TCWSITD – Chapter 65

***
Chapter 65 – The End of Worlds

The nearly five-hour-long battle had left everyone exhausted but they still jumped up in excitement. Only Shen Ju remained motionless.

A numbing pain throbbed in his fingers as he stared at the screen, realizing they had won. His heart felt like it was bursting with fireworks.

He’d finally managed to make Lin Jiang stay—on every level that mattered.

Lin Jiang walked over to him and pulled him up, opening his palm, clearly wanting to check his hand.

Shen Ju instinctively hid his hand behind him. “My hand is fine.”

Lin Jiang grabbed it anyway. His wrist was swollen like a pig’s trotter, yet he still insisted it was nothing. “I’ll take you to the hospital later.”

To the hospital…

Going to the hospital would mean exposing everything.

Shen Ju felt a bit uneasy, but the atmosphere around them was too lively. Everyone was beyond excited. Li Qian and Fang Luxing rushed over, giving each of them an enthusiastic hug, while Zhou Wen was so overjoyed he couldn’t stop crying.

He never had the chance to come clean anyway.

He could only wait until after receiving the trophy to talk about it.

As they stood up, the music roared deafeningly, and the crowd below erupted in cheers. Lin Jiang had many fans in Korea as well—shouting words they couldn’t understand and holding up dazzling light boards.

The stage of the World Championship was truly different. Standing there, every person felt the raw, breathtaking force of the league at its peak—a kind of awe that, once witnessed, could never be forgotten.

Amid the clamor, Lin Jiang turned to look at his teammates, his gentle eyes seeming to say: See? This is the view I once stood before.

His teammates were all young. The youngest, Zhang Mingying, had just turned seventeen. None of them had ever experienced such a scene before, but as they stepped forward, their gazes grew resolute.

This would become a precious memory they would carry for the rest of their lives.

Lin Jiang hadn’t lied to them—he really led them to stand atop the highest peak!

Song Zhixu excitedly ran over, his eyes shining like stars. “Captain! Is being world champion really this awesome?”

Lin Jiang chuckled, only to have Li Qian clap him hard on the shoulder.

Li Qian smiled with deep satisfaction, as if his beloved son had finally fulfilled his ultimate wish. “Lin Jiang, I finally got to win this championship with you. You don’t know how much regret I carried back then!”

“Is that so? Didn’t you leave quite happily back then?”

“Nonsense, I left with a belly full of anger.”

“Hahahahaha…”

Everyone surrounded Lin Jiang in the middle, like a bunch of little chicks who had never seen the world, following beneath the wings of an old mother hen, marching forward with pride and swagger to receive their trophy.

Netizens were practically dying of laughter.

[Hahaha, Song Zhixu really looks like a kid seeing the world for the first time.]

[Zhou Wen even held out his hand, but when Lin Jiang didn’t move, he awkwardly pulled it back.]

[A’Deng’s eyes were darting everywhere the whole time!]

[I’m dead, I’m dead. Even if you haven’t eaten pork, haven’t you at least seen a pig run?¹没吃过猪肉，也见过猪跑吧? (méi chī guò zhū ròu, yě jiàn guò zhū pǎo ba) – a humorous idiom meaning even if you haven’t experienced something directly, you should at least know about it.]

[Maybe the view looks different when you’re standing in that position!]

Yes—when you stand here, the view truly is different.

Lin Jiang gazed at the massive crowd below, his eyes brimming with laughter, feeling a soaring sense of triumph, like standing atop the world. After seven years and two lifetimes, he had finally returned here to complete his triple crown.

From this moment on, history would forever remember his name.

With his teammates, he bowed in gratitude to the audience who had come to watch the match. Then, amid the deafening cheers, he lifted the trophy, officially declaring to the world: My dynasty has returned.

Fans were so excited they could faint.

[Ahhh! Jiangjiang’s third championship! It’s so meaningful!]

[Who understands how emotional I am? I watched him fall into the mud, and then I watched him climb back out.]

[So what exactly are Alike’s fans bragging about? Do they even have a championship to show?]

[Lin Jiang is the number one mid laner. No arguments allowed!]

[He still holds the highest win-rate record in the league! Every time I see him, he’s just endlessly charming.”]

Everyone had witnessed Lin Jiang’s efforts throughout this journey, including how he repeatedly turned danger into safety under immense pressure during the World Championship.

After the match, countless people frantically edited clips of Lin Jiang’s gameplay. It was clear that whenever the team needed him, he always stepped up.

No support? He became the support.

No tempo? He became the tempo.

No initiation? He became the initiation.

