| PN | Here we go | 122
In the transparent nutrient solution, green light clusters floated. Qi Chao closed his eyes, directing his mental power toward the puppet's chest. The smaller mother stone was relatively fragile, which meant he had to be more careful than before while awakening the puppet.
The shimmering green dots spread from the chest to the limbs. From the perspective of Li Bai and the others, it looked like fireflies dancing, filled with vibrant life, swirling in the clear water, incredibly beautiful.
This is Dad's mental power.
The puppets present stared at this scene, unable to take their eyes off it.
Qi Chao could feel his mental power continuously draining away, but compared to the previous experience of creating Li Bai and the others, this time felt a bit easier.
Was it because the mother stone was smaller?
The thought flashed through Qi Chao's mind but was quickly brushed aside as he focused on awakening the puppet.
In the bathtub, the puppet's hands were clasped, her platinum-colored, slightly curled long hair draped across her chest. Her transparent wings behind her were light and delicate, adorned with silver patterns, making her look like a precious piece of art in the water.
Based on previous experience, awakening a puppet usually took no more than six hours.
However, this time felt particularly long. They had arrived in the basement at nine in the morning, and now it was already five in the afternoon, yet the puppet remained in a state of slumber.
Qi Chao slowly transmitted his mental power, his brow furrowed. With his eyes closed, he had no idea how much time had passed, but he could tell that this time was taking exceptionally long.
Small-sized puppets were rare on Blue Star, so encountering unusual situations was not surprising. Qi Chao didn’t dwell on it and continued to pour his mental power into the puppet without stopping.
Fortunately, his mental power was abundant; otherwise, another puppet master would have long since deemed the awakening a failure and chosen to give up on such a frustrating task.
The other puppets stood still, watching this scene, their breaths noticeably quieter, fearful that any noise might disturb Qi Chao as he transmitted his mental power. They all understood that the situation of the puppet in the bathtub was not optimistic.
Due to the uniqueness of small-sized puppets, including Lan Luo, the puppets had checked the information on the light brain. They knew that if the puppet had not opened its eyes after such a long time, it would already be condemned to death in the eyes of a puppet master.
The flowers picked in the morning had now wilted, and the pink flower on Lan Luo's head was no exception.
However, Lan Luo's mind was filled with thoughts of how to comfort Qi Chao if the awakening of the puppet failed; he couldn't even think about removing the wilted flower from his head.
As time passed slowly, the other puppets grew increasingly anxious, unable to sit still, while Qi Chao’s transmission of mental power remained steady and unwavering.
After having created four puppets, Qi Chao was no longer easily rattled by unexpected occurrences. He let out a breath and continued to guide his mental power, letting it spread within the puppet's body.
He was unsure how long it had been when an enigmatic sensation suddenly erupted in his mind. Seizing the opportunity, he quickly poured a large amount of mental power into the puppet.
The surging mental power flowed into the nutrient solution like crashing waves, and after a moment, it seemed to recede like the tide, leaving only a few scattered light clusters behind.
A few seconds later, the puppet lying in the transparent nutrient solution fluttered her eyelashes and slowly opened her eyes.
She looked up at Qi Chao, her eyes filled with confusion and bewilderment, exuding an innocent ignorance like a fairy from a fairy tale. Her clear, pure golden eyes were even more beautiful than a piece of crystal, reminiscent of autumn leaves that could calm one’s heart with just a single glance.
"Qiu Qiu."
Qi Chao’s voice was low and warm with a smile as he looked at the puppet in the transparent water, extending his hand to lift her out.
The nutrient solution naturally evaporated, and in the blink of an eye, the damp clothes and hair of the puppet dried completely, with not a hint of moisture left.
Her transparent wings, delicate as cicada wings, fluttered slightly upon contact with the air. The puppet tilted her head, her voice soft and sweet: “Qiu Qiu?”
“Yeah, that’s the name Dad gave you. If you don’t like it, we can change it,” Qi Chao replied.
“Qiu Qiu” was inspired by the autumn colors in the maple forest that Qi Chao had visited. The name was not only vivid but also very cute.
As the only girl among the puppets, Qi Chao wanted to give her an adorable name. He had spent a long time pondering over various names, but they were all dismissed until only this one remained.
Thinking this, he lowered his head and smiled at her.
