Yu Qingtu decided not to dwell on it for now.
Ruan Mei only stated the facts without providing details — that was fine.
Next time, she would simply go ask Qi Zhimu.
But for now…
“Tell this thing to leave.
Its presence here makes me quite uncomfortable.” Yu Qingtu did not hold back her look of disdain for Ruan Mei’s counterfeit version of Qi Zhimu.
What did it matter if the appearance was identical?
It was a soulless thing.
“It does not possess life.
It is a humanoid puppet.” Ruan Mei said.
“If the little one himself were here, I wouldn’t chase him away.
Let me put it bluntly — creating this thing is practically an insult to your own student.” Yu Qingtu’s slender brows furrowed, her expression displeased.
“Imagine this — if the little one created a humanoid puppet identical to you, programmed it with his favorite behavioral logic, and kept it by his side day after day — how would you feel?” “That would not be me.
Therefore, I would not feel anything.” Ruan Mei’s expression was calm.
That was what she said.
But after receiving the pastries from the puppet, she dismissed it.
Yu Qingtu stared at Ruan Mei for a long time, searching for any trace of saying one thing but meaning another, or of stubborn pretense.
She found nothing.
That was fine too.
Not long ago, Qi Zhimu had said that he had never felt any romantic affection toward Ruan Mei.
He had answered frankly, answered without hesitation — no sign of any lie.
But that did not prevent a genius’s sixth sense from telling her otherwise: something was off.
It was just that, for the moment, she couldn’t put her finger on what exactly was wrong.
Now, the feeling Ruan Mei’s words gave her was exactly the same as the feeling Qi Zhimu had given her back then.
What a vexing pair of teacher and student.
If this were one of those angsty old-school romance novels, they would undoubtedly be a pair of ill-fated lovers.
“So, should I tell the little one that you made a stand-in of him?” “As you wish.” Ruan Mei looked utterly unbothered.
“You simply refuse to listen to reason.” Yu Qingtu rolled her eyes, her chest heaving slightly, and snatched the entire plate of pastries.
She grabbed one, took a bite, and immediately spat it out to the side.
Without explaining further, she just stared at Ruan Mei.
Ruan Mei, somewhat puzzled by her stare, thought something might be wrong with the pastries.
She took one and tasted it.
Seemed fine.
Then why had she spit it out?
“If you are dissatisfied with something, you can tell me directly, Qingtu.” “Ah Ruan, your problems are considerable.
I don’t even know what word to use to describe you.
You know that?” Yu Qingtu’s expression was too complicated to put into words.
“Where is the problem?” “That thing may have the little one’s skills, but I never imagined it would be at the level from I don’t even know how many years ago!” Yu Qingtu had shed her usual classical, dignified bearing.
Her tone was rarely tinged with disbelief.
“Eighty years ago?
Ninety?
Or a hundred years ago?
Did you create this counterfeit just days after driving him away?” Yu Qingtu remembered that decades ago, when she had visited Ruan Mei, the latter had happened to walk out of the lab just like today.
The difference was that back then, she had pressing matters to attend to.
She had left behind some rare research materials and then departed.
Thus, she had never known that Ruan Mei had made a puppet of Qi Zhimu.
Who would have thought…
Over a hundred years ago, Qi Zhimu had still been a shy, sunny young man.
He would work hard for years over a casual remark from someone else.
He had respectfully presented a plate of pastries that looked, smelled, and tasted perfect, his face carrying a hint of anticipation, a hint of nervousness, as he respectfully invited her to taste and critique.
To be honest, the pastries he made that year were not enough to conquer her pickiness.
But the smile on the little one’s face, and his sincere heart that remained unchanged year after year — those moved her far more than those pastries.
So, against her true feelings, she had shown a satisfied expression and promised that she would unconditionally help the little one with one thing in the future.
After that year, Qi Zhimu’s skills did not decline.
Instead, they only improved, eventually completely conquering her finicky palate.
Whether long-lived species or short-lived species, humans have their limits.
And each person’s limits are different.
Many things, no matter how much effort one puts in, are futile — one may die without ever seeing the finish line.
But if one does not even possess the courage to set foot on the path, then the future will completely lose all possibility.
To know something is impossible yet still do it, to still take action, to improve day by day, and ultimately turn the impossible into possible — that was why Qi Zhimu, though an ordinary short-lived species with nothing particularly special about him, was quite favored by her.
Over these years, the flavor of the pastries Qi Zhimu made continued to improve steadily.
Why?
Because the little one’s teacher liked them!!
Therefore, he never stopped his research and refinement.
As much as Yu Qingtu disliked admitting it, she had to acknowledge that her own suited taste was merely incidental.
People change.
Tastes change too.
Her palate had been spoiled by the little one over the years.
The things the counterfeit served were nothing short of an insult to her taste buds.
Compared to the pastries the little one had served her not long ago, the gap was so vast that comparing fireflies to the full moon was far from sufficient to describe it.
And yet Ruan Mei had been eating this thing — for over a hundred years?
In that instant, Yu Qingtu both envied her friend’s place in Qi Zhimu’s heart and pitied her.
— And also felt it was not worth it for Qi Zhimu.
This is the teacher you regard as a second mother, little one…
Thinking of this, Yu Qingtu could only sigh inwardly, helpless.
Every cause has its effect.
No matter what Ruan Mei had become now, she was still the one who had saved Qi Zhimu.
She had no right or qualification to criticize.
The current situation was the result of the teacher and student’s own choices.
Seeing Ruan Mei lower her gaze, as if in silent acknowledgment, Yu Qingtu for the first time lost the desire to stay and relax here.
She took out a small cloth bag and casually tossed it toward Ruan Mei.
“All the experimental materials you wanted are inside.
The ten jars of Plum Blossom Wine Qi Zhimu sends you every year are also inside.
I brought them along for him.” “For the coming period, I’m going to cause some trouble for Member #64 of the Genius Society.
Don’t look for me until I’m done.” “Thank you.
I wish you a smooth journey.” Ruan Mei gave a slight nod, making no polite attempt to insist she stay.
Yu Qingtu left the bath.
Her clothes automatically materialized to conceal her alluring figure.
At the door, she paused, without looking back, and added, “Remember to keep a regular routine.
Eat on time.” “That foolish boy begged me to tell you that.
I don’t mind telling you now.
Every time I reminded you before, it was only because he asked me to.” “Ah Ruan, as a friend, let me give you an extra piece of advice — don’t keep doing things that might make your future self regret.” “I’ve said all I need to say.
Until next time.” Ruan Mei sat in silence for a long while, staring at the petals floating on the water’s surface.
A gentle face, warm like jade, holding a soft smile, slowly formed from the water.
Her consciousness faltered for only a moment, and then the face vanished without a trace.
“…” She slowly rose from the water.
Droplets ran down her skin, continuously splashing tiny ripples.
“I did nothing wrong, so how could there be any regret?” Ruan Mei murmured softly, draping a white towel over herself as she walked toward the laboratory.
On the day she achieved her research results, she would consider meeting her student again.
As for now, time continued to take priority for research.
After all, she had instructed A Mu — they would not meet again until the research was complete.