I Really Am Just a Substitute – CH41

Chapter 41

The No. 1 player of Team D looked down on volleyball players like Ning Zhou the most.

No. 1 had struggled in Team D’s national lineup for nearly ten years, but his mediocre physical abilities kept him from becoming a starter. In a European country like D, the men’s volleyball team was overflowing with tall, physically dominant players. At just under 1.9 meters, No. 1 was stuck on the fringe of the national team, drowned out by his towering teammates…

For a professional athlete, it’s hard to have a second decade. No. 1 had been ready to fade out of the volleyball scene and return to focus on his modeling career.

But then, a major change hit Team D—Coach Sara, No. 1’s mentor, appeared.

Sara taught him a technique suited to his build, helping him elevate his unique serving style to another level.

The invisible benchwarmer transformed overnight into the captain of Team D.

His “road to a comeback” gave him confidence and solidified his belief in volleyball: Playing the game takes accumulation and experience!

Just like that substitute server from Team China earlier—though slightly chubby, every piece of his protective gear screamed hard-earned experience.

Even when Pang Tianze made a serving error, No. 1’s appreciation for him wouldn’t change; it was a mutual respect shared between veteran players.

But this new substitute server on Team China…

No. 1 sized up Ning Zhou from head to toe, a little disappointed—Muscles were well-proportioned, but nowhere near the hardened build of a powerful, battle-tested server.

His face still babyish, looking barely twenty. His slow movements onto the court gave the impression he was afraid of making mistakes on the big stage.

No. 1 knew almost every top player in the volleyball world, but this young guy was a complete nobody. Most likely, he was just putting on a facade of calm with those “determined” eyes…

At that moment, Sara gestured for the receivers to step forward slightly, wary of a net-skimming serve.

No. 1’s impression of Ning Zhou sank even lower—

A nameless rookie standing here purely by luck, destined to remain a nobody forever.

He shuffled a half-step forward, ready to dive for any net-skimming ball…

Ning Zhou waited until the last seconds to start his run-up.

His striking point was low, his wrist angled downward, and the ball barely cleared the net.

No. 1 tightened up. As expected—aiming for a soft floater just grazing the net!

But the ball didn’t touch the tape. Instead, it sailed just above the net and began to descend toward Team D’s court…

Perfect, no net deflection—an easy point for them!

Grinning inwardly, No. 1 tracked the ball. It drifted lazily toward the space between him and the libero.

The ball was faster than a typical floater, but its descent wasn’t obvious; its trajectory hovered almost level with his shoulder…

Floater over the shoulder—let it go!

No. 1 and the libero shouted in unison: “Out!”

They each stepped aside, letting the ball fall—

But the ball, as if hit by some invisible magic, suddenly dropped, slicing down between them.

“!?”

No. 1 froze, wide-eyed, watching the ball land squarely on the backcourt sideline.

He stayed in his reception stance, meeting the libero’s stunned gaze—both of them seeing the same disbelief in each other’s eyes.

A sharp late drop… hugging the sideline?

“Beeeep—”

The referee awarded the point to Team China.

The big screen replay confirmed it: in slow motion, the ball hit the white line cleanly, indisputably inbounds.

21:22 — Team China pulled back a point!

[All the gods are blessing us! Lucky Zhou Zhou, a line shot!]
[I just screamed into my pillow, Ning Zhou is officially Team China’s lucky star! /losing it/]
[Did you see that?! Everyone saw our Zhou Zhou score on that clutch serve, right?!]
[Wow… he actually nailed the line…]
[You won’t get far on luck. That kind of serve is too risky!]
[If that were me, I’d have let it go too. With that high arc suddenly dropping like that… /scratches head/]

“What are you doing!”

Sara pressed her forehead with her hand in frustration. “Did you forget to hold the forward receiving line? Uncertain balls should be picked up first!”

No. 1 wiped his face, swallowing his frustration.

The libero smacked his own head and said to No. 1, “Let’s just return to our original receiving position…”

“Fine.”

The receivers of Team D stepped one line back.

Ning Zhou caught all these subtle shifts with sharp eyes, then shared a token celebration with his teammates.

