I Only Want You chapter 56
Extra 1
After graduating, Yan Lan and Yang Xiaole went to different companies. Yang Xiaole joined a relatively well-known advertising agency as a presentation designer, working from nine to five with weekends off. Yan Lan, on the other hand, joined a light novel and magazine publisher targeting young people, specializing in illustration for magazines.
The greatest advantage of Yan Lan’s job was that he didn’t have to be in the office. He could work from home, coordinating all his tasks through the internet with the editors. This not only provided him with freedom but also offered a high income.
Xie Yun Zhi appreciated the job that Yan Lan was engaged in. During workdays, he often bought coffee and afternoon tea for the magazine company in Yan Lan’s name.
The first time he bought for the company, Yan Lan knew about it because the editor thanked him on QQ. However, there were a few more times when the editor felt guilty and came to him, asking if it cost him a lot of money. It was then that Yan Lan learned that Xie Yun Zhi had been secretly sending gifts on his behalf.
To this, Xie Yun Zhi gave the reason, “Since you won’t let me buy the magazine company, I have to do something to show my love and support for it.”
Yan Lan sighed helplessly, “Just because I can work from home?”
“Yes,” Xie Yun Zhi affirmed.
Yan Lan, feeling helpless, said, “But you can’t keep doing this. What if one day you stop, and they start wondering if I have some issues with them?”
With Xie Yun Zhi’s financial strength, he casually replied, “Then I’ll just keep sending. What’s wrong with that?”
Yan Lan didn’t say much more. He reached out and twisted Xie Yun Zhi’s arm.
Xie Yun Zhi obediently said, “I get it. I’ll gradually reduce the frequency.”
Before Yan Lan could retract the hand that twisted Xie Yun Zhi’s arm, Xie Yun Zhi caught it and pulled him into his arms, wrapping his arm around his waist. “Are you done with work? Can we discuss the wedding now?”
Xie Yun Zhi had always hoped to hold a wedding ceremony with Yan Lan after his graduation. The matter, which should have been discussed long ago, had been delayed for nearly half a year due to Yan Lan’s busy work schedule and Xie Yun Zhi’s own overwhelming tasks.
Although Yan Lan could work from home, he still had to work on illustrations during the day.
He worked at home, while Xie Yun Zhi worked at the company. The two could only meet in the evening, and even if Xie Yun Zhi took out a few wedding plans proposed by the wedding company during breakfast, it often ended with him itching to do something shortly afterward.
Yan Lan didn’t break free from the arm around his waist. “It’s because you don’t discuss it properly.”
Xie Yun Zhi lowered his head and kissed his cheek. “Tonight for sure. We haven’t given a definite answer to the wedding company for a long time. They might think we are dissatisfied, and they’ve sent a few more plans for us to choose. Let’s take a good look after bathing later.”
Yan Lan nodded.
Xie Yun Zhi changed his arm from hugging to linking their arms, leading them to the brightly lit living room. “What were you busy with at home today?”
Yan Lan replied, “Drawing, tidying up the plant room, and drinking the coffee you like.”
“Does it taste good? I noticed you drank less, thinking you didn’t like it.”
“I just prefer drinking water,” Yan Lan said.
As Xie Yun Zhi had a dinner appointment today and came back only after eating, the aunt didn’t leave him any meals. However, Yan Lan left some fruits for him.
While Yan Lan went to the kitchen to take the prepared fruit platter, Xie Yun Zhi took the opportunity to go upstairs and fetch the tablet computer from the study. There were many wedding plans sent by the wedding company, covering a variety of styles from Chinese to Western, indoor to outdoor. The multitude of options could be overwhelming.
Placing the plate on the coffee table in the living room, Yan Lan took the tablet computer handed to him by Xie Yun Zhi. He had actually looked at the previous plans in his spare time. Now, the one opened on the tablet was the latest one sent by the company.
Xie Yun Zhi used a fruit fork to pick up a bite-sized piece of cantaloupe and fed it to Yan Lan. He also took a piece for himself and asked, “Do you prefer an indoor or outdoor venue for the wedding?”
Yan Lan: Either is fine.
“Should it be Chinese or Western style?”
Yan Lan: Chinese.
Yan Lan smiled.
Xie Yun Zhi fed him a piece of mango, saying, “I’ll go with your preferences. Whatever you like, we’ll do. Just invite some friends, make it lively, but not overly so.”
Yan Lan’s personality leaned towards quiet, but he didn’t dislike a lively atmosphere. His birthday parties every year reflected this style.
On his side, he would always invite Yang Xiaole and Bian Xianyang. On Xie Yun Zhi’s side, it would always be Secretary Lin, Assistant Xiao Zhang, and the driver. One time, he even invited Tiantian’s teachers.
From this, it was evident that Yan Lan wasn’t quick to let people into his life. One could say he was quite challenging to approach.
“Should we invite colleagues from the publishing house?”
Yan Lan thought for a moment, unsure.
“If you think it’s better not to invite them, I’ll send them some gifts, flowers, chocolates, and such.”
Yan Lan nodded slowly, “Sending gifts is fine. We haven’t interacted much, and inviting them to the wedding might feel strange and awkward. It’s better to invite acquaintances and have a meal together.”
Xie Yun Zhi kept nodding, finished the fruit plate, put down the fruit fork, and then leaned over, pushing Yan Lan, who was still looking at wedding plans, onto the sofa. He rested his head on Yan Lan’s chest, saying, “I need to recharge a bit Yan.”
