My Soulmate is A Libero
In July 2019, after the conclusion of the Volleyball Nations League (VNL), the schedules of many players on the Chinese men’s national volleyball team temporarily came to a halt. Only the youngest members, Qin Chunxiao and Min Yaoyang, packed their belongings and headed to the training camp of the Chinese Youth National Team in Guangzhou.
Thanks to Coach Hou’s efforts, he managed to secure the participation of these two young and highly skilled players for the Chinese Youth National Team in the upcoming World Youth Championship at the end of July, adding two heavyweight assets to the team.
Newton had now solidified his position as the head coach of the Chinese men’s volleyball team. His Ph.D. from Springfield University and his position as the assistant coach of ENEL Club had given him a significant boost. Furthermore, he was quite adept at currying favor, often using flattery to win over superiors, leading to his rapid rise. However, domestic coaches believed that he had achieved success through sheer hard work, luck, and a thick skin. They thought his success was a result of him fortunately encountering a group of talented and passionate players, with his thick-skinned approach to scrap talents from various provincial teams.
Coach Hou was ambitious. Although he couldn’t flatter people as well as Lao Niu, he inherited Lao Niu’s spirit of talent scouting and the nurturing and care he provided to athletes.
July in Guangzhou was hot. Qin Chunxiao, basking in the sun, joined the team for their training session. His skin was reddened from the sun, and with sweat streaming down his face, he appeared full of vitality, healthy, and handsome.
The 18-year-old young man had begun shedding the awkwardness of his teenage years and had entered the early stages of adulthood. His facial features were gradually maturing, and he certainly lived up to the title of the “Number One Handsome Guy in Volleyball,” which netizens worldwide had voted for him.
“Captain, have some water,” Hu Da from the Hunan team handed a bottle of water to Qin Chunxiao.
In the absence of more senior players, there was nobody in contention for the captaincy against Qin Chunxiao. Even Min Yaoyang needed to be taken care of. Coach Hou had spent only 10 minutes with Yaoyang, yet he didn’t dare to entrust him with too many responsibilities, not even as vice-captain.
Qin Chunxiao thanked Hu Da and opened the water bottle.
Thanks to Zhao Youde, nowadays, Chinese volleyball players never open water bottles for each other. During Zhao Youde’s era, there were issues with the water his players were given, they were sometimes spiked with cold medicine powder containing banned substances.
Drinking a bottle of tampered water could ruin a player. Even players at the level of Qin Chunxiao and Li Ling wouldn’t unscrew bottle caps for each other. However, they both knew how to cook, and they often invited each other to share meals.
Hu Da’s father was the director of a TV station. His nickname “Dada” had been used as a joke by the station’s hosts in the early 2000s. He had also heard plenty of gossip from the entertainment industry due to his family’s connections. He knew that the practice of spiking drinks could happen in various fields. Additionally, he had received education from the Hunan Provincial Team’s coaches before coming here, making Hu Da quite responsible.
Before Qin Chunxiao joined the Youth National Team’s training camp, Hu Da had even discussed with Zhang Xiaowang whether they should bring some fruit to greet the big shot when Qin Chunxiao arrived. To their surprise, the big shot was extremely approachable. Not only did he lack any arrogance, but he also brought special products he had purchased abroad during his travels for the players. The only issue was that some foreign sweets had a sweetness level beyond what the young players could handle.
The pursuit of sweetness by humans was probably eternal. However, East Asians were a bit unique in this regard. Their highest praise for sweets was that they were not overly sweet or not sweet at all. Once sweetness surpassed a certain point, it became overwhelming. Most of the foreign sweets Qin Chunxiao received were recommended by the Russian team. People from high-latitude regions perceive sweetness differently from East Asians.
All these sweets ended up in the hands of the team’s weightlifting specialist and main attacker, Lu Feiying. This young man was a sugar prince and would happily add half a pound of sugar to his meals.
Qin Chunxiao was skilled at playing volleyball and had a personality as unyielding as his fists. This was well-known in the volleyball world. Vincent of the French team had a bad temper due to physiological problems and had even gotten into fights with players from various teams. He was currently the active player with the most suspensions in the volleyball field. Yet, in front of Qin Chunxiao, he dared not act out because he couldn’t even get past a single move against Misha Qin.
