Already guessed?
Qin Chunxiao silently opened his phone and logged into his Weibo alternate account called “Gale Wolf.” He clicked on a declaration of leaving the fandom posted by a user named “yomi,” and fell into deep thought.
Could yomi be none other than Meng Yuling, who also had a relapse of osteosarcoma and left the fandom?
As a public figure, Qin Chunxiao had secretly browsed the internet and seen things that even his own fans couldn’t imagine. He knew that some people shipped him and Li Ling, and there were even fanfics about their roles as top and bottom in a relationship.
Qin Chunxiao: “Why do some people think I’m the bottom? That’s not logical at all! My playstyle is obviously aggressive, and fans praise me for being an ‘A’.”
But he was good at distinguishing between the online world and reality. Whatever people wrote or argued about online couldn’t affect his life. After all, he wasn’t making money from fandoms, nor did he need to cater to fans.
As for Li Ling, that guy’s love for Victoria’s Secret supermodels ensured that he was straighter than his grandfather’s table leg. And those fanfics and artworks were so far from the reality of Qin Chunxiao that he promised himself he would never act like that even once in his life. In those fanfics, he would lose a game, get emotionally wrecked, smash things, and then cry while Li Ling rushed over to comfort him. In reality, Qin Chunxiao was only 17 years old, and driving a motor vehicle underage was illegal!
Regarding his attitude towards fanfics, in this regard, Qin Chunxiao quietly learned from other public figures, such as the actors who played Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy, the actor who played Sherlock Holmes, and the actor who played Charles Xavier in X-Men.
Why were they all from the UK?
Well, anyway, before the rise of global conservatism due to the 2019 pandemic, people were generally tolerant of fanfics. When fans create content within their own circle, there’s usually no reason to argue without cause.
The internet is a diverse world, and one shouldn’t attack things they disagree with just for the sake of it. Qin Chunxiao wasn’t that bored, and he didn’t think his life needed so much negativity.
Those girls who wrote fanfics for him had put in their hearts and souls, and the same went for those who drew artworks. While it would take Qin Chunxiao at least six hours to write anything over three thousand words, during his university days, he was most frustrated when the deadline was approaching, and he hadn’t even finished the introduction to his essay. So he respected those who created these works with their efforts.
For this reason, when people were curious about his love life and made various speculations, as long as the words of the other party weren’t offensive, Qin Chunxiao could honestly respond, “I am single, but the stories you imagine sound lovely. Thank you for liking me.”
Although Fu Biyang had once complained that Qin Chunxiao was a little calculating and narrow-minded, through this incident, Qin Chunxiao felt that Fu Biyang’s judgment was wrong. He, Qin Chunxiao, was obviously a cute and broad-minded guy.
Thinking of himself as a cute guy, Xiaozai curiously opened yomi’s fanfic. Due to the 11-hour time difference between Brazil and China, everyone had some difficulty adjusting their sleep schedule. Moreover, browsing the internet could consume a lot of time. By the time Qin Chunxiao finished reading yomi’s short story collection, it was already two o’clock in the morning.
Moreover, his data usage was about to explode, and international roaming fees were exorbitant! Qin Chunxiao quickly recharged his phone number.
Since becoming an athlete, Qin Chunxiao hadn’t slept past 10 PM for a long time. When he woke up the next morning, he couldn’t stop yawning.
But athletes belonged to the group with abundant energy, so he didn’t feel too bad. After eating a Brazilian berry bowl, he felt revitalized.
On June 1st, the VNL Brazil station officially began. Due to the tight schedule, almost all teams played three consecutive days, facing one opponent each day.
China’s team wore two different jerseys this year, One with a yellow background and red letters, and the other with a blue background and white letters. Their opponents, the Japanese team, had two jerseys as well: one with a red background and white letters, and the other with a white background and red letters. When the match started, China wore blue, and Japan wore red, making both teams look vibrant.
Before the game began, players from both sides chatted and caught up with each other. Sakano Ennosuke rushed over and shook hands with Mao Xunfeng, saying, “Mao-san, how have you been lately?”
Sakano Ennosuke and Mao Xunfeng were former teammates in the Japanese league.
Then Sakano Ennosuke greeted Kawauchi Akihito, Coach Takeshita, and several other Japanese players, including Nijita and Mizushima Takeru, whom they had encountered in the World Youth Championship last year. It seemed they had all been promoted from the Japanese youth team to the senior team.
