Chapter 319: Chapter 319; Good morning
Her throat tightened, words lodging there. She wanted to deny him, to spit back that she wasn’t his possession. But the way his arms enclosed her, the way his voice carved into her heart, left her too raw and too shaken to refute anything, after all, she had seen what his love could do...
Instead, she whispered brokenly, "You’ll destroy me if you keep holding this tightly... what if all my bones break because of how tight you hold me?"
His hand smoothed over her damp hair, his lips brushing against her temple in a whisper-soft kiss. "Then I’ll destroy you gently, until you no longer resist and accept this fate.."
Her knees weakened, her body betraying her pride, leaning into him even as her heart screamed in defiance.
For a moment, silence reigned, save for the muffled sound of her uneven breaths against his chest. And then he pulled back just enough to study her face, his thumb brushing the lingering tears from her cheeks.
"You look beautiful when you cry," he murmured, dark admiration in his tone. "But I’d rather see you smile... for me, and only me... I don’t like it that people have to see it..."
Tang Fei’s heart twisted violently. She wanted to slap him for those words, yet her lips trembled dangerously close to curving into the very smile he demanded.
She caught herself, jerking her face away. "Don’t twist my heart like this, Ting Cheng."
But even as she said it, she didn’t move out of his embrace. She was still clinging to him in that embrace.
"I just want you to be good! That’s all, just be a good girl, nothing bad or what of view would happen..."
Her breathing steadied little by little, the storm of her sobs softening into shallow tremors. Huo Ting Cheng didn’t speak again; he simply kept her close, his hand moving in slow, reassuring strokes over her back.
When he finally did, his voice was lower, stripped of its sharp edge. "Fei’er... I push too hard. I know."
Her lashes fluttered, damp against her cheeks. She leaned back just enough to meet his eyes, still glossy with unshed tears. "Then why do you do it? Why can’t you just... let me be?"
His thumb brushed over her cheekbone, lingering. "Because I’m afraid if I loosen my hold, I’ll wake up one day and you’ll be gone. You don’t know what that thought does to me. You have made me feel like this..."
Her chest tightened, torn between indignation and the ache in his words. For a moment, she only stared at him, reading the vulnerability buried deep in his gaze.
And then, sighing shakily, she reached up to smooth a strand of damp hair back from his forehead. "You make it so hard to stay angry with you," she whispered giving up.
A faint curve touched his lips, not the smug smirk she despised, but something softer, almost boyish. He bent, pressing his mouth to hers in a slow kiss, one that tasted of apology more than possession.
Tang Fei let him, her fists slowly unclenching as she leaned into the gentleness. When they parted, her lips tingled, and though her heart was calmer, a stubborn heaviness still lingered in her chest.
"Don’t think this means you’ve won," she muttered, straightening her suit coat and stepping out of his arms.
"Mn," he hummed, falling into stride behind her as she headed for the dining room. "I’ll let you believe that for now."
Her heels clicked briskly against the polished floor, her jaw tight, but her hand, without realizing, brushed against his once, lingering before retreating.
By the time they entered the dining room, her expression had settled into its usual composed calm, though the faint crease between her brows betrayed her lingering mood. Huo Ting Cheng, of course, pulled out her chair with quiet ease, as if nothing had happened upstairs.
Tang Fei entered the dining room first, her heels crisp against the marble. The long table was already alive with chatter and movement of the kids.
Zhihao, Feihao, and Tinghao sat straight-backed in their miniature green military uniforms, their discipline almost comically at odds with their youthful faces. Their neatly packed backpacks were set aside against the wall, ready for training camp.
Minghao and Qin Xinyu, in their matching school uniforms, were already discussing across the table. Beside them, Qing Qing swung her legs restlessly in her home clothes, gazing at everyone curiously. This was her first breakfast in this house.
At the far end, Twilight was a still shadow in her fitted black suit, quiet but alert, her gaze flicking once toward Tang Fei before dropping respectfully.
Around the adults’ side of the table, Secretary Li was already flipping through a small stack of documents, his glasses perched low on his nose. Huo Qi and Huo Wu were in the middle of a hushed argument over who had forgotten to refill the tea tray, while Huo Zhen sat stoically, eating as if nothing could disturb his calm.
"Good morning, Madam," a chorus of voices rang out almost in unison.
"Good morning momma..."
Tang Fei gave them a small nod, smoothing her suit as she sat down. "Morning," she replied, her tone clipped but not unkind.
Behind her, Huo Ting Cheng finally entered, his presence immediately commanding the room. He walked leisurely, as though nothing of the storm upstairs had happened, his expression calm and unreadable.
Tang Fei’s fingers tightened on her chopsticks. She kept her gaze fixed on her plate, refusing to look at him.
Huo Ting Cheng, of course, pulled out his chair beside her, lowering himself into it with composed ease. He didn’t miss the faint tightness in her shoulders, nor the subtle crease between her brows, but he said nothing.
The clatter of plates filled the air. A maid brought forward bowls of congee, steamed buns, and side dishes.
Minghao wrinkled her nose at the greens on her plate. "Mama, do I have to eat this?" she whined softly, her big eyes darting toward Tang Fei. She hated vegetables the most.