Wealthy Woof Chapter 68

Moonlit: This extra chapter is sponsored by jess.

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Zuo Ning curled up silently under the blanket, too scared to come out. The sudden transformation into a human caught him off guard. Most importantly, this was a hotel, not his home—he had no clothes to wear!

After peeking out cautiously for a while and seeing no movement in the room, he wrapped himself in the blanket, got up, and searched everywhere. In the end, he could only wear the bathrobe provided by the hotel. Luckily, the weather was still cold, and the hotel’s bathrobe was thick and long, reaching down to his calves. Tightening the belt, Zuo Ning hurried to the mirror and was instantly shocked, his mouth wide open.

The last time he transformed into a human, he looked like a teenager. But this time, he had grown into a more mature appearance. He didn’t look very old, probably around 19 or 20. His features were stunning but not feminine at all. His eyes, especially bright and black, are like a spring of water, naturally enhancing his charm. What made him happiest was his height. This transformation had clearly made him taller, at least 175 cm by estimation, and he was sure he’d grow even more. A dream of 185 cm and long legs didn’t seem impossible!

Smiling slightly, revealing a small tiger tooth on one side, Zuo Ning stuck out his tongue and licked it, satisfied as he admired himself in the mirror, almost unable to pull away.

He remembered that the last time he transformed into a human, it lasted only five minutes. So this time, he didn’t plan to go anywhere. Although he hoped the transformation would last longer, Lu Chenghe might not be able to protect him if it ended suddenly while he was outside. So Zuo Ning kept checking the time on his phone while nervously fearing Lu Chenghe’s sudden return. To his surprise, five minutes passed, and he still maintained his human form without any sign of reverting.

The last time he transformed into a human, he didn’t suddenly revert to a dog without warning. Instead, he felt a slight warmth between his eyebrows, and shortly after, he turned back into a dog. Zuo Ning thought that maybe because he had grown up, the time he could maintain his human form had increased. Now he was torn between staying in the room and risking being caught by Lu Chenghe, or going out and experiencing life as a human for a while.

Looking at what he was wearing, Zuo Ning felt a bit embarrassed about going out like this. But what would he say if Lu Chenghe came back? “Hi there, I’m the magical spirit Little Pudding that you’ve been raising?”

Raising a pet that has become a spirit and raising one that can transform into a human are completely different experiences, okay? Lu Chenghe could accept the unique qualities Zuo Ning had as a dog, but what about as a human? Zuo Ning wasn’t sure. Especially now, when even he wasn’t certain if his transformation was stable. The longer he stayed, the more likely Lu Chenghe seemed to return at any moment. So Zuo Ning thought it through and decided to go out instead. He could feel when he was about to transform back into a dog, so he’d simply find somewhere to hide when the time came.

But before that, Zuo Ning wandered around the room. He’d hoped to find something to eat, as he was starving after waking up. Unfortunately, the room only had a fridge stocked with various drinks, which didn’t fill his stomach at all. Licking his lips, Zuo Ning shut the fridge door. There had been bags of jerky that Lu Chenghe had prepared for him earlier, but they’d all been fed to Wang Cai.

He searched every corner of the room, even rummaging through Lu Chenghe’s dirty laundry, but not a single coin turned up. He couldn’t even afford a simple baked flatbread if he wanted to buy one.

In the end, Zuo Ning gave up and stepped out wearing just the bathrobe. As he walked out in human form, Zuo Ning felt like the world had come alive. The sky was so blue, the clouds so white—if only he weren’t dressed in a bathrobe.

This hotel wasn’t like the ones he’d stayed in before. It seemed to be on the top floor. When he stepped out the door, he didn’t see a closed hallway but a beautifully landscaped garden. The garden appeared to occupy half of the top floor and was impressively large. It featured variously styled round tables for relaxing and a large open area with scattered barbecue grills—perhaps recently used by someone.

