Qi Chao smiled. He did not feel too tired; the little doll was very light, and after walking all this way, he was only a little warm. He straightened his clothes, unconcerned about the button that had been squeezed off.
The host came over with a dog plush nearly two meters tall. Qi Chao promptly took out his camera and suggested taking a photo.
The pink dog mascot spun in a circle and made a huge heart with its arms, agreeing to the photo. Qi Chao laughed. Though he knew the staff member inside might be some burly guy scratching his feet, he had to admit he had been charmed by its cuteness.
Qi Chao handed the camera to the host, walked over beside the mascot, and took a picture with Lan Luo.
The host returned the camera to Qi Chao and praised him as she did so. "You and your child are both very handsome. If you don't mind, we'd like to print your photo and put it on the visitors' wall."
In the photo, the adult man was nearly thirty. His smile was as bright as the morning sun as he flashed a peace sign at the camera. The warm winter sunlight fell across his brows and eyes, making him seem incredibly warm.
A boy of eleven or twelve sat on the man's shoulder. Like a little young master, he had golden hair and blue eyes, and his smile made people call him an angel.
The mascot beside them struck a silly pose, while the amusement park Ferris wheel in the background added another layer of cheer to the photo.
Qi Chao was very satisfied with it. He asked the little doll, and when Lan Luo did not object, he nodded directly at the host's suggestion. "Of course. My kid really is photogenic."
Sitting above him, Lan Luo heard their conversation, but his attention settled on the word "child" they had both used.
This outfit happened to conceal the doll's ball joints. From the outside, he looked like nothing more than an exquisite human child.
Hearing Qi Chao call him "my child" again and again, Lan Luo's eyelashes trembled slightly. His gaze fell on the photo, and he pressed his lips together.
After the performance ended, the visitors gradually dispersed. Qi Chao took Lan Luo to a secluded little grove and sat down on a bench, preparing to eat.
The grove was rather remote. Though it was winter and not particularly cold, few visitors wandered around here. Qi Chao lowered his head and rummaged through his bag for snacks.
Lan Luo held a "lollipop" in his hand. It was a Seven-Violet Flower Qi Chao had made from Energy Stones that morning, with petals carved from Energy Stones of different colors. It was very beautiful.
He sat on the bench, biting the lollipop while his legs swung in the air, his eyelashes hiding the expression in his eyes.
There was no one here now.
It was the perfect time to strike.
Their time together that morning had not been enough to soften Lan Luo's heart.
After killing his owner, he could leave. He missed his father too much.
A strange smile curled at the corner of Lan Luo's mouth. He tilted his head, and from an angle Qi Chao could not see, the nails of his left hand seemed to be covered in a layer of black film.
Qi Chao knew nothing of this. He pulled out a sandwich, took a bite, chewed, and swallowed, still making plans for the afternoon. "The roller coaster is too exciting, so no. We'll ride the carousel first, then play ring toss. Little One, your dad is amazing at ring toss. Tell Dad what you want."
"I saw lots of kids at the amusement park wearing little deer headbands. We haven't seen a stall selling them along the way, so let's look carefully later and buy one for Lan Luo too."
All the children were wearing headbands.
Lan Luo was moved by those words. His left hand immediately returned to normal, and he raised his head to say seriously, "Lan Luo wants a headband too."
Qi Chao was utterly charmed by how cute he looked. Laughing, he immediately promised, "Buy it, buy it, buy it. Dad will get you one later."
That afternoon, Lan Luo got his wish and received a headband. He seemed to like the accessory very much, raising a hand to touch it every so often. Sometimes, he even shook his head to feel its presence.
Qi Chao's health bar had already been emptied, and he took the chance to snap plenty of adorable pictures.
Lan Luo seemed to enjoy being around children. Wherever there were more kids, his gaze drifted in that direction.
After noticing this, Qi Chao changed the plans he had originally prepared and let Lan Luo alter their route on a whim.
When they came across a ring-toss stall, Qi Chao deliberately stopped. He bought ten bamboo rings, and under Lan Luo's gaze, every single one landed around a prize.
Ring toss was a game children were naturally most interested in, and a crowd of them had gathered around the stall. Every time Qi Chao landed a ring, they cheered. By the tenth one, they were jumping around excitedly as if they were the ones who had won.
Lan Luo had shown no reaction at first, keeping his trademark smile on his face. But when he saw those human children gazing at Qi Chao with admiration, practically wanting to swarm around him, the color of Lan Luo's eyes darkened.
He hated human children.
Lan Luo walked up to Qi Chao, tugged at the corner of his clothes, spread his arms, and looked up. "Want shoulder ride."
Qi Chao:!!!
Little One was actually acting spoiled!!!
Qi Chao instantly abandoned the ring-toss game. He bent down and lifted the little doll onto his shoulders. "What else does Little One want to play?"
Lan Luo noticed the envious looks from the children and felt inexplicably pleased. In his good mood, he rarely told the truth. "Lan Luo doesn't want to play anymore."
"Alright." Qi Chao assumed the little doll was tired and did not think much of it. He packed up the prizes he had won and took them away.
He had originally wanted to give them to the children around them, but Lan Luo seemed to like them very much and held on to them without letting go, so Qi Chao did not mention it.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the amusement park, Li Yueya, who had specifically come to watch the mascot performance, agreed to put her photo on the photo wall after the host persuaded her.
Li Yueya was a level-three puppeteer in the Puppeteer Association. She also frequented the forums, and overall, she was a qualified gossip-loving girl.
Her idol was the unfathomable Doctor. Li Yueya knew every publicly revealed doll made by her idol by heart, and she dreamed of seeing those S-Rank Dolls with her own eyes.
But since every doll was incredibly valuable and was almost always bought by collectors as soon as it appeared, Li Yueya had never seen any of those high-end creations in person in her life.
So when she saw that little boy with golden hair and blue eyes on the photo wall, Li Yueya could hardly believe her eyes.
Damn!
Before you continue