The blanket on her body slipped off quietly; Clarice gently stroked it, feeling its warmth, a look of tenderness flashing in her eyes.
"You're awake. Breakfast is on the table."
"...I know~"
Even though this wasn't the first time this had happened, Clarice felt she liked Mr. Qi even more.
Strictly speaking, their relationship was that of a patient's family member and a doctor.
But Mr. Qi's gentleness far exceeded the boundaries of such a relationship.
He didn't have to go to such lengths; why did he?
The young girl's thoughts wandered.
After washing up, Clarice sat at the table and ate her breakfast obediently, taking small bites and chewing slowly.
If she didn't eat, she would hear Mr. Qi say to her:'Skipping breakfast is bad for your health.'
But she didn't want that kind of deliberately elicited concern.
There were many magical things in Mr. Qi's home.
This dining table, for example.
Hot food placed on it wouldn't get cold for a day and a night, and things like apple slices wouldn't be affected by oxidation.
After finishing breakfast, Clarice glanced at the time.
There were still a few hours left until her mother's treatment session ended.
She glanced at the tableware being swallowed into the 'belly' of the dining table for cleaning and disinfection, then looked at the clean and tidy Bamboo House.
The girl's heart, wanting to help Mr. Qi with what she could, could only beat with a helpless rhythm.
But there was one thing... Mr. Qi always did himself.
She had been curious about it for a long time.
After a brief internal struggle, Clarice decided to ask the question that had been bothering her for so long.
She walked over to Mr. Qi and stood gracefully, maintaining a ladylike posture.
"Mr. Qi, there's something... I've wanted to ask you for a long time."
"Feel free to speak."
"Is that residence not far away also your home?"
Over the past five years, while visiting Mr. Qi on weekdays, she had often bumped into him going there to clean, or on his way back to the Bamboo House after finishing.
At other times, she would see him trimming the dense vegetation along the path.
That path also led to the Bamboo House.
Qi Zhimu was silent for a moment, then shook his head slightly: "...It's not my home."
Clarice wasn't too surprised.
She had long suspected it; if it were, why would Mr. Qi live in this Bamboo House?
"Then... why do you clean that residence so frequently?"
"That is my teacher's home. A long time ago, she used special means to move her home here, but now she has forgotten to take it away," Qi Zhimu explained softly.
Only then did Clarice notice that where Mr. Qi was looking seemed to be that very place.
However, that phrase 'forgot to take it away' was a bit confusing.
Did it mean moving an entire building directly, like moving furniture?
"And trimming the vegetation along the path... what is that for?"
It couldn't be to make it easy for others to find the Bamboo House; although she didn't quite understand why, she knew Mr. Qi was a'shut-in' who never left the house.
"I'm afraid my teacher will forget the way home," Qi Zhimu said.
"..." Clarice was completely stunned.
From this sentence, she heard a hint of sorrow; it was obvious, there was no mistaking it.
Why was Mr. Qi sorrowful?
Could it be that his teacher had passed away... No, no!
Just as she was about to shake her head to clear the messy thoughts, she found Mr. Qi's palm resting on her head.
"In the process of chasing a certain destination, Teacher lost and forgot many things and objects... perhaps including her home."
"I firmly believe that if one day she achieves her wish and reaches that destination, she will surely remember many forgotten things and will surely come home."
"I can't help her; the only thing I can do is look after her home for her."
Feeling the warmth from the palm on her head, a trace of envy and jealousy inexplicably welled up in Clarice's heart.
Jealousy toward Mr. Qi's teacher.
But a Mr. Qi who was so sentimental... she liked him!
"Mr. Qi's teacher must be very important to you, right?"
"Of course. If it weren't for Teacher, I would have died in a pile of corpses long ago."
No wonder.
Clarice understood, and the inexplicable jealousy in her heart vanished.
To be able to teach such an outstanding student as Mr. Qi, his teacher must be an extraordinary person.
"Then where is Mr. Qi's hometown?"
"It turned into cosmic dust long ago. Where my heart belongs, that is my home."
"So that's why Mr. Qi was happy yesterday that my mother and I could go home?"
"Pretty much."
Clarice couldn't help but sigh inwardly at the answer.
Oh, Mr. Qi, Mr. Qi, my heart has chosen this place as its home, not that so-called hometown which has no warmth.
It's just... you don't know.
"Let's stop here for now. I have to go to the back mountain."
Qi Zhimu glanced at the time and left instructions.
"If there are any problems before Ms. Durand's treatment ends, notify me immediately, and I will come back right away."
Clarice was startled for a moment, then came back to her senses.
Right, every year at this time, Mr. Qi would go to the back mountain to mulch the plum grove and prune the branches appropriately.
Around a certain day the following year—Mr. Qi seemed to call that day Great Cold—he would go to pick the blooming plum blossoms to use for brewing wine.
As for the taste, she had tried it many times, and each time she was left wanting more; it was delicious enough to make one temporarily forget their troubles.
If asked what the most memorable drink she had ever had in her life was, it would undoubtedly be Mr. Qi's plum blossom brew.
Oh, right, the day of Great Cold happened to be Mr. Qi's birthday.
"Let me help you, Mr. Qi."
"No need. That long dress of yours isn't suitable for activities in the back mountain; it's better to stay here and look after your mother." Qi Zhimu smiled softly, declining the girl's kindness.
Hearing this, Clarice could only nod helplessly.
Yesterday, her mother's illness had suddenly flared up, and she couldn't remember anything except her daughter.
They had left in a hurry, so there was no time to change into convenient clothes.
Qi Zhimu took off his white lab coat and hung it on a coat rack.
Glancing at the temperature shown on the weather forecast, he habitually tilted his head and gave a gentle reminder.
"The temperature is dropping. In a few days, it won't be suitable to wear thin long dresses anymore, or you'll easily catch a cold."
"I know, but Mr. Qi, you... it's nothing... be safe, I'll wait for you to come back." The girl didn't finish what she wanted to say.
Qi Zhimu nodded and went straight out toward the back mountain.
Watching Mr. Qi's tall figure disappear from her sight, Clarice's thoughts wandered.
She didn't know why every winter, Mr. Qi would at most put on that white lab coat or a jacket and wouldn't add more clothes.
At first, she thought it was because he had a good constitution and didn't fear the severe cold.
Later she found out that when it snowed, Mr. Qi's hands were very cold, almost like ice.
Evidently, he wasn't unaffected by the severe cold.
Thinking of this, Clarice made a decision.
She would sign up for a handicraft class and hand-knit some warm clothes to give to Mr. Qi as a birthday present this year.
For example, a warm sweater and a scarf.