Wealthy Woof Chapter 32

Lu Chenghe caught Little Pudding in his arms as the small dog ran toward him. Normally, Little Pudding’s running posture was bouncy—his little body wobbling like a ball as he trotted along. But now, something was clearly off. His movements were restrained as if something was holding him back, and he was running with unusual caution.

The moment Lu Chenghe noticed this, his heart sank. While listening to his mother recount the entire incident, he carefully ran his hands over Little Pudding, checking him from head to toe. When he reached the pup’s belly, he distinctly felt him flinch and draw in a sharp breath. In an instant, Lu Chenghe’s entire demeanor turned cold.

Qi Zhi couldn’t help but feel nervous the moment he saw Lu Chenghe. Though the man was younger than him, his imposing presence was downright intimidating. Still, Qi Zhi forced himself to put on a smile and greeted him, “Mr. Lu, maybe it’s just that my cologne irritated your dog. A simple misunderstanding.”

Holding Little Pudding securely in his arms, Lu Chenghe gently stroked the pup’s head to comfort him as the little thing rubbed against him, looking aggrieved. His gaze, however, was ice-cold as he looked at Qi Zhi. “Mr. Qi, do you really think this is just a misunderstanding?”

The girl Qi Zhi had been flirting with wasn’t from a family as prominent as the Lus, but she certainly didn’t come from an ordinary background either. She knew who Lu Chenghe was. Though she had no idea what exactly Qi Zhi had done, the way Lu Chenghe looked right now made it clear that this incident wouldn’t be easily brushed aside. Instinctively, she took two steps back, subtly distancing herself from Qi Zhi.

Qi Zhi was indeed a good-looking man. He had also built a sizable company through his own efforts, making him ambitious and driven. Compared to the idle rich kids who only knew how to live off their families, he had a certain appeal. That was why she had agreed to date him after his persistent pursuit. But now, it seemed that family background did matter—at the very least, it ensured one wouldn’t do something so utterly foolish.

Seeing the girl’s reaction, Qi Zhi’s expression darkened even further, though he forced a smile and said, “Mr. Lu, what exactly do you mean by this? If it’s not my scent, then I really have no idea why your dog would react that way.”

Lu Chenghe had no intention of arguing with him. He gently stroked Little Pudding in his arms and gave Qi Zhi an indifferent glance. “If you say it’s a misunderstanding, then so be it. Mom, have you picked out your clothes? If you’re done, let’s go.”

Zuo Ning, who had initially thought that Lu Chenghe would come and stand up for him, was immediately dissatisfied when he saw Lu Chenghe letting the matter go so easily. He let out a disgruntled whine, bared his teeth at Qi Zhi in a show of intimidation, then snuggled into Lu Chenghe’s arms, whining pitifully.

Even the shop assistants watching on the side could tell what was happening—this little dog had clearly been wronged and was demanding justice. These days, even dogs are smart enough to seek revenge.

Lu Chenghe held him carefully, one hand protecting his belly while the other rubbed his ear in comfort. In a low voice, he murmured, “Be good. I’ll make sure you get your revenge.”

Hearing this, Zuo Ning finally quieted down. He didn’t make another sound even as Lu Chenghe carried him out of the store. As long as there would be revenge, that was enough. It’d be best if that guy regretted it to death! How dare he kick him? So what if he relied on his human for support?

After sending his mother off in the car, Lu Chenghe finally got into his own vehicle and instructed the driver, “Head to Dr. Wen’s place.”

Zuo Ning looked up at Lu Chenghe. “Awoo…” No need to go. Just a nap at home would be fine.

Lu Chenghe lowered his gaze and gently touched his belly. “Does it hurt?”

Originally, Zuo Ning hadn’t felt much pain at all, but the moment he heard those words, he suddenly felt like it hurt—a lot. He pitifully hugged Lu Chenghe’s hand. “Wuu wuu…” He’d been hit. He wanted kisses.

Lu Chenghe, who was hopeless at understanding dog language, pressed down on Zuo Ning’s paw. “Stop squirming. We need to have Dr. Wen check you over and make sure there are no internal injuries.”

Zuo Ning let out a disgruntled whimper and turned his head away. No kisses? Bad service!

