Moonlit: Thank you, aki, for the ko-fi~
After Nie Yong hung up on Lu Chenghe, he silently stared at the ring in his hand for a long time. It was a ring he had made himself during a trip with Xue Lu to a shop that made handmade rings. The ring was pure silver, with a simple design, but the ring on his finger was made by Xue Lu, and the one on Xue Lu’s finger was made by him. His was rather ugly, and Xue Lu had laughed at him for it more than once, but she always wore it.
When Nie Yong first saw Xue Lu, she was still a senior in college, wearing an incredibly beautiful white dress, like a daffodil from a fairy tale or myth, deserving to be cherished in one’s hands. Nie Yong fell in love at first sight and prepared to launch a strong pursuit.
It was by chance that he saw Xue Lu rejecting the advances of a rich second-generation suitor. He recalled Xue Lu mentioning that she preferred people with substance. She valued diligence and motivation over wealth, believing that being hardworking was more admirable than the emptiness often found in rich kids who spent their days driving luxury cars while feeling lonely.
Unfortunately, Nie Yong was exactly the type of rich second-generation person Xue Lu described as having no substance other than money. To win over the goddess in his heart, Nie Yong transformed himself into an ambitious young man with a decent family background. Among the wealthy young men who only knew how to spend money on Xue Lu, Nie Yong’s attentive care, day and night escort, and not-so-bad family background smoothly brought him and Xue Lu together.
Nie Yong had been looking for an opportunity to confess his true situation to Xue Lu but worried that their relationship was not stable enough yet, so he kept delaying.
Nie Yong was lost in thought, unaware that his car had arrived at the doorstep.
When he entered the foyer, he saw Xue Lu’s shoes placed at the entrance. For some reason, his heart sank, and even his movements to change shoes paused.
Xue Lu heard the noise and came out of the kitchen. When she saw it was Nie Yong, she was a bit surprised: “Why are you back so early today?”
After putting away his shoes, Nie Yong turned around, and the silence on his face disappeared. He smiled as usual and said, “Didn’t you say you were going out with your best friends today? Why are you back so early? Didn’t you have fun?”
Xue Lu walked up to take Nie Yong’s coat and hang it aside, casually saying, “Someone had something come up, so we all left early. Did you have lunch? If not, I can make you a bowl of noodles.”
Nie Yong replied, “No need, I already ate. Where did you guys go? Did you have fun?”
Xue Lu didn’t think much of it, assuming Nie Yong was just casually asking. She never imagined it was a deliberate probe: “We just walked around the mall and then sat in a dessert shop for a while.”
Nie Yong took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and pulled out a cigarette but didn’t light it: “Was it the City Center Mall?”
Seeing that Nie Yong was asking in such detail, Xue Lu felt a bit strange and turned to look at him. She saw him sitting on the sofa, his head down, playing with the cigarette in his hand, but without a smile on his face. Xue Lu had a bad feeling, as Nie Yong was behaving unusually, making her uneasy: “What’s wrong?”
Nie Yong looked up at her and straightforwardly asked, “Did you see Old Lu and his Samoyed today? They also went to the mall. I wonder if you happened to run into them.”
Xue Lu’s heart skipped a beat. Although there is a saying, “If you don’t want people to know, don’t do it”, she had carefully thought it through and was sure there was no way anyone could know, as there were no cameras, and a dog wouldn’t be able to say what she did. However, seeing Nie Yong ask so directly, she couldn’t help but show a bit of panic on her face, but she still tried to remain calm: “No, I didn’t.”
Compared to business elites like Lu Chenghe and Lou Jiu, Nie Yong did seem like a good-for-nothing waiting for death, but even so, he still had an eye for people. Xue Lu’s expression just now had explained everything. It was impossible even if Nie Yong wanted to make excuses for her, saying she picked it up unintentionally. If she had just picked something up, she wouldn’t have shown panic.
