Puppet Notes (Wearing Book) - 101

 

| PN | Office Workers | 101

Dad?

Upon hearing Agu's words, Qi Chao hadn't even had time to react when the children behind him simultaneously fixed their gazes on Agu.

"What did you just say?"

Lan Luo tugged at Agu's clothes, looking up at him with a bright smile on his face, as if he simply hadn’t heard clearly what Agu had said.

Agu squinted his emerald green eyes and grinned, saying, "Didn't you hear? I just called Uncle Qi 'Dad.'"

As soon as he said this, the expressions in the puppet's eyes all showed displeasure. Lan Luo looked at Agou's nonchalant demeanor, and when he lowered his head, his gaze gradually became darker. 

His fingers played with the hem of his clothes, and the frustration in his chest lingered for a long time.

Agu called Qi Chao 'Dad.'

Lan Luo had never called Qi Chao 'Dad,' but the Agu he disliked the most had beaten him to it.

Lan Luo liked Qi Chao.

Every time Li Bai called Qi Chao "Dad," Lan Luo would feel envious, especially after Shuang Jian and Xuan Jian were born, adding two more puppets who called Qi Chao "Dad."

At their first meeting, Qi Chao had referred to himself as "Dad," but Lan Luo, who had been pretending to be obedient, never called him that due to his own psychological reasons. 

Over time, Qi Chao stopped referring to himself as "Dad" in front of Lan Luo, and Lan Luo missed the best opportunity to call him "Dad."

In his heart, Lan Luo had called Qi Chao "Dad" countless times, yet he had never actually said it out loud. 

He feared Qi Chao might reject or deny him. Even though Lan Luo knew deep down that Qi Chao wouldn't do such a thing, he couldn’t help but suppress his own doubts and anxiety.

Every day, he hesitated and wrestled with his feelings.

However, Agu’s sudden "Dad" earlier made Lan Luo's previous worries seem almost laughable. He opened his mouth to speak, only to realize he didn’t even know what to say.

On the side, Qi Chao had overheard Agu and Lan Luo’s conversation. His gaze fell on Agu’s smiling face, and Qi Chao asked with a smile, “So, you already know?”

Qi Chao hadn't originally intended to keep the truth from the children for long. He had been with Brother Shen for quite some time, and if it weren't for being too busy with work, he would have told them sooner.

"Know what?"

Agu smiled innocently, as if he didn’t know what Qi Chao was referring to. His tone was sincere as he said, "Agu really likes Uncle Qi Chao, so I thought I'd call you 'Dad'."

Agu was perceptive and knew that revealing the relationship between his father and Qi Chao before they had officially disclosed it would only get him into trouble. 

So, when he heard Qi Chao’s question, Agu didn’t directly admit anything.

"If Uncle doesn’t like it, then I won’t call you that," he added, his tone exceptionally considerate.

This statement was half sincere. Qi Chao was indeed the human who treated Agu the best. Unlike his father’s affection, which was mixed with manipulation, Qi Chao’s affection for Agu was pure and simple.

That was why Agu wanted to call Qi Chao "Dad." Of course, another reason was that Agu simply wanted to see the group of puppets behind him get angry.

Being a puppet could be quite boring, after all.

Agu enjoyed challenges and thrills.

Did he call him "Dad" just because he liked him?

When Qi Chao heard Agu’s response and saw the sly gleam in those emerald green eyes, he smiled slightly, not fully convinced by Agu’s words. 

Agu was a smart kid but a bit mischievous. Claiming he didn’t know about Qi Chao and Brother Shen’s relationship earlier was probably a lie. 

Still, Qi Chao didn’t mind Agu’s little schemes.

He ruffled Agu’s hair and said, "Just to be clear, I didn’t force you—this was all your idea."

His voice was deep, filled with amusement, clearly accepting Agu calling him "Dad."

At first, Agu didn’t feel anything special about it, but after hearing Qi Chao’s words, a strange sense of awkwardness crept into his heart. His gaze shifted nervously, and he didn’t dare meet Qi Chao’s eyes.

Whenever he felt this way, Agu would consciously try to distract himself, doing his best to calm the uneasiness inside. 

But as soon as he noticed the other puppets behind him all staring at him, his discomfort vanished in an instant.

He turned around, stood tall with his head high, and waved with a bright smile, saying, "Now you’re all really my little brothers! Don’t worry, Agu will be a good big brother!"

