Zuo Ning was already prepared to wobble down the stairs with his short little legs, but to his surprise, Lu Chenghe didn’t plan to return the same way they came. Instead, he took him to ride the cable car.
Having stayed on the mountain for two nights and one day, Zuo Ning had been tricked by Lu Chenghe into eating a vegetarian meal, witnessed a drama involving a smear campaign and subsequent redemption, and even became a fan of someone. Overall, aside from the vegetarian meal, Zuo Ning was quite satisfied with the trip. The only lingering regret was not knowing if the Alaskan Malamute that bit the poodle had been disciplined. Judging by how well its owner cared for it, they probably couldn’t bear to punish it.
The cable car ride lasted twenty minutes, moving at a leisurely pace that was perfect for enjoying the scenic views from the mountaintop all the way to the base. Zuo Ning stood on a chair, holding onto the backrest as he looked outside. Layer upon layer of peculiar mountain peaks towered into the clouds, and the hikers below seemed as small as ants. On this side of the cable car route, which passed through various temple-themed tourist attractions, there were more people compared to the other side, which was purely for hiking. Most visitors came with their families or in tour groups waving small flags.
Zuo Ning glanced at Lu Chenghe, who was gazing out the window at the scenery. Just as Zuo Ning was about to look away, Lu Chenghe turned toward him, prompting a wide grin from Zuo Ning.
Seeing Zuo Ning’s silly expression, Lu Chenghe chuckled and patted the fur on his back. “Enjoying the view?”
Zuo Ning wagged his tail. “Woof!” It’s beautiful. It would have been even better if you’d taken me on the cable car when we first arrived.
After Zuo Ning responded, he saw that Lu Chenghe had turned back to the scenery. So, Zuo Ning climbed from the chair onto Lu Chenghe’s lap, determined to sit on him while gripping the side railing to look down.
Lu Chenghe let him be, holding onto him to prevent accidents once he settled. Although Little Pudding was now nearly fifty pounds—already considered a large dog for his age—his clingy habits hadn’t changed a bit since he was a puppy. Just like those internet jokes about giant dogs over a hundred pounds still wanting to be cuddled like oversized babies.
Lu Chenghe gently groomed Little Pudding, soothingly stroking his fur. He had been shedding heavily recently, but the situation seemed to have improved in the past few days. Although there was still some shedding, it was no longer in large clumps. Despite the somewhat comical distribution of fur on his face, the little monkey face remained a little monkey face. Over time, it became less noticeable and even endearing.
As the cable car glided to the halfway point of the mountain, Zuo Ning suddenly stood up from his seated position and climbed onto Lu Chenghe’s lap, placing his two paws on Lu Chenghe’s shoulders. With his current size, this posture allowed him to look down at Lu Chenghe from a commanding height.
Seeing the serious expression on the little creature’s face, Lu Chenghe held him with both hands and asked, “What’s wrong?”
Zuo Ning released one paw from Lu Chenghe’s shoulder and covered Lu Chenghe’s eyes. Immediately after, Lu Chenghe felt a warm and familiar breath approach, followed by something soft and furry pressing against his lips.
Almost simultaneously, Lu Chenghe slapped Little Pudding’s bottom. After the little creature kissed him, it let out a yelp, collapsed onto him, closed its eyes, and burrowed into his arms, pretending to be dead.
Lu Chenghe pinched the soft flesh on his chubby butt: “How many times have I told you, don’t go around kissing and licking randomly. You understood me, but you’re deliberately choosing not to remember, is that it?”
Zuo Ning lay on top of Lu Chenghe, his big tail covering the spot without fur, as he squinted his eyes and smiled at Lu Chenghe. He had read those romance novels before, with legends about Ferris wheels—like how kissing on a Ferris wheel would mean never parting for life. Although he had scoffed at such notions back then, he suddenly remembered it just now and couldn’t help but follow through.
Whether it works or not, a kiss doesn’t cost anything—what if it actually comes true?
Lu Chenghe held this oversized baby in one arm and pinched his mouth with the other, shaking it gently: “If you keep kissing randomly, I’ll punish you by giving you one less bite of meat.”
