| PN | Meeting | 20
Chao Dad: [Moss has safely arrived home.]
Doctor: [Alright, thank you for your hard work]
Chao Dad: [What time will you arrive in Linjing District tomorrow? I'll come to pick you up.]
There was no immediate reply as before. Qi Chao guessed the other person was busy, so he set down his light brain and estimated that the rice still needed another fifteen minutes to steam.
He then stepped out of the kitchen, planning to first tidy up Moss's room.
In the living room, the elder and younger were sitting on the sofa watching an animation, without talking to each other.
At this point, even someone as easygoing as Qi Chao could see that the two kids had a somewhat strained relationship.
However, it wasn't definite. Sometimes brothers didn't have much to talk about but still had a good relationship. Qi Chao decided to observe them a bit longer.
"Moss, do you want to go upstairs and check out your room?" Qi Chao said, adding, "It's right next to Lan Luo's room, very close."
Moss nodded at this, and upon hearing his name, Lan Luo jumped off the sofa, clearly intending to go upstairs with them.
The two dolls followed one after the other, with the elder brother carrying a briefcase.
"Moss, let me carry that," Qi Chao said, extending his right hand. As a grown man, he couldn't let a child carry the luggage.
Moss looked at him with his dark eyes, as if contemplating something. Qi Chao thought he was just shy, smiled, and was about to withdraw his hand when the other person handed over the bag.
The briefcase wasn't large, and the thin puppet didn't seem to struggle carrying it. However, when Qi Chao took it, his hand sank with the unexpected weight, nearly dropping it. Fortunately, his strength saved him from embarrassment.
Reaching the room, Qi Chao placed the heavy briefcase on the dressing table. He ruffled Lan Luo's hair and smiled at Moss, saying, "The bedding is all new. Later, we can go out shopping together to buy some daily necessities and vegetables."
"Okay," Moss replied in his raspy voice.
"I want to go too," Lan Luo chimed in. When he heard him mention shopping, he equated it with going out to have fun. He gripped Qi Chao's coat hem tightly as if he was afraid of being left behind.
Qi Chao had no intention of leaving his good kid at home alone. He gently patted the little antlers on Lan Luo's head. "Of course you can come. Tomorrow your father is coming over, so you and Moss can help pick out his favorite dishes, alright?"
It was the first time he was inviting a friend to his house, Qi Chao was determined to prepare a sumptuous meal.
According to the doctor, he wasn't picky about food and didn't have any particular favorites. This was as good as saying nothing at all, so Qi Chao shifted his hopes onto his puppets.
Picking out their father's favorite foods?
Upon hearing this, not only did Lan Luo's eyes light up, but even Moss, who had been quietly standing to the side, straightened up and looked directly at Qi Chao with his dark eyes.
Qi Chao hadn't expected such a strong reaction from the two children. He smiled and said, "Of course, you must know what your father likes, right?"
Of course they knew.
Father didn't have any particular favorite dishes, but he did have preferences during meals. For instance, he didn't like sour foods; whenever he tasted something sour, his brows would slightly furrow imperceptibly. In comparison, he always ate a few more bites when it came to seafood.
Lan Luo and Moss were well aware of everything about their father.
If they could buy the foods their father liked, perhaps they would receive his praise. Lan Luo wanted to earn his father's praise and immediately raised his hand, indicating his eagerness to go shopping.
Moss also nodded, his usually lifeless eyes seemingly filled with a young boy's spirit. Unlike Lan Luo, who sought his father's praise, Moss simply wanted their father to enjoy a comforting meal.
Since they had agreed to go shopping in the afternoon, both Lan Luo and Moss ate their lunch quickly. Qi Chao had prepared a deluxe version of rainbow sun energy stones, which the two finished in no time.
Seeing how eager the two brothers were, Qi Chao couldn't help but laugh and quickened his own pace. He knew these children must truly love their father; otherwise, they wouldn't be so excited.
The nearest large supermarket was in the city, as the wealthy residents of the villa area typically had fresh ingredients flown in each morning.
After lunch, Qi Chao took Lan Luo and Moss to the supermarket, where they headed straight for the fresh food section, picking and choosing among the offerings.
So the doctor likes seafood? Qi Chao mused, walking over with his hands in his pockets to help the two small brothers.
Although they knew what their father liked to eat, they had almost no real-world experience, so they relied on Qi Chao to select the freshest seafood.
"When picking Blue Star sea yellow croaker, you need to check the gills. The freshest fish have tightly closed gills," Qi Chao explained, demonstrating for the two brothers. "If the gills open easily like this, it's not fresh."
