The Bayi team had always been synonymous with strength in the domestic sports community, gathering elites from all over the country and holding the undisputed position of champions in many events.
There used to be a saying that went, “Half of the national team is composed of players from Bayi, while the rest each represent a city.” This speaks volumes about the dominance of the Bayi team.
Whenever they stepped onto the court, they became the biggest formidable opponents on the path to championship for all other teams!
The Guangdong team was truly worried because in their anticipation, it would have been much better to face the Bayi team in the semifinals. Otherwise, after going through the hardships to defeat one strong team, they would have to continue clashing with other strong teams, leaving their energy depleted.
The Bayi team had the same thoughts.
It was well-known that facing the Guangdong team, which had evolved into a defensive powerhouse, required a great deal of stamina. Even if they win against Guangdong, would they have enough energy left when facing the teams that come after?
Therefore, starting from the quarterfinals, the Guangdong provincial team and their opponents always reached a mutual understanding in terms of their mental state. They only had one phrase for each other: “Don’t come near me!”
However, what had to happen eventually happened.
The Guangdong team arrived early, while the Bayi team made an impressive entrance. These were both indications of how much they valued each other.
No matter how much they cursed their luck internally, once the game truly started, everyone immediately got into their respective zones.
Zhang Feng took his place on the serving spot and performed a powerful jump serve without any reservations. The ball landed perfectly between Qin Chunxiao and another player. The other player didn’t move, even shifting to the side, while Qin Chunxiao planted his feet firmly, using both hands to bump the ball solidly to the net.
Li Ling had already quickly positioned himself, raising his hands up, as if preparing for a spike set. The attacking players from the Guangdong provincial team also started their jumps. Then Li Ling swung his arms, sending the ball to the other side of the net.
Bang!
Li Ling scored with a second attack at the start of the game!
Ding Rong raised his hands in acknowledgment. Among the two blockers, he was the first to react and attempt a block, but he couldn’t stop it.
Ding Rong chuckled from the other side of the net, “Er Leng, well done! You’re so formidable at the beginning of the game.”
Li Ling revealed a silly smile, “Not really, just average.”
Ding Rong choked for a moment, thinking that this silly guy was quite modest.
Li Ling continued, “I miss the days when I played with Ding-ge. With you around, I don’t even need to pass, I can just focus on attacking.”
Gao Depi slapped Li Ling on the back of his head, “Why are you being indecisive? Who’s your partner?”
Qin Chunxiao quickly waved his hand, “If he wants to be partnered with Ding-ge, just let him go. I’ll be relieved too.”
Working with Li Ling required constant adjustments in their attacks, and it was quite tiring for Qin Chunxiao.
Li Ling’s face immediately changed, “Xiao-zai, you can’t abandon me!”
No matter how much they argue, they couldn’t separate Xiao-zai from his partner!
Seeing the banter going on between them, the referee loudly reminded them, “Stop chatting, it’s a match! You! Qin Chunxiao! Li Ling! Gao Depi! Ding Rong!”
The four players quickly silenced themselves and returned to their positions, knowing they had already received their fair share of yellow cards in the past.
Chen Aiguo and the Bayi team’s coach chuckled, “These guys only played together once in the Asian Championships, but they’ve become so close that they can’t help but chat when they meet.”
The Bayi team’s coach smiled like a Buddha, “Yes, the camaraderie formed from fighting together is truly unique.”
Foreign players and coaches might be deceived by Qin Chunxiao’s appearance, but domestic male volleyball coaches knew that Qin Chunxiao was involved in multiple fights during his time in the national youth training camp, and Ding Rong settled the chaos by taking down everyone. These two guys were not to be trifled with.
Chen Aiguo blushed, “Well, young people always get into some trouble, but it’s good if they become more mature as they grow up.”
But from the second ball onwards, the atmosphere on the court turned fierce. The Bayi team was determined to attack aggressively and score points while Guangdong lacked top-notch attackers, forcing Qin Chunxiao to take on the attacking role. Unexpectedly, Qin Chunxiao didn’t hesitate to return to the defensive end…
Xiaoqin never showed mercy on the court. While they may have good rapport off the court, as soon as they stood on opposite sides of the net, they became opponents. He would give his all to rescue every ball sent to their side of the court. That’s the attitude of an UR-level defensive wall!
Qin Chunxiao: “Teammates, I’ll take this ball, the rest of you be ready.”
Teammates: “Got it!”
The Guangdong team, being a formidable quarterfinalist, consisted of players who weren’t pushovers. With such powerful defense, their offense naturally followed suit. Main attackers Pang Ze and Zhong Jiaxin spared no effort in launching attacks against the Bayi team.
Moreover, Gao Depi and Li Ling were both 3D players. They both had activated their setting skills and were capable of spiking. They could even form a twin-star mode!
In the first set, with their ironclad defense and good form from the attackers, the Guangdong provincial team narrowly won with a score of 25-23.
However, the situation changed in the second set.
During the short break, Ding Rong gathered his teammates, “The experienced veterans from the Guangdong provincial team have retired. Now it’s just Gao Depi carrying a group of young kids. Qin Chunxiao is okay, he’s clever and doesn’t act like a child, but the others are easily fooled.”
After speaking, he made a gesture, and the Bayi team’s players all nodded.
They understood. Since the opposing team wanted to tire them out with their defense, Ding Rong could also deceive their blockers and turn them into a group of jumper athletes.
If they wanted to consume energy, they could do it together.
Zhang Feng and Gao Depi, who had previously fought side by side in the national team, knew Pi Shen’s strengths and weaknesses very well. “When Qin Chunxiao rotates to the front row, he’ll still be the main attacker. At that time, Guangdong’s defense will have cracks, and it will be our chance to launch a fierce attack against them.”
