Zuo Ning had most of his body sprawled across the bed, with one hind leg just barely climbing up when Lu Chenghe’s words startled him so much that he slid off again. Then, pretending nothing had happened, he continued climbing—the way he clambered onto the bed was like that of a half-paralyzed patient. Only after he had fully gotten onto the bed did he turn around to face Lu Chenghe, flashing him a sweet smile and letting out a “Woof!” You called me? What do you want from me?
During this seemingly endless process of climbing onto the bed, Zuo Ning’s mind was a whirlwind of thoughts. Had his cover been blown? What should he do? Should he speak or not, and how should he say it? Was this about to become a heart-to-heart conversation, or would he simply charm his way out of it with cute antics? Then, when he turned around, he saw Lu Chenghe standing with his arms crossed, watching him with sharp eyes that instantly made Zuo Ning lose his nerve.
Wu wu—Lu Chenghe was on a whole different level. Facing a serious Lu Chenghe was scarier than facing the school disciplinarian!
Zuo Ning decisively flopped onto the pillow, adopting a “do whatever you want” demeanor. I’m just a dog on the verge of attaining immortality—eat me, and you’ll gain eternal life!
Lu Chenghe walked over, picked up the dog lying on the bed, and sat him up. Seeing his drowsy appearance, obviously trying to avoid the conversation, Lu Chenghe amusedly pinched his chubby little face, saying, “Talk!”
Zuo Ning wagged his tail. “Woof!” What do you want me to say? Even if I said something, would you understand?
Lu Chenghe studied him closely for a moment. “Speak human words. You can talk, right?”
Zuo Ning immediately gave Lu Chenghe a look that said, “Are you stupid?” He was just a dog who could make phone calls—give him a keyboard, and he could even pull off a five-kill streak in a game! What’s so remarkable about that? And now he was supposed to speak human words—if he could do that, he’d have already soared into the heavens!
Lu Chenghe studied him carefully for a moment, the smile on his face gradually fading until his expression turned completely blank. “You can’t or don’t dare to speak human words, but you can understand every single word humans say, can’t you, Little Pudding?”
In the past, Lu Chenghe had always thought Little Pudding was very smart, but so were Lang Ya and Fu Na. However, those two were especially obedient—they could grasp the meaning of certain words if repeated enough times. Their intelligence, while commendable, was still within a reasonable range for dogs.
But Little Pudding was different. From a young age, he had received no training, yet he could always cleverly comprehend what people were saying to him. Sometimes, he even knew how to feign ignorance. His memory surpassed that of average dogs, his little schemes were more intricate, and there were even moments when Lu Chenghe caught him with a distinctively thoughtful look in his eyes. If it weren’t for the fact that Little Pudding often acted silly, Lu Chenghe might have long started suspecting something was amiss, especially if he consistently displayed such intelligence.
A dog that could think and make phone calls—was that still a dog?
Zuo Ning knew he was truly cornered today. In the past, he could always get away with casual evasion because Lu Chenghe didn’t push the matter, was willing to trust him, or never seriously doubted him. But the Lu Chenghe of today was clearly determined to figure everything out. If Zuo Ning tried to bluff his way out again by playing dumb, he’d be the real fool.
Looking at this unfamiliar side of Lu Chenghe, Zuo Ning couldn’t help but shrink back a little, lowering his head and softly saying, “Woof…” Ask whatever you want, then. Anyway, our communication has always been limited to Yes or No—I’d actually wish you could truly understand me.
As Zuo Ning bowed his head in resignation, Lu Chenghe, standing tall above him, curved his lips into a slight smile. This sly little creature, without some genuine intimidation, probably wouldn’t spill the truth. After all, it was his own puppy that he had raised. He knew all too well what kind of nature this little rascal had.
“Can you talk or not?”
Zuo Ning didn’t dare to look at Lu Chenghe. He lowered his head, adopting an air of surrender. “Woof woof.”
“Can you understand every single word I say?”
Zuo Ning’s voice became even softer. “Woof.”
“Have you been able to understand since you were young?”
“…Woof.”
Lu Chenghe was silent for a moment. “Were you once a human?”
