Wealthy Woof Chapter 50

When Zuo Ning’s five senses were sealed off by the icy water, he could only hear the sound of his own heartbeat. One thump after another, from strong and powerful, gradually fading until he could no longer feel the beating in his chest. Sinking into what seemed like a bottomless river, the rushing current swept away everything, much like his life. His hands desperately struggled to grasp onto something, but it was futile—no matter how hard he tried, he could only sink deeper, descending into endless darkness.

Lu Chenghe couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of the short-legged figure scampering toward him, only to slip and fall in a rather comedic manner. But his amusement was short-lived. He knew that Little Pudding was naturally a good swimmer—it always enjoyed splashing around in his bathtub with unrestrained joy. So when Little Pudding fell into the swimming pool, Lu Chenghe merely thought he’d need to dry him off before heading out for dinner.

However, Little Pudding didn’t swim toward him in a dog paddle as expected. Instead, after a brief struggle, it sank directly to the bottom.

Lu Chenghe’s expression changed in an instant. Even before the bodyguards standing nearby could react, he had already leaped into the water, grabbing the sinking Little Pudding and bringing him back to the shore. It all happened in a matter of seconds, but Little Pudding didn’t cough or react as one would expect after swallowing water. Instead, the little dog lay completely unconscious.

Thinking that Little Pudding had choked on water, Lu Chenghe picked him up and began patting his back. Qi Wei hurriedly yelled to the bodyguards, “Find a veterinarian! If there’s none on the island, bring a doctor! Hurry!”

The bodyguards were well aware of how much their boss cared about this dog, so they didn’t waste a single moment and rushed to find help.

Lu Chenghe, seeing that his repeated attempts to revive Little Pudding weren’t working, began to tremble slightly. Amid the chaos, Qi Wei remembered a canine first-aid course he had attended and quickly instructed, “Turn Little Pudding upside down. You hold him, and I’ll pry open his mouth. If that doesn’t work, we’ll start mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. The doctor will be here soon.”

Lu Chenghe, who had never paid attention to canine first aid, hurriedly followed Qi Wei’s instructions. After managing to get a few mouthfuls of water out, Little Pudding still didn’t wake up. It was only a matter of seconds—not enough time to choke on a few mouthfuls and faint, so Lu Chenghe suspected that Little Pudding might have hit his head when falling into the water.

At that moment, the doctor rushed over, clearly in a panic. The guests here were all VIPs. If anything happened to even one of them, the host of this wedding could not afford the consequences. Thus, each cluster of villas had a doctor stationed nearby for emergencies. However, the one in distress this time wasn’t a guest but their pet—and as a doctor used to treating humans, he wasn’t sure if he could handle it.

The doctor hurried over, followed by two assistants carrying any medical equipment they might need. As soon as they entered, they saw a man soaked to the skin, performing CPR on a Samoyed lying on the ground. The doctor immediately rushed forward, placed an oxygen mask on the dog, and started treatment.

Lu Chenghe stepped aside, his face pale and cold. Looking at Little Pudding on the ground, he said, “He was pulled out of the water in less than a minute. If there’s no water in his chest cavity, please check carefully to see if his head was injured.”

The doctor quickly nodded. Seeing how much the man cared about this pet, he wondered if he would be held responsible if the dog didn’t make it.

Meanwhile, the unconscious Zuo Ning glimpsed a memory that wasn’t part of his recollection. It was from when he was still human—after he had finally walked out of the grief of losing his parents. He had come to terms with the harsh reality and resolved to live well. On a quiet weekend afternoon after class, he planned to return home to sort through the last remaining belongings of his parents. While cycling down the bridge, he heard cries for help from below.

When Zuo Ning went over to look, he saw a group of kids, likely no older than ten, playing by the river. Two young boys had already drifted quite far and were struggling in the water. Zuo Ning quickly parked his bike and jumped in, pulling the closest child to safety. As he turned to go back, the other child had drifted even farther.

By that time, a crowd had already gathered around. Zuo Ning only remembered that the water current had started to grow stronger. To save the other child in the river, he had even swum to the center of the river. His final memory was of holding onto the child and struggling desperately, yet sinking deeper and deeper until the entire world was engulfed in darkness.

