Gazing up at the grand and imposing building before him, Lu Nianqi felt a little uneasy and hesitant, while the boys and girls beside him were excitedly chatting away.
This was the Lu Corporation Building, though it wasn’t the headquarters of the Lu Group. Yet this nearly fifty-story-high structure belonged entirely to one person—Lu Chenghe.
The tutors who taught him at home had mentioned this place before, but he had never been here himself. He hadn’t expected that when the student council brought up securing sponsorships yesterday, they would end up coming here today.
A girl with a slightly mature style yet still retaining the fresh and charming look of a student suddenly hooked her arm around Lu Nianqi’s neck, gazing up at the building alongside him. With a sigh, she said, “Once I graduate, it’d be great if I could work here, regardless of whether we manage to secure sponsorship today or not!”
A handsome, sharp-looking boy wearing glasses chuckled and said, “It shouldn’t be too hard to get a sponsorship. This President Lu is also a graduate of Teng University—he’s technically our senior.”
A short-haired girl, holding a stack of documents in her arms, tilted her head back to look up at the building as well, though she sounded puzzled as she said, “But based on the information we compiled earlier, the student council has never successfully gotten a sponsorship from Lu Corporation before.”
The girl hanging onto Lu Nianqi, Xiao Yin, let go of him and declared confidently, “Not getting one and never having tried are two completely different things! When we first brought up approaching Lu Corporation, didn’t most people think it was hopeless and immediately dismiss the idea? I mean, their top executives take photos with prime ministers from who-knows-how-many countries—how could rookies like us even dream of getting in touch with them? The moment people hear ‘Lu Corporation’, they back down before even trying. But if you don’t even give it a shot, how would you ever know whether you’d succeed?”
The campus heartthrob, Qin He, smiled and said, “If we manage to succeed today, it’ll be a groundbreaking achievement. But honestly, I don’t have high hopes. I feel like we might not even get to see anyone. After all, someone as busy as him, running one of the country’s first globally ranked Fortune 100 companies—if he met with just anyone who came knocking, he wouldn’t have time to do anything else.”
The short-haired girl noticed that Lu Nianqi had been silent the entire time. She chuckled and said, “Qi Qi, don’t be nervous. This is a great learning experience. Just follow our lead later, but remember—keep a smile on your face.”
Hearing this, Lu Nianqi nodded and smiled. “Don’t worry, Senior. I promise I won’t hold you back.”
Song Ping, the short-haired girl, added, “I actually think we have a pretty good chance this time. I heard that President Lu has a dog and dotes on it a lot, so since our proposal is related to that, our success rate should be quite high.”
Thinking of the Samoyed back home, which had caviar-mixed dog food at least once a week and a daily diet of ribs and chicken with no repeats, Lu Nianqi couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy. Every time Little Pudding ate, it would deliberately scoop out the caviar with its paws, step on it, and squash it just for fun. It was said that just a tiny spoonful cost tens of thousands of dollars and was even limited in supply each year—yet it was wasted like this. And his second brother never scolded the dog, simply letting it do as it pleased. Lu Nianqi thought to himself—this must be what it means to truly love dogs.
With youthful enthusiasm, the four students stepped into the iconic skyscraper. Even though they were clearly not business professionals, the receptionist greeted them with a warm smile. “Hello, how can I assist you today?”
Among them, only Xiao Yin was a junior, while Lu Nianqi was just a freshman, and the other two were sophomores. Naturally, she took the lead. Xiao Yin lifted her student ID hanging around her neck and showed it to the receptionist with a polite smile. “We’re from the Teng University Student Council. We’re organizing an upcoming event and were wondering if your company would be interested in sponsoring us.”
The receptionist had handled sponsorship requests like this before. Most were for on-campus events where companies provided funding in exchange for naming rights, gaining promotional exposure within the university, and attracting students for future recruitment. She contacted the PR department and then directed the students on where to go and which floor to head to.