Zuo Ning’s heart immediately skipped a beat, his mind buzzing. By the time he heard himself let out two barks, he felt utterly drained. He lied. He couldn’t bring himself to tell Lu Chenghe that he had once been human. If he was merely inhabiting this dog’s body for some reason, and his original body was still intact—even if it were in a vegetative state—he would have told Lu Chenghe the truth.
But he was already dead. There was no going back. Becoming a dog was a new chapter in his life, especially since there was still a possibility of returning to being human. Yet, even if he became human again, it would have nothing to do with the identity of Zuo Ning.
There was nothing left for him to linger on in his previous life. His beloved parents were no longer alive. While he still had some relatives, there had always been conflicts among the elders since his childhood, and they had almost completely severed ties later on. As for his classmates, although there were one or two with whom he was on relatively good terms, they were just that—merely good terms.
As a human, he simply couldn’t find a reason to return. So he lied. He didn’t know how Lu Chenghe would view him if he discovered that Zuo Ning had once been human. Someone like Lu Chenghe would probably have no trouble accepting a dog. But accepting a human… Just the thought of Lu Chenghe possibly becoming wary of him or looking at him as if he were a stranger made Zuo Ning’s heart ache.
From such a tiny little ball of meat to now, growing up with daily meals and bedtime shared, Lu Chenghe knew the personality of the little rascal well. Since the pup had even admitted to understanding human speech, Lu Chenghe didn’t believe there was any need for him to lie about other matters. Besides, if Little Pudding had indeed been a human in the past, wouldn’t it be better to confess now? After all, who would willingly remain a dog if they were once human? Therefore, Lu Chenghe didn’t consider the possibility of Little Pudding deceiving him about this.
In other circumstances, he might not have been so quick to trust. But Little Pudding was different—the bond they’d built over the past half year wasn’t fake. People tend to show favoritism toward those they are emotionally attached to. Even the sharpest individuals have moments of misjudgment—it’s either the result of masterful acting or feelings developing before deceit.
Lu Chenghe asked again, “Then, are you a spirit?”
Zuo Ning, who had been sitting upright, gradually sank down onto the bed. Everything that had happened today felt far too abrupt, especially when Lu Chenghe had asked earlier whether he had once been human. It had truly frightened him. He felt incredibly unwell, his stomach twisting painfully. Hearing Lu Chenghe’s question, he let out a feeble sound.
He should count as a spirit, shouldn’t he? A being capable of transforming into human form. By admitting to being a spirit now, it would make sense later if he happened to revert to a human under uncontrollable circumstances.
Lu Chenghe noticed something odd in his tone, crouched down, and looked at the little pup burying his face in his paws. “Little Pudding? What’s wrong?”
Zuo Ning barely raised his head. “Wuuu…” My stomach hurts… It hurts so much.
Lu Chenghe saw the pup’s watery eyes, as if he was on the verge of tears, and assumed he had scared him. Gently stroking his head, he said, “Alright, alright, I won’t ask anymore. You’re just a spirit, aren’t you? Look at how frightened you are.”
Zuo Ning was no longer capable of thinking clearly. He didn’t know if he had managed to get through the situation or not. The tension that had been tightly coiling around his nerves suddenly relaxed, and he felt waves of darkness washing over his vision.
Lu Chenghe noticed Little Pudding lying on the bed, looking very unwell. He reached out to feel his body and was alarmed when he touched his abdomen and felt it spasming. Immediately, he asked the butler to call the doctor.
Seeing that Lu Chenghe didn’t show any fear or rejection despite his peculiar nature, and even helped to ease his stomach pain by gently rubbing it, Zuo Ning felt so aggrieved that he wanted to cry. Couldn’t they just have a proper conversation? Why did he have to scare him with such a sudden attack, leaving him no time to mentally prepare? It was enough to scare him to death.
Looking at the little one who was clearly in discomfort but silently enduring it, only showing his grievance when Lu Chenghe patted him as usual, Lu Chenghe couldn’t help but feel both amused and exasperated. “Alright, be good. The doctor will be here soon.”
When Wen Ting arrived, Lu Chenghe was holding Little Pudding, massaging his belly, while Little Pudding was vomiting into a bowl. For those unaware, it might have seemed like he had eaten something bad. Some dogs naturally have weak stomachs, so mild gastroenteritis could be manageable. However, if they accidentally ate something harmful, it could damage the intestines and become a serious issue.
