My girlfriend is from the future!

"...Have you heard enough?"

He Tianran's voice pierced through the wall, like a finger poking through a windowpane, carrying the weariness of being soaked by rain and a kind of coldness that had shed its disguise, clearly chiseling into the silence of the elegant room next door.

Wen Liang looked at Cao Aiqing questioningly, only to see the other woman close her eyes briefly, her long eyelashes casting a small shadow beneath them, as if she had anticipated everything.

But she simply didn't respond.

The next private room fell into an even more unsettling silence than before. It wasn't the silence of being alone, but a quiet that was full of presence and waiting. Wen Liang could almost imagine He Tianran standing by the wall, perhaps leaning against it, perhaps with his head down, exuding an almost powerless weariness.

Just as Wen Liang was about to lose her patience and ask Cao Aiqing what was going on, a knock came from outside the room, almost drowned out by the sound of rain.

“Knock, knock, knock—”

The person knocking on the door did so with a respectful and restrained rhythm.

Cao Aiqing and Wen Liang were both startled and looked at the wooden door.

The door was gently pushed open a crack, and a waiter dressed in the elegant uniform of the Chenchen Club leaned forward slightly. He kept his head down, his voice low, displaying a well-trained caution:
"Ladies, excuse me, Mr. He from the next private room... asked me to come and ask if it would be convenient for you two to move over for a chat?"

"Understood." Cao Aiqing's voice was calm and expressionless, revealing no emotion. "Tell him we're going there now."

The waiter, feeling as if he had been granted a pardon, respectfully replied "Yes," and quietly withdrew.

Inside the pavilion, only two women remained, accompanied by the endless sound of rain outside the window.

Wen Liang looked at Cao Aiqing, who had already stood up and was gently tidying up her clothes, which didn't need tidying. Her posture was very composed, but Wen Liang could clearly see a very complex glint in Cao Aiqing's eyes when she lowered them.

Her expression contained resolve, helplessness, and a trace of... indescribable pity.

what happened?

Don't they have a good relationship?

Even if they broke up, Cao Aiqing shouldn't have shown such an expression...

Moreover, she seemed more nervous than I was about this meeting, but judging from the situation, they must have arranged it in advance!

"Let's go."

Cao Aiqing tidied herself up, looked at Wen Liang, her eyes regaining their usual calmness. She only said two words before walking towards the door.

A hidden undercurrent that began with spying was eventually brought into the open, and everything Cao Aiqing showed gave Wen Liang the illusion that on the other side of the wall, it was not He Tianran who was waiting for them, but another stranger.

The two women walked out of the original private room one after the other. The sound of their footsteps and the rustling of their clothes lasted only a few seconds before stopping again. The waiter stepped aside, respectfully pushed open the door, and made a "please" gesture. The two women were already standing in front of He Tianran's private room.

The scene inside the private room came into view.

Contrary to the tense atmosphere he had just imagined, the private room was strangely calm. He Tianran sat alone in the large armchair, his head bowed, holding a teapot on his lap.

His shoulders were slightly slumped; the man who had just humiliated his stepmother and younger brother was now just a silhouette radiating endless exhaustion.

Hearing the door open, He Tianran didn't look up immediately. He just moved slightly, as if he had been startled from some deep thought.

Cao Aiqing paused at the doorway, then stepped in with composure. Wen Liang followed closely behind, her heart pounding involuntarily. She cautiously observed He Tianran, who seemed somewhat unfamiliar to her.

The man finally raised his head.

His face no longer held the cold calculation he had when facing Tao Wei, nor the mockery and defensiveness he had shown when dealing with Yu Naoqiu, and even the weariness he had shown when questioning her over the wall earlier. His gaze first fell on Cao Aiqing, his eyes filled with the joy of seeing her again, as well as the worry and guilt he felt for having hurt her.

The man looked at Cao Aiqing for a few seconds without speaking, then shifted his gaze to Wen Liang. A surprised and complicated expression finally appeared on his face. He simply nodded slightly as a greeting, then looked away as if he dared not look any longer.

"sit."

He spoke, his voice terribly hoarse.

