The competition in the Italy station concluded on June 25th, and the finals were scheduled to open on July 5th, providing a 10-day break for the six teams that made it to the finals.
With the frequency of the VNL sub-station matches, without proper rest, all players’ physical fitness would suffer, and the entertainment value of the finals would decline.
Newton was reluctant to let the players tire themselves out again during the journey, so he decided to let them rest in Italy. They could do some weightlifting in the gym and practice in the gymnasium.
Of course, they would also go to the nearby beach to play beach volleyball.
Unlike the six-person indoor volleyball, beach volleyball is a two-person team sport, which requires players to be well-rounded in reception, serving, spiking, and blocking. Many players with a beach volleyball background tend to become more versatile when they switch to indoor volleyball.
After a couple of days, top-level sparring partners approached them.
While Qin Chunxiao led Li Ling, You Ziyu, and Du Xiaofeng to play beach volleyball, Kristian stood by and watched for half an hour. After the game, he approached Chang Xiaole and said, “That squid, his serve can still improve.”
Chang Xiaole: “Huh?”
Kristian’s voice was particularly deep, as if he deliberately imitated the low-pitched actors in Hollywood, “I can teach him.”
Chang Xiaole suggested, “Can you talk normally?”
Kristian: “Mattia suggested that I speak like this. He said Luma likes it.”
But Chang Xiaole didn’t like it. Kristian’s voice was somewhat hoarse, and it had a melancholic uncle vibe to it. If he lowered his voice further, Chang Xiaole would feel like he was talking to his uncle.
Kristian, 30 years old this year, once won the silver medal in men’s beach volleyball at the London Olympics and the gold medal at the Rio Olympics. He also won 2 golds, 1 silver, and 2 bronze medals in the beach volleyball world championships. He had been a famous beach volleyball talent since he started his career and has never missed a podium in his professional career.
Kristian’s teammate, Tim, is a 32-year-old bearded big brother with a wife and child. It was said that Kristian initially planned to retire after the Rio Olympics, but Tim convinced him to play another Olympic cycle to earn more money for baby formula.
Kristian thought like this: “I studied nursing in college and plan to work in end-of-life care after retirement. If I want to develop in China, I should save more money. I heard that the housing prices in Beijing, where Xiaole often stays, are very expensive, but Chinese people value property.”
To save money, they played for another four years.
Yes, these two continued to play in their prime because of money, it’s that pragmatic.
Unfortunately, after the Tokyo Olympics were postponed due to the pandemic, the two veterans still couldn’t withstand the erosion of time and regretfully announced their retirement. However, at least they had a glorious career. From 2012 to 2016, they dominated the beach volleyball arena and maintained top-level competitiveness until their retirement.
Qin Chunxiao didn’t know the specifics of what happened afterward because he went abroad to play in the Brazilian league in 2021. He only vaguely knew from talking to Li Ling on the phone that Kristian came to China and became the head nurse in a hospice ward at a hospital, which was also reported in the news.
A beach volleyball champion from Italy, bringing his lifelong savings to a foreign country, whether this guy came to China for Xiaole, Qin Chunxiao didn’t know, but if he did all this for Xiaole ge, then Xiaozai could only be moved and say, “As long as Xiaole ge agrees, I approve of this marriage.”
Knowing that Kristian came to provide special training for the Chinese team, Tim also came to lend a hand. With their help, Newton was overjoyed.
One of the most serious problems their team currently faces was that players with well-rounded technical skills were not tall enough. For example, Qin Chunxiao and Gao Depi.
Here, individuals like Qiao Mingming, Min Yaoyang, and Fu Biyang were specifically criticized as “rough guys.” Although their innate talent.
Qiao Mingming’s talent was high, especially in spiking, but his defense had always been a challenge, and he only reached the qualifying level this season. Min Yaoyang was better in defense, but his attacking patterns were rigid. He also improved somewhat this season. Fu Biyang had enough power and was good at blocking, but his spiking was not agile enough. Aizimaiti was more technically well-rounded than Fu Biyang, but his stamina was not good enough.
Using beach volleyball to hone rough players had always been a method recognized by many coaches, but most of the time, they didn’t have the conditions for it.
Coincidentally, Kristian was the best in defense among tall and strong attackers. His serve was currently ranked first in the beach volleyball project, and it could be said that his serve was the best on Earth. Tim, on the other hand, was an expert in defense and excels in blocking, passing, and receiving.
Newbie players could learn a lot from them, even Qin Chunxiao learned a small technique from Tim on how to dive farther during fish jumps, further expanding his defensive range.
The one who showed the most improvement was undoubtedly You Ziyu because Kristen, who ranks first in serving worldwide, taught him how to put more spin on his serves.
Previously, Chang Xiaole had also helped You Ziyu improve his serves, but he couldn’t guarantee that he could maintain control over the landing spot when adding spin. However, Kristian could, as he had a unique control technique.