The young players truly respected this kind of big brother. Hence, the situation Coach Hou was concerned about – the possibility that the sudden appointment of Qin Chunxiao as captain might displease the younger players – never occurred.
Qin Chunxiao smoothly led the team through training. Under Newton’s guidance, he even developed a defensive and endurance training program. Having played under the guidance of world-class coaches like Nikolai and Mars, he had accumulated quite a bit of training knowledge. Since his arrival, Coach Hou felt that his rugged male players had significantly improved in receiving the ball
After all, upgrading from level 80 defense to level 90 required a lot of resources. Even Qin Chunxiao had taken three years, from 15 to 18, to re-enter level 90. But taking the weaker players from level 20 to level 40 wasn’t as easy, right?
Before the official start of the World Youth Championship, Qin Chunxiao lent a hand to Coach Hou. Coach Hou favored him greatly and had even begun to ask him whether he had any plans to become a coach after retiring.
Capable of Managing Athletes, Intelligent and Emotionally Intelligent, Skilled in the Game with Good Past Performance – It’s a Shame to Not Use Such a Talent as a Coach!
Qin Chunxiao, feeling bashful, declined, “I enrolled in a marine science program at university, so I’m not suitable to be a coach.”
Coach Hou: “What’s this kid doing studying marine science? Is he trying to find One Piece?”
On July 20th, Qin Chunxiao and his teammates departed for Argentina to participate in this edition of the World Youth Championship. The Russian youth team was quite dominant this time, and the Iranian youth team was formidable as well. Defending the title wouldn’t be easy for the Chinese team.
During their free time, Qin Chunxiao and his national team teammates would watch the matches and vent their thoughts in a WeChat group.
Fu Biyang: “Xiao Wang’s receiving is worse than expected. What are we going to do in the future?”
Qiao Mingming: “Weren’t you a rough player before too?”
Gao Depi: “Huang Mi’s attacks have a taste of Tong Shulan’s early style. The young lad’s receiving technique is solid, and what’s important is his determination. Lao Niu says that if he trains well, he can at least complement Xiao Zai’s defensive side in the future.”
Kong Duojin: “Min Shanqi’s blocking is impressive, his anticipation is accurate.”
Aizimaiti: “Why hasn’t Lu Feiying lost weight? His fat-muscles are too evident.”
The conclusion drawn by this batch of experienced players was: the newcomers are too inexperienced; any six of them could easily trample over the rookies.
Qin Chunxiao: “So, are you trampling over me?”
Oh no, everyone suddenly remembered that Qin Chunxiao was also in the group, making the previously silent ones seem quite wise.
Qin’s appearance silenced the entire WeChat group. It turned out that all the members of this group were quite influential.
But on the youth championship field, it was Qin Chunxiao who was “trampling” over others.
Interestingly, the French volleyball prodigy, Sidney, also participated in this edition of the World Youth Championship. After all, going by age, he was slightly younger than Qin Chunxiao. However, the quality of the French youth team this time was average and couldn’t match up to the Chinese team’s lineup. With the help of his teammates, Qin Chunxiao managed to defeat the French team 3:0.
When facing the Russian team, Qin Chunxiao had to put in a bit more effort because Ruslan and a libero personally trained by Qin Chunxiao were playing. It was fine, Min Yaoyang was a good teammate, and so the Chinese team continued their winning streak.
Ultimately, the most challenging opponent turned out to be the Iranian youth team.
Before the match, Coach Hou told the Chinese Youth National Team, “If the Iranian men’s team trains well this time, they might become formidable opponents for the Chinese team in the future. Be mentally prepared.”
Everyone nodded in agreement, and their vigilance increased.
This match was indeed tough, as Qin Chunxiao had twisted his ankle in the semifinals. Coach Hou limited his playing time. If it weren’t for Min Yaoyang stepping up and launching a frenzied attack, they might have lost the championship.
But in the end, they became champions.
Having experienced the intensity of adult-level matches, the glory of the youth championship held less weight for Qin Chunxiao. Yet, as he heard his teammates’ cheers and laughter, he couldn’t help but smile too.
