Blazing fire is hard to extinguish chapter 72
Extra If Line: Personal Nurturing 12
The room fell into a long silence.
Li Tingyan stared at Lin Chi, who still had his head down, seemingly aware of the weight his words would carry and avoiding his gaze.
Lin Chi was rarely this quiet.
When Li Tingyan found Lin Chi’s address and brazenly broke in, he already knew he would have to face his anger and resistance when he took him back.
For an eighteen- or nineteen-year-old, a bit of rebellion was completely normal.
It made sense that Lin Chi felt he was too controlling, and didn’t want to constantly be under his watchful eye.
But that didn’t mean Li Tingyan would accept it.
Lin Chi was raised by him, carried out of that mountain cave, obediently resting his head on his shoulder.
For the past three or four years, Li Tingyan had been involved in everything, from his daily meals to his future plans.
Lin Chi had long since become his. At most, Li Tingyan would make his supervision more subtle, but he would never withdraw it.
But what had he just heard?
Lin Chi wasn’t talking about a fleeting rebellion or a temporary escape; he said he wanted to live independently.
Independence.
Li Tingyan examined the word, finding it absurd.
Lin Chi had shared even trivial things like not winning a basketball game, lying beside him and talking about wanting to see the aurora together in the future.
And now he was telling him that he wanted independence?
“What do you mean by this?” Li Tingyan didn’t beat around the bush and asked directly, “Are you trying to cut ties with me?”
When he said this, his voice was as cold as ice.
“Why can’t you just stay by my side? Did someone say something to you behind my back?”
Lin Chi had anticipated this reaction from Li Tingyan.
He ran his hand through his hair, feeling a bit frustrated.
He had gotten home early today, and the room was still filled with sunlight, though it no longer felt scorching.
He still didn’t dare to meet Li Tingyan’s eyes, because the moment he looked, he knew he’d waver.
“No one said anything; this is my own decision,” Lin Chi muttered, his eyes fixed on a vase in the corner. “I’m already eighteen. Even if I once saved you, you’ve long since repaid that debt. I’ve been living in your house all this time, benefiting from your kindness, and it doesn’t feel right anymore. I know you’re a good person and you’re willing to take care of me, but I don’t want to take advantage of you in this unclear way.”
As he spoke, he pulled his gaze back, slowly turning to look at Li Tingyan.
Because he was serious.
And he wanted Li Tingyan to understand his seriousness.
“I’m really grateful to you. When I was fifteen or sixteen, I was immature and just knew that you would pay for me, so I clung to you. Because of you, my life changed completely, reaching a level I never dared to dream of. So, I’m not saying I want to cut ties with you. I still want to see you; you’re a very important person to me.”
“But I feel like I need to take responsibility for myself now. I’ll study hard, work, and manage my own life. I can’t keep relying on your support anymore. And first, I’ll start by finding my own place.”
After saying all this, Lin Chi felt a bit lighter inside.
He looked at Li Tingyan and smiled a somewhat wistful smile.
He truly, genuinely liked Li Tingyan.
He couldn’t even pinpoint when it started.
He only knew that at the graduation ceremony, when he looked down at the audience and saw Li Tingyan, he had an overwhelming urge to rush toward him in front of everyone.
He wanted to announce to the world that Li Tingyan belonged to him.
But unfortunately, that was just his fantasy.
Li Tingyan’s fingertips had turned slightly pale from the force he was applying.
He understood now.
Lin Chi’s thoughts weren’t just a fleeting whim. This house, the avoidance over the past few days — these were all part of his first steps toward leaving him.
With every word Lin Chi spoke, darkness spread further in his heart, but Lin Chi hadn’t realized the danger yet.
Li Tingyan softly asked him, “You want to leave me. Do you have a plan? You said you want to live your own life now…”
He stared at Lin Chi.
“What exactly is your own life? Tell me about it. I need to know your plan to be sure you’re mature enough to handle it.”
His voice was calm, betraying none of the turmoil beneath.
And, of course, Lin Chi fell for it.
He racked his brains. “The funds you’ve given me are more than enough. I won’t have any trouble going through college, but I still want to try working on my own. Recently, someone approached me about becoming a model, and I’d like to give it a shot.”
“But since I’m studying directing, I also want to try something related to theater. I’ve developed an interest in acting. Last week, I even signed up for the drama club, and a senior invited me to join her short play… I get paid for these jobs, and they also help me choose a direction after I graduate.”
He was actually seriously sharing this with Li Tingyan.
His eyes were bright, just like before the college entrance exam, when he animatedly shared his dreams with Li Tingyan.
Li Tingyan almost burst out laughing.
He thought, maybe it was because he had spoiled Lin Chi too much, that he had grown into such a naive person.
He asked him, “And what about love? Aren’t you going to fall in love with someone in school, meet someone you like one day, get married, and have kids? Then you’ll start a whole new life.”
