Puppet Notes (Wearing Book) - 71

 

| PN | Thrown on the Bed | 71

“Brother Shen.” When Shen Yuxi’s call came through, Qi Chao was moving a ladder in the warehouse. Before he could respond, he saw the usually gentle and composed Shen Yuxi's face had taken on an anxious expression.

“Qi Chao, have you seen Agu and Chi Yao?”

In the dimly lit warehouse, the projection of the golden-haired man with peach blossom eyes was filled with worry, resembling a typical father anxious about a missing child.

“I’ve been searching for them for a long time but haven’t found them. Since Agu has been to your place before, I wanted to ask if you’ve seen them.”

“They are here with me.” Qi Chao said calmly, with no trace of doubt, “Don’t worry.”

Agu had come to visit Qi Chao without informing Shen Yuxi. Qi Chao had planned to inform Shen Yuxi once he learned about it to avoid causing unnecessary concern. However, he got delayed because he was busy helping Chi Yao with the ladder.

Thinking about this, Qi Chao felt a bit guilty. He should have sent a message to Shen Yuxi earlier if he had known how worried he would be.

“They’re fine, then.”

Hearing this, Shen Yuxi seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. But only he knew that the situation he most wanted to avoid had indeed occurred.

Shen Yuxi's heart was now fully in his throat. What could Agu and Chi Yao be doing at Qi Chao’s house? 

Considering Agu's entertainment-focused personality, Shen Yuxi felt a headache coming on. He tapped his fingers restlessly on the armrest. From Qi Chao's expression, Agu and Chi Yao hadn’t revealed anything they shouldn’t have. 

However, leaving them at Qi Chao’s place still made Shen Yuxi uneasy.

“Sorry for the trouble,” Shen Yuxi said after a pause, then added, “Once Moss returns, I’ll go pick them up immediately.”

“No need.”

Thinking about what Agu had said earlier and not wanting to make them feel like their effort had been in vain, Qi Chao, with a smile in his deep brown eyes, suggested, “Why don’t you wait until I take them to the amusement park and come back before you take them? It might be more enjoyable that way.”

Qi Chao then seemed to remember something and asked, “Brother Shen, do you have any plans today? If not, we could go to the amusement park together. We haven’t had a chance to go out and have fun together yet.”

Thinking back, Qi Chao realized he had not had the opportunity to spend leisure time with Shen Yuxi. In his past life, he frequently went out with friends to have fun, but in this life, most of his time with Shen Yuxi had been spent at home, and their outings had always been for serious matters.

Shen Yuxi's fingers paused slightly as he looked up at Qi Chao, seemingly tempted but quickly changing his mind. He gently declined, “Sorry, I have some matters to attend to this afternoon. We can arrange another time.”

The idea of going out with Qi Chao was indeed tempting, but Shen Yuxi had to return to the trial grounds in the afternoon—a timing issue he couldn’t avoid.

“Chi Yao and Agu are quite lively, and it would be inconvenient for you to handle all of them alone. I’ll come with Moss to bring them back later.”

Shen Yuxi spoke warmly, his peach blossom eyes showing concern, as if he were considering Qi Chao’s situation. When Qi Chao wasn’t looking, his eyelashes lowered slightly.

Although he wasn’t sure what Chi Yao was planning, Agu's presence was a ticking time bomb. Shen Yuxi felt it was necessary to bring them back.

“It’s fine; the children are very well-behaved, and they haven’t seen each other for a while. Let them enjoy their time together,” Qi Chao replied with a smile.

Hearing this, Shen Yuxi's lips moved as he considered Qi Chao's words. If he refused again, it might negatively affect his impression in Qi Chao's eyes. After a moment, he slightly curved the corners of his lips into a smile.

“Alright, then it’s settled. Thank you for your understanding.” As soon as he finished speaking, Shen Yuxi said softly, “May I speak with the two children for a moment?”

“Of course.”

Qi Chao nodded casually with a smile, his right arm straining slightly as he carried the ladder out of the warehouse, the lines of his arm firm and smooth.

Shen Yuxi glanced over before withdrawing his gaze. Upon hearing that Chi Yao was lying on a tree, his expression grew somewhat obscure.

Chi Yao had always enjoyed resting in trees.

It seemed that Agu and Chi Yao had been at Qi Chao's house for a while. Shen Yuxi was curious to know if Agu or Chi Yao was the mastermind behind this situation.

Shen Yuxi paused briefly. “Thank you for helping her get a ladder.”

