Chapter 358: Block Song Yuebin’s Road for Me
When Wen Man was invited to the office at Taoli Building, she was still reluctant to leave.
Luo Yan, knowing she loved children, patted her hand and led her to a seat.
Su Tao, calm and composed, did not bring up the matter of “Little Flame.” Instead, Wen Man, who could hardly wait, got straight to the point:
“Boss Su, I believe Captain Song has already spoken to you. We came to Taoyang this time for two reasons—first, for Little Flame, and second, to collect the supplies we ordered, which we arranged with your manager, Lin.”
Su Tao replied honestly:
“Sorry, Captain Song didn’t inform me in advance. I never intended to sell Little Flame. Song Yuebin acted on his own, secretly sending you the kitten’s photo. It wasn’t until you decided to come to Taoyang that he told me about it.”
Wen Man was dumbfounded.
Luo Yan’s face darkened. “That guy Song told me you were willing to find the kitten a good owner.”
Su Tao emphasized again, “I have no such intention. Besides, Little Flame is a kitten my friend and I saved from the brink of death after several sleepless nights. Its health has just started improving—I wouldn’t rush to send it away.
“Moreover, its mother gave birth to three kittens, but only Little Flame survived. She’s extremely protective. If I take Little Flame away, she’ll fall into depression. I hope you understand.”
Luo Yan’s expression hardened. “So, you’re saying Song Yuebin lied to me?”
Su Tao’s silence spoke volumes.
After a brief pause, Luo Yan laughed coldly:
“Alright, alright—I see now. This is a trap that Song set, using the kitten as bait to lure my wife in and then extract favors from me!”
By the time he finished speaking, his tone had turned icy. He waved a hand to summon his assistant:
“Didn’t Song Yuebin want access to the northern transport route? Go and tell our people—not a single inch for him. Put his name on the northern blacklist. Also, reach out to our contacts in the south—block every road he can take. How dare he try to manipulate me?”
Wen Man, however, didn’t care about any of that. She just stared at Su Tao and asked in a daze:
“Is there really no chance at all?”
Su Tao shook her head. “I’m sorry, but for now, I really don’t want to give it away. It’s just adapting to its new environment and is still weak. More importantly, its mother wouldn’t survive the separation.”
Wen Man’s face paled. “I’m willing to take both of them—no matter how much it costs. Or if you want anything else, I’ll do my best—”
Su Tao sighed, “Come, I’ll show you the mother cat. Once you see her, you won’t say that again.”
Without hesitation, Wen Man followed Su Tao.
Luo Yan, unable to stop her, could only tag along like a follower.
When they reached Su Tao’s home, she asked them to wait outside while she went in to move Chili and Little Flame to the second-floor cat room.
The cat room was converted from a study, and the balcony was half-partitioned to hold Black Sesame, providing ample opportunity for the two cats to hurl insults across the divide.
“You can come in now. I also have a dog and a bird, but don’t worry—they’re all gentle.”
At these words, Wen Man’s curiosity propelled her into the house.
The moment they entered, the black-feathered parrot perched on the windowsill squawked, “Pretty lady! Pretty lady!”
Luo Yan’s face turned green.
His precious wife was being catcalled by a bird.
Wen Man, on the other hand, was astonished. “Your bird can talk? That’s amazing!”
The large black dog named Xuedao got up to sniff at Wen Man, prompting Luo Yan to become instantly alert.
Don’t let that big dog bite my wife, he thought nervously.
After a quick inspection, Xuedao lost interest and padded away.
Su Tao called out, “Xuedao, bring two pairs of clean slippers from the balcony.”
Xuedao wagged its tail happily and soon returned, dropping the slippers at the door and looking up eagerly for praise.
Su Tao tossed two pieces of egg yolk freeze-dried treats to the dog. “Good dog—go back to sleep.”
Wen Man’s gaze followed the dog longingly before shifting to Su Tao.
“You’re amazing—your dog is so well-trained!” she gushed.
Su Tao smiled, shaking her head. “They were already trained when I got them—I didn’t do much. Come on, let’s go upstairs.”
As Wen Man climbed the stairs, she suddenly noticed a black cat perched on the railing, staring at her with beady eyes.
“Ah!” she yelped softly.
The cat, Black Sesame, strutted along the banister before leaping onto Luo Yan’s head, giving him a swift kick before dashing away.
Luo Yan staggered, barely keeping his balance.
“My apologies,” Su Tao said hurriedly. “It’s very playful—it didn’t mean any harm. I’ll catch it and make it apologize.”
But Black Sesame, seemingly understanding, escaped through the window.
Wen Man burst into laughter, her face lighting up like a sunflower.
“It knows you’re easy to mess with—what a funny cat!”
Seeing his wife so delighted, Luo Yan could only suppress his irritation.
“It’s fine, it’s fine—let’s go upstairs.”
When Wen Man finally saw the cat room, her joy quickly faded.
The mother cat, Chili, hissed fiercely at the strangers. Though separated by two large steps from the glass window, she clutched Little Flame tightly, eyes blazing with hostility.
When Luo Yan took a step closer, Chili abandoned Little Flame, lunged at the glass, and bared her claws—if not for the barrier, he would’ve been shredded.
Wen Man was stunned. “What’s wrong with her?”
Su Tao gently guided them out of the room.
As they left, Wen Man cast a longing glance at Little Flame, who was curled in the corner. The kitten was even prettier than in the photos, with flame-colored ears and tail and a golden dot on its nose—like a delicate blush.
It was so tiny, reminding her painfully of the child she had lost and could never hold.
Su Tao explained, “Chili was abused before—she doesn’t trust people and is extremely aggressive. Anyone who gets close will get scratched or bitten. Even Manager Lin, who contacted you, almost lost an eye to her claws.
“Look,” she added, rolling up her sleeves to reveal scratch marks, “these are from her. Sometimes, she doesn’t mean to hurt me—she just can’t control herself. I can’t blame her. I only blame her first owner for not loving her properly.
“So… do you still want to take her and Little Flame together?”
