The second young master of the Lu family in the capital gained fame in his youth; his astounding talent and brilliance were unmatched. His elegant demeanor, like that of a jade, made him the ideal husband in the hearts of many noble ladies in the capital. However, heaven is jealous of outstanding talent. At the age of twenty, Second Young Master Lu paid the price of losing the use of both his legs in exchange for a first-class military merit. Because of this, he was no longer destined for the imperial court.
Yet, the news of his legs being crippled returned to the capital even before the official military victory report. This deeply disappointed Duke Lu, who had once placed high hopes on him. Second Young Master Lu had been born of a concubine. Though his mother came from a family of scholars, they had fallen into decline, which led to her being accepted as a concubine by the Duke. As an illegitimate son, Second Young Master Lu never had the possibility of inheriting the noble title. Now, the only path for rising above others was also cut off. In the eyes of outsiders, it was naturally seen as the end of any prospects for him.
Although Concubine Lan, Second Young Master Lu’s birth mother, was a concubine, her literary talent was outstanding, and her standing in the Duke’s heart was not low. Moreover, the illegitimate son had shown exceptional promise since young age. Since he had no possibility of inheriting the title himself, he would, in the future, serve as a great support to the legitimate heir. Thus, by virtue of her son, Concubine Lan was increasingly looked upon with favor. Now that her son’s future had been entirely ruined, Concubine Lan naturally felt stifled and sorrowful in her heart. Furthermore, in this kind of grand and deep household, they excelled at flattering the high and stepping on the low. The other concubines of the Duke would now and then come by to stab her with a word or two. By the time Second Young Master Lu returned to the capital, Concubine Lan was already gravely ill and bedridden.
Second Young Master Lu was pushed back home in a wheelchair. Though his legs were crippled, rendering him basically a disabled man, he did not appear at all as dejected or dispirited as everyone had imagined. The aura surrounding him made those who had come to watch a joke and kick him while he was down unconsciously retreat. If by chance their eyes met his, it sent a chill straight into their hearts. This was completely unlike what people had expected. Some of those who had once tormented Concubine Lan in the inner courtyard already felt their legs go weak, instinctively sensing that a great disaster was upon them.
Second Young Master Lu did not make trouble for anyone at home. He merely sent a maid by his side to look after Concubine Lan. When the time came for merits to be rewarded, because Second Young Master Lu had contributed to saving the Fourth Prince during the campaign, he was specially summoned by the Emperor. However, what no one had expected was that, in the grand hall, the reward Second Young Master Lu requested was to establish a separate household with his birth mother.
This made the expression on Duke Lu’s face, who was also standing in the imperial hall, extremely ugly, as he looked at this son who had once caught his eye, with eyes as cold as a dead man’s. However, the Emperor, whether out of some unknown consideration, actually agreed to the request in the end. This was, without a doubt, a public slap to Duke Lu’s face.
Thus, as a matter of course, the father and son turned against each other.
An Ning was a rather unusual dog. Of course, at that time, he was not yet called An Ning. He was still a stray dog with no one to care for him. What made him special was that he seemed to be more human-like in his understanding. From the time his memory began, he had always been raised and fed by a Taoist priest. That priest took him along, traveling from a desolate wasteland all the way to the bustling capital. He didn’t remember exactly how long the journey took, but they had started walking when the first winter snow began to fall, passed through the blazing summer and the bountiful autumn harvest, and by the time they reached the capital, it was already the tail end of the winter snow.
There were many people in the capital, and just as many stray dogs. He had seen more than once children throwing stones at dogs. If they struck the dog dead or unconscious, they would drag it away. The priest said that those unlucky dogs would end up as food on someone’s plate. That’s right—this was also one of the reasons he was special: he could understand human speech. Although at first he couldn’t, after spending a long time with the priest and often hearing him speak, over time, he began to understand.
