Sidney, the French prodigy born in 2002 and one year younger than Qin Chunxiao, was still playing in the U19 World Championship last year. This year, he was exceptionally promoted to the national team and started fighting in the VNL with his seniors.
One of the characteristics of the French team during this Olympic cycle was their strong defense, almost every player possessed excellent defensive skills, combined with their above-average attacking abilities, securing them a stable position in the top five world rankings.
Among the five prodigious attackers, Sidney was the best at defense. At the same time, he was also seen as the future strong attacking point for the French team.
Interestingly, this young and promising player’s favorite player was none other than the MVP of the previous U21 World Championship, Qin Chunxiao, who was just one year older than him.
When Sebastian asked on Twitter, “Who’s more handsome, me or Misha?”, Sidney was one of the players who replied in the comment section, “Misha is more handsome.”
So, when Sidney learned that Qin Chunxiao was playing beach volleyball with someone, he directly dragged his teammates to come and watch.
As they observed, Sidney noticed that Roman from Russia and Mattia from Italy were also present. What a coincidence? Before formally meeting them, he had already been exchanging comments with these seniors on Twitter for a long time.
Being friendly, Sidney naturally approached Roman and Mattia and struck up a conversation. After chatting with Roman, Sidney agreed that after Qin Chunxiao’s match, they would team up and challenge the others.
Kristian Fisher, the beach volleyball king, was here! And Misha Qin, the most popular player among the 00s generation! Since they were all here, it would be a huge regret if they didn’t play a match together!
However, after agreeing with Roman, Sidney suddenly thought of another question, “How did Misha come up with the idea of playing beach volleyball?”
Mattia interjected seriously, “It’s for love!”
This well-known romantic guy, who chased the world’s diving queen, Luma, all over the place, clasped his hands together and said, “I heard from Misha’s teammate that he played against Lian Zhiqi because of a blonde beauty. It’s probably that whoever wins can win her heart?”
Sidney looked at Roman, and Roman replied concisely, “Lian Zhiqi and Chang Xiaole used to be beach volleyball partners, but their relationship seemed to have soured when they broke up. Now Lian Zhiqi wants to talk to Chang Xiaole, and Misha has decided to protect Chang Xiaole. He has always been someone who values his partners immensely.”
After considering the words of both seniors, Sidney came to a conclusion, “Lian Zhiqi and Chang Xiaole used to be a couple, but they separated. Misha decided to prevent the jerk from hurting Chang Xiaole again. Is that right?”
Roman and Mattia were both stunned, “How did you reach that conclusion?”
They hadn’t explicitly said that Lian Zhiqi and Chang Xiaole were a couple, although those who participated in the Rio Olympics had seen them being intimate in the Olympic Village. But the unspoken rule of the Olympic Village was “we don’t talk about any emotional entanglements that happen here.” How did Sidney figure it out?
Was it because French people naturally had love radars?
Sidney was also shocked, “Wasn’t this the information you guys gave me?”
Did his intelligence and emotional intelligence make him incapable of understanding their words?
Roman and Mattia exchanged a glance and asked him at the same time, “What else did you figure out?”
Sidney looked at the court, hesitated, and said, “Um, I think Misha is just genuinely looking out for Chang Xiaole. He’s the only one on the court with pure intentions. And Lian Zhiqi, his partner, and Kristian all look at Chang Xiaole with subtle expressions.”
This was easy to understand because Chang Xiaole was incredibly attractive. When people first saw this blond, deep-skinned, tall guy with a slender waist, broad chest, perky butt, and long legs, they couldn’t help but have various thoughts, regardless of gender or age.
It was similar to the awe people felt when they first saw Misha Qin, with his powerful and vigorous life force, and automatically regarded his incredibly beautiful sapphire eyes as the “most beautiful eyes ever seen in a lifetime.”
Qin Chunxiao was a recognized “handsome young man, a perfect combination of wildness and divinity, passion and composure, and an animal-like cuteness.”
Moreover, every time they heard about Lian Zhiqi abandoning Chang Xiaole for a soulmate that they didn’t know where he came from, they all thought Lian Zhiqi was crazy.
Didn’t this guy know that when Chang Xiaole participated in the Rio Olympics, he received nearly a hundred invitations for hookups and spending the night in the Olympic Village?
Chang Xiaole’s figure was so alluring, but his eyes and expressions were pure and loyal. During the Rio Olympics, he didn’t accept anyone’s advances and instead made more people want to NTR Lian Zhiqi.
