When the whole world feels like it belongs to you, what does that feel like? Zuo Ning, who had collapsed into a puddle on the carpet and completely merged with it, could tell you: comfortable, truly comfortable. It’s like when the guests at home finally leave, and you no longer have to maintain appearances. You can instantly revert to your true self and completely let go—that kind of comfort.
As Lu Chenghe passed through the living room, he saw Little Pudding lying on the carpet, short legs propped up on the coffee table in a twisted, eye-piercing pose. He couldn’t help but twitch the corner of his mouth. “Little Pudding.”
Zuo Ning turned his head toward the sound. “Ao?”
“Put your little short legs down.”
Zuo Ning glanced at his own long, beautiful legs, then turned back to watching TV, completely ignoring the comment. His legs were so long—clearly, that remark wasn’t directed at him.
Seeing him pretend not to hear, Lu Chenghe didn’t bother with him anymore. He carried a plate into the side room and sat down. The side room was bright with sunlight. The deep winter sun, combined with the underfloor heating in the house, made it extremely enjoyable to lean on the sofa in just a thin sweater and read a book.
Picking up the small knife on the table, he sliced open the kiwi on the plate. The crisp sound of the blade meeting the porcelain plate snapped Zuo Ning out of his TV drama trance. He turned his head to see what Lu Chenghe was doing, and when he saw him eating fruit, he immediately put down his long, beautiful legs, scrambled to his feet, and trotted over to Lu Chenghe’s side. “Woof!” You’re eating alone!
Lu Chenghe didn’t even look at him. He picked up the spoon from the plate, scooped a bite of the halved kiwi, and ate it. Sweet with a hint of tartness—the taste was quite good.
Zuo Ning placed his two paws on Lu Chenghe’s thigh, tilted his head, and looked at him. “Woof!” Where’s mine?
Lu Chenghe glanced down at him. “I just spoke to you, and you pretended not to hear. Now you want food? Too late.”
Seeing that Lu Chenghe wasn’t going to share, Zuo Ning jumped onto the sofa. Once on the sofa, he was almost at eye level with Lu Chenghe. Then, he pounced on him, intending to snatch the food.
Of course, Lu Chenghe wouldn’t let him succeed. With a swift move, he blocked him and pinned him down on the sofa. Zuo Ning was pressed down like a turtle with all four paws flailing. Although he could easily resist and get up—after all, nearly fifty pounds of muscle wasn’t for nothing—Lu Chenghe was clearly just playing around. Zuo Ning simply flipped over, grabbed Lu Chenghe’s hand, and started nibbling on it.
Lu Chenghe immediately countered by gripping Zuo Ning’s mouth. “One day, I’ll coat my hand with poison so you’ll learn your lesson and stop biting.”
“Woof!”
“Want to eat?”
Zuo Ning instantly sat upright, obediently waiting to be fed.
Lu Chenghe pinched his ear. “Move your ears.”
Zuo Ning obediently twitched his ears. Then, one ear tilted forward, and the other tilted backward—a new skill he had recently mastered. A few days ago, he posted a video of this on Weibo, which attracted a lot of attention from pet bloggers trying to imitate it. The video even made it into the top ten trending topics. Now, in the world of adorable pet influencers, being unable to move your ears meant you weren’t truly cute.
Lu Chenghe fed Zuo Ning a spoonful of kiwi fruit. This kiwi wasn’t the overly ripe, cloyingly sweet kind—it had a crisp texture with a slight tang. After one bite, Zuo Ning scrunched his eyes at the sourness. He clearly preferred the kind that was super sweet.
After taking a bite, he gave up and turned away, refusing to eat more.
Of course, Lu Chenghe knew Zuo Ning’s preferences. He had deliberately fed him the sour one just to see his funny reaction, and now his mischievous intent was fulfilled. He sliced open another kiwi that was fully ripe and sweet. “Little Pudding, this one is super sweet. Really.”
Zuo Ning looked at Lu Chenghe with suspicion. Seeing him scoop up a spoonful—its color darker and texture softer than the previous one—he turned back after walking a few steps away.
Lu Chenghe said, “Show me what I taught you the other day. Did you forget?”
He knew it! He knew this man would never simply feed him without asking for something in return. Ever since they started living together, such things had happened countless times. Lu Chenghe seemed to have discovered the joy of keeping a pet and would always make him perform some “trick” before satisfying his appetite.