Lan Luo and Moss listened intently.
Though these skills were practically useless for puppets, in their eyes, learning to pick fish meant they could prepare the freshest ingredients for their father.
Seeing how seriously the two were paying attention, Qi Chao once again realized the doctor's importance in their lives. He chuckled softly, paid for the selected fish, and continued shopping with the children.
It was nearly six o'clock in the evening when Qi Chao finally returned home with the two brothers.
After a simple meal, he prepared to head to the basement for work, planning to feed the spirit stone with spiritual energy.
"Lan Luo, Moss, if you get tired, just go upstairs to sleep. Good night," Qi Chao said, putting on his work clothes and standing at the entrance to the basement, giving a gentle reminder to the two brothers.
For the past ten days or so, Lan Luo had been clinging to Qi Chao whenever he went to the basement.
However, today Moss was here, and Qi Chao thought the two brothers should spend time together, and rekindle their bond, so he didn't take the initiative to ask Lan Luo to come along.
But in reality, the brothers lounging on the sofa had no such inclination to bond. In a certain way, these brothers were quite similar.
"I want to go too!" Hearing that Qi Chao was going to the basement, Lan Luo got off the sofa. In his hurry, his fluffy, slightly curly hair fluttered in the air.
However, he spoke a bit too late as Qi Chao had already entered the basement.
Lan Luo started to follow, but after taking a few steps, he remembered something and turned back.He said crisply to Moss on the sofa, "Big brother, come with me."
Moss didn't move, his eerie black eyes staring at him, his voice hoarse, "For what?"
He didn't quite understand Lan Luo's intention.
"I want to show you the frog I made," Lan Luo said, his tone full of pride. The key point, however, was in his next sentence, "My master and father praised my frog."
Setting aside his master for now, Moss's attention was piqued at the mention of their father. He stood up, tilting his head slightly toward Lan Luo, his voice raspy, "Lead the way."
The basement corridor wasn't dark; there were blue night lights on both sides. The "teenager" who appeared to be thirteen or fourteen followed the "child" who looked about eleven or twelve, their steps light and cautious.
In the basement, Qi Chao was busy crafting dolls when he heard some noise. Surprised, he saw the two brothers entering and became even more curious.
Seeing Lan Luo pick up his frog, Qi Chao immediately guessed that Lan Luo was showing off his work to his older brother.
He chuckled softly, cleared some space on the table for the brothers to play, and continued working.
Lan Luo, holding his frog, sat next to Qi Chao and placed his precious creation on the clean table with a practiced ease, as if he had rehearsed this a hundred times.
Under the light, Moss looked at the frog on the table. His mouth moved slightly under the bandages.
This... was a frog?
Moss originally thought that the frog that would be praised by his father should be a very delicate, detailed piece, but it turned out to be this unidentifiable lump. He glanced at the seemingly pleased Lan Luo, feeling a bit confused.
Was Lan Luo always this naive? Moss vaguely remembered that Lan Luo used to pretend to be harmless, but was actually troublesome enough to give their father a headache.
Yet now, this genuine display of innocence seemed more natural than an act.
Moss took everything in, his eerie black eyes falling on the mother stone in the fish tank on the table.
Qi Chao was about to switch his carving knife for a scraper when he noticed Moss's gaze. Following his line of sight, he saw the mother stone and smiled, "This is the mother stone I prepared for a small puppet that I am making. What do you think? Isn't this heart shape adorable?"
As soon as Qi Chao finished speaking, Moss saw a green light rise from Qi Chao and float leisurely through the air until it landed on the mother stone.
The stone, resting in the fish tank, behaved as if it were accustomed to an all-you-can-eat buffet, taking its time to absorb the mental energy.
Moss: ...?
Having spent so much time with his father, he knew how strange this scene was. For a mother stone in a critical period, it requires a large amount of mental energy, but such a display indicated that it was not lacking in energy at all.
Moss exchanged a glance with Lan Luo, whose expression remained unchanged, as if he was accustomed to this sight. Something seemed off to Moss.
Meanwhile, Qi Chao, unaware of Moss's thoughts, was about to resume his work when his light brain buzzed gently. Surprised, he opened the screen and saw a message from the doctor who hadn't responded earlier.
Doctor: [Sorry for the delay, something came up this morning.]
Doctor: [No need to worry about tomorrow. I've arranged for someone to give me a ride. I'm looking forward to meeting you in the morning.]
Qi Chao paused, leaning back in his chair and twirling the scraper in his hand. His deep brown eyes showed a hint of anticipation.
He, too, was looking forward to meeting the doctor.
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