My girlfriend is from the future!

"If you shake off my hand now, none of us will be happy!"

What goes around comes around, and Bai Lingye is not about to let go of such a good opportunity to turn Wen Liang and He Tianran against each other.

The man knew that if he tried to refute and clear his name, Bai Lingye wouldn't give him the chance, nor would Su Xiaotong on the other side. He had to find a way to make Wen Liang understand his feelings in a straightforward manner and leave the other two women speechless.

This was undoubtedly a test of his tacit understanding with Wen Liang.

At this moment, silence speaks louder than words. After Bai Lingye's speech, which sounded like a declaration of sovereignty, Wen Liang remained silent, as did He Tianran.

The two stared at each other for a moment. Only ghosts are afraid of the light. Since neither of them spoke, the other two "accomplices" were naturally at a loss.

"Say something! Just standing there like a statue waiting for its wife makes me look stupid!"

Seeing the photographers following He Tianran and Wen Liang, circling around them and taking close-up shots like those of old idol dramas where long-lost lovers reunite, Bai Lingye finally couldn't stand it anymore. She twisted the other's arm and threatened in a low voice that if he didn't say something, she would really become a supporting character.

"Let's do the mission..."

If we were to use a metaphor, He Tianran's current image is exactly like that of an incompetent husband. Bai Lingye was furious. When she saw He Tianran turn around on his own initiative, she kicked him in the butt in a fit of rage, making him jump.

I don't know if this man is born with a knack for taking a beating, but every girl who gets to know him has moments when she wants to mess with him.

The chaotic scene downstairs provided plenty of material for the photographer to snap pictures, prompting Su Xiaotong, who was standing next to him, to clap and cheer. Anyone would be happy to see an employee beat up their boss, and even Wen Liang shook his head repeatedly, rubbing his forehead.

However, He Tianran's behavior just now prevented a dispute. Actually, if things had really gotten out of hand, Wen Liang wouldn't have had much to say. She had already been warned by the director once not to get too carried away during filming. If she had acted like that again, she probably would have really gone offstage and started pulling her senior's hair...

"They've gone to the ticket gate, should we follow them?"

At this moment, Su Xiaotong tugged at her sleeve and pointed in the direction they had left.

"Go and have a look."

"How about we wait for Luo Que and the others to arrive? We'll have more people then..."

"What are you afraid of? It's not like we're going to fight. Even if we do fight, I'll protect you. Someone like He Tianran, I could take on ten of him by myself, and he wouldn't dare to fight back."

Wen Liang said this, and Su Xiaotong immediately felt a surge of security.

The two went downstairs and silently followed behind He Tianran and the others.

On the way from the train station to the platform, most of the rusted cast iron railings had long been knocked down or twisted, lying crookedly across the entrance to the platform. The "Arrival" and "Departure" route signs hanging above people's heads were about to fall, their once bright red color faded to a worn-out pinkish-white.

A "ticket inspector" dressed in a tattered, old-fashioned station uniform, his skin clearly covered in sickly makeup, sat stiffly behind the ticket counter, lifeless, like a specimen. The wooden ticket counter in front of him was also cracked, with various old tickets scattered all over the ground, mixed with black grime and moisture and stuck to the ground.

He Tianran bent down, picked up a train ticket, and looked at it. The date and train number on it were just a prop that could never be redeemed, marked only with the words "Originating Station: Old World."
However, the production team's meticulous attention to detail and prop arrangement has indeed created an apocalyptic atmosphere where, after crossing those collapsed fences, what lies ahead is no longer a platform, but a vast graveyard of an era, where the end of all journeys is frozen, and there is no longer any departure to speak of.

The ticket inspector, who had been standing there like a doll, raised his head when he heard the approaching footsteps of the group. Despite his decaying body, his eyes were sharp, and he slowly extended his hand.

Give him the ticket.

Seeing this, He Tianran urged Bai Lingye, and the girl took out the ticket and stepped forward to hand it over.

The ticket inspector glanced at it, then shook his head and handed it back.

"What do you mean?"

"He doesn't seem to have a destination. He's already started the plot. Let's just wait."

In fact, the train ticket that He Tianran and his companion had was even worse than the tattered tickets on the ground. At least those tickets had "Originating Station: Old World" written on them. Theirs, apart from the three big characters "Train Ticket" written in the middle at the top, had no train number, originating station, or destination station. It would be strange if they could get through the ticket gate.

