Blazing fire is hard to extinguish chapter 71
Extra If Line: Personal Nurturing 11
Lin Chi was in the supermarket picking out tomatoes, planning to make dinner himself that night, with a cart full of snacks and fruits nearby.
After picking the tomatoes, he reached for a box of yogurt, and his phone in his pocket buzzed.
He took it out and saw it was a senior he met through a club activity, who clearly had an interest in him and had asked him out several times, both directly and indirectly.
The senior looked decent, had a good temperament, and was quite popular in school.
But Lin Chi had no interest in him. Seeing his name made him frown, growing increasingly impatient. When the senior asked if he could go out for a drink in the evening, Lin Chi simply blocked him.
But as he put his phone back in his pocket and stood in front of the shelves, he felt a bit lost.
Since entering university, the attention he received was even more exaggerated than in high school—people who happened to see him, squeezed next to him in the library, or followed him to every event.
It was all very annoying.
It’s not that he hadn’t considered dating, which would be a lie. He wasn’t a monk. After the stressful high school years and getting into university, enjoying life wasn’t a crime.
But every person who approached him, he couldn’t help but compare to Li Tingyan.
They weren’t as handsome as Li Tingyan, not as smart, and didn’t show him the same gentleness. They didn’t even tell cold jokes like Li Tingyan.
It wasn’t that his filter was too thick.
He also knew that with Li Tingyan’s conditions, calling him a dragon among men was not an exaggeration.
If he insisted on using Li Tingyan as a standard, he’d be far from finding a match for life.
Thinking about this, Lin Chi felt a bit troubled.
He pushed his cart around the supermarket, looking for anything he might have missed.
He had chosen to move to this neighborhood partly because of the large supermarket downstairs. It was convenient for shopping, and many students and office workers lived here, making it quite peaceful.
But as he threw a pack of beer into the cart, he remembered another matter.
He still hadn’t told Li Tingyan that he wanted to live independently.
Previously, Xi Zhiwen had invited him to live together, directly buying two floors—one for him to live downstairs—and he had been tempted. However, he didn’t want to be a third wheel, so he declined and found a place on his own.
Now it was settled. Xi Zhiwen and his partner broke up, and heartbroken, he took a break from school to heal abroad, so there was no need to think about him anymore.
Living alone was actually quite enjoyable.
He was quite self-sufficient. Even though Li Tingyan had spoiled him over the years, he hadn’t forgotten how to take care of himself. There weren’t many classes in university, and he even learned to cook a few homestyle dishes. After class, he played games, watched movies, occasionally went to bars with friends, did rock climbing, and archery. His life seemed quite full.
Except for those quiet nights when he occasionally stared out the window, thinking of Li Tingyan, nothing seemed off.
But that was precisely the biggest problem.
He had accepted Li Tingyan’s care for so many years.
Every sign of his growth seemed to carry Li Tingyan’s shadow.
He had long been accustomed to everything about Li Tingyan.
The mere thought of leaving Li Tingyan caused a dull ache in his chest.
But he was not an immature child anymore.
If he didn’t feel that spark for Li Tingyan, he could shamelessly linger by his side for a few more years, until they naturally drifted apart.
But now, he couldn’t.
He imagined that one day, Li Tingyan would have his own family, his own wife, maybe even children.
And as an “unrelated Young Master Lin,” with no ties or proper place, how would he manage?
Moreover, he was already grown up. He shouldn’t feel entitled to enjoy all of Li Tingyan’s care and privileges.
As Lin Chi carried his shopping bags home, his steps were slow, far from the relaxed mood he had after class.
It was only a few steps from the supermarket to his building, but the sun was making him feel dizzy.
Almost irrationally, he resented Li Tingyan in his heart.
He felt that Li Tingyan was just too much, why did he have to be so perfect? From his looks to his personality, from his knowledge to his conduct, every little detail aligned with Lin Chi’s aesthetic.
How could he not be infatuated?
Countless times, while playing games beside Li Tingyan, he had the urge to throw away the console and impulsively kiss him.
But as soon as he looked up and met Li Tingyan’s gaze, all his courage would evaporate.
He thought, “Li Tingyan probably doesn’t like guys.”
But then again, he’d never seen Li Tingyan like anyone at all.
Ye Fengshan and Xu Mu both had relationships, but Li Tingyan never did. He was so pure and detached, it was as if he was about to become a monk. He’d never even gone on a date with any lady.
This sometimes led Lin Chi to entertain the most absurd fantasies.
What if?
What if he went all out and confessed to Li Tingyan? Would Li Tingyan accept?
But just as this thought arose, he’d immediately squash it.
He didn’t dare.
If Li Tingyan were a stranger, Lin Chi would have already confessed without a second thought.
But, unfortunately, it was Li Tingyan who raised him.
Li Tingyan had taken care of him from the age of fifteen until now, teaching him with the utmost gentleness, more responsible than a biological brother. Every year, he would take him on vacations abroad, and indulged his every whim, whether reasonable or not.
