CHAPTER 386: CHAPTER 386; THAT’S SO RARE OF YOU MOMMY

"That’s so rare of you, Mother." Minghao’s tone was light, but her eyes, those observant, intelligent eyes that missed nothing, were already searching her mother’s face for answers to unasked questions.

Then came the question Tang Fei had been dreading.

"Mommy, yesterday... You were covered in red paint when you came home. At least, Daddy said it was paint." Minghao’s voice dropped, becoming more serious. "But I don’t think it was paint at all, Mommy. It looked like blood. What really happened?"

Tang Fei’s breath caught for just a moment. Her daughter was far too perceptive for her own good, or perhaps exactly as perceptive as she needed to be to survive in their world.

She forced a casual laugh, the sound practiced and convincing. "Hahaha... We were processing meat yesterday for a special order. That’s all it was, darling. You know how messy that can be slaughtering."

She ruffled Minghao’s hair affectionately, injecting playfulness into her gesture to deflect from the heaviness of the lie. "You don’t need to worry yourself about adult matters. These things happen in business. It’s perfectly normal."

But even as the words left her mouth, Tang Fei could see the skepticism in her daughter’s eyes. Minghao was no longer a child who could be easily fooled with simple explanations. She was growing up in a world where blood and paint often looked the same, and the difference between the two could mean life or death.

The silence that followed was filled with all the things they both knew but wouldn’t say aloud. Not yet. Perhaps not ever.

Some truths were too dangerous to speak, even between mother and daughter. Especially between mother and daughter.

"You should wear that heavy sweater, it’s a bit cold today," Tang Fei finally said, breaking the weighted silence. "Hurry up, you don’t want to be late."

Minghao nodded slowly, her eyes lingering on her mother’s face for a moment longer before she turned toward her closet. "Okay, Mama."

Tang Fei watched her daughter deliberate between her dozens of sweaters with careful consideration, each movement measured and thoughtful, so much like herself it was almost unsettling. "I’ll use your bathroom quickly while you get ready. Is that alright?"

"Of course you can, Mother." Minghao glanced back with a small smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. "The towels are clean."

Tang Fei returned the smile, equally hollow, equally knowing. Then she slipped into Huo Minghao’s ensuite bathroom.

The steam from her daughter’s recent shower still clung to the air. The quick, hot spray she allowed herself was a mechanical process, washing away the lingering grime of yesterday and the fatigue of a sleepless night. She didn’t linger, drying off with a clean towel before wrapping her damp hair.

She slipped back into her nightdress and robe, tying the sash securely.

"You can go down and continue having your breakfast while I change in my room." With that, she strode toward the corridor, then took the stairs up to the second floor quietly, her footsteps barely whispering against the carpet.

Huo Minghao watched her mother disappear up the stairs, a small frown creasing her forehead. Why had her mother chosen to shower in her bathroom when she had a perfectly good ensuite in the master bedroom? Were her parents fighting again? It wouldn’t be unusual, there had been a time when tension between them had become almost routine.

But something felt different this time. Something heavier hung in the air.

Minghao shook her head and returned to getting ready for school. Some questions were better left unasked.

Tang Fei reached the master bedroom and carefully eased the door open, making absolutely no sound. The room was still shrouded in darkness, the heavy blackout curtains blocking any hint of morning light.

She could see Huo Ting Cheng sprawled across the bed, one arm flung over the space where she’d been sleeping, his breathing deep and even. He was still sound asleep, exhaustion finally claiming the hours he’d lost worrying about her.

Good.

She needed him to stay that way, at least for a little while longer.

Moving with the silent precision of someone trained in stealth, she tiptoed across the plush carpet to her walk-in closet. Inside, she scanned her options quickly, settling on something simple and practical, a black cotton tracksuit that would allow her freedom of movement.

She selected matching black underwear and a sports bra, dressing quickly and efficiently. The tracksuit went on next, soft, comfortable, unremarkable. She found black rubber-soled sneakers and pulled them on with ankle socks.

After gathering her damp hair into a loose bun at the nape of her neck, she tiptoed back out of the closet and through the bedroom. Huo Ting Cheng hadn’t moved, still deep in sleep. The darkness of the room wrapped around him like a protective cocoon.

She reached the door, slipped through, and closed it behind her with barely a whisper of sound.

Once safely in the hallway, she let out a slow, quiet breath, her hand coming up to press against her chest where her heart was beating just a little too fast.

The immediate danger of interrogation was, for now, avoided.

He wasn’t going to find her anywhere today. She’d make sure of that.

Tang Fei descended the stairs and made her way through the hallway toward the first-floor family kitchen, a more intimate space than the formal dining room, with its own cooking area, countertop seating, and cozy dining nook. This was where the family typically gathered for casual meals.

She pushed open the door and stepped inside.

The scene that greeted her was warm and domestic. Her children were already seated at the counter, working their way through breakfast. The maids moved efficiently in the background, preparing food and cleaning up. The smell of fresh congee, steamed buns, and tea filled the air.

"Good morning, Missus!" Nanny Yun was the first to notice her, turning with a bright smile that quickly faded into concern. "Are you okay? You look slightly exhausted and pale... You also look like you’re sneaking around!"