Blazing fire is hard to extinguish chapter 51
Crisis Awareness
The voice messages were sent, regret was too late, and blocking Li Tingyan was futile.
Lin Chi wiped his face and staggered up from the ground.
Huo Yuning didn’t bother to figure out what madness he was up to again. “Hurry up and get ready. We have a dinner appointment with Director Gu today. The big director is passing through France and made a special trip to see you. If you’re late, I’ll skin you alive.”
Her last words were sinister, devoid of any hint of a joke.
“Got it,” Lin Chi replied weakly.
He grabbed a change of clothes and quickly rushed into the bathroom for a shower. He couldn’t stand himself for having slept on the floor the previous night.
He brushed his teeth while looking in the mirror. The person in the reflection showed no signs of fatigue, except for a hint of red in his eyes. Otherwise, he looked vibrant and full of energy.
After staring at the mirror for a while, he made a funny face at his reflection.
“Embarrassing,” he muttered.
…..
Over an hour later, Lin Chi left the hotel. Downstairs, Huo Yuning was already waiting for him.
The director they were meeting that day was Gu Yiyuan, only thirty-two years old, yet a leading figure among the new generation of directors in China. Last year, he won the Best Director Award at the Golden Image Awards for his film “Western Garden,” making a big splash domestically.
He was preparing a new movie and had been casting since last year.
There was a minor supporting role that was crucial to the entire film.
The character needed to be young, mysterious, and able to capture everyone’s attention at first sight.
After searching through numerous young actors in China, none had caught his eye until he inexplicably found Lin Chi after watching one of his runway shows.
His reason was straightforward: “Acting skills aren’t the most important for this role. I can coach that, but the actor must be strikingly beautiful, making others willingly do anything for them.”
He told this to Huo Yuning.
Lin Chi, sitting nearby, thought the role sounded like a perfect, albeit very vain, character.
But Huo Yuning smiled and nodded. “It’s quite a coincidence, Director Gu. I’m not bragging about Lin Chi, but this role sounds just like him. When it comes to charm, I’ve never seen him lose.”
Her words were neither humble nor arrogant. Even though Director Gu’s offer was a godsend, she remained composed.
Because Lin Chi had that kind of potential.
Gu Yiyuan smiled, not finding Huo Yuning arrogant, but rather likable.
However, Huo Yuning wasn’t naive. Despite her calm demeanor, she knew her worth.
Gu Yiyuan was just passing through France but made a special trip to meet Lin Chi for tea. She was keen to ingratiate herself.
On the way, she briefed Lin Chi on Gu Yiyuan’s background.
“Gu Yiyuan comes from a wealthy family. He’s the second son, and his family is in pharmaceuticals, so he has money to burn. Fortunately, he’s also talented. Nowadays, every young actor lines up to be in his movies. Do you know the Chunfu Group? That’s his family’s business, not much different from Li Tingyan’s family…”
Huo Yuning was in a good mood and let slip a name she shouldn’t have mentioned.
Ouch.
She quickly shut her mouth and glanced at Lin Chi.
Lin Chi’s expression remained indifferent, seemingly unfazed, and he even responded, “And?”
Huo Yuning felt a bit relieved.
But she quickly resumed her warnings. “What do you mean ‘and’? Gu Yiyuan has extensive connections, high status, and awards. Acting in his film is the best springboard for your career in China. But Gu Yiyuan has a temper, so be careful not to offend him…”
Lin Chi chuckled softly.
He had sensed Gu Yiyuan’s temper during his last audition when Gu received a call and scolded the poor soul on the other end.
Thinking about it, Li Tingyan, despite his high status, had a much more stable temperament.
But remembering Li Tingyan made Lin Chi blink, feeling inexplicably disinterested.
Huo Yuning continued her lecture, like a personal paparazzi detailing Gu Yiyuan’s preferences and taboos.
Lin Chi lazily responded, “Got it.”
…..
Hospital.
Li Tingyan sat on the white hospital bed, looking at a magazine spread out before him.
He had been in the hospital for two days. The rumors about his spleen rupture and emergency surgery were exaggerated.
He had only broken two ribs and needed a month of rest.
He could leave the hospital once his injuries were bandaged, but after a chaotic six months and with his grandfather still upset with him, he decided to stay in the hospital for some peace.
However, he never relaxed his grip on Changhe Group. His assistant and senior executives visited the hospital daily, and since it was a private hospital with a large suite, they could hold meetings in the living room.
Ye Fengsha was visiting him now, bringing greetings from Xu Mu and others.
Li Tingyan seemed distracted, his gaze fixed on the magazine in front of him.
The magazine, just delivered by his assistant, was the French edition of “VITA,” with Lin Chi on the cover.