…

When Zuo Ning woke up, it seemed like he was in a hospital. He noticed an IV drip attached to his paw. As he moved slightly, he saw Lu Chenghe sitting not far away. However, Lu Chenghe seemed to be asleep, sitting there slouched in the chair.

It was the first time Zuo Ning had seen such an unguarded side of Lu Chenghe. Even when he deliberately messed with him and rumpled his clothes, Lu Chenghe always remained impeccably composed and brimming with energy. But now, leaning against the chair with his head propped up and looking utterly exhausted, it was a sight Zuo Ning had never witnessed before.

His memory of the final moments of his human life suddenly returned. He realized that he must have died saving that troublesome kid. But he had no idea whether the child he had pulled to safety in the end had actually been rescued. He couldn’t fathom where he had found the courage to jump into such a raging river to save someone back then.

Looking back now, he wondered if it was because he had already been utterly alone in life, having recently lost his loved ones. Perhaps that’s why he had acted so fearlessly, with nothing to hold him back.

But his vibrant, promising life had ended just like that. He had once fantasized that his current life as a dog might be a fleeting dream. Yet it now seemed he had truly been reincarnated. Perhaps he hadn’t drunk the soup of forgetfulness, for he still retained his human memories.

Resigned to his fate, Zuo Ning couldn’t help but sigh. Hearing the sound, Lu Chenghe, who had been resting with his eyes closed, immediately opened them. Upon seeing the little dog that had been on the verge of death now scratching the cushion beneath him with his claws, yet refraining from disturbing the IV drip on his paw, Lu Chenghe visibly relaxed.

Zuo Ning noticed Lu Chenghe moving, so he looked up at him. However, perhaps due to almost drowning, he felt utterly weak, his whole body limp and powerless. He stretched out his paw toward Lu Chenghe but couldn’t muster the strength to crawl over.

“Woof…”

Lu Chenghe pulled a chair next to the table where Little Pudding was lying and gently patted his head. “Be good and finish the IV. Once it’s done, we’ll head back.”

Zuo Ning twitched his ears and gave Lu Chenghe a puzzled look. He wasn’t scolding him? He wasn’t lecturing him either? Was he planning to save it all up for a later reckoning?

“Aooo…” It really wasn’t on purpose this time—it was just an accident! If you punish me again, I absolutely won’t admit to it!

Seeing the pitiful look on the little fellow’s face, Lu Chenghe couldn’t help but laugh. He stroked the tiny, cold paw with the IV in it. “Not feeling sick anymore, huh? Already starting to chatter again?”

“Awooo…” No, I still feel terrible—super terrible. My body’s weak, my head hurts, and I even recalled how I died in my past life. It was absolutely horrifying.

Lu Chenghe gently stroked his back. “Alright, don’t be scared. It’s all over. Let’s see if you dare to play with water again in the future.”

After a thorough check-up, it was determined that Zuo Ning’s heart and lungs were fine, and there were no signs of head trauma. Apart from slightly elevated physical indicators due to excessive fright, everything else was normal. He was a perfectly healthy little one. The fainting after less than a minute in the water was likely just a result of being overwhelmed by shock.

No one could possibly be more timid, Lu Chenghe thought. And to think he’d been worried Little Pudding might’ve hit his head. Although it was a false alarm, seeing Little Pudding lying there motionless earlier, unresponsive to any calls, was an experience Lu Chenghe never wanted to endure again.

After staying by Little Pudding’s side until the IV drip was finished, Lu Chenghe finally carried him back to the villa. Credit where it’s due—Lucas’s preparation was indeed meticulous. Despite there being only one veterinarian on the entire island, that sole presence really came in handy when needed.

As they left the clinic, Zuo Ning noticed it was already dark. He had no idea what time it was. The road back, though lit by streetlights, was eerily empty. Without any bodyguards around, walking through the night like this seemed like the perfect setup for a kidnapping, Zuo Ning thought.

While his mind wandered, Zuo Ning’s sharp ears caught the sound of a girl sobbing faintly in the distance. Instantly, every hair on his body stood on end.

Sensing Little Pudding’s body suddenly stiffen, Lu Chenghe tilted his head and looked down at him. “What’s wrong?”

