I Only Want You chapter 21
Thanks to Xie Yun Zhi’s presence, others in the meeting room didn’t notice their movements. After Bian Xianyang finished speaking, he returned to the back row. Only Yang Xiaole and Yan Lan knew what he had just done.
On the way back to the art academy, Yang Xiaole held the banner with Bian Xianyang’s autograph lovingly, laughing with joy, “Oh, this trip was so worth it!”
Xie Yun Zhi glanced at his phone, without raising his head, and handed the album signed by all the band members to Yan Lan beside him.
Yan Lan, with a momentary doubt, took it and handed it over to Yang Xiaole.
“Hmm?” Yang Xiaole received the album with a puzzled expression. “Are you giving it to me?”
Yan Lan nodded, typing on his phone: After all, you’re the only fan in this car.
Yang Xiaole’s eyes lit up. “I won’t be polite, then.”
Yan Lan smiled and handed him the canvas bag he was holding, filled with the merchandises he brought.
Half an hour later, the car stopped in front of the south gate of the art school. Yang Xiaole, sitting by the door, was the first to push it open and get out, followed by Yan Lan.
Xie Yun Zhi sat in the car, silently watching the two outside through the window. Yan Lan tilted his head and looked inside through the lowered car window, waving his hand gently and bidding good night with sign language.
Xie Yun Zhi nodded slightly in response, also using sign language to say good night.
At this late hour, the dormitory building was quiet not only inside but also in the campus outside. Yan Lan walked behind Yang Xiaole, watching him walk with a spring in his step, excited. Yan Lan felt happy for him, but at the same time, a hint of worry lingered.
Under the semi-lit street lights of the art school, Yang Xiaole, with a canvas bag in hand, stopped in the middle of the deserted path. The blue jacaranda flowers on the side of the road had already passed their blooming period, leaving only green leaves. As he walked past the tree, he suddenly stopped and looked up at the lush green branches overhead.
He had walked this path back and forth for four or five years, seeing the flowers bloom and wither for the same amount of time. Even though he wasn’t particularly interested in or knowledgeable about flower language, he somewhat knew that girls in the school often said that the art school was quite romantic. Planting blue jacaranda flowers in the campus had a meaning of tranquility and waiting for love in despair.
Yan Lan hadn’t thought much about the flower language before, but at this moment, he suddenly felt that this flower language perfectly described half of his current state.
Despite being busy with work, compared to Xie Yun Zhi, who actively sought opportunities to interact with him, he felt that he had done little more than waiting. He was like the flower language of the blue jacaranda, waiting for love and waiting for Xie Yun Zhi.
However, he knew deep down that this couldn’t be a sustained state. He felt that he had given Xie Yun Zhi enough time to consider, to contemplate whether there was a possibility or a chance for them to become more than friends.
After Xie Yun Zhi clearly expressed that he was not gay, could he truly accept turning gay and embracing a genuine man when sober? Was possessiveness time-limited, and even if he possessed Yan Lan, would he still fear losing him? If they really got together, would there come a day when Xie Yun Zhi suddenly felt that a woman was better? Or perhaps he wanted to have his own child?
These questions, never shared with anyone, lingered in Yan Lan’s mind. As an independent and rational person, he didn’t blindly lean toward optimism, nor did he easily succumb to pessimism. He considered these questions with an attitude similar to preparing for an exam, not necessarily arriving at definite answers, but thinking was a natural response.
………………
The next day, coming out of the quiet school gate, Yan Lan smoothly boarded the bus. While sitting on the seat, he earnestly and seriously searched Baidu for what else he could do for Xie Yun Zhi besides buying flowers today.
When he arrived at Xie’s house, the auntie who opened the door greeted him with a smile, “Teacher Yan, come in quickly. Mr. Xie said you would be here in the morning, and he asked me to make breakfast for you. The chicken soup is still warm, and I’ll cook wontons for you now.”
