My girlfriend is from the future!

As the saying goes, two flowers bloom, each telling its own story.

Just as the two women on this side reached a certain consensus on helping He Tianran recover his mental state, He Yuanchong also had a disagreement with the two women.

"Mom! We've already lost the money and given you the land, why are you still taking away my real power in the company? I worked so hard to get that!"

In the club's underground parking garage, two bodyguards stood guard at a short distance away, while a barely audible angry roar came from the Rolls-Royce behind them.

The sound insulation of such a top-of-the-line luxury car goes without saying, yet even this roar could still escape through the closed car, showing just how indignant the owner of the roar was at that moment.

He Yuanchong was very puzzled. Money was not the most important thing to his family. As long as he still had a say in the surfing industry, he would accept the 80 million yuan compensation. But he really couldn't understand why his mother would offer him the condition of stepping down in exchange for He Tianran's forgiveness.

Surfing Line is currently Shan Hai's flagship product. The importance of social media platforms is readily apparent. Controlling media channels means controlling the narrative. In the future, it is almost foreseeable that this product will become a new pillar of the company. Making He Yuanchong a senior executive of Surfing Line is practically the only path He Panshan has given his second son to advance within Shan Hai.

But what He Yuanchong didn't expect was that this only path would be blocked by his own mother.

“Yuan Chong, calm down. The mistake you made this time was that the company gave you too much real power. Right now, doing a good job on the Haigang District project is more important than anything else. As long as you achieve results this time, you can return to the company, and what is rightfully yours will still be yours…”

Tao Wei frowned, feeling rather helpless about her son.

Now that He Yuanchong has been caught red-handed by He Tianran, there are two completely different things between him stepping down from his position in the company and being punished by internal notice. If he does a good job with the real estate projects at hand, there might still be room for maneuver in the future. But if he is punished, he will have no chance at all within Shanhai.

“Yuan Chong, you weren’t like this before. Now you’re abusing your power for personal gain, and even after being caught red-handed, you still want to stay? That’s just wishful thinking! What’s wrong with you now?”

"Mom! She's just an actress! Even if she works for He Tianran's company, isn't that even better?! If he dares to frame me for an outsider, Dad won't let him get away with it!"

"You still don't realize you're wrong? Have you even taken your mother's words to heart?"

Tao Wei now deeply regrets that in the past, whenever He Panshan wanted to discipline or suppress his son, she would always stand up to help cover for him and take responsibility, letting her, as his mother, take over the heavy stick of education. Deep down, Tao Wei also feels a sense of guilt and indulgence towards He Yuanchong due to their past separation, which has led to He Yuanchong being both arrogant and fragile in some aspects.

"I know it perfectly well!"

He Yuanchong practically roared, veins bulging on his forehead. He couldn't understand why his mother was so timid. His tone was fierce:
“I know how hard-won everything I have now is! I know even more that if I back out now, I will never have another chance! The Harbor District project? That's a long-term project! Without the resources and influence of the surfing line to support me, how can I negotiate with Uncle Yu and the others? How can I achieve results that will impress Dad?!”

He was panting heavily, like a stubborn donkey:

"Mom, can't you see? He Tianran is just using this as an excuse! He wants to completely shut me down! If you ask me to back down, you're playing right into his hands!"

Tao Wei closed her eyes briefly, seemingly suppressing the surging anger within her:

“Yuan Chong, do you think I don’t know he’s using this as an excuse? But this time, you personally handed him the knife! Bai Lingye is the pillar of his company, a core asset that’s about to go public! If you touch her, you’re touching the company’s fundamental interests! No matter how much your father favors you, he can’t be so unprincipled in this kind of matter!”

She looked at her son's still defiant face, lowered her voice, and spoke with unprecedented sternness:
"And do you really think you understand your 'father'? When he disciplined He Tianran, did all you learn was to gloat? He Panshan, before becoming your father, was first and foremost a businessman!"
If you step down now, you can still retain some dignity and the possibility of a future comeback. But if your father or the board of directors orders you to be dealt with, that would be truly a complete disaster!