But Nie Yong still wanted to find an excuse for her: “Did you pick up anything today?”
Xue Lu almost instinctively wanted to deny it: “No, why are you asking such strange questions?”
Having asked so bluntly and even found an excuse for her, but seeing Xue Lu still refusing to admit it, Nie Yong irritably lit a cigarette. He couldn’t understand, how had Xue Lu changed so much in such a short time? Or had he only seen the good side before? But if Xue Lu wanted those material things, why had she refused those boys who spent lavishly on her?
Seeing Nie Yong start smoking, Xue Lu, who would normally have thrown his cigarette away, only wanted to avoid the situation: “I’m going back to the studio, you do your own thing.”
Just as Xue Lu stepped on the stairs, Nie Yong spoke: “That dog tag has a tracking system inside.”
In an instant, Xue Lu felt her blood freeze, and her face turned pale.
When the first snow fell in Qingniao City, Lu Chenghe’s childhood friend, Nie Yong, had the honor of being heartbroken.
Zuo Ning was leaning against the window, watching the goose-feathered snow outside, itching to go out and play. But there is a kind of love called “the owner thinks you’re cold”, so Lu Chenghe restricted his activities. As a sled dog, he had never seen snow before. When he was a human, he had only built snowmen with his father as a child. Once he started school, he was busy with classes and homework, and even during the Chinese New Year, he was visiting relatives and never had time to play freely.
Now that he had become a dog, hidden under thick fur, no one would know even if he did things inappropriate for his age. Unfortunately, he longed to play but had no freedom to roam.
Zuo Ning raised his paw and extended his sharp claws. He was just about to scratch the glass in displeasure when he heard Lu Chenghe say, “If you dare to make that screeching noise, I’ll chop off your paw.”
Zuo Ning turned to look at him, seeing him engrossed in his book. Yet it seemed as if he had a radar, constantly monitoring what Zuo Ning was doing. Zuo Ning silently retracted his claws: “Awooo!” Let me out to play; the snow is huge!
“Keep quiet.”
Zuo Ning whimpered in grievance, rested his head back on the window, and stared longingly outside like a left-behind child.
Outside the window, two black German Shepherds were frolicking in the snow, chasing each other, playfully biting, and looking quite silly.
Lu Chenghe glanced at him, “Little Pudding, come here.”
Zuo Ning turned his head to look at him, seeing Lu Chenghe put down his book. Zuo Ning wanted to appear reserved, as if he wouldn’t come at his beck and call, but staring at the window was boring. He also wanted to get close to Lu Chenghe, so he reluctantly and hesitantly walked over to him. “Aooo?” What do you want?
Lu Chenghe patted his fluffy head. “Do you want to go out and play?”
Zuo Ning’s tail wagged. “Woof!” Play! It’s rare to have such heavy snow. I woke up to a completely white world, and even the morning exercise was done in the indoor gym.
Seeing those two dogs frolicking outside so happily, he wondered why he wasn’t allowed out. He was the true snow dog, much more cold-resistant than Lang Ya and Fu Na.
“Will you still bite the pillow from now on?”
Zuo Ning’s eyes started to wander. It wasn’t that he wanted to bite it; he just didn’t know how it happened as if he was possessed. He felt he was definitely assimilated by the dog’s body, as his actions were becoming uncontrollable.
Lu Chenghe raised his book and tapped it on Zuo Ning’s head: “Answer, will you still bite the pillow from now on?”
Zuo Ning easily leaped onto the sofa and then climbed onto Lu Chenghe’s lap, rubbing his head against Lu Chenghe’s chin: “Awooo~” I won’t bite it anymore. It’s just a small matter, yet I was confined all morning.
Seeing how coquettishly he acted, Lu Chenghe pinched his ear and laughed softly: “You readily admit your mistakes but never change. Look at what you’ve done to those toys, tearing them apart every day. Why are your claws so disobedient?”
