My Soulmate is A Libero
Qin’s parents were both busy with their respective careers, but their relationship was really good.
Qin Chunxiao remembered once when he came home early from elementary school, he pushed open the door and saw his mother wearing a qipao and his father in a suit, dancing in each other’s arms to the song “Reality.”
At that time, they still lived in a very old and rundown rented house. In order to raise their two children in the big city, Qin’s dad and mom rarely bought new clothes. So, the qipao was borrowed from his grandmother, and his mom’s qipao was a bit tight. The suit cost only two hundred yuan, and it even faded when it was washed later.
So, what was young Qin’s feeling as he walked in at that moment?
Qin Chunxiao: He felt like he was a major buzzkill, but he also thought that his parents’ affection wasn’t a bad thing. So, he apologized and quickly slipped into his bedroom, pretending he didn’t exist, hoping his parents could continue their romance.
And now, his dad was preparing a candlelit dinner for his mom.
Coincidentally, Qin Chunxiao couldn’t eat meat from outside, so he couldn’t join this meal either.
Qin’s dad had already started taking shrimp out of the fridge. “Son, don’t worry, Dad will make something else for you.”
Qin Chunxiao waved his hand repeatedly. “You and Mom don’t get much time together usually. Don’t think about it today, and don’t worry about me either. Just focus on having a good time with Mom. I can take care of myself.”
Saying that, the young man jumped onto the team doctor’s back, tapping away on his phone. “Yashenka, let’s go.”
Yashenka held his 140-pound frame steadily, not struggling at all. “Go where?”
Qin Chunxiao said, “We’re going to my buddy’s place. Dongzi’s car hasn’t gone far yet. He’s taking a detour to pick us up. Let’s go downstairs now, and he should be there.”
Qin Ling, who understood Russian, quickly shouted, “Wait! Since you have low body fat, you might get a cold. Wear more before you leave!”
Actually, Qin Chunxiao had been used to being cold for a long time. When he was in Guangdong, sudden drops in temperature were hard to adapt to. However, after going to Russia, he had gradually evolved to the point where he didn’t care about temperatures as low as negative twenty degrees.
Lu Yunchen didn’t expect that he and his older brother hadn’t driven a kilometer before another call came in. Moreover, his brother turned the car around immediately.
So, not long after, he and Yashenka met up again.
Both of them were in the same car again, and the countdown resumed. Yashenka didn’t want to talk to Lu Yunchen, so he asked Qin Chunxiao, “Where are we eating?”
Qin Chunxiao said, “Dongzi’s place can provide athlete meals.”
Lu Xuandong didn’t even turn his head. “Mhm, I’m an excellent logistics support.”
The Qin team settled into the Lu residence. While Lu Xuandong didn’t show a big reaction on the surface, he was secretly elated. He had set up a lavish spread, completely opening Yashenka’s eyes to the variety of food. He couldn’t stop eating.
However, by evening, they discovered a serious problem.
When Lu Xuandong bought the house, he had only reserved space for two family members. So, despite the house being spacious, there were only two bedrooms, and no guest room.
The two bedrooms were the same size, without a distinction between primary and secondary. But one of them was closed off. Lu Yunchen couldn’t live in that room even if he wanted to.
What? His older brother gave up the bedroom and slept on the couch? That was absolutely impossible! The Lu family also owned a house in Guangzhou. Lu Yunchen could easily go stay there. Why force himself to squeeze into one room with his older brother?
Lu Xuandong couldn’t even accept the idea of sharing a bed with his younger brother.
“Because I don’t sleep well, and I don’t want you to disturb me,” was his explanation, and it was the truth.
Lu Yunchen accepted this reason, so if he really wanted to stay in the same room as his brother, he would invite his brother to stay in his apartment. He had a guest room there.
Of course, he could also accept sleeping on his brother’s couch, but Lu Xuandong usually sent him back.
However, it was pouring rain that day, as if even the heavens wanted these four people to spend the night together in this house.
At this point, Lu Xuandong regretted not buying the neighboring apartment as well. But when he thought about the property prices here, he felt a pang of pain. It was better to keep the cash flow in his hand for investments.
Qin Chunxiao had one leg draped over the nanny hand, asking him to help him massage it, while holding a glass of juice that Lu Xuandong squeezed for him. He asked, “How are we sleeping tonight?”