He also saw many stray dogs eat rotten, sour-smelling food mixed with dirt from the ground. Quite a few dogs even died from eating that kind of thing. So An Ning was very afraid of becoming one of those stray dogs, and clung closely to the priest all the time. Unfortunately, one day, the priest disappeared. He waited at the same spot for a very, very long time. He thought the priest would return, but he had a feeling—the priest was not coming back. In the end, he too became a masterless stray dog.
An Ning felt like he had been wandering for a long time. At night, he would hide in cracks between walls or in some corner that looked safe and fall asleep; during the day, he roamed and hid everywhere. If he was lucky, he might even find something to eat. For as long as he could remember, he had always eaten whatever the priest ate. Those things that reeked of rot and decay—even if he were so hungry he felt he could eat himself—he still couldn’t bring himself to take a single bite.
Just when An Ning thought he was going to starve to death, and, just like the countless scenes he had witnessed before, become someone else’s meal, he was unexpectedly taken in and adopted by someone.
It was a very handsome, very handsome man. When An Ning was fleeing from the children who wanted to pelt him with stones, he ran around in panic and startled that man’s sedan chair. The man lifted the curtain of the sedan, seemed to look at him for a moment, and then ordered the person walking alongside the sedan to pick him up.
At that time, he was already so hungry that his head was spinning and his vision blurred. He had fallen into complete despair about his dog’s life, thinking: if I die, then I die. Death would be a kind of release.
But unexpectedly, that man brought him home, even gave him a hot bath. His originally grayish-black, filthy fur was washed clean and spotless. He still remembered, when he was brought in front of the man, the man had spoken with what seemed like a smile in his voice and said, “Didn’t expect you to be a pretty little white dog after all.”
That was the most pleasant voice he had ever heard, and the touch of the hand stroking him was the gentlest he had ever felt. He heard the man say to him, “From now on, your name will be An Ning. Your nickname will be Xiao Ningzi.”
An Ning looked at the man in a daze, unsure if this meant he was going to raise him. Compared to wandering outside, starving and cold, being raised by someone was naturally the best outcome. Tentatively, he stretched out his tongue and licked the fingers that were stroking his fur. Those fingers were long and fair—more beautiful than any he had ever seen.
The man seemed to like his show of affection. He didn’t scold him for licking, but instead smiled and scratched his chin. An Ning narrowed his eyes slightly and tilted his head up to make it easier for the man to scratch. The priest had once told him, Humans are easy to please. As long as you behave and listen, everything will be fine.
Second Young Master Lu looked at the little white dog obediently lying on him. Probably because of having wandered for so long, the entire dog was skinny and small, just the right size to curl up on his lap. Because it was so thin, its two eyes looked especially large, rolling and shifting about. When it looked at people, it seemed particularly spirited.
Earlier on the street, when this little thing was nearly stoned to death by those children, the very human-like despair in its eyes had, for some unknown reason, caused a sudden ache in his heart. So on impulse, he had someone bring the dog back with him. He hadn’t expected that once the dog was cleaned, it would turn out to be this pretty, just a bit too thin, so much so that when he touched it, it felt like nothing but bones.
The days that followed were simply too blissful for An Ning. Every day, there was an abundance of food, and there were even maids who wiped his body with a damp cloth. At night, he could sleep on the same big bed as the man.
After spending quite a few days getting familiar with the new environment, An Ning came to know that the man was called Second Young Master Lu. That seemed to be a respectful title, not his real name. He still didn’t know what the man’s actual name was. Judging by appearances, the man held great power and had many people serving him. Yet, such a fine person seemed to have problems with his legs and could only sit in a wheelchair, unable to stand.
But An Ning preferred the man sitting down, because that way he could always lie on the man’s lap. No matter where they went, he could be taken along.
As the days went by and they spent more and more time together, An Ning became increasingly fond of sticking close to Second Young Master. Even those delicate toys he had never played with before no longer held as much allure for him as Second Young Master did. Probably because he was a dog, humans had no real guard up against him. Sometimes, when they were discussing confidential matters, they wouldn’t bother to avoid a dog, and so he came to know many things that others had no idea about.