Cao Aiqing sat down in the chair opposite him as instructed, her posture still composed, but under the table, the fingertips of the hand resting on her knee were slightly curled.

In contrast to the former's subtle awkwardness, Wen Liang stepped to sit to the side. Then she looked around, seemingly feeling that everyone was sitting too far apart and too distant. So, just as He Tianran was about to speak again, she stood up, grabbed one of the armrests of the chair, and dragged it towards the man. The chair legs scraped against the ground, making a grating "squeak—squeak—" sound...

The two people present watched her movements silently until Wen Liang moved to sit next to He Tianran. Then, she sat down and turned to one side, resting her face on one hand and raising her chin to He Tianran, signaling him to continue speaking...

Faced with the girl's intense gaze, He Tianran swallowed hard, avoided her eyes again, and searched for an explanation:

"It's just... I didn't expect it... it's just..."

"Please take care of your work injury first, Mr. He."

"what?"

Wen Liang touched the same spot on her cheek without expression, referring to the lip print that Bai Lingye had left on He Tianran's cheek.

"what……"

The man realized what was happening, grabbed a tissue from the table, and quickly wiped himself. Wen Liang, seeing his slightly comical appearance, gave a sarcastic, forced smile and said:
"By the way, those who know, Mr. He just finalized an 80 million compensation deal, he's been working hard; but those who don't know, they might think we're here to catch someone cheating, it's not good to cause misunderstandings."

"Cough cough..."

He Tianran coughed twice, and the heavy atmosphere in the room seemed to be lightened considerably.

Sensing a hint of schadenfreude in Cao Aiqing's gaze, He Tianran asked:
"Why...did you bring her here?"

Cao Aiqing squinted. "Who are you referring to as 'she'?"

Wen Liang, standing to the side, deliberately grumbled sarcastically, "Yeah, who is this 'she' you're referring to, the one who sounds like an uninvited guest? What is it that's more important than 80 million? We have to talk about it behind closed doors."

He Tianran quickly waved his hand, as if begging for mercy, "I didn't mean anyone, I didn't mean anyone. I just didn't want things to get any more complicated. It seems you've already talked a lot before I arrived."

His words carried a hint of probing, his eyes darting between Cao Aiqing and Wen Liang, trying to find some clues on their faces.

Cao Aiqing didn't respond to his words. Instead, she picked up the fresh tea that the waiter had just quietly brought in and gently blew on it to cool it down. Her detached demeanor made He Tianran even more uneasy.

Wen Liang wasn't so easily dismissed. Maintaining her posture of resting her cheek on her hand and turning slightly towards He Tianran, she raised an eyebrow and quickly replied:

"Chatting? It was more than just chatting, Mr. He. We listened to a live broadcast that was priceless and full of twists and turns! From business valuation to family ethics, from coercion and inducement to the unyielding love of a mother, wow, it was more exciting than watching a movie."

She spoke at a rapid pace, like a machine gun, each word carrying a subtle barb. "The ending was a bit rushed, a little disappointing. What, are you afraid we listeners can't afford VIP tickets and won't be able to see the finale?" He Tianran was speechless for a moment, and could only helplessly rub his temples.

He never seemed to have the upper hand in arguing with Wen Liang. He subconsciously reached for his teacup, only to find that his teapot was still on his lap, making him look rather comical.

"Wen Liang," Cao Aiqing finally spoke, her voice gentle and calm, which successfully stopped Wen Liang from further teasing, "Let's get down to business."

She put down her teacup and looked calmly at He Tianran. "You didn't ask me to come here today just to listen to her belittling you, did you?"

He Tianran breathed a sigh of relief, glanced gratefully at Cao Aiqing, and quickly took the opportunity to back down: "Of course not."

He straightened his expression, put the teapot back on the table, crossed his hands on the table, and seemed to have brought back a bit of the He Tianran who was strategizing in the business world.

“First of all,” he looked at Wen Liang, his tone sincere, “thank you for what happened today.”

Wen Liang was taken aback, not expecting him to thank her first: "Thank me? Thank me for what?"

He Tianran's lips curled into a helpless smile:

"Thank you... for giving Bai Lingye advice before, telling her to come to me, and also for telling Ai Qing in advance that she might come to the company to see me today. Although I didn't expect Ai Qing to bring you along... but objectively speaking, you did bring this matter to the forefront as quickly as possible."