So, in the second set, Qin Chunxiao immediately felt the pressure.
The Bayi team didn’t use any tactics that could overturn the situation, but they regained their strategic advantage.
Qin Chunxiao gritted his teeth, knowing that the team’s slightly inferior strength was causing them difficulties. He could only watch helplessly as they lost the second set to the opposing team.
Chen Aiguo was anxiously watching from the sidelines, but the only thing he could do was disrupt the opponent’s rhythm through a timeout and substitute Li Xiaoping onto the court in the third set.
Others might not be familiar with Li Xiaoping as a player, but among the provincial level volleyball opposite hitters, he was considered a top player. He was the player in the entire Guangdong provincial team, apart from Qin Chunxiao, who excelled at playing finesse shots, with exceptional technique.
Since their team’s attacking prowess was not on par with the opponent, they decided to bring in this “youtiao” (fried dough stick), relying on his ability to score points by hitting the ball out of bounds, and also to mess with the opponent’s mentality!
When Li Xiaoping entered the court, he did so with full confidence. He raised his head, straightened his chest, and stamped his feet, appearing as energetic as Er Leng. Li Ling quickly fed him the ball, meaning he set the ball to him. Li Xiaoping aimed his arms at the opposing blockers and launched a powerful spike.
Bang!
The ball was blocked and landed.
Li Xiaoping blushed, “Sorry, sorry. I didn’t pick the right angle.”
After speaking, he chuckled and returned to his position. On the way, he high-fived with Er Leng. Just by looking at his thick-skinned behavior, one could understand why he immediately grasped the “youtiao” playing style. He was a perfect fit for it.
With Li Ling and Li Xiaoping, the hidden talents, on their side, Gao Depi and Qin Chunxiao felt that the match became slightly easier in the third set.
Well, just slightly. Overall, the Bayi team still held the upper hand. After all, the Bayi team was undoubtedly the champion reserve team, and it was really difficult for the Guangdong provincial team to face the champion team.
As the third set progressed, the score gradually surpassed 25 points.
The Shandong team, which had quickly finished their match with a 3-0 victory, came over to watch. Tong Shulan saw how the Bayi team and the Guangdong team were grinding out every point, and his mouth almost twisted from smiling.
These two teams were both major rivals of the Shandong team. If they wore each other out, the ones who would benefit in the end would be Shandong.
Kong Duojin sneakily kicked him, “Captain, control your expression.”
Tong Shulan rubbed his face with both hands, “I’ll control it, right away. Oh, our luck is so good. Originally, I was thinking it would be unlucky to face those two teams in the same group. But who would have thought that they would face each other first?”
With these two teams weakening each other, it would be easier for the Shandong team to play!
At that moment, Qin Chunxiao rotated to the front row and stood in line with main attacker Zhong Jiaxin and Li Ling. On the other side, Ding Rong stood in the fourth position, but Li Ling stood in front of him.
Gao Depi took a deep breath, “Once Er Leng rotates to the back row, our blocking height in the front row will be significantly lower than the opponent’s. Xiao-zai, hold on!”
Qin Chunxiao tried his best. The Bayi team consisted of elite players selected from all over the country, towering figures with long arms. Their hitting points far exceeded the average level of provincial teams. Little Qin, who was only 1.78 meters tall, would be better off dying than trying to block these people.
But with the support of his Achilles tendon, well, he could still fight!
The Bayi team’s attackers couldn’t help but laugh as Qin Chunxiao successfully blocked them twice, “Hey, this kid is really tough to deal with.”
He was already so formidable at the age of 16. He will be even stronger in a few more years!
With Qin Chunxiao’s efforts, the Guangdong team managed to hold on against the Bayi team until it reached 31-30. Although Guangdong was still one point behind, everyone held onto their desire for victory and gritted their teeth.
The unexpected happened when the Guangdong team reached their 36th point.
At that time, Qin Chunxiao had already rotated to the back row once and returned to the front row in the fourth position. Li Xiaoping received an attack from the back row, but the quality of the pass was not good. The ball flew directly out of bounds, and Li Ling had to run over and blindly back-set the ball.
The quality of this back set was also poor.
Qin Chunxiao immediately noticed that the ball was positioned even further back than his shoulder. But it was too late, so he had to jump with Zhong Jiaxin and send the ball over, relying on their determination.
The audience at the scene saw Qin Chunxiao leaning back and, not using his usual right hand, reaching back to scoop the ball, managing to send it to the other side.
This Little Qin was truly flexible!
Bang!
Since the Bayi team didn’t expect Qin Chunxiao to execute such a powerful spike, they were caught off guard and couldn’t rescue the ball in time, resulting in a point for their opponents.
As Qin Chunxiao began to descend, he jumped high, and coincidentally, Zhong Jiaxin also jumped to perform a spike. As a result, Qin Chunxiao’s lower leg collided with Zhong Jiaxin’s arm.
If it were a usual situation, with Qin Chunxiao’s control and cat-like reflexes, he could adjust even if he accidentally collided with a teammate in mid-air. But this time, he was leaning backward!
Unable to adjust at all, Qin Chunxiao could only fall hard.
“Xiao-zai!”
Li Ling immediately screamed and crawled over, moving at a speed that would not be inferior on a 100-meter race track, indicating his level of urgency.
Gao Depi also ran up to Qin Chunxiao, urgently asking, “Are you okay? Can you get up?”
Nobody dared to move Qin Chunxiao recklessly, as falling could be either a minor or a major issue. Some people could get up, pat their bottoms, and continue playing without any problem, but if they suffered a bone injury or internal damage, moving easily would worsen the condition.