After a thorough check-up, administering medicine to relieve the stomach spasms, and hooking him up to an IV drip, Wen Ting told Lu Chenghe, “It’s likely caused by fright, and he also has a slight fever.”
Lu Chenghe had already suspected it was fright-induced. Little Pudding had been perfectly fine before his questioning, but he fell ill afterward—clearly, he had scared him. Nevertheless, hearing the doctor’s diagnosis, Lu Chenghe still found the situation somewhat amusing. He knew Little Pudding wasn’t the bravest, but he hadn’t thought he’d be this timid.
Still, this was an oversight on his part. If Little Pudding really was a spirit, he would certainly understand what his existence meant to humans—exposure could be deadly. And yet, despite this, he had chosen to confess, even though he’d nearly frightened himself to death in the process. Remembering how Little Pudding would whine and whimper at the slightest discomfort in the past, but endured silently today until Lu Chenghe comforted him as usual, Lu Chenghe couldn’t help but feel a pang of heartache.
Gently patting his head and seeing him lift his eyes to look back, Lu Chenghe sighed helplessly, “Does it still hurt?”
Zuo Ning let out a small whimper—it still hurt. Although vomiting had brought some relief, his stomach was still in pain.
Back when he was human, his health had been fairly decent, and he had enjoyed playing sports like basketball. However, he had one small but persistent issue: whenever he became nervous, his stomach would ache, and in severe cases, it would even spasm. The doctor had once diagnosed it as irritable bowel syndrome, a condition likely linked to psychological stress. What he didn’t expect was that this problem would persist even now that he was a dog.
Lu Chenghe gently rubbed his stomach, noticing that the spasms were less intense than before. Seeing his pitiful gaze, Lu Chenghe stroked his back repeatedly and said, “Alright, I apologize. I shouldn’t have scared you on purpose. Don’t be afraid, even if you’re a spirit—you’re still my Little Pudding.”
Zuo Ning let out a soft whimper, looking at Lu Chenghe, unsure of his intentions. How could Lu Chenghe remain so calm after finding out he was a spirit? It seemed like Lu Chenghe was more concerned about his recent discomfort than the fact that he was a spirit. If his dog turned out to be a spirit, wouldn’t he be worried about the spirit potentially harming him?
Lu Chenghe touched his paw, lowered his gaze to meet Zuo Ning’s eyes, and asked, “Do you trust me? Trust that I would never hurt you?”
Zuo Ning responded with a light bark. If you say you won’t, I’ll believe you. Even if Lu Chenghe did end up hurting him, he thought he probably wouldn’t blame him. After all, it’s natural to fear and distrust something alien—he could understand that, though it would still hurt deeply.
Lu Chenghe chuckled softly. “Then, can you tell me when you realized you were a spirit? Did you know from a young age?”
Zuo Ning barked twice. How could he have known from the beginning? If he had known from the start that he could transform into a human, he would have seized the opportunity to sneak away and work on becoming human again.
“So you only found out later?”
“Woof…”
Who would have thought that the first pet Lu Chenghe ever raised would turn out to be a spirit? For someone raised under the red flag, this was certainly a novel experience, and he couldn’t help but feel curious. “So, can you do magic?”
Zuo Ning let out two quiet barks.
Lu Chenghe nodded. “I figured you couldn’t; otherwise, you wouldn’t have been scared to the point of throwing up.” And with such a timid disposition, getting half-scared to death after just a couple of questions. But Lu Chenghe didn’t say this out loud, knowing how strong Little Pudding’s pride was. Saying it might only provoke him to get upset.
Seeing how listless Little Pudding looked, Lu Chenghe patted his head and said, “Alright, sleep. Once the IV drip is done, I’ll carry you to bed.” He hadn’t forgotten how upset Little Pudding had been for days just because he wasn’t allowed to eat at the table that one time. If today, after learning about his true identity, Little Pudding wasn’t allowed to sleep on the bed, who knows how much his sensitive little heart might feel wronged.
Hearing this, Zuo Ning licked Lu Chenghe’s hand. Oh my, could this count as a blessing in disguise? From now on, no matter what he did, he wouldn’t need to hold back anymore. The relief of having his true identity exposed was liberating—he finally didn’t need to keep playing dumb to cover for himself.
