Zuo Ning’s scenes are almost completely filmed. The most challenging post-earthquake scenes are done, and now only the reshoots of the happy times before the earthquake remain. So, although the whole dog is still with the crew, it is leisurely and carefree. The last time he filmed a movie, most of the scenes were exterior shots. Even the interior scenes were mostly shot in the studio owned by eldest brother Lu’s company. Because the crew is relatively poor this time, they rented a studio in the film city.
Back when Zuo Ning was still studying, he had planned with his dormitory roommates to visit the film city when they had the time. At that time, they even joked that maybe some sharp-eyed director would discover him at a glance and make him an instant hit. Unexpectedly, he did come here, but he is no longer the same Zuo Ning as before.
Today, it is rare that he is brought to the set by two bodyguards. The butler accompanied Mother Lu at home to prepare some custom-made clothes, as it seems there is a very important banquet she needs to attend with Lu Chenghe soon. So, Zuo Ning is leisurely strolling around the film city.
This film city is not the largest, but it is the only one in Qingniao City. In addition to being rented by some crews, it is also open to tourists for sightseeing. To avoid being disturbed by tourists or obvious fans, people are generally not allowed to enter easily whenever a crew is filming. So, Zuo Ning leisurely wandered around and was politely refused entry by several filming sites. If it weren’t for the imposing appearance of the two tall men holding the leash behind him, he might have been driven away directly.
Zuo Ning glanced at another set that had politely refused him entry. Inside, it seemed like a crew was filming a costume drama, with many extras dressed in ancient costumes walking around. He snorted and turned away. If they didn’t welcome him, he wouldn’t go in!
The entire film city is very large, with ancient street scenes, Republican-era street scenes, and even some celestial palace street scenes. However, there was no ethereal atmosphere at the moment, and it looked very ordinary and even a bit cheap. After seeing everything he could see, Zuo Ning prepared to head back home when he heard a familiar voice.
Following the sound, he saw a group of people surrounding a scene being filmed. Inside, there was a man and a woman, both wearing martial arts-style ancient costumes. One of them was someone he knew—Chu Hang.
Zuo Ning called out to Chu Hang: “Woof!”
Hearing the call, Chu Hang instinctively turned his head and saw the two bodyguards and a very familiar little white dog outside the crowd. Seeing that the director was still setting up the scene, he smiled and walked over. The bodyguards knew that Little Pudding had once filmed with Chu Hang and that Little Pudding had also shown affection towards him, so they didn’t intervene. After all, their task was simply to follow Little Pudding and ensure its safety.
Chu Hang lifted the hem of his clothes, squatted down, and petted Little Pudding: “Why are you here? Who brought you? Or are you here for filming again?”
Seeing Little Pudding squint and smile at him, Chu Hang laughed as well, holding one of its paws and shaking it up and down: “Little Pudding is so amazing, filming again. Haven’t seen you in a few days, and you’ve grown so much. Little Pudding is going to become Big Pudding.”
Seeing Chu Hang playing with the dog, one of the crew members who was on good terms with him also came over: “So cute! What’s this little guy’s name? Come, shake hands.”
Zuo Ning also knew this pretty girl; she was a popular young actress with a very sweet smile and good relationships. Her acting skills were solid, so her reputation was excellent. Zuo Ning liked her too, so he extended his paw and placed it in her palm.
The girl exclaimed, “So smart, so cute!”
Chu Hang was worried that Chenghan’s younger brother wouldn’t like others playing with Little Pudding, so he didn’t continue squatting there. He patted the girl’s shoulder and said, “Let’s go. If we don’t leave now, the director will get mad if he can’t find us later.”
The girl, who usually loved cats and dogs, reluctantly looked back three times at every step. But the scene on the director’s side was set up quickly, so she couldn’t continue playing and had to follow Chu Hang.
Zuo Ning filmed two modern dramas. Although he knew that wires were used in costume dramas with flying scenes, it was his first time seeing people flying in the sky with wires in person.
Under the watchful eyes of a crowd, the man and woman held swords and faced each other on the roof of a thatched hut. With so many people watching, they could still act and recite lines without distraction. Zuo Ning thought these actors were amazing. If it were him, he would probably stutter out the lines. Fortunately, he didn’t have any lines to recite in his acting.
