Chapter 077

The appearance of the Little Paper Men saved a lot of trouble.

Aside from Qiao Man, the creator of the paper figurines, the person who benefited the most was Lu Jianxing.

With an extra child in the house, the most obvious change was the increase in housework.

Previously, living alone, Lu Jianxing had been quite meticulous. Aside from regular deep cleaning, maintaining the place wasn’t much of a burden. But Qiao Man was different. In a child’s eyes, there is no such thing as chores; even a lump of mud is a fun toy. By the end of the day, toys that had been neatly organized in the toy box would be scattered throughout the house, snack crumbs would appear on the floor, and the child’s clothes would be stained with mysterious grime. These sorts of small tasks had increased significantly.

Although he regularly hired professional cleaners for a full house scrub, Lu Jianxing handled the daily tidying himself.

As his workload increased, the time he could devote to housework dwindled. Sometimes he returned home so late that he simply couldn’t deal with the mess. Once the Little Paper Men appeared, he no longer had to worry about cleaning the house.

The paper figurines were afraid of fire and water, but as long as they stayed away from those two things, they were experts at housework.

They were especially in their element once they learned how to use the smart home appliances.

They could use the vacuum cleaner and even drive the robot vacuum. they could transport dirty laundry into the washing machine and take clothes out of the dryer to iron them neatly and fold them. Every day, they kept the home spotless.

After a long, exhausting day at work, coming home to a tidy and cozy house was an incomparable feeling. It wasn’t just Lu Jianxing who felt this way; Maomao was incredibly envious when he saw it. He also lived alone, but his rented bedroom was like a pigsty. He couldn’t afford regular cleaning services, and on his days off, he only wanted to slump over and play on his phone. He desperately needed a hardworking “Snail Girl¹” paper figurine!

Unfortunately, perhaps because they were created by Qiao Man, the Little Paper Men only listened to Qiao Man and were unwilling to work for anyone else. Maomao could only give up with regret.

They could even help Qiao Man mend his clothes!

One day while out playing, Qiao Man’s favorite padded coat unfortunately snagged a hole. The fluffy down inside poked out like clusters of dandelions.

Several Little Paper Men spread the coat out. Two of them stood before the hole; one pushed the needle and thread through, and the other pushed it back. Not only did they mend the hole, but they even embroidered a small duck’s head over it for him.

Touching the little yellow duck, Qiao Man said happily, “You guys are even better than my Master.”

His Master would help him sew his clothes, but the stitches were plain and functional; he never sewed little animals to amuse a child. Lu Jianxing knew how—the sewing kit in the house was one he had used before—but he had been so busy lately that the hole in Qiao Man’s coat had gone unmended for several days.

Although Qiao Man had many clothes that filled over half the wardrobe, this one with the big pockets was his favorite. Now that it had the little yellow duck, he loved it even more!

The Little Paper Men put the sewing kit back into the drawer and lined up to slide down the table leg. Under the command of the Paper Man Leader, they turned on the robot vacuum in the corner and drove it around to clean the dust off the floor.

Yes, a leader had emerged among these Little Paper Men.

According to Qiao Man’s observations, the leader was the one with the largest and squarest head. Perhaps because of its large head, it was smarter than the others, and it had been the first to learn how to use the smart appliances.

Every day, the Paper Man Leader would patrol the house and then assign the necessary chores to the other figurines in batches. Under its management, all the Little Paper Men kept the house in perfect order.

To distinguish it, Qiao Man took a watercolor marker and drew two dots on its square head to serve as eyes. The square-headed Little Paper Man climbed onto the vanity and stood in front of the mirror, admiring itself for a long time.

At noon, Qiao Man put on his padded coat with the embroidered yellow duck, hung his keys around his neck, unlocked the door, and drove his small toy car out.

He looked down at the paper figurines on the floor and said, “You must stay home and be good. Don’t run outside.”

The Paper Man Leader with the eyes nodded its head and pointed toward the balcony, indicating they would stay inside and do chores.

Qiao Man urged, “The wind is very strong today. Be careful not to get blown away.”

The Paper Man Leader nodded.

Only then did he feel at ease closing the door to go find Grandpa Zhang for lunch.

After the New Year, the weather began to warm up. It no longer snowed in A City. It was a bit hot to wear a padded coat, but with the strong wind today, it was just right.