He couldn’t even bear the thought of seeing Li Tingyan disappointed in him—it would be unbearable.
He also couldn’t accept the idea of a complete break with Li Tingyan.
Because Li Tingyan was too important to him.
.
Lost in these thoughts, by the time he reached his front door, Lin Chi’s stomach was in knots.
Forget it.
He thought distractedly that he should first think about how to tell Li Tingyan that he no longer wanted to rely on the Li family’s living expenses.
He reached for his keys, inserting the key into the lock and turning it, as the door opened, he furrowed his brow instinctively.
He had the sense that the rug at the entrance had shifted slightly.
He couldn’t help but feel a sense of caution.
But as his eyes swept around the room, he froze in place.
Next to his shoe rack was a pair of custom-made John Lobb men’s shoes.
A very familiar style.
As far as he knew, no thief would enter and neatly place such shoes after a break-in.
But because of this, he realized who had broken in, and his breath caught in his throat.
Lin Chi stood at the doorway, shopping bags cutting into his fingers, not wanting to go inside anymore.
His Adam’s apple bobbed twice as he even considered for a second whether he could still escape.
But as if fate wanted to add insult to injury, the plastic bag in his hand suddenly tore.
The contents spilled all over the floor with a loud crash.
Beer cans and cherry tomatoes rolled far away, even into the living room.
Naturally, the noise alerted the person sitting inside the living room.
The room fell silent for a few seconds.
Then, a tall figure emerged from behind the sofa, walked around the small bookshelf Lin Chi had just bought, and stood not far from him.
Those shiny, innocent-looking cherry tomatoes still lay scattered on the floor, and the person picked them up one by one.
Along with the two beer cans, they were placed neatly on the table nearby.
But as the person took a couple of steps toward the door, Lin Chi instinctively stepped back.
His mind was in chaos.
He couldn’t figure out why Li Tingyan was here.
He swallowed hard.
For some reason, even though Li Tingyan seemed calm, walking toward him slowly, Lin Chi felt a rising sense of dread.
Even though it didn’t seem like he had done anything wrong.
He was 18, no longer wanting to be under anyone’s control, so he moved out of Li Tingyan’s apartment. That wasn’t such a big deal.
He could just be as unreasonable as before, act a bit shamelessly, and Li Tingyan would let him go.
But why?
As Li Tingyan came closer and their eyes met, Lin Chi had a bad feeling.
His hand even unconsciously reached for the doorknob behind him.
But before he could do anything, Li Tingyan had already reached him.
Li Tingyan’s hand pressed lightly on his, not exerting any force.
He was trapped between Li Tingyan’s chest and the door, and the space became extremely tight.
Their faces were so close that if Lin Chi just tilted his head slightly, he would touch Li Tingyan’s nose.
This made him freeze, unable to move.
“I’ve been waiting for you for a long time.”
Li Tingyan looked at Lin Chi’s tense face, lowered his head, and said calmly, “You came back a little later than I expected.”
Lin Chi felt like his scalp was about to explode.
.
Twenty minutes later.
Lin Chi was stalling, using the excuse of putting away the groceries to avoid facing Li Tingyan.
Li Tingyan didn’t call out his pretense, just sat on the sofa waiting for him.
Finally, after putting away the last snack on the shelf, Lin Chi had run out of ways to stall.
He sat on the kitchen floor for a moment, zoning out, before sneaking out a bit to watch Li Tingyan from behind the glass door.
In a few more years, if faced with this situation, he would probably have the sharpness to sense what was going on.
Or maybe he would handle it with more ease, jumping up immediately to question why Li Tingyan had broken in.
But now, he was just an 18-year-old who had just started university. Though more mature and composed than his classmates, he wasn’t much better.
There was no avoiding it.
Lin Chi cracked open a beer, gulped down half of it, and finally emerged from the kitchen.
He sat across from Li Tingyan, not even saying a word, but his face already showed a stubborn defiance.
Li Tingyan glanced at him and immediately knew what he was thinking.
He was angry.
Angry that he had barged in like that, without even a greeting, and exposed his secrets.
And he showed no remorse for it.
In fact, before Lin Chi returned, he had already impolitely inspected the small apartment and came to the conclusion—too small, too shabby.
The furniture and decor were ordinary, even plain, and the surrounding environment was noisy and crowded.
He simply couldn’t understand why Lin Chi would come to a place like this.
What was this about?
Was Lin Chi suddenly feeling nostalgic for his difficult youth, wanting to relive the hardship?
At this thought, Li Tingyan couldn’t help the anger that showed in his eyes.
“Don’t you think you owe me an explanation?” he asked Lin Chi.
“You haven’t been back to the apartment I gave you for a long time, and you even forbid the apartment manager from telling me. Then you turn around and rent this place.”
Li Tingyan looked at him in confusion, “Lin Chi, what are you thinking?”
“You said you were busy with school and couldn’t come home often. I don’t blame you for that. But what does this mean?”
As he spoke, his gaze turned cold, and his eyes lingered on Lin Chi’s wrist.
