Moonlit: Sorry, everyone. Lu Chenghan(the younger one) is actually a fourth young master and not the third. The third born is his sister.
Lu Chenghan was startled by Little Pudding’s reaction. “What’s wrong with your dog? It’s reacting so strongly. If I didn’t know better, I’d think Chu Hang was its previous owner.”
Lu Chenghe calmly patted the dog’s head. Seeing Little Pudding lie back down on his lap, he figured it was just its daily convulsion and not a sign that it needed to pee, so he ignored Lu Chenghan’s comment and instead asked, “Has Big Brother talked to you about this? Who else knows?”
Lu Chenghan curled his lips. “Big Brother probably isn’t worried about me telling Uncle, so he hasn’t even brought it up with me. Besides you, I haven’t told even our sister. Second Brother, what do you think will happen if Uncle finds out?”
Financial blockade, broken legs, being kicked out of the Lu family and disowned, or being forced to break up with his boyfriend—if not outright threatening to blacklist his boyfriend. As soon as Lu Chenghan mentioned it, Zuo Ning instinctively ran through all the possible scenarios in his mind. That’s how it always played out in TV dramas and novels. Prestigious families cared the most about their reputation. Anything that could ruin their family image was absolutely forbidden.
Thinking of this, he suddenly felt sad. Luckily, he was just a dog, so being close to Lu Chenghe was natural and unquestioned. But at the same time, it was a pity—he was only a dog, which meant he could only have a platonic relationship.
Lu Chenghe, of course, had no idea that Little Pudding’s mind was running wild. He simply said, “Uncle and Auntie aren’t unreasonable people. Even if they find out, it won’t be a big deal.”
Lu Chenghan clicked his tongue, a little disappointed. Though it was unfair of him, he had really wanted to see Big Brother in a difficult situation. He also wanted to find out if that little celebrity loved the “Lu” surname or his Big Brother. Not that he doubted his brother’s judgment, but people in love were always foolishly sweet, throwing everything else aside for the sake of romance.
Meanwhile, Zuo Ning, growing more and more sorrowful, stretched out his tongue and licked Lu Chenghe’s palm. At least other people could fight for their love and be a pair of star-crossed lovers. But him? One day, he might even have to attend Lu Chenghe’s wedding—only, the one standing beside him wouldn’t be him. The more he thought about it, the more painful it felt. Soon, Zuo Ning was drowning in his own misery, whimpering pitifully.
His sorrowful cries interrupted the conversation between the two brothers. Normally, when he had his daily convulsions, he’d just go crazy for a bit, but this was the first time he’d ever looked so heartbroken. Lu Chenghe picked him up entirely, only to see the little dog’s eyes glistening with moisture, looking pitifully aggrieved. For some reason, Lu Chenghe found it both amusing and baffling. He stroked the tiny head and asked in a low voice, “What’s wrong?”
Zuo Ning looked up at him. “Woof woo…” I feel like I just got my heart broken. Let me be sad for a while.
Lu Chenghe, of course, had no idea what Little Pudding was trying to say. He faintly caught a sweet scent in the air and felt the dog licking his hand nonstop. He wondered if he had been too strict with its diet. Dogs had much keener noses than humans—maybe it had already smelled the food and was trying to hold back but couldn’t anymore? The thought that his dog might have been crying because it was craving food left Lu Chenghe speechless.
Watching his second brother actually comforting a dog, Lu Chenghan felt like his worldview was shattering once again. It hadn’t been that long since the three brothers had last gathered, so why did it feel like both Big Brother and Second Brother were no longer the people he used to know? Was the world changing that fast? Lu Chenghan felt like he could barely keep up.
The kitchen was fast. Since Mother Lu had a sweet tooth, Lu Chenghe recruited a top-tier pastry chef from Big Brother’s restaurant. Most of the ingredients were readily available at home, so before long, the chestnut cake that Lu Chenghan had requested was ready.
A butler walked over, carrying a small plate of cake. “The large one is still being decorated and will be packed up shortly. Fourth Young Master, please enjoy.”
Lu Chenghan grinned and reached out to take it—only to have it intercepted by his second brother. Lu Chenghe had inherited his father’s distaste for sweets, so when he snatched the cake, Lu Chenghan was momentarily stunned.
Then, he watched as Second Brother scraped off the frosting, scooped a soft piece from the middle, and returned the rest of the cake to him. And that piece? It was delivered straight to the dog’s mouth.
“Second Brother! Are you seriously giving me leftovers after feeding the dog first? Are we even real brothers anymore?!”
Without even looking up, Lu Chenghe continued breaking the cake into small pieces and feeding them to Little Pudding. “Little Pudding is Mom’s dog, but she treats him like a son. I thought seeing that car would’ve made you realize this already.”
As he instinctively licked up the piece of cake that Lu Chenghe had placed near his mouth, Zuo Ning was stunned. He never expected Lu Chenghe to actually feed him a cake. Normally, he wasn’t even allowed an extra piece of jerky, yet today, Lu Chenghe was actively feeding him a cake. The happiness came so suddenly that the sweet taste in his mouth nearly moved him to tears.