On the cover, Lin Chi wore a pure white long shirt and bit a fiery red rose. The rose’s glow reflected on his face, giving his pale complexion a hint of color.
Typically, supermodels should appear as cold and aloof as possible.
But Lin Chi, standing there, was the epitome of sexiness and beauty, evoking desire in those who saw him.
At least for Li Tingyan, who couldn’t take his eyes off Lin Chi, contemplating how to capture him like a hidden lion stalking its prey.
With some effort, he put the magazine aside, a slow sigh escaping his chest.
He lifted his eyes and looked at Ye Fengshan beside him.
“What did you just say?”
Ye Fengshan really wanted to stab him with the fruit knife in his hand.
“It’s not easy for you to remember someone like me,” Ye Fengshan said sarcastically. “I’ve been sitting here for ten minutes like air, you might as well glue your eyeballs to the magazine.”
“Because you’ve been talking nonsense for ten minutes,” Li Tingyan said calmly. “I’ve already told you, I’m fine, just need a couple of days to recover and I can be discharged.”
Ye Fengshan rolled his eyes and returned to the main topic.
“I was just asking if your brother is really in the hospital too? I heard it’s serious.”
Actually, two people from the Li family were hospitalized recently, one was Li Tingyan, and the other was Li Guangyi.
But as an illegitimate child, Li Guangyi was not in the power center and was not usually paid much attention to. Moreover, he did everything from drinking to fighting and clubbing, so it seemed normal for him to end up in the hospital.
However, Ye Fengshan, being close to the Li family, naturally heard some rumors.
“Are you talking about him…” Li Tingyan chuckled, his jet-black eyes appearing a bit cold in the sunlight. “It’s quite serious, almost had to go to the ICU, scared my dad to tears.”
Thinking of Li Jiang’s devastated look, Li Tingyan’s expression turned even more mocking.
Ye Fengshan raised an eyebrow subtly.
Having hung out with Li Tingyan for so long, he certainly understood his nature.
When Li Tingyan had a car accident in college, he had vaguely heard that it wasn’t entirely an accident.
But after so many years, seeing that Li Tingyan seemed to have no intention of settling accounts, he thought it was all in the past.
Unexpectedly…
Ye Fengshan took a bite of the apple and asked again, “So why did Li Guangyi end up in the hospital?”
“Street racing.”
Li Tingyan uttered two words from his thin lips.
The same reason as his accident back then.
He said nonchalantly, “You know, he’s always been unstable, easily influenced by others, lost all sense of direction after drinking, and went racing with his buddies. One careless move, and the car flipped. Probably a warning from the heavens.”
“That’s really…”
Ye Fengshan was stunned for a moment.
If he remembered correctly, after Li Tingyan’s car accident, his father seemed to have the same attitude.
Said that Li Tingyan had always been arrogant, and the accident was a warning from the heavens.
Ye Fengshan curled his lips, feeling no sympathy, “Li Guangyi probably won’t recover soon this time. His health wasn’t good to begin with, he might as well stay in the hospital for a while.”
“He does need to recuperate in the hospital. Although he’s not seriously injured, he’s unlucky, as it supposedly affected his fertility,” Li Tingyan said calmly.
Ye Fengshan almost choked on his fruit.
Fertility?
How did he crash to cause that?
But looking at Li Tingyan’s calm face, he just coughed twice and muttered, “That’s really unlucky.”
“Yeah,” Li Tingyan smiled slightly, his tone relaxed. “When he can leave the hospital depends on when my dad can come to terms with it. As long as my dad stops causing trouble, I guarantee he’ll soon have a lively son.”
The father-son relationship between him and Li Jiang had completely broken down.
Even those not familiar with the Li family knew how bad their attitudes towards each other were.
Especially in the past six months, Li Zhengtao’s change in attitude gave Li Jiang hope.
Li Jiang quickly took bold actions, acting as if he had returned to the center of power in the Li family.
In just six months, the subsidiary company he led lost 1.5 billion yuan.
What a joke.
Ye Fengshan knew this too, and sighed, “Your dad is also…”
He pursed his lips, choosing not to speak ill of elders and prioritizing brotherhood without hesitation.
He said sullenly, “If I had a dad like yours, I’d be depressed.”
Not accomplishing anything good, having no ability, but being a top-notch nuisance, it seemed like they were sworn enemies in a past life. Li Jiang even had the heart to want to cripple his eldest son.
But Li Tingyan didn’t care.
He said coldly, “You’ll get used to it. Besides, you see, he’s about to disappear.”
From start to finish, his relationship with Li Jiang didn’t even count as a war.
His grandfather was just using Li Jiang to pressure him, but this tactic might have worked a few years ago, not now.
