Blazing fire is hard to extinguish chapter 65
Extra if Line: Personal Nurturing 5
Time flew by, and Lin Chi was about to start school. Soon, Li Tingyan would return to the U.S. to continue his studies.
Lin Chi was not nervous at all about going to a completely new environment.
The clothes were placed beside him: a white shirt and loose black pants, paired with a dark green striped tie.
After a summer vacation, Lin Chi had grown a bit taller. He had been well taken care of by Li Tingyan, gaining some weight and no longer looking thin and pale. His facial features seemed to have matured a bit, with especially bright eyes. Standing next to Li Tingyan, he had a straight posture, long legs, and broad shoulders, already showing signs of future charisma.
When Xu Mu came for tea, he had smilingly commented that with Lin Chi looking like this, he would probably attract quite a few girls in high school.
“Maybe even some boys,” Ye Fengshan chimed in from the side, earning a glare from Li Tingyan.
Now, Lin Chi was preparing his things for school the next day. He didn’t want the servants to help and methodically followed the list he had made.
Li Tingyan, however, kept watching him with a thoughtful expression.
In a little over a week, he would return to MIT. Honestly, he had quite a bit of vacation time, but he wouldn’t be coming back often.
Therefore, there would be many times when he and Lin Chi couldn’t see each other.
He had previously helped Lin Chi transfer to City C because he hadn’t planned on keeping Lin Chi with him to take abroad.
Not to mention Lin Chi’s language skills, he himself only wanted to keep Lin Chi as a sort of pastime rather than act as a nanny for the kid.
If Lin Chi were to be with him all the time, it would be troublesome. Leaving him at the villa to attend a local school was better for both him and Lin Chi.
That’s what he had originally thought.
He also knew it was the right thing to do.
But seeing Lin Chi turning around under the lamp, seeming excited about starting school, and showing no reaction to his upcoming departure, made him feel a bit unhappy.
For a moment, he almost wanted to ask Lin Chi if he would prefer to stay here for school or go with him to the U.S.
His villa in the U.S. was spacious enough to accommodate a teenager like Lin Chi who didn’t take up much space.
But that thought only flashed briefly through his mind.
In the end, he said nothing.
The next day, Li Tingyan took Lin Chi to school. The school was very close, and they arrived in no time.
The first day of school didn’t involve much; it was mainly for students to get familiar with the environment and meet new classmates.
To Li Tingyan’s surprise, Lin Chi seemed quite sociable. After sitting in the classroom for a while, he got to know several classmates. The group of teenagers were friendly and eager to talk to Lin Chi, with some even exchanging contact information with him on the spot.
Li Tingyan raised his eyebrows in surprise.
But they didn’t stay in the classroom long; after the teacher did some registration, they were free to leave.
Li Tingyan accompanied Lin Chi around the school.
His appearance was striking and he didn’t look like a parent, so many students curiously glanced at him and then at Lin Chi.
Lin Chi bought an ice cream for himself, and his lips were smeared with a ring of milky white, which he licked off.
“I thought you didn’t like making friends,” Li Tingyan said.
“Why?”
“Because when we first met, you looked very cautious. Later, when I came to pick you up and helped you with the transfer, I interacted with your former teachers and neighbors. They all said you were very reserved and didn’t talk much.”
Lin Chi raised his eyebrows.
He took another bite of his ice cream. “That was true before. Making friends was troublesome. You know the situation at home. I was always thinking about how to support myself, fighting with Lin Zhaofeng, and helping my mom with housework. I barely had time to make friends.”
“Moreover, I didn’t have money, so I couldn’t go out with others or bring them to my place. If Lin Zhaofeng saw us, who knew if the classmates would be scared.”
He shrugged, “If it were you, would you be in the mood to make friends?”
When he was in elementary school, back when things at home were calm, he had many friends.
Li Tingyan understood this reason.
But he asked Lin Chi, “What about now? Are you in the mood?”
There was a barely detectable hint of a smile in his voice.
Lin Chi finished the last bite of his ice cream and tossed the stick into the trash can.
“Yes.”
He turned to look at Li Tingyan. He really was taller and stronger than he was two months ago. His eyes were no longer suppressed and gloomy. Dressed in a white school uniform shirt and standing in front of a dense forest, he looked as upright as a poplar tree.
