Puppet Notes (Wearing Book) - 212

 

| PN | Gift | Extra 2 | 212

Xing Yu felt that there was something seriously wrong with him.

He should have agreed to the system's suggestion immediately just now—how could he have hesitated? 

He lowered his head, absentmindedly staring at his own fingers.

It was a mistake from the very beginning.

Born from the laws of Blue Star, his task from the moment of his creation was to maintain those laws and guide the destiny line of Blue Star toward where it was meant to go.

But now, what was he doing?

Shouldn't he have eradicated these beings that disrupted the flow of destiny lines?

Why hadn't he agreed with the system right away? 

What on earth was he thinking?

Xing Yu's eyes were dazed, his heart like a trapped beast unable to find an escape.

At that moment, he felt someone tug at the corner of his garment. The next second, he found himself locking eyes with Lan Luo's blue ones.

"What do you want?"

Xing Yu didn't have a great relationship with Lan Luo. In fact, aside from Moss, there were few people—or puppets, to be exact—in this house that he got along with.

Lan Luo said nothing.

Standing beside him, Li Bai chimed in proactively:

“Dad’s birthday is coming up. What gift are you planning to give him?”

A gift?

Xing Yu didn’t respond. Last year, when Qi Chao had his birthday, he hadn’t given anything. 

Besides, why should he? 

If it weren’t for Qi Chao, Xing Yu would have long since restored the worldline to its proper state. 

How could he still be stuck in the form of a puppet like this?

Initially, Li Bai hadn’t liked Xing Yu, but after two years together, he had come to see Xing Yu as family.

“We’re planning to sneak out to the mall together. Are you coming?”

“Who else is going?”

Xing Yu glanced down at Li Bai. Although Libai hadn’t answered yet, he already had a guess. “Moss—you’re going too, aren’t you?”

Not far away, Moss was absorbed in studying a stuffed doll’s hairstyle. He couldn’t understand why Xing Yu had earlier described his design as a bit odd. 

Now, perhaps influenced by the comment, even Moss felt something was off about the look.

Hearing Xing Yu’s question, Moss nodded. The lips beneath his bandages moved slightly as he replied, “Yes, I’ll be going too.”

Xing Yu hesitated at this.

Lan Luo, noticing that Xing Yu was still hesitating, grew anxious. Sneaking out to buy a gift without their dad noticing wasn’t an easy feat. They had finally found a good opportunity and couldn’t afford to waste time here.

“Are you coming or not? Give us a clear answer. If not, we won’t bring you along!”

As he spoke, he turned to urge Moss, “Hurry up and open the spatial vortex. When Chi Yao and the others come out of their rooms, we’re leaving right away.”

Lan Luo and Li Bai had made up the excuse that they wanted to prepare some gifts for an uncle they hadn’t seen in a long time. Qi Chao hadn’t been suspicious and readily agreed, simply reminding them to try and return before dinner. 

The puppets didn’t want to make their dad worry, so they were paying close attention to the time.

No sooner had Lan Luo finished speaking than Chi Yao and the others came running out of their rooms.

Chi Yao, Ayu, and Qiu Qiu were all wearing beautiful dresses. Over the past two years, their wardrobes had expanded significantly. 

Some of the outfits were custom-designed by Qi Chao, others by Shen Yuxi, and still others were picked out by the puppets themselves after earning star coins at the Puppet Alliance.

Each dress was stunning and only served to enhance their already striking looks.

“What about Agu and Xiang Yue? Weren’t Xuan Jian and Shuang Jian supposed to come too?” Lan Luo asked, visibly annoyed.

Why was everyone acting like this? Didn’t they understand how tight their schedule was?

“Coming.”

Xuan Jian and Shuang Jian had just entered when they heard their names being called. The gentler Shuang Jian explained, “We were just confirming something in the greenhouse.”

The two puppets' gift for Dad was a flower they had cultivated themselves. To nurture this bloom, Xuan Jian and Shuang Jian had secretly cared for it for a long time. 

Now, they were heading to the mall to pick out a suitable flower pot. Earlier, they had even measured the flower pot's dimensions carefully.

“Fine,” Lan Luo grudgingly nodded.

Nearby, Li Bai raised his head and waved the lightbrain in his hand at them. “Agu couldn’t find the star coins he’d saved up secretly. I really don’t get why he converted digital star coins into paper currency. Xiang Yue says he’s already found it, and they’ll be down in a minute.”