The little car rumbled to a stop in front of Grandpa Zhang’s door. Qiao Man rang the doorbell, and as soon as Grandpa Zhang came out to open the door, Qiao Man immediately raised his arm to show him the new little duck head on his sleeve.

“Oh my, how cute,” Grandpa Zhang said with a smile. “Did Xingxing sew that for you?”

Qiao Man shook his head. “No.”

“Then who was it?” Grandpa Zhang guessed several names, all of whom were elderly residents in the neighborhood and regular clients of Master Xiao Man.

Qiao Man shook his head at all of them. When Grandpa Zhang asked again, he pressed his lips tight, refusing to say.

Xingxing had said that the Little Paper Men at home were a secret and couldn’t be told to others, or it would scare them.

A few afternoons ago, Lu Jianxing had a package delivered to the door. The box was quite heavy, and Qiao Man couldn’t move it inside, so the Little Paper Men ran out to help. While they were moving the box, the elevator opened and a neighbor walked out. Seeing a group of stark white paper figurines walking on the ground, the person nearly fainted from fright.

Fortunately, the Paper Man Leader acted decisively, immediately ordering all the Little Paper Men to drop flat on the spot and pretend to be ordinary scraps of paper, which prevented the neighbor from having a heart attack. The neighbor simply assumed they were exhausted and seeing things, then went home to take a long nap.

Since Qiao Man refused to say, Grandpa Zhang didn’t think much of it and led the child into the house.

Lunch had just been prepared, and the house was filled with a delicious aroma. Grandpa Zhang scooped the last dish out of the wok and poured a glass of fresh juice for the boy.

The television in the living room was on, playing commercials. When Lu Jianxing’s face appeared on the screen, the old man and the young boy turned their heads in unison.

“Xingxing is quite a star now,” Grandpa Zhang said. “My granddaughter told me that a lot of people in her class are watching the TV drama he’s in. It’s just that he doesn’t get much screen time. From what I’ve seen, he only shows up for a few minutes an episode.”

Qiao Man tilted his head up proudly, his little feet dangling in the air and swinging happily. “Xingxing says he’s going to play the lead role very soon!”

From the countless script offers he had received, Lu Jianxing had selected a high-quality screenplay. The director he would be working with was an old acquaintance, Director Liu, whom they had helped catch a ghost before. After Lu Jianxing made his choice, Qiao Man had even performed a divination for him. The hexagram indicated great fortune!

The new production was still in the early stages of preparation, so he didn’t have to join the set immediately. Since the new drama involved many action scenes, Lu Jianxing had enrolled himself in a martial arts class.

“Xingxing works so hard,” Qiao Man said, his small face etched with worry. “He’s been going to class lately and gets new injuries every day. Being a lead actor really isn’t easy.”

Grandpa Zhang placed a piece of beef brisket into the boy’s bowl. “It certainly isn’t. Eat more meat to build up your strength.”

“Right!” Qiao Man declared, his fighting spirit ignited. “I’m going to earn money to help Xingxing nourish his body!”

After his afternoon nap, he set up his divination stall in the small park and successfully earned thirty yuan.

Adding that to the money he had earned from fortune-telling over the past few days, he went to the wet market, accompanied by Grandpa Zhang, and bought a plump, high-quality hen.

When Lu Jianxing returned home, he was greeted by the savory aroma of chicken soup.

Lu Jianxing took off his coat, which was immediately taken by the Little Paper Men. He followed the scent further inside. “Xiao Man, did you go into the kitchen?”

“No, Grandpa Zhang helped me make it.”

Qiao Man came running over, but as he reached Lu Jianxing, he suddenly stopped. He tilted his little face up, his dark, round eyes staring intently at him for a long time.

Lu Jianxing found it a bit strange. He looked down at himself; his clothes were normal, and he hadn’t picked up anything odd. “What’s wrong, Xiao Man?”

Qiao Man stared seriously at him, but after a while, he couldn’t see any problem. He asked doubtfully, “Xingxing, did you run into a ghost?”

“A ghost?” Lu Jianxing couldn’t see ghosts, but hearing the question made him feel a bit uneasy. He rubbed his neck and glanced around. “Is there a ghost near me?”