Gao Depi had learned this lesson the hard way. He had suffered an Achilles tendon rupture on the court, and Zhao Youde had only let someone support him off the court without even providing a stretcher. Gao Depi had to hop off the court with the help of his teammates, and in the end, Qiao Mingming couldn’t bear it and carried him horizontally off the court.
Qin Chunxiao leaned on the floor, turned over, and changed to a supine position before using his abdominal strength to sit up. He pointed to his right foot and said, “Just twisted it a bit, not serious. Give me a hand.”
It wasn’t that he couldn’t stand up on one foot, but if he moved without anyone to support him, Qin Chunxiao was afraid of falling again and worsening the injury.
Li Ling was anxious, “I’ll lift you up!”
Gao Depi stopped him, “Using a two-person carry would be more stable.”
A two-person carry was a professional method of transporting an injured person. It required two people to extend their arms and tightly grip each other’s forearms. After ensuring the stability of their arms, the injured person would sit on their arms, with their hands resting on the shoulders of the carriers.
Qin Chunxiao originally wanted to refuse because his injury was really not severe. He could walk off the court by himself and apply an ice pack to ease any discomfort.
But as the captain of the team, Gao Depi insisted that the two strongest main attackers in the team, Pang Ze and Zhong Jiaxin, use the two-person carry to transport him to the coach’s side. The team doctor immediately rushed over to assess the injury.
With such a commotion, others might think that he was seriously injured!
Qin Chunxiao said, “I just twisted my foot a bit. Don’t exaggerate it like this.”
Chen Aiguo patted his back, “Health management is a mandatory course for athletes! You must take every injury seriously and treat it with the utmost caution!”
Qin Chunxiao felt unjustified. He paid great attention to his health! He had been drinking wolfberry tea since the age of 16, went to bed before 10 p.m. every day, and even had long-term plans for weightlifting, making sure not to exert too much before adulthood.
Moreover, as an athlete, since his return to the competition field a year ago, this minor ankle sprain was the only injury he had experienced. If you were to ask any sports student about it, they would be shocked! For competitive sports, such a low injury rate is practically a miracle!
If it weren’t for Qin Chunxiao’s strong physique and deep understanding of health preservation, he wouldn’t have been able to protect himself so well.
But as an injured player, he had to obediently keep quiet.
Qin Chunxiao followed the team doctor’s actions and took off his shoe, then peeled off his sock, revealing a slightly swollen ankle.
The team doctor said, “Soft tissue contusion, apply ice first.”
Coach Chen immediately handed over an ice pack.
Since it was confirmed as an injury, Qin Chunxiao definitely couldn’t continue playing. Based on previous cases of players twisting their ankles, Qin Chunxiao would have to sit on the bench for at least a week. By that time, the finals would have already ended!
Qin Chunxiao sighed, “What should we do about the match?”
Gao Depi stood with his hands on his hips, imposingly reprimanding him, “Of course, we continue playing. Do you think we can’t play without you?”
Chen Aiguo nodded, “Xiao-zai, sit here. Lin Mo, you’re up!”
Player injuries were a common occurrence on the court, so although Chen Aiguo felt uncomfortable, he quickly arranged the players and prepared to continue the game.
Li Ling looked very worried as he glanced at Qin Chunxiao and apologized in a low voice, “I’m sorry, I gave you a poor set. If I had the precision of a cat, even with my eyes closed, you wouldn’t have gotten injured.”
Qin Chunxiao comforted him, “It’s alright, focus on the game.”
Li Ling obediently acknowledged and returned to the court with a backward glance.
Qin Chunxiao held the ice pack against his ankle and let out a sigh.
Of all times, he had to get injured while playing against the Bayi team. What a predicament.
He took out his phone and sent a message.
[I’m fine, don’t worry.]
After seeing this message, a certain spectator who had stood up finally sat back down and apologized to the people around them.
“Sorry, I was too anxious just now.”
The spectators expressed their understanding, “It’s okay, we also get anxious when we see players getting injured. That fall he took was really scary.”
With one of their core players temporarily out of action, the strength of the Guangdong team suffered greatly. Although they managed to win the third set with a score of 38:36, they couldn’t change the overall situation and ultimately lost 3:2 to the Bayi team.
As an injured player, Qin Chunxiao was the one who felt the worst. Seeing his teammates’ disappointed expressions, he kept his negative emotions in check. On the way back to the lodging, carried by Li Ling, he said many words to comfort everyone. After a while, seeing that everyone’s expressions were still not good, he had no choice but to use his trick: telling jokes, especially volleyball jokes.
“Hey, have you heard? That unlucky guy, Sebastian from Poland, who got bitten on the butt by a snake recently proposed to his girlfriend. He intentionally hid the ring in a cake, but he prepared two cakes that looked exactly the same. In the end, he ate the cake with the ring inside, and he ended up in the hospital again, hahaha.”
In the world of volleyball, jokes about the Polish beast and tactical board jokes from Italy always had great power. Finally, everyone laughed, and the atmosphere eased up.
Coach Chen spoke in a gentle tone, “We played very well today. We almost brought down the Bayi team. If our luck was a bit better, we would have had our spot on the podium. But it’s okay, everyone experiences a few setbacks in life. Let’s use up all the bad luck now so that we can have good luck in the future.”
Gao Depi sighed, “Unfortunately, it allowed Shandong to take advantage.”
The Bayi team had exhausted their energy today, and tomorrow they would face the Shandong team. Knowing Tong Shulan’s shamelessness through his understanding of Tong Shulan, Gao Depi was sure he would be grinning from ear to ear.
However, in the evening, the Guangdong team members realized that the aftermath of Qin Chunxiao’s injury was quite extensive.
