My girlfriend is from the future!

"How did you know about these 'family matters' that even I, as their father, had to go through a lot of trouble to find out? And how did you know them so clearly?"

He Panshan's words hit the nail on the head, so much so that Yu Naoqiu had the illusion that all the pressure the father had just exerted on He Tianran was to force someone to jump out and defend him, the eldest son...

The slight humility on Yu Naoqiu's face froze for a moment at this sudden question. She was still holding an empty wine glass, the rim of which reflected her shrewd eyes, which were beginning to move slightly.

The old man didn't rush to interrogate her. The decanter tilted its long neck against the wine glass in the girl's hand and began to pour in the scarlet liquid until it filled the glass halfway. Yu Naoqiu calmed down.

The other questions might not be something the girl could think about in detail, but what He Panshan wanted right now was a reason why she "why" knew so much.

Yu Naoqiu was also waiting for this opportunity.

"Uncle He...how do I know all this..."

She didn't look at He Panshan, but slowly repeated to herself, "I put down my wine glass and placed it on the rosewood table. I gently turned the rotating tray on the table with my fingers, and the glass reflected the different expressions of He Panshan, Bai Wenyu and Cao Aiqing in turn, finally stopping in front of He Tianran."

"Because these are all things that...Brother Tianran told me."

"Oh? I didn't know that..." He Panshan looked at his expressionless son and asked, "Tianran, are you and Xiaoyu this close?"

Unlike He Panshan's questioning gaze, He Tianran felt that Bai Wenyu's gaze beside him was almost turning into "knives"...

He looked up at Yu Naoqiu across from him. On that face, which was dressed exceptionally well and looked intellectual, the corners of his mouth were raised with a confident, even slightly manic, smile.

This crazy woman who enjoys being abused is going to drag him into a "confrontation"!
Yu Naoqiu had just defended He Tianran's "ruthlessness towards family and relatives." Facing He Panshan, she needed to explain why she knew so many "identities," as if it were a mutual, interconnected chain. Only if they complemented each other could everything that happened today make sense.

but……

What's the cost?
He Tianran dared not look at Cao Aiqing, who had been present the whole time. This was different from the last time at his own home, when he had deliberately orchestrated a confrontation between Cao and Yu. And the reason for this difference was somewhat absurd. He—

I can't bear it...

In He Tianran's heart, there has always been a truth he didn't want to face, but now he has no choice but to admit...

That day, when he went to Nanzhi Island as a "writer" and met Cao Aiqing, who was then his "girlfriend," the two did not share a bed, nor did they have time to watch any island movies.

The two were simply on the coastline bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun. The girl gently shook her boyfriend's arm as they walked, uttering those words:

"Naturally... this road isn't too winding, right?"

After such intimate whispers, the "writer" finally couldn't help but confess everything to the other person.

The writer knew he wasn't the He Tianran that Cao Aiqing loved, and was unworthy of the tenderness this girl exuded. He was also unaware of his own...

How should we face Cao Aiqing?

This is true. He has an innate sense of guilt towards this girl. If he still has memories from another world, then he must know that his guilt stems from deception, from using his most skilled means to push the woman he loves most into a bleak and miserable life.

In this new world with a future, he doesn't remember any of that; those feelings of guilt have transformed into the purest form of...

escape.

Wen Liang was right to criticize. This instinct to escape runs through the "young man's" entire life, whether he becomes a "writer," a "lead singer," or just an ordinary passerby in the future. The only difference is that the "young man's" escape is directly reflected in childish actions, while the adult's escape has too many reasons to embellish it.

So, before this, even the "writer" couldn't be sure whether Yu Naoqiu would really bring him a crisis, so he "pretended" to break up with Cao Aiqing. Could this be considered a lack of courage and an "escape" from the unknown life?

The answer should be self-evident.

When facing Cao Aiqing, the "writer" subconsciously wanted to play the role of "He Tianran" in this world, but he lacked the awareness to put himself in a garbage bag.

In this new world, "writers" don't want to be "trash" again.

But why is he now unable to bear it?

Is this a sign that He Tianran's personality is gradually merging?

Perhaps so, but more importantly, it's because of people.

Because there was someone who said "I've always been by your side" on the ski slopes; there was someone who would say "Welcome home, He Tianran" when they got home; there were two people, one cooking, the other making soup, who, in a drunken stupor, talked about how to reconnect with the past, and the woman shyly raised her glass and said three words with certainty—

"Look at me."

She said that as long as He Tianran looks at her, he can reunite with his past self.

This shows that He Tianran has never changed in Cao Aiqing's eyes, while the "writer" has used his usual methods from the beginning to push their relationship to this precarious state.

So, he couldn't bear it.

He couldn't bear to see someone who loved him so much get hurt again.

Even after this breakup, the "writer's" premonition was correct; he did indeed uncover some clues about Yu Naoqiu and He Yuanchong. He could now bring Yu Naoqiu to his side, thus completely dismantling this unknown crisis, but all of this had to be done on the premise of hurting Cao Aiqing...

The "writer" regretted it...

