Wealthy Woof Chapter 31

How could Zuo Ning tolerate such provocation? Of course not! Someone had actually come to his home and told him to get lost. Even if he was just a dog, wasn’t this kind of person way too rude? Moreover, that guy had even cursed Lu Chenghe! Now, that was absolutely unacceptable!

Although he wasn’t entirely sure if the person just now had been the one cursing the Lu family, there was only one person in the entire back garden, and he had just told him to scram. That meant it had to be him!

Originally, Zuo Ning had just been curiously looking down from the balcony. But now, he immediately propped himself up, only to realize he wasn’t high enough. So, he pushed a chair over to the railing, climbed onto it, and placed his two front paws on the railing. Then, he gathered his breath into his dantian and let out a furious bark toward the person sitting downstairs.

“Woof woof woof woof woof!!!”

Downstairs, Lu Chenghe had been exchanging pleasantries with his older brother and a certain company president when he vaguely heard a dog barking. His hand, which was holding a wine glass, paused slightly. Then, with a slight apologetic nod to the president, he said, “Excuse me for a moment.” With that, he turned and headed upstairs.

As soon as he opened the door, he saw the bed in complete disarray. And the culprit was still standing on the balcony, barking downstairs. The moment Lu Chenghe saw Little Pudding’s stance, his face darkened, and he called out sharply, “Little Pudding, get down here right now!”

If he fell, he could at best break a leg. At worst, he might not even survive.

Zuo Ning turned his head and saw Lu Chenghe had arrived. Anxiously, he barked, “Woof woof!” There’s a bad guy cursing you and telling me to scram!

Lu Chenghe strode over in just a few steps, grabbed the little thing, and carried him back inside. Noticing the displaced chair, he scolded sternly, “You’ve really grown bold! One missed meal, and now you’re rebelling? What were you trying to do—jump off?!”

Zuo Ning, completely dumbfounded by the scolding, shrank his paws back and looked pitifully toward the balcony. “Awoo…” But someone cursed you and told me to get lost.

Lu Chenghe obviously couldn’t understand such complex dog language. He simply assumed that Little Pudding wanted to go out and play. “You were planning to jump off the balcony just because you wanted to go downstairs? You couldn’t even get off the bed before, and now you dare to jump from the second floor?”

Realizing that Lu Chenghe had misunderstood, Zuo Ning quickly pounced on him and stretched out his paw to point at the balcony. “Awoo awoo!” I’m not stupid enough to jump! Go take a look!

Seeing his actions, Lu Chenghe held the little dog in one arm while glancing down from the balcony. The courtyard was empty, with only a glass of half-drunk wine left on a small round table. When he looked down and saw his dog staring at him with a pitiful expression, his voice softened. “Someone was calling you just now?”

“Woo…” Someone was cursing at me just now.

“Even if someone was calling you, you still shouldn’t have done that. What if you accidentally fell?” He wasn’t tall enough on his own, yet he knew to use a chair to reach higher. Always smart when he shouldn’t be, and clueless when he needed to be.

Zuo Ning unwillingly glanced at the balcony again. That guy had run away fast, but if he had stayed a moment longer, he would have definitely made Lu Chenghe see that some rude person had snuck into their home. They’d have to be extra careful in the future!

Seeing Little Pudding baring his teeth at the balcony with a fierce look, Lu Chenghe couldn’t help but reach out and poke his head. “Are you hungry? Want something to eat?”

Zuo Ning instantly tossed all thoughts of the intruder aside. He eagerly reached out with both paws and clawed at Lu Chenghe. “Woof!” Hungry! I want to eat!

Lu Chenghe’s voice turned cold. “Then will you behave from now on? Will you still sneak food?”

Zuo Ning immediately sat up straight and put on a classic Samoyed-style sweet smile. “Woof!”

Lu Chenghe pinched his mouth and gave it a little shake. “You sure know how to act cute, don’t you?” He then stood up, closed the balcony door, and even drew the curtains shut. Seeing Little Pudding following closely behind him, he reached out and pinched his ear. “Stay put. I’ll have the butler bring your dinner upstairs. No climbing windows. If I catch you climbing again, I’ll really punish you!”

