Wealthy Woof Chapter 74

After waiting for nearly half an hour, Zuo Ning felt no signs of turning into a dog and almost couldn’t resist jumping up in bed to celebrate. From the first time being so brief to now, this was progress! The day when he could continuously maintain his human form seemed just around the corner.

It hadn’t been easy to convince Lu Chenghe to let him sleep on the bed, so now he obediently lay beside him without daring to move, afraid that any disturbance would get him kicked off. Lu Chenghe would absolutely do that. But lying there wide awake, unable to snuggle into Lu Chenghe’s arms like usual, was driving him crazy.

Although Lu Chenghe was lying in bed reading as usual before sleep, he clearly couldn’t focus under these circumstances. In the past, there had been a lively dog by his side, but that was just a dog, and he had grown accustomed to always having one clinging to him. But now, lying next to him was a person. Initially, he thought it might feel awkward, as he had never shared a bed with anyone before.

However, having someone beside him didn’t feel too bad. Perhaps subconsciously, he still regarded Zuo Ning as his Little Pudding, so he didn’t feel much resistance. Watching the little guy, clearly restless and wanting to move, but forcing himself to behave, was rather amusing.

Sure enough, the little guy couldn’t hold back for long and slowly scooted closer. Then, he carefully tugged at Lu Chenghe’s clothes, looking pitiful as he asked, “Can I play games for a while?” Afraid of being refused, he even emphasized, “Just for a little while.”

Lu Chenghe lowered his gaze and looked at him for a few seconds, seeing the anticipation in his dark eyes. Instead of agreeing immediately, he stared at him until Zuo Ning wanted to crawl back under the covers and pretend to sleep. Only then did he say, “Just for a little while.”

Hearing this special permission, the little guy practically jumped out of bed instantly. Like an internet-addicted teenager, he grabbed his tablet, leaned against the headboard, and even rested his head on Lu Chenghe’s shoulder, with most of his body sticking to him.

If it weren’t for the fact that he just so happened to raise a spirit capable of transforming into a human, Lu Chenghe might never have known that his furry companion had called his name countless times.

Looking at that silly smile and the delicate little face brimming with satisfaction just from calling his name twice and receiving a response, Lu Chenghe couldn’t help but pull the blanket over Zuo Ning’s head. What a waste of such a clever face.

Zuo Ning struggled out from under the blanket, his previously neat hair now a complete mess, yet he remained oblivious as he asked, “How come you’re neither surprised nor scared that I can turn into a human? I’m a spirit!”

Lu Chenghe looked at him expressionlessly and replied, “Other than turning into a human, do you have any spirit abilities?”

Zuo Ning wanted to come up with some impressive skills to shock Lu Chenghe, but after thinking for a while, he realized he didn’t have any. So, he stayed silent. Seeing that Lu Chenghe had returned to his book and was ignoring him, Zuo Ning couldn’t resist asking again, “You really don’t have any thoughts? Don’t you think it’s surreal for something so miraculous to happen around you?”

Without even looking up, Lu Chenghe replied, “Not really.”

Faced with such calmness, Zuo Ning thought to himself, As expected of a boss-level person. If it were him, he’d probably have fled in fear by now. Raising a spirit; it was terrifying, no matter how you looked at it.

Glancing at the book in Lu Chenghe’s hands, filled with incomprehensible symbols like gibberish, Zuo Ning turned his dizzy gaze away and poked Lu Chenghe’s arm. “You really have no thoughts?”

Lu Chenghe stared coldly at him and said, “Does wanting to turn you back into your original form count as a thought?”

Zuo Ning immediately went quiet, grabbed his tablet with the downloaded game, and leaned back onto Lu Chenghe’s shoulder. This was the most comfortable position—close and snug against Lu Chenghe. It felt great.

Just as things quieted down, Zuo Ning sat up again and called out to Lu Chenghe, “Lu Chenghe.”

After being called countless times throughout the night, Lu Chenghe truly didn’t want to respond anymore.

But Zuo Ning refused to give up and directly pulled his arm, saying, “Lu Chenghe, can you smile at me just once? You look really good when you smile.”

Lu Chenghe glanced at him indifferently and replied ruthlessly, “No.”

Zuo Ning’s disappointment was so visible that his ears seemed to droop. “Why not?”