“It’s… really nice,” Qiu Qiu replied, clearly fond of the name.
She looked up at Qi Chao, her wings behind her fluttering joyfully, her eyes crinkling in delight.
The tips of her pointed ears seemed to redden with excitement, and her words started to stutter a bit.
The platinum-haired puppet sat on Qi Chao’s forearm, her transparent wings much larger than her upper body, making her appear even more petite and delicate.
“I'm glad you like it, Qiu Qiu.” Qi Chao smiled upon hearing her response, warmth evident in his eyes.
Qiu Qiu looked up at him, her golden, crystal-like eyes fixed on Qi Chao without blinking, thinking to herself how handsome he looked when he smiled.
Since she was in the mother stone, Qiu Qiu had listened to the man tell her various stories, sharing what her brothers had planted for her, describing how the flowers were growing. Each tale painted a beautiful picture of the world, filled with anticipation for her arrival.
She felt so happy.
As Qiu Qiu thought about this, her bright eyes sparkled, and the smile in them never faded.
So full of joy?
Qi Chao glanced at Qiu Qiu, who hadn’t stopped smiling since her birth, and began to discern her personality.
So, she was a little angel with a temperament similar to Li Bai’s?
His gaze shifted to the other children in the house.
Li Bai was holding a flower, showing off his small tiger teeth as he stomped his feet in place. He would glance at Qi Chao one moment and then at the other puppets the next, looking eager and ready to rush over.
Xuan Jian and Shuang Jian stood side by side, not bothering to pick the flowers but instead holding the pots directly.
Their black and white eyes remained as pure and calm as ever, but their unwavering gazes on the newly born Qiu Qiu revealed their curiosity about her.
Seeing this, Qi Chao's smile widened a little. He tilted his head to glance at Xiang Yue and caught sight of the tail behind him, which was wagging excitedly. His hand itched to reach out, but he coughed lightly and shifted his focus to Lan Luo.
Lan Luo still wore a bright smile, though Qi Chao couldn’t help but wonder why a pink flower was stuck on top of her head.
He paused for a moment before introducing the children one by one. “Qiu Qiu, these are your brothers.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Li Bai waved happily at Qiu Qiu.
Qi Chao couldn’t help but chuckle, saying, “Your brothers really like you. They even started planting flowers for you a few months ago.”
Though the flowers had already wilted.
Seeing the flowers in their hands, Qiu Qiu's wings fluttered excitedly. After a moment's thought, Qi Chao gently ruffled her hair and asked, “How about you go down and see the flowers your brothers gave you?”
“Okay!” Qiu Qiu replied eagerly.
Qiu Qiu nodded enthusiastically. As soon as her father set her down, she ran up to Li Bai, who had greeted her first.
Imitating Li Bai’s earlier gesture, she waved at him, her golden, crystal-like eyes sparkling with joy.
So small!
Li Bai looked at the puppet that was half his height, and after taking in her transparent wings, he revealed his small tiger teeth. “Hello, Qiu Qiu!”
The personalities of the two puppets were indeed very similar.
Qi Chao watched this scene with a smile, thinking to himself how alike they were, especially their personalities.
The other puppets gathered around, and Qi Chao pondered for a moment before sitting down on a nearby chair. He propped his arms up and observed his children interacting with great interest.
In Qi Chao’s eyes, his children were all little angels, and that was certainly true. Just minutes after her birth, Qiu Qiu was already getting along so well with Li Bai.
Qiu Qiu wore a white dress, her platinum curls cascading down her back. With each step she took, her wings fluttered behind her, and her eyes sparkled with the same excitement and joy as Li Bai’s.
On the side, Lan Luo watched as the relationship between Li Bai and Qiu Qiu visibly improved. His smile remained bright, but the joy in his eyes had noticeably diminished.
The puppet had been successfully created.
He didn’t need to think about how to comfort Qi Chao anymore, but how could this puppet become so close to Li Bai so quickly?
In just a few seconds, she had already settled onto Li Bai's shoulder!
Could it be that sweet, innocent puppets were naturally good at making friends?
As Lan Luo observed the two puppets playing together so quickly, a strange feeling tugged at his heart.
Lan Luo resembled his father, possessing a strong sense of possessiveness over what was his.
