Puppet Notes (Wearing Book) - 136

 

| PN | Diamond | 136

The basement was dimly lit, with only a faint lightbulb illuminating the space. At the desk, two men were sitting very close together, with less than an inch between their shoulders, having long surpassed the boundaries of personal space. 

It was clear that their relationship was very intimate. 

Both men were wearing gloves, each holding a diamond and carefully polishing its surface with a soft cloth. 

“Brother Shen, I’m done wiping it,” Qi Chao said. 

Shen Yuxi responded with a sound of acknowledgment, taking the diamond and placing it under the old lamp. 

The transparent diamond showed no impurities in the light, faintly reflecting a blue glow. 

The blond-haired man pressed his lips together, his blue eyes seeming brighter than usual. He looked gentle, and as he gazed at these pure, transparent diamonds, his expression was as innocent as that of a child. 

How could his partner be so adorable? 

Qi Chao leaned back in his chair, turning his head to look at Brother Shen, wanting very much to reach out and ruffle Brother Shen’s hair. 

However, Qi Chao ultimately refrained from doing so; Brother Shen was focused on his work, and it wouldn’t be good to disturb him. With that thought, Qi Chao's gaze fell on the cabinet behind Shen Yuxi, which was about the same height as him. 

Who would have thought that this ordinary wooden cabinet was actually filled with diamonds? 

Since meeting in the morning, Qi Chao had been wanting to stick close to his partner, and Shen Yuxi seemed to feel the same way. The two of them discreetly kept this from their family members and came down to the basement. 

However, in reality, there wasn't much to do in the basement, so when Shen Yuxi suggested he wanted to polish the diamonds, Qi Chao immediately agreed. 

Brother Shen really liked diamonds. 

Qi Chao had known this for a long time; during their video calls, he often saw Brother Shen gently cleaning diamonds with a soft cloth. 

However, what Qi Chao didn’t expect was that Brother Shen had so many diamonds. Judging by their quality, these diamonds were all quite expensive. 

“Brother Shen, do you just keep these diamonds casually in the cabinet?” 

Qi Chao looked at the pile of expensive diamonds on the table, casually reaching out to touch them. At that moment, he suddenly realized that his boyfriend was actually quite wealthy. 

“It’s fine, the cabinet is very safe. Nothing will get lost,” Shen Yuxi glanced at the wooden cabinet, his peach blossom eyes curving slightly as he replied softly. 

Qi Chao was momentarily stunned; it seemed that the issue wasn’t really whether the diamonds would get lost, but rather that those expensive diamonds were placed in a wooden cabinet, which felt a bit... wronged? 

Shen Yuxi was usually perceptive, but this time he failed to understand Qi Chao’s meaning. 

In his eyes, those diamonds were just beautiful stones that happened to be expensive. Although he liked them, they weren’t worth placing much importance on. 

The only diamond Shen Yuxi truly cherished was the one Qi Chao had given him. 

His eyelashes trembled slightly as he took out the diamond that Qi Chao had gifted him from the drawer, soaking it in cold water, preparing to take it out in a few minutes to clean it. 

Diamonds are oil-repellent, so because he often played with it, it needed to be cleaned and maintained every so often. 

The ones in the wooden cabinet had only been casually wiped a few times; it was only when it came to the diamond that Qi Chao gave him that Shen Yuxi would take the time to clean it properly. 

Qi Chao sat next to Shen Yuxi, watching the entire process. His gaze fell on the familiar diamond in the cup, his eyebrows raising slightly as he couldn’t help but smile. 

The fact that the gift he had given was so valued made it impossible for Qi Chao to say he wasn't happy, especially since they weren’t even together at that time. 

“Brother Shen, how about I get you another one next time?” 

Qi Chao felt he wasn’t quite fulfilling his role as a boyfriend, as he had rarely given Brother Shen gifts since they got together. 