But tonight had indeed been a rollercoaster. Although his body still felt unwell, Zuo Ning forced himself to stay awake to chat with Lu Chenghe, not daring to fall asleep recklessly. Now that Lu Chenghe had told him to rest, Zuo Ning couldn’t hold out any longer. Almost as soon as he closed his eyes, he quickly fell asleep.
Listening to the little rascal snoring contentedly without a care in the world, Lu Chenghe shook his head helplessly. With a heart this carefree, if he ever encountered someone with ill intentions, he might just end up being sold off and still help count the money.
Looking at the already-sleeping Little Pudding, Lu Chenghe sat beside him, gently patting his back. He had actually raised a little spirit—it seemed like it was time for him to start seeing the world in a new light.
Zuo Ning thought that a good night’s sleep would fix everything, but he didn’t expect the fever to last for three whole days. Wen Ting almost ended up moving into the Lu household. Although Lu Chenghe didn’t say anything, Zuo Ning could sense that he felt a bit guilty. For the past few days, Lu Chenghe had been remotely managing his company and staying home to keep him company.
Lu Chenghe continued to treat him so well, and now that his identity was more or less revealed, Zuo Ning no longer had to tiptoe around or hold back in whatever he did. This should have been something to celebrate, but unexpectedly, something happened that made Zuo Ning so embarrassed he refused to come out from under the covers.
Lu Chenghe sat beside the lump under the blanket, gently patting the vain little rascal hiding inside, and comforted him, “It’ll pass soon. This is normal. Come out and let me take a look.”
Zuo Ning poked just his nose out from under the blanket. Amused, Lu Chenghe grabbed his paw to stop him from running away, then lifted the blanket. The little rascal immediately struggled to bury his head under the pillow, leaving only his butt exposed.
Lu Chenghe dragged him out, picked up a brush, and pinned him down to groom him. The white fur wasn’t shedding strand by strand—it was coming out in clumps. Soon, a massive pile of fur had accumulated on the floor.
Little Pudding had gone through shedding seasons before, but it was always just a little bit. With daily brushing, the house never got messy. This time, however, perhaps due to his illness, the fur was shedding like crazy. And, of course, what Lu Chenghe had thought would never happen to Little Pudding—the infamous “monkey face phase”—had arrived.
Wen Ting explained that according to the normal growth timeline for Samoyeds, they typically enter this phase at around two to three months old. Little Pudding had been brought home in August, roughly a month old at the time. Now that it was February, Little Pudding was already seven months old—his bones and body were basically at the adult stage.
However, this was the standard for regular dogs. His own pet was a spirit, perhaps even with a lifespan much longer than that of ordinary dogs, so it was likely inappropriate to apply the typical Samoyed growth pattern to him.
As Lu Chenghe groomed his vain little spirit dog, he reassured him, “It’s just shedding fur, not ugly, really. You’re almost an adult now. It won’t be long before all the shed fur grows back, and you’ll be the most handsome again.”
Zuo Ning looked at Lu Chenghe listlessly. Anyone would feel unsettled after sleeping for several days, only to find themselves suddenly transformed. Moreover, his face during his “monkey phase” was genuinely too ugly—if it hadn’t happened to him, it would’ve been the kind of face that made him laugh every time he saw it.
“Wuuu…” It’s too ugly. I don’t want to go outside.
Lu Chenghe pulled up pictures of other Samoyeds to show him. “Look, this is completely normal. Everyone goes through this. It’s just like losing baby teeth when growing up—an unavoidable part of maturing. You can’t stay hidden in your room forever, can you?”
Zuo Ning let out a disgruntled hum. Of course, he could. He’d once proudly spent an entire summer vacation holed up at home!
Lu Chenghe patted his head, then carried him off the bed. He hadn’t discarded the pile of white fur, nor the fur Little Pudding had shed before; he had the maids collect it all. If enough is accumulated over time, he might even craft it into a keepsake.
Seeing Little Pudding crouched beside him, silently watching, Lu Chenghe said with amusement, “Alright, go outside and play. Lang Ya and Fu Na must be missing you.”
Zuo Ning scratched at his paw but remained motionless.
