Puppet Notes (Wearing Book) - 92

 

| PN | A Twist of Fate | 92

The villa was very lively that day. 

When Qi Feng and Qi Ye, the two high school boys, saw the puppets, they were transfixed, especially with the addition of Xiang Yue, who had black wings. 

The two of them were extremely excited and kept pestering Xiang Yue to take them flying.

"My weight is very light, so my wings can lift me off the ground, but I can't guarantee they can lift you two," Xiang Yue said, his red eyes fixed on the two high school students. His tail hung down, clearly reluctant to take them for a flight. 

Xiang Yue cherished his wings greatly; apart from plucking a feather to give to his father shortly after he was born, he rarely even revealed his wings, even though these two humans were his father’s younger brothers. 

"Alright then."

After being turned down, Qi Feng and Qi Ye were not angry. Instead, they found Xiang Yue’s personality even more intriguing and liked her even more. 

However, they didn’t force him to do something he didn’t want to. Instead, they picked up Li Bai, who was watching an anime on the sofa.

Li Bai was very close to Qi Feng and Qi Ye. He showed its two small tiger teeth and rubbed his soft white hair against their chins. At that moment, both brothers felt their hearts healed a little.

"What's wrong?" 

Qi Chao noticed that Shen Yuxi was sitting to the side, not speaking, and asked with some curiosity.

"Nothing."

Shen Yuxi's smile remained gentle, and it was difficult to tell what he was thinking. Qi Chao glanced at him several times, then looked over at the noisy children nearby. 

It seemed he remembered something and moved closer to Shen Yuxi, speaking softly, "Next time I'll let you know in advance when I bring them over."

Qi Chao thought Shen Yuxi might be upset because he hadn't informed Brother Shen in advance.

"That's not it," Shen Yuxi said, feeling the warmth brush past his ear. He pursed his lips, originally focused on thinking about San Yue, but now his attention was on Qi Chao. 

He looked at Qi Chao's deep brown eyes and smiled slightly, "I'm not in a bad mood, so don’t overthink it."

Seeing Shen Yuxi’s eyes filled with a smile, Qi Chao no longer doubted and chuckled softly, "That's good."

Shen Yuxi's fingertips moved slightly, feeling a bit restless. He pursed his lips and looked towards Tu Zhuang and San Yue, who were sitting on the sofa not far away, and gently asked, "Tu Zhuang, are you adjusting well at school?"

This was Tu Zhuang's first time at this villa, and he felt a bit awkward. He gripped his knees tightly.

 When Shen Yuxi asked him a question, Tu Zhuang nodded and tried to answer calmly, "I'm adjusting well. Qi Feng and Qi Ye have been taking good care of me."

As he spoke, Tu Zhuang's face showed some discomfort. Qi Feng and Qi Ye had deliberately kept him away when they were fighting, so Tu Zhuang had been completely unaware of the situation. If he had asked more questions at the time, things might not have escalated.

Since starting school, Tu Zhuang's mental state had improved significantly. His previously dark personality had become much more cheerful, and his emotions had become more apparent. His current sad expression was naturally noticed by Qi Chao and Shen Yuxi.

"Don't think too much about it. My two younger brothers can be thoughtless. Even if you had been there, you wouldn’t have been able to stop them and might have gotten caught up in it yourself," Qi Chao reassured him. 

Noticing Shen Yuxi’s confusion, he briefly explained the situation, omitting the details of the setup and only mentioning the conflict between the twins and the royal nephew.

Shen Yuxi vaguely felt that Qi Chao had left out some details, but after a bit of thought, he guessed that these were things not convenient to disclose. Since he wasn’t particularly interested in the twins, he didn’t press the matter with Qi Chao.

His peripheral vision caught sight of San Yue sitting next to Tu Zhuang, and Shen Yuxi lowered his lashes.

At this moment, San Yue was watching his master with a worried expression, and his attention was not on Shen Yuxi. 

If Shen Yuxi hadn't noticed San Yue’s gaze when he entered, he might have overlooked San Yue's ability, which was not under his control.

Shen Yuxi's gaze grew a bit cold.

Although San Yue’s eyes showed confusion, there was no fear, indicating that Shen Yuxi did exist in San Yue's dreams, but was relatively unimportant. Of course, this was just Shen Yuxi's guess.

On the sofa, Tu Zhuang looked apologetic.

Shen Yuxi’s thin lips parted slightly, and he comforted Tu Zhuang with the same gentle tone as Qi Chao. 

During this time, San Yue's expression showed no unusual signs. Noticing this, Shen Yuxi subtly withdrew his gaze, his eyes reflecting deep thought.

Under the comfort from the two of them, Tu Zhuang quickly recovered from his low spirits. Seeing this, San Yue also felt a bit relieved.

