Chapter 313 - 306: Ah, Men...

Although Yang Yang had learned his lesson from last time and hadn’t told anyone his flight schedule except Wei Zhen, when he arrived at Beijing Capital Airport, he was still taken aback by the media and fans waiting for him.

’They’re really relentless!’

Yang Yang always traveled light, and this time was no exception. He only carried a single bag. However, the powerfully built, muscular Dutchman walking beside him was easily mistaken for a bodyguard.

In reality, he was Ajax’s fitness coach, Winston Bogard.

Although they had only worked together at the club for just over six months, Yang Yang had complete faith in Bogard’s abilities. After experiencing the benefits during last year’s winter break, he had once again brought Bogard to China to serve as his private trainer this summer.

In addition to managing Yang Yang’s strength and conditioning, Bogard could also train with him on the field. Plus, the nutritious meals he prepared were actually quite good.

After accommodating all the requests from the media and fans, Yang Yang exited the airport and quickly found Wei Zhen, who was there to pick him up.

Once in the car, they headed straight toward Yihe Garden.

This time, Yang Yang wouldn’t be staying at Wei Zhen’s, because he now had his own place.

He had bought the apartment a while ago, but it had sat empty until December. When Wei Zheng and Yang Yang’s cousin, Shen Yuzhu, came to Beijing for a short visit, he asked them to help find a renovation company to fix it up. It was now finally ready to be moved into.

Yang Yang had given his cousin and Wei Zheng full authority over the renovation. With their efforts, plus assistance from Wei Zhen, Su Wenhong, and others, he had felt completely at ease.

He hadn’t asked for a luxurious renovation. The design was meant to be simple and practical, with the most important elements being a cozy feel, high-quality materials, and fine craftsmanship. These weren’t particularly demanding requirements.

Yang Yang was quite satisfied after he entered the residential complex, went up to his apartment, and saw the results of the renovation for himself.

He had never been very demanding when it came to material possessions.

"This is really nice. It’s so big and spacious, with balconies on both the north and south sides. Fantastic!" Winston Bogard praised with a smile.

Yang Yang chuckled. "I originally considered turning one of the rooms into a gym, but they didn’t think it was a good idea, so I gave up on that tempting thought."

Winston Bogard shrugged helplessly.

Wei Zhen chuckled from the sidelines. "You definitely can’t do that in an apartment building. When you get the chance, you should buy a detached house. Convert the basement into a pool and a gym, add a training room... I bet you wouldn’t have to leave the house for a whole year."

Yang Yang couldn’t help but laugh, but it was true.

He wasn’t very good at socializing to begin with, and he was still not used to drawing attention every time he went outside.

The main reason he had chosen to buy an apartment in this complex was his fondness for the nearby Yihe Garden.

He couldn’t stop thinking about the Royal Garden and mentioned it so often that even Winston Bogard was now eager to see it.

Although a home gym was out of the question, Yang Yang had Wei Zhen arrange a membership at a nearby fitness club. He planned to go there to train with Winston Bogard every day. Plus, the club had a swimming pool.

It wasn’t as convenient as having one at home, but it would do.

Yang Yang’s apartment was a large, four-bedroom unit. He naturally took the master bedroom, leaving a guest room for Winston Bogard.

By the time they had both finished unpacking, night had already fallen.

Hearing that Yang Yang was back, Su Ye ran over as soon as school let out.

They hadn’t seen each other in over six months, and seeing Su Ye again, Yang Yang was just as stunned as before.

She wore a neat blue and white school uniform, her long hair parted in the middle and pulled back into a small ponytail. Her delicate, otherworldly face was free of makeup, exuding a pure and captivating charm. She was stunningly beautiful—the kind of girl who would undoubtedly be the school belle and the goddess of every boy’s dreams, no matter where she went.

The pair of long, slender, fair legs peeking out from beneath her blue school skirt were especially eye-catching.

"Wow, you’ve gotten taller! And even more beautiful!" he praised with a smile.

Su Ye, who had been overjoyed to see Yang Yang, blushed all the way to her ears upon hearing his praise.

Su Wenhong and Ye Ziqing didn’t suspect a thing and simply chuckled. They were genuinely proud of their precious daughter, especially since the family had recently agreed on her university choices.

"Yang Yang, your performance in the Eredivisie this season was just fantastic! You’ve made all of us Chinese so proud!" Su Wenhong praised him effusively, which actually made Yang Yang a little embarrassed.

Standing to the side, Su Ye noticed that as Yang Yang raised his left hand to scratch his head, he was still wearing the colorful braided bracelet on his wrist. Her heart skipped a beat, and a faint blush returned to her cheeks as her eyes lit up with a pleasant surprise.

"Uncle, please stop. Anymore praise and I’ll really get a big head," Yang Yang said, embarrassed.

"What praise? I’m just telling the truth. Right now, you’re the best topic of conversation I have with my students," Su Wenhong said, his voice filled with pride.

"Don’t mind him, Yang Yang. He talks about you to anyone who will listen these days," Ye Ziqing chided with a laugh.

"What do you know? It’s called bonding with my students. The pressure of the college entrance exams is immense. Watching a match now and then helps them relax. It’s all about balancing work and rest—that’s one way to achieve good results, you know," Su Wenhong argued reasonably.

"Fine, you’re always right," Ye Ziqing conceded, knowing she couldn’t out-argue him.