Once inside the elevator, the group subconsciously let out a breath of relief—at least they hadn’t been turned away at the door. Now, everything depended on their negotiation skills. Only Lu Nianqi felt a slight sense of disappointment. But then again, it wasn’t surprising. How could a group of students seeking sponsorship expect to meet the company’s president directly?
The elevator stopped midway, and a sharply dressed man in a suit stepped in. He waited until the students reached their designated floor before pressing the button for the top floor.
After delivering the scheduled documents to the office, Qi Wei said, “I just saw your younger brother on my way up.”
Lu Chenghe assumed he was referring to Lu Chenghan[mfn]the youngest one[/mfn], so he looked up at Qi Wei with slight confusion. If Lu Chenghan had come, he would have come directly to his office.
Qi Wei clarified, “I mean the younger brother who just returned home recently. Judging by what they were holding, it looks like they’re here for a sponsorship. Teng University has held stray dog rescue events before, but this seems to be the first time students from Teng University have approached Lu Corporation for funding.”
As Lu Chenghe’s senior assistant, Qi Wei naturally had to keep track of the Lu family’s affairs. That was why he immediately recognized Lu Nianqi in the elevator. However, he didn’t say anything at the time. Seeing them head straight to the PR department’s floor made it clear that Lu Nianqi hadn’t mentioned his connection to the company president, so Qi Wei knew better than to bring it up himself.
Lu Chenghe had graduated from Teng University, but he was never involved in the student council. He was aware of major school events, but he wasn’t familiar with these student-led public welfare initiatives. Hearing his assistant mention it, he casually asked, “Stray dogs? The university has a shelter?”
Qi Wei had noticed that his boss had been paying more attention to dogs lately. Not long ago, he had even asked which dog treats were good and specifically had Qi Wei bring a few packs. However, there had been no further mention of it after that—perhaps the boss’s dog didn’t like them.
Now, hearing Lu Chenghe’s question, Qi Wei smiled and explained, “The university doesn’t have its own shelter, but these kinds of charity initiatives aren’t new. They have long-standing partner organizations. Every so often, students volunteer to help with stray dog rescues. If there’s no funding, they recruit volunteers on campus to assist at affiliated shelters and rescue stations. If there is funding, they might purchase dog food, vaccines, and other supplies to donate.”
Compared to large-scale social charities, these student-led initiatives were often more transparent and effective. While they might lack experience, they genuinely ensured that every cent of their fundraising went directly toward their cause. Of course, this wasn’t to say that professional charities were bad—after all, they were also running a business and needed to make a living. But in some cases, internal operations could be chaotic and the resources spent didn’t always align with donors’ expectations.
Lu Corporation had its own philanthropy department, which donated large amounts of supplies to elementary schools in remote mountainous areas every year. However, when it came to stray animals, Lu Corporation had never been involved in that space.
After hearing his assistant’s explanation, Lu Chenghe simply said, “Call the PR department. If the proposal is okay, approve the funding.”
Qi Wei nodded with a smile. Whether this was because of that younger brother or simply because his boss had developed a newfound appreciation for dogs, he couldn’t say for sure.
For a large corporation, every financial expenditure needs to be justified. Although Lu Corporation allocated an annual budget to the PR department, they couldn’t just hand out money to every sponsorship request that came their way. Looking at the rather immature proposal, which lacked a proper financial plan, the PR department couldn’t simply approve the funding. They couldn’t just grant money based on vague numbers when the students didn’t even know the exact cost of a single vaccine or how many they intended to buy—especially not just for the sake of corporate publicity.
However, since these were students, it was understandable that their proposal wasn’t fully developed. The manager handling them took the time to go over the details, offering guidance rather than outright rejecting them.
The group realized that their chances of securing the sponsorship today were slim. After receiving some pointers from the manager, they became aware of how incomplete their proposal was. But at least they hadn’t been outright rejected—they still had the opportunity to refine their plan and return.
Just then, the manager received a phone call. After glancing at the group, he hung up and smiled. “You guys are really lucky.”
The students exchanged confused looks, unsure of what was happening.