Zuo Ning whimpered, sticking out half his tongue and looking at Lu Chenghe with a playful expression. Then he turned half his face toward Lu Chenghe and even patted him with his paw.
Lu Chenghe slapped his paw lightly: “You’re a boy; you can’t act spoiled.” This habit of kissing at every turn absolutely couldn’t be indulged.
Zuo Ning protested unhappily: “Woof woof woof!” Kiss or not? Kiss or not?! If you don’t kiss me, I’ll bite you!
Lu Chenghe looked up at the scenery, ignoring him. Zuo Ning quickly climbed off him and started causing a ruckus, flailing around as if to say, If you don’t kiss me, I won’t give up! If Lu Chenghe hadn’t been holding onto him, he would’ve slid off his lap several times.
Lu Chenghe was wearing a coat made of fabric that wasn’t resistant to fur, so in just a short while, Little Pudding had covered him in dog hair. The black coat, now covered in pure white fur, stood out glaringly. Lu Chenghe looked at Little Pudding with a cold expression: “Keep causing trouble, and I’ll leave you here!”
Zuo Ning whimpered pitifully, covering his face with his paws and pretending to cry in Lu Chenghe’s arms. He occasionally slapped Lu Chenghe’s thigh with his paw to show his dissatisfaction. Life under constant scolding was simply unbearable!
Meanwhile, the bodyguard across from them, who had been discreetly observing the situation, maintained a professional poker face. Despite his boss being single, he couldn’t help but feel like he was being force-fed dog food.
In the end, Zuo Ning’s defeated expression, staring lifelessly at the scenery outside the glass window, broke Lu Chenghe’s composure. Zuo Ning won the battle, earning a kiss as he wished. Afterward, he seemed to switch on an internal engine, instantly transforming into a ridiculously happy, childlike fool.
Lu Chenghe pinched his ear and teased him: “You little drama king, why do you have so much drama every day?”
Zuo Ning squirmed on him, thinking, Isn’t this how feelings are nurtured? If you won’t take the initiative, then I’ll just have to be proactive myself.
The power of love is remarkable. The fourth son of the Lu family, in order to win over a wife in his second brother’s house, neglected his own company entirely, spending all his time focused on improving the VR equipment. However, the modifications were not extensive. The Samoyed is not a small dog, and the average seat suitable for a person works just fine for him. The game controller was already designed with an extendable mode, allowing distance adjustments, so the modifications were mainly to the buttons on the controller and the safety belt settings on the seat.
When Lu Chenghe returned with Little Pudding, Lu Chenghan was busy in the gaming room previously designated by Lu Chenghe, assembling the VR equipment and setting up an entire wall with a display screen. This left Zuo Ning dumbfounded. After all, he had originally just wanted an affordable VR headset.
Carrying Little Pudding into the room for a look, Lu Chenghe noticed Lu Chenghan eagerly flattering him, saying, “Second Brother, look! Absolutely deluxe gaming equipment! There’s a single-player mode and even a dual-player option—multiple choices! Little Pudding can play whatever he likes!”
Lu Chenghe glanced at him coolly. The intention behind installing the dual-player setup was blatantly obvious, thinly veiled under the pretense of pleasing Little Pudding. It was quite the “progress”.
Seeing that his second brother didn’t kick him out, Lu Chenghan enthusiastically continued directing the workers to install everything with even greater energy. The butler, noticing Lu Chenghe’s return, approached and said, “The photographer Madam had booked earlier has already arrived. Madam just sent someone to ask if you would like Little Pudding to have a set of photos taken as well.”
Mother Lu, under the pretense of inviting Ren Shishi to paint an oil painting, had actually been inspired by a sudden whim and wanted one herself. However, it would obviously be impractical for her to sit there as a model for Ren Shishi to paint, so she decided to have photos taken instead for Ren Shishi to reference.
Naturally, the photos couldn’t be casually snapped, so Mother Lu specifically booked a renowned photographer. Even with the Lu family’s status, it still took about half a month to secure an appointment with the photographer. Now that he was here today, she wanted to check with her son if they should take a set together as well.
