My girlfriend is from the future!

"...Don't blame me for fighting and snatching it!"

That's why variety shows are more fun when people are relaxed and uninhibited.

Inviting top-tier celebrities to participate guarantees a certain level of viewership, but if the show involves games where everyone is too polite and accommodating, there's really nothing interesting about it.

As He Tianran made this statement, which seemed to be a declaration of sovereignty, the guests who were not directly involved were so excited that they dared not breathe. The one who was most excited was undoubtedly the director, Xiang Kui. She was very glad that she had invited He Tianran to participate in the program at the company's discussion meeting. Although at that time, she was still unaware of the relationship between the man and Wen Liang, she just had a feeling that the tense atmosphere between the two at the meeting would definitely create a drama...

She hadn't expected that these two weren't just there for show; they were practically inseparable.

However, the female director still had a clear sense of boundaries regarding the level of ambiguity in the program. Seeing that the footage was almost finished, Xiang Kui quickly gestured to the housekeeper host to continue the process.

"It seems our 'Lies' classmate is naturally quick-witted, but since the pocket watch is fixed in the state of your two being separated, even if you expose the ceiling today, you still cannot become a symbiotic group. That's the rule."

He Tianran knew that if he continued to insist on being with Wen Liang, the scene would become truly ambiguous. He also knew that all he was saying was to add some highlights to the show and could not change the rules. However, since he rarely established a domineering persona, he had to take the opportunity to make some more of a show, at least to add some comedic elements to the scene and dilute the tension brought about by the ambiguity. That way, the ending would be smoother.

After thinking for a moment, he slammed his hand on the table and shouted in a very domineering manner:
"Don't give me that 'rules' nonsense. Get your boss here, you know, that guy... you... Xiang Kui! You! Come here, come here, hurry up! Run a few steps, you slowpoke!"

In variety shows, it's common for guests to break the fourth wall and communicate directly with the production team and even the audience. When everyone saw his arrogant attitude, they were stunned for a moment. He Tianran is the real producer of this show, holding the power of life and death. How dare the show undermine him, showing off scripted operations and talking about the rules?

Isn't this just like an old lady sneaking into bed—making the old man laugh?
Hearing He Tianran's call, Xiang Kui dared not delay. She rushed forward, trembling with fear, and dutifully called out:
"boss……"

When everyone saw that Sister Kui, who usually commanded respect and tormented everyone on set, was now so submissive to Producer He that she didn't even dare to straighten her back, they burst into gloating laughter.

"Don't call me boss. I'm already bound by your rules, so why should I call you boss? How about I call you boss instead?"

"Oh, no, no, no..."

Xiang Kui's disheveled appearance and He Tianran's imperious manner drew a burst of laughter from the audience. Wen Liang covered her mouth, her shoulders shaking, and pulled away from the man's shoulder.

"Ha, stop with all this nonsense, just tell me directly, can the rules be changed?"

"This can't be changed... If it's changed, then..."

"Um--?"

"It can be changed! It can be changed! If the old partners can't work together, then adding someone else will create a new combination! Yes, yes, add someone, add someone~"

Xiang Kui, trying to shift the blame, looked at Bai Lingye, whose eyes widened in disbelief. She thought, "What kind of crazy move is this? I was the one who used the prop, so how come I'm the one who's superfluous?" Seeing that she didn't react, He Tianran offered a suggestion:
"So you mean if you want to follow her, you have to take me with you? You don't want to include me?"

"I……"

Bai Lingye hesitated for a moment, then finally forced a bright but extremely strained smile onto her face, compelling herself to speak in a cheerful tone:
"I'd love to! I... I'd love to have fun with you, boss!"

The crowd could no longer hold back and burst into laughter. After all, He Tianran was also the boss of Bailingye. It's really not easy being a working person.

The three-person team was part of the segment's design, and Xiang Kui's suggestion gave the guests room to improvise. Besides, wouldn't it be a shame to miss out on a scenario like this where "she loves her, she loves him, but he doesn't love her and only loves her"?

