Puppet Notes (Wearing Book) - 119

 

| PN | Listen | 119

Lan Luo felt somewhat guilty.

In order to stop Qiao Sheng, he had made his dad worry and overwork himself, and also caused Li Bai and the others to stay up late.  

However, even if he had to do it all over again, Lan Luo would still make the same choice. Just like his father, he couldn’t bear the pain of losing Qi Chao.

The next morning, when Qi Chao woke up and opened his door, he saw Lan Luo standing right outside.

“Dad, I’ve caused you trouble.”

Lan Luo still had ointment on his face, which needed to be cleaned off the next day. He looked up at Qi Chao with his slightly messy, curly golden hair, clearly having rushed to Qi Chao's door to apologize without grooming himself after waking up.

Qi Chao was initially a little surprised, but then his deep brown eyes softened with warmth. "Lan Luo, you haven’t troubled me, and there’s no need to apologize."

He reached out and gently ruffled Lan Luo’s hair. Lan Luo was already feeling upset from being injured, and now he stood at the door early in the morning with ointment on his face, looking pitiful as he came to apologize. 

Hearing Qi Chao’s words, Lan Luo brightened up a little. He smiled, eyes curving with joy, and turned to knock on Li Bai and the others’ doors, but Qi Chao stopped him.

"Let me help you comb your hair and wash off the ointment."

Since the house had filled up with more puppets, it had been a long time since Lan Luo let Qi Chao comb his hair. Hearing Qi Chao offer to do it, Lan Luo quickly ran to his room, grabbed a comb, and hurried back in front of Qi Chao.

“Dad, here you go.”

Lan Luo looked up at Qi Chao, his bright blue eyes filled with excitement, his smile beaming with joy.

Was he really that happy?

Qi Chao chuckled softly.

After combing Lan Luo's hair, Qi Chao used a specially made wet wipe to gently wipe away the ointment from his face. He carefully examined Lan Luo's skin, noticing that the original cracks had healed, leaving only a faint red mark.

As long as the puppet consumed enough energy daily, even that red mark would eventually fade completely.

“Remember to tell your father later; he was really worried about you yesterday,” Qi Chao said with a smile, relieved at Lan Luo’s recovery.

My father already knows?

Lan Luo was momentarily stunned, then his smile grew even wider. He understood that with his father’s personality, he would never allow Qiao Sheng to trouble Qi Chao again.

"Okay." Lan Luo nodded firmly, his tone obedient as he said, "Dad, I'll go thank Li Bai and the others now, and then I'll explain what happened last night to Father."

So well-behaved.

No matter how he looked at it, Qi Chao always felt that his child was the most well-behaved in the world. With a smile in his eyes, he nodded and watched as Lan Luo entered Li Bai's room. 

Afterward, Qi Chao didn’t linger outside. He stretched lazily, intending to go wash up, when suddenly his communicator vibrated.

The message was from Xiu Mei.

【Qi Chao, I wasn’t online yesterday. What happened? Did you really have a complete fallout with Qiao Sheng?】

Qi Chao looked at the screen, deep in thought, and after a few minutes, he replied with a simple "Mm."

【The association reached out to me today, asking me to clarify that Qiao Sheng doesn’t have a good relationship with them.】

【Qi Chao, don’t believe their nonsense. Qiao Sheng is very close to the association; I’ve often seen him entering the top floor of their building.】

The association denied it outright?

Qi Chao had initially posted the message on social media just to irritate Qiao Sheng, but he hadn’t expected the association to so decisively deny any connection between them.

【Mm, I know. If the association asks you again, just put the blame on me and say I don’t believe their claim that they aren’t close with Qiao Sheng.】

Xiu Mei responded quickly, almost immediately after Qi Chao sent the message:  

【Got it.】

Qi Chao was known for his mild temperament, so what had Qiao Sheng done to make him this angry? 

Xiu Mei had a vague guess—it probably had something to do with the puppets.

She couldn’t help but gloat a bit.

On the surface, Qiao Sheng seemed laid-back and unmotivated, but in reality, he was incredibly proud. Xiu Mei had grown up in the slums and was an expert at reading people’s expressions. 

No matter how well Qiao Sheng hid it, he would occasionally reveal traces of arrogance.

Even now, Xiu Mei vividly remembered a time long ago when Qiao Sheng looked at Pepper with a disdainful, scornful expression.

Disdainful, my foot! 

Even if her Pepper wasn’t as powerful as someone else’s puppet, it was still her treasure. 

What right did a lazy shut-in like Qiao Sheng have to look down on Pepper?!