Qi Chao replied that it was nothing, taking larger strides as he headed toward the tree. Upon seeing Agu standing below, Qi Chao handed him the light brain and rubbed his nose. “Shen Yuxi wants to speak with you.”

After handing over the light brain, Qi Chao didn’t dare to look at Agu’s expression. He turned around and placed the ladder in front of the tree. Although Qi Chao didn’t regret telling Shen Yuxi about Agu’s whereabouts, he still felt a bit awkward.

Agu had been smiling and asking Chi Yao why she wouldn’t come down. When he noticed Qi Chao approaching and handing him the light brain, Agu's smile faltered momentarily.

He had anticipated that Qi Chao would inform Shen Yuxi, but he hadn’t expected the response to be so swift.

However, Agu quickly regained his composure. He knew that since Shen Yuxi was willing to talk to him through the screen rather than directly taking him away, there was still a chance for things to change.

“Father, it’s been a while,” Agu said playfully, blinking his eyes. Upon seeing his father’s warm but cold expression, Agu immediately became much more obedient.

“Uncle Qi Chao will take you and Chi Yao to the amusement park. Don’t cause him any trouble, okay?”

Shen Yuxi’s voice was gentle, his peach blossom eyes tender and soft, with his golden hair making his skin appear especially fair.

“Okay.”

Agu replied with a smile, “We’ll be good and won’t say anything to upset Father.”

As he said this, Agu deliberately covered his mouth, speaking very softly so only he and Shen Yuxi could hear.

Shen Yuxi watched Agu quietly, pondering the deeper meaning behind his words. Agu wouldn’t lie to him, but he would conceal some truths.

His lips curved into a slight smile. “You know what happens to those who make me unhappy, don’t you?”

Agu’s smile didn’t waver, his green eyes narrowing into slits. He spoke sincerely, “Of course, Chi Yao and I won’t make Father angry.”

Chi Yao’s hearing wasn’t as acute as Lan Luo’s or Agu’s, so she could only vaguely guess that Agu was talking to Father. She stared intently at Agu with her red eyes, then looked at the ladder the human had brought her.

After hesitating between jumping down immediately and trying out the ladder, she ultimately chose to descend using the ladder.

Father should know they came to find the human.

Chi Yao guessed that, if that were the case, there was no need for her to rush down. Even if Father was angry now, he would surely be happy once she brought the human back.

With this thought, Chi Yao looked at Qi Chao, who was holding the ladder, and descended slowly. During this time, she could hear the human speaking to her with caution, which was quite novel for her.

So far, Chi Yao had only heard humans shouting things like "Get away, demon" in fear. This was the first time she had heard caring words from someone other than Father.

Her red eyes narrowed slightly, and she felt even more satisfied with the human. After visiting the amusement park, she would take the human away.

On the other side, Shen Yuxi ended the call and looked at the now dark screen. He then shifted his gaze to Moss and Ayu. While his smile remained, the look in his eyes had turned much colder.

“What happened, Father?”

Moss’s lips, hidden under the bandages, moved slightly.

Shen Yuxi shook his head and didn’t elaborate, only saying, “Handle the matters at the trial grounds as quickly as possible. After that, go to Qi Chao’s house to bring Agu and Chi Yao back.”

Agu and Chi Yao?

Why would they go to Qi Chao’s house?

Moss’s dark eyes showed confusion.

Ayu pulled her hat brim lower. She felt that Chi Yao must be hiding something important from her. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have teamed up with Agu.

“Ayu.”

Father’s voice reached her ears, and Ayu looked up. Her usually aloof and cool demeanor softened a bit, and she stepped forward to take out her notebook. She then heard her father say, “Qi Chao recently rescued a puppet named San Yue. That puppet seems unusual. Go investigate.”

Apart from that, Shen Yuxi didn’t provide any additional information.

Ayu showed no reaction to this and calmly wrote down the details in her notebook. She then stated calmly, “Father, if there’s nothing else, I’ll proceed with my task.”

After Ayu left, Shen Yuxi remained silent for a long time, leaning back in his chair, his voice turning colder. “If only Agu could be as obedient as Ayu.”

He thought of Agu’s behavior.

Moss remained silent, feeling that Agu would never be as well-behaved as Ayu in his lifetime.

Meanwhile, Qi Chao was driving a flying vehicle, taking the four puppets from his home to the amusement park.

Li Bai, seeing Chi Yao for the first time, looked curious behind his mask, shyly hiding behind Lan Luo. This shyness when encountering new things had never changed.

Perhaps it was because Chi Yao was made by his godfather or because his father was present, even though Chi Yao did not engage with Li Bai, Li Bai quickly returned to his usual lively self. 