Qin Chunxiao sat on the bed, teammates brought him food, and they watched volleyball matches together, analyzing the playing styles of other teams. Then, with a ding, the doorbell rang.
Li Ling: “Someone’s here~”
The door opened, and Chang Xiaole entered with a fruit platter: “Xiao-zai, I brought you some fruits.”
Everyone sat down, enjoying the food and laughing.
2 minutes later, the doorbell rang again.
Li Ling: “Someone’s here~”
The door opened, and Min Yaoyang and Xiong Wu stood side by side. Min Yaoyang raised the USB drive in his hand: “Xiao-zai, I came to watch American Horror Story with you. Didn’t you say you wanted to watch it?”
The TV in the guest room happened to have a USB port, so they all watched the American TV series together.
But not even 2 minutes passed before the doorbell rang again, accompanied by the intense background music playing on the TV.
Li Ling: “Who is it again? They’re here!”
The door opened, and Ding Rong looked worried: “Xiao-zai, I brought a medical kit that works well for sprains. Oh? Why are there so many people?”
In the end, everyone gathered together and watched several hours of American TV series. When it was almost 10 PM, Min Yaoyang yawned, and Xiong Wu bid farewell, followed by others getting up and leaving.
Qin Chunxiao also started to feel drowsy. He rubbed his eyes and took out his phone, sending a message on WeChat.
Qin Chunxiao: 【Just a normal sprain, no major issues with ligaments or bones. The team doctor said I just need to rest for a week.】
Lu Xuandong, using the light from his bedside lamp to study English, saw the message from the person with the nickname “Soulmate” and breathed a sigh of relief.
As Qin Chunxiao said, the sprain was indeed not serious. Most people had experienced sprains before, and as long as they didn’t affect critical areas, they had almost no impact.
Lu Xuandong: 【That’s good it’s not serious.】
Lu Xuandong: 【What are you doing now?】
Qin Chunxiao, while Li Ling was washing up, picked up his phone and replied.
Qin Chunxiao: 【Getting ready to sleep. How about you?】
As he got up and put on his coat, Lu Xuandong replied.
Lu Xuandong: 【You’ll find out in five minutes.】
A few minutes later, a request for a voice call came through. Qin Chunxiao was puzzled. They couldn’t communicate through voice, so why did Lu Xuandong send this?
He pressed the answer button and held the phone to his ear.
In the quiet room, he could faintly hear someone breathing.
Qin Chunxiao was taken aback.
They remained silent for a while. He didn’t know how long had passed, but the sound of breathing ceased, and a gentle “thud” came from the other side, indicating that the phone was placed on the table.
A soft piano melody flowed through the phone, it was “Autumn Whispers.”
As a skilled composer and musician who had released several albums, Lu Xuandong was proficient in many instruments. His best instruments were the erhu and guitar, followed by the piano. Although he wasn’t at a professional level, he easily played simple piano pieces.
Lu Xuandong didn’t say anything, but Qin Chunxiao inexplicably understood his intention.
【I know you’re not feeling well, so I played the piano for you to listen to. I hope you can have a good dream while being soothed by the music.】
Qin Chunxiao laid down, turning to the side and looking at the screen of his phone. The soothing and gentle piano sound played in his ears, and gradually, he closed his eyes.
Li Ling heard the music coming from the bathroom. He thought Qin Chunxiao was listening to music to help him sleep.
Er Leng put on his pajamas and got into bed, thinking contentedly, “The music Xiao-zai chose makes you want to fall asleep as soon as you listen to it. I should ask him for a playlist someday and listen to it every night before bed.”
.
On that day, it became a hot topic on Weibo.
1. “XXX and XX Divorce” Hot!
2. “Lu Xuandong Appears in Tianjin After Acknowledging his Relatives” Hot!
3. “Lu Xuandong Plays the Piano at the Alice Hotel Restaurant” Hot! ↑
…
Mysterious Group Chat
Group Owner: “Oh my gosh! What happened?”
Anonymous User 10: “Is this the first time he appeared in public after acknowledging his relatives? I can understand him going to Tianjin since it’s well-known that Dong-ge likes volleyball. But why did he play the piano? And he played for a full two hours, aaah!”
Anonymous User 3: “I can’t even practice the piano for that long! He played continuously for two whole hours!”
Anonymous User 5: “Out of sight, out of mind. As soon as he appears, he trends on hot search. That’s his immense popularity.”
Anonymous User 8: “This is the pinnacle! *leans back.jpg*”
Anonymous User 2: “Dong-ge’s piano playing is so beautiful. He truly has perfect pitch, and he handles the rhythm so well. I want to praise him to the heavens!”
Anonymous User 4: “Guys! Yomi has released a new short story! She wrote a heartwarming piece about Qin’s team, where he couldn’t sleep due to the pain after his injury, and Dong-ge played the piano to comfort him. It’s so heartwarming, I’m in heaven!”
Anonymous User 6: “When it comes to riding on the trend, we can always trust Yomi!”
Anonymous User 1: “Now there are different opinions. From ‘Autumn Whispers’ to ‘Love Concerto,’ I didn’t know he played the piano so well. Ha, this man is truly a treasure. But fans speculated that he simply had a bad mood and wanted to find a place to play the piano.”
Anonymous User 2: “Based on my years of listening to classical music, the emotions in his piano playing are serene and gentle, so we can rule out the bad mood theory.”
Group Owner: “So, what is the truth after all?”
Yes, what is the truth after all?
Regarding these questions, Er Leng, who was closest to the truth, knew nothing about them. He had successfully entered dreamland under the hypnotic melody and dreams of himself and Xiao-zai fighting side by side, winning an Olympic gold medal.
