Transmigration; A Mother's Redemption and a perfect Wife.-Chapter 434; Honeymoon phase 4 (e)

"And you..." she whispered back, surprising even herself with the boldness, with the claim she was making. "You’re mine too."

His eyes darkened at those words, slow, molten heat spreading through his gaze, utterly undone by her reciprocal possession.

Then...

"Tang Fei," he murmured, his voice a low vow that sent warmth pooling in her belly. "Don’t say things like that unless you’re ready for me to believe you. Unless you’re ready for everything that comes with it."

"I am," she breathed, her fingers tightening in his shirt. "I want you to believe me. I want... this. All of it."

For a heartbeat, neither of them moved, the moment suspended in the underwater blue light, fish drifting past unnoticed, the entire world narrowed down to just the two of them.

Then.....

He kissed her.

Slowly at first, reverently, as if she were something precious he’d been afraid to touch. Then deeper, more certain, the kind of kiss that said everything he hadn’t dared to speak aloud. Years of longing, of hoping, of waiting for her to come back to him—or perhaps to finally arrive for the first time.

She leaned into him, her fingers sliding from his shirt up to his shoulders, then to the back of his neck, pulling him closer.

When they finally broke apart, both breathing heavily, he rested his forehead against hers again.

"I’ve wanted to hear you say that for so long," he admitted roughly. "That I’m yours. That you want this."

"I know," she whispered, understanding how long he must have waited, how patient he’d been with the original Tang Fei’s anger and rejection. "And I’m sorry it took so long. Sorry for... everything before."

"Don’t apologize for the past." His thumb traced her lower lip gently. "Just promise me we have a future."

"We do," she said with absolute certainty. "We have a future, and four incredible children, and whatever comes next, we’ll face it together."

"Together," he echoed, the word sounding like a vow.

Soon the waiters and waitresses returned, moving with practiced efficiency as they carried in trays laden with delicacies, fragrant jasmine tea in delicate porcelain pots, elegant platters of fresh fruit artfully arranged, an assortment of refined snacks, and finally, the pièce de résistance: massive platters of boiled seafood still steaming with aromatic spices.

The presentation was impeccable, enormous crabs with shells turned brilliant red from boiling, prawns the size of Tang Fei’s palm, scallops, clams, and other treasures from the sea, all arranged with the kind of artistic precision expected at an establishment of this caliber.

They were each given warm, lavender-scented towels to clean their hands. Tang Fei barely finished wiping her fingers before her hand shot out toward a perfectly boiled egg nestled among the seafood.

"Have tea first..." Huo Ting Cheng gently caught her wrist, his touch light but redirecting.

Tang Fei reflexively pulled her hand back with the quick, fluid movement of someone whose body remembered combat training, the egg already captured between her fingers.

"I’m hungry... Hehe..." She didn’t care about proper dining etiquette or the sequence of courses. She’d been craving this boiled seafood since she’d seen it being prepared. Those crabs were absolutely enormous, and her mouth had been watering just looking at them.

Huo Ting Cheng sighed, but there was warmth in his eyes, indulgent affection rather than disapproval. "All right... Be slow. And be careful, the shells are hot."

From the various tables around them, other diners couldn’t help but notice the scene unfolding.

The powerful Master Huo, one of the wealthiest and most influential men in the region, was watching his young wife eat with unabashed enthusiasm, his expression utterly soft, completely doting.

He reached over without prompting to crack open the massive crab shells for her, extracting the sweet meat, and placing the best pieces directly on her plate. When she reached for a prawn, he was already peeling it for her, removing every bit of shell so she could simply enjoy the tender flesh.

Some of the other diners, particularly the wives of wealthy businessmen who’d spent years cultivating perfect manners and restrained elegance, watched with barely concealed judgment.

Not only judgment, but even envious and jealous because of the kind of standards Huo Ting Cheng was setting.

Her behavior looked uncouth, their expressions said clearly. Eating with such abandon at a fine dining establishment.

’She’s beneath him,’ whispered one woman in French to her companion, her voice carrying in the unique acoustics of the underwater space. ’She lacks the refinement, the poise, the foundation of a true prestigious lady from an established family.’

’Probably some young thing he married for her looks,’ another responded in English, her tone dripping with disdain. ’She’ll bore him eventually when he realizes there’s nothing beneath the pretty face.’

Tang Fei, focused on the delicious food, suddenly became aware of the weight of eyes on her. Multiple gazes, most of them disapproving, some pitying, a few envious.

She lifted her head from her enthusiastic eating, and reality crashed back over her like cold water.

This wasn’t their private dining room at home. This was an open, public space filled with society’s elite, all of whom had been raised on strict etiquette and careful appearances. And here she was, eating like a starving child rather than the refined wife of a powerful man.

Heat flooded her cheeks. She’d forgotten herself completely, forgotten to maintain the careful façade of elegance expected in these circles.

She started to slow down, to moderate her enthusiasm, to adopt the delicate, restrained eating style she’d observed in other wealthy women....

In the assassin camp, one thing you are trained first is how fast you can grab your food, because they would get so many children but little food, and they had to fight for it... Some could starve to death.

Most of her manners stemmed from there... Even if she had learned the aristocratic manners, those crude behaviour never goes away.

But Huo Ting Cheng’s hand appeared in her line of vision, offering her a perfectly prepared piece of crab meat, the sweetest part from inside the shell.