Upon hearing Qi Chao’s words, Shen Yuxi's eyelashes fluttered slightly, his fingertips gently brushing over the soft cloth. His blue eyes shifted from surprise to a warm smile. “If I could receive another one, I would be very happy.” 

His tone was sincere and gentle. 

If Agu were here, he would probably tease his father for being scheming, wondering why he suddenly brought up polishing diamonds; it seemed there must have been some prior planning. 

However, Shen Yuxi had initially just wanted to cheer Qi Chao up, and receiving Qi Chao’s offer was a pleasant surprise. 

The two were sitting very close, and the diamonds piled on the table reflected a blue glow in the light, all of which had already been polished. 

“Brother Shen really likes diamonds.” 

Qi Chao leaned back in his chair, unknowingly resting his head on Shen Yuxi’s shoulder. 

Shen Yuxi enjoyed this intimacy. His fingertips paused slightly as he took the diamond out of the water, using the soft cloth to carefully dry the moisture off its surface, letting out a gentle “mm.” 

Looking at the transparent diamond in his hand, his blue eyes shifted slightly, and the smile on his lips faded a bit as he softly said, “The diamond is beautiful, isn’t it?” 

It truly was beautiful. 

Qi Chao had initially just expressed this observation casually. He had anticipated Brother Shen's fondness for diamonds, but the expression on Shen Yuxi's face seemed to suggest that the matter was not so simple. 

Shen Yuxi was a man with a story—abandoned as a child in Ganfen District, witnessing the brutal murder of a teacher, and eventually becoming a renowned Doctor. It was clear that his journey had been difficult. 

Qi Chao felt a pang of sympathy for Shen Yuxi. He had never actively brought up his past, but that didn’t mean Qi Chao was not curious about it. 

In fact, because of their close relationship now, he wanted to know Shen Yuxi's past more than anyone else. 

Shen Yuxi noticed that Qi Chao seemed lost in thought. After a moment of contemplation, he guessed that Qi Chao had realized he was hiding something earlier. 

Sometimes, Qi Chao was indeed very perceptive. Shen Yuxi's eyelashes trembled slightly; his fondness for diamonds was not just due to their beautiful appearance, but that wasn’t something he felt the need to explain—he simply thought it unnecessary to say. 

“I was adopted by my teacher when I was six,” Shen Yuxi said softly. 

As soon as the words left his mouth, his right hand was enveloped in a warm palm. Turning his head, Shen Yuxi met a pair of concerned eyes. 

Qi Chao was feeling sorry for him. 

This conclusion brought a bit of joy to Shen Yuxi’s heart. He didn’t harbor negative emotions about his past experiences, but Qi Chao’s concern was something he truly appreciated. 

“It’s okay; you already know all of this,” Shen Yuxi smiled and continued, “Because I was abandoned at birth, I lived on the outskirts of Ganfen District until I was six. My teacher often said that my survival was a miracle.” 

It truly was a miracle. 

Qi Chao thought that without anyone to care for him, a small child would have a hard time surviving—almost as if it were a dream. 

“My memories from that time are quite vague.” 

It was normal for children not to remember things clearly, Qi Chao thought, but he remained silent and listened quietly. 

“About fifteen or sixteen years old, I suddenly dreamt of things from before I was six,” Shen Yuxi smiled. “In those dreams, there was a very beautiful diamond, and that’s when I began to like those things.” 

The thing in the dream was called a diamond, but it was even more dazzling and eye-catching than a real diamond. 

After witnessing his teacher's brutal dismemberment, Shen Yuxi dreamed of bloody and terrifying scenes every night. Sleeping gradually made him feel disgusted, but the memories from before he turned six provided him with a breath of fresh air, preventing him from completely falling into darkness. 

Even now, Shen Yuxi still remembers how stunning that thing looked when he saw it in his dreams. It was just a beautiful stone, yet it was like a gentle ray of sunlight, dispelling the horrific scenes from his nightmares. 

