Puppet Notes (Wearing Book) - 210

 

| PN | Cheerful | 210

Although it was supposed to be a trip to take the children out for some fun, Qi Chao didn't leave immediately. Now that the alliance was running smoothly, even if he and Shen Yuxi were gone for a long time, nothing unexpected would happen.

However, considering the well-being of his three students, Qi Chao, in a rather teacher-like manner, resolved some tricky issues before mentioning to his three students that he was about to leave.

You Zhao, Guo Li, and Li Lang all felt that it was because of their lack of ability that their teacher had to take the time to handle these matters for them. 

They didn't realize that their teacher was actually giving them a bit of a sweet treat. They immediately, in a naive and innocent way, said, "Teacher, don't worry about us. If we really encounter problems we can't solve, we'll contact you!"

Upon hearing this, Qi Chao nodded without a hint of guilt.

"I'm very confident in leaving it to you."

With that, he stood up, walked out calmly, and only once he was outside did a smile appear in his eyes. He had to admit, he really liked these three students.

At the same time, the three people in the office shivered. Then, Guo Li shouted, "I knew I shouldn't have turned the air conditioning temperature down so low!"

"Alright, I'll change it back." You Zhao, not taking the blame, mumbled as he adjusted the temperature. 

After finishing another batch of documents, he then sneaked his hand under the table, secretly chatting with the puppet on the other side of the law enforcement team. His child was also a member of the law enforcement team.

The other two had no opinion on this behavior. After all, they occasionally slack off too. It could be said that the four of them had inherited the same habit of laziness from their teacher.

Qi Chao was unaware of the small incident in the office. Just as he pressed the elevator button to head downstairs, he ran into Qiao Sheng and his two daughters, Xing Chen and Chao Yang.

The two puppets in front were happily skipping along hand-in-hand, planning where to buy new dresses in the afternoon, while Qiao Sheng, looking as though he hadn't woken up yet, trailed behind with a listless expression. 

Upon seeing Qi Chao, his previously gloomy expression changed, and he looked at him like he had just seen some rare creature, his gaze full of oddness.

Ever since Qiao Sheng found out that Qi Chao and Shen Yuxi were a couple a few months ago, he had this reaction every time he saw Qi Chao. At first, Qi Chao would say a few words, but after some time, he felt it was unnecessary.

If the puppets weren't around, Qi Chao wouldn't even bother to acknowledge Qiao Sheng. 

However, upon seeing Chao Yang and Xing Chen, he stopped to greet the two puppets.

When Xing Chen and Chao Yang's father had a poor relationship with Qi Chao, the two puppets kept their distance from him. However, once they were on the same side, the puppets were no longer influenced by their father and grew fond of Qi Chao. 

Every time they saw him, they were filled with excitement.

"Are you going to the mall?"

When Qi Chao saw Xing Chen and Chao Yang nodding enthusiastically, he smiled and said, "I wish you a pleasant shopping trip."

After that, Qi Chao nodded at Qiao Sheng, said no more, and turned to enter the elevator.

Only Qiao Sheng remained standing in place, watching Qi Chao's retreating figure.

He just couldn't wrap his head around the fact that this person was actually together with his junior brother. 

No, it should be said that this person had actually managed to catch his junior's eye—something truly incomprehensible.

When Qiao Sheng thought about how his cold-hearted junior could actually be so emotionally attached to a man, he instinctively shuddered. 

He had to admit, Qi Chao was formidable in more ways than one.

"Father! Hurry up! If you don't come soon, we're not waiting for you!" Chao Yang's fluffy tail wagged from side to side as she called out from a distance.

Qiao Sheng snapped out of his thoughts and decided not to dwell on it any longer.

He made up his mind to invite Lu Chen to his house tonight to vent about the situation.

On the other side, after bidding farewell to Qiao Sheng, Qi Chao was heading home when he unexpectedly saw Tu Zhuang and San Yue stepping off a flying vehicle at the station.

Since graduating from university, Tu Zhuang had proactively reached out to Qi Chao, offering to help him. 

To this day, Tu Zhuang hadn't forgotten the kindness Qi Chao had shown to him and San Yue. 

He had long quit the habit of biting his nails, and in terms of education, appearance, and intellect, he had become an elite in every way. 

This was one of the reasons Qi Chao felt comfortable leaving his three innocent students behind to handle the paperwork in the alliance while he went away.

"Aren't you supposed to be off today?"

The alliance operated on a rotating shift system, and Tu Zhuang was supposed to be resting at home today. 

