Puppet Notes (Wearing Book) - 4

 

| PN | 4

At six o'clock the next morning, Qi Chao woke up, groggy, with disheveled hair, clearly not having had enough sleep.

【Good morning, Host.】

The electronic voice suddenly sounded.

No matter how sleepy he was, Qi Chao woke up instantly upon hearing this. He was somewhat surprised; the system had just left yesterday, and now it was back so soon?

"Good morning. When did you arrive?"

The system hesitated for a moment. It couldn't possibly say that it returned right when he almost died last night, could it? 

After a pause, it said, 【Just now. The regulations mandates a daily system check-in.】

Qi Chao remarked on how hard it must be for the system, not noticing anything odd. He climbed out of bed to wash up, slipped into his slippers, and left the master bedroom. The first thing he did was knock on the door of the room next door.

There was no response; his little puppet was probably still asleep.

Qi Chao decided not to disturb Lan Luo's sleep and turned to go to the study. This was his usual work time, already ingrained in his biological clock.

Before his sudden death, he had been designing a new puppet.

Having his train of thought interrupted was really frustrating.

Although he had transmigrated, he couldn't abandon his work.

He wondered if he could still capture his previous inspiration.

With the original owner's memories, Qi Chao was very familiar with the villa. He took a notebook from the bookshelf and sat at the desk.

Though the notebook wasn't meant for drawing, Qi Chao didn't mind. His deep brown eyes became focused, and his slender fingers held a pencil, and started sketching on the pages. 

The air around him seemed to quiet down.

In the vast sea of knowledge, the system watched its host work for nearly an hour. The host hadn't lifted his head once. Several pages of the notebook were torn, and there were piles of discarded sketch papers on the floor.

It was almost half past seven when Qi Chao finally put down his pen. He rubbed his wrist and revealed his first smile of the day.

Qi Chao had a naturally stern and handsome appearance, but when he smiled, two dimples appeared on his face, making him look younger. It made him appear quite handsome and charming.

Seeing this, the system, for the first time, took the initiative to ask: "Host, besides puppets, what else are you interested in?"

Interested in anything else?

Qi Chao was somewhat surprised. The system actually asked him such... a humanized question?

The system asked sincerely.

There aren't many diligent craftsmen like Qi Chao.

For example, the craftsman next door, the system's second host. It brought that person over last night but they are still learning to crow like a rooster, never thinking about work.

By comparison, the system felt the host had great potential.

It would be a pity if he died.

If the host had an interest in ceramics or bamboo weaving, and was willing to hone his skills, the system could try to help him, maybe he could really leave this place and save his life.

Qi Chao thought it was asking a casual question and didn't pay much attention. He twirled his pen and replied offhandedly, "Money. Besides my kids, money is what I like the most."

【Besides money? Don't you have any interest in bamboo weaving or other hobbies?】 The system's electronic voice fluctuated unevenly, sounding somewhat indignant.

"Nothing else," Qi Chao didn't detect the change in the system's tone. He answered casually, "Although I was chosen by the Craftsmen's Bureau, I'm not some high-class person. I started learning to make puppets in the first place to make money."

Qi Chao came from a humble background, having struggled his way up in life. He was originally a commoner, but later became a puppet master, earning a lot of money and gradually developing his own style and persistence.

Ultimately, the only thing that could pique the interest of this 28-year-old man, who was as calm as an ancient well, apart from his steadfast career, was money.

【Okay,】 the system's electronic voice returned to its neutral tone.

There’s no hope, it could only wait for him to die.

Qi Chao didn't know he had missed his only chance to be saved. Hearing the doorbell ring, he happily put down his pen and ran to open the door.

Outside the door was a round-bellied robot delivering a package.

The package contained advanced energy stones Qi Chao had bought last night on the Star Network, along with clothes he had picked out for his child.

After signing for the package, Qi Chao thanked the robot. The robot's large red eyes squinted into slits, then it turned in place, bowed, and left.

Truly intelligent.

