Moonlit: This chapter contains animal abuse and the abuser.
When Lu Chenghe arrived home, he immediately noticed that only the butler was standing at the entrance as usual—there was no sign of Little Pudding who always ran out to greet him. His heart sank.
Frowning slightly, he glanced at the butler, quickening his steps as he walked inside. “Where’s Little Pudding?”
The butler followed behind him with a sigh. “He’s lying on the sofa.” Maybe dogs really were sensitive creatures—after that poor little pup didn’t make it, Little Pudding had been downcast the entire afternoon.
Zuo Ning, seeing Lu Chenghe approaching, finally got up and stretched out a paw, asking for a hug. His expression was filled with grievance.
Lu Chenghe handed his coat to the butler and picked up the little pup, gently rubbing his head. “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”
Zuo Ning placed both paws on Lu Chenghe’s chest and continuously rubbed his head against him. He couldn’t speak, so this was the only way he could express his emotions. He felt incredibly lucky to have met a good person like Lu Chenghe. He didn’t even dare to imagine—if he had encountered that kind of psychopath instead, would he have survived such horrifying abuse?
The butler recounted everything that had happened that day. Looking at the little pup curled up in Lu Chenghe’s arms, he sighed, “It was a little white terrier. Dr. Wen said it wasn’t even two months old. Little Pudding was probably the one who found it, but it didn’t make it, so now he’s upset.”
Lu Chenghe frowned upon hearing this. “Has the matter been investigated? How could something like this happen?”
Although they lived in a manor on the mountainside, their house wasn’t the only one here—there were three estates within this area. While the other two estates weren’t far away, they had been built with privacy in mind, so they were spaced apart.
Beyond that was a villa district, separated from their manor by a small forest. The security in this area was excellent and the people who could afford to live here were all of a certain status—they wouldn’t do something so disgraceful.
But the severely injured pup couldn’t have been deliberately brought here just to be tortured and then abandoned at their gate. Given the extent of its injuries, it had likely escaped from the villa district. If there really was an animal abuser lurking over there and they were only separated by a small forest, Lu Chenghe wouldn’t feel at ease until the person was caught. Some things needed to be stopped early—if an accident happened, regrets would come too late.
The butler shared the same thoughts, but their surveillance only covered the manor’s vicinity, so he said helplessly, “We’ve checked, but all we saw was the little dog staggering toward us. No people were visible. We also contacted the property management over there, but strangely, their surveillance footage didn’t show which house the dog came from.”
Lu Chenghe stroked Little Pudding resting obediently on his lap and said, “It might not have escaped on its own. With injuries that severe, it was probably close to death, so someone put it in a bag to dispose of it. Somehow, it managed to get away.”
The butler asked, “Dr. Wen has already taken the dog and said he’ll give it a proper burial. Should we investigate this ourselves first, or report it to the police?”
Lu Chenghe responded, “Report it. And make sure it gets plenty of attention.”
The butler immediately understood his young master’s intent. Whether or not they caught the culprit, the moment they reported it, the entire district would be aware of the case. The people living in this mountainside area were all influential figures who wouldn’t want to offend the Lu family.
Most likely, Lu Chenghe’s goal was deterrence. Even though Little Pudding wouldn’t run off on his own, there was always a chance something unexpected could happen. If such a person really existed nearby and if they feared the Lu family’s influence, they wouldn’t dare lay a hand on Little Pudding.
Zuo Ning, however, didn’t think that deeply. He didn’t know that Lu Chenghe wasn’t someone who usually meddled in others’ business, nor did he realize that this was all for his protection. He simply felt relieved upon hearing that they would report it to the police. Hopefully, the authorities would catch that awful person soon.
Watching the little thing rub against him for a while before perking up again, Lu Chenghe found it amusing and held his paw, giving it a little shake. “So you’re happy because you heard we’re going to catch the bad guy?”
Zuo Ning wagged his tail. “Woof!” Happy—I’m happy as long as you’re here.
Seeing the pup’s silly, cheerful expression, Lu Chenghe chuckled as well. Though he had no idea what the little guy was so happy about, he was relieved to see him regain his spirit. He tapped Zuo Ning’s nose. “You did well today, a good deed. I’ll reward you with half a peach later.”
The Lu family’s efficiency was as swift as ever. Less than half an hour after Lu Chenghe gave the order, the relevant authorities had already started investigating. However, the people who could afford to live in this mountainside district were all wealthy or influential. Without sufficient evidence, the investigators could only conduct an environmental inspection and issue warnings to the residents.