However, like his father, he was also quite adept at disguising his true feelings.
So when Qiu Qiu fluttered her wings and flew in a graceful arc before him, beaming a smile, Lan Luo managed to put on a friendly demeanor.
Lan Luo pulled the flower he had been wearing from his head and smiled with his blue eyes, saying, “Qiu Qiu, this is a flower I planted myself. Isn’t it beautiful? I hope you like it.”
Qiu Qiu looked up at Lan Luo and nodded earnestly.
Having listened to her father’s stories day after day, Qiu Qiu’s personality was quite innocent.
Since her dad said her brothers loved her, she didn’t question it. Seeing Lan Luo take the flower from his head, she cherished it as she accepted it from him.
Holding the flowers given to her by Lan Luo and Li Bai, Qiu Qiu scampered over to Xuan Jian and Shuang Jian, eager to bond with them as well.
Qi Chao watched with a smile as Qiu Qiu cozied up to her brothers one by one.
Although Xuan Jian and Shuang Jian appeared cold on the surface, they were just as warm as Xiang Yue inside. After Qiu Qiu accepted a bouquet and two potted plants from them, she hugged her treasures and dashed back to her father’s side.
“Did you receive gifts from your brothers?” Qi Chao asked with a smile.
Qiu Qiu raised the flowers high, her eyes sparkling as if filled with stars. Her delicate features shone even brighter than the flowers she held in her arms. She nodded enthusiastically, a big smile on her face. “I received them!”
Qi Chao glanced up at the other children in the house and then looked back down at Qiu Qiu, smiling as he said, “These flowers are almost wilted. How about I weave them into a crown for you to wear?”
A crown?
Qiu Qiu didn’t quite understand what a crown was, but she admired her father and felt a great curiosity about what he mentioned.
Qi Chao’s hands were skillful, and the flowers planted by the children were all suitable for making crowns. After receiving Qiu Qiu’s approval, he began to weave a simple flower crown from the nearly wilted blooms.
During this process, not just Qiu Qiu, but the other puppets in the house gathered around, their eyes wide as they watched Qi Chao's movements without blinking.
Once Qi Chao placed the flower crown adorned with little flowers on Qiu Qiu’s head, her pointed ears, combined with the crown, made her look even more like a forest sprite—pure and beautiful.
Qiu Qiu loved the crown. After it was placed on her head, she often lifted her hands to touch it gently.
Qi Chao smiled at her and then lowered his head to continue crafting other little items like grass bracelets and rings. He wouldn’t favor one child over another; since there weren’t enough flowers for everyone, he could make some other small trinkets as well.
The basement was filled with the fragrant scent of flowers and herbs.
After finishing all the small toys made from the wilted flowers, Qi Chao finally let out a sigh of relief.
He crafted a pair of grass bracelets adorned with tiny flowers for Shuang Jian and Xuan Jian, and for Lan Luo and Li Bai, he made a pair of cute grass-crafted animals.
Once he completed the final grass ring, he handed it to Xiang Yue, casually saying, “Xiang Yue, you need to take good care of your little sister.”
Xiang Yue nodded, then turned to glance at the little puppet wearing the flower crown, who was flapping her wings and spinning around in circles.
Thoughtfully, he mused that this younger sister seemed a bit silly and definitely needed some guidance.
He lowered his head and slid the grass ring onto his finger, his tail behind him swaying happily at receiving a gift from his father.
Since a considerable amount of time had passed after awakening Qiu Qiu, they went upstairs for dinner. After the meal, Qi Chao gently urged the children to go to their rooms for bed.
The puppets were still curious about the little trinkets their father had made. Upon hearing his prompt, they obediently wished him goodnight and hurried to their rooms.
Initially, Qi Chao was concerned that Qiu Qiu, being so newly born, might be scared sleeping alone in an unfamiliar place. However, he realized that he had worried too much.
Thinking carefully, Qi Chao realized that he had always been quite bold and hardly afraid of anything. Under this premise, it was perfectly normal for the puppets, who inherited part of his personality, to not feel fear either.
He gently wished the children goodnight and returned to his room. It was only when he lay down on the bed that a faint sense of reality washed over him.
His fifth child had been born.
If he could confirm that Qiu Qiu was an S-rank puppet, it would mean that Qi Chao could be certified as a master-level puppet master.