Yan Lan spread his legs, allowing Xie Yun Zhi to lie more comfortably on him. After watching for a while, he placed the tablet computer on the coffee table. Then, he gently stroked Xie Yun Zhi’s hair, smelling the faint scent of his perfume.
Since they started living together, Yan Lan had been the one selecting Xie Yun Zhi’s daily work attire, from suits to ties and belts, even the perfume.
Today, Yan Lan had chosen his favorite scent for him – a subtle woody fragrance that was both pleasant and suitable for Xie Yun Zhi.
This was a moment that occurred almost every day. Both Yan Lan and Xie Yun Zhi cherished and enjoyed it. They didn’t discuss anything specific; they simply stayed close, much like two entwined cats. “Let me smell your scent, feel your body warmth.” Thus, the day’s yearning was smoothed away.
In these two years, Xie Yun Zhi’s settled family life was well known to all. The depth of his feelings for his partner, Yan Lan, was apparent to anyone with even a slight acquaintance with him. When not discussing work, Xie Yun Zhi never ceased mentioning his fiance.
At a dinner party, tasting a delicious dish: “This braised goose is excellent. I’ll bring Yan Lan to try it next time.”
At a brand event dinner, seeing fruit tarts: “Yan Lan loves these; he prefers fruits.”
Talking about a hot spring resort in a conversation about vacation spots, he would say that Yan Lan also liked soaking in hot springs.
Discussing Japanese cuisine, he would mention that Yan Lan didn’t like sushi or sashimi.
It seemed that besides work, Xie Yun Zhi’s mind was occupied solely by Yan Lan. Secretary Lin was well aware of this, especially when Xie Yun Zhi needed to travel abroad for work. Even before leaving, his mood would start to decline.
Secretary Lin didn’t need to ask; he knew Xie Yun Zhi was unhappy about not seeing Yan Lan for several days. Although it bothered him, it was a work-related issue, and he had no choice but to endure it. Thus, he would conceal his displeasure while abroad. However, Secretary Lin would discover that he hardly slept in the hotel at night, keeping his computer on. When asked, he would say, “I don’t want to sleep, can’t sleep. I miss home.”
Repeated attempts proved the effectiveness of Yan Lan’s presence, not only on Xie Yun Zhi but also on the mischievous Tiantian.
Previously, only Xie Yun Zhi could rein in Tiantian’s behavior. Now, it was only Yan Lan.
As the child grew older, only in front of Yan Lan would he become an obedient little darling. He wouldn’t play tricks on teachers and would diligently do his homework. He particularly disliked being reported to Yan Lan by his teachers, which made him more uncomfortable than being reported to his uncle.
Yang Xiaole had witnessed this when he went to hang out with Yan Lan during the second year of his master’s degree summer break.
Although Tiantian looked a bit smaller than his peers, he had grown taller compared to before.
The day Yang Xiaole entered, he saw the little handsome mixed-raced boy sitting on the sofa, looking like he was about to cry. Yan Lan sat quietly on the side, reading a book, showing no intention of comforting him.
This atmosphere surprised Yang Xiaole, and he couldn’t help but ask Yan Lan, “What happened to this little one in your family?”
Yan Lan wrote on a piece of paper: Bullied the teacher, made the teacher cry.
“How did he bully the teacher?”
Yan Lan: Didn’t pay attention in class, doodled and played pranks on the teacher’s notebook.
Yan Lan handed the nearby notebook to Yang Xiaole.
Flipping through the thin notebook, he reached the last page and saw a hastily drawn pencil sketch. As Tiantian had learned drawing from Yan Lan, even though it was hasty, it was recognizable as a sloth.
“Why a sloth?” Yang Xiaole asked, puzzled.
Yan Lan explained: His Chinese teacher, Ms. Jiang, is very gentle and slow-paced. After watching a movie, he thought Ms. Jiang looked like a sloth, so he drew one for her.
Yang Xiaole lightly chuckled and placed the notebook back on the coffee table. “Did you scold him? He looks like he’s about to cry.”
Yan Lan shook his head: I just ignored him.
Looking at the tearful Tiantian, Yang Xiaole remarked, “Impressive! Just like his uncle. He’s not afraid of you scolding him; he’s afraid of you ignoring him.”
Yan Lan: As he grows older, he’s becoming less afraid of his uncle.
Yang Xiaole suddenly realized, “Kids need an adult who can control them; otherwise, they’ll run wild.”
Yan Lan sighed helplessly. He didn’t want to be the adult who would scold Tiantian; he just hoped the child wouldn’t be too mischievous.
Curious, Yang Xiaole looked at them and said, “I want to know what he would do if you forgave him now.”
Yan Lan picked up a pen and paper and wrote: Act cute.
“I’d like to see that.”
Yan Lan put the book and paper aside, leaned over, gently touched Tiantian’s knee to attract his attention, and then patted his own thigh.
The next moment, Tiantian, who had a look of grievance, bounced up from the sofa, walked to Yan Lan, and sat down, resting his head on Yan Lan’s thigh.
Yan Lan opened the drawer of the coffee table, took out an ear digging spoon, and cleaned Tiantian’s ears. He did it lightly and skillfully, evidently not the first time doing so.
More surprisingly, in just a few minutes, Tiantian, who was lying on his thigh, fell asleep.
Yan Lan carefully didn’t wake him up, picked up pen and paper and wrote: Like his uncle, it takes only a few minutes of ear digging for them to fall asleep.
Yang Xiaole was amused, “That’s cute”