Puppet Notes (Wearing Book) - 130

 

| PN | Shen Yuxi: ... | 130

When Qi Chao returned home, all six children were standing at the door, unsure of how long they had been waiting.

The platinum-haired little fairy was perched on Xiang Yue's head, while Xuan Jian and Shuang Jian stood quietly to Xiang Yue's right. A bit further ahead, Li Bai and Lan Lou were whispering to each other, flanked by golden sunflowers swaying in the wind.

The summer evening sun cast a beautiful glow on them, resembling a picturesque painting.

Qi Chao paused for a moment, smiling at this scene, feeling warmth fill his heart.

However, after seeing this scene, Agu only focused on the moth fluttering on Xiang Yue's head.

How infuriating.

Agu thought, no wonder Father wanted to stick to Dad 24/7; otherwise, it was really hard to feel happy when a little fairy was clinging to what belonged to him without him knowing.

Although the analogy wasn’t very fitting, Agu's social skills were terrible, and in his life, he had only encountered one good-tempered friend who didn’t mind him. 

Unknowingly, he had picked up his father’s bad personality.

When Xiang Yue, with the little fairy still on his head, calmly walked up to his dad, he sensed that Agu was acting strangely.

He glanced at the smiling Agu but chose to ignore him.

Agu was a very strange puppet.  

He had already gotten used to it.  

“Dad, you’re back.”  

Xiang Yue's tail swayed slightly behind him. Before he could finish speaking, Qi Chao gently patted his shoulder.  

“Mm, seeing you all here to greet me makes Dad very happy,” Qi Chao said with a smile, bending down to tousle each of the kids' heads as he walked into the villa.  

Xiang Yue and Agu walked behind the group.  

“The puppet we met today was quite interesting; Xiang Yue can add him to the plan.”  

As soon as he saw his dad, Qiu Qiu jumped off Xiang Yue's head and flapped her wings to land on Qi Chao's shoulder. At that moment, only Xiang Yue could hear Agu's words.  

“Puppet?”  

Xiang Yue paused and asked, “Does he pose any danger to Dad?”  

With Agu around, how could there be any danger?  

Agu’s emerald green eyes curved slightly. “No, but it’s best to wait until he has recovered from his injuries before you go looking for him.”  

This statement revealed a lot of information. Xiang Yue speculated that it might be related to Dad, so he hummed in response and didn’t ask further, following the group of puppets into the villa.  

The next morning, when Qi Chao woke up, he heard Xiang Yue say he wanted to go to the junkyard with him. He looked thoughtfully at Agu and smiled. “Because of that puppet, right?”  

Xiang Yue nodded, his dog ears twitching slightly. “Mm, Lan Lou and the others all have to study; I can just go along.”  

This had been agreed upon from the start, and Lan Lou and the others didn’t object.  

Agu smiled happily, standing behind Xiang Yue, and slowly added, “Agu will go too.”  

Qi Chao looked at the two puppets and didn’t refuse. He turned to Li Bai and the other puppets with a smile. “Then Li Bai, Lan Lou, you all take good care of your younger siblings, and Dad will take you out to play another day.”  

Upon hearing this, Li Bai and Lan Lou instantly became happy, and Xuan Jian and Shuang Jian also showed faint smiles on their faces.

The children at home were easily satisfied.  

If it weren’t for the many concerns about going to the junkyard, Qi Chao would have definitely taken the kids along.  

He ruffled the hair of a few children, saying, “I’ll be back early today, so remember to eat on time.”  

“Okay, Dad!”  

Li Bai’s golden eyes shone brightly beneath the mask, and he revealed his two little tiger teeth as he said, “Dad, be careful on the way!”  

Qi Chao smiled and responded with a “Mm,” then took Xiang Yue and Agu into the flying vehicle. 

After sitting in the driver’s seat, Qi Chao didn’t start the engine right away. Instead, he lowered his head to send a message on the holographic computer.  

