Future Beast World: Becoming A Pampered Beauty-Chapter 353 - 292: Estrangement

Si Ye brought over a few high stools, which were just the right height for Little Zhenzhen.

He sat down next to the child.

Sang Luo prepared a dual-sided hot pot. As the spicy oil bubbled, she picked up two slices of rolled lamb and swished them in the spicy broth. After about ten seconds, the meat turned white. She blew on the steaming lamb rolls before placing them on Little Zhenzhen’s plate. "Eat slowly."

Little Zhenzhen, not minding the heat at all, gobbled it down in a few bites. "Delicious!"

"This kid!"

Sang Luo added another plate of lamb rolls and fish cakes to the pot. Si Ye, seeing that she was so busy serving the child that she wasn’t eating herself, quickly put some vegetables and meat on her plate. "You eat first. Don’t worry about her."

Sang Luo, Si Ye, and Little Zhenzhen were all eating from the spicy side of the pot. Fei Yuan just looked at the bubbling red chili oil, his brow furrowed so deeply it looked like he could crush a fly.

He tried dipping a meat roll into the spicy broth himself, but after a single bite, he started coughing, his face turning red. He had to rinse the meat in cold water before he could barely manage to eat it.

Seeing Fei Yuan’s reaction, Lou Xianyue laughed. ’He just hasn’t had it enough.’ He had learned about Sang Luo’s taste for spice long ago. He calmly ate from the mild broth and the other dishes, placing slices of fish on the plates of the two children in his arms.

Neither Lan Cang nor the Wolf Pups were picky eaters and would eat anything, though he personally preferred the milder side of the pot. Hephis and Little Stone were sitting next to each other, so he looked after the little lion as well, serving the children some food.

"Looks like we’re the only ones who can eat together," Si Ye said. He picked up a large fish ball, blew on it patiently, and popped it into her mouth.

Sang Luo nearly choked. "Eat your own food!"

After the New Year’s Eve dinner, Lan Cang received some sort of urgent message and had to return to the North Continent first, leaving the three little Wolf Pups behind to celebrate the new year.

The children stayed at the Sea Palace for over half a month and were only sent back after the New Year festivities were over.

"Father!"

Duotu hugged Hephis, who had just returned. "Did you have a good time?"

"I did! I met so many brothers and sisters, and they were all very nice to me. The uncles were really nice to me too, and they gave me lots of presents!"

Hephis took out several photos he had taken with his siblings before he left. He sounded a little regretful. "Besides me and sister Little Zhenzhen, everyone else has biological brothers and sisters."

"Having one treasure like you is enough for your father." Duotu glanced at the photos and handed them back to him. "Your mother is very happy now."

...

Fei Yuan and Si Ye returned to the East Continent with their children.

Sang Luo and the little Wolf Pups stayed at the Sea Palace for a few more days before she personally took them back to Ice-breaking City on the North Continent.

It had been a long time since she was last here. The courtyard was spotless. There were very few servants in the residence; they were mainly there to help with miscellaneous chores, as Lan Cang did many things himself.

He also enjoyed cleaning and tidying up the house.

The courtyard and rooms were kept clean and cozy, giving it a real feeling of home that was relaxing and comfortable.

As soon as the Wolf Pups got home, they dashed outside to play with wild abandon.

Sang Luo called out, "Cangcang!"

There was no response.

A guard at the gate came over. "My Lady, the City Lord went out two days ago and hasn’t returned yet. I will send someone to inform him of your arrival right away."

"That’s all right. I’ll wait for him in our room."

Sang Luo went back to the room and sat on the bed. The room’s decor was the same as before.

She felt like something was missing.

After a moment of thought, she realized the photo frame on the desk was gone.

Sang Luo froze. ’Did Lan Cang put the photos away? When did he take them down?’

An hour later, Sang Luo heard familiar footsteps outside the door and rushed over to meet him.

Lan Cang looked a little worse for wear. His black, form-fitting combat suit was torn with claw marks, and his windbreaker was covered in flecks of snow and stained red in some places. He had some superficial wounds, nothing too serious—it was a common sight for him.

"Cangcang, you’re finally back!" Sang Luo stepped forward, wanting to hug him affectionately.

Lan Cang froze for a moment. Instead of immediately embracing her, he took a small step back.

The movement was slight, but Sang Luo’s sharp eyes caught it.

She froze, her outstretched arms slowly retracting as if petrified. Her heart seemed to ache with a sharp sting, and she couldn’t understand.

"Cangcang?"

Lan Cang saw the change in her expression and quickly explained, "I, I just got back from outside. I’m dirty. I’ll go take a shower first."

With that, he hurried away. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Sang Luo watched him leave, her brow furrowed and her mood unreadable.

The man was still Lan Cang.

He hadn’t changed one bit from her memory of him.

But it seemed that, without her realizing it, he had slowly begun to change.

He was right in front of her, yet it felt like they were drifting further and further apart. This feeling of deliberate distance was something Sang Luo had never experienced from the Lan Cang of the past.

’When did this start? Or has he slowly become like this?’

Sang Luo realized she had been overlooking many things.

She began to seriously replay every little detail of their relationship in her mind.

Her breathing grew heavy. She couldn’t tell if it was shock or despair, but she realized Lan Cang had been intentionally, slowly distancing himself from her for a long time. His passion for her had long since faded from what it was when they first met.

When Ah Ye and Lou Xianyue missed her, they would take the initiative to visit her, but Lan Cang never did.

Ever since Sang Luo had gone to the East Continent, he seemed to have devoted all his time to the children and his career. He rarely appeared before her, and the times they had been intimate could be counted on one hand. Even then, it was always Sang Luo who had to initiate it before he would respond.

Over the years, it was almost always the three Wolf Pups who video called her. He would occasionally make an appearance, but the actual number of times he had initiated contact with her was less than ten.

A terrible suspicion formed in Sang Luo’s mind. ’Could Lan Cang... be having an affair?’

She had indeed spent very little time on the North Continent these past few years. Male Beasts were not known for their ability to endure loneliness. Now, with power and wealth at his side, many young and beautiful females would surely be throwing themselves at him.

If a gentle and considerate beauty were hanging around him, it was inevitable that his heart might be swayed.

That would explain his coldness toward her.

Sang Luo couldn’t promise her Beast Husbands a monogamous life with just one partner. She had said from the very beginning that if they ever found a female they liked, they were free to leave her. But now that the day had actually come, she found it hard to breathe, her heart aching with a dull pain...

Sang Luo searched the room but found no clues.

Lan Cang was a man who did things cleanly and efficiently. If he didn’t want her to find something, she wouldn’t be able to.

Sang Luo didn’t want to guess wildly anymore. She decided to go find him and ask him directly.

In the bathroom, Lan Cang had just finished his shower and was completely naked when Sang Luo pushed the door open. He quickly wrapped a towel around his waist. "Luoluo, what’s wrong?"

Sang Luo stared intently into his eyes, her own slowly turning red. "Is there another female you like?"

Lan Cang froze.

After a long moment, he said dryly, "Why would you think that?"

"All the photos in your room are gone, and..." Sang Luo let out all the words she had been holding back.

After listening to her, Lan Cang let out a laugh. "Of course not. You’re overthinking things."

"Then why are you so cold to me?"

Lan Cang met her gaze and was silent for a moment. His throat bobbed. "Do I even deserve your affection anymore?"

"What?"

"Luoluo, to be honest... I don’t know what someone like me can even do for you anymore."