The moment Zuo Ning stepped into the small garden, a rush of cold air hit him. Though the weather was chilly, the flowers and plants in the garden were thriving. He scanned his surroundings and saw that the garden was empty. Wrapping himself tighter in his clothes, he walked further in and leaned against the railing to look down. The height was absolutely terrifying. Just as Zuo Ning began feeling cold and thought about finding a sheltered spot to wait until he turned back into a dog, he suddenly felt warmth between his eyebrows.

Hurriedly, he took out his phone to check the time—this time, he’d maintained his human form for half an hour! Just as he was about to turn and return to his room, he glanced up and saw the elevator doors open on the other side through the garden’s glass window. A man he was all too familiar with stepped out of the elevator.

Lu Chenghe!!!

Zuo Ning immediately panicked. If he’d known this transformation would last only half an hour, and that Lu Chenghe had been out for so long only to return now, he would’ve just stayed in the room and locked himself in the bathroom. That way, when Lu Chenghe returned, Zuo Ning would’ve likely already turned back into a dog.

What should he do?! Frantically looking around, Zuo Ning darted toward the other side of the garden. Since there was no one in the garden now, as long as he avoided any nearby cameras, he could turn back into a dog without being seen.

The moment Lu Chenghe stepped out of the elevator, his eyes locked with someone in the garden—a person wearing a bathrobe, leaning over the rooftop railing. Before Lu Chenghe could make out their face, the person immediately ran off. All he managed to catch was a glimpse of those jet-black, beautiful eyes—clean, pure, and clear. He paused, realizing that the rooftop only had access to his room, and outsiders couldn’t come up without a specific key card.

Frowning slightly, Lu Chenghe didn’t give chase but instead quickly returned to his room. When he reached the door, he noticed a slipper propped against it, and the door was ajar. Pushing it open quickly, he called out, “Little Pudding?”

No dog ran out. Lu Chenghe’s heart sank instantly as he quickened his steps inside. The room was in good order, with no signs of chaos except for the blanket on the bed, rolled into a ball with half of it hanging off the edge onto the floor. However, the dog that should have been in the room was nowhere to be found.

Lu Chenghe immediately turned to check the surveillance cameras. As soon as he stepped out, he saw a white tail sticking out from the flowerbed in the garden, and a once beautifully blooming flower had been clawed into tatters.

Only when Lu Chenghe saw Little Pudding’s silhouette did he breathe a sigh of relief. Slowly, he walked over, arms crossed, looking down at the dog wreaking havoc on the flowers with his paws.

Zuo Ning raised his head and saw Lu Chenghe. He instantly put on a bright smile and cheerfully greeted him, “Woof!”

Lu Chenghe looked at him and asked, “You came out by yourself?”

Zuo Ning barked in response. If Lu Chenghe mistakenly thought someone had taken him out of the room and started reviewing the security footage to find the person, that would be a disaster for Zuo Ning.

“You even blocked the door with a slipper when you ran out? So clever?”

Zuo Ning barked again and wagged his tail. Yes, he really was that smart.

Lu Chenghe asked further, “Did you see any strangers?”

“Woof woof!” Definitely not.

Seeing that Lu Chenghe seemed a bit suspicious, Zuo Ning immediately jumped onto him, seeking a hug. Then, he grabbed Lu Chenghe’s hand and began playfully nibbling at it.

Lu Chenghe withdrew his hand and patted Zuo Ning. “Hungry?”

Zuo Ning: “Woof!” Starving for ages.

Lu Chenghe chuckled, closed the door, and prepared to take Little Pudding downstairs for a meal. But as they walked to the garden, Little Pudding suddenly leapt off him and ran into the garden, dragging out a phone.

Lu Chenghe took one look and recognized it as Little Pudding’s own phone. Smiling, he tapped Little Pudding on the head. “Are you inseparable from your phone now? With those paws, what are you even going to do with a phone?”

Zuo Ning couldn’t help but bark a few times, though he didn’t even know what he was barking for—just a guilty instinct. When he’d gone out earlier, he’d only thought about checking the time, completely forgetting how to deal with a phone once he turned back into a dog.