“Hey, gold medal, hehe…”
The Bayi team had always been synonymous with strength in the domestic sports community, gathering elites from all over the country and holding the undisputed position of champions in many events.
There used to be a saying that went, “Half of the national team is composed of players from Bayi, while the rest each represent a city.” This speaks volumes about the dominance of the Bayi team.
Whenever they stepped onto the court, they became the biggest formidable opponents on the path to championship for all other teams!
The Guangdong team was truly worried because in their anticipation, it would have been much better to face the Bayi team in the semifinals. Otherwise, after going through the hardships to defeat one strong team, they would have to continue clashing with other strong teams, leaving their energy depleted.
The Bayi team had the same thoughts.
It was well-known that facing the Guangdong team, which had evolved into a defensive powerhouse, required a great deal of stamina. Even if they win against Guangdong, would they have enough energy left when facing the teams that come after?
Therefore, starting from the quarterfinals, the Guangdong provincial team and their opponents always reached a mutual understanding in terms of their mental state. They only had one phrase for each other: “Don’t come near me!”
However, what had to happen eventually happened.
The Guangdong team arrived early, while the Bayi team made an impressive entrance. These were both indications of how much they valued each other.
No matter how much they cursed their luck internally, once the game truly started, everyone immediately got into their respective zones.
Zhang Feng took his place on the serving spot and performed a powerful jump serve without any reservations. The ball landed perfectly between Qin Chunxiao and another player. The other player didn’t move, even shifting to the side, while Qin Chunxiao planted his feet firmly, using both hands to bump the ball solidly to the net.
Li Ling had already quickly positioned himself, raising his hands up, as if preparing for a spike set. The attacking players from the Guangdong provincial team also started their jumps. Then Li Ling swung his arms, sending the ball to the other side of the net.
Bang!
Li Ling scored with a second attack at the start of the game!
Ding Rong raised his hands in acknowledgment. Among the two blockers, he was the first to react and attempt a block, but he couldn’t stop it.
Ding Rong chuckled from the other side of the net, “Er Leng, well done! You’re so formidable at the beginning of the game.”
Li Ling revealed a silly smile, “Not really, just average.”
Ding Rong choked for a moment, thinking that this silly guy was quite modest.
Li Ling continued, “I miss the days when I played with Ding-ge. With you around, I don’t even need to pass, I can just focus on attacking.”
Gao Depi slapped Li Ling on the back of his head, “Why are you being indecisive? Who’s your partner?”
Qin Chunxiao quickly waved his hand, “If he wants to be partnered with Ding-ge, just let him go. I’ll be relieved too.”
Working with Li Ling required constant adjustments in their attacks, and it was quite tiring for Qin Chunxiao.
Li Ling’s face immediately changed, “Xiao-zai, you can’t abandon me!”
No matter how much they argue, they couldn’t separate Xiao-zai from his partner!
Seeing the banter going on between them, the referee loudly reminded them, “Stop chatting, it’s a match! You! Qin Chunxiao! Li Ling! Gao Depi! Ding Rong!”
The four players quickly silenced themselves and returned to their positions, knowing they had already received their fair share of yellow cards in the past.
Chen Aiguo and the Bayi team’s coach chuckled, “These guys only played together once in the Asian Championships, but they’ve become so close that they can’t help but chat when they meet.”
The Bayi team’s coach smiled like a Buddha, “Yes, the camaraderie formed from fighting together is truly unique.”
Foreign players and coaches might be deceived by Qin Chunxiao’s appearance, but domestic male volleyball coaches knew that Qin Chunxiao was involved in multiple fights during his time in the national youth training camp, and Ding Rong settled the chaos by taking down everyone. These two guys were not to be trifled with.
Chen Aiguo blushed, “Well, young people always get into some trouble, but it’s good if they become more mature as they grow up.”
But from the second ball onwards, the atmosphere on the court turned fierce. The Bayi team was determined to attack aggressively and score points while Guangdong lacked top-notch attackers, forcing Qin Chunxiao to take on the attacking role. Unexpectedly, Qin Chunxiao didn’t hesitate to return to the defensive end…
Xiaoqin never showed mercy on the court. While they may have good rapport off the court, as soon as they stood on opposite sides of the net, they became opponents. He would give his all to rescue every ball sent to their side of the court. That’s the attitude of an UR-level defensive wall!
Qin Chunxiao: “Teammates, I’ll take this ball, the rest of you be ready.”
Teammates: “Got it!”
The Guangdong team, being a formidable quarterfinalist, consisted of players who weren’t pushovers. With such powerful defense, their offense naturally followed suit. Main attackers Pang Ze and Zhong Jiaxin spared no effort in launching attacks against the Bayi team.
Moreover, Gao Depi and Li Ling were both 3D players. They both had activated their setting skills and were capable of spiking. They could even form a twin-star mode!
In the first set, with their ironclad defense and good form from the attackers, the Guangdong provincial team narrowly won with a score of 25-23.
However, the situation changed in the second set.
During the short break, Ding Rong gathered his teammates, “The experienced veterans from the Guangdong provincial team have retired. Now it’s just Gao Depi carrying a group of young kids. Qin Chunxiao is okay, he’s clever and doesn’t act like a child, but the others are easily fooled.”
After speaking, he made a gesture, and the Bayi team’s players all nodded.
They understood. Since the opposing team wanted to tire them out with their defense, Ding Rong could also deceive their blockers and turn them into a group of jumper athletes.
If they wanted to consume energy, they could do it together.
Zhang Feng and Gao Depi, who had previously fought side by side in the national team, knew Pi Shen’s strengths and weaknesses very well. “When Qin Chunxiao rotates to the front row, he’ll still be the main attacker. At that time, Guangdong’s defense will have cracks, and it will be our chance to launch a fierce attack against them.”