For example, the Second Young Master supported the Fourth Prince, which was why he had injured his legs while rescuing the Fourth Prince, most likely making it impossible for him to stand for the rest of his life. For example, the Second Young Master’s father supported the Crown Prince, but it was obvious the Crown Prince was already a spent force. In the end, with the changing of imperial power, history would be written by the victor, so Second Young Master chose to strike out on his own. Also, the Second Young Master’s mother had been tormented to death by his father. Although she later split off from the family and lived for a while without needing to look at anyone’s face, in the end, her health had been worn away. She didn’t make it through the first winter after Second Young Master adopted him.
Even if An Ning was clever, the major matters those humans discussed—if no one carefully explained them to him—he could only half understand. But he knew they were speaking of very serious things, so serious that one careless move could be fatal. So every time they discussed things, An Ning would perk up his ears and listen for movement outside. If anyone approached quietly, he would bark to alert them.
For this, the Second Young Master often praised him, saying he had truly raised a sharp little spirit.
Just as An Ning was growing more and more fond of Second Young Master and more and more satisfied with his current life, the Second Young Master he loved most was going to get married. He knew what a human wedding meant—they would marry a woman. From then on, the one sleeping on the other half of the Second Young Master’s bed would no longer be him, but a woman called the Second Young Master’s wife. In the future, this household would have a mistress. According to what the servant girls said, no one knew whether the future lady would be easy to get along with. If not, it was possible he might get scolded or beaten, or have his monthly silver docked. And for him, that could mean getting scolded or beaten, having his dog food docked, and even having to fight over Second Young Master.
Ever since learning that the Second Young Master was going to get married, An Ning had been feeling sulky and dejected for quite some time.
Second Young Master Lu couldn’t figure out why his beloved pet was so listless. He made him his favorite foods, played with the toys he liked best, and even worried that perhaps being cooped up in the courtyard all year round had stifled him. So he specially took him out to stroll through a temple fair. But no matter how he tried to coax him, An Ning still couldn’t lift his spirits.
It wasn’t until the day of the wedding itself, when An Ning hadn’t been seen since morning, and by the time the servants reported it that evening, Second Young Master finally realized—Xiao Ningzi hadn’t shown up all day.
The second Young Master immediately left the bridal chamber, abandoning the new bride. Still clad in his festive red wedding robes, not even having changed out of them yet, he went searching all over the courtyard. In the end, he found the little white furball hiding inside a rockery in the garden. When they carried An Ning out, Second Young Master saw that he was crying, his entire face soaked in tears, the fur on his face all wet and matted together.
The second Young Master didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He took Xiao Ningzi from the servant’s hands and placed him on his lap, helping him clean off the grime he’d gotten from squeezing into the cracks of the rockery, then wiped his damp face. “What’s wrong? Why are you hiding here and crying? Is it because you think I won’t want you anymore now that I’m married?”
An Ning’s big watery eyes stared at Second Young Master, filled with unease that tugged at one’s heartstrings. Second Young Master let out a helpless sigh and asked in a low voice, “You’re this heartbroken… could it be that you really think I’m going to abandon you?”
An Ning placed both his front paws on Second Young Master, sniffled, then lifted his head and looked at him: “Awoo…”
Second Young Master patted his little head and lowered his head to press a light kiss to his forehead. “Good boy, I won’t abandon you. In this household, no one ranks higher than you.”
An Ning looked at the Second Young Master in a daze. He didn’t fully understand those words, yet somehow seemed to grasp their meaning. It sounded like—even the newlywed wife wouldn’t scold or hit him, wouldn’t cut off his dog food. So… that meant she wouldn’t try to take Second Young Master away from him either? An Ning wagged his tail, lightly sniffing around Second Young Master’s body. At last, the gloom in his heart began to clear up a little.
And so, on the very first day of marriage, the new bride stayed alone in the bridal chamber, while Second Young Master still brought his An Ning to sleep in his own bedroom.
