Chapter 22
In the meeting room, the men’s volleyball coaching staff gathered. Today was the day to finalize the Asian Championship roster. After most of the players were confirmed, disputes arose over the last two spots—
“For the final middle blocker and the substitute setter, who should we pick?”
The moment the question was raised, the room fell into a strange silence…
“For substitute setter, I recommend Ning Zhou.” Ning Xu broke the silence.
“Assistant Coach Garry doesn’t think much of him,” Assistant Coach Hou tapped the table with his fingers. “We have a 195cm setter in our group who’s improved a lot training with Shao Qiu—his sets are getting more stable…”
Ning Xu scanned the list for the player he mentioned, his expression taut.
“I’ve seen his setting. His style is identical to Shao Qiu’s. I think if we’re bringing two setters, they should be different types—so they can alternate and change the pace.”
Coach Luo nodded slightly. “Makes sense. Shao Qiu is steady, Ning Zhou is fast…”
“With all due respect, Coach Luo!” Hou’s face darkened, his tone aggressive. “Chasing speed is already outdated in the volleyball world!”
He swept his gaze across the other coaches’ faces and added, “In the past, Asian teams were known for speed because their physicality couldn’t match other regions, so they had to rely on technique.”
“But now our players are no shorter than others—we should follow the philosophy of ‘high set, heavy hit’!”
Ning Xu let out a heavy sigh, “Ning Zhou’s sets aren’t just about speed. The hitters find his balls easy to spike. If he can combine height and speed, isn’t that even better?”
Assistant Coach Hou sneered, “Combining height and speed is the dream of every world-class team. How could Ning Zhou alone achieve that? Vice Coach Ning, are you exaggerating his ability because of personal ties?”
Ning Xu met his eyes firmly, “I have absolutely no bias!”
Their gazes almost sparked with fire. Other coaches chimed in, murmuring—
“No matter what, with Ning Zhou’s height he can’t be in the first team. His blocking would leave an irreparable gap.”
“If it’s blocking…” Ning Xu argued stubbornly, “in Asia-level competition, he’s qualified!”
“Alright, enough arguing!”
Head Coach Luo pressed both hands to his forehead, elbows on the table, hiding his expression, “I’ll think again about the backup setter. As for the middle blocker spot, any suggestions?”
“Maybe give Nie Feiang a chance.”
“Yes. Even though he switched groups midway, after joining Vice Coach Ning’s group, his attacking has really caught the eye!”
“At 205 cm, he’s the second tallest in camp after Chen Wenyao. Sending him to a major tournament for experience might pay off in the future!”
“You mean his ultra-quick close-range attack? But…”
Ning Xu hesitated, “That only works when paired with Ning Zhou. Without him, Nie Feiang’s effect will be limited.”
Assistant Coach Hou shook his head dismissively, “That unique attack relies on Nie Feiang’s explosive jump speed. If it works with Ning Zhou, it can work with any setter!”
Ning Xu wanted to argue more, but Coach Luo raised a hand to stop him, “Nie Feiang it is. Right now, there’s no one more suitable… As for the backup setter—”
*
“Would the following players step forward to form the team for the Asian Championship!”
The athletes all held their breath, praying their names would be called…
“Du Jun, Chen Wenyao, Shao Qiu…”
First confirmed were the veteran national team members from before the disbanding. Each name was like a finger being folded away—each one called meant one fewer spot left. Ning Zhou felt the tense atmosphere pressing on him. In his mind, he imagined a ticking time bomb counting down—either he cut the wire in time, or he’d take the full blast…
He chuckled bitterly. How did he have the mood for metaphors, when the same “time bomb” was strapped to him as well? In his past life, he had been selected for the Asian Championship squad, entered the first team, and became the official national team member so many envied. But from that moment on, he was a lifelong substitute…
In this life, a salted fish through and through—would the starting point of that substitute career arrive here again?While Ning Zhou’s mind wandered, Coach Luo had already begun announcing the younger players:
“…Yu Bai, Ning Yang, Xu Zichang, Nie Feiang.”
In the vast training gym, Coach Luo’s voice echoed clearly, “With this, the fourteen-man roster for the Asian Championship is complete.”
His name wasn’t called. Ning Zhou’s fingers pinched at the seam of his pants. He couldn’t tell what he felt—a little relieved, a little wistful, and strangely empty.
After a pause, the players around him began whispering—
“Ning Yang and Xu Zichang both made it? Is Coach Luo shifting to value the serve-receive system?”