Lu Yunchen looked at the rain outside, then at his dear brother. With such heavy rain, it didn’t feel safe to drive back.
Lu Xuandong was silent for a while. Given his condition, he would only sleep well if he was with Team Qin, so ideally, he and Chunxiao would share a room. The other two could do whatever. But since he had to get up early tomorrow to make breakfast for Team Qin, he was afraid that any noise from him getting up might disturb their sleep.
So, he waved his hand towards his younger brother, saying, “You sleep in my bed.”
Lu Yunchen was excited, “Okay!”
The young man’s state upon entering his brother’s bedroom. Lu Yunchen was quite similar to Liu Laolao’s when she entered the Grand View Garden – everything was novel, everything was intriguing, but he didn’t dare touch anything randomly.
And his brother’s bed was so big! After all, he was nearly two meters tall, and a regular bed wouldn’t fit him. Even if the bed was extended, the mattress was too hard. Lu Xuandong was used to sleeping on hard beds, and Lu Yunchen didn’t have any objections either.
After all, he couldn’t manage everything, including what his brother slept on. If he dared voice his thoughts, his brother could throw him out.
On the other side, Yashenka was also full of curiosity as he touched the mattress in the guest bedroom. “This is so comfortable. What brand is it?”
Qin Chunxiao said, “Hasten.”
Yashenka searched on his phone and then looked at the price, remained silent.
It wasn’t that he couldn’t afford it, after all, he earned a yearly salary of five hundred thousand dollars as well. But was it really necessary to buy such an expensive mattress?
Thankfully, it felt good to sleep on, and Yashenka was a bachelor with minimal expectations for a soulmate. At this moment, he had a tendency to be carefree. The next day, he woke up and started asking Qin Chunxiao about how to buy the mattress.
Qin Chunxiao was still half-asleep and wanted to remind him not to talk while brushing his teeth, or else he might injure his gums with the toothbrush. However, before he could speak, the team doctor who was constantly clicking his tongue made a sound.
It seemed like he poked himself. The toothbrush bristles were stained with blood, and Qin Chunxiao felt sorry for Yashenka just looking at it.
A few minutes later, since the doctor didn’t practice self-care, they had to call in another medical staff member, Lu Yunchen, who was under the same roof.
Lu Yunchen did come over. He lifted Yashenka’s lips, examined carefully, then turned to Qin Chunxiao and said, “It’s not serious. You can leave it alone. If you’re worried about inflammation, take some vitamins and anti-inflammatory medication.”
Yashenka opened his mouth but made no sound, raising his phone instead: Quack! How can you randomly take anti-inflammatory medication?
Lu Yunchen responded with a tap-tap: Then don’t blame me for not warning you.
His mom loved eating seafood, and whenever a shell pricked her, her gums would become swollen and painful. She couldn’t talk for several days, and chewing was more painful than having a cold or fever.
Yashenka protested with taps, and Lu Yunchen responded with taps. Yashenka continued tapping, and Lu Yunchen joined in.
While the two were racing with their tapping speed, Lu Xuandong brought out bowls of millet porridge and asked Qin Chunxiao, “What’s the plan?”
Qin Chunxiao replied, “Going to take an exam. Yashenka is going to the hospital to see his idol.”
Lu Xuandong said, “Then I’ll drive you.”
Qin Chunxiao turned to look at Lu Yunchen and Yashenka who were still tapping, thinking, should he let Lu Yunchen be their guide for Yashenka? But that didn’t seem right.
Lu Xuandong said, “Yunchen has a good temper now and does things more carefully than before. He can also communicate with Yashenka. I’ll talk to him and he’ll be a good guide.”
He continued, “Also, after I drop you off for your exam, I need to go to Zheyue Headquarters. It’s on the way.”
Qin Chunxiao understood the concept of “work comes first.” After all, they had stayed over at his place, so he shouldn’t delay Lu Xuandong’s work.
Yashenka also held the notion that work was important, so he nodded in front of Qin Chunxiao and Lu Xuandong. As soon as the two left, he immediately took out his phone, opened the document that Qin Chunxiao had sent him about “what to do if you get lost on the street,” and downloaded the bilingual navigation from plan B. He planned to rely on English to navigate to the hospital.
