"I didn't say that," Yang Qinglan denied, looking out the window.

Li Qianxia kicked Li Changzhou under the table, signaling him to press his advantage.

Li Changzhou sat up slightly and took off the cigar he was using as a prop.

“I can vouch for her,” he said, “she definitely didn’t say that.”

"......"

Li Qianxia slapped herself across the face.

You can tell from Yang Qinglan's profile that she was smiling.

"Hmm?" Li Changzhou looked puzzled.

"Forget it!" Li Qianxia put down her hand and slapped her thigh. "There are indeed many kinds of intelligence."

Li Changzhou knew he must have said something wrong, but where was he wrong? Was it wrong to protect Yang Qinglan?

Completely baffled, he put the cigar back in his mouth.

The train rumbled, as if it were bursting into laughter.

The three of them then looked at the rulebook about the copy, and there was nothing special about it. In short, it boiled down to one sentence: you must not reveal any future information to anyone from the past.

While we were chatting, a song suddenly came on the radio.

(Buses, subways, ships, and airplanes, just like us, are destined to wander.)

(Someday, though we don't know when, we will become our true selves.)

......

(They knew nothing and firmly believed that the world remained unchanged and continued to function as usual.)

(That's not true, that's not true.)

(The world is changing irreversibly in ways they are unaware of.)

In 1928, warlords were everywhere, with the Li, Zhao, and Song families being the three major warlords.

In early summer, the Zhao and Song families went to war.

In July, Li Xinghua, the warlord of the Li clan, was persuaded by Zhao and his eldest son Li Bichang to send troops to fight against the Song Dynasty.

In late July, Li Xinghua and his eldest son Li Bichang were assassinated in a car on their way to Mingcheng.

In August, Li's second son seized power, but did not seek revenge for his father's death and remained inactive.

In October, Li's second son led an army and defeated the Zhao and Song clans, becoming the most powerful warlord in the Xia state at that time.

Li Changzhou opened his eyes.

"Second Master, we've arrived at the Lin Mansion."

The headlights of an old Buick car illuminated a few lines of illusory text.

[Time: Spring 1928]

Location: Songcheng

[Background: A powerful warlord, martial arts schools breaking the law, a monstrous prodigy barely surviving, and four beauties captivating the eye]

[Character: Li Changzhou, the second son of the Li family]

[White Card Missions: 1. Li Xinghua and Li Bichang send troops to attack Song; 2. Li Xinghua and Li Bichang die; 3. Li Changzhou seizes power]

[Black Card Mission: 1. Li Xinghua and Li Bichang abandon military action; 2. Li Xinghua and Li Bichang survive; 3. Li Changzhou loses his right to succession]

Li Changzhou got off the car.

"Second Master." His subordinate Liu De handed him a walking stick.

Li Changzhou took it, holding the cane in his left hand and putting his right hand in his pocket, gazing at the brightly lit Western-style garden building before him.

At the Lin Mansion, a ball is held, marking the first meeting between Li Changzhou, the second son of the Li family, and his fiancée, Lin Yin, after years of studying abroad.

"My Qinglan, where are you?" Li Changzhou sighed and stepped forward.

A magnificent, wide white stone staircase, stone lion statues, a fountain, and a dark lawn under the night sky.

The gramophone crackled, a woman in a cheongsam covered her mouth and laughed, a shawl draped over her wrist; a woman in an exquisite Western-style dress addressed the other as "Miss Mou".

The scene gradually brightened from gray to white, and the phonograph, which had been buzzing, finally started playing.

"Willows are charming and flowers are beautiful, orioles sing sweetly, spring has once again arrived in the world."

Cherish this youthful time, and don't let it slip away in vain.

The servant at the door caught sight of him and excitedly shouted into the house:

"Master Li is here!"