Blazing fire is hard to extinguish chapter 34
Drag Away
Lin Chi walked out of the nightclub but didn’t leave. He sat on a bench outside, smoking.
The deep winter night was very cold, and soon his fingers were frozen, but he seemed not to notice. In no time, the cigarette butt stand beside him had several more stubs.
Not long after, Xi Ziwen somehow came out of the nightclub too.
“What’s going on with you,” Xi Ziwen asked in confusion, sitting down beside Lin Chi and grabbing a cigarette from his pack. “I looked away for a moment, and you were gone. I went to find An Fei, and he was left in the booth, almost in tears, saying you rejected him and were very rude.”
Lin Chi’s expression remained unchanged.
“Tell him I’m sorry,” he said, taking another drag of his cigarette. “I’m really not in a good mood today.”
“What’s wrong with you?”
Xi Ziwen looked puzzled, staring at Lin Chi’s profile. “You seemed pretty happy when we were having coffee earlier.”
Lin Chi didn’t answer but fiddled with a bracelet on his wrist.
This was also a gift from Li Tingyan. While wandering around Li Tingyan’s mansion, he naturally saw some of his collections.
The snake-shaped bracelet, designed by Li Tingyan at sixteen, was always kept in a glass box, with its winding body inlaid with dark blue gems, shining like scales.
He casually complimented it, and Li Tingyan opened the glass box and put the bracelet on his wrist.
He forgot to take it off when he left Li Tingyan’s house earlier.
But now, rubbing his wrist in the night wind, he couldn’t tell if he had forgotten or if he couldn’t bear to part with it.
Xi Ziwen, waiting for Lin Chi’s answer, became more puzzled. He nudged him, “Do you have something on your mind?”
Flicking the ash into the cigarette butt stand, he didn’t think much of it.
In his view, Lin Chi was as carefree as him, probably wishing to sleep with every beautiful person in the world, living a happy and carefree life until dying amidst flowers.
But looking Lin Chi up and down and considering his recent absence from the nightlife scene, he suddenly thought of a possibility, his eyes heavy.
“You…” he scrutinized Lin Chi cautiously, “Could it be that after fooling around too much, you’re feeling unwell…? You’re not suffering from kidney deficiency at a young age, are you?”
Lin Chi, initially lost in his own thoughts, was jolted by the mention of “kidney deficiency,” his frustration rising.
“What the…”
He looked at Xi Ziwen, speechless. “You’re nuts. You’re the one with kidney deficiency. I’m fine.”
Feeling it wasn’t enough to vent his frustration, he kicked Xi Ziwen.
Xi Ziwen wasn’t angry. He patted his pants. As long as his good buddy was okay, these small details were trivial.
“So why then,” he said, taking a drag from his cigarette, “are you working on your character?”
“Ha.”
Lin Chi chuckled, “Working on my character? Maybe in the next life.”
But Xi Ziwen’s question really struck him like a small hammer to his chest.
Yes, why?
He and Li Tingyan were just friends with benefits, a relationship that could end anytime. Since he wanted to end things with Li Tingyan, he had specifically left early from the other’s place. A single phone call could sever the ties, and nothing would bind him.
Even if he slept with everyone he met at a nightclub, no one could criticize him.
But why did he still refuse An Fei?
Lin Chi frowned, wondering what kind of integrity he was upholding.
Not only did Xi Ziwen find it absurd, but so did he.
Leaning back on the bench, he took a long drag from his cigarette. Inside, he was a tangled mess, like being trapped in a maze with no exit.
After a moment of silence, he suddenly asked Xi Ziwen, “Let me ask you a question. Have you ever liked someone?”
He even felt a slight embarrassment saying the word “like.”
It was strange.
He could also connect with those words.
“Huh?”
Xi Ziwen was bewildered, his expression tinged with disdain. “What kind of question is that?”
“Of course not,” Xi Ziwen flicked the cigarette butt into the nearby trash can, sat down on the bench, and began to play with a silver lighter with his long fingers. He shrugged. “In high school, I had a brief crush on my French teacher. His voice was very sexy, his body was great, and he was good-looking. I used to think he must be very satisfying in bed.”
“Of course, I did end up sleeping with him later.”
Xi Ziwen raised an eyebrow and smiled cheekily.
Lin Chi gave him the finger. Although he himself wasn’t much better, he remarked, “You really are a scumbag.”