“Beeeep—”

No. 1 got into position again, a bit perplexed: so that sub actually scored a point…

But no one stays lucky forever, right? Before the thought was complete, Ning Zhou’s next serve was already flying over.

Startled, No. 1 noticed that Ning Zhou moved more decisively this time.

The court shifted in an instant. Before he could process it, the ball cleared the net—

This serve!?

Drawing on his experience, No. 1 reacted with lightning speed, diving forward with full strength…

But once again, the ball targeted that ambiguous zone—right between him and the libero.

That tricky in-between spot where both could take it, but neither was certain who should.

Usually, one of them would call out, “Mine!” to prevent a collision.

This time, the ball was even trickier—aimed low in the front zone.

Both No. 1 and the libero dove forward, shouting “Mine!” at almost the same time, but their momentum was unstoppable—

Their arms collided, the ball deflected off-course, and slipped cleanly to the floor.

For a heartbeat, the whole world seemed to hold its breath at the sound of the ball hitting the court.

No. 1’s heart skipped. Lying on the floor, he met the libero’s defeated gaze—Another drop serve. This time in the front zone.

“Fc*k! What a vicious serve!” he swore under his breath.

“OHHH!”

The cheers from the China team rang out, sharp and piercing.

Player No. 1 propped himself halfway up and saw the main attacker, who had just been subbed in, scoop up the substitute server in a celebratory hug.

The substitute server’s frame could almost be described as “petite” in the world of men’s volleyball. Lifted high into the air, his lashes trembled — whether from fear or excitement, no one could tell…

Sensing No. 1’s gaze, the substitute server, still being held aloft, suddenly turned his head—

Looking down at No. 1, he raised a brow, as if to say:

“Why are you guys standing so far back to receive my serve? Do I really look like someone who can slam a power jump serve right to the line?”

Then, the substitute server looked away, the corners of his lips curling in a teasing smile…

“! ” No. 1 slammed his fist to the floor. “He did that on purpose!”

BEEP—

22:22

China’s team had tied the score at the end of the first set!

[I’m running laps around my house, I’m so hyped!!!]
[Our little sub is amazing! My baby Zhou Zhou did it! Mama loves you! /monkey swinging vine.gif/]
[It’s just two points. Why are the mommy fans showing up already?]
[You don’t understand! We’re witnessing him shake off that “benchwarmer” label. Every second he’s on the court is a celebration for the fans!]
[Zhou Zhou is the lucky charm — the other team’s receivers literally collided and missed the ball, hahaha!]
[Retweet this lucky Zhou, and you’ll get good news this week. (Ning Zhou kneepad.gif)]

Sara had plenty to scold her players about, but all her timeouts were already gone…

China had scored several points in a row off their serves. She had to find a way to break their momentum.

There was no way she could give up the first set.

Frowning, Sara motioned for her assistant coach.

“Buzzz—”

Team D requested a “hawk-eye” challenge…

When a coach disagrees with a referee’s call, they can initiate a challenge.

The “Hawk-Eye” system provides high-definition replays to check for things the naked eye can’t easily see, like touches or foot faults.

The assistant referee approached Sara to confirm the challenge detail.

Sara pointed toward the sideline. “Challenge foot fault on the serve.”

The arena played the challenge BGM, a tense beat echoing around the court…

In the commentary box, Tong Rong, who had been celebrating the tie just a second ago, grew anxious.
“Did Ning Zhou step on the line? If he did, would this point…”

“It’s just a tactical challenge,” Zhang Kang replied in a calm voice, instantly calming the barrage of live comments.

“Sara’s used all her timeouts this set, but she hasn’t used her challenge yet. This is just to buy her team some time, like a makeshift timeout.”

Tong Rong had an epiphany. “Ah, that explains why she’s called all the players to the sideline…”

“Zhou Zhou, did you step on the line?”

Xu Zichang set Ning Zhou down. He’d hugged him so tightly earlier that Zhou’s jersey had ridden up slightly, revealing a sliver of his waist.

A sharp, icy glare from the bench burned through the air, impossible to ignore…

Xu Zichang scratched at the back of his neck under the weight of that gaze and hurriedly tugged Ning Zhou’s jersey back into place.

