Puppet Notes (Wearing Book) - 19

 

| PN | 19

"Your kid's outfit scared my son. Apologize, or neither of you will leave today." The child's father, Zhao Qi, stood with his brothers, their faces stern and determined, clearly not ready to let the matter slide.

It was quite a coincidence because Qi Chao had no intention of letting it go either.

He had learned from the doctor during their conversation yesterday that Moss was wrapped entirely in bandages. Qi Chao had been so excited at the time that he could hardly wait to meet Moss.

Wrapped head to toe in bandages? That was so cool!

But when he arrived at the docking area the next day, he encountered this scene.

"Fine, you apologize first," Qi Chao retorted.

In his youth, Qi Chao had been stubborn and fierce. After dropping out of school and working hard in society, his temper had mellowed somewhat, but some things never changed. 

Moss was Lan Luo's brother, making him Qi Chao's junior. Moreover, Qi Chao considered the doctor a friend, and by extension, Moss was like family.

Who could tolerate their own family being bullied?

Qi Chao's protective instincts flared up. He stared down Zhao Qi and his brothers, ready to stand his ground for Moss.

He smirked slightly. "My kid was scared by you too. You apologize first, then I'll consider if my kid needs to apologize."

Apologizing was out of the question, not in this lifetime.

Moss's bandaged appearance was certainly unique, but there was no law on Blue Star prohibiting unconventional dress. Moss had the freedom to dress as he pleased. Scaring a child was unintentional, and while he could choose to apologize voluntarily, he wouldn't be forced into it.

Zhao Qi and his brothers hadn't expected Qi Chao to be so firm, and their expressions soured.

Moss watched from behind, his dark eyes flashing with confusion, as if he didn't quite understand what Lan Luo's owner was trying to achieve.

A few raindrops began to fall from the sky.

Puppets couldn't get wet.

Qi Chao turned and handed Moss the keys to the airship, gently instructing him on its exact location. He urged Moss to go inside and wait, then turned back to continue arguing with the men.

Moss kept his gaze fixed on Lan Luo's owner until urged again, then reluctantly left the platform.

Once seated in the co-pilot's seat of the airship, Moss still couldn't comprehend Lan Luo's owner's intentions.

Outside, the rain grew heavier, splashing into puddles and sending up sprays of water. Looking out the window, all he could see was a misty blur of water droplets.

The rain dampened Moss's bandages, making the fabric slightly uncomfortable and sticky. However, he paid it no mind; his own bandages were always the most comfortable.

Half an hour later, Qi Chao returned, smelling of rain and with his dark hair slightly damp from the downpour.

However, unlike his disheveled appearance, Qi Chao seemed in good spirits. He turned and smiled at Moss, playing a video clip for him on his light brain.

In the video, several men were apologizing to Moss one by one. Their faces, previously dark and grim when Moss departed, now showed genuine sincerity in their apologies.

Moss had always been indifferent to humans, but witnessing this scene piqued his curiosity about how Qi Chao managed it.

"These guys might look tough, but they're softies deep down. I had a chat with them and cleared things up, so they won't bother you anymore," Qi Chao explained briefly, omitting the fact that he had engaged in a scuffle with them in the alley.

Initially, Qi Chao hadn't planned to resort to violence, but the group had become confrontational. 

After Moss left, they continued to mutter insults, and Qi Chao couldn't stand it. When they invited him to "talk" in the alley, he agreed without hesitation.

Qi Chao had been in his fair share of brawls in his youth, and even outnumbered, he wouldn't back down. They hardly laid a finger on him before they were down.

Surprisingly, after the fight, their relationship improved significantly. When Qi Chao mentioned the idea of apologies, they hesitated for a moment before agreeing wholeheartedly.

Moss nodded as he listened to Qi Chao's explanation. His face, obscured by bandages, revealed no expression whatsoever—or perhaps, he simply had none.

"Thank you," Moss's voice was dry and hoarse.

Despite not needing human assistance, Moss remembered his father's advice about showing gratitude when helped.

"It's okay," Qi Chao replied casually upon hearing Moss's voice, showing no surprise. He smiled and pulled out a bag of energy stones from beside him, offering them to Lan Luo's older brother. "Moss, try one of these."

The energy stones in the brown paper bag were all prepared in advance, each a small square shape resembling snacks. Qi Chao had prepared them specially that morning.

Moss's dark right eye fixated on the brown paper bag. Before he could speak, the snacks were already thrust into his arms without any hesitation.

"Don't be shy," Qi Chao said affectionately. "We still have twenty minutes until we get home. I'll set up the projection for you to watch while snacking. It'll make the time pass quickly."

Moss's mouth under the bandages twitched slightly, about to refuse, but Qi Chao had already arranged everything.

"Lan Luo loves watching this cartoon," Qi Chao added, sensing Moss's reluctance and deliberately bringing up Lan Luo as a conversational icebreaker, the only familiar topic between them in this unfamiliar situation.

