Chapter 1
[Remaining Lifespan: 100 days 5 hours 20 minutes 13 seconds]
Kanzaki Tomomu acted as though he had not seen the system notification visible to him alone.
A calm, indifferent smile on his face, he set a plate of seasonal pastries upon the table.
"Yu Qingtu, may I ask whether Teacher's research has yet to reach its conclusion?"
"It has been over a hundred years. When will you finally break that habit and call me Sister Qingtu? That Ruan Mei truly raised the most stubborn, inflexible student."
Yu Qingtu cast Kanzaki Tomomu a helpless sideways glance.
Convincing this rule-bound young man to loosen up even a little was harder than ascending to the heavens. Who knew how many rigid principles Ruan Mei had drilled into him.
A flicker of apology crossed Kanzaki Tomomu's composed features, yet he offered no reply.
Toward the classically elegant woman before him, who appeared to be in her mid-to-late twenties, he always maintained the most impeccable etiquette.
Hundreds of Amber Eras ago, Yu Qingtu had already become a member of the Genius Society.
She shared certain hobbies with his teacher Ruan Mei, appreciating ancient music and the art of mixology, though their personalities differed greatly.
To the outside world, Yu Qingtu was an eccentric genius pharmacist.
To him, she had gone from initially distant to now quite amicable and kind.
It was most likely because his skill at crafting exquisite pastries perfectly satisfied this fastidious senior's refined palate.
Still, rules were rules.
Seniority had to be respected, and etiquette could not be broken.
Otherwise, Teacher would be displeased.
It had been one hundred and fifty-seven years since the last time Teacher showed displeasure.
Just as people tend to forget most unpleasant memories from childhood, after more than a century Kanzaki Tomomu could no longer clearly recall the exact reason Teacher had been unhappy. He only remembered that it had involved breaking the rules.
What followed was five days without medication and confinement in a small dark room.
Only when the virus stood on the verge of claiming his life did Teacher finally release him.
In Kanzaki Tomomu's understanding, failing to use the proper form of address was also a breach of the rules.
"I bet the next thing you're going to say is that you can't disregard the proper order of seniority." Yu Qingtu spoke with certainty the moment she saw his expression.
"You are Genius Society Member #55. I can't disregard the proper order of seniority."
Exactly as predicted.
"You've already completed your apprenticeship. What order of seniority is there left to speak of? Even within the Genius Society, there are plenty of eccentric fellows who show zero respect to their seniors."
Yu Qingtu's eye-roll grew more pronounced as irritation crept into her voice.
"Besides, your teacher isn't even a member of the Genius Society anymore. I don't see her treating me like a respected senior. She doesn't even want to see you now, yet you're still so loyal to her?"
"She will always be my teacher. I can't bring shame upon her."
"Such a stubborn temperament. Fine, fine. Your birthday is roughly another hundred days away. What gift would you like?"
"Any gift bestowed by a Genius is an honor for me, regardless of what it may be."
Kanzaki Tomomu kept his proper smile in place, smoothly steering the conversation back on track.
"You have yet to answer me. Regarding Teacher's research…"
"It is not finished. That fellow has shut herself away for decades. If I could no longer detect her life signs, I would suspect she had perished in there."
"Thank you for informing me."
"Little guy, have a seat. I have some questions for you."
Yu Qingtu's eyes shifted as she gestured for Kanzaki Tomomu not to remain standing awkwardly.
After a brief hesitation, he sat down neatly across from her.
"As long as it does not involve Teacher's privacy, I will answer everything I know."
"Rest assured. Although it does touch upon privacy, it is not hers. It is yours."
"Mine?"
"Tell me honestly."
Yu Qingtu narrowed her long, slender eyes, her expression turning serious.
"Was your sudden completion of apprenticeship related to your attempt to dissuade Ruan Mei from pursuing that forbidden research?"
Kanzaki Tomomu lowered his gaze. After several seconds of silence, he shook his head slightly. "I cannot presume to know Teacher's thoughts."
Yu Qingtu immediately understood the answer in her heart.
As a genius in the chemical field, her expertise naturally overlapped with the domain of life sciences.