Lan Luo’s eyes flickered with some disdain.

But he refrained from criticizing his unreliable second brother, instead turning to Xing Yu. “Are you coming or not?”

Xing Yu hesitated.

He didn’t want to go. After all, wasn’t Qi Chao essentially his enemy? 

Why would he have any reason to give him a gift?

But just as the words of refusal were about to leave his lips, they transformed into a single word: “Go.”

As Xing Yu said it, even he looked shocked.

“Alright then, let’s head out,” Lan Luo said briskly. Both he and Li Bai, pressed for time, nodded immediately upon hearing Xing Yu’s reply. They turned their gaze to Moss without hesitation.

The pristine white wall twisted suddenly, giving way to a swirling white vortex. Still caught in his own doubts, Xing Yu could only watch as the puppets entered the vortex one after another. 

Even Xiang Yue and Agu had appeared without him noticing. By the time Xing Yu looked up again, he could only see their retreating backs.

“Aren’t you going in?”

Moss stood before the vortex, clutching the stuffed doll in his arms. Tilting his head slightly, his bandage-wrapped head inclined just a bit, his black eyes full of quiet curiosity.

Now the living room was empty except for the two of them. The once-bustling chatter of the other puppets was gone, leaving behind an eerie silence.

Seeing Moss’s expression, Xing Yu was suddenly reminded of when he was still the consciousness of this dimension—those days were just like this. 

The surroundings were silent.

Only the inevitability of death and destruction lingered in the air.

Xing Yu was momentarily dazed. He didn’t speak, instead quietly stepping to stand beside Moss.

The vortex slowly closed.

When he came back to his senses, they were already standing at the entrance to the mall.

“You two are so slow!”

Qiu Qiu flapped her tiny wings, her platinum-blond hair tied in a princess braid that shimmered softly under the sunlight, as if gilded with golden light.

Qiu Qiu’s relationship with Xing Yu was relatively good. Hearing her words, Xing Yu didn’t retort as sharply as he might have with Agu.

“What are you getting Dad for his birthday?”

Moss’s raspy voice came from the side.

“Secret!” Qiu Qiu replied mischievously, before flying over to join Chi Yao and Ayu. “I’m going shopping with my sisters. Let’s meet back here in two hours!”

Chi Yao and Ayu nodded slightly toward Moss and Xing Yu from a distance. Once Qiu Qiu reached them, they turned and left together.

Agu and the other puppets paired up and disappeared into the bustling mall. Xing Yu and Moss remained expressionless, walking side by side toward the second floor.

It was a rest day on Blue Star, and the mall was filled with people coming and going. What's different from a few years ago is that there are many puppets here.

Aside from Xing Yu and the others, there were numerous puppets and humans holding hands as they strolled through the mall.

“What are you buying?” Xing Yu asked, turning to look at Moss.

Moss raised the stuffed doll in his hands and replied hoarsely, “A gift bag for the doll.”

“The one you made earlier?”

For months now, Moss had been secretly learning to sew. Based on what Xing Yu had observed, the doll he was holding was likely his gift.

Sure enough, Xing Yu saw Moss nod in confirmation.

Xing Yu didn’t say anything further. The puppets' carefully prepared gifts seemed heartfelt, but he didn’t have the time or inclination to help his “enemy” with such things.

The two puppets entered a gift shop. Moss headed straight for the gift bag section with clear intent, carefully selecting among the options. Xing Yu stood nearby, waiting for him.

“Are you members of the Puppet Enforcement Team?”

A hesitant voice broke the silence.

Hearing this, both Xing Yu and Moss turned toward the source—a puppet resembling an adult man. A work badge was pinned to his chest.

Thanks to the joint efforts of the Alliance and the Emperor in recent years, laws regarding puppets had gradually been improved. 

Society had begun to recognize the rights and status of puppets. Many now received education, gained autonomy, learned to protect themselves, and worked alongside their guardians to lead fulfilling lives.

“You are...?”

Neither Xing Yu nor Moss denied the question—they had indeed been working as part of the Puppet Enforcement Team for the past few years.

The workload of the Puppet Enforcement Team was now lighter than before.

Besides dealing with humans who knowingly violated the law to harm puppets, most of their duties were focused within the Alliance and they are rarely brought into the public eye.

