In Lu Chenghe’s bedroom, ever since Zuo Ning lost his first tooth, there had been something new on the tall window. It was a delicate little box, so exquisite that it resembled a dazzling diamond, with countless facets that reflected sunlight onto the wall, creating a pattern like shimmering starlight.
The small box was made of multicolored glass, designed in the shape of a tooth, and was only about half the size of a pinky finger. Inside, it held Zuo Ning’s first lost baby tooth.
Whenever a breeze passed through, the small ornament hanging by the window would sway gently. In one of Lu Chenghe’s desk drawers, there were more than twenty similar boxes of varying sizes, some smaller, some shaped like canine teeth.
According to Lu Chenghe, they were all prepared for his future teeth—each one had its own designated box. Once he had lost all his teeth, these exquisite little boxes could be arranged into an artistic display piece.
This was why Lu Chenghe paid such close attention to his tooth replacement process, even instructing the butler to keep a careful watch—his lost teeth must neither be misplaced nor accidentally swallowed.
For an ordinary dog, such a request would be nearly impossible to fulfill. No matter how closely one watched, it wasn’t realistic to keep a dog’s mouth open at all times, and no one could predict exactly when a tooth would fall out.
Although Lu Chenghe’s obsession seemed a bit unusual, Zuo Ning decided to generously indulge this eccentric wish of his—even if he found Lu Chenghe’s collecting habits a little odd.
It was said that the small glass boxes meant to store his teeth weren’t cheap either. They were handcrafted by some master artisan, a one-of-a-kind custom design in the world.
At the time, Zuo Ning was lying on the sofa watching TV when he saw a group of men dressed in sleek black uniforms, carrying a safe. They made a solemn handover with the household butler, complete with signatures, photographs, and archived documentation. It was said that insurance had even been purchased for the transportation, given the considerable value of the items.
Although he didn’t understand why something made of mere glass was so expensive, the elaborate procedures left him a little dumbfounded. It made him feel too guilty to even think about secretly tossing out his lost teeth.
Now, as Zuo Ning stared blankly at the expensive ornament swaying above him in the breeze, he had only one thought in his mind: Being poor has truly limited my imagination.
Climbing out of his kennel, Zuo Ning shook out his fur. Originally, he had intended to test whether he could fall asleep in a quiet environment—after all, he was used to taking naps both in the morning and afternoon. But now, his energy levels were always so high that he didn’t feel tired even if he stayed awake all day. In short, he had an excess of energy.
Tilting his head at a forty-five-degree angle, Zuo Ning gazed at the sky. It seemed he had finally become a proper Samoyed. Just as he was sighing over the bittersweetness of growing up, his pointed ears twitched—he seemed to hear the sound of a car downstairs.
Glancing at the tablet’s clock, he saw that it was only 3 PM. Lu Chenghe shouldn’t be home from work yet. But since he had nothing better to do, he decided to go downstairs and see who had arrived.
As Zuo Ning stood on the second floor observing, a man who bore a 40-50% resemblance to Lu Chenghe entered through the front door. His physique was slightly more muscular. Right after, Lu Chenghe followed him inside.
The moment Zuo Ning saw him, he bolted downstairs and leaped at Lu Chenghe, joyfully bouncing as if they had been separated for a hundred years.
Watching Lu Chenghe effortlessly scoop up the not-so-small dog and stroke his fur with practiced ease, the other man, Lu Chenghan, suddenly chuckled, “Looks like Fourth Brother wasn’t lying. You’ve definitely evolved into a full-fledged fluff addict.”
Lu Chenghe remained completely calm at those words. He patted Little Pudding, who was bursting with excitement at his return, then set him down on the floor to let him play on his own. After taking just two steps, he noticed that his eldest brother was still watching his dog, so he asked, “What’s wrong?”
Lu Chenghan stroked his chin, his expression serious as he studied the well-fed, beautiful white dog. Then, suddenly, he crouched down and clapped his hands. “Come here.”
Zuo Ning lifted his head to look at Lu Chenghe. Seeing that he made no gesture, he simply sat in place, unmoving. Even though this man was Lu Chenghe’s older brother, that didn’t mean just anyone could summon him. What if he acted too well-behaved and too likable, and ended up being taken away? What then?!
Seeing that Little Pudding wasn’t budging, Lu Chenghan suddenly chuckled. “You’ve raised him well.”
Lu Chenghe reached out to rub the dog’s head. Watching Little Pudding grinning up at him like a fool, he couldn’t help but curl his lips into a smile as well. Then, he tore off a piece of jerky from a nearby box. “What brings you here today? If you’re asking me to dinner, it’s still a bit early.”
Lu Chenghan’s smile faded. “Third Grandpa has a descendant who showed up.”
Lu Chenghe, who had been feeding jerky to Little Pudding, turned his head to look at him. “What do you mean?”
