Puppet Notes (Wearing Book) - 56

 

| PN | Bomb | 56

On the aircraft, Agu leaned back in the soft chair, wearing sunglasses and crossing his legs, looking particularly carefree. 

From time to time, he would rest his head on Moss’s shoulder, and after being pushed away by Moss, he would place his head back again, seemingly not caring at all about being disliked. His tanned skin made him resemble a thick-skinned black panther.

Before getting on the vehicle, Li Bai had originally decided to ignore Agu and had even emphasized this to Lan Luo. However, seeing Agu being pushed away and then sticking back again, repeating this process several times, Li Bai couldn't help but laugh.

Hearing Li Bai's laughter, Agu pulled his sunglasses down a bit, revealing his emerald green eyes. 

Li Bai immediately shut his mouth, but the next second, he saw Agu wink his right eye at him.

This Agu brother is so interesting.

It was the first time Li Bai had been winked at, and he found it quite novel.

Lan Luo knew what kind of person his second brother was. He turned to look at Agu, his blue eyes full of threats, as if warning him not to get close to Li Bai.

Li Bai was the friend Qi Chao had made for him.

Lan Luo thought, he would definitely not let Agu steal his friend.

However, it was unfortunate that Agu was naturally such an annoying character. Noticing Lan Luo's gaze, the smile on Agu’s face widened. He turned to Li Bai and said, “Li Bai, do you want to sit with me?”

Li Bai felt a bit tempted because Agu was indeed very interesting, but when he saw Lan Luo's gaze, he immediately shook his head. His golden amber eyes under the mask were very firm: “No, Li Bai wants to watch cartoons with Lan Luo.”

Lan Luo's expression instantly turned from cloudy to sunny, and he looked at Agu with a triumphant gaze.

“Alright then,” Agu said, still smiling, his voice lilting like a wave, “but next time, you have to sit with Agu.”

“Next time, he will watch cartoons with me too,” Lan Luo directly replied to Agu, his eyes hiding a warning and a hint of murderous intent.

Agu lightly hummed through his nose, as if he was completely unaware of being disliked. His smile deepened as he put his sunglasses back on.

Qi Chao, sitting in the front row, thought the kids were arguing and looked back. Seeing that the atmosphere was still harmonious, he was about to turn back when he noticed Moss grooming a doll’s hair. His gaze lingered for a moment before he casually looked away.

At this moment, Li Bai suddenly asked about Double Mirror: “Dad, will Brother Double Mirror come home with us?”

Li Bai was now cautious of unfamiliar puppets, but of course, Agu didn’t count. He was made by his godfather and posed no threat to his father.

“Yes.”

Hearing this, Li Bai's heart tightened. Lan Luo and Moss also looked towards the co-pilot's seat, but Agu continued pretending to nap, uninterested, with his legs crossed.

Qi Chao's lips pressed into a thin line as he told them about Double Mirror's passing.

Passed away?

Originally, Li Bai was cautious of unfamiliar puppets, but learning about Double Mirror's death made him feel a bit sad. Perhaps it was because his father was feeling sad, Li Bai thought.

“So, the box contains the puppet’s heart?”

Agu, who had been pretending to nap, suddenly became excited. He leaned forward, seemingly eager to jump to the front row and open the box to see the S-level malformed puppet heart.

In contrast, Lan Luo and Moss showed no interest. They lowered their heads and continued with their activities, one watching cartoons and the other grooming a doll's hair. It seemed they had looked up only to confirm whether a new puppet would be coming home.

Shen Yuxi, who was driving, glanced in the rearview mirror. His usually gentle blue eyes showed a hint of displeasure. Receiving his father's look, Agu thought for a moment before obediently sitting back down.

He couldn't anger his father any further.

Agu thought, if he pushed it any more, he would truly face punishment.

Upon returning home, Shen Yuxi supported Qi Chao as they went to the study, placing the box on the desk.

The four puppets were playing noisily in the living room downstairs, and the sounds of their commotion could be heard in the study.

Qi Chao sat in a chair, his fingers sliding over the wooden box. He looked at Shen Yuxi, who was selecting books from the bookshelf, and after a moment of silence, he spoke up, “Brother Shen, can I ask about the scars on Moss?”

Shen Yuxi paused for a moment, his fingers holding a book, but his expression remained unsurprised. He took the book and sat down on the chair next to Qi Chao, his expression calm as he said, “Of course you can, it's been a long time after all.”

“Those were caused by Moss’s previous owner’s wife.”

Qi Chao was taken aback by this revelation.

“Moss is very beautiful.” Shen Yuxi continued, his eyes turning a bit tender as if recalling something. He lifted his gaze to Qi Chao, his expression becoming somewhat inscrutable.

Qi Chao had seen a similar look on the doctor’s face before. At that time, he had questioned the doctor about why Lan Luo was being auctioned off. The doctor had responded with that same expression, grabbing his hair and forcing him to look up at him.

Remembering this, Qi Chao felt a bit awkward. He pursed his lips and continued listening to Shen Yuxi.

“His owner was a wealthy couple without children.” Shen Yuxi didn’t seem to notice Qi Chao's unease. His voice was rather flat as he continued, “The story is quite cliché. The couple wanted Moss to be their son.”

"Later, the man had an affair and fathered a child with someone else. The woman blamed Moss for everything, believing it was Moss’s fault that she couldn’t keep the man, so she vented her anger by torturing Moss daily with sharp objects.”