Yan Lan smiled and expressed his gratitude using sign language, then looked towards the stairs.
The auntie, knowing that he was concerned about Tiantian, explained, “Tiantian is still sleeping and hasn’t woken up. Mr. Xie gave him a break during the National Day holiday, so he doesn’t have classes these days, and he sleeps until he wakes up naturally every morning.”
Yan Lan nodded in response.
The auntie turned and went into the kitchen. Not long after, she brought out a steaming bowl of chicken soup wontons and sat in the seat opposite Yan Lan, selecting vegetables with a smile, “Teacher Yan, would you believe it? Mr. Xie put Tiantian to sleep last night.”
Yan Lan didn’t find it surprising, but he was eager to hear the details, so he asked the auntie.
The auntie shared, “Last night, Mr. Xie came back a bit late. When he arrived, Tiantian was still playing in the toy room and refused to sleep. I went to persuade him several times, but he wouldn’t go back to his room. When Mr. Xie came back, I told him, and he went to the toy room to find Tiantian and brought him out from the toy house hidden in the building blocks.”
“I initially thought Mr. Xie was going to scold Tiantian since he used to scold him frequently before. But unexpectedly, he just held Tiantian, like when you coax Tiantian to sleep. Tiantian stayed in his arms until he fell asleep.”
The auntie finished speaking and sighed, “Actually, their uncle-nephew relationship has always been there in their hearts, but due to various reasons, they kept a distance. Thanks to you, Teacher Yan, Mr. Xie realized that Tiantian needs him, and he also needs Tiantian.”
Yan Lan looked at the auntie with an unexpectedly meaningful gaze.
The auntie just smiled, choosing vegetables efficiently while glancing at him.
Her words seemed to have said everything and nothing at the same time. After hearing it, Yan Lan’s ears turned red. Feeling a bit flustered, he buried his head and continued to eat wontons.
After finishing breakfast, he went upstairs to find Tiantian. When he pushed open the bedroom door, he saw that the person who should still be asleep had already gotten up at some point, sitting on the bedroom carpet and playing with toys.
As soon as he saw Yan Lan push the door open, he extended a small, short finger in a gesture that meant “come here.”
Yan Lan closed the bedroom door behind him and walked to Tiantian, sitting down cross-legged. He asked, “Do you want me to play with you?”
Tiantian nodded, handing him the toys.
Taking the toys and putting them aside, Yan Lan said, “You need to wash your face, brush your teeth, and have breakfast first. Then, I will play with you.”
After conveying this in sign language, he casually touched Tiantian’s rosy face that had just woken up and carried him to the bathroom.
Xie Yun Zhi returned only around noon, without his secretary and assistant. As he got out of the car and headed towards the house, the living room was empty. The auntie, hearing the sound of the door opening, walked out of the kitchen, “Mr. Xie, Teacher Yan and Tiantian are in the toy room.”
Xie Yun Zhi nodded, changed his shoes, and went upstairs. He didn’t expect that when he opened the door to the toy room, he would witness Yan Lan’s cheating scene.
A person who was usually so cold and indifferent had somehow found Winnie the Pooh and Tigger’s puppet gloves from some corner of the toy room, tickling Tiantian’s little tummy.
Tiantian, lying on the carpet, couldn’t escape even if he ran. He laughed heartily, kicking his legs and struggling, yet carefully tucking in his feet to avoid really kicking Yan Lan.
Hearing the sound of someone entering the room, Yan Lan stopped his actions and turned his head. His expression, usually indifferent, still carried the gentle smile that hadn’t been put away. Beautiful and soft, like pure white gardenia flowers.
Seeing Yan Lan sitting there with those clear and tender eyes, Xie Yun Zhi suddenly understood why he couldn’t bear to let go of Yan Lan. He kept recalling the gentle face he saw when he was drunk that night.
He felt that he wanted to keep looking at him like this, just looking at him alone.