| PN | Work | 125
Xiang Yue knew that his father was just joking.
However, the moment he thought about his feathers being plucked, even though he appeared as calm as ever on the surface, his tail behind his had unknowingly puffed up, resembling a frightened dog.
Sitting beside him, Agu noticed this and his gaze became thoughtful. So, it turns out that Xiang Yue is afraid of this.
Agu's emerald-green eyes curved like those of a panther, with a hint of cunning. In fact, he had already forgiven Xiang Yue.
Agu was easy to appease. As long as the other person gave him a way to step down, he would follow along without any complaints. Especially since Xiang Yue had given him his favorite thing.
"Don't worry, Xiang Yue. Agu won't pluck your feathers."
As long as Xiang Yue didn't forget about Agu while playing with the moth, Agu wouldn’t pluck his feathers.
Of course, Agu knew well that with Xiang Yue's strength, plucking his feathers would be no easy feat.
Xiang Yue vaguely sensed that there was more to Agu's words, but for the moment, he couldn't quite grasp the deeper meaning. He pursed his lips slightly in response.
At this point, Qi Chao also realized that he might have touched a nerve with his child. He paused for a moment, reached out to ruffle Xiang Yue’s hair, and tried to make amends by saying, "Dad was just joking. Xiang Yue’s feathers are so beautiful, no one would have the heart to pluck them."
Moreover, based on past experiences, feathers that are plucked would immediately dissipate, while only those Xiang Yue voluntarily gave away would remain solid and tangible.
"I know Dad was joking," Xiang Yue responded. Despite hearing his father's praise, his facial expression didn't change much. However, the dog-like ears on top of his head perked up tentatively, and his tail behind her wagged slightly.
Perhaps it was because he felt so relaxed that the children in the house would unconsciously do some silly things that weren't very intelligent in front of Qi Chao.
Even the usually smart Xiang Yue couldn't escape this tendency.
Qi Chao looked at the tail behind Xiang Yue and couldn't help but laugh. He rather enjoyed seeing his kids in this state.
Meanwhile, Qiu Qiu excitedly ran over to stand next to Li Bai and started telling her brother how nervous she had been during her recent test. The topic was quite boring, but luckily, she was talking to Li Bai.
With his personality, even if he were talking to a rock, he'd find something to discuss and give a very enthusiastic response.
For a moment, the living room was lively and bustling.
Such a scene was rarely seen in other puppet masters' homes. At least, from Xuan Jian and Shuang Jian's limited memories, the two puppets had never been so relaxed before. Even without saying anything, simply watching this moment filled them with joy.
If Agu knew what the two puppets were thinking, he would undoubtedly nod in agreement. From his perspective, the villa was far more interesting than the trial grounds.
With the addition of another puppet to the family—and this new one being the playful, carefree Agu—the house was lively and chaotic from morning to night.
Qi Chao, who enjoyed lively environments, didn't find the noise bothersome.
Instead, he joined in on the fun. It wasn't until later that night, when he received a message from the certification agency, that he finally checked the time on his communicator and hurriedly sent the children to their rooms to sleep.
The message read:
[Dear Qi Chao, your preliminary assessment for Master-level Puppet Master has been approved. Please proceed to the certification agency within two business days for the final review.]
When Qi Chao saw the phrase "within two business days," he furrowed his brow slightly, though imperceptibly. He remembered reading on the forums that the initial certification typically took seven days.
How had his certification been processed so quickly this time?
Qi Chao's fingers lightly tapped on the screen of his communicator. Could it be that the agency had shortened its approval process?
He felt it was too much of a coincidence, but at the same time, he didn't think a shortened review time would have any negative consequences for him.
With that thought, Qi Chao paused for a moment and suppressed the doubt in his mind. He then proceeded as usual, opening the chat window with Brother Shen and sending a video call request.
"You're calling a bit later than usual today. Did something happen?" Shen Yuxi's warm, affectionate eyes glimmered with softness, his lips curved into a gentle smile.
"I just spent a bit more time playing with the kids," Qi Chao explained. Then, recalling the message he had received earlier, he casually added, "I also wasted some time reading the message from the certification agency."
"Certification agency?"
Shen Yuxi tilted his head slightly, his tone laced with curiosity, as if he wasn't entirely sure what Qi Chao was referring to.
"Yeah," Qi Chao chuckled, "I had my Master-level Puppet Master certification assessment this afternoon, and they sent me the results by tonight."
"Such a short interval?" Shen Yuxi's eyes widened slightly in surprise. He quickly composed himself and said gently, "Maybe the certification agency made some changes to improve efficiency."
"Maybe," Qi Chao nodded, noticing the dim background behind Shen. "Are you about to sleep, Brother Shen?"
Shen Yuxi gave a soft "mm" in response. In the darkness, his voice took on an unexpectedly sensual tone, which made Qi Chao involuntarily recall their time together.
Back then, Brother Shen would use the same sultry, fragile voice as he breathed softly by his ear, his breath was rapid and hot.
