Puppet Notes (Wearing Book) - 46

 

| PN | Slap in the Face | 46

When Shen Yuxi returned to the villa, it was two o'clock in the morning. He was momentarily surprised to see the warm light still on in the living room, and a vague suspicion arose in his mind.

A man was sitting on the sofa, his head leaning against the backrest, seemingly having fallen asleep there out of exhaustion. Shen Yuxi noticed that the man stirred, as if he had been awakened.

“You’re back?”

Qi Chao’s voice was hoarse and deep from just waking up. He smiled at Shen Yuxi, who was standing at the doorway.

Shen Yuxi immediately showed a gentle and apologetic smile and said softly, “Sorry, I didn’t expect to come back so late and keep you waiting. You have a competition tomorrow afternoon, so you should go back to your room and rest.”

Under the warm light, Shen Yuxi’s smile remained perfect, with just the right amount of apology in his eyes. His golden hair, braided into a scorpion tail, rested on his shoulder. Every movement was as usual, showing no signs of anything amiss.

However, Qi Chao felt that something was off. He quietly observed the man standing not far away, trying to identify what was causing his unease.

Noticing Qi Chao’s gaze, Shen Yuxi’s smile slightly diminished, and a layer of impatience appeared in his eyes.

 However, on the surface, he remained gentle and asked, “What’s wrong? Is there something wrong?”

“Nothing.”

Qi Chao realized his lack of manners and retracted his gaze. Then, as if suddenly interested, he smiled and suggested, “Want to have a drink?”

Drinking in the middle of the night?

Shen Yuxi’s smile became slightly stiff.

“You have a competition tomorrow. Isn’t it not a good idea to drink at night?” Shen Yuxi tactfully declined.

Qi Chao was usually perceptive, but seemed oblivious to the hint and smiled, “It’s fine, the competition is in the afternoon, and the alcohol at home isn’t strong.”

Perhaps influenced by earlier events, Shen Yuxi’s mood tonight was a bit irritable, less composed than usual. Realizing his abnormality, he quickly regained his composure and smiled at Qi Chao, “Alright, but I’m not a good drinker.”

Hearing Shen Yuxi’s response, Qi Chao’s eyes gleamed with amusement. He turned and fetched a bottle of wine from the kitchen.

“Let’s go to the third floor. There’s a greenhouse garden there, and the moonlight is nice tonight.”

Shen Yuxi had no objections.

He wasn’t sure what had gotten into Qi Chao to suggest this in the middle of the night, but to ensure his plan went smoothly, Shen Yuxi didn’t mind wasting his time.

As they passed the second floor, Qi Chao deliberately stopped. Under Shen Yuxi’s puzzled gaze, Qi Chao knocked on Lan Luo’s and Moss’s doors, raising his voice slightly, “Moss, Lan Luo, your father is back.”

It seemed that neither puppet had fallen deeply asleep. As soon as Qi Chao finished speaking, the two puppets, one large and one small, opened their doors.

Shen Yuxi understood Qi Chao’s intention and, noticing the gazes of Lan Luo and Moss, smiled gently at the two puppets, “I’m back.”

Seeing their father looking the same as before, Lan Luo and Moss instantly felt relieved.

“Alright, go to sleep now.”

Seeing the children’s spirits lift, Qi Chao chuckled, ruffled Lan Luo’s head, and patted Moss’s shoulder, “It’s already two o’clock. If you don’t sleep soon, Li Bai will definitely tease you for sleeping in tomorrow.”

“I’ll wake up earlier than Li Bai.” Lan Luo thought but still reached out to grab Qi Chao’s clothes, his eyes curved into crescent moons as he looked up and said, “Thank you, Master.”

Moss, holding a stuffed doll, pressed his lips together under the bandages and also said, “Thank you.”

Receiving the gratitude from the two children, Qi Chao felt pleased and smiled as he sent them back to their rooms to rest.

Shen Yuxi silently watched the scene unfold and, as they ascended the stairs, he spoke softly, “I apologize for the trouble Moss and Lan Luo caused you. You should rest early for your competition tomorrow.”