“If you tell me that Lin Zhaofeng will never bother me and my mom again in this lifetime, then I’ll be in the mood.”
Lin Chi walked over slowly, standing shoulder to shoulder with Li Tingyan as they continued forward.
People came and went around them.
This school was a prestigious one, and the people passing by were well-mannered and polite. The students seemed well-educated as well.
Lin Chi said softly, “If I think about it carefully, meeting you in that shabby temple was actually the luckiest thing in my life.”
But he paused, tilted his head, and looked at Li Tingyan, smiling, “Although it should have been a major disaster for you.”
Li Tingyan smiled as well but didn’t comment on that statement.
They had lunch at a restaurant outside the school.
Lin Chi paid for the meal.
Although his current source of income was Li Tingyan, it didn’t stop him from generously telling Li Tingyan to order whatever he wanted.
Li Tingyan looked through the menu in front of him, his mouth curving into a slight smile.
After lunch, Li Tingyan took Lin Chi to watch a movie.
In the theater, Lin Chi leaned on his shoulder, and since there weren’t many people, he whispered very quietly in Li Tingyan’s ear.
“I think the male lead isn’t as good-looking as you.”
Li Tingyan chuckled softly.
For the whole day and the following week, Lin Chi was very satisfied.
He integrated well into his new high school life, got along harmoniously with the classmates around him, and thanks to Li Tingyan’s intensive tutoring plan, his mock exam ranking wasn’t bad.
And when the holidays came, he could come back and play tennis with Li Tingyan or visit Xu Mu’s house to play with the Samoyed.
He got along very well with “Amantha,” probably because he always brought her snacks.
Xu Mu was also a great friend. Every time Lin Chi visited, he would make him fruit juice, prepare desserts, and play games with him.
But this happy life came to a sudden stop.
Li Tingyan and Xu Mu had to return to school. Xu Mu was fine, staying in the country, but Li Tingyan was going abroad.
On the day Li Tingyan left, Lin Chi went to see him off.
In the car, he felt a subtle unhappiness but couldn’t quite pinpoint the reason. He could only sulk in silence.
No matter how unwilling he was, the car arrived at the airport.
“You don’t need to come down. Just go back with the driver,” Li Tingyan instructed him. “I might not be back for a long time. You can video call me if you want, and tell me if you’re unhappy at school. You can also tell the housekeeper. Otherwise, you should go to your mom. But don’t neglect your courses, including extracurricular training.”
Lin Chi was even more unhappy, pouting, knowing he was just saying these things.
But when it was time for Li Tingyan to leave, he couldn’t help but hold onto Li Tingyan’s sleeve.
Li Tingyan was startled and turned to look at him.
The two of them stared at each other for a while. Lin Chi’s hand, which had reached out, didn’t say anything, and he quietly let go.
But Li Tingyan understood something subtly.
He looked at Lin Chi, hesitated for a moment, and made his promise early.
“When winter comes and the holiday starts, I can bring you to the US.”
On the way back, Lin Chi’s tense expression improved quite a bit due to Li Tingyan’s promise.
He listened to music with his headphones on. The sunlight outside was strong, and even sitting in the car, it seemed like he could feel it.
A hint of the scorching summer heat.
But as he sat in the back seat of the car, what came to mind was the scene from two months ago, when they had taken refuge in a cave during a torrential downpour with Li Tingyan.
Even though Li Tingyan’s face still had traces of blood and his lips were pale, his eyes were as bright as starlight. They huddled together like two wild beasts keeping warm.
He covered Li Tingyan’s mouth, afraid that he might make a sound.
Li Tingyan, however, remained calm and composed throughout, blocking the outer position.
That night, he couldn’t sleep but wasn’t really afraid.
For some reason, Li Tingyan had a kind of calming power that was convincing.
After Li Tingyan brought him out of the cave, he fulfilled his promise and made sure he wasn’t exposed to any wind or rain.
Even on the night Zheng Xin underwent surgery, when he was tense and waiting outside the operating room, it was Li Tingyan who held his hand and said, “Don’t be afraid, nothing will happen.”
Lin Chi blinked his eyelashes.
Although Li Tingyan had only been gone for a short while, leaning against the car door, he found himself starting to miss Li Tingyan a little.
After more than two months of close companionship, all the changes in him came from Li Tingyan, which had indeed made him a bit dependent.
But just a bit.
Lin Chi thought firmly.