Lu Chenghe had never imagined that one day, he would develop a feeling of helplessness toward a dog. Looking at the little puppy lying on its back like a tiny person, taking up half the bed and even tucked in under the blanket, Lu Chenghe hesitated for a long while before finally sighing and lying down on the bed.
It had been almost half a month since his mother handed the dog over to him. At first, the little guy cautiously explored its activity range bit by bit. But as it gradually realized that Lu Chenghe’s tolerance toward it was growing, it began to push its limits more and more. He didn’t actually mind having a dog on his bed. After all, Little Pudding was very clean, and he wasn’t particularly obsessed with cleanliness either. But having such a tiny creature on the bed meant that he would wake up in the middle of the night on reflex, afraid he might accidentally crush the little pup in his sleep.
Afraid that this emotion might make Lu Chenghe seem like a stranger for a brief moment, he let out a helpless smile, then turned slightly to lean against the bed. One hand propped up his head, while the other poked at that round, bulging little belly.
The little thing had its eyes closed and instinctively waved its tiny paws, as if trying to swat away whatever was disturbing its sleep. Lu Chenghe pulled his hand back and quietly watched him for a while. The little puppy was still very small—just a bit bigger than two palms put together. The natural black line of its lips was distinct, and there was a ring of soft fuzz around its mouth, giving it a milky, baby-like feel. Maybe it was dreaming because its paws stretched and waved forward unconsciously. Then it stuck out its soft pink tongue and licked its lips, and not long after, it began to snore softly again.
Lu Chenghe reached out a finger and gently bounced it on the little paw pad curled up in front of its chest. The paw pad was still pink, without the calluses that come from friction with the ground, and it felt incredibly soft to the touch.
Perhaps because its paw had been squeezed, the sleeping Little Pudding slowly began to stir. With drowsy eyes barely open, it peeked at itself through a slit in its eyelids. Then its head tilted slightly in his direction, let out two little whimpers, and, still muddled with sleep, drifted off again.
Lu Chenghe chuckled softly, pulled the blanket up a bit for the little thing, and lay down, getting ready to sleep. After a while, he felt a little uncomfortable, so he simply reached out and picked up the little puppy beside him, placing it in his arms. He was always a quiet sleeper, never tossing or turning, so keeping the little puppy fixed snugly in his arms like this would prevent it from crawling around during the night.
Lu Chenghe noticed he was paying more and more attention to that little thing named Little Pudding. Worried that the study was too small for it to move around freely, he even took his books to the living room to read. Even though that little thing was still too young to even climb stairs.
Lu Chenghe, who had always lost track of time when reading, could no longer count how many times his attention had been stolen by that fluffy ball of snow-white fur. Watching it clumsily try to climb onto a human-sized doll like it was going on an expedition, then tumble down with a gulu gulu roll, dazed and unsteady as it tried to get back up, Lu Chenghe couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
It was probably because he heard him laughing that the little fellow, who hadn’t even gotten back on his feet yet, turned his head and let out several fierce barks in his direction. It seemed like he was scolding him for laughing. His tiny milk teeth were bared, and though his tone was ferocious, it was more adorably fierce than actually threatening.
Lu Chenghe patted the sofa. “Little Pudding, come here.”
Even though he had just barked at him fiercely, the little puppy still obediently wagged his chubby little butt and trotted over with his tail wagging. But the sofa was much too high for him. Even standing on his hind legs with his front paws stretched out, he could only just barely touch the edge.
Lu Chenghe leaned back on the sofa, watching the little thing attempt to climb up. The puppy was incredibly clever. When he couldn’t get up, he started barking at him, and when that didn’t work, he angrily slapped the side of the sofa with his paw to show his displeasure. Just when Lu Chenghe thought he would give up and go back to playing with his plush toys, he saw the little guy run over to the pile of toys, pick up one that was larger than him but still movable, and bite and push it all the way over. Then he stepped right onto the toy’s head.
When he finally managed to scramble up onto the sofa, he let out a dramatically heavy breath, as if it had been a grueling task. Then he ran over to Lu Chenghe’s side, stood up on his hind legs with his front paws on his arm, and barked straight at him, “Woof woof!”
Lu Chenghe felt like he was saying, “See? I could get up here without your help!” Or maybe, “Why did you tell me to come up here anyway?” Shaking his head, Lu Chenghe picked the puppy up and, without much thought, grabbed a biscuit from a nearby box and held it to his mouth for him to nibble on. He suspected he had developed one of those common pet-owner delusions—thinking his pet could understand human speech, and that he could interpret the meaning behind every bark.
The little puppy grew quickly. As long as he was well-fed, it was like raising a baby, changing by the day. In the blink of an eye, Little Pudding had gone from dragging his belly on the ground to being able to go up and down the stairs with ease. His limbs had grown longer, and though he still looked like a chubby lump, Lu Chenghe felt his Little Pudding was growing into quite a handsome pup. He looked like a young boy in his early youth, spirited and full of life.
