Blazing fire is hard to extinguish chapter 40
Banquet
When Li Tingyan came home, Lin Chi was indeed obediently sitting in the living room.
He had stayed in the villa all day, first swimming a few laps, then practicing archery at the archery range after lunch. It was a day of exercise and health. Now he was sitting on the sofa, eating strawberries and watching a melodramatic TV show.
When Li Tingyan sat down, the female lead was tearfully kissing the male lead.
Lin Chi was watching intently.
It wasn’t until Li Tingyan chuckled that Lin Chi noticed his presence.
Seeing Lin Chi’s gaze, Li Tingyan sat down beside him, his slender fingers picking up a strawberry covered in powdered sugar from Lin Chi’s bowl and taking a bite.
“Really sweet.”
He commented expressionlessly.
Lin Chi had drizzled condensed milk on the strawberries, completely ignoring the calorie count.
He raised an eyebrow and, in front of Li Tingyan, popped another strawberry into his mouth.
“I just like it.” He bit into the strawberry, the juice staining his lips even redder.
Li Tingyan smiled, saying nothing more, but his fingers lightly wiped away a bit of juice from the corner of Lin Chi’s mouth.
He accompanied Lin Chi to watch an episode of the boring soap opera, but he did not stay to have dinner with him.
He had to head to his grandfather’s old residence later, where Li Zhengdao was staying.
Li Zhengdao was seventy-five years old, but still in good health. Although he was retired in the eyes of outsiders, many matters concerning the Changhe Group and the Huxia Group still required his approval.
He now lived on a small island adjacent to City C, which took about an hour and a half to drive from Li Tingyan’s place.
So, Li Tingyan didn’t rest long after returning and put on his coat again, preparing to leave.
He adjusted his collar while telling Lin Chi, “I might not be back until the evening of the first day of the New Year. If you need anything at home, you can tell the butler or call me anytime.”
Lin Chi raised an eyebrow at the last part, “Is that okay? I thought you’d have some family gathering and it might be inconvenient to call.”
Li Tingyan smiled. “It’s not a big deal. There will be a gathering, but it usually only lasts two or three hours.”
However, as Li Tingyan spoke, his expression became slightly more unclear.
This family reunion day was one of the rare times he had to meet his father and his illegitimate younger brother throughout the year.
Sitting at the banquet for a few hours, listening to a bunch of not-so-close relatives brag and socialize, and exchanging insincere pleasantries was actually quite boring.
It was even more interesting having the New Year’s Eve dinner with Lin Chi.
Thinking of this, he glanced at Lin Chi again.
Lin Chi was still sitting on the sofa with his strawberry bowl, wearing a deep blue bathrobe, his slightly long hair tied behind his head, his clear white face looking more obedient than usual.
He even looked a bit youthful.
Lin Chi’s usual display of competence and independence often made Li Tingyan forget that he still had a few months before graduating from university.
Now, seeing Lin Chi’s rare quiet demeanor, he found himself wanting to take Lin Chi with him.
But that was, of course, wishful thinking. Li Tingyan said nothing. He took the gloves from the butler and put them on slowly.
Lin Chi stared at Li Tingyan’s fingers in the black gloves and, with uncharacteristic weakness, swallowed hard.
It was really bizarre.
How could Li Tingyan’s mother give birth to such a well-crafted person, with every detail so attractive?
Even his fingers were beautiful, and the black gloves made them look even sexier.
He followed Li Tingyan to the door, where the cold wind poured in through the open crack.
Li Tingyan reminded him, “It’s cold outside. You should go inside.”
Lin Chi shook his head, pulling his bathrobe closer. “It’s not cold.”
There was underfloor heating in the house, so he indeed felt no chill.
He was still holding the strawberry bowl, forgetting to put it away. As he looked up to say something to Li Tingyan, the bowl fell from his hand.
It made a clattering sound.
The transparent glass bowl shattered on the marble floor, with a piece landing on his exposed calf.
“Hmm?”
At first, Lin Chi didn’t realize there was a problem; he just felt a chill on his leg.
He looked down and saw a long diagonal cut on his leg, with blood slowly oozing out, leaving a chilling trail.
Li Tingyan crouched down, frowning as he held Lin Chi’s ankle.
The staff nearby quickly fetched a first-aid kit to stop the bleeding.
But Li Tingyan took it himself. He applied clean gauze to Lin Chi’s wound and looked up at him. “Does it hurt?”
Lin Chi shook his head.
He was generally good at enduring pain.
“It’s fine.”
He bent down and took the gauze from Li Tingyan’s hands to apply it himself.
“Go quickly. Don’t you need to get there before seven?” he urged Li Tingyan. “I’m fine. I can handle it myself.”
He brushed Li Tingyan’s hand away.
Li Tingyan pressed his lips together, knowing Lin Chi had a point, but he slowly stood up, still frowning.
He helped Lin Chi back to the sofa, where Lin Chi covered the wound with one hand. His face showed no sign of pain, and he even waved his hand as if to shoo him away.
“Don’t just stand there. Go quickly.”
He smiled. “You can’t have all your relatives arrive and you, the host, not be there.”