Xiong Wu, who knew when, had learned some decent Japanese and was mixing with the Japanese players naturally. He would say things like “こんにちは-Konnichiwa” and “ひさしぶり-Hisashiburi”, and even showed Nijita his palm reading.
Qin Chunxiao looked puzzled. Didn’t Xiong Wu only know how to use poker cards for fortune-telling before? When did he develop this new skill of palm reading?
While they had good relations, they didn’t hold back during the game against Japan. It was a way of showing respect to the opponents.
Newton announced the starting lineup: “Liu Yuelou, Min Yaoyang, Luo He, Zhang Feng, Mao Xunfeng, Gao Depi, and Xiong Wu.”
The libero could be changed at any time, and when they decided to send the libero onto the court, Coach Lao Niu would directly announce seven names.
All seven players’ abilities were top-notch, and several of them had trained overseas and had experience playing against Japan.
Qin Chunxiao wasn’t upset about not being in the starting lineup. He sat there with his water bottle, watching the game closely. He soon noticed that his teammates’ form was even better than he had imagined. Though they didn’t completely dominate the game, they held the advantage, especially Min Yaoyang. This kid had spent a season in the Japanese league and was now able to receive some balls. Min Yaoyang, the representative of the “rough male” archetype, surprisingly improved his skills in receiving!
Seeing the team’s good performance, the fans were moved to tears.
“For how many years, I finally feel the thickness of China’s bench!”
“What is the thickness of the bench? It means having an abundant pool of talents under the coach’s command. We can win matches without overusing our main players.”
“Brothers and sisters, do you know? Ever since Zhao Laogui took over the national team, I have been watching him continuously overusing the main players. Four top attackers have been overused and wasted, and only Qiao Mingming managed to survive thanks to the provincial team’s coach.”
“The key is, he overused the main players, but didn’t achieve good results!”
“Coach Niu’s level is truly impressive. None of the players in the starting lineup are main players, yet they all performed well! It feels like Coach Niu pays attention to developing talents. Each player is cared for, and they all show significant growth.”
“We are about to face Brazil next. Allowing the main players to save their energy is the right move. Otherwise, we’ll end up like the first station, with several main players exhausted after the match against Argentina, unable to perform at their best against the USA and losing 1:3.”
After narrowly winning the first set with 25:23, China easily took the second set with a score of 25:21, thanks to the efforts of You Ziyu, who came on briefly and scored a few points before being substituted. Tong Shulan replaced Gao Depi for the third set, and China won decisively with a score of 25:20.
The Japanese fans were astonished. In recent years, the Japanese men’s team had been rising, with several outstanding young players making their mark on the stage of the high school championships and being selected for the youth team for vigorous training. Some players even went abroad to improve their skills. Combining their tactical research, the overall strength of the team had reached a top level among second-tier teams.
But who would have thought that after narrowly losing to China in the Asian Championship, the Chinese team would defeat Japan in the VNL, and it seemed even easier than last year’s victory.
A Japanese sports commentator sighed, “Facing the dominant Chinese team in Asia, our Japanese warriors bravely chose to challenge them. Although we lost, they have shown the spirit of competitive sports!”
Another commentator said, “What’s even scarier is that this team is still very young. All their key players were promoted from the youth team, which means they will be in an upward phase throughout the next Olympic cycle. This is a terrifying concept.”
The Olympic Games take place every four years, and one Olympic cycle lasts four years. From 2016 to the Tokyo Olympics, it would be the Tokyo Olympic cycle, and during this period, Asian men’s volleyball would be dominated by the Chinese!
Chinese netizens, who were watching the match on Japanese TV channels because of the clear image and sound, burst into laughter upon hearing this commentary.
“Our men’s team only started to rise last year, and now we are already the Asian champions? This small TV station’s commentator sure has studied ‘Wan Zun’ thoroughly. Yes, that’s right. As long as the Chinese team is strong, losing to them wouldn’t be embarrassing.”
Some well-intentioned netizens directly brought back the nicknames given to Chinese male volleyball players by Japanese netizens and shared them with other Chinese netizens.
Like Qiao Mingming, his nickname was very straightforward: the number one attacker in Asia. Chinese fans called him the “Empire Cannon,” and it was said that many young volleyball players consider him their goal to strive for.