When Wen Ting received the call, he was a little surprised. Having catered to so many wealthy families, Lu Chenghe was probably the first to personally bring his dog in. The moment he saw Lu Chenghe, he originally planned to exchange a few pleasantries, but upon noticing the heavy atmosphere surrounding the man, he immediately got to the point. He had met Lu Chenghe many times, but this was the first time he had ever seen him in such a low mood. However, the little guy in his arms, with his bright, intelligent eyes, didn’t seem to be in any critical condition.

As Wen Ting reached out to take him, Lu Chenghe carefully handed Little Pudding over. “Check him thoroughly, especially his belly. Make sure there are no internal injuries.”

Not daring to ask too many questions—lest he stumbled upon something he shouldn’t—Wen Ting simply carried Little Pudding straight to the examination room.

Seeing Little Pudding turning his head to look at him, Lu Chenghe stepped forward and patted his head. “Be good. I’ll be right outside waiting for you.”

Hearing this, Little Pudding instantly settled down. Wen Ting chuckled as he walked. “You’re one lucky little guy, having such a caring owner.”

Zuo Ning huffed twice in response, then obediently let himself be carried away.

Lu Chenghe wasn’t bothered by the noise from the cats and dogs in the shop. He casually found a seat and began flipping through some pet care guides while waiting for the test results. From time to time, girls who had brought their pets in for treatment would glance over at him. A man this good-looking—on par with top-tier celebrities—wasn’t something one often encountered in real life. Now that they had, they naturally took the opportunity to steal a few extra glances.

The examination was completed quickly. After confirming there were no issues with the bones, Wen Ting took an X-ray just to be sure. After waiting for about twenty minutes, the results came back clear. Wen Ting finally breathed a sigh of relief. He didn’t know how the little guy had gotten injured, but if there had been internal damage, things could have been complicated.

“Little Pudding is fine,” Wen Ting said. “There’s some redness and swelling, likely from an impact, but thankfully, no bones were hurt. He might feel a bit sore for the next couple of days, but it won’t affect his movement. Just take care of him as usual.”

Hearing the results, Lu Chenghe finally relaxed. Without any hesitation, he lifted Little Pudding into his arms, even though the dog already weighed several dozen pounds. “Thank you, Doctor Wen. Sorry for the trouble.”

Wen Ting smiled. “It’s no trouble at all.” He then personally walked Lu Chenghe to the door, watching as his car drove away before heading back inside.

His younger sister, who had just come by to bring him lunch, grinned and leaned in curiously. “Who was that? He’s way too handsome!”

Wen Ting tapped her on the head with his chopsticks. “No matter how handsome he is, he’s not someone you should be thinking about. Stop daydreaming.”

His sister stuck out her tongue, made a playful face, and ran off.

When Lu Chenghe returned home, Mother Lu hurried out to greet him anxiously. “Is Little Pudding okay?”

Lu Chenghe carried Little Pudding out of the car and set him down on the ground. “He’s fine. Just a bit of bruising—it’ll fade in a couple of days.”

Hearing this, Mother Lu’s heart ached terribly. She crouched down, stroking the dog while showering him with affectionate endearments. “How could there be such people in the world? Our Little Pudding didn’t do anything to provoke him! Even if he doesn’t like dogs, he could’ve just ignored him. But to actually lay hands on him—what kind of person does that?! Chenghe, you can’t just let this slide! Otherwise, won’t our Little Pudding have suffered for nothing?”

Lu Chenghe didn’t respond to his mother’s distress over the dog. As he walked into the house, he took off his jacket and asked in a slightly cold tone, “Why didn’t you bring anyone with you today?”

Mother Lu knew her son was holding her accountable for this after the fact. Feeling a bit aggrieved, she explained, “I never expected something like this to happen. I was just going to pick out some clothes at the store and come straight home. I figured bringing Ah Yong along would be enough. Who could’ve guessed we’d run into someone like that?”

Lu Chenghe handed his jacket to the butler and turned to look at his mother. “An accident is called an accident precisely because it happens when you least expect it. That Qi Zhi has been trying to secure a collaboration with Lu Corporation multiple times but failed. Now that his company is on the brink of bankruptcy, what if he gets desperate and does something reckless?”

