My girlfriend is from the future!

"The third one... I call him 'Boy.' He was actually the first one to appear, and that's why I was wary of Yu Naoqiu. When 'Boy' woke up, he appeared in Yu Naoqiu's psychological clinic."

After listening, Wen Liang immediately said:

"Isn't the answer obvious? You woke up with her, so she was definitely the last person you saw before this happened, and she's also a psychologist. Why don't you just ask her directly? Judging from the way you were talking to her just now, she didn't seem to notice anything about your situation at all?"

This is a question that anyone might have after hearing the story. He Tianran sighed.

"The 'boy' has a naive personality and a mental age of only sixteen or seventeen. When he first woke up, he ran away from the scene without understanding the situation, so he missed some opportunities. It was already quite good that he didn't ask He Panshan and Bai Wenyu for pocket money. About half a month later, the 'boy' was overwhelmed by his daily work, so I, the 'writer,' was born. At that time, Yu Naoqiu came to the company to find me. From her conversation, I could hear a hint of probing, which was undoubtedly related to my situation. But in order not to expose my mental state, I could only force myself to pretend to be a normal person."

Wen Liang recalled, "It was...that time in your office?"

"Yes, that was the day."

The girl slapped her forehead. "Ah, no wonder you were acting like a child at the beginning of the meeting with the production team that day, and even asked me to get off the variety show. Was that your 'teenager' personality?"

"……Um."

He Tianran's answer was somewhat awkward.

"Ha~"

Seemingly remembering something, Wen Liang leaned back and deliberately said to Cao Aiqing:

"That day, he went to see Yu Naoqiu in the middle of a meeting. When he came back, he had two hickeys on his neck, much more noticeable than the one we just saw when we came in. Did you know about this?"

Cao Aiqing glanced at He Tianran, whose heart tightened, but he still heard the woman say calmly:

"I don't want to know these things. Wenliang, if you're interested, you can ask me in detail. I don't object."

Hearing that the other party didn't intend to stop her, Wen Liang pressed further, but she still didn't want to delve into these trivial details, instead going straight to the core issue:

"I'm not really interested either. After all, I've heard the recording of the two of them in the office that day. It's just that there are some things I don't understand..."

Her gaze swept back and forth between the two men before finally settling on the man:

“He Tianran, I understand that Yu Naoqiu has ulterior motives towards you. I also understand that you don’t want to expose your current situation, after all, your family is very powerful, and a single wrong word could be a trade secret that someone could exploit. But this crisis…”

She paused, as if to gauge the appropriate tone of her voice, but if she stopped there, she wouldn't be Wen Liang. She then spoke solemnly:

"But is this crisis really big enough for you and Cao Aiqing to break up?"

He Tianran was caught off guard by Wen Liang's direct attack.

Cao Aiqing lowered her eyes. Although she didn't look at anyone, it seemed that she was also weighing this sharp question in her heart in this silence.

He Tianran forced himself to focus his attention on the issue of warmth and coolness, which was more like a strategic problem that he could dissect with the rationality of an "author".

"This issue has two aspects: public and private. First, regarding Wen Liang, you've heard the recording. After Yu Naoqiu came to the company that day, three people came to see me: my mother, my brother, and you. I don't need to explain my mother and you, but it's mainly my brother..."

Yuan Chong has both a competitive spirit and a sense of resentment towards me, which is his weakness that is easily exploited. At the same time, he is also the one who most wants to prove himself and even wants to bring me down. That day, he was very nervous about why Yu Naoqiu was getting so close to me. This worry is not just because he is now cooperating with the Yu family. You two saw what he is like with women today, so I guess he and Yu Naoqiu must have a very close personal relationship, or even have formed some kind of alliance.

If I, the eldest son of the He family, were to make a mistake one day due to my mental condition in the face of family interests, he would undoubtedly be the biggest beneficiary. Besides, the Yu family has always been a leader in the real estate industry in Lingnan. Yuan Chong has gotten in touch with the Yu family because of the few plots of land he owns, so it's impossible for him not to befriend Yu Naoqiu..."