“Is Dad sending a message to Father?”  

Agu speculated after noticing Qi Chao’s actions.  

“Mm, I’m afraid if I don’t reply in time, your father will worry,” Qi Chao said as he sent the message and set the holographic computer aside. He glanced at the navigation for a moment and then changed the destination to the old family home.  

Today, Qi Father had asked him to visit the old house.  

Qi Chao wasn’t sure what his Father’s purpose was, but judging by his tone, it didn’t seem to be a big deal.  

Agu noticed that Dad changed the location, but his focus wasn’t on the navigation. His emerald green eyes narrowed slightly as he couldn’t help but click his tongue.  

So, Dad would always proactively report his schedule.  

Being able to fully control Qi Chao’s whereabouts, that sensitive and dark father of his should be quite pleased, right?  

Thinking this, he picked up the holographic computer and snapped a photo of Qi Chao’s back, sending it to the chat interface with his father.  

Three years ago, this chat interface was solely used by Agu to report task progress, but after getting to know Qi Chao, most of their conversations revolved around him.  

Although most of the dialogue consisted of Agu recklessly teasing his father, it was clear from the chat interface that their conversations had gained a bit more activity.  

The holographic computer vibrated slightly.

Father: 【.】  

That was a quick reply.  

Agu looked at the period on the screen and cheerfully replied: 【Don’t worry, Father, with Agu following Dad, he’ll be home soon.】  

On the other side, a vague “Mm” came back. Just as Agu was preparing to tease a bit, Qi Chao seemed to sense something and said in a low voice, “Are you chatting with your father?”  

“How did Dad know?”  

Agu stiffened for a moment after being caught, suddenly feeling a bit guilty.  

“Just a guess.” Qi Chao looked at the rearview mirror in front of the vehicle, recalling the scene where Agu had raised his arm to take a photo, a hint of amusement shining in his eyes.  

Beside them, Xiang Yue glanced at Agu but didn’t share his thoughts. Sometimes, this guy was really smart, but at other times, he could be quite foolish.  

The atmosphere in the aircraft was relatively relaxed. 

However, in the study of the Qi family’s old home, Qi Chenming looked rather displeased.  

“Director.” An assistant stepped forward and handed him a cup of tea, reminding him, “The eldest young master will be back soon.”

This reminder made Qi Chenming’s furrowed brow relax slightly.  

“That brat sure knows how to cause trouble.”  

Qi Chenming pushed the teacup aside, frowning as he looked at the computer in front of him.  

The screen displayed Qi Chao’s latest post on social media.  

Since admitting he had become a master-level puppet master, Qi Chao hadn’t posted any updates, seemingly indifferent to the uproar among netizens over him.  

Qi Chenming could guess that the kid was definitely captivated by something related to puppets. 

While he had garnered all the attention as a master-level puppet master, he was busy tinkering with his puppets, unaware that his father was still under pressure from the association.  

The assistant watched the head of the Qi family and secretly rolled his eyes. He wondered who it was that, upon learning Qi Chao had become a master-level puppet master, excitedly registered for a social media account, eagerly monitoring his posts every day.  

If you asked the assistant, Qi Chenming was a seasoned doting father. Even with the continuous invitations from the association, he was able to ignore them with a thick face, and there seemed to be a strong tendency to continue playing deaf and mute.

“Qi Chao is really impressive. If he were just an ordinary puppet master, the association wouldn’t pressure us so many times,” the assistant said, and sure enough, he saw a look of pride appear in Qi Chenming’s eyes.  

Noticing the assistant’s gaze, Qi Chenming quickly suppressed his pride and adopted a stern fatherly demeanor, snorting, “At least he’s sensible enough to take my advice from last time.”  

Half a year ago, he had told Qi Chao that since he chose to become a puppet master, he should strive to be the best.  

Seeing this, the assistant made a few more compliments about Qi Chao, both openly and subtly. 

Although Qi Chenming didn’t say anything, his expression visibly brightened.  

