Chapter 20: Returning to the Beginning as a Substitute

Ning Zhou grabbed Nie Feiang and pulled him onto the court.

The players in training cherished their half-day break each week, so the court was much quieter than usual, with only a few scattered figures practicing on their own.

Out of the corner of his eye, Ning Zhou glanced toward the rest area—

Xu Zichang, Ning Yang, and Yu Bai were huddled together, staring intently at Ning Yang’s phone...

It was the first time Ning Zhou had seen this trio together. He raised an eyebrow.

“What a coincidence!”

At the sound of his voice, the three startled like birds from a bowstring. Especially Ning Yang, who accidentally tossed his phone into the air before fumbling to catch it and hiding it behind his back with a sheepish grin.

“Zhou, Zhouzhou, you—you’re back already?”

Ning Zhou: ?

What are they being so secretive about?

He let go of Nie Feiang and fixed the group with a steady gaze. “Mm. What are you guys watching?”

“Haha, what could we possibly be watching?” Xu Zichang hurriedly made his escape toward the court, his arms and legs moving out of sync. “Of course we’re here to practice!”

Ning Yang nodded frantically, shoving his phone into his pocket. “Right, we trained together and just sat down to rest for a bit...”

“Oh? You’re so exhausted from practicing that you didn’t even break a sweat?”

Ning Zhou’s gaze zeroed in on Yu Bai. “Are they telling the truth?”

Yu Bai answered without hesitation. “No.”

Xu Zichang and Ning Yang stared at him in disbelief: There’s a traitor among us!?

Ning Zhou strolled over to Ning Yang and fished out his phone.

“What’s so tempting that you’re shirking practice...”

Ning Yang’s phone had no screen lock. Ning Zhou swiped it open, and the paused video resumed playing—

It was a highlight reel focused on Ning Zhou from the first episode of “Sports Onward.”

Ning Zhou tapped the viewing history:

“How a Pretty Face Gets Shattered”;
“Mind-Bending! Does Anyone Remember This Is a Sports Variety Show?”;
“That Person Who Once Stunned the Hot Search Is Back! A High-Profile Return”;
“Good Looks and Superhuman Vision—Cupid’s Arrow Strikes My Heart”...

Ning Zhou’s frown deepened with each title. “You three have a fondness for clickbait, don’t you?”

Ning Yang ventured a timid protest. “I don’t think it’s clickbait—the show really is like that...”

Ning Zhou stared in disbelief. “Really? So you three spent the whole afternoon holed up on the court watching variety shows?”

Nie Feiang couldn’t help bursting into laughter. “You got caught slacking off and got chewed out by the ‘King of Overachievers,’ huh!”

“You’ve got a lot of nerve to talk!” Xu Zichang punched him on the shoulder. “We’re founding members of Zhouzhou’s fan club. If you’re not watching the show, where’ve you been?”

Ning Zhou felt a headache coming on. “Can we not mention that name anymore? And besides, Nie Feiang isn’t in the mood for jokes today...”

“You’re right!” Nie Feiang gave himself a light slap across the face and said regretfully, “Good buddy, next time Zhouzhou is on the show, make sure to invite me to watch with you!”

“...”

Ning Zhou sighed and handed the phone back to Ning Yang. “You guys go ahead. I’m going to practice.”

“We’re done watching. Zhouzhou, believe me, we did actually practice for a while earlier!” Ning Yang shoved his phone into his bag as an act of resolve...

“Why do you all call Ning Zhou ‘Zhouzhou’?” Xu Zichang looked from Ning Yang to Nie Feiang. “Did I miss something?”

Nie Feiang winked roguishly. “I’m his roommate—I’ve got privileges!”

“I don’t care. I’m calling him Zhouzhou from now on, too!”

Ning Yang was indignant. “No one’s allowed to call him that! Zhouzhou’s nickname isn’t for just anyone!”

They squabbled like children fighting for candy in public, so childish it grated on the nerves...

Ning Zhou silently recited “Do Not Be Angry” a few times to himself as he warmed up by the sideline.

Yu Bai followed close behind. “Ning Zhou, what are you planning to practice?”

Not fixated on the “Zhouzhou” nickname, Yu Bai’s question lifted Ning Zhou’s mood. “I want to practice setting with Nie Feiang. He hasn’t had enough chances with me so far.”

Yu Bai caught on. “I’m looking for a setter, too. Maybe I could join you—”

“Join, nothing!” Ning Yang rushed over and dragged his blockhead disciple away. “Your passing is a mess and you want to skip out?”

Ning Zhou glanced toward the serving machine at the edge of the court.

“So you guys are practicing passing? Let’s all join in!”

On the court, a strange training combination formed—

Ning Yang operated the serving machine, instructing Xu Zichang and Yu Bai to take turns on serve receive.