“Nie Feiang’s really lucky. He just happened to develop that new quick attack right before selection…”
“Wasn’t that quick attack discovered with Ning Zhou’s help? And yet the backup setter spot didn’t go to him?”
“What’s strange about that? With Garry on the coaching staff, there’s no way they’d invest in a short setter!”
“Sigh, looks like I didn’t make it either…”
“Don’t give up. The roster will surely be adjusted depending on tournament performance. Everyone left in training camp still has a shot!”
Ning Zhou calmed his breathing, easing his mood:
It’s fine. In this life, his goal was “volleyball for joy.” As long as his fingers stayed safe and he could still play, that was enough!
Thinking this through, he raised his head. His gaze passed through the tall players in front—
and locked directly with Coach Luo’s.
“?”
Ning Zhou looked left, then right, then back again. Coach Luo’s eyes were still fixed on him. Ning Zhou pointed to his own nose, tilting his head in puzzlement: Me?
Coach Luo folded up the Asian Championship list and smiled, “Next, I would like to call out one more player. This player will join the team preparing for the U21 World Championship—”
“Wha—”
The room erupted in shock. The U21 is a youth tournament for players under 21, also known as the World Junior Championship. This year, its schedule overlapped with the Asian Championship. Instead of picking from the training camp, the association had selected young players from sports schools.
Ning Zhou’s expression shifted unpredictably: Could it be…
Coach Luo looked at him again, unerringly: “Ning Zhou.”
“!?”
He knew his life’s trajectory would change this time, but he never imagined it would change like this! He stumbled forward like a puppet pulled by tangled strings, steps unsteady and floating…
“What’s going on? Wasn’t the U21 roster already set long ago?”
“Ridiculous. The tournament’s almost here, and they’re still adding someone from camp—at setter, no less, a position that needs team chemistry.”
“Could Ning Zhou have begged Vice Coach Ning to arrange an international match for him?”
“Are you dumb? Anyone can see the U21 isn’t nearly as important to China as the Asian Championship. Giving up camp to play U21 is like throwing away a watermelon for a sesame seed!”
“Right, staying in camp means there’s still a chance for the first team. For him, this is basically an early elimination.”
“I honestly thought Ning Zhou had connections. Didn’t expect they’d find an excuse to kick him out of camp instead. What bad luck…”
Facing gazes filled with either sympathy or schadenfreude, Ning Zhou walked over to stand beside the coaches. The Asian Championship team stood only half a meter away from him, yet between them seemed to rise a towering wall, separating them into two entirely different worlds—
Over there was the path to the future; over here, the retreat into a ravine, drifting farther and farther away…
“Please applaud and cheer for these players!” Coach Luo said a few more formal words. “Today is their last day training with the main camp. Disband now, start warming up, and prepare for routine practice!”
When the large group dispersed, Coach Luo pointed at Ning Zhou, “Go ask Assistant Coach Ning about the details. Those staying for the Asian Championship remain here—I’ll explain some key points.”
“Yes, sir!”
At the edge of the court, Ning Xu waved to Ning Zhou. Just as Ning Zhou took a step forward, his arm was suddenly grabbed—He turned back. It was Nie Feiang, the one standing closest to him.
Normally so carefree, Nie Feiang’s expression was now even more conflicted than the day Garry cut him from a group, “Zhou Zhou, don’t listen to what those people say. How could playing in an international match mean you’ve lost your chance at the national team? Maybe they’re jealous—you’re still young, but they’re already too old to even play in the U21 Worlds!”
“Ugh, shut up already!” Ning Yang shoved Nie Feiang aside.
Xu Zichang also tried to console him dryly, “Zhou Zhou, you’ll definitely get another chance…”
“Pfft.”
Ning Zhou chuckled, poking his own cheek. “Why the long faces? Do I look that heartbroken?”
Ning Yang frowned tightly. “You’re really okay?”
“I should be the one telling you guys ‘good luck in the matches.’ Now we all have to work hard!” Ning Zhou lifted their hands one by one for a forced high-five. “Play well—loser treats the winner to dinner!”
“…Fine.”
“Assistant Coach Ning is waiting for me. Let’s talk later!” Seeing their dazed looks, Ning Zhou waved helplessly and jogged toward Ning Xu.
Ning Xu gave him the contact info for the U21 coaching staff. That team’s pre-tournament training was also at the training center, sparing Ning Zhou the hassle of moving dorms…
As he explained, Ning Xu kept glancing at Ning Zhou’s expression.
“Treat every match as a learning opportunity… Don’t be upset.”