Now, seeing Qiao Sheng get messed with by Qi Chao, Xiu Mei was practically dying of laughter.

【I’ll let you know right away if the association makes any moves.】

Seeing Xiu Mei's message, Qi Chao replied with a simple “thank you” and ended the conversation, slipping his communicator back into his pocket before continuing to wash up.

The association had probably realized by now that he had no intention of joining them. 

Qi Chao was curious—would they give up, or try something else?

He glanced at his reflection in the mirror, casually running a hand through his hair. Deciding not to dwell on the association's schemes any longer, he left the bathroom.

Rather than wasting time guessing at their next move, it was better to spend more time with his beloved children.

When Qi Chao entered the living room, the children were already sitting obediently on the sofa, holding their communicators. It looked like they had been studying for quite some time. 

Qi Chao’s gaze landed on Lan Luo, guessing that it must have been him who woke them up. 

From the way Lan Luo was swinging his legs, it seemed he had already thanked Li Bai and the others. Qi Chao couldn’t help but smile.

He walked over to the sofa and gently patted Lan Luo’s head. At first, Lan Luo looked a little confused, but soon his face lit up with a bright smile, clearly delighted.

Li Bai, who had been watching the scene unfold beside him, felt a bit nervous. He still remembered how he hadn't followed his father's instructions last night and didn't take his younger siblings back to their rooms to sleep.

"Dad, I'm sorry."

Li Bai walked up to Qi Chao, looking up at him with his golden eyes full of unease and guilt. His voice trembled slightly as he admitted, "Yesterday, I didn’t take my brothers back to the room."

Hearing Li Bai’s apology, Qi Chao was a bit confused at first, not sure what Li Bai had done wrong. 

But he quickly realized what Li Bai was referring to and, with an amused smile, ruffled his hair. "It’s okay. Just don’t stand on the stairs outside next time—it’s too cold."

Qi Chao knew that his children were simply worried about Lan Luo.

Li Bai’s golden eyes brightened noticeably upon receiving his father’s forgiveness, and he immediately flashed a smile, revealing two little tiger-like teeth. He nodded enthusiastically. "Okay, Dad!"

His dad really was the kindest.

Li Bai gazed up at Qi Chao, whose eyes were filled with warmth, feeling a surge of joy that made it impossible for him to stop smiling.

"Are you all planning to continue studying later?" Qi Chao asked.

Qi Chao wasn’t aware of what was on Li Bai’s mind. His gaze shifted to the light brains in their hands. 

After seeing the children nod, he smiled. "Alright, then Dad will head down to the basement to work. If you need anything, just come find me."

"Okay," they responded in unison.

Sitting in the corner, Xiang Yue stood up and nodded. After Qi Chao left the living room, his dog-like ears twitched slightly before he spoke, "Let's move quickly. From what I can tell, Cheng Qi and the others are already making good progress."

Xuan Jian and Shuang Jian exchanged glances. Shuang Jian tilted his head slightly, causing his smooth white hair to fall onto his shoulder. His pale eyes calmly focused on Xiang Yue. "When are we going to meet them?"

"In a few days," Xiang Yue replied.

None of the puppets had any objections.

According to Xiang Yue’s plan, they needed to gradually establish cooperative relationships with other puppets outside. 

By continually absorbing human knowledge, they would be able to elevate their own status in society.

This was only the first step.

Once Cheng Qi and Xiao Que reached the desired level of knowledge, they would begin searching for other allies. As for what exactly Cheng Qi and Xiao Que would do next, Xiang Yue already had some vague plans in mind.

Sitting on the sofa, deep in thought, Xiang Yue’s posture resembled Qi Chao’s so much that it was uncanny. 

Perhaps because of this resemblance, Xuan Jian, Shuang Jian, Li Bai, and Lan Luo all trusted him deeply.

Xiang Yue was just as smart as their father.

Li Bai was very self-aware. Although he was the older brother, when it came to matters like this, he was more than happy to follow Xiang Yue's lead.

If Qi Chao knew that his four children trusted Xiang Yue's plans simply because he reminded them of himself and were following them to surprise him, he would likely find it both amusing and exasperating.

At that moment, Qi Chao was already in the basement, focused on creating a new puppet.

Compared to the larger, more complex puppets he had made in the past, these smaller ones were easier to handle, and Qi Chao worked on it with great ease. 

The green indicator light on the back of his black gloves remained lit, while the delicate humanoid figure slowly took shape under his skilled hands.

The fifth puppet was designed to be a "Fairy," and the most challenging part was undoubtedly the wings. 

