My Soulmate is A Libero
“I’ve told you so many times, no matter how many open things you’ve learned growing up abroad, when doing that kind of thing, you have to be discreet! No public occasions are allowed, even if there’s temporarily no one around! You can’t even turn on the camera!”
Lu Yunchen sat on a small stool and explained awkwardly, “I, I just satisfied Yashenka two days ago and wanted to take advantage of his good mood to try a few more times. I got a bit excited in the corridor today and got bumped into by Li Ling.”
Lu Xuandong was even more annoyed, “You’re trying to come up with excuses?”
Lu Xuandong lectured his younger brother. As someone who didn’t have any background or connections but managed to become a little prince in the entertainment industry, Lu Xuandong understood very well that as a public figure, the first thing you needed to do was follow the law. Otherwise, everything you do is in vain. You can’t do anything that goes against public order and good morals. Many of the idol’s followers are minors, and they can’t set a bad example. Moreover… for even the slightest mistake, internet backlash is nothing to be taken lightly.
Fans are demanding, but not that overly demanding. Just be a decent and normal person, put on a good face, put in effort when acting and singing, have a supportive company behind you, and that’s enough for a C-list or B-list celebrity to live comfortably. In this industry where everyone is striving, who knows when the opportunity for a big break might come? Lu Xuandong also seized his opportunity this way back then.
Seeing how agitated his older brother was, Lu Yunchen knew that defending himself further wouldn’t work at this point, so he just shut his mouth and obediently listened to the lecture.
He was sitting on a foldable stool that the Chinese team brought from China to Japan. This stool was borrowed from Newton. Originally, he used to call this stool a “dunzi,” but after meeting Qin Chunxiao, he started calling it “deng er.”
Yashenka was in the next room with Wang Yan, providing therapy for Qiao Mingming and Kong Duojin.
Qin Chunxiao opened Li Ling’s computer and clicked on Li Ling’s most precious collection – a Super Bowl advertisement featuring Victoria’s Secret supermodel Lima in 2012 for the Teleflra company. He put it on loop play to soothe Li Ling’s startled heart.
Li Ling exclaimed, “I don’t know what’s going on either. I was standing in the corridor and saw them kissing passionately. Xiaozai, why do I always witness such juicy scenes?”
Xiong Wu, standing nearby, said, “Maybe you have a ‘gossip king’ constitution.”
It would have been okay if someone else said this, but coming from Xiong Wu, it was quite different. Qin Chunxiao quickly waved his hand, “Go play with Yangyang over there. Can’t you see this is annoying?”
Xiong Wu understood what he meant. As he walked away, he said, “I’ve already said it out loud. There’s no point in stopping me.”
This guy knew very well about his own jinx attribute.
You Ziyu, who was sitting on the side reading a book, paused for a moment, his expression becoming subtle. He still remembered when he used to argue with Xiong Wu. This fortune-teller once cursed him that without putting in five hundred years of effort, he wouldn’t be able to achieve a successful love life. If that came true, then he would have to wait for several lifetimes to get out of singledom, right?
Well, Lao Xiong’s power probably wasn’t that great. Let’s just let this worry fly away for a while.
You Ziyu lowered his head to read the book. As a medical student, he was now in his fourth year of university, and the number of books he had to memorize was increasing. Every year, there were final exams and the gaokao (college entrance examination). The classmates who had tricked him into studying medicine were now enjoying their lives with only 30% of their efforts, so as not to cause fatal injuries.
Lu Xuandong scolded Lu Yunchen, and on the other side, Qin Chunxiao calmed down Er Leng. The two of them walked onto the balcony, each holding a bottle of mineral water. The difference was that Qin Chunxiao’s bottle was cold, while Lu Xuandong’s water was at room temperature.
They clinked their bottles together and both laughed spontaneously. What kind of situation was this?
Shaking his head, Lu Xuandong sighed, “If only God had made me the younger brother. It would have saved so much trouble.” Thinking of Mei Xiangnan, he corrected himself, “No, I’m still more suited to being the older brother.”