Only after Lu Chenghe had spent a good while lecturing him and finally left did Zuo Ning smugly wag his tail. With a light leap, he jumped onto the bed. He just knew it—Lu Chenghe loved him the most and would never let him go hungry.

Back at the banquet, Lu Chenghe glanced at the butler. The butler, who had been attending to the guests, immediately understood and walked over. “Young Master.”

Lu Chenghe said, “Have someone send Little Pudding’s dinner upstairs. Also, who was in the back garden just now?”

The butler replied, “Most of the guests have been in the hall. The only person who went to the back garden earlier was Mr. Qi.” As the butler, he had to keep track of every movement within the venue. If anything went wrong, it would be a serious failure on the host’s part and a huge embarrassment. So, as soon as Lu Chenghe asked, he could answer immediately.

Lu Chenghe nodded without saying much and let the butler return to his duties.

Aside from this small interlude, the banquet was a great success. It served to formally introduce Lu Nianqi to everyone, making it known that the Lu family had officially acknowledged his identity.

After the guests had all left, Mother Lu smiled and praised, “You did well today.”

Lu Nianqi responded with a shy smile while Lu Chenghe loosened his collar and said, “I’m heading upstairs.”

Mother Lu glanced at him. Since there was nothing left to handle at home and the butler was there to take care of the cleanup, she didn’t stop him and let him go. She then turned to Lu Nianqi and said, “We’ve prepared an apartment near your university for you. You can have the butler decorate it however you like. But once you move out, make sure to come home often for meals. There aren’t many of your generation in the Lu family—you mustn’t grow distant.”

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that Lu Chenghe, who was heading upstairs, didn’t react at all to her words. Lu Nianqi lowered his eyes slightly and smiled. “Don’t worry, Second Aunt. As long as you don’t find me annoying, I’ll visit often.”

Lu Nianqi already had a naturally well-behaved look, and when he smiled like that, he appeared even more obedient. Mother Lu liked children like him, so she smiled as well. “Why would we ever find you annoying? Alright, it’s been a long night—go get some rest.”

Lu Nianqi nodded, bid Mother Lu goodnight, and walked toward his room. He had thought that leaving the Lu family and living independently would make him feel happy and relieved. After all, during his time at the Lu residence, he had always been on edge, afraid that any misstep would make him unwelcome. But now that he truly heard those words, he felt more lost and empty than relieved.

Meanwhile, knowing that the banquet had ended, Zuo Ning obediently lay on the bed, waiting for Lu Chenghe. As soon as he saw him enter, he immediately opened his mouth and smiled with his tongue out.

Seeing that shamelessly adorable act, Lu Chenghe snorted coldly. “Starting tomorrow, you’re running an extra lap. If you don’t lose some of that fat, I’m cutting your food portions in half!”

Hearing this, Zuo Ning instantly wilted on the bed. This was straight-up dog abuse!

After the banquet, the Lu family returned to its usual peaceful routine. Zuo Ning thought he wouldn’t run into that rude person again, but he never expected trouble to come so suddenly.

When Lu Chenghe was at work during the day, Zuo Ning could only entertain himself or run around the yard with the two black-backed dogs. Now that Mother Lu had returned, she often called him over to keep her company, and occasionally, he even got to eat little treats that he wouldn’t normally get from Lu Chenghe. Life was pretty comfortable for him. However, this was his first time going out with Mother Lu.

Zuo Ning wasn’t particularly fond of going out. At home, he could move around freely and even pretend he was human. But once he stepped outside, he had to be on a leash. No matter what he did or where he went, it wasn’t up to him. If it were with Lu Chenghe, it would be tolerable, but with Mother Lu, it was even more exhausting. He disliked the feeling, yet sometimes, he had no choice.

This outing seemed to be for checking out the new season’s fashion collections. Normally, Lu Chenghe didn’t bother with such things—there were professionals to handle it. All he needed to do was let the butler organize his wardrobe. But Mother Lu liked to see things in person, and she was probably planning to order something custom-made for him. So, she brought Zuo Ning along as well.