Lu Yunchen had already taken the car keys and held them out to him :I can take you!
Yashenka ignored him.
Lu Yunchen: Uncle, don’t be stubborn.
Yashenka glanced at him, and Lu Yunchen met his gaze.
Both of them reached out in sync, grabbing each other’s faces and pinching.
Compared to them, Qin Chunxiao and Lu Xuandong were incredibly harmonious. When the car reached the school gate, Lu Xuandong drove around a bit, found a parking spot, and opened the door, bending over to turn his back on Qin Chunxiao.
“Come up, I’ll carry you,” Lu Xuandong said.
Qin Chunxiao’s impression of himself was still that of being delicate and weak. “I successfully gained muscle mass last year. I weigh 140 pounds now. I can manage on my own.”
Lu Xuandong replied, “I’m taller than Yashenka. I can definitely carry you. Get on.”
Qin Chunxiao chuckled, “You’re quite stubborn.”
He packed his bag and climbed onto Lu Xuandong’s back.
Lu Xuandong steadied himself and lifted Qin Chunxiao onto his back. He supported Qin Chunxiao’s thighs with his wrists, hooked a lunch bag with his fingers, and handed Qin Chunxiao his crutches. He carried him all the way to the third floor of the teaching building.
Qin Chunxiao was astonished, “Dongzi, you’ve improved so much!”
Lu Xuandong was very proud, “Give me another year, and I can even let you swing on my arms like a swing.”
Even the teacher was surprised when she saw their appearance. She didn’t recognize the masked Lu Xuandong and looked at her student in confusion, “Who is this?”
Qin Chunxiao responded, “Teammate.”
The teacher didn’t doubt it at all, “Oh, another athlete. Here, place your teammate here.”
Lu Xuandong put Qin Chunxiao down and hurriedly left. Qin Chunxiao pointed at his retreating figure, “He’s off to practice.”
The teacher sighed, “You have a really good teammate.”
Due to Qin Chunxiao’s special circumstances, the school provided a special arrangement for him. He had a separate classroom, and a teacher brought all the exam papers for him to complete.
Qin Chunxiao’s speed in answering questions was quite good. With full effort, he completed all the papers in a day. The teacher collected the papers and told him to wait for the scores to be announced in the class group chat.
Both the school and the students showed high efficiency. Of course, Qin Chunxiao was a treasure of No. 6 Middle School. Every time he achieved good results, the school would put up more photos on the honor wall with captions like “Student Qin Chunxiao achieved excellent results in a certain international competition on xx date in xx year.”
As for lunch, Qin Chunxiao opened his insulated lunchbox. Inside were rice balls and chicken and beef made by Lu Xuandong. The texture was a bit dry, but it was okay. There was also bone soup in another container.
The teacher, eating the cafeteria lunch, sniffed, “You’re eating quite well, Xiaozai.”
Qin Chunxiao glanced at the teacher and then at the lunchbox, showing a conflicted expression. He seemed to feel it was appropriate to politely offer some to the teacher but was hesitant to do so.
The teacher couldn’t help but suppress a laugh. She was about to say, “I won’t take food from a student’s mouth,” when she saw Qin Chunxiao moving the lunchbox a bit further away.
“When it’s Teacher Xie’s banquet, I’ll treat you at Runfu Tower.”
The teacher said, “You really don’t have to.”
She really wasn’t greedy for a little bit of food from a volleyball kid like Qin Chunxiao.
In the afternoon, Lu Xuandong came to pick up Qin Chunxiao. As soon as they entered the house, they saw a mess. Lu Yunchen and Yashenka were tangled up on the floor, clothes disheveled. Lu Yunchen was twisting Yashenka’s thigh, while Yashenka bit his calf.
A strong medicinal aroma wafted from the kitchen. Lu Xuandong gently placed Qin Chunxiao on the sofa and walked into the kitchen. He saw a pot of medicine boiling. He turned back and asked, “This medicine is almost done. Could you guys help clean up here?”
Lu Yunchen quickly got up, saying, “This one’s mine.”
Lu Xuandong asked, “What kind of Chinese medicine are you drinking?”