Lu Chenghe glanced at Little Pudding, whose eyes were glued to the gaming equipment, and smiled at the butler, saying, “I’ll take Little Pudding over right away.”
The butler nodded and immediately sent someone to notify the photographer. He also arranged for a few outfits to be picked out from the wardrobe, just in case the young master decided to join the photoshoot. It would save time rather than fetching clothes later.
Zuo Ning didn’t mind the idea of taking photos. Ever since he started using Weibo, he has taken plenty of pictures and has gotten used to it. However, he realized he didn’t have a single photo with Lu Chenghe yet. Turning to Lu Chenghe with anticipation, he barked, “Woof!”
Perhaps spending so much time with Little Pudding had made Lu Chenghe inexplicably understand some of his thoughts. He asked, “Do you want to take a photo with me?”
Zuo Ning wagged his tail enthusiastically, barking, “Woof!”
Lu Chenghe chuckled, “Alright.” After all this time, it was indeed about time they had a photo together.
Hearing Lu Chenghe agree, Zuo Ning couldn’t help but frolic around him in excitement.
But now that they were back home, Lu Chenghe didn’t feel like being bothered. He loosened his grip, and Zuo Ning, who was about to roll around on him, fell straight down onto the thick carpet.
Seeing Lu Chenghe’s deliberate action, Zuo Ning bared his teeth at him and barked, “Woof woof!” Dropping him without warning and giving him no time to prepare—Lu Chenghe was truly getting worse. Watching Lu Chenghe walk away without looking back, Zuo Ning let out a howl and quickly chased after him.
The photographer was a Caucasian man with a high-bridged nose and deep-set eyes, his irises a striking blue. Zuo Ning stared at him for a moment, then decided that dark-colored eyes, like Lu Chenghe’s, were far more attractive than the photographer’s.
When Lu Chenghe approached, the photographer came forward to greet him, and the two exchanged a conversation in a language that sounded complex and not just simple pleasantries. Zuo Ning listened quietly but couldn’t understand much of it. Shortly after, Lu Chenghe bent down to pick him up. The photographer leaned in slightly to observe him for a moment, then gave Lu Chenghe an “OK” gesture.
Zuo Ning looked up at Lu Chenghe, who patted his head and said, “Just play naturally later. He’ll capture your best moments.”
At first, Zuo Ning didn’t think much of it, but then he suddenly remembered his current state. Horrified, he covered his face and looked at Lu Chenghe in shock, barking, “Woof woof!” Oh no, how could I forget I’m in the middle of shedding season? No, no, I don’t want to take photos anymore!
Lu Chenghe, seeing his reaction, immediately understood what had dawned on him. Amused, he held Zuo Ning tightly and said, “Don’t worry, the photos will turn out great. Trust me.”
Zuo Ning felt like crying. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Lu Chenghe—it was that he didn’t trust himself!
But a promise made was like water spilled; no matter how much he struggled, Lu Chenghe held him firmly. At this moment, Lu Chenghe didn’t seem to mind his shedding fur, leaving Zuo Ning with no chance to escape.
Adding fuel to the fire, Lu Chenghe said, “Don’t be afraid. Everyone says you’re adorable. Remember the video we posted earlier? People still loved you, didn’t they?”
Zuo Ning felt as though he could hear the creaking of his neck as he stiffly turned to look at Lu Chenghe. Oh, right, the video—he had recorded a video earlier. With that realization, Zuo Ning flopped onto Lu Chenghe, resigning himself to his fate.
Lu Chenghe chuckled at Zuo Ning’s reaction. This silly creature—how long has it been before he finally remembered?
On the other side, Mother Lu was almost ready. She had carefully chosen her outfit and invited a professional makeup artist to do her makeup. When she emerged, she was truly stunning and radiant.
Mother Lu must have been very beautiful in her younger days. Even though she had aged a bit—after all, her son was already twenty-seven or twenty-eight, approaching thirty—she was still remarkably well-maintained. Her natural elegance, coupled with meticulous preparation, made her shine to the point where even Ren Shishi seemed dull in comparison.