Ning Zhou’s eyelids flickered, his smile tinged with bitterness, “Saying I’m not upset would be a lie. Since switching to setter, my only goal has been to become the national team’s starting setter. Now even the backup spot is out of reach.”
“Zhou Zhou, you—”
“But it’s okay!” Ning Zhou’s smile turned bright. “As long as I can play, and even have matches to play, I couldn’t ask for more!”
Ning Xu’s fist clenched by his side. He forced out, “Mm. Keep a calm mindset and focus on the game. Go back to training.”
…
That day, reporters came for interviews, and the coaches all gathered to share their outlook on the Asian Championship. They left the players to form their own scrimmage teams and hurried out of the gym. Ning Zhou, who had skipped most of the basic drills: Yes! Escaped one round of conditioning!
“Zhou Zhou! Let’s team up! I really want to practice our killer combo more!” Nie Feiang grabbed him, excited like a two-meter-tall child.
“Killer combo?” Ning Zhou raised an eyebrow. “That’s game jargon Mie Mie’s been feeding you, huh?”
“Zhou Zhou! Count me in too!”
“And me!”
Pulled back and forth by the eager group, Ning Zhou felt like a lump of misshapen putty…
“What are you dawdling for?” Assistant Coach Hou appeared, shoving Ning Zhou out of the court. “What’s so hard about dividing teams? The fourteen going to the Asian Championship split into two squads and play a scrimmage!”
He beckoned to the newly promoted setter from Garry’s group, “Get on the court. Use every chance you have to work with the main attackers, understood?”
“Yes, sir!”
“You can’t be serious?” Ning Yang protested anxiously. “It’s the last day of training—can’t Zhou Zhou play one match with us? Who knows when we’ll get another chance together?”
Assistant Coach Hou’s glasses flashed as he coldly ignored the complaints.
Ning Yang wanted to argue more, but Ning Zhou stopped him, “The tournament is coming up soon. Focus on your teamwork…”
And so, the Asian Championship squad began their scrimmage. As the official national team candidates competed, many others came to watch. Ning Zhou joined the spectators, helping flip the scorecards.
On court, his focus was usually on the opponent’s blocks and defense. But now, as an observer, he noticed many interesting details: The new backup setter looked honest and clumsy, always sneaking a glance at his spiker before setting, making his choices easy to read.
The hitters all had quirks in their approaches—Yu Bai stayed low, Du Jun minimized knee use, while Nie Feiang’s was the flashiest: he even flicked his fingers like an orchid gesture mid-jump.
And after scoring, everyone’s shouts were all over the place—“Oh!” “Ha!” “Eh!” and lots of unidentifiable syllables. Xu Zichang practically had to cycle through every one of them before he was satisfied…
“Aw~”
As Ning Zhou drifted in thought, another cry came from the court.
This time it was Ning Yang. His sudden shout startled the two other receivers so badly that they missed the opponent’s serve.
“What the heck are you yelling for!?” Xu Zichang patted his chest to calm down. “You cost us a point… Huh?”
He froze as Ning Zhou flipped the scoreboard in their favor. “Out of bounds?”
“Serve was out,” Ning Zhou confirmed.
Ning Yang retrieved the ball and tossed it to the next server. “The arc went above the shoulder—clearly out. Didn’t I shout a reminder?”
The entire court went stiff, “That weird howl was your way of saying ‘out’?”
The English word “out” often lost its final “t” when shouted quickly, but Ning Yang’s meandering “aw~” was something none of them had ever heard…
Unable to hold back, Ning Zhou was the first to laugh, “Mie Mie’s been saying ‘out’ like that since childhood. You’ll get used to it.”
“Aw~” Nie Feiang mimicked it several times, laughing so hard he bent double. “Genius! How did you even twist your voice like that? I can’t capture the essence!”
The earliest member of the “Sad Middle Blocker Alliance,” Chen Wenyao, had a sudden flash of inspiration and suggested, “Since we still haven’t decided on a slogan, why don’t we just use this one?”
“…We can give it a try.” Captain Du Jun clapped his hands to draw attention. “Team China, let’s go!”
“Aw~”
The players inside and outside the court shouted in unison, then burst into laughter.
“Is it really that funny?” Ning Yang protested weakly. “I don’t agree with this slogan! None of you care about my feelings!”
Ning Zhou soothed him in a gentle tone, “I think this slogan actually carries the meaning of wishing for good luck—hoping the opponent’s serve goes out of bounds. Nobody’s laughing at your pronunciation.”