“I can’t be a scumbag, it wouldn’t suit my face,” Xi Ziwen didn’t care, but he soon realized something was off with Lin Chi’s question. He frowned, “But what do you mean? Why ask this?”
He looked at Lin Chi with suspicion, noticing the faintly dejected look on his face, a bad premonition arising.
“You haven’t fallen for someone, have you?” His face grew darker. “Don’t tell me it’s that fling.”
This time Lin Chi didn’t deny it. The cigarette in his hand had burned halfway down, almost too hot to hold.
He asked softly, “Is that a problem?”
The question stunned Xi Ziwen.
Is that a problem?
It seems there’s no law against falling in love in this world.
But when it came to Lin Chi, it suddenly felt odd.
His expression changed, finally managing to say, “Well, there’s no problem. I’m just a bit surprised.”
But he looked up and down at Lin Chi’s dejected appearance. He had specifically come out to bar hop with him today, yet seemed weighed down with concerns.
“But what does this mean? If you’re in love, you should be delighted. What’s with this half-dead look?”
Lin Chi shot him a glare.
Really good at talking, bringing up things that shouldn’t be mentioned.
He said irritably, “Of course I look like this because my love life isn’t going well. I never planned to develop a healthy relationship with anyone. Right now, I’m just stumbling through the night. And…”
He paused, licking his dry lips. “Right now, it’s just me liking him. He may not like me.”
He said this with a hint of frustration.
He had always been successful in the game of love, but his first time feeling something deep had led to a century-old problem.
He lit another cigarette, seeing Xi Ziwen looking as if struck by lightning. He smiled again and asked, “What’s up? Didn’t expect that?”
“Indeed, I didn’t.”
Xi Ziwen grumbled, closing and reopening the silver lighter. The sound was especially harsh under the night sky.
He really couldn’t figure out who this person was that wasn’t mesmerized by Lin Chi. Although Lin Chi wasn’t his preferred type, anyone with eyes could see that his beauty shone even in the dark.
He couldn’t help but comment, “What kind of person is he? Is he blind? What kind of heavenly being is he looking for while you’re right in front of him?”
Lin Chi smiled. He looked down to flick the ash. In his mind, a face appeared—graceful, gentle, with bright eyes, wearing a well-fitted groom’s suit, smiling at every guest.
He thought, maybe Li Tingyan didn’t want a heavenly being but just the person he admired in youth.
But he said, “Who knows, maybe he is blind.”
A chilly wind blew.
After Lin Chi’s words, the atmosphere fell flat.
Xi Ziwen wasn’t good at comforting people, mainly because he had never encountered such a situation.
Damn, his other friends were all elegant scoundrels, more scummy than he was, and he had never seen anyone troubled by love.
Lin Chi used to be one of them.
He irritably thought, if he had to offer advice, he’d probably just help Lin Chi call a bunch of fresh, young men—one row wouldn’t be enough, two rows would do. Surely one or two would help him forget his troubles.
Lin Chi didn’t care what Xi Ziwen was thinking. He leaned back on the chair, gazing at the dark night sky.
Such a hassle.
He had clearly left Li Tingyan’s place, was far away from that person, yet couldn’t stop thinking about him.
He wanted to deny his feelings for Li Tingyan.
He even tried to persuade himself yesterday, thinking it was just a momentary infatuation, that it was because Li Tingyan was considerate and their bodies were so compatible, creating a false impression.
But tonight at a nightclub.
The moment the boy named An Fei came close, the reaction inside him was like a sharp thorn, piercing through all his lies.
Lin Chi slowly finished another cigarette.
Xi Ziwen looked at him and thought he was really indifferent to his own health.
He had no other way to help, so he could only pat Lin Chi on the shoulder and say, “I don’t know how to comfort you, but since you came out to unwind tonight, why not just forget about that person for now and have some fun?”
He was a smart person and could clearly see Lin Chi’s self-escape at this moment.
He pointed to the nightclub behind them, “Do you want to go back? An Fei has already been driven away by you, so don’t feel embarrassed. Just treat today as a simple night out with friends.”
Lin Chi laughed.
It’s true what they say about fair-weather friends.
This was indeed the solution that someone like him and Xi Ziwen would choose: if you can’t figure it out, don’t think about it. It’s better to indulge in the present moment.
“Alright then.”
He slapped his butt and stood up, not wanting to go home at this hour. “Let’s have fun a little longer.”
