Zuo Ning sat on his exclusive hanging seat, the salty sea breeze caused it to slightly sway. He stared blankly towards the distant horizon.
He had basically done everything he could think of that was possibly relating to his human transformation. He secretly held his breath in Lu Chenghe's bath and almost fainted. In the end, he was found by Lu Chenghe, who threw him into the pet dryer by his ears.
When Lu Chenghe was busy, he wanted to jump into the pool. But was then caught by a bodyguard, tied up and sent to Lu Chenghe, who then locked him in the house for the entire day.
He strove to lay on the bed to meditate but then Lu Chenghe thought that his sudden sleepiness was a sign of an illness and almost sent him to the hospital.
Zuo Ning kept trying until the day of the wedding and Lu Chenghe's patience towards him was stretched thin. Zuo Ning eyed at the man in front of him, who had a cane in his hand, and shrank his paws. He was forced to sit upright and couldn't hide his little wiener. Suddenly he particularly missed Mother Lu's flowery costumes...
Lu Chenghe noticed that Little Pudding's eyesight was wandering and that the dog's head had shifted. Immediately he brought the cane down on the ground with a loud crack. "The moment you go outside, you are disobedient and noisy. Does that mean you don't want to go out with me anymore?"
Zuo Ning's cowardly gaze was aggrieved. "Wuwu…" This way of standing is exhausting. My waist is sore. How about we go back to the plate punishment?
Lu Chenghe lightly bumped the cane against the dog's nose. "You're sulking? Don't you know that water is dangerous? Did you forget that you almost drowned? How come you can only remember what you want to remember and immediately forget the things you want to forget?"
Zuo Ning swatted away the cane at his nose. "Awoo!" It might have been the key to becoming a human! How would I know if I don't try?
Lu Chenghe raised a brow, "Are you arguing with me?"
Zuo Ning became a scaredy-cat again and lowered his head, unable to look at Lu Chenghe.
If this happened in the past, he would have been very happy to see Lu Chenghe so anxious. But now, he felt that it was a sweet burden.
He didn't know whether the conditions for turning human lay in the physical location or whether the change had been accumulating in his body and it had just reached a certain point. So Zuo Ning intended to observe himself for a time. If he had a higher chance of turning in this area, he didn't care if he was exposed, he was afraid he would have a showdown with Lu Chenghe.
Although it would be risky, after all a dog with a human soul would be valuable for scientific research, but he trusted that Lu Chenghe would not hurt him even when he knew about it. He just did not want to take risks unless he had no other alternative.
Seeing that Lu Chenghe had no plans of letting him go, he pushed away the cane and jumped on Lu Chenghe's body and began to whimper and whine.
Lu Chenghe pinched his ear but didn't push him away. "There's no use in fake crying. Do you still dare to play in the water?"
Zuo Ning gazed at him and stuck his tongue out to lick Lu Chenghe's finger. "Woof~"
"There's no point acting cute. Do you know how dangerous it is? If no one is watching you, you would drown. Do you know how serious drowning is?"
Zuo Ning lowered his head, putting it on Lu Chenghe's thigh. Of course he knew. More than anyone, he knew how serious drowning was. Look, wasn't he already suffering the consequences?
Lu Chenghe rubbed his head. "If you drown, you'll never see me again."
Zuo Ning lifted his head to stare at Lu Chenghe. Indeed, if he actually turned into a human one day, then wouldn't he need to separate from Lu Chenghe? He would never accompany him on a morning jog, never play around with him, also couldn't steal his food, and wouldn't be spoiled by him.
If he turned into a human, an unidentifiable person without a penny to his name, it would be very difficult to make a living and find a way to settle down. It was even more impossible to get close to Lu Chenghe. When that moment comes, he will truly have nothing to do with Lu Chenghe. Maybe Lu Chenghe would feel sad about Little Pudding's sudden disappearance, but he would have nothing to do with the human him.
Zuo Ning stretched out a paw and tightly held onto Lu Chenghe. He had managed to find someone he liked so much. He liked him when he was expressionless, liked him when he had a slight smile, liked when he was angry, liked when he was happy. No matter when or how he always liked Lu Chenghe. If he wanted to stay by his side, he could only be a dog. But he didn't want to be a dog.
Lu Chenghe thought that Little Pudding was acting like a baby to avoid punishment. This little thing was very familiar with this act. He didn't even know where he learnt it. He hugged Little Pudding and heard his small sobs, he also felt warm damp air on his neck.
When he took a look at Little Pudding, he saw that the little pup had really begun to cry. It wasn't the fake crying without tears, but the fur around his face was sticking together. A sad sob sounded out occasionally, which made him seem even more pitiful.