After returning to China, Qin Chunxiao made sure to accompany his teammates back to their dorms and ensure that everyone’s flight tickets were in order. He even personally saw off the underage players on their journey. Only then did he return home feeling at ease.
Coach Hou and many leaders praised him extensively, but Qin Chunxiao didn’t linger with the leaders. After reporting on matters, he was ready to leave.
The leaders were surprised, “Hey, I was planning to give you a raise. Why are you in such a hurry?”
Qin Chunxiao mumbled vaguely, “I’m going to take care of a sick friend.”
After he left, the leaders, Coach Hou, and Chen Aiguo sniffed the air curiously, remarking, “This kid doesn’t smell of sweat, he carries a different scent.”
Chen Aiguo said, “He must have changed his shower gel.”
After he came out, he headed straight for Lu Xuandong’s home.
Although in his past life, after retaking the driving test four times, Qin Chunxiao finally obtained his driver’s license. In this life, he was stuck on the second part of the test on his second retake. The driver’s license was still some distance away, so he had to take the subway.
A 1.8-meter-tall young man dressed in sportswear was especially conspicuous during the rush hour on the Guangzhou subway. Wearing a mask, Qin Chunxiao was even asked if he was a trainee idol.
Qin Chunxiao: “No, I’m just a volleyball player.”
In the scorching summer, Qin Chunxiao hurried along, walking all the way to a certain residential building in Pazhou. He was saved by the central air conditioning as soon as he entered the building.
He reached the top floor, unlocked the door with a fingerprint, and saw Lu Xuandong in the middle of a video conference. When he saw Qin Chunxiao enter, Lu Xuandong’s expression remained unchanged. He subtly pointed his finger towards the direction of the kitchen. Qin Chunxiao then crouched and moved cautiously, avoiding the camera’s view as he entered the kitchen. There was a note stuck on the refrigerator.
“Safe and Edible Athlete Juice in the Blue Bottle.”
Qin Chunxiao brought out a glass of juice. It was a bit icy, but it was quite refreshing to drink in the summer. Holding the straw in his mouth, he grabbed a towel and took out something random from the freezer, wrapping it up. After Lu Xuandong’s meeting was over, he went over and gently pressed it against his forehead.
“Even though you’re sick, you’re still working like this. Do you really want to take care of your body?”
“My body is much better than before,” Lu Xuandong replied, supporting the ice pack. He sounded stubborn, but then he sighed lightly. “I’ve been looking into the company’s finances recently. Everyone is being so polite and harmonious. At times like this, I can’t afford to relax.”
“Isn’t it a good thing that everyone is being polite and harmonious?” Qin Chunxiao sat down next to him.
Lu Xuandong shook his head. “Sometimes I’d rather see those people slam the table and break glasses, putting the issues on the table. Now that they’re all harmonious, whatever I say goes. Many problems remain hidden. Maybe I say ‘1,’ and they escalate it to ’10’ on the next level, then to ‘100’ on the level after that. A good thing can turn into a bad one.”
Qin Chunxiao scratched his head. “Why does this sound quite familiar?”
Lu Xuandong coughed into his hand and muffled his voice. “This happens in any industry. Zhe Yue is a large conglomerate too.” He wanted to remind Chunxiao not to bring up these topics outside… but halfway through, he felt it wasn’t appropriate. After all, with Chunxiao’s sharpness, he was just saying it out of concern, and it was probably unnecessary.
However, Qin Chunxiao revealed a smile. “Oh, yes, thanks for the reminder.”
His tone seemed gentler than before, and when did they ever sit so close when they were on the same sofa together before?
Given Qin Chunxiao’s personality, he usually maintained a distance of around 20 centimeters when sitting with someone, especially in the summer. However, he didn’t know whether it was intentional or not, but their distance now seemed to be less than 5 centimeters. If they got any closer, they would practically be touching.
Lu Xuandong hadn’t yet fully grasped all the odd things happening when he heard Qin Chunxiao ask, “Did you take your medicine?”
He instinctively replied, “Not yet, I’ll take it after the meeting.”
“In that case, I’ll get your medicine for you. You just stay seated.”
Qin Chunxiao stood up and supported Lu Xuandong’s shoulder, sending a fragrance into Lu Xuandong’s nose.
He actually sprayed Davidoff’s Cool Water on himself!
