Originally, he thought that once Mother Lu returned, his life would undergo an earth-shattering change. But in reality, his days had only gotten better!
Since Lu Chenghe wasn’t going to send him away, when Mother Lu took him along to play during the day, Zuo Ning simply followed. When it was about time for Lu Chenghe to return, he would run back on his own. After all, they were all in the same estate—no matter how much he ran around, he wouldn’t get lost.
The most important thing was that Mother Lu had zero resistance to him. As long as he looked at her with those big, eager eyes, beef jerky, cheese sticks, and even little cakes were given to him without limit! Every day, he stuffed himself with snacks at Mother Lu’s place during the day, then returned to Lu Chenghe’s side in the evening for dinner—his life was practically perfect!
The price of this happiness, however, was that even though he followed Lu Chenghe on morning runs every day, his weight was still climbing at an alarming rate.
Looking at Lu Chenghe’s serious expression, Zuo Ning subtly shifted his body, his gaze wandering—he was contemplating an escape.
But Lu Chenghe clearly had no intention of letting him run. He firmly grabbed both of his paws, forcing him to meet his gaze. “You’ve gained this much weight in just one week. Do you even know how heavy you are now?”
Zuo Ning protested unhappily, “Woof!” I exercise every day!
“If you keep being greedy and eating so many snacks every day, I’ll lock you in the little dark room for a diet.”
Zuo Ning panicked instantly. He hadn’t even eaten that much! Sure, he had gourmet dog food every day, but it wasn’t all that tasty. He hadn’t had anything spicy in months—he’d been craving it like crazy! Now, even the slightly salty beef jerky and mildly sweet cakes were being taken away. How was he supposed to survive? He’d get depressed, okay!
“Wo wo wo…”
Lu Chenghe firmly pushed away the little thing that was clinging to him and acting spoiled. If he didn’t let him understand the seriousness of the situation, he’d become even more unruly in the future.
Since childhood, Lu Chenghe had always been highly self-disciplined, so his mother never had the chance to spoil him. But now, he was raising a little creature who was an expert at acting cute and begging for food. Given his mother’s personality, there was no way she could resist. She probably didn’t even consider whether it was harmful to him—if he looked happy eating, she would just keep feeding him. In just a single week, his once beautiful physique was already on the verge of turning into a round ball!
Just as Lu Chenghe was about to give Little Pudding a proper lesson and tighten the discipline, the butler knocked on the door from outside. “Young Master, the dinner banquet is about to begin.”
Lu Chenghe responded with a brief acknowledgment and picked up a towel to wipe the dog fur around Little Pudding’s mouth. If he hadn’t just caught his mother feeding this little guy a cream cake, he wouldn’t have even known she had been feeding him like this all along. Cream wasn’t something dogs should be eating freely—giving him a bit of plain cake was one thing, but cream?
After thoroughly cleaning the dog’s fur, Lu Chenghe carried him straight to his kennel. “You’re skipping dinner tonight—reflect on your behavior properly.”
Zuo Ning looked at him pitifully. “Wuu…”
But Lu Chenghe ignored his fake crying, replaced his water with fresh, clean water, and then shut him in the room. With so many guests in the house tonight, who knew if some clueless person would sneak him food? Keeping him locked up was the safest option.
When Mother Lu saw her son coming downstairs, she quickly approached him. “Where’s Little Pudding? You didn’t hurt him, did you? I only fed him a tiny bit. Hitting a dog is wrong—they don’t understand things. You just need to talk to them properly.”
Lu Chenghe looked at his mother expressionlessly. “If you don’t want me to punish him, then stop feeding him random things.”
Mother Lu gazed at her son with grievance. Did he really think everyone could remain unmoved in the face of such an adorable creature? Those big, moist eyes were absolutely lethal! How was she supposed to resist?
While the mother and son were talking, Lu Nianqi also stepped out, having changed into his formal attire. Just moments ago, Mother Lu had been full of indignation, but the instant she saw him, she immediately put on the poised and dignified demeanor of a noblewoman. She nodded approvingly at Lu Nianqi. “As expected, clothes make the man. Dressed like this, you’re even more handsome than your second brother.”
Lu Nianqi glanced at Lu Chenghe, who was wearing a deep blue suit, then looked at himself and couldn’t help but feel a little inferior. No matter how much Mother Lu praised him, there was a fundamental difference between someone who relied on clothing to enhance their appearance and someone who could make any outfit look effortlessly elegant.
Still, seeing his second brother like this filled Lu Nianqi with pride. Such an outstanding and remarkable person was actually his second brother. Although his other brothers were also exceptional—his eldest brother was strict, and his fourth brother had a roguish charm—only his second brother fit the image of a true noble heir that he had always envisioned.