If he had been the younger brother initially, and Mei Xiangnan was the older sister, following the customs of their village, Mei Xiangnan would have sacrificed a lot for him. However, he wasn’t her biological sibling, so it might not have turned out that way… But being the older brother, he could have gained strength earlier and taken them away from there.
Even if he knew the truth now, Lu Xuandong never regretted bringing the human trafficker’s adoptive mother and Mei Xiangnan with him when he left the mountain village. It wasn’t a place fit for people to live. The trafficker’s adoptive mother had done wrong, and the law would deal with her. But they shouldn’t have stayed there.
Lu Xuandong looked at the night view ahead, “Do you think I’m too strict? What I said to Yun Chen today already counts as interfering with his love life. And I’m always pushing Xiangnan to study and asking her to do yoga and jazz to exercise. Maybe I’ve put too much pressure on her.”
Qin Chunxiao thought back to how Lu Yunchen’s fate had improved towards a better direction compared to the original story. He also thought about Mei Xiangnan’s stable grades and Meng Yuqing’s New Year’s photo. The girl’s healthy, rosy face. He even heard she had grown 10 centimeters taller…
He earnestly replied, “I think you’re a good brother. You’re responsible. Even for some things that you could have avoided, you’ve been open-minded. Besides giving them good advice for their lives, protecting and teaching them, you haven’t done anything extra. You let them pursue their own interests, and I believe that’s a strong support for them. You’re doing great.”
How did this conversation turn into praising? Lu Xuandong really didn’t think that what he did was worth praising.
But Qin Chunxiao was serious. Lu Xuandong could have chosen not to care about his brother, whom he had known for only a few years, and the daughter of his enemy. But he did care, and that’s what made the difference.
“It’s not just your responsibility, it’s also your emotional connection. Emotional connections are precious,” Qin Chunxiao said, tilting his head up. His voice grew softer and softer until it merged with his lips and teeth, like a feather landing on the surface of the water, gently touched and then carried away by the wind.
Qin Chunxiao was always generous with his approval.
With his eyes closed, Lu Xuandong tilted his head back. The night breeze brushed his hair against his cheeks, and a smile curved his lips.
Qin Chunxiao had never been stingy with his acknowledgment and praise. And that’s exactly what Lu Xuandong needed the most. After the difficult phase of survival had passed, he began to yearn for love and being loved, to fill the gaps left by his unfortunate childhood. He had even analyzed this psychological aspect of himself in great detail.
But Qin Chunxiao, in a healthy and appropriate way, brought love to him. Though it took longer than Lu Xuandong had imagined, it was even more beautiful than the most ideal love he had envisioned.
In the upcoming matches, the Chinese team lost to the Polish team again. Injuries and the inability to perform at their best were the main reasons for their defeat this time.
As a member of the injured, Qin Chunxiao felt deeply guilty about this. His left wrist began to swell, making it impossible for him to stabilize his body during his jumps. This eventually led to him slipping during a crucial moment, causing them to miss a critical point. Perhaps, without that lost point, they still would have had a chance.
Moreover, in this match, the Chinese team managed to push the Polish team to the fifth set. They had thought they could win, especially players like Qin Chunxiao who, before facing strong opponents, habitually told himself “I will definitely win against them” to boost his confidence.
Without confidence, they couldn’t summon the energy to chase after balls that seemed almost impossible to reach.
However, this time, Qin Chunxiao’s sprint couldn’t salvage their defeat. So, when he left the court, his eyes were tinged with red.
“These are just physiological tears, mainly from the pain in my left wrist. It has nothing to do with my emotions,” Qin Chunxiao explained. His teammates all wore expressions that showed they believed him.
Sometimes, they believed Qin Chunxiao not out of fear for their team captain, but because they genuinely cared for their youngest teammate.
One of the traditions of the Chinese team was not to blame the injured players, because those plagued by injuries suffer even more than their teammates.
“You’re pushing yourself too hard, taking so many falls and hits. Even steel wouldn’t withstand that kind of impact, let alone a human.” Yashenka calmly spoke as he treated Qin Chunxiao’s wrist.
Wang Yan observed from the side and noticed that Yashenka not only used strength willingly but also controlled it precisely. He accurately located the subtle points of injury, indicating his deep understanding of Qin Chunxiao’s condition. Additionally, Yashenka was skilled at comforting athletes, demonstrating his emotional intelligence.