The manager chuckled. “The president heard about your request and personally approved a sponsorship for you. You happened to catch him at the right time—he recently got a dog, so he’s paying more attention to this kind of cause. If you had come asking for funding for something else, you probably wouldn’t have had this kind of luck.”
Even as they stood outside the building with a 100,000-yuan check in hand, the group still felt dazed. The ups and downs of the afternoon had been downright dramatic. And 100,000—this was likely the largest amount the student council had ever received in full control. Usually, when they managed to secure major sponsorships, the funding would go through the university’s administrative process rather than being handed directly to the student council. But this time, they had full authority over how to use it.
The group hadn’t expected such a swift victory. They were so thrilled that they practically bounced all the way back, unable to stop marveling at how generous President Lu was.
Lu Nianqi followed behind them with a quiet smile. To others, Lu Chenghe was an elusive figure, someone they might never get the chance to meet. But to him, that was just his second brother—someone he saw every day when he went home. So his feelings were completely different. Hearing everyone praise his brother so highly made him feel genuinely happy as well.
When they returned to campus, they hadn’t even had the chance to register the sponsorship funds when they suddenly heard faint whimpering coming from the bushes.
Pushing the leaves aside, they found a tiny puppy curled up in a cardboard box. Its fur was filthy and matted together, making it look pitiful.
Judging by its appearance, it seemed to be a mixed breed—somewhat resembling a Golden Retriever but with a darker coat. It might have been mixed with a local Chinese breed. The little pup was so small that if they left it out here in the cold, it probably wouldn’t survive the night.
Xiao Yin and the others quickly grabbed an old piece of clothing to wrap the puppy up, then looked at each other. “Who here lives off-campus? It’d be easier to take care of it overnight and send it to a rescue center tomorrow.”
They exchanged glances. While sneaking the puppy into the dorms was possible, it would be difficult. More importantly, they had nothing to feed it, and they couldn’t cook for it either. It would be much easier for someone living off-campus to take care of it.
In the end, Lu Nianqi spoke up. “Give it to me. I’ll take it home. My family has a dog, so I should have some things it can use.”
Hearing this, the group quickly agreed. With a major sponsorship secured and a little puppy rescued, the day felt like an overwhelming success.
Lu Nianqi carried this poor little abandoned puppy back to the Lu family home. Because of Little Pudding, the household staff had even undergone special training on dog care—feeding precautions, trimming fur and nails, and other basic knowledge. Although they might not have expected to need it, at least they had learned something.
So, as soon as Lu Nianqi brought the stray dog home, the butler instructed the maids to trim its fur and feed it a little food.
Lying on the sofa, Zuo Ning glanced at the time. Lu Chenghe should be home soon. The little puppy that Lu Nianqi had brought back was now lying on a cushion on the floor, while Lu Nianqi squatted beside it, feeding it milk.
Lu Nianqi even smiled at Little Pudding and said, “You’ll have another puppy to play with from now on. How about that?”
Zuo Ning ignored him and instead greeted the little milk dog on the floor, “Hey there, little one.”
The newly shaved, bald little milk dog let out a soft whimper and replied in a babyish voice, “H-hello.”
Zuo Ning was surprised—it could communicate with him without any barriers! That was amazing. The first little milk dog he had rescued back then hadn’t been able to talk to him at all, but that was probably because it had been in too much pain to speak. This third dog that could successfully communicate instantly piqued his interest. Leaning over the edge of the sofa, he curiously watched it suck on the milk and asked, “Where are your mom and dad?”
The little milk dog continued sucking on the milk while glancing at the big white dog nearby. “What’s a dad? Mom disappeared.”
Zuo Ning couldn’t be bothered to explain the complicated concept of needing both a mom and a dad to exist. Instead, he asked, “How did you end up in that bush? Did your mom leave you there?”
The little milk dog looked confused for a moment. The question was a bit long, so it needed some time to process it. “A human… brought me there… then left.”
