Chapter 27

Based on what Qi Chao knew of Shen Yuxi, he should have nodded gently and not pressed further, but this time, Qi Chao had guessed wrong.

"Then can you tell me why you took Moss out in the middle of the night?"

Shen Yuxi's tone remained unhurried, his voice as gentle as a soft piano melody. Yet for some reason, the moment Qi Chao heard those words, his entire body stiffened, as though fate itself had seized him by the throat.

Qi Chao turned around and asked, as if changing the subject—or perhaps sincerely seeking an answer, "Then, Brother Shen, can you tell me why you put the puppets up for auction in the first place?"

Qi Chao had never considered this question before, but today, when he had gone to an auction for the first time and seen that deformed puppet standing all alone on the stage, the question had suddenly occurred to him.

An auction meant the little puppet's future owner was uncertain. Was Doctor really so sure the little puppet would not be taken home by a bad person? Or, like Twin Mirrors' father, did he simply not care what became of the little puppets he made?

Doctor paused, seemingly somewhat surprised, and did not answer at once.

Qi Chao watched him quietly without urging him on.

The two men stood facing each other in the living room, a meter apart. The atmosphere had grown somewhat frozen.

The system, whose routine visit had once again run into this kind of scene: ...

No, why was the host asking that?

The system was about to cry from fright. Why else would the villain do this? Of course it was to make it easier to pick out you unlucky bastards for his plan!

Chapter 27

The atmosphere was somewhat stiff.

Qi Chao pursed his lips and sat down on the sofa.

Ever since the auction had ended, his emotions had been unstable. Earlier, when he had prepared to return to his room, he had wanted to calm down alone. Qi Chao knew that if he stayed, he would definitely say something hurtful, but now that the words had already left his mouth, he could only wait for Doctor's answer.

Doctor was his friend. After spending the past few days together, Qi Chao did not believe Doctor was that kind of person, but his suspicions were not without reason.

Shen Yuxi still stood beside the coffee table. He lowered his head slightly, his loose scorpion braid hanging down to cover the side of his face. From Qi Chao's angle, he could only see his tense jaw and exquisitely defined jawline.

Qi Chao kneaded the web between his left thumb and forefinger, his expression complicated.

The system silently hid in Qi Chao's mindscape. Based on the villain's previous behavior, the host was surely still useful, so he should keep deceiving him and would not kill the host... right?

Th-this really was hard to say.

Without anyone else needing to refute it, the system gave itself the answer. It was about to cry over the host's question. It was too difficult to make up a suitable explanation for that question. If the villain flew into a rage from humiliation, anything could happen.

It watched the villain uneasily.

The next second, the villain moved!

Both Qi Chao and the system tensed instantly. However, Shen Yuxi merely gave him a detached glance before turning and walking toward the stairs, seemingly preparing to return to his room to sleep.

He was not going to explain?

Qi Chao froze for a moment. The guilt he had felt over doubting his friend was pushed down, and he tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Brother Shen, you're just leaving like that?" His tone carried a smile, but anyone could hear his displeasure.

Shen Yuxi stopped on the first step. He turned around, his face still stunning, but his usually gentle blue eyes had turned somewhat cold. He gazed heavily at Qi Chao, then pivoted and walked toward the sofa.

Qi Chao did not move. He met Shen Yuxi's gaze, seemingly determined to wait for an answer.

"What do you want to hear me say?"

The man's elegant, pleasant voice reached his ears. Qi Chao opened his mouth, about to say something, only to see Doctor already standing before him, looking down at him with cool blue eyes and an unreadable expression.

"Say whatever you want. I'll listen." Qi Chao leaned back against the sofa, his dark brown eyes fixed on Shen Yuxi without the slightest fear, his reply casual and flippant.

He could tell Doctor was unhappy, but so what? How much better was his own mood right now? Was it really so hard to give him a reason?

Qi Chao lowered his head and tugged at the corner of his mouth, anger bottled up inside him. A few seconds later, Doctor still had not said a word. Just as he was about to speak, a sudden tug pulled at his scalp, forcing Qi Chao to tilt his head back and look directly at the man.

"What are you doing?"

His scalp stung faintly. Qi Chao could feel that the hand gripping his hair was cold. He tilted his head back, narrowing his eyes in discomfort as soft blond hair fell over his face, tickling him.

Qi Chao felt that Doctor was acting a little out of character. Wasn't he supposed to be the gentle type? Why was he like this whenever he got angry? As he was distracted, droplets suddenly fell onto his face. Qi Chao froze and looked at Doctor.

The blond man seemed only then to realize he was crying. He looked at Qi Chao, raised his left hand to his face, and saw the moisture on his fingers. As if finally coming to his senses, he awkwardly released Qi Chao's hair with his right hand. His voice trembled, and his tone returned to its usual gentleness. "Sorry. I wasn't very calm."

Qi Chao had frozen the moment he saw Doctor cry. Hearing that, all the anger he had been holding in evaporated, replaced by a trace of guilt. His lips moved, and he stiffly said, "It's okay."

The tense atmosphere had been interrupted by Doctor's tears and had turned somewhat awkward—mainly because Qi Chao felt awkward.

After all, he had truly never expected his question to provoke such a strong reaction from Doctor, as though he had poked at his most painful scar.

A scar?

Qi Chao paused, his expression darkening. Could it be that putting the puppets up for auction had not been Doctor's choice?

He looked at Doctor, who had already sat down beside him. The man had always seemed gentle and quiet, like a lake in a tranquil forest, rippling only when the wind passed over it. Even now, it was the same. If one did not pay attention, it was easy to overlook his emotions.

Pulling Qi Chao's hair earlier might have been the most outrageous thing this gentle man had ever done. Would someone like him really send puppets to auction of his own accord just for Star Coins? Qi Chao pursed his lips, feeling that he had been too impulsive before.

"If you can't say it, then forget it." Qi Chao said dryly. Seeming to feel that his words could be misunderstood, he added, "Sorry for making you so sad."