Chapter 41.1 — The dog tag was stolen

Zuo Ning lay snugly on two folded pillows. He released a loud burp and the sweet smell of oranges dispersed through the air. He pawed his stomach, turned over, and sighed comfortably. He had drunk two bottles of orange juice today. He wasn’t sure what brand of juice it was but it was delicious. It tasted even better than freshly squeezed juice. He felt that everything was falling into place today.

He could hear that the people outside were in a small meeting. From time to time he could hear Lu Chenghe’s low-pitched voice. Zuo Ning started to become a little drowsy again. When he was at home, he would play with Lang Ya all day and not nap at all. Now that he was with Lu Chenghe at work, he felt like he had become a couch potato. Between eating and sleeping, he did nothing else. If this continued, then he would gain weight. Although with fur like his, it was like wearing loose pyjamas, you couldn’t tell how thick the waist was.

He snapped out of his daydream when the meeting adjourned. He nodded in satisfaction when he looked at the time. His family’s Lu Chenghe is indeed a punctual boss. Even finishing work on time.

On the road home, Zuo Ning saw Lu Chenghe holding a colourful ticket. He curiously pulled the hand holding the ticket closer to look. A pet convention? What on earth was that?

Lu Chenghe waved the ticket in front of him, “Want to go?”

Zuo Ning blinked once. Apart from the time Lu Chenghe took him to the mall, they had never gone out again. Is his Lu Chenghe getting into the rhythm of dating now?

Lu Chenghe used the ticket to gently hit his head, “You’ve grown so big and yet have never really gone out to play properly. This weekend I’ll bring you out to do something fun.”

Zuo Ning rubbed against Lu Chenghe’s body then rolled his body to lean comfortably in Lu Chenghe’s embrace. He opened his mouth and closed his eyes. This is a date! Hehehe.

Zuo Ning counted down the days till the weekend. By the time it rolled around, he was so excited he woke up earlier than Lu Chenghe. When he saw that Lu Chenghe was still sleeping, he pressed most of his body on top of him. He touched his nose to Lu Chenghe’s lips and rubbed his paws against his cheek.

Lu Chenghe hugged the dog without opening his eyes. Because he had just woken up early in the morning, his voice was hoarse but sweet, “You’ve already started to make trouble so early in the morning. Why are you so naughty, hm?”

The moment Zuo Ning heard that voice, his entire tail began trembling uncontrollably. Even his paws felt itchy and numb. Attacked so early in the morning… how cruel!

Lu Chenghe rubbed the dog’s head then threw him to one side. Little Pudding could now no longer be labelled as a small puppy and it was a considerate weight on his body.

The sun rises a bit later in winter so the streetlights were still on when they went on their morning run. The cold wind was a little biting when it brushed past the face. Little Pudding was running back and forth with his mouth wide open and white puffs of air coming out. Compared to when he was like a weak chicken that could not even run half of the way, he could now run the entire course while playing around.

Lu Chenghe, who always finishes his morning runs, stretched a little. He looked over and saw Little Pudding carefully sticking a paw in the lake. Lu Chenghe wanted to scare him, “There are monsters in the water. Be careful that they don’t mistake your paw for food.”

Zuo Ning had his back towards Lu Chenghe and rolled his eyes. He just saw a thin layer of ice and was curious about how it felt. Every year Qingniao City would have heavy snow. His school used to have a lake which would freeze over every year. But because the ice was deceptively thin, there would always be a new student who would die trying to stand on it. The lucky ones were able to come back, but those who were unlucky would take one step and fall through. Although the school had a warning sign the deaths were unending.

Zuo Ning didn’t know whether this lake would freeze when it snowed. Suddenly he missed his university a little bit.

When Lu Chenghe saw Little Pudding playing with water, he walked over and knocked his head. “How many times do I have to tell you that you are not allowed to get too close to the lake edge and you are not allowed to play with the water. Are you that forgetful?”

Zuo Ning turned his head and wagged his tail. He quickly caught up when he realised that Lu Chenghe was running back.

Back at the mansion, Lu Chenghe took the offered towel from the steward. He had always wiped his sweat right away but now the first thing he did was wipe the little ancestor’s paws. Of course, if he squatted down he couldn’t help but rub his belly too.

After all four paws had been wiped, Lu Chenghe was free to take care of himself. The little ancestor who was served by him started to play around in the living room. Since it was winter, the floor heating had been turned on. Now Little Pudding was very fond of the ground. Before he used to play inside his small two-story kennel. Now he liked to drag his mat around and lay on the floor.

When Lu Chenghe saw the little rascal rolling around on the floor, he couldn’t help but rub his forehead with exasperation, “If you become dirty, we won’t be going out today.”