“Exactly!” Xu Zichang held back his grin and spoke with mock seriousness. “It’s got a great meaning, don’t overthink it.”
Ning Yang scratched his head. “Really…”
“Enough joking.” Shao Qiu, the team’s starting setter for the Asian Championship, interrupted. “Training is more important.”
Shao Qiu had been elected vice-captain. His tone was always cool and detached, sometimes carrying even more authority than Du Jun himself…
Soon, the coaches finished their media interview and hurried back to the court. The first thing out of their mouths was the familiar scolding, “Why aren’t you all practicing properly on the court? The whole training center can hear your ruckus!”
Xu Zichang nudged Ning Yang mischievously. “If the coaches heard the slogan we came up with, what do you think they’d say?”
“…Shut up!” Ning Yang kicked him in the shin. “Zhou Zhou can joke about me, but you can’t!”
Xu Zichang grabbed his leg, hopping on one foot in pain.
The coach immediately noticed, “Hey, you over there—still fooling around? Run thirty laps!”
“No—spare me, coach!”
“Fifty laps!”
“…”
On the last day of joint training, Ning Zhou didn’t feel the melancholy he’d imagined. The time slipped away in the monotony of drills.
After today, he’d no longer train with the Asian Championship squad. No matter how he tried, he couldn’t shake the unease in his chest—He found Yu Bai in the crowd and slipped a roll of bandage into his hand.
“From now on, you’ll have to wrap it yourself. You should’ve learned how by now, right?”
Yu Bai fiddled with the bandage, lifting his eyelids lazily.
“Before we go abroad, we’ll still both be at the training center…”
“No way!” Ning Zhou shook his head firmly. “I asked already—we won’t be in the same facility. You’re not allowed to cross over to find me. Wrap it yourself.”
Yu Bai casually tossed the bandage into his bag. With all the noise around, his low, mellow voice stood out sharply, “Fine… What brand of laundry detergent do you use?”
Ning Zhou’s brain lagged. “L-laundry detergent?”
Usually sharp-eyed when setting, right now he looked adorably dazed. Yu Bai’s fingers itched. He reached out and lightly tapped Ning Zhou on the forehead.
“Ning Yang says you smell nice. I wanted to try using the same detergent.”
Ning Zhou leaned back, covering his forehead, ears burning red. “Don’t listen to his nonsense!”
Yu Bai drew his hand back. “Why not? He’s right.”
“?” Ning Zhou was flustered. He blurted out a random detergent brand. “Anyway, I’ll be going now!”
Yu Bai’s brow furrowed, and before he could stop himself, his hand hooked the edge of Ning Zhou’s jersey—
“Oh my god!” A passing player spotted the move and shrieked in horror. “Yu Bai’s about to fight someone again! Quick, save that poor little shorty!”
Ning Little Shorty Zhou: …
Ning Zhou slapped Yu Bai’s hand away, hurriedly explaining to the passerby until the guy finally believed they were “having a friendly chat.”
“You’ve been in training camp for so long, and people still see you this way?” Ning Zhou muttered under his breath. “You really should mind your reputation a bit…”
Yu Bai shot a sidelong glance at the nosy player still watching. His sharp brows tightened, exuding a blade-like chill…
“!” The player froze mid-breath, then bolted like he was running a 100-meter sprint.
Yu Bai reined his aura back in. When he lowered his gaze, the tilt of his eyes gave him a puppy-like expression from Ning Zhou’s perspective.
“You’re the one whose reputation suffers, really…” Yu Bai teased. “‘Poor little shorty’?”
It was no exaggeration—Ning Zhou was genuinely furious out of embarrassment.
He glared upward, only to be struck by the height difference between them. The words he was about to spit out swerved at the last second, “Guys like you, standing over two meters, have zero empathy!”
“Sorry.” Yu Bai instantly lowered himself, admitting fault with surprising humility. “I’m not two meters—I’m 199. I do have empathy.”
Ning Zhou pouted. “…Did all your emotional intelligence grow into your height?”
Yu Bai let out a faint laugh.
“Zhou Zhou, we’ll still stand on the same court one day, right?”
No.
You’ll shine as the national team’s main player, while I’ll be on the bench—or even in the stands—watching you.
Ning Zhou should’ve spoken the truth. But it was the first time Yu Bai had called him “Zhou Zhou”…
“Mm.” Ning Zhou bumped fists with him, as if sealing a pact. “When the time comes, if you pass the first ball to me, I’ll set to you more often.”
“Alright, I—”
“Zhou Zhou!”
