Puppet Notes (Wearing Book) - 90

 

| PN | Sticky | 90

Shen Yuxi's promises might not always come true, but if he decides to take revenge on someone, no one can escape, not even the only son of his teacher.

Qiao Sheng, sitting in his wheelchair, had two holes stabbed into him, his blood staining the white coat red. 

Nearby, the beastwoman Chao Yang was being pinned to the ground by Moss, with the tip of a dagger pointed directly at her heart. Her mouth was beginning to show fangs as she struggled violently, seemingly intent on biting the person who had harmed her father.

"I'm leaving now. See you another day."

Shen Yuxi's voice was gentle, and he wore a smile as if he were merely a guest visiting a friend's home. He said with some sympathy, "No need to see us off. Take care of yourself and get well soon."

With that, he turned and stepped into a spatial vortex. 

After they left, Chao Yang immediately rushed to her father's side, anxiously trying to bandage his wounds. 

Qiao Sheng reached out to touch his daughter's hair, and the pain from his injuries made him take a deep breath. 

If he had known Shen Yuxi cared so much about Qi Chao, he would have said one less word—at least then he might have had one less wound.

When Shen Yuxi and Moss returned to the villa, Qi Chao was already sitting on the sofa, watching cartoons with the children.

Seeing Qi Chao, Shen Yuxi was not surprised that he was already home. He wore his usual gentle smile and smiled at him, asking, "How was today's exchange meeting?"

As soon as Shen Yuxi finished speaking, he noticed that Qi Chao had been staring at his face, his expression somewhat peculiar. 

Shen Yuxi paused, a look of confusion in his eyes, and asked, "Is there something on my face?"

"No," Qi Chao shook his head, but his deep brown eyes remained fixed on Shen Yuxi. After a few seconds, he asked, "Brother Shen, are you in a bad mood?"

Shen Yuxi was slightly taken aback, the smile on his lips fading a little, but it quickly reappeared. "Why do you say that?"

Qi Chao didn't respond immediately. He just had a sudden feeling that Shen Yuxi might be upset about something. 

But after looking at Shen Yuxi's expression again, Qi Chao started to think that maybe his initial feeling was just a misconception.

He stood up and walked over to Shen Yuxi, glancing at Moss, who, as usual, was following closely behind. 

Moss was holding a stuffed doll, his single visible black eye calm and silent, as if he had just had an ordinary day. 

After a moment's thought, Qi Chao reached out and ruffled Moss's hair, then said to both of them, "It's nothing. Welcome home."

Shen Yuxi hesitated slightly, then responded with a soft "Mm." 

Moss, feeling the warmth of Qi Chao's touch on his head, lifted his black eye to look at Qi Chao.

He probably didn’t notice.

Moss tightened his grip on the stuffed doll in his hand, his gaze sweeping over his and Shen Yuxi's clothes. 

Since there were no traces of blood on either of them, Qi Chao likely wouldn't suspect what they had done.

Moss recalled the things Qi Chao had taught them before, and his lips pressed together under the bandages. 

If Qi Chao knew what he and his father had done, he would surely hate them. These things must never be revealed to Qi Chao.

Qi Chao, however, was unaware of the thoughts racing through Moss's mind as he bowed his head. 

It was 9 PM now, and after glancing at the time, Qi Chao turned and urged the children still watching cartoons to head to their rooms.

Lan Luo, Li Bai, and Xiang Yue were actually a bit sleepy, so they didn’t resist and obediently went upstairs to sleep. 

Moss, standing nearby, glanced at Qi Chao and Shen Yuxi before following the three puppets to their room.

Now, only Qi Chao and Shen Yuxi remained in the living room. 

Shen Yuxi’s lowered eyelashes concealed the complexity in his eyes. Qi Chao had noticed his true emotions earlier, which revealed more than he intended. 

For instance, he had indeed been affected by Qiao Sheng's words, and more importantly, Qi Chao's intuition was sharper than he had anticipated.

Shen Yuxi knew that at this moment, the best thing he could do was to head to his room to avoid showing more emotions that he shouldn’t. 

However, perhaps due to the effectiveness of Qiao Sheng’s earlier provocation, Shen Yuxi didn’t leave the living room.

Rather than leaving the living room, Shen Yuxi was more interested in knowing what Qi Chao was thinking at that moment, wanting to confirm whether Qi Chao truly belonged to him. 

His fingers brushed against the screen of his light-brain, his almond-shaped eyes darkening as he stared at the black screen. 

Just as he was about to say something, he heard Qi Chao speak, "Brother Shen, have you finished all your business in Linjing District?"

"Not yet, there's still a bit left," Shen Yuxi replied.

