It was a frigid winter morning in the twelfth lunar month. The heavy rain that had fallen through the night seemed to have washed the entire world clean.
When Su Ye woke up, she found everything unusually peaceful.
So quiet that the only sound was the soft, steady breathing of the person beside her pillow.
The first thing she saw was Yang Yang, still asleep, his expression calm and unguarded.
At times like this, she truly wanted to know what he was dreaming about—who he met in his dreams, what scenes he wandered through—that allowed him to sleep so deeply, with a faint smile lingering at the corner of his lips.
She leaned closer and gently pressed a light kiss to his lips, then immediately retreated a little, her face warming with a shy blush.
That small distance allowed her to see him more clearly.
People often say that beauty lies in the eye of the beholder.
As far as Su Ye was concerned, the same applied to handsomeness.
In any case, if she had to choose, she would never hesitate to say that Yang Yang was the most handsome man in the world.
Yet she could never bring herself to voice such direct and unabashed words of love.
And at this moment, watching him sleep so peacefully, she felt that he was undoubtedly the cutest man in the world.
So cute that she could not help but lean forward again and place a soft kiss on his forehead.
Even then, he did not wake up.
Su Ye could not help but laugh softly.
A quiet sense of fulfillment and happiness welled up inside her simply because Yang Yang existed in her world.
All the troubles, all the hardships, all the waiting, all the loneliness of the past… seemed to vanish the moment she saw him and held him.
She could not remember which romance novel she had once read, only that it said the torment of separation across thousands of miles was far less moving than even a fraction of a moment spent in an embrace.
And now, she suddenly felt that as long as two people truly loved each other, every separation only served to make their time together sweeter and more precious.
Moreover, for her and Yang Yang, separation was only temporary.
But their love was meant to last a lifetime.
…
Inside the Dream Training System, Yang Yang had already finished his evening training ahead of schedule.
When he was about to wake up, Su Ye appeared in his vision.
From that moment on, everything that followed unfolded like a silent film, playing clearly before his eyes.
He sat on the grass of the training ground, watching quietly, without making a sound.
Zak, sensing his mood, wisely chose not to interrupt.
Yang Yang could no longer remember how long he had been watching when he finally decided to wake up.
The instant his body stirred, Su Ye immediately turned her head away, pretending that nothing had happened just now.
That shy, almost instinctive reaction made Yang Yang's index finger twitch unconsciously, and the next second, he pounced on her without hesitation.
Su Ye let out a soft cry of surprise before breaking into laughter. She lightly hammered his chest a few times, then wrapped her arms tightly around him.
"You're terrible," she said with a laugh. "You actually pretended to be asleep just to trick me."
"Good thing Winston has already moved out," Yang Yang replied. "Otherwise, that scream would have exposed us."
As he spoke, his hands began to wander with mischievous intent over her slender, alluring figure.
"It's all your fault for scaring me," Su Ye said, still laughing.
But soon, her laughter turned into soft, uneven breaths. Her cheeks flushed deeply, and her eyes shimmered, as if they might overflow with moisture at any moment.
"Enough," Su Ye said softly, her voice carrying concern. "You still have training in the morning."
These past few days, the two of them had been alone together. After such a long separation, their emotions naturally ran deep, their affection intense, and they were almost inseparable.
Hearing her words, Yang Yang immediately stopped. He knew she was thinking about him, and that even in moments like this, restraint was necessary. Still, he could not help but put on a slightly aggrieved expression.
"But…"
"Tonight, I'll stay with you properly," Su Ye said gently, then took the initiative to kiss his lips, her tenderness unmistakable.
Only then did Yang Yang finally leave the warmth of the bed and begin preparing to head out for his morning run in Sefton Park.
Su Ye also got up in high spirits, washed up, and accompanied him outside. She told him with a smile that she would prepare something delicious for him when she returned.
After all, to tie down a man's heart, one must first tie down his stomach.
Clearly, Su Ye was making a serious effort in that direction.
…
…
In the morning, when they arrived at Melwood, the looks Yang Yang received from his teammates were noticeably different.
Everyone knew that Yang Yang had been firmly in the spotlight these past few days.
It was no exaggeration to say that the entire world now knew that Liverpool had a player like him in their squad. His popularity was among the very highest in European football at the moment.
More importantly, he had managed to break into the top five of FIFA's World Player of the Year rankings, surpassing superstars such as Didier Drogba and Kaká, and standing shoulder to shoulder with Thierry Henry and Ronaldinho. That alone was enough to demonstrate his current status and influence in European football.