Lu Chenghan walked over to the sofa, sat down, and picked up the teacup the butler had brought over. Taking a sip, he said, “Third Grandpa never mentioned having any children. When he passed away, even Grandpa sighed about how he lived a lonely life, never marrying or leaving behind an heir. But recently, I met a child wearing the jade pendant that Great-Grandfather once passed down to several of our grandfathers. That child claimed the pendant was left to him by his father, saying it was an heirloom from our grandfather’s generation, passed down to him before his father died.”
The “Third Grandpa” Lu Chenghan was referring to was the only one among their grandfather’s generation who had served in the military. He had never married and was believed to have left no descendants. When he passed away, it was Lu Chenghan who had attended the mourning rites and performed the final funeral rites. So for someone to suddenly appear now, claiming to be his descendant, was indeed an unexpected revelation.
Back then, Third Grandpa never married, but there had been rumors about a certain young woman. The story went that she had passed away. Afterward, Third Grandpa remained alone for the rest of his life in her memory. If that rumor was true, perhaps some misunderstanding had occurred during those chaotic times. But if this child truly was Third Grandpa’s bloodline, they certainly wouldn’t leave him to fend for himself.
Lu Chenghe naturally shared the same thoughts. “Has it been confirmed?”
Lu Chenghan shook his head. “Based on appearance, he doesn’t look like us at all. But we’ve already taken a DNA sample for testing.”
After saying that, Lu Chenghan added, “The kid doesn’t know anything yet. I didn’t tell him to avoid unnecessary disappointment if the test turned out negative. He’s still young and just started his first year of university this year. Right now, he’s working part-time at a club—nothing shady, just a regular establishment. We’ll wait for the results before deciding how to proceed.”
The Lu family had grown and evolved over generations. Naturally, not everyone was interested in business. Over time, as the family’s industries diversified, even though they all technically belonged under the Lu Group, they were managed as separate and independent companies, each with its own assets. However, every year, a portion of the annual revenue from each branch was transferred into the family’s collective fund—a kind of shareholder dividend for Lu family members who had pursued other professions.
If they acknowledged Third Grandpa’s grandson, those who controlled the Lu Group would, out of respect and compensation for Third Grandpa, provide the child with some additional financial support and assets. As for the rest, he would likely receive dividends from the family fund like the others.
Unfortunately, Third Grandpa was no longer around. If he were alive to learn that he had a grandson, he would probably be overjoyed—if the child was truly his.
Zuo Ning lay quietly on Lu Chenghe’s lap, listening to this dramatic tale of elite family intrigue. He had always thought that stories about lost bloodlines and hidden heirs only existed in TV dramas or novels. He never imagined such a thing would unfold right before his eyes.
Then again, considering that he himself had turned from a human into a dog, this kind of melodrama actually seemed relatively normal by comparison.
Listening to them discuss how to settle the matter if that young man truly turned out to be of Lu family blood—how much compensation would be appropriate to make up for the late grandfather’s absence—Zuo Ning couldn’t help but feel that reincarnation was truly a skill. As soon as the test results came back, that boy, who was supposedly still working part-time, could instantly turn his life around from having nothing to becoming a winner in life.
Zuo Ning instinctively stuck out his tongue and licked the back of his paw. What a dramatic plot.
Before he could sigh over it any further, Lu Chenghe smacked his paw. It didn’t hurt, but Zuo Ning still looked at him aggrievedly. “Woo wooo…” Why did you hit me?
Lu Chenghe held his paw, his expression stern. “I told you not to lick your fur. Are you going to listen or not?”
Zuo Ning glanced at the paw he had just instinctively licked while getting caught up in the gossip. With a soft grumble, he shrank back a little. I was just too focused on the story and acted without thinking! You could have just told me—I understand you, you know! Why hit me?
Feeling wronged, Zuo Ning slipped off Lu Chenghe’s lap and buried his head in the space between Lu Chenghe’s back and the sofa.
Lu Chenghe chuckled and pulled him out. “Feeling wronged? Can’t even handle a little smack?”
“Awooo!” Getting hit and not even allowed to sulk? Tyranny!
Before Lu Chenghe could respond, Lu Chenghan suddenly burst into laughter. “Are you two having a lovers’ quarrel?”
Lu Chenghe scoffed coldly as he looked at his Little Pudding. “He’s not good at anything else, just acting tough at home.”
Zuo Ning let out a protesting woof and then shut his mouth, sticking out a tiny bit of his tongue. He tilted his little head up to stare at Lu Chenghe with the perfect expression for a meme. If someone added text, it would definitely be “Bleh bleh bleh!”
Lu Chenghan burst out laughing. “Is your dog becoming a spirit or what?”
Lu Chenghe was also amused, unable to figure out where his Little Pudding had learned such expressive faces. He reached out and poked the tiny bit of tongue that was sticking out. “You’re quite the little troublemaker.”
After saying that, he simply scooped him up into his arms and gave him a good rub, kneading his two little paws in his hands.
Watching their interaction, Lu Chenghan suddenly said, “Lend Little Pudding to me for a while.”
Hearing this, Zuo Ning’s fur almost stood on end. He immediately pounced into Lu Chenghe’s arms, wrapping his paws tightly around his neck. I knew it! I’m so amazing, of course, someone would covet me!