Xiang Kui was sent away, and the guests were reassigned to different teams. He Tianran's domineering antics successfully defused the earlier ambiguous relationship between the men and women. Sui Chulang naturally formed another team with Su Xiaotong and Luo Que. Seeing that the time was right, the butler announced new rules:
"As Mr. Lie said before, this collapsing apocalyptic world is the final manifestation of the decaying state of a love affair, and you are its ailments. To return to its original state, you must first go through a painful process of bone-scraping and poison-removing, and overcome the flaws in human nature."

Now, this mansion has fulfilled its purpose and no longer serves as a shelter. With the apocalypse approaching, the power of the rules has already affected everyone's memories and time, so in the following…

He glanced at his wristwatch:

"Within eight hours, only one person could escape this mansion. New rules are hereby announced; please abide by them."

First, members of the symbiotic group can now only speak the truth. If they believe that the other party's words are false, they can point it out on the spot, reducing the other party's survival time by 30 minutes.

Second, if you have a symbiotic companion nearby, you must not remain silent for more than ten minutes in any situation, otherwise you will lose 20 minutes of survival time.

Third, the rules regarding odd/even time slots and the number of people in your party still apply. During survival hours, on even-numbered days, you must be with another person; the number of people cannot be odd. Otherwise, you will be subject to a one-hour chase by NPCs, and your personal time flow will be accelerated five times.

Everyone was a little confused when they heard the rules, and Luo Que asked first:

"No more teamwork? And what about our individual nicknames?"

The butler calmly said:
"If there is a group that has never disbanded, their tacit understanding is naturally useful. But unfortunately, none of you have passed the previous tests. So now you can only trust each other's honesty. As for how to address each other, you all know what the other person represents now, so you should all know how to address each other."

The implication seems to be that the previous level of understanding can be exchanged for rewards at this stage, but none of us here are eligible for that.

He Tianran asked:
"The first rule is that if I'm telling the truth, but my partner thinks I'm lying, how do we judge who's telling the truth? And the third rule is that on even-numbered days, the number of people cannot be odd. We have three people in our group now, so does that mean one person has to be sent away when the time comes?"

The butler smiled slightly:
"If your companions believe you are lying, then you are lying, without exception. For each additional person who identifies you as lying, 30 minutes of survival time will be deducted. Although each of you has the same survival time, you are also independent of each other. Therefore, it is inevitable that there will be situations where your companions are in an odd number of days while you are in an even number. You are a symbiotic group and should treat each other sincerely and support each other. You must make good use of the rules in order to find the right answer in this apocalypse."

Good heavens, this sounds so grand and noble, calling them a symbiotic group, partners, but the game ultimately limits it to only one person escaping. The current rules are even more of a test of human nature, clearly a case of killing three with two peaches.

"Now, some fragments of the past are still scattered throughout this city. Perhaps they can guide you to your final destination. Please note that if your survival time reaches zero, you will be swallowed by the apocalypse. Time is of the essence, so please set off!"

As the butler gave the order to leave, everyone walked out of the mansion one after another. According to the current rules, it would have been the right choice for the six of them to travel together, since there would never be an extra odd number. However, the production team did not seem to intend to keep them together. Soon, the two groups received their respective tasks and separated again.

He Tianran's team's mission was to find a ringing telephone booth to the south. The filming location for this program was a film and television city in the southwestern suburbs of the port city. Apart from the old residential building where He Tianran was born at the beginning, the further south the group went, the more the town's architectural style resembled that of the Republic of China era.

The arcade pillars along the street are peeling off the gold-trimmed Southeast Asian patterns, and the trams clang over the rusty rails. In the window of a Western-style clock shop around the corner, three or five brass phonographs spread out in the shape of trumpet flowers, and the shellac records stir up fine dust as they spin. Looking up, you can see indigo-coated cheongsams drying on the carved railings on the second floor.