"To be honest, we were all shocked by what you pulled off, kid," Captain Steven Gerrard said with a laugh, punching Yang Yang lightly in the arm. "When you called me and asked me to bring my girlfriend to the awards ceremony, I thought you just wanted some company for her. I didn't expect you to go and do something like that."
Taking Su Ye to the FIFA awards ceremony had been a last-minute decision Yang Yang made while he was in Beijing.
After listening to Qiao Shan's suggestion, Yang Yang had started to seriously consider the idea. He then contacted Raiola and the liaison from Armani to discuss the matter, and the proposal was approved very quickly.
Bringing a girlfriend or wife to such an event was perfectly normal.
What Yang Yang worried about was Su Ye feeling uncomfortable on her own, so he had called Gerrard and hoped that he would bring his girlfriend, Curran, so the two women could keep each other company. He had not gone into those details on the phone.
"Of course," Yang Yang replied with a grin. "Did you think being my landlord was such an easy job? At critical moments, you have to stand behind me and support me."
The teammates immediately burst into laughter.
"Don't say that," Gerrard shot back. "I can't support you like that. If you do it again, I'll sell the house."
Another wave of laughter spread across the training ground.
"Then just sell it to me," Yang Yang said casually, smiling.
Although he had lived there for less than half a year, he genuinely liked the place. More importantly, the price was not high.
It was similar to Gerrard's own property: a good location, a decent house. When it was purchased in 2005, it cost a little over 800,000 pounds, with tens of thousands more spent on renovations. Altogether, it came to around 900,000 pounds at most.
In cities like Liverpool, property prices barely rose at all, and in some areas they even declined.
Of course, Yang Yang was only joking about buying it. He did not really mind, since renting suited him just fine.
If anything, he would prefer to buy a detached villa back in Beijing, because he valued peace and quiet.
He had even discussed plans with Su Ye: a swimming pool, a private gym, a room specifically for ball practice, and a home theater, since they both enjoyed watching films.
Unfortunately, they had not found anything suitable yet. He wanted to live near the Summer Palace, ideally with convenient transportation and complete surrounding facilities—such as a nearby subway line and shopping centers—so that daily life would be simpler and less troublesome.
…
After a four-day holiday, the team reassembled, and the very first order of business was a full physical examination.
This was something Rafael Benítez had repeatedly emphasized before the break, because the Premier League's infamous Christmas schedule was approaching—and this year's fixture list was especially brutal.
Liverpool's schedule was clear and unforgiving: on the afternoon of the 23rd, the nineteenth round of the Premier League, a home match against Watford; on the afternoon of the 26th, the twentieth round, an away match against Blackburn Rovers; on the afternoon of the 30th, the twenty-first round, away against Tottenham Hotspur; and on the evening of January 1, 2007, the twenty-second round, a home match against Bolton Wanderers.
Four league matches in just ten days.
Even by Premier League standards, this was a truly devilish schedule.
What made it even more dangerous was that everyone in the football world understood how decisive the Christmas period was for teams competing for the league title. Alex Ferguson's Manchester United had always been at their most ruthless during this stretch, often using it to break away from rivals.
Liverpool, however, were not Manchester United.
Benítez did not possess Ferguson's decades of experience navigating this kind of fixture congestion, nor did he have the same depth of personnel at his disposal. At the same time, many players in the Reds' squad lacked firsthand experience dealing with the relentless physical and mental strain of the Premier League's Christmas schedule.
As a result, Benítez and his coaching staff could only move forward cautiously, addressing each problem step by step.
"Our biggest advantage," explained Paco Ayestarán, the chief assistant coach and fitness coach, as he addressed the players before training, "is that we rotated heavily in the early stages of the league. That means our physical condition is relatively good, both among the starters and some of the substitutes."
"But no matter what," he added, "we cannot afford to be careless."
At the same time, the coaching staff confirmed that Mohamed Sissoko would not be able to return before the Christmas period as initially hoped. According to their latest assessment, the earliest possible return would be mid to late January, and February was not out of the question.
This was undeniably bad news for Liverpool.
After Sissoko's injury, Boudewijn Zenden had also been sidelined. That left Liverpool with only two reliable central midfielders: Xabi Alonso and Steven Gerrard.
Surviving a Christmas schedule like this with just two central midfielders was clearly unrealistic.
Four matches in ten days—no matter how tough a player was, the body had limits.