Sitting in the car, Zuo Ning gazed out the window, feeling helpless. He had long adapted to his daily life of running around “naked” and genuinely didn’t need clothes—so long as no one shaved his fur, he was perfectly fine. However, Mother Lu took great joy in dressing him up. If Lu Chenghe hadn’t intervened, she would have probably made him wear a different outfit every day.

Sometimes, too much love was a heavy burden—even for a dog.

The high-end boutique seemed quite accustomed to wealthy women bringing their pets along. When Mother Lu walked in with Zuo Ning, no one stopped her. In fact, quite a few people complimented how beautiful he looked. Mother Lu beamed with pride at the praise while Zuo Ning sat there with a deadpan expression. Shopping with women was exhausting. Even with four legs, he couldn’t handle it.

Fortunately, Mother Lu didn’t keep him on a leash the whole time. She set him down on the sofa while she browsed the clothes. Watching a crowd of people surround Mother Lu as she spent freely without hesitation, Zuo Ning lazily yawned from his spot on the sofa. He finally understood why so many women dreamed of marrying into wealthy families. A life like this—who wouldn’t envy it?

Just as Zuo Ning was feeling utterly bored, a somewhat familiar figure walked in his direction. He took a closer look—wasn’t this the same man who had told him to scram in the backyard that night? Zuo Ning immediately tensed up, watching the man warily. If this guy dared to insult him again, he was definitely going to bark back this time!

However, to Zuo Ning’s disappointment, the man merely glanced at him and said nothing rude. Instead, he sat down on the sofa beside him.

When a pretty saleslady brought over some tea, the man casually asked, “Whose pet is this?”

The saleslady maintained a professional smile. “It belongs to Mrs. Lu. She’s inside selecting clothes.”

Hearing Mrs. Lu’s name, Qi Zhi suddenly remembered that night. He had originally just wanted some peace and quiet in the backyard, but this dog had started barking at him out of nowhere. If he hadn’t walked away quickly, people might have even misunderstood and thought he had done something to the dog.

Right now, he was desperately seeking a collaboration with the Lu Corporation. He couldn’t even afford to offend a dog from the Lu family. Thinking about this, Qi Zhi’s gaze toward Zuo Ning turned colder.

The Lu Corporation was immensely wealthy. Rejecting a not-so-profitable partnership meant nothing to them, but for him, it was a crisis that could lead to bankruptcy. The bank was already pressing him repeatedly, and several of his business partners, seeing the situation turning unfavorable, were all demanding to withdraw their investments. When the project was thriving, everyone had practically begged him for a chance to join in. But as soon as the government policy shifted, everything changed overnight.

Right now, his only hope of breaking even lay in securing Lu Corporation’s help. However, what had seemed like a promising collaboration was suddenly and decisively rejected shortly after that banquet.

Qi Zhi had no idea why. He had tried multiple times to reach the project manager at Lu Corporation, only to be turned away again and again. At this point, he was even forced to lower himself to begging an arrogant, spoiled heiress—just for the chance to keep his company afloat.

If the Lu family had agreed to cooperate, he wouldn’t be in such a miserable state right now. The more Qi Zhi thought about it, the more resentment and unwillingness boiled in his heart. For some reason, he felt an urge to take out his frustration on the dog in front of him.

Zuo Ning watched as the man’s expression kept changing. The once confident and aggressive man now looked somewhat hesitant, even taking a small step back. Was this guy mentally unstable? If he was actually crazy and suddenly lost it, would getting bitten by a lunatic be contagious?

Deciding to be the bigger dog, Zuo Ning chose not to argue with him. He hopped off the sofa and trotted off to find Mother Lu, cherishing his life and staying far away from lunatics.

Mother Lu assumed he was thirsty, so she gave him some water and a beef jerky stick. Seeing Little Pudding obediently holding the beef jerky between his paws and munching away, she took out a handmade qipao and went inside to change.

Just then, from another fitting room, a tall girl walked out wearing a beautiful little dress. She smiled and called out toward the front, “Ah Zhi, come in and tell me if this looks good.”

Zuo Ning glanced up and saw that the man followed her inside. He lowered his head and continued chewing on his treat. What a persistent ghost.

Qi Zhi was skilled at coaxing girls. With just a few words, he had the girl grinning ear to ear. Then, she happily went back to try on another outfit.