The days that followed weren’t much different from before. However, due to the Second Young Master’s affection, An Ning’s status within the household rose even higher. Originally, all of An Ning’s clothing and food were prepared to match the Second Young Master’s. When the Second Young Master was home, An Ning was always at his side. When the Second Young Master wasn’t home, a whole group of maids and servants would attend to An Ning. This kind of treatment—even if compared to the favored pets of nobility in the palace—was unheard of.
Back when Second Young Master Lu severed ties with the Duke, many people wondered how a man with crippled legs could possibly gain a foothold in the capital without the Duke’s support. But what no one expected was that after moving out of the Duke’s estate, Second Young Master Lu immediately moved into a grand mansion. Not only was he surrounded by crowds of servants, but his standard of living—be it food, clothing, or daily needs—was no less extravagant than it had been in the Duke’s household. With no one above him to suppress him, he lived even more freely and comfortably.
Second Young Master Lu seemed to have completely abandoned the path of officialdom and had unexpectedly turned to commerce. Among the four classes—scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants—merchants ranked the lowest. For this choice, many could only sigh in pity. With his legs crippled, he was already fated to have no place in the imperial court. And as for agriculture or labor, those were even more out of the question. So the only path left for him to choose was business.
But what no one expected was that the Second Young Master Lu possessed remarkable talent in business. In just a few short years, he had already become one of the most prominent and wealthy merchants. Every time he went out, he was accompanied by a grand entourage. Even the pampered dog by his side lived in the utmost luxury. It was said that the dog was afraid of the dark, so Second Young Master Lu specially sought out a luminous pearl about the size of a baby’s fist just to provide it with light. That dog loved eating ox heart meat, so Second Young Master spared no expense, searching far and wide to purchase ox heart for him. However, the number of old oxen that could be slaughtered each month was extremely limited, and nearly all the ox hearts had been bought up by Second Young Master Lu.
Even high-ranking officials might not get to eat beef once a month. One could only imagine the level of luxury that the dog in Second Young Master Lu’s household enjoyed.
The more flamboyantly extravagant Second Young Master Lu became, the deeper the old Duke’s hatred for him grew. On top of that, that little beast—openly and in secret—had ruined who knew how many of his schemes and spoiled countless of his business deals. In order to support the Crown Prince, the Duke was already beginning to find his income falling short of his expenses, slowly digging into the family’s reserves. Every time he heard of how that little beast had made another lavish purchase, his heart itched with hatred.
Gradually, this led the old Duke to unconsciously focus his gaze on that little beast, harboring a bitter desire to regain the upper hand. Naturally, his actions started to show signs of miscalculation, and as a result, the Crown Prince began to grow dissatisfied with him as well.
But these political struggles were far too distant for An Ning, whose days revolved around eating, drinking, and playing. All he needed to do was enjoy the rich life Second Young Master gave him and be a well-behaved, obedient pet. He thought that was enough. What he didn’t expect was that the long-missing Taoist suddenly reappeared.
When An Ning saw the Taoist who had appeared before him out of nowhere, he didn’t pounce forward in joy. Instead, he backed away warily.
The Taoist looked at the little fellow, now sleek and glossy with care, and let out a soft laugh: “What’s this? After all these years, you don’t recognize me anymore?”
An Ning sat squatting on the veranda, absentmindedly rubbing his paw against the railing. He looked at the Taoist and turned his head away in a very human-like manner, even letting out a little grumble. This was clearly him holding a petty grudge, remembering how the Taoist had left without saying goodbye back then. Even though many years had passed, he still remembered it.
The Taoist laughed again when he saw this, then lightly leapt over the courtyard wall and landed effortlessly in the back garden. Before An Ning could react, he picked up a small pebble and flicked it—not too hard, not too soft—right onto An Ning’s forehead. “You heartless little thing. If I hadn’t left, how would you have stayed by his side for so many years?”
An Ning lifted a paw to rub the spot where he’d been hit by the pebble and looked at the Taoist, confused: “Woof?”