At that moment, the sound of Lan Luo and Li Bai laughing and playing reached San Yue’s ears. He glanced at the two puppets and, when he turned his gaze back, accidentally met Shen Yuxi's eyes. 

San Yue hesitated and subconsciously recalled a recent dream he had.

The sky was dark, Lan Luo's eyes were hollow, his face smeared with blood. He was leaning against a huge, withered tree, murmuring about needing to follow his father's orders to protect the mother tree.

The dream was strange and eerie.

Now, recalling it, San Yue still felt a bit unsettled. Even though the scene wasn’t truly frightening, it felt like a nightmare to him.

But upon further reflection, San Yue wasn’t sure what he was afraid of. 

Was it Lan Luo's pitiful appearance? 

It didn’t seem to be. Compared to Lan Luo, San Yue found the withered tree beneath him more compelling.

But why would a withered tree be so intriguing? San Yue couldn’t understand. Or perhaps he still didn’t know the purpose of his dream.

"San Yue, what’s wrong?"

A gentle voice snapped him out of his thoughts. San Yue looked up to see the golden-haired man standing next to him, gazing at him with kind eyes.

"Nothing."

San Yue stood up, initially feeling awkward, but upon seeing Qi Chao standing next to Shen Yuxi, his tension seemed to melt away, replaced by an inexplicable sense of closeness. 

He hesitated for a moment, then slowly smiled, "I’ve just been having trouble sleeping lately."

Qi Chao didn’t think much of it. Hearing this, he said directly, "Are you tired? There are rooms upstairs. If you’re exhausted, you can go rest for a while, and we’ll call you when it’s time to eat."

San Yue seemed a bit hesitant but eventually accepted Qi Chao’s suggestion. Shen Yuxi watched Qi Chao and San Yue’s retreating figures, his blue eyes narrowing slightly, almost imperceptibly.

That evening, Moss brought Ayu to Shen Yuxi’s room.

“Father, is there a task?” Ayu stood behind Shen Yuxi, her cold voice tinged with affection and respect.

“Monitor San Yue,” Shen Yuxi said calmly, his peach blossom eyes showing a hint of coldness. 

At first, he was interested in closely observing San Yue because of the intriguing nature of the so-called "prophecy" ability. However, if this ability posed a threat to his plans, Shen Yuxi would no longer find it interesting.

Initially, he had planned to create an "accident" to take San Yue away. However, considering Qi Chao’s attitude towards San Yue, Shen Yuxi decided to put that plan on hold for now.

San Yue did not pose a real threat to him at the moment. Out of respect for Qi Chao, Shen Yuxi was willing to bide his time and remain inactive until the situation changed.

Shen Yuxi looked at Ayu, his tone unchanged from before: “If he dreams of our plans, take him out of the Linjing area.”

"Yes."

Ayu's information analysis had a high success rate, but it wasn’t entirely accurate. She understood that her father’s words meant they should not overlook any possibility concerning San Yue.

As night deepened, Ayu and Moss disappeared from the room. The moon was obscured by drifting black clouds, and everything was hidden in darkness, as if hinting that something was quietly changing.

Qi Chao was unaware of what was happening in the next room. That night, he slept soundly. 

The next morning, he got ready to meet the parents of the student who had been beaten.

The night before, Qi Feng and Qi Ye had played so energetically that they stayed over in the villa.

Worried that his younger brothers might be feeling stressed, Qi Chao didn’t wake them up and didn’t plan to take them to meet the parents. 

As he stepped out of his room, he thought for a moment and knocked on Shen Yuxi’s door.

The door opened quickly. Shen Yuxi stood at the door, and because he had just woken up, his peach blossom eyes had a hazy, watery look. His golden hair fell loosely behind him, and his pale fingers still rested on the door. Compared to his usual mature appearance, he looked a bit softer.

“I just wanted to let you know that I’m going to handle the matter with Qi Feng and Qi Ye now, so you and the children don’t need to worry,” Qi Chao said. 

He then reached out to tuck the stray hair from Shen Yuxi’s ear behind his ear. “I’m a bit rushed for time, otherwise, I’d help you style your hair a bit more.”

Shen Yuxi was momentarily taken aback, as if he enjoyed such affectionate gestures. His romantic peach blossom eyes narrowed slightly, like a soft cat, and he smiled at Qi Chao, softly saying, “Alright, be careful on the road.”

Despite saying this, Shen Yuxi did not return to his room. Instead, he followed Qi Chao downstairs, intending to see him off personally. Shortly after they descended to the first floor, the door to Qi Feng and Qi Ye’s room opened.

Just as Qi Chao had guessed, the brothers were indeed feeling quite a bit of pressure.

Although they had enjoyed themselves with the children the day before, they had tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. 