How could she fail to see that Ruan Mei was conducting the taboo research of resurrecting the dead?
The deceased were none other than her own parents.
Not interfering with others' research was basic etiquette among Genius Society members.
Even so, it did not stop Yu Qingtu from secretly complaining to herself. How could someone who herself scorned the laws of biology have raised such a rigidly rule-following student?
It couldn't be that Kanzaki Tomomu had been expelled from apprenticeship and ended up like this simply because he broke the rules and talked back to her, could it?
"If I had been the one who met you back then, cured your illness, and taken you as my student, you definitely would not be this rigid now."
Kanzaki Tomomu could only offer a smile in response.
Yu Qingtu was long accustomed to his personality and paid it no mind.
After elegantly finishing the pastries, impeccable in color, aroma, and flavor, a hint of satisfaction showed between her brows.
"Alright, little guy. I should be going now. But before I leave, I want to ask you one more question."
"Please ask."
"Do you admire Ruan Mei? Or rather, do you like her in the romantic sense?"
"Yu Qingtu, please do not tease me. I hold only respect for Teacher. How could I harbor such disrespectful and absurd feelings?"
"Is that so."
Staring at Kanzaki Tomomu's utterly candid expression, Yu Qingtu found no traces of deception.
Naturally, she also could not detect any hidden affection.
Yet deep in her heart, she still found it exceedingly strange.
The main reason stemmed from the building not far from the current bamboo house. It was identical in every way to the old residence in Ruan Mei's hometown.
She had been inside to look. The layout was exactly the same, without the slightest difference.
It was impossible to tell whether it had been transported over intact or built by Kanzaki Tomomu himself.
If it was the latter, why build it yet not live in it, while still cleaning it regularly and keeping it spotlessly clean? What was the point?
In contrast, Kanzaki Tomomu sending the plum blossom brew to Ruan Mei on schedule every year seemed far more like normal respectful behavior toward his teacher.
Unable to figure it out, Yu Qingtu could only conclude that both teacher and student were peculiar individuals.
"See you next time, little guy." With a wave of her hand, Yu Qingtu collected the ten jars of plum blossom brew nearby.
"Take care on your way. When you deliver the plum blossom brew, please remember to leave a message for Teacher, reminding her to keep regular hours and eat on time."
"You've been saying that for decades already. Don't worry."
Whether she would actually listen was up to Ruan Mei.
Kanzaki Tomomu escorted Yu Qingtu onto her spaceship and watched her depart before turning toward the residence.
However, Yu Qingtu was still observing the scene from afar.
Seeing Kanzaki Tomomu punctually go to clean the exact replica house once again, she felt that between the teacher and student, the student was actually the more incomprehensible one.
Unable to make sense of it no matter how she tried, she helplessly shook her head and withdrew her gaze.
"Perhaps this is what they mean when they say a genius isn't a genius in every field."
Only after sensing that the hidden presence had completely departed did Kanzaki Tomomu let out a sigh of relief.
His previously healthy and rosy complexion instantly turned ashen gray. His youthful appearance rapidly aged into that of an elderly man, his temples quickly turning white.
He coughed violently several times. A fishy-sweet taste clogged his throat, nearly spilling from the corner of his mouth.
He was about to die.
Admittedly, he had learned considerable biological knowledge from Ruan Mei and possessed various methods to prolong his own life.
But it was unnecessary.
As a short-lived species, reaching 175 years of age was already a complete and fulfilling lifespan.
Similar to protagonists in various novels, Kanzaki Tomomu also possessed his own system.
However, his system did not provide powerful external abilities.
The only thing it offered was life itself.
To be born like a human, to die like a human, repeating over and over.
Natural death was the law of intelligent life and a blessing. He would not break it lightly.
Leaving his teacher Ruan Mei aside for now, the eccentric Yu Qingtu was another matter entirely.
If she learned the truth of his impending death, this genius who had lived for who knows how many years might do something to him.
Therefore, there was no need to tell them.
But before he died, there were still some matters he needed to attend to.
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Bonus chapters
200 Stones - 1 chapter
400 Stones - 2 chapter
600 Stones - 3 chapters
And so on