At first, Qi Chao didn’t understand why Shen Yuxi was apologizing, but as he listened further, he got it and smiled, “You don’t need to apologize. They didn’t trouble me at all. Waiting for you to come home was just a side task. If I wanted to rest early, I wouldn’t have invited you to drink now.”

He's lying.

Shen Yuxi recalled seeing Qi Chao asleep on the sofa when he returned and knew that Qi Chao’s current words were untrue. But he didn’t understand why Qi Chao would lie to him.

To prevent him from feeling too guilty?

Shen Yuxi thought faintly. It was indeed possible, as this man had an alarmingly soft heart.

On the third floor, there was a greenhouse on the balcony. Qi Chao and Shen Yuxi sat inside it, with the skylight half open. The cool moonlight streamed into the greenhouse, and even without the lights on, they could see each other’s faces clearly.

“They care about you a lot.”

Qi Chao smiled.

Shen Yuxi knew he was referring to Lan Luo and Moss. He nodded, his soft voice tinged with apology, “Yes, I made them worry.”

He looked down at the clear liquor in his glass, his pale fingers lightly tracing the cold rim. His eyelashes shielded the obscure emotions in his eyes.

Shen Yuxi knew how much the puppets he created adored him, but he was a despicable person, harboring ulterior motives from the start. Under such circumstances, no matter how well the puppets treated him, Shen Yuxi always felt a barrier between them.

Initially, Shen Yuxi thought Qi Chao had an ulterior motive for inviting him to drink. However, apart from the first sentence, Qi Chao said nothing more, only occasionally sipping his drink and complaining about how terrible it tasted. It seemed he simply wanted to drink with Shen Yuxi.

“You should have won first place today,” Shen Yuxi said, his voice sounding slightly cool under the cold moonlight. “If it weren’t for the judges’ low scores, you wouldn’t have ended up in third place.”

The spiciness of the alcohol had numbed Qi Chao’s mouth. He laughed at this and joked, “So the judges sent by the association really don't know how to be human.”

Seeing the playful glint in Qi Chao’s eyes, Shen Yuxi realized he no longer cared about the ranking. He pressed his lips together, a fleeting displeasure crossing his eyes.

He needs another chance to further tarnish the association's reputation.

Shen Yuxi’s eyelashes fluttered slightly. He hadn't expected Qi Chao to let go of the ranking issue so quickly.

To Shen Yuxi, turning a rightful first place into third was something that would upset anyone. 

Although Qi Chao currently had a poor impression of the association, it was still too shallow, not reaching Shen Yuxi's expectations.

Qi Chao took a sip of his drink, unaware of Shen Yuxi’s thoughts. If he knew, he would truthfully say he hadn’t let go of his grudge against the association. It was just that, having experienced much after becoming an adult, he understood that lingering on past events wasn’t useful. What he needed to do was not complain but make himself stronger—so strong that even if people tried to find reasons to attack him, they couldn’t.

After that, neither of them spoke, each drinking quietly. The faint floral scent in the greenhouse made it easy to relax.

The bottle was half-empty. Though the alcohol wasn’t strong, drinking too much could still make one feel a bit fuzzy and sleepy.

“Are you still sad?” Qi Chao suddenly asked in the quiet greenhouse.

Sad?

Shen Yuxi’s fingers paused on the rim of his glass. He looked at the drowsy Qi Chao, seeming to understand why he had invited him to the third floor for a drink.

Shen Yuxi found it amusing. How could he possibly be sad? He had only gone to see someone he intended to discard into the trial field sooner or later. Wasting emotions on trash was out of the question.

"When you got home, you seemed unhappy," Qi Chao said, eyes barely staying open but still trying to comfort Shen Yuxi. "My friends used to spill everything after a few drinks when they were upset. You're different, you're not very talkative."

"I won't ask much."

Qi Chao's voice was husky, pausing between words because he was so tired his brain was slow. "If you're upset, talk to me. I'll be here for you."

"Whether it's drinking or moon-watching, whatever you need."

Qi Chao seemed convinced that Shen Yuxi was upset. 

Shen Yuxi’s beautiful peach blossom eyes stared at the man in front of him. His lips were pressed together, and after a moment, he looked up at the cold moon outside the skylight.

After a while, just as Qi Chao was about to succumb to sleep, he heard the other man softly say, "I went to see my teacher's son. I wasn't unhappy."