Even when he played Corki, a champion notoriously hard to survive with, he dared to W-Flash into the enemy’s face without a Stopwatch, slaughtering their bot lane duo and laying the foundation for Shen Ju’s damage output!

Old Mao didn’t even need to exaggerate on his livestream. “It’s precisely because the Stopwatch wasn’t available that Lin Jiang had to make the move! Are you guys like HIT, thinking that once his Stopwatch was gone he’d chicken out? Just look at HIT’s positioning—the backline completely relaxed, handing Lin Jiang the perfect opening. That sly old fox planted a massive trap for the enemy…”

It was that counterintuitive play that allowed OT to stage a miraculous comeback in the final game.

[That Corki engage with his bare body—I think he can brag about it for life.]

[No other Corki in the league would do that. If they did, they’d just be feeding.]

[Is Lin Jiang a god or something QAQ.]

[He walked a path none of us could’ve imagined.]

[Always moving forward, never surpassed.]

[Seriously, what were his haters thinking? I only hated him for half a season before converting into a diehard fan.]

[Hahahaha me too…]

Perhaps admiring strength was just human nature.

As everyone marveled at Lin Jiang’s brilliance, netizens eagerly awaited post-match interviews. Many domestic reporters had been dispatched, and while some managed to snag the coach, the two junglers, or the top and support players, no one could find Lin Jiang or Shen Ju.

This left netizens clawing at their hearts in frustration.

Where were OT’s dual carries?

The moment he stepped off stage, Lin Jiang immediately started packing. “I’m taking Shen Ju for emergency treatment first. We’ll rush to the press conference as soon as possible.”

Duren nodded. He’d already arranged a green channel for them to exit through the venue’s internal routes.

Lin Jiang thanked him before focusing on helping Shen Ju pack his bag.

Shen Ju didn’t have much. His equipment was being handled by Song Zhixu and the others. As Lin Jiang folded his jacket, he spotted a blister pack of painkillers inside.

This match must’ve been grueling for Shen Ju.

Lin Jiang gently picked up the medicine. Just as he was feeling moved, his movement suddenly froze mid-air—the blister pack of medicine was completely intact.

So what had Shen Ju been taking?

Behind him, Song Zhixu called out, “Captain, do you guys want to change into casual clothes? I brought some. It’ll help you avoid getting mobbed at the hospital.”

Lin Jiang straightened up stiffly, nodded, and took the coat handed to him by Song Zhixu. His eyes suddenly felt sore. “Where’s Shen Ju?”

His voice was low and hoarse, stuck in his throat with a pain that couldn’t be swallowed. “Hasn’t he come back yet?”

“He just went to the restroom to wash his wrist. It’s probably sore. You should take him to the hospital quickly—I’ve never seen him this pale before.”

Lin Jiang found Shen Ju in the bathroom.

He was bent over the sink, running cold water over his wrist. The icy water slightly dulled the pain, but his face was still deathly pale.

What a hopelessly stubborn little dog.

Lin Jiang strode over, grabbed his hand, and dried it with a tissue. Shen Ju tried to hide his hand, but Lin Jiang caught him firmly.

Shen Ju had always been a pampered young master—every bit of pain showed plainly on his skin. His wrist was swollen and red, tinged with an unnatural bluish hue. Lin Jiang knew those were marks left by a needle.

He hadn’t been wrong—Shen Ju had gotten a cortisone²打封闭 (dǎ fēng bì) – refers to getting a local injection (usually corticosteroid + anesthetic) to temporarily reduce inflammation and pain so someone can continue competing or working. shot.

Not only was this dog stupid, but he was also so delicate. Who wouldn’t feel sorry for him?

Lin Jiang didn’t say anything else. He took Shen Ju’s other hand gently and murmured, “Let’s go to the hospital.”

Shen Ju didn’t dare speak. He had a feeling Lin Jiang knew something. He obediently followed him, putting on the hat when Lin Jiang handed it to him, quickly slipping into the coat when it was offered.

His wrist throbbed as if needles were stabbing into it, but he didn’t dare complain. He was afraid Lin Jiang would scold him.

Outside the venue, a staff-arranged car took them to the hospital. The driver understood Chinese, but Lin Jiang remained silent. Even when they arrived at the hospital, surrounded by people speaking Korean, Lin Jiang still didn’t say a word.

Shen Ju couldn’t take it anymore. He stared at Lin Jiang’s face, which didn’t look too good. “Are you angry?”

Lin Jiang’s mind was spinning with thoughts—so many things he could ponder—but in the end, all he could think about was Shen Ju’s hand.

He asked quietly, “How many shots did you get?”

