My Soulmate is A Libero
During the times when Lu Xuandong felt disheartened and distressed, Qin Chunxiao had offered him comfort and support. So, when Qin Chunxiao lost an important match and left the court with red eyes, Lu Xuandong wanted to console him.
He couldn’t do it openly in front of many people because Qin Chunxiao still had to participate in post-match analysis and tended his injuries. If Lu Xuandong disturbed them, it wouldn’t be well-received in the media, and Qin Chunxiao might feel uncomfortable too.
Unlike some bossy characters from books who would carry athletes horizontally and take them home, forbidding them from engaging in physically taxing high-intensity sports wasn’t feasible at all. Lu Xuandong wasn’t foolish, he knew that doing so would lead to a breakup immediately.
However, photos of his concerned expression were captured online. While the main reason people snapped those pictures was because Lu Xuandong looked handsome even when making that expression, this time there weren’t many negative comments directed at Qin Chunxiao.
Sensible people could see that the athletes had given their all. They had fought against Poland for two and a half hours, battling through injuries. Especially Qin Chunxiao, who had an injury. He stayed on the court for almost two hours, only being substituted out for less than half an hour. He even got into a heated argument with the coach at the sidelines.
The coach’s tactics were well-thought-out, but how could injured athletes compete with Poland in their prime?
This match wasn’t just tough for the athletes, even the fans found it too agonizing to watch.
So, Lu Xuandong could only send comforting messages and bring in the safe ingredients that had been flown in.
He put pre-packaged fresh beef in the pot, adding only salt and ginger to simmer. Once the blood was drained, he took out the beef and sliced it. He treated the shrimp the same way. He added minced garlic to light soy sauce, packed it, and then mixed boiled broccoli, tomatoes, and asparagus with lemon juice to make a large plate of salad, which he packed as well.
The portions were small, and the meal was light.
The two children of the inn’s owner leaned against the kitchen, curiously watching him. Lu Xuandong gave them candy.
At this point, the Chinese team had finished the post-match analysis. Qin Chunxiao lay down, receiving treatment from the team doctor, discussing how to play against Brazil tomorrow with the other injured players.
“Later, Brazil went up against Russia,” Ding Rong said with a friendly tone full of Sino-Russian treaty, “They were helping us rob the rich to help Russia.”
Qiao Mingming chimed in, “Yeah, I’ve seen Russia is only two victories away from the championship. If they win against Poland and Brazil, they’ll take the title.”
And Poland, who had just played against the Chinese team today, was facing Russia tomorrow.
At this statement, Yashenka twitched at the corner of his mouth, “Do you all feel that you must make the opponents unhappy, even if you can’t win against them?”
“That’s right.” Qin Chunxiao, Ding Rong, and Qiao Mingming all nodded in agreement. Yashenka thought to himself that people like Qiao Mingming were unexpectedly honest in the Chinese team, revealing the rather daring attitude of this year’s Chinese team.
But if he provided treatment to the Chinese team, they could help weaken the Brazilian team. As a member of the Russian team, Yashenka was pleased to see that.
Wait a minute, did Nikolai send him over for this reason?
Lu Xuandong knocked on the door and entered, politely greeting everyone, then squatting in front of Qin Chunxiao, “Xiao Xiao, I brought you a midnight snack.”
Yashenka interjected, “His treatment hasn’t ended, his hand can’t move.”
Qin Chunxiao replied, “I’m about to start treatment after the meeting, and I haven’t had dinner yet.”
Lu Xuandong opened the lunchbox, scooped a shrimp with a spoon, and fed it to Qin Chunxiao. Now Qiao Mingming, Ding Rong, and Wang Yan felt somewhat redundant.
Qin Chunxiao said, “I also want to eat chili-fried pork.”
Lu Xuandong replied, “Alright, I’ll make it for you tomorrow. How about I pair it with a pear soup sweetened with rock sugar? It’ll help cool you down.”
Qin Chunxiao responded, “Sounds good.”
“It’s good to have a partner.” Ding Rong said with a hint of sourness, “I think I’ll find a girlfriend after I go back.”
Qiao Mingming added, “But if you approach finding a girlfriend with the mentality of finding a housemaid, be careful of getting slapped.”
Ding Rong retorted, “Oh, so now Mingming is speaking from experience?”
Er Leng chimed in, “I know, I know. Mingming’s sister who likes to shout when she serves in tennis…”
Qiao Mingming jumped up and covered Er Leng’s mouth, “Enough, don’t say anything.” Even Wang Yan couldn’t hold back the enthusiastic team captain, Mingming.