Although Zuo Ning was still weak all over, he clung nervously to Lu Chenghe’s neck with all his remaining strength. “Woof!” Did you hear that? A girl crying? Or was it just me? This is so scary!

Lu Chenghe gently patted him. “Afraid of the dark? We’ll be home soon.”

Realizing that Lu Chenghe truly hadn’t heard the sound, Zuo Ning clung to him even tighter. Crying in the dead of night, and only he could hear it? Terrifying—enough to scare the life out of a dog!

It wasn’t until they returned to the brightly lit room that Zuo Ning finally let out a sigh of relief, still afraid that a vengeful ghost might leap out from somewhere. However, the constant state of alert had completely drained him of energy, and he collapsed limply onto Lu Chenghe.

Qi Wei, seeing the still listless Little Pudding, said with concern, “Wasn’t he supposed to be fine after a good night’s sleep? Why does he look so out of sorts? Is he hungry? Little Pudding, what do you want to eat? I’ll make it for you.”

Perhaps thinking about the cause of his death in his past life had drained too much of his energy, because he didn’t want to eat anything and only wanted to sleep. Lu Chenghe, noticing his lack of energy—even refusing to open his mouth for his favorite snacks—gently patted his head and said, “Alright, if you don’t want to eat, you don’t have to. Get some rest first, and we’ll see how you’re doing tomorrow.”

Zuo Ning cracked his eyes open just a sliver to look at Lu Chenghe. Tonight, Lu Chenghe was acting completely out of character—so unnervingly gentle and indulgent, to the point of being unrecognizable. Zuo Ning couldn’t help but wonder if something strange had possessed him. But he didn’t have the energy to dwell on it, and under Lu Chenghe’s soft pats, he soon drifted back into a deep sleep.

This time, Zuo Ning slept incredibly well—so well that he felt like he hadn’t had such a restful sleep in a hundred years. However, it wasn’t a deep sleep. His awareness lingered somewhere between waking and sleeping. He even had a vague sense of when Lu Chenghe got up, what he did after waking, and when he left the house—as if he could “see” it all through his half-dreaming consciousness.

What jolted him awake almost instantly was a vision of himself turning into a human, lying stark naked on the bed. Yet this awakening was only within the dream. His entire being felt as if it were pinned down by something; no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t open his eyes.

It wasn’t until he truly woke up, his consciousness fully returning, that he felt completely recharged, as though he had just been plugged into a power source and revitalized overnight. In a daze, he got up from bed, then looked down dumbfounded at his paws. Was it all just a dream? He was certain he had seen himself transform into a human. Could it be that recalling his last memories as a human yesterday had caused this vivid dream—a product of his thoughts manifesting during sleep?

Zuo Ning turned his head to look out the window. The weather was still beautiful, with bright sunlight that wasn’t scorching. Unlike the slight heat he felt upon stepping off the plane yesterday, he could even sense the cool breeze brushing against his skin.

Skin?

Zuo Ning jolted in shock and immediately leaped out of bed, running straight to the full-length mirror.

In the reflection was a pure white Samoyed. Well-fed and well-groomed, its coat was immaculate and fluffy. The black eyes stood out vividly against the snowy white fur, and the slightly open mouth resembled an angelic smile. Even though his fur was a little messy from sleep, the overwhelming beauty of the image still hit like a wave. Without a doubt, this was a stunningly handsome dog.

Zuo Ning wiggled his body, and the tail behind him swayed in sync with his thoughts. Nothing had changed—nothing at all. So it was all just a dream.

His ears drooped with a hint of disappointment, and his heart, which had been racing wildly from excitement, gradually calmed down. Glancing around and realizing Lu Chenghe wasn’t there, he shook out his fur, cast another look at the mirror, and then turned to find Lu Chenghe.

As he stood up to leave, he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror out of the corner of his eye, and a sudden thought struck him. He remembered that he had somehow “seen” Lu Chenghe getting up and going about his morning routine. He even recalled what Lu Chenghe was wearing today. But this vision wasn’t something he had consciously observed after waking up—it was more like the same awareness through which he had “seen” himself transform back into a human.

The thought sent a faint numbness through Zuo Ning’s paws. If Lu Chenghe was dressed exactly as he had “seen” in his consciousness, did that mean it wasn’t just a dream?