"That's good."

Qi Chao forced his eyes open to look over, realizing that Shen Yuxi wasn’t really talking to him but rather mumbling to himself.

The man's back appeared thin and fragile under the clear moonlight, his gaze seeming empty. Compared to his usual mature and considerate demeanor, he now looked like a lost child. Just as Qi Chao was about to say something, Shen Yuxi had already returned to normal. His eyes were once again gentle, the fleeting vulnerability seemingly an illusion.

"It's late. Let's go back."

Perhaps due to the alcohol, Shen Yuxi's emotions were more volatile than usual. He felt the need to retreat to his room and cool down.

"Okay," Qi Chao agreed without hesitation. Standing up, he thought of the momentary fragility he had seen in the doctor. He walked over to Shen Yuxi and gently hugged him. His voice was low but carried a solemn promise: "If you ever want to drink, I'm always available."

It was the second time being embraced by this man. Shen Yuxi's body stiffened. Perhaps due to the alcohol, the other man's body felt warm, the heat radiating through his clothes. Shen Yuxi pressed his lips together, hiding his discomfort. The scent of mint mixed with alcohol filled the air, making his mind hazy.

The hug was brief. As they walked downstairs, Shen Yuxi followed behind Qi Chao, watching his back. His fingers subtly rubbed together, and his eyelashes lowered, hiding the complicated emotions in his eyes.

Having gone to bed at four in the morning, Qi Chao felt groggy when he woke up at eight. Still, he recovered quickly due to his good health, and within a few seconds, he felt much more alert.

In the living room, the other puppets were watching cartoons, but the doctor was nowhere to be seen.

Qi Chao thought the doctor might still be sleeping. He turned to the kitchen and prepared breakfast before calling the three children in the living room to wake the doctor.

"Li Bai is going to compete with Daddy today."

As Qi Chao was placing the dishes on the table, Li Bai had somehow appeared beside him, his face full of excitement.

"Yes, are you happy?" Qi Chao asked.

"Happy!" Li Bai's cheerful response brought a smile to Qi Chao's face, and he reached out to ruffle Li Bai's hair.

"Daddy, I'm super amazing today! I guessed two riddles right!" Li Bai exclaimed, eager for praise, his imaginary tail practically wagging with excitement.

Lan Luo's favorite animation often included riddle questions. Though Li Bai wasn't particularly fond of the show, he eagerly anticipated the riddles each day.

"Li Bai is really smart," Qi Chao praised his child generously. Just as he finished speaking, the doctor came downstairs. Their eyes met, and both paused momentarily before Qi Chao smiled.

Shen Yuxi also smiled warmly, just as he always did, maintaining his usual gentle demeanor.

The second round of the competition was scheduled for this afternoon. After having breakfast and taking a short rest, the group set off for the venue.

Li Bai, after stepping out of the flyer, closely followed behind his father, fidgeting with his mask and displaying many small signs of nervousness. If Li Bai had a tail, it would likely be curled up tightly in fear.

Noticing Li Bai's anxiety, Qi Chao crouched down and said, "If Li Bai is so scared, who will help Daddy win?"

Help Daddy win?

Li Bai’s eyes lit up at the mention of this. Qi Chao, understanding his children so well, effortlessly stoked Li Bai’s emotions. He continued to speak in a way that conveyed his own helplessness and need for Li Bai’s strength and support.

Listening to his father's words, Li Bai's confidence soared. He patted Qi Chao's shoulder, and even though his mask covered most of his face, his bright amber eyes and sharp little fangs were visible. "Daddy, I will help you win the championship."

Qi Chao smiled and nodded, clearly pleased with Li Bai's response.

In the second round of the competition, there are only twenty participants.

Compared to the chaotic waiting area from before, this one is eerily quiet.

Each puppet master has brought their crafted puppet with them. Qi Chao can't discern the level of these puppets, but given that these participants stand out among thousands of puppet masters, their puppets must be of a high level.

Meanwhile, the cameras in the waiting area are now active, and the live stream instantly attracts millions of viewers.

