| PN | Mask | 36
Lan Luo sat properly on the sofa, his blue eyes clear and bright, watching the animated projection with seeming interest. In reality, his peripheral vision was focused on the hyperactive white fox beside him.
The master had mentioned before that Li Bai was to be Lan Luo's future best friend. Human children all had best friends.
Lan Luo had originally wanted a best friend too, but when the "best friend" actually appeared, he suddenly didn't want one anymore.
Lan Luo pursed his lips, thinking about how the master had only patted Li Bai's head from the moment he entered to the moment he left. A shadow passed through his eyes.
"This cartoon is boring," the white-haired puppet suddenly said.
Boring?
The smile on Lan Luo's face stiffened, and his expression immediately darkened.
The white-haired puppet tugged on Lan Luo's clothes. His amber eyes, visible beneath the fox mask, seemed incapable of lying. He opened his mouth, revealing his sharp little tiger teeth, and said, "Brother Lan Luo, can we change the cartoon?"
Stay calm, don't lose control.
Lan Luo felt like he was reverting to a time long ago when he couldn't control his temper. He thought of his father's plan and his master's recent reminders, then lowered his head and showed an angelic, pure smile. "What does Li Bai want to watch?"
Li Bai was confused and honestly said, "I don't know, but I don't want to watch this cartoon."
After speaking, Li Bai pursed his lips and softly added, "This cartoon is a bit boring."
This cartoon is boring?
Lan Luo's smile faltered. A cartoon that even his father liked could be boring? He looked at Li Bai, his blue eyes deep and mysterious. His left fingertip picked at the sofa, and black mist inadvertently seeped from his fingers.
Moss, who was silently braiding his doll's hair nearby, seemed to sense something and covered Lan Luo's left hand. The black mist, which had formed into a small cloud, dissipated instantly into the air.
Lan Luo looked at Moss, pursed his lips, and said nothing.
After a while, he flashed a bright smile at Li Bai. "But other than this cartoon, the other shows are really boring. Li Bai can only watch this."
The sentence was a bit long, and Li Bai didn't understand a few words, but he knew that Brother Lan Luo meant he had to continue watching this show.
Li Bai nodded and didn't bring up changing the cartoon again. He adjusted his slightly askew mask and obediently continued watching the projection.
Lan Luo was satisfied and focused back on the cartoon.
Moss glanced at the two beside him, then lowered his head to continue braiding the doll's hair.
"This doll looks really nice!"
Moss's hands paused in braiding, and his dark eyes turned towards Li Bai, who had somehow appeared beside him.
When did he come over?
A hint of confusion flashed through Moss's eyes.
"The hair you're braiding looks really nice too!"
Li Bai crouched on the ground, looking at the doll in Mos's hands. He didn't reach out to touch it, just praised it like that, with bright eyes and a sincere tone that left no doubt about his sincerity.
Mos also thought his braiding skills were pretty good. He glanced up at Li Bai, and under the bandages, his mouth moved slightly. "You, not bad."
Li Bai didn't quite understand, but he knew it was praise and happily said thank you.
"Not bad?"
Seeing this scene, Lan Luo felt aggrieved. He had never received praise from his big brother since birth, although he didn't care much, it didn't mean he could tolerate others having it while he didn't.
Lan Luo stood up and stood in front of his big brother, flashing a bright smile. "Big brother, the hair you braided for the doll looks really nice."
Moss stopped braiding the hair, looked up with a wary gaze, and in a hoarse voice asked, “What is your purpose?”
He knew very well that Lan Luo wouldn't approach him without reason.
Upon hearing his elder brother's words, Lan Luo's smile froze on his face. His blue eyes suddenly dimmed. He pursed his lips and sat back on the sofa without saying a word.
Moss glanced at him and continued to lower his head, tending to the doll.
Li Bai is very clever. He noticed that Lan Luo was feeling upset, though he didn't understand why. Influenced by his father, Li Bai knew that he should comfort Lan Luo at this moment.
Having just been created not long ago, although clever, Li Bai's knowledge is limited. He hesitated for a moment, then took off his fox mask.
Lan Luo lowered his head, his eyes deep and dark.
He was truly angry.
No one could make Lan Luo angry and remain unscathed. Tonight, he would use scissors to gradually ruin the doll. Although the doll was modeled after his father, it was not his father after all.
Even if Lan Luo destroyed the puppet, his father wouldn't be angry, and the master wouldn't say he was a bad child.
Only his elder brother would feel sad.
Thinking like this, a hint of a smile finally appeared in Lan Luo's eyes. Before he could continue to raise his head to watch the animation, a fox mask suddenly appeared in front of him."
"Lan Luo, I'll lend you my mask, don't be sad, okay?"
Li Bai no longer called Lan Luo 'big brother' like before; He felt that Brother Lan Luo, who would feel inexplicably sad, was more childish than him and he should be the older brother.
He said, his eyes like golden amber staring straight at him, cautiously continued, "This is Li Bai's favorite thing. It's very beautiful. I'll lend it to you. Don't be sad, okay?"
The white fox mask had two red patterns on each cheek, curving towards the temples, which looked bewitching and eerie.
Lan Luo looked at the mask in front of him, then up at Li Bai's sincere eyes. He tilted his head and said, "You want me to wear it? You're giving me your favorite thing?"