Some people who play Japanese 18+ games even create memes online with Chang Xiaole as the protagonist: “Madam, you don’t want Mr. Lian to know, right? How about covering your mouth?”
Later, this post was forwarded tens of thousands of times, and the comment section was filled with bitter remarks. It was hard to say whether Chang Xiaole and Lian Zhiqi’s breakup had any impact on this public opinion storm, but insecure men indeed didn’t deserve to have Chang Xiaole.
So far, in the volleyball world, the only one recognized as being as hot as Xiaole Chang is only Pishen.
Gao Depi sneezed and rubbed his nose. “The sea breeze is a bit cold.”
This crew-cut young man was also very handsome, with plant tattoos on his arms. Coupled with his inherent rogue vibe and a strong sense of simplicity when he smiled, he looked like the kind of delinquent teenager who didn’t study well in middle school and went to work as a laborer early on to support his family, and finally got into trouble at a police station for the sake of loyalty. He has a bitter appearance, and his presence exudes a sense of storytelling.
Some fans who like stubborn boys would imagine exchanging cigarettes with him in a stuffy and narrow shack, and then watching him take off his shirt to do bricklaying work, with the sweat on his body shining.
When people first saw this imaginary Pishen, his teammates burst out laughing because Pishen is actually a proper graduate, fluent in English and Italian. His playing style was rational, and he handled things calmly. He was ambitious, a typical Capricorn. As an athlete, Pishen didn’t smoke or drink, and his hobby was watching TV dramas, and he never stayed up late.
Pishen didn’t know that while he was watching Qin Chunxiao and Kristian playing beach volleyball, there was also a group of people secretly watching him.
In short, the Chinese team in this edition was indeed very good-looking.
When Qin Chunxiao and Kristian won the game, Lian Zhiqi was already sweating all over. He was 32 years old this year and had entered the old age stage as an athlete. Coupled with injuries, his athletic level was no longer what it used to be.
On the other hand, Qin Chunxiao was like the early morning sun at seven or eight o’clock—healthy, with infinite potential, full of passion and impulse. In order to protect Chang Xiaole, he challenged an athlete who had won an Olympic bronze medal on a strange beach volleyball court. He had the kind of drive that Lian Zhiqi would never have in his whole life, which was quite enviable.
Although Kristian was the absolute main force of this game, Qin Chunxiao, as his partner, provided him with strong support. Kristian must have played very comfortably in this match.
Lian Zhiqi pounded his thigh, walked to the net, and whispered, “Treat him well in the future.” Then he turned to leave.
Qin Chunxiao felt that this guy misunderstood something. “What?”
Chang Xiaole, however, was annoyed. Actually, he has a very good temper. If someone treated him badly, he would get over it after a good night’s sleep. But he couldn’t stand someone misunderstanding Xiao Zai.
Xiao Zai is only 17 years old, you idiot. Treat me well? Xiao Zai and I are just pure friends! Even if we treat each other well, it’s just out of pure friendship!
He picked up a handful of sand and threw it on Lian Zhiqi’s back. “Why do you still have so much water in your head!”
The scene fell silent for a moment. Lian Zhiqi was astonished as he turned around. “Xiao Le.”
Chang Xiaole’s expression was stern. “Let’s talk, otherwise, your head will always be filled with dirty water.”
Qin Chunxiao immediately stepped forward. “Brother Xiao Le…”
Chang Xiaole said, “I want to talk to him.”
Qin Chunxiao, “I’m not trying to stop you, but I want you to wear these things.” He took out a mask, gloves, and disposable alcohol wipes from his pocket.
As someone who had experienced the pandemic era and had mild OCD, Qin Chunxiao always carried protective equipment when he went out.
Chang Xiaole: … Am I going to face a humanoid contagion source?
Lian Zhiqi couldn’t believe it. “Am I a virus?”
Looking left and right, he took a few steps forward and said in a low voice, “Listen, I don’t know where you got this information, but the disease I got from Sun Feng is gonorrhea, you know? If the immunity is good, the recovery period is only about a week. If it’s syphilis, I won’t recover from the illness for at least a year to come to see Xiao Le!”
Qin Chunxiao blinked and took two steps back, then put on a mask again. “You’re spraying a little saliva when you talk, and your breath stinks. Have you been having bad stomach lately?”
In fact, if Xiao Qin didn’t like someone, it was probably not because that person was sick, he just simply dislikes that person. Lian Zhiqi really felt unwell every time he arrives in a new place.
He replied, “You’re really hurting me, little kid.”