In a flash, Zuo Ning sat properly. He was just appreciating the heated floor. Qingniao City was not very cold unlike the cities in the north where you had to gather like penguins for warmth. Over here they only needed to turn on the heater. But he never thought that Lu Chenghe would have warm floors! And it was turned on all the time. The whole house was nice and warm without being too dry. There was also no uncomfortable feeling of having hot air blown in your face. So comfortable!

After a busy breakfast, Lu Chenghe proceeded to rest on the sofa and read a book.

Zuo Ning jumped on the sofa and patted Lu Chenghe’s leg, “Awoo?” Didn’t you say we were going out? I’m ready now.

Lu Chenghe threw the tablet to him, “Go play by yourself. Don’t make a fuss.”

“Woof!” You aren’t keeping your word!

Lu Chenghe reached out a hand and pushed away that face which was constantly getting closer, “What time do you think is it now? It’s still early. Go play first. We will leave later.”

Upon hearing this, Zuo Ning turned around so his butt was facing Lu Chenghe before laying down in front of the tablet.

Lu Chenghe glanced at him and chuckled. He really is getting smarter as he grows older. Apparently, Samoyeds were not a particularly smart breed of dog, but they were not dumb. Just slightly above average. They could have an IQ equivalent to a toddler or higher if they were taught well.

His family’s Little Pudding was only six months old but was already able to understand speech. If he was a bit older and more experienced, he would probably be more like a spirit.

It was only at 10 o’clock that Lu Chenghe took him outside. Little Pudding acted like he hadn’t been let out in hundreds of years for the entire trip. He was not in the mood to sit still. He rubbed against Lu Chenghe’s body and although he was calm when he was held, every so often he would get up to look out the window. After looking he would then run over and ask to be hugged. Faced with such an energetic dog tested Lu Chenghe’s patience immensely.

It continued like that the whole way until they arrived at their destination. Lu Chenghe only let him out after he made sure the leash was clipped on properly. This convention was specially organised for pets of all kinds and was not limited to dogs. There were quite a few cats. Lu Chenghe even saw some people bring their long-haired pet rabbits.

If Qi Wei hadn’t given him a ticket to this conference he never would have known that Qingnian City had this kind of place to play. Usually, this kind of gathering was held once every few months. There were also stalls which would directly sell all kinds of pet food and toys at a discounted price.

Many famous pet breeders would also come to sell animals. The convention regulated any sold pets. Every transaction is recorded and if there was a problem within a week, the organisers would arrange compensation. Plus the store that sold the pet would be banned from participating in future conventions. So even if the pets sold through the convention were more expensive, if you did not want to buy a weekly dog there was more peace of mind.

However, Lu Chenghe’s purpose of bringing Little Pudding here was not to browse wares. In the middle of the venue, there was an area for pets to play together. To be allowed in, female dogs had to be sterilised. The requirements for male dogs were not so high but if they were aggressive, they would not be allowed to enter.

Little Pudding had always been raised at home. Although the house had plenty of space for him to play there was little contact with other dogs. Therefore, Lu Chenghe decided to bring him out today to play and socialise with others.

Little Pudding passed a series of checks to confirm that he was non-aggressive and was released into the play area. The moment he entered, he attracted a large number of dogs who began to surround and sniff him. The result was that Little Pudding was so frightened that he immediately jumped out of the play area and plunged into Lu Chenghe’s arms.

Lu Chenghe patted Little Pudding, “They just want to play with you. They won’t hurt you. Be good. Try again.”

When Lu Chenghe wanted to take him back to the play area, that little rascal held onto him with all four paws for dear life.

Zuo Ning was helpless in the face of this group of passionate puppies. “Awoo…” His butt should not be sniffed! Nor should he have to bite a toy that other dogs had slobbered over. Even more so he did not want to play fight with other dogs. This date was completely different from what he imagined!

Lu Chenghe had already been noticed by the staff there. It couldn’t be helped. He was the most attractive out of all the dog parents. That tall and straight posture and handsome appearance would not lose to a celebrity. Now that his low voice is comforting a frightened puppy, the young female staff’s heart was about to explode. The image was just too beautiful!

Her identity was very convenient right now. She walked closer and made eye contact, “Your dog doesn’t seem to be very brave, sir. It’s probably because he’s not used to interacting with other dogs and is frightened. You can also enter the play area, but you have to sit on the side. If you bring your dog and slowly help him socialise with other dogs, he will naturally begin to relax.”

Lu Chenghe continued to pat the sticky Little Pudding and smiled slightly at the worker, “Thank you.”

Wow wow wow! Absolutely swoon-worthy! That low voice saying thanks coupled with that slight smile was an image that she would fantasise about for a year!

Lu Chenghe still wanted Little Pudding to try again so he sat on the side of the play area according to what she said. He put Little Pudding down and when he saw other dogs approaching, he gave him a little push.

Naz: Will Little Pudding make another puppy friend? Tune in next week (or so) for the gripping continuation!