Zuo Ning stared at the number on the scale, then turned back innocently to look at Lu Chenghe, who was seated not far away. Before he could wonder whether his weight was over the limit, the veterinarian, Wen Ting, picked him up and returned him to Lu Chenghe’s side.
Lu Chenghe naturally reached out to pet the dog’s head to soothe him, but his gaze was fixed on Wen Ting. While packing up the scattered tools, Wen Ting said, “18.5 kilograms. This weight is slightly on the heavier side for a three-month-old Samoyed, but it’s still within the healthy range. Heart rate and blood pressure are both normal. He’s a very healthy little one. The increased appetite recently is probably due to his activity levels. But don’t worry, he’s doing great.”
As Wen Ting spoke, he couldn’t help suppressing the urge to comment. The equipment in this room alone was almost on par with a professional veterinary hospital—doing surgeries wouldn’t even be an issue. Yet the Lu family had prepared all this just to facilitate monthly checkups for their dog. Wen Ting was accustomed to serving wealthy pet owners, but this level of extravagance was a first for him. Even those socialite ladies who doted on their pets couldn’t match this.
Unaware of the veterinarian’s inner thoughts, Lu Chenghe cradled Little Pudding, who had been pouncing on him, in his arms and nodded toward Wen Ting. “Thank you for your hard work.”
Since adopting the dog, Lu Chenghe had subconsciously started paying more attention to pet-related news during his free time. He had seen many stories about cats and dogs resisting and rejecting visits to veterinary clinics. That’s why he decided to set up a basic veterinary suite at home, allowing minor issues to be addressed without the need for the hassle of a hospital trip.
Clearly, his decision was a good one. When he carried Little Pudding into the room earlier, the puppy didn’t show any resistance at all.
If Zuo Ning knew what Lu Chenghe was thinking, he’d definitely roll his eyes. Even if he had to visit a vet, he wouldn’t resist. Seriously? Why would he reject a routine health checkup when he knew it was for his own good? He wasn’t some clueless mutt! That said, hearing that he wasn’t overweight still made him happy. He couldn’t help but pat Lu Chenghe with his paw and barked, “Woof!” See? He wasn’t heavy at all, no need to go on a diet!
Seeing the silly grin on the dog’s face, Lu Chenghe reached out to scratch under his chin. When Little Pudding squinted his eyes comfortably and stopped moving in his arms, Lu Chenghe finally stood up, signaled the butler to see the veterinarian off, and carried Little Pudding out of the room.
Wen Ting smiled at the butler and said, “Mr. Lu seems very fond of Little Pudding. It’s rare to see someone as busy as him still so attentive to a pet.”
Most wealthy ladies adopted pets out of boredom, using them to kill time. Busy people, on the other hand, usually didn’t have the leisure to care for pets that needed a lot of companionship. Even if they liked pets, their staff would handle everything and they’d only play with them occasionally when the mood struck. Wen Ting had visited the Lu residence twice for Little Pudding’s checkups. Both times, Mr. Lu personally accompanied them. That was indeed uncommon.
The butler responded with a polite smile, “Yes, our young master adores Little Pudding, so we’ll be relying on you a lot in the future, Dr. Wen.” As for the fact that their young master wasn’t nearly as busy as outsiders assumed—possibly even more laid-back than some office workers—that wasn’t something the butler felt necessary to share.
Back in the room, Zuo Ning quickly claimed the sofa, pulled out a tablet buried in the cushions, and tapped on the screen, barking at Lu Chenghe, “Woof!” His TV show wasn’t finished yet. Today, the male lead was going to leap off a cliff and begin his epic comeback!
Lu Chenghe paused on his way to the desk and glanced at Little Pudding staring at him expectantly. He couldn’t help but chuckle as he walked over. “Can you even understand what you’re watching? You’re so enthusiastic about it every day.”
“Woof!” Of course, he could! This was the highlight of his life as a dog!