Still, word spread quickly. Soon, nearly everyone was aware of what had happened. The injured puppy had made its way to the Lu family’s manor, which meant it must have come from the villa district. The Lu estate was centrally located and the nearest other estates were at least two villa districts away—there was no way the badly wounded pup could have run that far on its own.
The villa district buzzed with discussion. No one had expected that someone capable of affording a home here could also be the type of monster who abused animals. Pet owners grew uneasy, fearing that their beloved companions might fall victim to cruelty when they weren’t looking.
Inside a lakeside villa, a delicate-looking woman clutched her phone anxiously while speaking to someone. Whatever she heard on the other end made her already nervous expression twist into something sinister. Lowering her voice to avoid being overheard, she snapped, “Be careful? If you’d really been careful, how did that little thing escape? And why did it have to run straight to the Lu family?! Do you even know who the Lus are? If they really dig into this, I’m done for!”
The voice on the other end belonged to an older woman, her tone laced with cruelty and malice. “How was I supposed to know that thing had one last breath left in it? It actually bit me before running off! Stop panicking. The Lu guy isn’t going to waste his time thoroughly investigating this. Just lay low for a while—once the commotion dies down, it’ll be fine.”
The woman on the phone seemed somewhat reassured by this but still asked warily, “Are you sure no one saw anything? No security cameras caught it?”
“Relax,” the other woman replied with certainty. “That path has been checked many times—no cameras. As long as you don’t act suspicious, no one will know.”
The woman hesitated before convincing herself she was overreacting. She just needed to be more careful next time. Hanging up, she rubbed her face and gazed at the still waters of the lake outside, her nerves slowly settling.
Her name was Shu Wan, a novelist. She wasn’t stunningly beautiful, but her delicate features gave off a pleasant, refined aura. She favored simple, elegant dresses that enhanced her quiet charm.
Shu Wan didn’t come from a wealthy family. Though she wasn’t poor, her background was far from privileged. By chance, she began writing popular web novels and soon discovered it was lucrative. Eventually, she quit her job to focus entirely on writing.
Two years ago, she wrote a fantasy novel that gained traction and was later adapted into a web series. Overnight, she became a sensation and met her current husband. He was drawn to her simple, unpretentious nature. She stayed home to write, kept a clean social circle, and—unlike women who relied entirely on their partners—had her own career. This only made her husband more satisfied with her.
But no one knew what lurked beneath her gentle exterior.
As a child, Shu Wan had squeezed tadpoles to death, strangled pet hamsters, and even smashed a little white rabbit against the ground until it died. Back then, she had simply found it amusing. As she grew older, that amusement twisted into something far more disturbing—a dark pleasure she could no longer resist.
When the sharp blade sliced through the soft flesh of those helpless creatures, when she listened to their shrill yet powerless screams of struggle, the dual pleasure—both psychological and physical—was something no man could ever give her.
Shu Wan gradually became addicted to this pleasure, sinking deeper into her obsession. The one who enabled her was none other than her cousin. To keep her husband from discovering anything, Shu Wan was always careful. Each time, her cousin would bring over abandoned cats and dogs—either poisoned mute or surgically silenced—and she would torment them in the basement to her heart’s content. Occasionally, she got her hands on a purebred puppy, which only heightened her sadistic urges.
Once she was done playing, her cousin would take the animals away and dispose of them. This arrangement had gone undiscovered for the past two years. Her cousin benefited from the partnership as well, receiving compensation from Shu Wan each time. Their cooperation had been seamless—until now.
Thinking that she wouldn’t be able to indulge her desires for a while, Shu Wan felt irritable. Just as frustration welled inside her, her husband returned home. He had noticed the security guards patrolling outside and casually asked about it. Shu Wan responded with a soft smile, explaining the situation.
Her husband sighed. “I never thought someone like that would be living here. I hope they catch the culprit soon. Luckily, we don’t have any pets, so we don’t have to worry.”
Lowering her gaze slightly, Shu Wan agreed with a gentle response. As always, she played the role of the attentive wife, stepping forward to take his coat and briefcase.
Just as her husband was about to close the door, a pair of fierce barks suddenly erupted from behind them.
Shu Wan flinched violently, her heart pounding with panic.
Her husband, however, remained calm and turned to look. A middle-aged man stood outside, holding the leashes of two imposing black German Shepherds. The dogs were barking furiously, their eyes locked in their direction.
Behind her husband, Shu Wan’s face drained of all color.
