I Only Want You chapter 3

Xie Yun Zhi’s voice was not loud, but it instantly caught the attention of the three people entangled in the situation, making them all turn their heads simultaneously towards the source of the sound.

Upon seeing the newcomer, Yan Lan’s bright eyes showed surprise, evidently not expecting Xie Yun Zhi to appear here.

The other two people in the scene were not calm either, especially Xu Xinan. With just a short “Thank you, President Xie,” his emotions were full, expressing both unexpected and joyful surprises.

Xie Yun Zhi walked closer, nodding slightly at Xu Xinan before turning to Yan Lan. “Teacher Yan, I’ll send you and your friend home.”

Although his attitude at this moment could be considered mild, the words spoken carried a strong sense of not allowing anyone to refuse.

A faint gratitude appeared in Yan Lan’s eyes. He took Yang Xiaole’s hand behind him, bypassed Xu Xinan, and walked to Xie Yun Zhi’s side. He made a simple sign language with his left hand, forming a fist and then pointing his thumb up and down twice—a very straightforward sign language meaning “thank you.”

A faint smile appeared at the corner of Xie Yun Zhi’s lips. He didn’t look at Xu Xinan anymore and left with Yan Lan and Yang Xiaole.

While waiting for the elevator, Xie Yun Zhi turned his head and asked Yan Lan, “Teacher Yan, would you like my driver to take you?”

Yan Lan was about to shake his head when Yang Xiaole gently pulled him and signaled him with his eyes.

Yan Lan looked puzzled.

Yang Xiaole mouthed, “Agree.”

Yan Lan hesitated; he didn’t want to trouble Xie Yun Zhi.

Xie Yun Zhi, unaware of the subtle exchange between them, just lowered his head to adjust the gem-encrusted cufflinks. His voice was calm, “It’s okay. The birthday banquet won’t end so quickly. The driver can drop you off, and there’s plenty of time for him to come back.”

Hearing this, Yan Lan lowered his eyes slightly. The once clear eyes suddenly dimmed a lot. He shook his head slowly and declined, starting with a simple sign language: Thank you, we’ll take a taxi.

Xie Yun Zhi nodded without insisting. After the elevator arrived, he had one of his assistants escort Yan Lan and Yang Xiaole downstairs. He himself led the remaining people into another elevator, heading to the top floor of the hotel.

Yang Xiaole remained silently attached to Yan Lan, holding onto his arm like a dependent little bird. After the polite young assistant escorted them out of the hotel, Yang Xiaole let go of Yan Lan’s hand and poked his arm with his index finger. “Why didn’t you tell me you know Xie Yun Zhi?”

Yan Lan took out his phone and typed, “It’s not like we’re acquainted. He’s my part-time boss.”

Yang Xiaole made a long “Oh” sound. “No wonder he was so generous and called you Teacher Yan.”

Yan Lan shrugged.

Yang Xiaole hooked his arm around Yan Lan’s and walked. “I’m hungry. Let’s have a late-night snack. Spicy hot pot in a clay pot. My treat. Let me tell you, I’m really about to vomit blood tonight…”

On the way to eat spicy hot pot in a clay pot, Yang Xiaole cursed Xu Xinan nearly eight hundred times, and not one sentence was repeated.

Because he could have had a wonderful night, developing a romantic encounter with a somewhat famous lead singer from a band…

This is a bit of a long story. When they finally sat down in the restaurant, Yang Xiaole started talking about how he encountered the lead singer and how he deceived the naive singer into thinking he was a long-time fan of Yao Yinghao. Then, with his help, he successfully infiltrated the hotel and ultimately encountered the darn Xu Xinan.

“I was so angry that I almost fainted. I was planning to sneak into the birthday banquet to see if I could have a chat with Bian Xianyang, but then Xu Xinan suddenly appeared!”

Yan Lan, eating a youtiao soaked in soup, looked at him with a puzzled expression.

Yang Xiaole had to take out his phone and use Baidu to show him pictures. It was a boy with mist-blue hair, fair skin, and a handsome appearance, looking like the type who received love letters from girls to the point of hand cramps during his student days.

“I got in with his help, and he even said he could help me get Yao Yinghao’s autograph.” Yang Xiaole sighed and put down his phone, picking up a fish ball with his chopsticks and putting it in his mouth. “Unfortunately, I couldn’t get it.”

Yan Lan picked up his phone and typed: Do you like Yao Yinghao?

Yang Xiaole shook his head. “I just wanted to see him again.”

Yan Lan continued typing: You can go to his concert.

“Good idea.” Yang Xiaole shrugged. “If I can get tickets.”

Top floor banquet hall of the Capespin Hotel.