In fact, even now, Qi Chao still had no clear ideas on how to create transparent wings. As sweat began to bead in his palms, he exhaled deeply, stood up, and removed his gloves. He rinsed his hands under clear water before returning to his desk.

The small mother stone lay quietly in the fish tank, and after taking a quick glance at it, Qi Chao completed the detailed work on his hands and began to channel his spiritual energy into the mother stone.

The small-sized mother stone was quite fragile. 

Qi Chao was more cautious with it than he had been with previous mother stones. A green orb of spiritual energy hovered around the mother stone, testing the waters gently, as if he feared damaging the dull gray rock.

Once the spiritual energy had been released, Qi Chao noticed a layer of sweat on his forehead. He opened his eyes to see the stone intact, and he slowly let out a sigh of relief.

For the following days, Qi Chao repeated this process. Aside from chatting with Brother Shen and playing with the children at home, he dedicated most of his time to working on the fifth puppet.

His life was extremely monotonous.

However, Qi Chao didn't see it that way. He felt particularly content every day, after all. He had a handsome boyfriend, a group of well-behaved and adorable children, and he was able to pursue a career he loved. 

To Qi Chao, such a life felt like a dream come true.

The only regret was that Brother Shen wasn’t by his side.

While having dinner with his children, Qi Chao couldn’t help but reflect on this sentiment, privately contemplating when he could see Brother Shen again. Being in a long-distance relationship during the honeymoon phase was quite tough.

Suddenly, he heard Xiang Yue’s voice nearby.

"What?" Qi Chao initially didn’t catch what was said.

"We want to go out to meet some friends. Is that okay, Dad?" Xiang Yue remembered that their father had mentioned needing to be informed in advance before meeting Cheng Qi.

Of course.

However, the condition was that he would have to go with them. Originally, Qi Chao had planned to secretly follow the children to meet their friends, but upon further thought, he felt it would be somewhat disrespectful to the children.

"Can Dad take you over there? It would be nice to meet your friends too," Qi Chao said with a smile.

Meet Cheng Qi and Xiao Que? 

Li Bai and Lan Luo exchanged glances, their expressions stiffening slightly, worried that their surprise would be discovered by their father. 

In contrast, Xiang Yue, Xuan Jian, and Shuang Jian maintained their usual calm demeanor.

"Our friends are currently staying at Uncle Qi Feng and Uncle Qi Ye's house," Xiang Yue replied casually. "They were abandoned by their master, and after we told the uncles about it, they agreed to let the two puppets stay there."

He omitted the fact that the two puppets had proactively approached them for collaboration. 

Xiang Yue believed that it would only be meaningful to inform their father about these matters after their plan succeeded.

"Huh?" Qi Chao was taken aback. He had never imagined that Xiang Yue and the others’ friends had gone through such experiences. "Why didn’t you tell me sooner?"

"Because Dad is very busy, and we didn’t want to worry you." This was indeed one of the reasons. Xiang Yue never lied to his father; he simply chose to temporarily withhold certain information.

The excuse was a bit weak but still somewhat reasonable.

Qi Chao looked at the puppets in the house. "What do they usually eat? Are Qi Feng and Qi Ye living with them, or is it just those two?"

"Xiao Que doesn’t like living with humans because of what happened with his master. They are quite capable and usually prepare their own food," Xiang Yue explained.

To Xiang Yue, their relationship was purely one of cooperation; essentially, they had no obligation to take care of the two puppets.

Upon hearing this, Qi Chao quickly inferred what the situation of those two puppets must be like.

"I’ll go with you," he said, his voice a bit low. After the children agreed, Qi Chao turned and retrieved a bag of high-grade energy stones from the kitchen.

Together with the energy stones already in the gift bag, there would be enough to sustain the two puppets for a long time.

Xiang Yue observed his father’s actions, his tail swaying behind him in excitement, not at all surprised. 

Li Bai and Lan Luo exchanged glances, impressed that Xiang Yue had successfully diverted their father's attention with just a few words. 

Truly, he was the puppet that resembled their father the most.

In this situation, they had managed to keep their plans a secret.

Xuan Jian and Shuang Jian wore neutral expressions, but when they saw Qi Chao carrying a large bag, they stepped forward to help him with it.

They knew their father had a kind heart.

It was precisely because of this kindness that the two of them were awakened from their mother stone state and were able to regain their bodies.

Qi Chao didn’t refuse their help. He smiled and ruffled their hair before handing over the bag of energy stones. "It’s heavy, so take your time. I’ll go start the aircraft."

"Okay," they replied, their black and white eyes focused intently on Qi Chao.