After two hours of treatment by Yashenka, Qin Chunxiao’s physical and mental state improved significantly. Wang Yan was amazed and greatly impressed by this outcome.
The only regret was that Yashenka’s Chinese wasn’t proficient enough, so communication with Qin Chunxiao was a mix of languages, and some of the comforting words he said to the athlete went unnoticed by Wang Yan.
However, the next day, Newton told them that securing the two Olympic spots for the World Cup was truly difficult. The Russian team faced the American team and unhesitatingly added a defeat to the American side with a score of 3:1.
“Tomorrow, Russia will face Poland, but Sebastian has never won against Roman. Moreover, they have Ruslan, the newly rising genius opposite hitter. Right now, our best option is to compete for the third place against the American team,” Chang Xiaole opened his notebook, “There’s another piece of bad news: we’ll be facing Brazil tomorrow.”
Even online fans predicted that this match would be a “battle that the Chinese team was destined not to win.”
These comments weren’t even from foreign fans. They were from fans in China. Because anyone who followed volleyball knew that there was still a significant gap between the Chinese team and the Brazilian team that seemed difficult to bridge.
Newton said, “Originally, the coach wanted to say that since we can’t get the second place, we should take it easy and focus on securing a spot in the top four. But you are all strong-willed kids, and I’ve been thinking, was it wrong for me to stop you from fighting?”
Qiao Mingming stepped forward to comfort him, “Coach, it’s never wrong for you to prioritize the players’ health. We also understand that our health is our greatest asset.”
Newton smiled, “So, the coach still can’t allow you to go all out and play closed matches, but the coach will allow you to take painkillers.”
“How about giving it your all against Brazil tomorrow? Regardless of winning or losing, regardless of the spots, let go of the burdens in your hearts and make Brazil suffer a loss from us.”
Newton took a deep breath, “We need to show them that we’re not to be messed with!”
Even if they lost the spots, they couldn’t lose their fighting spirit. If athletes lost their fighting spirit, they’d lose everything!
My Soulmate is A Libero
“I’ve told you so many times, no matter how many open things you’ve learned growing up abroad, when doing that kind of thing, you have to be discreet! No public occasions are allowed, even if there’s temporarily no one around! You can’t even turn on the camera!”
Lu Yunchen sat on a small stool and explained awkwardly, “I, I just satisfied Yashenka two days ago and wanted to take advantage of his good mood to try a few more times. I got a bit excited in the corridor today and got bumped into by Li Ling.”
Lu Xuandong was even more annoyed, “You’re trying to come up with excuses?”
Lu Xuandong lectured his younger brother. As someone who didn’t have any background or connections but managed to become a little prince in the entertainment industry, Lu Xuandong understood very well that as a public figure, the first thing you needed to do was follow the law. Otherwise, everything you do is in vain. You can’t do anything that goes against public order and good morals. Many of the idol’s followers are minors, and they can’t set a bad example. Moreover… for even the slightest mistake, internet backlash is nothing to be taken lightly.
Fans are demanding, but not that overly demanding. Just be a decent and normal person, put on a good face, put in effort when acting and singing, have a supportive company behind you, and that’s enough for a C-list or B-list celebrity to live comfortably. In this industry where everyone is striving, who knows when the opportunity for a big break might come? Lu Xuandong also seized his opportunity this way back then.
Seeing how agitated his older brother was, Lu Yunchen knew that defending himself further wouldn’t work at this point, so he just shut his mouth and obediently listened to the lecture.
He was sitting on a foldable stool that the Chinese team brought from China to Japan. This stool was borrowed from Newton. Originally, he used to call this stool a “dunzi,” but after meeting Qin Chunxiao, he started calling it “deng er.”
Yashenka was in the next room with Wang Yan, providing therapy for Qiao Mingming and Kong Duojin.
Qin Chunxiao opened Li Ling’s computer and clicked on Li Ling’s most precious collection – a Super Bowl advertisement featuring Victoria’s Secret supermodel Lima in 2012 for the Teleflra company. He put it on loop play to soothe Li Ling’s startled heart.