Lu Chenghe was amused as he picked up a phone to take a picture. This tearful look should not be forgotten. Only afterwards did he take some tissues to wipe the dog's tears. "Alright, alright. Don't cry. As long as you are obedient, you can still see me. If you listen well, I will also often bring you out to play. Look at this pouting. Did you really understand or have you been frightened by me?"
Zuo Ning sniffed, "Woo…" A man really said sweet things casually. If you have the ability then say it again when I turn into a human!
Lu Chenghe laughed and carried him up when he saw Little Pudding still sniffing. "Don't cry. If you stop crying I'll bring you to the beach."
Zuo Ning rubbed his eyes with his paws, then eagerly looked up at Lu Chenghe. It's better to not punish him by making him sit in a military posture, he would rather stand with a plate on his head.
Just like this, the bodyguards who saw the boss coldly carrying his baby dog upstairs by the ears now saw him come back down and take the dog on a walk with a face as amiable as the spring breeze. The change from before was too big. Perhaps this dog was already well-versed in coaxing humans. No wonder it was able to be favoured with the boss.
Lucas's wedding was set two days before New Year's Eve. Lu Chenghe could attend the wedding, then directly rush back to spend the New Year with his mum. If the timing wasn't planned so perfectly, he probably would not have attended the wedding and only at Qi Wei go with a gift.
It was not until the day of the wedding that Zuo Ning and Lu Chenghe managed to see the protagonist's bride. She was a very beautiful Russian woman with a tall figure and fair skin, big eyes and long lashes, just like a goddess. He heard that this bride was the precious princess of an aristocratic Russian family. A talented man and a beautiful woman, the two of them were the ideal couple and very well suited to each other.
The reason why Zuo Ning could meet the bride before the wedding was because Lucas thought it was too common to let a beautiful bridesmaid be the ring bearer. Since Lu Chenghe had brought a dog, and the dog was a beautiful obedient Samoyed, he was prompted by the sudden impulse to let this Samoyed hold a basket of flowers and be the ring bearer.
Naturally, Lu Chenghe did not object to such a festive event, but he wasn't sure whether Little Pudding could do it. So he brought Little Pudding to the new couple's resting area to practice a few times. Perhaps because Little Pudding was very clever from birth and also liked to listen to Lu Chenghe, but he only needed to say it once or twice and the little rascal was able to walk very well.
When the wedding began, Lu Chenghe especially sat on the periphery holding a pure white Samoyed which attracted many pairs of eyes. The women couldn't help but extend their hands to pet the dog. There was even a 60 year old foreign lady who liked Little Pudding a lot. She took out a gift box from her bag. There was an emerald green jade pendant in the shape of a teardrop in the box. She hung it around his neck before getting her husband to take a picture of them.
Zuo Ning really didn't understand these rich and powerful people. Could it be that all of them liked to carry a few pieces of jewellery on them so they could gift it to people? The main point is that Lu Chenghe just let him receive it without even being polite. What's even, even more important is that he is a dog. A male dog. Why did he want a jade pendant?!
What Zuo Ning didn't know is that there was another motive. There were several big companies currently competing with each other for a project. Because of this small pendant, this company will have more chances than other companies. So even when gifting something, you had to be knowledgeable.
After waiting a while, the time that the wedding was supposed to begin had passed and it hadn't started yet. The guests began to quietly talk amongst themselves. However, the groom took over as the MC very quickly and took hold of the situation. He made a few jokes and the mood of the audience relaxed. Too bad the speed was too quick and Zuo Ning couldn't understand what they were laughing at.
When the wedding march began, someone came over to invite Little Pudding backstage to prepare. Lu Chenghe rubbed Little Pudding's head and said, "Be obedient. If you behave well, you'll be rewarded with two pieces of meat."
Zuo Ning licked Lu Chenghe's hand and rubbed against his body before jumping to the ground and following the person to the back.
He passed a long flower path. A white statue of the Virgin Mary stood in front of it, lovingly keeping watch over everyone. A piece of holy and ethereal music began to play, and Zuo Ning, who had not a single artistic cell in his body, just thought that it sounded very comfortable but didn't know the name of the piece.
After a while, a young woman wearing white gauze came over surrounded by many bridesmaids. Zuo Ning lifted his head to look. WTF? The bride he saw before was not this person. Swapping the bride right before the wedding… This play could only be seen once in a lifetime.
Although everybody who attended this wedding knew that Lucas was marrying the pearl of a rich Russian family, the daughter was very low key and rarely appeared in front of people. She didn't even come out to greet guests, so only a few people know what the bride looked like. Most of them had no idea.
