The sound-controlled light in the corridor lit up, and Lin Lan thought he was seeing things. He quickly rubbed his eyes, “Silly dog, is it really you?”
The person in front went from confusion to disbelief in their eyes, stumbling forward and hugging him tightly, “Am I not dreaming? Is it really you?”
The embrace was too tight, suffocating Lin Lan. The way he hugged made Lin Lan feel like his bones were about to be crushed.
Lin Lan forcefully patted his hand, “Ouch, ouch, ouch…”
Xiao Shengjing loosened his grip a bit, still somewhat incredulous. He rubbed Lin Lan’s face forcefully, and even the disdain at the corner of his eyes was exactly the same as in his memory, “Why did you lose weight? Have I not taken care of you well? I’ve been taking good care of you every day. Are you already dead? Lin Lan, is this the underworld? How can I see you here? Are you not doing well here, so you’re sending me dreams…”
He bombarded Lin Lan with a bunch of chaotic questions, giving him a headache. He didn’t know how to explain.
Lin Lan glanced at the empty corridor, then pulled him into the room.
The room was dark, and the cool wind from outside made the curtains flutter, like the underworld. Xiao Shengjing muttered to himself again, “Do you live in such a place? It’s really cold. I need to burn you some blankets. Don’t let yourself get cold down there. Even if there’s nothing, come and see me more…”
Lin Lan couldn’t bear it any longer. He raised his hand and flicked the light switch, and the glaring light made the other person unable to open their eyes.
“Xiao Shengjing, every word I’m about to say might sound a bit absurd, but they’re all true. I can slowly explain it to you.”
Xiao Shengjing looked at him blankly, his eyes fragile and helpless.
“This isn’t the underworld, and I’m not dead. This is a parallel world.”
The prolonged lack of sleep had slowed down Xiao Shengjing’s thinking. His eyes seemed vacant, and it took a long time before he approached, cupping Lin Lan’s face. “Am I dreaming? Lin Lan, ever since your accident, I often dreamt of you, dreaming that you were doing well somewhere else. But, but a parallel world is the first time…”
Lin Lan sighed, giving his arm a strong pinch. “Does it hurt?”
Xiao Shengjing nodded, staring blankly at him.
“If it hurts, it’s not a dream, and it’s not the underworld. This is another world, with another version of me. Due to different experiences, we are completely different individuals. I don’t know if you can understand this explanation. The Lin Lan in this body is dead. Coincidentally, I also had an accident, and somehow, I crossed over here…”
Lin Lan paused here, looking at him with confusion. “So how did you manage to cross over?”
Xiao Shengjing couldn’t remember how long it had been since he last saw Lin Lan so vivid and lively. As he gazed, his eyes suddenly reddened, and he lunged forward, embracing him tightly.
It was an overwhelming embrace, the kind that could crush a person into their bones, but he still felt it wasn’t enough, as if no matter how hard he tried, it would never be sufficient.
Lin Lan felt like he was suffocating. He forcefully patted his arm to make him loosen his grip. “Listen to me first.”
Xiao Shengjing hugged him tightly again, greedily inhaling the scent of him, then reluctantly released him with teary eyes.
He seemed to have cried; his eyes were moist. Prolonged fatigue had made him incredibly fragile. He obediently sat on the edge of the bed, looking at Lin Lan like a well-behaved and understanding big puppy.
Lin Lan recounted his experiences of the past three months and his speculations. As he finished, fatigue set in, and he sat on the sofa, wearing his coat and drinking water.
“By the way, you haven’t told me how you managed to cross over.”
Xiao Shengjing sat on the edge of the bed, struggling to digest these facts. His throat rolled forcefully, and his voice was slightly hoarse, “I… I stayed up all night watching over you. Just now, the doctor asked me to go downstairs to get your medicine. When I reached the staircase, my vision suddenly went black, and I fell from above. I woke up to find myself in an unfamiliar room…”
“So, the daytime there corresponds to the nighttime here,” Lin Lan had noticed this issue before. “When I first crossed over, as long as I fell into a deep sleep, I would return to the original world. Over there, it would also be daytime. Therefore, when individuals from both worlds fall into a deep sleep simultaneously, transference can occur.”
This discovery suddenly gave Lin Lan a way to return. “Doesn’t that mean as long as the version of me in this world dies, the physical body is gone, I can completely go back?”
Xiao Shengjing’s mind was slow to process this information. When he understood, he suddenly stood up, grabbing his hand. “Lin Lan, let’s go back. Back to our original world. Everyone is waiting for you, and I’ve been waiting for you too. I thought I might never see you wake up in my lifetime, but unexpectedly…”
While finding a way back was certainly good, the sudden suggestion to return made Lin Lan hesitate for a moment.
He had thought that since the original owner had died, he could never go back. Therefore, he had already treated this world as his own and had things here that he couldn’t easily let go of.