In the six-month tug-of-war, he gained the support of his aunt Li Shu and also received the share transfer from his biological mother.
In the actual control of Changhe Group, his share was now almost equal to Li Zhengtao’s.
Li Zhengtao wasn’t a fool.
Neither Li Jiang nor Li Guangyi could be relied on.
His daughter Li Shu’s family didn’t know how to run a business, and the third generation was just starting elementary school.
Unless he chose to personally take charge again, he had no choice but Li Tingyan.
Ye Fengshan could obviously understand what Li Tingyan meant.
His gaze swept over the magazines on the table, his expression complex.
He certainly knew what kind of struggle Li Tingyan had been going through with his family for the past six months.
It was all for Lin Chi.
In their circle, it wasn’t a big deal to maintain a facade of marriage while keeping lovers of both sexes in private.
But to fall out with the family, risking the destruction of his career to openly be with someone, was rare and would even be seen as madness.
In fact, in the past six months, everyone close to the Li family was gossiping behind their backs, saying that Li Tingyan had gone mad.
Although Ye Fengshan used to joke that Lin Chi was like a sister-in-law, he didn’t think their relationship would last long, assuming it was just living for the moment.
But now, it seemed like Li Tingyan was obsessed.
Even though Lin Chi had already left with his bag to travel abroad, Li Tingyan was still willing to fight against everyone for him.
This made Ye Fengshan quite worried.
Feeling depressed, he thought to himself, he never realized his buddy was such a lovesick fool before.
“What’s going on with you and Lin Chi now…” He picked another grape and hesitated, “I don’t think Lin Chi is paying you any attention. Yet you’re the one obsessed, even coming out for him. Does Lin Chi know how dramatic you’re being?”
He finished with a hint of obvious ridicule.
“Does he know you got your ribs broken by your grandfather and still didn’t give up?” he said mockingly, imitating Li Tingyan, “I’m set on Lin Chi, no changing that.”
Li Tingyan shot him a glare.
Fair-weather friends.
That’s exactly what Ye Fengshan was.
But when it came to Lin Chi, his expression also showed a bit of helplessness.
“I don’t even know what I am to him,” Li Tingyan said quietly, unable to hide a touch of bitterness, like a jealous husband, “I told him to wait for me, but he’s living it up in France, probably doesn’t even think about me anymore.”
He had received a voice message from Lin Chi that morning, initially feeling a secret joy.
But when he tried to say something more, he found himself blocked.
And it didn’t stop there.
When it rains, it pours.
In the afternoon, Miss Chen, his former blind date, Chen Yilin, gleefully sent him a photo.
In the photo, Lin Chi was on a balcony with a tall foreign guy, smiling as if kissing the side of the guy’s face.
The photo was blurry, probably taken by one of Chen Yilin’s friends with a phone.
The night was gloomy, but Lin Chi seemed to be shining, and the guy opposite him was clearly smitten as well.
This made Li Tingyan even more upset. If he didn’t have a mess to clean up here, he would have flown abroad to win Lin Chi back right then.
Just listening.
Ye Fengshan felt a headache coming on.
My goodness, this complaining husband speech coming from Li Tingyan, it was more unbelievable than an alien invasion.
“And you still rushed to come out,” he couldn’t help but say, filled with frustration, “You simp.”
Li Tingyan gave him a sinister look. If looks could kill, Ye Fengshan would have been torn to pieces.
He also stabbed a grape with a silver fork, but didn’t eat it, just twirled it around.
“Mind your own business,” he said softly.
No matter what happens, even if Lin Chi runs away, I’ll get him back.
He looked up at Ye Fengshan, “You said Lin Chi is set to film a domestic movie now, who’s the director again?”
Ye Fengshan’s face was full of depression, but he had to answer.
“Director Gu Yiyuan, the filming should start in two months. You might not know him, but he’s quite famous in the industry, and he specifically chose Lin Chi for the role. Even though it’s just a supporting role, it’ll still get a lot of attention,” he said, his expression turning a bit strange as he looked at Li Tingyan, “But…”
Li Tingyan raised an eyebrow, “But what…”
Ye Fengshan hesitated, “If I remember correctly, Gu Yiyuan’s orientation is similar to yours.”
The grape rolled off the silver fork and fell back onto the plate.
Li Tingyan gripped the slender silver fork, his expression unreadable.
He looked at the sunlight spilling onto the bed, suddenly wanting to demolish the hospital.
After a few seconds of silence, he suddenly said to Ye Fengshan, “I think I can be discharged now. Get my assistant from the next room.”
Author’s note:
A chance for Li Tingyan to shine
The next chapter should be “He Chases.”