So when the people who knew the bride saw the change, they were dumbfounded for a moment. Then they turned to watch Lucas, who had been waiting for the bride to walk over. He just had a light smile on his face, his handsome looks and noble presence still suppressed people. They couldn't see a sliver of change in his face, so they all kept silent.
After the vows, it was time for Zuo Ning to appear. Someone handed him a small basket to bite onto. Even holding the two rings, the basket was very light. Zuo Ning puffed out his chest and walked calmly towards the newlyweds. Internally he marvelled at the diamond. It was the size of a pigeon egg. He wanted to take it away to use as reserve funds for his future life.
He strolled to the couple and the groom bent down to receive the flower basket. The groom patted Little Pudding's head and smilingly thanked it. He watched it scamper back to its owner's side and then looked towards the bride.
He studied the girl shrouded in white in front of him. This was not his original wife, but it didn't matter. Although the original was someone he chose, he had only picked out someone among the ones already set out for him who seemed the best.
Lucas held the hand of the girl who had her head slightly lowered. Although she wasn't as pretty as the aristocratic princess, she appeared sweeter-tempered. He slightly smiled, "In the name of God, I, Lucas Anderson, swear from this day forward, to have and hold, to love and cherish, the woman in front of me, till death do us part. To be my wedded wife, to be the happiest woman on this planet." As for the woman who betrayed him, he hoped that she would not regret her decision.
Zuo Ning sprawled across Lu Chenghe's body, his head on Lu Chenghe's chest as he watched the newlyweds exchanging rings. The groom lifted the veil and kissed the bride on the forehead. The surrounding people began to laugh and celebrate happily, blessing the newlyweds. Zuo Ning, however, was curious to death about what on earth was going on. The unresolved curiosity was just scratching at his insides.
According to the itinerary, Lu Chenghe needed to leave in the afternoon after the wedding finished. Lucas sent them off. He didn't explain the issue of the swapped bride, just smilingly said that he would go to China and experience the culture and customs when he got the chance.
Zuo Ning gazed out of the window and sighed silently. He was leaving the private island where they had lived for many days. The thing about him becoming a human didn't happen again. He couldn't help but wonder if it was all an illusion.
After the plane took off, Qi Wei reported all his outstanding achievements to Lu Chenghe. In just a few days time, he had already opened up a new line in Europe. If several of their projects could be completed successfully, then Lu's stocks will continue to grow after a few years.
Zuo Ning was silently listening on one side. For the last few days, he saw Lu Chenghe was always in the villa either reading books or teasing the dog. But from morning till night, Zuo Ning didn't even see the shadow of Qi Wei. So he was the one hard at work, huh? He deserved the title of the gold medal secretary, his business ability was powerful. In comparison, this boss Lu Chenghe actually was on a vacation.
After Qi Wei finished talking business, he sighed. "Unwise decisions in the business world are not scary, if the worst happens you can simply pay money. But unwise marriage decisions are scary. Manier single-handedly brought about this marriage, but there was a girl who let romance rush to her head and made her muddle-headed. It seems like the balance is about to change. Fortunately, the Lu corporation didn't have many collaborations with them, otherwise, we would need to use some brain cells to solve this problem."
Zuo Ning looked up at Qi Wei. Between what he said and what happened earlier, he roughly understood what was happening. The problem was, they were on a private island, where could the supposed bride-to-be run off to? Even if she escaped, who would replace her? Just pick anyone to be the substitute? That wasn't fair for the other girl.
Was the crying sound he heard the other day from the runaway bride? Zuo Ning was shocked. No way. Their villa was located fairly far away from the main residence. Did he turn into someone with preternaturally good hearing since he could hear from such a far distance?
But the pitch darkness was suitable for clandestine love affairs, heh heh heh.
Lu Chenghe obviously didn't care much about this subject. He received the clippers handed over by the bodyguard and held onto Little Pudding's paws to give them a trim.
Clipping his nails on the plane? What was he doing? Even if he needed to clip them, it didn't need to happen now. Could they not wait until they got home?
Lu Chenghe squeezed the paw Zuo Ning was trying to retract. "Don't move."
When he saw the fluffy paw, Qi Wei was a bit restless. "Boss, how about you give it to me. I often clip my son's nails and am experienced. I will definitely not cut the flesh."
Lu Chenghe coldly glanced at him and Qi Wei retracted his eager heart. He silently shrank back and began to sort his documents.
This was already the second time Lu Chenghe clipped his nails. Practice makes perfect, it was much more comfortable than the first time. Lu Chenghe was no longer worried about cutting too deeply like the first time when he always carefully rubbed the nail afterwards.
Zuo Ning lazily lay on Lu Chenghe's legs and yawned. He looked at Lu Chenghe's serious appearance. Indeed, the more he looked, the more delicious Lu Chenghe seemed. He was so handsome he really wanted to take a bite.
