The referee, Graham Poll, finally blew the full-time whistle.
Liverpool's players collapsed onto the Old Trafford turf one after another, their bodies drained and trembling after an exhausting ninety minutes.
Inside Old Trafford, more than 70,000 spectators were frozen in disbelief. The entire stadium seemed to fall into a suffocating silence. The fans and players of Manchester United stared at the pitch as if they had witnessed something impossible—the final outcome of this latest, fiercely contested Double Red Derby.
The giant scoreboard glowed with the final score: 1–2.
According to tradition, the home side comes first, the visitors second.
Liverpool had overturned Manchester United at Old Trafford, winning 2–1 thanks to a brilliant brace from Yang Yang.
In the away corner of the stadium, Liverpool supporters erupted. Even massively outnumbered, their chants echoed loudly through the stunned arena.
Every voice roared the same name: Yang Yang.
Captain Steven Gerrard walked over, helping his exhausted teammates back to their feet one by one. When he reached Yang Yang, he wrapped him in a tight, emotional embrace before pulling him along toward the away stand. Together, they led the entire squad to bow in gratitude to the travelling supporters.
Throughout the second half, Manchester United had commanded nearly all of the possession, hurling wave after wave of attacks at Liverpool's goal. Their pressure was relentless—sometimes wild, sometimes controlled, but always suffocating.
Benítez responded by locking his team into a deep defensive posture for the remainder of the match. That plan wavered multiple times under United's furious assaults; there were stretches where Liverpool looked seconds away from breaking. But somehow, they held on. They contained the final scoreline and escaped Old Trafford with a massive 2–1 victory.
This defeat marked Manchester United's second loss of the Premier League season. Earlier, they had also fallen at home to Arsenal.
Interestingly, in both of those games, Cristiano Ronaldo had been extremely active—constantly receiving the ball, driving at defenders, and generating chances—but his finishing lacked sharpness.
The only difference today was that, unlike in the Arsenal match where he failed to score, Ronaldo had at least found the net once. That alone would likely soften the criticism waiting for him from the media and fans.
After finishing the celebrations with the away end, Yang Yang slowly turned back toward the technical area.
The Premier League's pressure was overwhelming—physical, mental, constant. Recently, Liverpool had been playing two matches a week, and by the final phase of this match, Yang Yang had been pushing himself purely on willpower. His legs felt heavy, his lungs burned, and his teeth clenched through every sprint.
He believed he wasn't the only one suffering; every Liverpool player had hit the limit today.
Manchester United didn't allow Cristiano Ronaldo to remain isolated on the flank during the second half. Sir Alex Ferguson adjusted his shape at halftime, moving the Portuguese star more centrally. That shift activated both Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs, giving United far more threat between the lines.
With their midfield and forward line suddenly alive, United's attacks grew sharper and more coordinated, piling enormous pressure on Liverpool's back line.
But the Reds refused to crumble. They held their ground with sheer resilience and discipline.
In midfield, Gerrard, Xabi Alonso, and Mohamed Sissoko formed an iron barrier. The trio shielded the defensive line with tireless running, well-timed tackles, and constant positional awareness. They stood like an unbreakable wall in front of the penalty area, absorbing United's pressure phase after phase.
Over the course of the ninety minutes, it was clear that Manchester United dominated possession and dictated the rhythm. But Liverpool's counterattacks were razor-sharp and repeatedly tore at United's shape. Yang Yang's explosive first-half breakaway—and the attacking spell that followed—was the only period in which Liverpool truly controlled the tempo.
Yet from that brief window, they scored twice. Those two decisive moments flipped the entire match on its head.
Still, Yang Yang couldn't shake the heaviness in his chest.
Something lingered in his mind.
The moment he thought of it, a faint twitch crossed his face, and he shook his head.
…
"What's wrong?" Xabi Alonso approached from behind, having caught Yang Yang's quiet sigh.
"Nothing," Yang Yang replied with a shake of his head.
"I don't believe that," Alonso said, raising an eyebrow. "You don't look satisfied with the match at all."
Yang Yang nodded lightly. "I had a chance to complete a hat-trick in the second half. I missed two opportunities. Even if I had taken just one of them… that would've felt so much better."
After speaking, he exhaled again, regret written openly across his face.
Alonso didn't know whether to laugh or get annoyed, though in truth he felt both emotions at once — and a third one too: admiration.
