Time passed steadily — not that long, not that short.
[Remaining Lifespan: 3 Days, 23 Hours, 46 Minutes, 27 Seconds] The plum blossoms candied two days ago had completed the astringency-removal process.
All that remained was to add white liquor, seal the jars, and after aging for more than a year, they would be ready to open and drink.
The longer the vintage, the better the flavor.
“The process of making Plum Blossom Wine is so simple.
You didn’t even add any special ingredients I don’t recognize.
So why is it so delicious?” Clarisse blinked her big eyes, her face full of confusion.
The most laborious step, after all, was just going up the mountain to pick the plum blossoms in person.
The subsequent steps — draining, candying, and finally adding white liquor before sealing — even a small child could remember and learn.
“Perhaps that’s just how Plum Blossom Wine is — simple to make, yet excellent in flavor.” “Hmm…” That might be what he said, but Clarisse still felt there was some hidden mystery.
The plum-pickled soybean cake she had brought home two days ago — after tasting it, her mother had wet uncontrollably and held her for half the night.
It seemed that the richer one’s life experiences and the older one was, the deeper the impression this flavor left.
If the effect of the plum-pickled soybean cake was to make people confront long-settled regrets and sorrows of the past, then the Plum Blossom Wine that Mr.
Qi brewed did the opposite — it allowed people to temporarily cast their worries behind them.
Could it be…?
Clarisse suddenly remembered that in her academy dean’s office, there was a rather special water dispenser.
Water poured from that dispenser would taste sweet.
A curious student had asked the dean about the principle behind it.
The dean’s explanation was that the water dispenser was a Curio.
Along the way, he had also explained the types of Curios.
All kinds of strange things existed — anything was possible.
A puddle of water could be a Curio.
A flame could be one too.
Or an object with a solid form.
Even food could possibly be a type of Curio.
Things with special effects weren’t necessarily Curios, but things without special effects definitely were not — regardless of whether those effects were useful to humans.
Oh well, she’d set that question aside for now.
“Mr.
Qi, when will you set off?
I’ll see you off.” “…This time the day after tomorrow.” Qi Zhimu’s expression remained normal.
“Eh?” Clarisse was somewhat surprised.
“What’s wrong?” “The day after tomorrow is Major Cold.
It’s also your birthday.
I thought you would leave after celebrating your birthday.” She thought for a moment, instinctively feeling that Mr.
Qi might want to celebrate his birthday with someone important to him.
But then she reconsidered — in the past, he had always spent it alone.
On that day every year, Mr.
Qi would drink until he was half-drunk to celebrate.
“Mr.
Qi, are you going to celebrate your birthday with your teacher this year?” she couldn’t help asking.
“No.
My teacher won’t see me anymore.
I can’t go into the specific reasons.” “I’m sorry.
I asked something I shouldn’t have…” “It’s alright.” Qi Zhimu sealed the last wine jar and moved them all into the wine cellar.
Just as he was about to get up, a violent dizziness struck his brain.
His body weakly toppled to the side.
“Mr.
Qi!
Mr.
Qi?!” Before his consciousness completely sank into darkness, the young girl’s panicked cries faintly reached him.
Unaware of how long had passed, Qi Zhimu slowly regained consciousness.
Clarisse’s familiar face came into view — only now, her pretty face was full of worry and haggardness.
Her eyes were red, tear stains still fresh — she had clearly been crying for quite some time.
“You’re finally awake…” Clarisse’s voice was hoarse, completely lacking her usual youthful vitality.
Qi Zhimu tried to prop himself up, only to find that he was too weak to muster any strength.
“I’m fine…” The moment he spoke, he was stunned.
His voice had no trace of youthfulness left — only the frailty of old age.
That meant…
“You collapsed, and in less than ten seconds, you aged — and you call that ‘fine’?!” Clarisse simply didn’t believe Qi Zhimu’s words.
Her voice was thick with tears.
“…What’s happening, Mr.
Qi?
Please don’t hide it from me.
Okay?” Qi Zhimu let out a long sigh, but did not immediately explain.
Unexpected events always permeate one’s life.
The potent medicine he had made earlier had developed drug resistance in these final days of his life.
Or perhaps, his decaying body could no longer fully absorb the medicine’s effects.
Either way, the reason no longer mattered.
He had wanted to die quietly alone, but now it seemed that wouldn’t be possible.
“Clarisse, I’m going to die of old age — on the day of Major Cold.” “What?!” Seeing the young girl’s incredulous eyes, Qi Zhimu confirmed it again.
“I’m about to die.” Clarisse’s expression instantly freezes.
A few seconds later, she shook her head desperately.
“That’s impossible!
You’re playing a prank on me, aren’t you?
How can a perfectly healthy person suddenly—” “No prank.” Qi Zhimu interrupted, his voice was very weak, yet it cut off all her false hope.
“All these years, I’ve been taking medicine to maintain a youthful appearance.
What you see now is my true form.” The atmosphere suddenly became terrifyingly quiet.
Clarisse opened her mouth, but no sound came out.
She looked at his calm face, then at his withered hands — and suddenly realized — What “going away on business — a few years at the shortest, decades at the longest…” It was all just an excuse!
A liar!
“Why…
didn’t you tell me the truth…” Her voice trembled, tears bursting forth uncontrollably.
“It would only needlessly increase unnecessary sorrow.” Qi Zhimu smiled, his expression was open-minded and magnanimous.
“To die of old age is a blessing for humans.
Yet people are accustomed to defining eternal farewells as sorrow.” He looked out the window.
The sky was gradually darkening.
“So, no need to be sad, little girl.
Not everyone has the blessing to die naturally of old age.
You should be happy for this nearly 175-year-old man.” Clarisse bit her lip hard.
Mr.
Qi was going to die of old age…
The divination from three months ago hadn’t been entirely correct, but it hadn’t been entirely wrong either.
Her feelings…
the gift and confession she had been preparing for so long — how could she voice them now?
From the very day she met Mr.
Qi, today’s regret had been inevitable.
He couldn’t accept her.
Instead, he might even feel guilty, because…
She knew Mr.
Qi too well.
Even if she confessed everything, he would reject her with the reason that he couldn’t hold her back.
…He wouldn’t even say he had no feelings for her.
He would never use “I just don’t like you” as a reason for rejection.
Mr.
Qi was just that kind of gentle person…
Always wanting to take all responsibility and fault upon himself.
But where was his fault?
Clarisse felt utterly powerless.
Fate was somewhat cruel to her.
The person she loved was right before her eyes, yet she couldn’t speak.
To cause Mr.
Qi trouble in his final days — that would be far too selfish.