Qin Chunxiao was known as the “Snow Wolf, Beautiful and Powerful,” while Li Ling was called “Husky Sauce.” Together, they are known as the Twin Stars, but there were also some who call Qin Chunxiao the “Guangdong Fortress.” As long as they didn’t call him the “Shanghai Fortress1,” Qin Chunxiao didn’t bother to care.
Fu Biyang’s nickname was the “Volleyball Diamond King.” He earned this nickname because he often pounds his chest and roars after winning matches, reminding people of a gorilla fighting a plane at the top of the Empire State Building.
Aizimiti was known as the “Prince of the Western Region,” and Min Yaoyang was the “Chocolate Prince.”
The most exaggerated one was Xiong Wu, who was hailed as the “Observer of Destiny.” However, this nickname doesn’t have much to do with his identity as a volleyball player.
From this, you can see the kind of admiration the Japanese people have for the strong. When facing the dominant Chinese team, they wouldn’t hate these formidable Chinese players even if they lost. Instead, they would admire them even more.
Due to his limited playing time, Qin Chunxiao preserved a lot of energy. When he had a video call with Lu Xuandong that night, he looked radiant. When Meng Yuling’s face appeared paler than usual on the screen, he put on a smile, trying to sound cheerful.
“Sister Yuling, you look good. Your form is excellent.”
Meng Yuling replied, “How can you say that? I can see the rosy color on your face even through the screen. Have you been eating donkey-hide gelatin?”
Qin Chunxiao laughed, “Sister Yuling, I can’t just casually eat donkey-hide gelatin.”
He was just a normal 17-year-old young man who ate, slept, and exercised normally.
Meng Yuling said, “Hey, I forgot your strict dietary control. But it’s great to see you so healthy. For us athletes, health is the most valuable wealth.”
Although Qin Chunxiao initiated the video call to check on Meng Yuling, by the end of the conversation, it seemed that Meng Yuling was more concerned about him. She went on and on about the details of how volleyball players should take care of their bodies. In many instances, Qin Chunxiao actually knew more about it than her, but he didn’t interrupt her.
Finally, Meng Yuling wiped the corner of her reddened eyes. “By the way, there’s one thing. Xiao Dong asked me if I had noticed the soulmate relationship between you two. Well, I did notice it, and to my shame, I even wrote a fanfiction about you two.”
Qin Chunxiao replied, “I know, I read it. You are yomi, right?”
Meng Yuling smiled, “Oh, impressive! You managed to uncover my pseudonym. Actually, I wrote a fanfiction with the soulmate setting for you two because my sister and I are part of that group. So, I understand it better. Whenever I’m fond of a CP, I write a fanfiction with that setting. But after I found out that you two really are soulmates, I stopped writing. If you feel uncomfortable with it, do you want me to delete the story?”
She was serious about it. At first, she thought Lu Xuandong was a bit suspicious, but she didn’t immediately link him to Qin Chunxiao. Even when Lu Xuandong followed Qin Chunxiao around to watch his matches, she just assumed he was an ardent fan and kept telling people, “It’s okay to ship CP, but don’t disturb the real people. Little Qin and his team are still young, don’t invade his privacy.”
Who would have thought that these two were indeed soulmates? She even felt like she had a prophetic gift.
Qin Chunxiao and Lu Xuandong glanced at each other through the screen.
“No need to delete it. Keep it. It’s your hard work. Although in my opinion, many parts are, well, out of character (OOC), the plot is still good if you remove the characters’ names. I even used my alternate account to like it,” Qin Chunxiao said.
The fanfic author Meng Yuling, who had been told that her writing was OOC by the protagonist himself: “Well, you do know a lot about fanfiction. As expected of the post-2000 generation of the internet era. Let me remind you, don’t accidentally use your main account to like it in the future if you want to keep your identity a secret.”
In today’s society, as long as two people were soulmates, everyone around them starts shouting “be together.” There were some distant examples like Italy’s Mattia and Luma, and some recent examples like Meng Yuming and Meng Yuling.
Yes, although Meng Yuling and Meng Yuming were biological sisters, they didn’t care about the fans’ shipping. When they used to play volleyball together, some people even shouted “Great Twin Stars” in the stadium, which made them quite distressed.
