Moonlit: This chapter is sponsored by jess.
As usual, when it was time to get off work, Zuo Ning obediently sat on the bed waiting for Lu Chenghe. Seeing that he was all dressed and ready, Zuo Ning wagged his tail and moved to sit by the door of the indoor elevator. Feeling a gaze seemingly fixated on him from above, Zuo Ning instinctively turned his head to look at Lu Chenghe.
However, Lu Chenghe was busy fastening his buttons one by one. Seeing Zuo Ning staring at him, he asked, “What’s wrong?”
Zuo Ning replied, “Woof woof woof!” Why do I feel like someone is watching me? Someone must be eyeing your adorable little cutie!
But this sudden, out-of-the-blue remark was impossible for even the sharp Lu Chenghe to understand. Just then, the elevator arrived. Lu Chenghe stepped in first, and Zuo Ning quickly followed. As the numbers on the display descended, that strange feeling came again. Zuo Ning instantly turned his head, only to find Lu Chenghe engrossed in his phone, not looking at him. The whole dog suddenly got spooked and pounced onto Lu Chenghe, seeking a hug.
What was with this inexplicable sensation of being watched? Apart from Lu Chenghe, there was no one else around. He had already turned his head twice to check, yet Lu Chenghe hadn’t even glanced his way. There must be a ghost in the elevator!
Without even looking at him, Lu Chenghe pushed him away with one hand. “It’s just a few steps from the parking lot, and you don’t want to walk? Are you so lazy that you’ll need me to push you in a baby stroller whenever we go out in the future?”
Zuo Ning barked back, “Woof woof woof!” Someone’s really spying on me, I swear!
Seeing that Lu Chenghe refused to carry him, Zuo Ning sorrowfully walked to a corner of the elevator and squatted there. Lu Chenghe glanced at him casually and remarked slowly, “Don’t you often watch horror movies? Don’t you know what usually lurks in the corners of elevators?”
Zuo Ning was instantly terrified. In a couple of quick steps, he ran to Lu Chenghe’s side and clung tightly to his leg. You can’t scare a dog like that! It must have been Lu Chenghe secretly watching him just now, trying to take the opportunity to frighten him!
Lu Chenghe smiled and stopped teasing the little one. Seeing it clinging tightly to him, unwilling to take even a single step, he had no choice but to pick it up. At over fifty pounds, carrying it wasn’t exactly an easy task. He weighed it in his arms and remarked, “You’ve been raised so plump and juicy—bet you’d taste great in a hotpot.”
Zuo Ning let out a couple of indignant whimpers, There’s always a poop-scooping human eyeing this mighty dog! Hmph.
Returning to their home after being away for a day and night, Zuo Ning let out a contented sigh. No matter where he went, home was always the best. First, he ran to check on the gang of little black furballs. After a day apart, those little things seemed to have grown a bit bigger. Whether it was his scent or the sight of him that alerted them, a long chain of hums and chirps came rushing toward him from afar.
The sight of the four tiny paws racing toward him was like floating coal balls in the air—adorably amusing.
Zuo Ning wore an “auntie smile” as he watched them. Only when the little coal balls got close did he leisurely lift his paw, pinning down a mischievous pup that was trying to grab at his fur and climb onto him. I may not be able to handle your parents, but you little cubs are no match for me.
Lu Chenghe had already returned to the bedroom and was getting ready to change clothes. He heard the sound of dogs near the window, so he stood by it. From there, he could see the side profile of Little Pudding squatting outside and the few little black-backed pups circling him.
Watching him play with the gang of little dogs, his eyes crinkled with a smile. Yet, in his mind, another image flashed—a screenshot from his photo album, of a boy smiling in the exact same way. After quietly looking at it for a moment, he saw Little Pudding misbehaving, pinning down one of the black-backed pups on the ground, refusing to let it get up. Shaking his head helplessly, he thought, This little rascal has grown into quite the mischievous brat.
After playing with the little furballs for a while, Zuo Ning ran back to the bedroom. Seeing Lu Chenghe in the bathroom taking a shower, he quickly rummaged through the closet and fished out his favorite little bag.
In Lu Chenghe’s bedroom, there was a wardrobe just for him. Though it contained quite a few clothes he had never worn, it was mostly filled with accessories—dog collars in various designs, limited-edition small bags, and more. His favorite was a black sequin bag—it had an elegant color, shimmery sequins, and the size was just perfect for him to carry. Whenever he went out and was given the choice, he would definitely pick that one.
After pulling the bag out, Zuo Ning ran to his pile of toys and started rummaging through a box full of red envelopes. He dug out two envelopes that seemed pretty thick, not bothering to check how much money was inside, and stuffed them directly into the bag, tucking them into the inner compartment. He struggled to pull the zipper closed with his paw.
From now on, this would be the only bag he’d carry when going out. If he suddenly transformed into a human again, at least he wouldn’t be completely broke, with no money to even buy food.
Just as Zuo Ning was imagining what delicious things he would buy the next time he turned human, Lu Chenghe’s voice suddenly sounded above him. “Why are you packing money? What do you want to buy? Looking like this, can you even explain yourself to people?”
Zuo Ning was startled. He turned around to see Lu Chenghe standing nearby, watching him. He hadn’t even noticed when Lu Chenghe came out of the bathroom. Who knew how long Lu Chenghe had been standing there? Judging by the fact that he had seen Zuo Ning stuffing money into the bag, he must’ve been watching for a while. Despite his ears being perked up to listen for any movement, Zuo Ning had completely missed the moment Lu Chenghe came out.