Qi Chao was a bit surprised to see him, especially since he had brought San Yue along. "Is it because Qi Feng, Qi Ye, and Qi Yang have been bothering you so much that you came to the alliance to escape the chaos?"

When Tu Zhuang was young, he and San Yue had only each other to rely on. Qi Chao couldn't stand seeing their struggles, so he helped Tu Zhuang apply for a spot at the high school of Qi Feng and Qi Ye. 

The three of them lived together, commuting to school together. Even after they graduated from university, they continued living together, maintaining a very close bond.

"Yes, Brother Qi, I’m off today." Tu Zhuang nodded respectfully at Qi Chao, then slightly turned to reveal San Yue standing behind him. "They haven't been bothering me, but San Yue said he wanted to come and see you."

San Yue was an adult-sized puppet.

After seeing Qi Chao, he pursed her lips and nervously nodded.

"Does San Yue need something from me?" Qi Chao thought for a moment, seeing that it was still early, and pointed toward the café next to the alliance. "Shall we go inside and talk?"

Qi Chao knew that San Yue was a reserved puppet and rarely spoke. The fact that he had come to find him on his own meant there must be something important.

Once inside the café, Tu Zhuang, as if he had been informed beforehand, made an excuse to step out to the restroom, intentionally leaving the private room. The room was now left with only Qi Chao and San Yue.

"Can we talk now?" Qi Chao asked curiously.

San Yue lowered his head, staring at the table as if he was hesitating or unsure how to begin. Qi Chao, seeing his struggle, didn’t rush him and patiently waited for him to organize his thoughts.

"Do you remember how I used to have dreams often?"

San Yue looked up at Qi Chao, his eyes searching his face, seemingly worried that he might have forgotten about it.

"I remember."

Qi Chao furrowed his brows as he recalled the content of the dreams San Yue had shared with him in the past.

Upon hearing his response, San Yue seemed to relax slightly, and continued, "I never really understood what those dreams meant. I didn't have any dreams like that for a long time, but last night, when I fell asleep, I suddenly saw images in my dream that I had never seen before."

As he spoke, San Yue's body trembled slightly, as if recalling some terrifying scenes.

Seeing this, Qi Chao quickly reassured him, "It was just a dream. Don’t overthink it."

Although his comfort felt somewhat lacking, it seemed to ease San Yue, as he gave a small, strained smile and began recounting what had happened in his dream.

"It was a forest, filled with many strange-looking puppets. These dolls were wrapped in black shadows, and they relentlessly chased humans. After hurting them, they seemed to take great pleasure in it. I felt like these puppets really hated humans."

San Yue summarized the scene, explaining that it had appeared more than five times, which allowed his to clearly sense the puppets' emotions. After speaking, he kept glancing at Qi Chao, seemingly concerned about his feelings.

"Don't worry, just tell me. It’s only a dream."

Qi Chao replied with a relaxed smile, but inside, his mood darkened upon hearing San Yue's description. It was clear that the scene he was describing resembled the trial grounds.

After receiving confirmation, San Yue nodded and continued, "I saw Agu, Chi Yao, and Ayu in there."

To be honest, the first time San Yue saw Ayu, he immediately recognized him as the puppet from his dreams who had helped him kill his enemies. However, due to the different time and environment, San Yue felt confused.

Why would someone I’ve never met before appear in my dream? 

What exactly are these dreams?

When Qi Chao heard that his children had appeared in San Yue's dream, his expression remained unchanged, and he spoke with calm composure. "Hmm, I guess they are the managers of these puppets. They might even be the ones leading the pursuit of humans."

"Yes." San Yue nodded and continued, "In the dream, it seemed like they were trying to achieve some kind of goal, constantly chasing humans. But they always stopped at the crucial moment, as if their purpose was simply to instill fear in humans."

"And the mastermind behind all of this is Uncle Shen." San Yue glanced at Qi Chao when he said this, making sure he wasn’t angry before continuing, "They seem to be very concerned about a tree. At first, the tree seemed to be withering, but then it grew stronger and stronger."

"Later on, a professor with the last name Qiao seemed to have a grudge against Uncle Shen. He captured Moss and started killing the puppets one by one."

San Yue spoke these words delicately, but the truth was, the dream was far more terrifying than what he was describing. 

The puppets were turned into mutants, leaving behind dull, lifeless mother stones.

Under human attack, the forest became a fiery hell, with some puppets being killed, while others self-destructed to protect the mother tree.

When Qi Chao heard that Moss had been captured, his expression, which had been calm, suddenly became more complicated. He began to suspect something about San Yue’s dream.

"The tree was well protected," San Yue said, his voice filled with a strange intensity. 