The Taoist crouched in front of him and studied him seriously for a while. Then, he gently tapped An Ning’s forehead with a fingertip.
Some images flashed across An Ning’s mind, but they passed so quickly that he couldn’t grasp any of them. He shook his head, and when he regained clarity, the Taoist was already gone.
An Ning raised a paw to scratch his cheek. Just what was that Taoist here for? Since he’d shown up, why did he leave again so suddenly? Before An Ning could dwell on it, he heard the voice he loved most calling out to him. He turned his head, and on the other side of the garden, Second Young Master Lu was sitting in his wheelchair, smiling at him.
An Ning jumped down from the railing and sprinted toward him with all four paws. His small body moved with surprising agility, completely at odds with how plump he had become.
Second Young Master Lu picked up An Ning and placed him on his lap. He took the cloth towel offered by a servant and wiped An Ning’s paws clean, along with the dirt that had gotten on his white fur. He gave the little creature a gentle scratch, and when he saw him squint his round eyes in comfort, Second Young Master Lu laughed and said, “Summer’s almost here. Shouldn’t that fur of yours get trimmed?”
An Ning, who had been lying there comfortably, stiffened all over. He looked pitifully at Second Young Master Lu. He didn’t want a haircut. He’d look awful after trimming.
But Second Young Master Lu was unmoved. He tapped An Ning’s nose and said, “Your fur’s too long. If we don’t trim it, you’ll get too hot. No being willful.”
An Ning rolled over and lay belly-up on Second Young Master Lu’s lap, exposing his soft little tummy. Second Young Master Lu chuckled and reached out to scratch him. “Alright, we won’t trim it too short. I’ll leave you enough fur to cover your modesty.”
Only then did An Ning finally show a smile. He stuck out his tongue and gave Second Young Master Lu a lick, then closed his eyes and focused on enjoying Second Young Master’s attentive care.
But whether it’s happiness or misfortune, time always has its end. An Ning thought he could stay with Second Young Master Lu like this until the end of his life—but he didn’t expect that the day of his end would come so soon.
It was a day of bright sunshine. An Ning, as usual, was playing with his favorite toy in the courtyard. He didn’t like having a group of people constantly following behind him. It was obvious those people were arranged by the Second Young Master to serve him, but a few of them didn’t know their place. Whenever Second Young Master wasn’t around, they would always tease him or touch his fur. So he disliked it, and gradually, he no longer let them follow him. Anyway, as long as he was in the residence, there wasn’t a single person who didn’t recognize him.
That day, while chasing after his little ball, he ended up in the back courtyard. This back courtyard was the domain of the Second Young Master’s wife. An Ning had always kept a respectful distance from it. From what he had observed, this wife was practically invisible in the household. She stayed shut in her own courtyard year-round and rarely came out. Other than her, there were no other women in the residence. Probably because no one was fighting with her, she appeared especially detached from worldly affairs.
In any case, this wife’s presence was as good as nonexistent. The second Young Master had never spent a night in her courtyard. In fact, after their marriage, she was only called over to have dinner once a year—on New Year’s Eve. So An Ning had almost no interaction with her. When he saw the little ball roll into her courtyard, An Ning cautiously crept forward through the grass, only thinking of retrieving his ball and leaving quickly. That courtyard always gave him an unpleasant feeling.
When he found the ball, he seemed to hear a man’s voice coming from the wife’s room. An Ning’s ears twitched. He looked around, then slipped into the fake rockery to hide, perking up his ears to listen carefully.
At first, he thought he might be eavesdropping on some romantic affair, but what he didn’t expect was to overhear a conspiracy. She was actually one of the Crown Prince’s people!
An Ning figured Second Young Master must have known; otherwise, how could someone as gentle as him marry a woman, only to neglect her for so many years? Wouldn’t that make the woman seem too pitiful? But if that woman had ill intentions from the beginning and yet couldn’t be dismissed, then treating her like this would make much more sense.