Li Bai nodded. After a few seconds, hesitating for a moment, he blushed and added, "Just lending it to you."
He gave Lan Luo his favorite thing.
Lan Luo took the mask, turned his head slightly, and looked at his big brother. His big brother liked the plush doll the most, but he was very stingy and didn't let Lan Luo touch it.
But Li Bai was different.
This puppet, created by his master under the guise of 'future good friends,' was willing to give him his favorite thing.
Lan Luo suddenly felt that having a good friend wasn't that hard to accept. He put the mask on his face, recalling how humans interacted with their good friends in cartoons. Lan Luo pursed his lips and took off the deer antler headband he wore.
"This is Lan Luo's favorite headband. I'll lend it to you to wear."
Li Bai reluctantly gave away the mask his father had given him, thinking he would lend it to Lan Luo for just a few minutes before getting it back. Unexpectedly, he received a headband from Lan Luo instead.
Although it wasn't as pretty as the mask, he could wear it for now and return it when he got the mask back.
Lan Luo had a similar thought. The mask wasn't as cute as the deer antler headband, but he could wear it for a while.
Lan Luo stood in front of his big brother, lightly tapping the mask to get Moss's attention.
He had the deer antler headband, a mask, and a friend. His big brother only had a plush toy. Lan Luo felt he had won.
In the kitchen, Qi Chao recounted to Shen Yuxi the process of waking up Li Bai.
"Li Bai's level should be quite high," Shen Yuxi said with a smile. "High-level puppets might develop special abilities. You can test it out and make a training plan. When the time comes, participating in the Puppet Master competition will be easier."
The level of a puppet can generally be estimated from its appearance. Low-level puppets find it difficult to even walk, while those with rich emotions are definitely above A-level, and those with special abilities are certainly S-level and above.
Qi Chao knew all this. He nodded and said, "There's still more than a week to prepare. I'll do my best."
Shen Yuxi smiled. He looked at the fresh fish soaking in water, his eyelashes trembling slightly. Just as he was about to reach out and touch the fish, Qi Chao quickly grabbed his wrist.
"The fish is too fishy," Qi Chao said, placing the basin of water on the cabinet. His dark brown eyes held a smile. "I'll handle it."
The warmth from his wrist lingered on Shen Yuxi's skin. He pursed his lips, then, after a few seconds, spoke softly, his blonde hair draping over his shoulder. "It's just the two of us eating. Isn't it a bit too extravagant to have fish so often?"
It would be understandable if it were just today, but even when Qi Chao was very busy, he would go to the supermarket every other day to buy fresh fish. Shen Yuxi didn't understand why Qi Chao would spend time on something so troublesome.
Qi Chao paused, tilting his head to look at him. It was rare to hear such down-to-earth words from the doctor, who often seemed otherworldly to him. Qi Chao chuckled softly. "Because you like eating it."
The two little children had told him this before, and later Qi Chao noticed that the doctor always ate a bit more when there was fish.
Shen Yuxi was momentarily stunned, as if he was learning this about himself for the first time.
Qi Chao was amused by his reaction and explained further. After listening, Shen Yuxi's lips curled slightly, seemingly a bit helpless but also somewhat happy. "In comparison, I do like eating fish."
It wasn't a big deal, or rather, it was something that didn't deserve much attention. Shen Yuxi's eyelashes lowered slightly, hiding the indistinguishable emotions in his eyes.
"Moss and I are planning to leave tomorrow."
Qi Chao was just about to start scaling the fish when he heard this. The fish slipped from his hands. He was shocked. "So suddenly? Why are you leaving so soon?"
"We've already stayed here a long time," Shen Yuxi said gently. "We originally planned to leave once you finished making the puppet."
As for the reason for leaving, Shen Yuxi didn't elaborate.
The news was quite sudden, and Qi Chao couldn't process it for a while. To him, the doctor was both a mentor and a friend. The thought of his departure made Qi Chao feel heavy and uncomfortable. He frowned slightly and asked, "Can't you stay a few more days?"
Shen Yuxi's blue eyes curved in a smile. Instead of answering directly, he said tactfully, "I'll come back when you have your competition."
Qi Chao calculated the time—it was less than two weeks. The sorrow of parting eased significantly. He tugged at his lips in a smile. "That's good. You can stay at my place again then."
Shen Yuxi nodded, watching Qi Chao's smile. He had to come back; after all, the plan was just beginning. The complexity in Shen Yuxi's eyes flickered momentarily.
The atmosphere in the kitchen grew quiet due to the impending departure. Qi Chao felt a bit uneasy and, after a moment's thought, decided to break the silence. "I wonder how they're getting along."
Shen Yuxi wasn't particularly concerned about the puppets outside, but hearing Qi Chao's words, he graciously smiled and said gently, "They're well-behaved. They won't cause any trouble."
"Indeed," Qi Chao agreed, finding something odd in the doctor's words but not dwelling on it. He smiled and added, "The three children all have great personalities. They should get along just fine."
As they talked, the meal was ready. Qi Chao carried the dishes outside. As his gaze swept across the living room, he noticed Lan Luo's headband on Li Bai's head, and Li Bai's mask on Lan Luo's face, with Moss sitting on the sofa in a very big brother-like manner.
Their relationship has progressed quickly!
Qi Chao felt satisfied. He had always known that the little children in the house would get along harmoniously.
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