Seeing Kristian’s dedicated teaching, not only Qin Chunxiao, Gao Depi, Mao Xunfeng, and Ding Rong, who were sensitive individuals, even Min Yaoyang felt that Kristian seemed to have some feelings for Xiaole.
If even Yangyang noticed it, then Kristian’s behavior must have been quite obvious.
Newton hesitated for a moment before talking to Chang Xiaole, “Xiaole, I can see that Kristian is a good lad. If you’re interested, you can give it a try with him. But don’t worry, if you don’t like him, just kick him out. We’re not a team that sacrifices companionship for skills.”
Chang Xiaole was speechless, “What are you saying, Coach Newton?”
Newton said, “This old guy is caring for you!”
If it weren’t for Chang Xiaole’s last relationship ending so sadly, Newton wouldn’t be so concerned about him.
Chang Xiaole laughed and cried, “You don’t have to worry about it. Kristian is a nice guy. He won’t force me. Even when he came to teach me techniques, we already agreed that if he comes to Beijing, I’ll entertain him for a week for free.”
If Kristian only treated him well, it would feel a bit like using that goodness to manipulate him, and then Chang Xiaole would feel troubled. But Kristian took the initiative to propose that as long as Chang Xiaole took him sightseeing in Beijing, Chang Xiaole’s burden would be much lighter.
At this moment, Chang Xiaole also roughly understood why Xiaozai said he liked Lu Xuandong. Who wouldn’t like someone with high emotional intelligence, eloquent speech, a sense of proportion, and someone who was willing to consider others’ perspectives?
Chang Xiaole added, “We’re still in the stage of getting to know each other. You have to know that I’m Chinese, and he’s Italian. We have many differences.”
Indeed, Kristian was silent most of the time, but he had a good personality, never quarreling with others. Combined with his explosive style of play and his calmness in strategizing, he was quite charming. However, he usually looked rough, didn’t like to dress up, was lazy, and spent his time at home sleeping when not playing or studying.
But that rough appearance was just a superficial impression. In reality, he had the cleanliness characteristic of healthcare personnel. Chang Xiaole’s impression of Kristian was not bad, so when Kristian invited him for dinner, Chang Xiaole agreed.
After dinner, Kristian was very proactive in introducing his family situation. His parents died early, and his grandparents passed away a few years ago. Kristian had to study, played volleyball, worked as a bartender at a bar to earn money, and took cover shoots for magazines to show his abs to earn enough money to send his late grandparents to the best sanatorium. Therefore, he had only been in love twice and hoped that Chang Xiaole wouldn’t mind.
Chang Xiaole: “Why would I mind that you’ve been in love? I also loved someone for seven years.”
Kristian: “Huh? I mean don’t mind that I’ve only been in love twice. My emotional experience is not rich enough, so I may not be good enough in some areas…”
Chinese Chang Xiaole and Italian Christen looked at each other, realizing that their perspectives were different.
Afterward, Kristian proposed that he and Chang Xiaole should start as friends, and if both sides felt good about it, they could move on to the next stage. If it didn’t work out, they would remain friends, and Kristian wouldn’t be unwilling.
“Because you are wonderful, being friends with you is already enough to make me happy.”
Hearing this, Chang Xiaole felt embarrassed. How could he be worthy of such high praise?
Newton wasn’t the only one in the team who cared about Chang Xiaole. After Newton, as the team’s “team dad,” Qin Chunxiao, representing all the players, also expressed his concern for Chang Xiaole.
But after hearing Chang Xiaole’s evaluation of Kristian and Kristian’s words “because you are wonderful…” Qin Chunxiao got up and left.
If those two were already together, Qin Chunxiao would have thrown a “take my blessings and get lost!” before leaving.
That night, he and Lu Xuandong had plans to go to the city to listen to a jazz musician’s tour performance. When Lu Xuandong signed “being your friend is already lucky enough” to him in sign language, he was amazed. He never expected that Qin Chunxiao could also appreciate jazz music, adding another common interest between the two.
Qin Chunxiao was a bit puzzled, feeling a strange shyness creeping over him. It was strange because he had felt embarrassed in front of Lu Xuandong twice now, the last time being when they accidentally bumped into each other while playing in the water.
He tried not to overthink it and went to sleep calmly after the concert ended.
Li Ling asked him, “Was the concert good?”
Qin Chunxiao replied, “It was good, but I still prefer city pop.”
Li Ling said, “Xiaozai, that’s a style from many years ago. Nowadays, not many musicians play that kind of music. If you want to listen to it, you can only find vaporwave.”
Sighing, Qin Chunxiao said, “But compared to vaporwave, I still prefer the original city pop. Before meeting Dongzi, my favorite singer was Craig Runke.”
Later, Li Ling searched and found that Craig Runke was born in ’49 and passed away three years ago in 2015.
A week flew by in the blink of an eye. During this time, the Chinese team’s players followed the two beach volleyball champions, running on the beach against the sea breeze and dancing with the volleyball on the sand. Each of them had gotten at least one shade darker.