So, in the second set, Qin Chunxiao immediately felt the pressure.
The Bayi team didn’t use any tactics that could overturn the situation, but they regained their strategic advantage.
Qin Chunxiao gritted his teeth, knowing that the team’s slightly inferior strength was causing them difficulties. He could only watch helplessly as they lost the second set to the opposing team.
Chen Aiguo was anxiously watching from the sidelines, but the only thing he could do was disrupt the opponent’s rhythm through a timeout and substitute Li Xiaoping onto the court in the third set.
Others might not be familiar with Li Xiaoping as a player, but among the provincial level volleyball opposite hitters, he was considered a top player. He was the player in the entire Guangdong provincial team, apart from Qin Chunxiao, who excelled at playing finesse shots, with exceptional technique.
Since their team’s attacking prowess was not on par with the opponent, they decided to bring in this “youtiao” (fried dough stick), relying on his ability to score points by hitting the ball out of bounds, and also to mess with the opponent’s mentality!
When Li Xiaoping entered the court, he did so with full confidence. He raised his head, straightened his chest, and stamped his feet, appearing as energetic as Er Leng. Li Ling quickly fed him the ball, meaning he set the ball to him. Li Xiaoping aimed his arms at the opposing blockers and launched a powerful spike.
Bang!
The ball was blocked and landed.
Li Xiaoping blushed, “Sorry, sorry. I didn’t pick the right angle.”
After speaking, he chuckled and returned to his position. On the way, he high-fived with Er Leng. Just by looking at his thick-skinned behavior, one could understand why he immediately grasped the “youtiao” playing style. He was a perfect fit for it.
With Li Ling and Li Xiaoping, the hidden talents, on their side, Gao Depi and Qin Chunxiao felt that the match became slightly easier in the third set.
Well, just slightly. Overall, the Bayi team still held the upper hand. After all, the Bayi team was undoubtedly the champion reserve team, and it was really difficult for the Guangdong provincial team to face the champion team.
As the third set progressed, the score gradually surpassed 25 points.
The Shandong team, which had quickly finished their match with a 3-0 victory, came over to watch. Tong Shulan saw how the Bayi team and the Guangdong team were grinding out every point, and his mouth almost twisted from smiling.
These two teams were both major rivals of the Shandong team. If they wore each other out, the ones who would benefit in the end would be Shandong.
Kong Duojin sneakily kicked him, “Captain, control your expression.”
Tong Shulan rubbed his face with both hands, “I’ll control it, right away. Oh, our luck is so good. Originally, I was thinking it would be unlucky to face those two teams in the same group. But who would have thought that they would face each other first?”
With these two teams weakening each other, it would be easier for the Shandong team to play!
At that moment, Qin Chunxiao rotated to the front row and stood in line with main attacker Zhong Jiaxin and Li Ling. On the other side, Ding Rong stood in the fourth position, but Li Ling stood in front of him.
Gao Depi took a deep breath, “Once Er Leng rotates to the back row, our blocking height in the front row will be significantly lower than the opponent’s. Xiao-zai, hold on!”
Qin Chunxiao tried his best. The Bayi team consisted of elite players selected from all over the country, towering figures with long arms. Their hitting points far exceeded the average level of provincial teams. Little Qin, who was only 1.78 meters tall, would be better off dying than trying to block these people.
But with the support of his Achilles tendon, well, he could still fight!
The Bayi team’s attackers couldn’t help but laugh as Qin Chunxiao successfully blocked them twice, “Hey, this kid is really tough to deal with.”
He was already so formidable at the age of 16. He will be even stronger in a few more years!
With Qin Chunxiao’s efforts, the Guangdong team managed to hold on against the Bayi team until it reached 31-30. Although Guangdong was still one point behind, everyone held onto their desire for victory and gritted their teeth.
The unexpected happened when the Guangdong team reached their 36th point.
At that time, Qin Chunxiao had already rotated to the back row once and returned to the front row in the fourth position. Li Xiaoping received an attack from the back row, but the quality of the pass was not good. The ball flew directly out of bounds, and Li Ling had to run over and blindly back-set the ball.
The quality of this back set was also poor.
Qin Chunxiao immediately noticed that the ball was positioned even further back than his shoulder. But it was too late, so he had to jump with Zhong Jiaxin and send the ball over, relying on their determination.
The audience at the scene saw Qin Chunxiao leaning back and, not using his usual right hand, reaching back to scoop the ball, managing to send it to the other side.
This Little Qin was truly flexible!
Bang!
Since the Bayi team didn’t expect Qin Chunxiao to execute such a powerful spike, they were caught off guard and couldn’t rescue the ball in time, resulting in a point for their opponents.
As Qin Chunxiao began to descend, he jumped high, and coincidentally, Zhong Jiaxin also jumped to perform a spike. As a result, Qin Chunxiao’s lower leg collided with Zhong Jiaxin’s arm.
If it were a usual situation, with Qin Chunxiao’s control and cat-like reflexes, he could adjust even if he accidentally collided with a teammate in mid-air. But this time, he was leaning backward!
Unable to adjust at all, Qin Chunxiao could only fall hard.
“Xiao-zai!”
Li Ling immediately screamed and crawled over, moving at a speed that would not be inferior on a 100-meter race track, indicating his level of urgency.
Gao Depi also ran up to Qin Chunxiao, urgently asking, “Are you okay? Can you get up?”
Nobody dared to move Qin Chunxiao recklessly, as falling could be either a minor or a major issue. Some people could get up, pat their bottoms, and continue playing without any problem, but if they suffered a bone injury or internal damage, moving easily would worsen the condition.
