webnovel Chapter 247 247: Morning wake up
Chapter 247 247: Morning wake up
The morning sunlight filtered through the heavy velvet curtains of his chambers, casting long, golden streaks across the polished floorboards and the rumpled silk sheets.
Su Ping sat at the edge of the bed, his posture relaxed but his eyes remarkably sharp for the early hour.
He had been waiting for this moment, watching the steady rise and fall of Melinda's chest until the rhythm finally broke.
He watched her eyelids flutter, her lashes twitching against her cheeks as she slowly fought her way back to consciousness.
Although her eyes were still groggy, clouded with the lingering fog of a deep, forced sleep, and for a moment, she simply stared at the ceiling in a daze.
"Oh? Finally awake now are we?" Su Ping asked, his voice light and melodic, accompanied by a thin, knowing smile.
Melinda groaned softly as she tried to shift her weight and sit up straight. "What happened..." she muttered, her voice raspy and barely audible in the quiet room.
She didn't wait for an answer before her hand flew to her temple, her face contorting in a sudden grimace of pain. "Ouch.. why does my head hurt so much?"
Su Ping didn't move to help her just yet, choosing instead to remain anchored at the edge of the mattress. "Maybe because you almost forced my hand last night?" he said.
"Huh?" Melinda blinked rapidly, trying to clear the haze from her vision. She looked at him with genuine confusion, her memory still fragmented into jagged shards that refused to stitch themselves back together. "What do you mean? What did I do?"
"Last night was... eventful, to say the least," Su Ping replied, letting the silence hang for a moment to allow her mind to catch up.
The mention of the previous night seemed to act as a trigger. A spark of frantic realization ignited in Melinda's eyes, and she sat up with a suddenness that clearly didn't agree with her migraine.
"Emilia! Where is she!" she blurted out, the panic in her voice sharp enough to cut through the morning calm.
The sudden movement sent a fresh wave of throbbing pain through her skull, and she let out a sharp gasp, clutching her head with both hands as she doubled over slightly.
"She's still very much in one piece," Su Ping said, his voice dropping an octave to a more soothing tone.
He reached out then, placing a steadying hand on her shoulder. "There's no need for you to harm yourself anymore than you already have. Everyone is safe, and the house is quiet."
Melinda went still, her breathing calming. Gradually, the tension began to bleed out of her shoulders, replaced by a sagging weight of realization.
Her expression shifted, morphing from panicked confusion into a deeply conflicted mask of guilt and shame.
The memories were returning now in a flood, the shouting, the desperation, not to mention the way she had pushed things to the absolute brink.
"I'm sorry... dear," she whispered, the words trembling with a fragile sincerity. It was clear she finally recalled the gravity of her actions and the danger she had invited into their home.
If only she knew that her home wasn't the only thing that had been in danger last night, but the lives of countless people.
Su Ping looked at her, watching the way her gaze dropped to her lap.
' Now you want to apologize? After all you put me through?' He felt a flicker of the previous night's exhaustion resurface, and he had to work to hold back the urge to let a look of exhaustion emerge on his face.
Even now, she was thinking about anothers health rather than her own.
He knew himself well enough to realize that if any other person had caused such a chaotic mess, he wouldn't be sitting here playing the doting husband.
If it weren't for the fact that the woman before him was the one person who held his heart in a vice grip, he wouldn't be taking things nearly as lightly as he was now.
"Thanks to me... even our child was at risk," Melinda continued, her voice breaking as she grew more distraught.
Tears began to well in her eyes, shimmering against her pale skin. "I really didn't mean to let things go that far. I just didn't want you to... I was just so afraid of what might happen."
"Shsssh... it's alright now," Su Ping murmured, leaning forward to close the distance between them.
He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her small frame into a firm embrace that effectively silenced her rambling apologies.
He could feel her heart hammering against his chest like a trapped bird, and he let her settle into him until her breathing began to level out.
"If you're truly sorry, then don't you ever try to worry me like that again," he said, his voice muffled against her hair as he began to stroke it ever so gently. "If you were to ever leave me, how would we survive without you? I'm sure the kids wouldn't want to grow up without a mother, and I certainly have no desire to live in this world alone."
He felt her nod against his shoulder, her hands clutching at the back of his shirt as if she were afraid he might vanish if she let go.
"What happened last night wasn't entirely your fault," he added, pulling back just enough to look at her. "After all, I was the one who lost my temper first. We both let the situation get out of hand, but it's over now."
Melinda raised her head, her eyes searching his for any sign of lingering resentment. Finding only warmth and a steady, loving gaze, she felt the last of her defenses crumble.
She offered a small, watery nod, her face softening in a way that made her look years younger.
"Good," Su Ping replied, flashing her a loving smile that reached his eyes, momentarily erasing the shadows of the previous night's conflict.
The peace of the moment lasted for several minutes until Su Ping let out a soft sigh and began to disentangle himself from the bedsheets.
He stood up, smoothing the wrinkles in his trousers and adjusting his cuffs.
"Where are you going?" Melinda asked immediately, her voice tinged with a hint of abandonment. She watched him with wide eyes, looking small amidst the vastness of the bed.
"I'm afraid there are some things which need my attention at the moment," Su Ping said, his back to her as he straightened his vest and ensured his appearance was impeccable.
"Life doesn't stop just because we had a long night, and there are matters downstairs that won't resolve themselves."
Seeing him prepare to depart, Melinda's expression shifted from vulnerability to a classic pout.
She crossed her arms over her chest, leaning back against the headboard. "Are you really going to leave me all alone after everything that happened last night? I thought you'd stay at least until breakfast."
"Oh, don't worry," Su Ping said, turning back to her with a mischievous glint in his eye. "Emilia and the kids are still here to keep you company. In fact, I'm quite sure you're dying to talk with her after the way things were left. I wouldn't want to get in the way of the both of you making up and clearing the air."
Melinda's face flushed with a mixture of annoyance and frustration. She knew exactly what he was doing. By leaving her to deal with Emilia so soon, he was effectively handing her the responsibility of fixing the emotional fallout he had helped create.
It was a subtle, calculated move, a way of getting back at her for the stress of the previous night by forcing her to face her.
She opened her mouth to protest, but the words died in her throat when she saw the faint, playful smirk on his lips. She realized there was nothing she could do but watch him leave; she did, after all, deserved this much after the stunt she had pulled.
Su Ping offered her one last wink before turning on his heel and exiting the chambers.
The doors clicked shut behind him, leaving the room in a ringing silence. As he made his way down the long, carpeted hallway, he wasn't surprised to see a familiar figure hovering near one of the decorative alcoves.
Emilia was standing there, her fingers interlaced nervously in front of her dress. When she caught sight of him, she stiffened visibly, her expression one of anxiety. As he drew closer, she instinctively bowed her head, her gaze fixed firmly on the floor.
Su Ping didn't stop, but he slowed his pace as he reached her. He didn't offer a lecture or a stern look; instead, he maintained that same light, effortless smile he had worn in the bedroom.
He reached out and gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder.
"I'll be leaving her in your care then," he said softly, his voice echoing slightly in the corridor.
He didn't wait for a response, walking past her. He headed toward the staircase, his mind already shifting toward the business of the day, leaving the two women to their own devices.