Puppet Notes (Wearing Book) - 28

 

| PN | He Won't | 28

Qi Chao had heard about puppet master competitions from the doctor before and had privately researched relevant information. 

The competitions organized by the association were known as "Cradle of Guides." For ordinary puppet masters, winning such a competition meant not only gaining access to a vein of minerals and energy stones for free but also being regarded as a future pillar of the industry, it was highly sought after.

For participants with lower spiritual power who couldn't become certified puppet masters, achieving a decent ranking could lead to an invitation to join the association, although joining was entirely voluntary. 

Some contestants with high prestige preferred their independence and wouldn't join even if they performed well in the competition.

Qi Chao had already awakened the Mother Stone and fulfilled the conditions to participate in the competition. 

He lowered his eyelashes, carefully considering the competition rules. Upon registration approval, puppet masters had three months to create their puppets; failure to do so would result in disqualification. 

According to Qi Chao's current progress, time was tight, but he believed he could push through with some late-night work sessions.

During the official competition, the organizer will set up some levels to test the qualifications of the puppets. The final results would be determined by the puppet's qualification score, judges' scores, and audience ratings, with the highest combined score determining the winner.

With thousands of puppet masters participating each year, many of whom were highly experienced, Qi Chao understood the daunting challenge ahead. Qi Chao knew his own limitations. He had just arrived at Blue Star and this was his first time making a living puppet. 

In the final analysis, he was just a newcomer and it was almost impossible for him to win.

Qi Chao's determination to save Double Mirror was unwavering, yet he was equally unwilling to cause trouble for his original father. Participating in the competition seemed to be his only viable path forward, regardless of the outcome—he had to try.

Within his mind, the system noticed that Qi Chao was truly intent on entering the competition, causing it to emotionally collapse. Its host had completely fallen into the villain’s plan, following it step by step.

After some hesitation, the system decided to kindly suggest, 【Host, the doctor beside you is well-known in the industry. How about asking him to help Double Mirror?】

If the villain refused, it would reveal his true nature—whether he was truly benevolent or not—and Qi Chao, despite his naivety, would likely sense that something was amiss.

Unexpectedly, before the system could pose the question to the villain, Qi Chao preemptively refused, stating firmly, 【No.】

The system fell silent for a moment before asking, 【May I ask why you refused?】

Qi Chao's expression turned odd, indicating he didn't quite understand the system's intent. In his thoughts, he replied, 【Saving Double Mirror is my own affair. Just as I don't want to cause trouble for my original father, I don't want to involve the doctor either.】

If there were a shortcut, Qi Chao would certainly take it, but not at the expense of involving those around him. The doctor had expressed his disdain for the association, hinting at underlying conflicts. 

If the doctor and the association already have conflicts, and he has to deal with the association because of his own request, he will not do this no matter how thick his face is.

Qi Chao wouldn't ask the doctor for help simply because he wanted to save Double Mirror; that wouldn't be a request but a form of moral coercion.

The system didn't know how to respond. It struggled to fully grasp Qi Chao's reasoning, but since he had made up his mind, all it could do was quietly wait for him to proceed.

Qi Chao's decision to participate in the competition was met with concern from Shen Yuxi, who sat on the sofa with a slight furrow in his brow. 

Upon hearing Qi Chao's determination, Shen Yuxi's lips tightened slightly, and his blue eyes held a hint of surprise. Of course, whether this surprise was true or not is debatable. "Are you really sure about competing?"

"Yes," Qi Chao nodded, pulling a small smile. He spoke softly, "If I can win, I'll have a chance to negotiate with the association's higher-ups and save Double Mirror."

Leaning forward slightly, Shen Yuxi fixed his gaze on Qi Chao and said earnestly, "I've offended the association before, so I'm sorry I can't compete with you. If you have any questions or need help, please let me know. I'll do my best to assist you."

Qi Chao understood the doctor's explanation aligned with his expectations, he appreciated Shen Yuxi's goodwill. He joked, "That's great then. You'll probably be overwhelmed with questions when the time comes."

Perhaps due to the events of the night weighing on him, Qi Chao spoke in a lazy and casual tone, but his eyes were still warm. When he looked at someone intently, it was as if he had poured a lot of emotion into that person.

This warmth was something Shen Yuxi could never fake. He smiled, brushing stray golden strands behind his ear and lowering his gaze slightly, revealing a hint of complexity.

‘He really is easy to deceive’, thought Shen Yuxi. Even though he anticipated this, he couldn't help but be surprised by how smoothly things were progressing.

When he looked up again, any trace of complexity vanished from Shen Yuxi's eyes, leaving his gentle demeanor intact. "You look tired. You should rest early," he suggested with a smile.

Qi Chao glanced at the time and nodded. "Yes, it's late indeed," he agreed, smiling back at the doctor. "Let's go. Let's rest upstairs together."