Li Tingyan glanced at his watch. It was indeed getting late.
He didn’t say anything further. With the home’s first-aid kit and medical staff, there was really no need to worry too much.
“I’ll leave now,” he said softly. “Don’t move around too much.”
Lin Chi only smiled without agreeing.
Li Tingyan walked step by step to the car. As the car door opened, he looked back again, seeing Lin Chi watching him from inside the door.
Outside was the pitch-black cold night, while Lin Chi was surrounded by a bright halo inside the door.
But the next second, the car door was respectfully closed, and the driver waited for his command.
Li Tingyan was silent for two seconds before he said, “Let’s go.”
Due to this interruption when leaving, Li Tingyan remained somewhat distracted even after arriving at his grandfather’s residence.
He was indeed a bit late. The hall was already filled with relatives, who seemed to be chatting casually but wore masks of politeness. Jewelry sparkled under the lights, and the mixed scents of perfume and faint cigar smoke were overwhelming.
Li Tingyan straightened his clothes and walked in with a relaxed pace. As he entered, the room subtly fell silent for a moment.
He first walked to the main seat and greeted with a smile, “Grandpa.”
Then he greeted a few relatives who were close by before finally focusing on a middle-aged man sitting to his left.
This man had a face somewhat similar to his, but looked much more ordinary. In his youth, he was charming, but now in middle age, only signs of aging and worldly wisdom remained.
Li Tingyan’s smile faded slightly, but he still called out, “Dad.”
This was his biological father, Li Jiang.
Sitting next to Li Jiang was a young man with a decent appearance, but lacking any real presence. Even in a suit, he didn’t look particularly composed, and he avoided making eye contact with Li Tingyan.
This was the second son of the Li family, whom they had never officially acknowledged—Li Guangyi.
Li Jiang was holding a string of prayer beads, smiled, and responded to Li Tingyan’s greeting. He nudged Li Guangyi and said, “Why are you just standing there like a fool? Say hello to your elder brother.”
Li Guangyi pursed his lips, clearly reluctant.
Ever since Li Tingyan had thrown him into a pond when he was ten years old, nearly drowning him before pulling him out, Li Guangyi had been particularly intimidated by Li Tingyan.
However, with Li Tingyan being the head of the family and in front of so many people, he obediently said, “Ge.”
Li Tingyan’s expression remained unchanged.
He knew everyone in the room was observing them. Although such scenes happened every year, he didn’t know if others found them bothersome, but he certainly was fed up.
He gave a cold nod and walked straight to Li Zhengdao’s side.
“Old man,” he said, his smile much more sincere when he addressed Li Zhengdao. He naturally sat down in the adjacent seat and spoke in a slightly more affectionate tone, jokingly, “Why haven’t we started eating yet? I can already smell alcohol on you. Sneaking drinks again?”
Li Zhengdao had fatty liver and high blood pressure, and the doctor advised against drinking too much.
Li Zhengdao laughed heartily, “Stop fussing over your grandpa.”
But he patted Li Tingyan and gestured, “Just had a little.”
Li Tingyan chuckled and gave him a helpless look.
Everyone could see the closeness between the grandfather and grandson, but Li Jiang, his biological son, did not receive such treatment.
While they were chatting, a few more people arrived and greeted everyone.
Li Tingyan looked up and saw his paternal aunt’s family.
Li Zhengdao scanned the room and seeing that everyone was present, he grabbed Li Tingyan’s hand and stood up.
“Alright, since everyone is here, let’s not fuss over details. Let’s move to the dining room and start the meal.”
Everyone followed as they moved.
As they walked from the hall to the dining room, Li Zhengdao, still holding Li Tingyan’s hand, asked with a smile, “Why are you late today? I asked you to come over in the afternoon to play a game of chess with me, but you didn’t come. Didn’t want to see your dad and brother?”
Li Tingyan also smiled.
He shook his head, “Not really. Just had some things at the company.”
It was true that there were things at the company, but he had also spent some time with Lin Chi.
Li Zhengdao snorted lightly, “I heard you left the company quite early today, but once you got home, you didn’t come out for a long time.”
His tone seemed to suggest something, or perhaps he was just making casual conversation.
Li Tingyan lowered his lashes, his voice calm, “I just went back to change clothes.”
Li Zhengdao glanced at his grandson. Walking in the corridor, seeing Li Tingyan’s unchanged demeanor, he didn’t press further.
Especially when they reached the dining hall, everyone took their seats according to their assigned places.
No matter how many schemes and complications existed in the Li family’s business, at New Year’s, Li Zhengdao looked at his large family gathered together, and his face softened a bit.
He was actually a very thin, sharp-faced old man who, even with age, had not learned to be gentle.
His only favoritism was probably towards Li Tingyan, as Li Tingyan was raised under him, and his late wife had also loved Li Tingyan the most. They shared the same birthmark.
His wife had once joked that because they had the same birthmark, they must have been family in a past life.
So now Li Tingyan was seated right next to him, while Li Jiang and Li Guangyi sat farther away.
This pre-New Year’s family dinner had no special significance.