Lu Yunchen explained, “Oh, it’s not for me. Yashenka saw a doctor today. The doctor said he’s deficient in qi and blood, leading to deficiencies in the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys. He needs to quit smoking and drinking and take blood-enriching tonics. The doctor also prescribed some regulating medicine, but Yashenka doesn’t know how to brew Chinese medicine, so I’m helping.”
As he spoke, he used gauze to pad his hands and carefully removed the lid from the steaming pot, pouring the dark medicine into a bowl.
Qin Chunxiao asked Yashenka, “How did you end up fighting?”
Yashenka looked dispirited, “To thank him for guiding me, I intended to have a good chat with him when I returned.”
Qin Chunxiao urged, “And then?”
Yashenka continued, “We talked about how he got swindled, and I said if he were more assertive, no one would dare take advantage of him. People like Bai Ming, the scum, should be beaten up a few more times. I mentioned that I had fought with a scumbag ex-boyfriend before, and he couldn’t successfully extort money from me in the end. He actually said I was heartless!”
Qin Chunxiao asked, “So, why did you end up fighting?”
Yashenka became more animated, “I didn’t plan on getting physical at first! I just playfully patted his waist!”
Then, Lu Yunchen smiled and patted him on the waist, and Yashenka playfully patted back with even more force… Unintentionally, they got into a tangle.
Qin Chunxiao shook his head, “You guys are like elementary school kids.”
To support his parents’ love, Qin Chunxiao stayed with Lu Xuandong for two days, but after two days, he moved back to his parents’ place. On the contrary, Yashenka stayed at Lu Xuandong’s place for the convenience of brewing the medicine, and Lu Yunchen didn’t move out either.
A few days later, Qin Chunxiao finally received his final exam results – he ranked in the top thirty in the entire grade.
Now, both the teachers and parents were extremely satisfied with him, and Qin Chunxiao was content with himself as well. He returned home with a cheerful demeanor.
At this point, their time here was coming to an end.
But when Qin Chunxiao and Yashenka arrived at the airport with their bags, Yashenka suddenly started to have a nosebleed. Qin Chunxiao quickly reacted and rushed him to the hospital, seeking out the same experienced doctor as before.
Lu Xuandong, who had come to see them off, went to rearrange the flights, while Lu Yunchen handed tissues to Yashenka. In a fluster, Lu Yunchen said, “My mom just came out with a new drama, and the female lead has leukemia and gets nosebleeds all the time.”
The famous actress Zhao Zhaoyan, who recently guest-starred as the affluent mother in a melodrama where the male lead had a tragic background, played her role true to life. It was said that the only difference between the actress and the character was that the character was even more astute.
Qin Chunxiao chuckled, “No way, that can’t be true, can it?”
Lu Xuandong warned his brother, “Stop watching those nonsensical shows!”
Lu Yunchen retorted, “How can Mom’s drama be considered nonsensical? Everyone says it’s the best tragic love story in recent years, with the second-highest ratings during the same period. Mom has become really popular because of it!”
They quickly reached the hospital. Lu Xuandong registered, and with the group in tow, they went to find the doctor. Lu Xuandong stood at 6 feet 7 inches tall, or about 2 meters with shoes on. Yashenka and Lu Yunchen stood at 6 feet 6 inches, or around 1.98 meters with shoes on. Qin Chunxiao was the shortest among them, but he was being carried by the tallest, making him stand out in height as they traversed the hospital corridor.
The four tall men crowded the doctor’s consultation room.
The doctor was a character as well. He calmly instructed a nurse to go to the orthopedic department next door and fetch the strongest deputy director with a saw, just in case of any disturbances. He was very composed, asking, “What’s the issue?”
The four of them chorused, “Nosebleed!”
The doctor couldn’t believe it, “Huh?”
After the doctor’s examination, it seemed that Yashenka had been over-supplemented with something. He asked a few more questions, and Qin Chunxiao learned that after Lu Yunchen found out about Yashenka’s deficiency in qi and blood, he specifically gave Yashenka a box of donkey-hide gelatin cakes to replenish his blood.
Qin Chunxiao looked at Yashenka’s reddened and swollen face, and the tooth marks scabbed over on Lu Yunchen’s neck. Suddenly, he couldn’t quite figure out whether their relationship was good or bad.
