'SEE YOU MORNING' 014 Tripartite Verification

'SEE YOU MORNING' 014 Tripartite Verification

After dinner, Qin Wenjing and Li Haojun strolled along the path from the backyard to the solar farm. Except for the shadow cast by the house, the rest of the path still glowed under the evening sky’s twilight. Li Haojun held her hand. This younger sister clung to him dearly, and he cherished having such a companion in this world. Though he had forgotten his past life, the inner peace and tolerance of middle age allowed him to savor the tranquility of the present. At times, he wondered how he had acquired this mindset without prior experiences—was it perhaps from the soul?

As he pondered, watching the sunset paint the horizon crimson, he turned to see Qin Wenjing gazing at the same sky. Moments like these felt timeless, as if one could linger here forever without tiring.

Walking along, Qin Wenjing tugged Li Haojun’s arm and asked,
"Tomorrow I have to go to Spokane for data exchange. Will you come with me?"
"Didn’t I go with you last time? Why wouldn’t I? Wait—why didn’t I receive a notification about the data exchange?"
"Maybe your data was transmitted to my terminal too. We’re in the same region, after all."
"Hmm, possible. So, are we driving tomorrow?" Li Haojun asked.
"No, let’s take a taxi."
"Why not drive this time?" Li Haojun asked curiously.
"Because I like it this way…" Qin Wenjing teased playfully.
"Alright, if you like it, that’s fine." Li Haojun pulled her closer, musing inwardly about women’s fickle and inscrutable emotions.Maybe she wasn’t familiar with me back then? No, no—it must be that our relationship wasn’t close enough before, so she drove alone. Now that we’re closer, she wants to sit in the backseat with me. That must be it. While analyzing her psychology, he continued walking with her along the dimming path.

The next day, after preparations were complete, they booked a flying car to Spokane. Typically, passenger drones accommodated two or four people. Since only Li Haojun and Qin Wenjing were traveling, the model depended on their combined weight and luggage declarations. However, the Spokane route only permitted flying cars—vehicles that could land and continue on wheels to deliver passengers directly to their doorstep, likely due to airspace restrictions or local regulations over Spokane.

Of course, price corresponds to service. Today it was North End Taxi service. A streamlined body, bright yellow base with black wide stripes as livery to distinguish from competitors. Large-diameter energy-saving tires were enclosed in hubcaps, with only the black rubber bottom contacting the road. Symmetrical front-and-rear quad rotors were isolated from personnel by protective covers, and foldable wings retracted into the sides of the body.

As Li Haojun admired the craft, Qin Wenjing approached from behind. She wore cobalt-blue harem pants, white sneakers, a white lace-collared blouse, and a bohemian red-and-white patterned shawl draped over her shoulders. Dark-rimmed sunglasses framed her face, her black hair pinned up with a silver filigree hairpin. Diamond-shaped crystal earrings dangled beside her bold crimson lips.

Qin Wenjing always looked refreshingly different each time they went out. Watching her approach with poised elegance, Li Haojun refrained from embracing or kissing her—lest he smudge those red lips. Instead, he opened the rear door of the flying car, waited for her to enter, then followed, closed the door, and fastened his seatbelt. He felt more like an attendant or bodyguard than a partner. As the quadcopters rotated and tilted, the flying car extended its fixed wings and gradually entered cruise mode.

Qin Wenjing took Li Haojun’s hand. Her eyes, hidden behind sunglasses, met his as a smile played on her red lips.
"Every time I travel for work, I drag you along and take up your time. Are you really okay with that?"
"Why do you ask?" Li Haojun replied, puzzled by the sudden formality.
"Because you used to always be so busy. Now, you seem… settled again."
"Oh." Li Haojun nodded, urging her to continue.
"You were never idle before. You always had your own tasks, unwilling to spend time on anything that might distract you."
"Did I accompany you on trips back then?" Li Haojun asked calmly.
Qin Wenjing simply nodded.
"Then I am now too," he said softly.

A smile lingered on her lips as she wrapped both arms around his, resting her head on his shoulder. Through the windshield, the morning sun rose steadily. Li Haojun pulled down the sunshade between the front and rear seats. Golden light filtered through gaps in the fabric, illuminating Qin Wenjing’s face. Behind the shadow of her dark sunglasses, her closed eyes savored the flight. Li Haojun slid his left hand around her waist and his right over her shoulder, studying her features.

Flying is always much faster than ground travel. Soon they arrived at the flying car landing site outside Spokane city. Vehicles from different directions and routes landed here in sequence, then folded their wings and rotors, and drove on tires into the city.

They returned to Chanson Pavilion Tavern. The place was empty except for them. Instead of the bar, they chose a small table, ordered pastries and sweet white wine, and waited for John.