The most tragic case was a pair of doubles partners in tennis. Although they were soulmates, their relationship was purely that of comrades. Later, when they got married separately, they were heavily criticized by the overwhelming number of CP fans, accusing them of deceiving the public with a fake same-sex marriage. It was a pretty miserable situation.
Qin Chunxiao and Lu Xuandong wanted to keep their soulmate relationship a secret, and Meng Yuling naturally agreed. This would help them avoid a lot of public scrutiny and allow them to focus on their respective careers without being influenced by public opinion. If they ever wanted to develop a more intimate relationship in the future, it would be their own choice, not something pushed by public pressure.
Meng Yuling had a lot of experiences and advice to share with Qin Chunxiao, both about volleyball, life, and being soulmates. Since she entrusted the red wristband to Qin Chunxiao, she had been hoping that this young man’s path would always be smooth and that he would remain steadfast, unaffected by public opinion and not be crushed by criticism and doubt when facing setbacks. But a short video call couldn’t possibly be enough for her to say everything.
After chatting for a while, Meng Yuling looked tired, and Qin Chunxiao noticed it. He made an excuse about needing to help Li Ling with his English homework and ended the call.
At this time, it was nighttime in Brazil. Looking out of the window from his room, Qin Chunxiao could see a group of boys from different countries playing in the outdoor pool on the 20th floor, including Li Ling, who was engaged in a water gun fight with Fu Biyang.
He sighed softly as he leaned against the window sill. “Health is important.”
There was no eternal health in this world, only the chance to make the best use of one’s time. Qin Chunxiao did some hand exercises, feeling the subtle sensations in his fingers and wrist joints. He had been doing too many dolphin dives recently, so his wrist was slightly sore. Fortunately, the coach had already informed him that he wouldn’t be playing as a starter against Japan and South Korea, allowing him to get sufficient rest.
The next day, after playing against Japan, the Chinese team faced another old rival they had defeated in the Asian Championships, South Korea.
If it took some effort to play against Japan, and there was still a risk of capsizing, then the only way for South Korea to win against the current Chinese team was to recruit players like William, Dominique, and Roman. There were even rumors circulating online in South Korea that “Roman and Dominique have South Korean blood.” Roman was Russian, and Russia and South Korea were both on the Eurasian continent, so some people forcibly connected their ancestors. As for Dominique, he was from South America, which was known as a melting pot of races, and no one knew what kind of bloodlines he had.
The South Korean players who faced Qin Chunxiao and his team were quite normal. South Korea had a conscription system, so unless athletes achieved outstanding results in sports, they couldn’t escape military service. Therefore, many South Korean athletes were extremely dedicated and didn’t shy away from using any means to win. However, volleyball was a sport separated by a net and was equipped with a Hawkeye system, so the court was relatively clean, and there weren’t any tricks.
In this match, Coach Newton continued to use the tactic of rotating between the main players and substitutes, giving all the players a chance to play. Regardless of whether they were starting players or substitutes, Coach Newton would explain tactics in detail, call timeouts to adjust the players’ performance in time, and point out their shortcomings during the game.
When China won the match 3-0, Coach Newton had a satisfied expression on his face.
After the game, he walked over to the South Korean coach’s bench and said, “Coach Kim, do you want to go have a drink together? Brazilian sugarcane alcohol is famous, and I’ll treat you.”
The South Korean coach gave him a sidelong glance and looked somewhat helpless. “Your cheek is as thick as a cow’s hide, Coach Newton.”
But since they had known each other for many years, even though Coach Kim knew that Coach Newton was probably just looking for an opportunity to practice his Korean, he still ended up going for a drink with him in the end. When Coach Newton returned with a hint of alcohol on him, he found his dear Qin Xiaodun sitting cross-legged in his room.
Qin Xiaodun waved disdainfully, “Brother Yue, Brother Hai.”
Chang Xiaole cheerfully helped Coach Newton sit in a chair, and Jiang Xiaohai handed him a cup of ready-made Chinese medicinal tea. “Drink this to sober up.”
Then Qin Chunxiao, with a serious tone, started discussing business with Coach Newton, who was known as the disciple of Brazilian volleyball guru Mars, a former teammate of Brazil’s national team main attacker Joshua, and the fierce rival of Brazil’s number one libero Billy. Qin Chunxiao had many ideas to share with the coach.