After the wild seven days, Qin Chunxiao touched his arms and felt like he finally had a bit of manliness.
He asked Mao Xunfeng, “Xiao Mao, do I look more masculine now?”
Mao Xunfeng replied, “Huh? You still look the same as before.” Qin Chunxiao didn’t get that much darker, but his skin got a bit redder. If he hadn’t applied sunscreen, he might have gotten sunburned.
Mao Xunfeng pinched Qin Chunxiao’s biceps and said, “There’s been some change. You used to look like a snow leopard, but now you look like a cheetah. Instead of saying more masculine, it’s more like more man-leopard.”
Qin Chunxiao protested, “Why do you have to describe me with animals?”
Regarding this, Mao Xunfeng chuckled.
“Xiaozai, your wild vitality on the court, and your agile and nimble style, have made the fans regard you as the ‘Leopard Beauty Ceiling’,” he said.
Thanks to Qin Chunxiao’s presence, which brought a divine animal onto the court, many coaches now prefer defensive players of the Leopard style. If these players also have a background in short sprints, it’s even better.
Due to Qin Chunxiao’s skin color, it was hard for him to evolve into a black leopard. However, the darkest player on the team, Fu Biyang, successfully scared Ding Rong last night. Ding Rong instinctively threw a punch, and Fu Biyang also instinctively retaliated… If Qin Chunxiao hadn’t happened to pass by and pulled them apart in time, the Chinese team would have lost two players before the VNL final.
After that night, the whole team acknowledged that Ding Rong was the scariest, because Fu Biyang could not even handle him. Qin Chunxiao was also tough because he dared to face their fists to pull them apart. Fu Xiaoji ranked third. These three men were collectively known as the three war gods of the Chinese men’s volleyball team.
On July 3rd, the whole team flew to France.
Italy and France are both located in Southern Europe, and they are very close to each other. You can even take a round trip on a train in one day, let alone taking a flight.
However, Qin Chunxiao had a bit of a psychological shadow on Air France because he died on Air France in his past life. So, although he could adapt to Aeroflot, he felt uneasy when flying with Air France.
When boarding the plane, this kid who never got airsick, seasick, or carsick, showed an unpleasant expression for the first time. Li Ling was worried that he might throw up, so he specially asked a flight attendant for a vomit bag.
Qin Chunxiao gave him a weak glare with his eyes still closed. Li Ling was concerned. This health-conscious Xiaozai, who could wear short sleeves and play in the snow with others in Russia’s winter temperatures of minus 30-40 degrees, looked very uncomfortable now!
No, Lingzi must take action!
Asking the team doctor didn’t help much because athletes wouldn’t easily take medicine for just a minor discomfort. Even the team doctor suggested that they tough it out themselves.
Li Ling looked left and right, then pushed aside Mao Xunfeng, who was sitting by the aisle, and said, “Xiao Mao, let me through, I need to find someone.”
Mao Xunfeng lifted his eye mask, hummed, and moved his legs aside to make way for Li Ling.
Li Ling trotted to the first-class cabin. When a flight attendant saw such a tall and big boy, she politely asked, “Sir, do you need anything?”
Li Ling smiled foolishly and said, “I’m looking for someone, can you help me call him? His name is Dongzi.”
The flight attendant was Italian and looked confused at the pronunciation of “Dongzi.”
Qin Chunxiao closed his eyes, wanting to take a nap, but he didn’t feel that Air France was safe enough for him to sleep. What if something happened halfway through his nap?
Ah, no way! He wouldn’t be that unlucky!
Just then, someone gently put on a bone conduction earphone for him, and the song “Hero” by Mariah Carey played inside. Qin Chunxiao widened his eyes and looked to the side, where he saw Lu Xuandong. The man’s usually pale face seemed to have gained a hint of color from the Mediterranean sunlight, and his facial lines flowed smoothly like running water. His teeth were very white, and oh, he was smiling at him.
Qin Chunxiao raised his phone.
[Why not “Reality”?]
French star Sophie Marceau filmed a movie called “First Kiss” when she was in her teens. There was a scene where a young man put headphones on her from behind, and the song “Reality” played, making it one of the most romantic moments in film history.
They were on their way to France at an altitude of 10,000 meters. Why not listen to the song that followed the French rose throughout her life?
Lu Xuantong started to search for the song on his phone, intending to play it for him, but Qin Chunxiao stopped his hand.
No need to search, it’s fine like this.
Actually, having Lu Xuandong sitting beside him gave him a sense of security. Qin Chunxiao knew that if a crisis really came, this person would stay by his side and protect him regardless of his own life.
Eventually, Qin Chunxiao fell asleep. The panic, fear, and unease that had been lingering in his heart since boarding the plane all dissipated.
The people around them, such as Newton, Jiang Xiaohai, Chang Xiaole, Qiao Mingming, Xiong Wu, Min Yaoyang, Liu Yuelou, and Fu Biyang, all remained quiet. They both wanted to remind these two young men, “Hey, we saw you signing in sign language,” but they didn’t want to disturb such a good atmosphere.
