I turned reality into a romantic comedy.

"It has nothing to do with gifts, but it's okay if I didn't bring any. It's winter anyway."

Saying these seemingly nonsensical words, Shen Nianqiu quickly found the hotel she had booked in advance, took Chen Junqian's hand and led him to the floor where the room was located, and then opened the door with the room card in her pocket.

Just as Chen Junqian had expected, it was indeed a large room with a high price but all the necessary facilities. The kitchen and bathroom were even better than the rooms he stayed in last year in Tangshan and Qinhuangdao. In fact, the bathroom didn't have a shower, but a large bathtub.

"Alright, little brother, you can stay here for the next couple of days."

"So how did it become these past two days?"

Faced with Chen Junqian's complaints, Shen Nianqiu simply adopted a matter-of-fact attitude, as if she had completely forgotten what she had said before.

"Because it's not easy for me to come all this way, I feel like two days isn't enough."

As she spoke, Shen Nianqiu closed the door again, inserted the room card into the notch next to the door to provide power, and then sat down on the sofa in the room. She naturally opened her arms to Chen Junqian, unlike a certain little girl who was still fantasizing about when the teddy bear in her arms would become real and hug him unreasonably again.

Although the achievement for "Face Cleanser" is not a repeatable type, the achievement for "Of course, there must be fan service in a romantic comedy" is not. Therefore, the moment Shen Nianqiu made this action, it simultaneously achieved another progress in Chen Junqian's mind.

It can only be said that the older sister who can pass the system's review mechanism even through a shirt, sweater, and down jacket is indeed a bit supermodel in terms of stats. It feels like among the girls Chen Junqian knows, the only one who can compete with her in a few years is probably Zhu Wenyun.

"As for a reason, your brother can definitely find one, right?"

There was absolutely no excuse or reason to refute it. Should I say that I had already prepared myself mentally before coming to Lin'an, or that I simply couldn't look into the other person's eyes so close to mine and say something that would make those beautiful eyebrows furrow?

Just like the scene in "Big Hero 6," which was released three years later and became the content of their last conversation in their previous life, Chen Junqian simply hugged his hand back and nodded in agreement.

If Lin Mu and the others were new connections he established after his rebirth, then Shen Nianqiu and Chen Xi were the only two people Chen Junqian had interacted with in both his past and present lives. Moreover, compared to the latter, the former undoubtedly held a much greater place in his heart.

Actually, it has nothing to do with whether or not the moonlight is white or not, because the two of them never actually met each other until they lost contact, and they never even exchanged photos. When they were children, they would proudly show each other their family household registration book when they were not convinced of each other's real age. At that time, they did not have their own ID cards.

But perhaps that's why Chen Junqian cherishes this relationship that originally only existed online.

To be honest, he never wanted anyone around him to have problems in their family, school, or other aspects. Chen Junqian wished that all the female protagonists could grow up carefree in a healthy family environment like Mu Mu. The events he wanted to create were never like this, and the stories he wanted to tell were definitely not like this.

However, if he really discovers it, he will not choose to let it go either. This was the case with Xu Youwei, Gu Linguo, and now Shen Nianqiu.

This is actually the key reason why Chen Junqian wanted to stay here for two more days. After all, as the other party said, it was not easy for him to come here.

Of course, we still need to observe step by step.

With this in mind, Chen Junqian took the initiative to suggest to Shen Nianqiu:

"Alright, it's almost noon now. We should go to the supermarket to buy ingredients. We'll need some time to cook."

Undoubtedly, this was also a scene and scenario that Shen Nianqiu had been looking forward to for a long time, so she had no intention of refusing. She immediately smiled and said "okay" to him. However, before officially getting up, she playfully rubbed her cheek against Chen Junqian's side. But this time, she didn't see the little girl who would say "I am Qianqian's best friend".

He's going to cook for her now.

Actually, Lin'an is also a good place to grow hickory nuts.

Actually, she could have just thrown away the two hundred yuan.

Actually, she might be just like her mother, a person with a terrible personality.

Chapter 54: Time, Time, Please Hurry Up!

Shopping and strolling around the streets are said to be one of the things that girls find hardest to resist, but that makes guys feel most uncomfortable.

Chen Junqian used to find it hard to understand why women could always show superhuman physical strength and willpower in this regard. He had even seen his own mother drag him and his father around the entire shopping street for an entire night, only to buy two items. In the end, it became a fixed routine: they would go into a store, sit down on chairs, watch his mother bargain with people, and then run off to the next store.