Xie Yun Zhi arrived late, and a waiter waiting by the door promptly handed him champagne. Just as he picked up a glass from the tray, a not-too-loud but not-too-soft rhyme intertwined with the cello music in the banquet hall.

Wearing a red fishtail dress, graceful and charming, Yao Jinni walked elegantly towards Xie Yun Zhi, offering an intimate cheek-to-cheek greeting.

Many people present witnessed this scene, casting curious and scrutinizing glances.

The ambiguous relationship between the three-time Golden Award-winning actress Yao Jinni and the rising star in the business world, Xie Yun Zhi, was well-known. Although neither of them had publicly acknowledged it, neither had they clarified it.

At this moment, Xie Yun Zhi, ignoring the romantic rumors, attended Yao Jinni’s birthday party, presenting a nonchalant atmosphere. It gave people the impression of both being ordinary friends and him naturally attending to celebrate his girlfriend’s birthday.

In any case, it was well done!

In the past few days, due to Yao Jinni’s birthday and the rumors surrounding Xie Yun Zhi, her personal data has skyrocketed on the internet, topping the charts with unparalleled commercial value. Xie Yun Zhi’s Venus Jewelry has also been steadily advancing, thoroughly dispelling the rumors about Venus Jewelry’s decline after his brother Xie Hanzhi’s fatal car accident. Xie Yun Zhi was once rumored to be incapable of handling the business after his brother’s death, however he had proven with facts that he could not only carry Venus Jewelry but also thrive.

Yao Jinni’s beautiful eyes flowed with emotion as she looked at Xie Yun Zhi. “Yun Zhi, I thought you wouldn’t come.”

Xie Yun Zhi, with a faint smile in his eyes and eyebrows, replied, “I met Tiantian’s teacher on the way, so I was delayed a bit.”

“How’s Tiantian doing?”

“He’s doing well.”

Yao Jinni affectionately took Xie Yun Zhi’s arm and walked towards the dance floor together, her voice soft and melodious. “I’ll be starting a new project in a few days. If you have time, will you come visit the set?”

Xie Yun Zhi gave a vague response, “If I have time.”

A tinge of disappointment flashed through Yao Jinni’s heart, but she quickly regained her happiness. “Shall we dance?”

“Sure.”

The next day, while Yan Lan was still sleeping, the official news of Yao Jinni and Xie Yun Zhi dancing together at her birthday party, especially a photo of Xie Yun Zhi holding her waist intimately on the golden dance floor, flooded the internet. The news quickly went viral.

When Yan Lan woke up, Yang Xiaole was already discussing this matter with him.

“Looking at it this way, they might be getting married.”

Yan Lan, with slightly widened eyes, raised his right hand and drew a large question mark in the air.

“It’s just a feeling. They do look quite compatible, and if Yao Jinni wants to get married, choosing Xie Yun Zhi is a safe bet. He’s young, handsome, wealthy, and capable. If they really get married, it’s a double success in career and love… really enviable.”

After saying this, Yang Xiaole shook his head in admiration, then got out of bed and asked, “Momo, do you want oatmeal? Should I make you a bowl?”

With sleepy eyes, Yan Lan nodded.

Like Yang Xiaole, who hadn’t gone home since his freshman year, Yan Lan also didn’t return home. However, Yang Xiaole’s reason was that his father found a stepmother for him, just a few years older, and gave birth to a son. Since the birth of that child, Yang Xiaole left home and never returned.

Yang Xiaole’s father didn’t ask him to come home. Other than timely monthly payments for tuition and living expenses, there was no extra communication between father and son. During festivals, there wasn’t even a greeting.

Yan Lan didn’t know what Yang Xiaole was thinking because he always seemed carefree. Despite having a family and relatives, he lived a life similar to a genuine orphan.

During the day, neither of them went out. Yang Xiaole slept for almost a whole day, and Yan Lan either painted or read books. Time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, the sun was about to set.

With eyes swollen from sleep, Yang Xiaole, who maintained his figure by eating oatmeal for dinner, looked at Yan Lan, who was unpacking a cup of instant noodles instead of his usual meal. He couldn’t help but ask, “Momo, don’t you dislike instant noodles?”

Yan Lan nodded, concentrating on opening the seasoning packet and pouring hot water.

Observing Yan Lan’s icy face, Yang Xiaole suddenly chuckled, grabbed his phone from the table, and logged into the art school forum. “It’s because of those toads who usually cause trouble, right?. If I don’t scold them back to their mothers’ wombs, my last name isn’t Yang.”

Yan Lan grabbed his hand to prevent him from causing trouble on the forum, shook his head, and picked up his phone to type: It’s okay; they probably hate me now.

After reading those words, Yang Xiaole’s gaze shifted back to Yan Lan’s face. “You… could it be?”

Yan Lan nodded.

