I Only Want You

I Only Want You chapter 31

When Yan Lan went downstairs, Shen Yingying had already left. Tiantian sat alone on the sofa, flipping through calligraphy scrolls. These were probably the calligraphy scrolls Shen Yingying had bought for him.

Seeing Yan Lan approaching, Tiantian closed the scrolls and handed them to him, saying, “The teacher asked me to write five pages every day, and she will check before class.”

Yan Lan took the scrolls, flipped through two pages, and casually placed them on the coffee table. He asked Tiantian, “Do you want to write in this book, or do you want to wait until your uncle and I take you to buy one?”

Tiantian replied, “I don’t want to write at all because I don’t want to.”

Yan Lan said, “Teacher Wen’s child, who is younger than you, writes every day.”

Tiantian leaned back on the sofa with a bored expression and said, “I want to draw with you.”

Yan Lan replied, “If you want to draw, I will accompany you.”

Tiantian asked, “Can I not write?”

Yan Lan said, “If you think five pages are too much, I can discuss it with your uncle. We can start with two pages a day until you get used to it.”

Tiantian played with his fingers, not responding to his words.

Yan Lan gently patted his small curly hair and led him upstairs.

After dinner, Yan Lan packed his bag to return to school. He would have classes the next day, and Xie Yun Zhi insisted on accompanying him even when the driver drove Yan Lan back to the art academy.

At the south gate of the art academy, as Yan Lan was about to get off the car, Xie Yun Zhi held his hand, leaned over, and kissed him on the lips, saying, “Goodnight.”

Yan Lan nodded, caressed Xie Yun Zhi’s face with his hand, and then got out of the car.

Back in the dormitory, Yang Xiaole, who hadn’t seen him for two days, rushed over to hug him. “My Momo, my Momo, a day without seeing you feels like three autumns, two days feel like a lifetime.”

Yan Lan smiled and patted his back. Yang Xiaole hugged him tightly before letting go, saying, “How have you been? Is there anything you want to share with me, a lonely man?”

Yan Lan nodded.

“Come, sit down.” Yang Xiaole pulled him to the table, poured water for him, and said, “I see your complexion is not bad, although your eyes and brows look a bit tired.”

As soon as Yan Lan sat down, he sighed heavily. He instinctively felt that if he told Yang Xiaole everything that happened these two days, his friend might get so angry that he would immediately rush out to catch a taxi and confront Xie Yun Zhi.

“Do you want to talk via phone or write on paper?” Yang Xiaole asked.

Yan Lan opened a drawer and took out pen and paper. “I had an argument with him today.”

Yang Xiaole was stunned. “…You had a fight with him?”

Yan Lan nodded and continued writing: The trigger was when Tiantian’s Chinese teacher came down from the car with him, holding flowers he bought for me.

Yang Xiaole asked, “…I get it, but not entirely.”

Yan Lan continued writing: That Chinese teacher is from the same high school as him, a junior who likes him.

“Oh~ Does Xie Yun Zhi know?”

Yan Lan wrote: Yes, but he doesn’t think she’s anything special, just considers her a Chinese teacher.

Yang Xiaole nodded. “And then? Did you start arguing?”

Yan Lan wrote: She was the trigger, and the reason for the argument was Yao Jinni. I found out that there was a belt she bought him, even though he claimed he never used it.

Yang Xiaole squinted his eyes. “Why keep it?”

Yan Lan smiled helplessly. “I don’t know. He says they’re gifts between friends. I got a little emotional at that moment, I was angry, and my attitude wasn’t very good. I felt he might also be a little angry… In short, after a couple of sentences, he threw the belt right in front of me.”

Yang Xiaole completely sided with Yan Lan. In his view, Yan Lan had endured enough grievances in this relationship. Not long ago, there were countless people on Weibo scolding him as a male third party, and Xie Yun Zhi still dared to make Yan Lan unhappy at this critical moment.

“He is so excessive, do you still want to protect him?!” Yang Xiaole’s face turned red with anger. “He hasn’t dealt with the public opinion on Weibo, and he still dares to make you angry! People were cursing you as a male third party, and Xie Yun Zhi dared not reveal your relationship publicly! Yao Jinni, the Three Golden Awards winner, stood by and watched an innocent person being cyberbullied! They are acting so high and mighty. If it were me, you would see me making a fuss.”

Yan Lan couldn’t help speaking up for Xie Yun Zhi to calm Yang Xiaole’s anger: Xie Yun Zhi has dealt with the public opinion. Didn’t you send me the link that day? Those people who randomly analyzed things have hidden or deleted their posts.

To appease Yang Xiaole’s anger, he also mentioned what he discussed with Xie Yun Zhi about clarifying and going public.

