Chapter 359: Beauty in Tears
Before Wen Man could answer, Luo Yan blurted out:
“No, your health isn’t good, and you have scar-prone skin. You can’t take that risk.”
Wen Man wanted to say she could handle it—that she wasn’t afraid of being scratched or bitten—but Luo Yan held her hand tightly, his expression unusually serious.
Her heart sank.
If her parents were here instead of Luo Yan, they would refuse to let her take home a potentially dangerous cat, too.
She could throw a tantrum and demand it, but if she got hurt, it would only worry and sadden Luo Yan and her loving parents. She couldn’t be that selfish.
But no matter how much she tried, she couldn’t bring herself to give up. Tears welled up and spilled down her cheeks uncontrollably.
Luo Yan’s heart shattered.
He cursed Song Yuebin and his ancestors eighteen generations back in his mind.
If it weren’t for Song Yuebin, his wife wouldn’t be this distressed and torn.
“Boss Su, can we wait until the kitten grows older and try separating it from the mother cat?”
Before Su Tao could respond, Wen Man choked out angrily:
“How can you be so heartless? All men are the same—you’ll never understand the pain of losing a child because you can’t be a mother!”
With that, she suddenly crouched down, burying her face in her hands as she sobbed uncontrollably.
Luo Yan knew he had said the wrong thing. He apologized repeatedly, so flustered he was nearly ready to kneel before her.
Su Tao also stood there, at a complete loss.
Wen Man’s heart-wrenching cries contrasted sharply with the sunny smile she had worn earlier.
I-It can’t be just about the kitten… This must be because of something else, right?
A beauty’s tears—how could anyone bear to see them? Let alone her husband, even Su Tao felt a pang of sorrow.
After Wen Man had vented her emotions and gone to the bathroom to calm down, Luo Yan lit a cigarette and said to Su Tao:
“Boss Su, please forgive us. A year ago, Manman had a miscarriage and was seriously ill for a long time. The doctor said her health is fragile, and even if she gets pregnant again, it would be hard to carry the baby to term. To protect her, I had a vasectomy. We won’t have children of our own. But Manman loves kids—she treats her pets like her babies. This… this whole situation is just another disappointment for her.”
Su Tao was stunned.
So that’s why.
No wonder Wen Man had such a strong emotional reaction when Luo Yan mentioned separating the kitten from its mother—it hit too close to home.
After a long pause, Su Tao hesitated before asking:
“I mean no offense, but… have you considered adopting a child?”
Luo Yan lowered his gaze and replied quietly:
“Boss Su, in the apocalypse, you never know who to trust. I can promise my cats and dogs will never betray us, but I can’t guarantee the same for a child who isn’t ours by blood. And to be honest, it’s embarrassing to admit, but our friends and relatives are eager to pass their kids to us just to get a piece of my estate.
“So, to avoid all the trouble and disputes, we’ve made it clear—we won’t adopt any children.”
Su Tao sighed, feeling a wave of sadness.
From the outside, Wen Man seemed to live a glamorous and happy life, but even having a child was a distant dream for her.
No one’s life is truly perfect. Everyone carries regrets and burdens.
“Mr. Luo, you’ll find the right pet someday. Maybe it’s just not the right time yet.”
After a moment of silence, Luo Yan asked, “Will your mother cat have more kittens in the future? Could I reserve one in advance? It probably won’t only have one kitten next time, so it shouldn’t be as attached to the litter.”
Su Tao froze.
She had never planned to let Chilli have more kittens—in fact, she wanted to get her spayed. She just hadn’t found a reliable vet yet.
Su Tao shook her head. “It’s not about that… If you want to buy a kitten, you can find one anywhere—especially in Changjing, where there’s no shortage of beautiful cats. I don’t want to put Chilli through another pregnancy; it’s too hard on her.”
Rare kittens like Little Flame might be hard to find, but there were plenty of healthy, good-looking kittens available.
Luo Yan’s expression became slightly awkward.
“After seeing your cats, every other cat looks ugly in comparison. Even I’m unimpressed by them, let alone my wife. Your mother cat may be fierce, but she’s beautiful. Any kitten she has would be exceptional—I don’t need another Little Flame, even half or a third as cute would be fine.”
Su Tao rubbed her temples. He’s really after Pepper’s superior genes.
“No, no way. Little Flame was a one-in-a-million occurrence. There’s no guarantee of another kitten like that—not in the next litter, or even the one after.”
Luo Yan sighed, smoking the rest of his cigarette in a few puffs.
“You’re right. Forget it. We’ll keep looking. But Boss Su, if you ever breed another kitten with a rare pattern, please let me know. I’ll pay handsomely.”
At that moment, Wen Man returned from the bathroom. Her eyes were swollen like two cherries.
Luo Yan immediately rushed to comfort her and proposed that they rest for the night and return home in the morning.
Wen Man hesitated, then looked at Su Tao.
“Boss Su, I know I can’t take Little Flame away, and I won’t force it… but could I stay in Taoyang for a few more days to visit the kitten?”
Su Tao nodded and even offered a suggestion.
“Of course. Actually, your friend Xiao Wenyu’s mansion is nearly finished—she’ll be able to move in tomorrow night. Why not ask her if you can stay there for a few days and help warm the new house?”
Wen Man wasn’t particularly impressed by the mention of a “mansion.” She had lived in luxury her entire life.
But knowing there was a place to stay near Little Flame brightened her mood. She eagerly looked to Luo Yan for his opinion.
Luo Yan wanted to bring his wife home as soon as possible, but faced with her hopeful gaze, he relented.
“Alright. If you want to stay, you can. I’ll stay with you.”
“No, you should go back. It’s inappropriate for a man to stay in Wenyu’s private home.”
“…Fine, I won’t stay with you there. I’ll find a hotel nearby, okay? I can’t leave you alone in Dongyang.”
In the end, Su Tao offered him a one-bedroom apartment for three days—at a price, of course. Luo Yan paid for an entire month without hesitation.
That evening, as they settled into the cozy apartment, Wen Man marveled at the stylish décor.
“Boss Su is so considerate. We’re only staying three days, and she prepared such a nice place. Even our home doesn’t have a suede-textured sofa like this… and this double-layered, asymmetrical glass coffee table—it’s so unique. I’ve never seen one like it before.”
Luo Yan, sitting beside her, sighed softly.
“Is it possible… that every house in Taoyang looks like this?”