After watching for a while, Zuo Ning felt bored and was ready to return to his crew. He had a scene to shoot today, and he didn’t want the director to be unable to find the dog.
Just as he was about to leave, there was a loud bang. Before Zuo Ning could react, he was picked up by someone. It turned out to be the bodyguard holding him. Zuo Ning didn’t struggle and turned his head to see that the two people who were just suspended in mid-air had fallen directly from the sky and crashed into the thatched hut below. The whole crew was instantly in chaos, with a group of people rushing up to save them.
Zuo Ning stood there dumbfounded. The accident had happened so suddenly, proving that working at heights indeed came with risks. The bodyguard, worried about safety, quickly left the scene with him. Zuo Ning watched the noisy crowd and only then realized that the ones suspended in mid-air just now were Chu Hang and that popular young actress!
An accident occurred within a film crew, injuring two popular actors. This incident was quite severe. It would be fine if it were only minor scratches or bruises, but if the injuries were serious, it would undoubtedly be headline news.
Because the crew’s director wasn’t shooting in a fully enclosed set, many passersby saw it, so the news couldn’t be kept under wraps. By the time Zuo Ning returned to his crew, they had already received the news.
The bodyguards were worried that reporters who got the news would swarm in and cause chaos in the film city, so they asked the director to quickly film the remaining scenes with Little Pudding and return home early for safety.
When Zuo Ning got home, he saw Lu Chenghe sitting on the sofa in the living room while Mother Lu was looking through designs with a group of dressmakers. As soon as Zuo Ning entered, he rushed towards Lu Chenghe: “Woof woof woof!” Something big had happened; Chu Hang was injured, having fallen from a great height, and his condition was unknown!
Lu Chenghe picked up Little Pudding, who had pounced on his leg, and placed him on the sofa, stroking his fur to calm him down. However, seeing that he was still barking non-stop, Lu Chenghe looked at the bodyguard: “What happened today?”
The bodyguard initially planned to explain the day’s events briefly. But this question made it feel like Little Pudding was chattering like a child coming home to report the day’s kindergarten happenings, except the parents couldn’t understand, so they asked the kindergarten caregiver to translate. Though he thought this way, the bodyguard still explained the situation.
When the bodyguard started speaking, Zuo Ning stopped barking and nervously watched Lu Chenghe. After all, as a family member, he naturally cared about his brother’s wife.
Sure enough, after Lu Chenghe finished listening, he greeted Mother Lu and turned upstairs. Zuo Ning hurriedly followed behind him.
Back in the study, Lu Chenghe started making phone calls. Zuo Ning automatically jumped onto the sofa, lying quietly without making a fuss. If it were some other major event, Lu Chenghe might have received the news early on, but entertainment news was never within Lu Chenghe’s scope of attention. If it weren’t for Chu Hang being injured, he might not have cared.
Seeing Lu Chenghe hang up the phone, Zuo Ning furrowed his brows and felt a tightness in his chest: “Woof woof!” How is it? Is the situation serious?
Lu Chenghe sat on the sofa and patted Little Pudding’s head but said nothing. Without firsthand information, Zuo Ning was anxious but couldn’t show it too obviously, so he kept his worry to himself. Seeing Lu Chenghe still patting his head, Zuo Ning tilted his head back, opened his mouth, and bit Lu Chenghe’s finger.
Lu Chenghe looked down at him. “Let go.”
Zuo Ning instinctively licked his finger with his tongue and then obediently let go. Just a lick, why so fierce? Trying to scare the dog?
Lu Chenghe bent two fingers and tapped Zuo Ning’s head: “How many times have I told you, and you still don’t remember?”
Zuo Ning whimpered twice, lowered his head, and scratched the sofa cushion with his paw.
Lu Chenghe rubbed his head: “Were you scared today?”
Zuo Ning barked once, then pounced on Lu Chenghe and wagged his tail. How could he be scared by such a thing? After all, the accident didn’t happen to him.
However, before he could spend some quality time with Lu Chenghe, Mother Lu knocked on the door and came in with a stern expression, asking, “Did you know about this all along?”
