Tang Fei felt her throat close, a wave of devastating tenderness washing over her.
He was asking for so little, just basic kindness, just the absence of cruelty.
But she had so much more to give now.
"I don't hate them," she whispered, her fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt.
He stilled completely, as if afraid to breathe, afraid to break whatever spell had allowed those words to emerge.
"I don't," she repeated, firmer this time, meeting his eyes with fierce conviction. "They're children. Our children. And even if the old me... even if she couldn't see it..." Her voice trembled with emotion. "I see them now. I see how brilliant Minghao is, how strong Feihao has become, how compassionate Tinghao is despite everything, how determined Zhihao is to be the best. I see them, and I..." She swallowed hard. "I love them. So much it terrifies me sometimes."
