Puppet Notes (Wearing Book) - 34

 

| PN | Welcome Home | 34

After Qi Chao changed the name of the live stream, he noticed the sudden spike in viewers in the top left corner and was momentarily stunned. The barrage of messages on the screen was full of astonishment and shock.

Brother Shen was recognized after just a few words?

How fanatical must these fans be to have such a skill? Qi Chao, surprised, worried that this might affect the Doctor, and immediately turned off the microphone in the live stream.

"Brother Shen," Qi Chao explained to Shen Yuxi what had just happened. "If you don't want to be recognized, I can deny it to them."

Shen Yuxi, hearing this, seemed a bit surprised too. However, he quickly smiled and shook his head, speaking gently, "No need to deny it. I feel guilty for not being able to participate in the competition to help the Double Mirror. If my appearance in the live stream can boost your popularity and help you in the competition, I'd be very happy."

As he spoke, Shen Yuxi's thin lips pursed slightly, and his blue eyes showed a hint of sorrow, as if he felt he couldn't do much.

How could someone be so considerate?

Qi Chao looked at Shen Yuxi, not knowing what to say for a moment. After a pause, he stepped forward, hugging the Doctor like a good brother, patting his slender back. His voice was slightly hoarse, "Brother Shen, you've already helped me a lot. Thank you."

Being able to be friends with the Doctor, he felt truly fortunate.

When Shen Yuxi felt Qi Chao suddenly approach, his body tensed for a moment. The next second, as if recalling something, he relaxed quickly. The unfamiliar scent lingered in his nose, his eyelashes quivered, and his gaze was deep and unreadable. 

Yet, his tone remained unhurried and gentle.

"It's alright, this is what I should do."

A few minutes later, the microphone in the live stream was turned back on. Amidst a barrage of question marks, Shen Yuxi took the initiative to explain his identity, and the chat exploded.

【Oh my god, in my lifetime, I finally get to hear the Doctor's voice again, sob sob.】

【Ahhh, Doctor, look at me!! I love you so much!!】

The camera was focused on the table, so the Doctor didn’t appear on screen. The viewers could only hear his gentle voice, but no one doubted his identity. After all, pretending to be the Doctor would be a risky move since his fans would never let the streamer off the hook if it were fake.

【Damn! So the streamer really knows the Doctor?! Is this Qi Chao the son of the richest man, or is it just a coincidence that they share the same name?!】

【It must be a coincidence, right? I heard the richest man's son is very capable in the company. How could he be making puppets? That career change is just too outrageous!】

Seeing someone mention the richest man in the chat, Qi Chao thought for a moment and decided not to explain. As an avid internet surfer, he knew that leaving things ambiguous would pique people's curiosity even more.

With the competition approaching, some things were worth leveraging.

"Let's continue making the puppet," Qi Chao said, putting on his black gloves.

The viewers in the live stream room wailed when they heard Qi Chao's words.

【I want to hear the Doctor speak, sob sob. The Doctor's voice is so gentle, and so is the streamer's. Both sound so nice.】

【Tell me if you're the son of the richest man. Ahhh, if you don't say, I won't leave!!!】

【Based on my analysis, the streamer must be a hidden big shot to have such a good relationship with the Doctor!】

【I want to see the Doctor and the streamer's faces, please. Crying and lying flat.jpg.】

The barrage of comments on the screen was overwhelming, so many that they quickly scrolled past and became unreadable.

Qi Chao ignored the comments and continued working on refining the puppet’s hands and feet. Shen Yuxi sat quietly beside him, reading a book, and only occasionally interjected when necessary.

For a moment, it seemed much quieter.

Most of the viewers in the live stream room were not dollmakers themselves. They were either puppet enthusiasts, fans of the Doctor, or surfing enthusiasts who loved joining the crowd. Seeing the quiet atmosphere of the live stream, with the streamer focused on making puppets and not engaging in conversation, a significant number soon left.