Chang Xiaole stood in front of Qin Chunxiao with a stern expression. “Say that again and see what happens.”
Lian Zhiqi: … Can’t even speak the truth, huh?
So Chang Xiaole and Lian Zhiqi left. He was a bit taller than Lian Zhiqi and had a more athletic figure. They should be evenly matched if they were to fight for real. Qin Chunxiao felt relieved letting him handle it.
But as soon as he turned his head, he found Roman and Sidney standing in front of them, grinning at him and Kristian.
Alright, it seemed a new battle was about to begin. Qin Chunxiao was eager to try it out. He looked at Kristian, and Kristian smiled back.
“It looks like we have to keep playing.”
Lian Zhiqi’s partner looked at Chang Xiaole’s back for a while, then went to greet Newton by
the courtside. “Good evening, Coach Newton.”
Newton glanced at him. “Oh, you made it to the national team too? I heard from Xiaole that you have good physical condition. You have a bright future with a new partner.”
The player humbly smiled. “I’m still a newcomer. I’ll play according to the arrangements from above.” Then he took out his phone.
“Um, I’ve always admired Brother Xiaole, but unfortunately, when I made it to the national team, Brother Xiaole retired. I didn’t get a chance to add him on WeChat. Can you tell him and give him my number…”
Newton didn’t think much about it and readily agreed, “Sure, whether he adds you or not is his business.”
On that evening, Qin Chunxiao played another match with Sidney and Roman. He had only played beach volleyball with his teammates in Brazil’s league before, and Roman and Sidney were also unfamiliar with beach volleyball. Kristian was the only true expert on the court, but he didn’t play seriously, so this match was more playful in nature.
By the end of the game, the group of players gathered together again, sipping on coconuts that Fu Biyang opened himself. Under Sidney’s strong request, Qin Chunxiao and he mutually followed each other on Twitter.
He reminded the other, “I rarely use Twitter, you know.”
It was inconvenient to access Twitter when there were internet restrictions.
Sidney waved his hand, “No worries, I’ll register Weibo later.”
He just wanted to make friends.
Sidney was a social animal, enjoying and loving social interactions. In no time, he pulled Fu Biyang and a few other star players to sing and dance around the bonfire.
Roman sat next to Qin Chunxiao. “Every time I see you again, you’ve made so much progress compared to the last time. And your teammates are always so formidable. I feel pressured.”
Qin Chunxiao swung his headband and shook his head. His curly bangs hung on the side of his face, and the contours of his face softened under the flickering firelight. “Yes, fortunately, I always end up with great teammates. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to challenge you guys.”
Roman was a world-class attacker, the best spear in the volleyball world.
Qin Chunxiao was a world-class libero, the best shield in the volleyball world.
Unexpectedly, they got along quite well and even developed a sense of mutual appreciation after playing a few matches together.
Roman said, “Nikolai is once again coaching the national team, but he’s gone drinking, and Anton is taking care of him. They’ll be happy to see you tomorrow.”
Qin Chunxiao: “What about Alexander? How has he been since he retired?”
Roman: “He’s doing well. He opened a botanical garden and started beekeeping. He’s living a carefree life.”
“See you tomorrow?”
“See you tomorrow.”
That night, Qin Chunxiao once again served as a confidant for Chang Xiaole.
Chang Xiaole smiled bitterly, “The first time I knew he had so many concerns when we were together, Xiaoxiao, let me tell you about it. You can refer to it if you ever get into a relationship.”
Qin Chunxiao held a cup of hot milk and took the purple sweet potato chips handed to him by Li Ling. The two sat side by side, listening to Chang Xiaole venting about his ex-boyfriend.
Chang Xiaole: “I used to think it was because I was too handsome, so he lacked confidence when he was with me. But I never thought his parents didn’t like me either, just because I didn’t appear well-behaved enough and my educational background wasn’t high.”
Chang Xiaole was admitted to Beijing Sports University after entering the national team, a well-known university in China. But he was also an athlete, while Sun Feng, Lian Zhiqi’s soulmate, had studied abroad and returned, giving the impression of a well-mannered and fitness-loving intellectual. On the love variety show, he even portrayed himself as the “abstinence type,” gaining a wave of fans.
Sun Feng’s family believed that even though his appearance might not be as good as Chang Xiaole’s, he was someone who could handle life. Lian Zhiqi also thought that Sun Feng, having studied abroad, had a more open-minded and rational perspective, making him more convincing in his speech.
