Little Pudding was angry—really angry. Even after having his paws wiped and teeth brushed at night, he still drooped his tail and curled up in his kennel instead of climbing onto the bed as usual.
Lu Chenghe sat on the edge of the bed, watching the little thing bury himself completely under the blanket, leaving only half of his tiny butt exposed. He reached out and patted the bed. “Little Pudding, come here.”
Zuo Ning curled up tightly in his kennel, unmoving. “Awoo!” No way!
“What’s wrong? Who upset you?”
Zuo Ning huffed in anger. “Woof woof woof!” If you dare neuter me, I’ll run away from home! I swear I will!
Seeing that the little guy refused to come over, Lu Chenghe had no choice but to walk over, crouch beside the kennel, and poke the tiny exposed butt. “Still throwing a tantrum? Come on, tell me who made you upset.”
“Awoo awoo awoo!” Who else but you?! It’s all you!
Hearing the agitated barking that sounded almost like an argument, Lu Chenghe pressed his lips together to stifle a laugh and gave the little dog’s butt a playful rub. “Really not coming out? Are you planning to sleep alone tonight?”
Sleeping on the bed or sticking to his cold-war protest—this was a dilemma. Zuo Ning hesitated for a moment. The frustrating thing was that even if he sulked in protest, Lu Chenghe wouldn’t even know why he was mad! So what was the point of a cold war?
After some thought, he finally poked his head out from under the blanket, though he still stayed curled up in his kennel, looking at Lu Chenghe with pitiful eyes. “Ao…” Just don’t bring up neutering ever again, okay? I’m still your adorable little angel.
Lu Chenghe found his inexplicable look of grievance amusing. Reaching out, he ruffled his dog’s head and said, “You’re acting so unusual tonight—because there’s a stranger at home? He won’t be staying long, he’ll leave soon.”
Zuo Ning placed a paw on Lu Chenghe’s hand. “Awoo…” That wasn’t it! He wasn’t that petty.
Lu Chenghe took the opportunity to scoop him up. The weather was getting colder. He’d grown used to having a warm companion by his side every night. Especially since Little Pudding was getting bigger and bigger—though carrying him like before was becoming a bit of a struggle, it still felt pretty nice when the little guy sprawled over him in bed.
Sometimes, once you get used to a certain kind of companionship, it becomes hard to give it up.
Zuo Ning didn’t struggle. He simply followed Lu Chenghe’s lead onto the bed, using his paws to pat down a comfortable spot before squeezing in next to him. Resting his head on Lu Chenghe’s chest, he let out a contented sigh—yep, the bed was still the most comfortable place.
Seeing him settle down, Lu Chenghe pinched his paw with a chuckle. “You sure have been getting moodier. Just one little comment, and you’re already upset. Do you even understand what I meant?”
Zuo Ning’s ears twitched as he looked up at Lu Chenghe. Huh?
Lu Chenghe rubbed the fluffy chin before cupping his furry little face and turning it toward him. “Do you understand or not, hmm?” Seeing those usually bright eyes now looking dazed, he couldn’t help but shake that furry head back and forth. “Still playing dumb with me? If you keep this up, I’ll take you for neutering.”
The moment Zuo Ning heard that, he immediately grabbed Lu Chenghe’s hand with both paws. “Aoo~”
Lu Chenghe raised an eyebrow slightly. “Little Pudding.”
Zuo Ning looked at Lu Chenghe, who had suddenly turned serious. His ears twitched nervously, and panic started creeping in. Oh no, he’d been found out! What now? Would he be beaten to death as a monster? Or sent away for research?
Just as his mind spiraled into visions of being dissected and hooked up to various instruments, he heard Lu Chenghe say, “Did you get a permit before gaining sentience? Unauthorized spirit beasts aren’t allowed, you know.”
Zuo Ning tilted his head. Meow meow meow??? What kind of nonsense was this?
While he was still lost in confusion, Lu Chenghe suddenly lifted the blanket and stuffed him inside.
Zuo Ning was so startled that he froze on the spot. What was happening?! The whole dog cowered under the blanket, not daring to move.
Seeing Little Pudding acting so dumb, Lu Chenghe couldn’t help but laugh in exasperation. He called out, “Little Pudding, come out.”
Still dazed, Zuo Ning quickly scrambled to climb out. But Lu Chenghe’s blanket was ridiculously big. As he crawled, he somehow ended up tangled in it, wrapping himself into a ball. Now completely trapped, he could only struggle helplessly inside.
Lu Chenghe sat on the side, watching as Little Pudding—who could have just crawled forward to escape—managed to entangle himself even further into a blanket cocoon. Then he remembered something he’d seen on Little Pudding’s Weibo account: a test for measuring a dog’s intelligence. The trick was to throw a blanket or towel over the dog and see how long it took to free itself.
He wasn’t sure how reliable that online test was, but judging by the current situation, Little Pudding probably wouldn’t qualify for a sentience permit. So all those times he seemed a little too smart—like he could actually understand human speech—were just coincidences, right?
