My girlfriend is from the future!

an hour ago.

Cao Aiqing had just disembarked from the ship returning to Gangcheng Wharf from Nanzhi Island. Because the signal was not very stable at sea, she missed Wen Liang's call. Although she received a missed call notification after the signal was restored, she was a little tired from the bumpy return journey and did not choose to call back immediately.

The design work for this phase of Nanzhi Island is nearing completion, and there is no longer a need for so many colleagues to be stationed on the island. Most of the project team members have already returned to the city. She was one of the latecomers.

Dragging her enormous suitcase, Cao Aiqing, swept away by the crowd as she walked out of the dock, paused for a moment, then looked around. Her parents had gone on another trip after leaving Nanzhi Island, and even if she returned home now, she would be alone. So, without further hesitation, she hailed a taxi by the roadside and headed to He Tianran's residence...

That's the little family she stayed at after returning to China, even longer than she did at her parents' house.

After graduating from the University of Hong Kong, He Tianran never acquired any permanent property. At that time, he was preparing for the entrance exam for the film academy's postgraduate program, so he lived near the university town. Later, he established a director's studio in Zhuguang Lane, so he moved his home to the vicinity.

It's quite tragic. A perfectly good second-generation rich kid, a local of Gangcheng, who studied, worked, and lived in Gangcheng, but because his parents separated and his father started a new family, he ended up living his hometown as if he were in a foreign land.

Cao Aiqing didn't really understand what this feeling was like, because even when she was in England, she felt like a wanderer far from home, longing for her hometown and home, a longing with a strong sense of belonging.

But He Tianran has never had this before.

But now...

Maybe?
"Beep—du—"

The fingerprint lock made a soft sound, the door opened, and Cao Aiqing dragged her luggage in. A familiar air rushed in, carrying a long-lost scent.

The young woman stood in the entryway, her gaze sweeping across the living room. Several magazines with curled corners were scattered on the coffee table, a glass had a dark brown tea stain on the bottom, the sofa cushions were piled crookedly, and the ashtray was full of cigarette butts.

He said he would quit smoking, but I didn't expect him to relapse.

Cao Aiqing sighed softly, put down her luggage, and walked to the French windows without taking off her coat. The street scene outside was familiar, but it looked somewhat strange at the moment. She had only been on the island for a little over a month, but it felt like she had been away for a long time...

She opened the window, and a gentle breeze rushed in, stirring the pages on the table.

Then she started to do it.

First, she emptied all the cigarette butts into the trash can. Then, she took the ashtray to the sink, where there were no piles of dishes, which surprised her.

She turned on the tap, and clear water gushed out. She washed the ashtray and put it down. Then she soaked a sponge, squeezed out a ring of lemon-scented cleaning agent, and the foam quickly expanded.

While wiping the stove, she noticed that the oil splattered from He Tianran's cooking had dried into pale yellow stains. She gently scraped them with her fingernail and then scrubbed them more vigorously.

He Tianran loves to cook, and he cooks very well. Not only does Cao Aiqing like it, but even his mother, Bai Wenyu, has praised it several times. Therefore, the kitchen in the house is used by the men...

By the way, occasionally when his father, He Panshan, came over, his son would help out. When the girl wanted to help, the father and son would chase her away, saying that a girl's skin was delicate and that it was bad for her to be exposed to cooking fumes. They told her to learn from Aunt Bai and just enjoy herself.

In terms of their shared love of cooking, the father and son are quite similar. However, when He Panshan was young, he traveled all over the country and cooked simple, unremarkable dishes, using whatever oil and salt he wanted. On the other hand, He Tianran's dishes are clearly learned from cookbooks and cooking apps, and he cooks with meticulous care.

But no matter what, this father and son must both be doting fathers to their daughters.

"Hello~"

Cao Aiqing, who was lost in thought, suddenly smiled. Before she knew it, she had finished wiping the stove, but she showed no sign of stopping.

The mop churned in the bucket, making a splashing sound.

Cao Aiqing bent down and worked hard, and the dust on the floor disappeared little by little. This may not be her real home yet, but every time she cleaned it, she felt a greater sense of belonging. The floor, still wet with water, was shiny, just like her clear and pure heart.

The plants on the balcony were a bit wilted, and the soil was cracked. It seemed that Bai Wenyu hadn't been back much lately, and these flowers were all grown by her.

Cao Aiqing pondered for a moment, then took the watering can and watered the lilies one by one. One pot of lilies had a few white flowers blooming. She plucked one, held it to her nose and smelled it. After thinking for a moment, she specially collected some petals and put them in the ashtray.

Then, the girl went into the bedroom, where He Tianran's shirts were casually hanging in the closet and on the bed.

She packed the clothes away and took out an iron to iron them again. She and He Tianran had bought them specifically when they went shopping at the mall last time. Before that, men would usually send wrinkled clothes to the dry cleaners, or just throw them away if they were too wrinkled. It hadn't been long since she bought them.

