I Only Want You chapter 29

Xie Yun Zhi was washing his face when suddenly his waist was pinched, causing him to straighten up in pain. He turned around and looked at Yan Lan with confusion, “Yan?”

Yan Lan’s gaze carried a hint of coldness, “Senior brother?”

It was only then that Xie Yun Zhi realized, “She and I went to the same high school. She’s like a junior sister to me.”

Yan Lan squinted his eyes slightly.

Xie Yun Zhi thought for a moment and added, “Including today, it’s the second time I’ve seen her.”

Yan Lan turned around and walked away. He left his coat on the sofa in the living room, and when he came back, Xie Yun Zhi had already walked into the dining room, sitting on the left side of his seat. As soon as Yan Lan sat down, he found himself sandwiched between the uncle and nephew.

The aunt and Shen Yingying, the two women, sat opposite the three.

Two people among the five couldn’t speak, but Xie Yun Zhi ignored the two who could and kept whispering something to Yan Lan sitting beside him.

Shen Yingying subconsciously pricked up her ears to listen. She heard Xie Yun Zhi saying that he wanted to buy flowers today, but the rain was too heavy, and the roads were blocked, so he couldn’t buy them. He promised to buy two bunches for Yan Lan tomorrow to make up for today.

Yan Lan nodded and stretched out his chopsticks to pick up a piece of spare ribs for himself, then another piece for Tiantian.

Xie Yun Zhi continued, “I threw away the wind chime grass bouquet you bought for me only after it completely withered. How about next time you give me flowers that last longer? Otherwise, I feel bad throwing them away.”

Yan Lan glanced at him, then extended his left index finger to draw something on the table.

Xie Yun Zhi silently watched him finish drawing and nodded as he smiled, “Cactus is fine too. I like anything you give me.”

Yan Lan smiled and lowered his head.

Shen Yingying looked at the two of them complexly. She didn’t want to be ignored like this. She could sit here tonight because she was Tiantian’s Chinese teacher, not some unimportant outsider.

After sorting out her emotions, She showed a polite smile, “Senior brother, I would like to discuss something about Tiantian with you.”

As soon as she mentioned Tiantian, Xie Yun Zhi turned his face to look at her, “What’s the matter?”

“Well, I’ve been teaching Tiantian these days and observed that his attention is easily diverted. Sometimes he doesn’t even want to look carefully at my sign language movements. So, I’m thinking, can we add some calligraphy lessons for him to enhance his concentration?”

Concerning Tiantian, Xie Yun Zhi listened carefully. Even Yan Lan was paying attention to Shen Yingying’s words. He put down his chopsticks and said to Xie Yun Zhi, “She’s right. You can consider it. Calligraphy practice does improve concentration.”

Shen Yingying looked somewhat surprised and glanced at Yan Lan. She didn’t expect him to agree with her. She originally thought he was the kind of person who spoiled children, which was why Tiantian clung to him.

Thinking carefully, she indeed had some preconceived bias, as she initially learned from Weibo that Yan Lan was a man mistress, which naturally colored her impression negatively.

After a moment of consideration, Xie Yun Zhi nodded, “I understand. We will supervise Tiantian in calligraphy practice in turns. There’s no need to add extra courses for him.”

Shen Yingying was taken aback, and her intention to offer her help was swallowed back. She didn’t say anything more to Xie Yun Zhi.

After dinner, the rain had stopped. Shen Yingying didn’t dare to stay any longer, took her bag, and left.

Yan Lan went to the kitchen to help Auntie clean up the dishes. 

After finishing dinner and heading upstairs, Xie Yun Zhi waited for several minutes but didn’t see Yan Lan coming up. Unable to resist, he went out to find him. Standing on the stairs and looking down at Yan Lan’s face waiting at the top, he called out, “Yan.”

Yan Lan, hearing the sound, slowly revealed half of his body.

Xie Yun Zhi gestured to him with a finger, “Come up; I’ll pick out a set of pajamas for you.”

Yan Lan, who was currently wearing his own clothes, looked very small even in the oversized hoodie. His habit was to shower and change into pajamas just before bedtime. It was only 7:30 now, but Xie Yun Zhi was already anxious to pick out pajamas for him. Yan Lan always felt like there was something else Xie Yun Zhi wanted him to do.

Auntie, who was washing dishes, also heard Xie Yun Zhi’s voice. She turned her head to Yan Lan and said, “Teacher Yan, go rest; I can handle it here.”