Yang Xiaole picked up the notebook filled with words and looked thoughtful. “This Xie Yun Zhi… why is he so strange?”

Yan Lan looked at him in confusion.

Yang Xiaole pointed at the notebook. “Before this, did he discuss or consult with you about clarifying and going public?”

Yan Lan was taken aback for a moment, then shook his head slowly.

Yang Xiaole turned around, dragged a chair back, and patted the notebook on the table. “Have you realized that in handling this whole matter, he kept you out of it?”

Yan Lan looked at him, still puzzled.

“Clearly, you are the one getting scolded, at the center of public opinion. But you don’t have Weibo, so I told you about the situation. If I didn’t say anything, you might not know anything. You lived at his place these two days. Did he not tell you anything?”

Yan Lan did not react, neither nodding nor shaking his head.

His reaction already indicated that Yang Xiaole’s worry was correct. “Your social status is too different. You are just a student at the art academy, and he is the CEO and Chairman of a well-known jewelry brand. People at the top of the corporate pyramid like him have a common trait — a strong desire for control. Under his command, countless people are doing things for him, providing advice, assessing risks. For someone who often needs to make important decisions on his own, he might not have really thought about discussing with you. He might have thought it was better for you to remain hidden. He only decided to go public following your words today.”

Yan Lan fell silent for a moment, then began writing: “I indeed don’t understand much about online matters. Professional matters should be handled by professionals.”

“It’s one thing for you not to understand, but whether he wants to consult you is another matter. This is a serious issue, Momo. Moreover, if he doesn’t discuss such a significant matter with you and doesn’t say anything, what will you do in the future? If he makes decisions on his own without informing you, can you still consider yourselves together? Dating is not just about kissing.”

Upon hearing this, Yan Lan’s carefully composed emotions became chaotic again. He knew Yang Xiaole was right.

Whether it was the belt or actively clarifying that he and Yao Jinni were only friends, or even replacing Shen Yingying with another Chinese teacher… If he didn’t bring up these issues, Xie Yun Zhi might have intended to maintain the status quo.

It was only because he noticed the problem and actively sought a solution that Xie Yun Zhi considered making changes. In contrast, Xie Yun Zhi, if he wasn’t angry, didn’t react, and didn’t bring up anything, he didn’t think these things that made Yan Lan extremely upset were problems.

Thinking about it, it seemed like the situation with Tiantian was similar. If he hadn’t realized that things couldn’t go on like this, actively approached Xie Yun Zhi, and proposed easing the relationship with Tiantian and moving back, he might still be living outside. Tiantian would still probably dislike him however he saw fit.

While Yang Xiaole was pondering which personality type Xie Yun Zhi belonged to according to the 16 personality types, Yan Lan was thinking about how to make Xie Yun Zhi understand that his lack of awareness of these issues was the fundamental reason for their quarrels.

If he didn’t understand or learn, this quarrel today wouldn’t be the last.

The next day at noon, Venus Jewelry, unusually, released a clarification statement. This official Weibo account, which had always only posted jewelry-related content, unexpectedly issued a clarification statement similar to those from celebrity studios.

The statement was concise, mainly explaining that Xie Yun Zhi and Yao Jinni had never been together, and their relationship was just that of friends.

Unlike Yao Jinni’s previous clarification, this one didn’t even break ten thousand reposts. However, the comments easily surpassed that number, albeit in a strange direction.

The top comment, accompanied by a GIF with a couple holding hands, read: “I don’t believe it.”

A few minutes later, Xie Yun Zhi’s personal Weibo posted a short paragraph, still in Xie Yun Zhi’s tone: “Yan Lan is my boyfriend and also my first love.”

This post caused Weibo to explode.

No matter how netizens had analyzed and how marketing accounts had posted vague pictures, none of it could compare to this sentence from the parties involved.

In no time, the news that Xie Yun Zhi was gay, admitting to having a same-sex partner, and that it was his first love, occupied the headlines and trending topics at an astonishing speed. Yan Lan, who had slowly faded from the center of discussion, was pulled back in. This time, the intensity of the discussion was even more intense than the previous malicious speculations that he was a male third party.

Various absurd rumors emerged, and some netizens who had vigorously analyzed the situation before were now annoyed and began making sarcastic comments. They even went so far as to suggest that Yan Lan’s ancestors’ graves were emitting green smoke. Yao Jinni, such an outstanding woman, couldn’t catch a man, but a disabled mute person managed to, and even some people went to comfort Yao Jinni, saying that no one expected Xie Yun Zhi to abandon a good woman and fall for a man, especially a mute one.

