TCWSITD – Chapter 67

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Chapter 67 – Clearing Up Rumors

Once the post went up, many people immediately spoke up for Shen Ju in the comments.

Anyone with eyes could see that without Shen Ju hadn’t taken anesthetic injections during the World Championship, the team might not have secured the title.

But the blogger who made the post seemed to have lost his mind—he wouldn’t listen to anyone. Soon he put out a second post, drawing even more traffic than the first.

This one dredged up Shen Ju’s past controversies, insisting he hadn’t changed at all since Lin Jiang joined OT.

The first “evidence” was the time Shen Ju fought with Song Zhixu. Despite the sweltering heat, both had been bundled up as if hiding something. Lin Jiang stepping in to sign autographs for them only added to the intrigue.

Later, during a livestream, faint marks were still visible on Shen Ju’s forehead, most likely from that altercation.

And everyone knew what kind of person Song Zhixu was—a carefree joker with a gentle temper. He was the last person who’d ever throw the first punch. Which left only one possibility: Shen Ju had been the one to stir things up.

Then the blogger posted clips suggesting that Shen Ju was disobedient and that Lin Jiang was ignoring him. There were examples from both the regular season and the playoffs. Anyone could tell they looked like they’d been fighting—when they walked down the road, they even avoided each other.

Adding in the previous incident where Shen Ju was suspended for fighting, it was almost impossible to defend him. Public opinion gradually turned against him, even his own fans expressing disappointment.

The post ended with a final jab:

[If Lin Jiang hadn’t secured full authority upon joining OT, do you really think Shen Ju would’ve listened to him?]

This statement instantly struck a nerve with Lin Jiang’s fans, who had always been worried about his well-being. If what the blogger said was true, then Shen Ju really was an ungrateful dog.

People online immediately split into two camps—some scolded Shen Ju, while others felt he was still young and could be forgiven.

However, Song Zhixu later took the initiative to clarify things for Shen Ju, and their teammates followed suit by posting on social media to explain what had happened that day, helping Shen Ju regain some control over the public narrative.

As time passed, more and more people began speaking up for Shen Ju.

Although the blogger was trying to drive a wedge between Lin Jiang and Shen Ju, those familiar with the two knew their arguments were only temporary; privately, their relationship was actually quite good.

Lin Jiang’s kindness toward Shen Ju didn’t seem fake, and Shen Ju genuinely listened to him. Many fans even shipped the two of them.

Just as the second post was about to fade into obscurity, the blogger quickly dropped one last bombshell: Lin Jiang had a long-term girlfriend, and Shen Ju was suspected of being the “other man” who interfered.

The post opened with a shocking revelation. Lin Jiang had a girlfriend, and they had been together for at least four years. This was an open secret in the industry, although it was never confirmed.

The blogger directly released a photo showing Lin Jiang’s girlfriend arriving to meet him in a van. The two looked well-matched and affectionate.

Finally, he included a screenshot of Shen Ju looking at Lin Jiang. The way Shen Ju looked at him was clearly different from how he looked at anyone else.

At the end, a very explosive video was attached. The video was provided by an anonymous reporter, filmed on the streets near the finals venue in Seoul, South Korea.

In the footage, Lin Jiang walked ahead while Shen Ju repeatedly tried to hold his hand, only to be avoided each time. The two seemed to be arguing. Later, while waiting at a traffic light, Shen Ju suddenly hugged him from behind.

Putting the pieces together, everyone finally pieced together the whole story!

First, Lin Jiang joined the team, and Shen Ju developed feelings for him. At that time, their relationship was still good. Then one day, Shen Ju discovered that Lin Jiang was straight and had a girlfriend. Shen Ju argued with him and gave him the cold shoulder. In the end, during the finals, Shen Ju hid the fact that he was playing with an injury, leading to another fight. Finally, Lin Jiang couldn’t take it anymore and spoke out publicly!

If this was the case, Shen Ju’s behavior was truly unacceptable!

How could he act so brazenly knowing the other person had a girlfriend? Just because he had some money, he thought he could do whatever he wanted?!

Seeing that this scandal was about to splash onto Lin Jiang, his fans refused to sit still and began speaking up for him one after another.

[It’s totally normal for Lin Jiang to have a girlfriend—he’s the right age for it.]

[But is Shen Ju really this outrageous??? Does he not know the meaning of respect?]

[If Shen Ju is really like this, I’ll boycott him for life! Stay away from my Lin Jiang, thank you very much!]

