Chapter 32
…Could it be…
Ruan Mei's pupils trembled.
Could it be that because of that one casual remark, he returned to her old homeworld after completing his apprenticeship and never left until the day he died?
She was only remembering this fragment of the past now…
No… "rediscovering" was the more accurate word.
The realization left her chest tight with an unfamiliar emotion she had never felt before.
It shouldn't be like this… it couldn't be like this…
A student's love for his teacher should never take this form…
Yet why had he chosen exactly this path?
Half a year after they moved.
"Teacher, since plum blossoms can be used as an ingredient for pastries, could they also be used to brew wine? I noticed you occasionally enjoy a small cup…"
"Brewing plum blossom wine requires higher-quality materials. I don't have time for that."
"Anything Teacher doesn't have time for, you can leave to me. If I don't know how, I'll study until I do."
"…Mm."
She nodded absently and thought little of it.
But the boy learned quickly and absorbed everything.
Gradually, aside from her research, she no longer needed to worry about any trivial matters. Tomomu Kanzaki took complete charge of her daily life.
The pastries he made grew more and more delicious, and he absorbed the knowledge she taught him at an astonishing pace.
During this time he also learned several instruments, especially the zhongruan, practicing with tireless dedication.
Whenever she had a spare moment, she would see the boy cradling her instrument in his arms.
Eventually he could follow her thoughts perfectly and play alongside her.
She gave him a zhongruan of his own so he could have a proper instrument that belonged to him.
The days passed in quiet fulfillment. In just three years, Tomomu Kanzaki completed the equivalent of ordinary schooling from elementary level all the way through university.
Of course, he had no formal diploma yet. If he wanted one, he would need to take the proper examinations.
But he didn't care. He said that staying by Teacher's side didn't require a piece of paper.
Tomomu Kanzaki never mentioned graduation, and she had long since forgotten the offhand remark she once made.
When A-Kan was fifteen, he met the Genius Society Member #55, Yu Qingtu.
At the time of the visit, Yu Qingtu had been rather cold toward her student — not even particularly polite.
Yet at some point later, her attitude had changed.
Ruan Mei carefully reviewed the past and uncovered many long-buried truths about small matters she had once paid no attention to.
So… Yu Qingtu had proposed a wager to A-Kan back then.
Make pastries that she would like?
To be honest, even the pastries Ruan Mei herself made were always picked apart by Yu Qingtu.
That woman's palate was far too picky — some might even call it demanding.
The outcome of the wager remained unknown for now, but it clearly hadn't happened during Tomomu Kanzaki's youth.
One year later, Tomomu Kanzaki was sixteen.
More than five years had passed since the day he became her student.
On the night of her birthday, the boy — now nearly as tall as she was — appeared holding a jar of wine.
"Happy birthday, Teacher. Would you like some plum blossom brew? This is a five-year batch. The records say this is when the flavor is at its peak."
She had been mildly surprised. The boy's still-youthful voice from years ago echoed in her ears.
It turned out the little boy back then had never been joking. Whatever he said, he would do.
"Teacher?" Seeing her lost in thought, the boy tilted his head gently.
"…Mm. I thought you were only speaking casually."
"How could I? Teacher taught me that if you say something, you must follow through. Otherwise you shouldn't say it at all." The boy's smile was bright and sincere.
"…A-Kan is very good and has done very well. What reward would you like?"
"I want to develop a universal seasoning. Two of the ingredients… the company's listed price and delivery fee are both quite high…"
"Buy whatever you need by logging into this account. Expense is no concern."
Credits were nothing more than numbers to her. Whenever she ran low, she could simply sell a few research.
"Thank you, Teacher! I will pour you some plum blossom brew~"
The boy, unable to hide his joy at getting what he wanted, respectfully stepped forward and filled her cup.
Watching this memory, Ruan Mei's gaze flickered.
She remembered that night.
The plum blossom brew made by the boy's own hands had left an unusually deep impression on her.
It was from that night onward that whenever her research hit a difficult point and left her frustrated, she would pour herself a small cup of plum blossom brew.
Drinking it always washed away every trace of irritation and unease in her heart.
On rare occasions, it even brought a surge of inspiration.
Ruan Mei continued watching.
After taking a small sip, she was momentarily lost in thought.
"How is it, Teacher? Does it suit your taste?" The boy stood to the side, looking a little nervous.
"Not bad." She tilted her head back slightly and emptied the cup in one go. "Pour me another."
One cup.
Two cups.
Three cups…
By the time the birthday feast drew to a close, more than half the jar of plum blossom brew had disappeared.
Tomomu Kanzaki was still too young to drink, so every drop had gone into Ruan Mei's stomach.
At that moment her fair cheeks were flushed with an alluring red. Feeling a little warm, she slipped off her outer coat.
"A-Kan, I want more…"
"…Teacher, you look a little drunk. Perhaps we should stop for tonight?"
"I'm not drunk."
Tomomu Kanzaki immediately deflated, his expression helpless.
Anyone who's drunk would say the exact thing.
"..." Ruan Mei frowned slightly.
She had no memory of this scene at all.
No matter how she tried to recall it, nothing came back. There was actually a gap in her memory.
She only remembered falling asleep right after the birthday feast and waking the next day feeling refreshed, then throwing herself straight back into her research.
A few more cups went down.
"Teacher, you really can't drink any more!"
"Drunk people can't speak clearly. Keep pouring."
"You are doing the exact things a drunk person would do Teacher... Sigh..." The boy whispered.
Though she didn't catch the things he just said, seeing the boy's helpless sigh, Ruan Mei's eyes filled with confusion.
She had tried finishing an entire jar in a short time before, yet she had never once gotten drunk.
From childhood to the present, she had never experienced intoxication.
What exactly had happened that night?
In the end, the entire jar of plum blossom brew was emptied to the last drop.
Right now, a layer of crimson had spread across Ruan Mei's snow-white neck. Anyone could see she was completely intoxicated.
"A-Kan, help me to the bath."
"Teacher… bathing in this state isn't really… All right…"
Pinned by his teacher's half-lidded gaze, the boy could only surrender. He helped her into the bathroom.
He thoughtfully filled the tub with water, then turned to leave.
Before he could even lift his right foot, his arm was suddenly caught.
"Why are you in such a hurry? Later, when I'm soaking, help Teacher massage my shoulders."
"Huh?"
Tomomu Kanzaki instinctively shook his head in a panic.
"That won't do, Teacher. There is a proper distinction between male and female, teacher and student. How could you let me—"
"Be good and listen. If you do it well, there will be a reward~"
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