They were in a dilemma.
When Qin Chunxiao woke up, the plane was almost there. Li Ling had finished enjoying the first-class cabin’s movies and switched back with Lu Xuandong. In his hand, there was a pack of snacks given by the flight attendant as a gift, but unfortunately, he couldn’t eat things given by strangers, so he had to hand it to Newton.
Qin Chunxiao asked, “Isn’t he coming with us?”
Li Ling said nonchalantly, “He said he’ll join us after getting his luggage.”
Fu Biyang pulled Qin Chunxiao awkwardly and said, “Uh, we, we saw you two signing. Are you trying not to disturb us?”
Qin Chunxiao realized, “Right, I didn’t avoid you guys. I guess I don’t have to do that anymore.”
He turned around, revealing a happy smile after a good rest, “That person is my hidden soulmate. We’ve been friends for a while. I gave him a ticket for the finals, so he came to watch the match with us, but…”
Qin Chunxiao made an “X” sign with both hands, “We’re not in a romantic relationship. You can think of it as a friendship line within soulmates.”
Everyone suddenly understood, “Oh, you’re on the friendship line.”
As everyone knows, soulmates had four development lines: sibling, romantic, friendship, and rival. The last line usually appears between competitors in the same field and often veers toward friendship or romance.
Many soulmates who couldn’t reach the “happily ever after” in the romantic line were considered to have chosen the wrong path. It was a pity when someone who’s clearly more suited for a friendship line ends up on the romantic one, as the outcome wouldn’t be ideal.
Qin Chunxiao and Lu Xuandong, being of the same gender, chose the friendship line, which was a common choice. Although many netizens may bemoan “what a waste,” in reality, when faced with a friend or relative making such a choice, most people would be supportive.
After all, the friendship and sibling lines would always cause the least harm among the four soulmate paths.
Qin Chunxiao said, “Don’t tell anyone outside, or else with our appearances, who knows how the public opinion will push us together.”
Everyone nodded repeatedly, “Rest assured, we won’t say anything.”
Xiaozai was the youngest in the team, and it was everyone’s duty as uncles and big brothers to protect his privacy and emotional life. Besides, they believed that their interactions with Lu Xuantong would naturally fall into place. After all, as the saying goes, a friend’s friend was also my friend.
After getting off the plane, Lu Xuandong effortlessly blended in with the Chinese men’s volleyball national team with his suitcase. Thanks to recovering his healthy diet and regular exercise, he had finally grown to a height of 197 centimeters before he stopped growing. He was dressed in sportswear, fitting in perfectly among the men’s volleyball players without a hint of awkwardness.
Even when the staff for the VNL finals came to pick them up by bus, there were no doubtful remarks when Lu Xuandong followed along. They thought that with such a tall and handsome guy, even if he wasn’t a player, he should be a retired athlete or an assistant coach in volleyball. In any case, he must be associated with volleyball.
The other members of the Chinese men’s volleyball team were also very calm about the situation. Since Lu Xuandong was a friend or family member of a team member, what was wrong with him hitching a ride on the bus? After all, they were all staying at the same hotel.
In contrast, Qin Chunxiao, if it weren’t for him gradually becoming a well-known new star in the volleyball world, most people wouldn’t even think he could play volleyball.
When Qin Chunxiao walked to the center of the team, people outside could never imagine that there was a Qin Chunxiao in the middle of the team because they couldn’t see him at all.
Similarly, when he walked to the center of the team, Qin Chunxiao could hardly see the path ahead because his teammates had completely blocked his view.
On the bus, Newton held a notebook and said, “Besides the host team, France, the other teams that made it to the finals are Brazil, Poland, the United States, Russia, and our Chinese team.”
These six teams were the strongest men’s indoor volleyball teams on Earth during the summer of 2018!
Since getting confirmation for the finals ticket, Newton had received several messages of praise from the leaders, but he remained calm. Because Newton knew very well that with the current strength of the Chinese team, they could only have a 50-50 chance against France, and they could win 3:1 against other teams. If they managed to drag the opponent to 3:2, it would be considered a victory. Therefore, Newton’s goal for the finals was straightforward.
Newton said, “On the basis of securing a place in the top four, we need to prevent all the teams we face from winning the championship!”
Proving their strength wasn’t just about winning medals! If they could make those teams that were supposed to compete for the podium feel sore and weak after playing against them, and then easily defeated by their next opponent, wouldn’t that also demonstrate the strength of the Chinese team?
However, Newton’s goal sounded quite harsh when he said it, and as he spoke, the bus made a sharp turn, causing the young men in the team to almost fall out of their seats after hearing his words.
Lu Xuandong was attending the men’s national team’s pre-match meeting for the first time and never expected that Coach Newton would have such a unique style. For a moment, only a sentence lingered in Lu Xuandong’s mind.
Robbing the rich to help the poor!
