For a team like JO that likes to roam in the early game, the most dreaded opponent is someone like Lin Lan, whose individual strength can cut through the entire path.
Because even the slightest advantage in the lane will be rolled into an infinite snowball by him. The advantages the team spent a lot of time gaining are not as much as what he can achieve alone. How should this game be played?
The entire JO team is in agony, especially their top laner, who seems a bit self-contained after the match. He is sitting in front of the computer desk, not knowing what to think, almost burying his head into the keyboard.
Although JO’s top laner is not among the strongest in terms of individual skill, his consistency has always been good. Even against the top laner of the LPL, he can withstand the pressure.
Why is it that he can’t hold his ground against Lin Lan?
Could it be that Lin Lan is even more formidable than the top laner of the LPL?
Thinking about this, he starts to doubt his life choices. Hearing the uproar from the audience below, at this moment, he truly feels like he has lost the dignity accumulated over many years of his professional career.
The DT players from the opposing side come over to shake hands, and he also grabs Lin Lan’s hand, wanting to ask but hesitating. After a while, he awkwardly lets go.
Not only him, but the other four teammates also have similar thoughts – wanting to say something but holding back, at a loss for words. Then they helplessly watch him leave, their eyes wide open.
After shaking hands, Lin Lan walked away and adjusted his coat, exuding a commanding demeanor at that moment.
This scene was captured and turned into a meme, circulating on various social media platforms. The JO team members watched Lin Lan leave, and the caption read: “Brother, farewell. Brother, please don’t come back.”
As soon as the meme was created, it quickly spread on various social media platforms. People thoughtfully added a GIF of Lin Lan relentlessly slaughtering five opponents with the Noxian Guillotine, and suddenly, netizens felt sympathy for the entire JO team.
Despite the sympathy, it was undeniably amusing.
The iconic scene of Noxian Guillotine chopping heads one by one would probably revolve around JO for a long time.
After the match, Lin Lan’s move was successfully recognized as one of the top 10 plays, attracting numerous players to analyze and discuss it. Many streamers also provided commentary on this classic moment.
Some even compared his data on Vladimir with that of Zilean and discovered that their stats were surprisingly similar. Riding on Zilean’s popularity, Lin Lan managed to gain some attention in the esports community for a while.
Some viewers who didn’t pay much attention to the game were confused. Wasn’t this Kiner playing AD earlier? Why is he suddenly playing top lane?
In addition to the highlights during the game, Lin Lan also showcased his charm in the post-match interview.
The host invited both Lin Lan and Xiao Shengjing, asking them how they planned the first move to catch Sion.
At first, both of them politely deferred to each other, signaling the other to answer.
At the host’s request, Lin Lan responded, “We didn’t discuss it; I just signaled the team captain, and he understood.”
The host exclaimed, “You communicated with just one signal?”
Xiao Shengjing chimed in, “Of course.”
Oh, so such a complex maneuver wasn’t planned through discussion?
The barrage was filled with “666,” although it seemed outrageous, thinking that it was Lin Lan made it somewhat reasonable.
Although the host had a puzzled expression, she could only ask the second question, “So, during the second ambush, did you pre-plan your strategy?”
Xiao Shengjing answered first, “It wasn’t really planning; I just gave the signal for the kill, and Lin Lan came over.”
A signal for a kill, and then the two seamlessly executed a flawless coordination?
The host looked at her script, momentarily at a loss for words. She couldn’t quite discern whether they were telling the truth or just showing off.
The audience in the bullet comments couldn’t stop laughing. It can only be said that Lin Lan and Xiao Shengjing showcased throughout the entire game, even leaving the host dazzled!
After the joyful interview, fans were still reluctant to leave the livestream. They all wanted to find a bit more information about Lin Lan in every nook and cranny.
Being a fan of a player who doesn’t livestream or engage in social media is really tough, sob…
DT’s official account, which was almost indistinguishable from being inactive, surprisingly posted photos of the players during their break after the match. They sensibly placed Lin Lan’s picture as the first one.
