My Soulmate is A Libero
Argentina’s second setter, Nicoló, was once one of China’s most formidable opponents. However, with age, his performance had declined slightly. His blocking and attacking abilities were not as sharp as before, but his setting skills had become more impressive.
Thus, this year, Jenner solidified his position as the captain of the Argentine men’s volleyball team. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, he would likely hold this responsibility until the end of the Tokyo Olympic cycle.
Qiao Mingming, on the other hand, had a less fortunate fate. His health remained robust in 2023, and he was still fit to play. It could be foreseen that this earnest individual would continue to lead the group of mischievous kids as captain until the end of the Paris Olympic cycle.
He would have to worry about his teammates for another seven years, truly a challenging role for a captain.
Jana considered Qiao Mingming a formidable rival. As he stood by the net, with his teammates preparing to serve behind him, he locked eyes with Qiao Mingming across the net.
This man had displayed exceptional pinpoint attacks in the Super League, achieving top-three attacking statistics in the Italian SuperLega even without a divine-level attacker. Under Lorenzo’s guidance, Qiao Mingming’s performance rivaled the best in Italy.
He was also the first East Asian player to achieve this, and coincidentally, Jenner had a teammate in a certain Italian club. After watching Qiao Mingming’s match videos, he naturally developed a competitive mentality as an attacker himself.
Unfortunately, Qiao Mingming didn’t notice the competitive intent in Jenner’s eyes. He was still concerned about his teammates until just before going onto the court.
As he was drinking milk, a young child sprinted past and accidentally bumped into him, causing the milk to spill to the side. Qin Chunxiao’s yellow jersey was instantly tainted with the smell of milk.
Qiao Mingming earnestly persuade Qin Chunxiao, “Xiaozai, don’t scold me for being stupid.”
Li Ling pitifully whimpered, “I know I’m wrong. I’ll practice my setting more when we go back!”
Qin Chunxiao held up his yellow jersey, saying, “I’m playing libero in this match. My jersey is stained, and I left the spare one in the hotel. I can’t change it, and I’m not only wet on my jersey but also my pants!”
Du Xiaofeng tried to help, “You can wear one of ours. Just put some tape over the jersey number.”
However, Qin Chunxiao had the slimmest waist on the team. Not that he had a particularly small waist—standing at 6 feet with a weight of 140 pounds, his waist measured 27.6 inches (70 cm).
Remember, his waist was 25.2 inches (64 cm) just two or three years ago. Now that his waist had grown by 2.4 inches (6 cm), yet his body fat remained low, it was clear that his expanded waist was due to well-defined muscles. This demonstrated how strong his core was. Fortunately, his gluteal muscles were also well developed, giving his waist a visually “slender and tough” appearance.
Hence, Du Xiaofeng’s pants were too loose for Qin Chunxiao. He would have needed a belt to hold them up, but where could he attach a belt for a player’s jersey?
Chion Wu’s pants could fit, but he couldn’t lend them, as Chion Wu only brought one set of clothes with him when he went out.
In the end, Qin Chunxiao had to borrow a pair of pants from Luo He, the slimmest opposite hitter. However, Luo He had grown to 6 feet 7 inches (2.01 meters). When Qin Chunxiao wore Luo He’s pants, it looked like a child trying on adult clothes, creating an unexpectedly comical visual. In the end, Qin Chunxiao had to tuck the jersey hem into the pants.
After finally dealing with this group of people, Qiao Mingming felt a sense of relief as he stepped onto the court. He could finally play his game properly.
Jenner considered Qiao Mingming a tough opponent, but Qiao Mingming saw his opponents as saviors. Either way, as long as it allowed him to escape from those troublesome kids.
However, when it came to actual gameplay, Qiao Mingming showed no mercy to his saviors.
Qiao Mingming, who was always worrying like a mother for his teammates off the court, transformed into the most reliable and dependable attacking main force on the court. Warm and trustworthy, these were his defining qualities.
As Ding Rong set the ball into the air, Qiao Mingming soared high. His jump didn’t seem excessively high, but the shadow cast by his robust arm under the spotlight covered Jenner’s face.
