(Multiple Female Leads + Non-Canon + OOC Warning - Don't read it if it's not your preference)
...
[Remaining Lifespan: 100 days, 5 hours, 20 minutes, 13 seconds]
Rrakavasha acted as if he wasn't able to see the system notification visible only to himself.
Wearing a serene smile, he placed a plate of exquisite pastries on the table.
"Senior, may I ask if my teacher's research... has finally reached a conclusion?"
"After all this time, you still won't address me casually? That woman really managed to make you as stubborn and inflexible as herself"
She glanced at Rrakavasha with helpless exasperation.
Getting this rule-abiding fellow to change his ways would be akin to moving mountains.
Only the Aeons know how many rigid, inflexible principles Ruan Mei had drilled into his head.
He wanted to apologize, but decided to stay quiet.
Toward the woman before him, who appeared classically elegant, looking no day older than 25, he maintained an impeccably appropriate etiquette.
This woman, Yu Qingtu has been a member of the Genius Society for centuries by now.
She shared Ruan Mei's love for classical music and special beverages, though their temperaments were considerably different.
To outsiders, Yu Qingtu appeared as an eccentric genius pharmacist.
To him, she went from initial indifference to... well, warm kindness.
Most likely it was because he made excellent pastries that happened to satisfy her discerning palate..
But regardless, rules were rules.
Seniority must not be confused and propriety must not be broken.
Otherwise, Ruan Mei would be displeased.
It's been one hundred fifty-seven years since she was last displeased by his actions.
Just as people forget most unpleasant memories from early childhood, after all these decades, Rrakavasha could no longer recall the exact reason for Teacher's displeasure, only that it had something to do with him breaking protocol.
What followed was punishment: five days without medication and confinement.
Only when the virus was about to claim his life did she release him from that dark room.
In Rrakavasha's understanding, improper forms of address also fell under breaking protocol.
"Let me guess, you're about to say 'How could a junior disrespect their senior?'" Yu Qingtu's tone was confident, reading his expression.
"You're Genius Society Member #55. How could a junior like me disrespect you?"
"See? Predictable as clockwork."
"You've already completed your apprenticeship. So what's all this about respecting seniority? Even within the Genius Society, there are plenty of eccentrics who show their seniors no respect whatsoever."
Yu Qingtu rolled her eyes even harder, speaking without courtesy.
"Besides, your teacher isn't even a member, and I haven't seen her treat me as a respected senior. She isn't even here, yet you still obey her teachings?"
"Once a teacher, always a teacher. This junior will not bring shame upon his Teacher."
"Stubborn as they come. Fine, fine. Your birthday is in a hundred days, what gift would you like?"
"Any gift from a genius would be my honor."
Rrakavasha maintained his polite smile, skillfully steering the conversation back on track.
"You still hasn't answered this junior's question. Teacher's research..."
"It's not finished. That woman has locked herself away for decades. If I able to still detect some signs of life, I'd think she died in there."
"This junior thanks you for the information."
"Young man, sit. I have some questions for you."
Yu Qingtu's eyes shifted as she gestured for Rrakavasha to stop standing there like a statue.
Rrakavasha hesitated momentarily before seating himself properly across from Yu Qingtu.
"As long as it doesn't involve Teacher's privacy, this junior will answer truthfully."
"Don't worry. Though it does involve privacy, it's not hers, it's yours."
"This junior's?"
"Tell me honestly "
Yu Qingtu narrowed her slender eyes, her expression growing serious.
"Your sudden completion of apprenticeship, does it have anything to do with you advising Ruan Mei against pursuing that forbidden research?"
"..." Rrakavasha's gaze dropped, and after several seconds of silence, he shook his head slightly. "This junior cannot fathom Teacher's thoughts."
Yu Qingtu immediately had her answer.
As a genius in the pharmaceutical field, she naturally had dealings with biologists.
How could she turn a blind eye to Ruan Mei trying to resurrect the deceased?
And those deceased were none other than her own parents.
Never interfering with another's research was basic etiquette among Genius Society members.
But this didn't prevent Yu Qingtu from privately grumbling: How could someone who scorns biological laws herself raise such a rule-bound student?
Unless... Rrakavasha broke protocol and challenged her, leading to his expulsion and transformation into his current state?
"If I had been the one to find you back then, cure your illness, and take you as a student, you definitely wouldn't be this rigid now."
Rrakavasha could only respond with a smile.
Yu Qingtu had long grown accustomed to his ways and didn't mind.
She elegantly finished the delicious pastries, satisfaction evident in her expression.
"Alright, young man, I should be going. But before I leave, I want to ask you one more question."
"Please, Senior."
"Do you admire... no, I should ask, do you love her? In a romantic sense?"
"Senior mustn't tease this junior. This junior holds only respect for Teacher. How could I harbor such profoundly disrespectful feelings?"
"Is that so..."
Gazing at Rrakavasha's utterly candid expression, Yu Qingtu found no trace of deception.
Naturally, she also detected no hidden affection.
Yet she still felt something was deeply strange.
The primary source was the building not far from this bamboo house, an exact replica of her friend Ruan Mei's ancestral home.
She'd been inside. The layout was identical down to the smallest detail.
She couldn't tell whether it had been physically relocated or if Rrakavasha had reconstructed it himself.
If the latter, why build it but never live in it, only cleaning it regularly, maintaining it in pristine condition?
By comparison, Rrakavasha's annual shipments of plum blossom wine to Ruan Mei seemed like normal behavior for a respectful student.
Unable to find answers, Yu Qingtu could only attribute it to both teacher and student being peculiar flowers.
"...See you next time, young man." Yu Qingtu waved her hand, collecting the ten jars of plum blossom wine nearby.
"Safe travels, Senior. When delivering the plum blossom wine, please remember to leave Teacher a message reminding her to maintain regular sleeping hours and eat properly."
"You've been saying this for decades. Don't worry."
As for whether Ruan Mei would actually listen, that was her business.
Rrakavasha escorted Yu Qingtu to her starship and watched her depart before turning toward that residential building.
But Yu Qingtu was still observing.
Seeing Rrakavasha dutifully go clean the perfect replica residence, she found him even more puzzling than Ruan Mei.
Unable to make sense of it, she shook her head helplessly and withdrew her gaze.
"Perhaps this is what they mean by: geniuses aren't necessarily geniuses in all domains."
Only after sensing that subtle presence had completely departed did Rrakavasha finally exhale.
His originally healthy, rosy complexion instantly turned ashen, his youthful appearance shifting to elderly as his temples rapidly whitened.
He coughed violently several times, the metallic sweetness blocking his throat, nearly spilling from his lips.
He was dying soon.
True, he had learned considerable biological knowledge from Ruan Mei and possessed various means to extend his life.
But there was no need.
As a short-lived species, a lifespan of one hundred seventy-five years was complete enough.
Like protagonists in various novels, Rrakavasha possessed his own system.
However, his system didn't directly provide powerful cheat-like advantages.
The only thing his system offered was: life.
Be born, die, and repeat.
Natural death was the law for intelligent life, and also a blessing, he wouldn't break it lightly.
Setting aside Teacher Ruan Mei, the eccentric Yu Qingtu was another matter entirely.
If she learned the truth about his impending death, this genius who'd lived for who knows how many years might do something unpredictable to him.
Therefore, there was no need to tell them.
But before dying, there were still some things that needed completion.