While interacting with Chang Xiaole, Lian Zhiqi was in an authoritative role. He was the star of the pair, the top player in the project, and had a better family background. Lian Zhiqi’s parents were university professors in a first-tier city, while Chang Xiaole’s parents were just breakfast shop owners in a third-tier city.
“They thought we were from different social classes and looked down on me from the beginning, you know?” Chang Xiaole smiled bitterly, “I thought he knew how hard I worked to be with him. I got my waist injury from training. Now I really feel it wasn’t worth it.”
Lian Zhiqi’s main purpose for meeting Chang Xiaole this time was to apologize for his past disdain. In any case, since he knew how to reflect on himself, he couldn’t say he was a bad person.
As for the idea of trying to get back together after apologizing, Lian Zhiqi probably had it too. He thought that he got along well with Sun Feng, and if they were just friends, they would get along fine. But if they were in a romantic relationship, he couldn’t accept Sun Feng’s promiscuous behavior.
Now he wanted to start over with Chang Xiaole, pursue him, show him respect, and it felt like the male lead in a drama who regretfully realized his mistakes at the funeral of his wife.
However, Chang Xiaole was no longer willing to turn back.
Li Ling nodded repeatedly, “Then forget about him. Brother Xiaole, you’re so handsome that there would be a queue of people waiting for you from the hotel to the beach.”
Chang Xiaole felt embarrassed, “How could there be so many people pursuing me? I’m almost thirty years old, and I’ve only been in a relationship once, which didn’t work out. It shows that my charm is just average.”
Upon hearing his self-assessment, Li Ling and Qin Chunxiao both showed subtle expressions.
Chang Xiaole continued, “Besides, having met you two great guys, my standards will be higher, so it might be even more difficult to find a partner in the future.”
Qin Chunxiao: “Come on, it’s not that serious.”
Li Ling: “Exactly, it’s impossible that you would have trouble finding a partner.”
Chang Xiaole laughed, “Stop trying to comfort me. I’ve lived many more years than you two and experienced much more. I have a better grasp of relationships. Many people approach me out of desire, not because they genuinely want to develop a lifelong relationship with me.
Anyway, I won’t bother you two anymore. Go to bed early, we have a match against the Russian team tomorrow.”
After he left, Qin Chunxiao and Li Ling looked at each other.
After a while, Qin Chunxiao sighed, “Er Leng, if my perception is not wrong, there were at least ten people tonight who wanted to get in touch with Xiaole for more than just desire.”
Li Ling replied, “Xiaozi, since we’ve known each other, your perception has never been wrong.”
Xiaole Ge seemed to have lost confidence due to the oppression from his ex-boyfriend and the public opinion storm caused by his spiciness. So subconsciously, he thought those people were only interested in his body.
But as a Gemini, Qin Chunxiao also felt that tonight, at least two people had more than just desire for Xiaole Ge. For example, his temporary partner, as well as Lian Zhiqi’s partner.
Anyway, let’s go to sleep. As adults, we shouldn’t interfere in each other’s love lives. They had a match to play tomorrow.
Qin Chunxiao got into bed and counted on his fingers.
They would play against the Russian team on the first day, the French team on the second day, and the Italian team on the third day. With such a devilish schedule, where could they find hope of reaching the finals? Just thinking about it was distressing.
What they didn’t know was that the Russian and French teams were also worried about facing them, as China’s reputation had grown even stronger in a certain aspect since the VNL started.
Question: What are the two words after “Robbing the Rich”?
On June 22nd, China played against Russia. Ignoring the warm greetings from the Guangdong twin stars before the match, on June 23rd, the Russian team, after playing against China and then against Italy, answered the above question.
Russian Team: “It’s ‘to help the poor’.”
The Chinese team wasn’t the most difficult opponent, but they were definitely the team that required the most effort to deal with. The Russian team struggled but finally won 3:2 against China, finishing the match within three hours. The next day, when they faced Italy, the players were noticeably fatigued.
While the Russian team was feeling weak against Italy, the Chinese team was in a much better condition. In the frequent and intense VNL schedule, these young players had evolved into physical powerhouses.
Facing the French team, Coach Newton gave instructions, “Boys, although world rankings don’t represent a team’s actual strength, the French team is the lowest-ranked team we’ll encounter in this station. If we don’t win today, it’ll be even harder to win against Italy tomorrow.”
Qiao Mingming looked serious and extended his hand, “Let’s give it our all and win this match!”
The players all placed their hands on top and shouted in unison, “Let’s do it!”