Benítez therefore began making preparations on two fronts. On the one hand, he planned extensive rotation. Not only Gerrard and Alonso, but also Yang Yang and other key players would be included in the rotation, ensuring that the team could maintain its overall competitiveness throughout the Christmas period.
This consideration extended beyond December and January, all the way to February and the Champions League.
If more injuries occurred, then facing Barcelona in February would be pointless. In that case, Liverpool might as well not show up at all.
That was precisely why Benítez had granted the squad a four-day holiday—to allow everyone to properly rest, recover, and mentally reset.
On the other hand, Benítez was also experimenting with alternative options in central midfield. During training, he tested Fábio Aurélio, originally a left-back, in a midfield role to see whether he could provide cover.
At the same time, Benítez continued to push the club's management to act swiftly in the transfer market. He urged them to accelerate negotiations and secure reinforcements as soon as possible during the winter transfer window, in preparation for the second half of the season.
Everything was progressing in an orderly manner.
Yang Yang, for his part, did not dare to relax in the slightest. This was his first experience of the Premier League's winter "devilish schedule" since joining English football. He had no direct experience to draw on, but he understood clearly enough that four matches in ten days would be a severe test for any professional player.
...
...
December 23rd, 4:00 p.m., Anfield.
Premier League Round 19. Liverpool hosted Watford at home.
With Anfield behind them, these three points were non-negotiable. Liverpool were fully aware that the Christmas schedule allowed no room for hesitation, and this was a match that had to be secured decisively. As a result, Rafael Benítez named his strongest available lineup. Before kickoff, he had made his intentions crystal clear: Liverpool were playing for all three points.
Liverpool lined up in their familiar 4-4-2. Yang Yang partnered Peter Crouch up front, while Luis García, Steven Gerrard, Xabi Alonso, and Jermaine Pennant formed the midfield line.
Luis García and Pennant operated higher up the pitch, almost as wide attackers, constantly pushing Watford's fullbacks backward.
From the opening whistle, Liverpool seized control of both territory and tempo. The back line stepped high, the midfield compressed the space aggressively, and the ball was worked repeatedly into the wide channels. However, the final execution lacked sharpness. Crosses from both flanks were either rushed or mistimed—some sailed too long, others were cut out early by Watford's defenders. For the first ten minutes, Liverpool dominated possession but failed to create a clear chance.
The breakthrough arrived in the 12th minute after Liverpool adjusted their approach.
Instead of forcing another early cross, the ball was played more directly into the centre. Crouch received it near the edge of the penalty area with his back to goal, using his height and frame to shield the defender. With a single touch, he laid the ball off into space. Pennant surged forward from the right, met the pass in stride, and calmly guided a low shot across the goalkeeper, sending it into the far corner.
The deadlock was broken, and Anfield erupted.
After the interval, Liverpool returned with renewed intensity. From the touchline, Benítez gestured constantly, urging quicker vertical transitions, and the response was immediate.
In the 50th minute, Gerrard drove forward through the centre, carrying the ball with purpose. As Watford's midfield collapsed toward him, he slipped a precise through pass into the penalty area. Yang Yang received it near the penalty spot with his back to goal. Under pressure, he shifted his weight, spun away from his marker in one fluid movement, and struck a turning volley before the defence could react.
The ball flew past the goalkeeper and into the net.
2–0.
It was Yang Yang's seventeenth league goal of the season, and his celebration was met with a deafening roar from the stands.
With a two-goal cushion, Liverpool began to dictate the match with composure. Possession was circulated patiently, the defensive line remained compact, and Watford found it increasingly difficult to push forward in numbers.
In the 66th minute, Benítez initiated rotation. Crouch was withdrawn, and Dirk Kuyt was introduced.
The change paid off almost immediately.
Four minutes later, Yang Yang isolated his defender on the left flank. A sharp sequence of step-overs disrupted the defender's balance, and with a sudden burst of pace, Yang Yang surged past him before driving a low cross into the six-yard box. Kuyt timed his run perfectly and met the ball first time, finishing from close range.
3–0.
Just a minute after the goal, Benítez made two more substitutions. Robbie Fowler replaced Yang Yang, while Fábio Aurélio came on for Gerrard.
With the outcome all but settled, Liverpool slowed the tempo. The ball was kept moving, the crowd relaxed into chants, and Watford were denied any opportunity to mount a response.
In the 88th minute, Liverpool struck once more. The ball was worked to Alonso outside the penalty area. Given time and space, he steadied himself and unleashed a firm long-range shot that cut through a crowd of players and found the net.
4–0.