The table Li Tingyan sat at was filled with close relatives. They should have been a close-knit family, but at the family dinner, without work to talk about, they could only discuss trivial matters.
Li Tingyan’s aunt had just had a new granddaughter. Since the baby was too young, they didn’t bring her out but showed everyone pictures.
Li Tingyan wasn’t interested in children and only lifted his eyelids slightly, offering polite praise.
But Li Jiang seemed eager to show off his fatherly side. Although he had rarely talked to his son throughout the year, he looked at Li Tingyan and asked with a smile, “Tingyan, don’t just look at other people’s kids. When can it be your turn to give me grandchildren?”
Li Tingyan looked up.
Li Jiang looked at him with a face that was clearly similar to his, but his smile didn’t reach his eyes, though it was filled with concern.
Li Jiang continued joking with Li Zhengdao, “I even introduced Tingyan to a girl before—the daughter of Minister Zhao, just graduated from Stanford, smart and proper, a few years younger than him. Yet he wouldn’t even meet her. Now that he’s grown up, he’s got too many thoughts of his own, and we can’t control him.”
The other elders at the table agreed. In Chinese New Year family dinners, discussing the younger generation’s marriage was often a suitable topic.
Otherwise, where would a group of polite but insincere people find a topic to discuss?
Li Zhengdao’s sharp eyes also turned to Li Tingyan.
He rarely agreed with his son, saying to Li Tingyan, “Your dad’s not wrong. You’re already grown up and still haven’t dated. It doesn’t matter if you don’t like the person he introduced. I, as your old man, still have some influence. If you like someone’s daughter, I’ll shamelessly go and ask for an introduction.”
Li Tingyan was at the center of everyone’s attention.
These words were not out of place at all. After this New Year, he would be twenty-eight years old.
At his age, in the prime of his life, and coming from a distinguished background, it was entirely normal for marriage matters to come up.
His family’s expectations for him were probably to marry a young lady from a prominent family, ideally someone who could support his career, or at the very least, a suitable match.
But at this moment, what he remembered was Lin Chi sitting just inside the door, gazing at him from afar.
“Let’s talk about it later; I’m not in a hurry,” Li Tingyan said, “I’m not very interested in marriage.”
He knew his father’s intention was to introduce him to the daughters of officials who were friends with his father.
He chuckled and casually dropped a bombshell, “How about we first focus on Guangyi? I remember Guangyi had a girlfriend at school, and they’ve been dating for more than two years. Last month, I think I even saw them together at the Red Mansion.”
He smiled at Li Guangyi, “When you have time, bring your girlfriend home to meet the family.”
Li Guangyi immediately tensed up.
Li Jiang frowned upon hearing this. Li Guangyi indeed had a girlfriend, but her background was quite improper, and he had explicitly ordered them to break up.
Li Guangyi hadn’t expected Li Tingyan to know about this, as he had indeed broken up with her on the surface, but was secretly keeping her in another city.
He gave a dry laugh, “Ge, you must be mistaken.”
Li Tingyan smiled and decided to leave it at that, as continuing would make the situation worse.
Li Guangyi’s girlfriend not only hadn’t broken up with him but was also pregnant.
Li Jiang wanted grandchildren but had been looking in the wrong direction; there was already a ready-made one nearby.
After dinner, except for close relatives, people began to say their goodbyes one after another. The custom of the Li family was to gather distant and close relatives for a family dinner the night before New Year’s Eve, but on New Year’s Eve itself, everyone returned to their own homes to pay respects to the gods, with only the closest relatives staying behind.
Li Zhengdao was still in good spirits, chatting with a few of the older generation.
Li Tingyan stayed downstairs with them for a while and then returned to his room, dialing Lin Chi’s number.
Lin Chi had just finished dinner as well.
With Li Tingyan not at home, the house seemed even emptier, though perhaps it was because Li Tingyan had instructed them to, a few long-time staff members, along with the housekeeper, had joined him for dinner.
Aunt Shao, who had always taken care of Li Tingyan, had even secretly shown him some childhood photos of Li Tingyan.
He looked at the photo of a serious little boy holding on tightly to a goldfish, laughing uncontrollably.
It was at this moment that Li Tingyan’s call came in.
Lin Chi bit into a pastry and, seeing Li Tingyan’s call, raised an eyebrow.
Although Li Tingyan had said he could call anytime, Lin Chi wasn’t so tactless.
In such a big family gathering, with Li Tingyan being the center of attention, he probably didn’t have much freedom.
But Li Tingyan had called first.
Lin Chi answered the call.
“Hello?”
His voice involuntarily carried a bit of a smile as he called out the name on the other end, “Li Tingyan?”
Li Tingyan was sitting in his room, on the rocking chair on the balcony.
The room was very quiet; the noisy night below, the voices of others, and the performers hired for the evening seemed like another world, not reaching this side.
In fact, before making the call, he wasn’t sure of his own purpose.
Lin Chi was at home, being well taken care of by the staff he had left behind.
There was really nothing to worry about.
But when the call was actually connected, and Lin Chi called his name, he suddenly understood.
On this quiet, deep night, he just wanted to hear Lin Chi’s voice.