Whether it was Shuang Jian, Xuang Jian, or Li Bai, they all looked confused, as if they hadn’t fully processed the news.

Lan Luo, on the other hand, kept his head lowered the entire time.

As Qi Chao was about to lead the children into the villa, Lan Luo suddenly reached out and grabbed his hand.

When Qi Chao looked over, all he could see was the top of his blonde head. He could feel his hand trembling slightly as it held his. 

Just as Qi Chao was about to ask what was wrong, the blonde puppet nervously blurted out, “D-Dad…”

Afraid of rejection, Lan Luo still didn’t dare lift his head, though he was gripping Qi Chao’s hand tightly. 

That soft "Dad" melted Qi Chao’s heart completely.

The fact that Lan Luo had never called him "Dad" before hadn’t bothered Qi Chao, especially given how unpleasant his predecessor’s actions had been.

 But now, hearing Lan Luo finally call him "Dad," Qi Chao couldn’t help but smile. He raised his hand and gently ruffled Lan Luo’s hair.

“Hmm, Lan Luo, what’s wrong?”

Hearing Qi Chao’s response, Lan Luo slowly lifted his head. His lips moved slightly, and his blue eyes looked uncertain as they met Qi Chao’s gaze. 

In the end, Lan Luo said nothing, but instead, he wrapped his arms tightly around Qi Chao’s waist and refused to let go.

He had accepted it.

Lan Luo buried his face in Qi Chao’s waist, the words echoing in his mind over and over. He felt a sense of happiness swelling within him.

Qi Chao looked at Lan Luo, who was hugging his waist tightly and refusing to let go. He couldn’t quite understand why Lan Luo was reacting so strongly, but after thinking about it, he decided not to stop him. 

Gently bending over, he lifted Lan Luo into his arms.

“Let’s head back to the living room.”

Lan Luo's slightly curly blonde hair had become a bit messy from his earlier movements. Qi Chao raised a hand to smooth his hair, then turned to glance at the nearby children.

The rest of the puppets had been staring at Agu for a while, afraid that if they turned away, Agu would snatch their "dad" away.

Qi Chao smiled and said, "Let's go."

“Okay.”

Li Bai, Xiang Yue, Shuang Jian, Xuan Jian, all nodded. Originally, their gazes had been fixed on Agu, but once Qi Chao picked up Lan Luo, they all turned to look at Lan Luo instead.

Even the ever-smiling Agu was now looking at Lan Luo, though Agu’s expression was more of surprise. 

This was the first time he'd seen Lan Luo like this.

Li Bai also wanted to be carried by their dad.

Underneath Li Bai’s mask, his golden eyes glimmered faintly. Compared to opposing Agu, it was clear that this matter was much more important.

Xiang Yue, along with Shuang Jian and Xuan Jian, all appeared calm on the surface, but their intense focus on Lan Luo made it evident that the puppets were not as composed as they seemed.

Agu, who was smiling mischievously nearby, noticed the attention of the puppets and glanced at Lan Luo, who was sitting on Qi Chao’s arm, happily laughing. 

Agu’s emerald-green eyes curved slightly.

How interesting, Agu thought. Every time something happens when Qi Chao is around, it’s always intriguing.

After Qi Chao carried Lan Luo into the living room, he gently set him down. Unaware of what the puppets were thinking, he was about to turn on a projector to show them an animation when he suddenly felt a tug on his clothes.

“Dad, Li Bai wants a hug too.”

Li Bai stretched out his arms towards Qi Chao.

“Alright.”

Qi Chao never refused his own children, especially when it came to small requests like these.

After picking up and putting down Li Bai, Qi Chao watched as Li Bai, excited like a fluffy white fox, spun around in circles. 

The smile in his eyes hadn’t faded when he noticed his children standing nearby, staring at him.

He immediately understood what his children wanted.

Li Bai and Lan Luo were small, but Xiang Yue, Xuan Jian, and Shuang Jian were all around 1.6 meters tall. If he really let them sit on his arm, it would be a bit of a challenge.

With this in mind, he walked over to each of them, giving them a hug, lifting them up briefly before setting them down again.

The three puppets, though maintaining a calm exterior, couldn’t hide a trace of joy in their eyes.

“You’re all taller, so it’s a bit hard to let you sit on my arm right now. Give Dad some time to work out, and we’ll see about that later.” After saying this, Qi Chao walked over to Agu, treating him the same and giving him a hug as well.