It was the fourth consecutive match in which Liverpool had scored at least four goals. As the final minutes ticked away, Anfield was engulfed in celebration, the supporters fully satisfied with the team's commanding form heading into the heart of the Christmas schedule.
...
After entering December, Liverpool gradually found their rhythm.
The early-season rotation strategy implemented by Rafael Benítez finally began to show its true value during this period. Not only were core players such as Yang Yang, Steven Gerrard, Dirk Kuyt, and Xabi Alonso maintaining excellent form, but even rotation players like Jermaine Pennant and Luis García were frequently producing performances of a very high standard.
The only real regret was the injury to Mohamed Sissoko, which left Liverpool's midfield protection with a persistent underlying risk.
While Liverpool secured a convincing 4–0 home victory against Watford, the other three title contenders in the Premier League also kept pace.
Chelsea travelled away to face Wigan Athletic. After Frank Lampard and Salomon Kalou scored twice in quick succession, veteran striker Emile Heskey struck back with two goals in the second half to level the match. At a critical moment, Arjen Robben found the winner in the second minute of stoppage time.
In the end, the Blues edged out a narrow 3–2 away victory.
Meanwhile, Arsenal hosted Blackburn Rovers at home, but Blackburn clearly had no intention of engaging in an all-out battle at the Emirates.
Just three minutes into the match, Shabani Nonda opened the scoring for Blackburn. However, Arsenal quickly took control. Gilberto Silva, Alexander Hleb, and Emmanuel Adebayor struck in succession, before Robin van Persie added two more. Mathieu Flamini then completed the rout with Arsenal's sixth goal.
The final score was a resounding 6–2 victory for the Gunners.
While the result greatly boosted Arsenal's supporters, it also made Liverpool quietly uneasy.
Because in the next round, Liverpool would be travelling to face Blackburn at Ewood Park.
In the Premier League, Blackburn Rovers were notoriously difficult opponents at home, relying on physical intensity and direct football. Their restrained approach away at Arsenal underlined their pragmatism, conserving energy for fixtures at Ewood Park.
For mid-table and lower-table teams, difficult choices had to be made during the Christmas "Devil's Schedule." Fighting at full intensity in every match was simply unrealistic, and doing so often led to a complete collapse later on.
In the same round, Manchester United recorded a 3–0 away win over Aston Villa, with Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo scoring twice to ensure a strong opening to their Devil's Schedule.
As it turned out, Liverpool's concerns were not unfounded.
...
December 26th—Boxing Day.
Liverpool travelled away to face Blackburn Rovers.
After four consecutive league matches in which they had scored four goals, Liverpool's defence was finally breached.
The breakthrough came in the 49th minute. Blackburn's Morten Gamst Pedersen carried the ball down the left flank before delivering a driven cross into the penalty area. Benni McCarthy, the former Porto striker, reacted sharply, darting across the near post to poke the ball home from close range.
The goal immediately changed the complexion of the match.
From that point on, Blackburn adopted an extremely compact and disciplined defensive stance, dropping deep and compressing the space around their penalty area.
In this match, Rafael Benítez had made significant adjustments. He started with a central midfield pairing of Steven Gerrard and Fábio Aurélio, while both Yang Yang and Peter Crouch began the match on the bench. At the back, Liverpool lined up with three central defenders—Jamie Carragher, Daniel Agger, and Sami Hyypiä—forming a three-man defence.
The intention behind this setup was to help the team navigate the physical demands of the Devil's Schedule through controlled transitions. However, the plan backfired. Blackburn capitalised on their chance, while Liverpool's attack struggled to generate any real threat.
Benítez began reshaping the side in the 64th minute.
Carragher was withdrawn, and Xabi Alonso was introduced. Aurélio shifted back to the left flank, Gerrard moved alongside Alonso in central midfield, and Liverpool reverted to a more familiar four-man defence.
The change brought immediate stability and improved ball circulation.
In the 71st minute, Liverpool made another adjustment on the left. Yang Yang was sent on as a substitute for John Arne Riise.
Yang Yang's influence was instant.
Within minutes of coming on, he surged down the left wing and delivered an early, dangerous cross into the penalty area. The clearance was only partial, and the ball rolled toward the edge of the box, where Alonso arrived to meet it on the volley. His strike flashed just wide of the post, drawing a sharp gasp from the home crowd.
Liverpool continued to build pressure.
In the 81st minute, another clear opportunity followed. Steve Finnan delivered a precise cross from the right, the ball arcing toward the far side of the penalty area. Yang Yang timed his run perfectly, cutting diagonally into the box. Without taking a touch, he met the ball with a clean first-time volley.