Unfortunately, the soft cake melted instantly upon entering his mouth. The portion was pitifully small—barely enough for a human bite. Even then, it had been pinched into a tiny lump before being fed to him. The moment his tongue curled around it, the taste was already gone.
Still, Zuo Ning was thoroughly satisfied. Some was better than none at all.
Maybe it was because he hadn’t had anything this rich and flavorful in a long time, but Zuo Ning felt that this was the most delicious cake he had ever eaten—even better than anything he had tasted in his twenty years as a human!
Seeing Little Pudding eating so happily with its eyes crinkling with joy, it was hard to believe it had been on the verge of tears just moments ago. Its mood changed faster than a flipped page. When he finished eating and turned to eye Lu Chenghan’s plate, that disgraceful Lu Chenghan actually backed away while holding his cake protectively as if afraid it would be snatched away. Seeing such an undignified display, Lu Chenghe found it unbearable to watch. He simply reached out, scooped up the dog, and went straight upstairs.
The sugar intake for today was already over the limit—no more.
Watching his second brother and the dog disappear upstairs, Lu Chenghan scooped up a large bite of cake and stuffed it into his mouth with a satisfied sigh. Then he turned to the butler and asked, “Uncle Zhong, when did my brother start raising a dog? Wasn’t he the one who hated pets the most?”
The butler chuckled. “Little Pudding is indeed Madam’s pet. Since Madam went on a trip, she instructed the Young Master to take good care of him. However, Little Pudding is very cute, smart, and well-behaved. I suppose that’s why he won over the Young Master.”
Samoyeds were indeed adorable, but smart and well-behaved? Lu Chenghan had raised the infamous “sled dog trio” before—he knew better. Right now, Little Pudding was still small, so the chaos hadn’t started yet, but just wait.
As he ate his cake, Lu Chenghan secretly smirked, already looking forward to the potential disasters his second brother would face in the future.
Back in the study, Lu Chenghe placed Little Pudding on the floor. A special dog bed had already been prepared there—a massive bed, at least from a dog’s perspective. The soft surface was scattered with various toys: chew sticks, plush dolls, and rubber bones. Wherever Lu Chenghe spent the most time, there would always be a designated space for his dog.
Since he had gotten up early for a morning run and now that he was full and content, Zuo Ning felt himself slipping into a food coma. Stepping onto the soft bed, he felt like he was about to be sealed in sleep. He let out a huge yawn, kneaded the bed a few times, then dragged out a small pillow. He arranged it to his liking and lay down in the most comfortable position. Another yawn followed—he was ready for a nap.
Lu Chenghe glanced at the little thing that ate and immediately went to sleep. He let out a light chuckle. No wonder he was so round—it wasn’t even just because of all the fur. Shaking his head, he sat down at his desk. After some thought, he dialed his eldest brother’s number.
The call barely rang before it was picked up.
“Big Brother.”
The drowsy Zuo Ning immediately perked up, his bright, inquisitive eyes fixed on Lu Chenghe, glowing with the spirit of gossip.
From the other end of the call came a deep, magnetic voice. “Has Second Aunt returned from her trip?”
“No, she’s still in Italy today. She’ll probably be gone for another month or so.”
Upon hearing this, Lu Chenghan[mfn]Remember: The eldest and fourth have the same name but are different in one of the Chinese characters in their name.[/mfn], the eldest brother of the Lu family, seemed to chuckle lightly. “You must be bored at home alone. Come over for a meal when you’re free.”
Lu Chenghe responded with a simple acknowledgment before adding, “Fourth Brother just came to see me.”
There was a brief pause on the other end of the line, followed by an even more amused laugh. “I knew that kid wouldn’t be able to hold it in. The fact that he managed to wait until today is already impressive.”
With those words, Lu Chenghan had essentially confirmed it. Knowing how difficult this path would be, Lu Chenghe couldn’t help but ask, “You’ve made up your mind?”
There was no hesitation in Lu Chenghan’s response. “Yeah, I’ve thought about it for years. He’s a good person. He’s busy filming right now, but once he has some free time, I’ll bring him over for you all to meet.”
The head of the prestigious Lu family actually had to wait for someone else to be available before arranging a meeting—an unusual situation. But if that person was going to be his future sister-in-law, then it was a different matter altogether. Clearly, his eldest brother was serious about this.
Lu Chenghe could only reply, “Alright.”
The two brothers briefly discussed some business matters before ending the call.
Lu Chenghe absentmindedly stroked the head of the dog that had somehow made its way to his side. Noticing that Little Pudding was about to pounce on him again, he reached out and pushed him away. “Go play on your own.”
Zuo Ning, having finished listening to all the juicy gossip, only wanted to snuggle up to Lu Chenghe before going back to sleep. But after hearing those heartless words, he looked up at Lu Chenghe with the gaze of someone betrayed.
So when he was favored, he was treated like a treasure, but the moment the affection waned, he was sent off to play by himself?
With a flick of his tail, Zuo Ning turned away, wiggling his little backside in defiance as he strutted off without looking back.
After spending a peaceful and pleasant day with Lu Chenghe, Zuo Ning never expected that the next day would bring him an enormous surprise—
Two more dogs had arrived at the house.
He was no longer the only one in the Lu family estate.