Lu Nianqi had just told the butler that he had found the puppy at school. No one knew which student had owned a dog, only to abandon the puppies after they were born. Hearing this, Zuo Ning let out a silent sigh. Abandoning a baby was a serious crime, yet abandoning a dog? No one cared. If dogs ever become as rare as pandas one day, then let humanity regret it!
At this moment, Zuo Ning completely forgot that he himself had once been human.
After many pauses and breaks, the milk bottle was finally emptied. The little milk dog let out a loud, satisfied burp before flopping onto the cushion, unwilling to move. “So comfy… so delicious…”
That dog milk formula—Zuo Ning still drank it occasionally, even though he didn’t need to at all. Lu Chenghe probably had some twisted sense of amusement, always enjoying watching him lap it up until his mouth was covered in a white milk mustache. But as for the taste… well, it was definitely rich in milk aroma, but otherwise completely bland. Even plain cow’s milk tasted better.
Seeing the little thing looking utterly satisfied after finishing its meal, Zuo Ning sighed. Being born a dog really was great—just a little food was enough to bring absolute contentment.
Looking at the pitiful little thing with its shaved, bald body, Zuo Ning spoke in a serious tone, “Be good. Don’t cause trouble. If you get hungry, come find me. And don’t pee everywhere. If you behave well enough, you might just get to stay here.”
The little milk dog looked up at Zuo Ning curiously. “Are you my mom?”
Zuo Ning was speechless. What do you mean, am I your mom? Just because it was hungry, did that automatically mean it could only look for its mom? And just because he gave it food, did that suddenly make him its mother?
Although he wished Lu Chenghe wouldn’t adopt any more pets and split his affection, it was one thing to think that, but another to actually drive away these poor little ones who had been abandoned. He just couldn’t bring himself to do it. Besides, the Lu family had plenty of space and more than enough money. One more dog was just one more—no big deal. No matter how many they raised, none could possibly be as smart as him. That meant no real competition, so he didn’t have to worry about getting replaced by another dog.
Just as he was lost in thought, he heard a familiar car engine outside. Zuo Ning immediately scrambled up from the sofa. The little milk dog shuddered in fright, wanting to crawl off the cushion and hide, but it was reluctant to leave its cozy spot. Meanwhile, the big white dog had already bolted outside.
Lu Chenghe effortlessly scooped him up, perfectly proving that online saying: No matter how big they grow, they’re still just babies who want to be held. Luckily, he worked out daily—otherwise, once this guy hit 80 or 90 kilos, lifting him would be a real challenge.
Carrying his big baby dog into the living room, Lu Chenghe immediately noticed the newly shaved, bald little puppy lying on a cushion. His gaze shifted to Lu Nianqi, who was standing stiffly to the side, still holding a milk bottle. “What’s going on?”
Lu Nianqi quickly explained the situation. However, he deliberately left out the part about planning to send the puppy away tomorrow. If it was possible to keep it, of course, he hoped it could stay. Whether that was out of genuine compassion or some other reason—only he himself knew.
Lu Chenghe had been about to put Little Pudding down, but after hearing Lu Nianqi’s explanation, he kept holding him and frowned at the little milk dog. “So, this is a stray?”
Lu Nianqi nodded. Remembering how his second brother had specially arranged a donation today, he couldn’t help but feel a bit hopeful—though even he wasn’t sure exactly what he was hoping for.
To his surprise, Lu Chenghe’s reaction was nothing like what he had expected.
Lu Chenghe’s voice was cold as he instructed the butler, “Have someone take this dog to the pet hospital.”
The butler, as always, followed orders without question. Upon hearing Lu Chenghe’s words, he immediately turned to arrange for the driver.
Lu Nianqi’s face turned slightly pale as if he hadn’t anticipated this response from Lu Chenghe. Even Zuo Ning was taken aback. He tightened his grip around Lu Chenghe’s neck, not daring to even breathe too loudly. If Lu Chenghe was only pretending to be angry, he could still play around and tease him, but if he was truly angry, all he could do was behave and admit defeat. Fortunately, he was only sending the puppy to the pet hospital and not abandoning it, so Zuo Ning didn’t intervene. Though, he had a feeling that if he did, he might actually be able to change the outcome.