Seeing that Lu Nianqi was ready, Mother Lu led him out to greet the guests. Since he was the main character of tonight’s banquet, it was only natural for him to take the lead. It was also a good opportunity to introduce him to everyone. Regardless of whether Lu Nianqi would eventually become an elite member of the Lu family business or simply live off dividends, the Lu family had already provided him with wealth and status. The rest would depend on his own abilities.
Meanwhile, Zuo Ning lay miserably in his kennel. After some thought, he hopped onto Lu Chenghe’s bed, turned on the tablet, and started searching for a movie to kill time. However, the continuous sound of music from downstairs kept reminding him of just how lively the event was.
He had grown up watching these kinds of high-society banquets in TV dramas, but he had never actually experienced one in real life.
That damned Lu Chenghe! How dare he lock him in here?!
Although he could unlock the door, he decided against it. It was better to stay put—Lu Chenghe could be pretty terrifying when he lost his temper.
He randomly tapped on a movie, and the room instantly felt a little livelier. After watching for a while, he couldn’t resist running to the balcony to take a look.
The balcony in Lu Chenghe’s bedroom had a perfect view of the backyard, which had been beautifully decorated for the occasion. Silk ribbons and flowers adorned the space, and a few small round tables were set up for guests to sit and rest.
Zuo Ning stretched his neck out, observing for a while. Seeing that no one had arrived in the backyard yet, he reluctantly went back to the bed and lay down.
—
This was Lu Nianqi’s first time attending such an event. Fortunately, Mother Lu was by his side. She was incredibly attentive, guiding him carefully so he wouldn’t feel overwhelmed.
It wasn’t until he truly stepped into this high-society circle that he realized how unrealistic the depictions in TV dramas and novels were.
Although not everyone in the elite circles was a stunning beauty or a dashing gentleman, even those who weren’t conventionally attractive carried themselves with a refined air that more than made up for it. Their speech and smiles were perfectly measured, and there wasn’t a single person who exuded the kind of oppressive arrogance he had imagined they might have toward someone of his background.
As he gradually got into the rhythm of things, Lu Nianqi finally let out a breath of relief. The reality wasn’t nearly as daunting as he had feared.
Seeing him visibly relax, Mother Lu smiled and said, “That’s right, just like this. They’re people, not some three-headed, six-armed monsters. There’s no need to be afraid. Be bold—if you don’t know what to say, just maintain a polite smile.”
Lu Nianqi nodded. “Mm, I understand. Thank you, Second Aunt.”
Before long, the families of Lu Chenghe’s eldest uncle and third uncle arrived.
Before today, Lu Chenghe had already taken Lu Nianqi to meet them. After all, with the Lu family’s elders still around, confirming the identity of a younger member required their acknowledgment. Without their approval, nothing would be official.
Fortunately, both the eldest uncle and the third uncle were kind people. After reviewing the test results and confirming that Lu Nianqi was indeed part of the Lu family’s bloodline, they both presented him with generous meeting gifts.
Technically, an event like this would have been more appropriately hosted at the Lu family’s eldest uncle’s residence. However, since Lu Nianqi had been staying with the second branch of the family during this time, they didn’t bother sticking to tradition and simply held it here instead. After all, they were all family—where the event took place didn’t really matter.
Fourth brother Lu Chenghan arrived alone, just shortly after his parents. Last time, he had shown up in a flashy red sports car, but today, he had switched to a striking blue one. The moment he stepped inside, he enthusiastically hugged Mother Lu.
“Second Aunt, how could you go off traveling without taking me along? It’s been months since we last saw each other—did you miss me to death?”
Mother Lu chuckled and pinched his cheek. “Of course, I missed you! You’re getting more handsome by the day—I can’t even imagine how many girls have fallen for you.”
Lu Chenghan grinned smugly. Seeing the servants drive away his car, Mother Lu’s eyes lit up.
“That’s a gorgeous car.”
Lu Chenghan wrapped an arm around her shoulder and laughed. “Pretty cool, right? It’s a limited edition—I had to pull some serious strings to get my hands on one.”
Mother Lu nodded in approval. “Looks way better than the red one. I should get one custom-made for Little Pudding too—he’d look so handsome driving it.”
Lu Chenghan’s smile instantly collapsed. Was he forever doomed to share a matching car model with that little white dog?
With Lu Chenghan’s lively antics, the atmosphere at the banquet quickly became more animated. Mother Lu even handed Lu Nianqi over to him—while Lu Chenghan might not be reliable for much else, he was a master when it came to socializing.
Although the event was technically a family banquet, many influential relatives from the Lu clan were invited. Additionally, some high-ranking business associates with good relations to the family also attended. After all, if it were only Lu family members present, this wouldn’t be a banquet—it would just be a family meeting.
Although tonight’s banquet was hosted at Lu Chenghe’s residence, the real protagonist of the evening was Lu Nianqi. Seeing that someone else had already taken charge of guiding him through socializing, Lu Chenghe simply held his wine glass and made casual conversation with a few acquaintances. However, his mind kept drifting to a certain little troublemaker upstairs. Was he obediently staying in his kennel? Or was he scratching at the door in protest?