Already guessed?
Qin Chunxiao silently opened his phone and logged into his Weibo alternate account called “Gale Wolf.” He clicked on a declaration of leaving the fandom posted by a user named “yomi,” and fell into deep thought.
Could yomi be none other than Meng Yuling, who also had a relapse of osteosarcoma and left the fandom?
As a public figure, Qin Chunxiao had secretly browsed the internet and seen things that even his own fans couldn’t imagine. He knew that some people shipped him and Li Ling, and there were even fanfics about their roles as top and bottom in a relationship.
Qin Chunxiao: “Why do some people think I’m the bottom? That’s not logical at all! My playstyle is obviously aggressive, and fans praise me for being an ‘A’.”
But he was good at distinguishing between the online world and reality. Whatever people wrote or argued about online couldn’t affect his life. After all, he wasn’t making money from fandoms, nor did he need to cater to fans.
As for Li Ling, that guy’s love for Victoria’s Secret supermodels ensured that he was straighter than his grandfather’s table leg. And those fanfics and artworks were so far from the reality of Qin Chunxiao that he promised himself he would never act like that even once in his life. In those fanfics, he would lose a game, get emotionally wrecked, smash things, and then cry while Li Ling rushed over to comfort him. In reality, Qin Chunxiao was only 17 years old, and driving a motor vehicle underage was illegal!
Regarding his attitude towards fanfics, in this regard, Qin Chunxiao quietly learned from other public figures, such as the actors who played Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy, the actor who played Sherlock Holmes, and the actor who played Charles Xavier in X-Men.
Why were they all from the UK?
Well, anyway, before the rise of global conservatism due to the 2019 pandemic, people were generally tolerant of fanfics. When fans create content within their own circle, there’s usually no reason to argue without cause.
The internet is a diverse world, and one shouldn’t attack things they disagree with just for the sake of it. Qin Chunxiao wasn’t that bored, and he didn’t think his life needed so much negativity.
Those girls who wrote fanfics for him had put in their hearts and souls, and the same went for those who drew artworks. While it would take Qin Chunxiao at least six hours to write anything over three thousand words, during his university days, he was most frustrated when the deadline was approaching, and he hadn’t even finished the introduction to his essay. So he respected those who created these works with their efforts.
For this reason, when people were curious about his love life and made various speculations, as long as the words of the other party weren’t offensive, Qin Chunxiao could honestly respond, “I am single, but the stories you imagine sound lovely. Thank you for liking me.”
Although Fu Biyang had once complained that Qin Chunxiao was a little calculating and narrow-minded, through this incident, Qin Chunxiao felt that Fu Biyang’s judgment was wrong. He, Qin Chunxiao, was obviously a cute and broad-minded guy.
Thinking of himself as a cute guy, Xiaozai curiously opened yomi’s fanfic. Due to the 11-hour time difference between Brazil and China, everyone had some difficulty adjusting their sleep schedule. Moreover, browsing the internet could consume a lot of time. By the time Qin Chunxiao finished reading yomi’s short story collection, it was already two o’clock in the morning.
Moreover, his data usage was about to explode, and international roaming fees were exorbitant! Qin Chunxiao quickly recharged his phone number.
Since becoming an athlete, Qin Chunxiao hadn’t slept past 10 PM for a long time. When he woke up the next morning, he couldn’t stop yawning.
But athletes belonged to the group with abundant energy, so he didn’t feel too bad. After eating a Brazilian berry bowl, he felt revitalized.
On June 1st, the VNL Brazil station officially began. Due to the tight schedule, almost all teams played three consecutive days, facing one opponent each day.
China’s team wore two different jerseys this year, One with a yellow background and red letters, and the other with a blue background and white letters. Their opponents, the Japanese team, had two jerseys as well: one with a red background and white letters, and the other with a white background and red letters. When the match started, China wore blue, and Japan wore red, making both teams look vibrant.
Before the game began, players from both sides chatted and caught up with each other. Sakano Ennosuke rushed over and shook hands with Mao Xunfeng, saying, “Mao-san, how have you been lately?”
Sakano Ennosuke and Mao Xunfeng were former teammates in the Japanese league.
Then Sakano Ennosuke greeted Kawauchi Akihito, Coach Takeshita, and several other Japanese players, including Nijita and Mizushima Takeru, whom they had encountered in the World Youth Championship last year. It seemed they had all been promoted from the Japanese youth team to the senior team.