The viewer count, which was originally in the millions, quickly dropped to just a few hundred thousand. However, even with most viewers gone, this number still far exceeded that of other live streams.

【I don't know why, but I find this live stream so soothing. The streamer is quietly making a puppet, the Doctor occasionally offering guidance—it’s indescribable. I've followed, sob sob, and decided to check in every day.】

【Same here, sister. Just watching quietly feels so healing, sob sob, and I can learn at the same time. Love it, love it.】

These comments occasionally flashed across the screen. Focused on his work, Qi Chao was unaware of this. His only thought now was to finish the puppet as soon as possible.

Shen Yuxi's fingers landed on the corner of the book, flipping a page before raising his eyes to look at the man's back. His fingertips unconsciously rubbed the page. He lowered his eyelashes, and it seemed he could still smell that minty scent. 

After a few seconds, Shen Yuxi closed the book, stood up, informed Qi Chao, and then turned to leave.

He was not used to physical contact with people, Shen Yuxi thought indifferently. A shower should make him feel better.

The barrage of comments was filled with questions about where the Doctor had gone. Qi Chao glanced at them unintentionally and replied casually, "The Doctor is tired and went to rest."

At this point, the viewers were still naive and didn't think they were living together. They simply assumed the Doctor had gone home, and they flooded the comments with messages about missing the Doctor and encouraging the streamer to keep up the good work.

Qi Chao chuckled, thanked them briefly, and then continued focusing on making the puppet.

Due to the Doctor's departure, many of his fans gradually left the stream, leaving only a few tens of thousands of viewers. These were either people eager to learn or those determined to uncover Qi Chao's identity.

Originally, they thought Qi Chao would stream for just a couple of hours in the afternoon after his morning session. They didn't expect this "iron man" to keep going. By almost 6 PM, he was still using his mental power. 

Did he never run out of energy? 

Even if he did, didn't he get tired after working for so long?

Puppets were highly popular among the upper and middle classes on Blue Star, and every puppet master was highly respected. This led to many puppet masters being quite proud. In other live streams, some puppet masters would complain about being tired after half an hour, while others would turn snarky after sharing a few useful tips.

A puppet maker who spoke little but shared valuable information and worked diligently like Qi Chao was a rare treasure. Coupled with the mysterious big-shot aura, by the time the live stream ended, most viewers had clicked to follow, turning from casual viewers into fans.

In just two days, Qi Chao's follower count skyrocketed, placing him in the top three on the trending list.

Qi Chao didn't let this newfound popularity get to his head. He knew most of these followers were the Doctor's fans. Maintaining a calm mindset, Qi Chao continued diligently making his puppet every day, streaming on schedule without slacking off.

Shen Yuxi didn’t visit the basement every day. Instead, he came every few days to guide Qi Chao without a fixed schedule. As a result, the number of viewers in the live stream occasionally surged. Over time, many fans became loyal to Qi Chao, visiting his live stream regularly.

On this particular day, as the live stream was about to end, Qi Chao rubbed his sore wrist. After nearly two and a half months, he had completed all parts of the puppet. The next steps were not suitable for live streaming since they involved delicate details that might reveal too much about the puppet’s body.

After explaining to his viewers that he would pause the live stream starting the next day, the comments were filled with cries of disappointment. After responding to a few messages, Qi Chao closed the live stream.

He exhaled softly, packed the scattered joint parts into a box, and walked to the fish tank. He reached out to touch the red crystal, something he did every day without fail.

Under the light, the red crystal was translucent and clear. Every time he touched it, he could feel a warmth at his fingertips. Initially, Qi Chao thought it was just his imagination, but he eventually realized it was real. The crystal's temperature seemed to rise slightly with each touch.

It felt like a child getting shy, which made Qi Chao smile. It was then that he developed the habit of touching the crystal daily.