My Soulmate is A Libero
Qin’s parents were both busy with their respective careers, but their relationship was really good.
Qin Chunxiao remembered once when he came home early from elementary school, he pushed open the door and saw his mother wearing a qipao and his father in a suit, dancing in each other’s arms to the song “Reality.”
At that time, they still lived in a very old and rundown rented house. In order to raise their two children in the big city, Qin’s dad and mom rarely bought new clothes. So, the qipao was borrowed from his grandmother, and his mom’s qipao was a bit tight. The suit cost only two hundred yuan, and it even faded when it was washed later.
So, what was young Qin’s feeling as he walked in at that moment?
Qin Chunxiao: He felt like he was a major buzzkill, but he also thought that his parents’ affection wasn’t a bad thing. So, he apologized and quickly slipped into his bedroom, pretending he didn’t exist, hoping his parents could continue their romance.
And now, his dad was preparing a candlelit dinner for his mom.
Coincidentally, Qin Chunxiao couldn’t eat meat from outside, so he couldn’t join this meal either.
Qin’s dad had already started taking shrimp out of the fridge. “Son, don’t worry, Dad will make something else for you.”
Qin Chunxiao waved his hand repeatedly. “You and Mom don’t get much time together usually. Don’t think about it today, and don’t worry about me either. Just focus on having a good time with Mom. I can take care of myself.”
Saying that, the young man jumped onto the team doctor’s back, tapping away on his phone. “Yashenka, let’s go.”
Yashenka held his 140-pound frame steadily, not struggling at all. “Go where?”
Qin Chunxiao said, “We’re going to my buddy’s place. Dongzi’s car hasn’t gone far yet. He’s taking a detour to pick us up. Let’s go downstairs now, and he should be there.”
Qin Ling, who understood Russian, quickly shouted, “Wait! Since you have low body fat, you might get a cold. Wear more before you leave!”
Actually, Qin Chunxiao had been used to being cold for a long time. When he was in Guangdong, sudden drops in temperature were hard to adapt to. However, after going to Russia, he had gradually evolved to the point where he didn’t care about temperatures as low as negative twenty degrees.
Lu Yunchen didn’t expect that he and his older brother hadn’t driven a kilometer before another call came in. Moreover, his brother turned the car around immediately.
So, not long after, he and Yashenka met up again.
Both of them were in the same car again, and the countdown resumed. Yashenka didn’t want to talk to Lu Yunchen, so he asked Qin Chunxiao, “Where are we eating?”
Qin Chunxiao said, “Dongzi’s place can provide athlete meals.”
Lu Xuandong didn’t even turn his head. “Mhm, I’m an excellent logistics support.”
The Qin team settled into the Lu residence. While Lu Xuandong didn’t show a big reaction on the surface, he was secretly elated. He had set up a lavish spread, completely opening Yashenka’s eyes to the variety of food. He couldn’t stop eating.
However, by evening, they discovered a serious problem.
When Lu Xuandong bought the house, he had only reserved space for two family members. So, despite the house being spacious, there were only two bedrooms, and no guest room.
The two bedrooms were the same size, without a distinction between primary and secondary. But one of them was closed off. Lu Yunchen couldn’t live in that room even if he wanted to.
What? His older brother gave up the bedroom and slept on the couch? That was absolutely impossible! The Lu family also owned a house in Guangzhou. Lu Yunchen could easily go stay there. Why force himself to squeeze into one room with his older brother?
Lu Xuandong couldn’t even accept the idea of sharing a bed with his younger brother.
“Because I don’t sleep well, and I don’t want you to disturb me,” was his explanation, and it was the truth.
Lu Yunchen accepted this reason, so if he really wanted to stay in the same room as his brother, he would invite his brother to stay in his apartment. He had a guest room there.
Of course, he could also accept sleeping on his brother’s couch, but Lu Xuandong usually sent him back.
However, it was pouring rain that day, as if even the heavens wanted these four people to spend the night together in this house.
At this point, Lu Xuandong regretted not buying the neighboring apartment as well. But when he thought about the property prices here, he felt a pang of pain. It was better to keep the cash flow in his hand for investments.
Qin Chunxiao had one leg draped over the nanny hand, asking him to help him massage it, while holding a glass of juice that Lu Xuandong squeezed for him. He asked, “How are we sleeping tonight?”