Once the butler handed the puppy over to the driver, Lu Chenghe finally turned to Lu Nianqi. “Do you realize what you did wrong today?”
This was the first time Lu Nianqi had ever faced such a stern Lu Chenghe. While it was true that Lu Chenghe rarely showed his emotions, this kind of cold expression was entirely new to him. A bit fearful, he answered, “I shouldn’t have brought a dog home so casually.”
“If you want to keep a pet or even adopt a stray, that’s fine. But picking up a dog on a whim like this is irresponsible—both to that dog and to Little Pudding. If that dog is carrying an illness, not only have you delayed its treatment, but you’ve also put the other dogs in this house at risk.”
Lu Nianqi quickly apologized. “I’m sorry, I didn’t think about that.”
Lu Chenghe gave him a cold glance. “You’re already an adult, fully capable of independent thinking. Today, this was just a small matter. In the future, there will be far more decisions for you to make. You need to learn to look beyond what’s right in front of you.”
Lu Nianqi kept his head lowered as he listened to the reprimand. At first, he hadn’t thought much about it, but after hearing his second brother’s words, he suddenly realized how reckless he had been. If something really happened to the family’s dogs because of the stray he brought home, considering how much his second brother valued Little Pudding, he might even end up holding a grudge against him. That thought alone filled Lu Nianqi with lingering fear.
Seeing that he had admitted his mistake, Lu Chenghe didn’t say anything further. After all, Lu Nianqi wasn’t his biological brother—there was a limit to how much he could discipline him. If he lectured too much, it might only breed resentment. Instead, he ordered the butler to disinfect the entire house and dispose of everything the stray had come into contact with. Only then did he carry Little Pudding upstairs.
Zuo Ning lay obediently in Lu Chenghe’s arms, resting his head on his shoulder as he watched the housekeepers under the butler’s command, busily cleaning the living room. The cushion the little milk dog had been lying on was already rolled up, seemingly about to be thrown away. Zuo Ning thought to himself, Good thing Lu Nianqi didn’t let the puppy on the sofa earlier—otherwise, would the whole sofa have been tossed out too?
As Lu Nianqi stood there alone in the middle of the grand living room, the bustling activity around him only seemed to highlight his solitary figure. For some reason, Zuo Ning found the sight pitiful. He turned his head and rubbed his face against Lu Chenghe’s cheek. “Woof…” Your brother looks so pitiful. You scolded him so hard he’s about to cry.
Lu Chenghe patted his fluffy head. “Quit messing around. Let’s get you disinfected.”
Although Zuo Ning thought Lu Chenghe was being overly cautious, he didn’t argue. He had sniffed the stray earlier—it was malnourished but otherwise seemed healthy. It had probably been kept in a dormitory; while it smelled bad from not being bathed, it didn’t even have fleas. Even if they had come into contact, it shouldn’t be a big deal. Besides, he had kept his distance because of the smell anyway.
But seeing how concerned Lu Chenghe was for him, Zuo Ning let out a happy howl and tightened his grip around his neck, nuzzling against him affectionately.
Seeing the dog suddenly get excited, Lu Chenghe loosened his grip slightly, and the little rascal immediately succumbed to the pull of gravity. In a straight downward slide—plop—he landed squarely on his butt.
The thick carpet on the floor cushioned the fall, and with all the extra padding on his rear, it didn’t hurt at all. Seeing those dazed, confused little eyes staring up at him, Lu Chenghe’s lips curved slightly before he stepped around him and walked away.
This was the first time Zuo Ning had ever been dropped mid-hug. He lay sprawled on the floor, dumbfounded for a long moment, unable to process what had just happened. Wait… Did Lu Chenghe already find me too heavy to carry? But I’m not that heavy yet!
Seeing Lu Chenghe walk away without even looking back, Zuo Ning quickly snapped out of it, barked once in protest, and scampered after him with his tail wagging.
Every chapter is cute cute cute. Looking forward to more updates ❤️