Chapter 318: Chapter 318; You belong to me...
Tang Fei shot up from the vanity, her chair scraping loudly against the floor. "Huo Ting Cheng!" she snapped, voice sharp and breathless.
He didn’t stop. He was already moving down the hall, his tall frame disappearing toward the staircase with the same unhurried stride that drove her mad.
Tang Fei stormed after him, her heels striking the polished wood with sharp, furious clicks that echoed down the stairwell. Her hair was still damp, clinging to her neck, her pulse still rioting in her chest, but anger propelled her forward.
How dare he leave me like that, again, like he owns every piece of me?
"Don’t you walk away from me!" she shouted, her voice echoing through the wide hallway.
She reached the top of the staircase just as he began descending. In her rush, her heel slipped against the polished wood. Tang Fei gasped, her balance tilting dangerously forward....
In an instant, his hand was there, strong and unyielding, catching her wrist before she could stumble down the stairs. His grip yanked her against him, her body colliding with the firm wall of his chest.
Her heart thundered. She clutched at him instinctively, breath caught in her throat.
"So clumsy and careless," he murmured darkly, his arm banding around her waist as he steadied her. "Even when you’re furious with me, you come running without thinking. Do you really want to break yourself chasing me?"
Tang Fei’s cheeks burned hot, her pride warring with the rush of relief. She shoved against him weakly, though his hold didn’t budge. "I wouldn’t have stumbled if you hadn’t left like that!" she shot back, her voice trembling with equal parts fury and something softer she didn’t want to name.
He looked down at her, eyes narrowed, the corner of his mouth curving with a dangerous calm. "Then don’t chase me, Fei’er. You’ll never catch me unless I let you."
Her breath hitched, his words cutting straight through her anger. She opened her mouth to retort, but nothing came out, only the sound of her pulse roaring in her ears.
And just like that, he guided her carefully down the remaining steps, his hand firm at her waist, as though she were something precious he’d never allow to fall.
Tang Fei’s heels clicked sharply as they reached the bottom of the stairs, but her steps faltered. The humiliation of nearly tumbling down, and of him catching her so effortlessly, made her throat tighten. And for the fact that he was telling her she would never catch up to him! Was he belittling her?
Her chest rose and fell, her fists clenching at her sides. She wanted to yell at him again, to claw that smug calm off his face, but instead... her vision blurred.
Why does he always leave me like this? Why does he treat me like this?
Hot tears stung her lashes, unbidden and unwelcome. She bit down on her lip hard, willing them not to fall, but the more she fought, the heavier the ache in her chest grew.
Huo Ting Cheng paused when he felt the slight tremor of her hand in his, the subtle way she slowed. He turned, his eyes narrowing as he caught the glimmer in the corner of her eyes.
"Fei’er..." his voice dropped, no longer smug but dark, and probing.
She jerked her face away, covering it with her palm, shy and embarrassed. "Don’t... don’t look at me right now." Her voice cracked, betraying her. "You... you’re unbearable, Ting Cheng. I hate it when you do this to me!"
He exhaled slowly, his jaw flexing. For a long moment, he said nothing, just watching her shoulders shake faintly. Then, in one fluid motion, he drew her against him, ignoring the way she tried to push herself against his chest.
Her small fists beat against him once, twice, before faltering. The tears finally spilled, soaking into his shirt as she whispered, trembling, "You always win... You never let me... breathe."
His arms tightened, his chin resting lightly on the crown of her head. "Because if I let you breathe too freely," he murmured, voice low and steady, "you’d fly somewhere I couldn’t follow. And I won’t allow that."
Her tears burned hotter at his words. Infuriating man. Dangerous man. And yet... in his hold, she couldn’t quite pull away. It was still in this same embrace that she felt loved and adoration; it was in his arms that she truly felt happy and appreciated.
Honestly, she never thought a person should feel this kind of complicated emotions, now, she understood what it was to love and be loved...
"All right... Don’t cry any more... The kids would think I’m bullying you!" He whispered caressing and calming her down. He didn’t want to see her crying but nothing made him more fulfilled than seeing her being so cute...
Her sobs quieted into uneven breaths, her forehead pressed against his chest. The scent of him, warm and sharp, wrapped around her like another kind of prison, one she both resented and craved. But anyways, who cares!
Tang Fei’s fingers curled into the fabric of his shirt, dampening it further with her tears. "Why must it always be your way, Ting Cheng? Why can’t you just let me have a little space, a little dignity?"
He tilted her chin up with his thumb, forcing her to meet his gaze. His eyes were deep, unreadable, but burning with that same unshakable intensity that always unraveled her. "Because the moment I give you space, you’ll use it to put distance between us. You’ll think of running away from me. And Fei’er, I’ve told you before, your place is here, right here beside me. With me...."
Her breath hitched, trembling under his steady hold. "That’s not love, that’s obsession, honey..." Who could tell this was how love was?
A faint smirk curved his lips, though it didn’t reach his eyes. "Call it whatever you like. Love, obsession... in the end, it’s the same. You belong to me, and I won’t share even a piece of you with the world."