The competition in the Italy station concluded on June 25th, and the finals were scheduled to open on July 5th, providing a 10-day break for the six teams that made it to the finals.
With the frequency of the VNL sub-station matches, without proper rest, all players’ physical fitness would suffer, and the entertainment value of the finals would decline.
Newton was reluctant to let the players tire themselves out again during the journey, so he decided to let them rest in Italy. They could do some weightlifting in the gym and practice in the gymnasium.
Of course, they would also go to the nearby beach to play beach volleyball.
Unlike the six-person indoor volleyball, beach volleyball is a two-person team sport, which requires players to be well-rounded in reception, serving, spiking, and blocking. Many players with a beach volleyball background tend to become more versatile when they switch to indoor volleyball.
After a couple of days, top-level sparring partners approached them.
While Qin Chunxiao led Li Ling, You Ziyu, and Du Xiaofeng to play beach volleyball, Kristian stood by and watched for half an hour. After the game, he approached Chang Xiaole and said, “That squid, his serve can still improve.”
Chang Xiaole: “Huh?”
Kristian’s voice was particularly deep, as if he deliberately imitated the low-pitched actors in Hollywood, “I can teach him.”
Chang Xiaole suggested, “Can you talk normally?”
Kristian: “Mattia suggested that I speak like this. He said Luma likes it.”
But Chang Xiaole didn’t like it. Kristian’s voice was somewhat hoarse, and it had a melancholic uncle vibe to it. If he lowered his voice further, Chang Xiaole would feel like he was talking to his uncle.
Kristian, 30 years old this year, once won the silver medal in men’s beach volleyball at the London Olympics and the gold medal at the Rio Olympics. He also won 2 golds, 1 silver, and 2 bronze medals in the beach volleyball world championships. He had been a famous beach volleyball talent since he started his career and has never missed a podium in his professional career.
Kristian’s teammate, Tim, is a 32-year-old bearded big brother with a wife and child. It was said that Kristian initially planned to retire after the Rio Olympics, but Tim convinced him to play another Olympic cycle to earn more money for baby formula.
Kristian thought like this: “I studied nursing in college and plan to work in end-of-life care after retirement. If I want to develop in China, I should save more money. I heard that the housing prices in Beijing, where Xiaole often stays, are very expensive, but Chinese people value property.”
To save money, they played for another four years.
Yes, these two continued to play in their prime because of money, it’s that pragmatic.
Unfortunately, after the Tokyo Olympics were postponed due to the pandemic, the two veterans still couldn’t withstand the erosion of time and regretfully announced their retirement. However, at least they had a glorious career. From 2012 to 2016, they dominated the beach volleyball arena and maintained top-level competitiveness until their retirement.
Qin Chunxiao didn’t know the specifics of what happened afterward because he went abroad to play in the Brazilian league in 2021. He only vaguely knew from talking to Li Ling on the phone that Kristian came to China and became the head nurse in a hospice ward at a hospital, which was also reported in the news.
A beach volleyball champion from Italy, bringing his lifelong savings to a foreign country, whether this guy came to China for Xiaole, Qin Chunxiao didn’t know, but if he did all this for Xiaole ge, then Xiaozai could only be moved and say, “As long as Xiaole ge agrees, I approve of this marriage.”
Knowing that Kristian came to provide special training for the Chinese team, Tim also came to lend a hand. With their help, Newton was overjoyed.
One of the most serious problems their team currently faces was that players with well-rounded technical skills were not tall enough. For example, Qin Chunxiao and Gao Depi.
Here, individuals like Qiao Mingming, Min Yaoyang, and Fu Biyang were specifically criticized as “rough guys.” Although their innate talent.
Qiao Mingming’s talent was high, especially in spiking, but his defense had always been a challenge, and he only reached the qualifying level this season. Min Yaoyang was better in defense, but his attacking patterns were rigid. He also improved somewhat this season. Fu Biyang had enough power and was good at blocking, but his spiking was not agile enough. Aizimaiti was more technically well-rounded than Fu Biyang, but his stamina was not good enough.
Using beach volleyball to hone rough players had always been a method recognized by many coaches, but most of the time, they didn’t have the conditions for it.
Coincidentally, Kristian was the best in defense among tall and strong attackers. His serve was currently ranked first in the beach volleyball project, and it could be said that his serve was the best on Earth. Tim, on the other hand, was an expert in defense and excels in blocking, passing, and receiving.
Newbie players could learn a lot from them, even Qin Chunxiao learned a small technique from Tim on how to dive farther during fish jumps, further expanding his defensive range.
The one who showed the most improvement was undoubtedly You Ziyu because Kristen, who ranks first in serving worldwide, taught him how to put more spin on his serves.
Previously, Chang Xiaole had also helped You Ziyu improve his serves, but he couldn’t guarantee that he could maintain control over the landing spot when adding spin. However, Kristian could, as he had a unique control technique.