He cleared his throat and changed the subject, asking, “Do we have any leads on the people helping Qi Chao?”  

“No,” the assistant replied.  

“Is that so?”  

Qi Chenming wasn’t surprised. If it were that easy to find them, the association would have figured it out long ago. Since the other party didn’t intend to expose themselves, Qi Chenming also didn’t plan to continue investigating; maintaining a tacit understanding with them was good enough.  

He stood up, glanced at the holographic computer, and said in a deep voice, “I need to go to a meeting now. You hand this bank card to Qi Chao for me.”  

“Understood.”  

The assistant replied as he took the bank card, thinking with a sense of sympathy that, given he was directly handing over a bank card, it was clear how pleased the head of the Qi family was at the moment.  

“Tell him to stay home and work on his puppets; no wandering around.” Qi Chenming left this statement before departing from the old home.  

Although it was he who had called Qi Chao to the old home, from his back, he oddly seemed to have an air of fleeing, as if he was afraid of running into Qi Chao.  

When Qi Chao arrived at the old home and took the bank card from the assistant, he was momentarily stunned.  

“This is from my dad?”  

“Yes,” the assistant replied.  

“Why didn’t my dad give it to me in person?”  

“Director Qi had an important meeting to attend.”  

Qi Chao looked at the bank card in his hand and couldn’t help but speculate that perhaps his old father was too shy to give him the card face-to-face.  

If it were Qi Father, that possibility did exist.  

He paused for a moment, then put the bank card into his pocket. “Got it. Since my dad has left, I won’t stay any longer.”  

The assistant quickly nodded.  

When Qi Chao sat back in the aircraft, both Agu and Xiang Yue looked puzzled.  

“Why is Dad back so quickly?”  

Upon hearing this, Qi Chao thought of the bank card in his pocket and found it amusing. He casually replied, “Your grandpa had something to do, so I didn’t stay long.”  

After saying this, Qi Chao took out the holographic computer and typed a message of thanks to send to Qi Father.  

Immediately, the chat interface showed that the other party was typing, then it quickly disappeared. After this happened several times, Qi Chao felt that his previous speculation might actually be true.  

His Father was truly a good father.  

Qi Chao pressed his lips together, his fingers paused on the holographic computer for a moment before writing, “Thanks, Dad. Next time, I’ll bring someone very important to meet you.”  

Father: 【Who?】  

This message from Qi Father came back quickly.  

Qi Chao: 【It’s a secret.】  

Qi Chao and Brother Shen were already together, so meeting the parents was only a matter of time. 

He couldn’t help but smile slightly: 【He’s a really nice person; you’ll definitely like him.】  

Looking at this message, Qi Father felt as if a cat was scratching at his heart. However, as a father, his authority wouldn’t allow him to press further.  

【Mm, got it. Is there anything else? If not, I need to get back to work. You should go play with your puppets, and don’t go running around.】  

【Okay.】  

Qi Chao readily agreed, turned off the holographic computer, and then headed to the junkyard in the aircraft.  

He didn’t go running around.  

Everything he did was legitimate, and Qi Chao felt completely justified in that.  

When he arrived at the warehouse, Guo Li and the others were already waiting at the door. 

Despite waiting for someone, the three of them were still holding notebooks, jotting down key points for puppet-making.  

Qi Chao admired hardworking individuals. In his previous life, the only criterion for accepting apprentices into his studio was genuine passion for puppets.  

Watching Guo Li and the others, Qi Chao suddenly recalled the apprentices he had taken in before.  

Most of his apprentices had also dropped out of high school like him. Initially, they were just trying to make a living, but as they grew to love this craft, they became like Guo Li and the others, constantly thinking about making puppets every minute of every day. 

Lost in thought, a hint of nostalgia appeared in Qi Chao’s eyes.  

“Sorry to keep you waiting.”  