"If you curry favor with the Yu family and become their son-in-law, then even if you, as their elder brother, inherit the Shanhai Group in the future, they will still have the power to rival you, right?"

After Wen Liang helped He Tianran fill in all the information, the girl shrugged in response to Cao Aiqing's gaze.

"Don't look at me like that. That's exactly what He Tianran said in the recording he gave me that day. It's a marriage between wealthy families, a powerful alliance. But compared to his good-for-nothing brother, He Tianran is indeed a better choice for an ambitious person. If you turn feelings into benefits, it's a huge deal, and it's beneficial to both families. So he has to stay single, or at least, the marriage partner has to be left vacant."

He Tianran nodded. "That's right. So, faced with obvious advantages and disadvantages, I gave Yu Naoqiu this choice. If she chooses me, then... the fragile alliance between her and my brother will collapse on its own."

"Okay, at least from a money-making perspective, I can understand... but from an emotional perspective..."

Wen Liang looked directly into the man's eyes. "I don't think 'He Tianran' would do something like breaking up. Your He family's business is already big enough, and you're not an incompetent person. If it were the original 'He Tianran,' I believe that besides breaking up with Cao Aiqing, he would definitely think of other ways!"

Think of more solutions; there's always a way out...

This was the most profound sentence He Tianran said to Wen Liang when she was being maliciously marketed by the company and faced an exorbitant penalty for breach of contract.

In fact, given the current situation, Wen Liang shouldn't be so persistent about this issue. If we were to consider it from an immoral perspective, she should be more willing to see this scene unfold. However, she kept emphasizing that He and Cao shouldn't play this farce of breaking up, which even surprised Cao Aiqing with Wen Liang's persistence.

Wen Liang met Cao Aiqing's slightly surprised gaze, raised her chin slightly, and spoke with an almost stubborn pride:

"Don't misunderstand, I'm not pitying you, Cao Aiqing..."

She turned back and stared at He Tianran again:

"If you break up because you no longer love each other, I have nothing to say, and I might even set off firecrackers to celebrate."

But what's going on now? You've given up on a ten-year relationship so easily because of an outsider and a little testing?
He Tianran, this isn't like you.

Or is it that this newly emerged 'author' persona of yours is, at its core, just a coward who only knows how to run away?

Cao Aiqing listened quietly, her face showing no anger. Instead, after Wen Liang finished speaking, she took a deep breath and finally raised her lowered gaze. She first looked at He Tianran, whose expression was full of struggle, and then turned to Wen Liang, her voice calm yet carrying a calming strength:
“Wen Liang, I understand what you mean, but we’re not facing a simple choice right now, and besides, if I don’t want to, then it’s not his place to choose…”

Her voice was still soft and gentle, yet incredibly resonant, like a clear spring trying to extinguish the scorching sparks in the air:

"Tianran's current situation... is more like a leaky ship. When he realizes he can't control the speed at which the hull is breaking down, and he's not even sure where the next leak will appear, in that situation, he lets the passengers off the ship first, not to abandon them, but as an instinct... to try to preserve them in desperation." This metaphor is precise and cruel, instantly pulling the three of them back to the harsh reality.

He Tianran closed his eyes in anguish; Cao Aiqing's description depicted his predicament more accurately than any explanation he could offer himself.

A sense of powerlessness, mired in a quagmire, unable to help oneself.

“What we can do,” Cao Aiqing continued, her gaze returning to He Tianran with a rational concern, “is not to stand on the safe shore and criticize him for letting the passengers leave, but rather to find a way to help him plug the leak, or… find the person who is secretly sabotaging the ship.”

She paused, looking at He Tianran, whose body was trembling slightly from confusion and pain, and her tone became even more resolute:

"So, I can accept the breakup, but it doesn't mean the end. This is the best solution that the 'writer' can think of under the current circumstances."

I know you feel unfamiliar and lost when facing me, Wenliang, and the world around you. I respect your decision because I believe that only by stabilizing the ship can we repair it and set sail again. But at the same time, I also hope you understand what all of this is based on…

Based on what...