Just as Lu Chenghe was lost in thought, Zuo Ning finally managed to struggle free—well, at least his head did. The rest of his body was still tightly wrapped in the blanket. Looking like a sushi roll, Zuo Ning stared at Lu Chenghe, who was completely focused on his laptop and hadn’t spared him a single glance. Unable to hold back, he barked, “Woof!”
Lu Chenghe turned his head and nearly burst out laughing. Grabbing his phone, he snapped a picture before reaching over to pull the blanket away, finally rescuing the silly dog. “When you’re smart, you seem almost supernatural, but when you’re dumb, you’re unbelievably dumb. Tell me, are you actually stupid or just pretending?”
With that, he posted the photo on Weibo, along with a plea to the internet: How do you determine if a dog has gained sentience?
Little Pudding’s Weibo account was already quite popular. As soon as the post went up, it gained a flood of likes and comments.
【Dogs gaining sentience depends on the situation. When they’re playing, they’re absolute fools. But when it comes to food—especially sneaking food—they’ve been enlightened for years!】
【My dog is already a spirit beast. If I pick up the leash and say, ‘Let’s go for a walk,’ he bolts to the door. But if I say, ‘Let’s go for grooming,’ he hides under the couch and won’t budge no matter what.】
【I scolded my dog for stealing food once, and the little brat chewed through my internet cable in revenge. He must have transcended, right?!】
【No need to doubt it—your Little Pudding has definitely gained sentience!】
After casually posting on Weibo, Lu Chenghe leaned back against the bed and resumed reading.
Zuo Ning cautiously stole several glances at Lu Chenghe. After observing for a while, he found that nothing seemed out of the ordinary—maybe those words earlier were just said casually? Testing the waters, he edged closer. When Lu Chenghe didn’t push him away but instead wrapped an arm around him like usual while flipping through his book with the other, Zuo Ning finally let out a breath of relief. He yawned widely, then closed his eyes, trying to ease into sleep.
Lu Chenghe lowered his gaze and quietly watched him for a long moment before the corners of his lips lifted slightly. Silly little thing.
After being startled—whether intentionally or unintentionally—Zuo Ning had been laying low these past few days, behaving like the most obedient dog. He went out of his way to act cute and lovable, waiting at the door every evening for Lu Chenghe to return. He even endured his least favorite foods, carrots and spinach, without daring to pick them out.
The butler, impressed, sighed, “As expected, now that he’s changed his puppy teeth, he’s much better behaved.”
After maintaining this well-behaved act for days, Zuo Ning finally felt like the danger had passed once Lu Chenghe stopped giving him those knowing looks. Being too smart really was a burden. Watching Lang Ya and Fu Na joyfully running around, he suddenly thought that maybe the language barrier between species wasn’t such a bad thing after all.
A cool breeze blew, and the sun, warm but not scorching, cast a pleasant light. Zuo Ning lay in a cradle bed placed in the shade, quietly contemplating his life as a dog. Just then, a familiar scent drifted into his nose—it was the fragrance of the body wash Lu Chenghe always used. However, there was something subtly different about it.
As he was trying to figure out the scent, a person he both recognized and didn’t walked over.
Lu Nianqi saw the dog lying comfortably in the cradle and carefully approached. Perhaps afraid of startling him, he even lowered his voice to ask, “Can I sit here?”
Zuo Ning silently turned his head away. How was he supposed to answer that? If he responded, wouldn’t that expose the fact that he had gained sentience? Lu Chenghe had been watching him closely these past few days, looking for any slip-ups—he couldn’t afford to give himself away now!
Seeing that Little Pudding didn’t reject his approach, Lu Nianqi carefully sat down. With his feet resting on the stone steps, he hugged his knees and tilted his head to smile at Little Pudding. “Hello, Little Pudding. My name is Lu Nianqi. Can we be good friends?”
Zuo Ning tilted his head, studying this younger brother of Lu Chenghe. His features didn’t resemble Lu Chenghe or the rest of the family, but he wasn’t bad-looking—he had a bright and sunny appearance, definitely a handsome young man. However, there was a trace of melancholy in his eyes.
And honestly, saying something like that—wanting to be friends with a dog? If a twenty-something-year-old girl said it, it wouldn’t be too strange. But coming from a guy, it just felt… odd.
Zuo Ning had heard that this guy’s parents were both gone, leaving him with only an aunt, and he had been living independently for years. That raised a question—would someone who had lived on his own for so long still be as naive as an inexperienced teenager?
His thoughts immediately spiraled into conspiracy theories, imagining all sorts of complex scenarios. But seeing that Lu Nianqi was just quietly sitting there without trying anything funny, Zuo Ning snapped back to reality. Maybe I’ve been watching too many drama series about wealthy families lately—my thoughts keep running wild.