Shen Yuxi had no objections to such trivial matters. He stood up and walked shoulder to shoulder with Qi Chao to the second floor. 

After exchanging goodnight wishes, Shen Yuxi opened his room door, ready to retire for the night.

Just then, Qi Chao called out to him.

Turning around, Shen Yuxi's eyes dimmed briefly. When he faced Qi Chao again, his gaze was as tender as ever. He asked in confusion, "Is there anything else?"

Qi Chao stood in the corridor, his finger rubbing his nose tip awkwardly. "Could I make a stuffed doll of you?"

Shen Yuxi's smile seemed a bit forced. "Of me?"

"Yeah," Qi Chao explained, "I upset Moss earlier, right? So, I thought I'd make a gift to apologize."

Moss really liked his father.

Qi Chao gestured with his hands, indicating something around thirty centimeters in size. "Something like a Q version cartoon plush. If you're not okay with it, I won't do it."

"A plush?" Shen Yuxi looked at his hands, a bit puzzled. "You know how to do sewing?"

"I know a little," Qi Chao shrugged casually. After being single for many years, he had picked up various life skills long ago. He smiled nonchalantly, "Aren't I quite virtuous?"

Shen Yuxi seemed to find this amusing, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Indeed, you're the first person I've met who can sew."

With advanced technology on Blue Star, industries like needlework and embroidery had long been replaced by machines. Few people knew how to sew by hand, and the son of the richest man knowing how to sew sounded almost unbelievable.

Shen Yuxi spoke gently, "I appreciate your kindness towards Moss. Why would I mind? I'm looking forward to seeing what you make."

Qi Chao enjoyed listening to the doctor speak. Despite his polite and somewhat distant manner of speaking, his gentle tone and pleasant voice were soothing. Just hearing a few casual remarks from him could lighten Qi Chao's mood significantly.

That night, with Shen Yuxi's permission, Qi Chao turned on the light and began sewing the plush in his bedroom.

Compared to making dolls, making plush toys is much simpler. When Qi Chao's studio faced a crisis in the past, besides taking on commissioned projects, he occasionally designed plush toys to earn some pocket money. 

Whether it was stuffing cotton or threading needles, he was very skilled.

While Qi Chao stayed up late making the plush, elsewhere, Moss arrived at his father's room through a spatial vortex. 

His father was sitting in front of the window, admiring the moon. The room was pitch-black, illuminated only by the cold moonlight casting on the floor. 

Moss walked up behind his father as usual and explained everything that had happened tonight from beginning to end.

When explaining what Qi Chao was buying, Moss intentionally blurred the details—it wasn’t to deceive his father, but to surprise him.

In his heart, Moss thought, ‘It's not deception. It's just to give father a surprise.’

Shen Yuxi glanced at him, and Moss nervously stood straight behind the chair, afraid his father would point out what he had hidden.

Luckily, perhaps because he felt bored or didn't care, Shen Yuxi didn't say anything but let him continue.

"Father, Lan Luo's injuries will be better tomorrow. Shouldn't we leave?" Moss's voice was hoarse.

Upon hearing this, Shen Yuxi, who had been gazing at the crescent moon, turned his eyes towards Moss, tilting his head slightly, seeming somewhat surprised. "Are you reluctant to leave?"

Why would he be reluctant?

Moss's lone eye widened instantly. He had only wanted to inquire about his father's plans; why did it involve feelings of reluctance?

"He made a plush toy for you," Shen Yuxi's lips curled slightly, as if recalling something amusing. "Go take a look."

"A plush toy?" Moss felt somewhat bewildered.

Moss knew who his father referred to as "he," and it was this knowledge that left him bewildered. What plush toy? Why a plush toy? Why would anyone make one for him?

As the night deepened, Qi Chao was already fast asleep in bed, not aware of anything. Nearby, on a table covered with tangled threads of various colors, lay an unfinished plush toy.

A bandaged hand slowly covered the plush toy's head. No one knew how Moss had entered, his lone eye fixed on the soft plush toy in his hand.

The plush doll had no eyes or hair, and was just stuffed with cotton to hold its shape. It didn't look like it was modeled to look like his father. 

Obviously, the creator only managed to do half of it before retiring to bed.

Moss squeezed it. It was very soft, softer than a marshmallow. Moss didn't know what a marshmallow felt like, but his younger brother once described it to him, and he felt this was softer.

This was Lan Luo's master's gift to Moss. Moss held the plush toy in his hand, slightly tilting his head to look at the man on the bed.

The curtains were drawn, not a glimmer of light filtering through, the room pitch dark. Moss was familiar with this environment, and was capable of seeing even in the darkest light.

Father said it was an apology gift.