I don’t know where Er Leng got the gossip from again.
The next day, perhaps due to a misconception, it seemed that the Chinese team’s injured players were numerous, while the Brazilian team was fraught with concerns.
Because several players from the Brazilian team were also injured, and their veterans were even older than those on the Chinese team. By the time the Tokyo Olympic cycle arrived, their situation had gradually deteriorated.
At the beginning of the match, when Qin Chunxiao received a ball from Brazil’s team captain, Caique, he could tell that this guy was not in good shape.
Caique used to have a powerful serve with a lot of spin and variation, making it very challenging for the libero to receive. However, this time his serves lacked the force they used to have, and the spin wasn’t as pronounced.
Caique’s wrist and shoulder were both problematic. Qin Chunxiao quickly assessed the situation and exchanged a glance with You Ziyu. When it was the squid’s turn to serve, Qin Chunxiao kept his focus on Caique.
Targeting the injuries of opponents, a weak point in the team, wasn’t uncommon in volleyball. Qin Chunxiao had experienced this kind of treatment himself, particularly when he was fatigued by Sebastian’s targeted serves during the match against Poland.
However, Qin Chunxiao’s young and sturdy physique allowed him to endure being targeted for one or two matches. Caique, on the other hand, had an old body, and not only was he targeted by the Chinese team, he also had to perform as a setter. He couldn’t help but curse inwardly. Fortunately, his experience allowed him to maintain stable command over the team even in such circumstances. The saying that the setter gets more devilish with time was indeed a truth in the world of volleyball.
At the net, Qiao Mingming and others engaged in an intense exchange with Brazil’s spikers, nearly face to face. Whether they could win or not was one thing, but their spirit couldn’t waver. If Brazil didn’t suffer a significant loss against China today, it wouldn’t end well for them!
This wasn’t Mars’ first time facing the Chinese team, but each time, he could feel that familiar sense of a heart attack.
That rascal Newton, who harmed others and didn’t benefit himself, others said his team was a band of thieves, yet he daydreamed about robbing the rich to aid the poor?
His Brazilian team hadn’t offended the Chinese team!
Looking at the opposing team’s lineup and tactical arrangements, Mars rubbed his brow. He knew that even if Brazil were to win today, it would only be a narrow victory. What’s worse, they couldn’t be certain about defeating Russia tomorrow. To secure one of the top two spots, they couldn’t afford to lose today’s match.
Otherwise, if they really ended up with the same win-loss record as several other teams in the same tier, they would have to rely on points to determine their ranking.
In fact, this was China’s intention. Even though they often dragged matches to the fifth set, they didn’t have the advantage when calculating points, unlike those super-strong teams that could win with a 3-0 score. Since they couldn’t secure the top two positions, what’s wrong with dragging a few more teams down with them?
Besides, they borrowed the Russian team doctor, so they should offer something in return.
When the Russian team came to watch after defeating Poland, they noticed that the Brazilian team was caught in a quagmire-like battle, fiercely exchanging points with the Chinese team.
Nikolai was surprised, “Oh, is the Chinese team planning to win this match today?”
Roman replied, “Hard to say, several of their main players are injured.”
Anton added, “But the gap between their main players and substitutes isn’t big. It seems like everyone is growing in this match.”
Feeding players was always one of the best ways to help them grow quickly. The Chinese team wasn’t short on talent. Newton’s resources were limited, so naturally, he could only send the best of the best. However, that didn’t mean the others lagged behind after being nurtured. This year’s VNL and World Cup were good opportunities for the Chinese team to level up.
This was also why Newton wanted the players to play with determination, striving for more victories. The main reason was that the leaders of the Chinese Volleyball Association (mainly remnants of the old Zhao gang) were causing trouble again, always saying that the participation fee for VNL was too high and that they wanted to cut back.
Mainly, they wanted to cut the men’s team, the women’s team had a unique significance, and cutting their funding would be inconvenient.
What others thought about this matter was hard to say, but Newton was certainly furious. The development of tactics and techniques in sports like volleyball was rapid. Skipping top-level competitions for a year could lead to a significant drop in skill, which was detrimental to player development. You say you won’t participate?
So, even if Newton flattered his direct supervisors within China, when he was out in the open, he still wanted the players to perform at their best, no matter what. Regardless, the priority was to secure their own funding first.
Currently, the young men had already exceeded expectations. There was even the matter with Lu Xuandong, which added a further layer of attention to this World Cup due to his relationship with Xiao Qin. Along with the players’ outstanding performance, winning against strong teams repeatedly, they had gained some popularity.