Sidney, the French prodigy born in 2002 and one year younger than Qin Chunxiao, was still playing in the U19 World Championship last year. This year, he was exceptionally promoted to the national team and started fighting in the VNL with his seniors.
One of the characteristics of the French team during this Olympic cycle was their strong defense, almost every player possessed excellent defensive skills, combined with their above-average attacking abilities, securing them a stable position in the top five world rankings.
Among the five prodigious attackers, Sidney was the best at defense. At the same time, he was also seen as the future strong attacking point for the French team.
Interestingly, this young and promising player’s favorite player was none other than the MVP of the previous U21 World Championship, Qin Chunxiao, who was just one year older than him.
When Sebastian asked on Twitter, “Who’s more handsome, me or Misha?”, Sidney was one of the players who replied in the comment section, “Misha is more handsome.”
So, when Sidney learned that Qin Chunxiao was playing beach volleyball with someone, he directly dragged his teammates to come and watch.
As they observed, Sidney noticed that Roman from Russia and Mattia from Italy were also present. What a coincidence? Before formally meeting them, he had already been exchanging comments with these seniors on Twitter for a long time.
Being friendly, Sidney naturally approached Roman and Mattia and struck up a conversation. After chatting with Roman, Sidney agreed that after Qin Chunxiao’s match, they would team up and challenge the others.
Kristian Fisher, the beach volleyball king, was here! And Misha Qin, the most popular player among the 00s generation! Since they were all here, it would be a huge regret if they didn’t play a match together!
However, after agreeing with Roman, Sidney suddenly thought of another question, “How did Misha come up with the idea of playing beach volleyball?”
Mattia interjected seriously, “It’s for love!”
This well-known romantic guy, who chased the world’s diving queen, Luma, all over the place, clasped his hands together and said, “I heard from Misha’s teammate that he played against Lian Zhiqi because of a blonde beauty. It’s probably that whoever wins can win her heart?”
Sidney looked at Roman, and Roman replied concisely, “Lian Zhiqi and Chang Xiaole used to be beach volleyball partners, but their relationship seemed to have soured when they broke up. Now Lian Zhiqi wants to talk to Chang Xiaole, and Misha has decided to protect Chang Xiaole. He has always been someone who values his partners immensely.”
After considering the words of both seniors, Sidney came to a conclusion, “Lian Zhiqi and Chang Xiaole used to be a couple, but they separated. Misha decided to prevent the jerk from hurting Chang Xiaole again. Is that right?”
Roman and Mattia were both stunned, “How did you reach that conclusion?”
They hadn’t explicitly said that Lian Zhiqi and Chang Xiaole were a couple, although those who participated in the Rio Olympics had seen them being intimate in the Olympic Village. But the unspoken rule of the Olympic Village was “we don’t talk about any emotional entanglements that happen here.” How did Sidney figure it out?
Was it because French people naturally had love radars?
Sidney was also shocked, “Wasn’t this the information you guys gave me?”
Did his intelligence and emotional intelligence make him incapable of understanding their words?
Roman and Mattia exchanged a glance and asked him at the same time, “What else did you figure out?”
Sidney looked at the court, hesitated, and said, “Um, I think Misha is just genuinely looking out for Chang Xiaole. He’s the only one on the court with pure intentions. And Lian Zhiqi, his partner, and Kristian all look at Chang Xiaole with subtle expressions.”
This was easy to understand because Chang Xiaole was incredibly attractive. When people first saw this blond, deep-skinned, tall guy with a slender waist, broad chest, perky butt, and long legs, they couldn’t help but have various thoughts, regardless of gender or age.
It was similar to the awe people felt when they first saw Misha Qin, with his powerful and vigorous life force, and automatically regarded his incredibly beautiful sapphire eyes as the “most beautiful eyes ever seen in a lifetime.”
Qin Chunxiao was a recognized “handsome young man, a perfect combination of wildness and divinity, passion and composure, and an animal-like cuteness.”
Moreover, every time they heard about Lian Zhiqi abandoning Chang Xiaole for a soulmate that they didn’t know where he came from, they all thought Lian Zhiqi was crazy.
Didn’t this guy know that when Chang Xiaole participated in the Rio Olympics, he received nearly a hundred invitations for hookups and spending the night in the Olympic Village?
Chang Xiaole’s figure was so alluring, but his eyes and expressions were pure and loyal. During the Rio Olympics, he didn’t accept anyone’s advances and instead made more people want to NTR Lian Zhiqi.