Of course it is, love.

He Tianran, no, it was the personality currently residing in the man's body, who finally experienced for the first time the feelings accumulated between He Tianran and Cao Aiqing over ten years of longing and companionship...

Emotional depth.

He suddenly remembered the Hermès luxury item he had specially given as a gift when he was on the island of Shanghai that day.

It was expensive, and Cao Aiqing liked it very much at first.

But when he confessed everything that night, and when he got back on the ship the next day, and the girl returned it, the luxury item seemed to become worthless again.

Where did its value go?
Only now did the "writer" realize that if it were the original He Tianran, he certainly wouldn't have brought any gifts to see Cao Aiqing. It wasn't that he didn't understand romance or etiquette; rather, the original He Tianran would have given a definite answer to Cao's parents' hints in the island's small tavern; he would have taken the camera from Cao's father and pressed the shutter many times; he would have been more eager for the movie theater; he would have praised his girlfriend's island travel plans; and after an open-air movie, the two would finally experience a sincere romance…

It was in their lives that they carefully embedded every little everyday detail and every bit of value they collected into each sunrise and sunset...

"Warm and cool..."

Cao Aiqing spoke again, looking at Wen Liang with a strange, pleading look in her eyes:
“You just said that He Tianran is sick, right? So, isn’t this an opportunity? Aren’t you still smug that you can get that more vibrant and impulsive ‘lead singer’ moving? Instead of questioning why he has become ‘cowardly’, why not join in openly and think of a solution with me, or find the original He Tianran in your own way?”

Cao Aiqing's words seemed to cleave through the tangled fog of emotions between the three.

Instead of rejecting Wen Liang as a rival in love, she guided Wen Liang's indomitable spirit in a different direction with astonishing rationality and composure.

They are not fighting over a disabled person, but trying to restore him to his wholeness.

Wen Liang was stunned.

She didn't expect Cao Aiqing to say that.

This was completely beyond any reaction she had anticipated.

The feeling of being completely enveloped by reason, and even "used," left her speechless for a moment.

But undeniably, Cao Aiqing's words ignited something even more intense within her—

It's not a smug sense of taking advantage of a weakness, but a challenge, a way to prove oneself.

She abruptly stood up, placed her hands on the table, leaned forward, and stared intently at He Tianran, then glanced at Cao Aiqing, a smile playing on her lips—a smile that was a mixture of stubbornness and determination.

"Fine! Cao Aiqing, you said it yourself! He Tianran, listen to me, from now on, I'm helping you not to take advantage of your misfortune, but because I'm going to personally bring back the He Tianran that I believe in—the one who is responsible and capable! If you dare to try to fool me again with this pathetic act, I'll punch your dog's head in the head!"

Her declaration was resounding, carrying the unique warmth and determination of Wenliang. This scorching emotion instantly dispelled the pessimism and helplessness that permeated the room.

He Tianran stared blankly at the two women in front of him. One was like a deep, still river, while the other was like oil being poured on a raging fire. Both were open and had clear goals.

They should have been opposites, but now, because of his chaotic body and uncertain fate, they were bound together on the same ship.

Love in this world, whether it's fulfilling or ending in tragedy, always has a clear conclusion.

However, the twisted and entangled relationship between the three of them, caused by "illness," is like a scripture whose prologue has just been turned, destined to be complex and complicated.

The scriptures are obscure, human hearts are unpredictable, and the road ahead is long; no one can foresee what kind of cause and effect will ultimately result from reciting them.

Perhaps, this is a scripture that can never be fully read.

The important thing is no longer seeking a simple result, but how to place our true feelings in the process of facing this together, and how to find meaning in continuing to move forward in this destined but inevitable relationship.

Amidst the passionate fervor that blossomed between the two women, He Tianran's hand, resting on the table, slowly and with great difficulty, clenched into a fist.

The joints turned slightly white from exertion.

The man opened his mouth, his voice dry and trembling:
"I...want to come back."

A more complete soul, one more qualified to face this situation, this place, and these people.

He could sense it.
He didn't want to let them down. (End of Chapter)