Fortunately, Lu Chenghe didn’t seem to think much of it. Hearing Zuo Ning’s barks, he automatically joked, “Oh, so you can even make phone calls now.”

Zuo Ning let out a little whine, resting his head on Lu Chenghe’s shoulder as Lu Chenghe carried him into the elevator. Hopefully, the bathrobe left in the corner wouldn’t be discovered anytime soon, at least not until they’d left.

A morning of surprises and mild panic passed as Zuo Ning devoured three large meat buns in one go. Unfortunately, Lu Chenghe only bought him the pure meat ones, refusing to get him the slightly spicy beef buns. Still, who would’ve thought a high-end hotel would serve meat buns? Such a down-to-earth touch, and the flavor was truly delightful.

Zuo Ning decided to stash some cash in his small bag when they got back. If he ever found himself in a similar situation, he could at least enjoy a proper meal first.

Originally, Zuo Ning thought they’d go home after resting overnight, but instead, Lu Chenghe took him to the hospital. It was said that Lou Jiu had already woken up once that morning. Fortunately, despite suffering a head injury and some blood loss, the damage was not severe. Now it was a matter of observing how his leg injury healed. If it recovered well, it wouldn’t affect his ability to walk.

Lou Jiu learned that his rescue was entirely thanks to a little stray dog. Although the dog couldn’t be brought to the hospital, Lou Jiu decided he would take care of it properly from now on. A lifesaving dog ought to be treated with reverence and raised well.

As everyone joked with Lou Jiu about raising a dog and suggested using Lu Chenghe’s standards as a guide, a tall man in a khaki trench coat suddenly pushed the door open and walked in.

Zuo Ning had never seen this man before, but the atmosphere in the room seemed to freeze as soon as he entered. Even without using his tail to guess, Zuo Ning knew who this was. So, this was the infamous “scumbag” that everyone talked about. As expected, he was tall, handsome, and imposing. If he stood next to Lou Jiu, they would surely look like a perfect match. Yet, why did he have to be such a scumbag?

Lu Chenghe covered Zuo Ning’s eyes to block his curious gaze and stood up with Zuo Ning in his arms, saying, “You rest well. I’ll head out now. If there’s anything, contact me.”

Nie Yong smiled and said, “Alright, then. As the saying goes, great fortune follows after surviving a disaster. Take good care of yourself. I’ve arranged for professional caregivers to look after you day and night in shifts, so you’ll always have someone by your side. You won’t have to lift even a finger to get a drink of water.”

Shen Tao remained silent, tidying Lou Jiu’s blanket, then followed the others out of the room.

Zuo Ning, however, wasn’t willing to leave. Clinging to Lu Chenghe’s arm, he looked back into the room, frustrated. How could they leave without seeing the gossip play out? Was Lou Jiu going to angrily reject the scumbag or compromise again? The ending hadn’t been revealed yet!

Lu Chenghe gave a firm slap to the dog’s butt, which was practically glued to the glass door. “Do you want to stay here or go home?”

Zuo Ning immediately wrapped his paws around Lu Chenghe’s neck. Between gossip and going home, of course, he chose to go home. Yes, yes, let’s hurry back before the hotel incident gets exposed.

On the way back in the car, Zuo Ning was gazing out the window at the scenery when Lu Chenghe suddenly scooped him up into his arms, forcing him to make eye contact.

Zuo Ning tilted his head and looked at him. “Woof?” What are you staring at me for?

Lu Chenghe reached out and touched Zuo Ning’s eyes, then let him go, leaving Zuo Ning completely baffled. Being suddenly picked up and then abruptly tossed onto the seat beside him, Zuo Ning couldn’t hold back anymore. He pounced on Lu Chenghe and started playfully biting him. What’s the deal here? Do you think I don’t have a temper? Hug me when you want, toss me when you want—well, I’ll bite you!

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