You tricked me into raising your son? You'll divorce me and become my aunt.

Upon hearing this, Ruan Ning's expression hardened, and her voice trembled. "You threw it away?"

Tangyuan is a little white cat, a stray cat that Ruan Ning rescued two years ago.

When Ruan Ning first found it, it was emaciated and had feline distemper.

She took it to a pet store for a bath and deworming, and then to a veterinary hospital for treatment.

It took Ruan Ning two years to raise Tangyuan from a thin, sickly kitten to its current glossy, healthy appearance.

Countless days and nights, this little cat kept her company, curled up in her arms, relieving her loneliness.

Fu Tingchen knew how much she loved this cat.

I also know how gentle this cat is; it never bites or scratches anyone.

But now he's saying he's throwing the cat away?

Ruan Ning was furious, her eyes blazing with anger. "That's my cat! What right did you have to throw it away?"

Fu Tingchen remained calm and expressionless. "I've already said it, it scratched Xinyao."

Ruan Ning laughed in exasperation.

"I've raised Tangyuan for two years, you know. It's always been very well-behaved. Bai Xinyao was scratched because she deliberately provoked Tangyuan, and Tangyuan reacted."

Bai Xinyao immediately denied it: "I didn't!"

"Tingchen, believe me, I really didn't provoke her cat on purpose. I was just sitting there and the cat suddenly went crazy."

Ruan Ning's cold gaze swept over Fu Tingchen and Bai Xinyao. "Check the surveillance footage, okay?"

Bai Xinyao's heart tightened.

If they check the surveillance footage, that's it.

She looked at Fu Tingchen with teary eyes, "Tingchen, I really didn't..."

The man's heart softened instantly when he saw her red, tear-filled eyes.

He looked at Ruan Ning coldly, his attitude domineering, "I am the master of this house, and I make all the decisions. It's just a cat; if it's lost, it's lost."

"Just a cat?" Ruan Ning's emotions were somewhat out of control, and her voice rose. "It has been with me for two years. I raised it little by little. It's like family to me."

With tears in her eyes, she asked, "Where did you lose it? I'll go find it."

Fu Tingchen's thin lips pressed into a cold, hard line. "If it's lost, don't bother looking for it anymore. From now on, no pets are allowed in the house."

"I must find it." Ruan Ning's attitude was firm. "I can promise you that I won't keep it here anymore, but I must find it today."

It was already dark, and the crowds outside the residential area were chaotic. Ruan Ning was worried that Tangyuan might be stressed.

If we don't look for it now, it will be difficult to find it once it has gone far away.

If they can't be found, it will be difficult for Tangyuan to survive if it continues to circulate outside.

The thought of her beloved kitten hiding and trembling outside made Ruan Ning's heart ache.

Fu Tingchen frowned as he looked at her stubborn expression, his impatience growing stronger.

It's just a cat, why is she arguing with him like this?

Fu Tingchen didn't understand.

He had never seen Ruan Ning so stubbornly defy him over such a trivial matter.

She used to be very well-behaved and obedient.

Seeing that the man remained silent, Ruan Ning shouted emotionally, "Tell me! Where did you put it?"

Seeing her agitated state, Fu Tingchen remained silent for a moment, then called over a maid and said coldly, "Tell her where you threw the cat."

The maid cautiously replied, "Madam, I left Tangyuan near the supermarket about 500 meters outside the west gate of the community. I saw it run towards the green belt."

After saying that, Ruan Ning didn't say another word, turned around and walked out quickly.

Fu Tingchen did not stop him.

Watching her hurried departure, the man felt more and more that Ruan Ning had changed.

"Tingchen, what should we do? Xiaoning seems really angry," Bai Xinyao said, looking aggrieved. "Maybe I should apologize to her when she gets back."

Fu Tingchen: "It's nothing, it's just a cat. If it scratched you, I would never keep it again. I was the one who had the cat thrown away. You didn't do anything wrong, so you don't need to apologize to it."