Two store attendants carried more clothes inside for her, leaving only Qi Zhi and the dog outside the fitting rooms.

Qi Zhi couldn’t swallow his anger. Seeing that no one was around, he took two steps forward and viciously kicked Zuo Ning. Then, without hesitation, he swiftly turned and walked out, slamming the door shut behind him. He couldn’t afford to offend the Lu family, but kicking a dog to vent his frustration? That was fair game!

Zuo Ning had been lying on his mat, peacefully chewing his beef jerky, never expecting this man to suddenly lose his mind. Even when he heard the approaching footsteps and instinctively tried to dodge, he was still a step too late. The kick landed hard—so hard that he felt himself being lifted off the ground. A yelp escaped his throat before he even realized it.

Hearing the sharp cry, Mother Lu, who had just finished changing, rushed out. She saw that her Little Pudding was no longer on his mat but lying on his side near the corner of the wall, struggling to turn over. Alarmed, she hurried over. “What happened? The floor here is slippery; don’t run around recklessly, or you’ll fall.” As she spoke, she reached out to pick him up.

Zuo Ning’s entire body throbbed from the impact, but there was no way he could let this slide! The moment he managed to get back on his feet, he bolted straight for the door.

Mother Lu watched in surprise as Little Pudding pushed the door open by himself. Afraid he might run off, she quickly chased after him.

Outside, Zuo Ning spotted that despicable man lounging on the sofa, leisurely flipping through a magazine. Fury surged in his chest. He immediately let out a fierce, enraged bark.

The sudden outburst startled Qi Zhi, making him jump to his feet and take a step back. Even Mother Lu was shocked—she had never seen Little Pudding this aggressive before. But she knew her dog was well-behaved and would never act like this without reason. Still worried he might actually bite someone, she quickly stepped forward and scooped him up. “Alright, alright, be good, my baby. What’s wrong?”

Even in Mother Lu’s arms, Zuo Ning continued to glare fiercely at the man. Do you think you can kick me and just walk away? Not a chance!

The girl Qi Zhi had been flirting with also heard the commotion. When she stepped out and saw the scene before her, she frowned. Her family had several dogs at home—not that she was an expert, but she at least knew that dogs wouldn’t randomly single out someone to act aggressively toward. With a furrowed brow, she asked, “Ah Zhi, what did you do to this little guy? Why is it only staring at you?”

As soon as the girl spoke, Mother Lu also realized the problem. Little Pudding wasn’t barking at anyone else—just this man. Every step he took, Little Pudding followed with an intense glare. That was far from normal.

Qi Zhi quickly denied any wrongdoing. “I didn’t do anything! How would I know why this dog suddenly started barking at me? It scared me, too! Have you finished trying on your clothes? If so, let’s go.”

Mother Lu had never dealt with a situation like this before, but seeing how Little Pudding refused to back down—his posture making it clear that if the man tried to leave, he’d pounce and bite—she had no choice but to call her son.

After hanging up, she noticed how Qi Zhi kept urging the girl to leave. Her demeanor instantly shifted, and she spoke with an air of authority. “I’m sure Mr. Qi wouldn’t mind waiting a few more minutes. My son will be here soon. If our dog is being aggressive without reason, he’ll apologize to you.” She paused before adding meaningfully, “But if there is a reason… well, even a dog has its owner.”

It was only then that Qi Zhi realized how reckless he had been today. Panic flickered in his heart. But if he insisted on leaving now, wouldn’t that only make him look guiltier? Besides, the kick he had given the dog wasn’t that hard. The dog couldn’t talk. As long as there were no visible injuries, there was no proof he had done anything. With that thought, he gradually calmed down.

Meanwhile, Lu Chenghe, upon receiving the call, immediately ended the meeting he was in. Fortunately, his office was on the same street, so he arrived in less than five minutes.

As soon as Lu Chenghe arrived, he saw the tense standoff. Noticing that both his mother and their dog were unharmed, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The moment Zuo Ning spotted Lu Chenghe, he immediately let out a pitiful whimper and ran over, begging to be picked up. “Awoo…” That guy kicked me—it hurts so much!

---