His voice was soft, like a calm surface of water, but underneath, hidden rocks lay.
Lin Chi was caught off guard by the question.
He knew very well that he was completely gay, and would never marry a woman or have kids in this life.
But he hadn’t come out to Li Tingyan yet.
That was too…
He didn’t know how to say it.
Maybe one day in the future, he would let Li Tingyan know, but certainly not now.
So he hesitated for a moment, then pressed his lips together and mumbled, “Maybe.”
He had a feeling that Li Tingyan wasn’t quite satisfied with the idea of him falling in love, but at the same time, he felt rebellious.
Why should he care?
He already felt miserable that Li Tingyan wouldn’t fall in love with him. Wasn’t he allowed to have other possibilities?
In a very matter-of-fact tone, he said, “Everyone falls in love; it’s no big deal. Many people choose to get married and start new families after graduation.”
“But I won’t…”
I won’t forget you just because I fall in love.
These words stuck in Lin Chi’s throat, unable to come out.
But there was no need to say them.
Because in the next second, he heard Li Tingyan speak.
“In your dreams.”
Those three words were clear and powerful, full of contempt and arrogance, completely different from Li Tingyan’s usual tone.
Lin Chi almost thought his ears were playing tricks on him.
He looked at Li Tingyan in disbelief.
“What did you just say?”
Li Tingyan stood up from the sofa and walked step by step toward Lin Chi, towering over him.
This was undeniably a position full of oppression.
Especially since Li Tingyan’s face was ice-cold.
He reached out and grabbed Lin Chi’s chin, his cold fingertips pressing into the flesh of his cheeks, squeezing hard, causing Lin Chi to frown and hiss in pain.
But Li Tingyan didn’t comfort him like he usually did.
“I said, you’re dreaming.” His voice was still calm, but his gaze said otherwise.
His fingers gently brushed Lin Chi’s cheek, as if soothing him, but more like a snake coiling around its prey.
“Why do you think I would let someone else take away what I raised with my own hands?”
He asked Lin Chi.
“Leave me, live a new life, fall in love with someone else, get married.”
Li Tingyan chuckled softly, “Don’t you find that ridiculous? Without my permission, which of those could you even accomplish?”
Lin Chi’s whole body stiffened.
He was like a slow-witted deer, finally realizing the danger.
But Li Tingyan’s fingers were already on his lips, rudely pressing and rubbing them.
It was too intimate, and filled with anger.
“You…”
Lin Chi vaguely realized something was wrong.
Li Tingyan’s eyes were too strange.
Cold, forceful, as if determined to win.
Those eyes scanned him like a blade, making Lin Chi feel an involuntary sting on his skin.
And before he could fully grasp the situation, Li Tingyan did something even more shocking.
With a loud crash.
The cup on the table fell to the floor, shattering into pieces, the noise deafening in the quiet room.
At the same time, Li Tingyan bit down on Lin Chi’s lips.
The only word to describe it was biting.
His lips started bleeding.
Li Tingyan knelt on one leg on the sofa, one hand pressing down on Lin Chi’s shoulder.
His t-shirt had been lifted, exposing his skin.
He could even feel the coldness of Li Tingyan’s fingers.
“Mm…!”
Lin Chi was almost scared out of his mind.
Instinctively, he tried to resist, but when he met Li Tingyan’s gaze, he became momentarily dazed.
No.
This is crazy.
He thought in confusion.
He almost believed he was dreaming—a bizarre dream with him and Li Tingyan as the main characters.
But soon, he knew it wasn’t a dream.
Because Li Tingyan pressed him onto the sofa and kissed him for a while. Feeling it wasn’t enough, he effortlessly picked him up.
His apartment was indeed too small, and within minutes, Li Tingyan had thrown him onto the bed in the bedroom.
Lin Chi was practically dizzy from the impact.
When he struggled to get up, he saw Li Tingyan loosening the collar of his shirt.
By now, dusk had fully set in.
His bedroom was dark, with only a faint glow of light seeping through the window.
Li Tingyan stood in front of his bed, still looking just like the person Lin Chi knew—tall, elegant, with an aristocratic and graceful face, always the epitome of poise, never losing control.
But now, Li Tingyan terrified him like a monster. Being stared at by Li Tingyan gave him an overwhelming sense of fear.
“Li Tingyan, you…”
He tried to negotiate, to calm Li Tingyan down.
But before he could say more, Li Tingyan covered his lips.
“Shh.”
Li Tingyan’s voice was still gentle, and they were so close that Lin Chi could clearly see his eyelashes.
And see the madness in Li Tingyan’s eyes.
That made his voice stop abruptly, and he couldn’t help but shiver.
“Don’t say things that will upset me again.”
Li Tingyan looked at him gently. “Or I’m afraid you’ll cry too much later.”