No one else was around, so performing wasn’t a big deal. He’d done even more embarrassing things before, and losing face behind closed doors was better than in public. So, following Lu Chenghe’s instructions, Zuo Ning stood up and clasped his front paws together, “Woof!”
Lu Chenghe scooped Little Pudding up, kissed his forehead, and said, “Little Pudding is so clever.” Then he fed him the sweet kiwi he had already prepared.
Finally getting the sweet kiwi he wanted, Zuo Ning cozied up in Lu Chenghe’s arms and ate the entire fruit. When he was done, Lu Chenghe picked up the previously sliced sour kiwi and asked him, “Want more?”
Zuo Ning wriggled off Lu Chenghe and ran back to the living room without looking back, diving straight back into his TV drama.
Watching his decisive little retreat, Lu Chenghe couldn’t help but chuckle. He didn’t let the sour kiwi go to waste, though. Instead, he took it to the kitchen and blended it into a smoothie using special dog-friendly ingredients. Knocking on the dog bowl filled with the smoothie, Lu Chenghe called out to Little Pudding, who was once again sprawled on the carpet. “Want some smoothie?”
As soon as the words left his mouth, a little cannonball came charging over. Laughing, Lu Chenghe scooped up the fluffy marshmallow-like pup, watching him eagerly lap at the smoothie with his tiny tongue. The smile on Lu Chenghe’s face never faded.
Although the house still had some supplies prepared earlier, most of the fresh vegetables had been used up over the past few days. With the snow outside yet to melt, the villa area wasn’t ideal for morning runs. Little Pudding had been cooped up indoors for several days, running around the house to burn off energy. Lu Chenghe figured the pup might be getting restless. Instead of having someone deliver groceries, he decided to take Little Pudding to the supermarket himself.
Though Lu Chenghe was used to having people cater to his every need, he was perfectly capable of managing independently. Back when he studied abroad, he had taken care of himself entirely. This rare return to a self-sufficient lifestyle had been a source of quiet joy for him.
Aside from the time Lu Chenghe took him to the mall to buy toys, Zuo Ning had never experienced such a domestic outing with him. By the time the car reached the parking lot, Zuo Ning was practically buzzing with excitement. Grocery shopping—one of those quintessential activities for cohabiting couples!
Before Zuo Ning could jump out of the car, Lu Chenghe scooped him up. The ground was wet with melted snow, and even inside the parking lot, muddy tracks from car tires were everywhere. With his pristine white fur, getting dirty would mean another bath later. It was easier to just carry him.
Zuo Ning thought they’d be stopped—after all, he’d never seen anyone bring a dog into a supermarket. But no one stopped them, even when Lu Chenghe placed him in a shopping cart. Perched in the cart, Zuo Ning wagged his tail excitedly, his eyes lighting up at the sight of the shelves filled with goods. He wanted to grab everything and toss it into the cart.
Lu Chenghe pushed the cart with Little Pudding toward the fresh food section. As soon as they arrived, Little Pudding stretched his paw in a specific direction. Following his lead, Lu Chenghe steered the cart closer and spotted a tank filled with a large pile of fresh shrimp.
“Do you want to play?”
Zuo Ning shot Lu Chenghe a disdainful glance. “Woof woof!”
If it wasn’t to play, it must be to eat. Lu Chenghe patted his fluffy head and started to wheel the cart away. “I don’t know how to cook these. Let’s wait until we’re home and have the chef make them for you.”
Hearing this, Zuo Ning didn’t cause a fuss, even though he was craving spicy shrimp. He knew even if Lu Chenghe could cook, he wouldn’t make it for him. Feeling wronged, he placed his front paws on the edge of the shopping cart basket, resting his head on them as he gazed at the shrimp. His expression was akin to someone about to part ways with their beloved.
Watching this pitiful, longing look, Lu Chenghe’s heart softened. He thought about how Little Pudding had been perfectly healthy since the time he overate as a puppy and upset his stomach. It seemed like he could digest almost anything. Turning back, Lu Chenghe asked the store staff to pack some shrimp. He couldn’t make anything complex, but simple steamed or boiled shrimp was manageable. Just a few wouldn’t hurt.