My Soulmate is A Libero
In July 2019, after the conclusion of the Volleyball Nations League (VNL), the schedules of many players on the Chinese men’s national volleyball team temporarily came to a halt. Only the youngest members, Qin Chunxiao and Min Yaoyang, packed their belongings and headed to the training camp of the Chinese Youth National Team in Guangzhou.
Thanks to Coach Hou’s efforts, he managed to secure the participation of these two young and highly skilled players for the Chinese Youth National Team in the upcoming World Youth Championship at the end of July, adding two heavyweight assets to the team.
Newton had now solidified his position as the head coach of the Chinese men’s volleyball team. His Ph.D. from Springfield University and his position as the assistant coach of ENEL Club had given him a significant boost. Furthermore, he was quite adept at currying favor, often using flattery to win over superiors, leading to his rapid rise. However, domestic coaches believed that he had achieved success through sheer hard work, luck, and a thick skin. They thought his success was a result of him fortunately encountering a group of talented and passionate players, with his thick-skinned approach to scrap talents from various provincial teams.
Coach Hou was ambitious. Although he couldn’t flatter people as well as Lao Niu, he inherited Lao Niu’s spirit of talent scouting and the nurturing and care he provided to athletes.
July in Guangzhou was hot. Qin Chunxiao, basking in the sun, joined the team for their training session. His skin was reddened from the sun, and with sweat streaming down his face, he appeared full of vitality, healthy, and handsome.
The 18-year-old young man had begun shedding the awkwardness of his teenage years and had entered the early stages of adulthood. His facial features were gradually maturing, and he certainly lived up to the title of the “Number One Handsome Guy in Volleyball,” which netizens worldwide had voted for him.
“Captain, have some water,” Hu Da from the Hunan team handed a bottle of water to Qin Chunxiao.
In the absence of more senior players, there was nobody in contention for the captaincy against Qin Chunxiao. Even Min Yaoyang needed to be taken care of. Coach Hou had spent only 10 minutes with Yaoyang, yet he didn’t dare to entrust him with too many responsibilities, not even as vice-captain.
Qin Chunxiao thanked Hu Da and opened the water bottle.
Thanks to Zhao Youde, nowadays, Chinese volleyball players never open water bottles for each other. During Zhao Youde’s era, there were issues with the water his players were given, they were sometimes spiked with cold medicine powder containing banned substances.
Drinking a bottle of tampered water could ruin a player. Even players at the level of Qin Chunxiao and Li Ling wouldn’t unscrew bottle caps for each other. However, they both knew how to cook, and they often invited each other to share meals.
Hu Da’s father was the director of a TV station. His nickname “Dada” had been used as a joke by the station’s hosts in the early 2000s. He had also heard plenty of gossip from the entertainment industry due to his family’s connections. He knew that the practice of spiking drinks could happen in various fields. Additionally, he had received education from the Hunan Provincial Team’s coaches before coming here, making Hu Da quite responsible.
Before Qin Chunxiao joined the Youth National Team’s training camp, Hu Da had even discussed with Zhang Xiaowang whether they should bring some fruit to greet the big shot when Qin Chunxiao arrived. To their surprise, the big shot was extremely approachable. Not only did he lack any arrogance, but he also brought special products he had purchased abroad during his travels for the players. The only issue was that some foreign sweets had a sweetness level beyond what the young players could handle.
The pursuit of sweetness by humans was probably eternal. However, East Asians were a bit unique in this regard. Their highest praise for sweets was that they were not overly sweet or not sweet at all. Once sweetness surpassed a certain point, it became overwhelming. Most of the foreign sweets Qin Chunxiao received were recommended by the Russian team. People from high-latitude regions perceive sweetness differently from East Asians.
All these sweets ended up in the hands of the team’s weightlifting specialist and main attacker, Lu Feiying. This young man was a sugar prince and would happily add half a pound of sugar to his meals.
Qin Chunxiao was skilled at playing volleyball and had a personality as unyielding as his fists. This was well-known in the volleyball world. Vincent of the French team had a bad temper due to physiological problems and had even gotten into fights with players from various teams. He was currently the active player with the most suspensions in the volleyball field. Yet, in front of Qin Chunxiao, he dared not act out because he couldn’t even get past a single move against Misha Qin.
