Chapter 39
“Ring-ring-ring—”
The sound of an alarm clock came from the smartphone sitting on the desk.
Normally, Shang Che would open his eyes the very second the chime sounded, get up to turn off the alarm, and start washing up.
Today, however, he seemed to be in a very deep sleep. The alarm chimed several times, yet the face buried in the pillow didn’t show a single sign of movement.
The cotton doll raised its head to look at its keeper, who was still submerged in a dream, its big golden eyes blinking—
The human isn’t awake yet, so Cotton will turn it off!
But Cotton is on the human’s bed right now, so far away from the desk. Cotton can’t crawl over… What to do?
Placing a soft, small round hand under its chin, the cotton doll wore an expression of “deep thought and deliberation,” its eyes rolling around a couple of times. Then, it parted its small mouth:
Got it!
In the next second, with a blink of its eyes, the 10-centimeter cotton doll wearing the racing suit on the desk scrambled up with “heave-ho, heave-ho.”
It looked down at its own flexible little hands and feet, unable to refrain from giving itself a mental thumb-up.
(OuO): Cotton is simply far too smart!
Good thing the human set Cotton down here yesterday; otherwise, Cotton wouldn’t know what to do at all~
It drew closer inch by inch to the smartphone vibrating on the desk, which was making a far-from-loud sound.
Yet when it finally managed to crawl right in front of it with great effort, the sound suddenly stopped, and the room plunged into quiet.
Huh? But Cotton hasn’t turned it off yet?
Leaning closer, it pressed a small hand against the edge of the phone screen, then slowly lowered its head.
The pitch-black phone screen reflected light. As the cotton doll drew near, a small pink head gradually “poked out” from inside the screen…
Cotton Doll: ( o . o )?!
How could there be another Cotton inside the phone!
The human clearly said another Cotton would only appear inside a mirror…
Yet this was a phone, not a mirror… How could there be another Cotton here as well?
Curious, the cotton doll reached out a small round hand to give it a poke, then blinked again—this phone actually could “mimic” Cotton just like a mirror!
Except… why was the Cotton inside the phone dark and gloomy?
Cotton didn’t like it…
Suddenly, the phone screen lit up in an instant. Along with a buzz of vibration, a “ring-ring—” sound rang out as well.
The cotton doll, which had been observing closely, was startled, its tuft of hair sticking up straight like an antenna, its small mouth parting in surprise.
? (0) ! ! ! : Bad phone! Scared Cotton!
It patted its small chest as if comforting itself, then looked at the phone screen and fell into a dilemma—an orange box and a gray box: which one should Cotton press?
Cotton didn’t like the color gray; Cotton was going to make it vanish!
Decided!
Cotton was going to press that gray box!
The cotton doll extended a small round hand, carefully poking toward the gray rectangular bar on the screen that bore the word [Stop]—
And then, with a swish, the small round hand slid smoothly across the screen, meeting zero resistance.
Hmm???
…This wasn’t what Cotton expected.
It must be because Cotton used too little force. Cotton will try again.
Rubbing its small hands together as if “eager to flex its muscles,” the cotton doll bent its arms to cheer itself on, then extended its hand “in full, aggressive force”—
Only to slide across the screen once more, completely as expected.
No, no, no…
It shouldn’t be like this…
Every time the human gives it a gentle tap, this phone becomes quiet!
Why couldn’t Cotton do it!
Puffing up its cheeks in a huff, the cotton doll poked the phone screen with both tiny hands in a flurry of “tap-tap-tap” motions, looking for all the world like a woodpecker “disturbing someone’s sweet dreams.”
It was far too engrossed, to the point where it didn’t even notice when Shang Che got up or when he walked over to stand behind it.
“How did my phone offend you?”
Shang Che spoke, his voice carrying the laziness and low rasp of someone who had just woken up.
Before the cotton doll had a chance to turn around, he bent his body down. A large hand reached over, and right in front of the cotton doll, offered a gentle tap, effortlessly turning off the alarm.
Seeing its keeper look like he hadn’t exerted an ounce of effort, the cotton doll grew even angrier. Turning around, it raised its small head and held both hands high, accusing the phone of its “evil deeds” in “indignant fury.”
“Bad phone, picking on Cotton!”
“Not letting Cotton touch it!”
Shang Che looked down at the small round hand it worked hard to raise, trying to bring it before his eyes, and let out a sudden chuckle.
His voice held laughter: “Because small round hands can’t use smartphones.”
The cotton doll looked at its chubby little hands in bewilderment, asking: “Why… can’t they?”
Because cotton isn’t conductive; you’re an insulated little creature.
Yet it was hard for Shang Che to explain this somewhat complex problem to a cotton doll.