Li Ling exclaimed, “I don’t know what’s going on either. I was standing in the corridor and saw them kissing passionately. Xiaozai, why do I always witness such juicy scenes?”
Xiong Wu, standing nearby, said, “Maybe you have a ‘gossip king’ constitution.”
It would have been okay if someone else said this, but coming from Xiong Wu, it was quite different. Qin Chunxiao quickly waved his hand, “Go play with Yangyang over there. Can’t you see this is annoying?”
Xiong Wu understood what he meant. As he walked away, he said, “I’ve already said it out loud. There’s no point in stopping me.”
This guy knew very well about his own jinx attribute.
You Ziyu, who was sitting on the side reading a book, paused for a moment, his expression becoming subtle. He still remembered when he used to argue with Xiong Wu. This fortune-teller once cursed him that without putting in five hundred years of effort, he wouldn’t be able to achieve a successful love life. If that came true, then he would have to wait for several lifetimes to get out of singledom, right?
Well, Lao Xiong’s power probably wasn’t that great. Let’s just let this worry fly away for a while.
You Ziyu lowered his head to read the book. As a medical student, he was now in his fourth year of university, and the number of books he had to memorize was increasing. Every year, there were final exams and the gaokao (college entrance examination). The classmates who had tricked him into studying medicine were now enjoying their lives with only 30% of their efforts, so as not to cause fatal injuries.
Lu Xuandong scolded Lu Yunchen, and on the other side, Qin Chunxiao calmed down Er Leng. The two of them walked onto the balcony, each holding a bottle of mineral water. The difference was that Qin Chunxiao’s bottle was cold, while Lu Xuandong’s water was at room temperature.
They clinked their bottles together and both laughed spontaneously. What kind of situation was this?
Shaking his head, Lu Xuandong sighed, “If only God had made me the younger brother. It would have saved so much trouble.” Thinking of Mei Xiangnan, he corrected himself, “No, I’m still more suited to being the older brother.”
If he had been the younger brother initially, and Mei Xiangnan was the older sister, following the customs of their village, Mei Xiangnan would have sacrificed a lot for him. However, he wasn’t her biological sibling, so it might not have turned out that way… But being the older brother, he could have gained strength earlier and taken them away from there.
Even if he knew the truth now, Lu Xuandong never regretted bringing the human trafficker’s adoptive mother and Mei Xiangnan with him when he left the mountain village. It wasn’t a place fit for people to live. The trafficker’s adoptive mother had done wrong, and the law would deal with her. But they shouldn’t have stayed there.
Lu Xuandong looked at the night view ahead, “Do you think I’m too strict? What I said to Yun Chen today already counts as interfering with his love life. And I’m always pushing Xiangnan to study and asking her to do yoga and jazz to exercise. Maybe I’ve put too much pressure on her.”
Qin Chunxiao thought back to how Lu Yunchen’s fate had improved towards a better direction compared to the original story. He also thought about Mei Xiangnan’s stable grades and Meng Yuqing’s New Year’s photo. The girl’s healthy, rosy face. He even heard she had grown 10 centimeters taller…
He earnestly replied, “I think you’re a good brother. You’re responsible. Even for some things that you could have avoided, you’ve been open-minded. Besides giving them good advice for their lives, protecting and teaching them, you haven’t done anything extra. You let them pursue their own interests, and I believe that’s a strong support for them. You’re doing great.”
How did this conversation turn into praising? Lu Xuandong really didn’t think that what he did was worth praising.
But Qin Chunxiao was serious. Lu Xuandong could have chosen not to care about his brother, whom he had known for only a few years, and the daughter of his enemy. But he did care, and that’s what made the difference.
“It’s not just your responsibility, it’s also your emotional connection. Emotional connections are precious,” Qin Chunxiao said, tilting his head up. His voice grew softer and softer until it merged with his lips and teeth, like a feather landing on the surface of the water, gently touched and then carried away by the wind.
Qin Chunxiao was always generous with his approval.
With his eyes closed, Lu Xuandong tilted his head back. The night breeze brushed his hair against his cheeks, and a smile curved his lips.