Lu Yunchen looked at the rain outside, then at his dear brother. With such heavy rain, it didn’t feel safe to drive back.
Lu Xuandong was silent for a while. Given his condition, he would only sleep well if he was with Team Qin, so ideally, he and Chunxiao would share a room. The other two could do whatever. But since he had to get up early tomorrow to make breakfast for Team Qin, he was afraid that any noise from him getting up might disturb their sleep.
So, he waved his hand towards his younger brother, saying, “You sleep in my bed.”
Lu Yunchen was excited, “Okay!”
The young man’s state upon entering his brother’s bedroom. Lu Yunchen was quite similar to Liu Laolao’s when she entered the Grand View Garden – everything was novel, everything was intriguing, but he didn’t dare touch anything randomly.
And his brother’s bed was so big! After all, he was nearly two meters tall, and a regular bed wouldn’t fit him. Even if the bed was extended, the mattress was too hard. Lu Xuandong was used to sleeping on hard beds, and Lu Yunchen didn’t have any objections either.
After all, he couldn’t manage everything, including what his brother slept on. If he dared voice his thoughts, his brother could throw him out.
On the other side, Yashenka was also full of curiosity as he touched the mattress in the guest bedroom. “This is so comfortable. What brand is it?”
Qin Chunxiao said, “Hasten.”
Yashenka searched on his phone and then looked at the price, remained silent.
It wasn’t that he couldn’t afford it, after all, he earned a yearly salary of five hundred thousand dollars as well. But was it really necessary to buy such an expensive mattress?
Thankfully, it felt good to sleep on, and Yashenka was a bachelor with minimal expectations for a soulmate. At this moment, he had a tendency to be carefree. The next day, he woke up and started asking Qin Chunxiao about how to buy the mattress.
Qin Chunxiao was still half-asleep and wanted to remind him not to talk while brushing his teeth, or else he might injure his gums with the toothbrush. However, before he could speak, the team doctor who was constantly clicking his tongue made a sound.
It seemed like he poked himself. The toothbrush bristles were stained with blood, and Qin Chunxiao felt sorry for Yashenka just looking at it.
A few minutes later, since the doctor didn’t practice self-care, they had to call in another medical staff member, Lu Yunchen, who was under the same roof.
Lu Yunchen did come over. He lifted Yashenka’s lips, examined carefully, then turned to Qin Chunxiao and said, “It’s not serious. You can leave it alone. If you’re worried about inflammation, take some vitamins and anti-inflammatory medication.”
Yashenka opened his mouth but made no sound, raising his phone instead: Quack! How can you randomly take anti-inflammatory medication?
Lu Yunchen responded with a tap-tap: Then don’t blame me for not warning you.
His mom loved eating seafood, and whenever a shell pricked her, her gums would become swollen and painful. She couldn’t talk for several days, and chewing was more painful than having a cold or fever.
Yashenka protested with taps, and Lu Yunchen responded with taps. Yashenka continued tapping, and Lu Yunchen joined in.
While the two were racing with their tapping speed, Lu Xuandong brought out bowls of millet porridge and asked Qin Chunxiao, “What’s the plan?”
Qin Chunxiao replied, “Going to take an exam. Yashenka is going to the hospital to see his idol.”
Lu Xuandong said, “Then I’ll drive you.”
Qin Chunxiao turned to look at Lu Yunchen and Yashenka who were still tapping, thinking, should he let Lu Yunchen be their guide for Yashenka? But that didn’t seem right.
Lu Xuandong said, “Yunchen has a good temper now and does things more carefully than before. He can also communicate with Yashenka. I’ll talk to him and he’ll be a good guide.”
He continued, “Also, after I drop you off for your exam, I need to go to Zheyue Headquarters. It’s on the way.”
Qin Chunxiao understood the concept of “work comes first.” After all, they had stayed over at his place, so he shouldn’t delay Lu Xuandong’s work.
Yashenka also held the notion that work was important, so he nodded in front of Qin Chunxiao and Lu Xuandong. As soon as the two left, he immediately took out his phone, opened the document that Qin Chunxiao had sent him about “what to do if you get lost on the street,” and downloaded the bilingual navigation from plan B. He planned to rely on English to navigate to the hospital.