He walked to the warehouse door, paused for a moment, and smiled. “Today will be just like yesterday; I’ll do my best to address your questions.”

When Guo Li and the others saw Qi Chao getting out of the aircraft, they were excited to greet him. 

However, upon hearing his words, they froze for a moment, then immediately stood up straight, nervously yet firmly saying, “We will not disappoint your expectations.”  

To be taught so earnestly by a puppet master, they didn’t know how many lifetimes of good fortune they had accumulated.  

The three of them looked rather unkempt, wearing matching black-framed glasses. They were only in their early twenties, and their faces couldn’t hide their emotions.  

Even Xiang Yue, who had just met them, could see what they were thinking; Qi Chao, of course, could read them even better.  

To ensure he wouldn’t let the young ones down, Qi Chao put in even more effort.

From the smallest details like pencil grip to the larger aspects such as the amount of mental energy input, he corrected their mistakes over a hundred times throughout the morning.  

Fortunately, Qi Chao had previously discussed with Xiu Mei that he wanted to befriend puppet makers who genuinely loved puppets. Otherwise, given his responsible attitude, it would have been impossible for the sheltered puppet masters to endure the rigorous training.  

Guo Li and the others had endured dark days when they couldn’t create puppets.

They had survived the most oppressive and bleak moments, and with Qi Chao’s guidance, they felt nothing but deep gratitude; there was no way they could harbor even a hint of dissatisfaction.  

They even felt unworthy of Qi Chao's dedicated instruction.  

Time gradually passed in this teach-and-learn atmosphere. As afternoon approached, Qi Chao instructed Guo Li and the others to refine their puppets based on the morning's progress, while he prepared to head to the place he had agreed upon with the puppet yesterday.  

“Xiang Yue, you and Agu wait here.”  

Qi Chao found the spot where he and Agu had discovered that puppet yesterday. “There are too many people in the junkyard; I’ll feel safer knowing you two are in the warehouse.”  

At that moment, Qi Chao forgot that the two puppets at home had special abilities that could easily handle any human. He merely felt that since the kids at home were so well-behaved, it would be easy for them to be taken away if he wasn't careful.  

“Okay.”  

Agu's emerald eyes narrowed, appearing somewhat obedient.  

Xiang Yue looked at Qi Chao without responding, his dog ears twitching slightly, revealing a hint of nervousness.  

Qi Chao was preoccupied with his thoughts and didn’t notice anything unusual. He assumed Xiang Yue was simply agreeing with him. He ruffled the hair of the two children and left the warehouse, holding the superhero mask.  

After Qi Chao left, the two puppets quietly followed behind him.  

Luring that puppet to join their plan was one thing; in the eyes of both Xiang Yue and Agu, Qi Chao was very soft-hearted and easy to deceive. If they didn’t keep an eye on him, their dad would definitely get taken advantage of.  

Qi Chao was completely unaware of the actions of the two children behind him. He arrived at the agreed-upon spot from yesterday, which was empty with not a trace of the puppet in sight.

Qi Chao wasn’t surprised; he checked the mask on his face and squatted down to wait.  

The time on the light brain changed from three o'clock to four o'clock. During this time, Qi Chao kept his head down, focused on the light brain, until he heard a faint sound beside him. He turned to look over.  

The black-haired young puppet noticed the man’s gaze and moved awkwardly, saying, “I’m late.”  

“It’s fine.” Qi Chao smiled and breathed a sigh of relief. “I thought something had happened to you and was wondering if I should leave to look for you.”  

Today, the junkyard was very safe. The staff had gone to another location yesterday and wouldn’t return until next month.  

Nuo Yan knew this. He bit his lip, glanced at the man wearing the superhero mask, hesitated for a few seconds, and finally spoke up, “My name is Nuo Yan.”  

“Hello, Nuo Yan.” Qi Chao replied, his voice warm with a smile.

Hearing his name, Nuo Yan’s lips moved slightly. After a few seconds of silence, he stumbled over to the man’s side, a bit nervous as he took out a cloth bag from behind him and handed it to Qi Chao. “This is for you.”  

