Bengtie: My death fueled their madness.

Ultimately, from an idealistic perspective, what he reincarnates in is the true nature of his soul.

From a materialist and scientific perspective, his reincarnation might be based on the anchor factor of his existence in the universe.

There is a case study: before the Amber Calendar was established, during the period known as the Twilight Age, there existed a peculiar creature.

If they can leave behind unique anchor factors before they perish, they can reshape themselves and return.

Later, this creature disappeared into the annals of history, rumored to have been swallowed up by an immortal star god.

The truth cannot be verified; only surviving historical records prove that they actually existed.

However, despite her meticulous planning, Nguyen Mai overlooked the fact that people can suffer from PTSD.

Estelle didn't think too much about it. Even though she was the eldest daughter of a family of financial giants, she had never tasted pastries made by a genius before, and she couldn't wait to try them.

Qi Zhimu was different. After exchanging a glance with Xing, he looked at Ruan Mei, hesitating to speak.

Last time, Xing ate the pastries that Ruan Mei had added anti-emetic.

That unspeakable feeling is still fresh in my memory.

Noticing the suspicious looks from the two, Ruan Mei's eyes dimmed slightly, and her voice carried obvious apology.

"Don't worry, I didn't add that kind of stuff..."

But... I'm sorry, Amu, your teacher is going to lie to you again.

But this time, the teacher did this because she didn't want to run away from it. Even if you resent her, it's a price the teacher has to pay.

"What?" Estella asked instinctively.

"...Star and...Mr. Zhimu don't like certain tastes," Ruan Mei replied tactfully.

Having said all that, Xing and Qi Zhimu hesitated for a moment before picking up the pastries and tasting them one after the other.

With just one bite, Xing's eyes lit up; it tasted much better than the extra-delicious pastries from last time.

Both girls squinted their eyes, clearly enjoying the flavor.

Ruan Mei didn't care about the two of them; she only cared about Qi Zhimu's response.

However, his reaction was very calm, and he showed almost no emotional fluctuation.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Ms. Ruan Mei. The pastries were delicious. The lotus root starch and osmanthus sugar cake had a rich aroma of osmanthus and lotus root, and a chewy texture. It was clearly made with care."

After finishing a piece of lotus root starch and osmanthus sugar cake, Qi Zhimu merely nodded politely.

"I am not very particular about food, so I cannot give an accurate evaluation. Please forgive me."

"I'm glad it suits your tastes." Ruan Mei felt disappointed.

She wasn't disappointed because the medicine hadn't worked and Qi Zhimu hadn't remembered his past, but rather because of Qi Zhimu's consistently distant attitude.

The stars who had been schemed against by her had now softened their attitudes considerably, clearly not intending to hold grudges.

In this kind of ice-breaking dining atmosphere, you can usually feel the relationship getting closer.

Only Qi Zhimu seemed to be separated by an invisible, transparent barrier.

It's impossible to discern his true emotions, or whether he's keeping his distance because of Xing, or for some other reason.

Ruan Mei had considered all the possibilities.

He even wondered if his reputation was too obscure.

However, she has lived a secluded life for many years and has never caused any infamy like the original doctor, so reputation should not be an obstacle.

"Ms. Ruan Mei, I have a question that might offend you, may I ask it?" Xing's face showed curiosity.

It's more accurate to say that he lost his memory, jokingly referring to himself as a baby less than a month old who is curious about many things.

"Please speak," Ruan Mei said softly.

"When you mentioned your students, you looked so sad, it was a bit like... uh..."

Xing hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"Speak frankly, Xing."

"Well, it's kind of like the expression on the face of my new friend in Arillow-VI after she witnessed her mother's death."

"Given that you mentioned losing him because of an experiment, I'm wondering if your student also died right in front of you...?"

After hearing her question, Estelle felt embarrassed; no wonder she said it might be offensive.

If that were the case, wouldn't that be reopening old wounds for Ruan Mei?

What an irony it is that a genius in the field of life sciences couldn't save his own student.

I thought Ruan Mei would avoid the topic, but to my surprise, she admitted it indirectly.

"...He didn't die in front of me; rather, until the moment of his death, I was still immersed in my own experimental project and knew nothing about it..."

Ruan Mei lowered her eyes.

"I was an incompetent teacher, and I am largely to blame for his passing. I didn't even learn of his death until six hundred years later."

Ah this...

These words left the two girls looking at each other in bewilderment. The heavy and difficult-to-discuss past left them unsure of how to respond.

Ruan Mei didn't care about their opinions; she only cared about Qi Zhimu.

Seeing him still quietly enjoying the snacks, the throbbing pain in my heart became more and more frequent.

On the thousandth anniversary of Amu's death, Yu Qingtu said something to her in front of her tombstone amidst a snowy landscape.

"What truly breaks your heart is never the harm or abuse, but abandonment and indifference."

Ruan Mei neither denied it nor could she deny it.

She actually had enough time to make amends for hurting Amu back then.

A simple apology, and the most enduring companionship and tenderness to make amends, can pull him out of the shadows and prevent him from falling into nothingness.

Once you fall into nothingness, it's a self-destructive journey from which there's no turning back.

Unless one can resist the erosion of nothingness, one will only go deeper and further away.

But such people are far too few...

Now, Ruan Mei personally experienced the devastating power of Yu Qingtu's words.

Now that Amu has forgotten everything, he doesn't care about any of this.

If you don't care, there will be no hatred, and even less so, no love.

To him, Ruan Mei was simply a genius from a different world.

She would rather Amu hate her and curse her a few times than be in this familiar yet stranger-like state.

She abandoned her students, which was tantamount to forcing them to abandon her as well, and in fact, that was exactly what happened.

If there is no contact after a hundred years, she tells Amu to forget her. In the end, Amu not only forgets her, but also forgets everyone else.

During her days of observing Qi Zhimu on the space station, Ruan Mei had noticed that he not only had a sachet at his waist, but also a broken jade pendant.

Although the original shape of the pieced-together jade fragments is unclear, the existence of the black swan's sachet makes the origin of the jade pendant readily apparent.

Jingliu has the same one, the difference being that hers is perfectly intact.

Ruan Mei didn't know why Qi Zhimu only had these two items on him.

Considering that Yu Qingtu and Xueyi Hanya were in the same boat as him, he didn't think too much about it for the time being.

At this moment, the robot delivered all the main meals ordered by the three people.

Sensing the somber atmosphere, Estelle took the initiative to lighten the mood, and with Hoshi's occasional witty remarks, the second half of the meeting wasn't too awkward.

Qi Zhimu has traveled all over the country and has a wide range of knowledge; he can chime in on any topic.

Only Ruan Mei seemed a little embarrassed. Having spent most of her time in the laboratory, she had little social life and could only sit aside, playing the role of a quiet and pleasingly beautiful woman.

Estelle was worried that she would be neglected, but little did she know that the latter didn't care at all.

Ruan Mei carefully concealed the infatuation in her eyes, her legs unconsciously rubbing together silently.

I'm so happy to be able to hear Amu's voice all the time...