Seeing his hesitation, Xiao Shengjing’s pupils trembled slightly. He grasped Lin Lan’s hand, “Why aren’t you saying anything? I feel so anxious like this.”
“Let me think,” Lin Lan’s mind was a bit chaotic. “The Lin Lan in this world was forced to death. I’ve seen him in the mirror. He asked me to save him, but at that time, the doctor was performing cardiac defibrillation on me, and I couldn’t help him. When I came through again, he had already taken pills and committed suicide.”
Xiao Shengjing didn’t understand, “What does that have to do with us?”
“I want to find out the truth for him,” Lin Lan said firmly. “For you, he might be an insignificant person, but for me, he is another version of myself. I empathize with him. Since I’ve taken over his body, I should find out who caused his death.”
“But…” Xiao Shengjing was unwilling, but he knew he couldn’t change Lin Lan’s mind. He could only compromise, “Okay, help him find the truth. Once we find it, we’ll go back.”
After saying this, he tightly held Lin Lan’s hand, still feeling fearful and uneasy inside. “Crossing over is only possible when both sides fall into a deep sleep simultaneously. The deep sleep time for a person is only two hours. I don’t have much time left, Lin Lan, listen to what I have to say to you.”
“After resolving things here, you must come back. We are all waiting for you. Didn’t you want to retire and enjoy a peaceful life? We can buy a house by the sea, wherever you like, and live the life you want. I will take good care of your health there. Also, the Xiao Shengjing in this world is not me. Although he looks very similar to me, he is another person. Don’t trust him like you trust me, and don’t interact with him, okay?”
It was evident that he was genuinely anxious, speaking rapidly like pouring beans from a bamboo tube. However, these matters were uncertain, and Lin Lan only agreed with him, saying, “Let’s deal with things here first.”
Xiao Shengjing was getting a bit frantic, trying to discern something from his eyes. “I don’t care, just promise me.”
Lin Lan didn’t want to commit to something uncertain. He pushed away his hand and walked to the edge of the bed, but Xiao Shengjing caught up and grabbed him.
“Lin Lan, I’m begging you.” His voice was trembling. “Come back, return to our own world. Whatever you want, just don’t stay in a world I can’t see or touch. I’ll truly go insane…”
He had liked Lin Lan for five years, willing to accommodate him in everything, but on this matter, he absolutely refused to yield.
Somehow, Lin Lan felt touched.
Thinking back to when he was hit by a car and only Silly Dog was there by his bedside, crying for him, he suddenly felt that Xiao Shengjing had been through a lot too.
Lin Lan nodded, a tacit agreement.
Xiao Shengjing immediately became joyful, pouncing on him and hugging him tightly. His 6’3″ frame pressed down on Lin Lan, making it hard for him to breathe. Xiao Shengjing still found it insufficient, as if he wanted to meld him into his very bones.
“I’ll find a way to come over and see you, Lin, Lin…” His body suddenly swayed, and his voice became ethereal. “Don’t, don’t…”
Before he could finish speaking, his body came crashing down heavily, directly slamming Lin Lan into the bed.
Under the weight, Lin Lan couldn’t catch his breath, coughing uncomfortably. He forcefully patted Xiao Shengjing’s shoulder. “Damn it, are you trying to crush me? Move, quickly get off me…”
He patted for a while, and the person on top finally moved.
It seemed like he suddenly blacked out, not remembering anything as he covered his dizzy head. Before he could come to his senses, Lin Lan fiercely slapped his head. “Xiao Shengjing, are you trying to die?”
Underneath the weight on the bed, Lin Lan was wearing a nightgown, the collar open, revealing a beautiful and delicate collarbone. His skin seemed to glow under the lamplight, and his grumbling had no real impact, making him appear even more vulnerable and easy to tease within the soft blanket.
Suddenly awakening, Xiao Shengjing sat up abruptly. He had no idea what was happening in front of him, his pupils shocked. “How… How did…”
He looked around and realized it was Lin Lan’s room. How did he end up in Lin Lan’s room, and why did he tackle him?
It was as if a nerve in Xiao Shengjing’s mind snapped with a “snap.” He turned his face away. “How could I… be in your room?”
Lin Lan finally realized that it wasn’t Silly Dog now but Xiao Shengjing from this world. He couldn’t help but quip, “Damn, didn’t they say the deep sleep time is two hours?”
He got up at a leisurely pace and put on his coat, showing no signs of embarrassment or breathlessness. “The captain must be sleepwalking. Knocking on my door in the middle of the night, and as soon as I opened it, he just tackled me.”
The overhead light was bright, making Xiao Shengjing feel a sense of nowhere to hide. He never dreamed he would do something like this, but there was no way to argue in this situation. He could only apologize, “Sorry, I didn’t know I could sleepwalk.”
“It’s okay, I don’t blame you, Captain. It’s late, go back to sleep.”