Feeling his ears grow warm, Qi Chao cleared his throat and awkwardly changed the subject. "They had a lot of fun today. I just found out how close Agu and Xiang Yue are—Xiang Yue’s even gave him a feather."
Shen Yuxi’s gaze lingered on Qi Chao’s reddened ears, the amusement in his eyes deepening.
Once the redness subsided, he answered softly, "Agu has always liked Xiang Yue. They’ve been messaging each other regularly."
Their conversation shifted to the everyday interactions between the children, carefully avoiding any of the darker, unspoken thoughts between them.
After they ended the call, Shen Yuxi’s smile faded.
His thoughts turned to Ayu's report and Qi Chao's mention of the agency’s review. A shadow slowly crept into his eyes as he tapped on his communicator, sending a few messages to Bugu.
Bugu: 【Got it, boss. Masked Guy and I will cooperate well with Qi's father. We’ll make sure Qi Chao doesn’t find out about the disgusting stuff.】
Shen Yuxi replied with a simple "mm," his long eyelashes casting shadows that concealed the complexity in his eyes. He didn't want Qi Chao to get too entangled with the association.
If possible, Shen Yuxi would rather Qi Chao stay forever in the world he had carefully crafted for him—free from the corruption of the association and the royal family, and ignorant of the darkness lurking behind the puppets.
He only wished for Qi Chao to happily create puppets every day, smiling at him in the process.
Deep in thought, the screen of his communicator soon went dark. Shen Yuxi glanced at it but didn’t bother to turn it back on. Instead, he closed his eyes and lay down.
He knew that, with his insomnia, it was unlikely he’d fall asleep. But even so, Shen Yuxi didn’t open his eyes again.
He knew how much Qi Chao loved his outward appearance, and for now, he had no plans to diminish Qi Chao's affection for him. Under these circumstances, maintaining his appearance became Shen Yuxi’s essential task.
Just like Shen Yuxi, Qi Chao was also getting ready for bed. However, unlike Shen, Qi Chao was the type who fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow. Within two minutes, he was already in a deep sleep, and when he woke the next morning, he felt refreshed.
To complete the offline certification as a Master-level Puppet Master, Qi Chao needed to bring his children to the certification agency.
After the children woke up, he mentioned this to them, and none of them had any objections.
Agu, still biting on an energy stone, raised his hand and asked, "Can Agu and Lan Luo go together?"
"You both want to come?" Qi Chao hesitated. The certification agency was a mixed bag, filled with all kinds of puppet masters.
There would undoubtedly be some who recognized puppets made by Brother Shen. Qi Chao remembered that Brother Shen didn’t have a good relationship with the association, so bringing Agu and Lan Luo might not be a good idea.
"You two should stay home. I'll come back right after the certification is done," Qi Chao said.
As soon as the words left his mouth, a hint of disappointment flashed in Lan Luo’s eyes.
Unlike Agu, who could throw tantrums and act spoiled, Lan Luo always paid attention to maintaining his "well-behaved" image.
Whatever Qi Chao said, Lan Luo would almost never argue against.
Qi Chao noticed this, his fingers twitching slightly, but he still didn't voice agreement.
"Is Dad worried about our safety?"
Agu thought for a moment and quickly guessed Qi Chao's concerns. Noticing the slightly surprised look in Qi Chao's eyes, Agu proudly puffed out his chest and patted it. "Agu is really strong! Nothing will go wrong. And if I wear thicker clothes, no one will recognize me."
He then put on a deliberately pitiful expression and said, "I also want to go out with Dad. If it's just me and Lan Luo at home, it'll be too lonely."
Agu hadn’t forgotten his real reason for coming to the villa—it wasn't just for fun but to protect Qi Chao. He definitely couldn’t let Qi Chao out of his sight.
"Alright," Qi Chao finally relented after seeing the hopeful looks in both Agu and Lan Luo’s eyes. "But you two can’t leave my sight, and no talking to strangers."
Both Lan Luo and Agu smiled brightly, nodding without hesitation.
"Lan Luo will be very obedient," Lan Luo promised with his usual sweet, well-behaved demeanor.
The blond, curly-haired puppet, Lan Luo, placed his hands neatly on his lap, his blue eyes curving sweetly as he nodded obediently.
"Agu's always been obedient," Agu declared, completely unaware of his lack of self-awareness.
Qi Chao chuckled at Agu's response. Seeing that the other children had already put on their coats and were ready to go, he hurried the two of them to finish getting ready as well.
The certification agency of the association was located in the heart of the Empire. Li Ai, a staff member, had received instructions from his superior the day before, hinting that today's visitor for certification was a soon-to-be Master-level Puppet Master. They were told to make sure to take good care of him.
"A Master-level Puppet Master!" When Li Ai heard the news, she couldn't help but exclaim out loud.
The last Master-level Puppet Master certified had been Qing Yu not long ago, and that puppet master had since become a favorite of the royal family.
There were only fifteen Master-level Puppet Masters across the entire Empire. Four of them had gone into seclusion, leaving just eleven publicly known. Each of those eleven had a fortune in the billions, and their status was higher than most ordinary officials.