Shen Yuxi had two main reasons for coming here: one was to investigate San Yue's abilities, and the other was to make Qi Chao his. 

Now, only the first task remained unfinished.

Hearing Qi Chao ask about this matter, Shen Yuxi's blue eyes narrowed slightly. He suspected that Qi Chao was asking this to hint that he should leave soon.

Spending time with Shen Yuxi could indeed be exhausting. His personality was suspicious and sensitive, he often took a simple remark and read too much into it.

At the end of the day, even though Qi Chao now belonged to him, Shen Yuxi still harbored a certain distrust towards him. This feeling stemmed from his own darkness and sensitivity. Perhaps his suspicions would never change, or maybe, with time and Qi Chao's companionship, he might gradually let go. 

But that was something for the future.

After the provocation from Qiao Sheng, Shen Yuxi's darker thoughts had intensified significantly upon hearing Qi Chao's question, and his gentle eyes now held an unreadable expression.

"That's good," Qi Chao smiled, as if he'd just heard some great news. "I was just thinking, if you had finished your business and were planning to leave, how could I persuade you to stay a few more days."

He seemed a bit embarrassed as he glanced at Shen Yuxi before quickly looking away. His voice carried a thick undertone of amusement, his tone playful, "After all, we haven't been together for very long."

Shen Yuxi was momentarily stunned, not expecting that to be Qi Chao's reason for asking. 

The displeasure and restlessness he'd been feeling seemed to dissipate significantly with that one sentence, and an unconscious smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

Qi Chao noticed that Shen Yuxi's mood had improved, confirming that his earlier intuition was correct—Shen Yuxi had indeed been feeling down after coming out of the spatial vortex. 

Could it be that the business he'd been attending to hadn't gone smoothly?

Logically, given that their relationship had taken a step forward, there were now many things he could ask that might have been awkward to bring up when they were just friends. 

However, Qi Chao chose not to press. He figured that when Shen Yuxi wanted to talk, he'd listen. 

If Shen Yuxi didn't want to share, there was no need to push him.

Out of the corner of his eye, Qi Chao noticed Shen Yuxi's right hand resting on the sofa. After a moment's thought, he reached out and grasped the pale hand.

Shen Yuxi's right hand tensed up briefly but quickly relaxed. He looked at Qi Chao's fingers, which were slightly larger than his own, and his eyelashes fluttered. His fingers moved, intertwining with Qi Chao's.

Qi Chao instinctively tightened his grip on Shen Yuxi's hand. Glancing down, he saw their fingers laced together, and despite his effort to maintain composure, he couldn't help but feel the tips of his ears turning slightly red.

Is this meant to be comfort from earlier?

As Shen Yuxi calmed down, his eyelashes fluttered slightly. He connected Qi Chao's first words upon entering the room with his actions now—it was clear that Qi Chao believed he was in a bad mood and was trying to comfort him.

The two of them sat quietly on the sofa without saying much. Shen Yuxi’s initially cool fingers gradually warmed up. 

After a brief pause, he asked, “How was the exchange meeting earlier today?”

Qi Chao thought for a moment before responding, “At the association, many puppet masters tried to persuade me to join, but those members don’t seem to understand the association very well. They don’t know why the association is collecting a large number of S-class puppets.”

He paused, then continued, “I had a conversation with Xiu Mei. She’s a puppet master from the association, but compared to others, she doesn’t seem to respect the association as much. I added her as a friend—she might be useful in the future.”

Shen Yuxi nodded in response, his almond-shaped eyes narrowing slightly with a gentle smile. However, his left hand, resting beside him, instinctively curled up a bit.

Xiu Mei, huh?

Shen Yuxi didn’t have any particular recollection of this puppet master, which suggested that the puppets she had made weren’t involved in that incident.

"You don’t need to worry too much," Shen Yuxi said softly.

Shen Yuxi looked at Qi Chao, understanding his urgency. After all, the source of Qi Chao's concerns was the very thing Shen Yuxi sought to destroy. In a way, their goals were aligned.

However, Shen Yuxi knew that Qi Chao wouldn’t agree with his methods. In fact, if Qi Chao ever discovered his plans, he might look at him with disgust.

“Right now, what you should be focusing on is awakening the Double Mirror, right?” Shen Yuxi’s left hand gently caressed Qi Chao’s cheek, as if he were stroking the most precious diamond in the basement. 

His voice was soft, almost a whisper, and carried a subtle hint of heartache, the tone as elegant as the most beautiful piano melody. “Don’t worry so much. You’ve been working hard these past few days, only sleeping five or six hours each night.”

He would take care of the rest.

