Chapter 10
The little red dress was put into a transparent safe and placed next to the counter. It became the first item in the puppet shop in another world and was marked with a "Not for Sale" sign.
Apart from Zhou Yuli's puppet of Pei Zhao, this is the only one not for sale in the store. Pei Zhao originally thought that no one would patronize the store, but unexpectedly, on the day the sign was hung on the door, a lady came into the store.
The lady wore thin-rimmed silver glasses and did not look young. She was wearing a slim grey-brown dress and holding a cloth bag with the school motto of Huazhong University of Science and Technology printed on the outside: Seek truth and act with steadfastness. She looked dignified and decent.
Pei Zhao was stunned and looked at Zhou Yuli: Teacher from Hua University?
Zhou Yuli tilted his head slightly to take a look and squinted his eyes: It looks like it. Is she attracted by the little red dress?
Pei Zhao thought it would be better not to do so. Just when I was about to find a reason to emphasize that the little red dress was not for sale, the lady took out her cell phone and took a photo of the little red dress. She picked up her phone and said excitedly: "Look what I saw in the store? This puppet looks like our daughter!"
Pei Zhao and Zhou Yuli looked at each other: And the wooden idol? This is not good news.
Pei Zhao recalled that after he brought Zhou Yuli back to the real world, he also learned that there was a real Zhou Yuli. He was worried and confused about this for a long time. Could it be that what the lady in front of me is talking about is the same situation as it was back then?
In reality, Zhou Yuli is still missing. Now when he mentions the little red skirt that was brought back, there is a living person to compare with in reality. Pei Zhao feels inexplicably panicked, fearing that one day he, the puppet Zhou Yuli, will be caught and the scene of the real and fake Monkey King will be staged.
The dignified lady seemed to have no intention of breaking the rules. After sharing, she smiled elegantly at Pei Zhou and the others and prepared to leave. Just as she turned around, Pei Zhao called her.
"Ma'am, actually...if you are really destined to be with me, you can take me away."
Zhou Yuli was stunned for a moment when he heard this, then turned to look at Pei Zhao. The lady was the same, frowning and looking a little puzzled: "Fate?"
Pei Zhao's face turned a little red. He was not a good liar and knew that such a dangerous doll must not be put on the market. But for the sake of his puppet, he had to rack his brains to find a reason to ask the lady. He stumbled and barely said, "I, the puppet we designed was partly based on real-life photos, and may have accidentally referenced your daughter's photo... So, we have a strong sense of law. If it offends you, we can hand the puppet over to you to deal with."
If Zhou Yuli didn't have a naturally cold face, he might have subconsciously refuted at this moment. But he knew that Pei Zhao was not the kind of person who would lose his principles and sell dangerous puppets to others just to make money.
He was just wondering about Pei Zhao's purpose in doing this.
Pei Zhao said this, and the lady understood: "Is that so. Actually, I'm not sure. She is our daughter, not my daughter. You may not be able to tell, but I'm already fifty."
"Fifty years old?" Pei Zhao was surprised. This lady looked to be thirty at most!
Pei Zhao's reaction was too real, causing the lady to laugh: "You are also a student of Huada University, right? I am a teacher of Huada University, from the law department."
Zhou Yuli, who kept silent thinking that the whole matter was irrelevant:? My teacher?
Zhou Yuli said stiffly: "Hello, teacher. I am a freshman in the law department, Zhou Yuli."
They really didn't expect to see a teacher from the law department here. Once we have established a relationship, it will be much easier to continue the conversation. After some hardcore socializing with relatives and friends, Pei Zhao finally got the lady's promise.
"How about this, my granddaughter will come to see me at school tomorrow, you can bring the puppet over and give her a surprise together."
He did what he said. He wrote down the address and sent the lady away. Pei Zhao fell into the chair and breathed a sigh of relief.
Zhou Yuli walked behind him, pinched his shoulders naturally, and asked casually: "You have other plans, right?"
God knows how much effort Pei Zhao put into persuading that lady. Zhou Yuli had just enough strength to make Pei Zhao relax. He explained, "I did have other plans originally, but now..."
Pei Zhao shook his head, closed his eyes slightly and recalled the lady's face. Another thought came to his mind, which made him very uneasy.
After thinking it over, he felt he couldn't sit still. She simply stood up and picked up the little red dress.
Zhou Yuli's hands were still suspended in the air. Seeing his sudden action, he slowly withdrew his hands, looking normal, and asked, "What's wrong?"
Pei Zhao simply removed the transparent fuselage casing, grabbed the puppet's body with both hands, and closed his eyes slightly.
Zhou Yuli tilted his head and watched for a moment, only guessing that Pei Zhao was... sensing the little red skirt?
Of course, induction is not possible. Pei Zhao was discouraged. Not only could he not sense anything, he even suspected at this moment that the puppet they brought back had been replaced. He felt no connection at all with the little red dress.
"That's strange. I remember it wasn't like this when I brought you back."
Pei Zhao put the puppet back to its place without interest and sat back in his seat dejectedly. Zhou Yuli quietly reached out his hand and put it on Pei Zhao's shoulder again.
"It's not quite the same. In fact, when I was turning into a puppet, I couldn't successfully communicate with her."