Moss, however, didn't care about what Lan Luo liked. Or perhaps, there were very few things he cared about at all.

He lowered his head and loosened the bandages around his lips with his hands, revealing pale lips and a delicate chin that contrasted sharply against the bandages.

Qi Chao heard a chewing sound beside him and glanced at the small puppet sitting next to him, feeling his heart soften. Whether it was Lan Luo or Moss, they were both well-behaved.

Back at home, Lan Luo was already waiting at the entrance. Qi Chao led Moss inside, gently patting the puppet's golden-haired head as he spoke with a smile, "I'll go upstairs and change first. You two brothers chat for a bit."

With that, Qi Chao headed upstairs, leaving the space to the two brothers. He figured that in a new environment, Moss would likely feel somewhat reserved. Letting them stay together might help Moss relax a bit more.

"Big brother," Lan Luo spoke calmly, his smile fading as Qi Chao disappeared upstairs.

Moss's dark and lifeless right eye met Lan Luo's gaze. He nodded slightly, his face wrapped in bandages still showing no emotion.

Contrary to Qi Chao's expectations of a harmonious atmosphere between the brothers, the living room fell into an eerie silence after Qi Chao ascended the stairs. Aside from their initial greeting, there was no further conversation between the two.

This was their usual state as brothers. Apart from conveying tasks assigned by their father, they seldom exchanged many words.

The silence continued until Qi Chao returned downstairs. However, this easygoing man didn't notice anything amiss upon his return.

"Moss, do you want to change the bandages on your body?" Qi Chao raised the bandage in his hand. He had noticed during their time in the aircraft that Moss's head bandages had darkened, likely from being soaked by the rain.

Moss remained standing on the floor. Upon hearing Qi Chao's question, he looked over and shook his head.

In contrast, Lan Luo appeared much more relaxed, sitting on the sofa swinging his legs, fully immersed in watching the animation playing on the projection.

"Doesn't it feel uncomfortable?" Qi Chao approached with some concern.

"Not uncomfortable," Moss replied in his dry, husky voice, sounding somewhat urgent, as if afraid Qi Chao might forcibly remove his bandages. He took a step back, pressing his hand against the bandage knot at the back of his head, his dark right eye fixed intently on Qi Chao.

Had he scared the child?

Qi Chao paused, then casually tossed the bandage into a drawer of the coffee table, trying to make it seem like nothing had happened.

"Only father can change big brother's bandages," Lan Luo answered, tilting his face up to Qi Chao.

Ah, that's how it was. Qi Chao understood now. He turned to Moss and apologized directly, "Sorry, Moss, I didn't know. We'll wait for the doctor to come tomorrow and change them for you."

His tone was natural, with a hint of apology, as if he didn't realize he was apologizing to a puppet.

Moss stared at him strangely, nodded, and after a few minutes, he asked, "When will the examination begin?"

His purpose in coming today was to examine Lan Luo, and Moss didn't want to waste time on unnecessary matters.

"Anytime," Qi Chao responded, his heart tightening at the thought of Lan Luo's cracked hands and feet. He turned off the projection and lifted Lan Luo, who was watching cartoons, into his arms.

Lan Luo leaned against Qi Chao's chest, glancing at his big brother.

"How do you check this?" Qi Chao lifted Lan Luo's hand, revealing a ten-centimeter-long crack on the fair and soft back of his hand.

Moss didn't seem surprised by the scars on his brother's hand. He took out a series of high-tech tools from his bag, including a flashlight and a diagnostic device.

Upon seeing these, Qi Chao's heart eased considerably. Such professionalism assured him that everything would be fine. Looking at the one-eyed puppet covered in bandages, he couldn't help but silently admire Moss's handsomeness and capability. Truly worthy of being Lan Luo's big brother.

With the flashlight, diagnostic device, and psychic probe all used in sequence, Moss then pulled out a notebook and began recording various data. Ten minutes later, he closed the notebook.

"Doc... Moss, how is Lan Luo?" Qi Chao had nearly called him 'doctor', swallowed the word back down. Moss was just too professional throughout the process, giving Qi Chao the impression that he was a doctor.

Moss's voice remained as dry as ever, "He's fine. Father can repair him."

Hearing this, Qi Chao instantly felt relieved, his smile impossible to contain.

He ruffled Lan Luo's hair in his arms, then set him down gently. Standing up, Qi Chao said, "As long as he can be repaired, that's good. I'll go prepare lunch for you two."

Upon receiving the good news, Qi Chao headed to the kitchen, determined to make a hearty lunch for the two little puppets at home.

In the living room, there were now only two puppets left.

"Big brother, isn’t my master really good?" Lan Luo squinted and smiled.

Moss thought about everything from their meeting until just now, nodded slightly. His voice rasped like sandpaper on a tabletop, "Indeed, not bad."

But that didn't mean anything.

When he showed the cracks on Lan Luo's body from being beaten, he revealed his guilt.

Moss's right eye was deep and mysterious.

In this world, it would be better if only Father were the last human left.

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