Despite his words, Lu Chenghe still turned on the tablet for him. This tablet was brand new and had been set aside specifically for the dog to use, so it didn’t even have a password set up. Watching the screen light up, Zuo Ning adjusted his posture, ready to enjoy his show. However, Lu Chenghe suddenly turned off the screen. Zuo Ning looked up at him in confusion.
Lu Chenghe chuckled as he lifted Little Pudding onto his lap and guided its paw to press a key. “This is how you turn it on. Press here and the tablet will start.” After demonstrating once, Lu Chenghe shut the tablet down and placed it in front of Little Pudding. “Go ahead, turn it on.”
His Little Pudding was very smart—things other dogs needed days to learn, it could usually grasp in one or two tries. So turning on a tablet should be no challenge at all.
Zuo Ning tucked his paws back and looked at Lu Chenghe, thinking, Teaching a dog to turn on a tablet? Are you serious? Of course, he knew how to turn it on—he even knew it required pressing twice—but he dared not. In this day and age, animals couldn’t reveal how intelligent they truly were!
Seeing its dazed expression, Lu Chenghe assumed it didn’t understand. Patiently, he guided Little Pudding’s paw through the process a few more times. Under Lu Chenghe’s expectant gaze, Zuo Ning finally stretched out his paw, trembling slightly, and successfully powered on the tablet.
Lu Chenghe was delighted and praised the dog enthusiastically, even taking out a rare piece of jerky as a reward. Normally, Lu Chenghe was strict about snacks, believing Little Pudding was slightly overweight, and wouldn’t easily allow it to indulge.
Chewing on the jerky while watching his TV drama, Zuo Ning occasionally stole glances at Lu Chenghe, who was working at his desk. This owner of mine has a slightly unusual thought process. Should I act even smarter to secure more perks for myself? Hmm, that sounds like a solid plan.
As Lu Chenghe managed his work, he occasionally glanced at Little Pudding, who was lounging comfortably against the cushions, engrossed in its show. Though the setup was a bit noisy, he’d grown accustomed to it. The first time Little Pudding demanded to use the tablet, Lu Chenghe had to fight the urge to banish it to its kennel on the first floor. But now, it didn’t seem like such a big deal.
However, seeing the little creature’s human-like reactions—like letting out a soft whimper during dramatic scenes—still amused him. If not for the fact that many pets were known to enjoy TV shows, Lu Chenghe might have genuinely believed Little Pudding was smart enough to be a supernatural being. Still, he didn’t really think the dog could understand what was happening; it was probably just reacting to the sounds.
After watching for a while, Lu Chenghe suddenly took out his phone and recorded a short video. He then created a Weibo account called “Little Pudding’s Daily Life”, verified it with a purchased badge, and uploaded the clip. He’d noticed that many pet owners liked documenting their pets’ growth and thought it would be nice to have a keepsake too. Someday, when Little Pudding was all grown up, revisiting its childhood videos and photos would surely feel different.
Apart from a few bot followers that came with the verified account, the video didn’t make much of a splash. But Lu Chenghe wasn’t looking for attention, so he didn’t mind. He simply put his phone away, deciding to get a new phone tomorrow specifically for managing Little Pudding’s Weibo account.
Since his personal Weibo was managed by a professional PR team to maintain the company’s image, using a separate phone for this account would avoid any mix-ups.
One man and one dog busied themselves with their respective tasks. Being someone who rarely stayed up late, Lu Chenghe shut his computer off at his usual bedtime. As he stood up, Zuo Ning instinctively glanced at the time on his tablet. He had only watched two episodes of his drama, and it was already 11 PM. Watching Lu Chenghe walk toward him, Zuo Ning glanced at the male lead, who had just survived a cliff jump and obtained a martial arts manual but hadn’t yet begun his triumphant revenge arc. With a soft sigh, Zuo Ning resigned himself to waiting until tomorrow to continue.
