Early in the morning, after finishing his morning run, Zuo Ning quickly ate his breakfast. Once Lu Chenghe wiped his paws and mouth, instead of grabbing his tablet and curling up for a nap like usual, he obediently sat on the sofa, staring toward the staircase.
It wasn’t until Lu Chenghe came down dressed in casual clothes that Zuo Ning immediately stood up, propped himself against the back of the sofa, and wagged his tail at him.
Lu Chenghe took the dog tag from the butler and fastened it around Little Pudding’s neck, then secured a leash on him.
Originally feeling light and unburdened, Zuo Ning suddenly found himself uncomfortable with the restraint on his body. He couldn’t help but shake his fur repeatedly. Lu Chenghe, anticipating that he wouldn’t be used to wearing a leash for the first time, picked him up and gently reassured him, “Alright, don’t move. You’ll get used to it in a bit.”
After the maids packed some of Little Pudding’s essentials into the car’s trunk and placed his favorite mat on the back seat, Lu Chenghe carried him into the car.
This was the first time Zuo Ning had gone out since turning into a dog. He was so excited that he pressed himself against the car window, eagerly looking outside. However, Lu Chenghe, seemingly worried that he might jump out, had shut the windows tightly. What a pity—this was the most pleasant season, yet he couldn’t even enjoy the breeze.
Lu Chenghe remained silent for most of the ride, unlike last night when he kept reminding him of things over and over. This left Zuo Ning completely clueless about where they were headed. So, he alternated between pressing against the window and rubbing himself against Lu Chenghe from time to time.
Annoyed, Lu Chenghe grabbed his tail, pulled him over, and pressed him down in his arms. “Do you have ADHD or something? Can’t sit still for even a second.” He wasn’t this restless at home—was he just too excited to go out?
Zuo Ning adjusted his position, forcefully burrowing himself into Lu Chenghe’s embrace. He rested his head against Lu Chenghe’s neck and rubbed his chin against him. “Awoo~” It’s my first time going out with you, of course I’m happy!
The driver glanced at the scene through the rearview mirror and chuckled. “I was the one who drove when Madam first brought him home. Back then, he was just a tiny little thing curled up in her arms, only whimpering softly. Who’d have thought that in just a short time, he’d grow so big and be so clingy?”
Lu Chenghe squeezed the soft paw pad in his hand, sighing lightly. “He really did grow fast.”
The driver only smiled and didn’t say more. He knew his boss wasn’t a talkative person—saying too much would only seem noisy. The car returned to silence. Perhaps it was his biological clock kicking in, but around this time every day, Zuo Ning would usually take a nap. Unable to resist the sleepiness, he eventually sprawled out on Lu Chenghe’s lap, twisting himself into an odd sleeping position.
Lu Chenghe took out his phone and snapped several photos before scrolling through older ones for comparison. It was clear—he had grown a lot. Not too long ago, he was just a tiny furball, and now he was a handsome pup.
Zuo Ning was startled awake by a sudden burst of noise. When he opened his eyes, he found himself alone in the car. Seeing that the doors were open, he panicked and scrambled to jump out. Luckily, as soon as he exited, he spotted Lu Chenghe retrieving something from the trunk. He immediately dashed over and clung to his leg. “Woof woof!” That scared me! I thought I was abandoned!
A teasing voice rang out. “Hey, Old Lu, when did you get a dog? I never thought any pet would dare go near you.”
Hearing the remark, Zuo Ning instinctively turned his head and saw a rather carefree-looking man standing nearby with a woman who had a pure and innocent appearance. Lu Chenghe, ignoring the man’s words, retrieved Little Pudding’s food bowl and water bottle from the trunk, then picked up the leash and walked away without even looking back.
The man continued his banter with the woman beside him. “That’s my old pal, Lu Chenghe. Since he was a kid, neither cats nor dogs would go near him—he was practically despised by all animals. Who would’ve thought? The world changes so fast, even he’s got a pet now.”
The one speaking was Nie Yong, one of Lu Chenghe’s childhood friends. He had a roguish look, a buzz cut, and a perpetually slouched posture as if he could never stand straight. When talking to people, he had the habit of tilting his chin up and looking down at them. Aside from having well-defined features, there wasn’t a single redeeming quality about him.
