Bengtie: My death fueled their madness.

"Please rest assured, I have only one simple request: please do not tell my teacher about my death, never."

"My teacher once said that if she hadn't contacted me after a hundred years, I should forget about her."

"I'm about to die, so this is also a way of fulfilling my teacher's instructions and forgetting her."

"As for the birthday gift you gave me, I am sorry that I am not fortunate enough to accept it."

"I have achieved a relatively fulfilling life and have no desire for eternal youth. My only regret is that I was ultimately unable to persuade my teacher to stop that forbidden research."

"My teacher's decision to let me graduate was probably not out of anger, but because I was simply too dull to comprehend any more of the knowledge he had imparted."

"The lifespan of immortal beings is extremely long. Perhaps in just a few years, my teacher will completely forget me."

"It is an honor for a junior to know a senior in the long course of life."

"Thank you for your continued patronage."

"That's all for now, goodbye, Kiyoto-nee."

This concludes the video commentary.

Yu Qingtu opened her lips, staring blankly at the spot where the image disappeared, remaining motionless for a long time.

"When...did he pass away?"

"Based on memory, we conclude that Qi Zhimu passed away nine days after receiving your birthday gift," the mechanical doll replied.

Yu Qingtu felt a mix of emotions.

By stripping away the part of herself that belonged to genius and deeply examining her inner self, she confirmed some facts.

Perhaps she does like the little one...

However, her hidden arrogance as a genius led her to always attribute this feeling to appreciation rather than liking.

Now that we've realized it, it's too late.

Looking at what the doll was holding, Yu Qingtu carefully picked up a piece of pastry and put it in her mouth.

In an instant—

Countless years of regrets converged into a surging river, crashing fiercely into my heart.

The final scene freezes on the day they learn of Qi Zhimu's death and their eternal farewell, stirring up an emotion called sorrow.

"Only when you were dying did you finally call me 'sister'... If I had known, I should have made you bake pastries for me for the rest of your life..."

"You little rascal..."

Yu Qingtu solemnly accepted the remaining pastries, as for the birthday gift that had been given out but 'returned'...

She sighed softly.

"Did the little guy prepare a grave for himself?"

"Please follow me." The puppet turned and led the way toward the back of the mountain.

Upon arriving at the old plum tree, Yu Qingtu lowered his eyes to look at the lonely stone tablet, and his heart suddenly tightened.

[Qi Zhimu's Tomb]

There are only five characters, no biography, no origin.

There was no signature of the person who erected the monument.

The plum blossoms are in full bloom, their branches laden with bright red blossoms, and their delicate fragrance fills the air.

But even the most beautiful scenery couldn't catch Yu Qingtu's eye at this moment.

She reached out and ran her hand across the rough surface of the monument.

It felt icy cold to the bone, even colder than the winter sun.

She could almost picture Qi Zhimu facing death alone. Given his personality, even at the very end, the person he cared about would probably still be Ruan Mei…

No one attended his funeral, and no relatives or friends were present.

That's why he made a doll to collect his own remains.

Only this lonely stone tablet remains, recording a name that no longer yearns for the mortal world.

Only the howling of the cold wind remained in the plum grove.

Yu Qingtu stood in front of the tombstone, all the words she wanted to say stuck in her throat.

So this is how a person can disappear without a sound.

I heard a faint sound of footsteps in the snow behind me.

Yu Qingtu turned his head to look.

It was a rather thin orange cat, and it looked vaguely familiar.

It dragged itself step by step, slowly arriving at Qi Zhimu's monument.

The orange cat slowly dug through the snow and fallen flowers with its front paws until it revealed the frozen black soil underneath.

The movements were slow, but without the slightest pause.

The pit was dug, not too big, not too small, just enough to accommodate itself.

The orange cat lowered its head and sniffed the patch of land it had just cleared, then turned and curled up inside.

It rested its chin gently on its crossed front paws, wrapped its tail around its side, and gazed quietly at the name on the stone tablet.

Yu Qingtu could see its abdomen rise and fall slightly with its breathing, very gently and slowly.

About half a minute later, those cloudy eyes gradually lost focus and closed completely.

The wind picked up again, and a few plum blossom petals landed on the orange cat's back and head.

It didn't shake off; it just lay there quietly.

Yu Qingtu understood that the orange cat had reached the end of its long journey.

For twenty years, it has never left, remaining in the place where its owner once lived.

Until their lifespan is nearing its end, they come to their master's burial site to await their death.

"..."

Yu Qingtu couldn't utter a single word; her eyes were red.

how many years?

I can't remember the last time I've had tears welling up in my eyes for someone like this.

An overwhelming sense of regret surged into my mind with unstoppable force.

If only we had set off ten days later twenty years ago...

If she wanted, she had countless ways to prolong Qi Zhimu's life.

Thinking of the past, Yu Qingtu raised her head and took a deep breath to calm her thoughts.

He opened the seal of the emerald green potion in his hand and poured the longevity elixir, which countless people coveted, before Qi Zhimu's monument.

"You little rascal, there's no reason to take back a gift that's already been given away. You have no choice but to accept it..."

She didn't even stay with Qi Zhimu as long as a cat.

Her importance in Qi Zhimu's heart was far from enough for the latter to be willing to stay in the mortal world for her.

"He is a short-lived species, unlike you. If you bury yourself in research for decades or even centuries, he will have died of old age."

"Ah Ruan, short-lived species and long-lived species think differently."

The words he had once spoken to Ruan Mei echoed in his ears, and a self-deprecating smile appeared on Yu Qingtu's lips.

All boomerangs eventually pierced their own backside.

Didn't she also leave for decades because of her own affairs, while Qi Zhimu died of old age without anyone knowing?

Isn't she also accustomed to using the mindset of an immortal being, presumptuously making choices for Qi Zhimu, believing that he would be attached to the world?

The only lesson humanity has learned from history is that it never learns from its lessons.

Even the 56th member of the Genius Club did not choose to extend his lifespan and passed away peacefully in his sleep, let alone Qi Zhimu, who always considered himself an ordinary person.

In fact, Yu Qingtu also understood that she shouldn't force someone who no longer had any attachment to this world to stay.

But where in the world is there such a thing as "what if"?

They just couldn't accept the facts for a while and wanted to find an excuse to explain, vent, and cover up their overwhelming regret.

That's all.

After an unknown amount of time, the cold wind gradually subsided.

The warm sun peeked through the clouds, its rays falling on Yu Qingtu's shoulders and on Qi Zhimu's tombstone.

Yu Qingtu remained standing quietly in the same spot for a long time, until nightfall before descending the mountain.

The bamboo house remains the same, the furnishings are as they were, as if nothing has changed.

However, there is no longer any trace of that person's life.