There was a woven bracelet there, bright and flashy, like something handmade by a girl.
But Lin Chi didn’t seem to notice it at all.
As soon as Li Tingyan said that, Lin Chi exploded.
“Why should I explain? How about you explain how you got in here?” Lin Chi completely forgot the draft he had prepared. “Is there something wrong with me moving out? I like it here; I don’t like the place you arranged for me. I think this place is more convenient, it’s closer to school, and there’s no manager watching me. It’s easier to bring classmates over too, is that a problem?”
He crossed his arms, clearly unhappy, not realizing that his words were hitting one of Li Tingyan’s sore spots.
When Li Tingyan heard the phrase “bring classmates over,” his brows furrowed.
He said softly, “You could bring classmates over to my place too. Have I ever stopped you?”
“Besides, that apartment was decorated entirely according to your tastes. Before school started, I even took you there to see it. Now you’re saying you’re not satisfied, that you don’t like it. That reason doesn’t seem to hold up.”
Lin Chi was momentarily speechless.
Because Li Tingyan was telling the truth—after all, that apartment was another one of Li Tingyan’s gifts to him. It had been in the works for over a year, with every detail discussed with a designer and tailored to his preferences.
Even the furniture had been picked out with Li Tingyan by his side.
At the time, Li Tingyan had told him that he might occasionally stay over too, and Lin Chi had been very happy.
Back then, he hadn’t sorted out his feelings for Li Tingyan yet; he had just instinctively wanted to be closer to him, so he had been full of anticipation.
Lin Chi fell silent.
He couldn’t come up with a rebuttal because he really had liked that apartment.
He looked down at his fingers and nervously traced patterns on his jeans, feeling a bit restless inside.
The living room was quiet for a long moment.
Li Tingyan could also tell that Lin Chi had no response.
Though he was still quite angry, seeing Lin Chi’s stubborn expression, his emotions softened a little.
He convinced himself that maybe Lin Chi was just at that rebellious age, where wanting to go against family was common.
After thinking for a moment, he gave Lin Chi an out, “Alright, stop making a fuss.”
Recalling Lin Chi’s complaints earlier, he softened his tone further, “Is it that you don’t like the butler I arranged for you? If you’re not satisfied with anything, just let me know, and we’ll change it.”
“But this place is really too shabby. You won’t get used to it. Come home with me first,” Li Tingyan said sincerely, with a touch of barely noticeable gentleness.
He truly believed that this dilapidated, worthless house was unworthy of the treasure he had been so carefully nurturing.
Whether Lin Chi was acting out of spite or rebellion, he was clearly suffering here.
But Lin Chi only found it absurd.
He looked at Li Tingyan, and for some reason, he suddenly felt a slight sting in his nose, almost as if he was about to cry.
He thought, Li Tingyan must be forgetful. After raising him under his protective wing for three years, he seemed to have completely forgotten what he used to be like.
After all, he was like a wild weed that grew up in the wilderness, able to take root wherever it landed.
The hardships he had endured, the grievances he had suffered, were too many to even count.
He wasn’t delicate in the least. As long as he had a little sunlight and rain, he could survive. Rough food and poor sleep didn’t affect him at all.
Only Li Tingyan always saw him as delicate, as if he were some precious orchid that couldn’t withstand the slightest bit of wind or rain.
And Li Tingyan had indeed made that happen.
As long as Li Tingyan was around, even a small scrape would become a big deal.
Being by Li Tingyan’s side, no one ever remembered what he used to be like. Everyone followed Li Tingyan’s lead, treating him like a little prince who needed to be pampered.
Because Li Tingyan truly cared for him.
Li Tingyan cared about him.
Lin Chi had never realized this so clearly before.
He was already eighteen, an adult now, yet Li Tingyan still put down his work and chased after him to this place.
Even when he was angry, Li Tingyan’s first thought was to coax him back home.
Lin Chi took a deep breath.
He thought, Li Tingyan’s gentleness was like an ocean, and without realizing it, one could drown in it.
But he couldn’t continue like this.
If he stayed by Li Tingyan’s side any longer, he would never be able to escape.
He would always, always love Li Tingyan, clinging to him shamelessly, staying until he became an annoyance.
“I won’t go back with you,” Lin Chi said firmly.
But he lowered his gaze, avoiding Li Tingyan’s eyes, as if he couldn’t bear the weight of his gaze.
Softly, he added, “It wasn’t the butler who made me angry, and the house you prepared for me is really nice, very convenient, and comfortable to live in.”
“But I…”
He hesitated, his lips a little dry, but he still forced himself to finish the sentence.
“But I’ve been thinking a lot recently. I’m already eighteen. It’s not right to keep relying on you and accepting everything you’ve given me as if it’s only natural.
I’ve grown up now. I’m an adult. I can take responsibility for my own life.
That’s why I moved out. I want to try living independently and stop causing you so much trouble.”
He finished his words in one breath, and because his head was still lowered, he didn’t see the terrifying change in Li Tingyan’s expression across from him.