Chapter 13
Yu Qingtu decided not to press the matter for now.
Ruan Mei only stated the facts without going into detail. That was fine. She could ask Kanzaki Tomomu herself next time.
For now…
"Make this thing leave. Standing here makes me extremely uncomfortable."
Yu Qingtu did not hide her disgusted look toward the replica of Kanzaki Tomomu that Ruan Mei had created.
No matter how identical it looked on the outside, it was still a soulless object.
"It has no life. It is merely a doll," Ruan Mei said.
"If the real little guy were standing here, I wouldn't chase him away. Let me be direct — creating this thing is basically insulting your own student."
Yu Qingtu frowned, her expression turning unpleasant.
"Imagine if the little guy made a doll that looked exactly like you and programmed it with your favorite behavior patterns to keep you company every day. How would that make you feel?"
"That would not be me, so I would feel nothing." Ruan Mei's face remained calm.
Even so, after she took the pastries from the doll's hands, she immediately ordered it to leave.
Yu Qingtu stared at Ruan Mei for a long time, trying to find any trace of denial or stubbornness.
—She found none.
That was fine.
Kanzaki Tomomu had said not long ago that he had never felt any romantic affection toward Ruan Mei.
He had answered calmly and without hesitation, with no sign of lying.
Yet that did not stop Yu Qingtu's genius intuition from telling her something was off.
She just could not quite put her finger on what it was right now.
The feeling Ruan Mei gave her now was exactly the same one Kanzaki Tomomu had given her back then.
These two teacher and student really were a headache.
If this were one of those old tragic romance novels, they would easily qualify as a pair of star-crossed lovers.
"Then can I tell the little guy that you made a substitute of him?"
"Do as you like." Ruan Mei looked completely indifferent.
"You really are impossible to reach."
Yu Qingtu rolled her eyes, her chest rising and falling slightly as she snatched the entire tray of pastries.
She grabbed one and bit into it, then spat it out after only a couple of chews.
She offered no explanation and simply stared at Ruan Mei.
Ruan Mei looked somewhat puzzled under her gaze. Thinking there might be something wrong with the pastries, she took one and tasted it.
It seemed fine.
So why had Yu Qingtu spat it out?
"If something displeases you, you can just say it, Qingtu."
"Ruan, you have quite a problem right now. I don't even know what word would be appropriate to describe you. Do you realize that?" Yu Qingtu's expression was hard to read.
"What is the problem?"
"That thing may have the little guy's skills, but I never expected it to be at a level from who knows how many years ago!"
Yu Qingtu's usual elegant and refined demeanor was gone. Her tone carried rare disbelief.
"Eighty years? Ninety? Or a hundred years ago? Did you create this replica just days after you drove him away?"
Yu Qingtu remembered that during her visit to Ruan Mei decades ago, the latter had also happened to walk out of the lab at the right moment.
The difference was that she had urgent business at the time, so she left some rare research materials and departed.
Because of that, she had never known Ruan Mei had made a replica of Kanzaki Tomomu.
Unbelievable…
One hundred and several decades ago, Kanzaki Tomomu had still been a shy, sunny young boy who would work for years just because of a casual remark from someone else.
He had respectfully presented a plate of perfectly made pastries, his face showing a mix of expectation and nervousness, asking her to taste and comment.
To be honest, the pastries he made that year were not enough to satisfy her picky tastes.
But the smile on the little guy's face and his sincere effort over those years touched her far more than the pastries themselves.
So she forced a satisfied expression and promised to unconditionally help him with one thing in the future.
After that year, Kanzaki Tomomu's skills never declined. Instead, they kept improving until they completely conquered even her demanding palate.
Whether long-lived or short-lived, humans have limits, and people differ from one another.
There are many things that no amount of effort can achieve. Some goals remain out of reach until death.
But if one lacks even the courage to start the journey, the future loses every possibility.
Knowing something is impossible yet still pursuing it, putting it into action, improving day by day, and eventually turning the impossible into possible — that is why Kanzaki Tomomu, an ordinary short-lived species with nothing particularly special about him, had always pleased her.
All these years, the pastries Kanzaki Tomomu made had continued to improve steadily in flavor.
Why?
Because his teacher liked them!!
So he had never stopped working to perfect them.
Even if it annoyed her, Yu Qingtu had to admit that the flavor suited to her was only secondary.
People change, and so do tastes.
After years of having her palate spoiled by the little guy, the replica's version felt like an insult to her tongue.
Compared to the pastries the real Kanzaki Tomomu had served her not long ago, the difference was far greater than comparing a firefly to the bright moon.
And yet Ruan Mei had been eating this version for over a hundred years?
In that instant, Yu Qingtu felt both jealous of her friend's place in Kanzaki Tomomu's heart and pity for her friend.
—She also felt it was unfair to Kanzaki Tomomu.
This is the teacher you respect as a second parent… little guy…
Thinking of this, Yu Qingtu could only sigh inwardly. There was nothing she could do.
Cause and effect always exist. No matter what Ruan Mei had become, she was still the one who had saved Kanzaki Tomomu.
Yu Qingtu had neither the right nor the qualification to criticize. The current situation was the choice both teacher and student had made themselves.
Seeing Ruan Mei lower her gaze as if silently acknowledging it, Yu Qingtu lost all desire to stay and relax.
She took out a small cloth bag and tossed it toward Ruan Mei.
"All the research materials you wanted are inside. The ten jars of plum blossom brew that Kanzaki Tomomu sends you every year are also in there. I brought them for him on the way."
"For the next while, I need to deal with some trouble involving Genius Society Member #64. Don't look for me until it's done."
"Thank you. Safe travels." Ruan Mei gave a small nod and did not try to persuade her to stay.
Yu Qingtu left the pool. Her clothes automatically reappeared, covering her alluring figure.
As she reached the door, she paused and added without turning back,
"Remember to keep a regular schedule and eat on time."
"That silly boy asked me to tell you this. There's no harm in saying it now. All those reminders in the past were because he asked me to."
"Ruan, as your friend, let me give you one extra piece of advice. Don't keep doing things that might make your future self regret them."
"That is all. See you next time."
Ruan Mei stayed silent for a long while, staring at the flower petals floating on the water's surface.
A gentle, jade-like face carrying a soft smile slowly took shape on the water.
The moment her mind wavered, the face vanished in an instant.
"…"
She slowly rose from the water. Droplets slid down her skin, creating faint ripples.
"I did nothing wrong, so where is the regret?"
Ruan Mei murmured softly as she draped a white bathrobe over herself and walked toward the laboratory.
When she finally reaped the results of her research, she would consider going to see her student.
For now, time was better spent on the research.
After all, she had told Kanzaki Tomomu they would not meet until the research was complete.
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Bonus chapters
200 Stones - 1 chapter
400 Stones - 2 chapter
600 Stones - 3 chapters
And so on
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