At this moment, Wen Liang and Su Xiaotong walked over from a distance. He Tianran turned his head and asked:
"Is there nothing on your tickets?"

"I won't tell you~"

Su Xiaotong still wanted to hide it, but Wen Liang shook her head and revealed the answer.

The younger schoolmate was about to blame her, but Wen Liang spoke up first, "We all have to go through the ticket gate, there's no need to hide this."

"That's right."

"Speak," Su Xiaotong said, taking her ticket out of her pocket and waving it at the ticket inspector. The inspector then slowly pulled two boxes out from behind the counter. The four of them crowded around to look, and saw that each box had four characters stamped on it, which together formed a sentence—

"With one heart and one mind, we remember the journey and return together."

The two boxes were opened, revealing dozens of different patterns of seals inside. There were mountain shapes symbolizing hills, sea shapes with wave patterns, fallen flowers, sun and moon, and numbers. They were arranged according to three categories marked in the boxes: "when, where, and why".

Strangely, each of these stamps is only half complete; they must be combined with half of another box to be considered whole.

The ticket inspector bent down again, took out an old-fashioned stamping machine from the counter, and handed He Tianran, who was in the lead, an already opened envelope. The man took out the letter inside, and seeing that several girls were all crowding around to look at it, he simply read it aloud:
"I'm sorry, being alone for so long has made me lose my ability to speak, but in this era without direction or end, language doesn't seem to have much use anymore. However, I believe that if you can walk side by side to this point, there must be some kind of unspoken bond between you."

To leave this station, you need a ticket, but this ticket is no ordinary ticket; it must be forged with a "heart's imprint"...

There are two boxes of incomplete seals here. One box is for you, and the other is for him. Each box contains half a seal, belonging to "when", "where", and "why".

The rules are simple, yet extremely difficult:

1. For each question about when, where, and why, you two must each choose half of your own box to print and silently contemplate its meaning.

Second, after making a selection, show it to the other party. If the two halves of the seal can be combined into one and the pattern is complete, then the hearts and minds are connected, and a seal can be added to the ticket.

Third, you must remain silent during this process. Any words, texts, gestures, or even explicit eye contact are forbidden. The old "eyes of surveillance" are still operating above the dome. (The brackets are the cameramen next to you.) Any interaction outside the venue will be captured by them.

Anyone who violates this rule will have their current ticket torn up immediately, and the process will start over. Those without a ticket will be fined two hours for "lubricating" the stamping equipment.

Fourth, there are two attempts allowed. If the two halves of the incomplete print cannot be matched or cannot be displayed at the same time, it is considered a failure.

If you fail three times on the same question, it will be considered that you two are fundamentally unable to communicate. I will immediately tear up your current ticket, and you will need to pay for new survival time to purchase a new ticket and start over from the first question.

5. Currently, there are only six tickets left at the station. Passengers are urged to cherish this opportunity to board.

Fifth, you must collect all three seals, corresponding to "where," "when," and "why." Once all the seals are collected, the path will open. Remember, words only disturb the mind, and lies have no place here. Only sincerity and tacit understanding are observed here.

The old steam whistles once carried away countless boisterous vows; only the echoes in the silence can guide the final journey home.

May your memories be stronger than the ruins of time.

Respectfully submitted by the silent ticket inspector and former gravedigger.

After reading the long list of rules, He Tianran pursed his lips. Now, not only was the ticket inspector speechless, but the rules had completely silenced all four of them. They knew that time would be deducted in the next step, but they didn't expect there to be so many steps that would deduct time. Buying a ticket takes time, and checking a ticket takes time. Not only are hours deducted one by one, but if you answer incorrectly, you have to tear up your ticket and buy a new one...

However, this is good news for He Tianran, since he can lie and get tickets for free, while others have to pay extra each time. In the long run, they can't buy tickets very often.

But his "lying" skills probably won't work on this ticket inspector. The inspector only recognizes the stamp and nothing else, and won't say another word to him. He really is just like some office clerks.

Is there any foolproof way to win this game?

Bai Lingye asked from the side.

"There are many methods, and they're not complicated..."

He Tianran glanced at the several photography producers who had been following them and asked:
"Is it a foul for us to be discussing this now?"

“Yes, if we pick up even the slightest bit of that information, it counts. If we pick it up, we’ll kill the hostage.”

