I Only Want You chapter 28
Yan Lan pretended not to understand, bowing his head to try to remove the hand around his waist. However, Xie Yun Zhi held him tightly, and he couldn’t break free.
Xie Yun Zhi persistently questioned, “Is it mine?”
Yan Lan felt embarrassed, didn’t look at him, and randomly pointed at the tie a couple of times.
A slight smile appeared on Xie Yun Zhi’s lips. With his other hand, he pushed the door open and led Yan Lan into the hallway. The living room was quiet, and faint sounds from the kitchen could be heard.
Secretary Lin followed them, dragging Xie Yun Zhi’s suitcase into the house. He was about to help carry the suitcase upstairs to the master bedroom when Xie Yun Zhi stopped him.
“I’ll do it myself. You go tidy up; we’ll have breakfast together.”
Xie Yun Zhi then lifted the suitcase from Lin’s hands and headed upstairs. Yan Lan followed him, giving a slight smile to Secretary Lin as he passed by.
Entering the master bedroom, Xie Yun Zhi casually pushed the suitcase aside. While undressing, he said to Yan Lan, “Yan, I need to take a shower and change. Could you fetch a new suit and shirt for me? They’re in the leftmost wardrobe, and the ties are on the right.”
As he spoke, he had already stripped down to just his underwear, revealing a strong and well-built physique.
Unable to resist, Yan Lan glanced at the well-defined muscles, casually straightened the clothes Xie Yun Zhi had just taken off, and soon the sound of water could be heard from the bathroom.
Following Xie Yun Zhi’s instructions, Yan Lan found the suit and shirt. However, choosing a tie proved challenging as the drawer presented an array of ties in different colors and patterns. Finally, to match the gray checkered suit, he picked a deep gray tie.
Not long after, the water in the bathroom stopped, and Xie Yun Zhi opened the door with damp hair and a bare upper body, wrapped in only a towel around his waist.
Yan Lan stole a glance, not expecting to meet Xie Yun Zhi’s gaze just like that. Flustered, he quickly averted his eyes as if touched by something hot.
Xie Yun Zhi chuckled lightly, walked to his side with a refreshing scent of shower gel and steam, and said, “You look good in my pajamas.”
Blushing slightly, Yan Lan gestured with his hands, explaining, “I forgot to bring my own pajamas.”
“Well, from now on, wear mine. I have plenty of them.” Xie Yun Zhi reached out, pinching Yan Lan’s slightly red earlobe. He then turned to the corner where his suitcase was and said, “I brought gifts for you and Tiantian.”
Curious, Yan Lan followed him. Xie Yun Zhi opened the suitcase and took out a white box, which didn’t reveal its contents at first glance.
“A specialty from Sweden, crystal.” he handed the box to Yan Lan. “Open it and see if you like it.”
Obediently, Yan Lan opened the box, revealing a beautiful glass cup inside. Surprisingly, at the bottom of the cup was a small animal – a red fox – intricately crafted to perfection, from its ears to its eyes and nose.
“I saw this cup in a store and thought you would like it.” Xie Yun Zhi closed the half-open suitcase, walked to Yan Lan’s side, kissed the tip of his nose lightly, and returned to the bed to get dressed.
As he had his back to Yan Lan, Yan Lan didn’t see the subtle change in expression when he saw the dark gray tie. Later, he picked up the tie, tossed it back into the drawer, and chose another one. When he turned around, he met Yan Lan’s gaze.
Casually tying the tie, Xie Yun Zhi explained, “I don’t really wear that one much.”
Yan Lan raised an eyebrow, unsure if he believed the explanation or not.
Xie Yun Zhi, pressed for time, had breakfast with Yan Lan and Secretary Lin before leaving.
Yan Lan stood outside to see him off, turning back into the house only after the car was out of sight.
When Tiantian woke up, Yan Lan informed him that Xie Yun Zhi had returned and even brought them gifts.
Tiantian’s eyes lit up momentarily, then quickly returned to calmness, pretending not to be too eager.
In the afternoon, Tiantian had classes, and a young and beautiful Chinese teacher arrived. She seemed surprised to see the rumored third party, glancing at Yan Lan with ambiguous eyes before entering the study.
Yan Lan couldn’t help but notice her gaze, but what intrigued him more was another matter. He couldn’t resist turning to Auntie and asking, “Wasn’t Tiantian’s Chinese teacher a middle-aged man?”
He had seen the teacher when he was tutoring Tiantian in art, always wearing thick black-framed glasses and exuding an intellectual aura.
