For Clarisse, walking beside Mr. Qi meant that even the cold morning felt warm.
As they drew closer to their destination, Clarisse spoke as if casually.
"Mr. Qi, I'll help you later."
"No. How can I let a visiting friend do rough work?"
"Then, Mr. Qi—between friends, helping each other is normal, right?"
"…Yes."
"Exactly. I'll help clean your teacher's house, and in return you have to help me with a small favor—okay?"
Clarisse's eyes curved with a bright smile.
She had planned this. She knew he'd refuse; that was why she framed it this way.
"What favor?"
"I recently enrolled in a clothing design class. I need male body measurements of different heights…"
She looked him up and down.
"…You're at least 180 centimeters, with a tall, balanced build—perfect for one of the standards."
Knitting a scarf didn't require measurements, but a sweater did.
She had been practicing; now she could finally measure him properly for the finished piece.
"It's just measurements. That hardly counts as a favor," Qi Zhimu said.
Yes—exactly as she predicted.
Now she could push the next step naturally.
"Then please sacrifice a bit more… and be my model!" Clarisse's eyes shone with expectation as she stared at his profile.
Qi Zhimu paused.
Considering his condition, he thought briefly, then agreed.
"Alright. But I can't be your model for long."
"It's fine. This winter is enough. Are you going to handle something important?"
"…Yes. In a while I have to travel far for some time."
"How long?"
"Hard to say."
"Okay—then I won't ask."
She wanted to know, but she also knew pushing would be impolite. He clearly didn't want to elaborate.
They arrived.
Qi Zhimu unlocked the energy seal.
"You can go in."
Cleaning wasn't complicated—sweeping, mopping, wiping furniture and decorations.
Afterward, during a break, Clarisse measured his shoulder width, chest, waist, neck—everything.
She seemed hurried. She didn't stay long, and left quickly.
…
Three days later, evening.
Qi Zhimu leaned at the window ledge as usual, ruan in his arms, fingers plucking a steady rhythm.
Dusk deepened. He didn't turn on the light. His figure sank into shadow.
His eyes weren't focused. The melody slowed by a few beats; each note dragged heavy and low, unusually clear in the night.
His mind was elsewhere.
"Meow~~"
Little Orange leapt up from the floor, landing precisely on his lap.
It wriggled, tucked its paws, and became a fluffy sea cucumber on land.
With its full weight pressing down, Qi Zhimu's thigh outline seemed to vanish entirely.
Unsatisfied, the cat shifted closer to his warm abdomen, then settled, eyes half-closed, purring like a tiny engine.
Minutes passed. The melody slowly returned to its proper tempo.
"Burning feelings—thousands of cups down the throat… what does the one who leaves seek? Whose heart is torn apart?"
Qi Zhimu lowered his eyes. His voice, low and heavy, blended into the thickening dark as he unconsciously sang that song—apparently written for no one.
Clarisse arrived with her mother at that moment, and stopped upon hearing the singing.
The cottage was dark. They silently chose not to interrupt.
From the melody, Clarisse heard the desolation of loving and never obtaining.
She lifted a hand to her eye—then realized her eyes were already wet.
She had heard him play the tune before, but this was the first time she heard him sing.
When the last overtone trembled and faded, the sorrowful music finally fell still.
"…Dr. Qi, we're here," Clarisse said, steadying her voice.
The cottage went quiet for a beat. Then came the sound of something being set down, and lights turned on.
"Come in."
"Meow~"
Man and cat, one after another.
Qi Zhimu's voice returned to its usual warm calm.
To fulfill the promise he had made, he had prepared for this day for a long time.
The success rate was now effectively one hundred percent.
Mrs. Durand lay in the pod. Qi Zhimu placed electrodes at specific points on her head.
"Mrs. Durand, we can begin at any time. Are you ready?"
"Thank you for your trouble, Doctor. I'm ready."
"Drink this." Qi Zhimu handed her a tube of solution.
She drank without hesitation and exhaled softly.
"See you tomorrow, ma'am."
As the words fell, Qi Zhimu started the program he had long finalized.
Mrs. Durand's vision blurred; her consciousness sank into quiet darkness.
Clarisse still wore a trace of worry. Qi Zhimu soothed her gently:
"There won't be any accident. I promise you."
"I believe you, Mr. Qi."
He became intensely busy, focus sharpened to a razor.
The surgery would not fail—but only if the early phase went perfectly.
He needed to integrate Mrs. Durand's memory archives from previous sessions, digitize them, and back them up.
Then came the same method he had used on himself.
Back then, he had written an automated program and never had a single failed run.
But each person's memory was different. Even with backups, he preferred manual control.
Clarisse's gaze stayed on him most of the time.
The code on the screen was mostly meaningless to her.
All she could understand were his long fingers moving across hundreds of keys in a precise dance.
In earlier treatments, he had never been this busy.
Now, the serious Mr. Qi carried an intellectual, scholarly aura.
Clarisse watched, her gaze growing softer.
She didn't know how long passed.
Qi Zhimu tapped a key, and a green progress bar appeared at the center of the screen, climbing from 1%.
"Alright. The only risky stage is safely over. Now we just wait nine hours."
Clarisse checked the time and realized three hours had gone by.
"Thank you, Mr. Qi…"
After waiting so long for this day, her heart felt tangled.
"The night is long. Go sleep."
"I can't."
Clarisse looked at her mother, serious.
"This is a moment that decides the future. As her daughter, I'll keep watch."
"That's fair."
"My mother once told me: life is a winding maze; without memory, we have nothing. Mr. Qi—how do you understand that?"
-------
My : pat*eon*com/RuneA
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