It was funny, because the two chances Yang Yang was talking about weren't even high-probability attempts. Finishing them would have been impressive, but missing them was perfectly normal. There was nothing to brood over.
It was irritating, because his young teammate's standards for himself were absurdly high — so high that even Alonso, who was notoriously demanding of himself, felt a little ashamed standing next to him.
He had scored a brace at Old Trafford. He had led Liverpool in overturning Manchester United in their own fortress. And he still wasn't satisfied? He was actually sulking over not getting a hat-trick?
How were normal players supposed to live with this kind of mentality around them?
But beyond the humor and mild frustration, Alonso felt genuine admiration.
Yang Yang's ambition was real, and his expectations for himself were sky-high. Any other player, after scoring twice in a derby at Old Trafford, would have been celebrating for days. Yet Yang Yang's first reaction was disappointment over the chances he failed to convert. That mindset — always hungry, always chasing perfection — revealed a deeper potential that had yet to be fully tapped.
"Don't overthink it," Alonso said, patting him on the arm. "You've already scored eight league goals this season. And you've racked up several braces."
"Really?" Yang Yang blinked. He rarely paid attention to the scoring charts and didn't keep track of his personal tally unless someone mentioned it. Most of what he heard came from comments in the dressing room.
Still, Alonso was right.
A faint, helpless smile tugged at Yang Yang's lips.
He had noticed something himself: his scoring rhythm wasn't very stable. He had played in eight of Liverpool's nine league matches so far. In those appearances, he seemed to be alternating between two extremes — either delivering a brace, or failing to score altogether, with the occasional single goal mixed in.
Looking at the distribution of his goals, the inconsistency was obvious. He couldn't quite understand why yet.
But in the end, scoring was never a bad thing.
…
…
Yang Yang scored twice, and Liverpool overturned Manchester United 2–1 at Old Trafford.
News of this result spread rapidly across the United Kingdom and throughout European football, sparking intense discussion among fans worldwide.
Supporters everywhere were stunned by Liverpool's resilience. Despite conceding first in one of the league's most hostile stadiums, the Reds absorbed heavy pressure and struck twice to flip the match on its head.
The Liverpool Echo quickly published a detailed post-match analysis on its official website. The article argued that Liverpool had finally found a clear direction in their attacking play, and that defeating Manchester United away could become the catalyst for a major resurgence. It described Yang Yang as "the sharpest blade in Benítez's hands."
"Strictly speaking, Manchester United did not perform well today. Their rhythm was flat, and their overall state lacked intensity. Cristiano Ronaldo stood out as their most threatening player, but his efficiency was poor and he missed several key chances."
"In contrast, Yang Yang delivered a vivid lesson to the Portuguese."
"From a purely aesthetic perspective, Yang Yang is not flashy—aside from his spectacular first goal, he rarely attempts moves designed to excite the crowd. Instead, he is steady, efficient, and every decision he makes poses genuine danger."
The Echo also highlighted the defensive lapse that allowed Liverpool to get back into the match, criticizing Patrice Evra for a reckless mistake that destabilized United's back line. Regarding Yang Yang's second goal, the paper called it one of the most impressive headers seen in the Premier League so far this season.
"We could hardly believe that such a header came from Yang Yang. But this moment also reminds us that he will only turn twenty in five days. He is still developing—and still improving."
"With eight league goals in nine matches, and with none of the other top scorers finding the net this round, Yang Yang climbs back to the top of the scoring chart with a two-goal lead."
"But if he believes this form alone will be enough to secure the Golden Boot, he would be underestimating the difficulty of the Premier League. Ahead lies the gruelling schedule of multiple competitions and the brutal winter fixture period."
"Drogba is entering the peak of his career. Henry scored another brace this weekend, bringing him to five goals. Add Andy Johnson, Bobby Zamora, Lampard, Darren Bent, Agbonlahor, Solskjær and many others—the race for the Golden Boot has only just begun."
With this crucial away victory, Liverpool climbed in the Premier League standings, reaching 18 points.
After nine rounds, Arsenal sit top with 20 points following a dominant 4–0 win. Bolton, the surprise package of the season, also have 20 points and hold second place behind Arsenal on goal difference.
That said, few believe Bolton have the depth or long-term quality to challenge the traditional top six for the title.
