Chapter 2
Kanzaki Tomomu returned to the bamboo house, opened the encrypted safe, took out the special medicine, and swallowed one pill.
Soon, his appearance reverted to that of a young man.
His body felt much more comfortable this way—almost no different from a healthy youth—though it was only temporary…
"Meow~"
A soft, cotton-like cry rose from below, the tail of the sound drawn out gently to catch his attention.
A fluffy touch brushed against his ankle. Kanzaki Tomomu looked down and saw an orange cat sitting obediently by his feet, gazing up at him.
Those usually lazy-looking eyes seemed to hold a trace of worry.
"I'm fine."
After putting the medicine back into the safe, Kanzaki Tomomu bent down, picked up the cat, and gently rubbed its head.
"Time to lose some weight, Little Orange."
"Meow~~"
Little Orange replied softly, as if promising "next time for sure."
"In another hundred days, I won't be able to take care of you like this anymore. Being too chubby isn't good for your health, you know?"
Little Orange seemed to understand, yet not completely. It nuzzled its head affectionately into Kanzaki Tomomu's palm.
Its fluffy paw rested on his wrist, giving the distinct impression that it was expressing reluctance to part.
Kanzaki Tomomu smiled, carrying Little Orange over to the windowsill and sitting down.
He took down the zhongruan hanging nearby and lightly plucked the silk strings with his slender fingers.
Gentle, flowing notes drifted out, blending into the late-autumn breeze.
Outside the window, the green bamboo swayed gracefully, still full of vitality, with a few pale yellow leaves occasionally fluttering down.
The plum grove halfway up the mountain had already begun quietly storing a faint, clear fragrance in preparation for its winter bloom.
Little Orange lay sprawled across Kanzaki Tomomu's lap. The wind passing by the window carried a slight chill, so it unconsciously curled itself into a small ball.
Beneath the melodious melody, Little Orange's breathing gradually became steady and rhythmic.
The sparse leaves of the evening bamboo bid farewell to their green shadows; the autumn window's strings carried a cold, solitary sound.
As the wind brushed the bamboo tips and scattered the final notes, it drew Kanzaki Tomomu's thoughts into the distance.
Ruan Mei loved the ruan instrument very much.
She had never deliberately taught Kanzaki Tomomu, yet he had learned it on his own through constant exposure.
Seeing this, Ruan Mei had given him a zhongruan as a gift.
She also loved light, fragrant pastries—especially those made with plum-blossom ingredients.
Again, she had never taught him, but he had still studied on his own. After spending several years, he could make pastries so perfect that even his teacher could find no fault in them.
From then on, until the day he completed his apprenticeship, he had been the one in charge of preparing every meal.
Most of what Teacher taught him concerned life sciences.
Reflecting on all those warm moments from the past, Kanzaki Tomomu couldn't help but feel a wave of emotion.
His life had been unfortunate… yet it had also been fortunate.
At the age of six, he had been caught in the flames of an apocalyptic war alongside several groups of fleeing refugees and contracted a deadly virus.
The blurry face he saw before losing consciousness was Ruan Mei's.
The blurry face he saw when he opened his eyes again was also Ruan Mei's.
"Do you want to keep living?"
She had asked him that, her voice ethereal and devoid of any detectable emotion.
"…Yes…"
He had answered simply—one single word left from nothing but the will to survive.
And so, Kanzaki Tomomu lived.
Ruan Mei made no promises. She spent several years successfully analyzing the virus and cured him, who had been nothing more than a test subject.
At eleven years old, he became Ruan Mei's student.
He learned quickly and learned a lot. The days were fulfilling.
At eighteen, Teacher became angry for the first and only time, severely punishing Kanzaki Tomomu for his mistake.
He couldn't remember the exact details clearly anymore—only that it had something to do with breaking the rules.
"Meow~"
Little Orange suddenly jumped down to the floor.
Kanzaki Tomomu snapped out of his memories. He glanced outside at the sky, a faint look of surprise flashing in his eyes.
He carefully hung the zhongruan back in its original spot and walked toward the door.
A girl wearing a deep-purple long dress was leading a middle-aged woman—whose head was covered with a gauze scarf and whose gaze looked somewhat dazed—toward the bamboo house.
"Mr. Kanzaki!"
Spotting the tall figure, the girl waved from afar. Her expression was complicated—both hopeful and uneasy.
Purple-haired girl
Kanzaki Tomomu understood why the two had come. As they approached, he smiled and gave a small nod.
"Follow me."
The girl, clearly familiar with the way, led her mother after Kanzaki Tomomu into the bamboo house and through a hidden passage that no one would ever suspect existed from the outside.
Inside the ordinary-looking bamboo house was a fully equipped medical room.
"Please lie down, Mrs. Durand."
The middle-aged woman met his calm, kind eyes. Her dazed expression remained as she instinctively looked toward the girl beside her.
"Mother, Mr. Kanzaki is the doctor treating your illness. Don't worry—you'll start remembering things again very soon."
"Ah… alright…" Mrs. Durand complied.
After a full set of examinations, the diagnosis showed some slight differences from before.
Kanzaki Tomomu placed the treatment device on Mrs. Durand's head, pressed the button, sealed the medical pod, and began the procedure.
"This session will last 17 hours. You can wait outside."
"…It increased by another 3 hours this time…" Clarisse looked uneasy, worry flashing across her face.
"Don't worry. You look like you haven't eaten yet—have something first." Kanzaki Tomomu gently patted Clarisse's long pale-purple hair.
The girl's full name was Clarisse Durand, a resident of a neighboring world.
She had searched for years to cure her mother's amnesia and finally, through various rumors, found the reclusive healer on a distant, quiet planet—Mr. Kanzaki.
Mrs. Durand had been receiving treatment here for several years now, and her condition had only worsened.
The visits had gone from once a year at the beginning to once every two months now.
The time required for each treatment had also steadily increased.
In the living room.
The pastries that usually tasted incredibly delicious now seemed almost flavorless to Clarisse.
Most of her thoughts were on her mother's illness.
At this rate, it was only a matter of time before her mother forgot everything—including her—and would never remember again.
Seeing the girl eating like she was chewing wax, Kanzaki Tomomu sighed softly and poured her a cup of plum blossom brew.
It was less than two years old.
Even an adult like Clarisse wouldn't get drunk from it, let alone the underage version of himself from years ago.
The clear, pale-yellow wine carried a refreshing, floral aroma.
Just one sniff was enough—Clarisse unconsciously downed half the cup. A faint blush rose to her cheeks.
The elegant plum-blossom fragrance lingered on her lips and tongue, gently easing the worry in the girl's heart.
"Thank you, Mr. Kan—"
"Cough, cough, cough—!"
Before Clarisse could finish her thanks, Kanzaki Tomomu suddenly broke into a violent coughing fit. He turned away, covering his mouth, enduring the discomfort.
"Mr. Kanzaki, are you okay?!" Worry and concern flashed across Clarisse's face.
Glancing at the crimson stain in his palm, Kanzaki Tomomu shook his head discreetly, his voice steady as usual.
"…It's nothing. Winter is coming, I probably caught a slight chill last night."
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Bonus chapters
200 Stones - 1 chapter
400 Stones - 2 chapter
600 Stones - 3 chapters
And so on