He chattered incessantly with Lan Luo and occasionally exchanged a few words with Agu.

Chi Yao, seeing so many chatty puppets for the first time and noticing that none of them disliked Agu, felt a bit indifferent towards the white-haired puppet. 

She touched the items in her pocket, her red eyes revealing a slight smile.

Chi Yao’s special ability involves decomposition and synthesis, but it only works on non-living matter. The large sword she carries is a product of this ability. Currently, the item in her pocket is her ladder.

When the ladder disappeared from sight, the humans did not react much, which pleased Chi Yao. She felt that her father’s partner should be like this. It would not be too embarrassing when he is used as a shield by her father in the future.

Qi Chao, sitting in the driver’s seat and listening to the chatter of the puppets behind him, had a smile in his dark brown eyes. 

As he looked at the red-haired, red-eyed puppet through the rearview mirror, he recalled the earlier question under the tree.

“Did Chi Yao take the ladder?”

“Yes.”

“Does Chi Yao like that ladder?”

Qi Chao guessed that Chi Yao’s ability to take the ladder was due to her mental strength, but he didn't understand why the red-haired puppet wanted to take it. 

“Hmm, I like it,” Chi Yao looked up at Qi Chao. 

After making eye contact with her clear red eyes, Qi Chao decided not to ask further. If the child liked the ladder, he would give it to her; after all, they had plenty of ladders at home.

Upon arriving at the amusement park, Qi Chao followed the four children. To avoid drawing attention, he had dressed them in long sleeves and pants before leaving the villa. From the outside, they were indistinguishable from humans.

Previously, when Qi Chao had taken Lan Luo to the amusement park, they hadn’t tried any of the dangerous or thrilling rides. But this time, with Agu joining them, the trip took a different turn. 

Agu was an enthusiast for thrills and pleasures, immediately setting his sights on the roller coasters and pirate ships. He was eager to experience every thrilling ride available.

Li Bai and Lan Luo were content as long as they got to play, not caring too much about what they played. As for Chi Yao, her purpose in visiting the amusement park was to collect human gifts. With the ladder now in her possession, her obsession with gifts had diminished somewhat.

Thus, the decision-making for this amusement park visit was entirely left to Agu. Excited, Agu led all the puppets to experience every thrilling ride in the park.

Qi Chao, who wasn’t afraid of heights but was feeling the strain from the back-to-back high-altitude rides, sat down heavily on a bench. He exhaled deeply and smiled lazily at the four puppets before him.

“Dad, are you okay?” Li Bai asked with some concern. His white hair was all puffed up from the roller coaster, but his mood was good.

“I’m fine.”

After a couple of minutes, Qi Chao had recovered his composure. He looked at Li Bai’s frizzy hair and then turned his gaze to the other three children.

Well, as expected, their hair was all messed up too.

Qi Chao ran his fingers through his own hair, relieved that it wasn’t too long; otherwise, it would probably look like a bird’s nest. Thinking this, Qi Chao smiled and got up to buy a comb and hairbands from a nearby stall.

“I’ll comb your hair for you,” Qi Chao said to the four children.

Li Bai and Lan Luo, who were already used to Qi Chao brushing their hair, immediately walked up to him and lined up to get their hair groomed.

In contrast, Chi Yao and Agu seemed a bit unfamiliar with this.

Chi Yao thought about how this was his father’s partner and, after pursing his lips, walked over to Qi Chao. Enduring the gentle touch of Qi Chao’s hands on his head, Chi Yao felt her vision clear up significantly after a few seconds.

Qi Chao had used a black hairband to tie Chi Yao’s messy straight hair into a ponytail.

Chi Yao touched the hairband on his head, his red eyes showing a bit of confusion. Was this the second gift from a human?

“Agu, it’s your turn,” Qi Chao said with a smile.

Agu’s smile stiffened for a moment. Just as Shen Yuxi wasn’t used to others touching his hair, Agu also felt that his hair was a vulnerable spot.

But if he refused, wouldn’t that reveal his weakness?

Thinking this, Agu squatted in front of Qi Chao, feeling his hair being smoothed and tied up. His back became even more rigid.

“It looks very nice, Agu,” Qi Chao said to him.

Really?

Agu didn’t quite believe it, but he smiled and nodded enthusiastically.

He thought to himself that his hair was precious. If it weren’t for his father, Agu wouldn’t let anyone touch his hair. He decided that he’d have to throw Qi Chao onto his father’s bed. 

Imagining how his father would look then, Agu’s discomfort melted away, and his smile became much more genuine.

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