The villa of Qi Feng and Qi Ye wasn’t far from them, and they arrived in about ten minutes.

Since Xiang Yue had informed the two puppets in advance, as soon as they disembarked from the flying vehicle, Qi Chao saw two unfamiliar young figures standing in front of the villa.

One had a gentle demeanor, looking like the perfect neighborly older brother, while the other appeared gaunt, his features somewhat eroded.

With Li Bai’s enthusiastic introduction, Qi Chao quickly learned the identities of Cheng Qi and Xiao Que.

The two puppets were not particularly good at talking.

Qi Chao scanned them with a smile and said, "I heard Xiang Yue mention you both, so I wanted to come and see. These energy stones are a gift for our meeting; I'll leave them in the kitchen."

Cheng Qi and Xiao Que had watched Qi Chao's live streams on the light brain and knew that he treated puppets well, even aiming to elevate their status. 

From the very beginning, they had a favorable impression of him, but that sentiment was not enough to overcome their fear and disdain for humans.

"Thank you," Cheng Qi stammered, appearing somewhat anxious.

Xiao Que also expressed his gratitude with a smile, though his demeanor was much more relaxed than Cheng Qi’s, yet his eyes lacked sincerity.

Qi Chao could tell that both puppets had their own stories. After a moment of contemplation, he decided not to linger. 

As it stood, these two puppets didn’t seem to need his assistance; his presence was likely making them more uncomfortable.

“Dad is going back to work now. If you need to head home later, send me a message, and I’ll come pick you up.” 

After the several puppets agreed, Qi Chao turned and left. 

The villa fell silent instantly. 

Xiang Yue looked at the two puppets seated on the sofa, his red eyes narrowing slightly. “Don’t say anything unnecessary to Dad.” 

Cheng Qi quickly nodded, while Xiao Que chimed in, “Don’t worry. We know our boundaries in this cooperative relationship.” 

Lan Luo peered out the window, watching as Qi Chao’s flying aircraft disappeared into the distance. He turned back with a radiant smile and said, “Stop dawdling, Xiang Yue. Hurry up and tell them what they need to do.” 

Xiang Yue responded with a “Mm,” raising his gaze toward Xiao Que. “This time, we need to utilize your ability to gather information.” 

Xiao Que felt a twinge of distaste at the idea of using his powers for humans. However, using them for fellow puppets felt different, and he didn’t mind this approach at all. 

Meanwhile, Qi Chao parked the flying aircraft in the back garage and, just as he stepped into the basement, he was greeted by the long-missed crackling sounds echoing in his ears.

He stood in place, waiting for the system to change from its harsh electronic tone to a calm one.

“System?”

Qi Chao tentatively spoke up.

【Hello, host.】

Upon hearing this, Qi Chao relaxed a lot. The system had been missing for quite a while, and no matter how he summoned it, there was no response. 

Qi Chao was quite worried; now that he heard the system was okay, he felt in the mood to joke: “You finally showed up for work?”

【Thank you, host.】 The system replied solemnly.

“Thank me for what?” Qi Chao asked, somewhat puzzled.

The system was silent for a moment before saying: 【Thanks to you reporting my disappearance to the higher-ups, our headquarters was able to rescue me.】

Rescue?

Qi Chao was taken aback by this word. “What happened?”

This matter is rather a long story.

In short, the system had been locked up by the host next door. 

Who would have thought that a host who only whined every day would harbor ill intentions towards this lonely system and even lock it away?

【...It's nothing.】  

The system didn't want to talk about it; it felt a bit embarrassed. 【Host, from today onward, I will only be responsible for you. Feel free to ask me any questions.】  

The host next door had temporarily been detained by headquarters.

Qi Chao vaguely sensed the scent of gossip.  

However, he just smiled and didn’t bring it up again.  

“That’s great! Just in time, I encountered a small issue while making the fifth puppet. You can help me discuss it.”

The system was merely a caretaker system, only having a superficial understanding of puppets, so it could hardly compare to the expert Qi Chao. 

It was the host giving himself an out. 

His host was truly kind and gentle; no wonder that group of demon puppets liked him so much. In that moment, the system's battered heart seemed to be healed. 

As it watched the host in its consciousness, memories of the original timeline filled its eyes with more tears. 

How could such a good person end up in a world like this? 

For the first time, the system hoped that the villains would completely defeat the protagonist team, rather than destroying this world after all the puppets were gone. 

At least, the villain was still the host's boyfriend. 

Looking at Qi Chao, who was making puppets in the light, the system thought, with a face like that, the villain would probably love him for fifty or sixty years before getting tired of it, right?

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