Before his words even fully landed, another person walked up behind him. This newcomer first glanced at the woman Nie Yong had his arm around before shifting his gaze to Nie Yong. “What are you rambling about? I could hear your voice from far away.”
Nie Yong gestured ahead with his chin. “Old Lu just arrived too, and he even brought a dog. Isn’t that surprising?” Then, with a grin, he glanced at the woman beside him. “This is my girlfriend, Xue Lu. You can call her Xiao Lu.”
Shen Tao gave the girl a slight nod before quickening his pace to step into the courtyard first.
Lu Chenghe was already seated at a stone table with the host of the courtyard. Five cups of tea, still steaming, were arranged on the table. Meanwhile, Zuo Ning lay on a cushion at Lu Chenghe’s feet, his dark, round eyes darting around curiously.
The place resembled a traditional siheyuan courtyard, but it was meticulously maintained. Lush green trees provided shade, koi swam in clusters, and vines of some unknown plant climbed along the pergola, extending down a covered corridor, giving the place an elegant and serene charm. From the bits of conversation he overheard, Zuo Ning gathered that this place was soon to be turned into a private dining restaurant—one of those high-end, exclusive spots that only those with the right connections would even know about.
The owner of the courtyard was Lou Minzhi, the ninth child in his family, so his friends simply called him Lou Jiu. The restaurant hadn’t officially opened yet, but since Lou Jiu had already decided to live here and enjoy a peaceful, reclusive life, he invited a few close friends over to get acquainted with the place.
As soon as Nie Yong stepped inside, he started exclaiming loudly about how Lou Jiu really knew how to enjoy life. “Just look at this courtyard—so well-maintained, so peaceful yet stylish. The vibe alone instantly boosts the sophistication level.”
Lou Jiu rolled his eyes at him. “Can you speak properly? Also, have you changed girlfriends again? This one isn’t the same girl you brought last time.”
Exposing someone on the spot? Who was afraid of whom?
Nie Yong immediately went on the offensive. “What nonsense are you spouting? Xiao Lu, don’t listen to him. He’s just a bitter single dog who can’t stand seeing others happy!”
The girl beside him merely smiled, clearly not taking it seriously.
Zuo Ning, meanwhile, extended his claws from his paws and idly played with an ant on the ground. Hearing the conversation, he looked up at the buzz-cut man with a scrutinizing gaze. What’s wrong with being a single dog? Looking down on single dogs, huh? Thinking this, he got up from his cushion and pawed at Lu Chenghe’s leg, wanting to be held. He was loved, okay? He was not a single dog!
Already quite noticeable, Zuo Ning became the center of attention when Lu Chenghe picked him up and began stroking his fur. Nie Yong reached out to pet him, but Shen Tao smacked his hand away. “Look at your dirty hands. Don’t get the dog’s pristine white fur all grimy.”
Nie Yong huffed in frustration. “That’s discrimination against us tanned folks!”
The group continued their playful banter for a while before finally settling down to talk properly.
After comforting Little Pudding for a bit, Lu Chenghe unfastened his leash and let him roam freely. With the courtyard gates securely closed, there was no need to worry about him running off. While the space at home was big enough for him to frolic around, Lu Chenghe didn’t want to restrict him too much—otherwise, he might grow up too timid.
Seeing that Lu Chenghe wasn’t leaving anytime soon, Zuo Ning eagerly began exploring the area. Standing in the midst of this classically designed courtyard, he couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of time displacement. The owner of this place really knew how to live. If only he could have a courtyard like this—how amazing would that be?
But given the current housing prices, he probably couldn’t even afford a single bathroom in this place.
Just having such a private courtyard in the middle of a bustling city must have cost a fortune. As expected, Lu Chenghe’s friends were just as extravagant as he was.
Walking along the stone bridge in the courtyard, Zuo Ning spotted a group of plump koi fish swimming together. He crouched on the stone slabs, stretching out his paw to try and tease them. But before he could even touch the water, a voice stopped him.
He looked up to see a pretty young woman approaching, smiling as she said, “You can’t do that. If you fall in, it’ll be dangerous.” As she spoke, she tentatively reached out, seemingly wanting to pick him up.