After the man, disguised as a household servant, left, An Ning waited a while longer. When he saw the wife heading off with her attendants to the Buddha Hall, he carefully ran out and slipped through the dog hole in the wall. He had to hurry and find the Second Young Master. A traitor had appeared by his side!
An Ning had at least wandered around the capital for a period of time in the past few years, so he was still roughly familiar with the environment. After identifying the direction, he immediately sprinted toward the Shili Bridge. The man in that woman’s room had said that it was the most suitable place to make a move. If someone had leaked Second Young Master’s route today and set up an ambush in advance, then it would truly be dangerous.
However, by the time he finally arrived—after practically wearing out all four of his paws from running so desperately—he was still a step too late. Second Young Master’s men were currently fighting a group of masked assailants, but the Second Young Master himself was nowhere in sight.
An Ning was flustered. He had never encountered anything like this before. He was terrified—terrified that something had happened to Second Young Master. Seeing the flashes of blades, the glint of swords, the blood all over the ground, and people falling one after another, An Ning was absolutely frightened. Amid his panic, his nose seemed to catch a faint trace of that familiar delicate fragrance that always lingered on Second Young Master, buried under the stench of blood in the air.
The dazed An Ning froze for a moment, then focused all his effort on discerning the source of that subtle fragrance. In the end, he found the Second Young Master in a dilapidated, abandoned temple.
Inside the ruined temple, Second Young Master Lu was holding a piece of cloth leather and looking down at something. Beside him stood his most trusted aide of over ten years, who was quietly unsheathing a blade.
Second Young Master Lu reacted with lightning speed. The moment he sensed danger, he simultaneously moved to block the strike. Though he managed to intercept the fatal blow aimed at his vital point, his arm was still slashed, leaving a gaping wound. Within just a few breaths, dark blood was already seeping from the gash—the blade was clearly poisoned.
Second Young Master Lu glanced at his wound, then looked calmly at the man before him. “Why?”
The one who betrayed him was Mu Yi, the very person who had practically grown up alongside Second Young Master. If anyone were to ask who the Second Young Master trusted the most, it would be no one else but Mu Yi. Today’s ambush had originally been part of Second Young Master’s own plan, but Mu Yi’s betrayal had not been in that plan.
Mu Yi’s expression was wooden, but his reddened eyes betrayed his emotions. Staring at the wound, he withdrew his blade and said, “Now that I’ve betrayed you, there’s no point in saying more. What I owe you in this life, I’ll repay in the next.”
It was at that moment that An Ning appeared at the entrance of the ruined temple. In a flash, he leapt onto Second Young Master Lu, baring his sharp canine teeth viciously at Mu Yi.
Mu Yi glanced at the man and the dog, then turned and walked away. That poison had no cure. The Second Young Master was doomed to die, so there was no point in staying any longer. Although he had chosen to betray his master, it didn’t mean he was willing to watch the person he once followed die in agony.
Seeing that Mu Yi was about to leave, An Ning lunged forward, trying to stop him. Her vicious posture made it seem like he wanted to bite a chunk of flesh right out of Mu Yi. Second Young Master Lu held the struggling An Ning tightly in his arms. Mu Yi was someone who had once killed a wolf. Killing a dog would be far too easy for him.
When the ruined temple was finally empty, Second Young Master Lu gently stroked An Ning’s fur. His tone was as gentle as always, as if the one who had been poisoned and was about to die wasn’t him at all. “Why are you here? Did you come looking for me? It’s good that you did. The manor is probably in chaos now. Rather than being killed by my enemies later, it’s better to go wandering. It’s just… my poor An Ning. You’ll have to live days of hunger and cold again.”
An Ning lay on Second Young Master Lu’s legs, whimpering in a deeply human-like way. He wasn’t afraid of wandering, nor of going hungry. If he could, he would rather take Second Young Master Lu with him, go off wandering together. He could hunt and feed the Second Young Master. Anything, just as long as he didn’t die.