Lu Nianqi hugged his knees and gazed into the distance at the two black-backed shepherds undergoing training. He sighed softly. “It’s nice… Even they have found their place in this home.”
Lying in his cradle bed, Zuo Ning occasionally sneaked a glance at him. Looks like this guy is feeling pretty lost after suddenly becoming part of a wealthy family. But to be fair, if he were in the same situation, he’d probably feel just as confused and uneasy. Still, the benefits far outweighed the drawbacks—after all, from now on, his life was set, no need to struggle. How great was that?
Lu Nianqi turned his head to look at Little Pudding and asked softly, “What kind of person do you think your owner is?”
Zuo Ning’s ears twitched, and his eyes gleamed with pride. Even his tail wagged unconsciously. His Lu Chenghe was, of course, the best person ever! The number one most amazing, number one most handsome, number one most intelligent! And he had the number one most adorable pet—no one could compare!
Upon seeing Little Pudding’s wagging tail, Lu Nianqi couldn’t help but smile slightly. “Just hearing the word ‘Master’ makes you this happy, huh? You really like him, don’t you? Actually, I like him a lot too. He’s such an outstanding person. Before, I could only see his existence in financial magazines, but now, all of a sudden, he’s appeared in my life—so real, so close—and even let me move into his home. This happiness came too suddenly, like a rainbow-colored bubble. I’m afraid that if I’m not careful, it’ll pop.”
Zuo Ning was instantly shocked! This was supposed to be a high-society drama, not an ethical dilemma! Two brothers together wouldn’t be something anyone would bless!
But Lu Nianqi continued murmuring, “Being able to live under the same roof as him… Such an outstanding person turns out to be my own brother. Every time I think about it, it feels too unreal. To avoid embarrassing him, I work hard every day to learn the rules and to understand everything about this circle. But some things are just too difficult for me. There are things that no amount of effort can make up for if they’re not innate.”
Zuo Ning finally let out a sigh of relief. As long as you know he’s your brother! That scared the hell out of this dog!
That being said, Zuo Ning also knew this poor kid really had it tough. Every day, he’d return from classes at seven or eight in the evening, only to have more lessons scheduled at night. When Zuo Ning was fooling around in the room with Lu Chenghe, this poor guy was locked in his own room studying. By the time Zuo Ning and Lu Chenghe were already lying in bed, drifting off to sleep, he was still in class.
Even though they lived in the same house, they barely ran into each other because of their different schedules. If it hadn’t been for that one night when Zuo Ning was squatting in the bathroom—too focused for his own good—he wouldn’t have heard Lu Nianqi downstairs still memorizing vocabulary. He hadn’t even realized his hearing was that sharp. Nor did he expect this kid, who suddenly became part of a wealthy family overnight, to be working this hard—his studying was even more intense than preparing for the college entrance exam.
“Actually, I really want to have a meal with my brother,” Lu Nianqi murmured. “I’ve been here for so many days, but aside from seeing him in the morning, I barely get a chance to talk to him properly.”
Lu Nianqi spoke with envy as he looked at Little Pudding. “It’s so nice that you get to play with my brother every day. And he likes you so much… I always thought someone like him wouldn’t care for small animals, but he even checks over your meal plan every single day. If only we had grown up together and shared that kind of bond… like how he dotes on Fourth Brother.”
Though it was a little heartbreaking to hear, based on what Lu Nianqi’s brothers had said about this younger sibling who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere, they didn’t seem to regard him with much importance. At most, they treated him as part of the Lu family, ensuring he was taken care of, but emotionally, there was no way their bond with him could compare to the deep connection they had with the brothers who had shared the same grandfather.
If he were the sensitive type, he might start overthinking things because of this difference. And clearly, Lu Nianqi was sensitive. Who knew if he was already spiraling into that mindset?
Zuo Ning tilted his head and stared at him blankly. Looks like being a dog had its perks—like eavesdropping on secrets.
Since it was rare for him to get a half-day off, Lu Nianqi had been sitting in the backyard the entire afternoon, using Little Pudding as his confidant. Honestly, in the whole Lu family, Little Pudding was probably the most suitable for the job.
After playing the role of a trash bin all afternoon, Zuo Ning hadn’t managed to gather a single useful secret. All he heard was how much Lu Nianqi adored Lu Chenghe and how much he envied him[mfn]Zuo Ning[/mfn]. It got to the point where Zuo Ning nearly wanted to howl: Envy what? If you’ve got the guts, let’s switch places!
When Lu Chenghe got home from work, as usual, he scooped up the excitedly bounding Little Pudding. But today, instead of enthusiastically wagging his tail, Little Pudding simply rested his head on Lu Chenghe’s shoulder, looking utterly exhausted.
“What’s wrong? Did you do hard labor today? You look worn out.”
Zuo Ning, mentally drained, let out a weary bark. “Woof!” Your overly sensitive little brother used me as an emotional dumping ground. My soul has been completely emptied.