Seeing Kristian’s dedicated teaching, not only Qin Chunxiao, Gao Depi, Mao Xunfeng, and Ding Rong, who were sensitive individuals, even Min Yaoyang felt that Kristian seemed to have some feelings for Xiaole.
If even Yangyang noticed it, then Kristian’s behavior must have been quite obvious.
Newton hesitated for a moment before talking to Chang Xiaole, “Xiaole, I can see that Kristian is a good lad. If you’re interested, you can give it a try with him. But don’t worry, if you don’t like him, just kick him out. We’re not a team that sacrifices companionship for skills.”
Chang Xiaole was speechless, “What are you saying, Coach Newton?”
Newton said, “This old guy is caring for you!”
If it weren’t for Chang Xiaole’s last relationship ending so sadly, Newton wouldn’t be so concerned about him.
Chang Xiaole laughed and cried, “You don’t have to worry about it. Kristian is a nice guy. He won’t force me. Even when he came to teach me techniques, we already agreed that if he comes to Beijing, I’ll entertain him for a week for free.”
If Kristian only treated him well, it would feel a bit like using that goodness to manipulate him, and then Chang Xiaole would feel troubled. But Kristian took the initiative to propose that as long as Chang Xiaole took him sightseeing in Beijing, Chang Xiaole’s burden would be much lighter.
At this moment, Chang Xiaole also roughly understood why Xiaozai said he liked Lu Xuandong. Who wouldn’t like someone with high emotional intelligence, eloquent speech, a sense of proportion, and someone who was willing to consider others’ perspectives?
Chang Xiaole added, “We’re still in the stage of getting to know each other. You have to know that I’m Chinese, and he’s Italian. We have many differences.”
Indeed, Kristian was silent most of the time, but he had a good personality, never quarreling with others. Combined with his explosive style of play and his calmness in strategizing, he was quite charming. However, he usually looked rough, didn’t like to dress up, was lazy, and spent his time at home sleeping when not playing or studying.
But that rough appearance was just a superficial impression. In reality, he had the cleanliness characteristic of healthcare personnel. Chang Xiaole’s impression of Kristian was not bad, so when Kristian invited him for dinner, Chang Xiaole agreed.
After dinner, Kristian was very proactive in introducing his family situation. His parents died early, and his grandparents passed away a few years ago. Kristian had to study, played volleyball, worked as a bartender at a bar to earn money, and took cover shoots for magazines to show his abs to earn enough money to send his late grandparents to the best sanatorium. Therefore, he had only been in love twice and hoped that Chang Xiaole wouldn’t mind.
Chang Xiaole: “Why would I mind that you’ve been in love? I also loved someone for seven years.”
Kristian: “Huh? I mean don’t mind that I’ve only been in love twice. My emotional experience is not rich enough, so I may not be good enough in some areas…”
Chinese Chang Xiaole and Italian Christen looked at each other, realizing that their perspectives were different.
Afterward, Kristian proposed that he and Chang Xiaole should start as friends, and if both sides felt good about it, they could move on to the next stage. If it didn’t work out, they would remain friends, and Kristian wouldn’t be unwilling.
“Because you are wonderful, being friends with you is already enough to make me happy.”
Hearing this, Chang Xiaole felt embarrassed. How could he be worthy of such high praise?
Newton wasn’t the only one in the team who cared about Chang Xiaole. After Newton, as the team’s “team dad,” Qin Chunxiao, representing all the players, also expressed his concern for Chang Xiaole.
But after hearing Chang Xiaole’s evaluation of Kristian and Kristian’s words “because you are wonderful…” Qin Chunxiao got up and left.
If those two were already together, Qin Chunxiao would have thrown a “take my blessings and get lost!” before leaving.
That night, he and Lu Xuandong had plans to go to the city to listen to a jazz musician’s tour performance. When Lu Xuandong signed “being your friend is already lucky enough” to him in sign language, he was amazed. He never expected that Qin Chunxiao could also appreciate jazz music, adding another common interest between the two.
Qin Chunxiao was a bit puzzled, feeling a strange shyness creeping over him. It was strange because he had felt embarrassed in front of Lu Xuandong twice now, the last time being when they accidentally bumped into each other while playing in the water.
He tried not to overthink it and went to sleep calmly after the concert ended.
Li Ling asked him, “Was the concert good?”
Qin Chunxiao replied, “It was good, but I still prefer city pop.”
Li Ling said, “Xiaozai, that’s a style from many years ago. Nowadays, not many musicians play that kind of music. If you want to listen to it, you can only find vaporwave.”
Sighing, Qin Chunxiao said, “But compared to vaporwave, I still prefer the original city pop. Before meeting Dongzi, my favorite singer was Craig Runke.”
Later, Li Ling searched and found that Craig Runke was born in ’49 and passed away three years ago in 2015.
A week flew by in the blink of an eye. During this time, the Chinese team’s players followed the two beach volleyball champions, running on the beach against the sea breeze and dancing with the volleyball on the sand. Each of them had gotten at least one shade darker.