Shang Che extended his hand in front of the cotton doll, measuring against that tiny, small round hand that was merely the size of his thumb: “Because you don’t have fingers or fingerprints, you can’t operate a smartphone.”
Cotton’s hands are indeed different from human hands…
So that was the reason…
The small tuft of hair on the cotton doll’s head drooped down in a “dispirted” slump.
Seemingly picking up on this little guy’s dejection, Shang Che added a line intentionally: “There’s also a most important reason—this is my phone, so it only listens to me.”
The cotton doll raised its head in an instant, its eyes flashing as it announced in a loud voice: “Then Cotton wants… its own phone too!”
Shang Che had slept well and was in a great mood. He agreed promptly: “Sure. I’ll take you out to buy one this weekend.”
“Really?!” The cotton doll was surprised, its starry eyes sparkling bright, before dimming down once more, “But human said just now… Cotton’s hands can’t touch smartphones…”
“Buying you a pair of touchscreen gloves will do the trick,” Shang Che answered airily.
The cotton doll repeated in dazed silly confusion: “Glo… ves?”
Shang Che extended a finger, drawing circles around its small round hand, raising an eyebrow as he said: “It’s a magical thing that lets you touch smartphones.”
The cotton doll’s eyes followed his movements, turning and turning, until it finally caught the chance to press its small hand against it—
( ^^ ): “Okay! Cotton wants one!”
Shang Che froze for a second. Looking at this gesture that looked remarkably like “sealing a pact with a high-five,” and hearing the cotton doll’s joyful cheering, he curved the corners of his mouth helplessly.
Finishing his breakfast, Shang Che carried the cotton doll back into the bedroom in one arm. His gaze swayed back and forth between the rocking chair and the doll bed, ultimately deciding to ask for the opinion of the little Cotton in his arms:
“Where do you want to stay—the rocking chair or the bed?”
“The bed!” The cotton doll announced excitedly.
Shang Che stepped out toward the doll bed in the corner.
“No, no—” Seeing the direction was wrong, the cotton doll flailed both small round hands in the air out of sheer panic. Raising its head to look at its keeper, it pointed a hand, “Cotton wants to be… on human’s bed!”
Shang Che’s footsteps paused: “…I only agreed that you could sleep on my bed last night. I didn’t mean I was sharing half my bed with you.”
“But human… is leaving right away~”
The cotton doll blinked its eyes, wearing a face that read ‘what can human do to Cotton~’.
Shang Che easily read the subtext of the little creature in his arms—even if human doesn’t let Cotton go right now, once human leaves, Cotton will crawl up secretly on its own!
…The little Cotton even learned how to threaten people.
“Fine.”
The vein on Shang Che’s temple throbbed, yet he found it somewhat amusing as well. Nodding his head, he walked toward his bed with a front of reluctance and helplessness, setting the cotton doll onto it. He didn’t forget to poke the cotton doll’s head as he did so, letting out a gentle sigh: “Little rascal.”
What ‘little rascal’~
It was clearly the most reasonable Cotton King in the world!
Watching its keeper put on his jacket, the cotton doll muttered in a small voice: “Human is leaving again…”
Shang Che’s movement paused for a second. Walking over, he sat down at the edge of the bed, making eye contact with the cotton doll, his tone much gentler than usual: “I’ll be back as soon as school lets out. I’ll take you to buy a smartphone this weekend.”
The cotton doll nodded, its cat-like mouth straining into a smile: “Cotton knows now. Cotton will wait good and obediently.”
Looking at the little Cotton’s expression—trying hard to smile yet unable to mask its dejection—Shang Che’s heart softened for a fraction of a second.
He recalled seeing before that people who raised pets would put on cartoons for their little pets to watch.
A cotton doll should be able to watch them too, right?
Either way, it had eyes and could hear human speech; it should be able to understand cartoons… right?
Shang Che looked at it, stayed silent for a few seconds, and then raised a hand to press a switch on the wall.
Not knowing what its keeper was doing, the cotton doll tilted its head in curiosity. And then, the cotton doll’s big golden eyes looked toward the space above the sofa at the foot of the bed, where a massive, pitch-black object suddenly descended.
“Human—” The cotton doll let out a gasp, assuming this object was going to cover it like a trash bag, hastily reaching out its hand to Shang Che as if seeking help and comfort.
Looking at its pitiful little demeanor, Shang Che raised a hand to pat its plump cotton body, his voice carrying a touch of gentleness: “Alright, alright, it’s fine. It’s merely a projector screen.”
The cotton doll grabbed hold of its keeper’s wrist tightly, only then setting its mind at peace. Once that large object came to a halt suspended in mid-air, it asked slowly: “…Pro… jector screen?”
“Mm, a projector screen.” Shang Che operated his phone with one hand, opening a streaming app. “I’ll put on a cartoon for you to watch. Do you want to watch it?”