He and Xi Ziwen hooked arms and went back to the nightclub. He had given up on testing his feelings and no longer planned to get entangled with anyone ambiguously, which made him feel more relaxed.
A group of people gathered around a table playing Russian roulette. Whoever was pointed at had to drink. If the pointer landed on a specific golden space, they either had to take off a piece of clothing or answer a question.
Lin Chi knew right away that this game had malicious intentions, but looking at the time, he thought he’d be leaving soon and probably wouldn’t be unlucky enough to face it.
Before long, there were seven or eight fewer drinks on the table, and the surrounding shouts were almost tearing the roof off.
Lin Chi wasn’t spared either; he drank a glass of whiskey mixed with beer. It was meant to be a prank, and after drinking it, his usually pale face flushed slightly.
It was at that moment that his phone, which he had kept in his pocket, vibrated.
He took it out and saw two glaring words on the screen—“Li Tingyan.”
In an instant, the nightclub seemed to quiet down.
The surrounding noise, music, and the roar of the crowd seemed to retreat like a receding tide.
Only that glaring name appeared before him at the wrong time.
Due to the alcohol, Lin Chi’s brain was slower than usual. He stared at the screen and almost instinctively wanted to hang up.
But he hesitated for a moment, holding the phone in the air. It continued to ring persistently, showing no sign of stopping.
Xi Ziwen next to him glanced over.
Lin Chi hesitated for a few more seconds before finally answering the call.
“Hello?”
His voice was mixed with the sound waves and screams, reaching Li Tingyan on the other end.
“Where are you?”
Li Tingyan paused for a few seconds before asking.
Where was he?
Lin Chi leaned back on the sofa and found the question somewhat amusing for some reason.
“Isn’t that a question with an obvious answer,” he replied, “It’s clearly a nightclub. Don’t tell me you’ve never been to one.”
But then he thought again that Li Tingyan, being such a serious person, really didn’t fit in with nightclubs.
Li Tingyan frowned, “You’ve just started to recover and you’re at a nightclub. Lin Chi, what nonsense are you up to?”
His voice carried a hint of reprimand and sounded quite cold.
He rarely spoke to him like this, so he must really be angry this time.
But Lin Chi’s rebellious streak was stirred up.
He thought that Li Tingyan was indeed a great person. He traveled a long distance to Changyu County just because he thought he would be sad and took care of him when he was sick, bringing him back to his villa and looking after him.
Now he was being so controlling, even interfering with his nightclub visit.
What did he take him for?
A fragile little kitten or puppy needing to be held in his palm? Was he feeling responsible for him just because they had been friends with benefits for a long time?
Lin Chi was already troubled by his own feelings and was even more annoyed that Li Tingyan kept coming to provoke him.
“It’s none of your business,” he retorted coldly, “Aren’t you being a bit too nosy? You’ve known I like hanging out in nightclubs.”
Li Tingyan was taken aback, as he had never heard Lin Chi speak to him in such a tone before.
He darkened his expression, and through the phone, he could hear the laughter of young men and women, warm and seductive, like a sultry snake emerging from the earpiece.
There were also people calling Lin Chi’s name, asking him if he was coming over, “Don’t back out now, Chi-ge.”
“Lin Chi,” he frowned slightly, looking displeased. If his assistant were here, they would have long since made their escape, “Are you drunk?”
“I’m not drunk,” Lin Chi answered quickly, “I have a great tolerance for alcohol.”
“Great tolerance or not, it doesn’t matter,” Li Tingyan said calmly, “I let you leave this morning because I thought you could take care of yourself, because you had work to do, not so you could indulge yourself like this.”
“You’d better take a taxi home now,” he glanced at his watch and began to stand up and head outside, “Otherwise, I’ll come pick you up.”
“Indulge myself?” Lin Chi repeated the phrase, laughing as if deliberately provoking Li Tingyan. “Is this what you call indulging? To me, this isn’t even an appetizer. Don’t you know what kind of person I am? This is just my way of life. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have met you.”
He leaned back on the sofa, his voice somewhat drifting, “Stop fooling me. Do you even know where I am? And you’re coming to pick me up?”
Actually, he was a bit drunk.
Hearing Li Tingyan’s voice made him feel even more dazed.
It was his first time having feelings for someone, and he had no experience, not even any real joy.
He only felt troubled, even wanting to escape. Every sound from Li Tingyan felt like a rope binding him, causing pain but also an unconscious desire to get closer.
He pressed his brow and took the glass of alcohol handed to him.