After the wild seven days, Qin Chunxiao touched his arms and felt like he finally had a bit of manliness.
He asked Mao Xunfeng, “Xiao Mao, do I look more masculine now?”
Mao Xunfeng replied, “Huh? You still look the same as before.” Qin Chunxiao didn’t get that much darker, but his skin got a bit redder. If he hadn’t applied sunscreen, he might have gotten sunburned.
Mao Xunfeng pinched Qin Chunxiao’s biceps and said, “There’s been some change. You used to look like a snow leopard, but now you look like a cheetah. Instead of saying more masculine, it’s more like more man-leopard.”
Qin Chunxiao protested, “Why do you have to describe me with animals?”
Regarding this, Mao Xunfeng chuckled.
“Xiaozai, your wild vitality on the court, and your agile and nimble style, have made the fans regard you as the ‘Leopard Beauty Ceiling’,” he said.
Thanks to Qin Chunxiao’s presence, which brought a divine animal onto the court, many coaches now prefer defensive players of the Leopard style. If these players also have a background in short sprints, it’s even better.
Due to Qin Chunxiao’s skin color, it was hard for him to evolve into a black leopard. However, the darkest player on the team, Fu Biyang, successfully scared Ding Rong last night. Ding Rong instinctively threw a punch, and Fu Biyang also instinctively retaliated… If Qin Chunxiao hadn’t happened to pass by and pulled them apart in time, the Chinese team would have lost two players before the VNL final.
After that night, the whole team acknowledged that Ding Rong was the scariest, because Fu Biyang could not even handle him. Qin Chunxiao was also tough because he dared to face their fists to pull them apart. Fu Xiaoji ranked third. These three men were collectively known as the three war gods of the Chinese men’s volleyball team.
On July 3rd, the whole team flew to France.
Italy and France are both located in Southern Europe, and they are very close to each other. You can even take a round trip on a train in one day, let alone taking a flight.
However, Qin Chunxiao had a bit of a psychological shadow on Air France because he died on Air France in his past life. So, although he could adapt to Aeroflot, he felt uneasy when flying with Air France.
When boarding the plane, this kid who never got airsick, seasick, or carsick, showed an unpleasant expression for the first time. Li Ling was worried that he might throw up, so he specially asked a flight attendant for a vomit bag.
Qin Chunxiao gave him a weak glare with his eyes still closed. Li Ling was concerned. This health-conscious Xiaozai, who could wear short sleeves and play in the snow with others in Russia’s winter temperatures of minus 30-40 degrees, looked very uncomfortable now!
No, Lingzi must take action!
Asking the team doctor didn’t help much because athletes wouldn’t easily take medicine for just a minor discomfort. Even the team doctor suggested that they tough it out themselves.
Li Ling looked left and right, then pushed aside Mao Xunfeng, who was sitting by the aisle, and said, “Xiao Mao, let me through, I need to find someone.”
Mao Xunfeng lifted his eye mask, hummed, and moved his legs aside to make way for Li Ling.
Li Ling trotted to the first-class cabin. When a flight attendant saw such a tall and big boy, she politely asked, “Sir, do you need anything?”
Li Ling smiled foolishly and said, “I’m looking for someone, can you help me call him? His name is Dongzi.”
The flight attendant was Italian and looked confused at the pronunciation of “Dongzi.”
Qin Chunxiao closed his eyes, wanting to take a nap, but he didn’t feel that Air France was safe enough for him to sleep. What if something happened halfway through his nap?
Ah, no way! He wouldn’t be that unlucky!
Just then, someone gently put on a bone conduction earphone for him, and the song “Hero” by Mariah Carey played inside. Qin Chunxiao widened his eyes and looked to the side, where he saw Lu Xuandong. The man’s usually pale face seemed to have gained a hint of color from the Mediterranean sunlight, and his facial lines flowed smoothly like running water. His teeth were very white, and oh, he was smiling at him.
Qin Chunxiao raised his phone.
[Why not “Reality”?]
French star Sophie Marceau filmed a movie called “First Kiss” when she was in her teens. There was a scene where a young man put headphones on her from behind, and the song “Reality” played, making it one of the most romantic moments in film history.
They were on their way to France at an altitude of 10,000 meters. Why not listen to the song that followed the French rose throughout her life?
Lu Xuantong started to search for the song on his phone, intending to play it for him, but Qin Chunxiao stopped his hand.
No need to search, it’s fine like this.
Actually, having Lu Xuandong sitting beside him gave him a sense of security. Qin Chunxiao knew that if a crisis really came, this person would stay by his side and protect him regardless of his own life.
Eventually, Qin Chunxiao fell asleep. The panic, fear, and unease that had been lingering in his heart since boarding the plane all dissipated.
The people around them, such as Newton, Jiang Xiaohai, Chang Xiaole, Qiao Mingming, Xiong Wu, Min Yaoyang, Liu Yuelou, and Fu Biyang, all remained quiet. They both wanted to remind these two young men, “Hey, we saw you signing in sign language,” but they didn’t want to disturb such a good atmosphere.