Mother Lu rarely involved herself in her son’s business affairs, but hearing his words now made her a little frightened. She turned back to stroke the obedient Little Pudding sitting on the sofa and sighed sorrowfully. “My poor little baby, suffering such an unjust disaster. That man is awful! Just because he failed at managing his own company, he takes it out on our dog?”

Zuo Ning let out a couple of grumbling sounds, expressing his own bad luck. So there was actually more to the story. He had thought the guy simply disliked animals. But thinking about what Lu Chenghe said, it really was concerning—if Mother Lu went out like this again and that guy became truly desperate, what would happen then?

Seeing his mother trying to avoid the topic, Lu Chenghe simply gave her a cold stare.

Mother Lu knew that look—her son was genuinely angry this time. But thinking it over, she had to admit she was in the wrong. These things might seem unlikely, but it only took one unfortunate moment for something bad to happen. Knowing she had no excuse, she could only concede, “Fine, fine, I promise I’ll always bring at least two or more people with me when I go out. This kind of thing won’t happen again. But don’t be so fierce with me! I’m still your mother!”

Lu Chenghe gave her a glance, making sure she truly understood the seriousness of the matter, before finally letting it go. “Little Pudding, let’s go upstairs.”

Zuo Ning rubbed his head against Mother Lu’s hand before hopping off the sofa and following Lu Chenghe upstairs. After all the suffering he’d endured today, he had expected at least some cuddles and pampering at night. But instead, Lu Chenghe took him straight to the bathing room—he was going to give him a bath!

Lu Chenghe had bought a pet bathing machine a while back, but just locking a dog inside to wash him felt wrong. When Zuo Ning was smaller, Lu Chenghe would bathe him in the bathtub first and then use the pet dryer afterward. But as he grew bigger and bigger, Lu Chenghe had simply built a small pool in the equipment-filled bathing room, making that the designated spot for his baths.

As Zuo Ning was tossed into the pool for a thorough scrubbing, he wore a betrayed expression. Sure, bathing was comfortable, and being washed clean and smelling fresh was even better—but that drying machine was the worst! Unfortunately, he had too much fur, so using a regular hair dryer wasn’t an option. Otherwise, it would take an entire room of maids, each holding a hair dryer, just to get him dry.

Seeing Lu Chenghe roll up his sleeves and pick up the scrub brush, Zuo Ning let out an aggrieved whine. Awoo! He had only been kicked once and rolled on the ground—was he really that disgusting to him?

Lu Chenghe lathered him up with shampoo. With just a few scrubs, his whole body was covered in bubbles. Hearing his constant whining, Lu Chenghe said coldly, “Shut up.”

Zuo Ning sulked, resting his head on the edge of the pool, his dark, round eyes staring pitifully at Lu Chenghe. This isn’t how the script was supposed to go! Wasn’t he supposed to be kissed, cuddled, and comforted? In the afternoon, Lu Chenghe had been so concerned, asking if he was hurt. Now, not even a full day later, his attitude had completely changed.

That pitiful expression made Lu Chenghe reach out and playfully twist his ear. “Aren’t you usually pretty clever? When that guy kicked at you, why didn’t you dodge?”

Zuo Ning’s ears drooped. “Awoo…” I did! But there was a wall behind me, so I couldn’t move far enough.

“Starting tomorrow, you’re training with Lang Ya every day. As a dog with wolf blood, you should bite back before getting hit next time.”

“Wuuu…” You can’t just bite people! If I bite someone to death, they’ll beat me to death!

“That night, was it because he provoked you first that you started barking at him from the balcony?”

Zuo Ning immediately perked up. “Woof!” That’s right! He even insulted you!

Seeing that eager tattletale expression, Lu Chenghe couldn’t help but chuckle. “You… timid, greedy, and a snitch. What else can you even do?”

Zuo Ning puffed out his little chest indignantly. “Woof!” I can warm the bed!

“Little Pudding.”

Suppressing the urge to shake off the water, Zuo Ning sank lower into the bath, leaving only his nose above the surface as he gazed at Lu Chenghe.

Lu Chenghe was silent for a moment. In the end, he swallowed back the words he wanted to say, scooped up a ladle of water, and poured it over Little Pudding’s head before lifting him out of the tub. “All done. Let’s dry you off and get you something to eat.”