Xiong Wu, who knew when, had learned some decent Japanese and was mixing with the Japanese players naturally. He would say things like “こんにちは-Konnichiwa” and “ひさしぶり-Hisashiburi”, and even showed Nijita his palm reading.
Qin Chunxiao looked puzzled. Didn’t Xiong Wu only know how to use poker cards for fortune-telling before? When did he develop this new skill of palm reading?
While they had good relations, they didn’t hold back during the game against Japan. It was a way of showing respect to the opponents.
Newton announced the starting lineup: “Liu Yuelou, Min Yaoyang, Luo He, Zhang Feng, Mao Xunfeng, Gao Depi, and Xiong Wu.”
The libero could be changed at any time, and when they decided to send the libero onto the court, Coach Lao Niu would directly announce seven names.
All seven players’ abilities were top-notch, and several of them had trained overseas and had experience playing against Japan.
Qin Chunxiao wasn’t upset about not being in the starting lineup. He sat there with his water bottle, watching the game closely. He soon noticed that his teammates’ form was even better than he had imagined. Though they didn’t completely dominate the game, they held the advantage, especially Min Yaoyang. This kid had spent a season in the Japanese league and was now able to receive some balls. Min Yaoyang, the representative of the “rough male” archetype, surprisingly improved his skills in receiving!
Seeing the team’s good performance, the fans were moved to tears.
“For how many years, I finally feel the thickness of China’s bench!”
“What is the thickness of the bench? It means having an abundant pool of talents under the coach’s command. We can win matches without overusing our main players.”
“Brothers and sisters, do you know? Ever since Zhao Laogui took over the national team, I have been watching him continuously overusing the main players. Four top attackers have been overused and wasted, and only Qiao Mingming managed to survive thanks to the provincial team’s coach.”
“The key is, he overused the main players, but didn’t achieve good results!”
“Coach Niu’s level is truly impressive. None of the players in the starting lineup are main players, yet they all performed well! It feels like Coach Niu pays attention to developing talents. Each player is cared for, and they all show significant growth.”
“We are about to face Brazil next. Allowing the main players to save their energy is the right move. Otherwise, we’ll end up like the first station, with several main players exhausted after the match against Argentina, unable to perform at their best against the USA and losing 1:3.”
After narrowly winning the first set with 25:23, China easily took the second set with a score of 25:21, thanks to the efforts of You Ziyu, who came on briefly and scored a few points before being substituted. Tong Shulan replaced Gao Depi for the third set, and China won decisively with a score of 25:20.
The Japanese fans were astonished. In recent years, the Japanese men’s team had been rising, with several outstanding young players making their mark on the stage of the high school championships and being selected for the youth team for vigorous training. Some players even went abroad to improve their skills. Combining their tactical research, the overall strength of the team had reached a top level among second-tier teams.
But who would have thought that after narrowly losing to China in the Asian Championship, the Chinese team would defeat Japan in the VNL, and it seemed even easier than last year’s victory.
A Japanese sports commentator sighed, “Facing the dominant Chinese team in Asia, our Japanese warriors bravely chose to challenge them. Although we lost, they have shown the spirit of competitive sports!”
Another commentator said, “What’s even scarier is that this team is still very young. All their key players were promoted from the youth team, which means they will be in an upward phase throughout the next Olympic cycle. This is a terrifying concept.”
The Olympic Games take place every four years, and one Olympic cycle lasts four years. From 2016 to the Tokyo Olympics, it would be the Tokyo Olympic cycle, and during this period, Asian men’s volleyball would be dominated by the Chinese!
Chinese netizens, who were watching the match on Japanese TV channels because of the clear image and sound, burst into laughter upon hearing this commentary.
“Our men’s team only started to rise last year, and now we are already the Asian champions? This small TV station’s commentator sure has studied ‘Wan Zun’ thoroughly. Yes, that’s right. As long as the Chinese team is strong, losing to them wouldn’t be embarrassing.”
Some well-intentioned netizens directly brought back the nicknames given to Chinese male volleyball players by Japanese netizens and shared them with other Chinese netizens.
Like Qiao Mingming, his nickname was very straightforward: the number one attacker in Asia. Chinese fans called him the “Empire Cannon,” and it was said that many young volleyball players consider him their goal to strive for.