Ning Zhou smoothed the hem calmly. “My steps were the same as always. I don’t think I stepped on it.”

“The other team’s coach looked furious,” Ning Yang said smugly, as though Zhou’s two aces had come straight from his own hands. “They’re scared of your serve!”

Xu Zichang nodded eagerly. “Exactly. Even Coach Kong isn’t praising you enough…”

Du Jun sighed helplessly. “Keep your voice down with that nickname, or Coach Luo will hear.”

Xu Zichang grinned, covering his mouth. “Captain, so you do remember Coach Kong’s real surname?”

Shao Qiu clamped a hand over Xu Zichang’s nape to shut him up. “Quiet. The result’s coming out.”

Everyone looked up at the big screen, where the slow-motion replay of Ning Zhou’s serve was playing — his toes were a few centimeters inside the line at takeoff.

No foot fault.

Team D’s challenge failed!

The point stayed with Team China.

As the challenge concluded and the players returned to their positions, Xu Zichang froze in place, staring blankly at the screen…

“Hey, stiff neck?” Ning Yang nudged him. “Why aren’t you moving?”

The screen replayed the slow-motion serve over and over, and Xu Zichang studied it each time.

“The moment Zhou Zhou hit the ball… his hand eased up a bit?”

Ning Yang looked at him, baffled. “Yeah, that’s how you serve a short ball to the front zone.”

Realization dawned on Xu Zichang, his eyes wide. “WTF! Zhou Zhou’s two aces were on purpose?”

Ning Yang stared at him like he was an idiot. “What did you think?”

“N-no… I thought he was just a lucky boy…”

“…”

Ning Yang shoved him toward his spot. “One or two points might be luck. Watch closely — see what happens with the third serve.”

BEEP—

Ning Zhou stepped up to the service line again, fingertips trembling.

In his previous life, during those long years warming the bench, he had poured himself into figuring out how to make himself more competitive.

Serving, of course, was one of the key areas of study.

Both jump serves and jump float serves — Shao Qiu could execute them flawlessly. Ning Zhou refused to allow himself to fall behind.

After finally breaking through the national training camp, Ning Zhou considered it shameful that he could only do jump float serves. Day after day, he drilled his jump serves, determined to overcome his disadvantages in height and vertical jump.

But he never realized that forcing himself to perfect something that didn’t suit him would only turn him into a “jack of all trades, master of none.”

In his past life, during the VNL, his jump serves carried no threat, and his once reliable float serve form deteriorated, doubling his error rate.

Coach Luo tried giving him chances a few times, but they ended in disappointment…

From then on, his appearances dwindled.

Everyone on the team knew there was a backup setter, but almost no one knew his name — “Ning Zhou.”

Still, Ning Zhou hadn’t given up. He clawed his way back, regaining the feel for his float serve.

And then, a new question arose —

How could he make his jump float serve even more dangerous?

He had spent years developing this technique, but before he could amaze the court, he broke his finger.

Now, with his right hand still aching, it was nearly impossible to replicate that kind of serve…

The volleyball spun in his palm, the friction heating his hand. That heat coursed through his body, bringing a sting to the corners of Ning Zhou’s eyes.

He could almost hear it—the cries of his fingers and the ball.

Like a sword trembling in the hands of a swordsman in a xianxia world, eager to unleash its unique technique, eager to be seen by the world…

In his previous life, this serve had never appeared on the court.

In this life, Ning Zhou had been trying to find that familiar touch again, but even in U21 matches, he had never unleashed it.

During the VNL group stage, when he served as a substitute server, he had attempted the technique, but the result was mediocre—the ball’s trajectory barely changed.

But now, against Team D, after delivering two solid jump float serves with pinpoint placement, his feel for the ball was on fire…

Instinct told him: Now. He could do it now!

“Go.”

Ning Zhou whispered, fingers curling slightly to stop the spinning ball. He stepped forward and tossed the ball up with one hand—

Sorry for making you wait so long to take the stage.

Bong.