“Just a tiny bit of Yin Energy.” Qiao Man held up his pinky finger to demonstrate. “Only this much. It’s very, very faint and is about to disappear. It might have just been a passing ghost. Xingxing, did anything happen today?”

Lu Jianxing was about to say no, but his slight hesitation was immediately caught by Qiao Man’s sharp eyes. The child stared at him with a solemn expression, forcing Lu Jianxing to confess. “While I was filming today, a set of decorative light stands suddenly fell. It almost hit me.”

Qiao Man’s heart leaped into his throat. “Are you okay?!”

“I’m fine, and no one else was hurt,” Lu Jianxing said. “The staff said a screw had come loose. They’ve rechecked all the equipment, so it won’t happen again.”

He paused, then added uncertainly, “…It probably wasn’t a ghost, right?”

Qiao Man wasn’t entirely convinced and checked the Amulet he had given him. He always made sure Lu Jianxing carried an Amulet, which would protect him from attacks if he encountered a malicious spirit.

The Amulet was perfectly intact, and Qiao Man breathed a sigh of relief.

Since there had been no attack from a malicious spirit and no strange spells cast on him, today’s event was likely just an accident. If Xingxing were facing a Calamity of Blood, Qiao Man would have been able to tell at a glance.

“My luck has returned, so I managed to dodge it. Everything is fine.” Lu Jianxing ruffled the boy’s hair and looked toward the dining table to change the subject. “That chicken soup smells delicious. Did you buy the chicken?”

Qiao Man was instantly distracted and said happily, “Yes! I specifically picked the fattest one!”

The two of them enjoyed the delicious soup together. Fortunately, Director Liu hadn’t given Lu Jianxing any instructions to lose weight. Because he had lost so much for Director Jin’s movie, he was actually allowed to gain a few pounds back.

After dinner, Qiao Man showed him the little duck head on his clothes.

Lu Jianxing touched the pattern and looked at the Little Paper Men resting in various spots around the house. “It’s sewn very well,” he praised.

Qiao Man stroked the little duck affectionately, his lips curled in a happy smile.

As spring arrived, the weather grew warmer, and he wouldn’t be able to wear his padded cotton clothes for much longer. Lu Jianxing took the opportunity to organize the wardrobe, putting away the clothes they no longer needed into storage bags and hanging up their spring outfits.

The Little Paper Men, with their mismatched legs, ran back and forth around him, huffing and puffing as they helped organize. Qiao Man followed their lead, seriously folding his sweaters into neat piles.

“Xiao Man,” Lu Jianxing asked, sounding casual. “When is your birthday?”

“Birthday?” Qiao Man was working hard to press a fluffy down jacket into a small square, putting his whole body into the effort. “I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?”

Qiao Man said, “Master said he forgot when he picked me up.”

“…”

“Master said that on my birthday, he’d kill a chicken for me to eat. But I wanted to eat chicken all the time, so I had dozens of birthdays a year.”

“…”

Lu Jianxing started to say something, then stopped. “…Never mind.”

That evening, after Qiao Man had washed up and smelled fresh and clean, he sat on a chair while Lu Jianxing blow-dried his hair. Once his soft hair was fluffy and dry, he belatedly tilted his head back. “Xingxing, why did you ask me that?”

Lu Jianxing replied offhandedly, “It’s nothing.”

“Really?”

Qiao Man wanted to ask more, but he was tucked into bed. A bedtime cartoon was placed in front of him, and his attention was immediately diverted.

The next morning, Maomao arrived to pick him up.

Lu Jianxing had a magazine shoot today. While there would be a different look styled for the magazine, he still needed to look presentable for the workplace. Before he left, the Little Paper Men helped iron the wrinkles out of his coat.

The black-eyed Little Paper Man stood on the shoulder of the coat while the others stacked themselves up, holding the iron and moving back and forth under its direction. The Little Paper Man at the very bottom had trembling legs, its mismatched feet shifting left and right. It accidentally tripped over itself, and in an instant, the whole stack of Paper Figurines tumbled over in a heap.

Lu Jianxing took his jacket off the hanger and put it on. He picked up the steamer that had fallen to the floor, put it away, and scooped up the dizzy Little Paper Men to set them on the table.