Yan Lan nodded, put down the dishcloth, squeezed out some hand sanitizer to clean his hands, and then went upstairs.

Halfway up the stairs, he looked up at Xie Yun Zhi, who was waiting at the top, “I still have to help Tiantian with his homework.”

“Tiantian is old enough; he can do it himself. It’s time for you to accompany me. Come up quickly.”

Xie Yun Zhi urged him with some impatience, extending a hand towards him.

Deliberately taking his time, Yan Lan walked slowly up the stairs. The result of his procrastination was that he was impatiently lifted by Xie Yun Zhi as soon as he reached him.

Xie Yun Zhi could effortlessly lift him, even freeing up a hand to open the door and closing it with his foot.

Placed on the bed by Xie Yun Zhi, Yan Lan looked at him helplessly, “It’s not time for me to take a shower.”

“Shower early today,” Xie Yun Zhi turned, opened the wardrobe, and without looking back, said, “Your skin is fair. I knew you’d look good in dark-colored clothes when I saw you in dark green. It complements your skin tone.”

Curiously, Yan Lan watched his back, wondering what color of pajamas he would choose.

“I really want to see you in this set.”

Turning around, Xie Yun Zhi held a set of dark red silk pajamas. The collar was a bit large, and there weren’t many buttons. One could imagine that it would be very comfortable to sleep in.

Yan Lan took the pajamas from him, and Xie Yun Zhi casually grabbed another set and tossed it onto the bed, “Don’t forget, you promised me to sleep here tonight too.”

Hearing this, Yan Lan raised his eyes slightly to look at him, a faint smile hiding at the corner of his eyes. He put the pajamas aside, “I just finished eating and can’t shower yet. I’ll check on Tiantian first.”

Xie Yun Zhi nodded, “I’ll go with you.”

Yan Lan knew Xie Yun Zhi wanted to give Tiantian the gift he bought him, so he waited for him for a while then the two walked into the small study.

The small study was Tiantian’s room for classes and homework. In addition, he had another room for painting, a toy room – it could be said that half of the house was being used by him.

The Dala horse that Xie Yun Zhi bought for Tiantian seemed to be something he liked. He curiously played with it.

While Tiantian played with the horse, Xie Yun Zhi picked up his exercise book to check. He checked every subject, even flipping through his reading notes.

Seeing him looking serious, Yan Lan couldn’t help but lean over to look with him.

Tiantian was like this when it came to studying. His attitude towards learning was not overly serious, but it wasn’t negligent either. After all, his uncle would check on him from time to time, so all his assignments seemed problem-free at first glance. However, one always felt like there was something missing. If he were in a regular class, he would be an inconspicuous student with grades that didn’t stand out.

Although Xie Yun Zhi was strict about Tiantian’s studies, he didn’t have the intention of pushing him to study at top universities. Satisfactory results were enough for him.

After checking the homework, Xie Yun Zhi put the exercise book back in place, touched Tiantian’s soft curls, and led Yan Lan back to the main bedroom.

Tiantian had already accepted that after his uncle returned from work, his teacher Yan belonged to his uncle. Without any intention of joining them, he played on his own after finishing his homework.

Back in the master bedroom, Xie Yun Zhi kept an eye on the time, waiting for thirty minutes. As soon as half an hour passed, he signaled for Yan Lan, who was sitting on his lap, to go take a shower.

Obediently taking the pajamas, Yan Lan walked into the bathroom and Xie Yun Zhi went downstairs to find a bottle of brandy and crystal glasses.

Auntie, seeing him take the alcohol and check the fridge, casually asked if he needed any snacks.

Shaking his head, Xie Yun Zhi took out an ice tray.

When he returned to the main bedroom, the sound of water in the bathroom had stopped, replaced by the noise of a hairdryer.

After a few minutes, Yan Lan, with semi-wet hair, walked out wearing the silk pajamas personally selected by Xie Yun Zhi. The smooth and soft silk material, with a slightly oversized collar, couldn’t hang on him, always slipping off his shoulders.

This pajama would fit Xie Yun Zhi perfectly, but Yan Lan, whether in height or body shape, was slightly smaller. His slender and delicate body couldn’t quite fill it, and the entire collar bone was exposed.

Sitting with his legs crossed on the bedroom sofa, Xie Yun Zhi sipped his brandy, very satisfied as he watched Yan Lan, “My friends used to say that it’s very special and sexy when his partner wears his clothes. Now I understand; it is indeed very sexy.”

After putting down the glass, he also put down his crossed legs. With both hands patting his thighs, he said, “I particularly wanted to see you in this set.”