The young players truly respected this kind of big brother. Hence, the situation Coach Hou was concerned about – the possibility that the sudden appointment of Qin Chunxiao as captain might displease the younger players – never occurred.
Qin Chunxiao smoothly led the team through training. Under Newton’s guidance, he even developed a defensive and endurance training program. Having played under the guidance of world-class coaches like Nikolai and Mars, he had accumulated quite a bit of training knowledge. Since his arrival, Coach Hou felt that his rugged male players had significantly improved in receiving the ball
After all, upgrading from level 80 defense to level 90 required a lot of resources. Even Qin Chunxiao had taken three years, from 15 to 18, to re-enter level 90. But taking the weaker players from level 20 to level 40 wasn’t as easy, right?
Before the official start of the World Youth Championship, Qin Chunxiao lent a hand to Coach Hou. Coach Hou favored him greatly and had even begun to ask him whether he had any plans to become a coach after retiring.
Capable of Managing Athletes, Intelligent and Emotionally Intelligent, Skilled in the Game with Good Past Performance – It’s a Shame to Not Use Such a Talent as a Coach!
Qin Chunxiao, feeling bashful, declined, “I enrolled in a marine science program at university, so I’m not suitable to be a coach.”
Coach Hou: “What’s this kid doing studying marine science? Is he trying to find One Piece?”
On July 20th, Qin Chunxiao and his teammates departed for Argentina to participate in this edition of the World Youth Championship. The Russian youth team was quite dominant this time, and the Iranian youth team was formidable as well. Defending the title wouldn’t be easy for the Chinese team.
During their free time, Qin Chunxiao and his national team teammates would watch the matches and vent their thoughts in a WeChat group.
Fu Biyang: “Xiao Wang’s receiving is worse than expected. What are we going to do in the future?”
Qiao Mingming: “Weren’t you a rough player before too?”
Gao Depi: “Huang Mi’s attacks have a taste of Tong Shulan’s early style. The young lad’s receiving technique is solid, and what’s important is his determination. Lao Niu says that if he trains well, he can at least complement Xiao Zai’s defensive side in the future.”
Kong Duojin: “Min Shanqi’s blocking is impressive, his anticipation is accurate.”
Aizimaiti: “Why hasn’t Lu Feiying lost weight? His fat-muscles are too evident.”
The conclusion drawn by this batch of experienced players was: the newcomers are too inexperienced; any six of them could easily trample over the rookies.
Qin Chunxiao: “So, are you trampling over me?”
Oh no, everyone suddenly remembered that Qin Chunxiao was also in the group, making the previously silent ones seem quite wise.
Qin’s appearance silenced the entire WeChat group. It turned out that all the members of this group were quite influential.
But on the youth championship field, it was Qin Chunxiao who was “trampling” over others.
Interestingly, the French volleyball prodigy, Sidney, also participated in this edition of the World Youth Championship. After all, going by age, he was slightly younger than Qin Chunxiao. However, the quality of the French youth team this time was average and couldn’t match up to the Chinese team’s lineup. With the help of his teammates, Qin Chunxiao managed to defeat the French team 3:0.
When facing the Russian team, Qin Chunxiao had to put in a bit more effort because Ruslan and a libero personally trained by Qin Chunxiao were playing. It was fine, Min Yaoyang was a good teammate, and so the Chinese team continued their winning streak.
Ultimately, the most challenging opponent turned out to be the Iranian youth team.
Before the match, Coach Hou told the Chinese Youth National Team, “If the Iranian men’s team trains well this time, they might become formidable opponents for the Chinese team in the future. Be mentally prepared.”
Everyone nodded in agreement, and their vigilance increased.
This match was indeed tough, as Qin Chunxiao had twisted his ankle in the semifinals. Coach Hou limited his playing time. If it weren’t for Min Yaoyang stepping up and launching a frenzied attack, they might have lost the championship.
But in the end, they became champions.
Having experienced the intensity of adult-level matches, the glory of the youth championship held less weight for Qin Chunxiao. Yet, as he heard his teammates’ cheers and laughter, he couldn’t help but smile too.