As night falls, the streetlights illuminate the street with a warm yellow glow.

Ruan Ning slowly searched around the supermarket, calling the cat's name softly as she walked.

"Tangyuan, Tangyuan, where are you?"

"Tangyuan, Mommy's here to see you..."

She bent down and carefully inspected every shrub in the roadside green belt, the corners of shops, and under cars in the parking area.

There was no sign of glutinous rice balls.

Ruan Ning searched for nearly half an hour, and a thin layer of sweat appeared on her forehead.

She became increasingly anxious.

She dared not imagine what would happen to the kitten that had been with her for two years if she really couldn't find it.

Just as she was squatting beside a row of holly bushes, carefully examining the branches and leaves, a gentle male voice came from behind her.

"Ruan Ning?"

Ruan Ning turned around upon hearing the sound.

The streetlights cast dappled shadows on the man.

He wore a simple white shirt and black trousers, with gentle eyebrows and eyes, handsome features, and a pair of gold-rimmed glasses on his nose, exuding a refined and scholarly air.

It's Shao Xun.

Fu Tingchen's good friend.

Shao Xun is a low-key person who is gentle and polite. He is two years older than Fu Tingchen and is the only person in Fu Tingchen's circle who has ever shown goodwill towards Ruan Ning.

Ruan Ning responded, "Brother Shao Xun, what are you doing here?"

Shao Xun replied, "It's closer to the school here. I just moved to this neighborhood a while ago, and I stopped by to buy some things after get off work."

Ruan Ning didn't know much about Shao Xun. She only knew that although he came from a wealthy family, he didn't join the family business but instead became a teacher at a key university in the city.

Ruan Ning wasn't quite sure what he taught, only that he was already a professor at a young age.

"I see." Ruan Ning said absentmindedly.

Shao Xun said gently, "You seem to be in a bad mood. Is there anything I can help you with?"

Ruan Ning looked dejected. "My cat is missing. I'll go look for it."

Shao Xun: "Visibility is poor at night, and there are many alleys and green belts around here. It will be too slow for you to search alone. Let me help you search."

His eyes were clean and pure.

Ruan Ning was slightly taken aback, and a warm feeling welled up in her heart.

This wasn't the first time Shao Xun had helped her.

In the past, when she and Fu Tingchen went to a cocktail party together, Fu Tingchen would leave her behind as soon as they arrived to talk business with others.

At the party, a man harassed and tried to chat her up. She was at a loss for what to do, but Shao Xun stepped in to help her out.

Ruan Ning has always kept this kindness in her heart.

She nodded gently and thanked him softly, "Thank you for your trouble, Brother Shao Xun."

"It was nothing," Shao Xun said with a gentle smile.

The two then split up to search.

Shao Xun was more meticulous and considered things much more thoroughly than she had.

He knew that when pet cats are frightened, they usually hide in secluded and quiet corners and won't appear on busy main roads.

So he avoided the noisy streets and went specifically to the narrow alley behind the supermarket and the piles of idle clutter.

He walked very quietly and spoke in a low voice, afraid of disturbing the kitten that might be hiding in the shadows.

Ruan Ning continued to search carefully along the green belt, calling the cat's name over and over again.

As night deepened, fewer and fewer pedestrians appeared on the street, and the surroundings gradually quieted down.

The two searched for over an hour, covering almost every corner around the supermarket, but still couldn't find the glutinous rice balls.

Ruan Ning was in low spirits, keeping her head down and her eyes red.

Seeing this, Shao Xun gently comforted her, "Don't worry, cats are easily frightened and will hide very well. It's normal that you can't find them for a while. It's too dark to find them at night. Why don't we print out some lost cat notices and post them around here? We can come back to look for them after it gets light tomorrow. The chances of finding them will be much higher then."

That's a good idea.

Ruan Ning nodded. "That's the only way."

There's a print shop not far away that's still open at this hour.

The two walked over side by side.