This was related to their previously low standing. Now, the sudden rise could certainly astonish people…
At this point, Liu Yuelou and Min Yaoyang had taken over for Qiao Mingming on the court. Their characteristic was that their firepower wasn’t as strong as Qiao Mingming’s, but their defense was better. After they came on, they saved Qin Chunxiao some energy. Finally, Qin Chunxiao didn’t need to focus on shielding the spiker all the time.
However, for the Chinese team, losing points was also proving to be a challenge. The turning point of the game ultimately occurred when Er Lang entered the court. Although this guy went crazy as soon as he came on, running to receive a pass himself, which led Qin Chunxiao, who was originally supposed to receive the pass, to temporarily play as a setter in confusion, so as not to let the ball fly out. Then, Li Ling proceeded to spike the ball as the third hit.
What was astonishing was that this hit actually scored a point.
Newton was about to scold Li Ling as he received the pass, but upon seeing the point being scored, he sat back and applauded, “Great hit!”
Newton, being a pragmatic person through and through, didn’t interfere much with how players played on the court; if they scored points, that was enough.
Li Ling’s momentum emerged, and the Chinese team began to activate. A group of injured players returned to the court, relying on sheer determination and passion, and surprisingly took the upper hand.
Mars had even used up all of his timeouts trying to disrupt China’s momentum and Li Ling’s state. But whenever he called a timeout, Newton immediately followed suit, which infuriated Mars to the point that his hands were shaking.
This was just too much. While it was true that the Chinese and Brazilian women’s volleyball teams were arch-rivals, the men’s teams were quite friendly and harmonious. Even though it was because the Chinese men’s team had been weak in the past and hadn’t been worth Brazil’s attention, Mars couldn’t recall having done anything to offend the Chinese men’s team.
Naturally, Mars didn’t know that the power of funding was at play. Anyway, when the referee indicated that the Chinese team had won the match with a score of 3-2 after three hours of intense competition, the grudges and enmity between the Chinese and Brazilian men’s volleyball teams were sealed.
Nikolai looked at the exhausted Brazilian team, raised his left and right hands, and both Roman and Anton exchanged a high-five with him.
My Soulmate is A Libero
During the times when Lu Xuandong felt disheartened and distressed, Qin Chunxiao had offered him comfort and support. So, when Qin Chunxiao lost an important match and left the court with red eyes, Lu Xuandong wanted to console him.
He couldn’t do it openly in front of many people because Qin Chunxiao still had to participate in post-match analysis and tended his injuries. If Lu Xuandong disturbed them, it wouldn’t be well-received in the media, and Qin Chunxiao might feel uncomfortable too.
Unlike some bossy characters from books who would carry athletes horizontally and take them home, forbidding them from engaging in physically taxing high-intensity sports wasn’t feasible at all. Lu Xuandong wasn’t foolish, he knew that doing so would lead to a breakup immediately.
However, photos of his concerned expression were captured online. While the main reason people snapped those pictures was because Lu Xuandong looked handsome even when making that expression, this time there weren’t many negative comments directed at Qin Chunxiao.
Sensible people could see that the athletes had given their all. They had fought against Poland for two and a half hours, battling through injuries. Especially Qin Chunxiao, who had an injury. He stayed on the court for almost two hours, only being substituted out for less than half an hour. He even got into a heated argument with the coach at the sidelines.
The coach’s tactics were well-thought-out, but how could injured athletes compete with Poland in their prime?
This match wasn’t just tough for the athletes, even the fans found it too agonizing to watch.
So, Lu Xuandong could only send comforting messages and bring in the safe ingredients that had been flown in.
He put pre-packaged fresh beef in the pot, adding only salt and ginger to simmer. Once the blood was drained, he took out the beef and sliced it. He treated the shrimp the same way. He added minced garlic to light soy sauce, packed it, and then mixed boiled broccoli, tomatoes, and asparagus with lemon juice to make a large plate of salad, which he packed as well.
The portions were small, and the meal was light.
The two children of the inn’s owner leaned against the kitchen, curiously watching him. Lu Xuandong gave them candy.
At this point, the Chinese team had finished the post-match analysis. Qin Chunxiao lay down, receiving treatment from the team doctor, discussing how to play against Brazil tomorrow with the other injured players.
“Later, Brazil went up against Russia,” Ding Rong said with a friendly tone full of Sino-Russian treaty, “They were helping us rob the rich to help Russia.”