In the photo, Lin Lan is seen guiding Xu Shengwei on how to train, with sunlight gently falling on him from the window. His slightly parted lips as he speaks are enchanting.
With a subtle ash-gray hair color, eyes that are a narrow balance between adulthood and youth, a composed and calm gaze, and his unique lazy body language, he deliberately maintains a low-key demeanor, making him the focal point of the entire picture.
Just as everyone was praising Lin Lan’s gameplay, they now started going crazy over his looks.
Isn’t he just too good-looking? Doesn’t he look better than some celebrities?
Damn, there really are people in this world who are so perfect! In comparison, other professional players seem quite dull.
DT’s official account exploded after posting this set of photos. Everyone wished they could examine the pictures with a microscope, even the cup Lin Lan uses for drinking water was exposed.
Everyone was screaming for more posts, and the popularity was skyrocketing.
Just as a few photos caused the official account to quickly gain tens of thousands of followers, the account, a few hours later, *smack*, deleted the photos from Weibo.
And not just anyone’s photos, only Lin Lan’s were deleted.
This move left fans very puzzled. They searched for an explanation in the comments. Seeing the situation escalating, the person in charge had to come out with a statement: Kiner himself does not want too much public attention, he just wants to focus on playing his game well. In the future, any photos related to him posted by the official account will have to be approved by him first. He hopes everyone won’t focus too much on his private life. Thank you!
So, did Lin Lan request the deletion of the photos?
Fans were left feeling lost. They didn’t know what kind of despair Lin Lan had experienced to still not want to be disturbed by public opinion even in such a happy moment.
He must have been deeply hurt at that time, right?
So, fans spontaneously organized a “Protect Lin Lan” campaign, focusing only on his game and never delving into his private matters!
…
When Lin Lan saw the photo on his phone, his heart almost stopped, “Where did this photo come from?”
In the original world, he was once cyberbullied, starting from a very small incident.
He usually trained very hard, and on that day, he wanted to take a break because his hand was not feeling well. He held a cup of coffee and gestured to the teammates next to him.
When the photo was posted, he didn’t pay much attention to it, but unexpectedly, it escalated under public opinion.
Countless marketing accounts lost their conscience, distorting facts. People who didn’t know the inside story were crazily influenced. Lin Lan’s fan base was angered, and both sides engaged in a fierce war of words. More and more players were pulled into the controversy, and more and more past events were brought up, making the situation extremely chaotic.
In the end, public opinion completely transformed into statements like “Lin Lan acting arrogant,” “Lin Lan not training,” “Lin Lan scolding teammates,” “Lin Lan dominating the team,” “Lin Lan inciting fans,” and the like.
The more the club tried to hush things up, the more this incident rebounded.
Coupled with the fact that he had multiple defeats in the matches that year due to a hand injury, losing the MSI championship became the catalyst for the entire situation. Online violence was overwhelming, and even his hand injury became a whitewashing excuse…
That year should have been the darkest in Lin Lan’s professional career.
Even when he later won the MSI championship again, the Summer Split championship, and even the World Championship, it seemed like he couldn’t erase the damage he suffered at that time.
Now, Lin Lan just wants to carefully conceal his sharpness. Switching to the top lane was a necessary move, and every time after a match, he wished to disappear from the online world.
So, when he saw his photo being posted online, he instinctively felt alarmed, “Who put my photo on the internet?”
Lu Shi was also surprised, “Our official account. You don’t check VB at all, right? It’s even trending.”
Upon hearing the term “trending,” Lin Lan immediately contacted Brother Mu, requesting the deletion of the photo and expressing his thoughts.
Not long after, the photo was indeed deleted.
Only then did Lin Lan breathe a sigh of relief.
However, “Why only post our photos and not the captain’s?”
Lu Shi glanced around and quietly told him, “It’s said that the captain used his influence to intercept his own photos.”
“Oh, you can do that?”
In the room, Xiao Shengjing looked at the photos intercepted on his phone.