Lu Chenghe saw the little thing fighting against his own sleepiness and squeezed the fluffy face. "Sleep. We'll be home when you wake up."
Home. Such a wonderful word. The big estate, which he didn't even dare to think about, had now become his home. Just like his old, not even 100 square metre home, when he thought about it he would feel comfortable and safe.
Before all his four paws had been clipped, the dog who had been lying on his leg fell asleep. He must have a sleep switch in his body that would send him to sleep in seconds when it was pressed.
Accidents, by their nature, were unexpected. Just as the plane entered the border, they encountered a severe weather warning, a snowstorm. The plane could only contact the tower and get an alternate route, or standby at the nearest airport. If they couldn't go home, then it didn't matter where they stopped. So when Zuo Ning woke up, they had landed in An City.
An City had a big amusement park that Zuo Ning had dreamt of going to since he was a child. Unfortunately, when he was young, his mother didn't have the means to bring him outside by herself and when his father had time, he had already grown up. So although his expression was blank when Lu Chenghe carried him off the plane, his mind was already turning on how to annoy Lu Chenghe into going to play with him once. But then he thought about his current appearance. Even if he went, he would probably only be allowed to watch. Who could bring a dog on a rollercoaster? Even if you were privileged, you wouldn't be able to do it.
They landed during the afternoon, but the sky was as dark as night. The heavy snow mixed with the raging wind. Zuo Ning felt that every strand of fur on his body was cold.
Lu Chenghe originally wanted to put him on the ground to walk, but the little thing tightly held on to him. The moment he wanted to let go, the dog in his hands began to whine piteously. He didn't know when he managed to spoil the little pup to such an extent that it had developed this kind of temper.
Zuo Ning hugged Lu Chenghe's neck. He used his magnificent back to block the wind and snow. Where in the universe could you find a more caring dog than him?!
He Cheng was also helplessly stuck in An City due to the weather. His agent was currently negotiating with the airport personnel while he was sitting in the empty hall wearing a hat and a mask. He had headphones in and was feeling a bit irritated.
Originally he had come to An City for work. They had already gone through preliminary negotiations and had even auditioned. Although he wasn't sure whether the script would be popular, in any case, it was a part of a big franchise and could be regarded as an accumulation of all his experiences. But then, just when he thought the only thing missing was his signature on the contract, he arrived in An City to be told that the role had been given to someone else.
This kind of thing was commonly seen. As long as there was a supporter behind the scenes, then even a signed contract could be changed. But this time there wasn't even a hint, just straightforwardly changed. He had his agent inquire about it. The one who took his place was a newcomer from his company. The newcomer was young and good looking, but the problem is that since it was someone from his company, even if he wanted to grab the role, it didn't need to be done so bluntly right?
He wanted his agent to go find out exactly what was going on but was told to shut up and admit defeat. His agent wasn't willing to say any extra words. Although He Cheng was angry, he had to suppress it. He decided to leave An City to find other work but now was stranded due to the weather. Why did he feel like he was unlucky recently?
He turned his head and saw a group of people walking by. The head of the group was a tall and handsome man. The extraordinary appearance wouldn't lose even in the entertainment circle where handsome guys and beautiful women were like clouds in the sky. He Cheng felt like the man looked a bit familiar, but couldn't recall who it was.
The man was also hugging a Samoyed and they looked like they had just landed. They were followed by a group of what looked to be bodyguards. One of the bodyguards must have noticed his stare because he looked at him sharply over the distance. He Cheng felt his heart jump and quickly retracted his gaze.
Zuo Ning lay his head on Lu Chenghe's shoulder and looked towards He Cheng's direction. He only saw a hat on a lowered head and couldn't recognise who it was. He couldn't hold back a yawn. Zuo Ning rubbed himself on Lu Chenghe's shoulder, the cold weather really made dogs sleepy.
Although this first new year couldn't be spent at home, it didn't really matter since he was together with Lu Chenghe. Fortunately, Lu Chenghe brought him along when he went out otherwise he would feel very regretful.
Upon leaving the airport, the snowstorm blew violently, smearing across his nose and face. Zuo Ning subconsciously buried his nose into Lu Chenghe's body. Lu Chenghe tilted his head to give him a look and unbuttoned his coat. Even though there was no way to wrap the entire dog up in his clothing, it could at least block the wind.
But a snow dog needs a human to block the wind? Lu Chenghe lowered his head to look at Little Pudding, who was shrinking into his arms and look back at him. "Cold?"
"Woof!" Cold.
Lu Chenghe didn't keep looking. He felt like he had raised a fake Samoyed.