Over time, the temperature change became less noticeable, like a child who had grown accustomed to an elder's affectionate head pat. The child was still happy but not as excited as in the beginning. 

This made Qi Chao question his earlier thoughts. Looking down at the hard red crystal, he murmured, "Just a few more days, and you'll have a body."

The red crystal remained silent, with no sign of its temperature rising. Qi Chao chuckled at his own overactive imagination.

Shen Yuxi arrived just in time to witness this scene.

"The color of the core stone is very beautiful," he commented.

Shen Yuxi’s gentle praise brought a smile to Qi Chao’s eyes. “Would you like to touch the mother stone?” he offered.

Initially silent, Shen Yuxi took a few moments before approaching the fish tank. The vibrant red core stone was undeniably captivating. 

As he gazed at the stone, he recalled that he had never deliberately touched a mother stone before, whether it was Moss or Lan Luo. Blue Star puppet masters rarely felt the need to touch the awakened mother stone. They only needed to wait until the body was ready, insert the core stone, and then awaken the puppet.

Feeling affection for a mere stone seemed absurd.

Shen Yuxi looked up and, meeting Qi Chao's smiling eyes, lowered his gaze and reached out to touch the red crystal. It felt hard and warm.

"So this is what it feels like."

It feels very similar to holding the mother stone on a normal day, but also a little different. Shen Yuxi's lips moved slightly, his voice barely audible. Qi Chao, focused on the core stone, didn't catch the words. 

After a while, he turned to Shen Yuxi with a smile. “Brother Shen, do you think the name ‘Li Bai’ sounds good?”

Li Bai?

Shen Yuxi understood that Qi Chao was likely asking about a name for the puppet. In a soft voice, he replied, “I think it sounds nice.”

To Shen Yuxi, a name was just a label; it didn’t really matter what it was.

Qi Chao nodded, smiling.

The name "Li Bai" had been chosen long ago when Qi Chao had first designed the small puppet. 

The name Li Bai was something he had thought of when he finished drawing the puppet. Although it was chosen very early, Qi Chao and the doctor had the same idea that if the puppet felt that the name did not sound nice in the future, it could change it itself.

Qi Chao thought casually, Li Bai shouldn't dislike the name his dad gave him, right? It took him a long time to come up with this name.

The days following the closure of the live stream felt especially long. Although each day had the same length of time, the anticipation of seeing Li Bai come to life made Qi Chao feel as if time was dragging on. 

Yet, when the moment finally arrived to place the core stone into the puppet’s chest, it seemed to pass too quickly.

"I must be crazy," Qi Chao thought to himself.

After internally cursing his impatience, Qi Chao gently placed the puppet into a vat of nutrient solution. The transparent solution filled a glass tank twice the size of an ordinary bathtub. Qi Chao extended his hand into the solution and closed his eyes, channeling his mental energy.

In the center of the glass tank lay a "boy" dressed in a white haori, wearing a white fox mask. The puppet lay submerged in the transparent liquid, with the water covering its face and its hands crossed over its abdomen. 

He appeared lifeless, yet gave the impression that it could awaken at any moment.

Invisible to the naked eye, a green light flowed through the nutrient solution, starting from the chest of the "boy" and extending to his limbs before gathering back at the chest, in a continuous and unbroken cycle. 

If Lan Luo and the others were present, they would witness the entire glass tank brimming with spiritual energy, the glowing green mass warm and radiant, seemingly capable of illuminating the entire world. Such abundant energy could only be provided by a puppet master with a sufficiently high spiritual power.

After an indeterminate amount of time, the white-haired boy’s lips seemed to move slightly. Qi Chao, sensing this, opened his eyes. Looking down at the "boy" in the glass tank, he noticed that the white fox mask had somehow turned to face him. Qi Chao smiled, his gaze filled with the warmth and kindness of a guardian. He reached out with both hands and lifted the "boy" out of the water.

"Welcome home," he said.

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