In the photo, he was attentively watching the team’s training, with a faint smile on his lips. His gaze passed over the crowd, focusing solely on Lin Lan.
Although it wasn’t very obvious, Xiao Shengjing felt uneasy and used the excuse of not wanting too much attention to intercept this photo.
*Knock, knock*, someone knocked on the door.
It was Lu Shi, “Captain, Coach Zhang said there’s a training match and wants you to come down.”
Xiao Shengjing packed up and stood up, “Alright, I’ll be right there.”
He came downstairs and, hearing Lu Shi and others chatting, only then did he learn that Lin Lan had also withdrawn his photos.
He had seen that photo, beautifully capturing Lin Lan, and he secretly saved a copy for himself.
Why did Lin Lan insist on taking it down?
Was it because he didn’t want too much attention?
After the training match, everyone was relaxing in the training room. Suddenly, Xiao Shengjing thought of this again and secretly asked Lu Shi, “Did Lin Lan say why he wanted to take down that photo?”
Lu Shi only remembered, “He said it captured him slacking off, and if posted, he would be cyberbullied by netizens. I think he’s overthinking it. Who would criticize him? Everyone was praising him. He’s a genius-type player, not a hardworking type. It’s okay to train a bit less. Besides, none of our photos show us training. I don’t know why he reacted so strongly. I was worried he would confront the manager about it…”
Just one photo and Lin Lan had such a strong reaction?
Xiao Shengjing calmly pondered for a long time but still couldn’t figure out the reason. There seemed to be something off.
Xiao Shengjing, as usual, returned to his room to shower and rest. He lit an incense given to him by Xu Shengwei, feeling a heavy burden on his mind. That day, he had that long-lost nightmare again.
In the dream, Lin Lan had a car accident and was close to death. He lay on a hospital bed with a ventilator, and the doctor said he had experienced brain death. It was possible he would never wake up, asking Xiao Shengjing to prepare for the worst.
In that instant, he felt his heart shattering with pain.
His consciousness started to spin, his head throbbing as if it would explode. His stomach felt like something was violently churning, and he couldn’t muster any strength. All he could see around him were medical staff, continuously checking Lin Lan’s condition. “Sir? Sir? Are you awake? How do you feel?”
Xiao Shengjing couldn’t speak, feeling his throat as if cut by a knife. His vision blurred, with light shining into his eyes, creating a vast expanse of whiteness.
He heard the lead doctor telling the surrounding nurses, “Anesthesia dosage was too high, prepare for an IV.”
Lin Lan lay on the hospital bed in a daze and Xiao Shengjing’s consciousness alternated between clarity and confusion. This nightmare felt too real, so real that he thought he was experiencing it in real life.
After an unknown period of unconsciousness, he finally woke up.
This was his home, but the furnishings were entirely different from his actual home.
The room was cluttered with various medical and electronic devices, along with many unorganized documents, most of which were related to Lin Lan’s treatment.
Xiao Shengjing struggled to stand up, and everything around him felt frighteningly real.
He noticed the densely packed paper cutouts on the wall, various medical reports and devices, and an open computer with dozens of tabs open, all more or less related to Lin Lan.
Xiao Shengjing couldn’t comprehend why he would have such a dream.
On the computer, the web pages about Lin Lan were mostly filled with harsh criticisms. Many people were asking when he would die, while others questioned if he was faking his death to garner sympathy.
Even in the dream, Xiao Shengjing couldn’t tolerate such malicious comments directed at Lin Lan.
He forcefully replied to all of them: “No one jokes about their own life. Death is a choice made when one is utterly disappointed with this world. Those who have never plunged into the abyss would never understand.”
In this dream, Xiao Shengjing seemed to grasp why Lin Lan had such a strong reaction to a single photo.
It turns out that online language can truly harm a person.
Although this was just a dream, he still did his best to counter the online comments, as if by doing so, Lin Lan would wake up from the hospital bed.
Only by protecting him well would he not want to leave this world.