When neither Xing Yu nor Moss denied the man’s question, the male puppets' faces lit up with a smile. He hurriedly introduced himself:

“I graduated from the Puppet Alliance’s Education Center a year ago. It’s such an honor to meet you again.”

Saying this, he quickly approached Moss, eagerly asking what he was looking for.

Upon learning that Moss just wanted a gift bag, he enthusiastically began introducing the options.

“The ones on the left are the latest designs my guardian just got in. The ones on the right are older models. Feel free to pick whichever one you like.”

Nowadays, puppets prefer calling their owners guardians instead of masters.

Moss listened intently to the explanation, then carefully examined the gift bags.

After a moment, he chose a fresh and simple design. Just as he moved to pay, the male puppet stopped him.

“You don’t need to pay,” he said earnestly.

“If it weren’t for you back then, I’d never have had the chance to escape from the human who created me. I wouldn’t have met my current guardian, either. Please, take this gift bag as my thanks.”

The male puppet recounted his grim beginnings, though only to himself. From the moment he was created, his father—his creator—kept him locked away in a room. 

He was given energy stones only sporadically, just enough to sustain him. He would remain confined until a suitable buyer was found.

In his conscious memory, he was only allowed out of his cage when potential buyers came to view him. But due to his unremarkable appearance and the fact that his frame was built to resemble an adult man, he was repeatedly passed over.

Then came the Alliance. The day he was rescued by the Puppet Enforcement Team marked a turning point. 

He still vividly remembered that day—the bright blue sky, the comforting warmth of the sun. One of the rescuers, a puppet wrapped in bandages, had escorted him to the reception center to register his name. 

From that moment on, he had a new life.

He doubted Moss would remember him after all this time. But that didn’t matter; it was enough that he remembered.

The male puppet turned to Xing Yu, who stood next to Moss. Xing Yu had also been there on the day of his rescue, alongside a few other puppets. His gratitude extended to all of them.

“If there is anything you’d like,” he asked sincerely. “Please, don’t hesitate to tell me.”

As he spoke, the puppet busied himself tidying the shop, preparing to offer some trinkets to them.

His guardian, assigned through the Alliance, was a single man who seemed fierce on the surface but was actually quite timid. 

The man had no interest in marriage, lived a solitary life due to his limited social circle, and had saved up to adopt the puppet for companionship.

Now the puppet helped his guardian run the shop and even received a monthly allowance. He was freer and happier than ever before—one of the many reasons he was so deeply grateful to the Enforcement Team.

“You don’t need to be polite!”

Before either Xing Yu or Moss could say anything, they were handed a pile of things. By the time they stepped outside, both puppets looked at the bags in their hands, then turned their gaze back to the puppet in the shop, who was waving at them with an overly cheerful smile. 

The entire situation left them both in a thoughtful silence.

“Let’s go,” Moss nudged Xing Yu with his elbow and turned to leave.

Xing Yu remained standing in place, not moving.

In truth, this wasn’t the first time he had been thanked by a puppet. Every puppet the Enforcement Team had helped or rescued had expressed their gratitude. 

However, they rarely visited places like this. This direct and sincere form of thanks was a first for him.

Xing Yu looked at the items in his hand. The shopkeeper had guessed they were looking for something to give to someone and, perhaps anticipating that they might refuse, had given them a collection of small, whimsical trinkets—like the glow-in-the-dark crystal ball.

If it were before, he would have simply discarded them.

But now, looking at the pile of things in his hands, Xing Yu had no intention of throwing them away.

Perhaps it was because, after witnessing so many puppets with tragic pasts during his time in the Enforcement Team, or perhaps it was because of the puppet’s warm smile, or maybe it was simply because he rarely received such things—whatever the reason, in the end, he didn't discard them.

Moss didn't say anything throughout the journey. He still held onto the thank-you gifts, silently.

The two puppets waited at the agreed-upon meeting spot for about ten minutes, and soon, the others arrived, carrying bags and bundles of items.

It wasn't yet dark when they began heading back.

As the vortex began to form on the wall, the puppets surged forward, and when they encountered Shen Yuxi, who greeted them with a smile, they immediately froze, standing still like mice in front of a cat.

"Father."

The puppets, led by Agu, immediately broke into flattering smiles as they saw Shen Yuxi.

