I Only Want You chapter 8

To ease the relationship between Xie Yun Zhi and Tiantian, Yan Lan, with Xie Yun Zhi’s consent, went to the Xie family early the next morning, outside of class hours.

Upon seeing Yan Lan, Tiantian looked bewildered with his little face, scratching his chestnut-colored natural curls in his sky-blue pajamas, “Teacher, I don’t have art class today?”

Yan Lan nodded, “Teacher didn’t come to give you a class today; Teacher came to play with you.”

Tiantian’s originally expressionless face became puzzled and confused. He didn’t understand why Yan Lan, who used to teach him drawing, suddenly turned into a playmate. Nevertheless, whether it was playing with him or a class, it seemed the same to him.

So, he tightened his little face, solemnly nodding, and went to wash and change.

Yan Lan waited for him in the bedroom and, when he came out, accompanied him in building blocks and assembling LEGO.

At first, Tiantian, seeing that Yan Lan was genuinely playing with him, felt uneasy. He didn’t even look at him. Later on, whether out of habit or acceptance, he suddenly abandoned the building blocks in his hands. He pushed out a large box of LEGO toys from the corner of the bedroom, the Titanic.

This was a top-tier LEGO set, so thick it resembled a book.

Yan Lan, watching Tiantian push out a box almost as big as himself, was quite surprised. Xie Yun Zhi even bought this for Tiantian. Was he planning to let him assemble it until he reached adulthood?

Tiantian pushed the LEGO Titanic in front of Yan Lan, clapping the box and making sign language with a serious expression, “Teacher, please, I want to know how big this will be when assembled.”

Yan Lan, somewhat hesitant, ultimately compromised and helped him assemble the LEGO.

It was by no means an easy task. After opening the box containing the front part of the ship, Yan Lan spent fifteen minutes just studying the instruction manual.

Tiantian sat cross-legged next to him, opening the bags of particles, pouring out particles of various sizes and shapes. Having finally found an adult willing to play with him, he was determined to make the most of it.

So, for the Titanic, Yan Lan dedicated two full days in Tiantian’s bedroom. During the building process, he also tried to talk to Tiantian about Xie Yun Zhi, but Tiantian completely resisted. Whenever he saw Yan Lan preparing to “discuss” his uncle, he turned his head and ran, finding other things to do, refusing to acknowledge Yan Lan.

On Saturday, while Tiantian was in class, Xie Yun Zhi came back for a visit. The aunt informed him that Yan Lan was upstairs, and Xie Yun Zhi went to find him.

Upon entering the room, he saw Yan Lan looking at a thick manual with an expression as serious as if he were preparing for the college entrance exam. There was a half-completed bow of the ship next to him.

“Teacher Yan…”

Yan Lan turned his face indifferently, his pitch-black eyes showing no emotion, giving off a sense of lifelessness.

Xie Yun Zhi covered a smile with his fist, clearing his throat to suppress the laughter. “Teacher Yan, are you helping Tiantian with LEGO?”

Yan Lan nodded.

Xie Yun Zhi touched his nose and explained, “I didn’t buy this for Tian Tian; it was Jinni who gave it to him as a Christmas present last year.”

Yan Lan’s expression became even more indifferent upon hearing this. He no longer looked at Xie Yun Zhi, lowered his head to continue flipping through the manual, and began matching the corresponding particles.

Xie Yun Zhi watched him for a while and then glanced at his wristwatch, “Teacher Yan, I have fifteen minutes free. Do you need help?”

Yan Lan nodded, and Xie Yun Zhi walked in, sitting cross-legged next to Yan Lan. He sorted out the scattered particles on the ground.

For a while, there were almost no sounds in the bedroom except for the rustling of particles being flipped and assembled.

Yan Lan was absolutely silent, and Xie Yun Zhi was not a talkative person either. There was no exchange of glances or any eye contact between them, as if they were both very focused on assembling LEGO.

Until Yan Lan suddenly stood up, Xie Yun Zhi noticed his movement and instinctively turned his head to look at him.