Nie Feiang came running over, a towel on his head, still wiping off sweat. “So you were here! Headed back to the dorms?”
“Mm, let’s go.”
Yu Bai swallowed the words he hadn’t finished. Watching Ning Zhou turn away, his expression sank, eyes hostile as they followed Nie Feiang.
“Brrr—did the temperature just drop? Why did I suddenly shiver a few times!”
“Nope.” Ning Zhou raised his brow. “You’d better wipe properly—if you stay sweaty, it’s easy to feel cold.”
“True!” Nie Feiang rubbed faster, towel and hair nearly sparking from the friction…
Only after they left the court did Nie Feiang finally relax.
“Zhou Zhou, are you close with Yu Bai? I always see you two training together.”
“Sort of. He was being isolated in Coach Garry’s subgroup, so he came to me for a partner.”
“Hah?” Nie Feiang yanked the towel down, stunned. “Did my ears glitch, or did you use the wrong word?”
Ning Zhou glanced sideways, “What’s wrong?”
“I stayed in Vice Coach Garry’s training group for over half a month. Yu Bai is the one most valued by the coaches!
The players in the group all rushed to him to exchange skills, but he treated everyone with the same cold stare. He’s like an iceberg floating on the sea—he looks cold and hard on the surface, but in reality, he’s hundreds of times colder and harder!”
Nie Feiang gripped his towel. “Is he being isolated? No—he’s the one isolating everyone else with his own strength!”
Ning Zhou paused, thoughtful. “Is it really that exaggerated…?”
“Uh, well, now that I think about it, when he’s with us, he’s actually pretty normal…” Nie Feiang’s thoughts were a mess. He knocked his own head twice. “But if I greet him alone, he turns back into an iceberg!”
Nie Feiang’s brain short-circuited. “Forget it, not worth the brainpower. Tomorrow we finally get a whole day off—any plans?”
“Tomorrow afternoon I’ll be recording the second episode of the show.”
“Oh right! Then I’ll make an appointment with Xu Zichang to watch it together!”
“…Thanks, but no need.”
*
According to Ning Zhou’s plan, he would record the variety show in the afternoon, sleep in late in the morning, and laze the day away.
But plans never keep up with reality—while cleaning his shoes, he found the uppers were coming unglued…
After turning eighteen, Ning Zhou had cut himself off from Ning Xu’s financial support and lived frugally, reluctant to buy new shoes.
But things were different now. The pay for the first episode of the variety show had arrived, and his bank balance was reborn. Besides…
Ning Zhou dug out two shopping cards and headed out early in the morning, straight to the Yu-brand sportswear store.
“Welcome!”
The salesgirl at the door looked up, her standard smile with eight teeth froze on her face: “The broken vase?”
Ning Zhou blinked at her. “Broken what? Do I need a password to enter?”
“Ah, no…” The salesgirl covered her mouth. “Wait—you’re Ning Zhou? Ning Zhou from Sports Forward!?”
Ning Zhou was caught off guard, awkward to the point he didn’t know where to put his hands. “Yes…”
“Oh my god! I can’t believe I’m seeing you in person! You looked a whole head shorter standing next to Sister Yu Tong on camera, but in real life you’re so tall—and so handsome!”
She showered him with compliments in a full 360° circle at the entrance, drawing the eyes of passersby on the street…
Ning Zhou said awkwardly, “Thank you, but today I’m just an ordinary customer…”
“I understand, celebrities like you always stay low-key!” The salesgirl led him inside, lowering her voice mysteriously. “Wait here just a moment!”
Ning Zhou was baffled. “Why’d she leave!? I really only came to buy shoes…”
A few minutes later, the salesgirl returned with someone Ning Zhou knew—
“Sister Yu?”
It had only been a week, but Yu Tong had already changed her hair color. Dark blue short hair tucked behind her ear, her brows and eyes so similar to Yu Bai’s, giving her a strikingly heroic look.
“What a coincidence! We’re recording together this afternoon, and now we bump into each other here. You came shopping?”
The salesgirl tactfully stepped back while they exchanged greetings.
With Yu Tong’s arrival, the awkwardness in Ning Zhou’s chest dissipated. “Mm, I came to buy sports shoes.”
“Buy, buy, buy! I’ll have the manager bring out all the new arrivals, you can pick whatever you want!” Yu Tong wrapped an arm warmly around Ning Zhou. The salesgirl went off to fetch the manager.
Once she was gone, Yu Tong suddenly lowered her voice to whisper, “Be honest with me—is Yu Bai performing terribly on the volleyball team?”