Blushing, Yan Lan tried to remain calm as he walked up to him. However, the impatient Xie Yun Zhi couldn’t wait for him to sit down by himself. He extended his arm, swiftly embracing Yan Lan and making him sit on his lap.

The movement was a bit big; the originally wide neckline slid down, exposing more than half of Yan Lan’s snow-white and glossy shoulders.

Xie Yun Zhi’s damp and soft lips kissed his shoulder and then leaned over to peck his slender neck. The familiar fragrance of shower gel filled Yan Lan’s entire body.

Yan Lan couldn’t help but feel a burning sensation all over his body. Every breath Xie Yun Zhi took seemed to stimulate a tingling sensation in his spine, like tiny electric currents running through him, making the back of his neck and head lose sensation.

Xie Yun Zhi’s hands lingered on his lower back, moving upward until he gripped the back of his neck. The next moment, his lips, carrying the scent of brandy, firmly pressed against Yan Lan’s.

Squinting his eyes, Yan Lan obediently opened his lips. Xie Yun Zhi’s tongue, assertive and soft, invaded his mouth.

This kiss left Yan Lan completely softened. His head was dizzy, and he couldn’t recall anything. His increasingly rapid breathing made his chest heave violently, and he soon showed signs of suffocation.

The instinct for survival made Yan Lan forcefully turn his head, and his hand that was originally placed on Xie Yun Zhi’s shoulder was now covering his own mouth. He was breathing heavily.

Xie Yun Zhi, with deep and intense eyes, stared at him, pulling away the hand covering his mouth. Pinching Yan Lan’s chin, he turned his face back, saying, “One more kiss. After that, I’ll go take a shower…”

That night, as Xie Yun Zhi wished, Yan Lan slept in his room. The loose silk pajamas were taken off and put on again, eventually loosely hanging in the crook of his arm.

Xie Yun Zhi, like a gentle giant dog, buried his head in Yan Lan’s chest, leaving various kisses, some deep and some light.

Yan Lan’s inner thighs were almost rubbed raw by Xie Yun Zhi before he reluctantly stopped, letting him sleep peacefully.

Early the next morning, just as the sun was rising, Xie Yun Zhi got up to prepare for work. Although his movements were light, they still woke up Yan Lan, who had a slight hangover.

“It’s still early; go back to sleep,” Xie Yun Zhi suggested.

Shaking his head, Yan Lan lifted the blanket and sat up, saying, “I’ll accompany you for breakfast.”

While Xie Yun Zhi was in the bathroom freshening up, Yan Lan opened the wardrobe to help him choose a suit and tie. He picked out an entire set of pure black business attire, even choosing a belt with a unique metal buckle.

Yan Lan noticed a line of English letters in the bottom left corner of the metal buckle. Curious, he used his phone to look it up and found out it was a Swiss brand, priced at over three thousand on the official website.

The lingering drowsiness in Yan Lan was scared away by this expensive price. He was pondering over the difference between this belt and the ones sold in regular clothing stores for a few hundred when Xie Yun Zhi, who had finished washing up, walked over.

As Xie Yun Zhi unbuttoned his sleepwear, he glanced at the belt in Yan Lan’s hands. A faint trace of a different color crossed his eyes, “Change it.”

Yan Lan, puzzled, turned to look at him, “Why?”

“Don’t like it.”

The confusion in Yan Lan’s eyes turned into disbelief. Why buy a belt that costs over three thousand if you don’t like it? Was it meant to be displayed in the wardrobe?

Yan Lan put down the belt in his hands, “It looks good; just wear it.”

Xie Yun Zhi insisted, “I’m uncomfortable wearing this one.”

Yan Lan watched as he neatly rolled up the belt he claimed to dislike and put it back in the wardrobe. Xie Yun Zhi took out another similar belt, and suddenly, Yan Lan sensitively sensed something. He looked at Xie Yun Zhi intently for a moment, then walked past him towards the bathroom to freshen up.

After having breakfast together, Yan Lan saw Xie Yun Zhi off at the door. Before leaving, Xie Yun Zhi pecked his lips and said, “I’ll come back earlier today. After dinner, I’ll take you back to school.”

Yan Lan nodded and watched him get into the car.

Tiantian had an English class in the afternoon, and his English teacher was the same as before, a young woman surnamed Wen. She had a baby face, wore black-framed glasses, and looked as if she were still a university student.

During the summer when Yan Lan taught Tiantian, he had chatted with her a few times. Considering that Tiantian was not much older than her own child, Yan Lan talked to her before the class and inquired about her child’s calligraphy practice.