[Is this what rich people are like? Completely self-centered?]

[How did it come to this? If Lin Jiang didn’t have a girlfriend, these two would’ve been the ultimate ship!]

[Ugh, I’m never shipping them again! That damn Dog Shen is toxic!]

Soon, more photos surfaced, proving that the way Shen Ju looked at Lin Jiang was far from innocent. No matter how many people were around, his gaze always landed precisely on Lin Jiang.

Although Lin Jiang would smile back at him, Lin Jiang’s eyes were gentle even when looking at a dog, so maybe there was nothing unusual about the way he looked at Shen Ju?

Which is why everyone was yelling: Shen-dog, are you dense? Back away from Lin Jiang already!

But things didn’t end there. Soon, Lin Jiang’s girlfriend was also dug out by netizens—it turned out to be Tian Baby, the actress who recently exploded in popularity after switching to suspense drama roles.

Put side by side like this, the contrast was downright brutal.

Lin Jiang’s girlfriend was fair-skinned, beautiful, long-legged, successful in her career, and had been in a long-term relationship with him. There was no way Lin Jiang would give up such an amazing girlfriend for Shen Ju!

Shen Ju’s fans all tried to persuade him: A melon forced off the vine won’t taste sweet.¹强扭的瓜不甜 (qiáng niǔ de guā bù tián) – a forced relationship won’t end well; don’t push what isn’t mutual.

Meanwhile, Shen Ju—finally back online after days of being disconnected—stared at the chaos and typed: [? What do you mean? Lin Jiang was mine to begin with.]

Fans: You little brat, do you even know what you’re saying!!!

In no time, the topic #ShenJuForcefullyInterferesNoRemorse trended on social media. Tian Baby’s fans also joined the fray, and it looked like things were about to escalate into a full-blown storm…

Then, at three in the morning, Lin Jiang suddenly started a livestream.

It was obvious he had taken a shower and was ready for bed. He had thrown on a jacket over his pajamas and, under the dim desk lamp, looked like he was being forced to go live.

The reason people felt he was being forced was because he kept glancing to the side, as if he wanted to say something but couldn’t bring himself to voice it.

“Alright, I’m going live tonight mainly to clarify some things that have been happening online recently.”

Fans: !!! Is the truth finally coming out?!

The number of viewers skyrocketed instantly as everyone rushed to the frontlines for the scoop.

Fresh out of the shower, Lin Jiang’s hair was still damp, giving him a clean yet subtly alluring aura. Under the camera, his fair skin and vivid lips, combined with the apartment background behind him, it was hard for people not to let their imagination wander.

He smiled at the camera and pulled out his phone to scroll through it. “First, let me clarify my relationship with Tian Baby. We’ve known each other for many years, but it’s not what you think.”

He flipped to a photo and showed it to the camera. It was a picture of him and Tian Baby looking intimate. They appeared to be in their teens, smiling brightly.

[Oh wow! Childhood sweethearts²青梅竹马 (qīng méi zhú mǎ) -literally “green plums and bamboo horses,” meaning childhood friends who grow up together, often with romantic undertones.!]

[Ahhh! Lin Jiang had an early romance?!]

[So the relationship with Tian Baby is real, right?]

[Lin Jiang keeps glancing sideways… who’s he looking at? It can’t be Tian Baby, can it? Help…]

[This pairing is totally ship-worthy too! Lin Jiang looks good with anyone!]

[Childhood sweethearts and they even look like a real couple…]

[Wait, don’t you think Lin Jiang and Tian Baby look a little too similar?]

Flipping through the photos, there were pictures from when they were in their teens, even when they were just a few years old. There was even one where Lin Jiang was only a few months old, being carefully held by Tian Baby for a photo.

Lin Jiang briefly explained, “Tian Baby is my biological older sister. The joke about her being my girlfriend was just to avoid dating rumors back then cause I only wanted to focus on competitions. In the photos, she was visiting me while filming nearby. We’ve always been close, but she’s been living abroad for a long time, so we hadn’t seen each other for ages, and naturally, we were a little more affectionate…”

[Aaaaah, I knew something was off!]

[If Lin Jiang really had a girlfriend, wouldn’t he have announced it publicly given his personality?]

[So Tian Baby’s issues were clarified. What about Shen Ju? Is he going to clarify it?]

[Who is that person next to Lin Jiang anyway?]

“I originally didn’t want to make this public, but it seems this matter has affected my sister, so I think it’s necessary to clarify.”