Ning Zhou considered, then chose his words carefully. “No. He was chosen for the Asian Championships squad, most likely to enter the national team.”
“Ahhh—”
Yu Tong sighed again and again, clearly disappointed…
“?” Ning Zhou was puzzled—her reaction was nothing like what he had imagined.
Was her brother’s excellence actually troubling her!?
Ning Zhou wondered if he’d said something wrong. “Uh… you’d prefer if he weren’t doing so well?”
“Of course!” Yu Tong looked listless. “If he weren’t an athlete, I could drag him over to help me out. Now I have to inspect the headquarters store every week…”
Ning Zhou: …
Yup, definitely his real sister.
He tried to comfort her. “Once he retires, he can help you.”
“Retire? Who knows how long that’ll be!” Yu Tong’s eyes suddenly lit up with an idea. “Ning Zhou, when are you going to retire?”
“Me?” Ning Zhou was caught completely off guard by the sudden counterattack.
“Sister Yu Tong! I brought these styles over!”
The salesgirl returned just in time, rescuing the tongue-tied Ning Zhou…
Yu Tong smoothly dropped the topic and watched him pick shoes. For a professional athlete like Ning Zhou, shoes were like teammates on the court. He didn’t care about brand or style, only about how well they fit his feet. When he tried on one pair, he was certain he had found his dream shoes…
“These ones!” Ning Zhou walked a few steps, testing the feel. “The design is amazing—the wraparound fit is perfect!”
The salesgirl nodded repeatedly. “No wonder you’re a pro, such sharp eyes! This is a new model for the upcoming season!”
“The shoes are good…” Yu Tong, also with an athlete’s background, immediately spotted the issue. “But these are basketball shoes, right? Volleyball shoes are low-tops.”
There are subtle design differences between different indoor sports shoes.
For example, basketball and volleyball shoes differ in ankle height, rebound, and cushioning.
“No problem, they’re light enough.”
Ning Zhou jumped on the spot a few times. “The soles don’t feel mushy on takeoff—I can even use them as volleyball shoes.”
“Whoa!”
The salesgirl was startled by how high Ning Zhou jumped. “Are all volleyball players this scary? Is that even a height normal people can reach!?”
Ning Zhou rotated his ankle, looking innocent. “I’m actually one of the worst in vertical jump tests on the training team…”
“For real?” Yu Tong clicked her tongue a few times. “That’s volleyball players for you. Yu Bai’s the same. A few years ago, before he even hit 1.8 meters tall, he could already dunk—our basketball coach was stunned…”
“He’s also the best jumper I’ve ever seen!” Ning Zhou wiggled his fingers, posing like he was setting a ball. “Any set that goes to him is way higher than for anyone else!”
The two of them kept tossing lines back and forth, every topic circling back to Yu Bai.
The shop assistant joined in with flattery, “Sister Yu Tong, your little brother is amazing—whether it’s basketball or volleyball, he’s at the very top, right?”
Yu Tong burst out laughing, “Exactly! The few days he quit basketball, our coach kept cursing out the volleyball coach for stealing away the player he’d been grooming!”
“But honestly, I think switching to volleyball was a good move…” Yu Tong propped her chin on her hand, staring at the sneakers Ning Zhou was trying on. “His basketball style was even wilder than some of those players from Country M. He was basically a lone wolf shunned by the pack.”
Ning Zhou’s eyes softened, and he smiled warmly at her, “Don’t worry, Sister Yu. He’s slowly blending into the team. We’ve pulled the lone wolf back into the pack.”
Yu Tong snorted with laughter, then suddenly pinched Ning Zhou’s cheeks with both hands, teasing, “Then I’ll leave Yu Bai in your care!”
“Uh…”
Ning Zhou quickly rescued his face, mumbling, “We won’t be training together anymore… The first-team players are all great, Yu Bai will get along fine with them…”
Yu Tong paused, realized something, then smoothly skipped over the subject, “So, this pair then?”
“Yeah!”
The salesgirl stepped forward. “I’ll wrap them up for you—”
“Wait—”
Yu Tong stopped her. She circled Ning Zhou a few times, scrutinizing him up and down. “It’d be a waste to just box these up like this…”
Ning Zhou: ?
Yu Tong dragged him over to a full-length mirror and started snapping pictures.
“I was so busy chatting about Yu Bai earlier, but now that I really look at you—Ning Zhou, you’re ridiculously handsome. These shoes look like they were custom-made for you!”
