Puppet Notes (Wearing Book) - 66

 

| PN | He is Good Looking | 66

Both Chi Yao and Ayu have personalities that are much better than Moss and Agu’s, yet Lan Luo is still quite frightened by these two sisters.

The reasons for this are rather complex.

Lan Luo looked at the faces of Chi Yao and Ayu on the video, wearing a bright yet insincere smile: “Ayu, Chi Yao, long time no see.”

The blue star light brain used projection technology for the video, projecting the upper halves of the people on the other side into mid-air, making it seem as if they were conversing face to face.

Qi Chao and Li Bai were positioned outside the projection range, giving Lan Luo and his sisters enough space. As they looked at the stunningly beautiful girls on the projection, Li Bai completely forgot about the earlier dispute with Lan Luo over the remote control and was full of curiosity.

Seeing this, Qi Chao patted Li Bai’s head and also shifted his gaze to them.

“Hmm, long time no see,” replied the white-haired, cool-headed lady with a nod, responding to Lan Luo’s words.

This must be Ayu, whom Lan Luo had mentioned before. Qi Chao thought to himself, then looked at the red-haired, red-eyed puppet next to her, who was probably Chi Yao.

Chi Yao didn’t respond immediately. Instead, she seemed to be searching for something, her eyes scanning around Lan Luo. Noticing that the projection only showed him and not their future father, she gave a casual and indifferent reply.

After exchanging greetings, the three puppets fell into silence.

To be honest, Chi Yao and Ayu had no idea why their father had asked them to have a conversation with Lan Luo. In their view, there was no real need for this interaction.

Lan Luo sensed the atmosphere growing awkward and began fidgeting with his fingers on the sofa. He noticed Qi Chao was watching him and quickly averted his gaze.

No, I’ve previously expressed my longing for my sisters in front of Qi Chao. If there’s an awkward silence now, Qi Chao will definitely notice something's wrong.

With this in mind, Lan Luo put on an angelic smile and began to engage in conversation with Ayu and Chi Yao. Since they weren’t very familiar with each other, there were only a few topics they could discuss in front of Qi Chao.

He brought up the antler headband he was wearing, talked about how great the animation he had been watching was, and even complained about the recent events to his sisters.

Li Bai, overhearing this, immediately wanted to argue that his favorite animation was the best. 

However, before he could say anything, his father covered his mouth. Li Bai understood that his father wanted Lan Luo to bond with his sisters, so he patted his father’s knee to show he wouldn’t speak out of turn.

Feeling the gentle pat on his knee, Qi Chao’s dark brown eyes showed a hint of a smile as he removed his hand from Li Bai’s mouth.

Lan Luo was speaking primarily to avoid raising Qi Chao’s suspicions, but Ayu and Chi Yao on the other side were somewhat puzzled by why he was sharing these details.

Nearby, Shen Yuxi was quietly attending to some diamond jewelry, seemingly indifferent to their conversation. However, Ayu and Chi Yao knew that their father’s presence meant they needed to behave well and respond to Lan Luo.

Ayu was the first to smile, adjusting her naval cap and offering a few polite responses to Lan Luo, showing him courtesy.

Meanwhile, Chi Yao’s attention was drawn to the antler headband on Lan Luo’s head. It was clear she suspected that the headband was a gift from their father’s future partner.

“Lan Luo, where are you living now?” Chi Yao asked casually. She needed to know where the man lived to plan how to get him to engage in activities with their father.

After asking the question, Shen Yuxi’s gaze shifted from the diamond jewelry to Chi Yao, his blue eyes reflecting a probing curiosity.

Ayu and Moss did not think much of it, assuming she was just following along with the conversation. Lan Luo also took it at face value, smiling brightly as he provided Chi Yao with his home address, as if they were on very friendly terms. 

However, Lan Luo knew that Chi Yao usually stayed in the trial grounds and rarely came out, let alone visit him.

Chi Yao’s red eyes narrowed slightly upon hearing the address.

After about twenty minutes of video chatting, Lan Luo estimated it was time to end the conversation. He wrapped up the topic and turned to Qi Chao with a soft, tired smile, as if he were feeling a bit worn out.

It was now eight in the evening, a time when Lan Luo and Li Bai usually went to bed. Qi Chao understood the cue and approached the sofa, addressing the puppets on the screen: “Chi Yao, Ayu, we’ll continue this conversation another day. For now, Lan Luo needs to go to sleep.”

“Alright,” Chi Yao and Ayu replied in unison.

Seeing the unfamiliar man suddenly appear, Ayu nodded expressionlessly.

Chi Yao, on the other hand, looked Qi Chao up and down. She planned to somehow bring him to her father’s bed later, hoping to prompt some activity between them.