【Wow, so many high-level puppets, I’m dying!】

【Ahhhhh, the beast girl is so sexy! Even as a woman, I can’t help but have a nosebleed!】

【Damn! As expected from Qian Baobao's male puppet, the proportions are incredible. Please, can you lift the puppet's clothes to show off the abs?】

【So cute, oh my god, look, Li Bai is still circling around Qi Chao. What’s he doing?】

For the average person, with their economic level, they can't afford even a single high-level puppet, let alone come into contact with one. The only way to see so many high-level puppets at once is through the live broadcast of the puppeteers' association competition.

Qi Chao held down his constantly spinning cub, Li Bai, who was overly excited from the previous motivational words, and nestled him under his arm as he walked to a nearby seat. 

"Be good, let’s sit here for now and conserve your energy."

"Okay!"

Li Bai’s golden eyes sparkled as he nodded vigorously.

So cute.

Qi Chao patted Li Bai’s head and intended to retract his hand, but just as his hand moved away, Li Bai grabbed it.

"Daddy, I still want you to pat my head."

Li Bai looked up with shining golden eyes.

Qi Chao paused for a moment, then placed his hand back, gently rubbing Li Bai’s head. His heart melted completely, like a doting father.

Because there were only twenty participants this time, the organizers had connected the live stream to a microphone, so the conversations between the participants could be heard clearly.

Naturally, the viewers in the live stream could hear Qi Chao and his puppet's interactions.

【Damn! Li Bai is too cute!!!】

【Wuwu, Qi Chao is so affectionate towards his puppet! Their interaction feels like a father and son!】

【Hmm, I’m not saying this, but isn’t that puppet a bit too arrogant? It dares to make demands of its master?】

【What nonsense are you talking about?】

【It’s true. Look at the other puppets—none of them would dare to act like this towards their puppet masters.】

The live stream chat started to spark conflicts over this scene. Meanwhile, Qi Chao noticed that the interactions between other puppet masters and their puppets were somewhat off. One puppet master loudly cursed at his puppet over a small issue and even kicked it.

Qi Chao frowned at this sight. Just as he was about to intervene, the puppet master, seeming to consider the competition, kicked the puppet hard before returning to his seat.

“If you can’t win this round, don’t expect to keep your puppet’s heart when we get back.”

As Qi Chao sat down, he heard the puppet master’s harsh words directed at his puppet. Anger flared up inside him, but he managed to stay calm. After all, the puppet was someone else’s creation, and he had no right to interfere.

Li Bai, looking worried, called out, “Daddy.” Qi Chao suppressed his anger and smiled reassuringly at Li Bai.

The competition time quickly arrived, and Qi Chao didn’t have much time to think. He followed the staff with Li Bai to the venue, where, to his surprise, a massive structure resembling a maze had been set up in what was originally an empty arena.

“The second round of the competition involves a maze. The puppet will start at the starting point, and the puppet masters will be at the endpoint,” the host explained from the stage.

“Puppet Master’s will receive a maze map at the start of the competition. Each node on the map corresponds to a specific challenge. Puppet Master’s must use a microphone to guide their puppets. The five puppet masters who complete the maze in the shortest time will win.”

“Note: At each node challenge, puppet master’s are not allowed to give any hints to their puppets. Violators will be disqualified.”

“Please follow the staff’s instructions to reach the designated locations.”

【Oh wow, a maze is so interesting!】

The live stream was filled with similar comments.

Every round of the competition brings something new. Qi Chao, upon hearing the rules, wasn’t flustered. He bent down to explain to Li Bai.

“So, as long as Li Bai follows Daddy’s instructions and navigates through the maze, we can win?” Li Bai quickly understood.

“Yes, my little one is so smart!” Qi Chao smiled.

Li Bai grinned, showing his two little tiger teeth, pleased by his father’s praise. 

The live stream viewers reacted with a flurry of comments:

【It really feels like the big shot is treating his puppet like a child, always praising Li Bai!】

【Seriously, I watched other streams, and no other puppet master uses such a tone! Haha!】

【This big shot is truly unique!】

As the puppet masters arrived at the maze's endpoint, many of them began chatting with familiar faces since the competition hadn’t started yet.

Among the twenty participants, including Qi Chao, only five had crafted S-level puppets. Qi Chao noticed that, aside from Professor Qiao, the other three S-level puppet masters seemed to have a good relationship with each other.

