Bengtie: My death fueled their madness.

[Remaining lifespan: 11 hour 01 minutes 37 seconds]

"...Happy birthday in advance..."

On the steps of the bamboo house, Clarice handed a beautifully packaged gift box to Qi Zhimu.

The girl should have been smiling, but her lips seemed to be pressed down by something, and she couldn't lift them.

I tried to force a smile, but the curve of my lips could only point downwards helplessly.

"Don't worry, I know when I'm going to die, there's no need to predict it."

"...Mr. Qi is a big liar, I'm afraid you'll lie to me again."

"You silly girl, at least give this old man who's almost 175 years old a little trust."

Qi Zhimu chuckled and accepted the gift box with both hands.

He looked at Clarice for confirmation, and after receiving a slight nod from her, he opened the packaging on the spot.

Inside was a sachet that exuded the fragrance of plum blossoms, a scarf, and a hand-knitted sweater.

Qi Zhimu's gaze paused for a moment, his expression softening further.

"...Thank you for your gift, Clarice, I love it."

It turns out that what the girl did some time ago was all for today.

It is said that life is unpredictable.

Most regrets are ordained by fate, and most affections are beyond our reach.

Qi Zhimu knew that he could not make any promises to the girl, nor was he allowed to.

Because he is going to die of old age.

"Check if the size fits..." Clarice whispered.

Without hesitation, Qi Zhimu took off his coat and put on his sweater.

It fits perfectly.

As he put his coat back on and was about to speak, Clarice suddenly approached him, gently tied his scarf around his neck, and then lightly hung the sachet on his waist.

We were very close, and I could smell the faint fragrance emanating from her hair.

"It's so cold outside, thank goodness for your thoughtful gift."

"Liar, your body clearly hasn't been able to sense changes in temperature for a long time..."

"Yes, I haven't been able to sense it for a long time, but, girl..."

When his gaze met Clarice's eyes, Qi Zhimu took her hand and placed it on his chest, his voice soft and gentle.

"This heart, which is still beating, is warm now."

Clarice stared blankly into those deep brown eyes; the tenderness that had once captivated her remained unchanged.

But now, facing this tenderness, she could only force herself to hold back her sobs.

"On this planet, the starry sky is always at its most beautiful and clearest during these few days of the year. Look up."

"Is Mr. Qi trying to say that people turn into stars after they die...?"

"People don't turn into stars when they die; it's just a way for people to express their emotions through objects. Look over there—"

Clarice looked up and gazed at the spot Qi Zhimu was pointing to.

The stars, like scattered diamonds, filled the sky and shimmered quietly in the deep night.

The edges of the stardust were tinged with pale blue and green, forming a still river of light. No shooting stars streaked across the sky, and no stars suddenly dimmed.

Tranquil, peaceful, and beautiful.

Clarisse was mesmerized.

In my memory, I have never looked up at the night sky so quietly as I do now.

I never knew the starry sky could be so beautiful.

"Isn't it especially beautiful?"

"Hmm...very beautiful..." Clarice nodded unconsciously.

If Mr. Qi weren't about to die of old age, how wonderful and romantic it would be to sit together in front of the bamboo house tonight and watch the stars.

"Mr. Qi, I'd like to lean on your shoulder for a bit."

"it is good."

The girl leaned on Qi Zhimu's shoulder, greedily inhaling his scent and fragrance.

The two gazed at the starry sky in silence for a long time without speaking.

"Mr. Qi, tell me your story, from childhood to adulthood, the ordinary, the thrilling, the unfortunate, the beautiful—I want to hear it all, as long as you're willing to tell it..."

She wanted to remember more about his deeds.

If I could, I would want to remember his entire life, even... all his memories.

Besides her mother, she only had Mr. Qi.

But soon, Mr. Qi will leave her completely.

He will leave nothing behind except his memories.

Mother was right... They had nothing but memories.

"My story..."

Qi Zhimu spoke softly, unconsciously looking back on the past.

It is said that before a person dies, they experience a "revolving lantern" phenomenon, where their entire life flashes through their mind.

But even though his time hasn't come yet, he's already seen a lot.

"As far back as I can remember, my hometown was a place ravaged by war, and people lived a life of wandering and displacement..."

No one knows what fate awaits them in the next moment.

"My parents may have died a long time ago, or they may have lived a long time; I don't know."

"I was captured as a reserve food source. When people are starving and can't find food, they often turn to their own kind."

"The apocalypse is cruel. In order to survive, there is no right or wrong, only the differences in human nature."

"I was locked in different cages with a group of children and other people who had little ability to resist, for about ten days."

"During that period, a lot of reserve food was infected with various deadly biochemical viruses, but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise and was thrown away, so there was no need to worry about it being eaten by our own kind."

"As for how long we can live, no one has the right to ask for anything. We should just take it one day at a time..."

Clarice's already heavy heart was further burdened by these words.

She understood perfectly why Mr. Qi respected his teacher so much.

Sometimes, the reason for pulling someone out of bottomless darkness is that simple.

……

In this deserted place, a manor stands.

Ruan Mei put down the observation lens in her hand, raised her pale face and looked up at the ceiling.

Even in a laboratory buried deep underground, the faint sound of thunder could be heard, demonstrating just how powerful the thunder was outside.

She glanced at the failed products on the test bench and habitually ordered her 'Amu' to clean them up.

But when she saw that familiar, expressionless face, Yu Qingtu's words before leaving echoed in her mind.

For no apparent reason, I felt a rare sense of irritability.

Ruan Mei naturally didn't think it was influenced by that sentence. After a moment's thought, she attributed her emotions to the stagnation in the research progress.

"...Let's go for a walk."

As we left the underground laboratory via the elevator, the heavy doors had just opened when a thunderclap ripped through the dark sky.

The rain poured down like a waterfall.

Ruan Mei paused in her steps.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen such heavy rain before.

No… she’s seen her before.

Countless memories flashed by, finally settling on a period of over a hundred years ago.

The day I first met Amu was also raining heavily.

She stood at the edge of the pit, holding an oil-paper umbrella, looking down at the little creature curled up in the pile of rotting corpses, her gaze indifferent.

She remembered the little guy's eyes—

Numbness, emptiness.

After those eyes, which were gradually losing focus, noticed her, a faint, almost illusory light appeared.

The light trembled before it completely faded, condensing into something she had never seen before, so very faint…

Relief, and worry.

Yes, I'm worried.

He wasn't worried about his own impending death, but rather that she might contract the deadly virus like him.

He had largely resigned himself to his fate, but he never expected to see anyone suffer as much as he had.

The thunder was deafening, and the raindrops seemed determined to engulf the world as they desperately fell.

"Do you want to live?"

The sound was very soft, barely audible in the thunderstorm.

However, the little guy's dark gray lips moved slowly, uttering silent syllables.

"…think……"

So she let Amu live.

Unexpectedly, nearly 169 years have passed in the blink of an eye.

Suddenly remembering all this, a thought popped into my head that I wanted to see him and catch up.

However, the thought was quickly extinguished.

Ah Mu has been a disciple for over a hundred years, and now... where is he again?

He doesn't seem to have told her.

That's enough. The research is far from over, so there's no need to contact them.

With his intellect, though he may not be as renowned as world-famous scholars, he should be able to easily advance biotechnology in a region of ordinary world civilization.

The knowledge he was taught was sufficient to cure all incurable diseases of mortals, and also included various methods to extend lifespan by at least eight hundred years.

He said he wanted to live.

Only a little over a hundred years have passed; it's far from the point where she needs to worry about it.

"I'll take a bath and then continue my research."

Ruan Mei walked steadily toward the hot spring.