Qi Chao smiled and carried the package into the living room to open it.

Unlike the basic energy stones from last night, the advanced energy stones were not monochrome. They came in various colors like fine gems, crystal clear and radiant. Each color seemed to contain different energies, but there were conflicting opinions online and no definitive evidence.

Qi Chao carried nearly thirty pounds of energy stones into the kitchen. He left the clothes on the sofa without opening them, planning to do so later with the little puppet.

Though this pile of packages consisted of only two items, it was quite expensive, nearly thirty thousand star coins.

Thirty thousand star coins were insignificant to the original owner.

But in reality, to buy that regulator, the original owner had spent over ten million, nearly wiping out his bank account.

Qi Chao didn't regret destroying the regulator, but he felt a bit distressed thinking about how ridiculously expensive that piece of junk was.

This was really frustrating.

After crossing over, Qi Chao's first crisis turned out to be a financial deficit. For someone who had struggled to earn money for over a decade, it was ironic to encounter such a situation upon transmigration.

Coming out of the kitchen, Qi Chao glanced at the time—it was exactly eight o'clock.

The little puppet hasn't woken up yet?

Thinking that Lan Luo hadn't consumed energy stones for a week and had only replenished his energy last night for the first time, Qi Chao felt a bit worried. He went upstairs and knocked on the door.

No response.

Qi Chao was about to open the door directly when it suddenly swung open.

Behind the door stood Lan Luo with his golden hair and blue eyes, dressed in a white little suit, resembling a young master. His clear blue eyes were as serene as the sea, and his smile was healing and adorable.

Seeing his son awake, Qi Chao instantly felt relieved. He smiled and joked, "Did you sleep well, kiddo?"

"Yeah!" Lan Luo, the little angel, was still full of energy.

Qi Chao felt very comforted.

He ruffled Lan Luo's soft hair and asked with a smile, "Would you like to watch cartoons?"

"I want to!" Lan Luo squinted his eyes comfortably, like a little cat enjoying being petted. His eyes lit up at the mention of cartoons.

Meanwhile, the system in Qi Chao's knowledge sea silently left the dimensional space.

How could the ™ host possibly defeat this demon kid?

It’s over. Who could tell what that demon was thinking?

Qi Chao took his little angel downstairs.

He turned on the projection screen and played the cartoon they didn't finish watching yesterday for Lan Luo to continue, while he went to the kitchen to cook.

The puppet seemed to really enjoy watching cartoons; his eyes sparkled with joy whenever they were mentioned, it was incredibly adorable.

It had to be said, that superhero cartoon was really good. Qi Chao had watched a short segment yesterday and was captivated. No one could resist the charm of a superhero!

As the kitchen door closed behind him, Lan Luo, who had been eagerly watching the cartoon, suddenly turned gloomy, suppressing his anxious emotions.

He had knocked on the door twice this morning.

And it was just to watch a stupid cartoon?

Lan Luo fidgeted with the couch, he stared at the superhero protagonist with poisonous eyes.

He really wanted to kill someone.

Why wasn't his father here yet?

If he didn't come soon, Lan Luo wouldn't be able to hold back.

When the kitchen door opened again, Lan Luo immediately put on his signature angelic smile.

"Lan Luo, look at what Daddy made for you this time!"

Remembering the low-grade energy stones cut into small cubes last night, Lan Luo's smile stiffened slightly, but he still managed to keep his smile.

"Ta-da—Rainbow Bunny!"

To set the mood, Qi Chao even used a playful tone one would use to coax children, and spoke in a pinched voice.

Lan Luo: ...

Qi Chao noticed that cutting low-grade energy stones was like cutting potatoes, while cutting high-grade energy stones was like cutting apples.

Qi Chao had prepared different colored energy stones according to what he read online about their benefits for puppets. He sliced each color into small pieces, resembling apples for the rainbow bunny. There were exactly seven slices.

The high-grade energy stones contained ample energy, so seven small slices were sufficient for the puppet to consume, unlike yesterday's meal that resembled a whole plate of potatoes.