Zuo Ning stared at her intently. This kind of woman, blessed by time itself, was a rarity he had only seen in the entertainment industry. But compared to Mother Lu, those celebrities were like counterfeit goods beside the genuine article.
The photographer lavishly praised Mother Lu, flattering her to the point of immense delight.
Lying quietly on Lu Chenghe’s lap, Zuo Ning listened. He decided that from today onward, he would start learning English. After all, the grammar and basics he had once learned might not be entirely forgotten. Watching American dramas daily should eventually allow him to pick up the language.
But why didn’t he have any unique talents? As a magical creature capable of transforming into a human, shouldn’t he have been a bit extraordinary? If nothing else, to help magical beings integrate quickly into human society, shouldn’t they be endowed with a photographic memory or similar abilities? Or was it just him who was particularly useless?
As Zuo Ning was absorbed in self-reflection, the photoshoot had already begun. Truly, hiring a renowned photographer was worth the expense—the selected locations and angles all came together to highlight Mother Lu’s presence, making her appear as though she brightened several shades of color just by stepping into the scene.
At some point, Lu Chenghan made his way over, now dressed impeccably formally. He walked toward Ren Shishi with a gift bag in hand and said, “Master Willman is incredibly hard to book. Why not take this opportunity to snap a few pictures? I’ve prepared a few outfits for you. See if you like them.”
Zuo Ning quietly clicked his tongue in amusement. Just earlier in the gaming room, he wasn’t even wearing this outfit. Ah, men in love—they really do go all out to impress.
Ren Shishi gently shook her head at him and softly replied, “Today is for Auntie’s photoshoot. It wouldn’t be appropriate. I understand your kind gesture, thank you.”
Lu Chenghan, not overthinking it, had simply wanted everyone to join in since they were all present. Hearing Ren Shishi’s response, he understood her concerns and said no more. Indeed, this wasn’t well thought out on his part. Since Shishi hadn’t even agreed to date him yet, such a suggestion might have come across as too forward.
But nearby, Lu Chenghe overheard their exchange and said, “Go change into something else. You can take some photos afterward.”
Lu Chenghan’s eyes immediately lit up as he looked at Ren Shishi. Even Lu Chenghe had spoken—if she refused again, it might seem overly polite or out of place. Smiling faintly at him, she took the bag and went back inside to change.
Lu Chenghan nudged Lu Chenghe with his shoulder, grinning cheekily. “Second Brother, you really are the best—true brother material!”
Lu Chenghe shot him a sidelong glance, then took a few steps away from his grinning-like-a-fool younger brother, still holding Little Pudding.
Zuo Ning, lying quietly on Lu Chenghe’s arm, looked on at this lovestruck fool exuding sweet, naïve energy. Unable to suppress a soft snort, he thought to himself, I’m absolutely not jealous at all!
Ren Shishi truly lived up to her name when she dressed up—there wasn’t the slightest bit of compromise in her elegance. Though the early spring weather was still chilly, she wore a white dress with intricate embroidery, paired with a thin white fur shawl. Aside from a simple silver bracelet inlaid with pale pink diamonds on her wrist, there wasn’t a trace of additional adornment. Her slightly wavy hair cascaded casually over her shoulders, contrasting strikingly with her white dress. She was so stunning, she looked like a fairy.
Zuo Ning stared at her, utterly captivated, until Lu Chenghe reached out and covered his eyes.
Turning his head, Zuo Ning looked at Lu Chenghe, who, holding him, whispered, “You didn’t even blink. Can dogs like you also discern human beauty?”
Zuo Ning rolled his eyes and let out a bark, as if to say, Obviously, dogs aren’t blind!
Lu Chenghe looked at him and continued, “So, the reason you always run to her side is because you think she’s pretty? Is that why you refuse to look for a little female dog?”
Zuo Ning nearly wanted to shout, Oh, come on! How could he be so wrongly accused? Isn’t admiring beautiful people and things a natural human instinct? Sure, he might not exactly count as human anymore, but he still had an eye for beauty! This had nothing to do with whether he wanted to look for a female dog or not.