Oh, right—there was also the watch. Zuo Ning remembered seeing Lu Chenghe put on a small black watch that he normally didn’t like, to match today’s outfit. While he could have accidentally glimpsed the outfit during his half-asleep state, the watch was stored in the accessory room outside the bedroom. If he hadn’t gotten up and followed Lu Chenghe, there was no way he could have known about it.

Thinking about these details, Zuo Ning couldn’t wait another second. He was eager to determine whether it was all just his imagination or if he had truly experienced some kind of transformation.

He burst out of the bedroom, only to find the downstairs living room completely empty except for a bodyguard.

The bodyguard had been assigned to watch over Little Pudding in the villa. Just a few minutes ago, he had checked upstairs and found Little Pudding still deeply asleep. Assuming he wouldn’t wake up anytime soon, the bodyguard had reported the situation to his boss. But no sooner had he sat back down than Little Pudding suddenly woke up.

“Little Pudding, come downstairs and eat. You barely ate anything yesterday.”

Standing at the top of the stairs, Zuo Ning barked: “Woof!” Where’s Lu Chenghe?

Whether it was a random connection of brainwaves or simply because the bodyguard had been about to say it anyway, he answered, “Your master had something to take care of and won’t be back until noon. Be a good boy and eat your meal. He’ll be back after you’ve eaten. Come down.”

Zuo Ning sniffed the air, trying to pick up Lu Chenghe’s scent. He wanted to go out and find him, even though he wasn’t sure if he could. But to verify the thoughts in his head, he couldn’t wait even a minute longer. After all, if he could still turn back into a human, it would mean nothing short of rebirth for him.

Although his life as a dog had been going well—so well that he had tried to hypnotize and numb himself into accepting his situation—the uncertainty and ignorance of what the future held still filled Zuo Ning with fear. If there were any chance of turning back into a human, even if it meant losing his old identity, it was something he wouldn’t have dared to even dream of.

When the bodyguard turned toward the kitchen to bring out the prepared meal, Zuo Ning suddenly bolted downstairs, leaped up to unbolt the front door, and dashed out of the yard. Seeing the bodyguard chase after him, Zuo Ning kicked open the latch on the garden gate and relied on scents in the air to determine his direction, running as fast as he could.

The bodyguard was utterly flabbergasted that the dog—Little Pudding, always so well-behaved—had suddenly escaped. His heart practically exploded from shock. Even though this was a private island, it was still large in size. If the dog waited somewhere quietly to be rescued, that would be one thing, but the real danger was if he accidentally fell into a pit or water and got into trouble. The bodyguard had assumed that staying at the villa to watch the dog would be easier than following the boss around, but now it felt like he’d stumbled into a nightmare!

Zuo Ning ran with everything he had, faster than he ever thought he could, constantly using the scents in the air to pinpoint Lu Chenghe’s location. Seeing the bodyguard catching up behind him only spurred him to quicken his pace even more.

Meanwhile, Lu Chenghe was on a scenic beach, discussing a business collaboration with a foreign associate. They had been in contact remotely for some time, and with the rare occasion of a mutual friend’s wedding bringing them face-to-face, it was only natural to have a good chat.

Standing behind Lu Chenghe and always on high alert, the head bodyguard received the message through his earpiece. His expression darkened slightly. How could they fail to keep watch over even a dog? Did they really deserve their astronomical salaries? He cast an impassive glance at Lu Chenghe, who was happily engrossed in his conversation with the foreigner. The bodyguard decided to wait for an appropriate moment to inform him. After all, Little Pudding was practically the boss’s treasure, so much so that he had purchased a private jet just to bring the dog along. It was clear how highly he regarded him. If Little Pudding truly went missing, they’d all be packing their bags in disgrace.

Taking advantage of the moment when the boss and the foreign guest raised their glasses, the head bodyguard stepped forward and whispered something into Lu Chenghe’s ear.

Sitting across from him, Federman noticed Lu Chenghe’s expression change instantly. The faint smile he had been wearing vanished in a flash, replaced by a cold, serious look. Federman, who had known Lu Chenghe for years, had never seen him lose his composure like this and couldn’t help but feel curious. “Lu, what’s wrong? Did something happen? Is there anything I can do to help?”