After doing all this, the dream unexpectedly continued.
Xiao Shengjing endured the discomfort in his body, stood up, opened the door, and everything outside seemed blurry to him.
It was clearly his home, but there was an unfamiliar atmosphere everywhere. He didn’t know where to go, could only instinctively move forward, and then stopped outside a room.
Whether it was a telepathic feeling or not, there seemed to be something unknown behind this door.
He gritted his teeth and forcefully pushed the door open.
Behind the door was a hospital room.
Countless medical devices were piled up in this room, everything here identical to a hospital, even deliberately mimicking the hospital duty roster. Lin Lan lay quietly on the hospital bed, resembling a Sleeping Beauty kept in captivity.
Sunlight streamed in from the window, only managing to reach the bedside.
In the areas untouched by light, darkness and eeriness hid.
In his dream, he actually hid the unconscious Lin Lan in his own room…?
Xiao Shengjing looked at everything before him in disbelief. The room was dim and cold, with shadows lurking as if monsters were circling. It seemed to conceal the darkest part of his heart.
He had to admit, that he indeed had a strong possessiveness towards Lin Lan.
Every time he saw Lin Lan shining brightly on the stage, he wanted to hide him in his heart, away from everyone’s knowledge.
But these were just fleeting thoughts in his heart. Every time they surfaced, he ruthlessly suppressed them. He couldn’t bear to hide Lin Lan away, nor could he bear to let him suffer even the slightest harm.
But this dream seemed to expose his hypocritical inner self.
It revealed his true desire and gruesome nature vividly.
For a moment, the room’s door seemed to transform into a devouring monster, overwhelming him.
Xiao Shengjing retreated in fear.
No, this wasn’t him at all.
He suddenly woke up, looking at everything around him, the scene spinning in his mind.
His head was throbbing, and he collapsed heavily on the ground…
Xiao Shengjing jolted awake from the nightmare, drenched in sweat. The realization of what he had done in the dream sent shivers down his spine.
How could he treat Lin Lan like that?
He could never do such things to him…
Xiao Shengjing subconsciously lifted the blanket, took out his keys, and thought of going to the next room to find Lin Lan. However, he calmed down at the doorway.
It was just a dream. As long as he held onto his heart and didn’t let the demon devour him, none of the dreams would come true.
Breathing heavily, Xiao Shengjing tightly clenched the keys in his hand.
…
Two hours earlier, Lin Lan had already been visited by the silly dog in the next room.
Feeling exhausted, Lin Lan crawled out of bed, opened the door for him, poured a glass of water, and even handed him a blanket to cover himself from the cold.
“Didn’t I tell you not to come anymore?”
Xiao Shengjing sat on the sofa, looking down at the cup in his hand, gripping it tightly. He looked particularly weary today as if something unpleasant had happened.
“Are you okay?” Lin Lan patted his shoulder.
Xiao Shengjing suddenly snapped out of his thoughts. He took a sip of the water in the cup, clenching it tightly in his hand. “Lin Lan, have you found the killer?”
Lin Lan nodded, sharing everything he had recently discovered. “The killer should be Xie Zilu. He couldn’t escape. But I haven’t found evidence yet. I’m still waiting for Jiang Xi to contact me. I feel like she should know a lot, and with the video that Lu Shi gave me, we should be able to convict Xie Zilu.”
Xiao Shengjing fell silent again, lowering his voice, “Lin Lan, have you ever thought about it? Xie Zilu has a mental illness, and legally, he might not be held accountable for his actions.”
Lin Lan had considered it, but it didn’t matter anymore. Regardless of the outcome, he had to do it. “I want to resolve the obsession of the original owner and reveal the truth to the public.”
Apart from the original owner, there were also those students who suffered at school, the malignant influence of Shengyuan High School, and if Xie Zilu was indeed the clown and carried the burden of taking a life, they all should pay for their actions.
“Regardless of which personality of his committed the murder, they should be punished.”
Lin Lan cared about the truth, while Xiao Shengjing only cared about whether Lin Lan could come back.