The white cloth bag looked heavy.  

Qi Chao was taken aback for a moment, then accepted it. When he opened it, he was shocked to find it filled with shiny gold coins. Qi Chao's mind raced with thoughts, and he finally managed to ask, “Are all these for me?”  

He actually wanted to ask where these came from, but it didn’t seem appropriate to ask now.  

“It’s a thank-you gift.”  

Nuo Yan’s hands were a bit dirty. After handing the bag to Qi Chao, he hid his hands behind his back. He bit his lip and added, “I washed them very clean.”  

There were many such items in the sewers of the Lingjing District. Nuo Yan knew that humans loved these things, which was why he had spent an entire day searching for them in the filthy sewers.  

Qi Chao could vaguely guess what was going on from his actions. He understood that Nuo Yan didn’t have any special abilities, and with his thin frame and leg injury, it was clear he hadn’t acquired these items through illegal means.

“Thank you.” Qi Chao didn’t refuse. Nou Yan had specifically found these things for him, and intentionally rejecting them would only make the child feel disappointed. He smiled and joked, “Your thank-you gift is too generous! I’ll have to heal you from head to toe to repay you.”  

Nuo Yan wanted to refute when he heard the thank-you gift was generous, but after hearing the full sentence, his fingertips trembled slightly as he anxiously replied, “Can you only just treat my foot? Can you treat someone else's head?”  

This statement sounded a bit strange, and Qi Chao didn’t understand it at first. Once he thought it through, he tentatively asked, “Are you talking about treating another puppet’s head?”  

Nuo Yan’s breath hitched as he nodded.  

He looked up at the man wearing the Superman mask. Perhaps because of what happened yesterday, the man had become an omnipotent figure in his mind.  

When he suggested treatment for another puppet, Nuo Yan felt somewhat shameless. Those shiny items could be easily obtained, but treating a puppet required a puppet master to expend a lot of energy. 

Not to mention that apart from the man in front of him, no one else would be able to treat them.  

“No problem.” Qi Chao smiled. He glanced at the gold coins in the bag and deliberately remarked, “I’ve never seen so many valuable gold coins in my life. I’ll definitely heal your injuries, so don’t worry.”

His words felt like a fair exchange. The initially uneasy Nuo Yan gradually relaxed after Qi Chao finished speaking.  

Nuo Yan didn’t know what the man under the Superman mask looked like, but the man loved to smile; his smile hadn’t left his face since they met.  

“Thank you.”  

Nuo Yan lowered his head to look at the shiny items in the white bag and decided that he would find some more gold coins after returning home. He felt that the man still suffered a loss.  

Qi Chao raised an eyebrow and didn’t say anything further. He set the toolbox he had brought today to the side and put on a pair of special black gloves. “No need to thank me now; you can thank me later when I’ve healed you completely.”  

Although Nuo Yan had said there was no need to treat his head, Qi Chao didn’t plan on ignoring it. The wounds on Nuo Yan’s face, just like his leg injury, would worsen if not treated, eventually revealing the threads of spiritual energy.  

Meanwhile, Agu and Xiang Yue were squatting in a tree, watching their dad talk with the unfamiliar puppet.  

Due to the distance, they couldn’t clearly hear what their dad and the puppet were discussing.

Xiang Yue had been focused on watching Qi Chao’s position since they started squatting in the tree. 

In contrast, Agu, with Xiang Yue around, was no longer as dedicated as he had been yesterday, he was moving restlessly as if he had ADHD.  

Father: [Is he back yet?]  

The light brain vibrated. Agu looked down at the screen with a grin; this was the first time his father had contacted him without a mission.  

Agu felt that the previous photos might have had an effect. His smile widened as he mischievously typed: [Not yet.]  

[Dad is being bothered by a lot of people today and has no time to come home.]  

Father: [......]  

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