Bengtie: My death fueled their madness.

As his thoughts sank into those memories that had been filtered by his brain but now surfaced clearly, Qi Zhimu finally understood where that familiar warmth came from.

It is the embrace of my mother when I was a child.

Without worries or anxieties, I can sleep peacefully.

Qi Zhimu relaxed completely, and a smile appeared on his lips that he hadn't seen in 157 years.

Memories that had been sealed away for so long surged back like a tidal wave.

It turned out to be like this...

So be it.

"I only pity that you cannot see my joys and sorrows, and I can only lament that our fates are separated."

"The north wind whips up snow and blows flowers down, past events entangle my heartstrings."

"Words cannot express all that is said, only memories remain, lingering in vain."

"In the end, the lone plum blossom stands alone through the cold years, but the youth of yesteryear can never be found again..."

Just as Qi Zhimu's eyes were about to close, a tear slid down from the corner of his eye and silently seeped into the ground.

"Clarice, thank you for staying with me until the very end..."

I have to go now.

treasure.

[Remaining lifespan: 25 minutes 34 seconds → 0]

Clarice's attention was still on the poem Qi Zhimu was reciting when, a moment after hearing the words of thanks, she realized that the man in her arms had stopped breathing.

Her arms trembled as she gently moved Qi Zhimu's head onto her lap.

He wore a clean smile, like a child who had finally let down his guard and drifted off to sleep.

He passed away so peacefully.

Clarice's vision blurred, and large tears rolled down her cheeks.

Her fingers gently traced his outline, and she choked out a hoarse voice.

"...You almost became a scammer again..."

He clearly said he knew when he was going to die, so there was no need to celebrate his birthday in advance.

The results of it?

Ultimately, he didn't live to be 175 years old.

Why... why couldn't you stay a little longer and feel the warmth I gave you a little more?

Clarice bent down and gently pressed her forehead against Qi Zhimu's forehead.

The night was completely silent.

After a long while, Clarice's lips moved slightly, leaving a kiss on Qi Zhimu's cool lips.

She ran her fingertips over his closed eyelids and slowly straightened her back.

Just then, Qi Zhimu's youthful appearance began to fade, gradually returning him to the appearance of an old man with white hair and a peaceful face.

The night is still long.

Clarice took off her coat and gently covered Qi Zhimu with it, then looked up at the starry sky.

How she wished that not long ago, Mr. Qi had said it to her in person—

After she dies, she will turn into a star, watching over her from the night sky.

At least lies can convey emotions, right...?

Clarice held Qi Zhimu in her arms until dawn.

The rising sun dispels the long night, bringing warm light to all things that have endured the frost.

The morning sun shone on the two people in front of the bamboo house, but neither of them felt any warmth.

"Life is a winding labyrinth; we have nothing but memories."

A figure whose face was obscured appeared silently and stopped a few meters away.

Upon hearing the familiar words and the unfamiliar female voice, Clarice slowly raised her head, her gaze dim, but she showed no surprise, remaining silent.

She already knew she had been chosen.

The fact that I could see glimpses of past memories before is the best proof of this.

Do you want to remember him, to remember his life?

"What price will I pay?" Clarice countered.

"People will have no way of knowing you exist until you are willing to show yourself."

"Just like how people don't know that swans aren't only white before they see a black swan?"

"Just like that."

"I see."

"Would you be willing to spend your entire life collecting memories?"

"I do."

"Are you willing to give up your physical body and accept the transformation of your own being?"

"I do."

"If you were to disappear one day, what would you leave behind for the world?"

"My memories contain the seeds of the past, which will be reborn in the future," Clarice replied.

In an instant, a glimpse pierced through the sea of ​​stars and landed on her.

"Welcome to the Memory Garden, Miss Clarice."

Some memories are trivial yet warm, while others are grand and vast.

Some memories are as docile as pets, while others are as uncontrollable as wild beasts.

The moment Clarice became the one who remembered, her memories became quiet and peaceful, like surging waves finding their own harbor.

Call me the Black Swan.

Until the day of reunion arrives, people have always believed that the past is gone forever.

Swans are not only white, and farewell may not necessarily be a final goodbye.

The member of the Memory Court who had guided her nodded, and then his figure faded away, quietly leaving.

Clarice… no…

The tenderness that the black swan had reserved for Qi Zhimu had become even more profound at this moment.

Countless fragments of memory swirled around her before finally disappearing.

They did not disappear, but became a seed.

People think they are facing the present and the future, but no one knows that everyone is actually moving towards the past.

"Mr. Qi, I can finally remember you forever."

The black swan picked up Qi Zhimu, lifted its feet off the ground, and floated back to the bamboo house to do one last thing for him.

—Buried beneath the plum blossoms, returning to dust.

This was his last wish.

The entrance to the folding space inside the bamboo house remains hidden, but the black swan can now enter without any hindrance.

There lies the eternal resting place that Qi Zhimu prepared for himself.

"Meow……"

Upon seeing Little Orange, a look of sadness flashed across Black Swan's face.

"...You're here too..."

She carefully laid Qi Zhimu's body down, and Xiao Ju jumped up and rubbed her head against his cold cheek.

"Meow……"

Its voice was trembling; it was sad.

Black Swan took a deep breath and brought Qi Zhimu's belongings: a white coat and a zhongruan (a type of Chinese plucked string instrument).

He carefully folded the white coat and placed it beside him along with the zhongruan.

After doing all that, she stared at that aged face, lost in thought.

"I'm sorry, I can't accept fate as calmly as you..."

"I'm sorry, I took your memories, just to selfishly keep you in my heart forever..."

"If you have an afterlife, and we meet again, I hope you can say to me, 'Long time no see...'"

After an unknown amount of time, Black Swan's finger, which had been hovering in front of the start button, finally gently fell.

The entrance opened, revealing a dark space inside.

As she watched Qi Zhimu's body slowly being inserted into her, she closed her eyes.

The gate closed, and flames ignited inside, completely engulfing Qi Zhimu's body.

Saying goodbye to a loved one is probably the most painful thing in the world.

But no matter how painful it is, she will finish it all.

…because she already possessed everything about him.

For Mr. Qi, today is the Great Cold, his birthday, and also the anniversary of his death.

……

A few hours later, the black swan appeared in front of the old plum tree on the hilltop behind the mountain, carrying an urn of ashes.

It was midday, and the winter sun shone on the plum blossoms covering the mountains, creating a scene that seemed like a dream.

"You originally...were planning to pick plum blossoms today, weren't you...?"

In the end, we missed our chance.

After Qi Zhimu was properly buried, the Black Swan erected a stone tablet for him.

After pondering for a long time, he finally let out a sigh full of complex emotions.

With a flick of the fingertip, five characters appeared on the surface of the monument.

[Qi Zhimu's Tomb]

The wind picked up, carrying plum blossom petals to the stone tablet.

An orange figure darted out from behind and crawled beneath the stone tablet.

A person and a cat basked in the warm sunshine, waiting here.

For a long, long time...