[Remaining Lifespan: 7 Days, 1 Hour, 23 Minutes, 7 Seconds] Qi Zhimu glanced at the system interface, his expression remained unchanged, and smiled at the young girl who came trotting toward him.
She had always favored purple.
Her fitted purple wool short coat was left open, revealing a beige turtleneck sweater beneath.
Under her skirt, black stockings had a matte finish in the winter morning light.
The shafts of her winter boots wrapped perfectly around the lower half of her calves, outlining slender, flowing lines.
Her scarf was casually wrapped around twice and draped over her shoulders, the extended ends falling behind her waist.
From the front, the young girl’s waist looked even slimmer, delicate enough to be encircled with one hand.
“Good morning, Mr.
Qi~~” “Good morning.
Today’s outfit suits you well.” “Really?
Does Mr.
Qi think there’s anything I could improve?” The young girl’s eyes sparkled.
“I don’t know much about this area.
It’s already very beautiful as it is.
It complements your temperament well.” Hearing his praise, the young girl’s brows curved, and a sweet smile bloomed at the corners of her lips.
“…Mr.
Qi, you’re dressed so lightly.
Aren’t you cold?” Simple long underwear, plus a short windbreaker — his attire could not be any more ordinary.
Placed in a busy city, it would be just an unremarkable part of the crowd.
But that exceptionally striking face of his made up for it well.
They say clothes make the man, yet Clarisse felt that with Qi Zhimu, it was the opposite — the man made the clothes.
No matter how ordinary the clothes, when worn by him, they were extraordinarily eye-catching.
“Not cold.
I’m used to it.
Let’s go.” Qi Zhimu turned and walked toward the back hill.
The plum blossoms had been blooming one after another recently.
After observation, he had concluded that these few days were the most suitable for picking them.
At the foot of the mountain, a fresh layer of snow covered the stone steps.
“It snowed heavily last night.
Just as I expected.” Qi Zhimu took a snow broom from his portable folded space.
“Let me handle the physical work, Mr.
Qi.
You focus on picking the plum blossoms.” Clarisse took the broom from him.
“…Alright.” The snow on the stone steps was not thick, and Qi Zhimu saw no reason to refuse the young girl’s kind gesture.
The snow-covered stone steps wound upward.
Red and white plum blossoms bloomed in staggered on both sides, their contrast striking.
Ice crystals clung to the branches of the white plums, while the red plums revealed deep crimson through gaps in the snow.
When the wind passed, fine snow fell in rustling showers.
Several petals drifted on the wind, brushing lightly against Clarisse’s cheek, leaving behind a trace of cold, clear fragrance.
She looked up toward the peak.
The mountain ridges rose and fell gently beneath the snow — beautiful as a painting.
Everything in the mountains was coated in a thin layer of frost.
The silence was so complete that only the rustling of Qi Zhimu’s bamboo knife picking plum blossoms could be heard.
Clarisse cleared snow more efficiently than expected.
After getting more than twenty steps ahead, her body grew warmer from the exertion.
She let out a soft breath.
Looking back down, Qi Zhimu was focused on selecting the most tender dozen or so blossoms from each plum tree, his movements were meticulous.
When a person is absorbed in a task, they often track lose of time.
Before she knew it, Clarisse had reached the mountaintop first.
Brushing the scattered snow from her shoulders, the moment her vision opened up, she found herself holding her breath.
The wind suddenly changed direction, sweeping across the entire plum grove.
The muffled thuds of snow clusters falling from the branches intertwined with the low-pitched sounds of twigs rubbing against one another.
The bitter, cool fragrance — crushed by the wind — mingled with the scent of frozen soil as it passed through her nose.
Petals swirled and drifted with the airflow.
As thin branches trembled lightly, red and white intertwined into beautiful waves of flowers.
The moment Clarisse resumed breathing, she skillfully missed that bitter, cool fragrance and caught an even richer scent of plum blossoms.
At this sight, a trace of enchantment crossed her face.
“Mr.
Qi, come up quickly!
The plum blossoms are so beautiful!” Huh?
The moment the words left her mouth, Clarisse’s expression froze for an instant.
Not far away stood an old plum tree whose roots protruded above the snow, tightly gripping the rock crevices.
And before this plum tree — there stood two faint afterimages.
One of the figures was intellectual and elegant.
Even from behind, one could tell she was a gentle and graceful beauty.
Beside her stood a young boy, not even reaching her shoulder.
Very familiar…
It was Mr.
Qi as a child!
That meant, this gentle and graceful beauty must be Mr.
Qi’s teacher.
Just then, the same two figures appeared near the several plum trees surrounding the old one.
The young Qi Zhimu carried a bamboo basket, receiving the plum blossoms his teacher occasionally picked.
Later, the young boy had grown a bit taller.
The young boy held an oil-paper umbrella for his teacher with his left hand, while using his right hand to lift the plum tree branches, letting her pass first.
Even later, the young boy had already grown taller than his teacher — but she was no longer by his side.
From his movements, it was not difficult to see that he, all alone, was bending down to plant new plum trees.
So this plum grove…
had originally only consisted of those few old plum trees…
“Little girl?
Little girl?” “…Ah?!” Clarisse snapped back to reality and found that Qi Zhimu had already reached her side.
“Is there something wrong with the plum trees in that direction?
What made you so entranced?” Qi Zhimu asked gently.
“…The scenery here is so beautiful.
I got lost in it for a moment…” She looked again.
The afterimages had all vanished, as if they had only been an illusion.
But she knew — this was no illusion.
Judging by Mr.
Qi’s reaction, he clearly could not see those afterimages.
Why was she the only one who could see them?
Clarisse could not figure it out.
“There’s no need to clear snow here.
Let me help you pick, and also collect some for making sachets.” If she couldn’t figure it out, she would set it aside for now.
The matter at hand was more important.
“If you’re making sachets, do you know which plum blossoms are better to pick?” “…Could it be that, like making wine, plum blossoms from different stages also have differences?” Clarisse asked.
“Of course.” Hearing her question, Qi Zhimu knew that the young girl had not looked into this area of knowledge carefully.
Or rather, she did not know much about how to make sachets from plum blossoms.
“For making sachets, it’s best to pick plum blossoms that are still budding.
The fragrance is richer and more lasting.” “Half-bloomed plum blossoms are also good.
At this stage, some of the aromatic compounds in the petals have already been released, and the flowers are relatively intact.
Do you know why we came in the early morning?” “I don’t know.” Clarisse shook her head honestly.
“Because in the early morning, before the sun has risen, the air humidity is higher.
The plum blossoms have sufficient moisture and a strong fragrance, which preserves the scent and quality to the greatest extent.” Qi Zhimu patiently explained to the young girl.
“You should choose blossoms that are intact, free from pests, diseases, and damage, to ensure the quality and fragrance of the sachet.” “At the same time, you should avoid windy or rainy weather, so that wind and rain don’t cause the floral scent to dissipate.” “Today’s weather isn’t actually ideal — the wind is a bit too strong.
Unfortunately, there haven’t been any clear, windless days recently, so we have to settle for second best.” “After Major Cold, the sky should clear up, but unfortunately…” …He wouldn’t live to see that day.