“You’re exaggerating, Sister Yu…”
“Damn, these shots are killer. We both look amazing on camera! Director Zhang really does have a good eye!”
“…Yes.”
“I’m posting this on Weibo. You better retweet it. Among all the show’s guests, you’re the only one running your account like a ghost town. Didn’t your coordinator remind you that you need to interact more and hold onto fans?”
Ning Zhou put on a pained expression, enduring the lecture meekly…
“You were the biggest highlight of the first episode. If you knew how to market yourself, you’d already be blowing up!” Yu Tong was typing out the caption when she caught sight of sulky Ning Zhou from the corner of her eye. “Don’t tell me you forgot your password?”
“…I don’t think so. Probably not.”
…
Fans who had been waiting forever for a post from Ning Zhou finally saw one:
“@NingZhouNotTaken: Repost @YuCorpLaborerTong: Bumped into him at the store today, witnessed the shining moment of Yu Corp’s new sneakers. Check the pics, you get me, right? [photo]”
The photo showed Yu Tong and Ning Zhou taking a mirror selfie together. Both stood with casual postures, gazes lazy on the camera, but exuding a sharp, striking presence. Even though Ning Zhou was a few centimeters shorter than Yu Tong, his proportions were so good that his long legs dominated the frame. The gap between cropped pants and sneakers revealed the sharp lines of his ankles and calves…
One picture was enough to set fans ablaze:
[Confirmed! Yu Tong, I get you! You two are so hot I’m writhing in bed like a worm—I’m dying here!]
[Title: ‘My idol who has perfect looks and body but refuses to post photos.’ Ning Zhou, you heartless man, I’ve replayed that one selfie you posted the day you registered, and you still won’t feed us anything new!]
[Bless Sister Yu, another god-tier screen-licking photo… /heart eyes/]
[I never cared about the ‘sports student’ tag before, but Ning Zhou—what is this lean, athletic, model-tier beauty? Sports students are suddenly so attractive!]
[Those shoes look good. Is there a purchase link?]
[Official site says next season’s models are still in pre-order. How does Ning Zhou get to wear them early? Did he take an endorsement with Yu Corp?]
[No way. Yu Corp never uses ambassadors. Yu Tong probably pulled strings for him…]
[One picture isn’t enough! Already camping in the Sports Forward! live room. Hurry up with episode 2!]
…
By the time Ning Zhou got back to the training center, it wasn’t even noon. Wearing his new sneakers and holding a volleyball, he headed to the court.
“Ahhh! No way, I can’t go full force—I feel like you’ll get run over…”
Before he even saw them, he heard Nie Feiang’s booming voice echoing through the gym.
Ning Zhou bounced the ball, then glanced over—Under Assistant Coach Hou’s watch, Nie Feiang was trying to run drills with Shao Qiu.
Ning Zhou: ?
The more he looked, the more familiar it seemed…
“Again!”
Coach Hou tossed the ball high above Shao Qiu. Shao Qiu set it straight up, Nie Feiang braced himself and jumped—before he could even spike, he crashed right into Shao Qiu.
A quick attack right on top of the setter!? Watching them both crash into the net, Ning Zhou was so startled that he mis-set the ball in his own hands. The volleyball rolled away like it had a mind of its own, right to Coach Hou’s feet…
Ning Zhou tiptoed over, neck shrunk down. Just before he could scoop the ball up, Coach Hou picked it up first, looking down at him.
Ning Zhou immediately shed his “sneaky thief” aura, stood up straight, and accepted the ball back, “Thank you, Coach Hou… I won’t disturb you, carry on!”
He turned to leave—only for a huge figure to pounce on him from behind, shouting “Zhou Zhou!” and latching onto him like a koala.
“Nie! Fei! Ang!” Ning Zhou gritted his teeth, prying at Nie Feiang’s arms but failing. “You’d better actually have a reason for this…”
“Zhou Zhou, save me! I’ve already fallen five times, face-planted into the net seven times, swung and missed ten spikes…”
Making sure Coach Hou couldn’t see, Nie Feiang waggled his eyebrows and mouthed silently: Take me away!
Ning Zhou looked torn. He couldn’t just snatch him away in front of Coach Hou, so he probed carefully, “You guys… done practicing yet?”
Coach Hou’s gaze sank, but he said nothing.
Shao Qiu walked over. “I think there’s no point in practicing more today…”
“Exactly!” Nie Feiang eagerly agreed. “Let’s call it for today! I’ll just go with Zhou Zhou—”
“Ning Zhou.”