As he spoke, the energy within him seemed to surge, as though the tree itself was deeply embedded within him. 

For some reason, San Yue felt a strong attachment to that tree. Even though it was only a dream, he could almost sense the tree’s calming aura.

Qi Chao raised an eyebrow as he listened to San Yue's account. "Then, later on, Agu took something from the tree and even provoked Uncle Shen. Uncle Shen killed Agu and returned the core to the tree, but the tree still died."

San Yue seemed to struggle with recalling the next part of the dream. "After that, I don’t remember clearly, but I vaguely recall that Uncle Shen was very angry. Then, he did something with the tree’s core that scared the humans. After that, everything became unclear, and I don't remember anything else."

The dream was quite bizarre.

However, because it involved familiar people and a sense of urgency he couldn't quite explain, San Yue had insisted on having Tu Zhuang bring him out to see Qi Chao.

"Don’t worry."

San Yue was lost in thought when he was suddenly snapped back to the present by a warm hand resting gently on his head. 

Qi Chao's voice was calm and reassuring. "It’s just a dream. There’s no need to worry. If this were real, it would have happened by now, wouldn't it?"

It made sense.

Furthermore, there was no sign of Qi Chao in the dream, but here he was, standing right in front of San Yue, he had even saved him.

As San Yue thought about this, the tense nerves that had been wound up ever since the dream suddenly relaxed. He let out a small laugh, his handsome face now filled with a sense of relief.

After they finished discussing the matter, Tu Zhuang, as if he had received some kind of signal, finally walked back into the room from the restroom.

Knowing that Qi Chao was planning to take the puppets out for some fun, Tu Zhuang immediately assured him, "Don't worry, Brother Qi, I'll take good care of the alliance."

With that, Tu Zhuang left the café with San Yue to enjoy their relaxing holiday. Once the room was left with only Qi Chao, the lighthearted atmosphere disappeared, replaced by a serious and heavy air.

Qi Chao's expression darkened as he sat alone in the private room.

He understood that San Yue's dream was about the trial grounds.

However, Moss being captured, the children dying one by one, Agu’s betrayal—none of these things had actually happened. If his guess was correct, these events were things that were supposed to occur before he arrived here.

No, it was more likely that these were events that would have happened before the incarnation of the Mother Tree had fully fulfilled its purpose.

Qi Chao’s eyelashes fluttered slightly as he seemed to realize something. Perhaps, even without the system or the Craftsman Bureau, he would have returned here, destined to play the role of changing his fate.

The green light orb, floating around Qi Chao as his emotions fluctuated, seemed to be comforting him. After a moment of silence, he stood up and left the café, moving without hesitation. He boarded the aircraft and headed back home.

Before he even entered the house, he could hear the noisy commotion coming from inside the villa.

Agu and Xing Yu were at it again, bickering over some argument.

Li Bai, Lan Luo, and Qiu Qiu were shouting about what clothes to wear for their outing. Chi Yao and Ayu were discussing the upcoming plans for the Enforcement Team with Xiang Yue. 

The noise was enough to give anyone a headache, but it felt strangely peaceful at the same time.

Just as Qi Chao was about to open the door, he heard a familiar voice from behind him.

"Why aren’t you going in?"

Turning around, Qi Chao saw Shen Yuxi, holding a pot of freshly bloomed white orchids. His golden hair draped over his shoulder, and his blue eyes were gentle, making Qi Chao’s heart soften. 

Behind him, Moss, Xuan Jian, and Shuang Jian were also holding potted plants.

"It’s too noisy inside," Qi Chao replied with a smile, his tone as casual as always. "I need a moment to collect myself before I go in."

"It really is noisy," Shen Yuxi agreed, pausing before he reached the door. He too had heard the noise from inside. 

He looked at Qi Chao’s expression and noticed something, but he didn’t press further.

Qi Chao casually took the flowerpot from Shen Yuxi and smiled. "So, why is everyone holding white orchids?"

"Mm, we don’t have this flower at our home in Ganfen District, so we thought we’d bring some back and transplant them there," Shen Yuxi answered, his smile as gentle as always.

Beside them, Shuang Jian raised his flowerpot slightly higher, proudly saying, "This is the white orchid I planted!"

Xuan Jian also chimed in, gesturing to his own flowerpot. "This one’s mine."

The greenhouse had always been maintained by Xuan Jian and Shuang Jian, and the two of them spoke of the flowers with visible pride in their eyes.

Qi Chao chuckled and offered a few compliments, making both Xuan Jian and Shuang Jian blush slightly from the praise. 

After a moment, they shyly entered the villa ahead of the others.