When a pass reached Ning Zhou, he’d set up with Nie Feiang to run quick attacks.

It was like a complete assembly line.

Nie Feiang was not entirely satisfied with the drill. “Zhouzhou, why are we only practicing the shoot set? Assistant Coach Hou said my blocking isn’t good enough...”

“That’s exactly why you switched groups,” Ning Zhou hooked his finger, beckoning him closer.

“Your strength isn’t blocking—it’s attacking!”

Nie Feiang sidled up, half-convinced. “My hitting’s about the same as the other middles—pretty average.”

Ning Zhou pondered, the curve of his eyes like a little fox’s. “Then let’s try something different—come closer, let me tell you...”

“?”

After hearing Ning Zhou’s idea, Nie Feiang’s expression grew complicated. “Will this really work? I’ve played middle blocker since I started volleyball, never heard of this tactic before.”

Ning Zhou shrugged. “It’s not really a tactic, just a sudden inspiration—let’s have some fun…”

“Fun?” Nie Feiang’s voice went up an octave. “This is my lowest emo slump. How can I waste time?”

Ning Zhou gazed up at him, his amber eyes brimming with innocence.

“So, do you want to give it a try?”

Nie Feiang fiddled with the net, hesitating. He pointed to the floor. “...Jump from here, right?”

Ning Zhou snapped his fingers with a smile. “Exactly. The rest is up to you!”

*

At the entrance to the court.

“Hey? Coach Luo? Didn’t you go home during the break?”

Assistant Coach Hou arrived at the court and happened to find Coach Luo standing in a daze by the entrance.

Coach Luo was slow to respond. “...Oh.”

“?” Assistant Coach Hou followed his gaze. “What has you so captivated?”

On that side of the court, Ning Yang loaded a volleyball into the serving machine. “Xu Zichang, this one’s yours!”

With a thud, the ball shot out from the mechanical mouth.

The speed wasn’t fast, and Xu Zichang, having adjusted to the machine’s rhythm, bounced lightly on his feet, made a small adjustment, and received the ball.

The pass landed inside the three-meter line—a perfect receive!

Ning Zhou positioned himself under the ball, giving a curt reminder: “Let’s go!”

The moment the words left his lips, Nie Feiang’s eyes locked onto the ball as he began his approach.

Ning Zhou took a light jump, his fingers flicking the ball to alter its downward arc. The ball sprang almost straight up from where it was, nearly mirroring its original trajectory...

Assistant Coach Hou held his breath, nervous. “Too tight! The set’s too close to the net!”

“No...” Coach Luo steadied himself on the doorframe, a smile wilder than usual lighting his face. “It’s the perfect limit!”

After the set, Ning Zhou landed and, without pausing, stepped back.

At the same instant, Nie Feiang leapt up, swinging for a spike—striking the ball right above where Ning Zhou had just stood...

To an onlooker, there was only one word for this play—

Fast.

Like a relay in midair, the ball dropped and shot up vertically, completing a whole attack in a heartbeat. It was almost impossible to tell if Ning Zhou had even touched the ball...

Assistant Coach Hou’s eyes widened. “That’s... a quick set right on the body? No, even closer than a standard quick!”

There are many varieties of quick attacks between middle blockers and setters. The “on-the-body” quick set generally has the hitter attack about 50cm in front of the setter—fast enough to catch blockers and defenders off-guard.

But in this play, Nie Feiang’s jump overlapped half a body length with Ning Zhou’s position—an “ultra-on-the-body” quick, if there ever was one...

Realizing this, Assistant Coach Hou shook his head, adjusting his glasses. “Coach Luo, how can you just stand by and watch them mess around like this? If that setter hadn’t dodged just now, they would’ve crashed into each other! Chasing speed at the cost of injuries isn’t worth it!”

“I thought so at first too,” Coach Luo absentmindedly rubbed the doorframe, analyzing. “But after watching a few more attempts, it’s clear their success isn’t a fluke...

“Normally, the middle blocker would collide with the setter who can’t get out of the way in time. But Ning Zhou’s on the short side and moves well on his feet, while Nie Feiang’s spring and speed are above average, and he jumps a beat later than normal—creating just enough space for them to avoid each other!”

“...” Assistant Coach Hou clicked his tongue. “Takes guts to try something like that...”

Coach Luo’s eyes shone. “Hou, we’ll need to revise the proposed first-team roster. Add Nie Feiang to the list—his speed off the ground opens up all sorts of possibilities!”

“Mm...” Assistant Coach Hou pulled out his little notebook, jotting things down. As his pen stalled, he asked the question that had been nagging at him.

“What about Ning Zhou?”

Coach Luo paused, the fire in his eyes slowly dimming...