My cameraman spoke with righteous indignation; they seem quite enthusiastic about things that require authorization, just like they were at the screening before…

Ok?
A screening room?
He Tianran suddenly had a flash of inspiration. This kind of thing, which relies purely on tacit understanding and has no form of communication, or even a bit of luck, is difficult to pass without damage on the first try without finding a common anchor point of tacit understanding.

Therefore, using the memory of that film in the screening room, and substituting the time, place, and event into it, should be the most recent anchor point of tacit understanding between the two.

Besides, He Tianran thought of another method. These rules seemed strict, but they were not foolproof. At least the punishment of tearing up the tickets was almost zero for him. He could just get the remaining four tickets first. At worst, he could start from the first stamp each time. His companions would eventually understand his intentions. If they really couldn't understand, they would all die together and no one would be able to leave.

But if we play it like that...

"Hey—Master! I'm here—!"

Just then, Luo Que, Sui Chulang, and their group walked over from afar, and Su Xiaotong raised her hands and waved towards the station entrance.

He Tianran couldn't help but look at Bai Lingye, and the girl felt a little uneasy under his gaze:
"Why are you looking at me?"

“Sui Chulang…”

"What……!"

As soon as Bai Lingye finished speaking, her eyes lit up. She instantly understood what He Tianran meant, and Su Xiaotong overheard their conversation.

"It's safest for you to play this game with Sui Chulang. Even if you play with me and manage to win by luck, he won't win without you. You're in the same boat, and you're in the same boat. You have to force him to make a decision now..."

At this point, He Tianran, who had been whispering, suddenly raised his voice and shouted two words to Bai Lingye:
"Go!"

Upon being yelled at, Bai Lingye turned and ran towards Sui Chulang without thinking.

Su Xiaotong was also getting anxious. She looked back and hesitated, while Wen Liang sternly reminded her:
"Sui Chulang might be a spy for your team! Go stop them! Also, don't let their group buy any more tickets!"

Now that Su Xiaotong had grasped her backbone and made up her mind, she darted out and shouted at Luo Que in the distance:
"Brother Que!!! Quick, grab Brother Lang! He's a spy—!!!"

Watching the two accompanying him run off into the distance, He Wen and his companion, left behind, looked at each other again, and then...

"Cough cough cough... Hahahahaha..."

The two men were laughing so hard they were doubled over, one bursting into laughter and the other leaning back.

"I don't know why they're running. It's not like it's a competition where it's going to be a fight to the death."

"Hahaha... Oh dear... You said again that Sui Chulang and the senior are in cahoots and can't live without each other, and then you told them to hurry up and leave. This is too much information. If I were Xiaotong, I would be anxious too."

Wen Liang wiped away the tears welling up in her eyes, slowly straightened her back, and tried to calm herself down.

"go!"

He Tianran turned around with a wave of his hand, intending to slip away with Wen Liang, but unexpectedly, she grabbed his hand. The girl's clever eyes sparkled with laughter, and her tone was lively:
"Why are you leaving? Didn't you just say it's not a competition? Are you afraid they'll come back and eat you?"

"No, none of us have tickets. Are we just going to stand here and wait for them to come and scold us? Let's hurry up and get some tickets. There are only four left."

Although he knew that because of the effect of his lies, anyone who wanted to get a ticket would have to consider the remaining time, He Tianran still wanted to leave this place of trouble as soon as possible.

"Don't be afraid! I have it! Clang clang clang clang—!"

Wen Liang reached into her pocket with her other hand, accompanied by a cute onomatopoeic entrance, and slipped a train ticket between her index and middle fingers.

"No..." He Tianran was amused by her voice acting. "Uh-huh~ you, no, I'm sure I'm the second person to buy a ticket. Where did you get your ticket?"

"Hmm—" Wen Liang tilted her head slightly, glancing at him sideways, feigning self-pity: "I'm 'jealous,' which simply means that if others have it, I want it too~"

"You... ah, a skill, right? Okay, okay, you're finally willing to use it, huh?"

"Oh, let's not talk about that! Let's cut in line and try this before they get back! It's fun!"

Wen Liang dragged He Tianran by the hands and headed towards the ticket check-in counter.

"No...you, you...really, don't panic, listen to me first, I have a foolproof method, I will definitely not be warned, you..."

"I won't listen!" Wen Liang suddenly stopped and said to the man seriously, "I'm warning you, you better have some fun later. Your sister Liang never plays in low-level games, so don't try to cheat. Just choose the right option, understand?"

Seeing Wen Liang's eagerness to try, He Tianran was speechless...

This woman is really going to be the death of him. (End of Chapter)