He tightly clasped his hands, finally deciding to tell him the truth. He looked up, a hint of fear in his eyes as he said, “Lin Lan, you don’t have much time left. The doctor said the accident damaged many organs, and they are all gradually failing to varying degrees. He said, at most, you have three months before you will be defined as medically dead.”
Xiao Shengjing’s fear was genuine. In the original world, he had protected Lin Lan, thinking that no one could take him away. The Grim Reaper, however, played a joke on him, bringing Lin Lan to another world where he couldn’t bring him back.
No one could understand his desperation at that moment.
He even regretted not keeping Lin Lan confined; that way, he wouldn’t have left him due to the accident.
Clasping his hands tightly, he finally asked the question he wanted to but didn’t dare to, “Lin Lan, did you never actually want to live?”
Lin Lan had intended to fetch hot water for him, but the teapot-carrying hand froze in midair, and his expression subtly changed.
These days, Xiao Shengjing has been pondering this question. He didn’t want to admit it, but he also couldn’t deny it. “From the beginning, since the accident, your will to survive has always been weak… I got you the best doctor. The doctor, after the surgery, and his operation…” he choked up, continuing with difficulty, “He said, if you don’t want to live, no matter how good the medical equipment is, it won’t save you. He also said he couldn’t save someone who is determined to die; no one could…”
After saying these words, tears fell heavily, splashing into the cup. “Why?”
Lin Lan didn’t respond immediately. He just said, “You’re overthinking.”
Putting down the kettle and attempting to leave, Lin Lan’s hand was caught by Xiao Shengjing. “Lin Lan, is it because of those hurtful words? I can take you away from that circle. Those hurtful words won’t reach us anymore. I can take you to other countries; I’ll give you whatever you want. And about the driver who caused your accident, he was drunk driving. I’ve hired the best lawyer to ensure he spends his life in prison. Also, about IB, I won’t stay in that team anymore. I’ll transfer all my shares, Lin Lan… Can you give me another chance?”
Lin Lan didn’t want to discuss this matter. “Stay calm,” he urged Xiao Shengjing.
Xiao Shengjing forced himself to calm down, his thoughts gradually sinking to the bottom. “I am calm, Lin Lan. I’ve been deceiving myself all along, never been as calm as I am now.”
His voice choked again, but he held back the emotions. “I’ve liked you for five years, and you’ve never liked me. I want to know why.”
He lifted his head, looking at Lin Lan with swollen eyes. “Is it because of the IB shares issue? I didn’t want you involved. Or is it because of the decision to bench players in IB, where I also had a role? These are all work matters. I believe our feelings shouldn’t be mixed with them. Moreover, we’ve argued about it before, right? I’ve told you all my thoughts. Why should it still bother you?”
Lin Lan had never been willing to bring up these things with him. They had argued and fought over it; neither could convince the other.
Lin Lan didn’t want to bring it up again and could only say, “Our ideologies are different. We can’t work together, let alone be together. I’ve argued with you for five years; I’m tired of it. I don’t want to argue with you about this anymore. I agreed to return to the original world because I should go back, not to be with you.”
After Lin Lan finished speaking, silence enveloped them both.
Xiao Shengjing couldn’t understand how their relationship had evolved to this point. Five years of feelings, his deep affection for Lin Lan, and now it seemed like both sides had turned into enemies.
He slumped down, burying his head between his legs, his heart aching to the point of suffocation.
“So, I don’t have a chance anymore,” he said, defeated.
Lin Lan remained silent before responding, “Yes. It’s been five years. If I was going to agree, I would have done so long ago, not make you wait until now.”
With those words, a deathly silence hung in the air.
What Lin Lan said couldn’t be changed by anyone.
He was always this ruthless.
Translator’s corner:
At this point, I don’t know what to feel for the Silly Dog anymore with what Xiao Shengjing ‘dreamed’ about, being rejected by Lin Lan, and the fact that Lin Lan doesn’t have the will to go back…
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