All Qi Chao needed to do was continue caring for him as he was now, waiting for him to come home every day.

They were very close, and Qi Chao could smell the faint fragrance on Shen Yuxi. Though it was a subtle, cool scent, it made Qi Chao feel slightly warm. 

Upon reflection, it made sense—now that their relationship had changed, it wasn’t so strange for them to be more intimate.

He responded with a quiet “Mm,” his voice slightly hoarse. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed, and he added, “I’ll make sure to rest well.”

Shen Yuxi was pleased, his almond-shaped eyes filled with a hint of amusement. Just as he was about to say something, Qi Chao gently grasped the hand resting on his cheek. 

In a husky, low voice, Qi Chao said, “Why are your hands always so cold? Let’s go see a doctor together sometime.”

“Alright,” Shen Yuxi replied.

He seemed to become aware of the current intimate atmosphere. A faint smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, and he didn’t pull his hand away. 

Instead, he slowly traced the line of Qi Chao’s jaw with his fingers, his voice deep and husky, “Some other time.”

Qi Chao murmured in agreement, keeping his head lowered, his deep brown eyes locked onto Shen Yuxi’s blue ones, which seemed to be misty with emotion. 

After a pause, he asked, “Can I kiss you?”

Does he even need to ask?

Shen Yuxi found Qi Chao’s obedience endearing, but the way Qi Chao waited for his permission before acting perfectly satisfied Shen Yuxi’s need for control. 

After a brief pause, he softly responded, “You can.”

Qi Chao murmured in response, his Adam's apple moving subtly. He released their intertwined fingers and gently placed his hands on Shen Yuxi’s slim waist, which was so delicate that it seemed like he could break it with the slightest pressure.

Leaning in, Qi Chao’s hands applied a slight pressure on Shen Yuxi’s waist. As their breaths mingled, Qi Chao could feel Shen Yuxi continuously caressing the back of his neck, clearly favoring that spot.

Initially, Qi Chao intended only to give a brief, gentle kiss, but the soft touch on his neck seemed to have a magnetic pull, silently inviting him to continue.

After a while, the corner of Shen Yuxi’s eyes slightly turned red. The usually composed and mature expression was replaced by a look of gentle vulnerability, his beautiful almond-shaped eyes now shimmering with an almost imperceptible moisture, and his breathing became more intense.

They looked at each other, and Qi Chao noticed Shen Yuxi’s light touches on his neck. His eyes drifted to Shen Yuxi’s soft, slightly reddened lips, and he couldn’t help but lean in to lightly kiss Shen Yuxi’s lips once more.

Before they became partners, Qi Chao thought he might have liked Shen Yuxi as a friend. Now, he felt that someone like Shen Yuxi was simply someone no one could dislike.

This was Qi Chao’s first kiss, and he wasn’t sure how others felt during a kiss, but he found it very enjoyable, so much so that he wanted it to continue.

He could hear Shen Yuxi’s soft, breathy sighs by his ear, a sensation that felt strangely ticklish and made Qi Chao’s body warm up. 

After sitting quietly together for a while, he gently stroked Shen Yuxi’s golden, soft hair, pushing back the stray strands from his face. He whispered, “It’s time to sleep, Brother Shen.”

This suggestion was meant literally; Qi Chao felt that staying with Shen Yuxi any longer might lead to something inappropriate. 

Although they had known each other for a long time, they had only been together for a few days. 

Qi Chao felt that progressing too quickly might seem disrespectful to Shen Yuxi.

Shen Yuxi had actually been prepared for a more intimate progression that night and even looked forward to it. 

Having survived the harsh environment of the impoverished Ganfen District, Shen Yuxi was accustomed to seeing people who claimed to love each other but abandoned their partners for personal gain. 

He had also witnessed many relationships that lasted for years solely based on physical connections. 

Shen Yuxi understood better than anyone that physical intimacy could often be more solid than what people called love.

When Qi Chao spoke those words, Shen Yuxi’s inner emotions were unsettled, but his outward appearance remained soft and composed. 

He smiled and nodded, feeling somewhat pleased that Qi Chao was holding his hand as they headed to the room.

Shen Yuxi looked down at Qi Chao’s clearly defined fingers. He couldn’t quite understand why, even after sharing a kiss, seeing Qi Chao holding his hand to lead him to the room made him less upset.

His eyelashes fluttered, and after Qi Chao wished him goodnight, Shen Yuxi lifted his gaze to Qi Chao and smiled warmly, saying, “See you tomorrow.”

At first, Qi Chao didn’t think much of it, but hearing those three words suddenly made him feel they shouldn’t rush back to the room. They should have spent a bit more time on the sofa. 