Lin Jiang leaned closer to the camera and formally said, “Tian Baby is a great actress. I hope everyone isn’t affected by this situation and goes to watch her recent work in her new genre…”

This wave of advertising diluted the gossipy atmosphere, turning the whole situation into something almost theatrical. Some fans even joked whether this was all a publicity stunt for the new drama.

After the laughter died down, fans still didn’t let go of the most crucial point: So what’s your relationship with Shen Ju?

Lin Jiang seemed like he wanted to laugh but held it back. “Shen Ju? He—”

A hand reached over from the side, gripping the back of his neck as if warning him not to laugh.

Lin Jiang coughed twice. “Alright, let me formally introduce him. Shen Ju is actually my boyfriend.”

The hand on his neck loosened slightly, gently rubbing the spot. The fair, distinct knuckles paired with broad palms looked undeniably suggestive.

Fans: !!!

[WHAT?! Say that again! Shen Ju is your WHAT?!]

[Holy crap, is that a man’s hand??]

[So you two are really together???]

[Did your relationship take off like a rocket³坐了火箭 (zuò le huǒ jiàn) – literally “sat on a rocket,” meaning something progressed extremely fast.? You’re even living together?!]

[Wow, what a plot twist!]

[Damn, you really kept us in the dark! Why only tell us such big news now?!]

[Oh my god… Shen Ju is the official one⁴正宫 (zhèng gōng) – originally referred to the empress’s main palace in ancient China, and by extension, the empress herself. In modern usage, it is the one with the legitimate or recognized status in a relationship?!]

Lin Jiang explained, “We’ve been together since before Worlds. We planned to go public after the tournament to avoid affecting the competition. Later, because of the issue with the injections, we had some disagreements, and the announcement got delayed. I didn’t expect things online to spiral so wildly. That’s why I went live today to clarify this…”

What he said no longer mattered because the internet had already lost its mind!

Overnight, #ShenJuIsTheOfficialPartner skyrocketed to the top of trending searches. The plot twist came out of nowhere, thrilling and exhilarating all at once. Nothing was more exciting than finding out your ship was real!

[Lin Jiang having a boyfriend is officially confirmed!]

[So Shen Ju’s “He’s mine” wasn’t a lie.]

[Hahaha, poor Shen Ju—the most misunderstood boyfriend on the internet. He says the truth and nobody believes him!]

[I’m dying laughing… why is the CP I ship so ridiculously entertaining?]

[Can you imagine? The whole internet ships my boyfriend with someone else and tells me forced relationships don’t work!]

[Feeling so much love and pity for Shen Ju right now.]

After Lin Jiang’s clarification, everyone started frantically “digging up sugar”⁵扒糖 (bā táng) – meaning searching for cute or romantic interactions between a couple. and they found that everything Lin Jiang said lined up perfectly. In contrast, the blogger who intentionally stirred conflict was full of loopholes!

Realizing he couldn’t withstand scrutiny, the blogger deleted his account and fled. Eventually, someone traced his phone number and exposed him as none other than Ah Cai, the streamer who constantly bashed Shen Ju in his livestreams!

After Shen Ju won Worlds, his own stream got banned. Feeling huge psychological frustration, he bought accounts to get back at Shen Ju, but unexpectedly, Shen Ju never retaliated. Instead of harming Shen Ju, he accidentally forced Lin Jiang to reveal their relationship!

In an instant, countless people flooded Shen Ju’s comment section to apologize, while his fans finally held their heads high. Only Lin Jiang’s fans were left crying in despair.

Who could understand this, folks?!

The cabbage that had been carefully tended for years… trampled by a dog!!

They couldn’t hold it in anymore. Their fair-skinned, beautiful, long-legged sister-in-law had suddenly turned into a stubborn, unruly, and disobedient dog!

— — — —

• 1
  强扭的瓜不甜 (qiáng niǔ de guā bù tián) – a forced relationship won’t end well; don’t push what isn’t mutual.
• 2
  青梅竹马 (qīng méi zhú mǎ) -literally “green plums and bamboo horses,” meaning childhood friends who grow up together, often with romantic undertones.
• 3
  坐了火箭 (zuò le huǒ jiàn) – literally “sat on a rocket,” meaning something progressed extremely fast.
• 4
  正宫 (zhèng gōng) – originally referred to the empress’s main palace in ancient China, and by extension, the empress herself. In modern usage, it is the one with the legitimate or recognized status in a relationship
• 5
  扒糖 (bā táng) – meaning searching for cute or romantic interactions between a couple.