With a powerful spike, the volleyball brushed past Jenner’s face and landed heavily on the three-meter line.
Wu Di: “Great, a splendid diagonal shot! No wonder he’s China’s top opposite hitter, Qiao Mingming!”
Li Laiheng coughed lightly, gesturing for Wu Di to tone it down. Even though Qiao Mingming’s position as the top opposite hitter was secure, he shouldn’t be shouted about in front of so many people watching TV. It wouldn’t be good for appearances.
Little did they know that Wu Di’s shout actually amplified Qiao Mingming’s reputation as China’s top opposite hitter. Considering that China was already the top team in Asia, Qiao Mingming could now be regarded as the top opposite hitter in Asia.
Starting from this day, he officially became the dream of all top opposite hitters in Asia.
Jenner landed, and Nicoló consoled him, “Your primary role is in attacking. Blocking isn’t your strong suit. Don’t mind it.”
Actually, as a seasoned player who had become the captain, Jenner had comprehensive skills. His blocking was also decent. While he couldn’t stop Qiao Mingming due to his knee injury, which led to him being overpowered in height, before the injury, even in a rushed situation, Jenner had the confidence to execute soft blocks.
Looking at the young top opposite hitter, Jenner felt a sense of discontent and determination.
On the other side, Qiao Mingming was diligently scoring points. According to Newton’s pre-match analysis, last year’s matches against Argentina were challenging because their point-scoring was not fast enough to create a significant advantage. This allowed the opponent to catch up. This year, they tried more powerful attacks.
Fu Biyang was also delivering various fast balls. As a sub-opposite, he should excel in front-court balls, while the main opposite should be proficient in back-court ones. However, when Lorenzo and Newton coached him, they disregarded these distinctions. Their requirement for both sub-opposites was, “Perform well in both front-court and back-court.”
The situation on the court changed in an instant, and the players’ skills were well-rounded. The more versatile they were, the more situations they could handle, which would be beneficial for the team and the players’ personal development.
Now, Ding Rong and Li Ling played a significant role.
Ding Rong was a member of the fox system, known for his craftiness and ability to create open nets for attackers, making their attacks smoother. Moreover, he could attack during crucial moments as well, making him unpredictable and difficult to defend against. With his assistance, Qiao Mingming primarily relied on pinpoint attacks as his main method of scoring, but he had more opportunities for attacking.
Li Ling had a wild and imaginative playing style. Nobody knew if he would pass the ball to his teammates or if he would swing it over the net himself, making him unpredictable and difficult to guard against. He was also good friends with Fu Biyang, leading to great cooperation, and their fast attacks were executed brilliantly.
The most crucial point was that Ding Rong could assist Fu Biyang, and Li Ling could assist Qiao Mingming. With both setters on the court, it seemed as though the audience was watching a game of volleyball “pass the parcel”!
Seeing this scene, Newton nodded in satisfaction, “Finally, they’ve found their rhythm. Fortunately, they’re a bunch of like-minded people. After playing a match or two, their synergy is back.”
Jiang Xiaohai’s mouth twitched, “Like-minded, huh…” It was an undeniable description.
However, when he turned his gaze back to the court, he couldn’t help but feel his excitement rise.
The strength of these young players had increased once again!
Almost at the end of each club season, these players returning to the national team would exhibit noticeable improvement. It was as if the club league was their leveling ground, with each player advancing 5 to 10 levels after finishing their “instance runs.”
When they brought back the knowledge and experience they gained from various places to the team, it was predictable that this intangible wealth would continue to nourish the team and even their successors.
Of course, it wasn’t just the Chinese team that had strengthened this year; Argentina had also become stronger. They had acquired an exceptionally talented libero, Dlamini!
This young man with dark skin, standing at only 5 feet 5 inches (1.65 meters), had the calmness of a snake and the agility of an antelope. He was a living legend on the court.