Lu Chenghe patted Little Pudding’s back, making him sit quietly, and said, “Let Big Brother handle this matter himself, Mom. Don’t interfere.”
Mother Lu immediately raised her eyebrows: “Don’t interfere? I raised your big brother. Do you know how heartbroken your aunt is now?”
Zuo Ning was puzzled by what he heard. What did this mean? Did Big Brother’s relationship get exposed?
Lu Chenghe, with an expressionless face, looked at his mother and said, “So, are you going to stand by Aunt’s side and accuse Big Brother of loving the wrong person, ask him to give up on what he loves, and choose a woman he doesn’t love just for the sake of family succession? Or are you going to support Big Brother in pursuing what he wants as long as he’s happy in the future?”
Mother Lu was momentarily speechless.
Lu Chenghe continued, “If you want to intervene, go comfort and counsel Aunt. As for Big Brother’s relationship matters, you’d better not comment on it.”
Mother Lu couldn’t help but say, “Do you know what your big brother did today?”
“To hear that his loved one was injured and still be as steady as a rock during negotiations, that wouldn’t be my big brother. I don’t think any man in the Lu family would do that. If this negotiation fails, it just means earning a bit less money, which is better than regretting an accident.”
Mother Lu was once again rendered speechless by her son. Although leaving in the middle of negotiations would cause significant financial losses for the company—reportedly a maritime route project with annual net profits in the billions—it was indeed better to lose some money than to ignore an injured loved one.
If the injured person had been a girl, the sister-in-law probably wouldn’t have called to complain but would have happily shared the news of her son finally being in a relationship. But since the partner was a man, it became a problem.
Zuo Ning obediently lay on Lu Chenghe’s lap. It seemed that Big Brother Lu had really come out. Originally, finding a male partner had already displeased his parents, and now messing up a major company project for that man would likely make them even more unhappy. Who knows if those star-crossed lovers could make it to the end.
Perhaps Mother Lu was somewhat enlightened by her son’s words; she couldn’t help but show some concern: “How is that child? How are his injuries?”
Seeing that his mother was no longer so opposed, Lu Chenghe smiled and said, “He hit his head and hasn’t woken up yet, but it’s not a big problem.”
Mother Lu sighed, “What a mess.”
Hearing this, Zuo Ning also breathed a sigh of relief. Falling from such a height and being okay was already a good outcome.
By the next day, this incident was all over the news headlines. Compared to Chu Hang, who only suffered a concussion and needed some rest, the girl who also fell from the wires was in a much worse situation. It was said that she accidentally cut her face on a broken piece of wood when she fell, resulting in a gash across her face. Although the news didn’t specify how deep the cut was, judging by the bloody photos from the accident scene, if those injuries were indeed caused by the cut on her face, the girl was likely disfigured.
Thinking about how the girl, who was all smiles yesterday and wanted to shake his hand, ended up like this today, Zuo Ning could only sigh at the unpredictability of life. He hoped that the girl’s injuries were not too severe; otherwise, it would be a great pity for someone so beautiful and at the peak of her career.
Due to the matter with Big Brother Lu, the entire Lu family fell into a gloomy period. Mother Lu went out daily to accompany Big Brother Lu’s mother, whether to comfort or console her. But she always came back sighing, indicating that the effect was not good.
After Zuo Ning’s scenes are done, Mother Lu takes him along when she goes out, saying that bringing an adorable pet might help cheer her up. Thus, Zuo Ning became the bringer of joy, observing all the gossip.
Compared to his imagined dramatic family troubles, the real situation left him speechless.
Big Brother Lu’s mother did not cry all the time as Zuo Ning had imagined, but instead engaged in all sorts of battles with her son. Meanwhile, Big Brother Lu was busy investigating whether the incident was accidental or deliberate and did not respond to his mother’s tactics at all.
Big Brother Lu’s father was even more unexpected to Zuo Ning. He originally thought the father would be the most opposed, but instead, he spent his days looking at travel guides, likely planning to continue traveling the world with his wife. He didn’t seem to care whether his son’s partner was a man or a woman.
