Chapter 320: Chapter 320; Hurry up.....
Tang Fei glanced at her daughter, ready to answer, but Huo Ting Cheng’s deep voice cut in smoothly, "Yes and no arguments, vegetables are good. Eat your food!"
The girl pouted, stabbing her chopsticks into the vegetables with dramatic reluctance.
Tang Fei’s jaw ticked. She hated when he stole her lines like that, as if her authority was always secondary to his.
Tinghao leaned toward Qin Xinyu, whispering something that made the boy stifle a laugh. Zhihao shot them a disapproving look, but didn’t know they were laughing at something different.
Secretary Li cleared his throat. "Ting Cheng... What’s today’s schedule after the children’s drop-off? we have a meeting with the defense council at the defense forces and also don’t forget the congress is happening today..."
"We’ll discuss that in the car," Huo Ting Cheng interrupted smoothly, lifting his teacup. "Right now, let’s have breakfast."
Tang Fei’s lips parted, a sharp retort on her tongue, always controlling the room, always silencing me, but she bit it back. Not here, not in front of the children.
Still, the weight of her silence pressed heavy. She ate mechanically, her appetite dulled, her mood simmering just beneath the polished exterior.
And across from her, Huo Ting Cheng sipped his tea with unhurried calm, as if daring her to break the mask she wore so tightly.
Tang Fei lifted her chopsticks, forcing herself to focus on her congee, but the silence between her and Huo Ting Cheng was so thick that it pressed against her ribs. Every tiny scrape of porcelain felt magnified.
Then, suddenly, Minghao pushed her bowl away with a little huff. "I don’t want it! It’s bitter!"
Tang Fei immediately leaned forward. "Minghao, eat a little. Mama will give you something sweeter afterward."
But before her words could land, Huo Ting Cheng’s voice cut across hers like a blade. "Minghao... Stop being difficult. Eat what’s in front of you..."
The little girl froze, torn between her parents. Her big eyes flicked between them, wide and uncertain.
Tang Fei’s head snapped toward him, her patience cracking. "I already said I’d handle it. Why do you always have to override me?"
The table went still. Even Huo Qi and Huo Wu stopped bickering; their eyes darting between the two of them! Were they suddenly beefing?
Huo Ting Cheng didn’t flinch. He set down his teacup with a soft clink, his gaze locking on hers. "Because when you ’handle it,’ you coddle them until they forget discipline. This house isn’t a playground, Fei’er. They need healthy food for growth."
Tang Fei’s chest tightened, heat rushing to her cheeks. "And you think barking orders at a child is discipline? All you’re teaching them is fear!"
Zhihao shifted uncomfortably in his chair, Feihao and Tinghao straightening as though bracing for a storm. Minghao ducked his head, while Qin Xinyu’s fork paused halfway to his mouth.
Huo Ting Cheng leaned back slightly, deceptively calm, though the steel in his voice sharpened. "They’re Huo children. They don’t have the luxury of softness. You know that. They should be prepared for that..."
Tang Fei’s hand trembled around her chopsticks. "They’re still children," she snapped, her voice cracking under the weight of everything she felt. "Do you want them to grow up like you? Always cold, always controlling, never allowed to breathe?!"
The words hung heavy in the air, because, she didn’t understand his history and how he came to be... And he wouldn’t blame her...
For the first time, the children looked openly at their father, waiting for his response. Secretary Li froze mid-page. Even Twilight’s expression flickered, a shadow of surprise crossing her usually impassive face. Her Momma just decided to be a firecracker so early in the morning...
Huo Ting Cheng’s gaze darkened, the calm slipping just enough to reveal the storm beneath. He leaned forward, his voice low but cutting. "Better they grow up like me than weak. Weakness has no place in this family."
Tang Fei’s breath hitched, her eyes stinging, fury and pain swirling in equal measure. "No, Ting Cheng. Weakness has no place with you. Don’t confuse the two."
Silence swallowed the table.