"Ah, isn't this Yanggang Film and Television City?"

He Tianran recognized the place and asked Bai Lingye, who was already very familiar with it, with curiosity:

"What, you're a native of Hong Kong, and you've never been here before?"

"I came here a few times when I was a kid, but I don't remember anymore. We're in the apocalypse now, with our memories gone. We're recording this, so let's get into character."

He Tianran gave a perfunctory reply. Not to mention that the "lead singer" didn't remember it well, even if he himself came here, he would be stunned for a while. This is because this place has existed for longer than he is. In the early years, it was built with investment from several films and TV series based on the Republican era by Aunt Qiong Yao. However, there are many Republican era film and television cities in the north, such as Tianjin and Shenyang, and in the south, such as Shanghai and Chongqing. It is incomparable to versatile filming locations like Xiangshan and Hengdian.

The only advantage of this place is its proximity to Hong Kong Island, so occasionally some TVB production crews still come here. However, due to the popularity of short dramas in recent years and the support of Hong Kong for the film and television industry, there are signs of a brief resurgence here.

"Oh, so you're getting me into character now? When you were being arrogant and domineering earlier, you didn't say anything like 'It's being recorded, you need to get into character.' Oh dear, it seems I haven't done my job well enough. The boss doesn't care. I just finished filming my last movie here."

Bai Lingye feigned melancholy, He Tianran was drenched in sweat, while Wen Liang seized the opportunity to add a comment:
"Senior, you're lucky. At least you're still filming regularly, unlike me, who's just a maidservant, only able to accompany the young master to record variety shows when I have nothing to do." He Tianran immediately retorted:

"You're lying! You were so happy when I said we should be together!"

"What lie did I tell? I didn't say I was unhappy! What are you questioning? I said you're the master and I'm the maid, you're the boss and I'm the employee, what's wrong with that? I'm just stating the facts!"

Wen Liang was quick-witted; such a trick obviously wouldn't work on her.

Bai Lingye, who had originally intended to make things difficult for He Tianran and remind him not to neglect her at work, never expected it to turn into a little flirtation between the man and Wen Liang. Her resentment deepened, and with a playful expression, she said:

"It's rare that the rules of this game are so interesting. There's something I really want to hear Director He say from the truth..."

"what's up?"

"Since both Ah Liang and I have worked with Director He, I wanted to ask, who do you prefer to work with?"

"..."

Goodness, now not only was he drenched in sweat, but He Tianran's buttocks were clenched tightly. He looked at Wen Liang, who was also paying close attention to the issue. Her eyes wandered around without saying a word, and her feigned indifference was almost as if she was whistling to cover it up.

However, what appears to be a chaotic situation is, in essence, a test of work attitude.

After all, nobody wants to see their rival in the workplace being more favored by the boss than they are, right?
Although Bai Wenyu is currently in charge of the agency, the artists all know that He Tianran is the backbone. This is because if an artist doesn't produce any substantial content and just keeps accepting endorsements and business deals, they are actually wasting their fame and will eventually be eliminated by the next generation and the market.

This industry is never short of newcomers, but it will always be short of content. Although He Tianran has only directed two dramas since his debut, the market has already proven his ability to create hit shows and make stars. So even if he doesn't have the backing of Shan Hai, his future projects will be able to attract investment just by his name, making artists in the industry flock to him.

Moreover, Shanhai is currently making great strides in its investment in the film and television industry. It's obvious that if this young leader didn't personally get involved, who would have the ability to get He Panshan, who already occupies a large territory in the Chinese internet, to cross over and provide support?
But He Tianran could push Bai Lingye yesterday, Wen Liang today, and Su Xiaotong or someone else tomorrow. Such anxieties are a mixture of subjective and objective factors. So, setting aside, or even without setting aside, romantic relationships, who He Tianran likes more is a real concern for someone like Bai Lingye, as it affects their career prospects.

"Hey, is this a death trap? Let me make this clear first, you two can't have any female rivalry, or I'll get yelled at to death, okay!"