This would not only earn her praise from her father but also a human gift. She made an effort to memorize Qi Chao’s appearance.

Shen Yuxi noticed Chi Yao’s unusual behavior and briefly glanced at her, sensing something was off. However, he quickly turned his attention back to the diamond he was polishing, choosing not to dwell on it. 

Unlike Agu, who was reckless, Chi Yao’s eccentricity didn't require much of Shen Yuxi’s concern.

Meanwhile, Qi Chao watched as Li Bai and Lan Luo chatted and went upstairs. He then smiled at the projection, which had already changed to show a different person.

“Have Ayu and Chi Yao gone to their rooms to sleep?” Qi Chao asked with a smile.

“Yes,” Shen Yuxi replied warmly, nodding. He then subtly glanced to the side.

The three puppets outside the camera lens noticed the meaning behind their father’s gaze and headed toward the nearby spatial vortex. Before stepping into the vortex, Chi Yao cast a meaningful glance at her father’s position.

Her father was happy now. Chi Yao thought to herself that she would soon make him even happier.

No matter how clever Shen Yuxi was, he couldn’t guess what was on Chi Yao’s mind. He tucked a strand of gold hair that had fallen to his left cheek behind his ear, revealing his finely sculpted ear. Realizing something, he looked up at Qi Chao with a smile and asked, “Is something wrong?”

Hearing this, Qi Chao shifted his gaze from Shen Yuxi’s ear, shook his head, and appeared somewhat uncomfortable. “Nothing.”

Shen Yuxi’s blue eyes were warm as he looked at Qi Chao, and he chose not to press further. He continued to gently polish the diamonds on the table.

The diamonds, piled together on the brown wooden surface, were clear and sparkling, indicating their considerable value. Shen Yuxi truly had wealth.

Qi Chao’s earlier anxiety and awkwardness gradually faded, leaving behind a subtle trace that even he didn’t fully recognize. 

Noticing that Shen Yuxi’s strand of gold hair had fallen back to the side of his face, Qi Chao playfully remarked, “That strand of hair is so troublesome; it makes me want to comb it for you.”

After saying this, Qi Chao suddenly felt a pang of regret. He remembered that Shen Yuxi didn’t like his hair being touched. 

The last time Qi Chao had jokingly offered to help with his hair, Shen Yuxi had gently declined. Qi Chao worried that bringing it up again, even when he was joking, might irritate him.

Just as Qi Chao was about to steer the conversation in another direction, Shen Yuxi smiled, his beautiful peach blossom eyes looking affectionate and gentle under the light. It seemed like he would agree to anything Qi Chao said.

“Alright, if there’s a chance in the future, I’d appreciate your help with this troublesome hair.”

Qi Chao was taken aback. He wanted to ask why it was acceptable this time when it wasn’t before but found himself speechless, awkwardly responding with an “oh” as he looked at Shen Yuxi’s smiling face.

The awkwardness that had previously vanished seemed to resurface, making Qi Chao feel increasingly uneasy. He pinched his flushed earlobe, puzzled by his own reaction.

“Are you alright? Is something wrong with your body?” Shen Yuxi asked with genuine concern, his peach blossom eyes filled with worry.

“No, I’m probably just a bit tired,” Qi Chao replied, feeling more uncomfortable as Shen Yuxi’s concerned expression only heightened his unease. He pressed his lips together, offering a few evasive comments before ending the video call amidst Shen Yuxi’s concern.

Normally, Qi Chao would have felt better after ending the call, but the inexplicable feeling lingered in his chest, making him feel even worse.

Meanwhile, Shen Yuxi looked at the now black screen with a faint smile on his lips. Qi Chao was indeed quite easy to read.

Shen Yuxi tucked the strand of hair back behind his ear, his eyes reflecting a sense of accomplishment. 

While he wouldn’t normally allow anyone to touch his hair, he didn’t mind making an exception to get Qi Chao into bed. 

The simplicity of his comment seemed to have elicited a stronger reaction than he anticipated. 

Shen Yuxi’s fingers brushed through his hair, contemplating the unexpected effect of his seemingly casual remark.

Shen Yuxi wondered if this meant he might soon achieve his goal. 

On the other side, Qi Chao went to the bathroom to calm down, reflecting that although he had felt off earlier, it wasn’t a major issue.

After all, Shen Yuxi was undeniably good-looking. Any face-conscious person would feel their heart pound if asked to help with his hair. Qi Chao thought he was just a superficial person enamored with appearances.

He ran his fingers through his tousled hair, yawned, and prepared to go to bed. However, once he actually lay down, his sleepiness seemed to dissipate, and he couldn’t shake the image of Shen Yuxi’s beautiful peach blossom eyes from his mind.