He was incredibly flexible and active, bounding around like his stamina bar would never be depleted. Moreover, he had an excellent sense of the ball and strong awareness. Despite his young age, he had displaced the previous starting libero in Argentina’s top club.
Dlamini’s only shortcoming might be a lack of experience in major tournaments. He was even familiar with volleyball itself, as he had played the sport, but due to his height, he had never entered a significant volleyball competition before.
However, in order to bridge the gap between himself and other world-class liberos, Qin Chunxiao had spent several seasons honing his skills. His talent was also terrifyingly recognized, which allowed him to create a distance between himself and Dlamini.
Dlamini’s defensive efficiency was not on par with his!
Certainly, Argentina was a tenacious veteran team that had long stood among the world’s top eight teams. Even Brazil would hesitate to claim victory against them.
But the enhanced version of the Chinese team was no longer the one that relied solely on defensive counterattacks and dragging opponents to the fifth set. This time, they made it to the fifth set through powerful attacks and endurance.
[Ah, this familiar feeling again, it’s the fifth set.]
[I knew that the Chinese team would have a few matches that last over 120 minutes against opponents.]
[They changed their tactics, too. It makes sense. Relying solely on defensive counterattacks was not only too much pressure on the defensive end, but it also made it easier for opponents to exploit weaknesses and target them. More tactical options are necessary.]
[I feel so cute in this jersey today. In the previous match against France, I felt like a fried dough twist, but today I feel like a banana with half its peel peeled off.]
On the Argentine side, many of the players were veterans. It was true that “younger is better” in sports, just as in boxing. The Chinese team, mostly composed of players born in 1995, were in their prime in 2019, with their stamina bars lengthening one after another.
When Argentina ultimately lost 2:3 to the opposite team, they even thought, “If we could just get another stamina bar, we could at least hold out for a few more sets against the Chinese team.” But who could really expect an energy boost to come from nowhere? In the end, they were dragged down by the Chinese team.
Newton slapped his thigh, saying, “Oh, we still haven’t researched the Argentine team enough. Who would have thought they had so many tactics and could switch so quickly? Scared the hell out of me, and I almost reverted to the old defensive counterattack strategy.”
After all, Dundun could counter many attackers, so he started targeting Argentina’s attackers, organizing defensive counterattacks. This was the clever strategy that had led China to victory countless times in the past. Newton’s intention today was to use a strong attack strategy to train the offensive end, but victory always came first!
Fortunately, they still won in the end.
Panting heavily and wearing ill-fitting clothes, Qin Chunxiao quietly left the court after saving numerous balls. Li Ling handed him a towel with a pleasing smile. Qin Chunxiao accepted it and made a playful face at him. Li Ling happily returned the gesture, understanding that the milk incident was now behind them.
The match against Argentina came to an end. With a record of five wins and one loss in the two matches played, the Chinese team’s performance was splendid. They would soon pack their bags and take the plane tomorrow morning to Guimarães, Portugal, to face the national teams of Portugal, Russia, and Serbia.
As Qin Chunxiao stuffed his milk-scented clothes into his backpack in preparation to leave, when Jenner approached him.
“Hey.”
Qin Chunxiao turned around. “What’s up?”
Jenner hesitated for a moment. “I know you and So So get along well. Could you pass this on to him? The date is after the VNL ends. Whether he comes or not is up to him.”
He left behind a folded card. Qin Chunxiao opened it and found a warmly styled wedding invitation inside. It included a photo of Jenner and a freckled brown-haired girl taking a sunny beach snapshot together, both wearing radiant smiles.
So So seemed to have mentioned that he and Jenner attended the same high school and had agreed to join the national team together in the future. However, So So appeared somewhat melancholic at the time.
They used to be good friends, Qin Chunxiao thought as he tucked away the invitation.
This evening seemed destined to be intertwined with romance.
While having dinner, when Er Leng and Min Yaoyang burst into the room together, they exclaimed, “Xiao Zai, Xiao Zai, hurry and look outside! There’s a proposal from soulmates!”