Zuo Ning lay on Lu Chenghe’s lap, his two paws still uncontrollably stretching out their claws to scratch the sofa. Realizing what he was doing, he quickly retracted them and then glanced guiltily at Lu Chenghe. Seeing Lu Chenghe’s expressionless face, Zuo Ning quickly drew back his paws and leaned against Lu Chenghe, rubbing against him.
Lu Chenghe patted his warm fur and slapped his retracted paw: “I just told you, and you did it again. Even a fish’s memory is longer than yours.”
Zuo Ning let out an “Awoo,” reaching out with his paw to grab Lu Chenghe’s hand, playfully pestering him for a while. Then, the butler approached: “Young Master, everything is ready.”
Zuo Ning looked at the butler and then turned his head to look at Lu Chenghe.
Lu Chenghe stroked his fur and asked, “Are you going to behave?”
Zuo Ning lifted his head, “Awooo!”
Lu Chenghe said, “Give me your left paw.”
Zuo Ning looked at him and placed his left paw.
Lu Chenghe continued, “Now, your right paw.”
Zuo Ning placed his left paw again.
Lu Chenghe rubbed his head. “You still can’t tell left from right today.”
Zuo Ning lowered his head, feeling unable to complain. Pretending to be a silly dog wasn’t easy, as he feared that revealing his intelligence might scare everyone.
Lu Chenghe patted his head. “Alright, let’s take you out to play.”
Zuo Ning quickly got up from Lu Chenghe’s lap as soon as he heard this. Seeing Lu Chenghe holding the leash, it was clear that they were not just going to stroll around the yard but actually going out. He turned to look at the heavy snow still falling outside. This weather for going out?
Following Lu Chenghe to the door, Zuo Ning saw that the car the driver brought over was not the usual one but a black SUV. Just as he was about to jump in, he heard Lu Chenghe’s usual taunt: “Do you need me to carry you up? The chassis is so high, you probably can’t climb up.”
Zuo Ning snorted, leaped up, and easily got in with a push of his hind legs. He turned to look at Lu Chenghe as if to say, “Who said my legs are short?”
Seeing the proud look in his eyes, Lu Chenghe couldn’t help but laugh. Silly dog.
The car drove out of the city. When Zuo Ning saw it get on the elevated road, he knew they were going somewhere far. He didn’t bother looking out the window to memorize the route anymore and rested his head on Lu Chenghe’s lap, closing his eyes to rest.
Lu Chenghe kept rubbing his little ears. Whenever Zuo Ning got annoyed and his ears twitched, Lu Chenghe would switch to the other ear. Seeing the little ears twitching back and forth without opening his eyes, Lu Chenghe pinched his face in disdain: “Look at you being so lazy. If I sold you, you wouldn’t even know.”
Zuo Ning whimpered twice, shifting from lying on his stomach to lying on his side. The car’s heater was on, making it a bit stuffy, but Lu Chenghe’s pleasant scent made him drowsy. Feeling the weight of Lu Chenghe’s hand on him, Zuo Ning fell asleep contentedly.
When he woke up, he was still in the car. He looked out the window, but it was hard to tell the exact time. It was still bright, and the snow was still falling heavily. He didn’t know what time it was in the afternoon. Zuo Ning yawned widely, stretched comfortably with his paws on Lu Chenghe’s lap, shook his fur, and stood on Lu Chenghe’s lap to look out the window.
Lu Chenghe slapped Zuo Ning on the butt: “Do you know you’re heavy?”
Zuo Ning wagged his tail and turned to look at Lu Chenghe. “Awoo.” Don’t lie to me. I weigh myself every week, and Dr. Wen says I’m within the standard range!
“Are you talking back to me?”
Zuo Ning grinned, wrapped his paws around Lu Chenghe’s neck, and skillfully rubbed his head against him.
Lu Chenghe held Little Pudding, and they both looked out the window. After a while, the car turned onto a side road, and a resort nestled in the mountains appeared before them.