Hearing the sigh, Lu Chenghe playfully patted the dog’s butt. “You’re sighing because you know I’m here to make you go to bed, right?” He was just teasing as he shut off the tablet, then picked up the nearly 20-kilogram furball and carried it to the bathroom. After brushing his teeth and washing his face, he also brushed Little Pudding’s teeth and wiped down its fur.
Lu Chenghe didn’t know how other people’s dogs behaved, but he felt that his own dog had been trained well from a young age. It never resisted tooth-brushing, obediently opening its mouth and letting him do as he pleased. He was always careful to brush each tooth gently, avoiding the gums to ensure he didn’t cause it any pain.
Typically, dogs only need their teeth brushed once a week, supplemented with chew toys for cleaning. However, Lu Chenghe discovered that Little Pudding was exceptionally well-behaved during brushing sessions. Sometimes, if he skipped brushing, Little Pudding would even bring the toothpaste over, pleading to have its teeth brushed. Seeing this, Lu Chenghe had the butler custom-order a toothpaste suitable for daily use and made it a nightly routine to brush Little Pudding’s teeth before bed.
A month ago, Lu Chenghe would never have imagined that he’d one day patiently brush a dog’s teeth every night.
Once they were both cleaned up, Lu Chenghe carried Little Pudding to its kennel. But before he could set it down, four little paws tightly wrapped around his arm. He looked down to see a pair of innocent eyes staring back at him. Patting its head, he said, “Go to sleep.”
Zuo Ning let out a small whimper and then tried to climb higher up. Happiness is something you fight for, he thought. Tonight seemed like a perfect opportunity to sleep on the bed.
Lu Chenghe immediately understood its intentions—this wasn’t the first time, after all. He said coldly and decisively, “No. You have to sleep in your own bed. This is yours.”
“Woo… woo… woo…”
Lu Chenghe finally witnessed what a dog fake-crying looked like. He poked its fluffy little head. “Stop crying. You’re terrible at it.”
“Woof!” Let’s sleep together!
In the end, it was Lu Chenghe who gave in. He found it impossible to reason with a dog. If he forced it to stay in its own bed, the pitiful sounds it made would break his heart. But if he gave in, it immediately became jubilant. Lu Chenghe felt like his dog was incredibly scheming—perhaps watching too many TV dramas had taught it a thing or two.
Zuo “Scheming Dog” Ning successfully made it onto the bed again. Once Lu Chenghe lay down, Zuo Ning dove into his arms, sticking out his little head and staring at him with wide, seemingly smiling eyes. Lu Chenghe couldn’t resist rubbing the fluffy head twice before pulling out his phone. Opening a photo his mother had taken during her travels, he showed it to Little Pudding. “Do you still recognize her?”
“Woof!” Of course! That’s your mom—my future mother-in-law!
Lu Chenghe grabbed his laptop and flipped through photos one by one, showing them to Little Pudding. He hoped it would become familiar with the faces. Otherwise, when his mother returned, Little Pudding might treat her like a stranger and he’d have to endure her tearful complaints.
Thinking about his mother, Lu Chenghe suddenly remembered that Little Pudding technically belonged to her. Would she take the dog back when she returned? Lu Chenghe glanced at the furry head stubbornly burrowing into his arms and fell into deep thought.
Zuo Ning noticed Lu Chenghe staring at him and reached out a paw, patting his chest. “Awoo?” Why are you looking at me? Don’t tell me you’re thinking of throwing me off the bed now that I’m here?
Seeing its silly expression, Lu Chenghe shut his laptop, tucked the dog under the blanket, and turned off the lights. Once his mother came back, even if she took the dog, it would probably find its way back to him. After all, dogs were said to be incredibly loyal to their owners.
In the dark, Zuo Ning struggled to poke his head out of the blanket. Slowly, he wriggled his way back into Lu Chenghe’s arms. Surrounded by Lu Chenghe’s scent, he finally felt at ease and closed his eyes in contentment.