There was no scene of throwing a bundle of cash and saying, “Get lost”, no dramatic night of being kicked out penniless, no threats of cutting off the father-son or mother-son relationship if he didn’t leave that man—none of that!
Big Brother Lu’s mother tried various ways to deal with Big Brother Lu to no avail and eventually turned her attention to Chu Hang, saying that he had to learn the Lu family’s rules to enter the Lu family. Together with Mother Lu, she even came up with 108 ways to make things difficult for Chu Hang, hoping he would back off. Zuo Ning couldn’t help but wonder if the two Lu mothers had watched too many Taiwanese dramas and Japanese comics!
However, after Big Brother Lu protected Chu Hang so well that Lu’s mother had no opportunity to act, Big Brother Lu’s mother exploded on the spot. It was said that the real reason for her explosion was that she couldn’t have a pretty daughter-in-law to accompany her shopping, getting beauty treatments, and buying things.
Forced to watch the drama, Zuo Ning couldn’t help but look at Lu Chenghe angrily, feeling that watching too much of this gossip would lower his IQ!
Lu Chenghe scratched his furry chin, patted his dog ears, and then continued to look down at his sketchbook.
Dissatisfied, Zuo Ning slapped the sketchbook with a paw: “Woof!” Do you still see me? Are we still living our days together?
Lu Chenghe took a bag of jerky from the drawer that Little Pudding didn’t like and handed it to him: “Take it and share it with your friends.” Little Pudding did not like this kind of jerky, so he always took a bag and shared it with the two black-back dogs. It was said they were very skilled at opening the seal and had become quite experienced.
Zuo Ning slapped the bag of jerky open and pushed it to the ground with his paw. Then he squeezed the sketchbook out of Lu Chenghe’s hand, lay directly on Lu Chenghe’s body, and hugged his neck with his two paws, whining softly.
Lu Chenghe laughed and said, “What’s wrong? Feeling so aggrieved?”
“Awwooo…” Am I still your favorite?
Lu Chenghe picked up a fur brush and slowly brushed him. Whether it was because he had completely changed his coat or not, Little Pudding hadn’t been shedding much recently, which was different from what Lu Chenghe had read about Samoyeds’ shedding cycles. However, not shedding was good, as it meant he wouldn’t wake up covered in fur every morning.
After turning the sticky Little Pudding into a boneless puddle on his body and seeing that he had finally quieted down, Lu Chenghe picked up his sketchbook again and continued reading.
Zuo Ning lay on his back across Lu Chenghe’s lap, occasionally reaching out his paw to tug at Lu Chenghe’s clothes. Although the weather was quite cold now—it hadn’t snowed yet, but winter had definitely arrived—the house was extremely warm. So, Lu Chenghe was only wearing a thin, knitted V-neck sweater, and Zuo Ning’s sharp claws could poke through the fabric and touch his skin.
Seeing that beautiful collarbone, Zuo Ning couldn’t help but lick his lips before slowly stretching out a paw to touch it.
Lu Chenghe looked down at the restless dog in his arms and said, “Your paws are itching again, aren’t they?”
“Mm~~”
The sound of footsteps suddenly approached. Zuo Ning instantly recognized it as Mother Lu’s and, startled, he hurriedly shrank into Lu Chenghe’s embrace, wrapping his limbs tightly around him.
As soon as Mother Lu opened the door and saw the dog nestled in her son’s arms, she smiled and said, “Little Pudding, let’s go out and play.”
Zuo Ning immediately scrambled up, clinging even tighter to Lu Chenghe’s neck, every strand of fur on his body radiating resistance. When Lu Chenghe went to work on regular weekdays, he had nothing to do at home anyway. But since it was the weekend and Lu Chenghe was finally resting at home, there was no way he was leaving his side.
Besides, the Lu family’s eldest uncle had recently brought over a little troublemaker—a four-year-old girl who loved climbing on his back and pulling his fur. She was practically a little demon!
Lu Chenghe patted Little Pudding’s back and looked at his mother. “Since he doesn’t want to go, let’s not take him.”
Usually, dogs are very eager to go out and play, but why is our dog so reluctant to leave home? Not willing to give up, Mother Lu continued to coax him: “Come on, Little Pudding, I’ll take you to buy some delicious treats, lots of yummy treats.”