When Zuo Ning saw Lu Chenghe change his mind and pack the shrimp for him, his excitement made him want to stand up in the cart to hug him. Lu Chenghe pressed him down immediately. “Don’t move around. You might fall.”
Zuo Ning wagged his tail while watching the staff pack the shrimp, grinning from ear to ear.
Lu Chenghe shook his head. A furry kid—definitely still a child.
After picking up shrimp, Lu Chenghe selected a few fresh-looking vegetables. But when they passed the snack aisle, he experienced Little Pudding’s mischievous nature firsthand. He swiftly grabbed hold of Little Pudding’s outstretched paw and looked at him with a stern expression. “No. These aren’t for you.”
Zuo Ning stared at Lu Chenghe with teary eyes. Beef jerky was forbidden, chicken wings and claws were off-limits, and now even stuffed cookies weren’t allowed? If everything was forbidden, what was the point of bringing him to the supermarket?
Lu Chenghe managed to wrestle the box of cookies out of Little Pudding’s grasp and placed it back on the shelf. Pointing at his nose, Lu Chenghe said, “These will make you sick if you eat them. They’re not good for you.”
Zuo Ning let out a humph, turning his head away from Lu Chenghe. Of course, he knew snacks weren’t healthy—they couldn’t possibly be good for you. But they tasted amazing!
Amused by the little sulking fluff, Lu Chenghe reassured him, “I’ll make some for you when we get back.”
Zuo Ning immediately gave him a doubtful look. He could make cookies?
Lu Chenghe flicked his forehead lightly with his finger. “Stop looking at me like that. If I say I’ll make them, I’ll make them.”
Just then, a child dragging his mother walked over and headed straight for the chocolate-stuffed cookies, grabbing several packages at once. The mother, spotting the dog in the shopping cart nearby, quickly used it to frighten her child. “Look at the dog! All these cookies belong to him. If you take them, the dog will bite you!”
The child clutched the cookies tightly, staring at the big white dog sitting in the cart. He whispered to his mom, “He’s inside; he can’t come out.”
Zuo Ning bared his teeth at the child in response.
The sharp canine teeth flashed, and the child immediately burst into tears, dropping the cookies he was clutching onto the ground. His mother quickly returned the box to the shelf and dragged the crying child away.
Zuo Ning turned innocently toward Lu Chenghe. If that kid ended up afraid of dogs for life, he’d obviously be the culprit.
Lu Chenghe lowered his head, suppressing a smile, and pushed the shopping cart forward, heading to the checkout.
The man and the dog had a delightful trip to the supermarket. Despite constant disagreements about what to buy, overall, it was a successful outing. Once home, Lu Chenghe immediately soaked the shrimp in water and rolled up his sleeves to bake cookies for Little Pudding.
The snacks outside were full of unknown additives. To make them taste good, they were undoubtedly loaded with artificial sweeteners and creamers. It was better to make them at home.
When Zuo Ning saw that Lu Chenghe was really going to bake cookies for him, he decided to sit by the kitchen door and watch. Over the past few days, he’d seen Lu Chenghe cook—a simple stir-fry or boiled dumplings—but his dog food preparation was even simpler: chop the necessary ingredients, steam them, and mix them with the required nutritional powders. So, seeing Lu Chenghe roll up his sleeves to bake cookies was indeed a rare sight for Zuo Ning.
Lu Chenghe noticed Little Pudding sitting at the door, watching him like a supervisor, and couldn’t help but laugh. “Why aren’t you playing? What are you watching? Do you even understand what’s going on?”
Zuo Ning tilted his head and wagged his tail behind him. “Woof!” I understand everything. I’ll bake cookies for you someday, too!
Lu Chenghe smiled and stuck the recipe he found online onto the cabinet, following the instructions to mix the ingredients together.
Zuo Ning sat at the kitchen door, watching. The kitchen opened directly to the yard and had a large floor-to-ceiling glass window. Sunlight poured in, making the entire kitchen incredibly bright. At that moment, Lu Chenghe stood against the light, his profile seemingly outlined in a golden glow, so dazzlingly handsome it almost blinded Zuo Ning’s doggy eyes.
It wasn’t until the oven dinged that Zuo Ning snapped out of his daze. The rich, milky aroma in the air made him realize he had been staring at Lu Chenghe for so long that he hadn’t even noticed when he shaped the cookies and put them in the oven, or when he cleaned and prepared the shrimp. By the time he returned to his senses, the cookies were done, the shrimp were ready, and Lu Chenghe was already making his dog food. Where had the past hour gone?
