Recently, Lu Chenghe had been frequently seen with a young boy. On several occasions, the boy even stayed overnight at the Lu residence, joining Lu Chenghe for morning runs. Naturally, Mother Lu, who lived with him, noticed this. However, respecting her son’s privacy, she refrained from interfering or approaching them until her son formally introduced his friend. But as Lu Chenghe seemed to grow closer to the boy and even personally arranged work for him, his mother began to feel uneasy.
Confirming that Lu Chenghe hadn’t brought the boy home that day, his mother decided to visit him. She found Little Pudding lying at the door, with a few black-backed puppies playfully pouncing around him. Smiling, she walked over and ruffled Little Pudding’s head. “Little Pudding, you’re amazing, taking care of the puppies like this. You’ll definitely be a great dad in the future!”
Zuo Ning responded by slightly lifting his head and nuzzling her palm. As for the “great dad” comment, he decided to let it go in one ear and out the other.
When her son came downstairs, Lu Chenghe’s mother stopped playing with Little Pudding and went inside. “Chenghe, is there something you’d like to tell your mom?” she asked directly.
Lu Chenghe looked at her without saying a word. Zuo Ning, realizing this might be about him, quickly turned and ran inside. He leapt onto the sofa, tilting his head to watch as Lu Chenghe sat down, then rested his head on Lu Chenghe’s lap.
The black-backed puppies, who had never ventured into the house, peeked inside, stretching their necks to see. When they realized the big white dog wasn’t coming back out, they resumed chasing each other around the yard.
Lu Chenghe gently rubbed Little Pudding’s ears and turned to his mother. “If you have questions, just ask.”
Without hesitation, his mother asked, “Who is that boy?”
Lu Chenghe replied, “Lu Ning, a friend’s child. He’s new here and unfamiliar with the area, so I’m helping him settle in.”
His mother gave him a skeptical look. “Just helping him settle in? I gave birth to you, I know your personality. Be honest with me while I’m still prepared for whatever you have to say.”
Lu Chenghe looked at his mother helplessly. “I’ve already told you, but you don’t believe me. Just tell me what you want to hear, and I’ll say it again.”
His mother glared at him before turning to Little Pudding. “Little Pudding, tell me, does your dad Lu have any improper relationship with that boy?”
Zuo Ning curled his tail and shrank closer to Lu Chenghe. Improper relationship? Their relationship had been unconventional from the start. Of course, he wished it could be even more improper, but he was too timid to make a move. Besides, Lu Chenghe didn’t seem to have any romantic intentions toward him, so their bond still needed work. Even if he wanted things to be improper, it wasn’t happening.
Lu Chenghe covered Zuo Ning’s ears and addressed his mother. “Mom.”
She gave him a reproachful look. “I heard that boy just turned eighteen?”
Zuo Ning glanced at Lu Chenghe. The topic of age had been a point of contention between them. Initially, Zuo Ning wanted an ID that said he was twenty, which matched his previous age. But Lu Chenghe insisted he didn’t look twenty and even considered making him fifteen or sixteen, preferably with a guardian listed. While Zuo Ning’s current face did look youthful, fifteen or sixteen felt way too young. Having such an age on paper would create an invisible barrier in Lu Chenghe’s mind, making it even harder for Zuo Ning to win him over.
After much insistence, Lu Chenghe finally compromised and set his age at seventeen, just old enough to be entering college, complete with an ID. Though he was now three years younger, Zuo Ning wasn’t happy. While youth was an asset in the entertainment industry, he wished he were older—old enough to dive into nightlife without restrictions!
Lu Chenghe knew Little Pudding wasn’t thrilled about the age he’d assigned him. Seeing Zuo Ning sneak a glance at him, Lu Chenghe flicked his forehead with his finger.
As his mother’s questions grew increasingly absurd, Lu Chenghe felt more exasperated. “I’ll say it again—he’s just a kid who needs someone to look after him. Mom, you can stop with all those wild ideas now.”
Mother Lu wasn’t sure whether to feel relieved or disappointed by his response. While she would prefer her son to find a beautiful and sensible wife, she had grown increasingly hopeless over the years, as he hadn’t even had a single romantic relationship. Her desperation had reached the point where she thought, “As long as it’s someone alive, it’ll do.”
While continuing the family line was important, modern technology had made that far less of a concern. What truly worried her was her son’s lack of emotional connection. She didn’t want to pass away without seeing someone close and caring by his side. If she were gone, how would her son cope with being alone? Would he simply continue raising Little Pudding’s children, then Little Pudding’s grandchildren, and so on?
After some thought, she couldn’t help but advise Lu Chenghe, “I’m not asking for much. I’m just worried the boy is still young. All I want is for you to be happy—find someone you truly like. And if you can’t find someone you love, at least find someone who’s thoughtful and makes you feel comfortable.”
Zuo Ning immediately turned to look at her. Did this mean Lu Chenghe’s mother wouldn’t mind if he chose a man?
Seeing Little Pudding’s reaction, she chuckled. “Little Pudding, why are you looking at me like that? Are you trying to say that your dad Lu only needs you and no one else?”
Zuo Ning quickly barked, “Woof!” Absolutely.