Zuo Ning turned his head to the other side, burying it deeply in Lu Chenghe’s neck.
Seeing that Little Pudding was still unwilling, Mother Lu had no choice but to give up, saying regretfully, “Little Nana likes Little Pudding so much. Who knows if she will cry if she doesn’t see him today?”
Nana is Lu Chenghe’s little niece, the daughter of Lu Chenghe’s elder sister, and she just turned four this year. She’s at the age where she’s full of mischief and energy. Looking at Little Pudding clinging tightly to him, Lu Chenghe thought he might have figured out why Little Pudding was so unwilling to go out.
It wasn’t until Mother Lu left the room that Zuo Ning finally loosened his grip on Lu Chenghe.
Lu Chenghe poked his nose: “So, you are afraid of something after all. I thought you were fearless, even daring to climb such a tall tree.”
Zuo Ning snorted. What’s so difficult about climbing a tree? It’s just that once you climb up, you can’t get down, and eventually, they had to fetch a ladder to carry you down. Mentioning that embarrassing incident again and again, what’s the point?
It was only when he heard the sound of a car leaving that Zuo Ning finally sighed in relief. He had escaped a disaster today. He jumped off the sofa, grabbed the bag of jerky from the floor, and walked away without looking back, wagging his tail.
Lu Chenghe, holding the sketchbook, couldn’t help but twitch the corners of his mouth. Is this a typical case of using and then discarding?
Zuo Ning ran all the way to the courtyard gate and saw that Lang Ya and Fu Na were already outside basking in the sun. He happily greeted them, saying, “Good morning. Look what I’ve brought for you.”
Seeing what Zuo Ning held in his mouth, Lang Ya wagged his tail happily and couldn’t help but howl twice. There’s no dog that wouldn’t be happy to see treats.
Zuo Ning threw the bag of jerky in front of Lang Ya and then barked toward the security room.
Even dog barks are different. Lang Ya and Fu Na, perhaps because they are older dogs, have deeper barks. Zuo Ning, who is only about half a year old and not the same breed as Lang Ya, has a more youthful and sharp bark. So, when the people in the security room heard the different dog barks, they knew it was the little ancestor from the house.
The security guard on duty came out, saw the snacks under Lang Ya’s paw, and smiled: “Eat.”
Upon hearing this, Lang Ya skillfully stepped on the bag with his paw, bit down, and tore the bag open in one go. Fu Na had already brought over their shared bowl, and the security guard helped them pour the snacks from the bag into it.
Zuo Ning silently watched from the side. He didn’t like that stuff anyway, but seeing Lang Ya and Fu Na enjoy it, he brought it over every time Lu Chenghe gave it to him. The first time he brought it, Lang Ya and Fu Na didn’t eat for a long time. Zuo Ning thought they didn’t like it, but it turned out that the security guard inside saw the commotion outside and came out, said “Eat,” and only then did the two dogs dare to eat. This made Zuo Ning sigh with emotion; what good dogs, they wouldn’t even easily eat what a good friend brought without getting human instructions first.
The two large dogs quickly finished their food in a small bowl, with Lang Ya still licking his lips contentedly. Zuo Ning smiled and asked, “Is it tasty?”
Lang Ya barked loudly and energetically: “Delicious! Thank you!”
“You’re welcome. I have plenty more, I’ll bring it to you next time.”
Hearing this, Lang Ya couldn’t help but exclaim, “You’re the happiest little pup I’ve ever seen.” In the past, the army pups eagerly called out for food, but none of them shared their food like this.
Hearing this, Zuo Ning silently turned his head. He felt he was the most miserable dog. He longed to eat hot pot, with a fully spicy base, the kind that would make him feel ecstatic, whining with craving.
Comfortably lounging at home for a day, without any troublesome kids, with no drama-loving Aunt Lu and no Mother Lu forcing him to pose for photos in various shapes, Zuo Ning felt that life indeed required comparison. Just simply sticking close to Lu Chenghe made him feel happy enough to fly.
As a result, the next day, when Lu Chenghe finished his breakfast and went to work as usual, a dog that refused to let go clung to his thigh.