He’d only been tailing her out of duty, but now he’d been misunderstood as having a crush on the beauty. Could there be anything more unjust?
As Little Pudding barked furiously in protest, Lu Chenghe assumed he was simply embarrassed and scolded gently, “Alright, behave. Cross-species love has no future. It’s best to stop lingering near her—she doesn’t like you.”
Zuo Ning was about to argue back, but suddenly had a thought. Someday in the future, when he could fully control his transformation into a human, he would sneak up on Lu Chenghe in the middle of the night, transform right in front of him, pin him down on the bed, and with a devilish smirk, tilt his chin and say with great flair, “Let me show you that cross-species relationships can have results!”
Then, watching Lu Chenghe’s panicked expression, he’d pounce on him like a wolf, and after some dramatic antics, he’d continue with even more antics. Heh heh heh, heh heh heh heh!
Seeing Little Pudding suddenly freeze, his eyes vacant, tongue slightly sticking out in a dazed manner, Lu Chenghe helplessly patted his head. Truly, dogs shouldn’t be too smart—being overly intelligent just leads to unrealistic fantasies. When those fantasies are shattered, they end up like this.
The star of the day was Mother Lu. After the photographer captured what he deemed perfect shots from various angles, Lu Chenghe finally brought the dog over. Since he had promised to take a photo with Little Pudding, Lu Chenghe naturally changed into a new outfit and styled his hair a bit, reaching an entirely new level of handsomeness.
Zuo Ning looked at Lu Chenghe in this state and couldn’t help but grin foolishly. Forget Ren Shishi—Lu Chenghe was the true epitome of breathtakingly handsome.
Lu Chenghe glanced down at the silly Little Pudding staring at him, smiled faintly, crouched slightly, and extended a hand. Instinctively, the little creature reached out a paw and placed it in his palm.
The photographer captured the moment with a click. The gaze exchanged between the man and the dog was so focused that it could make hearts skip a beat.
Compared to the posed shots earlier, the photographer immediately felt that this candid capture was the most perfect photo of the day!
After an entire day of hustle and bustle, they finally wrapped everything up after dinner. When Zuo Ning, utterly exhausted, crawled back to his room, he saw a large canvas set up inside. The canvas was covered with chaotic paw prints, but it had been artfully retouched. The previously messy smudges of paint on the blank spaces had been filled in, transforming the canvas into a dreamy masterpiece that looked like a dog’s paw prints walking through a starry sky.
Lu Chenghe saw him frozen in the doorway, staring at the painting in shock. He laughed and said, “What’s wrong? Have you forgotten your own masterpiece?”
Zuo Ning turned to look at him, “Awoo?!” You didn’t throw it away? Who made it look this nice? It’s so beautiful!
Lu Chenghe walked over, taking a closer look at the painting. Although the original paw prints were chaotic, the retouching had brought out a cohesive artistic expression. It had been worth finding someone to enhance it. Turning to Little Pudding, he asked, “Do you like it?”
Sitting at Lu Chenghe’s feet, Zuo Ning tilted his head up to look at the painting and barked, “Woof!” I love it, I absolutely love it!
Lu Chenghe chuckled. Looking at the wall that was slowly being filled with Little Pudding’s belongings, he felt an unexpected sense of accomplishment. After a moment’s thought, he said to Little Pudding, “I’ll also have someone paint a giant oil painting of you. We can hang it up at home, how about that?”
Zuo Ning was just about to agree when he suddenly covered his face and barked, “Woof woof!” Not now!
Lu Chenghe couldn’t help but laugh softly. “Alright, we’ll wait until you’re done shedding before we do it. You little vain creature.”
Zuo Ning let out a satisfied whine, took another appreciative look at his artwork, and wagged his tail as he prepared to follow Lu Chenghe to the bathroom. After all, he’d overheard Lu Chenghe mention relaxing in a bath tonight. But before he could step in, the door shut with a “bang”, almost hitting his nose. Then came the sound of the lock clicking into place. Zuo Ning was immediately furious.
“Woof woof! Woof woof woof!” You said we’d take a bath together! Liar!