Mother Lu didn’t understand the yes-or-no game between Lu Chenghe and Little Pudding, assuming the bark was just a random response.
Lu Chenghe, however, pinched Zuo Ning’s mouth. “You little thing, your possessiveness is quite strong.”
Zuo Ning pretended to bite him, then curled his tongue around Lu Chenghe’s finger and licked it.
Mother Lu couldn’t help but wonder if raising a dog had made her son less interested in people. Watching the two of them being so affectionate, she grabbed her bag and stood up. “There’s a charity gala tonight, so I’ll be heading out. Next time that boy comes over, bring him to meet me. Stop hiding him. It only makes people’s imaginations run wild.”
Zuo Ning thought Mother Lu had come over for a meal, but after saying just a few words, she left. He raised his paw to wave goodbye. Mother Lu, knowing how clever Little Pudding was, didn’t expect him to have learned how to say goodbye. Unable to resist, she scooped him up and planted a lipstick mark on his white fur.
Lu Chenghe frowned at his mother. “You don’t wash the dog’s fur, so stop kissing him.”
His mother huffed proudly, as if to say, “I raised you this far—what’s the big deal?” With a graceful flick of her bag, she left with elegance.
Zuo Ning couldn’t help but rub the spot where she had kissed him with his paw. He couldn’t see the lipstick mark, but the lingering scent of her perfume on his face felt odd.
Lu Chenghe swatted his paw away. “Stop rubbing. If your face ends up covered in red and it doesn’t wash off, I’ll shave your fur.”
Zuo Ning barked fiercely at him, feeling it was too unfair. It wasn’t like he had asked for the lipstick mark. Why should his fur be shaved because of it? He couldn’t help but wonder: if his fur were shaved as a dog, would he turn into a bald human afterward? The thought of that image made him shudder in horror.
Happily paddling his limbs in Lu Chenghe’s bathtub, Zuo Ning relished the perks of being a dog. If he were in human form, Lu Chenghe would never allow him to bathe together. Zuo Ning couldn’t understand why. He was still the same person, whether as a dog or a human. What difference did it make?
The best part was that after bathing with Lu Chenghe, he could transform back into a human, blow-dry his hair, and go to sleep. It was perfect.
Lu Chenghe soaked for a while. He noticed Little Pudding happily swimming around in the tub and decided to leave him be. He got up and went to get dressed. Zuo Ning paddled his short legs to the edge of the tub and saw Lu Chenghe enter the inner room. This time, the door wasn’t closed. Seizing the opportunity, Zuo Ning climbed out of the tub, planning to sneak in and see how Lu Chenghe would react. He was always so guarded, never even being fully open with his own dog—it was almost ridiculously conservative for a man.
Filled with excitement and confidence in his jumping ability, Zuo Ning leapt straight out of the tub instead of using the stairs on the other side. As a result, just as Lu Chenghe had untied his towel but hadn’t yet put on his robe, he heard a loud thud followed by a yelp of pain from the dog.
Wrapping himself in his robe, Lu Chenghe rushed out to check. He found Little Pudding lying on the floor, soaking wet and whimpering in pain. Without hesitation, he grabbed a nearby towel and threw it over him. “Transform into a human.”
Zuo Ning, clutching his hind leg in pain and on the verge of tears, instinctively transformed back into his human form at Lu Chenghe’s command. Lu Chenghe scooped him up and placed him on the bed. “Where did you hurt yourself?”
Biting down on a towel, Zuo Ning pitifully pointed to his left foot. “It hurts. It hurts so much! Did I break my leg?”
Lu Chenghe carefully examined the leg Zuo Ning indicated, gently feeling for any abnormalities. Though he didn’t find anything unusual, Zuo Ning’s pale face made it clear the pain was severe. Suppressing his frustration, Lu Chenghe called the butler and instructed him to summon a doctor immediately. Turning back, he saw Little Pudding, drenched and clutching a blanket, looking at him with a pale face. He was so exasperated he almost wanted to smack him.
“There was a perfectly good set of stairs. Why did you have to jump?”
Zuo Ning, whose leg felt like it was about to explode with pain, was now being scolded on top of it. The tub wasn’t that high, barely reaching an adult’s thigh. For a dog, that height should’ve been nothing. How could he have known he’d misstep and fall?
Lu Chenghe dried Zuo Ning’s hair, found some clothes for him to wear, and sprayed the injured area with a cooling mist. The ankle, which had seemed fine earlier, was now visibly red and swollen.
The butler, ever curious about the mysterious Lu Ning who seemed to appear and disappear at will, wondered if there was a secret passage in the house he didn’t know about. Otherwise, how else could this young master keep showing up without his knowledge? Following Lu Chenghe’s instructions, the butler immediately contacted a doctor and brought a medical kit upstairs, just in case. Upon entering, he saw Lu Ning, clearly fresh from a bath, sitting on Lu Chenghe’s bed. The bed was soaked, likely from the incident during the bath, and the room was in disarray.
What caught the butler’s attention most was Lu Chenghe crouching on the floor, holding Lu Ning’s pale, swollen foot on his lap and carefully applying medicine. The butler couldn’t help but think that springtime had finally arrived for his young master, though the gender of his companion seemed a bit unconventional.