He Tianran first put on a layer of armor for himself, and Wen Liang tugged at his sleeve, laughing and scolding:

"Hurry up and tell me, I'm on good terms with my senior, so who are you going to choose?"

Wen Liang had made up her mind. No matter who he chose in the end, she would assume he was lying. In this situation, she would have to consider the other person's feelings no matter who she chose. If he chose the senior, she would show some jealousy, since she happened to represent jealousy on the show. If he chose her, she would talk about how good Bai Lingye was. She couldn't let a variety show cause a rift between her colleague and the boss.

Thinking about it, the current situation is quite delicate. A career-minded person has asked a question that seems like a question from a romantic person, while a truly romantic person is very emotional and wants to maintain everyone's working relationships...

"Hmm, I prefer to work with certain people..."

He Tianran extended his thumbs and forefingers, making a viewfinder gesture, and scanned the two of them back and forth, squinting as he said:

"From a professional standpoint, both of them are excellent actors. As a director, I would definitely accept any offer. Just as film does not betray light, we complement each other. A story would be very monotonous if either of us were missing or if only one of us were in it."

From a personal perspective, I really hope our friendship can last forever and never end. But if you two really need me to give you any spoilers, I can only say…

"When I send you the script next time, you'll understand why I chose you as my lead actress."

In the end, He Tianran's handmade viewfinder didn't target anyone, but he uttered the word "you," which represented something unique.

Clearly, from beginning to end, no matter what stage of life He Tianran was in or what he had experienced, what he was best at was never "lies," but rather a kind of predetermined, unexpected, yet much-needed "truth."

Just as he told Yu Naoqiu that he had "dissociative identity disorder," it was true, but the other party would definitely think it was fake. However, when he gave some appropriate information, the other party would try to convince him that it was true.

Just like that moment, Bai Lingye sensed the promise in the words, and Wen Liang heard the intimacy in them.

"Oh dear, if you put it that way, I really can't tell if you're lying. What if you lie about what you said and then don't ask me to do your next project?"

Bai Lingye was just a joke, but then someone's little finger appeared in front of them.

"If you really don't believe me, we can pinky swear."

He Tianran laughed heartily.

Bai Lingye was slightly taken aback, but then she casually extended her little finger. Just as their fingers were about to intersect in mid-air, a very deep, distinctive, and drawn-out nasal sound rang out nearby.

"Um----"

"Um... how about we pull one together?"

He Tianran extended the pinky finger of his other hand, then turned his head away with a cool and arrogant air:
"No, I'm jealous. I can't stand seeing you with someone else and then still be with me. And I don't care if what you just said is true or false, I'm going to assume you're lying. Don't ask, the answer is I'm jealous and you're lying, okay?"

After saying that, she actually lowered her head and began to study how her smartwatch deducted points from He Tianran. Judging from her dedication to her persona and her serious work ethic, Wen Liang was indeed extremely professional...

"Ding--"

A few seconds later, the man indeed received a message deducting time, and the countdown on the watch changed from 7:43 to 7:13.

The man was on the verge of tears, while Bai Lingye, standing nearby, was overjoyed.

"You have to believe me, right? If I keep losing points, I might have to leave on my own..."

I believe you!

"Then let's just forget about pinky swearing~"

He Tianran wanted to withdraw his hand to avoid someone becoming jealous later.

"No, I'm 'possessor,' that's right. You can only pinky 'hold' with me. A good actor should be dedicated and get into character, after all, we were just praised by someone, right, junior?"

Before He Tianran could react, Bai Lingye hooked his retreating finger and deliberately stamped it in front of Wen Liang as if to show off.

Those fingers, bobbing up and down and intertwined, were reflected in Wen Liang's eyes. She nodded and sneered repeatedly, uttering seemingly meaningless platitudes:

"Alright, alright, fine, um... I know why only one of us six can survive in the end... um, it's true that only one can survive..." (End of Chapter)