Qin Chunxiao might not be interested in proposals, but he couldn’t resist a lively scene. So, he grabbed a plate of pasta and rushed outside. On the way to the rooftop of the hotel, he realized the French team was also in the elevator. Everyone had an excited expression that said, “There’s something exciting to see!”
When Sydney saw Qin Chunxiao, he instinctively shrank back a little and then coughed. “Are you guys also going to watch…”
He gestured upward, and Qin Chunxiao nodded. “Mhm.”
Surprisingly, Sydney seemed to understand the meaning of “mhm.” He found the pronunciation especially adorable, which softened Qin Chunxiao’s demeanor.
With excitement, Sydney said, “It’s a soulmate proposal! I’ve only seen these on TV before.”
Having experience with a soulmate relationship and having interacted with Sydney several times before, Qin Chunxiao replied, “It’s not that different. Soulmates may or may not end up together, and sometimes being friends or family is more comfortable than jumping right into a romantic relationship.”
This was his insight from experiencing a soulmate relationship. Sydney blinked. “Oh, so you’re one of those ‘not necessarily destined’ people.”
The “not necessarily destined” group was those who believed that soulmates shouldn’t necessarily end up together. This perspective seemed to have arisen from the tragic soulmate relationship stories that went viral online.
Sydney continued, “I don’t really care how they get along. I just enjoy seeing happy people. Who doesn’t like happiness?”
Qin Chunxiao softly agreed, “I agree with that.”
This time, the proposal on the hotel rooftop featured a blonde race car driver. He knelt down on one knee in front of a pale Asian girl in a wheelchair. He then lifted both hands while propping his head against the girl’s knee. She leaned down to kiss his forehead.
They were surrounded by blooming gardenias. Qin Chunxiao couldn’t fathom the effort the race car driver had put into bringing so many blooming gardenias. Regardless, the scene was undeniably beautiful.
The gardenia’s language is eternal love and lifelong companionship.
The groom’s friends and family sang a song, using the tune of “Greensleeves,” an English Christmas carol. Someone even played the piano accompaniment. The pianist and the girl were similar, both being of Asian descent. Based on their ages, they were likely siblings.
Everyone displayed expressions of blessings.
According to the story, this couple were dominant soulmates. When the race car driver moved to the girl’s neighborhood, he saw color for the first time and began chasing his dream of becoming a race car driver. The girl, however, had always felt inferior about her legs and was unwilling to accept the boy’s affection.
But they ended up together.
Perhaps in the eyes of some bystanders, they weren’t the most compatible couple, but as long as they were happy, did it really matter?
Tong Shulan was also watching nearby. When her piano-playing brother walked up to the blonde race car driver and said a string of words, which could have been either blessings or warnings, Tong Shulan chuckled.
After finishing the proposal scene, as Qin Chunxiao was about to head back, Gao Depi knocked on the door. “Xiao Zai, Xiao Zai, are you online? Check Twitter quickly! Mattia just announced his relationship with Luma!”
Qin Chunxiao was puzzled. “Didn’t Xiong Wu say that Mattia’s peach blossom was blooming and that they were already together? Why get so excited over this?”
The Chinese team had known the truth for a while through Xiong Wu’s calculations.
Gao Depi laughed heartily. “He’s so funny! Just look!”
Taking his phone, Qin Chunxiao saw Gao Depi opening a video. In it, Mattia stood on the wing of an airplane, holding a megaphone and bellowed to the heavens, “I—Love—You.”
Then he leaped from the plane, opened a parachute, and displayed a banner with a photo of Luma winning her first diving championship at the age of sixteen.
At that time, Luma was still very young and not adept at controlling her expressions, so this photo became her most reluctant-to-face embarrassing picture, her “dark history.”
Surrounding Luma’s embarrassing photo were pink hearts.
Coincidentally, Mattia was still parachuting, and the wind created folds on his face, giving him an appearance that could also be seen as a bit of a “dark history.”
Qin Chunxiao: …Luma’s probably going to bury herself again. Luckily, Dong Zai has never done anything so unreasonable! It’s great that his soulmate is Dong Zai!