Yan Lan made quick and urgent sign language: “You need to come back more often. Let Tiantian see you, for example, during dinner. You can come back and eat with him.”

After a moment of silence, Xie Yun Zhi said, “…I have a dinner appointment tonight.”

Yan Lan asked, “What about tomorrow?”

“I have to fly to Sweden early tomorrow morning and will be back in four days.”

Yan Lan couldn’t help but cover his forehead in exasperation. Xie Yun Zhi was leaving for four or five days, going so far away. Even if Tiantian wanted to get close to him, he wouldn’t have the chance.

Feeling helpless, Xie Yun Zhi added, “I came back today before the business trip just to see him again.”

Yan Lan signed as he was about to walk out, “I’ll go call him.”

Xie Yun Zhi instinctively grabbed his wrist, “He hasn’t finished class yet.”

Yan Lan was momentarily stunned but soon furrowed his brows, pulling back his hand, “You only have fifteen minutes; you won’t be able to wait until he finishes class.”

Helplessly, Xie Yun Zhi watched Yan Lan leave the room. After a while, he came back, leading Tiantian by the hand.

Tiantian’s mood visibly deteriorated upon seeing Xie Yun Zhi, but after several spankings, he didn’t dare to be too mischievous in front of Xie Yun Zhi, only pouting.

Tiantian looked at Xie Yun Zhi, proficiently making sign language, “I’m going on a business trip. I’ll be back in four days. What gift do you want?”

With a cold expression, Tiantian replied, “I want you not to come back.”

Yan Lan hurriedly grabbed his small hand, but it was too late. Xie Yun Zhi had seen it.

Standing up from the ground, his tall figure, dressed in a suit, exuded a strong presence. Tiantian’s little face showed a fearful expression, but he still stubbornly stared at his uncle.

Xie Yun Zhi, with emotionless eyes, stared at him, “Alright, if you don’t want me to come back, then I won’t come back.”

Perhaps in a fit of anger, he forgot that Tiantian couldn’t hear. Another person in the room, who could hear, became anxious.

Yan Lan urgently signed, “Don’t take the child’s angry words to heart. This is not what he really feels.”

Xie Yun Zhi shook his head, “He really doesn’t want to see me. This is not the first time he has expressed it.”

After saying this, he sidestepped the two people in front of him, left the room, and not long after, the black Bentley parked outside drove away.

Yan Lan felt both distressed and self-reproachful. He asked Tiantian in confusion, “You said something else just now outside. Why did you suddenly change your words?”

Tiantian remained silent with a stern face.

Worriedly, Yan Lan looked at him, “Do you really not want your uncle to come home? Do you want to never see him again in the future?”

After seeing these two sign language sentences, Tiantian’s expression visibly showed panic and fear.

After all, he was still a child and couldn’t hide his emotions as well as adults. Yan Lan’s two questions frightened him.

Seeing him in a state of confusion, Yan Lan, full of helplessness, said, “When your uncle comes back from his business trip, can you apologize to him? Tell him that you didn’t really mean what you said.”

Tiantian lowered his head, fidgeting with his fingers, showing no response.

Yan Lan sighed, touched his little face, and led him back to the math teacher’s class to continue the lesson.

Seeing that Yan Lan now not only went to Xie’s house on Wednesdays and Sundays but also early in the morning on other days, sometimes even staying until after dinner, he seemed to have transformed from a part-time art teacher into a babysitter. Yang Xiaole shook his head in amazement, “Shouldn’t you get paid more for this?”

Yan Lan shook his head, picked up pen and paper, and wrote: “Playing with Tiantian is not a job; it’s my own choice.”

Yang Xiaole was very puzzled, “What are you aiming for? They are not relatives.”

Yan Lan thought carefully about Yang Xiaole’s question but couldn’t figure out what he was aiming for. He could only write: “I don’t know, I just want to help.”

Yang Xiaole sighed, “Well, as long as you’re willing in your heart.”

Yan Lan smiled at him, put away the pen and paper, and went to the balcony to collect laundry and take a shower.