As Little Pudding grew, Lu Chenghe began to notice that in addition to being ridiculously smart, the little guy was also extremely clingy. His possessiveness was so intense that Lu Chenghe couldn’t even focus on looking at someone else for more than a minute. The most obvious sign of this came when his mother hosted gatherings disguised as family get-togethers, though clearly intended as matchmaking attempts, inviting so-called friends and relatives under the pretense of discussing investment strategies. During these occasions, Lu Chenghe had no choice but to stay at home and entertain them. And Little Pudding? He would always be curled up in his lap, completely ignoring anyone who tried to call him over.
If Lu Chenghe looked at someone else for too long, the little guy would paw at his face, cover his eyes, and fidget furiously in his arms, refusing to let him be. Only when Lu Chenghe lowered his head, looked at him, and gave him a few strokes would the little thing settle down quietly in his lap again.
Once Lu Chenghe figured out what he was up to, he couldn’t help but tease him again and again. Even these dull gatherings began to feel a bit more entertaining. However, as more and more girls used various excuses to get close to him, Lu Chenghe noticed that Little Pudding was becoming increasingly agitated. He even bit onto his sleeve, looking as if he wanted to drag him away. So Lu Chenghe simply went along with it, picked up his dog, and politely saw the guests off.
After everyone had left, the little thing kicked him twice and then trotted upstairs. That was the first time Lu Chenghe realized that his Little Pudding actually had a temper—and not a small one either.
As Little Pudding gradually became a part of his life, Lu Chenghe’s focus also unknowingly began to tilt more and more toward him. He felt that this was only natural. After all, he was the one who had personally raised this little guy, so smart and so lovable. Even the usually strict and proper butler had a soft spot for the puppy and treated him with special fondness. But what made Lu Chenghe happiest was that, no matter how much the butler tried to coax him in private, Little Pudding only showed real affection toward him.
What made him realize that he didn’t see Little Pudding as just a pet anymore was the first time someone from the outside hurt him.
That little thing he’d cherished in the palm of his hand was actually kicked by some street punk from who knows where. If he hadn’t had at least a shred of rationality left at the time, he might have punched that guy right then and there. In all his years, it was the first time he’d ever experienced such an intense surge of emotion.
Watching Little Pudding lie pitifully in his arms, letting out little whimpers now and then, Lu Chenghe didn’t know how much self-control it took for him not to deal with that man on the spot. Little Pudding was still so small. Being kicked like that by a full-grown man, on the way to the pet hospital, Lu Chenghe was terrified. What if his internal organs were injured? How could something so tiny possibly survive that?
Fortunately, it wasn’t as bad as he’d feared—just a minor surface injury. But that didn’t mean Lu Chenghe was going to let that man off easily. Especially not after Little Pudding “told on him”. That was also the first time Lu Chenghe realized that the pup he’d raised was already smart enough to tattle.
Lu Chenghe wasn’t the type to be cold-blooded or ruthless. Toward many people and many things, he truly didn’t care much. And because he didn’t care, he often came off as indifferent. But among those many things, Little Pudding was not included.
It might’ve seemed a bit excessive to force someone into ruin and disappearance from the city just because they’d kicked a dog, but Lu Chenghe had at least left him a way out. Given how furious he’d been at the time, what he really wanted was for that man to vanish from the world completely. Later, Lu Chenghe did reflect on himself. Even if it had been in a fit of anger, that kind of emotion had definitely crossed the line.
Seeing the little Pudding now sleeping peacefully in his arms, Lu Chenghe gently patted the furry paw resting on his chest. If a person lives too rationally, wouldn’t their whole life seem too dull?
After that incident, Lu Chenghe realized that he cared for Little Pudding far more than usual. But he didn’t dwell on it. After all, how many pet owners treat their cats and dogs like their own children? Just look at his assistant’s dog-slave behavior. He practically looked like he wanted to spend his whole life with his dog son. Compared to that, Lu Chenghe felt that he was still relatively rational. Still, because he cared, he had started making plans for Little Pudding’s future.
A dog’s lifespan isn’t long, and yet, in their short lives, the human who raises them is their everything. In the past, Lu Chenghe didn’t feel this so deeply. Those motivational posts online—like how pets spend two-thirds of their lives waiting for their owners to come home—had never moved him much. But after raising Little Pudding, every time he thought of Little Pudding waiting at home for him to come back, that heartache became completely uncontrollable.
He didn’t want to imagine how Little Pudding felt waiting for him alone at home. Even though there were still two big black German Shepherds to keep him company, he couldn’t bear to let Little Pudding’s limited life be wasted on waiting. So when he realized he had actually started secretly bringing his dog to work, after a brief inner struggle, he just gave in completely.
After raising Little Pudding, who occupied his whole heart and mind, Lu Chenghe felt that his life would probably never return to the calm and peaceful days of the past. Because that little creature was just too much of a handful, every day, bursting with energy like a wind-up toy. Other than when he was sleeping like a little angel, he was a little demon the rest of the time. But Lu Chenghe simply had no way to deal with this little demon. He could only accompany him every day, playing, causing trouble, and going through the chaos together.
Lu Chenghe thought that was already the most of it, but what he didn’t expect was that the biggest surprise was still waiting for him. The Little Pudding he had raised had really turned into a spirit.