Qin Chunxiao was known as the “Snow Wolf, Beautiful and Powerful,” while Li Ling was called “Husky Sauce.” Together, they are known as the Twin Stars, but there were also some who call Qin Chunxiao the “Guangdong Fortress.” As long as they didn’t call him the “Shanghai Fortress1,” Qin Chunxiao didn’t bother to care.
Fu Biyang’s nickname was the “Volleyball Diamond King.” He earned this nickname because he often pounds his chest and roars after winning matches, reminding people of a gorilla fighting a plane at the top of the Empire State Building.
Aizimiti was known as the “Prince of the Western Region,” and Min Yaoyang was the “Chocolate Prince.”
The most exaggerated one was Xiong Wu, who was hailed as the “Observer of Destiny.” However, this nickname doesn’t have much to do with his identity as a volleyball player.
From this, you can see the kind of admiration the Japanese people have for the strong. When facing the dominant Chinese team, they wouldn’t hate these formidable Chinese players even if they lost. Instead, they would admire them even more.
Due to his limited playing time, Qin Chunxiao preserved a lot of energy. When he had a video call with Lu Xuandong that night, he looked radiant. When Meng Yuling’s face appeared paler than usual on the screen, he put on a smile, trying to sound cheerful.
“Sister Yuling, you look good. Your form is excellent.”
Meng Yuling replied, “How can you say that? I can see the rosy color on your face even through the screen. Have you been eating donkey-hide gelatin?”
Qin Chunxiao laughed, “Sister Yuling, I can’t just casually eat donkey-hide gelatin.”
He was just a normal 17-year-old young man who ate, slept, and exercised normally.
Meng Yuling said, “Hey, I forgot your strict dietary control. But it’s great to see you so healthy. For us athletes, health is the most valuable wealth.”
Although Qin Chunxiao initiated the video call to check on Meng Yuling, by the end of the conversation, it seemed that Meng Yuling was more concerned about him. She went on and on about the details of how volleyball players should take care of their bodies. In many instances, Qin Chunxiao actually knew more about it than her, but he didn’t interrupt her.
Finally, Meng Yuling wiped the corner of her reddened eyes. “By the way, there’s one thing. Xiao Dong asked me if I had noticed the soulmate relationship between you two. Well, I did notice it, and to my shame, I even wrote a fanfiction about you two.”
Qin Chunxiao replied, “I know, I read it. You are yomi, right?”
Meng Yuling smiled, “Oh, impressive! You managed to uncover my pseudonym. Actually, I wrote a fanfiction with the soulmate setting for you two because my sister and I are part of that group. So, I understand it better. Whenever I’m fond of a CP, I write a fanfiction with that setting. But after I found out that you two really are soulmates, I stopped writing. If you feel uncomfortable with it, do you want me to delete the story?”
She was serious about it. At first, she thought Lu Xuandong was a bit suspicious, but she didn’t immediately link him to Qin Chunxiao. Even when Lu Xuandong followed Qin Chunxiao around to watch his matches, she just assumed he was an ardent fan and kept telling people, “It’s okay to ship CP, but don’t disturb the real people. Little Qin and his team are still young, don’t invade his privacy.”
Who would have thought that these two were indeed soulmates? She even felt like she had a prophetic gift.
Qin Chunxiao and Lu Xuandong glanced at each other through the screen.
“No need to delete it. Keep it. It’s your hard work. Although in my opinion, many parts are, well, out of character (OOC), the plot is still good if you remove the characters’ names. I even used my alternate account to like it,” Qin Chunxiao said.
The fanfic author Meng Yuling, who had been told that her writing was OOC by the protagonist himself: “Well, you do know a lot about fanfiction. As expected of the post-2000 generation of the internet era. Let me remind you, don’t accidentally use your main account to like it in the future if you want to keep your identity a secret.”
In today’s society, as long as two people were soulmates, everyone around them starts shouting “be together.” There were some distant examples like Italy’s Mattia and Luma, and some recent examples like Meng Yuming and Meng Yuling.
Yes, although Meng Yuling and Meng Yuming were biological sisters, they didn’t care about the fans’ shipping. When they used to play volleyball together, some people even shouted “Great Twin Stars” in the stadium, which made them quite distressed.