Qi Chao remained relatively calm in his heart. He understood that becoming a master-level puppet master was not his ultimate goal; rather, it was just the beginning of his journey.
As the room fell silent, Qi Chao contemplated for a moment before sending a video invitation to Brother Shen. Since Brother Shen had been very busy lately, Qi Chao now had to wait until after ten o'clock to send a video message.
“Qiu Qiu has been made?”
Shen Yuxi’s voice was still gentle, and as he looked at Qi Chao, his eyes were filled with warmth and a broad smile.
Qi Chao would share everything that happened each day with Shen Yuxi. This not only satisfied Shen Yuxi's inner, possessive curiosities but also provided him with a sense of security.
As a result, his attitude towards Qi Chao became increasingly gentle.
“I made her,” Qi Chao replied.
He recounted to Shen Yuxi the events of the night in the basement. While these stories were mostly ordinary daily occurrences, Qi Chao could sense how much his partner enjoyed hearing about them.
“Can you make flower crowns?” Shen Yuxi asked, a hint of surprise in his eyes.
“I can make simple ones,” Qi Chao laughed. “Next time, I’ll make one for you. You would look great wearing a flower crown, Brother Shen.”
Shen Yuxi gazed at the smile in Qi Chao’s eyes, his lips curling into a slight grin. He loved hearing Qi Chao’s promises about their future together.
“Where are Agu and the others?” Qi Chao asked, glancing at the darkened background behind Shen Yuxi.
From his angle, he could only see the black window, which he assumed belonged to Shen Yuxi's villa living room.
“They're already asleep,” Shen Yuxi replied, his voice still gentle, though the truth of his words was questionable.
Not thinking much of it, Qi Chao chatted with Shen Yuxi for a few more moments before ending the video call.
As he looked at the dark screen, Shen Yuxi’s expression shifted from warm to cold. He set the device aside and was about to close his eyes for some meditation when he heard the sound of a window opening nearby.
“Agu, you’re back?” he said, recognizing the familiar sound.
Agu climbed through the window, a smile on his face as he nodded. “Yep, Agu is back! Who knew the trial grounds wouldn’t need me right now?”
Ayu had taken over Agu's role in monitoring the trial grounds.
For Agu, this was quite frustrating; after all, it was rare for something interesting to happen at the trial grounds.
Shen Yuxi glanced at Agu but said nothing more. “You won’t be needed here anymore; go over to Qi Chao’s place.”
“Dad’s place?” Agu asked, confused. What could possibly be happening over there?
Compared to the bloody turmoil of the trial grounds, his father’s place was all about healing and daily interactions with children.
Why would his father want him to go there?
Still, Agu enjoyed spending time with his father and Xiang Yue; he was just curious about what prompted this decision.
“He’s met the certification requirements to become a master-level puppet master,” Shen Yuxi explained calmly, as if he knew what Agu was thinking.
Master-level puppet master?
Agu listened and quickly understood. He smiled and said, “Don’t worry, Agu will take good care of Dad.”
He paused for a moment, his tone a bit regretful: “So if anything interesting happens in the trial grounds, you must tell Agu!”
Shen Yuxi glanced at him but didn’t say anything.
However, Agu didn’t mind; he lowered his head and sent a bunch of messages to Xiang Yue about his plans to go over.
Xiang Yue didn’t say much, just replied with a picture.
In the picture was Xiang Yue’s pinky finger, which was wrapped with a woven grass ring that had a tiny flower on it.
“This was given to him by Qi Chao.”
Shen Yuxi was somewhat annoyed by Agu constantly typing on the keyboard while sitting on the couch. He smiled gently and said, “So, can Agu go to bed now?”
Agu sensed his father’s threat, smiled sweetly, put his light brain in his pocket, raised his hands in surrender, and returned to his room.
Agu's smile grew even bigger, and he even cheerfully hummed a tune.
Was Xiang Yue just showing off?
How interesting.
Agu thought that if he asked Dad, he would definitely give him a woven grass ring.
Dad was different from Father; he was too soft-hearted. Agu felt that as long as no one was watching, Dad would definitely be bullied.
But Agu would never bully Qi Chao.
All he needed was a woven grass ring to protect Qi Chao forever.
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