Minghao’s lip trembled as she reached hesitantly for her spoon, trying to eat again, as if doing so might make the tension disappear.
But nothing erased the sharp crackle in the air between Tang Fei and Huo Ting Cheng, their clash was too raw, and too deep to hide.
The silence stretched, thick enough to choke. Tang Fei’s chopsticks hovered in her hand, her chest rising and falling too quickly. Across from her, Huo Ting Cheng’s stare was dark, unyielding, until his gaze flicked to Minghao.
The girl sat stiffly, her spoon clutched in her tiny hand, her eyes shimmering with confusion and the beginnings of tears.
Huo Ting Cheng’s jaw flexed. Slowly, he reached over, taking the sugar jar from the table. With measured movements, he sprinkled a small spoonful into Minghao’s bowl, stirring the congee himself before sliding it back to her.
"Eat," he said, softer now, his voice still low but stripped of its edge.
Minghao blinked, surprised, then gave a tiny nod and scooped up a spoonful.
Tang Fei’s breath caught. For a moment, her anger warred with the ache tugging at her chest. He hadn’t admitted he was wrong, Huo Ting Cheng never did, but that single gesture, done in front of everyone, was its own kind of concession.
The tension around the table loosened. Zhihao and Feihao glanced at each other, shoulders easing. Tinghao reached for his milk. Minghao quietly resumed eating, and Qing Xinyu let out the breath he’d been holding. Qing Qing was the only kid who had concentrated on eating from the beginning to the end without breaking.
Tang Fei forced her gaze down, hiding the storm in her eyes as she smoothed her napkin against her lap. Her voice, when it came, was steadier, though still tight. "Thank you."
Huo Ting Cheng didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he picked up his cup again, sipping his tea with deliberate calm. When he finally spoke, his tone was quiet but firm, directed only at her.
"Discipline doesn’t mean cruelty. And compromise doesn’t mean weakness. Remember that, Fei’er."
Tang Fei’s throat tightened. She pressed her lips together, unwilling to give him the satisfaction of a reply, but her eyes burned. She has never been a parent, and she was being for the first time...
The children, reassured by the fragile truce, returned to their meals, though they cast careful glances between their parents. The morning resumed, the clatter of dishes filling the space where sharp words had just cut through.
But under the polished calm, the air between Tang Fei and Huo Ting Cheng still pulsed with the raw heat of their clash, softened, but not erased.
Tang Fei stirred her congee quietly, each spoonful a struggle against the knot in her chest. Across from her, Huo Ting Cheng had gone back to his calm, unreadable self, drinking his tea as though nothing had happened.
The children, reassured by the sudden softness in their father’s tone, relaxed into the meal. Zhihao, Feihao, and Tinghao straightened their little green uniforms proudly, their backpacks stacked neatly by the wall.
Minghao traded quiet remarks with Qing Xinyu about school, while Feihao’s small laugh finally broke the heavy air as Twilight slipped a piece of fruit onto her plate.
Huo Qi, ever observant, cleared his throat gently. "Sixth Master Huo, Madam, the cars are ready. We should leave shortly if the young masters and miss are to arrive on time at the academy."
Huo Ting Cheng gave a curt nod, folding his napkin neatly before rising. His gaze flicked briefly to Tang Fei, unreadable, then he turned to the children. "Let’s go."
"Qing Qing, stay at home... I will come back later." She kissed her goodbye before giving Nanny Wei instructions.
"All right momma... Have a lovely day." She shyly spoke up the broken Mandarin.
Chairs scraped as everyone stood. The children’s chatter picked up again, their small voices echoing lightly through the grand dining hall. Tang Fei straightened her suit coat, her expression carefully composed, though the faint redness around her eyes betrayed the storm still lingering.
Together, they moved through the hall and down toward the underground parking lot. The air shifted as the cool hum of engines and polished steel replaced the warmth of the dining room.
The underground lot smelled faintly of polished steel and engine oil,