The sound of his strike was subtle—crisp yet slightly muffled, like light rain hitting willow leaves. There was power, but restrained, controlled…

At the moment of contact, Ning Zhou twisted his wrist, giving the ball a sharp “brush.”

The ball left his hand spinning just a bit faster than his previous serves…

“Mine!”

The ball targeted Zone 1, right within the passer’s range. Player No.1, wary of colliding with the libero again, quickly claimed the pass.

He locked his arms tight, eyes on the ball, relaxed even, with enough mental space to grumble:

Just a slightly faster float serve. Losing those last two points was humiliating…

As expected, the ball descended perfectly in his zone, right onto his arms.

This one’s too easy, he thought, pushing forward to receive—

And then his heart skipped.

What the—so light?!

It felt as if gravity had abandoned the ball. In his entire career, he had never passed a ball that felt this weightless—

Damn! There was no stopping his forward momentum now. He could only watch as the ball veered wildly out of control, soaring above the net…

Team D’s players froze in shock, then scrambled into defensive positions—

“Cover! Save it!”

But the Chinese team wasn’t giving them a chance.

Du Jun, perfectly positioned in the front row, leapt at the net and slammed the overpass straight down—

BEEP—

23:22

With Du Jun’s kill, China turned the game around!

Ning Zhou looked up, watching as the scoreboard shifted from 22 to 23. Nose stinging with emotion, he dove into his teammates’ arms.

“Nice one! Captain, that kill was awesome!”

Du Jun ruffled Ning Zhou’s hair with one hand. “Beautiful serve, Xiao Ning!”

“Great work,” Shao Qiu, usually calm, even praised, his tone steady. “We’re on a run. Keep the serves steady. No errors.”

“Got it.”

The team began discussing strategy for the next point, but Ning Zhou noticed Xu Zichang unusually quiet.

He shot him a sideways glance. “Why are you so quiet all of a sudden?”

Xu Zichang’s eyes stayed locked on Ning Zhou’s face, emotions unreadable.

Ning Zhou wiped sweat from his nose, confused. “What’s up with you?”

“Zhou Zhou…” Xu Zichang muttered, recalling those three devastating serves, then admitted sincerely, “You’re terrifying.”

“…?”

[Three straight points! What a performance to ring in the New Year!]
[Insane! The ‘little sub’ is going to stay on court longer now. Finally, quality footage!]
[Captain Du is so reliable—no mercy on that overpass!]
[That point was all thanks to Ning Zhou’s serve, right?]
[Okay, I misjudged him. Thought subbing him in was suicide…]
[How is Team D’s No.1, ranked fifth in VNL passing, fumbling like this?]
[Guess he’s used to handling power serves. Can’t handle Ning Zhou’s feathery float. snickers]
[Whoever you are, get off No.1’s back right now!]
[I’m nervous… feels like Ning Zhou just used up all his lifetime luck.]

Buzz—

Team D, once leading by two, had now been broken for three consecutive points, shifting from the aggressor to the pressured.

Coach Sara, anxious, called for another tactical challenge.

She picked something at random to buy time, gathering her players and glaring at No.1.

“Explain.”

No.1 gestured wildly, frustrated.

“The serve suddenly got lighter! Like it lost weight or something. I swear my passing form was perfect—any other ball, it would’ve been textbook.”

“Enough,” Sara cut him off. “We don’t have time to analyze. That serve’s coming again. Just take it high if you have to.”

“No!” No.1 snapped, pride wounded. “I won’t mess up twice—”

“Shut up.”

Sara glanced at the clock, her voice icy.

“Have you considered why that sub-server keeps targeting you?”

No.1 froze. He had always been confident—serve receive was his specialty. Opponents usually avoided serving at him or the libero.

“It’s because of that cheap confidence of yours,” Sara said coldly. “Use your head. That so-called ‘sub’ server has you completely figured out.”

Beep—

The challenge ended. Still reeling from the scolding, No.1 returned to the court, thoughts racing.

The more skilled a passer, the more they instinctively tried to deliver a perfect pass—making them vulnerable to such “weightless” serves.

And that sub-server had baited him with two ordinary serves first, making him believe the kid was just playing tricks.