Shen Yuxi gave a soft hum and glanced at the bags and bundles they were holding.

His blue eyes curved slightly as he gently spoke, “Don’t make too much noise. Your father is still talking to your uncle.”

“Since it’s a welcome gift for your uncle, remember to give it to him later, understand?”

"Yes, Father."

Lan Luo was the first to nod. They had used “uncle” as a cover to prepare a surprise gift for their father, so of course, they had to follow through and keep things in order. Their father was aware of it, after all.

“Father, we’ll go up and put the gifts away!” said Li Bai excitedly, lowering his voice carefully to avoid being heard by their dad.

The other puppets acted similarly. Even Qiu Qiu intentionally stopped flapping her wings, afraid that any noise might alert their dad.

They all tiptoed like thieves, cautiously heading upstairs. Seeing this, Shen Yuxi’s eyes revealed a hint of amusement. He then turned his gaze to Xing Yu, who was moving more slowly.

Xing Yu was still holding something in his hands.

“Did you buy that?” 

Shen Yuxi's tone sounded quite meaningful.

If anyone among the puppets understood Shen Yuxi best, aside from 'gu, it would be Xing Yu.

As a former world consciousness, their relationship had been fraught with irreconcilable conflicts in the past. 

Now, the only thing holding them together was their shared connection to Qi Chao, maintaining a fragile harmony on the surface.

Hearing Shen Yuxi's words, Xing Yu jolted slightly, immediately rebutting, "I didn’t buy this. It was given to me by another puppet!"

He certainly hadn't bought a gift for Qi Chao!

Xing Yu's voice was somewhat louder than expected, and just as he spoke, Qi Chao, who had just come out of the kitchen, overheard.

Clueless about the situation, he looked at the two puppets in the living room and, based on his own understanding, commented, "Well, well, looks like Xing Yu is already receiving gifts from other puppets!"

Shen Yuxi chuckled lightly in response, but his eyes clearly didn’t buy the explanation.

"Really?"

Xing Yu felt the things in his hands were almost burning, but what seemed to burn even more were his ears. 

It felt as if giving Qi Chao a gift would be like admitting defeat, a feeling he couldn’t quite put into words. He pursed his lips and briefly explained the entire situation—the events leading up to the gift.

Shen Yuxi’s smile remained, but it was impossible to tell whether he truly believed him. Perhaps he had believed from the beginning, and was merely playing with him.

Qi Chao, on the other hand, didn’t think much of it. Upon hearing that the gift was a token of gratitude from the other puppet for Xing Yu, he chuckled. 

Without missing a beat, he ruffled Xing Yu's hair. "Not bad. Looks like you've been doing well these past two years."

At first, Xing Yu wasn’t very likable, but over the course of two years, watching him run around with Moss and working on Enforcement Team duties, their mutual animosity had nearly faded.

Moreover, as a fragment of a world consciousness, Xing Yu had always been mechanically carrying out tasks. Qi Chao couldn’t hold onto that old grudge forever.

Xing Yu was suddenly caught off guard by the unexpected tousling of his hair. His lips trembled, and he froze for a moment.

This was the first time Qi Chao had ruffled his hair.

It was the first time Qi Chao had treated him like he treated his own children.

"What's wrong?"

Qi Chao looked at Xing Yu, confused. How come he suddenly went silent?

Xing Yu seemed to snap back to his senses, and the words came out stiffly, "Nothing."

With that, he quickly left the living room.

Qi Chao, still puzzled, turned his gaze toward Shen Yuxi.

Shen Yuxi had witnessed everything from the beginning. He looked thoughtfully at Xing Yu’s figure disappearing upstairs, then walked over to Qi Chao’s side, took his warm hand, and smiled. "He probably just got really happy receiving the gift. It’s nothing."

That seemed like a reasonable explanation.

Qi Chao was immediately convinced.

Later that night, the system once again approached the world consciousness to ask if they had made a decision yet.

"I’m not leaving for now."

The incomplete world consciousness answered, then seemed to convince itself, saying, "If I leave now, all the things I’ve received today will be gone. I’m not letting that idiot Agu get away with it."

The system watched as the world consciousness spoke while marking the host's birthday on the calendar, and suddenly, it didn’t feel like exposing the truth.

Wasn't it supposed to be a fragmented world consciousness? 

Why did it behave so much like the other demon puppets?

It really didn't understand.

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