Qin Chunxiao had never been stingy with his acknowledgment and praise. And that’s exactly what Lu Xuandong needed the most. After the difficult phase of survival had passed, he began to yearn for love and being loved, to fill the gaps left by his unfortunate childhood. He had even analyzed this psychological aspect of himself in great detail.
But Qin Chunxiao, in a healthy and appropriate way, brought love to him. Though it took longer than Lu Xuandong had imagined, it was even more beautiful than the most ideal love he had envisioned.
In the upcoming matches, the Chinese team lost to the Polish team again. Injuries and the inability to perform at their best were the main reasons for their defeat this time.
As a member of the injured, Qin Chunxiao felt deeply guilty about this. His left wrist began to swell, making it impossible for him to stabilize his body during his jumps. This eventually led to him slipping during a crucial moment, causing them to miss a critical point. Perhaps, without that lost point, they still would have had a chance.
Moreover, in this match, the Chinese team managed to push the Polish team to the fifth set. They had thought they could win, especially players like Qin Chunxiao who, before facing strong opponents, habitually told himself “I will definitely win against them” to boost his confidence.
Without confidence, they couldn’t summon the energy to chase after balls that seemed almost impossible to reach.
However, this time, Qin Chunxiao’s sprint couldn’t salvage their defeat. So, when he left the court, his eyes were tinged with red.
“These are just physiological tears, mainly from the pain in my left wrist. It has nothing to do with my emotions,” Qin Chunxiao explained. His teammates all wore expressions that showed they believed him.
Sometimes, they believed Qin Chunxiao not out of fear for their team captain, but because they genuinely cared for their youngest teammate.
One of the traditions of the Chinese team was not to blame the injured players, because those plagued by injuries suffer even more than their teammates.
“You’re pushing yourself too hard, taking so many falls and hits. Even steel wouldn’t withstand that kind of impact, let alone a human.” Yashenka calmly spoke as he treated Qin Chunxiao’s wrist.
Wang Yan observed from the side and noticed that Yashenka not only used strength willingly but also controlled it precisely. He accurately located the subtle points of injury, indicating his deep understanding of Qin Chunxiao’s condition. Additionally, Yashenka was skilled at comforting athletes, demonstrating his emotional intelligence.
After two hours of treatment by Yashenka, Qin Chunxiao’s physical and mental state improved significantly. Wang Yan was amazed and greatly impressed by this outcome.
The only regret was that Yashenka’s Chinese wasn’t proficient enough, so communication with Qin Chunxiao was a mix of languages, and some of the comforting words he said to the athlete went unnoticed by Wang Yan.
However, the next day, Newton told them that securing the two Olympic spots for the World Cup was truly difficult. The Russian team faced the American team and unhesitatingly added a defeat to the American side with a score of 3:1.
“Tomorrow, Russia will face Poland, but Sebastian has never won against Roman. Moreover, they have Ruslan, the newly rising genius opposite hitter. Right now, our best option is to compete for the third place against the American team,” Chang Xiaole opened his notebook, “There’s another piece of bad news: we’ll be facing Brazil tomorrow.”
Even online fans predicted that this match would be a “battle that the Chinese team was destined not to win.”
These comments weren’t even from foreign fans. They were from fans in China. Because anyone who followed volleyball knew that there was still a significant gap between the Chinese team and the Brazilian team that seemed difficult to bridge.
Newton said, “Originally, the coach wanted to say that since we can’t get the second place, we should take it easy and focus on securing a spot in the top four. But you are all strong-willed kids, and I’ve been thinking, was it wrong for me to stop you from fighting?”
Qiao Mingming stepped forward to comfort him, “Coach, it’s never wrong for you to prioritize the players’ health. We also understand that our health is our greatest asset.”
Newton smiled, “So, the coach still can’t allow you to go all out and play closed matches, but the coach will allow you to take painkillers.”
“How about giving it your all against Brazil tomorrow? Regardless of winning or losing, regardless of the spots, let go of the burdens in your hearts and make Brazil suffer a loss from us.”
Newton took a deep breath, “We need to show them that we’re not to be messed with!”
Even if they lost the spots, they couldn’t lose their fighting spirit. If athletes lost their fighting spirit, they’d lose everything!
