My girlfriend is from the future!

As the banquet entered its second half, the constantly rising and bursting champagne bubbles filled the air of the banquet hall, leaving behind a subtly intoxicating atmosphere.

He Tianran weaved through the small groups of people, sometimes pausing, sometimes lingering. He and Sui Chulang were surrounded by a group of girls, and playfully drank a toast together. He exchanged contact information with Liu Tianxian and Shu Yinghou, looking forward to future opportunities for collaboration. In a relatively quiet corner, he chatted and laughed with several heads of fashion groups, the cigar smoke between his fingers swirling and blurring his outline.

After finishing her chores, Bai Wenyu gracefully walked through the crowd of people, where light and shadow intertwined, and walked to her son's side. The mother and son stood side by side by a relatively quiet corridor pillar, enjoying a rare moment of solitude. Before them, the floating sounds of people and music created a layer of out-of-focus background noise.

"Your actions today are more like those of a businessman than your father did when he was young."

He Tianran's face was expressionless. He simply stubbed out his cigar and rubbed his temples, where a visible fatigue was etched on his face.

"Mom, are you... praising me?"

Bai Wenyu neither confirmed nor denied, but simply said:
"Do you know that Wenliang won't accept your price increase?"

He Tianran was silent for a while, then shook his head, but he wasn't quite sure. "Maybe I was drunk. I didn't know she would do that when I was bidding. If I'm 'sober' by tomorrow, maybe I'll have a better way."

Bai Wenyu, of course, was unaware of the superfluous meaning in He Tianran's words. The mother smiled slightly:
"Your father has one of the few good qualities: he never regrets what he says when he's drunk."

The son smirked and said, "That's why he's switched to drinking tea now."

Bai Wenyu glanced at her clueless son, who was clearly quite adorable when he was little, and sighed.

"What I'm trying to say is that you should learn more about the artists under the company, especially the ones you value. After all, the company is about to go public, and if any unpleasant things happen in the future, not everyone can cover for you."

He Tianran was taken aback. He had thought Bai Wenyu would be angry about his behavior at the auction today, but instead he received some words of advice. He hadn't felt this kind of concern from his family in a long time. His heart softened and he nodded.

"By the way, I knew you were going to collaborate with Wen Liang when I was in England. After that, you acquired her company, cast her in a movie, and even appeared on a show together recently. But I still vividly remember your argument at the pre-conference meeting. I always thought you two had a pretty good personal relationship, but judging from today's situation... it seems like that's not the case?"

Bai Wenyu turned her head to the side, the light casting a clear outline on her well-maintained face, her expression slightly puzzled.

From her perspective, Wen Liang and He Tianran's interactions were mostly work-related. Even if their behavior was a bit intimate, it was all within the normal range in the entertainment industry where truth and falsehood are hard to distinguish. Although there were many rumors about the two of them online, anyone who had seen the pre-recording meeting for that shoot and witnessed He Tianran's harshness towards Wen Liang in private would easily imagine what kind of sparks would fly between them. Moreover, tonight at the auction, the man's marketing tactics had even made Wen Liang lose her temper.

“Acquiring her company was to expand my business empire, and you can see the results now, Mom; casting her in movies was because she was suitable, and I also wanted to increase the value of my ‘assets’… As for my personal relationship with her…”

He Tianran subconsciously touched his nose, carefully choosing his words, and gave a brief evaluation:
"We're not really compatible."

The "writer" certainly didn't understand Wen Liang as well as the "lead singer." Sometimes he wondered what the "lead singer" had gone through to be able to indulge Wen Liang's willful personality so much...

However, as "he" gradually adapted to this world without hatred and grew closer to Wen Liang, the "writer's" mentality also changed little by little. Take today's gift and auction as an example. If he still harbored resentment, he would never have done these things for Wen Liang when such a great opportunity for revenge presented itself.

Bai Wenyu nodded in agreement with his son's compelling reasoning, glancing at Wen Liang in the distance, who was chatting and laughing with the two brand ambassadors and senior executives.
"Wen Liang is indeed a wild girl, which may make some people dislike her. However, coupled with her own abilities and appearance, this will undoubtedly become her unique advantage in this circle. What she should be most grateful for now is that she met you. Even if you dislike her, you will not deny her true value."

It seems that both He Tianran's previous price-gouging and Wen Liang's behavior were in line with Bai Wenyu's business acumen and ability to judge people.

"How annoying..."

He Tianran followed his mother's gaze and finally gave a helpless smile:
"I can't really say for sure, but it seems like my actions today... might have hurt her pride?"

"Turning grief and anger into strength is always better than wallowing in self-pity. You should have provoked her sooner—no, she should have understood this sooner—so none of this would have happened today. But it's not too late to wake up now. You young people have more resources than you think, especially someone like her..."

The man smiled:
"You really like her? She was a real bully in high school."

Bai Wenyu glanced at his son and asked:
"Did she bully you?"

"..."

He Tianran's smile froze slightly, then he opened his mouth, and then laughed even wider, as if he were telling a joke:

"Yeah, what if she bullied me back in high school? Dad, with his status, would never stand up for me, and you wouldn't be there..."

"Then you deserve it."

Bai Wenyu responded casually, saying that she and He Panshan were the same kind of people.