“Yeah.” Xiao Shengjing walked to the door, wanting to say something to him. When their eyes met, he hastily looked away. “Remember to lock the door when you sleep. Don’t open it for anyone who knocks.”
“I got it. Captain, you can go back.”
Xiao Shengjing reached for the doorknob, stood still for a long time in silence, and then forcefully opened the door and left.
After seeing off Xiao Shengjing, Lin Lan was truly both sleepy and unable to sleep. He hadn’t expected to find a way back so soon, and for a moment, he didn’t know whether to be happy or not.
In this drowsy state, Lin Lan managed to endure until the next day. He tidied up and, seeing that Lu Shi was also not fully awake, grabbed him and asked, “Lu Shi, do you know what you said when you were drunk yesterday?”
Lu Shi looked bewildered, “What did I say?”
Worried that he might escape, Lin Lan blocked him in a corner, squinting as he scrutinized him. “You were drunk yesterday and kept apologizing to me. Did you do something to me that you’re sorry for?”
Lu Shi’s expression changed for a moment but quickly returned to normal. “Do you believe in drunk talk?”
He tried to run after saying this but was stopped by Lin Lan. “I don’t know about others, but what you said must be true. You shouted ‘666’ at me all night yesterday. Was that also nonsense?”
Lu Shi couldn’t escape and could only plead for mercy. “Oh, I really don’t know. At most, I might have used your shampoo when you weren’t around. Apart from that, I can’t think of anything else.”
“Damn,” Lin Lan wanted to curse, “No wonder my shampoo is running out so quickly. Lu Shi, I can’t even afford to eat, and you dare to mooch off me?”
“Sorry, there won’t be a next time,” Lu Shi swore, looking at him with a serious gaze. “I promise you, I absolutely won’t do it again.”
The seriousness in Lu Shi’s eyes made Lin Lan feel a bit uneasy. Suspiciously, he let go and said, “Then buy me a bottle?”
“Sure, I’ll go buy it for you later.”
“Hiss… Lu Shi, why do I feel like you…”
“I need to hurry; I might be late for practice.” Lu Shi quickly found an excuse and slipped away.
Lin Lan was still wondering why Lu Shi seemed odd today when he suddenly encountered Xiao Shengjing returning. Xiao Shengjing held the keys in his hand and was about to open the door when he unexpectedly locked eyes with Lin Lan.
“Captain, are you back to get something?”
“Yeah.”
“What are you getting?”
“I’m getting a mouse pad.”
“Oh.”
The two fell silent again as Xiao Shengjing calmly opened the door. The keys dropped to the ground, and he picked them up, struggling to unlock.
“Um,” Lin Lan could tell he was nervous, “Actually, you don’t need to worry too much about what happened yesterday. It didn’t hurt me… Anyway, I’ll go to practice now. See you later, Captain.”
Xiao Shengjing stood at the doorway and suddenly called out, “Lin Lan.”
“Yeah?”
“I’m not a pervert.”
“Huh?”
“I mean, I’m not a pervert.” Xiao Shengjing, facing away from him, blushed slightly. “What happened yesterday wasn’t intentional.”
After saying that, he quickly closed the door, making it seem even more conspicuous.
Lin Lan couldn’t help but laugh. Why did he feel like the captain was becoming more and more like Silly Dog? Despite being such a cool person, why did he struggle so hard to explain and end up being so cute?
Returning to the training room, Lin Lan rarely practiced for an entire afternoon, and his coordination with Xiao Hai became increasingly better.
Under his guidance, Xiao Hai also learned many things, such as advanced warding techniques, details in trading during the laning phase, as well as timing and tempo in roaming tactics, and more.
The more Xiao Hai followed Lin Lan’s teachings, the more he felt Lin Lan was highly professional, using many terms that Xiao Hai had never even heard of, indicating a high level of expertise.
Unable to contain his curiosity, Xiao Hai asked, “Lin Lan, since I’m leaving anyway, why not tell me the truth? Are you secretly a big shot?”
Lin Lan pretended to be mysterious. “Actually, I had a chance encounter in a dream and received guidance from a master…”
“Oh, why does this sound like a novel plot?”
“Alright, I won’t joke with you anymore. In reality, I met a professional player online, and he taught me a lot.”
“What kind of player?”
“A highly talented and hardworking mid-laner, also incredibly handsome, and his personality is very likable…”
“Ah, the key point?”
“The key point is that he not only won the S-series championship multiple times but also was the first domestic player to achieve the Grand Slam. He won the solo championship for two consecutive S-series, and he was practically cramping from all the awards…”
Xiao Hai, after recalling for a while, became even more confused. “Is there such a player?”
Lin Lan’s playful spirit soared. “Of course, there is! Here comes the key point! The key point is that he decided to retire into seclusion, and before leaving, he passed on all his life’s skills to me, asking me to continue writing his legend…”