Some people who play Japanese 18+ games even create memes online with Chang Xiaole as the protagonist: “Madam, you don’t want Mr. Lian to know, right? How about covering your mouth?”
Later, this post was forwarded tens of thousands of times, and the comment section was filled with bitter remarks. It was hard to say whether Chang Xiaole and Lian Zhiqi’s breakup had any impact on this public opinion storm, but insecure men indeed didn’t deserve to have Chang Xiaole.
So far, in the volleyball world, the only one recognized as being as hot as Xiaole Chang is only Pishen.
Gao Depi sneezed and rubbed his nose. “The sea breeze is a bit cold.”
This crew-cut young man was also very handsome, with plant tattoos on his arms. Coupled with his inherent rogue vibe and a strong sense of simplicity when he smiled, he looked like the kind of delinquent teenager who didn’t study well in middle school and went to work as a laborer early on to support his family, and finally got into trouble at a police station for the sake of loyalty. He has a bitter appearance, and his presence exudes a sense of storytelling.
Some fans who like stubborn boys would imagine exchanging cigarettes with him in a stuffy and narrow shack, and then watching him take off his shirt to do bricklaying work, with the sweat on his body shining.
When people first saw this imaginary Pishen, his teammates burst out laughing because Pishen is actually a proper graduate, fluent in English and Italian. His playing style was rational, and he handled things calmly. He was ambitious, a typical Capricorn. As an athlete, Pishen didn’t smoke or drink, and his hobby was watching TV dramas, and he never stayed up late.
Pishen didn’t know that while he was watching Qin Chunxiao and Kristian playing beach volleyball, there was also a group of people secretly watching him.
In short, the Chinese team in this edition was indeed very good-looking.
When Qin Chunxiao and Kristian won the game, Lian Zhiqi was already sweating all over. He was 32 years old this year and had entered the old age stage as an athlete. Coupled with injuries, his athletic level was no longer what it used to be.
On the other hand, Qin Chunxiao was like the early morning sun at seven or eight o’clock—healthy, with infinite potential, full of passion and impulse. In order to protect Chang Xiaole, he challenged an athlete who had won an Olympic bronze medal on a strange beach volleyball court. He had the kind of drive that Lian Zhiqi would never have in his whole life, which was quite enviable.
Although Kristian was the absolute main force of this game, Qin Chunxiao, as his partner, provided him with strong support. Kristian must have played very comfortably in this match.
Lian Zhiqi pounded his thigh, walked to the net, and whispered, “Treat him well in the future.” Then he turned to leave.
Qin Chunxiao felt that this guy misunderstood something. “What?”
Chang Xiaole, however, was annoyed. Actually, he has a very good temper. If someone treated him badly, he would get over it after a good night’s sleep. But he couldn’t stand someone misunderstanding Xiao Zai.
Xiao Zai is only 17 years old, you idiot. Treat me well? Xiao Zai and I are just pure friends! Even if we treat each other well, it’s just out of pure friendship!
He picked up a handful of sand and threw it on Lian Zhiqi’s back. “Why do you still have so much water in your head!”
The scene fell silent for a moment. Lian Zhiqi was astonished as he turned around. “Xiao Le.”
Chang Xiaole’s expression was stern. “Let’s talk, otherwise, your head will always be filled with dirty water.”
Qin Chunxiao immediately stepped forward. “Brother Xiao Le…”
Chang Xiaole said, “I want to talk to him.”
Qin Chunxiao, “I’m not trying to stop you, but I want you to wear these things.” He took out a mask, gloves, and disposable alcohol wipes from his pocket.
As someone who had experienced the pandemic era and had mild OCD, Qin Chunxiao always carried protective equipment when he went out.
Chang Xiaole: … Am I going to face a humanoid contagion source?
Lian Zhiqi couldn’t believe it. “Am I a virus?”
Looking left and right, he took a few steps forward and said in a low voice, “Listen, I don’t know where you got this information, but the disease I got from Sun Feng is gonorrhea, you know? If the immunity is good, the recovery period is only about a week. If it’s syphilis, I won’t recover from the illness for at least a year to come to see Xiao Le!”
Qin Chunxiao blinked and took two steps back, then put on a mask again. “You’re spraying a little saliva when you talk, and your breath stinks. Have you been having bad stomach lately?”
In fact, if Xiao Qin didn’t like someone, it was probably not because that person was sick, he just simply dislikes that person. Lian Zhiqi really felt unwell every time he arrives in a new place.
He replied, “You’re really hurting me, little kid.”