Shen Ju answered quickly, “Just one. I didn’t get any more.”

“Who took you to get it?”

Shen Ju stiffened. “I… I asked Old Du to take me.”

“Did you ask for my permission?”

Shen Ju’s eyelid twitched uncontrollably. Lin Jiang’s tone was calm, but it carried the warning of an impending storm. “I wanted to tell you, but I was afraid you wouldn’t agree.”

Lin Jiang definitely wouldn’t have agreed. Painkillers might be slow and less effective, but they had almost no side effects and wouldn’t interfere with future treatment.

A cortisone shot, on the other hand, would inject medication directly into the joint for rapid localized pain relief, essentially numbing the nerves.

Lin Jiang heard the grinding in his own teeth as he spoke: “Shen Ju, you’re still so young. A wrist injury like this will heal in time. Do you even realize what taking a cortisone shot truly means?”

Shen Ju was quick to apologize. “I know. Don’t be angry. I won’t do it again.”

Lin Jiang shook his head. He didn’t think Shen Ju truly understood. “This isn’t just about you. Since we’re together, it’s about both of us. Why didn’t you discuss it with me?”

“I was wrong, I was wrong…”

Shen Ju finally realized the gravity of the situation. He reached out to embrace Lin Jiang, leaning on his shoulder as he admitted his mistake, “I’m sorry… I just wanted to win this championship with you so badly…”

As Lin Jiang recovered from his dizziness, he caught sight of the bruising on Shen Ju’s wrist. In that moment, he unexpectedly understood the feelings He Gu must have harbored in his past life.

A cortisone shot wasn’t a cure-all—it could only numb 85% of the pain, never restoring Shen Ju’s wrist to 100%. And yet, with just 85% relief, Shen Ju had played like it was 100%, scoring a perfect performance.

He had pushed himself so hard on the field that his wrist was nearly deformed from exertion, and he hadn’t once complained of pain.

Lin Jiang struggled to contain his emotions. “A local injection only temporarily blocks the pain. The underlying injury is still there. If you take too many, it will numb your senses and affect your future treatment.”

“What if the treatment isn’t thorough? What if there are lasting effects? And you, you’re still growing. These injections could impact you in so many ways…”

Suddenly, Lin Jiang turned his face away, brushing at his eyes with his hand.

Shen Ju stiffened, immediately turning Lin Jiang back toward him. “Are you crying?”

Lin Jiang shoved him away forcefully. Shen Ju fell silent, simply watching him before hesitantly saying, “Lin Jiang, I’ve considered all of this. I don’t regret it.”

Gently wiping away Lin Jiang’s tears, he said earnestly, “Lin Jiang, my hand hurts right now, but seeing you cry hurts my heart more. Please don’t cry, okay?”

Lin Jiang wasn’t in the mood for his banter.

There would be plenty of time to settle this later.

Wiping his tears dry, he hauled Shen Ju to the examination room, overseeing every test with hawk-like intensity.

The results left Lin Jiang deeply unsatisfied. Shen Ju had indeed been training behind his back, even daring to conceal something as serious as localized injections.

Duren’s call came through. “Lin Jiang, get over here quick! I can’t hold out much longer. They’re all here waiting for you two! I’m going insane from the questions!”

Lin Jiang’s voice was ice-cold. “You took Shen Ju to get those injections?”

Duren stammered awkwardly, “W-well… you focus on what you need to do. Shen Ju’s hand is more important. I can probably hold out a bit longer…”

Hanging up, Lin Jiang saw Li Qian’s urgent messages flooding in.

[Lin Jiang: You knew that Shen Ju got the injection?]

[Li Qian: I tried to talk him out of it.]

Lin Jiang sneered: [Did it work?]

[Li Qian: Lin Jiang, players have the right to get injections if they choose. As coaches, we can’t stop them, you know?]

Lin Jiang’s cold smile grew colder: [Then what about me?As the team captain, I have no right to know? If I don’t have a captain’s authority, then from now on, you can handle all future data analysis, spreadsheets, and match reviews yourself.]

On the other end, Li Qian nearly crushed his phone.

He muttered to himself, exasperated: “See? Lin Jiang is terrifying when he’s mad! Why doesn’t anyone ever believe me?”

— — — —

• 1
  没吃过猪肉，也见过猪跑吧? (méi chī guò zhū ròu, yě jiàn guò zhū pǎo ba) – a humorous idiom meaning even if you haven’t experienced something directly, you should at least know about it.
• 2
  打封闭 (dǎ fēng bì) – refers to getting a local injection (usually corticosteroid + anesthetic) to temporarily reduce inflammation and pain so someone can continue competing or working.