With too many new words, the cotton doll could barely keep up, asking softly: “What… is a… car… toon?”
Shang Che thought about it, offering an extremely broad answer: “It’s something every human watches when they’re little.”
The cotton doll offered a half-understanding “Oh~”: “Then can Cotton watch it too?”
“You’re a little Cotton, so you can watch it too,” Shang Che’s tone sounded firm and thoroughly reliable.
The cotton doll was thrilled.
“Cotton wants to watch! Cotton wants to watch!”
Shang Che browsed through the children’s educational and early-childhood development cartoons he searched up, picking and choosing—
Pink hairdryer pig? What if it watches it and constantly wants to roll around in mud on the ground?
No, next.
Yellow sponge?
Doesn’t seem suitable for this little Cotton to watch, pass.
Short-haired girl who loves exploring?
Learning English with this one is fine, but this little Cotton finds even listening to Chinese grueling; better not give it hard problems.
Shang Che furrowed his brows tightly, as if worrying over his own child, wanting to find a suitable cartoon for the cotton doll to watch.
In the end, after a moment’s consideration, he clicked into a classic cartoon from a century-old mega-IP brand known as “The Strongest Legal Department.”
A few crisp bird calls sounded, and colorful pictures appeared on the projector screen.
The cotton doll was scared to the point where its tuft of hair perked up, its entire plush body almost tumbling sideways onto the bed.
Shang Che, quick-eyed and swift-handed, held it steady, laughing softly: “Don’t be scared. This is a cartoon.”
Then, stacking two pillows from the bed together, he created a backrest for the cotton doll.
The cotton doll stared at the projector screen with lingering shock, watching a character wearing red pants and sporting two big, round ears suddenly pop out.
Its pair of golden eyes blinked, looking at this picture with novelty—”Hee-hee~ Hello everyone, it’s me, Mickey Mouse! Want to enter my Clubhouse?”
“Human! It moves!” The cotton doll gasped, pointing a small round finger at the projector screen, its tuft of hair swaying back and forth with excitement, “It moves! And it talks! So cute!”
Looking at its appearance of having never seen the world, Shang Che couldn’t suppress the curve at the corners of his mouth no matter what, yet without casting a single glance at the playing cartoon, he still responded to it earnestly: “Mm, indeed cute.”
In the picture, Mickey Mouse placed a hand wearing a white glove behind its large ear, appearing to wait for an answer.
The cotton doll proved extraordinarily supportive, shouting at the top of its lungs: “WANT TO!!!”
This resounding shout actually snapped Shang Che awake. Upon realizing what he had just said, he turned his face away awkwardly, making a fist to press against his lips with a “ahem”:
Good thing this cotton doll’s attention wasn’t on him right now; otherwise…
The cotton doll was completely mesmerized.
It sat on the bed without moving a muscle, its small round hands brought together obediently in front of its chest, its golden eyes staring straight at that massive projector screen, even its tuft of hair radiating an air of earnestness.
Shang Che checked the time, picked up his backpack, and when he reached the doorway, cast a glance back.
The cotton doll remained in that exact posture, entirely failing to notice he was about to leave.
Shang Che: “…I’m leaving.”
The cotton doll offered zero reaction.
“…?” Shang Che raised his voice slightly: “Little Cotton, I’m leaving.”
The cotton doll still offered zero reaction, with only its tuft of hair swaying gently, as if saying ‘don’t disturb Cotton watching cartoons.’
Shang Che felt both amused and exasperated. Walking over, he waved his hand in front of it.
Only then did the cotton doll snap back to reality. Blinking its eyes, it raised its small face: “…Human? You haven’t left yet?”
“…I’m leaving right now.” Shang Che’s words carried quite a sense of gritted-teeth helplessness. “Be good at home. Autoplay is turned on for the cartoon. If you don’t want to watch anymore, just leave it be; you don’t need to bother with it.”
“Mm-mm-mm! Cotton knows now~” The cotton doll nodded, its eyes drifting back to the projector screen once more.
Looking at its appearance of having its soul stolen by the cartoon, a subtle trace of… displeasure suddenly surged in Shang Che’s heart?
Tsk.
Just a moment ago it wore a face full of dejection saying it would wait good and obediently for him to come back, yet now that it had cartoons, it didn’t even care that he was leaving.
Shaking his head, he felt this mindset of his was indescribably childish. Turning around, he walked out of the bedroom.
The sound of the door closing rang out, and the cotton doll finally shifted its line of sight away from the projector screen, looking toward that closed door.
The human had left.
It blinked its eyes, looked back at the cartoon, and after staring for a little while, spoke in a small voice: “Human will… come back… when school lets out… Cotton will watch cartoons first… while waiting for human.”
