CHAPTER 282: CHAPTER 282; MAMA! LOOK...

Xu Xie stayed behind with her parents, and Huo Ting Cheng disappeared into a quiet conversation with Mr. Xu near the bookshelf, the tension between them now muted but palpable.

Tang Fei stood alone for a moment in the center of the room, her hands folded in front of her, unsure of where to place herself. This was such a foreign place but still felt warm and welcoming.

"Look at you.... You are still standing there like a guest," Mrs. Xu teased gently, pulling her from her thoughts that had begun going wild. She stepped forward and approached again, but this time placed a light hand on Tang Fei’s shoulder, trying to calm her nervousness. "But this will always be your home, Fei Fei. You know that, don’t you?"

Tang Fei’s heart suddenly clenched, not in a bad way but for the fact that she now had a home and people who cared. She didn’t deserve this warmth because it initially felt like it belonged to her, but she will embrace it. She calmly nodded her head.

"Yes. I know. Thank you... Auntie."

Mrs. Xu loudly sighed seeing her conflicted feelings. "You can call me Mom again when you are ready. No rush and don’t push yourself to..."

Tang Fei swallowed hard and nodded again. She wasn’t sure if she could ever say it... But maybe one day.

Xu Xie appeared at her side again, linking arms with her cheerfully, while moving forward. "Come, let’s join them before Feihao eats all the buns."

Tang Fei let herself be pulled along, her steps lighter than they had been in years while the woman stuck close to them. She didn’t have any malicious aura and she was so kind and warm.

As they moved down the hallway together, passing family portraits and familiar corners, she felt it, like a thread stitching itself slowly through the gaps in her soul.

She didn’t belong there completely.

But maybe...

Maybe she could still stay.

Or probably she did belong there...

The children returned from washing their hands and were guided down the long hallway, their slippers pattering softly against the polished floor.

At the end, the smaller dining hall opened warmly before them. Aunt Lin and two maids were already waiting inside, carrying trays of small porcelain dishes, each steaming with fragrant snacks.

"Just something light before dinner," Mrs. Xu explained with a soft smile painted on her face as she motioned for the children to sit. "Sweet osmanthus cakes, lotus seed buns, and almond crisps. Your grandfather always says children shouldn’t wait too long to eat."

"Ohhh Granny... You are the best!" Zhihao hurriedly cheered up. He loved snacks the most but couldn’t just eat them until their mother confirmed they were safe.

"Thank you, Granny...." Feihao, Tinghao, Minghao, and Qing Qing humbly commented.

"Hehe... They are all yours!" Mrs Xu was really happy and looking at the kids, they did have their mother’s features but their father’s blue eyes.

Laughter rose quickly as the children settled around the low table, their voices filling the carved wooden walls signaling a happy family coming together, and they truly looked harmonious.

Tang Fei glanced over each dish with a practiced eye, a mother’s instinct sharpening her gaze.

She leaned toward Aunt Lin and softly asked about the ingredients, making sure no hidden nuts, dairy, or other allergens had slipped into the preparation. Only when she was certain everything was safe did she nod for the children to begin.

Feihao was the first to grab a lotus bun, holding it high like a treasure; it had such a sweet aroma. "Mama, look! It’s shaped like a flower! Granny, your snacks are definitely the best, I will make sure I visit you every other weekend to enjoy them."

Mrs. Xu softly laughed, patting his head adoringly, "and they are just as sweet as you little one." She teased her.

Minghao, ever the diplomat, picked one up and offered it across the table. "Here, Grandma, you should try first and see if it’s to your taste.

Mrs. Xu’s eyes softened, and she accepted the bun with a misty smile. "You have got such good manners... You have raised them well, Fei Fei."

Tang Fei lowered her gaze, her lips tugging into a small, shy smile. She hadn’t done it at all or anything worth praising. Her children had grown strong because it was their father who brought them up, not because of her.

Twilight had already stuffed half an osmanthus cake into her mouth and was grinning, sugar dusting her lips. "Mmm! This one is way better than the ones sold out there." Twilight knew Tang Fei, and she knew, it would be hard to respond to such a question knowing her circumstances.

Qin Xinyu nudged her elbow with a quiet warning look, but still had a warm smile, "Don’t cut through like that, Twilight."

Mrs. Xu only chuckled, unfazed, "It’s Okay...."

At Tang Fei’s side, Qingqing hesitated with a bun in her hands, nibbling in the tiniest bites. Tang Fei stroked her back gently, murmuring, "It’s okay, sweetheart. Eat slowly to your fill. No one will take it from you."

Mrs. Xu noticed and leaned closer, her voice warm and assuring. "Qingqing, in this house, there will always be enough for everyone. Always."

The girl looked up, uncertain, but a flicker of trust lit her eyes. She may have been betrayed but still, there were good people out there. Tang Fei nodded at her reassuring her that everything would get better.

The room swelled with warmth, with the clink of porcelain and the children’s laughter filling the air, but beneath it, an older rhythm stirred, questions unsaid, memories unsettled.

Tang Fei let herself smile at her children’s joy, but a small knot of unease lingered in her chest, she wondered if they would realise she was no longer the old Tang Fei.

For tonight, though, she chose to hold onto this fragile peace until the moment they will shatter.