Chang Xiaole stood in front of Qin Chunxiao with a stern expression. “Say that again and see what happens.”
Lian Zhiqi: … Can’t even speak the truth, huh?
So Chang Xiaole and Lian Zhiqi left. He was a bit taller than Lian Zhiqi and had a more athletic figure. They should be evenly matched if they were to fight for real. Qin Chunxiao felt relieved letting him handle it.
But as soon as he turned his head, he found Roman and Sidney standing in front of them, grinning at him and Kristian.
Alright, it seemed a new battle was about to begin. Qin Chunxiao was eager to try it out. He looked at Kristian, and Kristian smiled back.
“It looks like we have to keep playing.”
Lian Zhiqi’s partner looked at Chang Xiaole’s back for a while, then went to greet Newton by
the courtside. “Good evening, Coach Newton.”
Newton glanced at him. “Oh, you made it to the national team too? I heard from Xiaole that you have good physical condition. You have a bright future with a new partner.”
The player humbly smiled. “I’m still a newcomer. I’ll play according to the arrangements from above.” Then he took out his phone.
“Um, I’ve always admired Brother Xiaole, but unfortunately, when I made it to the national team, Brother Xiaole retired. I didn’t get a chance to add him on WeChat. Can you tell him and give him my number…”
Newton didn’t think much about it and readily agreed, “Sure, whether he adds you or not is his business.”
On that evening, Qin Chunxiao played another match with Sidney and Roman. He had only played beach volleyball with his teammates in Brazil’s league before, and Roman and Sidney were also unfamiliar with beach volleyball. Kristian was the only true expert on the court, but he didn’t play seriously, so this match was more playful in nature.
By the end of the game, the group of players gathered together again, sipping on coconuts that Fu Biyang opened himself. Under Sidney’s strong request, Qin Chunxiao and he mutually followed each other on Twitter.
He reminded the other, “I rarely use Twitter, you know.”
It was inconvenient to access Twitter when there were internet restrictions.
Sidney waved his hand, “No worries, I’ll register Weibo later.”
He just wanted to make friends.
Sidney was a social animal, enjoying and loving social interactions. In no time, he pulled Fu Biyang and a few other star players to sing and dance around the bonfire.
Roman sat next to Qin Chunxiao. “Every time I see you again, you’ve made so much progress compared to the last time. And your teammates are always so formidable. I feel pressured.”
Qin Chunxiao swung his headband and shook his head. His curly bangs hung on the side of his face, and the contours of his face softened under the flickering firelight. “Yes, fortunately, I always end up with great teammates. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to challenge you guys.”
Roman was a world-class attacker, the best spear in the volleyball world.
Qin Chunxiao was a world-class libero, the best shield in the volleyball world.
Unexpectedly, they got along quite well and even developed a sense of mutual appreciation after playing a few matches together.
Roman said, “Nikolai is once again coaching the national team, but he’s gone drinking, and Anton is taking care of him. They’ll be happy to see you tomorrow.”
Qin Chunxiao: “What about Alexander? How has he been since he retired?”
Roman: “He’s doing well. He opened a botanical garden and started beekeeping. He’s living a carefree life.”
“See you tomorrow?”
“See you tomorrow.”
That night, Qin Chunxiao once again served as a confidant for Chang Xiaole.
Chang Xiaole smiled bitterly, “The first time I knew he had so many concerns when we were together, Xiaoxiao, let me tell you about it. You can refer to it if you ever get into a relationship.”
Qin Chunxiao held a cup of hot milk and took the purple sweet potato chips handed to him by Li Ling. The two sat side by side, listening to Chang Xiaole venting about his ex-boyfriend.
Chang Xiaole: “I used to think it was because I was too handsome, so he lacked confidence when he was with me. But I never thought his parents didn’t like me either, just because I didn’t appear well-behaved enough and my educational background wasn’t high.”
Chang Xiaole was admitted to Beijing Sports University after entering the national team, a well-known university in China. But he was also an athlete, while Sun Feng, Lian Zhiqi’s soulmate, had studied abroad and returned, giving the impression of a well-mannered and fitness-loving intellectual. On the love variety show, he even portrayed himself as the “abstinence type,” gaining a wave of fans.
Sun Feng’s family believed that even though his appearance might not be as good as Chang Xiaole’s, he was someone who could handle life. Lian Zhiqi also thought that Sun Feng, having studied abroad, had a more open-minded and rational perspective, making him more convincing in his speech.