Lu Yunchen had already taken the car keys and held them out to him :I can take you!
Yashenka ignored him.
Lu Yunchen: Uncle, don’t be stubborn.
Yashenka glanced at him, and Lu Yunchen met his gaze.
Both of them reached out in sync, grabbing each other’s faces and pinching.
Compared to them, Qin Chunxiao and Lu Xuandong were incredibly harmonious. When the car reached the school gate, Lu Xuandong drove around a bit, found a parking spot, and opened the door, bending over to turn his back on Qin Chunxiao.
“Come up, I’ll carry you,” Lu Xuandong said.
Qin Chunxiao’s impression of himself was still that of being delicate and weak. “I successfully gained muscle mass last year. I weigh 140 pounds now. I can manage on my own.”
Lu Xuandong replied, “I’m taller than Yashenka. I can definitely carry you. Get on.”
Qin Chunxiao chuckled, “You’re quite stubborn.”
He packed his bag and climbed onto Lu Xuandong’s back.
Lu Xuandong steadied himself and lifted Qin Chunxiao onto his back. He supported Qin Chunxiao’s thighs with his wrists, hooked a lunch bag with his fingers, and handed Qin Chunxiao his crutches. He carried him all the way to the third floor of the teaching building.
Qin Chunxiao was astonished, “Dongzi, you’ve improved so much!”
Lu Xuandong was very proud, “Give me another year, and I can even let you swing on my arms like a swing.”
Even the teacher was surprised when she saw their appearance. She didn’t recognize the masked Lu Xuandong and looked at her student in confusion, “Who is this?”
Qin Chunxiao responded, “Teammate.”
The teacher didn’t doubt it at all, “Oh, another athlete. Here, place your teammate here.”
Lu Xuandong put Qin Chunxiao down and hurriedly left. Qin Chunxiao pointed at his retreating figure, “He’s off to practice.”
The teacher sighed, “You have a really good teammate.”
Due to Qin Chunxiao’s special circumstances, the school provided a special arrangement for him. He had a separate classroom, and a teacher brought all the exam papers for him to complete.
Qin Chunxiao’s speed in answering questions was quite good. With full effort, he completed all the papers in a day. The teacher collected the papers and told him to wait for the scores to be announced in the class group chat.
Both the school and the students showed high efficiency. Of course, Qin Chunxiao was a treasure of No. 6 Middle School. Every time he achieved good results, the school would put up more photos on the honor wall with captions like “Student Qin Chunxiao achieved excellent results in a certain international competition on xx date in xx year.”
As for lunch, Qin Chunxiao opened his insulated lunchbox. Inside were rice balls and chicken and beef made by Lu Xuandong. The texture was a bit dry, but it was okay. There was also bone soup in another container.
The teacher, eating the cafeteria lunch, sniffed, “You’re eating quite well, Xiaozai.”
Qin Chunxiao glanced at the teacher and then at the lunchbox, showing a conflicted expression. He seemed to feel it was appropriate to politely offer some to the teacher but was hesitant to do so.
The teacher couldn’t help but suppress a laugh. She was about to say, “I won’t take food from a student’s mouth,” when she saw Qin Chunxiao moving the lunchbox a bit further away.
“When it’s Teacher Xie’s banquet, I’ll treat you at Runfu Tower.”
The teacher said, “You really don’t have to.”
She really wasn’t greedy for a little bit of food from a volleyball kid like Qin Chunxiao.
In the afternoon, Lu Xuandong came to pick up Qin Chunxiao. As soon as they entered the house, they saw a mess. Lu Yunchen and Yashenka were tangled up on the floor, clothes disheveled. Lu Yunchen was twisting Yashenka’s thigh, while Yashenka bit his calf.
A strong medicinal aroma wafted from the kitchen. Lu Xuandong gently placed Qin Chunxiao on the sofa and walked into the kitchen. He saw a pot of medicine boiling. He turned back and asked, “This medicine is almost done. Could you guys help clean up here?”
Lu Yunchen quickly got up, saying, “This one’s mine.”
Lu Xuandong asked, “What kind of Chinese medicine are you drinking?”