“I only have a magazine shoot today,” Lu Jianxing told Qiao Man. “If everything goes smoothly, I’ll be back early. How about I take you out to a restaurant for dinner tonight?”

Qiao Man’s eyes lit up instantly.

The food at home was delicious, but food from outside smelled amazing too!

He said expectantly, “Then I’ll wait for you at home!”

After seeing Lu Jianxing out the door and watching his figure disappear at the neighborhood entrance from the window, Qiao Man immediately ran back. He found his tablet and typed Lu Jianxing’s name into the browser’s search bar.

He could already recognize characters and write Pinyin, and he had learned how to search for things he wanted online.

Once he entered Lu Jianxing’s name, his profile appeared on the screen almost instantly. As a celebrity, much of his information was public.

Qiao Man’s eyes widened. It clearly listed Lu Jianxing’s birthday. It wasn’t yesterday, and it wasn’t tomorrow – it was today!

Today was Xingxing’s birthday!

He had almost, almost missed such an important event!

Master never cared about holidays. He didn’t even remember the day he picked up Xiao Man; according to him, it was just a sunny day. But it was sunny more than half the year. So Xiao Man never celebrated birthdays either; whenever he felt like it, any sunny day could be his birthday.

But Xingxing was different. He remembered his own birthday perfectly. As a qualified father, Qiao Man keenly sensed that his son had a tiny, unspoken wish.

This was the day Xiao Man’s only son was born!

It was also the first birthday Xiao Man would spend with his only son!

Anxious, Qiao Man paced in circles while clutching the tablet.

A birthday? How do you celebrate a birthday?

He had never done it before!

Right, right, the TV shows said you had to prepare a gift! A gift… what kind of gift should he prepare?

Master never taught him this!

Did he need to prepare a party too? Should he invite guests? Did he have to call everyone? Oh wow, there were so many things to do!

Sensing their master’s urgency, the Little Paper Men poked their heads out from various corners of the house to look at him. Noticing them, Qiao Man had a sudden idea. Fortunately, he had helpers.

“Huh?”

Qiao Man stood in the middle of the room and scanned his surroundings.

The Little Paper Men, each with a slightly different appearance, were scattered throughout the house. He looked around but couldn’t find the one with the drawn-on eyes.

“Where’s your boss?”

…

On the way to the magazine shoot, Maomao said excitedly, “Brother Lu, are you going to spend your birthday with Xiao Man tonight?”

As Lu Jianxing’s assistant, he naturally knew when his boss’s birthday was. In previous years, Lu Jianxing would hold a birthday party and invite fans to celebrate together; Maomao had eaten his birthday cake every year.

This year, he clearly had different plans. When Sister Yun asked about it like she did every year, Lu Jianxing had canceled all arrangements.

That’s only natural, Maomao thought. Baby Xiao Man is Brother Lu’s father… cough, even if it’s fake, this is the first time Brother Lu is spending his birthday with family.

Spending it with fans was great, but the meaning was different.

Maomao was full of fighting spirit. “Don’t worry, Brother Lu. I’ll make sure you’re back in Baby Xiao Man’s hands early!”

Lu Jianxing chuckled. “It’s not that dramatic.”

“It is, it is! After all, today is a very special day!”

But Xiao Man doesn’t know what day it is yet; he just thinks it’s a normal dinner out, Lu Jianxing thought to himself.

Although it wasn’t a particularly big deal, for some reason, he felt a bit embarrassed to mention it. If he went out of his way to remind him, wouldn’t it seem like he was acting like a spoiled child? Xiao Man was enthusiastic about everything anyway. He would just order a small cake and have a lavish, delicious dinner; the routine was mostly the same.

Right, he needed to book the restaurant for tonight in advance.

Lu Jianxing reached into his pocket for his phone.

“…Hmm?”

Lu Jianxing paused.

Maomao asked, “Brother Lu, what’s wrong?”

Lu Jianxing didn’t say anything. He pulled his hand out and looked down. Sitting in his palm was a square-headed Little Paper Man.

The Little Paper Man sat up dizzily and shook its head. Its black eyes looked around, and upon realizing it wasn’t in its familiar home, it immediately clutched its head in terror.

“Huh?” Maomao said in surprise. “Xiao Man’s paper figurine? How did it get here?”

Translator’s Notes