While interacting with Chang Xiaole, Lian Zhiqi was in an authoritative role. He was the star of the pair, the top player in the project, and had a better family background. Lian Zhiqi’s parents were university professors in a first-tier city, while Chang Xiaole’s parents were just breakfast shop owners in a third-tier city.
“They thought we were from different social classes and looked down on me from the beginning, you know?” Chang Xiaole smiled bitterly, “I thought he knew how hard I worked to be with him. I got my waist injury from training. Now I really feel it wasn’t worth it.”
Lian Zhiqi’s main purpose for meeting Chang Xiaole this time was to apologize for his past disdain. In any case, since he knew how to reflect on himself, he couldn’t say he was a bad person.
As for the idea of trying to get back together after apologizing, Lian Zhiqi probably had it too. He thought that he got along well with Sun Feng, and if they were just friends, they would get along fine. But if they were in a romantic relationship, he couldn’t accept Sun Feng’s promiscuous behavior.
Now he wanted to start over with Chang Xiaole, pursue him, show him respect, and it felt like the male lead in a drama who regretfully realized his mistakes at the funeral of his wife.
However, Chang Xiaole was no longer willing to turn back.
Li Ling nodded repeatedly, “Then forget about him. Brother Xiaole, you’re so handsome that there would be a queue of people waiting for you from the hotel to the beach.”
Chang Xiaole felt embarrassed, “How could there be so many people pursuing me? I’m almost thirty years old, and I’ve only been in a relationship once, which didn’t work out. It shows that my charm is just average.”
Upon hearing his self-assessment, Li Ling and Qin Chunxiao both showed subtle expressions.
Chang Xiaole continued, “Besides, having met you two great guys, my standards will be higher, so it might be even more difficult to find a partner in the future.”
Qin Chunxiao: “Come on, it’s not that serious.”
Li Ling: “Exactly, it’s impossible that you would have trouble finding a partner.”
Chang Xiaole laughed, “Stop trying to comfort me. I’ve lived many more years than you two and experienced much more. I have a better grasp of relationships. Many people approach me out of desire, not because they genuinely want to develop a lifelong relationship with me.
Anyway, I won’t bother you two anymore. Go to bed early, we have a match against the Russian team tomorrow.”
After he left, Qin Chunxiao and Li Ling looked at each other.
After a while, Qin Chunxiao sighed, “Er Leng, if my perception is not wrong, there were at least ten people tonight who wanted to get in touch with Xiaole for more than just desire.”
Li Ling replied, “Xiaozi, since we’ve known each other, your perception has never been wrong.”
Xiaole Ge seemed to have lost confidence due to the oppression from his ex-boyfriend and the public opinion storm caused by his spiciness. So subconsciously, he thought those people were only interested in his body.
But as a Gemini, Qin Chunxiao also felt that tonight, at least two people had more than just desire for Xiaole Ge. For example, his temporary partner, as well as Lian Zhiqi’s partner.
Anyway, let’s go to sleep. As adults, we shouldn’t interfere in each other’s love lives. They had a match to play tomorrow.
Qin Chunxiao got into bed and counted on his fingers.
They would play against the Russian team on the first day, the French team on the second day, and the Italian team on the third day. With such a devilish schedule, where could they find hope of reaching the finals? Just thinking about it was distressing.
What they didn’t know was that the Russian and French teams were also worried about facing them, as China’s reputation had grown even stronger in a certain aspect since the VNL started.
Question: What are the two words after “Robbing the Rich”?
On June 22nd, China played against Russia. Ignoring the warm greetings from the Guangdong twin stars before the match, on June 23rd, the Russian team, after playing against China and then against Italy, answered the above question.
Russian Team: “It’s ‘to help the poor’.”
The Chinese team wasn’t the most difficult opponent, but they were definitely the team that required the most effort to deal with. The Russian team struggled but finally won 3:2 against China, finishing the match within three hours. The next day, when they faced Italy, the players were noticeably fatigued.
While the Russian team was feeling weak against Italy, the Chinese team was in a much better condition. In the frequent and intense VNL schedule, these young players had evolved into physical powerhouses.
Facing the French team, Coach Newton gave instructions, “Boys, although world rankings don’t represent a team’s actual strength, the French team is the lowest-ranked team we’ll encounter in this station. If we don’t win today, it’ll be even harder to win against Italy tomorrow.”
Qiao Mingming looked serious and extended his hand, “Let’s give it our all and win this match!”
The players all placed their hands on top and shouted in unison, “Let’s do it!”