The son watched as his mother slowly raised her glass and swallowed a mouthful of wine, the smile still on her face. He blinked, relaxed his brows, and had a thousand words in his heart, but it seemed that if he were to utter even half a sentence at this moment, it would only make the words "serves her right" more vivid.

In the end, he didn't say a word, tilted his head back and drank the cup down in one gulp.

“If you get bullied at school, your dad and I won’t do anything because you’re a coward, and you deserve it… But if I were here with you, I probably would say something to you…”

"what?"

"But if you are bullied and want to fight back, whether you injure or cripple someone, as long as the reason is justified, we can help you out."

"..." There are rarely moments between the mother and son when they can express their true emotions so openly. Most of the time, their communication is characterized by polite distance and business-like exchanges.

A flicker of shock, as if his sore spot had been hit, flashed in He Tianran's eyes. He didn't dare look at his mother's expression, but instead looked at the empty bottom of the cup. His voice trembled slightly as he forced himself to relax:
"Haha... It's a pity you weren't there then. If something like this happened now, I could handle it myself."

"Yes, you've grown up..."

Bai Wenyu sighed, her voice unusually softer, and finally asked with a hint of inquiry:
"You...were you really bullied by Wen Liang?"

"what……?"

Realizing his lapse in composure, He Tianran put down his wine glass. As if a joke had gone too far, he waved his hand, denying it:

"That's impossible."

After taking in his son's reaction, Bai Wenyu chuckled softly:
"Heh, it seems you're still a bit better than your dad."

"What, you bullied my dad when he was young? Mom, I really didn't realize you were such a tough nut to crack!"

Bai Wenyu couldn't help but raise his hand and poke He Tianran's forehead with his index finger. The touch was light, but it carried a long-lost, almost affectionate, reproach:
"You~"

Her well-maintained face, because of these subtle movements and those few unusual words of conversation, was tinged with a rare, genuine emotion belonging to the identity of "mother".

"What I mean is, your dad is responsible and trustworthy when he's drunk, but you're a complete liar when you're drunk!"

He Tianran's head tilted back slightly as she poked him, and he could still feel the cool touch on his forehead. He was stunned for a moment, then subconsciously raised his hand to touch the spot where he had been poked. He wanted to say something, but in the end, he just let out a low laugh that was both innocent and relieved.

Just then, as if to give this rare moment of tenderness a dignified ending, a waiter appeared at the right time, carrying a tray covered with black velvet. The various exquisite little gifts from Bulgari on the tray shimmered with a reserved yet alluring light under the lamp.

"Excuse me for disturbing you both. This is a gift that Bulgari has prepared for all the guests at tonight's banquet. If the size is not right, you can come over and have it measured separately later."

He Tianran looked down and saw a dazzling array of small ornaments gleaming on the velvet padding. His gaze drifted aimlessly over the delicate necklaces, bracelets, and cufflinks, finally settling on two simple and elegant B.zero1 rings.

The classic spiral design, made of cool and resolute yellow and white gold, features a black and white main color scheme between the two rings. Compared to the ordinary versions available elsewhere, this one, presented as a gift for the dinner party, is further embellished with scattered small diamonds.

He reached out and picked up the white one, his fingertips tracing the smooth, cold surface of the ring with an unconscious focus.

This subtle action did not escape Bai Wenyu's notice. Watching her son holding the ring, which leaned more towards a women's style, she suggested:

"You've got your eye on this? B.zero1's designs are unisex, but they could be used as wedding rings. The color on your hand suits Ai Qing quite well. Are you planning to give it to her later?"

Her speculation is reasonable.

The design language of this ring is rational, restrained yet powerful. The black color matches He Tianran's forbearance and profundity, while the white color matches Cao Aiqing's intellectual gentleness.

But now...

He Tianran paused slightly as he stroked the ring, pondering how to respond to his mother's suggestion...

Just then, a sudden voice abruptly shattered the brief silence:
"Aunt Bai, don't you know?"

Yu Naoqiu had gracefully approached without anyone noticing. She held the champagne glass by the stem with elegant fingers, feigning surprise on her face, but her eyes seemed to relish seeing others embarrassed.

Her gaze swept over He Tianran, finally settling on Bai Wenyu's slightly puzzled face. With a clear, almost cruel tone, she revealed the deliberately concealed truth:
"Didn't Brother Tianran... break up with Sister Aiqing a long time ago?"

"..."

The air seemed to freeze in an instant.

Bai Wenyu's composure finally gave way to an uncontrollable surge of emotion.

She first glanced at Yu Naoqiu in surprise, seemingly trying to determine the veracity of the news. Then, her gaze suddenly sharpened, and she abruptly turned to He Tianran, her expression carrying an undeniable question:
"Nao Nao...is it true? You broke up with Ai Qing?"

He Tianran felt the different yet equally heavy gazes cast by the two women beside him. He tightened his grip on the ring, the hard feel of the band pressing against his fingertip.

He remained silent, neither admitting nor denying it.

In this suffocating silence created by Yu Naoqiu's words, the small ring on his finger seemed to become the focus of all contradictions, all unsolved mysteries, and all emotional vortexes.

The dazzling lights of the banquet cast deep shadows beneath his lowered eyelashes...

Who was this ring originally intended for? (End of Chapter)