Bengtie: My death fueled their madness.

Few people are more familiar with the taste of plum blossom wine than Nguyen Mai, and their impression of it is more profound.

—Especially those aged three years or more.

Since the death of Qi Zhimu in his first life, the puppets he left behind have completely stopped functioning, and the plum blossom wine he left behind is becoming less and less with each jar consumed.

During this time, the women figured out the threshold for intoxication.

Drinking 240mL will not cause any problems.

Taking a small sip, the familiar rich taste and flavor inexplicably pulled Ruan Mei into a state of absentmindedness.

Until I came to my senses, I couldn't remember to give a normal customer review.

Qi Zhimu saw that she was lost in thought, and he knew the reason perfectly well, but he didn't say anything.

The same memory, if one person looks back on it because of an object or an event, the other person will also look back on it, as long as they haven't forgotten it.

In Qi Zhimu's mind, the corresponding fragments also flashed back.

From the moment Nguyen Mai wakes up on her birthday, she busies herself preparing the necessary ingredients and then takes out four-year-old plum blossom wine for the evening banquet.

At the end of the banquet, a drunken Ruan Mei lost control.

After he carried her back to the room after her bath, he was about to leave when she was suddenly pinned down.

And then... hours of physical and mental bliss.

Her skin was as smooth as jade, her curves were flawless, and her soft, seductive humming melody was incredibly alluring…

And... a tight, seamless, warm, and inclusive feeling.

For a teenager who has fallen in love with his teacher and developed feelings that shouldn't exist, the teacher can do anything and ask anything of him.

That kind of first experience should be unforgettable for a lifetime, and there's nothing wrong with admitting it.

Unexpectedly, a year later, he personally sealed it away and buried it in the deep sea.

Qi Zhimu and Ruan Mei each harbored their own secrets, yet neither of them noticed the other's.

After a while, they came to their senses almost simultaneously, still unaware of each other's strange behavior, and each finished the rest of their drinks.

But... there are still differences in emotions.

Qi Zhimu put away the plum blossom wine jar, feeling more sentimental than anything else, as he knew he couldn't drink any more of it.

Unlike Ruan Mei, even the overturning of several bottles of mixed emotions is insufficient to describe the complexity of her feelings.

She subconsciously glanced at Qi Zhimu and saw him eating breakfast as usual, unaware of her strange behavior, and quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

"The plum wine tastes very good, thank you for your hospitality."

"Not at all, don't be so polite."

Qi Zhimu waved his hand, finished his breakfast, and neatly cleared the table.

As she was about to walk towards the kitchen, she seemed to remember something and paused.

"Ms. Ruan Mei, I need to go out for a while later. If you also have plans today, I can authenticate the temporary space lock for Qingxinju for you."

"If no one is inside when you return, you can easily enter on your own."

Upon hearing this, Ruan Mei couldn't help but ask.

"Where are you going...?"

She realized as soon as she finished speaking that, given her current relationship with Amu, asking such a direct question was rather inappropriate.

However, Ruan Mei was overthinking it; Qi Zhimu had no such thoughts at all and simply gave a casual reply.

"We need to go and pick the raw materials for making plum blossom wine to replenish our inventory. There are no dedicated planting areas nearby, and the quality of the plum blossoms that meet our needs is limited, so the process will be quite time-consuming."

"I'll help you."

Ruan Mei blurted it out again, and once again felt uneasy.

Given Amu's current dislike of troubling outsiders and being indebted to others without cause, she will likely receive a polite refusal.

Well, that's fine too...

Due to the content of last night's experiment, there are potential health risks associated with her.

If this issue is not addressed promptly, unforeseen consequences may arise in the near future.

"Geniuses' time is very precious, won't that take up your time?"

what?

Ruan Mei was stunned, never expecting Qi Zhimu to say such a thing.

The subtext of this statement is that if you answer "no," he will most likely agree.

Qi Zhimu took in Ruan Mei's reaction and sighed inwardly, unsure of what else to say.

The reason why Ruan Mei was stunned was not hard to guess.

He thought for a while before asking the question.

The zhongruan (a type of Chinese lute) that Nguyen Mai gifted me back then is still in my possession; I cannot discard it, nor can I damage it.

If an object is too far away from him, it will automatically teleport to his front.

Even so, it's all fine, but what about Nguyen Mai, who gave him the yurt? Will she give him up?

Whether it's Black Tower, Yu Qingtu, or Black Swan, the answer to this question is the same: No.

Cut constantly, the rationale is still chaotic.

If you don't know how to get along, you might as well change your mindset and try to get along naturally.

If this heart, which has accumulated three lifetimes and already formed a firm set of values ​​and emotions, can still beat faster because of Ruan Mei...

Of course, he could choose to ignore it, but escaping is not his style.

However, regarding their past relationship, after careful consideration, they agreed with Heita's words, which were also agreed upon by Yu Qingtu.

That is to make the best of a bad situation, cooperate with Ruan Mei, and act as if you don't remember her.

Black Tower had expressed concern that if Nguyen Mai found out, it might disrupt her current behavioral logic.

Heita had a long and serious talk with Yu Qingtu about this matter.

Yu Qingtu had studied human emotions as an important subject and felt that once Ruan Mei learned the truth, she might do something against her conscience due to some external factors.

At the same time, it amplifies the guilt and regret that have accumulated in her heart for thousands of years.

Qi Zhimu corrected Ruan Mei's misconceptions about love by using the fact that An Jing had been dead for hundreds of years.

However, after being reincarnated and forgetting her, it also gave rise to derivative problems such as emotional sensitivity and even low self-esteem.

These problems objectively exist, but Ruan Mei, being one of those involved, cannot easily perceive them.

Therefore, Yu Qingtu suggested that he maintain the status quo and not easily break the balance achieved by various coincidences.

When I come to a true answer in my heart, whether I accept it or completely sever ties, it might be more appropriate to confess everything to Ruan Mei at that time.

This is the real reason why Qi Zhimu's reaction was unexpected by Ruan Mei.

"...A long, long time ago, I was incredibly busy, with every day meticulously planned out. I knew exactly what I should and shouldn't do at any given time, and this routine remained largely unchanged for decades..."

Ruan Mei looked away, not daring to meet Qi Zhimu's eyes, and began to recount the past.

She thought that even if Qi Zhimu couldn't understand her now, at least she would feel more relaxed after she said it.

"That would have allowed me to reach the destination I had hoped for, but the reality brought me a cruel price."

"When you chase after the unattainable moon and fly towards it with reckless abandon, you are destined to overlook the more beautiful starlight along the way and end up with nothing."

"Since then, I have come to understand that the so-called 'doing something at a certain time' is nothing more than a shackle that binds oneself."

"To execute it correctly, you need to first understand what is right and what is wrong."

"I don't want to become the person I used to be. Even if I become a genius, I still need to occasionally put aside my research and studies, escape the machine-like formulaic life, and experience truly relaxing moments."

"I really like plum blossoms. Their fragrance helps me dispel my weariness and can also help... my business partner's lover. It's a win-win situation, isn't it?"

At this point, Ruan Mei raised her eyes again and stared intently at Qi Zhimu's face.

Staying at Qingxinju to resolve unknown health concerns?

Its importance is less than one in a billion compared to traveling with Amu, no rush, let's put it out of the blue for now.

Anyway, her body was modified a long time ago, so she can't die.

A faint smile appeared on Qi Zhimu's lips.

"Then thank you very much for your kind help, Ms. Ruan Mei."