At that time, Shen Yuxi hadn’t yet considered using puppets for anything specific. After creating Moss, he had placed Moss with a well-off couple for foster care.

Shen Yuxi’s gaze darkened slightly as he recalled finding Moss. Moss had been locked naked in a cage, his body covered in cracks. His once clear voice was now hoarse and dry, as if it had been torn apart. His left eye had been gouged out, leaving only an empty socket.

Since then, Shen Yuxi had kept Moss with him.

Shen Yuxi knew he wasn’t a good person. Moss had merely jumped from one pit of fire into another.

However, Moss seemed happy about it.

Shen Yuxi caressed the cover of the book in front of him and said gently, “I wanted to repair that child’s body, but Moss refused. He was afraid I would leave him with someone else again.”

Most puppets, once created, do not stay with their creators. From the moment they are made, they search for their own place.

Qi Chao's face turned somber. His lips moved, but he didn’t know what to say.

After finishing his story, Shen Yuxi's smile faded slightly. He looked at Qi Chao and said warmly, “Now, everything is in the past. Moss’s fate wasn’t as tragic as Double Mirror’s.”

Shen Yuxi always avoided actions without benefit. His detailed explanation of Moss’s past naturally aimed into Double Mirror’s situation. If Qi Chao didn’t join the association, it would be a headache for Shen Yuxi.

“What about the woman who bullied Moss?” Qi Chao suddenly asked.

Shen Yuxi's smile remained unchanged. “She was sent to a mental hospital by her family.”

Of course, this wasn’t true. The woman was actually still in the trial grounds, struggling to survive. She would repeatedly endure the same torments Moss had suffered until Moss was willing to heal his scars.

Shen Yuxi always believed in fairness.

That’s how it was when Qi Chao got hurt.

That’s how it was when Moss got hurt.

Those who harmed him always had to pay a price. Shen Yuxi slightly lowered his head, gently caressing the book in front of him.

Qi Chao didn't respond to the woman's fate. He stared at the box in front of him, a bit absent-minded.

Seeing this, Shen Yuxi remained silent. He opened his book and quietly began reading.

After an indeterminate amount of time, Shen Yuxi heard Qi Chao speak, “No matter how human-like puppets become, most people still see them as tools and toys.”

Tools that can be discarded and abused at will.

The original owner was like this, Moss’s first owner was like this, and even the puppet master Zhang Ya was the same. When they were useful, they were cherished endlessly; when they were not, they were discarded like old shoes.

Qi Chao found it somewhat laughable.

After spending so much time together, even pets would form bonds. Puppets had emotions and could speak—how could people be so heartless?

Shen Yuxi, who also regarded puppets as mere pieces on a chessboard, showed no change in his expression. He calmly said, “Indeed.”

Qi Chao pressed his lips together, his gaze fixed on the box containing Double Mirror. His dark brown eyes were difficult to read.

“You can see it from Double Mirror,” Shen Yuxi continued, his voice still carrying his unique gentleness, though now it seemed cold and logical. “They created such a deformed puppet and then brought Double Mirror into the research facility. Because they see puppets as tools, they don’t care about their thoughts.”

“In their view, there are many replaceable puppets. Even S-level ones can be made as long as there are skilled puppet masters,” Shen Yuxi said, his gaze falling on Qi Chao. Sensing the other's melancholic mood, his thin lips curved slightly, feeling a bit puzzled by his own emotions.

Although everything was progressing as planned, Shen Yuxi didn’t feel a sense of reality, as if he hadn’t been eagerly anticipating the smooth execution of his plan.

Suppressing his emotions, Shen Yuxi looked at Qi Chao and said, “Perhaps in their research facility, there are many puppets like Double Mirror.”

To save them, one must first join the association.

Shen Yuxi's eyelashes lowered slightly. Based on his understanding of Qi Chao, by this point, Qi Chao should be inclined to join the association to rescue these puppets, given his remarkably soft heart.

However, to Shen Yuxi’s surprise, Qi Chao remained silent, seemingly lost in thought, as if he hadn’t grasped the hint.

After a while, Qi Chao said, “I wonder how many years one would get for blowing up a research facility.”

Shen Yuxi: ???

Qi Chao turned to Shen Yuxi. Seeing the confusion and shock on Shen Yuxi’s face, Qi Chao tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Just joking.”

Shen Yuxi observed Qi Chao’s somewhat nonchalant expression and didn’t see any sign of jest.

“The association’s research facility is funded by the Empire. Destroying such a facility would result in at least thirty years of imprisonment,” Shen Yuxi explained.

Hearing this, Qi Chao chuckled. “I was just joking. Don’t worry, I’m not that impulsive.”

Besides, Qi Chao knew deep down that the issue wasn't just about the research facility. The status of puppets was a result of the beliefs of the Blue Star people. Blowing up a few research facilities wouldn’t change that perception.

Qi Chao knew he lacked the ability to change everyone’s views. He was, after all, an ordinary person who initially just wanted to make puppets and lead a leisurely life.

He lowered his head to look at the box containing Double Mirror, then leaned on the table and looked at Shen Yuxi, half-jokingly saying, “If I become a master-level puppet master, would the association listen to me and dissolve the research facility?”

Master-level puppet masters were rare, with only ten on Blue Star. Their status far exceeded that of the association’s president.

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