They had stayed awake, waiting for dawn, and were discussing sneaking out for a bit when they overheard Shen Yuxi and Qi Chao’s conversation.

How should they put it?

The more they listened to their conversation, the stranger it seemed. The brothers could clearly sense the affectionate undertones in Qi Chao’s words.

Originally troubled about causing trouble for their older brother, Qi Feng and Qi Ye’s attention quickly shifted. 

They exchanged a glance, seemingly having made a silent agreement. After Qi Chao and Shen Yuxi went downstairs, they quietly slipped out of their room and hid in the stairwell on the second floor to observe them.

Although Qi Chao and Shen Yuxi did not display any overtly affectionate actions, they were standing close together, and the atmosphere between them was unusually harmonious. 

To anyone watching, it didn’t seem like a typical friendship.

From the moment they first met Shen Yuxi, Qi Feng and Qi Ye had suspected that he was their older brother’s boyfriend. Now they were even more convinced of that idea.

“Brother Shen is definitely our older brother’s boyfriend,” Qi Ye said firmly. He clenched his fists, feeling that the two of them were a perfect match. 

Their older brother was so wonderful, and only someone as good-looking as Brother Shen could be a suitable match.

“That’s certain,” Qi Feng agreed.

Both of them, being admirers of good looks, already had great respect for Shen Yuxi. Once they associated Brother Shen with their older brother’s boyfriend, they placed him on the same pedestal as their older brother. 

When Shen Yuxi went upstairs, Qi Feng and Qi Ye took the initiative to greet him, their eyes shining with a bit of excitement and their demeanor slightly cautious.

Shen Yuxi noticed their subtle expressions and seemed to guess what was on their minds. He smiled slightly, finding their behavior quite interesting.

He didn’t mind others connecting him with Qi Chao. In fact, seeing Qi Feng and Qi Ye act this way made Shen Yuxi feel pleased, as Qi Chao was indeed his.

Meanwhile, Qi Chao, flying in his aircraft, quickly arrived at the agreed location.

Unlike Qi Chao, who had come alone, the private room at the venue currently housed two people: Zhao Yan, the student who had been punished, and Zhao Yan’s uncle, Lu Chen.

Zhao Yan never expected that a minor issue of his would bring his uncle along. He cursed his father inwardly and felt a bit anxious.

“Uncle, you don’t need to come. You’re so busy, and you’re dealing with my issue. If you have other matters, you can handle those first. I can have my dad come over instead,” Zhao Yan said, actually quite afraid of Lu Chen. He worried that his own issues might be exposed.

At first, Zhao Yan wasn’t too concerned. He knew that Qi Feng and Qi Ye would never reveal the details of the scam. Even if he got beaten up, they would have to swallow their anger and accept the school’s one-month suspension.

However, now that Qi Feng and Qi Ye had not only refused to accept the school’s arrangements but also actively sought a meeting with his parents, Zhao Yan had an ominous feeling.

This feeling intensified when his father asked Lu Chen to come and handle the situation. Zhao Yan felt that his father’s request for Lu Chen was a sign of how formidable the richest man was. 

He was somewhat distraught, thinking it would have been better if his aunt, who had connections with the prince, had come instead of Lu Chen. He regretted not telling the full truth when his father asked him what had happened earlier.

Given Lu Chen’s personality, if he knew what Zhao Yan had done, he definitely wouldn’t side with him.

Perhaps due to this realization, Zhao Yan felt especially guilty and was visibly anxious in the private room. 

As a marshal, Lu Chen could easily see that Zhao Yan was written all over with unease.

Lu Chen gave Zhao Yan a meaningful look. Initially, he had thought of this distant nephew as a victim, but now it seemed that the situation required further consideration.

When Qi Chao entered the room and saw someone he knew, his expression remained unchanged.

He exchanged a few polite words and then got straight to the point: “The school’s one-month suspension is too harsh. Hitting someone is wrong, but it should depend on the circumstances. Don’t you think so, Zhao Yan?”

Zhao Yan felt a jolt in his heart and became a bit flustered. He cursed the two brothers inwardly, feeling that it was shameless of them to reveal such a humiliating scam. 

Lu Chen glanced at Zhao Yan. Though he wasn’t very familiar with Qi Chao, their few interactions had shown him that Qi Chao was a fair-minded person. Given Zhao Yan’s behavior, it seemed clear who was in the wrong.

Qi Chao had been prepared for a lengthy negotiation when taking the aircraft, but he was pleasantly surprised when Lu Chen agreed to revoke the school’s punishment after just a few words. 

Qi Chao, who already had a good impression of Lu Chen, now thought even more highly of the marshal.

“How is Professor Qiao doing recently?”

After the matter was resolved, Qi Chao casually asked, since his acquaintance with Lu Chen was originally due to Qiao Sheng.

“Not bad.”