Blackburn goalkeeper Brad Friedel was in inspired form. He reacted instantly, launching himself across goal to parry the shot away. The rebound dropped loose inside the box, where Gerrard arrived from deep and calmly turned the ball into the net.
1–1.
After the equaliser, Liverpool laid siege to the Blackburn penalty area. Wave after wave of attacks followed, with Friedel producing a series of outstanding saves—denying long-range efforts from Alonso and close-range attempts from Yang Yang—to keep the score level.
Despite Liverpool's sustained late pressure, Blackburn held their ground.
When the final whistle blew, the match ended in a frustrating 1–1 draw for Liverpool away from home.
Even so, Benítez expressed satisfaction with the outcome. The team had earned a valuable point on the road—and, just as importantly, came through the match without suffering any new injuries.
This was precisely the greatest concern for any team travelling to Blackburn.
At the same time, several other Premier League matches played concurrently also reached their conclusions.
Chelsea hosted Reading at Stamford Bridge. Didier Drogba scored twice, giving Chelsea the lead on two separate occasions. However, a late own goal by Michael Essien allowed Reading to snatch a point away from London.
The animosity between the two sides remained fresh.
It traced back to their earlier meeting at Reading earlier in the season, when Chelsea had suffered a devastating blow. First-choice goalkeeper Petr Čech was knocked unconscious and forced off with a serious head injury, and his replacement Carlo Cudicini was also injured later in the match. Chelsea not only lost the game, but lost both senior goalkeepers at once—neither of whom had returned by this point.
Because of that, José Mourinho viewed this fixture as far more than a battle for three points. Failing to defeat Reading at home was not only a missed opportunity to close the gap in the standings, but also a missed chance to strike back at the team that had inflicted one of Chelsea's most painful blows of the season.
With both Chelsea and Liverpool dropping points in consecutive draws, no one was more satisfied than Manchester United and Arsenal.
Manchester United, the Red Devils, hosted Wigan Athletic at home. Cristiano Ronaldo only came on as a substitute in the second half, yet it took him just two minutes to break the deadlock. By the 50th minute, he had already scored twice.
Soon after, Wayne Rooney provided the assist for Ole Gunnar Solskjær to score the third goal.
Manchester United wrapped up the match in a burst that lasted only fourteen minutes from start to finish.
After the final whistle, British and European media alike were stunned by Cristiano Ronaldo's performance. Scoring twice in consecutive matches, he was widely regarded as having finally completed his transformation, reaching his best form at the most critical stage of the Christmas Devil's Schedule after enduring immense pressure earlier in the season.
At the post-match press conference, Alex Ferguson offered lavish praise for his protégé.
"I had a feeling he could change the game, so I kept him on the bench," Ferguson said. "I told him he would make the difference in the second half."
"As it turned out, after testing the opponent in the first half, we identified their weaknesses and gaps, and then finished the match quickly—like cutting through tangled hemp with a sharp knife."
"Cristiano Ronaldo's recent form has been excellent. I believe he is charging toward the peak of his career, and he has shown a strong and urgent desire to do so."
Ferguson made no effort to hide his belief that his protégé was a major contender for the Premier League Player of the Year award.
"Before the winter break, people talked about Liverpool's Yang Yang, or perhaps Chelsea's Drogba. Both are outstanding players," Ferguson said. "But after the winter break, I believe everyone will add another name—and that is Cristiano Ronaldo."
"All three have exceptional goal-scoring ability, and all three can lift the emotions of the fans to their highest point with their performances. We should look forward to the changes these players will bring to the Premier League this season."
Arsenal also secured victory in this round.
In their away match against Watford, the Gunners were once pulled back level, but Robin van Persie scored a late winner to rescue Arsène Wenger's side, ultimately taking all three points.
After twenty rounds of league matches, Manchester United topped the Premier League table with forty-seven points. Chelsea followed in second with forty-three points, Liverpool sat third with forty-two points, while Arsenal ranked fourth, level on thirty-six points with fifth-placed Bolton Wanderers.
Notably, Bolton would also be Liverpool's opponent in the next match of the winter Devil's Schedule.
On the top scorers list, with Yang Yang failing to score in this round while Drogba and Cristiano Ronaldo both struck twice, Yang Yang's tally remained at seventeen goals, while Drogba and Cristiano Ronaldo moved to twelve and ten goals respectively.
Gradually, more and more people began to believe that the Premier League title race was reaching a boiling point.