Second Young Master Lu gently stroked An Ning and let out a sigh. “I’ve calculated everything that needed to be calculated. Even if I die, the Fourth Prince will still be able to take that position according to the plans I’ve left behind. But what a pity—I miscalculated the people beside me. And I miscalculated you. I thought I could raise you for a lifetime, give you the best life. If I had known it would come to this, I should have planned a way out for you, too.”
An Ning looked at Second Young Master Lu, and finally couldn’t hold back anymore—he burst into tears. What does a dog’s cry sound like? Second Young Master Lu only found out today. Low whimpers, mournful howls—the kind of crying that made even Second Young Master Lu, who hadn’t furrowed his brow even when his legs were crippled, have reddened eyes. Hugging An Ning into his arms, Second Young Master Lu lowered his head and placed a gentle kiss on the top of his head. “I’m sorry. I said I’d take care of you for a lifetime, but I’ve broken my word.”
An Ning licked Second Young Master Lu’s lips, licked his face, and then turned his head, trying to lick the wound on Second Young Master Lu’s hand, hoping to lick the poison away. But how could Second Young Master Lu let him? Even though, for a fleeting moment, he did think that maybe he should just take An Ning with him, so the dog wouldn’t have to suffer in this world. But in the end, he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Maybe An Ning would be lucky and still find someone who’d treat him well.
The poison took effect quickly. As the pain in his chest grew more and more intense, he couldn’t even stay in his wheelchair anymore—he collapsed directly to the ground.
An Ning bit onto Second Young Master Lu’s hand, seemingly trying to pull him back onto the wheelchair. But he was too small—he simply couldn’t lift the weight of an adult man. In the end, he could only lie down at the crook of Second Young Master Lu’s neck, occasionally sticking out his tongue to lick his face. An Ning made up his mind. Once Second Young Master Lu died, he would go lick the poisoned wound. Wherever Second Young Master went, he would follow.
Second Young Master Lu, with great effort, lifted a hand and touched the little head pressed tightly against him. To have such a small creature by his side as he died wasn’t so bad after all. It was better than dying alone.
In that moment of despair, images suddenly flashed through An Ning’s mind. Like watching shadow puppetry, he saw scenes from a past unfamiliar to him. A love pursued but never obtained, a bond of fate without destiny. The one doing the pursuing was Second Young Master Lu. The one he couldn’t reach was a strikingly handsome youth. In those scenes, the man had died, and the youth lowered his head to kiss the man’s lips, as if transferring something into his mouth. Then the vision ended.
An Ning didn’t know why that scene had suddenly appeared in his mind. He got up, sat down next to Second Young Master Lu, watching as Lu’s breathing became shallower and his consciousness more and more clouded. As if driven by some mysterious force, he lowered his head and kissed Lu’s lips—just like in the vision.
An Ning felt something draining out of his own body. He instinctively knew that whatever it was, it could save Second Young Master Lu, but it would cost him his own life. Still, he wasn’t afraid. If it could bring Second Young Master Lu back, then trading his own life for Second Young Master Lu’s was worth it.
As Second Young Master Lu’s vitality slowly began to return, he gradually regained consciousness. His body was still heavy, but in the haze, he saw An Ning, no longer a dog, slowly transform into a youth. The boy was strikingly beautiful, with long, waterfall-like hair that cascaded down over Second Young Master Lu’s face as he leaned in for that gentle kiss.
When he saw Second Young Master Lu awaken, the boy’s tear-filled eyes suddenly lit up with a gleam of joy. And then, his body began to gradually turn translucent.
Second Young Master Lu’s heart jolted. Instinctively, he reached out and grabbed the boy’s hand tightly. “An Ning!”
The young man smiled at him, his voice soft and lingering as he murmured, “Second Young Master…” There was happiness in his tone, satisfaction, reluctance to part—but above all, there was deep affection and reliance.
Second Young Master Lu gripped him tightly. “Chenghe, call me Chenghe.”