After a while, the staccato roar of a Harley’s exhaust announced John’s arrival. Dressed in his usual cowboy attire, he ordered brandy as before.

The three sat together. John and Qin Wenjing first exchanged updates about their respective factories, then drifted into casual talk. John turned to Li Haojun.
"Ethan, how’ve you been lately?"

Li Haojun nodded with a faint smile. Realizing silence might steer the conversation toward personal privacy, he added, "Much better. I’ve adjusted well. Thanks for asking."
"Heard you’re managing a new factory?" John asked.
"Yeah. I’ve been working on similar setups with Qin Wenjing, so it was a smooth transition—all the same production facilities."
"She handled those projects with you before, you know?" John chuckled.
Li Haojun gave a wry smile, “I really don’t remember.”
They both laughed. Qin Wenjing stayed silent, smiling gently beside them.

While answering John, Li Haojun wondered how he’d learned about the new factory.We’re peers, company interactions are rare—does he know someone who left?

Mid-conversation, Li Haojun spotted someone entering through the tavern door. Shoulder-length brown hair, trench coat, high-heeled boots—her graceful stride drew attention. She glanced over, their eyes met. It was her—Sophie.

Surprised to see her here alone, Li Haojun stood quickly to greet her and invite her to join. He gave up his seat, introducing her first.
"John, Emily, this is Ms. Sophie Marceau, a VIP client who recently toured our Ellensburg facility—I hosted her."
"This is Mr. John Weyant, our colleague from Montana. And this is Emily Qin, from Washington State like me. She’s also my girlfriend."

At this introduction, a flicker of smugness crossed Qin Wenjing’s face—being presented as his partner before another woman, especially one so striking.

Sophie nodded curtly at John, who responded with polite indifference. When introduced to Qin Wenjing, however, Sophie studied her carefully.

Once formalities ended, Sophie sat beside Li Haojun. He recalled the wedding march from their last meeting and felt a twinge of awkwardness, wondering if he’d overstepped. Thankfully, Sophie didn’t mention it in front of his girlfriend, sparing him further embarrassment.

Li Haojun ordered appropriate refreshments for Sophie, explaining, "We colleagues meet occasionally. What a coincidence to run into you here."

But Sophie didn’t elaborate on her presence. Not wanting to pry, Li Haojun shifted the topic to company products. Qin Wenjing remained silent, glancing between him and Sophie, mostly scrutinizing the latter. John showed little initiative to engage Sophie either. Li Haojun kept the conversation flowing to avoid silence, though Sophie responded selectively or with polite brevity. Her gaze, however, kept drifting back to him. Noticing this, and aware of Qin Wenjing’s watchful eyes, he deliberately gave his partner extra attention to allay any doubts.

Li Haojun also sensed Sophie’s acute awareness of the tension between him and Qin Wenjing. She remained reserved, exuding the poised restraint of a mature woman. After finishing her meal, she excused herself, citing another appointment, and left.

Li Haojun escorted her out. Upon returning, he sat a while longer until John departed too. Their errand complete, he and Qin Wenjing headed home.

Inside the flying car, Li Haojun mentally reviewed recent events, searching for clues linking John, Sophie, Qin Wenjing, and himself. So much forgotten—he longed to understand the hidden threads of this world. Qin Wenjing tugged his arm.
“John, Emily, this is Ms. Sophie Marceau, a VIP client of ours. She just visited our Ellensburg factory a few days ago, and I was the one who received her.”
"It wasn’t important. Mentioning it might’ve upset you."
"Am I that petty? Do you like her?"
"No. She’s not my type. She has her qualities—beautiful, yes—but I know she wouldn’t suit me." After explaining, he suddenly asked, "Do you think she’s a clone?"

Qin Wenjing looked startled. "Why would you ask that?"
"Oh, just a suspicion about this world. Ha—I must’ve forgotten too much." He self-deprecatingly deflected, worried she’d overthink it, then shifted topics. "How often did you usually do data exchanges before?"
"About once a month. Timing varied."
"Hmm. Do you think the company monitors us to ensure stable service?"
She hesitated. "Not impossible."
"So maybe Sophie was… an event meant to pull me away from you slightly. What do you think?"

Qin Wenjing pondered, then lifted her gaze. "But why would they do that?"
"Because I tend to expand my capabilities. To protect our relationship—did I do this before too?" Li Haojun asked earnestly.
Qin Wenjing recalled. "You were just like this back then—in work, study, research, even how you treated me. Nothing’s changed."
"Hmm. Times evolve. Slaves were once whipped, then driven by survival instinct, later lured by wealth, profit, power. Now maybe they manipulate desire itself—stirring it deliberately." He paused. "So I wonder if these events are connected."
"Oh," Qin Wenjing murmured, watching him without further comment.