After he finished washing and changed into pajamas, the person lying on the bed, playing with his phone with his legs raised, suddenly sat up with a startled sound.

Yan Lan was startled by him.

Yang Xiaole turned around and leaned on the bed rail, showing the phone to Yan Lan, “Oh my god! Your boss and the movie queen broke up!”

Yan Lan, looking at the strange crack in the middle of the double photo on the phone screen, raised an eyebrow in confusion. He then picked up his charging phone and typed, “Did they publicly acknowledge their relationship before?”

“Oh, everyone now assumes that they are a couple.” Yang Xiaole happily shared the latest gossip from the entertainment industry, “Let me read it to you. Yao Jinni ends her late-night shoot and drinks vodka at the hotel! Suspected relationship trouble with Xie Yun Zhi, getting drunk for love! Also, one night Yao Jinni and Xie Yun Zhi went to a three-star Michelin restaurant together. Is it a romantic candlelight dinner signaling a breakup?!”

Yang Xiaole finished reading and clicked his tongue, “Should I say it or not? When Yao Jinni was photographed, she looked a bit haggard, but it’s normal to be a bit tired from staying up late for filming. It might not necessarily be a relationship issue.”

Yan Lan, with no expression on his face, turned around and put the phone back to charge, then went to do the laundry.

While Yan Lan seemed indifferent, he was actually listening attentively to Yang Xiaole’s analysis.

Yang Xiaole loved gossip the most, and he analyzed everything skillfully. He believed that Yao Jinni wanted to get married, but Xie Yun Zhi disagreed, so the two of them were in a silent standoff, reaching the point of breaking up.

Unexpectedly, the next day, Yao Jinni posted on Weibo to clarify and deny the rumors. She clarified that she and Xie Yun Zhi were just ordinary friends, dispelling the rumors of her getting drunk for emotional reasons. As for the romantic candlelight dinner, it was just a normal business meeting. In short, she cleared up any ambiguous relationship between her and Xie Yun Zhi.

Yang Xiaole held his phone with a dissatisfied expression because Yao Jinni’s clarification overturned all his previous analyses.

While Yan Lan found it amusing, he comforted Yang Xiaole by typing, “It’s okay. Nobody heard it except for me. You’re not losing face.”

Yang Xiaole grumbled in dissatisfaction, and Yan Lan took out a pack of snacks from the drawer and gave it to him. The grumbling stopped.

Yao Jinni’s clarification and denial continued to ferment on the internet for several days. Meanwhile, Xie Yun Zhi was still in Sweden.

When he returned, at least six media outlets were waiting for him at the airport, bombarding him with questions about Yao Jinni’s clarification.

Xie Yun Zhi remained expressionless, said nothing, and refused to stop his footsteps for even a second. He ignored all the reporters, quickly walked to the car waiting for him outside the airport, and left.

Yan Lan initially thought that Xie Yun Zhi would return home soon and kept advising Tiantian to apologize properly when he came back. Tiantian, after much effort, finally softened. However, Xie Yun Zhi, after briefly appearing at the airport, was not seen for several days. Perhaps Yao Jinni’s clarification had brought him some extra work.

Tiantian seemed to have no reaction to this, but Yan Lan noticed him several times leaning against the window, looking out, and waiting for Xie Yun Zhi’s black Bentley to appear.

After all, he was still a child. Although he “stubbornly” told his uncle not to come home, he was afraid in his heart that his uncle really wouldn’t come back to see him.

Seeing that the school was about to start, Yan Lan’s part-time job was also coming to an end. However, the relationship between the uncle and nephew had not improved.

Just when Yan Lan was worried about what to do, Tiantian got a fever.

As soon as the aunt found out, she immediately called Xie Yun Zhi, truthfully informing him of Tiantian’s fever. The family doctor quickly arrived, carrying a medical kit.