They were in a dilemma.
When Qin Chunxiao woke up, the plane was almost there. Li Ling had finished enjoying the first-class cabin’s movies and switched back with Lu Xuandong. In his hand, there was a pack of snacks given by the flight attendant as a gift, but unfortunately, he couldn’t eat things given by strangers, so he had to hand it to Newton.
Qin Chunxiao asked, “Isn’t he coming with us?”
Li Ling said nonchalantly, “He said he’ll join us after getting his luggage.”
Fu Biyang pulled Qin Chunxiao awkwardly and said, “Uh, we, we saw you two signing. Are you trying not to disturb us?”
Qin Chunxiao realized, “Right, I didn’t avoid you guys. I guess I don’t have to do that anymore.”
He turned around, revealing a happy smile after a good rest, “That person is my hidden soulmate. We’ve been friends for a while. I gave him a ticket for the finals, so he came to watch the match with us, but…”
Qin Chunxiao made an “X” sign with both hands, “We’re not in a romantic relationship. You can think of it as a friendship line within soulmates.”
Everyone suddenly understood, “Oh, you’re on the friendship line.”
As everyone knows, soulmates had four development lines: sibling, romantic, friendship, and rival. The last line usually appears between competitors in the same field and often veers toward friendship or romance.
Many soulmates who couldn’t reach the “happily ever after” in the romantic line were considered to have chosen the wrong path. It was a pity when someone who’s clearly more suited for a friendship line ends up on the romantic one, as the outcome wouldn’t be ideal.
Qin Chunxiao and Lu Xuandong, being of the same gender, chose the friendship line, which was a common choice. Although many netizens may bemoan “what a waste,” in reality, when faced with a friend or relative making such a choice, most people would be supportive.
After all, the friendship and sibling lines would always cause the least harm among the four soulmate paths.
Qin Chunxiao said, “Don’t tell anyone outside, or else with our appearances, who knows how the public opinion will push us together.”
Everyone nodded repeatedly, “Rest assured, we won’t say anything.”
Xiaozai was the youngest in the team, and it was everyone’s duty as uncles and big brothers to protect his privacy and emotional life. Besides, they believed that their interactions with Lu Xuantong would naturally fall into place. After all, as the saying goes, a friend’s friend was also my friend.
After getting off the plane, Lu Xuandong effortlessly blended in with the Chinese men’s volleyball national team with his suitcase. Thanks to recovering his healthy diet and regular exercise, he had finally grown to a height of 197 centimeters before he stopped growing. He was dressed in sportswear, fitting in perfectly among the men’s volleyball players without a hint of awkwardness.
Even when the staff for the VNL finals came to pick them up by bus, there were no doubtful remarks when Lu Xuandong followed along. They thought that with such a tall and handsome guy, even if he wasn’t a player, he should be a retired athlete or an assistant coach in volleyball. In any case, he must be associated with volleyball.
The other members of the Chinese men’s volleyball team were also very calm about the situation. Since Lu Xuandong was a friend or family member of a team member, what was wrong with him hitching a ride on the bus? After all, they were all staying at the same hotel.
In contrast, Qin Chunxiao, if it weren’t for him gradually becoming a well-known new star in the volleyball world, most people wouldn’t even think he could play volleyball.
When Qin Chunxiao walked to the center of the team, people outside could never imagine that there was a Qin Chunxiao in the middle of the team because they couldn’t see him at all.
Similarly, when he walked to the center of the team, Qin Chunxiao could hardly see the path ahead because his teammates had completely blocked his view.
On the bus, Newton held a notebook and said, “Besides the host team, France, the other teams that made it to the finals are Brazil, Poland, the United States, Russia, and our Chinese team.”
These six teams were the strongest men’s indoor volleyball teams on Earth during the summer of 2018!
Since getting confirmation for the finals ticket, Newton had received several messages of praise from the leaders, but he remained calm. Because Newton knew very well that with the current strength of the Chinese team, they could only have a 50-50 chance against France, and they could win 3:1 against other teams. If they managed to drag the opponent to 3:2, it would be considered a victory. Therefore, Newton’s goal for the finals was straightforward.
Newton said, “On the basis of securing a place in the top four, we need to prevent all the teams we face from winning the championship!”
Proving their strength wasn’t just about winning medals! If they could make those teams that were supposed to compete for the podium feel sore and weak after playing against them, and then easily defeated by their next opponent, wouldn’t that also demonstrate the strength of the Chinese team?
However, Newton’s goal sounded quite harsh when he said it, and as he spoke, the bus made a sharp turn, causing the young men in the team to almost fall out of their seats after hearing his words.
Lu Xuandong was attending the men’s national team’s pre-match meeting for the first time and never expected that Coach Newton would have such a unique style. For a moment, only a sentence lingered in Lu Xuandong’s mind.
Robbing the rich to help the poor!