Chen Junqian's shopping habit is to prepare a list of what he wants to buy before leaving home, and then go straight to his destination after entering the mall. After selecting the items, he goes directly to the checkout counter and spends very little time in the mall.

Later, as online shopping and food delivery industries developed, he became even less willing to shop in physical stores. He would select items online and wait for delivery to bring them to him, whether it was clothes, general merchandise, or groceries.

However, after his rebirth, Chen Junqian's habit improved a lot. Firstly, the online shopping and food delivery industries had not yet developed at that time. Secondly, Zhu Wenyun and Lin Mu were both skilled at shopping, which helped Chen Junqian develop the same skills.

However, the two have completely different styles. Zhu Wenyun is the kind of girl Chen Junqian has met who is the best at bargaining and the most willing to bargain. Every time he buys something with her, she will first cut the price in half when facing the merchant, and then slowly bargain down the price. She is extremely meticulous. The only time he has not hesitated about the price since they met was probably when he used his manuscript fees to buy those two smartphones.

Mu Mu simply loves shopping. After all, her family is quite wealthy, so she doesn't need to worry about budgets or limits. Every time she goes in with Chen Junqian, she can usually bring back another one that's completely full, which also puts a lot of strain on Chen Junqian's stamina.

That's why Chen Junqian was able to accompany Shen Nianqiu shopping again with ease this time... He really thought so at first.

"...So we came out to buy groceries, didn't we?"

Upon hearing Chen Junqian's voice beside her, Shen Nianqiu turned around. Her eyes were different from the other girls'. Perhaps it was because they hadn't met in person many times. Every time Chen Junqian made eye contact with his sister at close range, he would feel his heart being subtly tickled by the sparkling light in her eyes. They were a pair of charming eyes that were both like a fox and a cat.

"It's such a waste to come to the mall just to buy groceries."

As she said this, Shen Nianqiu turned around and stood side by side with Chen Junqian. Their heights were already very close, so there was no sense of awkwardness when they stood together. Her left hand was already reaching for Chen Junqian's right hand, but after they actually touched, she seemed to be in a brief moment of embarrassment, unsure of how to hold his hand or what posture to use. Interlacing only the upper half of her fingers didn't feel secure enough, while holding them together felt too intimate.

The main issue was that she could feel her palms sweating.

Chen Junqian sensed that his sister seemed to have a thing for his right hand, as her fingertips kept rubbing against his palm. So he took the initiative and held her hand first.

It was just a simple hand-holding.

Their palms were pressed together, their fingertips against the backs of their hands.

Of course, this wasn't the first time Shen Nianqiu had held Chen Junqian's hand, but unlike before during the Shanghai World Expo or just now in the hotel, this was near her home, in a shopping mall she frequented. Under the bright lights all around, she felt inexplicably nervous, as if she were showing off her treasure in front of everyone, and subconsciously pulled his hand towards her.

But Chen Junqian, completely unaware, had already taken a step into the mall. The two of them, one in front of the other, their hands clasped together, suddenly hung there, as if they were deliberately showing it to others.

"Hmm? Did you forget something, sister?"

Chen Junqian noticed that Shen Nianqiu had suddenly stopped, so he turned around and looked at her with a puzzled expression, asking her a question.

"No, I was just lost in thought for a moment."

Coming to her senses, Shen Nianqiu quickly took two steps forward, then nervously glanced at the other people around her before finally walking into the mall side by side with Chen Junqian.

However, playing at home also has its advantages. Shen Nianqiu quickly regained her composure. After all, they were just holding hands. Among the couples around her, many girls were clinging to their boyfriends' arms like koalas, while those sitting on the benches in the rest area were practically entwined like snakes, kissing each other without a care in the world.

Moreover, their ages don't suggest they're a couple at all. Even if familiar people pass by, they'll just assume they're siblings because of Chen Junqian's way of addressing them. Taking a distant relative's younger brother or sister shopping during the Lunar New Year is perfectly normal, nothing to be nervous about.

"Does your sister live nearby?"

Chen Junqian casually started a conversation.

"Yes, it's not far from this shopping mall, so I come here often."

It was clear that Shen Nianqiu was quite familiar with this area. She led Chen Junqian directly past the food section on the first floor and headed towards the clothing section upstairs, where she planned to buy him a piece of clothing.