In the other world, Zhou Yuli was infected by the zombie virus of the elegant old lady. Pei Zhao was afraid that he would turn into a zombie, so he turned him into a puppet to fix the bug and successfully healed the scars on his hands. While being turned into a puppet, Zhou Yuli was placed by Pei Zhao in a zippered jacket.
It's safe there and won't fall out without very intense action. Through a thin inner garment, Zhou Yuli's entire back was pressed against Pei Zhao's abdomen, soft and warm.
What Pei Zhao overlooked was that even though Zhou Yuli had become a puppet, he still retained his feelings about the real world... For example, at that time, the puppet Zhou Yuli's entire body was emitting an unreasonable temperature, and his back was covered in cold sweat. If wood had pores, all of his pores would probably stand upside down.
In the indescribable unbearable pain, Zhou Yuli could not escape, so he had to try to talk to the other puppet on Pei Zhao's body to distract himself.
The other puppet on Pei Zhao’s body is naturally the little red skirt. But the little red skirt did not have the same "intimate" contact with its owner as he did, and was pinned around Pei Zhao's waist.
Zhou Yuli called Little Red Skirt more than a dozen times using the puppet's universal language, but received no response.
"That's it." Zhou Yuli told Pei Zhao about his memory, ignoring the "irrelevant" parts, "But I don't know if she didn't want to talk to me, or if I really couldn't communicate with her."
Pei Zhao thought for a moment and asked, "Have you ever tried to talk to other puppets before?"
Other puppets? Zhou Yuli paused, "No. I haven't seen any other puppets except her since I came here."
Pei Zhao nodded thoughtfully. This was useful information: "Try to communicate with other puppets next time you have a chance."
As for the little red skirt, Pei Zhao looked at the puppet that had remained silent in the safe on the counter, and estimated that a conclusion would be reached this afternoon.
*
The two of them did bring some small souvenirs to the door, and this matter was handled by Zhou Yuli.
Facts have proved that this man has an equally mature heart under his slightly mature appearance. Pei Zhao looked at the "decent" gift boxes on the ground and praised sincerely: "I didn't expect you to complete socialization so well. Fortunately, you are here."
Zhou Yuli found these words very useful. He roughly understood what Pei Zhao meant by socialization, but he had to admit that some things were innate. Even though he had never seen so-called gift-giving, he felt in his heart that it was appropriate to give these to teachers.
The two of them were carrying large and small bags and were preparing to go to the door. Pei Zhao held the puppet in his free hands. They talked and laughed along the way. Unexpectedly, as soon as they got downstairs, they both stopped.
Zhou Yuli: "Do you think... this building looks familiar?"
No one knew Pei Zhao's current mood. In front of him was an old residential building with a metal gate and a single spiral staircase. Pei Zhao clearly remembered where he had seen the same building.
In the other world, the building where they got rations for that "family" was exactly the same as the building in front of them.
Of course he couldn't leave, but Pei Zhao was not only shocked, but also felt deeply uneasy.
An indescribable sourness rushed into my throat, almost bursting out. I tried hard to swallow it down, only to find that my breathing was disordered. My chest heaved violently and my heart beat very fast.
A strong sense of uneasiness instantly buried Pei Zhao, as if he was once again in a different world, making him wonder whether they had never escaped from the different world at all.
Zhou Yuli grabbed Pei Zhao's hand.
The sinking heart was relieved. Pei Zhao raised his head steadily, looked at Zhou Yuli, and said in a trembling voice: "We are in the real world, right?"
Zhou Yuli looked at him quietly without answering.
Pei Zhao burst into tears uncontrollably. The strands of hair that flowed from the corners of the eyes to the ears left a long, shining line of water on the face.
Zhou Yuli raised his hand and wiped away the tears with his fingers. She gently held him in her arms and patted his back: "...I don't know, Pei Zhao, I don't know."
At this moment, Zhou Yuli was also in a trance. If he wasn't the kind of person who showed his joy easily, he would probably hug Pei Zhao and cry bitterly at this moment. But facing Pei Zhao's loss of control, Zhou Yuli could only force himself to calm down, holding Pei Zhao's shoulders, looking at him, and whispering to comfort him: "Let's go up and take a look, okay?"
Pei Zhao naturally nodded in agreement. He just lost control, but he never backed down. On the contrary, this further stimulated his desire to find out the truth. Perhaps the answer to Zhou Yuli's real whereabouts could be found here.
The two of them went upstairs cautiously.
The purchased things were placed behind the iron door on the first floor. In order to prevent the puppet's sneak attack from happening again, Pei Zhao thought for a moment, took off the transparent box of the little red skirt, and pinned the puppet around his waist.
Zhou Yuli walked in front and Pei Zhao walked behind. The two of them crouched against the wall and approached the address that the lady left for them step by step.
One step, two steps.
At the corner of the last staircase, the two stopped again.
Because it was afternoon, there was still a ray of light outside the window. At the corner of the last staircase leading to the top floor, the afterglow of the setting sun shone through the glass and illuminated the inside.
The lady with a dignified face was sitting on the top step with disheveled clothes. She looked haggard and seemed to have just cried.
In her arms, she held a child. Red skirt with lace trim.
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