My Soulmate is A Libero
Argentina’s second setter, Nicoló, was once one of China’s most formidable opponents. However, with age, his performance had declined slightly. His blocking and attacking abilities were not as sharp as before, but his setting skills had become more impressive.
Thus, this year, Jenner solidified his position as the captain of the Argentine men’s volleyball team. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, he would likely hold this responsibility until the end of the Tokyo Olympic cycle.
Qiao Mingming, on the other hand, had a less fortunate fate. His health remained robust in 2023, and he was still fit to play. It could be foreseen that this earnest individual would continue to lead the group of mischievous kids as captain until the end of the Paris Olympic cycle.
He would have to worry about his teammates for another seven years, truly a challenging role for a captain.
Jana considered Qiao Mingming a formidable rival. As he stood by the net, with his teammates preparing to serve behind him, he locked eyes with Qiao Mingming across the net.
This man had displayed exceptional pinpoint attacks in the Super League, achieving top-three attacking statistics in the Italian SuperLega even without a divine-level attacker. Under Lorenzo’s guidance, Qiao Mingming’s performance rivaled the best in Italy.
He was also the first East Asian player to achieve this, and coincidentally, Jenner had a teammate in a certain Italian club. After watching Qiao Mingming’s match videos, he naturally developed a competitive mentality as an attacker himself.
Unfortunately, Qiao Mingming didn’t notice the competitive intent in Jenner’s eyes. He was still concerned about his teammates until just before going onto the court.
As he was drinking milk, a young child sprinted past and accidentally bumped into him, causing the milk to spill to the side. Qin Chunxiao’s yellow jersey was instantly tainted with the smell of milk.
Qiao Mingming earnestly persuade Qin Chunxiao, “Xiaozai, don’t scold me for being stupid.”
Li Ling pitifully whimpered, “I know I’m wrong. I’ll practice my setting more when we go back!”
Qin Chunxiao held up his yellow jersey, saying, “I’m playing libero in this match. My jersey is stained, and I left the spare one in the hotel. I can’t change it, and I’m not only wet on my jersey but also my pants!”
Du Xiaofeng tried to help, “You can wear one of ours. Just put some tape over the jersey number.”
However, Qin Chunxiao had the slimmest waist on the team. Not that he had a particularly small waist—standing at 6 feet with a weight of 140 pounds, his waist measured 27.6 inches (70 cm).
Remember, his waist was 25.2 inches (64 cm) just two or three years ago. Now that his waist had grown by 2.4 inches (6 cm), yet his body fat remained low, it was clear that his expanded waist was due to well-defined muscles. This demonstrated how strong his core was. Fortunately, his gluteal muscles were also well developed, giving his waist a visually “slender and tough” appearance.
Hence, Du Xiaofeng’s pants were too loose for Qin Chunxiao. He would have needed a belt to hold them up, but where could he attach a belt for a player’s jersey?
Chion Wu’s pants could fit, but he couldn’t lend them, as Chion Wu only brought one set of clothes with him when he went out.
In the end, Qin Chunxiao had to borrow a pair of pants from Luo He, the slimmest opposite hitter. However, Luo He had grown to 6 feet 7 inches (2.01 meters). When Qin Chunxiao wore Luo He’s pants, it looked like a child trying on adult clothes, creating an unexpectedly comical visual. In the end, Qin Chunxiao had to tuck the jersey hem into the pants.
After finally dealing with this group of people, Qiao Mingming felt a sense of relief as he stepped onto the court. He could finally play his game properly.
Jenner considered Qiao Mingming a tough opponent, but Qiao Mingming saw his opponents as saviors. Either way, as long as it allowed him to escape from those troublesome kids.
However, when it came to actual gameplay, Qiao Mingming showed no mercy to his saviors.
Qiao Mingming, who was always worrying like a mother for his teammates off the court, transformed into the most reliable and dependable attacking main force on the court. Warm and trustworthy, these were his defining qualities.
As Ding Rong set the ball into the air, Qiao Mingming soared high. His jump didn’t seem excessively high, but the shadow cast by his robust arm under the spotlight covered Jenner’s face.