This is probably the first time Chen Junqian has had clothes bought by a woman other than his mother. The closest thing to this is Xu Youwei, since she did think about buying Chen Junqian a scarf a couple of winters ago, and even dragged him to the store to try on many scarves. However, in the end, Zhu Wenyun knitted one by hand, ending the competition, and that was the end of it.

However, compared to buying snacks, Chen Junqian was indeed quite uninterested in buying clothes. This was mainly because once his mother started buying clothes, she would fall into the pattern he described earlier, and Chen Junqian would only become a clothes rack, ruthlessly going into the dressing room to take off clothes, change clothes, and take off clothes again.

"Does your sister really enjoy shopping?"

"Hmm? It's so-so. It's mainly because I haven't been able to go out much since I started living at school. I used to really enjoy coming here."

Shen Nianqiu seemed surprised by Chen Junqian's sudden question. After thinking for a while, she answered, then pointed to the elevators that floated upwards from the first floor to the second:

"But when I was a kid, I was terrified of taking these elevators downstairs. I always had this feeling that my feet would suddenly slip and I would fall. It's kind of funny to think about it now."

"Then, there used to be two electric rocking cars outside this shop. When you walked by, they would automatically call out to you, 'Handsome boy, beautiful girl, come and play!' or something like, 'Dad's dad is called grandpa.' But I didn't like doing that when I was a kid."

It felt more like she'd sat there but was too embarrassed to tell her younger brother the truth. Shen Nianqiu blushed slightly, looking a little guilty, and then reached out her other hand to poke Chen Junqian's cheek with a hint of displeasure.

"Now that I'm all grown up, little brother, you'll regret it. You'll regret not seeing what kind of child I was when I was little."

They had known each other for a long time, but they met very late and very infrequently. So Shen Nianqiu wasn't wrong. If the time before junior high school was defined as childhood, then Chen Junqian hadn't really participated in it much.

But this subtle regret is actually two-way. Just like when Shen Nianqiu was saying these words, she also felt very unhappy. She even wanted to reach out and rub her younger brother's face, who had suddenly grown up, but she was a little reluctant, so in the end she just poked him twice.

Just like how Lin Mu was the only girl in Guoning who knew Shen Nianqiu, Shen Nianqiu's impression of Chen Junqian in Guoning was also limited to Lin Mu. After all, the two had met during the summer vacation two years ago, and talking about each other was the topic she most often heard from Chen Junqian.

This wasn't some reflection on whether life is stolen or not; Shen Nianqiu simply felt that if she were in Lin Mu's position, she could have done better, at least ensuring that the names of those other girls that her younger brother had occasionally mentioned during this time would never appear around Chen Junqian again.

"Does your sister still miss her childhood?"

"I don't miss it at all. On the contrary, I think it's great to have grown up. If only I could grow up to adulthood in a flash."

Pulling Chen Junqian into a men's clothing store next door, Shen Nianqiu, who also seemed to be picking out clothes for a boy for the first time, quickly found herself in a dilemma of choice. Fortunately, Chen Junqian himself was now a perfect clothes hanger, and he looked good in anything, which fully satisfied Shen Nianqiu's curiosity. She started dressing up her younger brother like a QQ dress-up show.

After buying a hooded down jacket that both of them were quite satisfied with, Shen Nianqiu took Chen Junqian back downstairs. After all, good clothes are much more expensive than food, and her budget was not very large. She also refused to let Chen Junqian pay for it, so in the end she could only buy one jacket and stop, instead of getting him a brand new outfit from head to toe.

The food section on the first floor was naturally much more lively than the clothing section on the second floor, and the sensory stimulation was also much stronger. The senses of sight, hearing and smell were all greatly satisfied, which reminded Chen Junqian of the time when he asked Zhu Wenyun why she liked shopping when they were shopping together.

"Because I think shopping gives people a sense of reality, like the saying that when you're in a bad mood, you go to the farmers market. However, farmers markets are more about the atmosphere of everyday life, while shopping malls like this are more about the hustle and bustle."

"A dazzling array of goods can easily satisfy people's senses, such as sight and hearing. Sometimes, even if you don't buy anything, just looking at, asking about, touching, and catching things makes you feel like you've been through a bustling atmosphere. It always gives you a sense of the vibrancy of the world and makes you clearly feel that you are living in this world."