However, it was indeed getting late. Seeing the redness at the corners of Shen Yuxi’s eyes, Qi Chao smiled in return, “See you tomorrow.”

Today was a special day. In fact, Qi Chao had often felt a lack of reality in their relationship since they got together. 

But today, he suddenly felt a sense of reality, realizing he not only had a boyfriend but one who was also very affectionate.

Qi Chao slipped his hand into his pocket, ruffled his hair, and turned to head back to his room. Just as he was about to lie down to sleep, he suddenly heard a familiar static sound in his ear.

“System?”

Qi Chao was puzzled. The system usually performed inspections quietly, and except for its initial arrival in this world, it rarely made annoying electronic sounds. He asked in confusion, “Is something wrong?”

【Host.】

The system’s internal activity was usually quite complex, but when addressing the host, it always used a flat, emotionless electronic tone. 

This was the first time Qi Chao had heard such noticeable fluctuations in its voice, which now carried a hint of disbelief and even fear: 【You and Mr. Shen are together?】

The genderless electronic voice was filled with incredulity, and there was a tremor in its tone, as if it was somewhat alarmed.

“Yeah,” Qi Chao responded, nodding. He wasn’t surprised by the system’s reaction and felt a bit embarrassed. “I didn’t expect it either. We haven’t been together for long, so I didn’t get a chance to inform you.”

Together.

The host was with the villain of this world.

The system’s internal code seemed to be malfunctioning. It struggled to process the already chaotic data. 

It had only been three or four days since its last visit—how could they possibly be together? 

No, the real question was: how did they get together?

The system was baffled by how its diligent, kind-hearted host could end up with the selfish and dark villain who had previously doomed the entire Blue Star. 

It seemed impossible for such a mismatch to occur.

The system was about to voice its concerns but suddenly realized this might be an opportunity to ensure the host's safety. In the original timeline, the villain was not known to have engaged in romantic relationships, let alone deceive humans with feigned gentleness. 

From one perspective, the villain's exhaustive efforts to be with the host suggested that the villain was unlikely to harm them casually. 

Even if the villain's interest in the host was because he was useful, he would likely keep the host safe until their plans were fulfilled.

The system came to this realization and looked at the host with newfound understanding. It spoke with genuine sincerity: 【  Congratulations on being with Mr. Shen.】

“Thank you,” Qi Chao responded with a smile.

As Qi Chao lay down to sleep, the system, after some consideration, chose not to disturb him. It returned to the Central World, where it needed to consult with its superiors about the timeline. If possible, the system hoped that the villain truly cared for the host and might even abandon their plans for the sake of love.

After Qi Chao had fallen asleep, Shen Yuxi sat at his desk for a long time, gently caressing his lips and lingering on the warmth from the earlier encounter.

After a while, Shen Yuxi opened

 the chat interface and message Bugu, instructing her to build a good relationship with Xiu Mei. On the surface, Xiu Mei didn’t seem to pose much of a threat, but there was still the possibility that she might be putting on an act.

Bugu, as if waiting by the interface, quickly replied with an acknowledgment.

Shen Yuxi closed the chat interface and was about to get up when he heard the familiar vibration of his optical brain. He looked down and saw a message from Agu.

Agu: [Father, when will you fix Agu’s arm? It feels so awkward with only one arm.]

Agu: [Father, look at how well Agu is taking care of the mother tree.] [Image.jpg]

The image showed the massive mother tree, lush and thriving despite the autumn season. The tall, straight trunk seemed to signify its continued longevity.

However, this was merely a facade. No one knew better than Shen Yuxi how fragile the mother tree had become.

 It was like an elderly person nearing the end of their life, and perhaps within a decade, the mother tree would completely die.

After Agu sent several messages and then went silent, Shen Yuxi took a moment to set a time for the repair of Agu's arm. 

Agu quickly responded with gratitude: [Thank you, Father. You’re the best!]

Shen Yuxi did not reply to this message. He knew that Agu's thanks were more of a sarcastic remark. 

However, Shen Yuxi himself didn’t care much about how the puppets felt toward him. 

From the moment he decided to use them for his own purposes, he was aware of the insurmountable chasm that existed between himself and the puppets. 

As long as they fulfilled their tasks, he would remain the most tolerant father.

Meanwhile, Xiu Mei was completely unaware that she was about to gain a new "best friend." She was busy counting the increase in her followers from the day and grinning from ear to ear.

In the background, the association leader continued to press Xiu Mei about Qi Chao’s attitude toward the association. Xiu Mei feigned interest while growing increasingly irritated. 