Behind them, Manchester United and Chelsea both sit on 19 points, ranking third and fourth. Liverpool follow closely in fifth with 18 points.
Media outlets and fans across Britain, Europe, and beyond were unanimous in their praise of Yang Yang's performance. Many declared that Liverpool's €40 million investment in him had already proven to be the best signing of the summer.
As for the worst one…
No discussion was needed.
Everyone pointed to the same name: Shevchenko.
…
When news reached China that Yang Yang had climbed to the top of the Premier League scoring charts — and that his brace had helped Liverpool defeat Manchester United at Old Trafford — the reaction back home was explosive.
As more Chinese players began venturing abroad, especially the new generation led by Yang Yang, Feng Xiaoting, and Gao Lin, a shift had begun in the collective mindset of Chinese football. These players were gradually establishing themselves in European leagues, shedding the old image of Chinese footballers as outsiders who struggled overseas.
This change encouraged more young talents in China to dream of Europe, but it also prompted European clubs to start reassessing their understanding of Chinese players.
With Yang Yang as the flagship example, European teams were beginning to believe that Chinese footballers could genuinely succeed on the continent — not just survive, but thrive.
Fans across China followed every performance of their national team players abroad, but Yang Yang's exploits in the Premier League received unparalleled attention.
Seeing him rise above world-class players such as Henry, Drogba, and Lampard — even if only temporarily — was enough to send supporters nationwide into a frenzy of excitement.
Online forums erupted in celebration. Social media was filled with triumph, pride, and disbelief. Chinese media published wave after wave of praise, reporting on every detail of Yang Yang's progress in both the Premier League and the Champions League. Headlines lauded him as a symbol of hope for Chinese football.
Even the AFC released an article on its official website congratulating Yang Yang for his achievements, adding that the confederation was considering the creation of a special award dedicated to outstanding Asian players competing overseas.
But for Yang Yang himself — a player dreaming of the FIFA World Player of the Year and the Ballon d'Or — such compliments were nothing more than background noise.
He paid them no mind at all.
…
…
"I'm sorry, but I won't agree."
At the entrance of the Beijing Zhongxi student dormitory, Su Ye answered the phone politely yet firmly.
Winter had already settled in. The trees around campus were stripped bare, their branches skeletal against the cold air, creating a bleak, desolate atmosphere.
Su Ye hadn't been in a good mood these past few days. Even her roommates—who already found her a bit reserved—noticed she hadn't smiled in a while. Her usual calm, distant demeanor had grown even cooler.
After ending the call, she stared up at the grey, heavy sky. The crooked branches seemed to echo her mood.
She lit up her phone screen.
A photo appeared: her and Yang Yang, taken in Sefton Park in Liverpool. Their faces were close, both smiling brightly in the afternoon sun.
The moment she saw him, a warmth bloomed quietly in her chest.
She inhaled deeply, forcing the tension out of her mind, and walked back into the dormitory.
"Su Ye, was that the same company calling again?"
"The same one as last time."
"They still want you to sign?"
"Yes."
"You turned them down again?"
"…Yes."
The room fell silent. Her roommates exchanged looks, their expressions softening with a mix of frustration and disbelief.
"To be honest, Su, this company is the most powerful film studio in the country right now. I heard one of their top stars just left. If you signed with them, you'd blow up instantly. They produce multiple big films every year. They'd treat you well. Why won't you agree?"
"Yeah, Su Ye, the entertainment industry isn't like before. Rumors, gossip, fake relationships—none of that is a big deal anymore. Your mindset is too old-fashioned."
"For newcomers like us, just getting steady roles is already a blessing. But you're turning things down left and right. If you refuse kissing scenes, intimate scenes, even fake scandals… how are you supposed to get exposure?"
"Su, I really admire your principles, but you also have to recognize reality."
One after another, her roommates tried to persuade her.
A month earlier, with the recommendation of the school instructor, Su Ye and several other students had attended an audition for a new film project.
It was a major co-production between China and the United States, featuring Chinese actors who were already making a name for themselves in Hollywood. It was an incredibly rare opportunity, and Su Ye had stunned everyone at the audition.
Her acting skills had grown rapidly in her first year at Zhongxi. Her instructor considered her one of the most mature, grounded performers in the class.