Furthermore, the mistake this time is yours. You clearly had Yan Yan by your side, so why did you still go and seduce other women? The stupidest thing was going to seduce someone close to your brother! Son, what exactly are you trying to do?

Mentioning this, He Yuanchong's eyes flickered, and his imposing manner weakened slightly:
"She's just an actress, Mom! What's there to explain? Even Dad, or even He Tianran, are no exception now..."

"Snapped--"

A crisp slap interrupted He Yuanchong's sophistry.

The man's eyes were filled with disbelief, but the pain in his left cheek pulled him back to reality.

Tao Wei was trembling with anger, but when she withdrew her hand, she seemed surprised by her own actions. She couldn't help but reach out to touch her son's cheek, but he instinctively flinched away...

"Hush...huh..."

The middle-aged woman took a deep breath, and the car was unusually quiet for a few seconds. She spoke again, her voice trembling slightly, revealing that her emotions had not yet subsided:
"Yuan Chong, tell me..."

Have you been secretly contacting that Yu Naoqiu lately? What kind of spell has she cast on you to make you do something so stupid, giving her ammunition against you?! Do you really think that by relying on the Yu family, you can stand up to your brother? Let me tell you, if you try to negotiate with a tiger, you'll only end up being devoured until nothing is left!

Having just been beaten by his mother, He Yuanchong had no time to consider these words; he remained defiant, his neck stiff.

“My affairs are none of your business! Make a scene with her... She's different from other women! She understands me! She can help me!”

"Help you?" Tao Wei laughed bitterly, her smile full of sarcasm. "Help you means encouraging you to mess with the most untouchable person in He Tianran's company, putting you in this dilemma? Yuan Chong, wake up! She's after your status as the 'Second Young Master of the He Family,' and the power and resources you hold! Once you lose those, do you think she'll even give you a second glance!"

"She didn't encourage me!"

He Yuanchong, as if his tail had been stepped on, abruptly pushed open the car door. Standing outside, he looked back at his mother inside, her face filled with sorrow. His chest heaved violently, and finally uttered only one sentence:
"I'll walk my own path! You don't need to worry about it!"

With that, he slammed the car door shut and strode towards the garage exit without looking back, his back view resolute and furious. He Yuanchong, filled with rage and humiliation, strode through the empty, cold underground garage. The echo of his leather shoes striking the ground was particularly jarring in the silent space, much like the pounding of his restless heart.

His mother's words were still ringing in his ears, and the burning pain on his face was a constant reminder of the embarrassment he had just experienced.

Just as he was about to reach the garage exit and blend into the glow of the streetlights outside, a languid and familiar female voice drifted from the shadow of a supporting pillar:

"It seems our Second Young Master He didn't have a very pleasant evening?"

He Yuanchong abruptly stopped and looked in the direction of the sound...

Yu Naoqiu leaned casually against the rough concrete pillar, arms crossed. His neatly tailored black outfit blended into the shadows, with only the ambiguous smile on his face clearly visible in the dim light.

She seemed to have been waiting there for a long time.

The moment He Yuanchong saw her, the anger in his heart ignited instantly. He rushed to the woman in a few strides, his eyes filled with the rage of betrayal and questioning:

"You're here just in time! Yu Naoqiu, tell me, what's the meaning of you getting so close to my brother lately? What, after seeing his heartless and ungrateful side, you think you have a chance? You think he's more valuable than me? You think I, the 'Second Young Master,' am not good enough for you, is that it?"

Yu Naoqiu tilted her head slightly, her eyes gleaming with an all-knowing light. She stretched out her slender fingers and gently brushed across He Yuanchong's left cheek, which was still slightly red from being hit. Her movements were gentle, like that of an incredibly tender woman, yet they carried a condescending scrutiny.

"Did that slap hurt? Why did you have to provoke your brother's artists..."