He paused, then added, "Thank you too... for your joke earlier."

He said the last sentence a little awkwardly, but he got the point across.

Wen Liang's antics, though seemingly nonsensical, actually broke the almost frozen awkwardness between the three of them, giving him a chance to catch his breath and adjust.

Wen Liang blinked, the feigned harshness on her face lessening slightly. She pouted:

"Hmph, just so you know."

He Tianran then turned his gaze to Cao Aiqing, "Aiqing, I should thank you even more."

His voice lowered, "Thank you... for coming, and thank you... for trusting me."

Cao Aiqing met his gaze without speaking, only pursing her lips slightly, everything understood without words.

“I invited you here,” He Tianran took a deep breath and got to the point, his expression becoming serious. “Firstly, so that you can truly understand what’s happening around me, and secondly… there are some things I must tell you in person.”

His gaze swept across the two faces, finally settling on Cao Aiqing, "Especially regarding... Yu Naoqiu, and some of my... situations."

When he mentioned the "situation," there was a barely perceptible pause in his tone, and his eyes flickered.

Wen Liang immediately sat up straight, sensing the crucial information.

He Tianran looked at them and slowly spoke:
“Yu Naoqiu is more dangerous than you think. Her approach to me is definitely not for pure purposes. I suspect that she…” He carefully chose his words, “…has a lot to do with the situation I’m in right now, which is why I…”

He didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was already clear: the sudden breakup was inextricably linked to Yu Naoqiu's appearance and his own secrets.

However, these overly brief words were merely an unspoken understanding between him and Cao Aiqing. Although Wen Liang had guessed the general idea before, it was based on her understanding of the two people in front of her. Lacking many details, she still found it all confusing.

"No, why are you talking so incoherently now? Come on, I'll ask you a question and you answer it..."

"what?"

"You... took Yu Naoqiu home after that show recording, was that an act on purpose?"

"How do you know all this...?"

"Never mind whether it's acting or real."

“It was an act on purpose. I informed Ai Qing that I was going home that day.”

"So...you broke up with Cao Aiqing, is that...true or false?"

Wen Liang found it difficult to bring this up, but she needed to know the answer to this question.

As for He Tianran, for some reason, he didn't give a definite answer either.

The atmosphere in the private room, which had just eased a little, became heavy again because of this exchange. The sound of rain outside the window had become more intense, tapping on the eaves, as if playing the prelude to this conversation that was about to delve into its core.

In the midst of this heavy silence, Cao Aiqing suddenly moved.

She didn't say anything, but simply stood up quietly.

The chair scraped lightly against the floor, making a soft sound that attracted the attention of He Tianran and Wen Liang. Under their slightly surprised gazes, she gripped the armrests of her chair with both hands, and unlike Wen Liang, she didn't drag it with a loud noise. Instead, she steadily and gently lifted the chair slightly off the ground, and then calmly walked around the corner of the table.

Instead of sitting on Wen Liang's side, she placed her chair on the other side of He Tianran, forming a delicate triangle with him and Wen Liang.

This position is neither as intimately close as Wenliang's, nor as distant as when they first sat opposite each other.

After sitting down, she still didn't look at He Tianran right away. Instead, she lowered her eyes slightly and straightened the non-existent folds in her skirt, as if it were just a natural adjustment.

Then, she raised her eyes and looked calmly at the man, whose face was as gentle yet firm as ever.

This silent gesture speaks louder than a thousand words.

She didn't ask any further questions, didn't question anything, and didn't even show much emotion.

With this simple action, she clearly conveyed her stance.

No matter what unspeakable secret He Tianran is about to reveal, she will be here...

Not on the opposite side, nor a detached bystander, but right beside him, within easy reach.

He Tianran stared blankly at her profile so close to his face, his throat feeling as if something was stuck in it.

His prepared explanations about the bizarre and the unavoidable suddenly seemed meaningless.

He realized that Cao Aiqing might have understood his situation earlier and more deeply than he had imagined, and even understood his clumsy and hurtful actions—

"Protection." (End of Chapter)