I Only Want You chapter 45

Yan Lan’s reaction was unexpected by Xie Yun Zhi, especially the use of the word “cannot.”

“Why? I haven’t told you anything yet.”

Yan Lan lowered his head, held his wrist, opened his right hand with all five fingers, and tightly interlocked them with Xie Yun Zhi’s ten fingers. Affectionately, he pressed his cheek against the back of Xie Yun Zhi’s hand, silently expressing that he just didn’t want to accept the diamond, not that he didn’t want to accept the proposal, although he hadn’t had a chance to say anything yet.

Xie Yun Zhi looked at him with quiet eyes. “Yan Lan, why don’t you want it?”

Yan Lan blinked slowly, released his right hand, which was tightly interlocked with Xie Yun Zhi’s, and wrote in his palm: too expensive.

Xie Yun Zhi was at a loss for words at how cute he was. He leaned over to kiss the corner of Yan Lan’s mouth and made a playful sound, “But I planned to propose to you with that diamond.”

Yan Lan stepped back slightly and shook his head slowly: Too expensive, I can’t accept it.

“You can accept it because I bought it for you.”

Yan Lan’s expression became serious: Exactly because it’s you, I cannot accept it even more.

Xie Yun Zhi furrowed his brows in confusion, “Why?”

Since seeing the video in the morning, Yan Lan had been struggling. No matter how he thought about it, he couldn’t accept the diamond. The wealth disparity between him and Xie Yun Zhi had always existed. He was well aware that their understanding of the value of things differed, even drastically.

Xie Yun Zhi believed that proposing required buying a diamond, and he wouldn’t hesitate to spend millions on it. But Yan Lan couldn’t comprehend it. He knew diamonds were expensive, that was common knowledge, but knowing didn’t mean he could accept it without guilt. Not to mention Xie Yun Zhi spent nearly four billion on it – even if it were a few million, Yan Lan wouldn’t be able to accept it.

He wasn’t concerned about the external gaze or the heavy gossip surrounding this matter. He instinctively felt that the involvement of this diamond would make their relationship less pure.

The only time he explicitly expressed the word “want” between him and Xie Yun Zhi was only about the person himself. That’s all, and regardless of how long it had been, whether Xie Yun Zhi was poor or rich, healthy or ill, he just wanted this person. He didn’t need diamonds, luxury items, or other expensive things. He didn’t want Xie Yun Zhi to buy them, and he never needed those.

Moreover, Xie Yun Zhi’s words about working hard for their future, for Venus Jewelry, all moved him deeply. If he accepted that expensive diamond, wouldn’t it mean he was taking away money that was supposed to belong to Tiantian one day? How could he do that?!

Yan Lan looked at Xie Yun Zhi with a serious expression: Even without that diamond, I understand your feelings, and I’m willing to accept your proposal and be with you.

Xie Yun Zhi shook his head slowly, “But you still haven’t said why you can’t accept it.”

Yan Lan hesitated. He wasn’t sure if his explanation would cause any misunderstandings or make Xie Yun Zhi unhappy. Subconsciously, he avoided discussing it.

Xie Yun Zhi affectionately embraced his waist and pressed his face against Yan Lan’s. “Don’t worry, Yan, I know diamonds are expensive, but this money is not beyond my means. Moreover, I bought it to propose to you and give it to you. Do you remember what I told you about what I buy for you becoming a standard for others to measure my feelings for you? I want everyone to know that I am devoted to you, that I want to become a family with you.”

The last sentence made Yan Lan look moved, but the reluctance to accept the diamond remained unchanged.

These were two different things, not to be confused.

Yan Lan raised his arm and hugged him tightly. After a few seconds, he gently pushed him away, his expression slightly serious: I don’t want that diamond. Keep it for yourself or save it for Tiantian in the future.

After reading his sign language, Xie Yun Zhi’s expression seemed lonely, and his tone sounded subdued, “You don’t want it?”

Yan Lan was stunned at his words.

“You’re telling me to keep the diamond for myself or for Tiantian, doesn’t that mean you don’t want to be a part of our family?”

Yan Lan felt a sudden panic and hurriedly shook his head: No, I’m just unable to accept it.

“Why can’t you?”

Yan Lan wrote on the table with his fingers: That money is what you earn for Tiantian’s future, and I can’t take it.

“I’ve told you before, Tiantian is my responsibility. I earn money for him. But I’ve also said that taking care of you is my responsibility. I want to take care of you properly.”

Yan Lan could understand: But why in this way? Is it just for their so-called standards?

“Not only that, I’ve always let you be at the center of attention, and it’s my fault that they found opportunities to harm you. I know many people are waiting to see us break up, convinced that there is no future between us. This could also lead to you being hurt again. Now, the situation you’re in is not enough to protect you only with my public attitude. I don’t blame human nature for being like this, but protecting you is my responsibility. Besides, I really want to enter the next stage of life with you, become partners, become a family, become Tiantian’s family.”

Xie Yun Zhi extended his arm to pull Yan Lan into his embrace. “If you don’t accept the pink diamond I bought, everything loses its meaning.”

Being held by him, Yan Lan already began to waver, but accepting that unexpectedly expensive pink diamond was still very difficult for him. He couldn’t convince himself to accept it.

“All right, let’s not discuss this for now. Shall we go see Tiantian? Will you come with me?”

Yan Lan nodded slightly.

At this time, Tiantian was doing homework in the small study. Besides completing the teachers’ assigned homework, he also needed to write an additional five pages of calligraphy.

Yan Lan and Xie Yun Zhi had discussed the issue of writing a few pages every day, but Xie Yun Zhi insisted that since they were starting and calligraphy was beneficial for him, he should start with five pages daily. As he grew older, the number of pages might increase.

Tiantian had opinions on this matter but didn’t dare to argue with his uncle. He could only reluctantly pout his small mouth and write page by page.

After dinner, Xie Yun Zhi sent Yan Lan back to school.

Back in the dormitory, Yan Lan’s light-hearted feeling gradually faded. Yang Xiaole sat down with a bowl of vegetable salad, looking at Yan Lan’s thoughtful profile. “Did your Xie Yun Zhi propose to you?”

Yan Lan opened his notebook and wrote: He proposed halfway.

“What does halfway mean?”

Yan Lan: Tonight, he probably didn’t plan to propose or discuss the diamond with me. I think he might want to do it in a more formal setting to make it more ceremonial. But I told him I don’t want that diamond at all. I really don’t want it.

Yang Xiaole could understand, “Indeed, nearly four billion, even if it were me, I wouldn’t be able to accept it without any burden. But I guess he might want to express how much he loves you. According to what I know, buyers in these auctions can choose to keep their identities private. However, he directly answered the reporter’s questions, giving off a vibe like ‘stop bothering me, I bought it for my partner.’ I guess this is probably his way of giving you a sense of security and also gaining security for himself. Don’t you think so?”

Yan Lan couldn’t help but smile and wrote, “You seem to understand everything about me and Yun Zhi.”

Yang Xiaole looked serious, “I didn’t expect my character setting to turn out to be like a real-life coach.”

Yan Lan, while propping his chin with one hand, doodled on the paper with a pen. Yang Xiaole watched him draw a simple stick figure in a suit with a few careless strokes and couldn’t help but ask, “Are you hiding something else that you haven’t mentioned?”

Yan Lan put down the pen and wrote, “It’s not that I don’t want to say; it’s just hard to explain.”