But what truly drew attention that day was her appearance and temperament — qualities the strongest domestic film company, who was investing in the project, immediately took interest in. They wanted to sign her on the spot.
However, signing with the company meant giving up certain freedoms. It meant losing the ability to follow her own principles. It meant personally breaking the "three things I won't do" promise she had made with her father.
So she refused.
And by refusing the company, she also forfeited the role in that major production. The two earlier auditions she had passed into the second round also seemed to have fizzled out. With no follow-up news, they were likely gone as well.
Her roommates genuinely felt sorry for her. Opportunities like this were rare—practically miraculous—and most aspiring actors would do anything for even half a chance.
If Su Ye signed with that company, she would almost certainly become famous.
"Su, listen to me," one of the girls said earnestly. "Don't cling to those rigid rules. In today's world, you only get to negotiate conditions after you become popular. Popularity comes first — everything else comes later. Right now, you have no connections, no financial backing. The only things you can rely on are your own ability and whatever support the school can give you."
"If you let this go… I'm afraid you won't get another chance like it again."
The others nodded in agreement, their tone gentle but firm.
"I understand what you all mean," Su Ye said calmly, "but I'm not pretending to be noble. This is my bottom line. Maybe it's high, maybe it looks stubborn, but I'll stick to it."
"For your boyfriend?"
Su Ye didn't answer — but her silence was an answer.
"Is it really worth it?" someone asked softly. "If something this big happened to me, my boyfriend would've flown here already. But him? He hasn't shown up. He hasn't even called. He—"
"I haven't told him." Su Ye cut in immediately.
"Why not?"
Her eyes glistened, tears threatening to spill, but she blinked them back with force. Her voice trembled slightly as she spoke.
"What he's doing is a thousand times more important than anything happening to me. Compared to him, my problems aren't even worth mentioning. I don't want to distract him."
"Oh, come on! Is he Li Ka-shing or Bill Gates? You worked so hard to get into this industry — all this for acting, right? And right now you're stuck in a huge dilemma. What could possibly be more important than this?"
"Acting is my passion," Su Ye replied softly, "but if losing him is the price, then I would rather stop acting altogether."
"You've been brainwashed! He's not worth it!"
"He is," Su Ye said without a flicker of doubt. "You can disagree all you want — I've made my choice."
The tension spiked, and seeing the argument about to escalate, the roommates stepped in to break it up.
Voices overlapped — explanations, concerns, tried-and-true advice — but Su Ye didn't waver. Nothing they said could shake her.
She knew they meant well. She knew they genuinely cared.
But everyone has their own unshakable convictions.
And this was hers.
…
…
"Happy birthday!"
At his home in Liverpool, Yang Yang opened his laptop and greeted Su Ye through a QQ video call. The image was a little grainy due to the distance and the connection, but he could clearly see her smiling happily from Beijing.
To celebrate his birthday, Su Ye had taken a bus for more than an hour to return home. She had prepared a small cake with candles all by herself.
The cake looked slightly lopsided and a little cold, which made Yang Yang chuckle — but the gesture warmed him deeply.
"Tonight the team is celebrating for me too. The head coach actually made an exception and allowed us to have a little party. But we all have to be home before midnight. If any of us shows up in tomorrow morning's papers past twelve, he'll lose his mind."
"Organized by Gerrard, your landlord?" Su Ye asked.
"Yeah," Yang Yang sighed with exaggerated frustration. "And he used my rent money to do it."
Su Ye laughed.
During her time in the UK, she had grown close to Gerrard's girlfriend, Curran, so the joke wasn't lost on her.
Yang Yang kept talking lightly, sharing small stories from the day to cheer her up — especially since he knew her second-round auditions still hadn't given any results, and both projects now looked unlikely. For days, he had tried to find ways to lift her spirits, but today he really didn't have time.
He emphasized that the party was strictly private — only teammates, their girlfriends, or wives. No outsiders.
"So don't worry," he teased. "You won't see any pictures tomorrow of me standing next to another woman."
Su Ye nodded repeatedly and replied with mock seriousness, "Then I'm relieved."
The truth was, she had never doubted him.
Yang Yang burst out laughing.
Seeing him in a rush, she urged him several times to head out early so he wouldn't be late.
After her repeated reminders, he finally left, though visibly reluctant to end the call.
