing, and took two bottles of the new flavors, reluctant to put either down.

Xiao Shengjing finally understood what he thought about every day; he thought about trivial and insignificant things.

“If you can’t decide, just take both.”

Lin Lan looked up with a smile sweeter than cola, “Sure.”

Lin Lan, satisfied with his cola, seemed genuinely easy to please. A small favor or kindness could make him happy for a long time.

He sat on the steps and suddenly asked, “Captain, why did you argue with Wu Tianqi today?”

Xiao Shengjing originally didn’t intend to say, but perhaps due to the good atmosphere of the night, he suddenly felt the desire to vent, “Couldn’t hold back.”

The three words “couldn’t hold back” spoken by Xiao Shengjing seemed to pull him down from the pedestal, giving him ordinary human emotions.

Lin Lan chuckled and then patted his shoulder with force, “Straightforward person, I like that.”

Saying this, he even shared his other bottle of cola with him, “I’ve disliked Wu Tianqi for a long time. Captain, you’ve really let me vent… Come, cheers…”

Xiao Shengjing didn’t particularly like cola because the carbonation was too strong and felt unpredictable, making him feel out of control.

He opened the cola and took a sip.

The taste, strange and stimulating, instantly spread over his taste buds.

That mysterious, unknown, unpredictable feeling inexplicably got him hooked, especially the sweet aftertaste.

He stared at Lin Lan, the lines on his face softened, and his jaw looked delicate. When drinking cola, he tilted his head back, and the slender and soft neck of a young man was revealed, the exposed Adam’s apple delicate and rolling lightly. Xiao Shengjing felt his heart roll along with it.

“Captain,” Lin Lan suddenly leaned in, shining eyes staring at him as if seeing through his inner thoughts. Xiao Shengjing, feeling uneasy, distanced himself, “What’s up?”

Lin Lan solemnly picked up the cola, “This new flavor is so hard to drink. Can I give it back to you, and you buy me the original flavor?”

Xiao Shengjing’s face darkened, “Get lost.”

 

Author’s note:

Thanks to the little angel who sent a landmine: Obsession 1.

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