Noticing Agu’s slightly awkward expression, Qi Chao teased with a smile in his voice, “Feeling shy?”

Agu immediately denied it with a grin, “How could I? Agu never gets shy.”

Qi Chao didn’t respond, only placing the remote control on the table. He looked at his children and said, “Go ahead and watch the animation. Dad’s going to water the flowers.”

There were many flowers in Shen Yuxi’s villa, most of which Qi Chao had never seen before. Despite the harsh winter, the flowers were blooming vibrantly.

“Agu knows the right amount of water,” Agu said with a playful smile.

“Then, can Agu come with me?” Qi Chao asked.

“Of course.”

Agu understood his role well. He knew that as long as he stayed by Qi Chao’s side, Xiang Yue and the other puppets would undoubtedly follow closely behind.

Sure enough, the five puppets, who had been sitting on the sofa, ready to watch the animation, immediately stood up upon hearing this, preparing to go along as well.

“You all want to come too?” Qi Chao assumed the children were interested in the garden. Smiling, he said, “Alright, let’s all go together.”

The flowers in the garden were being well taken care of.

Qi Chao led the puppets into the garden and heard Agu introduce, “Father really likes this place.”

“But his favorite is actually the basement,” Agu added. 

After all, Father, being a gloomy introvert, spent most of his time in the dark basement, only coming to the garden to soak up half an hour of sunlight for his health.

“Is that so?” Qi Chao was unaware of Shen Yuxi’s reasons for visiting the garden. He had thought Shen Yuxi simply enjoyed the beautiful flowers. 

Hearing Agu mention that Shen Yuxi preferred the basement, he paused, recalling the dimly lit basement.

“Agu must know your father very well, right?”

Agu looked at Qi Chao as if he understood why Qi Chao was asking. His emerald-green eyes narrowed slightly before he nodded vigorously, “Yes, Agu knows Father best. So, is there something you want to ask Agu about?”

If Qi Chao were to inquire about Shen Yuxi’s plans, Agu wouldn’t disclose them. However, if it were about Shen Yuxi’s various eccentricities, Agu would be eager to answer.

With this in mind, Agu’s smile grew even wider.

…

Meanwhile, in the trial grounds, the weary Old Liu finally found the cave where he had originally woken up. 

He collapsed in exhaustion, a sense of relief flooding over him.

However, before Old Liu could crawl into the cave, four or five people emerged from it. Startled, Old Liu's blood-red lips trembled as he tried to explain his disappearance. 

The people, appearing very anxious, didn’t spare him a glance. They quickly grabbed their bags and ran off. 

Old Liu was momentarily stunned. When he finally entered the cave, he found it empty.

Where did they all go?

Old Liu remembered that on the first day he woke up, the leader had mentioned that the cave was always monitored to prevent other small teams from taking over their territory.

Feeling uneasy, Old Liu waited from day to night, teetering on the edge of collapse. The howling wind outside and the encroaching darkness seemed more terrifying than ever, swallowing his sanity.

At that moment, a disheveled and panicked man burst in. Before Old Liu could express his relief, the man urgently asked, “Is it the Red Moon tonight?”

Red Moon?

The trees were too tall and dense to clearly see the moon. However, having spent so much time outside the cave, Old Liu had seen through the gaps in the trees that the moon appeared red when the wind blew hard.

Old Liu nodded, he was about to ask where the others had gone, when he saw the man’s face turn pale.

The man mumbled incoherently, “Red Moon… it’s over. How could I transmigrate here at a time like this?!”

"Transmigrate?" 

Old Liu was startled. "Did you also suddenly end up here?"

The man across from him only gave a bitter smile in response and didn’t answer his question. He seemed lost in thought, mumbling, “Is there any need to explain?”

“We’re all doomed, we are all going to be killed by the villain.”

The man clearly knew something. As Old Liu listened to him and looked at the dark forest behind him, he suddenly shivered.

Meanwhile, Shen Yuxi glanced up at the red moon in the sky, with Moss standing beside him.

“Let’s go. It’s time to have dinner.”

Shen Yuxi's peach blossom eyes narrowed slightly. He wanted to witness what would happen next, but clearly, returning home on time was more important. 

He could always come back later in the evening. 

The villain thought nonchalantly, much like an ordinary office worker looking forward to going home for dinner before returning to work. 

Tirelessly, he worked only to earn a modest living.

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