The most tragic case was a pair of doubles partners in tennis. Although they were soulmates, their relationship was purely that of comrades. Later, when they got married separately, they were heavily criticized by the overwhelming number of CP fans, accusing them of deceiving the public with a fake same-sex marriage. It was a pretty miserable situation.
Qin Chunxiao and Lu Xuandong wanted to keep their soulmate relationship a secret, and Meng Yuling naturally agreed. This would help them avoid a lot of public scrutiny and allow them to focus on their respective careers without being influenced by public opinion. If they ever wanted to develop a more intimate relationship in the future, it would be their own choice, not something pushed by public pressure.
Meng Yuling had a lot of experiences and advice to share with Qin Chunxiao, both about volleyball, life, and being soulmates. Since she entrusted the red wristband to Qin Chunxiao, she had been hoping that this young man’s path would always be smooth and that he would remain steadfast, unaffected by public opinion and not be crushed by criticism and doubt when facing setbacks. But a short video call couldn’t possibly be enough for her to say everything.
After chatting for a while, Meng Yuling looked tired, and Qin Chunxiao noticed it. He made an excuse about needing to help Li Ling with his English homework and ended the call.
At this time, it was nighttime in Brazil. Looking out of the window from his room, Qin Chunxiao could see a group of boys from different countries playing in the outdoor pool on the 20th floor, including Li Ling, who was engaged in a water gun fight with Fu Biyang.
He sighed softly as he leaned against the window sill. “Health is important.”
There was no eternal health in this world, only the chance to make the best use of one’s time. Qin Chunxiao did some hand exercises, feeling the subtle sensations in his fingers and wrist joints. He had been doing too many dolphin dives recently, so his wrist was slightly sore. Fortunately, the coach had already informed him that he wouldn’t be playing as a starter against Japan and South Korea, allowing him to get sufficient rest.
The next day, after playing against Japan, the Chinese team faced another old rival they had defeated in the Asian Championships, South Korea.
If it took some effort to play against Japan, and there was still a risk of capsizing, then the only way for South Korea to win against the current Chinese team was to recruit players like William, Dominique, and Roman. There were even rumors circulating online in South Korea that “Roman and Dominique have South Korean blood.” Roman was Russian, and Russia and South Korea were both on the Eurasian continent, so some people forcibly connected their ancestors. As for Dominique, he was from South America, which was known as a melting pot of races, and no one knew what kind of bloodlines he had.
The South Korean players who faced Qin Chunxiao and his team were quite normal. South Korea had a conscription system, so unless athletes achieved outstanding results in sports, they couldn’t escape military service. Therefore, many South Korean athletes were extremely dedicated and didn’t shy away from using any means to win. However, volleyball was a sport separated by a net and was equipped with a Hawkeye system, so the court was relatively clean, and there weren’t any tricks.
In this match, Coach Newton continued to use the tactic of rotating between the main players and substitutes, giving all the players a chance to play. Regardless of whether they were starting players or substitutes, Coach Newton would explain tactics in detail, call timeouts to adjust the players’ performance in time, and point out their shortcomings during the game.
When China won the match 3-0, Coach Newton had a satisfied expression on his face.
After the game, he walked over to the South Korean coach’s bench and said, “Coach Kim, do you want to go have a drink together? Brazilian sugarcane alcohol is famous, and I’ll treat you.”
The South Korean coach gave him a sidelong glance and looked somewhat helpless. “Your cheek is as thick as a cow’s hide, Coach Newton.”
But since they had known each other for many years, even though Coach Kim knew that Coach Newton was probably just looking for an opportunity to practice his Korean, he still ended up going for a drink with him in the end. When Coach Newton returned with a hint of alcohol on him, he found his dear Qin Xiaodun sitting cross-legged in his room.
Qin Xiaodun waved disdainfully, “Brother Yue, Brother Hai.”
Chang Xiaole cheerfully helped Coach Newton sit in a chair, and Jiang Xiaohai handed him a cup of ready-made Chinese medicinal tea. “Drink this to sober up.”
Then Qin Chunxiao, with a serious tone, started discussing business with Coach Newton, who was known as the disciple of Brazilian volleyball guru Mars, a former teammate of Brazil’s national team main attacker Joshua, and the fierce rival of Brazil’s number one libero Billy. Qin Chunxiao had many ideas to share with the coach.