Lu Chenghe suddenly asked, “Do they know you’re a spirit? Or are there actually many spirits like you, and we humans just don’t know about them?”
Zuo Ning barked twice. If there were many like him, that’d be great—at least he’d have other dogs to ask for advice. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be so clueless, spending all this time unable to figure out the rules for turning into a human.
Lu Chenghe chuckled. “So, does that mean I have once-in-a-century luck? The first pet I raised turns out to be a one-in-a-million little spirit?”
Zuo Ning puffed up his tiny chest proudly. Of course, it was once-in-a-century luck! Glancing at Lu Chenghe, who was still diligently cleaning up his shed fur, Zuo Ning clung to his leg, attempting to climb onto him.
Lu Chenghe naturally picked him up. “What’s this? You’re all better, and now you’re acting spoiled? Spirits shouldn’t be so clingy.”
These past few days, perhaps due to feeling unsettled, Little Pudding had become even clingier to Lu Chenghe. The benefits of having a spirit as a pet had yet to reveal themselves, but ever since his identity was exposed, this little rascal seemed to have no inhibitions whatsoever. If it weren’t for his illness and the excessive fur shedding that had left him looking unattractive, Lu Chenghe wasn’t sure what kind of mischief he’d have been up to.
Even though Lu Chenghe knew this little one could be considered a spirit, he didn’t find him particularly extraordinary. Aside from understanding human speech, there seemed to be nothing else that was especially remarkable about him.
If Zuo Ning knew what Lu Chenghe was thinking, he’d definitely splash him with spit in indignation. He could turn into a human, after all—and when he did, it would scare him out of his wits!
After clinging to Lu Chenghe for a while, Zuo Ning noticed that Lu Chenghe was heading to the study to work. He was just about to climb onto the bed and continue being a lazy homebody dog when Lu Chenghe picked him up and carried him to the yard, saying, “Go play. Be back before dinner.”
Watching Lu Chenghe close the door and instruct the butler not to let him hide in the downstairs kennel, then walking away without looking back, Zuo Ning quietly glanced at the butler, sighed, and turned towards the backyard.
The butler couldn’t help but twitch the corner of his mouth—apparently, even cats and dogs have their own sense of aesthetics. Knowing his fur looked bad from shedding, Zuo Ning didn’t even want to be seen by people.
It hadn’t snowed for several days, and every day was bright and sunny. It felt like winter was fading and spring was on its way. Even the scent of romance seemed to linger in the air.
Although Zuo Ning hadn’t left his room for days, he would occasionally run out to the balcony to observe the activities in the yard.
Those two—whether it was to avoid suspicion or because they felt that courting on the grass was more romantic—spent their time together in the backyard. Well, in truth, it was because Ren Shishi hadn’t finished her painting yet. Every day, she would sit in the yard and paint while referencing the blossoming flower on the wall, and Lu Chenghan would come by like clockwork to accompany her, watching her paint. Sometimes, he could sit and watch her for an entire afternoon.
Because of this, Mother Lu seemed a bit upset, feeling that the match she had originally arranged for her son had unexpectedly caught Lu Chenghan’s eye instead. However, she was relieved that Lu Chenghe had no interest in Ren Shishi at all. Otherwise, the drama of two men falling for the same woman would have been truly unbearable.
Lu Chenghan, saying something to Ren Shishi, suddenly burst into laughter. Ren Shishi, on the other hand, merely smiled softly with her lips pressed together, lowering her head. The sight of the handsome man and beautiful woman together created such a picturesque scene that the backyard practically transformed into a stunning, romantic backdrop—it had the vibe of a drama unfolding right in front of you, a visual delight.
Then Lu Chenghan spotted Little Pudding entering the yard and pointed at him, saying to Ren Shishi, “Look at Little Pudding! Second Brother said Little Pudding doesn’t like to show himself during his transformation period—no wonder he’s been hiding. This little monkey face is absolutely hilarious!”
Zuo Ning, who had initially come out to enjoy the lively atmosphere and soak in some romantic vibes, instantly shot Lu Chenghan a death glare. Perfect—this grudge was officially set.
LCH easily accepts that Little Pudding is a spirit and I’m certain he would also “easily” accepts it when ZN finally turn into human in front of him 🤭