While Qi Chao was lost in thought, one of the S-level puppet masters approached him. The man appeared to be in his thirties or forties and greeted him with a friendly smile. 

“Hello, I’m Zhang Ya.”

“Hello,” Qi Chao replied, introducing himself, though he was unsure of Zhang Ya’s intentions.

Zhang Ya was quite familiar and even introduced Qi Chao to a few other puppet masters he knew. Then he naturally said, “Since we’re all makers of S-level puppets, the champion will naturally come from among us. We should get to know each other.”

“Look, Zhao Benben.” Zhang Ya patted the slightly plump Zhao Benben with a beaming smile. “His puppet, Scorpion Woman, you might have seen before. It’s that particularly well-built woman with the special ability to use anesthetics.”

“My Wolf King has steel teeth as his special ability.”

“Xiu Mei, her puppet, the Witch Doctor, doesn’t have a special ability.”

“And Professor Qiao, although he’s not very familiar with outsiders, we all know his puppet is the Beast Girl, with the special ability of charm.”

Hearing this, Qi Chao realized that Zhang Ya’s intention in approaching him was to gather information about his puppet. He smiled warmly, seemingly pleased to be accepted by them, and said, “My puppet’s name is Li Bai, and he’s very fast.”

“Fast?” 

Zhang Ya and the others naturally took “fast” to be Li Bai’s special ability.

Seeing that they accepted Li Bai’s ability as such, Qi Chao felt somewhat relieved. He knew that Zhang Ya and the others were trying to gather information about his puppet’s special ability, as the details of their puppets were publicly known, but Li Bai’s special ability remained uncertain.

Though he maintained a friendly facade, Qi Chao was aware from Zhang Ya’s previous somewhat overbearing demeanor that if he didn’t reveal any information, Zhang Ya and the others might not show any overt hostility but could create subtle obstacles.

It was better to go with the flow and provide them with something partially true and partially false. This way, he wouldn’t offend them while avoiding any disadvantage to himself.

Qi Chao continued to engage with Zhang Ya and the others with a friendly demeanor, though he was growing impatient. When the staff finally arrived with the microphones and maps, he felt a wave of relief.

After putting on the microphone and testing the sound, he quickly heard Li Bai’s excited voice coming through.

He chuckled softly, calming Li Bai, and began studying the maze map with his head down.

The maze map was incredibly complex, with only one exit but nearly a hundred possible routes depending on their proximity. Each corner of the maze was marked with various challenges.

The challenges were categorized with labels such as intelligence, agility, and so on, followed by detailed descriptions of each challenge. This was clearly intended to help puppet masters choose the most suitable route for their puppets.

Qi Chao scrutinized the content, his brow furrowing slightly. Some of the challenges were extremely dangerous, resembling operations with spiked balls or rolling obstacles. These high-risk challenges were concentrated on the shortest routes.

Clearly, the shorter the distance, the higher the danger, and the longer the distance, the lower the danger.

Meanwhile, on the public screen visible to the audience, there was also a maze map with twenty different colored dots representing the twenty puppets.

【It’s starting! I bet the Beast Girl will be first!】

【Go Li Bai, go Li Bai!】

【Haha, someone’s actually supporting that little guy? Haven’t they learned their lesson yet? That Qi Chao is clearly not up to the mark. Didn’t you see how poorly he performed in the first round?】

【Our big shot didn’t go off-topic, okay? The background was clearly explained! That’s a dog that can eat the moon!】

【It’s laughable. Only you delusional fans think it’s fine. The judges said it was off-topic, okay?】

【Damn! My temper! If it were truly off-topic, the validation machine wouldn’t pass it! How many times do I have to say it!!!】

【Hahaha, he’s getting worked up, the idiots are panicking. Just watch, they won’t make it through this maze!】

【Bullshit, our big shot will definitely be first!】

As soon as this comment appeared, the dots on the screen started moving. Nineteen of them rushed toward the nearest or middle routes, while only one white dot, which was Qi Chao's, chose the farthest path.

【Haha, who is that? Why choose the longest route? Is there something wrong with their head?】

Fans of Qi Chao: … 

Oh no, Big Shot, why are you slapping us in the face?

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