Tiantian particularly disliked doctors and refused to cooperate with taking medicine. His face was flushed, and his palms and soles of his feet were burning, yet he struggled and pushed away the doctor, not letting anyone come near him. Plush toys and pillows on the bed were thrown everywhere, and he even wanted to jump off the bed and hide under it, but Yan Lan, who had anticipated this, hugged him in time.

As a deaf-mute child, coaxing and deceiving him was ineffective because he couldn’t hear. He refused to even look at Yan Lan and the aunt’s sign language. He knocked the medicine dispenser out of the doctor’s hand twice.

In the end, it was Xie Yun Zhi who took time out of his busy schedule to come back. Tiantian, who had been struggling to hit the doctor, finally calmed down when he saw him. With a red face and panting, he stared straight at Xie Yun Zhi with his blue eyes.

Xie Yun Zhi gestured calmly in sign language: “Take the medicine. If you take the medicine, I’ll take you home.”

Tiantian finally compromised and didn’t resist the medicine being brought to his mouth.

Exhausted from the struggle, Yan Lan put Tiantian on the bed and went to catch up with Xie Yun Zhi. He grabbed his elbow before he went downstairs and asked, “Can I stay tonight to take care of Tiantian?”

Xie Yun Zhi furrowed his brows slightly, “That’s too much trouble for you, and the aunt is around to take care of him.”

Yan Lan looked somewhat dejected and lowered his eyes, “Tomorrow is the last day of the part-time contract, and I’ll be starting school next week.”

Seeing this, Xie Yun Zhi’s heart softened. His gaze fell on Yan Lan’s icy face for a moment, and he didn’t speak for a while before saying, “I’ll ask the aunt to prepare a guest room for you.”

Feeling relieved after he agreed, Yan Lan gave a thumbs up and expressed his gratitude. He then turned and walked back to Tiantian’s bedroom.

After he left, Xie Yun Zhi remained standing for a while, looking contemplative. Soon, he went downstairs and left.

When Tiantian was sick, he could be quite a handful. With a fever, headache, and discomfort, he cried, screamed, and threw tantrums. His face was covered in tears, and his swollen eyes refused to stay in bed.

Yan Lan had no choice but to pick him up, wrap him in a small blanket, and walk around the room, occasionally pressing his own cheek against Tiantian’s small forehead.

By nine o’clock at night, Yan Lan finally managed to get Tiantian to sleep. Worried that he might have a fever again at night, he decided to sleep on the floor beside Tiantian’s bed.

Seeing Yan Lan kneeling on the floor to spread the blanket, the aunt felt sentimental. “You really care a lot for Tiantian.”

Yan Lan looked at the sleeping Tiantian, sighed gently, and said, “His uncle is too busy and doesn’t have time to take care of him. I can help with what I can.”

“Will you come back in the future?”

Yan Lan thought for a moment and shook his head slightly, indicating that he didn’t know.

The aunt sighed again, “Tiantian will miss you a lot.”

Yan Lan smiled, exchanged goodnight wishes with the aunt, and she left.

Before leaving, the aunt turned off the bedroom lights for him. After that, she went back to her own room to rest.

Yan Lan lay on the cushion, eyes wide open and unable to fall asleep. Not to mention that it was far from his usual bedtime, just the fact that he was sleeping in an unfamiliar bed made it impossible for him to get a good night’s sleep.

With nothing to do, he could only listen to Tiantian’s breathing and think about what Xie Yun Zhi was doing at this hour. Was he done with work? Did he eat well?

It was unclear how much time passed, but Yan Lan, still unable to sleep, suddenly heard the sound of a car stopping outside.

Startled, he thought to himself, “Could it be?” He got up quietly from the cushion, lifted the heavy curtain, and looked outside.

Thanks to his good eyesight, although the outside was dimly lit, he immediately recognized Xie Yun Zhi’s car, and the person getting out of the car was also Xie Yun Zhi.

Surprised at first, Yan Lan quickly regained his composure. He turned and quietly left Tiantian’s bedroom, groping downstairs. However, he was still on the stairs when the sound of the door opening was heard in the entrance hall. A dark figure pushed the door and walked in, carrying a strong scent of alcohol.