When the spaceship reached the preset coordinates and the hatch opened, Ruan Mei stood at the top of the ramp, overlooking the snowy scene below, and suddenly froze.
Returning to her old home after several amber eras, she had thought her house would no longer exist.
Ordinary buildings that were uninhabited and unmaintained simply could not withstand the erosion of time.
But now, the home was still there.
It stood quietly in the wind and snow, clearly discernible from the height.
Not far away, a Bamboo House had been built.
After re-checking the latitude and longitude written on the delivery address, Ruan Mei was certain that the Bamboo House was Qi Zhimu's current residence.
He didn't move into her home... Hmm?
That is... Through the fluttering curtain of snow, Ruan Mei's gaze locked onto a moving figure in the courtyard from afar.
Although they hadn't seen each other in six hundred years, and from this distance, the person was just a small black dot.
But she recognized him at a glance, her student, Qi Zhimu.
The spaceship began its steady descent.
The lower the altitude, the more things could be seen clearly.
She discovered that the mountain path extending from the banks of the Duyue River to her home was quite prominent, even though it was covered in ice and snow.
On the way, the cross-sections of the branches of those tall trees still bore obvious traces of pruning.
Was it pruned by AMu?
The spaceship finally stopped in the open space not far from the front of the house.
As her feet stepped onto her native soil once again, a ripple finally flickered across Ruan Mei's always indifferent and exquisite face.
Unknowingly, several amber eras had passed just like that.
Unfortunately, she still hadn't achieved the goal she had set back then—to let the family who loved her, and the family she loved, 'return'.
Ruan Mei stopped in front of the house.
"An energy lock?"
She sensed a special barrier enveloping the entire residence, which was currently in a closed state.
Without even thinking, she knew it must be her student's handiwork.
Stepping over the threshold and looking around at the familiar layout of the house, those Remembrance that had long been blurred by the erosion of time gradually became clear again.
She heard the sound of snow being swept in the backyard.
Ruan Mei did not call out; she walked naturally through the sandalwood corridor and saw that familiar back.
"A..."
Before the word "Mu" could leave her lips, a look of doubt crossed her face.
That was not her student, Qi Zhimu.
The reason she felt a sense of familiarity was that during those nearly six hundred years, there had also been such a figure accompanying her day and night, looking after her daily life in place of the student who had left.
At the same time, as Ruan Mei spoke, the mechanical automaton had already turned around.
Their eyes met, but their gazes were completely different.
"Hello, Ms. Ruan Mei. Hundreds of years have passed, and you have finally returned."
Ruan Mei didn't see any traces of scanning in the automaton's eyes; did it complete the identity verification the moment it saw her?
"I am a creation of Qi Zhimu. I am a mechanical automaton powered by his Remembrance and acting according to meta-instructions."
"Mhm."
Ruan Mei was not surprised.
Although she hadn't taught Qi Zhimu how to make mechanical automatons, he had seen the original design blueprints back then, so it wasn't strange that he could make one.
Having an automaton by one's side could save a lot of unnecessary time.
"Where is AMu?"
Just like Yu Qintu back then, Ruan Mei hadn't realized anything yet.
She asked about her student's whereabouts with a normal expression, never imagining—
The automaton's next words would instantly shatter the indifference she had maintained for hundreds of years.
"Ms. Ruan Mei, Qi Zhimu has passed away; it will soon be 489 years."
"..."
What did it just say?
Ruan Mei stood frozen in the courtyard, an emotion she had never felt before gradually welling up in her eyes.
It said... AMu is dead?
...Impossible!
Passed away for nearly 489 years... 489... Thinking of a certain possibility, Ruan Mei suddenly lost her composure.
Qi Zhimu was 64 when he finished his apprenticeship. She had confirmed his lifespan back then; he could live to be 175.
The day his lifespan ended was exactly 111 years after he finished his apprenticeship. Adding the number 489... 600.
In other words, he didn't use any method to extend his life!
"Why... why must you fail me too..."
Ruan Mei murmured softly, a shadow cast over her face.
"I told you we would meet again after the research ended. Why didn't you listen...?"
Ruan Mei unconsciously looked for a reason to explain it for Qi Zhimu.
Maybe... it was an accident?
Her heart, which was about to become a mess, still held onto a final, faint glimmer of hope.
"AMu died in an accident, right? Tell me, who did it?"
Ruan Mei stared fixedly at the automaton.
The automaton was not equipped with an emotion simulation system. When Ruan Mei asked, it answered in an emotionless tone.
"Qi Zhimu did not die in an accident; he passed away naturally when his lifespan reached its end. Based on emotional readings, the conclusion is: he left peacefully and calmly."
"..."
Ruan Mei instinctively backed away, her steps even a bit staggered.
Just then, the automaton stepped forward and performed an action almost identical to when it met Yu Qintu years ago.
It opened its chest cavity, reached into the folded space within, and took out a preservation box.
"This is the only item Qi Zhimu left for you before he died. Unfortunately, its shelf life is only 150 years."
Ruan Mei's gaze fell on the opened preservation box.
There was only a plate of familiar-looking pastries.
From the appearance, there were no signs of spoilage.
She took the box and picked up a piece, bringing it close to her nose.
The unique, crisp fragrance of plum blossoms was still strong, not at all like it had spoiled.
But at this moment, she had no heart to taste it, let alone further examine it.
"What else did AMu say...?"
"He said nothing."
Hearing this, Ruan Mei instinctively pursed her lower lip, a look of disappointment flashing across her face that she hadn't even noticed herself.
She wanted to demand why he didn't even leave a word for his teacher before leaving.
But then she remembered that she was the one who told AMu not to disturb her again.
After finishing his apprenticeship, except for the plum blossom brew sent every year, he hadn't even written a single letter.
The remarks column on the shipping slip was also always blank.
From what angle could she criticize AMu?
...Wait—
That's right, the plum blossom brew!!!
Ruan Mei remembered that the plum blossom brew was still being sent on time even this year, its flavor the same as always.
If AMu had been dead for many years, where did these wines come from?
Several possibilities quickly surfaced in her mind.
The first was naturally that Qi Zhimu wasn't dead yet.
And the truth that she dared not think too deeply about was related to the mechanical automaton in front of her... "Tell me, what are the meta-instructions AMu set in your core?"
The automaton replied:
"1. Periodically cultivate the plum grove, pick plum blossoms, brew wine according to the preset program, and finally send a three-year supply of the finished product to you."
"2. Periodically maintain your home and the Bamboo House, performing daily cleaning."
"3. Periodically prune the vegetation on both sides of the mountain path starting from the banks of the Duyue River and leading directly to your front door."
"4. Aside from the specified schedules above, I will stay in front of your home and activate sentry mode to prevent any situation that might cause damage to the residence."
Hearing the emotionless answers one by one, Ruan Mei's heart was filled with a complex mix of emotions.
The possibility she was most unwilling to believe had, in the end, come true.
"Why did AMu do this?"
"No relevant Remembrance in the database, unable to answer."