At that moment, Xing Yu must have done something to upset Agu inside, as a loud commotion followed. 

Xing Yu began shouting angrily, then rushed to find Moss, furiously exclaiming, "Moss, come help me get revenge! That damned Agu sprayed water in my face!"

Moss, still holding his flowerpot, was dragged into the chaos.

Outside the villa, only Qi Chao and Shen Yuxi remained.

"Brother Shen, let's go inside," Qi Chao said as he made his way toward the door. 

But before he could enter, he was stopped, and he met Shen Yuxi’s concerned gaze.

"Is something wrong?" Shen Yuxi asked softly.

"No..." Qi Chao started to say, intending to conceal his thoughts. However, as he felt the coolness of Shen Yuxi’s hand resting on his, a wave of complex emotions surged within him. 

After a brief pause, Qi Chao set the flowerpot down, then, without warning, he embraced Shen Yuxi.

Feeling the warmth of Qi Chao’s embrace, Shen Yuxi wrapped his arms around him as well, his voice gentle. "Did someone bully you?"

Before Qi Chao could say anything, he felt a deep connection to Shen Yuxi. "No one bullied me. I just feel… that it’s such a fortunate thing, to have come to this world six years ago."

Fortunate to have become a couple with Shen Yuxi, to have coincidentally altered what was meant to happen, leading everything down a different path.

Qi Chao wasn’t sure exactly what had happened in his past life, but he knew that the warmth he felt in his arms was real. 

Whether it was Shen Yuxi or the others, their futures had already changed. The events of the past life would never happen again, and that was enough.

Shen Yuxi was momentarily stunned by Qi Chao’s words. The sharpness in his eyes faded, replaced by a warmth and tenderness that was deeply captivating. 

He chuckled softly and tightened his embrace around Qi Chao. "It should be my luck."

The two of them basked in that moment of quiet and tenderness.

The noise from inside the villa continued, indicating that the news of the parents' return had not phased the unruly group of puppets in the slightest. 

After a while, the two heads of the family reluctantly pulled apart. Qi Chao’s expression darkened as he walked into the villa, ready to teach them how to properly appreciate the word friendship.

Soon, after a round of discipline from Qi Chao, the villa became much quieter. As the family members, along with the puppets, packed up their bags to travel through the spatial vortex to Ganfen District, Qi Yang returned from outside.

"Aren't you eating at Qi Feng and Qi Ye's house?" Qi Chao's family looked at Qi Yang.

"I don’t want to go," Qi Yang replied dismissively.

Qi Yang, the thought of having to eat with the two brothers who had "stolen" his older brother from him made him feel nauseous.

"I'm going to travel outside. I'll come back another day!" he announced, eager to escape.

Qi Chao, seeing his shut-in brother finally wanting to leave the house, was excited. "Good! Have fun out there, and when you're ready to come back, I'll come pick you up."

Shen Yuxi, sensing the troublemaker was about to leave, gently suggested, "Make sure to take a few extra clothes in case of a change of weather."

Qi Yang was about to protest, wondering how long Shen Yuxi expected him to stay.

But before he could say anything, the puppets started chiming in, wishing him safety and urging him to come back home soon.

Finally, Qi Yang couldn't take it anymore. "Alright, alright, I'm leaving. I'll come back another day."

With that, he hurried out.

"I wonder if he packed enough clothes," Shen Yuxi remarked with a feigned concern.

"Don't worry, he'll take care of himself," Qi Chao reassured Shen Yuxi, his trust in his younger brother unwavering. He smiled warmly, leading the kids through the space vortex. 

Nothing could stop him from enjoying time with his family.

As he looked at the excited, thrilled, and joyful expressions on the faces of the children, and at Shen Yuxi's gentle demeanor, Qi Chao couldn't help but smile. As long as the people he loved and who loved him were happy, that was enough for him.

What he didn't know, however, was that his younger brother's idea of "traveling" was actually a one-way trip to an intergalactic prison.

System: Sob , You call that a vacation?

It had always known Qi Yang had issues, but now the intergalactic enforcers had realized that the world hadn't been destroyed, and they were finally sending someone to capture him. 

How could Qi Yang be so happy?

Qi Yang: I don't want to go eat at Qi Feng and Qi Ye's house! Being in an intergalactic prison is way better—free food and shelter! I’ll go back once my brother gets here!

System: ......

How about you leave me behind?! I really don't want to go to prison, okay?

Qi Yang: Baby, I've got the internet, so we can keep playing games there, and argue with the two brothers from the Qi family!

 System: ......

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TL: The end of the main text, time for the extras~