Qiao Mingming chimed in, “Yeah, I’ve seen Russia is only two victories away from the championship. If they win against Poland and Brazil, they’ll take the title.”
And Poland, who had just played against the Chinese team today, was facing Russia tomorrow.
At this statement, Yashenka twitched at the corner of his mouth, “Do you all feel that you must make the opponents unhappy, even if you can’t win against them?”
“That’s right.” Qin Chunxiao, Ding Rong, and Qiao Mingming all nodded in agreement. Yashenka thought to himself that people like Qiao Mingming were unexpectedly honest in the Chinese team, revealing the rather daring attitude of this year’s Chinese team.
But if he provided treatment to the Chinese team, they could help weaken the Brazilian team. As a member of the Russian team, Yashenka was pleased to see that.
Wait a minute, did Nikolai send him over for this reason?
Lu Xuandong knocked on the door and entered, politely greeting everyone, then squatting in front of Qin Chunxiao, “Xiao Xiao, I brought you a midnight snack.”
Yashenka interjected, “His treatment hasn’t ended, his hand can’t move.”
Qin Chunxiao replied, “I’m about to start treatment after the meeting, and I haven’t had dinner yet.”
Lu Xuandong opened the lunchbox, scooped a shrimp with a spoon, and fed it to Qin Chunxiao. Now Qiao Mingming, Ding Rong, and Wang Yan felt somewhat redundant.
Qin Chunxiao said, “I also want to eat chili-fried pork.”
Lu Xuandong replied, “Alright, I’ll make it for you tomorrow. How about I pair it with a pear soup sweetened with rock sugar? It’ll help cool you down.”
Qin Chunxiao responded, “Sounds good.”
“It’s good to have a partner.” Ding Rong said with a hint of sourness, “I think I’ll find a girlfriend after I go back.”
Qiao Mingming added, “But if you approach finding a girlfriend with the mentality of finding a housemaid, be careful of getting slapped.”
Ding Rong retorted, “Oh, so now Mingming is speaking from experience?”
Er Leng chimed in, “I know, I know. Mingming’s sister who likes to shout when she serves in tennis…”
Qiao Mingming jumped up and covered Er Leng’s mouth, “Enough, don’t say anything.” Even Wang Yan couldn’t hold back the enthusiastic team captain, Mingming.
I don’t know where Er Leng got the gossip from again.
The next day, perhaps due to a misconception, it seemed that the Chinese team’s injured players were numerous, while the Brazilian team was fraught with concerns.
Because several players from the Brazilian team were also injured, and their veterans were even older than those on the Chinese team. By the time the Tokyo Olympic cycle arrived, their situation had gradually deteriorated.
At the beginning of the match, when Qin Chunxiao received a ball from Brazil’s team captain, Caique, he could tell that this guy was not in good shape.
Caique used to have a powerful serve with a lot of spin and variation, making it very challenging for the libero to receive. However, this time his serves lacked the force they used to have, and the spin wasn’t as pronounced.
Caique’s wrist and shoulder were both problematic. Qin Chunxiao quickly assessed the situation and exchanged a glance with You Ziyu. When it was the squid’s turn to serve, Qin Chunxiao kept his focus on Caique.
Targeting the injuries of opponents, a weak point in the team, wasn’t uncommon in volleyball. Qin Chunxiao had experienced this kind of treatment himself, particularly when he was fatigued by Sebastian’s targeted serves during the match against Poland.
However, Qin Chunxiao’s young and sturdy physique allowed him to endure being targeted for one or two matches. Caique, on the other hand, had an old body, and not only was he targeted by the Chinese team, he also had to perform as a setter. He couldn’t help but curse inwardly. Fortunately, his experience allowed him to maintain stable command over the team even in such circumstances. The saying that the setter gets more devilish with time was indeed a truth in the world of volleyball.
At the net, Qiao Mingming and others engaged in an intense exchange with Brazil’s spikers, nearly face to face. Whether they could win or not was one thing, but their spirit couldn’t waver. If Brazil didn’t suffer a significant loss against China today, it wouldn’t end well for them!
This wasn’t Mars’ first time facing the Chinese team, but each time, he could feel that familiar sense of a heart attack.
That rascal Newton, who harmed others and didn’t benefit himself, others said his team was a band of thieves, yet he daydreamed about robbing the rich to aid the poor?
His Brazilian team hadn’t offended the Chinese team!