Gao Depi had learned this lesson the hard way. He had suffered an Achilles tendon rupture on the court, and Zhao Youde had only let someone support him off the court without even providing a stretcher. Gao Depi had to hop off the court with the help of his teammates, and in the end, Qiao Mingming couldn’t bear it and carried him horizontally off the court.
Qin Chunxiao leaned on the floor, turned over, and changed to a supine position before using his abdominal strength to sit up. He pointed to his right foot and said, “Just twisted it a bit, not serious. Give me a hand.”
It wasn’t that he couldn’t stand up on one foot, but if he moved without anyone to support him, Qin Chunxiao was afraid of falling again and worsening the injury.
Li Ling was anxious, “I’ll lift you up!”
Gao Depi stopped him, “Using a two-person carry would be more stable.”
A two-person carry was a professional method of transporting an injured person. It required two people to extend their arms and tightly grip each other’s forearms. After ensuring the stability of their arms, the injured person would sit on their arms, with their hands resting on the shoulders of the carriers.
Qin Chunxiao originally wanted to refuse because his injury was really not severe. He could walk off the court by himself and apply an ice pack to ease any discomfort.
But as the captain of the team, Gao Depi insisted that the two strongest main attackers in the team, Pang Ze and Zhong Jiaxin, use the two-person carry to transport him to the coach’s side. The team doctor immediately rushed over to assess the injury.
With such a commotion, others might think that he was seriously injured!
Qin Chunxiao said, “I just twisted my foot a bit. Don’t exaggerate it like this.”
Chen Aiguo patted his back, “Health management is a mandatory course for athletes! You must take every injury seriously and treat it with the utmost caution!”
Qin Chunxiao felt unjustified. He paid great attention to his health! He had been drinking wolfberry tea since the age of 16, went to bed before 10 p.m. every day, and even had long-term plans for weightlifting, making sure not to exert too much before adulthood.
Moreover, as an athlete, since his return to the competition field a year ago, this minor ankle sprain was the only injury he had experienced. If you were to ask any sports student about it, they would be shocked! For competitive sports, such a low injury rate is practically a miracle!
If it weren’t for Qin Chunxiao’s strong physique and deep understanding of health preservation, he wouldn’t have been able to protect himself so well.
But as an injured player, he had to obediently keep quiet.
Qin Chunxiao followed the team doctor’s actions and took off his shoe, then peeled off his sock, revealing a slightly swollen ankle.
The team doctor said, “Soft tissue contusion, apply ice first.”
Coach Chen immediately handed over an ice pack.
Since it was confirmed as an injury, Qin Chunxiao definitely couldn’t continue playing. Based on previous cases of players twisting their ankles, Qin Chunxiao would have to sit on the bench for at least a week. By that time, the finals would have already ended!
Qin Chunxiao sighed, “What should we do about the match?”
Gao Depi stood with his hands on his hips, imposingly reprimanding him, “Of course, we continue playing. Do you think we can’t play without you?”
Chen Aiguo nodded, “Xiao-zai, sit here. Lin Mo, you’re up!”
Player injuries were a common occurrence on the court, so although Chen Aiguo felt uncomfortable, he quickly arranged the players and prepared to continue the game.
Li Ling looked very worried as he glanced at Qin Chunxiao and apologized in a low voice, “I’m sorry, I gave you a poor set. If I had the precision of a cat, even with my eyes closed, you wouldn’t have gotten injured.”
Qin Chunxiao comforted him, “It’s alright, focus on the game.”
Li Ling obediently acknowledged and returned to the court with a backward glance.
Qin Chunxiao held the ice pack against his ankle and let out a sigh.
Of all times, he had to get injured while playing against the Bayi team. What a predicament.
He took out his phone and sent a message.
[I’m fine, don’t worry.]
After seeing this message, a certain spectator who had stood up finally sat back down and apologized to the people around them.
“Sorry, I was too anxious just now.”
The spectators expressed their understanding, “It’s okay, we also get anxious when we see players getting injured. That fall he took was really scary.”
With one of their core players temporarily out of action, the strength of the Guangdong team suffered greatly. Although they managed to win the third set with a score of 38:36, they couldn’t change the overall situation and ultimately lost 3:2 to the Bayi team.
As an injured player, Qin Chunxiao was the one who felt the worst. Seeing his teammates’ disappointed expressions, he kept his negative emotions in check. On the way back to the lodging, carried by Li Ling, he said many words to comfort everyone. After a while, seeing that everyone’s expressions were still not good, he had no choice but to use his trick: telling jokes, especially volleyball jokes.
“Hey, have you heard? That unlucky guy, Sebastian from Poland, who got bitten on the butt by a snake recently proposed to his girlfriend. He intentionally hid the ring in a cake, but he prepared two cakes that looked exactly the same. In the end, he ate the cake with the ring inside, and he ended up in the hospital again, hahaha.”
In the world of volleyball, jokes about the Polish beast and tactical board jokes from Italy always had great power. Finally, everyone laughed, and the atmosphere eased up.
Coach Chen spoke in a gentle tone, “We played very well today. We almost brought down the Bayi team. If our luck was a bit better, we would have had our spot on the podium. But it’s okay, everyone experiences a few setbacks in life. Let’s use up all the bad luck now so that we can have good luck in the future.”
Gao Depi sighed, “Unfortunately, it allowed Shandong to take advantage.”
The Bayi team had exhausted their energy today, and tomorrow they would face the Shandong team. Knowing Tong Shulan’s shamelessness through his understanding of Tong Shulan, Gao Depi was sure he would be grinning from ear to ear.
However, in the evening, the Guangdong team members realized that the aftermath of Qin Chunxiao’s injury was quite extensive.