With a powerful spike, the volleyball brushed past Jenner’s face and landed heavily on the three-meter line.
Wu Di: “Great, a splendid diagonal shot! No wonder he’s China’s top opposite hitter, Qiao Mingming!”
Li Laiheng coughed lightly, gesturing for Wu Di to tone it down. Even though Qiao Mingming’s position as the top opposite hitter was secure, he shouldn’t be shouted about in front of so many people watching TV. It wouldn’t be good for appearances.
Little did they know that Wu Di’s shout actually amplified Qiao Mingming’s reputation as China’s top opposite hitter. Considering that China was already the top team in Asia, Qiao Mingming could now be regarded as the top opposite hitter in Asia.
Starting from this day, he officially became the dream of all top opposite hitters in Asia.
Jenner landed, and Nicoló consoled him, “Your primary role is in attacking. Blocking isn’t your strong suit. Don’t mind it.”
Actually, as a seasoned player who had become the captain, Jenner had comprehensive skills. His blocking was also decent. While he couldn’t stop Qiao Mingming due to his knee injury, which led to him being overpowered in height, before the injury, even in a rushed situation, Jenner had the confidence to execute soft blocks.
Looking at the young top opposite hitter, Jenner felt a sense of discontent and determination.
On the other side, Qiao Mingming was diligently scoring points. According to Newton’s pre-match analysis, last year’s matches against Argentina were challenging because their point-scoring was not fast enough to create a significant advantage. This allowed the opponent to catch up. This year, they tried more powerful attacks.
Fu Biyang was also delivering various fast balls. As a sub-opposite, he should excel in front-court balls, while the main opposite should be proficient in back-court ones. However, when Lorenzo and Newton coached him, they disregarded these distinctions. Their requirement for both sub-opposites was, “Perform well in both front-court and back-court.”
The situation on the court changed in an instant, and the players’ skills were well-rounded. The more versatile they were, the more situations they could handle, which would be beneficial for the team and the players’ personal development.
Now, Ding Rong and Li Ling played a significant role.
Ding Rong was a member of the fox system, known for his craftiness and ability to create open nets for attackers, making their attacks smoother. Moreover, he could attack during crucial moments as well, making him unpredictable and difficult to defend against. With his assistance, Qiao Mingming primarily relied on pinpoint attacks as his main method of scoring, but he had more opportunities for attacking.
Li Ling had a wild and imaginative playing style. Nobody knew if he would pass the ball to his teammates or if he would swing it over the net himself, making him unpredictable and difficult to guard against. He was also good friends with Fu Biyang, leading to great cooperation, and their fast attacks were executed brilliantly.
The most crucial point was that Ding Rong could assist Fu Biyang, and Li Ling could assist Qiao Mingming. With both setters on the court, it seemed as though the audience was watching a game of volleyball “pass the parcel”!
Seeing this scene, Newton nodded in satisfaction, “Finally, they’ve found their rhythm. Fortunately, they’re a bunch of like-minded people. After playing a match or two, their synergy is back.”
Jiang Xiaohai’s mouth twitched, “Like-minded, huh…” It was an undeniable description.
However, when he turned his gaze back to the court, he couldn’t help but feel his excitement rise.
The strength of these young players had increased once again!
Almost at the end of each club season, these players returning to the national team would exhibit noticeable improvement. It was as if the club league was their leveling ground, with each player advancing 5 to 10 levels after finishing their “instance runs.”
When they brought back the knowledge and experience they gained from various places to the team, it was predictable that this intangible wealth would continue to nourish the team and even their successors.
Of course, it wasn’t just the Chinese team that had strengthened this year; Argentina had also become stronger. They had acquired an exceptionally talented libero, Dlamini!
This young man with dark skin, standing at only 5 feet 5 inches (1.65 meters), had the calmness of a snake and the agility of an antelope. He was a living legend on the court.