“Ha! Hahaha—”

Yang Xiaole laughed, slapping the table with uncontrollable joy.

After laughing, he suddenly put on a serious expression. “You should be careful when you go out. Watch out for retaliatory attacks from them.”

Yan Lan was actually quite concerned about this issue. For those sports students, face was more important than anything. He embarrassed that buzz cut guy so much; he felt that the guy wouldn’t let him off so easily.

………………

A few days later, it was time for Yan Lan to give Tiantian his art class again. Yang Xiaole sat in front of the computer, cautioning the departing figure, “Call me if anything happens. I’ll call the police to rescue you immediately.”

Yan Lan nodded, picked up his canvas bag, and left the dormitory.

The Xie family was a bit far from the art school, and there was no direct bus. Yan Lan usually took a bus from the south gate, changed to a shared bike after five stops, and rode all the way there. The entire commute took almost an hour.

Tiantian’s art class started at half-past two in the afternoon and lasted until four-thirty, with a fifteen-minute break in between.

Yan Lan had to come to teach him every Wednesday and Sunday, and as far as he knew, Tiantian had other classes during the times when he didn’t come.

Tiantian was a deaf-mute child who couldn’t hear or speak. However, Xie Yun Zhi had strict requirements for him and arranged the best teachers who could communicate with him using sign language. There was no slack in his education, even though Xie Yun Zhi was usually busy and rarely went home.

On this day, as soon as Yan Lan entered the house, he felt that something was off. The person responsible for taking care of Tiantian in this large house, Auntie, was usually full of smiles. However, that day she wore a troubled expression, and her eyes seemed a bit swollen, as if she had been crying.

Yan Lan originally didn’t want to meddle in other people’s affairs, but seeing the aunt’s expression, it didn’t seem right to ignore it completely. So, instead of immediately going upstairs to the studio like usual, he used sign language to ask her: “Auntie, what happened?”

The aunt sighed, “Tiantian had a fight with Mr. Xie.”

A giant question mark instantly appeared on Yan Lan’s forehead. Tiantian, a deaf-mute child, had a fight with Xie Yun Zhi?! How did they fight? Using sign language?

The aunt looked distressed, “During lunch, when Mr. Xie came back for a while, Tiantian was eating well. When Mr. Xie went upstairs, he was fine, but when Mr. Xie came back down, Tiantian suddenly threw the spoon in his hand towards Mr. Xie’s head.”

Yan Lan listened in amazement, quickly signing: And then?

“Mr. Xie felt that Tiantian was too unruly, so he picked him up and spanked his bottom.”

Yan Lan listened with a complex expression. If Tiantian misbehaved like that, some discipline might be necessary. Even if he disliked his uncle, it wasn’t right to resort to violence.

The aunt understood this reasoning, but she had a soft spot for Tiantian. Seeing the child crying with tears all over his face, making only vague and weak sounds, she felt heartbroken.

“Teacher, could you go and check on him? After Mr. Xie left, he locked himself in his room. Whenever I try to go in and find him, he hides under the bed and refuses to come out.”

Yan Lan sighed inwardly, nodded, and headed upstairs.

After opening the door for him, the aunt went downstairs and didn’t follow him in.

Standing in the empty room, Yan Lan placed the canvas bag on the floor, walked to the large bed, and leaned over. Indeed, under the bed, he found a small curled-up figure.

Those beautiful blue eyes, like gemstones, looked coldly at Yan Lan. The little face had a stubborn expression, as if he had no intention of coming out from under the bed for the rest of his life.

Yan Lan, lying down on the floor in the same posture, signed: Isn’t it hot under the bed?

Tiantian didn’t respond.

Yan Lan: Aren’t you thirsty? Don’t you need to use the bathroom?

Still no reaction from Tiantian.

Yan Lan: If you want to stand up to your uncle, there are other ways that won’t get you a spanking.

Finally, Tiantian showed a slight response, moving his small hands gently.

Yan Lan: Come out, and I’ll tell you.

After hesitating for a while, Tiantian slowly crawled out from under the bed, kneeling on the floor. His little face solemnly gestured in sign language: What other ways?

Yan Lan: Why do you dislike him so much?

Tiantian frowned, about to crawl back under the bed. Yan Lan quickly grabbed his hand: Okay, I won’t ask. I’ll tell you.

Tiantian lifted his small chin, his blue eyes staring straight at Yan Lan.

Yan Lan hesitated for a moment before gesturing in sign language: Your uncle has something he really dislikes; he hates bugs.

Tiantian’s eyes lit up.

Yan Lan added: Not scared, but dislikes. He hates butterflies too.

Tiantian extended his small, short index finger, mimicking a caterpillar.

In his heart, Yan Lan apologized to Xie Yun Zhi repeatedly and nodded vigorously.