As the steam rose, the folds of the shirt gradually smoothed out.

The iron glided over the collar, cuffs, and front of the garment. Ever since Bai Wenyu teased He Tianran about gaining weight, he had been working out, and by the time she saw him on the island, the results were quite noticeable. Cao Aiqing imagined these areas pressed against the man's body, and the warm steam moistened her face.

The clock hands moved slowly, and she glanced at the door every now and then, pausing for a moment with each footstep in the hallway...

But the footsteps always passed by and then disappeared.

Finally, she stood in the center of the room, looked around, and saw that the streetlights outside were just coming on. Everything inside was in perfect order and spotless, except for her own suitcase, which was still standing by the door...

Like an untimely intruder.

Sitting on the clean sofa, her fingers unconsciously traced the cool touch of the armrest. The ashtray held a faint scent of lilies, mingled with the subtle lemon aroma of cleaning agents. Suddenly remembering something, she took out her phone and looked at the missed call displayed as "Wen Liang" (温凉). This was the number she'd exchanged with at that last class reunion…

Looking at that name, her mind was a little confused. Instead of calling back immediately, she got up again and turned on the audio-visual equipment in the room. Speaking of which, this expensive sound system was a gift from one of He Tianran's artist friends, who lived upstairs and would occasionally come over to visit.

He Tianran listens to a wide variety of songs, almost everything. But perhaps it's a common problem among boys, his real-life space is a complete mess, but he can patiently categorize and organize things like his computer desktop and movie playlists in a very orderly manner.

Perhaps because of her profession, the song collection in the man's collection had a special playlist labeled "Film and Television Soundtracks". Cao Aiqing clicked on it, and among nearly four hundred tracks, her eyes fell on "Shape of My Heart". The next second, the clear guitar strumming in the intro resonated in the air.

She adjusted the volume twice, finally settling on a moderate level—enough for passersby outside the door to hear clearly, but not so loudly as to seem overly obvious.

Knowing that someone is waiting at home always brings comfort to those who return.

This was taught to her by Cao Aiqing's mother.

As the saxophone joined the song, this intelligent and thoughtful young woman had already retreated to sit down on the sofa. Her gaze swept over the phone on the coffee table, and she picked it up again, finally dialing back the missed call—

"Hey, Ai Qing..."

"Wen Liang, what was it about when you called me earlier?"

"Hey, never mind why I called you before, there's something more important right now... Well, some people think I used Director He to get ahead, and my own explanation won't carry much weight. You know best what kind of person He Tianran is, so why don't you explain it to me yourself?"

"Explanation...?"

"Beep—du—"

Just then, the crisp sound of the fingerprint lock opening the door rang out.

Cao Aiqing's back straightened involuntarily, her fingers tightened on the sofa fabric, and a faint smile was about to appear, but she quickly suppressed it, transforming into a calm and indifferent expression.

The door was pushed open, and it was He Tianran.

"sky……"

Cao Aiqing was about to call out to him, but the last word got stuck in her throat. Just like the owner of this name, the door was only open to reveal half of his body, while the other half seemed to be pulling something.

"natural……"

A young woman peeked out from behind He Tianran, her high heels clicking crisply on the freshly wiped floor.

It is Yu Naoqiu.

She looked around the living room with curiosity, her gaze passing over the neatly ironed clothes and the gleaming glass coffee table, finally settling on the woman beside the sofa.

Her pupils reflected a somewhat lost and dejected Cao Aiqing, as if she were examining a beautiful but lifeless specimen.

This intriguing scene prompted Yu Naoqiu to take a step forward, her hair brushing against He Tianran's cheek, her high heels leaving tiny scratches on the floor.

"Sister Ai Qing."

She called out affectionately, her voice like a honey-coated razor blade.

Cao Aiqing did not respond to her, but looked at He Tianran who was walking closer. The faint lipstick mark on the man's slightly wrinkled collar was the same color as Yu Naoqiu's lip gloss.

The girl silently gazed at the red stain that reflected faintly under the lamplight, like a drop of blood in the snow.

When the song "Shape of My Heart" reached its climax, the saxophone was like a bitter medicine wrapped in sugar. Cao Aiqing put down her phone, which was still connected, stood up, walked over to He Tianran, and, as usual, straightened his loose collar, but her fingertips were trembling slightly.

He Tianran finally spoke, his voice dry, seemingly from the tightening collar:
"Why are you here? When did you get back?"

"Don't go too far..."

Cao Aiqing's voice was also deep.

Yu Naoqiu naturally sat down on the sofa next to him, crossing his legs.

"Oh right, Sister Ai Qing, Brother Tianran just said you two broke up?"

She seemed very interested.

Are you reminding me of something?

Cao Aiqing turned her head to the side, her face icy and chilling. (End of Chapter)