“……”
At this moment, Lin Jiaxin sat motionless in her gaming chair.
The sudden roar in her ears drowned out everything else.
She could only stare blankly at the screen, lost in a daze.
Did she… really lose?
Why…? It had been such a dominant opening…
How did things end up like this?
Who gave it their all? Who choked? Whose playstyle wasn’t team-oriented?
“Lin…”
“Jiaxin…”
“Lin Jiaxin.”
Lin Jiaxin looked up in a daze.
Was someone calling her name?
“Lin Jiaxin, it’s time for the fist bumps.”
Wang Haozhe forced a thin smile as he spoke to her.
Only then did she snap back to reality.
Beside her chair, the opposing team was already lined up, waiting for the fist bumps.
At the front of the line was none other than Steel-Toothed Little Fatty—the only pro player who’d been sent out to trash-talk before the match.
Seeing Lin Jiaxin look at him, he flashed her a wide grin.
“Nice playing out there!”
The glint of his steel braces caught Lin Jiaxin’s eye, dazzling and sharp.
It felt like he was saying, ‘Aww, little girl, did you take that seriously? I was just playing with you!’
What did he mean by that?
Was he mocking her?
Post-match praise was always the most grating.
Lin Jiaxin clenched her fists in frustration.
But the monitor in front of her still displayed the big red letters.
[Defeat]
Yeah… she lost. If you lose, you have to accept it…
Lin Jiaxin took a deep breath, stood up, and went down the line fist-bumping the pro players.
But since she’d never watched a real match before,
she didn’t know you were supposed to bow during the fist bumps.
So… Lin Jiaxin just stood there, straight as a board, tapping fists one by one.
Meanwhile, the pro players and Wang Haozhe’s group politely bent at the waist and nodded.
Even though none of them actually wanted to bow or nod at each other…
But when this scene played out in the livestream, the chat instantly exploded.
[LMAO, what’s this Sandwich Candy’s deal? Can’t handle losing?]
[Hahaha, she really thinks she’s all that!]
[Standing tall with a stiff spine!]
[Pre-match mouth harder than hands, post-match spine stiffer?]
[Oh, so you’re Bristleback too?]
[Am I the only one who thinks she looks cute with her pouty face?]
[Bro above, you’re truly down bad… damn, I’m down bad too!]
Lin Jiaxin was completely unaware of all this.
But even if she knew, she wouldn’t have bothered to care.
She stood at the edge of the stage, watching with hollow eyes as Kangkang hoisted the trophy.
The light in her eyes dimmed inch by inch.
So close… she’d been so close to holding that trophy herself.
To show off in front of tens of thousands of spectators one more time.
But… now…
All she could do was watch someone else do what she’d dreamed of doing on that stage.
The fantasies she’d had before the match…
In the end, they were just a fleeting dream.
“Do you have anything to say about your opponents?”
And of course, at that exact moment, Steel-Toothed Little Fatty was answering the host’s question.
“They’re alright, I guess. Main thing is my hand injury was acting up—my early game wasn’t great, but I recovered after a break.
If they’d faced a different team, maybe they could’ve won… too bad they ran into us.
All I have to say is: If not for our National Electric, VCT CN would be forever in darkness!”
“Kangkang’s a beast! Just messing with you!”
“Wuwuwu, Zheng Yongkang, does your hand hurt?”
“Hurt my ass. Beating a random amateur squad is nothing. If they were actually good, they wouldn’t have let a bunch of randoms take a 2-0 lead! They’re CJB through and through.”
“You picking a fight on purpose? Say that again, I dare you!”
“CJB, CJB, C—J—B—!”
“Damn, Sour Lemon Bag!”
The crowd below suddenly erupted into a brawl.
Security had to step in to break it up and disperse the crowd to prevent a major incident.
But since Lin Jiaxin was standing not far from the backstage area, she wasn’t caught up in it.
‘These… these! All of this should’ve been MY lines!’
But listening to Steel-Toothed Little Fatty’s speech, Lin Jiaxin felt like she’d been struck by lightning. She froze in place, her breath caught in her throat, the last light in her eyes completely extinguished.
Her chest heaved up and down, as if something invisible had been stolen from her…
zmjj Kangkang had stolen her life!
————
“Xin姐, don’t be mad. It was just an exhibition match.”
On the way back to school, Wang Haozhe looked at the dejected team.
He let out a sigh, speaking as if to comfort Lin Jiaxin, and maybe himself too.
“I’m not mad.”
Lin Jiaxin kept her head down, mumbling softly.
Her hair shielded her expression.
Wang Haozhe couldn’t see it, but he knew Lin Jiaxin couldn’t possibly be fine.
With her fiercely competitive personality, having the trophy slip away when it was within reach would probably drive her insane.
He could only force a wry smile. “Seriously, don’t take it to heart. The fact that we managed to take two rounds is already pretty good… I mean, remember in the quarterfinals when that other team got swept…”
“Enough! Stop bringing that up.”
Lin Jiaxin suddenly stopped walking, cutting off Wang Haozhe with rushed words.
She turned to look at the setting sun, biting her lip and said:
“When the sun rises, yesterday should be forgotten.”
Wang Haozhe blinked, caught off guard.
Before he could even react, he watched Lin Jiaxin walk alone toward the sunset.
The evening light stretched her shadow long and thin.
Her steps were heavy, each one like wading through mud.
“Where are you going?” Wang Haozhe called out instinctively.
But Lin Jiaxin didn’t answer.
She just raised a hand and waved without looking back, then walked off.
…….
———
“Why… wuwu…”
Lin Jiaxin leaned against a lamppost on the roadside, tilting her head up at the sky as tears streamed uncontrollably down her cheeks into her hair.
She bit her lip hard, not making a sound.
But the tears just wouldn’t stop.
Her mind was filled with nothing but that steel-braced fatty hoisting the trophy, and those cutting words he’d said.
At the thought, Lin Jiaxin finally couldn’t hold it in anymore.
She suddenly buried her face in her knees, shoulders shaking, voice choked with sobs.
“Why… wuwu… why does he get to say those things… those were supposed to be MY lines… I’d already thought them out… wuwu…”
Lin Jiaxin cried her heart out, tears and snot smeared all over her face.
A complete mess, like a little beggar who’d fallen on hard times.
“Are you… Sandwich Candy?”
A voice suddenly came from nearby.
Lin Jiaxin’s sobbing hitched. She instinctively looked up.
There stood a guy a few steps away.
In his left hand was a convenience store bag, and in his right, a cardboard sign with the words “Sandwich Candy” written in big letters. He was looking at her with uncertainty.
He clearly hadn’t expected to run into Lin Jiaxin here, let alone witness this scene.
Her nose was red, her eyes were red, and tear drops still clung to her eyelashes.
She looked like a little dog caught in the rain—utterly pitiful.
“I’m… not.”
“You… you’ve got the wrong person!”
At his words, Lin Jiaxin choked, quickly wiping her face with her sleeve, trying to scrub away all the tears and snot.
But her sleeve wasn’t clean to begin with, and wiping only smeared her face even worse.
She gave up and turned her face away, refusing to look at him.
That pitiful, hoarse voice was a far cry from the confident, spirited girl from just half a day ago…