And now, so soon after the last, there was another Master-level Puppet Master! And not only that, but Li Ai and her superior were assigned to welcome him.
As a mid-level employee of the agency, Li Ai was incredibly excited—she couldn't believe her luck!
Having worked at the certification organization for many years, no one understands better than Li Ai how important a master-level puppet maker is in the eyes of those at the top.
Although Li Ai doesn't understand why someone who is just better at making puppets than others deserves so much attention, the fervent admiration the people of Blue Star have for master-level puppet makers is enough to indicate their high status.
In the eyes of the people of Blue Star, puppet masters and master-level puppet masters are two different concepts: the former are ordinary people, while the latter are akin to gods.
Though this might be an exaggeration, it highlights just how elevated the latter's status is in the industry.
Li Ai stood behind her superior, watching the latter constantly wipe away sweat, which made her a bit nervous as well.
When she saw seven or eight figures appear at the door, Li Ai shivered all over, and her quick-thinking superior immediately went to greet them.
Li Ai had learned the client's identity from her superior early on and had seen photos of the puppets. However, seeing so many beautiful puppets in person made her unable to restrain herself from clicking her tongue.
It’s rare to see so many beautiful puppets these days.
The previous master-level puppet masters seemed to have focused on attracting attention, creating puppets that were increasingly ugly and bizarre, resulting in a poor trend in the industry.
Thinking this way, after Li Ai composed herself and took a few puppets to their seats, she was struck by the sweet smile of a puppet with platinum-colored hair as they left. She immediately clutched his heart, realizing why netizens liked puppets so much.
If all puppets were as adorable as this, how could they not be cherished?!
Once they left the reception room, Li Ai couldn’t suppress her excitement any longer and couldn’t help but post on the forum with a small account:
[ Today’s client for the master-level puppet master certification has such high standards for their puppets! I personally think the puppets they made are more exquisite than those made by previous puppet masters. ]
Li Ai's alternate account had a considerable number of followers, all of whom knew she was a staff member at the certification organization. The organization usually adopted a strategy of ignoring such vague rumors, which was one reason why Li Ai dared to express her thoughts online.
After posting her impressions, Li Ai shut down her light brain and walked into the reception room, holding a cup of tea.
“Is it true that two of the puppets have abilities?” Li Ai heard her superior ask. “Li Bai and Xiang Yue?”
“Yes.”
The man did not deny it. Li Ai glanced at him just as he locked eyes with Qi Chao and noticed the slightly menacing look in Qi Chao's eyes, causing her hand to tremble involuntarily.
On the side, Qi Chao couldn’t understand why his mere glance had scared someone; he took the teacup, politely thanked the staff, and then continued to focus on the person in charge.
Xuan Jian, Shuang Jian, and Qiu Qiu’s abilities were unknown, and even if he did know, Qi Chao wasn't prepared to reveal them for the time being.
Seeing his subordinate's clumsy demeanor, the person in charge felt a surge of irritation. Wanting to leave a good impression on Qi Chao, he instinctively avoided probing into the puppets’ abilities and quickly changed the subject to move on from this matter.
“I don’t mind,” Qi Chao smiled, grateful to the other party. After all, he wasn’t eager to discuss the previous topic further.
Hearing Qi Chao's words, Li Ai felt a bit grateful. Noticing her superior's gaze, she shivered and quickly exited the room.
The son of a billionaire surprisingly had such a good personality.
Li Ai felt a bit dazed and couldn’t believe it, even feeling a subtle inclination to become a fan. She took out his light brain to calm down, but found that a random message she had just posted had unexpectedly skyrocketed to the hot topics in just a few minutes.
[What does this mean? Damn! Is there another master-level puppet master? Who is it?! Don’t make me kneel down and beg you!]
[Seriously? Are you crazy? Why bring our Qing Yu into this? I refuse to believe anyone can be better than Qing Yu!]
[Ah, this… could it be the person I’m thinking of?]
[I… I have a thought too.]
[No way, the big shot made a puppet with wings just a year ago. Even if they work quickly, it shouldn’t be this fast, right?]
[Damn! Are we all thinking of the same person?]
[No way! His speed is so fast; isn’t he afraid of going crazy and becoming an idiot?]
Li Ai watched as the speculations of these netizens approached the truth, and the attention skyrocketed like a rocket. She felt a bit panicked.
No, she had just casually posted a thought; how did it become hot?!
Now, deleting the comment would clearly make her seem guilty, solidifying the speculation. The more she thought about it, the more anxious she became, so she simply shut down her light brain, choosing to avoid the chaos.
In a villa in the Linjing District, Bugu successfully turned the post into a hot topic and decided to forward the news to the boss.
To this day, Bugu still hadn’t figured out the relationship between her boss and Qi Chao; it was as if the boss was protective of him and even collaborated with the head of the Qi family.
However, Bugu never questioned her boss’s orders.
Upon seeing the message from the boss on her light brain, she cracked her fingers and bit down on the lollipop in her mouth, always ready to add fuel to the public opinion fire.
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