Assistant Coach Hou suddenly spoke up, for the first time using a mild tone with him, “You came to train too, right? Perfect timing, join us and show Qiu Shao how to coordinate with Nie Feiang on that kind of play.”
Qiu Shao and Nie Feiang both looked at him in surprise, and instantly the atmosphere grew delicate…
They were imitating Ning Zhou’s self-developed signature move. It was bad enough to practice it right in front of him, but now they were forcing him to teach it. Wouldn’t that just rub salt in the wound of someone who hadn’t even made it onto the first team?nSure enough, Ning Zhou said nothing, his eyes half-lowered, lost in thought…
Nie Feiang quietly shuffled closer to Ning Zhou, taking a protective stance, “It’s fine, Zhou Zhou. We were just trying it out. You don’t have to force yourself to agree.”
“Force myself?” Assistant Coach Hou’s brows knitted as he stared at Ning Zhou. “Sharing your volleyball techniques with teammates feels like forcing yourself?”
“No, that’s not what I meant! I just…”
Nie Feiang stumbled over his words, the more anxious he got, the less coherent he sounded.
Ning Zhou patted his side, then stepped forward, calm but unyielding as he countered Hou, “They only have one week left before going abroad to compete. At this point, making them practice a combination they’re not familiar with—wouldn’t that be counterproductive?”
Assistant Coach Hou let out a mocking laugh and adjusted his glasses, “It’s normal that a twenty-year-old kid wouldn’t understand the intentions of the coaching staff. Ning Zhou, don’t question your coaches so casually in the future, or you’ll make yourself a laughingstock!”
Ning Zhou: ?
In his previous life, he had always kept his head down, never once daring to contradict a coach, afraid one wrong word would get him pushed out of the first team. But now, he didn’t have that worry—because he hadn’t been accepted into the first team at all.
Seeing his defiant expression, Assistant Coach Hou pressed on, “Everything I do is for the sake of the Chinese men’s volleyball team. If you’re keeping tricks to yourself, then you lack national honor.”
He patted Qiu Shao on the back.
“Qiu Shao and Nie Feiang were selected for the national team because they have the ability to bring glory to our country. Ning Zhou, you’re not in the same tier as them right now. Your priority is to cooperate with first-team players. Understood?”
Ning Zhou arched a brow, astonished, “Of course I understand. ‘Prioritize cooperating with first-team players’—I thought Assistant Coach Hou was the one who didn’t get that principle.”
Hou’s mouth tightened. “…What did you just say?”
Ning Zhou lightly tossed the volleyball in his hand a few times, then suddenly launched it high. From his hand, the ball seemed to transform into a frisbee, irresistibly calling to Nie Feiang…
Instinctively, Nie Feiang leapt, stretched out his long arms, and snagged the ball. Only after landing did he realize what had happened. “Huh?”
Ning Zhou gave him a thumbs up, then turned back toward Hou, “Assistant Coach Hou, the coaching staff must know this: Nie Feiang’s greatest weapon is his explosive jump speed. No matter which type of quick set he runs, he can disrupt the rhythm and catch the opponent off guard.”
Hou thought for a moment. “…So?”
Ning Zhou chuckled, plucked the ball from Nie Feiang’s hand, and spun it on his knuckle, “So if every type of quick set from Nie Feiang is threatening, why would I cling to running ultra-close quicks with him? Have you considered that?”
Meanwhile, in the coaching office.
Assistant Coach Ning Xu finally found a chance to speak privately with Coach Luo, “Coach Luo, I can understand not picking Ning Zhou for the Asian Championship, but why send him to the U21 tournament?”
Coach Luo smiled. “Because he meets the age requirement.”
“…I’m not joking with you.” Ning Xu sighed heavily. “Do you really rate him so poorly? Or is Garry’s pressure that overwhelming?”
“How could that be? Ning Zhou is one of the setters I value most right now!”
“?”
Ning Xu’s eyes bulged cartoonishly, “What do you mean? Sending him to U21 is equivalent to removing him from the training roster. Doesn’t that eliminate his chance at the first team?”
Coach Luo waved a hand. “After the tournament I’ll call him back into training. I just want to give him some international experience.”
Ning Xu frowned. “But China doesn’t even care about U21. This time there won’t even be broadcast coverage…”
“That’s exactly the point!”
Coach Luo’s mood lifted, eyes gleaming, “Other countries know we don’t send main players to U21. The Asian Championship squad will be heavily scouted. I need to keep Ning Zhou hidden—hold him back as a surprise weapon for the big tournament, give those old guys a real shock…”
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