From the beginning of the turmoil, Yao Jinni, who had remained silent, finally couldn’t bear it: “I’m busy shooting on set, no time, it has nothing to do with me.”

She then closed the comments, not allowing anyone to leave messages on her Weibo.

Yan Lan took a glance but didn’t pay much attention.

In the afternoon, their classes started at two. Before class, Yan Lan went to the office to submit a consultation slip, and Yang Xiaole accompanied him.

During this time, the campus was filled with students rushing to classes. No matter where Yan Lan went, he attracted the attention of everyone. But what infuriated Yang Xiaole the most was at dinner time in the cafeteria. Yan Lan and Yang Xiaole were queuing to get food.

Several tall and sturdy guys were standing behind them, using a mocking tone to gossip.

“Boyfriend is so rich, yet he eats in the cafeteria?”

“Hey! Watch your words, be careful that if he gets upset, he might blow a pillow wind and make his boyfriend buy the whole school, telling you to get lost.”

“Can a mute person blow a pillow wind?”

“He can chase after a man? Why not blow a pillow wind?”

After saying this, the group fell silent for a moment and then burst into a lewd laughter that could be heard by everyone around.

Yang Xiaole was so angry that his head buzzed. He suddenly turned around with a fierce expression and scolded, “What nonsense are you talking about?!”

Seeing that Yang Xiaole responded, the group of male students quickly surrounded them.

All of them were at least a head taller than Yang Xiaole. The height advantage was sometimes very direct, not to mention that there were more of them.

But Yang Xiaole wasn’t afraid at all. Although he was not tall and rather petite, facing so many people, he showed no fear and didn’t lose any momentum.

One guy, wearing a black T-shirt and measuring around 1.8 meters in height, took a step forward and used his broad chest to bump into Yang Xiaole, pushing him back half a step. “Who are you calling nonsense?”

Yang Xiaole, even more ferocious, tiptoed and forcefully pushed back, “Whoever speaks nonsense, I say who.”

Seeing the situation, Yan Lan, who stood behind Yang Xiaole, was worried that he might get hurt. He quickly stepped forward to separate the two, shielding Yang Xiaole behind him. His pair of jet-black eyes remained calm and fearless, reflecting a quiet determination.

The guy in charge of the group visibly became breathless. He took a step forward, getting very close to Yan Lan. The height difference made him slightly lower his head, looking down at Yan Lan. In a voice loud enough for everyone around to hear, he said, “You’re not even a male third party, you’re a sex worker.”

Yang Xiaole popped out from behind Yan Lan to scold, “and you, you’re not even a man; you’re a piece of garbage.”

After Yang Xiaole finished speaking, the guy suddenly reached out and grabbed his shoulder, giving it a strong pull, causing him to fall hard to the ground.

Instantly, the entire cafeteria erupted in a commotion. Yan Lan, infuriated, forcefully pushed aside the people in front of him and rushed to the side of the groaning Yang Xiaole. He wanted to touch him but was afraid of causing more pain.

Yang Xiaole, lying on the ground, held his arm as if he were about to roll on the ground in pain. “Ambulance, quickly call an ambulance.”

Some onlookers couldn’t stand it and spoke up. “That’s enough. Clearly, you guys provoked Yan Lan first and even resorted to violence.”

The guy who initiated the conflict, infuriated, with red eyes, scolded Yang Xiaole, who was lying on the ground and unwilling to get up. “What are you pretending for? You’re not even injured!”

Ignoring him, Yang Xiaole just kept shouting for an ambulance.

The cafeteria incident ended abruptly when three counselors rushed over after hearing the commotion.

The troublemakers were led away by two counselors, and another counselor carried Yang Xiaole to the school’s medical room. His knees and arms were bruised, and Yan Lan sat by the bedside, sighing with deep concern.

Yang Xiaole sneered, “Don’t worry, Momo. If they don’t face any consequences, I’ll make a scene in the principal’s office.”

Yan Lan held his hand with a guilty heart, feeling helpless, as if whatever he did would be wrong and unsatisfactory.

Exhausted, he leaned against Yang Xiaole’s arm, careful not to touch him too much yet still leaning against him.

Yang Xiaole consoled him, “Don’t take their words to heart. It’s just jealousy. Do you know what the best response to such comments is? It’s to be happy with Xie Yun Zhi.”

“He is your first love, and he hasn’t been in a relationship with anyone before you. Relationships require adjustments, and as time goes by, you’ll discover each other’s flaws and shortcomings. That’s normal because nobody is perfect. If you like him and want to be with him, but there are things you’re not satisfied with, talk it out and improve together.”

Unable to bear it, Yan Lan sat up and looked at Yang Xiaole.

Yang Xiaole blinked. “You understand what I mean?”

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