SHEN JI YUN quickly sat down beside Luo Yan. The other didn’t need to say anything for Luo Yan to understand what he wanted to convey. It’s was all in his eyes. All the worry and the underlying anger and frustration as well. Luo Yan couldn’t help but smile. His eyes full of soft light, the gentleness in it could almost melt anyone.
And that’s exactly how Shen Ji Yun felt when Luo Yan smiled at him. It’s like he was turned into a slowly melting cotton candy. That’s just how sweet he felt. The impulse to just stretch out his hand and hold Luo Yan in his arms was so strong that he had to clenched both of his fists tightly just so he could stop himself. That’s how strong the effect of that smile was to him.
There was something different from it. Surely much different from his usual bright smile. Shen Ji Yun just couldn’t pin-point it.
If Luo Yan could hear Shen Ji Yun’s thoughts right now, then he would have an answer to his confusion. It’s simply because now Luo Yan had admitted to himself his feelings for the other. There was no longer anything holding him back. So, now, his real feelings just simply overflowed and it showed in his smile and the way he looked at him.
"I’m okay, Brother Ji Yun," Luo Yan simply said to Shen Ji Yun’s silent question.
"I know you are," Shen Ji Yun responded, trying his best to show a smile. Even though deep inside, he was still very angry because of that article. "After all, Yan Yan is very strong."
Luo Jin was watching this scene. He was once again reminded of his second brother’s confession the other day. He truly wanted to growl at Shen Ji Yun. But he stopped. He had already promised Luo Yan that he would no longer get in the way between him and that guy. He would honor that. Even though almost everything inside him was against it.
Su Yuqi, of course, noticed that Luo Jin was unusually behaving. Under normal circumstance, he would be already raging like some cat that had its tail stepped on. So, she couldn’t help but lean closer towards the other and whispered;
"Why aren’t getting mad at Shen Ji Yun?"
When Luo Jin heard Su Yuqi’s voice, he just felt like his ear had been electrocuted. Making it all numb. But also because of her question, he suddenly remembered when she scolded him. He was hit pretty hard by that. It was probably one of the reasons why he was able to agree to his second brother’s request of not meddling with his relationship with Shen Ji Yun.
"I- I won’t do that anymore," he whispered back.
Su Yuqi stared at Luo Jin’s reddened ear tip. The blush slowly traveled to his cheek. Cute. She raised her hand and rubbed his hair. "Good boy."
Luo Jin’s face became even redder after that.
Bai Ze, who was still standing and watching all this, felt for the first time how much of a single dog he was. He shook his head. No, he could understand the Shen Ji Yun and Luo Yan pair but why would he also think that Luo Jin and Su Yuqi was a pair? Just thinking of the two together in that way was already giving him goosebumps.
So, he just sat down on one of the free seats and started the topic that they should be talking right now. "Xiao Yan, Ji Yun mentioned that you already have a plan in mind?"
"Oh, yes," Luo Yan confirmed. "But it wasn’t complete yet. I still lack a bit of information to make it complete."
"If you need us to do anything, just tell us and we’ll help," Shen Ji Yun said.
Luo Yan nodded and didn’t hesitate to say, "I need some information about the player ’Raphael’."
"The Angel that you took out during the prelims?" Bai Ze asked in confusion, not really sure what that guy have to do with this.
"Yes. I am currently 90% sure that he was the one behind this," Luo Yan answered. Everyone’s expression slightly changed when he said that. He proceeded on explaining, "Aside from pouring dirty water on my game account, there’s another obvious trend on the comment section of that article – clearing Raphael’s reputation. It was not that obvious at first.
"But if you just look carefully, you could see that while others kept on badmouthing my game account, there were some who were saying ’good’ things about him. That he was my ’victim’, that he didn’t deserve the things that were said about him, things like that.
"It’s weird that his name kept on appearing on the comment section. Surely, he was not the only one I offended during my short tenure as ’Noctis’. So, how come he was the only ’pitiful’ one? Unless, of course, it was deliberately made that way. Which I highly believed to be the case."
Shen Ji Yun had read all the comments on that blasted article, so, of course, he also saw those comments ’pitying’ that Raphael. He didn’t think too much about it, feeling that it was just those people talking nonsense. But now that Luo Yan mentioned it, he now also saw the weirdness of it.
He didn’t question Luo Yan’s conclusion of the matter. If he thought that was the case, then it must be. Now that he knew the one responsible, all his anger could now be directed at that person.
"Do you need me to get the real identity of that person?" he asked.
Luo Yan shook his head. "No need. Since he only attacked my game account, then I will also attack his. So, I only need to know about the player ’Raphael’ and not the person playing the avatar." ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ noveⅼfire.net
"Then, I’ll ask the people on my friend list," Bai Ze suggested. "Surely, one of them knows some information about him."
"Thank you, Brother Ze."
"Hey, no need for thanks." Then Bai Ze started sending messages to his other game friends.
"Why did this Raphael person do all this? Just because he lost in the prelims?" Luo Jin said, feeling quite incredulous.
He really couldn’t understand the brain circuit of people who would go to such elaborate ruse just because they feel slighted. Even though that one who’s at fault was them themselves.
"Maybe he also didn’t like being found out as a white lotus," Su Yuqi added.
Luo Yan also thought so. Unless, of course, the other was just naturally vengeful.
"I just received a reply. According to this, Raphael was really adamant to be part of team Celestials. He wasn’t really shy on admitting that he admired that team’s captain very much. But sadly, even though he got an Angel as a race, no one from Celestials tried to recruit him," Bai Ze said.
"They probably know he’s a bad egg, the rotten kind," Luo Jin scoffed.
"Was that helpful information?" Bai Ze asked.
Luo Yan nodded, a scheming smile appeared on his lips. "That’s more than helpful."
It’s here, the final piece of the puzzle needed for his plan to be completed. And so, he started telling the others what his plan was.