His voice was hoarse with excitement, carrying a long-suppressed resentment:

"Yes! I'm going to mess with Bai Lingye! I'm doing it on purpose! Aren't you two close? Doesn't he treat you differently? Then I'll mess with the most important person in his company! I want him to know that he'll pay the price for touching someone he shouldn't have!"

This almost childish declaration of revenge exposes the true driving force behind He Yuanchong's actions—

It wasn't simply lust or a desire for power, but rather jealousy and panic arising from Yu Naoqiu's closeness to He Tianran—a distorted mentality that sought balance and venting by harming what was important to the other.

Yu Naoqiu listened quietly, showing no surprise on her face, not even her smile changed.

Her outstretched fingers didn't touch the man's swollen cheek; instead, they gently brushed away non-existent dust from his shoulder, a gesture tinged with nonchalant detachment.

"Yuan Chong, have you even listened to my explanation? You just foolishly went and provoked your brother..."

Her voice was steady, without the slightest hint of emotion:

“I have my reasons for being close to your brother. The resources he controls, his ‘Future Production’ film company, and his soon-to-be-listed talent agency are all targets worth paying attention to. Don’t you understand the principle of knowing yourself and your enemy? Besides, have you forgotten that in the beginning, you asked me for help to find some dirt on your brother? Now that I’m getting close to him, why are you unhappy about it?”

She leaned forward slightly, her sharp gaze meeting He Yuanchong's resentful eyes:
"But you, because of this baseless jealousy, went and attacked Bai Lingye, handing him your biggest weakness and forcing your mother to sacrifice your position on the surfing line to protect you... Yuan Chong, do you think, between the two of us, who is more disappointing?"

These words were like a bucket of ice water poured over his head, instantly cooling He Yuanchong's feverish mind. He opened his mouth, wanting to refute, but found that under Yu Naoqiu's calm scrutiny, his so-called reasons for "revenge" seemed so pale and foolish.

Seeing that his momentum had weakened, Yu Naoqiu's tone softened slightly, carrying a subtle, coaxing quality, like soothing a pet:
"Don't forget how much our Yu family invested in the Haigang District project. This is the most solid bond between us. You, He Yuanchong, are still one of my family's most important partners, not He Tianran."

Today, I sent you a text message asking you to notify Aunt Tao to come, not to harm you, but precisely to preserve your most important bargaining chip in this situation where we are destined to lose.

Your father's impression of being able to "admit his mistakes and correct them," and the opportunity to turn things around in the Harbour District project in the future.

She reached out, her fingertips finally landing lightly on the man's jawline, not touching the wound, yet carrying an invisible sense of control:
"Losing a spot on the surf line is no big deal. As long as the Harbour District project succeeds, as long as you still have the identity of the second young master of the He family and your cooperation with me, we will have plenty of opportunities to get back what you lost, with interest. But right now, what you need is to stay calm, instead of playing your cards recklessly like a sore loser and losing your last card."

He Yuanchong stared at her blankly. Her words, a mixture of criticism and promises, both dampened his impulsiveness and gave him a glimmer of hope for the future.

In particular, the phrase "one of the most important partners" subtly soothed his unease caused by Yu Naoqiu's closeness with He Tianran.

The rift in He Yuanchong's heart caused by his mother and his fear of power seemed to be filled by a more distorted sense of trust and alliance.

“I understand…” His voice was low, with a resolute air of desperation. “I’ll listen to you.”

Yu Naoqiu smiled with satisfaction. She withdrew her hand, and in the dim light of the garage, that smile was both alluring and dangerous.
"Focus on getting the Haigang District project done well first; that's your foundation. As for the rest... leave it to me. I know what I'm doing with your brother."

After saying that, Yu Naoqiu naturally took He Yuanchong's arm, their posture intimate, like a couple, as if the questioning and admonishment just now had never happened.

The two walked hand in hand out of the garage, their figures gradually blending into the neon-lit night of the city.

However, He Yuanchong didn't see that the cold, calculating glint in Yu Naoqiu's eyes, hidden beside him, never faded. (End of Chapter)