Just as Lu Chenghe was about to apologize and excuse himself, a bark rang out. He turned his head and saw his Little Pudding standing at a distance, panting heavily. Upon seeing Lu Chenghe look his way, Little Pudding barked again before sprinting toward him.

Federman’s bodyguards immediately positioned themselves in front of him for protection, while Lu Chenghe’s own bodyguards let out a collective sigh of relief. Seeing the little troublemaker safe and sound, they felt as though a huge weight had been lifted off their shoulders.

Lu Chenghe extended his arms and caught Little Pudding as he leapt into his embrace. Noticing the little dog’s labored breathing, he gently patted his back to help him catch his breath. Turning to Federman, he said, “Apologies, this is my pet dog. I was just informed he had run off, but it seems he was coming to find me. If this is inconvenient, we can continue our discussion another day.”

Federman waved his bodyguards away, smiling warmly. “Not at all. My wife also loves dogs of all kinds. We have several at home. Yours is adorable. Did he really run all this way just to find you? It seems he’s very attached to you.”

Lu Chenghe, seeing that Little Pudding had calmed down a bit, instructed his bodyguard to fetch a small bowl. Smiling faintly at Federman, he replied, “Yes, he’s very attached to me and quite clingy.”

Lying in Lu Chenghe’s arms, Zuo Ning felt as though his chest was about to burst, his head buzzing loudly as he struggled to catch his breath. In all his years, not even the grueling 1,000-meter run during his college entrance exams had pushed him to this level of exertion. When Lu Chenghe handed him a bowl of water, Zuo Ning immediately drank from it in large gulps. Once he had finally recovered, he looked at Lu Chenghe’s outfit and noticed, as expected, the small black watch on his wrist.

Zuo Ning’s mind went completely blank for a moment. It was real. Everything he had seen matched perfectly. Then… could the scene of himself turning into a human and sleeping in bed also be real?

His thoughts were a jumble. If this was true, how had he transformed into a human? Was it triggered by drowning? But in the vision, he had been lying in the bedroom of that small villa, not waking up in someone else’s body. This meant that he could potentially transform into a human directly from his current body. But what exactly was the trigger for this transformation?

Until he could experience the transformation in a fully conscious state, he couldn’t entirely believe it. Though turning from a human into a dog was already unscientific, he understood that he had likely died. The idea of reincarnation seemed plausible, though why he retained his human memories remained a mystery. But the thought of a dog turning back into a human was even more baffling and impossible to explain.

After catching his breath, Zuo Ning lay motionless on Lu Chenghe’s lap, deep in thought. He didn’t even notice when Lu Chenghe finished his conversation with the foreign guest. When he finally came back to his senses, the white foreign businessman had already left. The entire venue was now empty except for Lu Chenghe, himself, and the bodyguards patrolling the perimeter.

Zuo Ning tilted his head up to look at Lu Chenghe, and upon seeing Lu Chenghe staring back at him, he instinctively twisted and placed his paw in Lu Chenghe’s palm. “Aoo?”

The moment he realized what he had done, Zuo Ning froze. Previously, he had thought that this life was set—there was no point in holding onto pride, so he might as well act as foolishly as possible to ensure a carefree and comfortable existence. But now, with the possibility—however slim—that he might have a chance to become human again, he suddenly felt self-conscious. If he continued behaving with no dignity, how would he face himself if he ever regained his human form?

Lu Chenghe couldn’t help but feel that Little Pudding was unusually erratic today. Not only had he run out of the villa on his own, but he had somehow managed to track him down. When the bodyguards reported that Little Pudding had escaped, Lu Chenghe was furious and wanted nothing more than to catch him and give him a thorough scolding. But when he turned and saw the little dog running toward him, likely following his scent all the way here, his emotions grew unexpectedly complicated.

Perhaps the unfamiliar environment and strangers had frightened him, so the moment he woke up and didn’t see Lu Chenghe, he panicked and ran out of the house. Seeing how attached Little Pudding was to him, Lu Chenghe wanted to scold and teach him not to run around recklessly again. But looking at how dependent Little Pudding was on him, he just couldn’t bring himself to do it.

In the end, all he could do was stroke the dazed Little Pudding lying on him and sigh helplessly, “You… so clingy. What am I going to do with you?”

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