Back in Beijing, in the quiet, empty living room, Su Ye stared at the now-closed video chat window for a long moment.
Her expression trembled.
This time, the tears fell without resistance.
…
…
Celebrating Yang Yang's birthday was really just a convenient excuse that Gerrard and the others had come up with.
To put it bluntly, the boys simply wanted a night out.
The coaching staff had set friendly but firm rules: a maximum of one beer per person, no exceptions. They would check everyone the next morning, and whoever overdid it would pay the price. The message was clear.
Since arriving in the Premier League, Yang Yang had quickly learned that English men had an unusual passion for beer. Even highly disciplined players like Gerrard showed zero hesitation when alcohol was involved.
Another issue was gambling.
Betting was practically woven into the culture of English football. Even national team players often made headlines for losing astonishing amounts of money — sometimes turning those losses into tabloid entertainment.
This time, the squad booked an upscale private club. After dinner, they moved straight into a karaoke room.
With no outsiders present, everyone loosened up. They laughed loudly, joked freely, and once the singing started — helped along by alcohol — the entire group became unruly, shameless, and completely carefree.
Yang Yang stayed the whole night, but he paced himself. He knew he was terrible with alcohol and avoided letting things get out of hand.
Still, the party revealed sides of his teammates he rarely saw.
Take John Arne Riise, for example. On the pitch he was fierce, almost intimidating; off the pitch he became quietly reserved. He also didn't drink. But the moment he was forced to sing, the entire room erupted in cheers — and then in dramatic groans.
He howled, he crackled, he wailed.
No one was sure which genre he was aiming for.
Gerrard and Kuyt, on the other hand, were the self-declared karaoke kings of the squad. They often led the singing sessions in the dressing room too. Their enthusiasm was unmatched — their pitch was not. Yang Yang still couldn't understand how two professional athletes could produce such painful sounds.
During team travel or inside the locker room, Yang Yang had long learned survival tactics: fall asleep, enter the Dream Training System in his mind, or put on headphones and escape into Jay Chou, Eason Chan, or JJ Lin. Anything to spare himself from the auditory chaos.
With the excitement building and voices getting rowdy, the team unknowingly pushed past the "one bottle only" rule. Empty bottles multiplied on the table.
"The boss knew this would happen," Xabi Alonso muttered with a helpless shake of his head.
Unlike normally, he hadn't brought his stack of books tonight, but like Yang Yang, he remained on the fringe of the chaos. They sat quietly in the corner where no one bothered them.
"What do you mean?" Yang Yang asked.
"It's obvious," Alonso replied. "If the allowable limit were two bottles, everyone would end up drinking three or four. Limiting it to one bottle was the only way to stop them from going wild."
Yang Yang suddenly realized the logic.
There was a method to the madness.
"Don't blame them," Alonso added. "It's been a tough stretch lately. We haven't relaxed like this in a long time."
Liverpool had just come off a massive 2–1 comeback away at Manchester United, followed by a chaotic 4–3 win over Reading in the League Cup with a rotated squad. Yang Yang now topped the Premier League scoring chart. For the Reds, the season had been full of positive surprises — but also intense pressure.
"Players carry a lot on their shoulders. Sometimes you need a night to let everything out," Alonso said with a faint smile.
Yang Yang nodded. He understood that pressure all too well.
While the two were talking, Gerrard and the others finally realized that the guest of honor had been hiding in a corner. They stumbled over immediately.
Fueled by the carnival atmosphere — and the alcohol — they insisted Yang Yang had to sing.
Then someone, no one knew who, shouted the idea that they should invite two beautiful women to help celebrate Yang Yang's birthday.
...
Author Note:
What did you think of this chapter? For me, even though it starts with the end of Liverpool beating Manchester United and ends with Yang Yang's birthday, the real weight of the chapter is Su Ye. The more I read, the more I realized the whole emotional focus was on her situation — her principles, her silence, her sacrifices, and everything she's holding back from Yang Yang.
Personally, I find her section more impactful than the match itself. It's clear she has strong values and wants to succeed on her own terms, but she's also putting herself through a lot by not sharing her struggles. It raises a big question for me about their relationship dynamic.
What did you think of it?
And here's the question I'll leave you with:
Is Yang Yang simply not attentive enough to notice what Su Ye is going through, or is Su Ye being too stubborn by refusing to open up and talk about her difficulties?