Eventually, Shen Yuxi stopped having those strange dreams, but his fondness for bright, shiny diamonds remained. 

His fingertips unconsciously played with the diamond in his palm. Suddenly, he felt that Qi Chao was actually quite similar to the diamond in his dreams; for him, both were dazzling existences. 

“So that’s how it is.” 

Qi Chao looked at the smile at the corner of Shen Yuxi's lips and felt a bit relieved. He knew that, in Shen Yuxi's eyes, this was not a bad thing. 

“For Brother Shen to say it’s beautiful, that diamond must be very expensive,” Qi Chao joked. 

Shen Yuxi chuckled along with him. They exchanged glances, and Qi Chao’s left hand moved unconsciously, reminding him that he had been holding Brother Shen’s hand all along. 

Shen Yuxi also glanced down, then looked at Qi Chao, slightly tilting his head as if to ask whether they should let go. 

“Not letting go.” 

Qi Chao paused for a moment, then intertwined his fingers with Shen Yuxi's, shaking their joined hands playfully. His deep brown eyes sparkled with delight. “After all, it’s just the two of us here, right?” 

Feeling bold now, Shen Yuxi let out a light laugh. When they entered the basement, he wasn’t sure who had been holding back and staying silent. 

His partner could be very innocent at times and very proactive at others; Shen Yuxi found it difficult to grasp the patterns between the two. However, regardless of which side appeared, he liked both. 

With that thought, Shen Yuxi leaned back slightly, like a cuddly golden retriever, resting his head on Qi Chao's shoulder. The gesture exuded unspoken intimacy, as if he wanted to test Qi Chao's next move. 

Brother Shen rarely acted so openly affectionate. 

Looking down, Qi Chao could feel Shen Yuxi’s soft golden hair brushing against him, and his heart melted instantly. He wrapped his right arm around Shen Yuxi’s waist, resting his head against Brother Shen's neck, inhaling the familiar scent that he found so comforting, and let out a slow breath. 

Sometimes, he wondered if Shen Yuxi did this on purpose; after all, how could he always hit the bullseye straight to his heart? 

Shen Yuxi's peach blossom eyes curved slightly, and just as he was about to say something, the man behind him gently bit his neck. 

“Brother Shen, don’t talk. Let me calm down for a moment.” 

Shen Yuxi stiffened, as if realizing something. 

Perhaps it was because they hadn’t seen each other for a long time, but today, Qi Chao was particularly easy to tease. 

His partner was indeed quite amusing. 

Shen Yuxi controlled his emotions, but his slightly trembling fingertips revealed that he wasn’t as calm as he appeared. He pressed his thin lips together and then softly reassured, “We have a long time tonight.” 

“Yeah, I know.” 

Hearing Brother Shen's hint made Qi Chao’s face feel a bit warm. 

Even more embarrassed than Qi Chao was the system. 

It had just finished its work report when it stumbled upon the sticky-sweet scene between the hosts. Was this something a newly adult system should be listening to? 

In the past, it had always stayed with the other host, never realizing that the villain and the host interacted like this. 

The future world-destroying villain was currently not only enticing the host like a soft, boneless kitten but also, after causing chaos, was putting on an act of a gentle, caring partner to boost the host's affection. 

None of these actions reflected the demeanor of a great demon king, leaving the system feeling increasingly disoriented. 

While the system was getting confused, the two adults in the basement had already calmed down. Before leaving the basement, Qi Chao even asked specifically if the system was present. 

【Yes, I’m here, host.】 

The system thought that, based on the host's performance in front of the villain, Qi Chao should be feeling quite shy right now. 

In fact, Qi Chao just replied casually with a simple “hm,” and then added, 【If it’s just me and Brother Shen alone next time, you can block the connection to the dimension first.】 

Neither his tone nor his expression reflected the tension the system had imagined. 

System: 【Understood, host.】 

Qi Chao smiled, 【Thanks.】 

There was no need to be nervous around the system; Qi Chao had thick skin, and the only person he felt shy around was his boyfriend. 