Because He Tianran wouldn't do that.

However, having long been accustomed to "letting things take their course," he watched helplessly as everything was already set in stone, and regret was no longer an option for him.

"Natural, your dad is asking you a question."

Bai Wenyu's words of reminder brought He Tianran out of his thoughts. This decisive mother seemed unwilling to let her son use silence as an excuse at such a critical moment.

When He Tianran looked up, He Panshan had already silently picked up a piece of food and was chewing. Yu Naoqiu, who was sitting next to him, was also annoyed by He Tianran's long silence and deliberation. However, the other party obviously had no intention of helping to deal with it, because she also wanted to hear a word from He Tianran.

Finally, He Tianran looked at his father and, in a tone that was hard to tell whether it was submission or pleading, called out in a low, dry voice:
"dad……"

In this dinner party, if there was one person who could understand He Tianran and truly empathize with him in this situation, and was willing to avoid any unpleasant situations from occurring, then it was only He Panshan…

Ironically, these two, who usually act like enemies, are the only ones who can understand their son in this situation, and the son can understand his father's difficulties...

This time, however, He Panshan only glanced at his son indifferently.

Today, he wanted to teach his eldest son a lesson: if you easily hand over the right to choose to others, then don't worry about how the final outcome will befall you.

"Ai Qing..." The old man's gaze fell on Cao Ai Qing, who was eating silently to the side, and his tone was indifferent.

"uncle."

Cao Aiqing put down her chopsticks, gracefully picked up a tissue, and wiped her mouth.

"What about you? What do you think? Are Tianran and Xiaoyu... really that 'good'?"

The anger on Yu Naoqiu's face vanished instantly, replaced by a renewed sense of energy. She leaned back in her chair with a relaxed air, eager to see firsthand how He Tianran's "ex-girlfriend" would be subjected to a gruesome torture at this family dinner.

Bai Wenyu's face was ashen. She gripped Cao Aiqing's hand tightly under the table, signaling the girl beside her to be patient. As long as she said a word that she still had feelings for He Tianran, her future mother-in-law would never let her suffer any injustice.

But Cao Aiqing gently withdrew her hand from Bai Wenyu's.

That usually gentle and serene face showed no trace of grief or anger at this moment.

She first glanced at He Tianran. When the man met her gaze, he stiffened. Then, Cao Aiqing smiled.

She picked up the only empty wine glass on the table. "Uncle He, could you pour me a glass of wine?"

He Panshan narrowed his eyes.

He picked up the bottle of Chambordini and personally poured half a glass of wine for Cao Aiqing.

"Uncle He, well, I'm probably not qualified to comment on their relationship, because as an outsider, I know nothing about the 'family matters' that Miss Yu mentioned. So if I had to say something, then Miss Yu's relationship with Tianran should be above mine."

These words, though not particularly direct, were enough to clarify the current relationship between the three of them.

But Cao Aiqing and He Tianran have been together for ten years, so if the story ends here...

It is insufficient to express one's aspirations.

Immediately, Cao Aiqing stood up, steadily picked up the glass of wine, and looked at Yu Naoqiu across from her.

Yu Naoqiu immediately straightened his back, put on a wary smile, and prepared to take the attack.

"Miss Yu..."

Cao Aiqing spoke, her voice clear and melodious like shattered jade, each word piercing the heart:

"This first toast is to you, to your... ambition. Thank you for letting me see with my own eyes that some things can be clearly priced and weighed on a scale. I am ashamed of my own lack of such clarity and pragmatism."

Cao Aiqing didn't say why she and He Tianran had fallen out like this, but in these drinking toasts, it seemed that too much had been said. Everyone present was smart enough to understand the girl's implied meaning.

Yu Naoqiu had imagined that Cao Aiqing would cry, make a scene, grab He Tianran and question her, and even speak ill of her. But she never expected that Cao Aiqing, who seemed like a "little white rabbit," would react this way. This was not like a victim who had been abandoned, but more like... an ex who came to preside over the handover.

"Sister Ai Qing... I don't understand what you're saying at all."

Yu Naoqiu, feigning ignorance, picked up his wine cup with feigned trepidation. Cao Aiqing, however, simply smiled, offering no argument. She raised her hand and clinked the two cups together in mid-air, calmly saying:

"Miss Yu, I am truly unworthy of being called 'Sister Ai Qing' by you. I will drink this toast to you first."

Yu Naoqiu was speechless. She wanted to argue, but faced with such worldly etiquette and the already settled situation, refuting it would only make her seem petty.

Cao Aiqing stopped looking at her, tilted his head back and drank the first cup of wine in one gulp, his movements elegant, yet carrying a sense of swift and decisive revenge.

For her second glass, she slowly refilled her empty glass with red wine, and then her gaze finally fell on He Tianran.

The moment He Tianran turned to her, his body tensed up. He saw the deep sadness hidden in the girl's eyes, almost overflowing with sorrow. At the same time, he also saw something even "harder" above that sadness.

"This second cup..."

Cao Aiqing's voice finally trembled slightly, but this tremor was like the lingering resonance of a musical string, even more heart-wrenching.