An Ning leaned closer to Second Young Master Lu, as if he still wanted to snuggle into his arms like he used to. But he found himself growing more and more transparent. So, he used his lips to gently brush against the other’s—just a light touch. “Chenghe…”
Second Young Master Lu tried to pull him into his arms, but his An Ning had already completely dissolved into the air. The only thing left behind was the cold trail of tears on his face that had yet to dry.
A chaotic battle broke out in the capital. The Second Young Master Lu, who was supposed to have died in that rundown temple, had unexpectedly returned. The Crown Prince’s faction, who thought their greatest enemy was gone, were thrown into panic. When they saw that Second Young Master Lu’s legs were perfectly fine—this man who had already been so hard to deal with even as a cripple—they realized that now, as a whole and unharmed person, he would be an even greater asset to the Fourth Prince.
In the end, with Second Young Master Lu’s meticulous planning and flawless calculations, he helped the Fourth Prince ascend to the throne.
A new emperor meant a new court. Those who were meant to fall fell, and those who deserved reward were handsomely rewarded. Yet the one who had rendered the most service, Second Young Master Lu, refused the new emperor’s offer to stay. He gave up all high ranks and wealth, choosing instead to remain a merchant.
In a not-so-large courtyard residence, there was a room into which no one but Second Master himself was allowed. The room was filled with paintings personally drawn by him. Scroll after scroll depicted a chubby, lovable little dog playing in various poses. In a few of them, the little dog was curled up, fast asleep, on the lap of a man seated in a wheelchair. And in the very center of the room, on the desk, stood a large painting. It portrayed a handsome, delicate young man—his features like a painting, his smile like a flower. Long, waterfall-like hair cascaded naturally over his chest, and he gazed gently, with a faint smile, at the one outside the painting.
Second Master Lu, whose wealth could rival a nation, lived his life alone. And the only items buried with him were those scrolls of paintings he had drawn by hand.
……
Qingniao City.
Due to a new development project, Lu Chenghe had no choice but to come to the west side of the city to inspect the site. As he was looking down at the photos taken on-site today, along with the project proposal, he noticed the car hadn’t moved for quite a while. He couldn’t help but lift his head to take a look, while also rolling his shoulders and stretching his slightly stiff neck.
The driver noticed his boss’s movement and hurriedly explained, “It looks like there was some kind of accident up ahead, so it’s a bit jammed.”
Lu Chenghe turned his head slightly to glance out the window. The presence of police cars and ambulances only made the already not-so-smooth traffic even worse.
The driver continued talking, “On a hot day like this, a bunch of kids went swimming in the river, and there weren’t any parents around to watch them. And now something’s happened. There’s even a swimming pool not far from here. If the parents had just a bit more sense of danger, something like this wouldn’t have happened today.”
Listening to the driver’s lament, Lu Chenghe happened to see a group of medical personnel pushing a stretcher covered in a white sheet into the ambulance. In that moment, Lu Chenghe felt a vague discomfort inside. It was as if something was missing. And at the same time, something ached. Only when traffic began to move again and they left the scene of the accident did Lu Chenghe slowly return to himself. But his whole being felt oddly hollow, and he stared blankly out the window, unable to focus on the proposal anymore.
Several months later, his mother appeared in front of him with a Samoyed puppy that looked barely a month old, half pleading and half forcing him to help take care of it. No one knew that, despite Lu Chenghe’s expressionless face, the corner of his eye kept drifting toward the little white furball. Fine, he’d raise it. As long as the little thing behaved and listened, feeding it wouldn’t be all that hard.
But the name it had been given was just too ridiculous — “Little Pudding”? How childish. Lu Chenghe thought for a moment, then called out to it, “Little Pudding.”
The little thing instantly trotted over happily, its butt wiggling. Clearly, it had already accepted the name. Lu Chenghe felt a small twinge of regret. When he saw the character “Ning” he had unconsciously written on a piece of paper, he could only fold it away with a faint sense of loss. Looking down at the little creature still pawing at his leg, trying to climb up, Lu Chenghe bent over and scooped it into his arms, placing it on himself. A soft, gentle smile unknowingly curved the corner of his lips.