Lu Chenghe wiped his hands, put on gloves, and opened the oven. He took out the tray, revealing perfectly baked, golden, crispy cookies shaped like dogs and bones.
Zuo Ning inhaled deeply, savoring the milky aroma, then ran over to cling to Lu Chenghe’s leg, eager to see how the cookies turned out.
Thinking Little Pudding couldn’t wait to eat, Lu Chenghe picked him up so he could see the tray on the counter. “You’ll have to wait a bit. They’re too hot right now. You can eat them once they’ve cooled.”
Looking at the neatly arranged cookies shaped like dogs and bones, Zuo Ning thought they could easily be packaged and sold as products. He never imagined Lu Chenghe had such a skill. Truly, the man he had his eyes on was a jack-of-all-trades!
After letting Little Pudding take a look, Lu Chenghe put him back on the ground and shooed him away to play. He didn’t want the pup to be tempted by the aroma and sneak a paw at the cookies, risking burning himself.
Contentedly, Zuo Ning returned to the living room. He saw the male lead in the TV drama spinning the female lead in circles and kissing her, and he rolled on the carpet laughing with squinted eyes. Thinking of the cookies Lu Chenghe had personally baked for him, he was beyond happy. If they could keep living like this together forever, how wonderful would that be? The more comfortable life became now, the less he wanted to go back to that big, stifling house.
The cookies had a strong milky flavor, but they weren’t overly sweet. Lu Chenghe had used specially refined sugar instead of regular granulated sugar, which was easier on dogs’ stomachs. This meant Little Pudding could eat as much as he wanted without a problem. And he certainly showed his appreciation—after dinner, he polished off more than half the tray of cookies.
If it hadn’t been for his round, overstuffed belly, which prompted Lu Chenghe to pack the remaining cookies away, the entire tray might have been devoured. Even during bedtime brushing, the little one still smelled faintly of milk.
Lu Chenghe used a dry-cleaning pet product to brush Little Pudding’s fur. Since the villa didn’t have a pet dryer, he had been cleaning him this way every few days. Once they returned home, he planned to give him a proper bath.
After wiping down his paws, Lu Chenghe carried him onto the bed. “You’re all clean now, so no jumping down and tracking dirt. Stay put and behave.”
When Lu Chenghe went into the bathroom to shower, the phone on the bedside table started ringing. Curious, Zuo Ning peeked over and saw it was a video call from Lu Chenghe’s mother. Glancing at the showering Lu Chenghe, he placed a paw on the screen to answer.
The video connected, but Lu Chenghe’s face didn’t appear. Calling her son’s name but receiving no response, Lu Chenghe’s mother called out a few times, only to see a big dog head pop into view. It was likely Little Pudding had accidentally answered the call, so she smiled warmly and said, “Little Pudding! You’ve been out having fun for so long—do you miss me? Come on, let me hear you bark.”
Zuo Ning obediently let out a bark, which made Mother Lu laugh in delight. She praised him endlessly for being such a smart little darling before asking, “Where’s Chenghe? Where’s your Lu daddy? Go call your Lu daddy for me!”
That’s right—in Mother Lu’s eyes, Little Pudding was already her son’s responsibility. Since it was her son’s dog, calling her son “Lu Daddy” made perfect sense to her.
Zuo Ning completely ignored the title. What was up with these chaotic family hierarchies? Instead, he wagged his tail and nuzzled against the phone’s camera.
It didn’t seem like Mother Lu had anything particularly urgent to say. Noticing that Little Pudding probably couldn’t understand her words, she wasn’t in a rush. It had been several days since she last saw the little fluffball, and she did miss him a bit. So, she began chatting with Little Pudding through the video call, occasionally prompting him to bark as though he was responding.
When Lu Chenghe finished his shower and came out, he spotted Little Pudding perched on the bedside table, with his mother talking to someone on the phone. He walked over and picked up the phone. “Mom, what’s up?”
Seeing her son’s appearance, Mother Lu guessed he had probably been in the shower earlier and got straight to the point. “When are you coming back?”
Upon hearing this, Zuo Ning’s ears drooped. As expected, they had to go back home. Still, having spent several days living their little two-person world, he felt like he’d made the most of it.