However, Shen Nianqiu's current behavior is different from Zhu Wenjun's answer. Neither the dazzling array of goods nor the bustling crowd could truly attract her attention. Her gaze always followed Chen Junqian's gaze, and her hand always moved with Chen Junqian's hand.

Chen Junqian would look at a radish and pick up a cabbage, and she would follow suit. If he chose one and wanted to put it in the shopping cart, Shen Nianqiu would insist on putting it in with him, one hand each, and then push the shopping cart back up, keeping her eyes on him again.

Everything around her was just other people's excitement to her. As far as Shen Nianqiu's eyes could see, there was only Chen Junqian. This was her own, and all of it—all the excitement, the prosperity, and the real feeling of living in this world.

Perhaps she herself noticed this fact: the way she looked at Chen Junqian was, in some ways, similar to how her mother looked at the dried-up umbilical cord in the bottle.

Moreover, both of them were waiting for time to pass.

I wish time would pass faster... even faster.

Chapter 55: This older sister is really bad (Part 2)

Having spent less than half a day with Shen Nianqiu, Chen Junqian had already vaguely sensed why the system had defined her as D in the personality adaptability category.

Although Zhu Wenyun was also classified as D in terms of personality adaptability, perhaps because she was two years older, or perhaps because Zhu Wenyun had not yet shown her relationship, the two gave Chen Junqian two completely opposite feelings.

Among the four female protagonists already included in the system, if we take the simplest emotion, jealousy, which is common in romantic comedies, as an example, then Zhu Wenyun's jealousy is close to a faint emptiness. Her thoughts on this matter have always been the type of "I bloom and the butterflies come naturally" and "Peach and plum trees do not speak, yet a path is formed beneath them." As long as there is no risk that the agreement between her and Chen Junqian will be broken by others, she will just stay there quietly, at most expressing those emotions that she herself does not understand in words.

In fact, Chen Junqian himself is not yet aware of what kind of time bomb D's personality adaptability, D's speech adaptability, and Zhu Wenyun's action adaptability are, after all, Zhu Wenyun has been very worry-free for him in the past two years.

A little above Zhu Wenyun is Lin Mu. Mu Mu is never a child who is never jealous, but at most she will only act awkwardly in front of him for a short while, just like how she quickly composed herself after being rejected when she called him a few days ago to ask him to play together.

Above that is Hsu Yu-Wei.

To be honest, before officially arriving in Lin'an and meeting Shen Nianqiu, the source of the heavy pressure that Chen Junqian felt most in his daily studies was Xu Youwei. After all, she had actually done things like throwing an umbrella in front of him in the rain, finding him to set off firecrackers in the dark late at night during the New Year, intercepting his sister in front of the music classroom, and forcing him to play a three-legged race before the sports meet. It was hard for Chen Junqian not to be impressed by her actions.

If we were to explain the difference between Xu Youwei and Shen Nianqiu, we could actually see it simply from the matter of their cell phones.

Unlike Xu Youwei, who had to go through a whole washing-up process four days ago before she could muster the courage to tell Chen Junqian, "You're not allowed to bring your phone," Shen Nianqiu immediately started watching Chen Junqian's every move as soon as they met today, making him set his QQ status to "Do Not Disturb."

If Chen Junqian didn't need to use his phone to contact his family and make up a lie about spending the night away, she would have even told him to turn off his phone completely. After all, that's exactly what Shen Nianqiu did, and her motto was to never be hypocritical.

On the way back to the hotel, Chen Junqian could hear Shen Nianqiu humming Taylor Swift's "Love Story". The two of them first heard this song in the online game "QQ Speed" they played together. In fact, most of the foreign language songs that Chen Junqian listened to when he was a child, such as English and Korean songs, were background music in QQ Speed. In fact, QQ Speed ​​has quite good taste in terms of song selection.

"Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone..."

As a girl who is very talented in this area and has received professional training since childhood, Shen Nianqiu's singing skills are indeed excellent. Even when she sings a cappella without accompaniment, she can still sing every note steadily in tune.

Noticing Chen Junqian's gaze, Shen Nianqiu paused for a moment and made a suggestion on a whim:

"How about we go to a karaoke bar this afternoon?"

"...It's probably not a good idea to use Grandpa's ID card to solve this problem, is it?"

“It’s okay. I have a cousin who works at a karaoke bar around here. I can ask her to open a small private room for us. But these kinds of places are quite expensive during the Chinese New Year, so we’ll have to pay for it together. Is that alright?”