The association seemed to be losing its edge. If she could produce an S-class puppet within six months, going independent would clearly be a better option than being under the association’s control.

Besides, these brainless fools didn't even consider that Qi Chao had a wealthy father. He would only join the association out of boredom. 

Xiu Mei clicked her tongue and diplomatically stated that Qi Chao was very fond of the association.

When she heard that they wanted her to persuade Qi Chao to join the association, Xiu Mei agreed on the surface but had no intention of bringing up the matter with Qi Chao. 

She had worked hard to add him as a friend, and if she used that opportunity to promote the association and ended up ruining his impression of her, all her efforts would be in vain. Only a fool would do that.

After hanging up with the association, Xiu Mei immediately began drafting her plan, including how to build a good relationship with Qi Chao and how to politely invite him to her livestream later to drive traffic.

During the exchange meeting, Xiu Mei noticed that Qi Chao wanted to learn some details about the association from her, and Qi Chao did not hide his intentions. They both understood each other well.

Xiu Mei liked this purposeful approach; if necessary, she was willing to sell out the association to foster their friendship. 

After all, mountains may crumble and associations are just illusions, but interests are eternal.

The next morning, Qi Chao received a message from Xiu Mei proactively reaching out. After a friendly conversation, Qi Chao felt that Xiu Mei was a shrewd and insightful figure. 

At least, he appreciated that she was willing to criticize the association in order to build a good relationship with him.

When Qi Chao woke up, he told Shen Yuxi about the situation, smiling as he said, "She’s quite interesting."

Qi Chao didn't mind people who were transparent about their intentions. In fact, having a clear purpose was fine; mutual benefit meant that no one was at a disadvantage.

Shen Yuxi, noticing the smile in Qi Chao's eyes, nodded gently, seeming to find her interesting as well. 

But once he turned away, the expression in his eyes grew colder. 

Interesting? 

It was the first time he had heard Qi Chao make such an evaluation of someone else.

Previously, when Qi Chao had commented on Tu Zhuang, calling him "pitiful," it had already displeased Shen Yuxi. 

He hadn’t expected there could be even more irritating words.

Meanwhile, Qi Chao was cooking fish in the kitchen. 

As he looked at Shen Yuxi's thin back, he recalled the sensation of his hand on Shen Yuxi’s waist from the night before. He thought he should make sure to help him put on some weight; Shen Yuxi couldn't stay so thin all the time.

He suspected that Shen Yuxi's cold hands might be due to malnutrition. With that thought, Qi Chao patted Shen Yuxi on the back, and as Shen Yuxi turned with a puzzled look, Qi Chao touched his hand. "It’s better today; your hands aren’t as cold as yesterday."

Shen Yuxi smiled, "They warm up a bit in the morning but get cold again at night."

Despite saying that, Shen Yuxi's hands were still notably cooler than average throughout the day. 

Qi Chao didn’t comment further. Instead, he stood by Shen Yuxi, taking the vegetables from his hands and taking over the washing task. "Just move a chair and sit next to me. You don’t need to do anything else."

When they were friends, Qi Chao had asked Shen Yuxi to help with the vegetables to avoid making him feel uncomfortable. 

But now that their relationship had changed, those previous concerns seemed less significant.

Shen Yuxi watched as Qi Chao lowered his head to wash the vegetables. 

Instead of moving a chair to sit down as suggested, Shen Yuxi remained standing right beside him. 

The two were close enough that a slight shift to the side would let them feel each other’s warmth.

Meanwhile, Xiang Yue came downstairs from the second floor and was about to head to the kitchen to find his father when he heard Moss on the sofa say, "Don't go in there yet."

Moss's voice was hoarse, and this familiar conversation made Xiang Yue vaguely recall the last time he had sat on the stairs. Glancing towards the kitchen, he seemed to understand the situation, and with a small wag of his tail, he took a seat on the sofa, his red eyes thoughtful.

After about ten minutes, Li Bai and Lan Luo also came downstairs. They seemed to sense that something was off.

"What are you guys doing?" Li Bai asked, puzzled.

Moss remained silent.

Xiang Yue shook his head and said, "Nothing much."

He paused, recalling the events at the exchange meeting. He glanced at Lan Luo, who was smiling brightly, then turned to Li Bai and said earnestly, "I have something I want to discuss with you."

Moss shot a look at Xiang Yue, his grip tightening on the stuffed doll he was holding. He likely hadn’t guessed the nature of his father's relationship with Qi Chao.

Before his father revealed any details, Moss wasn’t going to let anyone else divulge this information. 

With that thought in mind, Moss's dark eyes fixed intently on Xiang Yue, ready to intervene if necessary to keep the matter under wraps.

　

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