The roulette had just landed on him, and he had lost, so he had to take another drink.
“Don’t bother yourself with me,” he closed his eyes, trying to calm himself, “I’m not a kid anymore. I know what I’m doing. I’ll go back once I’ve had enough fun.”
With that, he hung up the phone.
However, after the call ended, he leaned back on the sofa, lost in thought for a while.
The glass of alcohol in his hand was cold. After hesitating for a moment, he slowly took a few sips.
But after a few sips, he no longer wanted to drink, set it down on the table, and said, “I don’t want to drink anymore.”
Seeing this, the others immediately started teasing, “Then you either take off a piece of clothing or tell a secret. Oh, wait, you haven’t even drunk, so the punishment is doubled.”
When Li Tingyan arrived, Lin Chi had just taken off his tie.
He wasn’t shy about it.
It was winter, and everyone had a few layers of clothing on. As long as he didn’t strip to his lower half, he wasn’t afraid at all.
Others knew this too, and instead, they eagerly wanted the pointer to land on him again.
But Lin Chi smiled and begged for mercy. His strikingly handsome features sparkled like diamonds under the lights, with his face slightly flushed. No one could resist him.
The crowd was in disarray again, allowing him to use unbuttoning as a substitute.
“Lose once, unbutton one shirt button.”
By the time Li Tingyan walked over slowly, Lin Chi had removed his tie and undone the first button.
He was surrounded by people, all eyes on him—admiring, affectionate, flirtatious. The gazes from all directions were like an audience mesmerized by a king on stage.
“Just one button undone, stop staring. I hope it won’t always be me unbuttoning next time; it’s too unlucky,” Lin Chi said with a smile. But soon, he noticed the person across from him had an unusual expression, looking oddly at someone behind him.
He turned around and was stunned when he saw who was approaching from behind him.
As he had guessed, Li Tingyan was indeed out of place in the nightclub. Dressed in a formal black suit as if he had just come from a meeting, with discreet and elegant obsidian cufflinks, his pale and cold face looked exceptionally sharp in the dim light. His black eyes were as deep as water, and his lips were tightly pressed, clearly showing he was in a bad mood.
Whether it was due to Li Tingyan’s unpleasant appearance or not, the people around slightly moved aside, letting him walk straight to Lin Chi.
The crowd was puzzled, unsure why this newcomer was creating such a scene, and the air went quiet for a moment.
Meanwhile, Xi Ziwen’s eyes were almost popping out.
Others might not recognize him, but he did.
Lin Chi couldn’t speak, staring blankly at Li Tingyan.
He actually came.
The thought flashed empty in his mind.
He couldn’t understand how Li Tingyan had found him in this sea of nightclubs.
Li Tingyan stood before Lin Chi, his gaze sweeping over him, especially lingering on the open collar of his shirt, the exposed collarbone, and the flushed cheeks.
But fortunately, he didn’t find more traces that made him angrier.
He grabbed Lin Chi’s hand, not caring who was around, and said to the person closest to Lin Chi, “I’m his friend. I need to take him back. Sorry for disturbing you, continue as you were.”
With that, he ignored the reactions of the crowd and directly pulled Lin Chi’s wrist towards the exit.
Lin Chi realized what was happening and tried to resist, but Li Tingyan felt it, stopped, looked back at him, and said calmly, “You don’t want me to carry you out, do you?”
His voice was calm, and his expression was neutral, but it conveyed seriousness in an instant.
Lin Chi was frustrated.
But weighing the pros and cons, he eventually stopped struggling and was dragged away by Li Tingyan.
Behind them, the remaining people were discussing among themselves.
“Who is this? Why is he dragging Lin Chi away?”
“Can’t you see? He’s obviously here to catch him in the act.”
“Nonsense, catch him in the act? Lin Chi doesn’t even have a partner. Besides, that handsome guy looks like a total top. Damn, this kind of macho type fits my taste. Why didn’t I get his number?”
…
Everyone joked and didn’t take it too seriously. After all, Lin Chi was so compliant being taken away, indicating they must know each other.
Only Xi Ziwen stood quietly, almost frozen.
He wasn’t stupid. Seeing Lin Chi’s expression, letting himself be dragged away, he guessed it was Lin Chi’s fling.
But damn…
That face, he would remember for the rest of his life, because in his memory, it was the very template his brother used to suppress and provoke him—the exemplary student from someone else’s family—Li Tingyan.