He was quite satisfied with his arrangement, and Lan Luo looked pleasantly surprised, excitedly praising how cute they were. 

Qi Chao knew his son would definitely love them!

He watched as Lan Luo picked up a slice and ate it happily. Qi Chao then brought out the freshly made sandwiches from the kitchen. They enjoyed their meal together while watching cartoons, both feeling content.

After dinner, Qi Chao tried to gauge which color of energy stones Lan Luo liked more, but received a perplexed and confused look from the puppet.

Alright, it seemed that he didn’t have a preference.

They finished their meal, yet the superhero cartoon hadn't concluded its battle—typical for superheroes, who were known to solve one problem across two episodes. 

After washing the dishes, Qi Chao spent some time with the puppet watching cartoons, although on the surface only, as who was watching whom wasn't entirely clear.

When the ending theme of the superhero cartoon played, Qi Chao sighed reluctantly. He turned to see Lan Luo still smiling warmly.

Qi Chao wondered if it was just his imagination, but he felt like the puppet was happier somehow?

He pondered this and then noticed the clothes he had bought for Lan Luo, placed just a meter away. Suddenly, he realized.

His child knew he brought him clothes!

"Lan Luo is so clever!" Qi Chao praised.

Lan Luo, caught off guard by the sudden praise: ???

Qi Chao got up and picked up seven or eight pieces of clothing. "Come here quickly and let's unwrap them together!"

Lan Luo hesitated for a moment, then revealed an excited and joyful smile, giving a very appreciative "Wow".

The features of the puppet were delicate, and even if the puppet was dressed in a sack, it would still look good. 

Moreover, Qi Chao had a good taste, selecting styles that perfectly suited the puppet. Each piece was just right.

Qi Chao decisively decided to keep all the clothes and placed them neatly in the puppet's wardrobe.

"Now you can choose your clothes every day, and wear whichever one you like!" Qi Chao said with a smile.

Lan Luo nodded eagerly, already dressed in his Aries pajamas, looking like a healing little angel descended to earth. With his deep blue eyes bent into a bright smile, he replied, "Mm!"

Qi Chao watched his son with warmth in his heart, but his gaze unintentionally fell upon the cracks on Lan Luo's hand. His previously good mood instantly soured.

As obedient as the puppet was, the hateful scars left by its original owner were equally detestable.

Suppressing his sadness, Qi Chao led Lan Luo back to the living room and chose an educational cartoon. Lan Luo stared at the projection screen with great interest, seeming even more interested than he had been in the superhero cartoon.

Qi Chao glanced at it and found it less engaging, so he quietly lowered his head and started browsing through his light brain.

The Blue Star's light brain was akin to a high-spec version of a smartphone from his past life. Qi Chao searched for information about energy stones on it.

While searching for information in the morning, Qi Chao accidentally stumbled upon a puppet enthusiast forum. He hadn't paid much attention then, but now he was browsing it with great seriousness, hoping to find a way to repair the cracks on a Blue Star puppet.

In his past life, Qi Chao had repaired many puppets with cracks, but he knew the methods for repairing Blue Star puppets were different due to their unique construction methods.

The forum posts were quite diverse, but there were hardly any useful insights. Most posts were either showing off beautiful puppets or trading energy stones.

After searching for a long time on the forum, Qi Chao found very little useful information. The making and repairing of puppets seemed like a secret, with hardly any relevant answers available.

At this point, all he knew was what was commonly known: Blue Star puppets were made by puppet masters and gained life because of the puppet heart nurtured within the mother stone.

If he couldn't find a method to repair the cracks, he would have to seek out the puppet master who made Lan Luo.

Thinking about this, Qi Chao scrolled down further but still didn't find anything useful. Feeling somewhat disappointed, he was about to exit the forum when a title at the very end caught his attention.

The title mentioned a completely unfamiliar organization—even Qi Chao hadn't heard of it in his previous life—the Puppet Master Association.

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