"A toast to you, He Tianran."

The man's Adam's apple bobbed. He wanted to speak, to stop her, but the woman's gaze made him unable to utter a sound.

"I admire your ability to make choices."

She spoke each word slowly and deliberately, each word like a small hammer striking He Tianran's heart:
“Tianran, I know you’re not a gambler. You said that among all the card and board games, mahjong requires too much management, and you have to be patient to piece together the scattered cards into a game; blackjack is too straightforward, and the outcome depends entirely on simple probability addition and subtraction.”

But you have a particular fondness for Texas Hold'em, because here, 'giving up' is considered a form of wisdom, a philosophy of survival. It's about always making the 'right' choice between probability and risk. Therefore, I respect you, respect your meticulous calculations every time, and respect your unwavering prioritization of profit and loss over your passionate heart.

He Tianran's lips lost all color. He clenched his fists tightly, his nails digging deep into his palms. Overwhelmed by guilt and heartache, he knew Cao Aiqing was just playing along, but the sadness in the play was real!

Seeing his pained expression, Cao Aiqing felt the sorrow in her eyes deepen, but she stubbornly refused to let it turn into tears.

She raised her glass again and downed the second glass of wine in one gulp, as if she wanted to swallow all the sweetness of the past, the waiting, and the bitterness of the present moment.

The liquor burned as it went down her throat. She put down the glass, her chest rising and falling slightly. The strong smell of alcohol made her fair cheeks flush with an unnatural red.

"Ai Qing!" Bai Wenyu could no longer hold back and grabbed her hand. "Stop drinking! I'll take you back!"

Cao Aiqing shook her head at her, then gently patted Bai Wenyu's hand to reassure her.

"Let me have one last drink... Sister Bai."

Sister Bai.

This was the name Bai Wenyu had asked Cao Aiqing to use when she first arrived in England to study. Later, as she grew older and Cao Aiqing's relationship with He Tianran deepened, the name "Sister Bai" gradually became "Aunt Bai."

Sitting opposite her, He Panshan gave the girl a deep look. When she reached for the wine bottle but missed because of her drunkenness, the old man took the initiative to pick up the bottle for her and refilled the glass halfway.

"This cup..."

She looked around at everyone: the shocked Bai Wenyu, the guilty He Tianran who couldn't breathe, the Yu Naoqiu who wanted to watch the show but was overshadowed, and... the unfathomable He Panshan.

The alcohol flushed her cheeks, but her eyes shone brightly.

"A toast to myself..."

I regret not being proactive enough, which made Tianran wait for me all these years. If I had set aside my useless pride, had the will to be independent, and had persisted in my career, perhaps we wouldn't be where we are today...

I'm afraid I can't be a submissive woman, I don't know how to be dependent yet I'm self-righteous, and I believe there really is someone in the world who shares my naive belief in those few lines of nonsense like "If love between two people lasts forever" and "A meeting of minds is a tacit understanding"...

She paused, exhaled a breath of stale air, forcibly suppressing the tears in her eyes, transforming them into a more resolute light, her tone carrying a firm and unwavering determination:

Finally, I pay tribute to all of them. They support me in standing here, allowing me to be bold, to ensure that my dignity is not bound by anyone, and to prevent my joys and sorrows from being sacrificed for any benefit...

I salute myself; I've earned this honor!

The moment she finished speaking, Cao Aiqing gave no one time to react. She gulped down the glass of wine that was overflowing with all her mistakes, all her pride, and all her dignity.

Then, to everyone's astonishment, she smashed the empty wine glass hard on the ground!
"boom--!"

The wine glass shattered into pieces, the crisp, resolute sound of it breaking seemed to mark the end of her relationship with He Tianran.

"Nice Fold".

In the very end, Cao Aiqing used a term from Texas Hold'em, meaning: knowing the odds of winning are slim, so rationally but with regret, she gave up.

She understood everything. She understood that this was a game of cards, and she understood all of He Tianran's calculations and unavoidable circumstances. And she chose to fold and leave the game at the most appropriate moment and in the most dignified way!

This is not admitting defeat, but a higher level of victory based on clear understanding. Cao Aiqing avoided the pain of He Tianran's choice and preserved all her dignity and pride, preventing herself from becoming a tearful footnote in this ugly struggle!

The young woman pulled out a napkin again and slowly wiped the wine stains from the corner of her mouth. Then, she pulled out a chair.

"Uncle He, Aunt Bai, I've finished eating. I think I'm no longer needed here, please excuse me."

Her voice returned to calm. She didn't even glance at the mess on the ground or the different expressions on the faces of the people behind her. She straightened her back and walked towards the door without looking back.

He Tianran stared blankly in the direction where Cao Aiqing had disappeared, at the shattered pieces she had left behind, the words "Nice Fold" echoing in his ears, as if his soul had been instantly ripped out.

"Ai Qing, wait a minute..."

Bai Wenyu also stood up and quickly followed behind her, but made no attempt to pull her back. Presumably, Bai Wenyu knew how inappropriate the current situation was. (End of Chapter)