As Lu Chenghe stared at him, Zuo Ning quickly opened his mouth and flashed a fawning smile. “Woof!” Hello there! Hahaha.
Lu Chenghe sat on the edge of the bed, looking at him. “Hmm? Speak up. Why are you packing money? Planning to run away from home?”
Zuo Ning hastily replied, “Woof woof!” Of course not! If I ran away, where could I even go? I’ll become a stray dog.
Lu Chenghe tossed the backpack toward him with a swing of the straps. “Why are you packing money?”
Zuo Ning immediately jumped onto the bed and pounced onto Lu Chenghe, wagging his tail enthusiastically while rubbing his head affectionately against Lu Chenghe’s face.
But Lu Chenghe wasn’t swayed by his antics. Without hesitation, he pushed him away and continued staring at him, waiting for an explanation.
Realizing that acting cute wasn’t working, Zuo Ning’s eyes darted around. Then he ran over and nudged the tablet toward Lu Chenghe, skillfully opened a video app, scrolled down to the bottom section of the food specials, and slapped his paw onto it. “Woof!”
Raising an eyebrow, Lu Chenghe asked, “So you’re saying you want to use the money to buy food?”
Zuo Ning wagged his tail eagerly. “Woof!” That’s right! That’s exactly it! I prepared the money to buy food—that’s not lying at all.
Lu Chenghe scrutinized him for a moment and then said, “Hand over all your money. I’ll save it for you. Whatever you want to eat, I’ll buy it for you.”
Zuo Ning froze, stunned, and quickly protested, “Woof woof!” Absolutely not!
Lu Chenghe had anticipated his refusal and maintained a stern face. “Even if I give you money, it’s useless. You can’t communicate with people, you’re not tall enough to even reach the counter, and most restaurants won’t let you in. So, how exactly are you planning to buy anything with money?”
Zuo Ning whined and nuzzled against Lu Chenghe’s face, feeling aggrieved. Why was Lu Chenghe being so persistent today? It wasn’t like he had just found out Zuo Ning had money—why did he have to harp on it now? Wu wu wu.
Lu Chenghe swatted him away and squinted, asking, “Do you have some other way to go out and buy food that I don’t know about?”
Zuo Ning tilted his head, staring at Lu Chenghe. What did he mean by that? He couldn’t fly, nor did he have any magical transformation powers. What other method could he possibly have? Besides, he wouldn’t be buying food in his dog form. The money was preparation for when he turned into a human, but that wasn’t exactly something he could casually explain to Lu Chenghe.
Seeing Little Pudding’s confused expression, Lu Chenghe guessed that he probably hadn’t even considered any other implications. He truly didn’t know whether this little creature was just missing a few screws or simply carefree. Lu Chenghe had made his question so clear, yet the dog still didn’t get it. Instead, he kept pestering him, insisting on not surrendering his cash. Raising such a silly little spirit, Lu Chenghe wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry.
Watching Little Pudding jump around in desperation, Lu Chenghe finally relented. “If you’re so unwilling, then keep it yourself.”
Hearing this, Zuo Ning’s eyes instantly sparkled with joy. He always knew Lu Chenghe was the best! Lu Chenghe didn’t care about such a small amount of money anyway. Now that his money was “out in the open”, at least he didn’t have to sneak around anymore. Being discovered didn’t seem so bad—it was definitely better than his earlier plan to hide it.
Just as Zuo Ning was happily wagging his head, Lu Chenghe suddenly said, “This morning, I saw a boy.”
Zuo Ning froze for a moment, then quickly pretended to relax. He climbed onto Lu Chenghe’s leg, rubbing against him, feigning ignorance about what he was saying.
Lu Chenghe continued, “When I saw the boy’s smile, it reminded me of you.”
Zuo Ning’s heart nearly jumped into his throat. What did Lu Chenghe mean by this—had he discovered something? That couldn’t be, right? After all, he hadn’t transformed in front of him. Raising a spirit was already enough to shatter someone’s worldview, but if the spirit could also transform into a human, there was no way Lu Chenghe could remain this calm. He might even resort to interrogation and harsh questioning. Thinking back over Lu Chenghe’s behavior that day, hmm… nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
Lu Chenghe lowered his head and looked at Little Pudding, who was lying on him, refusing to lift his head. He pinched Little Pudding’s ear and said, “It’s a pity that boy ran away as soon as he saw me. I wonder why. Did you really not see him in the garden this morning? If you had, maybe you could’ve made friends.”
Zuo Ning immediately barked, “Woof woof!” No, no! I didn’t see anyone!
That reaction was practically a dead giveaway, confirming Lu Chenghe’s lingering suspicions. The idea of his spirit transforming into a human was certainly peculiar, but looking at such a silly Little Pudding, Lu Chenghe just couldn’t muster any wariness.
Perhaps it was because even as a human, Little Pudding’s innocence and simplicity were written all over him, tinged with a bit of naivety. And since he had personally raised this little creature, any initial unease gradually faded away. In fact, Lu Chenghe even started to feel a bit of anticipation, wondering when Little Pudding might transform right before his eyes.
As he watched Little Pudding continue pretending to be clueless—unaware that his nervous little glances had already betrayed him—Lu Chenghe decided to let it go for now. After all, they had time. They’d see who’d be the first to slip up in the end.