Qin Chunxiao sat on the bed, teammates brought him food, and they watched volleyball matches together, analyzing the playing styles of other teams. Then, with a ding, the doorbell rang.
Li Ling: “Someone’s here~”
The door opened, and Chang Xiaole entered with a fruit platter: “Xiao-zai, I brought you some fruits.”
Everyone sat down, enjoying the food and laughing.
2 minutes later, the doorbell rang again.
Li Ling: “Someone’s here~”
The door opened, and Min Yaoyang and Xiong Wu stood side by side. Min Yaoyang raised the USB drive in his hand: “Xiao-zai, I came to watch American Horror Story with you. Didn’t you say you wanted to watch it?”
The TV in the guest room happened to have a USB port, so they all watched the American TV series together.
But not even 2 minutes passed before the doorbell rang again, accompanied by the intense background music playing on the TV.
Li Ling: “Who is it again? They’re here!”
The door opened, and Ding Rong looked worried: “Xiao-zai, I brought a medical kit that works well for sprains. Oh? Why are there so many people?”
In the end, everyone gathered together and watched several hours of American TV series. When it was almost 10 PM, Min Yaoyang yawned, and Xiong Wu bid farewell, followed by others getting up and leaving.
Qin Chunxiao also started to feel drowsy. He rubbed his eyes and took out his phone, sending a message on WeChat.
Qin Chunxiao: 【Just a normal sprain, no major issues with ligaments or bones. The team doctor said I just need to rest for a week.】
Lu Xuandong, using the light from his bedside lamp to study English, saw the message from the person with the nickname “Soulmate” and breathed a sigh of relief.
As Qin Chunxiao said, the sprain was indeed not serious. Most people had experienced sprains before, and as long as they didn’t affect critical areas, they had almost no impact.
Lu Xuandong: 【That’s good it’s not serious.】
Lu Xuandong: 【What are you doing now?】
Qin Chunxiao, while Li Ling was washing up, picked up his phone and replied.
Qin Chunxiao: 【Getting ready to sleep. How about you?】
As he got up and put on his coat, Lu Xuandong replied.
Lu Xuandong: 【You’ll find out in five minutes.】
A few minutes later, a request for a voice call came through. Qin Chunxiao was puzzled. They couldn’t communicate through voice, so why did Lu Xuandong send this?
He pressed the answer button and held the phone to his ear.
In the quiet room, he could faintly hear someone breathing.
Qin Chunxiao was taken aback.
They remained silent for a while. He didn’t know how long had passed, but the sound of breathing ceased, and a gentle “thud” came from the other side, indicating that the phone was placed on the table.
A soft piano melody flowed through the phone, it was “Autumn Whispers.”
As a skilled composer and musician who had released several albums, Lu Xuandong was proficient in many instruments. His best instruments were the erhu and guitar, followed by the piano. Although he wasn’t at a professional level, he easily played simple piano pieces.
Lu Xuandong didn’t say anything, but Qin Chunxiao inexplicably understood his intention.
【I know you’re not feeling well, so I played the piano for you to listen to. I hope you can have a good dream while being soothed by the music.】
Qin Chunxiao laid down, turning to the side and looking at the screen of his phone. The soothing and gentle piano sound played in his ears, and gradually, he closed his eyes.
Li Ling heard the music coming from the bathroom. He thought Qin Chunxiao was listening to music to help him sleep.
Er Leng put on his pajamas and got into bed, thinking contentedly, “The music Xiao-zai chose makes you want to fall asleep as soon as you listen to it. I should ask him for a playlist someday and listen to it every night before bed.”
.
On that day, it became a hot topic on Weibo.
1. “XXX and XX Divorce” Hot!
2. “Lu Xuandong Appears in Tianjin After Acknowledging his Relatives” Hot!
3. “Lu Xuandong Plays the Piano at the Alice Hotel Restaurant” Hot! ↑
…
Mysterious Group Chat
Group Owner: “Oh my gosh! What happened?”
Anonymous User 10: “Is this the first time he appeared in public after acknowledging his relatives? I can understand him going to Tianjin since it’s well-known that Dong-ge likes volleyball. But why did he play the piano? And he played for a full two hours, aaah!”
Anonymous User 3: “I can’t even practice the piano for that long! He played continuously for two whole hours!”
Anonymous User 5: “Out of sight, out of mind. As soon as he appears, he trends on hot search. That’s his immense popularity.”
Anonymous User 8: “This is the pinnacle! *leans back.jpg*”
Anonymous User 2: “Dong-ge’s piano playing is so beautiful. He truly has perfect pitch, and he handles the rhythm so well. I want to praise him to the heavens!”
Anonymous User 4: “Guys! Yomi has released a new short story! She wrote a heartwarming piece about Qin’s team, where he couldn’t sleep due to the pain after his injury, and Dong-ge played the piano to comfort him. It’s so heartwarming, I’m in heaven!”
Anonymous User 6: “When it comes to riding on the trend, we can always trust Yomi!”
Anonymous User 1: “Now there are different opinions. From ‘Autumn Whispers’ to ‘Love Concerto,’ I didn’t know he played the piano so well. Ha, this man is truly a treasure. But fans speculated that he simply had a bad mood and wanted to find a place to play the piano.”
Anonymous User 2: “Based on my years of listening to classical music, the emotions in his piano playing are serene and gentle, so we can rule out the bad mood theory.”
Group Owner: “So, what is the truth after all?”
Yes, what is the truth after all?
Regarding these questions, Er Leng, who was closest to the truth, knew nothing about them. He had successfully entered dreamland under the hypnotic melody and dreams of himself and Xiao-zai fighting side by side, winning an Olympic gold medal.
“Hey, gold medal, hehe…”