Auntie explained, “Yes, he was, but I heard that he resigned and went home for medical treatment after a health check revealed heart problems. Mr. Xie asked Secretary Lin to find a new one. This is Tiantian’s new Chinese teacher, Shen Yingying. She is said to be Mr. Xie’s junior from the same high school. She has given Tiantian a few classes, and Tiantian seems to like her.”
Yan Lan nodded in understanding.
“Would you like some tea, Teacher Yan? I plan to make some cookies.”
In the afternoon, Yan Lan stayed in the living room, occasionally glancing at his phone to reply to messages from Yang Xiaole.
Yang Xiaole had been monitoring the online public opinion, and as expected, with the intervention of Xie Yun Zhi’s team, the discussion about him being a third party had shifted. Now, the focus was on whether Yao Jinni and Xie Yun Zhi had been together in the first place.
This topic stirred the emotions of CP fans, those with avatars of Yao Jinni and Xie Yun Zhi vociferously defending: “Of course they dated!”
Calm netizens tried to persuade: “Wake up, Yao Jinni clarified they were just ordinary friends.”
For a moment, the online community was buzzing again, vigorously discussing Yao Jinni and Xie Yun Zhi. Yan Lan, once the center of the storm, seemed to be forgotten, and even those discussing him were just a small fraction.
Yan Lan didn’t have Weibo on his phone, and until now, he had no intention of downloading and creating an account. His knowledge of the development of the situation came from Yang Xiaole. Hearing that the situation seemed to be calming down, he breathed a sigh of relief, hoping the storm would quickly pass and give him peace.
But the tree wishes to be still, yet the wind keeps blowing.
What Yan Lan feared most happened. His personal information was dug up by some marketing account, including his name, age, college entrance exam scores, current status as a graduate student in the art institute, and even the trivial title of being the art institute’s beauty for five consecutive years.
However, all these details were less attractive than the fact that he was mute.
It was from this moment that a certain group of netizens became interested in him. They searched for everything about him as if they were mad, sharing his artworks over the years and even digging out his performance as the queen at the welcoming party, once again propelling him onto the hot search.
But, as Yang Xiaole stated, the hot search was taken down in less than half an hour. The marketing accounts that dug up his information were also suspended. This was clearly Xie Yun Zhi’s doing.
However, those interested in Yan Lan didn’t give up just because the hot search was taken down. In no time, they created a super topic for him.
Xie Yun Zhi’s team acted swiftly, taking down every topic they created.
Yang Xiaole, who had been watching, sent screenshots of those people’s despairing comments to Yan Lan. One nickname, “I Love Looking at Stars,” seemed particularly resentful: “Mr. Xie! Isn’t this too much? What’s wrong with letting people share your boyfriend’s photos? Your boyfriend is so good-looking, why not let people see him?”
Yang Xiaole gleefully shared this with Yan Lan.
[Well, Xie Yun Zhi wouldn’t let people share your photos on the internet.] [.] [But on another note, why doesn’t Xie Yun Zhi just come out and make it public? Anyway, everyone already knows about you two being together.] [Keeping it as it is would be better.] [True, if he really goes public, every time he appears in public, you’ll be pulled out for discussion. What surprises me more is that Yao Jinni has been so quiet until now.] [Well, I understand. She has no obligation to explain that I’m not a third party.] [Have you ever doubted her?]Yan Lan wasn’t very convinced.
[I don’t think it’s that complicated. It was just an accident, and we didn’t expect to be photographed that day.] [Momo, not many people thrive easily in the entertainment industry. She is Yao Jinni, a triple-crown actress. She started as a child star and became a rising star in her niche. Do you think she wouldn’t care when she sees her pursuit of Xie Yun Zhi fail, only to find him with another man? Let alone other things, at least she would be curious, right? For example, to see if Xie Yun Zhi is serious about dating you.]Yan Lan furrowed his brows, feeling a bit shaken.
[Just because of that?] [I checked her Weibo online activity, it’s inactive. Do you know what that means?] [What does it mean?] [It means she might have a secret account.] [So what?] [Your part-time job timing is really coincidental. That period coincided with Yao Jinni’s birthday banquet. She had dinner with Xie Yun Zhi, and then clarified the relationship. A woman as sensitive and subtle as her, seeing that serious analysis on Weibo, wouldn’t she think more?]Yan Lan frowned, reluctant to believe that someone was manipulating things behind the scenes.
Around four in the afternoon, the sky suddenly darkened, and the wind and rain intensified.
Auntie closed the windows, saying, “Looks like there’s going to be a heavy rain.”