“Maybe in a couple of days,” Lu Chenghe said.
The moment his mother heard that he wanted to stay away for two more days, she became displeased. “Come back immediately. Your uncle talked about you during Lunar New Year, and your grandpa is waiting to see you. Don’t keep him waiting.”
Lu Chenghe had already planned to return in the next couple of days, but since his mother had called to urge him, he decided to return tomorrow. He’d visit his grandfather for New Year’s greetings and stay at home for barely two days before heading back to work. After hanging up the call, Lu Chenghe noticed Little Pudding lying on the bed, looking utterly dejected. He walked over and stroked his ears. “What’s wrong? You’re unhappy about going back home?”
Zuo Ning glanced at Lu Chenghe, climbed onto him from the bed, and nuzzled against his chest. Although he was reluctant to see their blissful days come to an end, life inevitably had to return to its normal rhythm. Once they were back home, Lu Chenghe would be busy every day, and Zuo Ning could take the time to sort himself out too.
However, Zuo Ning didn’t expect that going back wouldn’t mean returning to their usual routine but instead facing an even more dramatic reality.
Zuo Ning sat tightly pressed against Lu Chenghe’s thigh on the sofa, firmly insisting that Lu Chenghe’s hand remain on his head, stroking him. Whenever Lu Chenghe tried to move his hand away, Zuo Ning would tap his leg with a paw to remind him. At times, asserting dominance was an absolutely necessary act.
On the other sofa sat a girl dressed in a beige dress layered with a white cashmere coat and knee-high heeled boots that accentuated her graceful figure. Her face was bare of makeup, yet her complexion was fair and delicate, with exquisitely refined features. She sat quietly, exuding an air of elegance.
Mother Lu sat beside the girl, holding her hand as she addressed Lu Chenghe. “This is Ren Shishi. She’s currently studying at the Canadian Academy of Fine Arts. Her paintings, especially portraits, are exceptionally beautiful. Since she’s back in the country for the New Year, I thought I’d ask her to paint an oil portrait for me—on a large canvas, of course. So, I invited Shishi to stay with us for a while.”
Zuo Ning rolled his eyes internally. If this was a matchmaking setup, why bother coming up with so many excuses?
Lu Chenghe, of course, understood his mother’s intentions. But since she hadn’t explicitly stated them, he wouldn’t be so rude as to directly send the guest away. Instead, he said, “Welcome, Miss Ren. I hope you’ll enjoy keeping my mother company during your stay.”
Ren Shishi smiled faintly, her serene demeanor embodying the quintessential charm of a Chinese beauty—gentle, graceful, and poised. Every subtle expression seemed to carry the poetic elegance of a classical maiden. “It’s my honor to paint for Madam Lu.”
As a dog, even Zuo Ning had to admit with just one glance that Mother Lu had excellent taste. Based on appearances alone, this girl was absolutely a match for Lu Chenghe.
So, Zuo Ning spitefully extended his claws and pinched Lu Chenghe’s thigh!
Having already been stroking Little Pudding’s fur as requested, Lu Chenghe noticed the restless paw scratching at him and simply picked him up, holding his paws to stop him from moving. Then he turned to Ren Shishi and said, “Feel free to make yourself at home, Miss Ren. If you need anything, just let the butler know. I have some matters to attend to, so please excuse me.” With that, he carried Little Pudding away.
Their conversation had taken place in Mother Lu’s house. Even though everyone in the estate was well aware of her intentions, it wouldn’t be appropriate to have a single young woman stay in Lu Chenghe’s residence. However, as long as they were in the same estate, there would always be opportunities to meet. Proximity often leads to familiarity, and who knows, things might naturally fall into place over time.
If Zuo Ning knew what Mother Lu was thinking, he would have burst out laughing. When it comes to proximity, who could be closer than him? After all, he was the one who shared a bed with Lu Chenghe every night!
But now that a heavyweight rival had entered the picture, Zuo Ning knew he couldn’t afford to be careless with Lu Chenghe anymore. Strict vigilance and defense were absolutely necessary!
![You’re Causing Chaos Again [e-sports]](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/1sMqC2JNjIep8Ov.jpg "You’re Causing Chaos Again [e-sports]")
A Samoyed wiggling their ears is so cute! And a rival finally appear 😂