Adult dogs could go a day with just one or two meals, but Little Pudding was only four months old—not yet fully grown. Still, skipping one meal wouldn’t be a big deal. Thinking about those pitiful, watery eyes, Lu Chenghe found himself struggling to suppress a smirk. That little thing loved food more than anything—being denied dinner would surely teach him a lesson.
Nie Yong, who was chatting with Lu Chenghe about some recent industry trends, noticed his distracted expression and teased, “What’s this? Did some little vixen steal your soul? I didn’t think you were the type to get lost in thought.”
Shen Tao, standing beside them, shot a glance at Nie Yong and remarked coolly, “And what about your girlfriend? Didn’t bring her tonight? Or did you change to a new one again?”
Nie Yong rolled his eyes. “Get lost! I’m serious about marriage this time, okay? Xiao Lu had some exhibition to attend—said it was a rare opportunity.”
Hearing this, Shen Tao let out a cold snort. “Marriage, huh? So, have you told her about your family background yet? The last time I saw her, she seemed completely clueless. Playing the ‘true love test’ game is outdated, you know.”
Nie Yong clicked his tongue and shot the eternal bachelor a look of disdain. “What do you know? Talk to me again when you actually find true love.”
Shen Tao couldn’t be bothered to argue, so he changed the subject. “Luo Jiu isn’t here tonight?”
Lu Chenghe gave a brief nod. “I contacted him a few days ago—he was still off in some remote mountain area.”
Nie Yong looked puzzled. “What’s he doing in the mountains? Got into adventure sports recently?”
“Probably searching for ingredients. He mentioned that when he gets back, we should go try some of his new dishes.”
Nie Yong clicked his tongue, while Shen Tao chuckled. “Well, at least he’s found something he’s passionate about.”
As they spoke, a well-dressed young man approached with a wine glass in hand. It was clear he was heading straight for Lu Chenghe, so Nie Yong and Shen Tao tactfully stepped aside, making their way to the dining table for some food.
Seeing the two move away so considerately, the young man’s smile deepened. By the time he reached Lu Chenghe, his expression carried a hint of flattery. “Mr. Lu.”
Lu Chenghe gave a polite nod. “Mr. Qi, I hope tonight’s hospitality has been to your satisfaction. Please forgive any shortcomings.”
Qi Zhi quickly waved his hand with a laugh. “Not at all, not at all! You’re too kind.” Then, after a brief pause, he added, “Mr. Lu, I wonder if you’ve had the chance to review the development proposal my company submitted a few days ago? If there are any concerns, we’re more than willing to make adjustments.”
Lu Chenghe smiled faintly. “Tonight is a celebration of our Lu family reuniting with a long-lost relative. The focus is on joy. As for business matters, the Lu Corporation has its own procedures. If there are any issues, the appropriate department will contact you.”
With that, Lu Chenghe gave a slight bow and said, “Please enjoy yourself. I hope you have a pleasant evening.” Then, without another word, he turned and walked away.
Lu Chenghe’s eldest brother had been keeping an eye on the interaction. Seeing his younger brother approach, he remarked, “That guy has ulterior motives. Be careful.”
Lu Chenghe nodded, took a sip of his wine, and said coolly, “I have no idea how he managed to get an invitation. Looks like the younger ones in the family need a little discipline.”
Qi Zhi, realizing that there was no way to get through to Lu Chenghe, grew frustrated as he thought about the burdens piling up on his shoulders. This invitation had been difficult enough to obtain—it was his last straw. If this partnership fell through, he was completely finished.
Although he had been rejected, he managed to keep his composure. Watching those privileged heirs who had everything handed to them, while his own hard-earned success was crumbling before his eyes, only fueled his agitation. He grabbed a glass of wine and stepped outside to get some air.
In the deserted backyard, he sat down on a chair and let out a heavy sigh. The thought of Lu Chenghe’s arrogant, untouchable demeanor made his irritation spike. He couldn’t help but mutter under his breath, “Damn the Lu family.”
Lying on the bed watching a movie, Zuo Ning’s ears twitched slightly. Though the words had been spoken softly and were nearly drowned out by the music, he was pretty sure someone was cursing the Lu family.
Jumping down from the bed, he looked toward the backyard and saw a man sitting alone, drinking. He wasn’t entirely sure if this was the guy who had cursed, but curiosity made him observe a little longer.
Noticing a white blur from above, Qi Zhi instinctively looked up and saw a white dog sitting on the balcony, staring down at him. Irritated, he snapped, “Scram!”
Zuo Ning was instantly floored. Excuse me?! This was his house! And he was getting told to scram? Did this guy think his sharp canine teeth were just for show?!