After dinner, Lu Chenghe carried the now fluffy furball back to the bedroom before heading to the bathroom for his own shower. Letting the warm water cascade over him, he allowed himself to empty his mind. Today, he had lost control of his emotions—not just out of concern for his mother’s safety, but also because of his uncontrollable rage upon realizing that someone had deliberately hurt Little Pudding. When he finally recognized how strong his reaction had been, it dawned on him that he might be placing too much importance on this little dog.

When Lu Chenghe stepped out of the bathroom, his bed already had a small, round lump nestled in the blankets. Without thinking, he reached out and turned off the room’s lights before slowly lying down.

Sensing the movement, Zuo Ning waited until Lu Chenghe had settled, then inch by inch, he wriggled his way into his arms. With a big yawn, he curled his entire body against Lu Chenghe’s chest, finally feeling comfortable enough to drift into sleep.

Lu Chenghe gently stroked the ball of fur in his arms over and over again. In the quiet of the night, even the sound of their breathing seemed amplified. Under the moonlight, all he had to do was lower his head to see that silly sleeping face. Too attached? So be it. He had lived this long and finally found something he genuinely liked. Since he had taken him in, he could only spoil him properly. With one arm wrapped around the dog, Lu Chenghe slowly drifted into sleep, enveloped in that familiar warmth and dependence.

After Lu Chenghe had left without a word that day, Qi Zhi had a bad feeling that this wouldn’t end well. But he never expected things to collapse this quickly.

Almost overnight, it was as if he had been completely abandoned.

Several wealthy businessmen who had initially shown interest in working with him all changed their stance at nearly the same time, now avoiding him like the plague. The friends who had promised to help delay the bank’s debt collection had all vanished without a trace. The bank, which was supposed to give him another month’s grace period, suddenly began aggressively demanding repayment. Even his last bit of liquid funds had been frozen under some excuse.

Qi Zhi knew that these problems hadn’t just piled up overnight—Lu Chenghe must have done something behind the scenes. He even started to regret it. It was just a dog. Why couldn’t I control my temper? Why did I have to provoke it?

Back in his grandfather’s rural home, when he kicked the dogs there, they would just avoid him afterward. But Lu Chenghe’s dog? It got kicked yet still dared to glare at him, baring its teeth as if it wanted to bite him. If it weren’t for that damn dog, how could he have ended up in this situation?

And that woman—on that day, she had treated him like some filthy pest, kicking him aside with utter disdain. The way she had looked down on him as if he were nothing more than a bug crawling in the dirt.

After being turned away time and again, Qi Zhi walked back to his company’s entrance, feeling both desperate and lost.

The prime location, the two full floors of office space—this was his empire. He had fought his way up from nothing, struggling to carve out a place for himself in high society. How did it all come to this?

The once-promising rising star, Qi Zhi, had ambition and vision. He had fought his way out of poverty, climbing up from the middle of nowhere. However, a single national policy had utterly crushed his business. Though the situation was unfavorable, if he had been decisive and acted swiftly, he could have salvaged some assets and started over.

Unfortunately, perhaps his smooth success had made him arrogant. When setbacks struck too suddenly, he lost the composure he should have maintained. In the end, he fell to ruin, losing everything and vanishing entirely from Qingniao City.

Rumors swirled within elite circles, suggesting that Qi Zhi’s downfall came simply because he had offended a dog—one belonging to the Lu family. Supposedly, Lu Chenghe had personally intervened to crush him. Of course, no one dared to ask Lu Chenghe directly, but the fact that such rumors even existed at least confirmed one thing—Lu Chenghe had a dog. And he spoiled it immensely.

As a result, several young women of marriageable age in their circles began adopting dogs, hoping to find some common ground with Lu Chenghe.

Meanwhile, the very dog whose legend had spread through high society was currently dashing toward Lu Chenghe, holding a ball in his mouth. His paws flailed excitedly as he ran, but he failed to notice a dip in the ground. His speed was too fast. Before he could stop, he tripped—face-planting spectacularly, rolling several times across the ground.

Seated beneath the pavilion in the backyard, Lu Chenghe coolly watched as Little Pudding crashed to the ground with a muffled thud, tumbling over himself multiple times. He lifted his teacup, the corner of his lips twitching ever so slightly.

So dumb.

 

Author’s Note:
Xiao Ning: I demand kisses, cuddles, and to be lifted high!
Xiao He: (Cold glance.) Dumb dog.

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