Of course, Zuo Ning wasn’t about to fall into the water, so he obediently sat up. The young woman seemed to really like him. She patted his head and smoothed his fur. When her fingers brushed against the dog tag on his collar, she took a closer look. A bit surprised, she murmured, “His tag has actual diamonds? Your owner must be loaded.”
Zuo Ning had never really looked at the tag on his collar. He only knew that Lu Chenghe had mentioned it had a built-in tracking system. He had no idea it was also inlaid with diamonds. But he knew better than to flaunt wealth, so before Xue Lu could examine it further, he swiftly turned and trotted back to Lu Chenghe. However, before he could jump into his arms, Lu Chenghe pushed him away in disdain. “Where did you roll around to get yourself covered in green?”
Lou Jiu chuckled. “He probably tried to catch the fish. That green stuff looks like moss. I told you not to let him run around freely—what if he fell into the water?”
As Lu Chenghe busied himself cleaning Zuo Ning’s fur, Xue Lu walked over. Nie Yong, holding her hand, asked, “Isn’t this place gorgeous? If you like it, we can come often. Everything here is free for us to eat and drink!”
Lou Jiu scoffed, while Xue Lu smiled a little awkwardly. “It’s really beautiful,” she said, then turned her gaze to Zuo Ning. “This dog is so cute. He was just trying to fish earlier. Can I hold him? He seems a little shy.”
Since she was his childhood friend’s girlfriend, it meant Nie Yong was serious about her if he was bringing her to their gathering. Even though Lu Chenghe wasn’t particularly keen on it, he couldn’t outright refuse, so he reluctantly set Little Pudding down.
Normally, a friendly dog would come over after a little coaxing. But no matter how much Xue Lu tried to call him, Zuo Ning clung to Lu Chenghe’s side. Lu Chenghe was quite pleased with this, though he still offered a slightly apologetic response, “Sorry, this is his first time outside. He might be feeling a little timid.”
Since the dog wasn’t warming up to her, Xue Lu could only smile and say it was fine. Nie Yong, on the other hand, suggested, “If you like dogs, we can get one too.”
Xue Lu shook her head. “Work is already so busy. I wouldn’t have time to take care of a pet.”
Lou Jiu, smiling, asked, “Xiao Lu, what do you do for work?”
Nie Yong answered for her, “She graduated from the Geological University and is currently interning at a jewelry store. Once she gets more familiar with the industry, she might even open her own shop in the future.”
Upon hearing this, Shen Tao took a sip of tea, while Lou Jiu merely smiled ambiguously. “I see. Sounds like a solid plan.”
As for Lu Chenghe, he remained focused on wiping down Zuo Ning’s fur. But no matter how much he cleaned, there were still traces of green. Looking at the little creature, who was grinning dumbly with his tongue peeking out, Lu Chenghe couldn’t resist poking that tiny, exposed bit of tongue. “You little dirty dog, you’re getting a proper bath when we get home.”
Aside from the slight restraint in conversation due to Nie Yong bringing a new face to the group, the gathering was overall quite pleasant and successful.
On the way back, Zuo Ning kept glancing at Lu Chenghe in curiosity. This gathering was nothing like the wealthy events he had imagined. Shouldn’t it have been something like a golf course or a racetrack? The scene of everyone sitting around grilling skewers was almost a sudden shift in the atmosphere.
However, this side of Lu Chenghe did surprise Zuo Ning. He had always imagined the CEO of the Lu family as someone distant, completely detached from the common world. But today, he felt like Lu Chenghe was just like everyone else—he had lively friends and he enjoyed gossiping just like the rest.
On the drive back, Zuo Ning kept staring at Lu Chenghe. With a laugh, Lu Chenghe picked him up. “You’re staring so seriously. What are you looking at?”
Zuo Ning grinned and let out a little howl, “Awooo!” Looking at you. I feel like I like you even more today, awooo.
But this happy day was destined to end on a less-than-pleasant note. After taking a nice bath and settling down to watch a drama, Zuo Ning suddenly felt a sharp pain in his stomach. In despair, he realized he might be getting sick, and it seemed like it wasn’t just a minor illness.