After returning to China, Qin Chunxiao made sure to accompany his teammates back to their dorms and ensure that everyone’s flight tickets were in order. He even personally saw off the underage players on their journey. Only then did he return home feeling at ease.
Coach Hou and many leaders praised him extensively, but Qin Chunxiao didn’t linger with the leaders. After reporting on matters, he was ready to leave.
The leaders were surprised, “Hey, I was planning to give you a raise. Why are you in such a hurry?”
Qin Chunxiao mumbled vaguely, “I’m going to take care of a sick friend.”
After he left, the leaders, Coach Hou, and Chen Aiguo sniffed the air curiously, remarking, “This kid doesn’t smell of sweat, he carries a different scent.”
Chen Aiguo said, “He must have changed his shower gel.”
After he came out, he headed straight for Lu Xuandong’s home.
Although in his past life, after retaking the driving test four times, Qin Chunxiao finally obtained his driver’s license. In this life, he was stuck on the second part of the test on his second retake. The driver’s license was still some distance away, so he had to take the subway.
A 1.8-meter-tall young man dressed in sportswear was especially conspicuous during the rush hour on the Guangzhou subway. Wearing a mask, Qin Chunxiao was even asked if he was a trainee idol.
Qin Chunxiao: “No, I’m just a volleyball player.”
In the scorching summer, Qin Chunxiao hurried along, walking all the way to a certain residential building in Pazhou. He was saved by the central air conditioning as soon as he entered the building.
He reached the top floor, unlocked the door with a fingerprint, and saw Lu Xuandong in the middle of a video conference. When he saw Qin Chunxiao enter, Lu Xuandong’s expression remained unchanged. He subtly pointed his finger towards the direction of the kitchen. Qin Chunxiao then crouched and moved cautiously, avoiding the camera’s view as he entered the kitchen. There was a note stuck on the refrigerator.
“Safe and Edible Athlete Juice in the Blue Bottle.”
Qin Chunxiao brought out a glass of juice. It was a bit icy, but it was quite refreshing to drink in the summer. Holding the straw in his mouth, he grabbed a towel and took out something random from the freezer, wrapping it up. After Lu Xuandong’s meeting was over, he went over and gently pressed it against his forehead.
“Even though you’re sick, you’re still working like this. Do you really want to take care of your body?”
“My body is much better than before,” Lu Xuandong replied, supporting the ice pack. He sounded stubborn, but then he sighed lightly. “I’ve been looking into the company’s finances recently. Everyone is being so polite and harmonious. At times like this, I can’t afford to relax.”
“Isn’t it a good thing that everyone is being polite and harmonious?” Qin Chunxiao sat down next to him.
Lu Xuandong shook his head. “Sometimes I’d rather see those people slam the table and break glasses, putting the issues on the table. Now that they’re all harmonious, whatever I say goes. Many problems remain hidden. Maybe I say ‘1,’ and they escalate it to ’10’ on the next level, then to ‘100’ on the level after that. A good thing can turn into a bad one.”
Qin Chunxiao scratched his head. “Why does this sound quite familiar?”
Lu Xuandong coughed into his hand and muffled his voice. “This happens in any industry. Zhe Yue is a large conglomerate too.” He wanted to remind Chunxiao not to bring up these topics outside… but halfway through, he felt it wasn’t appropriate. After all, with Chunxiao’s sharpness, he was just saying it out of concern, and it was probably unnecessary.
However, Qin Chunxiao revealed a smile. “Oh, yes, thanks for the reminder.”
His tone seemed gentler than before, and when did they ever sit so close when they were on the same sofa together before?
Given Qin Chunxiao’s personality, he usually maintained a distance of around 20 centimeters when sitting with someone, especially in the summer. However, he didn’t know whether it was intentional or not, but their distance now seemed to be less than 5 centimeters. If they got any closer, they would practically be touching.
Lu Xuandong hadn’t yet fully grasped all the odd things happening when he heard Qin Chunxiao ask, “Did you take your medicine?”
He instinctively replied, “Not yet, I’ll take it after the meeting.”
“In that case, I’ll get your medicine for you. You just stay seated.”
Qin Chunxiao stood up and supported Lu Xuandong’s shoulder, sending a fragrance into Lu Xuandong’s nose.
He actually sprayed Davidoff’s Cool Water on himself!