Lu Chen's thoughts turned to the two new injuries on Qiao Sheng, and his gaze darkened. He replied with a hint of indifference.

Qi Chao glanced at Lu Chen thoughtfully but chose not to press further. The two of them soon left the private room.

Although he initially thought it would take a long time for his older brother to return home, the issue was resolved in just three or four hours. 

The joy of Qi Feng and Qi Ye was secondary; from that day on, Qi Chao began to get busy.

He had not forgotten his goal of becoming a master puppet master. After a few days of rest, he immersed himself fully in the production of the Double Mirrors.

The Double Mirrors are two puppets of different appearances. Qi Chao retained the original hair and eye colors from when he first saw them, believing these were proof of the puppet's existence in the world. 

At the same time, he made significant changes, with the most noticeable being that the Double Mirrors were no longer conjoined puppets with interconnected spines.

The production time for the two puppets was longer than for a single puppet.

In the month before the completion of the project, Shen Yuxi temporarily left the villa. During that period, Qi Chao focused on making the puppets. 

However, it was undeniable that every day after work, he missed Brother Shen quite a lot.

The most intimate gesture Qi Chao and Shen Yuxi shared was kissing. However, due to their busy schedules, their progress had been slow. 

After Shen Yuxi left, Qi Chao was focused on meeting his deadlines, so they could only have brief video calls. Reflecting on it, Qi Chao felt that he was somewhat failing as a partner.

Once the Double Mirrors were completed, he would have some time to rest. With this thought in mind, Qi Chao put down his work and took a stroll upstairs.

The puppets at home were all quietly reading. The books they were now reading were no longer the legal and ethical texts from before but were highly specialized, including topics like economics and artificial intelligence.

Qi Chao was unsure how the puppets developed an interest in these subjects, but he was indifferent. If the children liked these types of books, he would buy them.

 Initially, there were only one or two books, but over the past six months, the collection had grown substantially. Qi Chao even designated a room as a library.

After confirming that the three children at home were doing well, Qi Chao encouraged each of them to keep up with their studies. He then returned to the basement to prepare for the puppet's awakening ceremony.

The two "youths," who looked very similar, lay in the bathtub. Through the transparent liquid, their intricately patterned robes could be seen, with their wide sleeves covering their hands. 

A few strands of white and black hair were intertwined. Upon closer inspection, each puppet had an earring on their earlobe—one a transparent diamond, and the other a steady black obsidian.

Qi Chao extended his hand into the liquid, slowly releasing his spiritual power. The green light began to flow into the hearts of the Double Mirrors, gradually spreading to their limbs. 

Since he needed to awaken both puppets simultaneously, he had prepared for a greater consumption of spiritual power than usual.

 As time passed, sweat beads formed on Qi Chao’s forehead, and his brow furrowed. An unfamiliar scene suddenly flashed in his mind.

In the darkness, two spine-connected puppets sat back to back on the ground, their expressions hollow and numb. 

Around them, a series of piercing laughter echoed. The entire world seemed to consist of just the two of them. 

After an unknown amount of time, the puppets attempted to stand up but kept falling due to their condition. 

After repeated attempts, the black-haired puppet finally managed to stand up with great difficulty. 

A glimmer of light appeared in his otherwise numb expression, he turned to speak to the white-haired puppet, only to find that the white-haired puppet companion who had been with him day and night had already lost its head.

Seeing the black-haired puppet’s devastated appearance caused Qi Chao’s spiritual power to become unstable. 

He instinctively suppressed his rising emotions, and the scene in his mind vanished as if it were a mere illusion. 

Qi Chao was unsure what just happened, but now was not the time for reflection. The priority was to focus on delivering the spiritual power.

With his eyes closed, Qi Chao was unaware that at this moment, the puppet's bodies in the liquid were undergoing silent, subtle changes. 

The green light continued to flow from their chests throughout their bodies, but their faces gradually began to show a pattern. The patterns were dark red, complex, and possessed an eerie beauty.

These patterns were very similar to the ones seen during the wild transformation of Li Bai, resembling some sort of mark, carrying an ominous and strange aura.

Meanwhile, as the images flashed in Qi Chao’s mind, in the distant Ganfen District, a gigantic tree swayed its leaves with the wind. As the patterns appeared on the puppet's faces, the wheels of fate began to turn.

In the cave of the trial grounds, the flames had been extinguished, and the battered people numbly walked outside, ready to start the already-known chase with the puppets. 

The leading emaciated man took a few steps, then turned to look at the middle-aged man who had been crouched in the corner. “Old Liu, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

The man named Old Liu stared blankly at the ragged and wounded strangers. He stammered, “N-no… It’s nothing, just didn’t sleep well.”

He staggered to follow, his heart trembling with uncertainty about what lay ahead.

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