Almost as soon as she finished speaking, a deafening thunder shook the windows. At the same time, there was the sound of glass breaking from upstairs.
Yan Lan and Auntie exchanged glances and instinctively headed towards the stairs.
In the study, the Chinese teacher, Shen Yingying, was crouching on the floor, carefully picking up pieces of broken glass. Apparently, the loud thunder had startled her, causing her to accidentally knock over a teacup.
Auntie saw her picking up the glass with her hands and quickly stopped her, saying, “Teacher Shen, put it down. Be careful not to cut your hands.”
The next moment, there was a hissing sound, and Shen Yingying suddenly pulled back her injured finger, a little blood staining the broken glass on the floor.
Auntie was anxious, “Oh, Teacher Shen, quickly, let me bandage it for you.”
Yan Lan walked over, pulling Tiantian aside to keep him away from the glass.
Shen Yingying glanced at him, then followed Auntie downstairs.
Yan Lan found this situation to be educational. Pointing at the broken glass on the floor, he signed to Tiantian, “Absolutely cannot use your hands.”
Tiantian had a puzzled expression, wondering why he shouldn’t use his hands.
Yan Lan just smiled and gave him a thumbs up.
Due to the heavy rain, Shen Yingying couldn’t leave and decided to stay until the rain stopped. Her finger, which was cut, had been bandaged by Auntie. She was now sitting on the living room sofa, enjoying tea and biscuits. Occasionally, her gaze fell on Yan Lan and Tiantian sitting on the other side of the sofa.
Tiantian, leaning against Yan Lan, was engrossed in looking at picture books, paying little attention to his Chinese teacher who was also sitting there.
Seeing that he was reading extracurricular books right after class, Shen Yingying, as his teacher, felt a bit uncomfortable. She gently put down her teacup and spoke in a soft and gentle voice, “When does Tiantian usually start doing homework?”
Yan Lan looked at Auntie in the kitchen and replied in sign language, “After dinner.”
Shen Yingying tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled at Yan Lan, revealing a bright and charming smile. “I met Senior Brother once after a successful interview. He hopes I can be stricter with Tiantian. He’s already nine years old now. I think letting him read some essay analysis books would be more meaningful than just children’s picture books.”
Yan Lan nodded, explaining that Tiantian decides what books to read on his own. After class, he reads picture books when he wants to relax, but he doesn’t only read picture books.
Shen Yingying, having finished observing his sign language, redirected her gaze and picked up her tea cup again. “Is that so? Do you always stay with him?”
Yan Lan shook his head, signaling that he occasionally comes to accompany Tiantian. These days, he’s staying here, so he knows more about it.
Shen Yingying just smiled and didn’t say anything more.
After the sun set, the rain outside continued without stopping. Auntie prepared an extra serving for Shen Yingying’s dinner, asking her to stay until she finished eating before leaving.
While helping Auntie serve soup, Yan Lan suddenly heard the sound of a car engine. Shen Yingying just realized it, and Yan Lan quickly put down the soup bowl, walking quickly towards the entrance.
The wind and rain were strong outside. When he opened the door, the cold wind rushed in, carrying a hint of chill. Shen Yingying sensed something and stood up, looking towards the entrance. Wearing a gray checkered suit, Xie Yun Zhi walked in with a black umbrella, braving the storm.
After putting away the umbrella, the first thing Xie Yun Zhi did was lean over and give Yan Lan a quick kiss. “Luckily, it’s just a short distance. Didn’t get wet.”
Yan Lan took the umbrella from him, raised his hand to flick away the water droplets on Xie Yun Zhi’s shoulder.
While changing indoor shoes, Xie Yun Zhi said, “If it weren’t for the traffic jam caused by the torrential rain, I could have come back even earlier.”
The warm yellow light in the entrance hall fell on the two of them, emitting an indescribable warmth. Tiantian, who had been sitting at the dining table, had already walked to the entrance.
Xie Yun Zhi touched his curly hair, gesturing for him to return to the dining table. He then took off his suit jacket and was about to go to the bathroom. Suddenly, he noticed there was another person in the room. After a moment of surprise, he smiled and said, “Teacher Shen, the rain is heavy today. After dinner, I’ll have the driver take you home.”
This statement was as normal as it could be, basic etiquette. However, Shen Yingying’s eyes instantly brightened. Her voice became soft, with a touch of indescribable intimacy and coquetry, “Thank you, Senior Brother!”
Yan Lan glanced at her, then followed Xie Yun Zhi into the corner of the bathroom, taking the suit jacket still carrying his warmth. He then reached out and pinched Xie Yun Zhi’s waist.