A week later.
Clarisse came home from school and found her mother packing.
"Mother… what are you doing?"
"Packing. I'm going back to our homeland when the timing is right. I had you invite Dr. Qi over yesterday because I wanted to say goodbye," Durand said while folding clothes.
"…"
Clarisse froze.
No wonder her mother had been exceptionally warm yesterday—hosting him with the highest level of Durand family courtesy.
Durand didn't notice her expression and continued. "I've asked your aunt to handle the transfer paperwork. It'll be done soon."
"If you have close friends, make sure you say goodbye properly these few days. When you're separated by an entire planet, meeting becomes much more difficult."
After a while, Durand finally realized her daughter's silence and turned around.
Clarisse stood there blankly, her face full of struggle.
"What's wrong, my child?"
"Mother… I… I don't want to go back!" Clarisse lifted her head to meet her mother's eyes.
Durand saw it immediately—determination, even stubbornness.
"…Is it because of Dr. Qi?"
"How did you know…?"
"Silly child. Your mother has lived long enough to recognize when her daughter has someone she likes."
Durand stepped forward and gently embraced her.
"Don't be afraid. I won't interfere with your choice. On the contrary, I support you in pursuing freedom and love."
"If not for differences in status and class, countless noble ladies would throw themselves at a man like Dr. Qi."
"His character, the way he treats people, and even his looks and aura—there's nothing to criticize."
"It's just a pity that noble women rarely control their own marriages."
"Our Durand clan has some reputation at court, but we're ultimately just a small family."
"That's precisely why you don't carry shackles forged by the family. Be brave and tell him how you feel, my daughter…"
Durand stroked Clarisse's smooth hair, smiling encouragingly.
"Life is short. If you don't seize some chances, they'll slip through your fingers in an instant."
"Mother…"
Clarisse's nose stung. Tears blurred her eyes as she buried her face into her mother's arms.
"Hehe… you've grown up. You're not the little girl I had to worry about every moment. Go do what you want. Your mother will always be behind you."
"Mm!" Clarisse nodded hard, hugging her mother tighter.
Not every child gets to feel endless peace in the harbor of their mother's arms.
Clarisse was lucky.
That night, after dinner and a bath, Clarisse returned to her room and opened her wardrobe.
Inside hung countless hand-knit sweaters and scarves.
From early pieces—crooked stitches and messy loose ends—to later ones, tidy and refined, you could clearly see her progress.
Dozens had reached a level of fine craftsmanship, yet Clarisse still didn't feel it was enough.
She grabbed her needles and yarn, her eyes softening as she glanced at the glass lamp on her bedside table.
It was one of the gifts Mr. Qi had brought when he visited their home.
In truth, it had been meant specifically for her.
It used a marvelous space-folding technology—useful not only for lighting, but also for storing tarot cards, cosmetics, a phone, and other personal items.
It could also shrink in size, making it easy to carry.
She'd seen similar items before. They weren't cheap.
The corners of her mouth lifted into a sweet smile as she leaned against the headboard and continued knitting a gift for the man she loved.
When the Great Cold arrived, she would bring him this gift—and confess.
For that, she had to knit the most perfect one.
…
Some time had passed since Durand's amnesia was cured.
Snow blocked the mountain paths. Those unfamiliar with the route could easily get lost in the white depths.
Clarisse wasn't one of them.
Other than Qi Zhimu himself, no one knew the way into the mountains better than she did.
She'd walked it for years. At most, the snow would only slow her down.
That was fine.
To Clarisse, every step slower meant anticipation growing a little stronger.
Especially after her mother was cured—Clarisse had become consistently optimistic.
Qi Zhimu had little experience with romance, but he wasn't clueless.
He could sense Clarisse's reliance on him.
In the past few days, she'd even begun probing cautiously.
But Qi Zhimu knew his own condition.
So he could only pretend not to understand.
If time could rewind by a hundred years, he probably wouldn't refuse a girl as unforgettable as Clarisse.
Unfortunately, there were no "ifs."
He was going to die.
[Remaining Lifespan: 9 days 4 hours 44 minutes 35 seconds]
When this life ended, the second life awaiting him—what kind of trajectory would it hold?
He only hoped it wouldn't begin with his family destroyed in childhood again, reduced to a blade of grass beneath wartime chaos…
After taking the medicine that maintained his youthful appearance, Qi Zhimu was about to enter the hidden folded space when he sensed movement outside.
A small drone-like machine flickered in from the sky.
In less than two breaths, it steadied itself in front of him as he stepped out of the bamboo house.
He recognized the unique insignia instantly.
It belonged to Yu Qingtu.
The drone's belly supports shifted and reassembled. A mechanical arm extended, retrieving a vial of emerald-green reagent from internal storage.
At the same time, a light screen projected forward. Yu Qingtu's face appeared.
"Kid, I've got urgent business I can't avoid. I won't make it to your birthday."
"This trip could be as short as a year or two, or as long as decades. Time's tight, so take this vial as your gift."
"Drink it and you'll stay forever young. At least for a thousand years, you won't need other methods to extend your life."
"Also—happy birthday. Remember to miss your sister, okay?"
"As for that teacher of yours who's even more difficult than me… let her do whatever she wants."
"Alright, I'm off. When I come back to you, I want to eat even more delicious pastries. That won't be a problem for you, right?"
Yu Qingtu in the projection blinked lightly. The image vanished.
After Qi Zhimu took the vial, the drone retracted its arm and shot into the sky, disappearing.
He returned to the folded space with a complicated expression and stored the vial carefully.
Then he looked toward that figure in the assembly area, placed both hands on the central console, and began extracting a specific memory backup—inputting it into that figure's core.
"…Sorry, Sis Qingtu."
"I won't be able to personally bring you the pastries you love…"
-------
My : pat*eon*com/RuneA
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