“Yes, the school also provides calligraphy worksheets. My child has to write five pages every day. Does Tiantian also practice calligraphy?” she asked.

Yan Lan nodded and explained, “Tiantian’s Chinese teacher suggested that we have him start practicing calligraphy because his concentration is not very good.”

Teacher Wen also had a lot to say about Tiantian’s lack of concentration. She looked helpless and said, “Indeed, Tiantian has this issue. When he writes down words, it seems like he’s recalling and thinking, but he’s actually daydreaming. Calligraphy has many benefits for children. If you don’t know what kind of calligraphy worksheets to buy for him, I can take a picture of my child’s and show it to you later. Bookstores should have them.”

Yan Lan nodded and expressed his gratitude in sign language.

Before becoming Tiantian’s art teacher, Yan Lan had little contact with children. There were many things he was still slowly figuring out and learning, including his relationship with Xie Yun Zhi. He had never stopped pondering and evaluating himself, even in the face of obstacles.

Love was undoubtedly sweet, but it could also lead people to lose themselves, become irrational, or even hysterical.

Although they had not been together for long, obstacles had already begun to appear one after another.

He was not afraid of obstacles, but he could not stop contemplating. Yang Xiaole’s words, Yao Jinni’s unknown history with Xie Yun Zhi, the obviously interested Chinese teacher, the difference in wealth, and the only common topic between him and Xie Yun Zhi being Tiantian – all these issues, some of which had always existed, like the continuous appearance of outstanding women who admired him, and some that had recently emerged, like the wealth gap.

Alone in the living room, Yan Lan sat for a while, and suddenly, as if remembering something, he took out his phone to search. He wanted to know how much the animal-shaped water cup that Xie Yun Zhi bought from Sweden for him cost.

Before checking, Yan Lan had a rough estimate in mind, guessing it might be a few hundred yuan. However, when he found the exact same cup on the shopping app, the price shocked him.

2188 yuan? Nearly 2200 yuan for a glass cup?

A glass cup plus a belt – an ordinary office worker’s monthly salary would be gone.

Unable to resist, Yan Lan started to think about how much he could earn in his first month after graduation. Could he also buy Xie Yun Zhi a belt worth thousands?

His thoughts veered off course, and he began to think, if Tiantian hadn’t been sick that day, and he hadn’t stayed to take care of Tiantian, he wouldn’t have had the chance for that night with Xie Yun Zhi. If that night hadn’t happened, would Xie Yun Zhi even have any feelings for him because of taking care of him when he was drunk?

If all these assumptions were true, would they still be together today?

Who was worse between Yao Jinni and Shen Yingying? They were young, beautiful, capable, healthy, and Shen Yingying even knew sign language, so she could communicate with Tiantian. She was also a junior schoolmate of Xie Yun Zhi, and most importantly, she liked him.

As for Yao Jinni, she excelled in all aspects, being a triple-crown actress and the spokesperson for Venus Jewelry. The influence of the national actress was the reason why Xie Yun Zhi collaborated with her. This alone made Yan Lan feel inadequate.

Yao Jinni spoiled Tiantian, bought him expensive LEGO toys, treated Xie Yun Zhi well, and might have even casually given him a belt worth over 3,000 yuan, not to mention other things.

Yan Lan began to torture himself with these thoughts. He even started to wonder if the people scolding him on Weibo were right. He might not be the typical homewrecker, but that night, he went along with Xie Yun Zhi, even guiding a drunk person into a physical relationship. Wasn’t that wrong?

What was the foundation of his and Xie Yun Zhi’s love? In other words, was this really love?

Xie Yun Zhi had never said a word of liking or love to him. The most he expressed was that he missed him.

Yan Lan was not one to easily become pessimistic, but he really couldn’t see the future between him and Xie Yun Zhi. If they continued their vague relationship, one day it would come to an end.

Unconsciously, Yan Lan had pulled a certain string in his heart so tightly that he didn’t even feel the passing of time.

He didn’t know how long had passed, but it seemed like the sun was about to set. The familiar sound of a car engine approached from a distance.

He instinctively stood up and walked outside. Opening the door, he saw Xie Yun Zhi holding a bouquet of flowers, pushing the car door open. He was about to feel happy, but then someone appeared who shouldn’t be here.

Shen Yingying, also holding a bouquet of flowers, got out of the car from the other side.

The tightly pulled string in Yan Lan’s heart snapped at that moment.