"It’s fine," Yang Yang said with a chuckle, trying to mediate. He then turned to Su Ye, who was standing quietly and prettily by the side. She hadn’t said a word since she’d arrived. It was a little strange. "Little Sis, why are you so quiet? Aren’t you happy to see me?"

Hearing Yang Yang tease her, Su Ye’s face immediately turned red again. "No, of course not," she whispered.

"She’s probably just happy," Su Wenhong chimed in. "Yesterday, after the cleaner came to tidy up the apartment, Su Ye was telling me that you’d probably be back in a day or two. We just didn’t expect you to arrive today."

"The pressure from the college entrance exams must be intense, huh?" Yang Yang asked with concern.

Su Ye nodded. "It feels like an entire army trying to cross a single-plank bridge."

"Then just keep at it. I’m sure you’ll do great."

Seeing the confidence in his voice, Su Ye couldn’t help but nod emphatically.

"Come on, I’m treating everyone to dinner tonight," Yang Yang said with a smile.

"Treat us to dinner? Don’t be silly. Just come over to our place. I’ll..."

"Uncle, you’ve all taken such good care of things for me. You, Auntie, and Su Ye helped so much with the renovation. I insist on treating you to this meal. Otherwise, I’ll be too embarrassed to face you again."

Hearing Yang Yang put it that way, Su Wenhong and his wife felt they couldn’t refuse.

Just before they left, Yang Yang suddenly remembered something. He hurried back to his room and took out three mobile phones he had specially purchased before returning to China. Two were gifts for Su Wenhong and his wife, and the third was one he had carefully picked out for Su Ye.

"Su Ye, this phone is the latest model in Europe; it hasn’t even been released in China yet. It’s packed with features. I bought two—one for you and one for me. This way, it’ll be easier for us to chat on QQ," Yang Yang said with a smile.

Hearing this, Su Ye’s face flushed slightly as she nodded shyly at Yang Yang. "Thank you."

"Don’t mention it," Yang Yang smiled.

With that, he turned back to Su Wenhong, and they started chatting about phones and soccer.

Ye Ziqing, however, was more perceptive. She noticed the colorful braided bracelet on Yang Yang’s left wrist. She remembered seeing her daughter learning how to make them just a few days ago. ’How odd,’ she had thought at the time. ’Instead of studying for her exams, she’s up in the middle of the night braiding bracelets?’

Now, seeing the bracelet on Yang Yang’s wrist and considering her daughter’s unusual behavior today, she couldn’t help but feel she was beginning to understand something.

But it seemed Yang Yang was completely oblivious, getting more and more animated in his conversation with Su Wenhong.

Men...

......

......

The next morning, Yang Yang woke up bright and early, making a point to drag Winston Bogard out of bed as well.

After they were ready, right before heading out, he sent Su Ye a message on QQ, just as they had arranged the night before.

The three of them jogged to the south gate of Yihe Garden and went inside.

A young woman as beautiful as a fairy; an oddball jogging while juggling a soccer ball; and a foreigner rippling with explosive muscles...

Needless to say, the moment this trio appeared in Yihe Garden, they immediately became the center of attention.

It didn’t take long for people to recognize Yang Yang. However, Yihe Garden at this hour was mostly filled with seniors doing their morning exercises. They just waved and called out greetings from a distance, with no one coming over to disturb them.

Visiting Yihe Garden for the first time, Winston Bogard was just as stunned as Yang Yang had been. He never imagined such a breathtakingly beautiful garden could exist in the World. The scenery along their path left him speechless.

Su Ye graciously played the part of their tour guide, constantly explaining the history and stories of Yihe Garden to Bogard in fluent English as they walked.

With her impressive knowledge, fluent English, and graceful demeanor, Su Ye seemed like a fairy who had stepped right out of the scenic painting that was Yihe Garden. Watching her, Yang Yang couldn’t help but be reminded of the first time they met.

"Yang Yang, how long will you be in the country this time?"

Taking a moment while Bogard was admiring the scenery, Su Ye asked with concern.

"A little over two weeks, I think. But I have to report to the National Team in a few days."

"For the World Cup qualifiers?"

"Mhm, there are two matches in June, both at home. We’re playing against North Korea and Iran. As long as we win one of them, we can qualify for the World Cup early, so both games are crucial."

Qualifying for the World Cup again would be a momentous occasion, sure to electrify football fans across the nation.

Yang Yang felt the first match against North Korea was practically in the bag, but he didn’t dare let his guard down.

To be blunt, the National Team’s skill level wasn’t very high. Any moment of carelessness could lead to an unexpected and disastrous failure.

The National Team’s history was full of such precedents.

Yang Yang had no desire to see history repeat itself on his watch.

"And after the qualifiers?" Su Ye asked again.

"After the qualifiers, I have to go back to the Netherlands for the FIFA U-20 World Cup. I’ll be staying in the Netherlands after that."

"Oh." Su Ye sounded a little disappointed.

She had thought Yang Yang would be staying in the country for the entire off-season, but it turned out he was leaving again in just a few days.

"By the way, Su Ye, I’ll be playing in the qualifiers right when you’re taking your college entrance exams. You’ve got to give it your all," Yang Yang encouraged her.

Su Ye had already completed her arts program audition for the Central Academy of Drama at the beginning of the year. Now, all that was left was her final exam scores.

"I will." Su Ye nodded emphatically.

"If I score a goal in either of those two matches, I’ll dedicate it to you," Yang Yang said with a smile.

Whatever came to her mind, Su Ye’s face flushed slightly as she nodded.