Once the seed of “underestimation” is planted, No. 1 will inevitably drop his guard and receive the ball with normal force…

No. 1 thought it through and felt a chill run down his spine.

His eyes widened in horror as he looked at the substitute server from the China team. Under his breath, he muttered, “They’ve read me like an open book…”

At the serving line, Ning Zhou suddenly felt an itch in his nose and covered his mouth to sneeze:

“Achoo… Why haven’t they given me the ball yet…”

“Beep—”

Finally, Ning Zhou got the volleyball he had been waiting for. Focusing his attention, he replicated the feeling of his previous serve.

Bong.

The volleyball traced the same trajectory, floating toward No. 1 again…

This time, No. 1 dared not take risks. He adjusted his receive to a simple upward pass, just as Sara had taught him, making sure to pass it high.

For a player known for his serve-receive skills, this was the ultimate show of respect toward an opponent’s serve.

“….”

After his serve, Ning Zhou narrowed his eyes slightly.

The D team really adapts quickly!

“Their first pass is off!” Du Jun shouted at the net, commanding the blockers, “Block the strong attack!”

The D team’s setter sent the ball to position four. The China team’s middle blocker immediately closed in, forming a double block.

The D team’s outside hitter avoided the block and spiked hard—

Xu Zichang reacted instantly, diving in an almost painful motion, managing to scoop the ball back up…

The ball barely left China’s side for a second before Xu Zichang’s defense sent it flying back into the D team’s court.

The D team had no choice but to reorganize their offense.

This time, they switched to a tip—

Ning Yang lunged forward, letting the ball bounce lightly off the back of his hand.

But the ball was too low. The China team scrambled, somehow managing to return it across the net.

The D team’s setter: …

How stubborn!

A flicker of impatience crossed the setter’s face. Determined to tie the score with this rally, he set the ball for No. 1 in the back row.

“This time we have to score!”

No. 1 unleashed a powerful back-row spike using the same force as his serve—

Ning Zhou smoothly rolled backward, dispersing the ball’s impact, and executed a flawless dig…

The D team’s setter: O.o

How many liberos does the China team have in their back row!?

They just wouldn’t die—absolutely unkillable…

All eyes followed the ball in the air over the China team’s court, breaths held, not daring to blink—

This point had turned into a full-on tug-of-war!

“Hello? Listen, I just saw this super, super… super amazing serve! I really want to jump in there and try receiving it myself…”

In the back row of the audience, a young man with natural curls and deep-set eyes was on his phone.

The voice on the other end, irritated, said, “Ledge, the coach has been looking for you in the group chat. Why aren’t you watching the game with everyone else?”

“I am watching the game!” Ledge glanced around at the venue signage, guilty. “I was just late… went to the wrong arena at first…”

“So you’re watching the D team vs. China team match? The coach said that one’s a no-brainer; you’d learn more from the other game.”

Ledge’s eyes followed the ball back and forth on the court. “It’s so exciting! It’s neck and neck right now—I honestly can’t tell who we’ll be facing next!”

“Fine.” The other person didn’t take it seriously. “Just reply in the group. I’m hanging up…”

“You not coming to play in this VNL is definitely a mistake!”

Ledge’s voice brimmed with certainty. “I swear, whoever served that ball is a serious powerhouse!”

On the other end, curiosity piqued, the voice replied, “What’s so great about a commercial tournament? It’s not like you need the money… Are you talking about the D team captain’s jump serve? It does have crazy side spin.”

“No, not him. There’s a substitute server on the China team—his serve spins in a completely different way than the D captain’s, but it’s just as tough to receive.”

Ledge glanced around, then lowered his voice. “The people around me are saying he’s just ‘lucky,’ but they don’t get it. The China team’s short player is seriously underestimated!”

“Short player?” There was silence for a few seconds on the line. “Not sure who you’re talking about. Still, just having a good server won’t be enough for China to upset D team.”

“Hmm… Actually, it’s not just that server…”

As he hesitated, Ledge’s gaze unconsciously drifted from Ning Zhou to Ning Yang.

Like a magnetic pull, something unique sparked in his senses. He sniffed lightly—

“I’ve found someone like me.”