CHAPTER 298: CHAPTER 298; HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT IT’S NOT THEM....

The guards took their places, two at the wheel, the rest shadowing them in the vehicles behind. The engines rumbled to life, low and steady, their growl vibrating through the ground as the convoy prepared to move.

The Xu estate gates parted slowly, heavy wood groaning against iron as the procession slipped into the night. Lantern light dwindled behind them until only the vast dark of the city roads stretched ahead.

Inside the car, Xu Xie sat still, her gaze fixed on the blur of passing shadows beyond the glass. Her reflection stared back at her, calm, unyielding, yet weighed with the storm she carried alone.

Her brothers’ faces rose unbidden in her mind, threaded with memories of laughter, recklessness, and ambition. Now those same faces stood in her path like looming specters, pulling the Xu name into peril. Her jaw tightened, her hands folding neatly in her lap.

Tonight, there could be no wavering.

The car surged forward, swallowed by the sleeping city. Behind her, the Xu estate lay in uneasy silence. Ahead, the night opened into uncertainty, waiting for her to draw the next line of fate.

— — — — —

The convoy cuts through the night in silence, headlights carving paths along the empty streets.

The weight of what had happened lingered in the air, but no one inside the van spoke.

Tang Fei sat pressed against Huo Ting Cheng’s side, her hand never leaving his, while the children leaned quietly against each other, unusually subdued, their wide eyes betraying the tension they had just witnessed.

When the gates of the Huo estate finally came into view, the guards at the perimeter straightened sharply.

The tall iron doors parted without delay, allowing the convoy to roll inside.

Floodlights illuminated the vast courtyard, banishing the shadows that had haunted them moments ago.

As the van came to a halt before the grand steps of the mansion, the doors opened swiftly.

The children hopped out first, and the household staff, already assembled and waiting anxiously, rushed forward to greet them.

Huo Ting Cheng followed, stepping out with Tang Fei at his side, his hand steady at her waist as if to anchor her close to him.

"Escort the children inside," he ordered, his voice low but carrying across the courtyard. The staff moved quickly, guiding the little ones toward the brightly lit hall, though their curious gazes lingered on their father until they disappeared into the mansion’s safety.

The heavy aura that had clung to Huo Ting Cheng all evening hadn’t fully left him. His sharp eyes swept the estate grounds as if to reassure himself before he finally turned his focus back to Tang Fei. Her hand brushed lightly over his sleeve again, her worry written plain across her face.

"We are safe now," she whispered, as though saying it aloud would make it true.

Huo Ting Cheng looked at her for a long moment, then guided her up the steps. The doors of the mansion opened wide, spilling warmth and light into the night, and together they entered.

Inside, the main hall was calm, the contrast to the chaos of the Xu estate striking. The children were already seated, flanked by attentive attendants, and warm tea was set out before them. Their small shoulders relaxed only when Huo Ting Cheng’s imposing figure came into view.

He paused briefly, his gaze softening as he looked at them. "All is good," he said simply, and though the words were few, they carried enough weight that the children straightened and nodded solemnly.

Tang Fei exhaled quietly, relief loosening the knot in her chest. She gently tugged at his hand, guiding him away from the children and deeper into the mansion’s quieter wing.

His steps followed hers without resistance, though his jaw was still set, his mind clearly grinding over the unanswered questions left behind.

But once the doors to his private study closed behind them, the tension that clung to him faltered. Tang Fei turned, her palms pressing against his arm where the bullet had grazed, her eyes narrowing. "You could have been killed tonight."

His hand rose, curling gently around her wrist, his voice rough but quiet. "But I wasn’t. Because of you."

For the first time since the gunshot, his blue eyes softened, but still sharp, still storming, but carrying a flicker of gratitude he rarely voiced.

Tang Fei leaned closer, resting her forehead against his chest. "I was truly scared!"

A low chuckle escaped him then, quiet and fleeting, but real. He pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly against him, as if anchoring himself to her warmth after the storm of the night.

The mansion stood quiet, the night finally sealed away behind its guarded walls. But both of them knew, the chaos was far from over. Tonight had only been a warning.

And tomorrow, there will be reckoning.

She rummaged around the study room and found a first aid kit, she gently let him sit down on the couch before she began tending to his bruise along the upper side of his arm.

Tang Fei knelt beside him, unscrewing the antiseptic bottle. The sharp scent filled the room, and she blew gently across the cotton swab before dabbing it against the bruised skin.

He didn’t react at all, it was like it was just the norm. "Ting Cheng, you have to be careful!" She was really worried, if that bullet had hit him, that would have been the end of it.

"I actually hadn’t anticipated this to happen there...." And it wasn’t for Mr. Xu and Mrs Xu getting into his nerves, he wouldn’t have gotten out of the car.

"My Godparents aren’t the ones who planned this!" She was nervous and worried but she could tell they were good people.

"How do you know that it’s not them? What if the assassination had been successful?" Tang Fei froze, the cotton swab trembling lightly in her fingers. She lifted her gaze to him, her lips parting, but no words immediately came.