The driver, perhaps having been there before, skillfully drove the car into the resort. Compared to the white snow outside, the green bamboo adorned with snow inside the resort looked particularly poetic. There were few people in the resort, and the serene environment made one feel completely refreshed upon entering.
When the car stopped and the door opened, Zuo Ning was the first to jump out, stepping onto the snow with his paw. The cold touch instantly dispelled the stuffiness brought by the car’s air conditioning. Before he could take a few more steps, Lu Chenghe grabbed him and put on the leash.
“You’re not allowed to run around or play in the snow. If you don’t behave, the driver will take you back home.”
Restricted in his freedom, Zuo Ning obediently stood by Lu Chenghe’s side, but his head couldn’t stop turning, looking around everywhere.
After the driver took down the large and small bags from the car, a person in a work uniform walked over and handed over a room card: “Mr. Lu, this is your room card. Mr. Lou has already arrived and has been upstairs for a while.”
Lu Chenghe took the room card. “Thank you.”
The staff member politely smiled: “You’re welcome. Enjoy your stay.” Then handed another room card to the driver.
Lu Chenghe took the bag from the driver’s hand. “You can go to your room and rest. I’ll call you if I need anything.”
The driver nodded: “Yes, sir.”
Lu Chenghe tugged on the leash, bringing the curious Little Pudding back to attention: “Let’s go.”
A thick layer of snow had accumulated on the ground on a bamboo forest path, and the footprints left behind were already covered with a thin layer of snow. The large snowflakes quietly fell, landing on the green bamboo leaves, occasionally falling heavily when they couldn’t bear the weight, making a rustling sound.
Zuo Ning followed Lu Chenghe slowly up the path, the snow crunching under his feet. The entire bamboo forest path was just him and Lu Chenghe. In such an environment, even the carefree Zuo Ning felt a sense of poetic beauty, his romantic heart stirring. Even though he couldn’t walk side by side with Lu Chenghe, he felt they could be closer, not separated by a leash, perhaps being carried on his back?
Imagining the romantic scene of lying on Lu Chenghe’s back, with Lu Chenghe’s gentle and doting smile as he turned his head, Zuo Ning’s heart almost exploded with excitement.
Thinking this, Zuo Ning stopped moving.
Lu Chenghe turned around and saw that he wasn’t moving. He tugged on the leash. “Come on, just a few more steps.”
Zuo Ning sat down in the snow, looking at Lu Chenghe expectantly. In such a beautiful environment, isn’t it the perfect time for a cuddle?
“No slacking off; it’s just a few steps. Get up, don’t sit on the ground.”
“Woof!”
“Are you coming or not?”
Zuo Ning tried to pull the leash to bring Lu Chenghe closer.
Seeing that Zuo Ning was determined not to move, Lu Chenghe threw the leash: “If you don’t walk, you won’t get dinner. Starve for all I care.” He then walked away.
Zuo Ning: ??? This isn’t how it’s supposed to go! Wasn’t he supposed to come back, coax me, and eventually carry me?
Seeing that Lu Chenghe was serious about walking away, Zuo Ning quickly got up, “Woof!” and rushed after him.
Hearing the sound of running behind him, Lu Chenghe couldn’t help but smile. And so, dragging his leash, Zuo Ning followed Lu Chenghe reluctantly. Compared to other pet owners, he felt like he had a fake one.
After climbing a few steps and walking along a winding bamboo forest path, a wooden house came into view. The house was in the style of a stilt house, although not as high as a traditional stilt house. The verandas extending on all sides were beautifully crafted; sitting on them, one’s legs could dangle freely. One side faced a deep bamboo forest, perfect for viewing the snow and bamboo. The other side faced down the mountainside, making it an elegant spot for appreciating the winter snow.