Thinking about the evening that the host and the villain mentioned, the system hesitated before saying, 【Host, I’ll be heading back to the central world to submit my report shortly and will return tomorrow.】 

This way, there would be no need to block the connection. 

The downside of blocking the connection was that if the host encountered danger, it wouldn't be able to report it to the central world immediately. 

【Alright, safe travels.】 Qi Chao replied casually. 

The system replied and was just about to pack up the report and leave quickly when it heard the host say to the villain, “I saw Ayu earlier, but I haven’t seen Chi Yao. Agu said that Ayu and Chi Yao went out together. Do you know where Chi Yao went?” 

“Chi Yao is at my friend's house,” the villain replied gently. 

What “friend.” 

Only the villain could refer to the trial grounds as a friend and speak so sincerely about it. 

It had to be said that from another perspective, having the villain as a teammate really provided a sense of security; at least the host would live longer than that group from the association. 

With that thought, the system packed its little bag and left the puppet dimension with ease. 

Meanwhile, the group of short-lived individuals in its view was currently stuck in place on the timeline of fate. 

Without Qiao Sheng's presence, both the association and the research institute had fallen into an inescapable loop. 

According to the original timeline, the association would know everything about Shen Yuxi because of Qiao Sheng. They would secretly capture the bandaged Moss and obtain powerful abilities that could transcend space. 

But at this point, let alone capturing Shen Yuxi’s right-hand man Moss, they still didn’t realize that the mastermind behind the disappearance of countless ability users was actually caused by Shen Yuxi himself. 

“Has Marshal Lu still not been found?” The president rubbed his temples, feeling a bit of a headache. “Even Qiao Sheng has disappeared?” 

“Yes,” one of the men in black replied. 

Why had Qiao Sheng disappeared? Did he go to look for Lu Chen? 

The president felt a hint of regret; had he known it would turn out this way, he wouldn’t have driven Qiao Sheng away. No matter how useless he was, he was still a special-level puppet master. 

Not to mention that his father had created that great machine; he definitely knew some inside information. 

“Go invite the director of the research institute to the palace.” 

The president rubbed his forehead. They initially thought that even if Marshal Lu had been missing for two months, there was no need to worry. However, with nearly half a year without news, they could now directly conclude that he was dead. 

Marshal Lu is incredibly powerful, perhaps the strongest ability user; having someone like him go missing while searching for other missing ability users speaks volumes about how strong the enemy must be. 

And just at this time, Qiao Sheng also vanished. 

One problem after another was making the president’s head feel like it was going to explode. Just then, the secretary who had been sent to find Qi Chao walked in. 

“Where is he?” 

The president looked at the secretary. 

“I'm sorry, president.” The secretary's voice trembled slightly. “When I rushed over this morning, Qi Chao was already gone. The neighbors said he went to meet his boyfriend.” 

“Why didn’t you continue looking for his boyfriend?” 

The president was very dissatisfied with the secretary's efficiency, especially since he was already overwhelmed and frustrated. Having faced three setbacks with Qi Chao's situation had completely angered him. 

The secretary trembled slightly, “Report to the president, Qi Chao is keeping his boyfriend under very tight wraps.” 

“Go hire a private investigator, check the surveillance cameras—do I have to teach you all this?!” 

“I found a detective, but they won’t take Qi Chao’s case. It’s probably because his father is restricting information. The surveillance cameras have all been broken and haven’t been repaired for over a year.” 

President: … 

“I sent someone to discreetly inquire around Qi Chao, but it’s said that they didn’t even know that Qi Chao has a boyfriend. Xiu Mei knows Qi Chao has a boyfriend, but she has never met him, and no one knows where they are now.” 

President: “……” 

Is Qi Chao sick?! It’s just a boyfriend; it’s not like he’s some precious treasure. Why keep it so tightly under wraps?!

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