Being good-looking really was a double-edged sword. Qi Chao justified his reaction to himself, rolled over in bed, and decided not to force himself to sleep. Instead, he turned on his computer to browse online forums to shift his focus.

On the puppet enthusiasts' forum, the posts were not always about puppets; there were also many emotional or humorous threads, which made browsing quite entertaining.

Qi Chao started to feel sleepy as he scrolled through the forum. Just as he was about to head to bed, a thread title suddenly caught his eye:

#Help! Does anyone know the Puppet Master artist Shao Qi? #

The title itself wasn’t particularly compelling, but what caught Qi Chao’s attention was that this thread had accumulated over a hundred comments within three minutes, quickly becoming a hot topic.

Normally, fifty comments would be considered a lot for a thread on the forum, especially in the early morning when many people were asleep. The rapid rise of this thread to hot status indicated it was something significant.

Qi Chao casually clicked on the thread, intending to read it quickly before going to sleep. 

However, as he scanned through the main post and the comments, his mood grew heavier, and his sleepiness disappeared entirely.

It was no wonder the thread had so many comments so quickly; most of the posts were made by the original poster.

The thread continued with the following comments:

LZ_156: [Really, does no one know Shao Qi? Just let me know if you have any information; I can give you anything. Please, I’m begging you, really.]

LZ_157: [He’s been asleep for so long. If he continues to sleep, he will really die. I can’t let him keep sleeping. If he dies, I’ll die too.]

The original poster’s comments seemed disjointed, but Qi Chao pieced together that the poster’s puppet was seriously ill and in danger of dying if it remained in its current state. It appeared that Shao Qi, the human-shaped artist, was likely the puppet's creator or someone who could potentially help. 

The poster was desperately trying to locate Shao Qi for treatment.

The numerous replies on the thread highlighted the poster's deep concern for their puppet, something Qi Chao had never seen on the forum before. However, the poster’s mental state was clearly very troubled. 

Their comments were chaotic, and their emotional state seemed extremely tense, as if they were on the edge of breaking.

Xiao Ye E Le_260: [Shao Qi? I know him, but why should I tell you?]

Qi Chao’s frown deepened as he continued scrolling through the comments. The urgency and desperation in the thread were palpable, and it became evident that the situation was critical.

As the thread continued, the original poster flooded the forum with dozens of messages, each pleading for information about Shao Qi.

Xiao Ye E Le_290: [Willing to do anything? Haha, fine. Then, how about this: post a photo of yourself in the thread. If I find you acceptable and if you spend the night with me, I’ll tell you.]

Yu Yu Ya_291: [Damn, the person above is so disgusting. If you don’t want to say anything, just shut up. The original poster isn’t going to agree to that, right? He’s not stupid.]

Qi Chao shared the sentiment of disgust. Just as he thought the situation would end there, a new post appeared with a selfie.

The photo showed a boy who appeared to be only sixteen or seventeen, looking haggard with reddened eyes. He was thin, as if malnourished, but his handsome features were still visible.

Xiao Ye E Le_293: [Send me your light brain ID. We’ll do a video call to confirm you’re real, arrange a meeting, and after we’re together, I’ll tell you.]

At the bottom of the thread, countless users were cursing the person who made the comment, while many others criticized the original poster for being foolish. A number of commenters felt it wasn’t worth it for a puppet.

Qi Chao felt a surge of frustration. The original poster’s desperate actions seemed reckless, and the demand from Xiao Ye E Le was both exploitative and disturbing. The situation was devolving quickly, and it was clear that many people were reacting strongly against both the exploitative demand and the original poster’s apparent desperation.

The original poster didn’t seem to pay any attention to the advice or scolding from other users, and directly posted their light brain ID. 

Seeing that the poster actually shared their light brain ID, Qi Chao was deeply unsettled. The thread continued with a mix of users offering advice, expressing anger, or outright criticizing, but neither the original poster nor the repugnant commenter made any further appearance.

To Qi Chao, the whole situation seemed unbelievable. It was hard to fathom that someone could be so naïve, and it was plausible that the two parties involved were in cahoots to deceive others. 

However, considering the original poster's desperate pleas and their clearly disturbed mental state, he couldn’t simply ignore it.

Realizing that the person in the photo was likely a minor, Qi Chao couldn’t just stand by and let them be exploited by someone who could be dangerous. He resolved to take action.

With a firm resolve, he sat up on his bed and sent a friend request to the original poster's light brain ID, along with a message:

[I am a friend of Shao Qi. If you want to repair the puppet, I can help.]

He hoped this message would draw out the original poster’s trust and provide him with more information about the situation.

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