It was Zuo Ning’s first time in such a stylish place, even more unique than the small private restaurant in the courtyard that Lu Chenghe had taken him to before. Seeing Lu Chenghe carrying such a large bag, it was clear they were going to spend the night here. Ah, this was about creating a beautiful memory of watching the snow and moon together. Unfortunately, their communication barrier meant they couldn’t discuss poetry and philosophy.
After following Lu Chenghe into the house, a warm atmosphere greeted them. The house looked very simple from the outside, but once inside, it felt like a whole new world. Zuo Ning even heard the sound of flowing water, but after looking around, he couldn’t find the source.
After entering, Lu Chenghe loosened the leash on Little Pudding and took a towel from the bag to wipe his paws and fur to prevent the snow from melting and wetting his fur.
Lou Jiu leaned lazily against the inner doorframe in a robe, smiling at Lu Chenghe: “I knew you’d bring your dog. Make sure to watch him carefully. Don’t let him fall into the hot spring pool and get cooked.”
Zuo Ning thought to himself that he had been wondering about the strange smell, feeling like it resembled rotten eggs.
Lu Chenghe looked at him. “Did you arrive this morning?”
As Lou Jiu stretched and walked over, he said, “Yes, I just had a soak. Once those two arrive, it’ll be noisy. And it’ll be hard to enjoy a quiet bath. How about it? Do you want to go for a soak? It’s the first snow of the year; it’d be a shame not to enjoy it.”
“No, they should be arriving soon. I’ll go put things away first.”
Lou Jiu said, “Nie Yong mentioned having hotpot tonight, the kind where we drink until we drop. I even had a lot of alcohol sent over. Heartbreak is the priority, so it looks like tonight will be quite the ordeal. You should soak and relax first, or else you’ll have to wait until tomorrow to soak off the hangover.”
After saying this, Lou Jiu casually added, “They were doing fine before. Nie Yong had mentioned getting married more than once, but they broke up just like that. True love these days is indeed cheap; all it takes is a meeting of lips.”
Zuo Ning silently scratched the ground with his paw. Though he wasn’t to blame for this, he couldn’t help feeling as if it was all his fault.
Lu Chenghe nodded. “Alright, I’ll go soak for a bit. Let me know when they arrive.”
Zuo Ning wagged his tail and followed Lu Chenghe inside. They walked through an open-air corridor. Their room was at the end of the corridor.
The room’s furnishings were simple, a blend of Chinese and Japanese styles. It had a low bed surrounded by a white gauze canopy. The most striking feature, however, was the large floor-to-ceiling window. Outside the window was a spacious balcony covered in pebbles, with a large bath in the center.
Lu Chenghe casually placed the bag down and walked over to open the bamboo tube beside the pool. A stream of warm, milky white hot spring water began to flow out.
Seeing Little Pudding curiously watching from the side, Lu Chenghe tapped his head: “Don’t get too close, or you’ll end up with cooked dog meat.”
Zuo Ning sat by the side, watching. He had never soaked in a hot spring before. When Lu Chenghe went inside and took out his food and water bowls from the bag, Zuo Ning wagged his tail and continued watching the pool fill up.
When the pool was nearly full, Lu Chenghe, now changed into different clothes, walked over. His long legs appeared before Zuo Ning’s eyes.
Zuo Ning looked up and saw Lu Chenghe taking off his bathrobe, his mouth slightly open. But then he saw that Lu Chenghe still had a towel wrapped around his waist, and he rolled his eyes. There was only him and a dog here. Did Lu Chenghe really need to be so modest?
Seeing Lu Chenghe comfortably soaking in the pool, Zuo Ning couldn’t resist extending his paw.
Before he could touch the water, Lu Chenghe, with radar-like precision, grabbed his paw: “Do you want to become dog soup, hmm?”
Looking at Lu Chenghe’s handsome profile up close, Zuo Ning couldn’t help himself and stuck out his mischievous little tongue, giving him a lick.
Mischievous little pudding is adorable! Thank you for the update! Really appreciate your hard work on translating this cute novel ❤️