He was incredibly flexible and active, bounding around like his stamina bar would never be depleted. Moreover, he had an excellent sense of the ball and strong awareness. Despite his young age, he had displaced the previous starting libero in Argentina’s top club.
Dlamini’s only shortcoming might be a lack of experience in major tournaments. He was even familiar with volleyball itself, as he had played the sport, but due to his height, he had never entered a significant volleyball competition before.
However, in order to bridge the gap between himself and other world-class liberos, Qin Chunxiao had spent several seasons honing his skills. His talent was also terrifyingly recognized, which allowed him to create a distance between himself and Dlamini.
Dlamini’s defensive efficiency was not on par with his!
Certainly, Argentina was a tenacious veteran team that had long stood among the world’s top eight teams. Even Brazil would hesitate to claim victory against them.
But the enhanced version of the Chinese team was no longer the one that relied solely on defensive counterattacks and dragging opponents to the fifth set. This time, they made it to the fifth set through powerful attacks and endurance.
[Ah, this familiar feeling again, it’s the fifth set.]
[I knew that the Chinese team would have a few matches that last over 120 minutes against opponents.]
[They changed their tactics, too. It makes sense. Relying solely on defensive counterattacks was not only too much pressure on the defensive end, but it also made it easier for opponents to exploit weaknesses and target them. More tactical options are necessary.]
[I feel so cute in this jersey today. In the previous match against France, I felt like a fried dough twist, but today I feel like a banana with half its peel peeled off.]
On the Argentine side, many of the players were veterans. It was true that “younger is better” in sports, just as in boxing. The Chinese team, mostly composed of players born in 1995, were in their prime in 2019, with their stamina bars lengthening one after another.
When Argentina ultimately lost 2:3 to the opposite team, they even thought, “If we could just get another stamina bar, we could at least hold out for a few more sets against the Chinese team.” But who could really expect an energy boost to come from nowhere? In the end, they were dragged down by the Chinese team.
Newton slapped his thigh, saying, “Oh, we still haven’t researched the Argentine team enough. Who would have thought they had so many tactics and could switch so quickly? Scared the hell out of me, and I almost reverted to the old defensive counterattack strategy.”
After all, Dundun could counter many attackers, so he started targeting Argentina’s attackers, organizing defensive counterattacks. This was the clever strategy that had led China to victory countless times in the past. Newton’s intention today was to use a strong attack strategy to train the offensive end, but victory always came first!
Fortunately, they still won in the end.
Panting heavily and wearing ill-fitting clothes, Qin Chunxiao quietly left the court after saving numerous balls. Li Ling handed him a towel with a pleasing smile. Qin Chunxiao accepted it and made a playful face at him. Li Ling happily returned the gesture, understanding that the milk incident was now behind them.
The match against Argentina came to an end. With a record of five wins and one loss in the two matches played, the Chinese team’s performance was splendid. They would soon pack their bags and take the plane tomorrow morning to Guimarães, Portugal, to face the national teams of Portugal, Russia, and Serbia.
As Qin Chunxiao stuffed his milk-scented clothes into his backpack in preparation to leave, when Jenner approached him.
“Hey.”
Qin Chunxiao turned around. “What’s up?”
Jenner hesitated for a moment. “I know you and So So get along well. Could you pass this on to him? The date is after the VNL ends. Whether he comes or not is up to him.”
He left behind a folded card. Qin Chunxiao opened it and found a warmly styled wedding invitation inside. It included a photo of Jenner and a freckled brown-haired girl taking a sunny beach snapshot together, both wearing radiant smiles.
So So seemed to have mentioned that he and Jenner attended the same high school and had agreed to join the national team together in the future. However, So So appeared somewhat melancholic at the time.
They used to be good friends, Qin Chunxiao thought as he tucked away the invitation.
This evening seemed destined to be intertwined with romance.
While having dinner, when Er Leng and Min Yaoyang burst into the room together, they exclaimed, “Xiao Zai, Xiao Zai, hurry and look outside! There’s a proposal from soulmates!”
