CHAPTER 296: CHAPTER 296; THEY ARE YOUR BROTHERS

Huo Ting Cheng’s lips curved into a cold, dangerous smile. "One was enough to make a statement." His eyes flicked back to the Xu couple. "And until I find out who delivered that message... consider yourselves suspects."

"Ting Cheng, I will handle the situation here and tomorrow, you would be having an answer." Xu Xie promised him and if it was her brother, they would take him to Huo Ting Cheng to handle him.

He eyed him for a second, he trusted her to do the job.

The courtyard fell into a suffocating silence.

Tang Fei’s heart pounded as she stepped closer, her voice steady but firm. "Ting Cheng... Let’s go home...." She held her hands tiptoeing and gently kissed his lips. This man was a big wolf.

Her soft kiss against his lips was brief, almost fragile, yet it carried enough warmth to crack through the icy wall surrounding him.

Huo Ting Cheng’s sharp gaze lingered on her for a moment, his blue eyes flickering with the storm that still raged within. But slowly, with deliberation, the suffocating chill of his aura loosened. His hand rose, brushing against her cheek with a tenderness only she could draw out of him.

"Fei’er..." His voice, low and rough, betrayed the restraint he was forcing upon himself.

The guards, who had been on edge, shifted uncertainly as the air around them grew less suffocating. The Xu couple stood rigid, fear still etched into their expressions, but neither dared to move or speak again.

Without another word to them, Huo Ting Cheng turned and placed a firm arm around Tang Fei’s waist, guiding her back to the van.

His presence remained dominant, but his steps were steady now, no longer fueled by murderous rage but by the calm precision of a man who had made his decision.

The shadow guards immediately flanked him, some remaining behind to hold the estate under watch while others followed in formation.

The children inside the van straightened the moment the door opened, their gazes meeting his. Not one word of fear left their lips. Instead, they shifted to make space for Tang Fei as Huo Ting Cheng helped her in first, then stepped in himself.

The door closed with a solid thud, shutting out the cold night and the silent courtyard behind them.

As the engine roared to life, Tang Fei leaned against him, her hand resting lightly over the sleeve where the bullet had grazed. Her eyes searched his face, but he remained quiet, his jaw set in that familiar line of resolve.

Only when the mansion gates slipped behind them, swallowed by the distance, did his voice finally break the silence.

"Fei’er..." he murmured, turning his head to press his lips against her hair. "If you hadn’t acted fast...." His hand tightened around hers, the unspoken ending clear. He hadn’t thought he would be aimed in such a place.

Tang Fei exhaled softly, her grip firm in his. "I will always be there, Ting Cheng. Always."

The van sped through the night, carrying them away from the chaos of the Xu estate and back to the fortress of their own mansion.

— — — — — —

The heavy silence in the Xu estate pressed down like a mountain.

The shadow guards still lingered at the edges of the courtyard, their black uniforms melting into the night. The Xu couple remained rooted where Huo Ting Cheng had left them, ashen-faced, shaken, unable to steady their hearts.

Xu Xie stepped forward, her slim figure silhouetted against the lantern light. Unlike Ting Cheng’s storm, she carried no overt fury. Her voice, when it broke the silence, was gentle, yet the weight beneath it made her parents flinch.

"Father, Mother." She looked at them with clear, steady eyes, the softness of her tone at odds with the heaviness of her words. "What have my elder brothers been doing lately? Back at Huo Ting Cheng’s home, they avoided speaking and had left so quickly. Where have they gone?"

The question struck like a quiet blade.

Madam Xu’s lips parted, but her voice faltered. Her gaze flickered helplessly toward her husband, then lowered as if she couldn’t bear to meet her daughter’s eyes.

Master Xu cleared his throat, straightening his back as if to shield her, "Xie’er, these are matters you need not concern yourself with. Your brothers... they have responsibilities. You should..."

"Responsibilities?" Xu Xie tilted her head, her voice still soft, but her words pressed deeper than a shout. "Or schemes that brought Huo Ting Cheng’s anger into our courtyard tonight? Father, it’s not like you don’t know how Huo Ting Cheng operates."

The air surrounding them tightened. Even the shadow guards seemed to pause, the weight of her question echoing through the silence.

Madam Xu reached out as if to hold her daughter’s hand, her own trembling, "Xie’er, you must understand... your eldest brother has been under great pressure.... He must have miscalculated or even schemed upon."

Xu Xie’s gaze softened, yet her tone was steady, unyielding, "Mother, how many times have I told you that they were just trouble? Do they have to assassinate Huo Ting Cheng?"

The couple froze. The silence that followed was more damning than any denial.

Xu Xie lowered her lashes, her voice as tender as ever, yet laced with quiet hurt. "Father... Mother... you both know what kind of fire they’re playing with. If it were only my brothers, I could say nothing. But now the entire Xu family stands on the edge.... Take them back inside... I will handle things here..." she lifted her eyes and gazed at the servants.

Master Xu’s lips parted, a protest ready, but it caught in his throat when he saw the quiet firmness in his daughter’s eyes. It wasn’t rebellion, it was a resolve. He has seen her manage the business and companies from nothing to the top hierarchy.

Madam Xu clutched her husband’s arm, her own voice barely above a whisper, "Xie’er... be careful... I mean.... They are your brothers...."