Looking at the opposing team’s lineup and tactical arrangements, Mars rubbed his brow. He knew that even if Brazil were to win today, it would only be a narrow victory. What’s worse, they couldn’t be certain about defeating Russia tomorrow. To secure one of the top two spots, they couldn’t afford to lose today’s match.
Otherwise, if they really ended up with the same win-loss record as several other teams in the same tier, they would have to rely on points to determine their ranking.
In fact, this was China’s intention. Even though they often dragged matches to the fifth set, they didn’t have the advantage when calculating points, unlike those super-strong teams that could win with a 3-0 score. Since they couldn’t secure the top two positions, what’s wrong with dragging a few more teams down with them?
Besides, they borrowed the Russian team doctor, so they should offer something in return.
When the Russian team came to watch after defeating Poland, they noticed that the Brazilian team was caught in a quagmire-like battle, fiercely exchanging points with the Chinese team.
Nikolai was surprised, “Oh, is the Chinese team planning to win this match today?”
Roman replied, “Hard to say, several of their main players are injured.”
Anton added, “But the gap between their main players and substitutes isn’t big. It seems like everyone is growing in this match.”
Feeding players was always one of the best ways to help them grow quickly. The Chinese team wasn’t short on talent. Newton’s resources were limited, so naturally, he could only send the best of the best. However, that didn’t mean the others lagged behind after being nurtured. This year’s VNL and World Cup were good opportunities for the Chinese team to level up.
This was also why Newton wanted the players to play with determination, striving for more victories. The main reason was that the leaders of the Chinese Volleyball Association (mainly remnants of the old Zhao gang) were causing trouble again, always saying that the participation fee for VNL was too high and that they wanted to cut back.
Mainly, they wanted to cut the men’s team, the women’s team had a unique significance, and cutting their funding would be inconvenient.
What others thought about this matter was hard to say, but Newton was certainly furious. The development of tactics and techniques in sports like volleyball was rapid. Skipping top-level competitions for a year could lead to a significant drop in skill, which was detrimental to player development. You say you won’t participate?
So, even if Newton flattered his direct supervisors within China, when he was out in the open, he still wanted the players to perform at their best, no matter what. Regardless, the priority was to secure their own funding first.
Currently, the young men had already exceeded expectations. There was even the matter with Lu Xuandong, which added a further layer of attention to this World Cup due to his relationship with Xiao Qin. Along with the players’ outstanding performance, winning against strong teams repeatedly, they had gained some popularity.
This was related to their previously low standing. Now, the sudden rise could certainly astonish people…
At this point, Liu Yuelou and Min Yaoyang had taken over for Qiao Mingming on the court. Their characteristic was that their firepower wasn’t as strong as Qiao Mingming’s, but their defense was better. After they came on, they saved Qin Chunxiao some energy. Finally, Qin Chunxiao didn’t need to focus on shielding the spiker all the time.
However, for the Chinese team, losing points was also proving to be a challenge. The turning point of the game ultimately occurred when Er Lang entered the court. Although this guy went crazy as soon as he came on, running to receive a pass himself, which led Qin Chunxiao, who was originally supposed to receive the pass, to temporarily play as a setter in confusion, so as not to let the ball fly out. Then, Li Ling proceeded to spike the ball as the third hit.
What was astonishing was that this hit actually scored a point.
Newton was about to scold Li Ling as he received the pass, but upon seeing the point being scored, he sat back and applauded, “Great hit!”
Newton, being a pragmatic person through and through, didn’t interfere much with how players played on the court; if they scored points, that was enough.
Li Ling’s momentum emerged, and the Chinese team began to activate. A group of injured players returned to the court, relying on sheer determination and passion, and surprisingly took the upper hand.
Mars had even used up all of his timeouts trying to disrupt China’s momentum and Li Ling’s state. But whenever he called a timeout, Newton immediately followed suit, which infuriated Mars to the point that his hands were shaking.
This was just too much. While it was true that the Chinese and Brazilian women’s volleyball teams were arch-rivals, the men’s teams were quite friendly and harmonious. Even though it was because the Chinese men’s team had been weak in the past and hadn’t been worth Brazil’s attention, Mars couldn’t recall having done anything to offend the Chinese men’s team.
Naturally, Mars didn’t know that the power of funding was at play. Anyway, when the referee indicated that the Chinese team had won the match with a score of 3-2 after three hours of intense competition, the grudges and enmity between the Chinese and Brazilian men’s volleyball teams were sealed.
Nikolai looked at the exhausted Brazilian team, raised his left and right hands, and both Roman and Anton exchanged a high-five with him.