Lu Yunchen explained, “Oh, it’s not for me. Yashenka saw a doctor today. The doctor said he’s deficient in qi and blood, leading to deficiencies in the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys. He needs to quit smoking and drinking and take blood-enriching tonics. The doctor also prescribed some regulating medicine, but Yashenka doesn’t know how to brew Chinese medicine, so I’m helping.”
As he spoke, he used gauze to pad his hands and carefully removed the lid from the steaming pot, pouring the dark medicine into a bowl.
Qin Chunxiao asked Yashenka, “How did you end up fighting?”
Yashenka looked dispirited, “To thank him for guiding me, I intended to have a good chat with him when I returned.”
Qin Chunxiao urged, “And then?”
Yashenka continued, “We talked about how he got swindled, and I said if he were more assertive, no one would dare take advantage of him. People like Bai Ming, the scum, should be beaten up a few more times. I mentioned that I had fought with a scumbag ex-boyfriend before, and he couldn’t successfully extort money from me in the end. He actually said I was heartless!”
Qin Chunxiao asked, “So, why did you end up fighting?”
Yashenka became more animated, “I didn’t plan on getting physical at first! I just playfully patted his waist!”
Then, Lu Yunchen smiled and patted him on the waist, and Yashenka playfully patted back with even more force… Unintentionally, they got into a tangle.
Qin Chunxiao shook his head, “You guys are like elementary school kids.”
To support his parents’ love, Qin Chunxiao stayed with Lu Xuandong for two days, but after two days, he moved back to his parents’ place. On the contrary, Yashenka stayed at Lu Xuandong’s place for the convenience of brewing the medicine, and Lu Yunchen didn’t move out either.
A few days later, Qin Chunxiao finally received his final exam results – he ranked in the top thirty in the entire grade.
Now, both the teachers and parents were extremely satisfied with him, and Qin Chunxiao was content with himself as well. He returned home with a cheerful demeanor.
At this point, their time here was coming to an end.
But when Qin Chunxiao and Yashenka arrived at the airport with their bags, Yashenka suddenly started to have a nosebleed. Qin Chunxiao quickly reacted and rushed him to the hospital, seeking out the same experienced doctor as before.
Lu Xuandong, who had come to see them off, went to rearrange the flights, while Lu Yunchen handed tissues to Yashenka. In a fluster, Lu Yunchen said, “My mom just came out with a new drama, and the female lead has leukemia and gets nosebleeds all the time.”
The famous actress Zhao Zhaoyan, who recently guest-starred as the affluent mother in a melodrama where the male lead had a tragic background, played her role true to life. It was said that the only difference between the actress and the character was that the character was even more astute.
Qin Chunxiao chuckled, “No way, that can’t be true, can it?”
Lu Xuandong warned his brother, “Stop watching those nonsensical shows!”
Lu Yunchen retorted, “How can Mom’s drama be considered nonsensical? Everyone says it’s the best tragic love story in recent years, with the second-highest ratings during the same period. Mom has become really popular because of it!”
They quickly reached the hospital. Lu Xuandong registered, and with the group in tow, they went to find the doctor. Lu Xuandong stood at 6 feet 7 inches tall, or about 2 meters with shoes on. Yashenka and Lu Yunchen stood at 6 feet 6 inches, or around 1.98 meters with shoes on. Qin Chunxiao was the shortest among them, but he was being carried by the tallest, making him stand out in height as they traversed the hospital corridor.
The four tall men crowded the doctor’s consultation room.
The doctor was a character as well. He calmly instructed a nurse to go to the orthopedic department next door and fetch the strongest deputy director with a saw, just in case of any disturbances. He was very composed, asking, “What’s the issue?”
The four of them chorused, “Nosebleed!”
The doctor couldn’t believe it, “Huh?”
After the doctor’s examination, it seemed that Yashenka had been over-supplemented with something. He asked a few more questions, and Qin Chunxiao learned that after Lu Yunchen found out about Yashenka’s deficiency in qi and blood, he specifically gave Yashenka a box of donkey-hide gelatin cakes to replenish his blood.
Qin Chunxiao looked at Yashenka’s reddened and swollen face, and the tooth marks scabbed over on Lu Yunchen’s neck. Suddenly, he couldn’t quite figure out whether their relationship was good or bad.
