Catching the momentary panic that flashed in Crispy Rice's eyes, Lonely Old Man was startled. He subtly signaled Crazy Man, and they both stepped aside.
"What's wrong?" Crazy Man asked.
Lonely Old Man's expression was grim. "Crispy Rice has a problem."
"No way," Crazy Man said, puzzled. "He's the first Player to get a Puppet. It's quite normal for him to be a bit ecstatic!"
"If you got a Love Puppet, would you spend an entire night drinking and chatting with it, yet resist showing it off on a livestream?" Lonely Old Man asked.
"..." Crazy Man glanced at Crispy Rice and frowned. "Looking at it that way, it is a bit strange."
"Don't you think Crispy Rice's situation is a bit like Qing Yu and Flower Stream?" Lonely Old Man continued.
HISS!
Crazy Man shuddered violently, his eyes wide with disbelief. "Are you saying...?"
GULP!
Lonely Old Man swallowed hard. "I suspect Shopkeeper Lin's Staff of Love is bidirectional. It not only affected the City Lord but also Crispy Rice."
