Bengtie: My death fueled their madness.

[Remaining lifespan: 7 day, 1 hours, 23 minutes, and 07 seconds]

Qi Zhimu glanced at the system interface, his expression unchanged, and smiled as he looked at the girl who was running towards him.

She has always had a preference for purple.

The fitted purple wool short coat was open, revealing a beige turtleneck sweater underneath.

Beneath the hem of her skirt, black stockings gleamed matte in the winter morning light.

The boot shaft of the warm boots fits perfectly around the lower leg, outlining a slender and smooth line.

The scarf was casually wrapped around her shoulders twice, with the extended part hanging down behind her waist.

From the front, the girl's waistline appears even more slender, as if it could be grasped in one hand.

Good morning, Mr. Qi!

Good morning, your outfit suits you very well today.

"Really? Mr. Qi, what else do you think can be improved?" The girl's eyes lit up.

"I don't know much about this, but you look great as you are, and it suits your temperament very well."

Hearing his praise, the girl's eyebrows curved into a smile, and a sweet smile spread across her lips.

"...Mr. Qi, aren't you cold wearing so little?"

A simple thermal underwear set, plus a short trench coat—the outfit couldn't be more ordinary.

Placed in a bustling city, it is just an inconspicuous part of the myriad aspects of human life.

But her exceptionally beautiful face made up for it perfectly.

It's often said that clothes make the man, but Clarice thinks that in Qi Zhimu's case, it's the man who makes the clothes.

Even the most ordinary clothes look exceptionally eye-catching on him.

"It's not cold, I'm used to it. Let's go." Qi Zhimu turned around and walked towards the back mountain.

The plum blossoms have been blooming in succession recently, and after observation, it has been concluded that these days are the best time to pick plum blossoms.

Upon reaching the foot of the mountain, the steps leading up the mountain were covered with a layer of fresh snow.

"It snowed heavily last night, and it turned out like this."

Qi Zhimu took out a snow shovel from his portable folding space.

"Leave the physical labor to me, Mr. Qi, just focus on picking plum blossoms." Clarice took the broom.

"…good."

The snow on the stone steps wasn't thick, so Qi Zhimu didn't refuse the girl's kindness.

The snow-covered stone steps wind upwards, with red and white plum blossoms blooming alternately on both sides, creating a striking contrast.

Ice crystals clung to the branches of white plum blossoms, while red plum blossoms peeked out from between the snowflakes, revealing a dark crimson hue.

When the wind blows, the fine snow falls softly.

A few petals drifted in the wind, gently brushing against Clarice's cheek, leaving a lingering, cool fragrance.

She looked up at the mountain peaks, where the ridgelines undulated gently in the snow, a scene of breathtaking beauty.

Everything in the mountains was covered with a thin layer of frost, and all around was so quiet that only the rustling sound of Qi Zhimu picking plum blossoms with a bamboo knife could be heard.

Clarice cleared the snow faster than expected, and after taking more than twenty steps ahead, her body felt warmer from the exercise, and she let out a soft sigh of relief.

Looking back down, Qi Zhimu was intently selecting the tenderest dozen or so blossoms from each plum tree, his movements meticulous.

When people are focused on something, they often don't notice the passage of time.

Unbeknownst to her, Clarice had already reached the summit.

As she shook the snow off her shoulders and her view suddenly opened up, she involuntarily held her breath.

The wind suddenly changed direction, sweeping across the entire plum grove.

The muffled sound of snow falling in clusters from the branches mingled with the low thud of the branches rubbing against each other.

The bitter, cool fragrance, crushed by the wind, mingled with the scent of frozen earth, swept through my nostrils.

Petals fluttered and swirled with the air currents, and as the slender branches trembled gently, red and white intertwined to create a beautiful wave of flowers.

The moment Clarice regained her breath, she cleverly missed the faint, bitter fragrance and instead smelled a much stronger plum blossom scent.

In this situation, a hint of intoxication flashed across her face.

"Mr. Qi, come on up! The plum blossoms are so beautiful!"

Eh?

As soon as she finished speaking, Clarice's expression froze for a moment.

Not far away, there was an old plum tree whose roots protruded from the snow and clung tightly to the cracks in the rocks.

In front of this plum tree stood two faint, ethereal figures.

One of the figures exuded an intellectual elegance; even from her back view, one could tell she was a graceful beauty.

A boy stood beside her, who was not even as tall as her shoulder.

This looks familiar... It's Mr. Qi from when I was a child!

So, this graceful and beautiful woman must be Mr. Qi's teacher.

Just then, two illusory figures appeared near several other trees around the old plum tree.

Young Qi Zhimu carried a bamboo basket and accepted plum blossoms that his teacher picked from time to time.

Later, the boy grew taller.

The boy held the oil-paper umbrella for his teacher with his left hand and supported the plum tree branch with his right hand, allowing her to pass first.

Later, the boy grew taller than his teacher, but she was no longer by his side.

It's easy to see from his actions that he was all alone, bending down to plant a new plum tree.

Originally, this plum grove only had a few old plum trees...

"Girl, girl?"

"…ah?!"

Clarice snapped back to reality and found that Qi Zhimu had already walked up to her side.

"Is there something wrong with that plum tree in that direction? Why are you staring at it so intently?" Qi Zhimu asked gently.

"...The scenery here is so beautiful, I was stunned for a moment..."

When she looked again, the phantoms all disappeared, as if it were just an illusion.

But she knew it was no illusion.

Judging from Mr. Qi's reaction, he clearly could not see those phantoms.

Clarice couldn't understand why only she could see it.

"There's no need to shovel snow here, so I'll help with the picking too, and I'll also collect the parts for making sachets."

If you can't figure it out, then don't think about it for now; the things at hand are more important.

"If you're making sachets, do you know which type of plum blossom is best to pick?"

"...Could it be that, just like making rice wine, the plum blossoms at different times are also different?" Clarice asked.

"nature."

Hearing her ask this question, Qi Zhimu knew that the girl had not studied this subject in detail.

Or rather, they don't quite understand how to make sachets from plum blossoms.

"For making sachets, it is best to choose plum blossoms that are still in bud, as the fragrance will be more intense and last longer."

"Half-open plum blossoms are also nice. At this time, some of the fragrant substances in the petals have been released, and the flowers are relatively intact. Do you know why we come in the early morning?"

"I don't know," Clarisse honestly shook her head.

"Because the air humidity is high in the early morning before the sun rises, the plum blossoms are full of moisture and have a rich fragrance, which can preserve the fragrance and quality to the greatest extent."

Qi Zhimu patiently answered the girl's questions.

"Plum blossoms with intact flowers, free from pests and diseases, and without damage should be selected to ensure the quality and fragrance of the sachet."

"At the same time, we should avoid strong winds and heavy rain to prevent the fragrance of the flowers from dissipating."

"Today's weather isn't actually the best; the wind is a bit strong. Unfortunately, there haven't been any sunny, windless days in recent days, so we have to settle for second best."

"After the Great Cold, clear skies will be visible, but unfortunately..."

…He couldn't wait until that day.