“Because I can’t bring myself to smile at you.”

Zuo Ning looked at him sadly without speaking, while Lu Chenghe eyed the drama queen before him. “If you’re not playing games anymore, then sleep. If you don’t want to sleep, go back to your dog bed. If you keep pestering me, I’ll throw you out.”

Upon hearing this, Zuo Ning immediately backed down, sulking as he crawled back under the covers. Still, he remained leaning against Lu Chenghe’s shoulder, immersing himself in his games to soothe his broken heart.

As a game session began, Zuo Ning didn’t forget to instruct Lu Chenghe, “If I suddenly turn back into a dog, remember to finish the game for me! Otherwise, if we lose a teammate, I’ll get reported!”

Lu Chenghe couldn’t help but feel a headache coming on, wondering what kind of spirit he had raised.

Lu Chenghe watched as Zuo Ning cycled through three different games. In the first game, Zuo Ning was clearly a newbie dragging down the team, perhaps because he wasn’t yet accustomed to using his hands. The character he controlled would spin in circles helplessly when encountering enemies and repeatedly get eliminated.

The second game, a snake-eating game, was absurdly short-lived. Zuo Ning couldn’t manage to eat more than a few dots before crashing into a wall. The last game, a match-three puzzle game, was probably his best performance, likely because he had often played it in his dog form and adapted quickly. However, what Lu Chenghe didn’t know was that there are people in the world who, in any form, can still be considered hopelessly clumsy.

Watching him clear several game levels in a row, Lu Chenghe finally saw him doze off mid-play. Resigned, he took the tablet, completed the unfinished level for him, and set the tablet aside.

Lu Chenghe glanced at the time. It had been three hours since Little Pudding had transformed into a human, and now he was fast asleep in human form, hugging a pillow, completely carefree—an astonishing display of calmness.

Setting his book aside, Lu Chenghe simply leaned back and stared at the peacefully sleeping face for a while. Truly, it had to be said that a spirit’s appearance was indeed beautiful, charming, but not overly enchanting. It was the kind of face that, if it caused trouble and then acted cute in front of you, you couldn’t bear to scold. This charm was especially evident when he was asleep, looking just like a little angel.

Unfortunately, this little angel-faced creature had an extremely lively personality. Perhaps he had held it in for too long, but he could chatter nonstop all night, practically a little chatterbox.

Looking at the soundly sleeping Little Pudding, under the warm glow of the lamp, Lu Chenghe felt a sense of calm and tranquility. The atmosphere brought a strong feeling of “home”, filling the space with warmth.

Lying sideways, Lu Chenghe gazed at him for a while longer, then lightly traced his finger across the soft, white cheek and smiled. “Let’s call you Lu Ning. Hopefully, the name will suppress your chatterbox nature.”

The character “Ning” even included the character “Ning” from his previous name, making it a thoughtful combination. He was Little Pudding when he was a dog, and now, as a human, he would be Lu Ning. A fitting name, Lu Chenghe thought.

Meanwhile, Zuo Ning, who had slept soundly until the sun was high in the sky, had no idea that Lu Chenghe had given him a new name. Upon waking up and seeing his fluffy self again, he couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed, his ears drooping in dejection.

Having already changed into his workout gear, Lu Chenghe noticed Zuo Ning waking up and said, “Four and a half hours. You maintained your human form for that long yesterday.”

Hearing this, Zuo Ning immediately beamed with joy. His transformation periods were indeed getting longer! With a few more attempts, he might even figure out the pattern or some kind of trick. He wasted no time lingering in bed and instead happily bounced along beside Lu Chenghe to join him for a morning run.

Seeing Little Pudding in such high spirits, full of energy, the butler stood by the corridor with a gentle, affectionate smile on his face. Ever since the young master brought Little Pudding into his life, he seemed much more lively. It seemed there was a reason why adorable pets were so beloved. Now, the butler could only hope that the future young madam would also be a dog lover, as that would surely lead to harmony in their relationship.

While running, Zuo Ning couldn’t help but sneeze. When Lu Chenghe turned to look at him, Zuo Ning quickly flashed him a bright and cheerful smile.

Lu Chenghe, maintaining his usual stoic expression, turned back around, though a faint smile tugged at the corners of his lips. Truly, this little spirit was as carefree as they came.