Qin Chunxiao might not be interested in proposals, but he couldn’t resist a lively scene. So, he grabbed a plate of pasta and rushed outside. On the way to the rooftop of the hotel, he realized the French team was also in the elevator. Everyone had an excited expression that said, “There’s something exciting to see!”
When Sydney saw Qin Chunxiao, he instinctively shrank back a little and then coughed. “Are you guys also going to watch…”
He gestured upward, and Qin Chunxiao nodded. “Mhm.”
Surprisingly, Sydney seemed to understand the meaning of “mhm.” He found the pronunciation especially adorable, which softened Qin Chunxiao’s demeanor.
With excitement, Sydney said, “It’s a soulmate proposal! I’ve only seen these on TV before.”
Having experience with a soulmate relationship and having interacted with Sydney several times before, Qin Chunxiao replied, “It’s not that different. Soulmates may or may not end up together, and sometimes being friends or family is more comfortable than jumping right into a romantic relationship.”
This was his insight from experiencing a soulmate relationship. Sydney blinked. “Oh, so you’re one of those ‘not necessarily destined’ people.”
The “not necessarily destined” group was those who believed that soulmates shouldn’t necessarily end up together. This perspective seemed to have arisen from the tragic soulmate relationship stories that went viral online.
Sydney continued, “I don’t really care how they get along. I just enjoy seeing happy people. Who doesn’t like happiness?”
Qin Chunxiao softly agreed, “I agree with that.”
This time, the proposal on the hotel rooftop featured a blonde race car driver. He knelt down on one knee in front of a pale Asian girl in a wheelchair. He then lifted both hands while propping his head against the girl’s knee. She leaned down to kiss his forehead.
They were surrounded by blooming gardenias. Qin Chunxiao couldn’t fathom the effort the race car driver had put into bringing so many blooming gardenias. Regardless, the scene was undeniably beautiful.
The gardenia’s language is eternal love and lifelong companionship.
The groom’s friends and family sang a song, using the tune of “Greensleeves,” an English Christmas carol. Someone even played the piano accompaniment. The pianist and the girl were similar, both being of Asian descent. Based on their ages, they were likely siblings.
Everyone displayed expressions of blessings.
According to the story, this couple were dominant soulmates. When the race car driver moved to the girl’s neighborhood, he saw color for the first time and began chasing his dream of becoming a race car driver. The girl, however, had always felt inferior about her legs and was unwilling to accept the boy’s affection.
But they ended up together.
Perhaps in the eyes of some bystanders, they weren’t the most compatible couple, but as long as they were happy, did it really matter?
Tong Shulan was also watching nearby. When her piano-playing brother walked up to the blonde race car driver and said a string of words, which could have been either blessings or warnings, Tong Shulan chuckled.
After finishing the proposal scene, as Qin Chunxiao was about to head back, Gao Depi knocked on the door. “Xiao Zai, Xiao Zai, are you online? Check Twitter quickly! Mattia just announced his relationship with Luma!”
Qin Chunxiao was puzzled. “Didn’t Xiong Wu say that Mattia’s peach blossom was blooming and that they were already together? Why get so excited over this?”
The Chinese team had known the truth for a while through Xiong Wu’s calculations.
Gao Depi laughed heartily. “He’s so funny! Just look!”
Taking his phone, Qin Chunxiao saw Gao Depi opening a video. In it, Mattia stood on the wing of an airplane, holding a megaphone and bellowed to the heavens, “I—Love—You.”
Then he leaped from the plane, opened a parachute, and displayed a banner with a photo of Luma winning her first diving championship at the age of sixteen.
At that time, Luma was still very young and not adept at controlling her expressions, so this photo became her most reluctant-to-face embarrassing picture, her “dark history.”
Surrounding Luma’s embarrassing photo were pink hearts.
Coincidentally, Mattia was still parachuting, and the wind created folds on his face, giving him an appearance that could also be seen as a bit of a “dark history.”
Qin Chunxiao: …Luma’s probably going to bury herself again. Luckily, Dong Zai has never done anything so unreasonable! It’s great that his soulmate is Dong Zai!