Moss didn't know when he'd been angry, but this was a gift for him.

Moss's strange black eyes stared straight at the man on the bed, so strange, he couldn't figure out this man.

Even his father, who was the smartest in the world, couldn't figure out this man.

This man appeared at the right time, appearing just when Father was suspected by the association, just before the plan began. He was interested in making dolls, and even his identity was the kind the association would find difficult to suspect.

Father chose him as the executor of the plan.

But this person was different from ordinary people.

Moss looked at the plush toy in his hand and quietly walked back to the desk and put it back.

The threads on the desk were tangled messily, appearing very crowded. The plush toy was placed in the cramped upper left corner, like a poor little one bullied by a group of villains, only able to huddle in the corner.

Even if it's just a plush toy modeled to look like his father, it shouldn't be bullied.

Thinking like this, Moss straightened out the messy threads and placed them in the bottom right corner, instantly clearing up much of the desktop. Then, he placed the plush toy in the center.

There. Now the entire desk belongs to the plush toy. Moss was very satisfied.

He gazed at the strange plush toy that was only stuffed with cotton. After a few seconds, he extended his bandaged hand and gently poked its head with his index finger, causing the plush toy to tilt back slightly.

At that moment, Moss's black eyes seemed to soften, subtly. It was barely noticeable; if one didn't look closely, they might think he had just blinked.

The next day, Qi Chao woke up in bed and immediately sensed something was wrong.

Wasn't the desk too clean?

Qi Chao remembered he hadn't tidied up last night.

He ran his hand through his slightly messy hair, then reached out and picked up the plush toy from the center of the table. It was strange. The room door was securely locked. Could someone have come in and tidied up?

Qi Chao thought for a moment, then placed the plush toy back on the table. It must have been because he was too tired last night, causing his memories to become confused.

He woke up later than usual today,  Qi Chao went downstairs. Surprisingly, there was some activity coming from the kitchen. He walked in to find the doctor cooking.

The doctor was wearing a teddy bear apron, his golden hair casually tied behind his head, revealing his slender and pale neck that gleamed brightly. 

Hearing the noise at the door, Shen Yuxi looked over in surprise and met Qi Chao's eyes. He smiled gently, "I've been troubling you with cooking all this time. Today, let me handle it. You go rest, alright?"

"Okay." Qi Chao smiled in agreement but didn't leave. Instead, he stood next to the doctor, handing over ingredients. He remembered when the doctor first arrived and said he couldn't cook, but it seemed he was doing just fine now.

Shen Yuxi thought the same.

This was his first time cooking.

His plan took a long time. During this period, he needed to stabilize his relationship with Qi Chao and improving his favorability is also a necessary part.

After they finished cooking, Qi Chao was about to bring the dishes out when he turned and noticed Lan Luo and Moss standing at the door, apparently watching for quite some time.

He was puzzled. Why were they standing there without saying anything?

Lan Luo didn't know why he was standing at the door either.

He just wanted to watch his master and father.

Moss felt the same way.

After the two puppets made eye contact with Qi Chao, Lan Luo subconsciously smiled brightly, while Moss, his face wrapped in bandages, showed no expression at all.

Qi Chao chuckled at their antics and handed the plates to the two brothers at the door, asking them to carry them out.

The doctor indeed had a talent for cooking. During the meal, Qi Chao was impressed with just one bite and praised Shen Yuxi several times, each compliment genuine and distinct.

Shen Yuxi politely thanked them with a smile, his demeanor gentle and humble as always. He didn't seem to think much of his cooking skills, but Qi Chao, for some reason, couldn't shake the feeling that there was a subtle pride in Brother Shen’s dementor, as if saying 'cooking is so simple'."

Though Qi Chao knew it was just his imagination, he couldn't help but chuckle at his own thoughts. Spending time with the dolls and Brother Shen was enjoyable, but Qi Chao didn't linger in the living room. 

After tidying up, he headed down to the basement. He had to complete the dolls within three months, leaving no extra time for rest.

After Qi Chao left, Shen Yuxi got up and returned to his room. Only Moss and Lan Luo remained in the living room watching cartoons.

"Is your master making a plush doll?” Moss suddenly spoke, still staring at the screen.

In truth, Moss wanted to say that his doll was upstairs and Qi Chao had forgotten to bring it down.

"No, my master is making a puppet,” Lan Luo replied, thinking his older brother was a bit slow. “My  master doesn't know how to make plush dolls.”

"He does,” Moss insisted, looking at Lan Luo, patiently explaining.

"He doesn't,” Lan Luo repeated.

The two puppets, one big and one small, stared at each other. If you look closely, you will find that there are circles of black mist wrapped around their hands, which are eerie and terrifying, and exude a strong sense of foreboding. It is obvious that they are both angry at each other's stupidity.

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