I turned reality into a romantic comedy.

"I have no problem with that, since I never intended for my sister to pay for everything in the first place."

"That's settled then. I'll call my cousin when I get back to the hotel and let her know."

All Chen Junqian could say was that Lin Mu had invited him to go to karaoke last summer. He never expected that, after all the twists and turns, his first karaoke experience after his rebirth would be with Shen Nianqiu.

However, it's not entirely fair to blame Mu Mu, because the two of them spend so much time together that they make several verbal promises like this every day. One day they might say they must buy certain snacks tomorrow, the day after tomorrow they might say they must improve their math grades the day after that, and another day they might see a nice place on TV and say they'll go there together sometime. It's common for this to happen, just like when Lin Mu went back to her hometown a few days ago and remembered that she had a New Year's promise with her relatives that involved Chen Junqian.

The logic is actually quite simple: the less you say, the more you remember; the more you say, the more natural it becomes. Sharing countless words with only one person is indeed a unique kind of romance between childhood sweethearts, but this kind of interaction also inflates the density of information to an exaggerated degree. Otherwise, why do you think Mu Mu can casually write a lot of diary entries every day?

Rather, it's because she knew that the two of them only had two short days together that Shen Nianqiu could say and do whatever she wanted. She wanted to monopolize Chen Junqian's time for these two days and remember every minute and second of them clearly, like animals storing up food before winter. Except she was storing memories so she could get through the winter without him.

The few days at the Shanghai World Expo were enough for her to reminisce about to this day, and this time the time will be even shorter, so it shouldn't be wasted at all.

Back at the hotel, Chen Junqian began busily working in the kitchen, as if he knew exactly what he was doing.

However, it must be said that in terms of assisting, Shen Nianqiu, who was a complete novice in the kitchen, was no match for Zhu Wenyun, who was already a seasoned cook. Moreover, his older sister would always intentionally or unintentionally cause trouble. One moment she would pester him to teach her how to chop vegetables, and the next she would stand next to him with his phone, taking pictures from various angles, adding a bit of difficulty and fun to Chen Junqian's cooking process.

Shen Nianqiu was indeed eating Chen Junqian's food for the first time. At first, she thought that the story Zhu Wenyun wrote in the book was some kind of exaggerated expression to serve the plot, and she was also prepared that her younger brother's cooking skills were actually just average, just outstanding among children of the same age.

But she really didn't expect that Chen Junqian's cooking skills were really good. The food was much better than the food at home or the school cafeteria. Moreover, because he took special care of her dietary restrictions, she didn't have to worry about eating it. For the first time in a long time, Shen Nianqiu experienced a feeling called happiness at the dinner table.

"Wow, that's amazing... I think I can understand why that little girl named Mu Mu likes to cling to you now."

"It's not just because of that, is it?"

After all, when he met Lin Mu, he hadn't unlocked this milestone reward yet, and his cooking skills were just average. However, it was a bit complicated to explain, so Chen Junqian quickly brushed it off again.

Moreover, he already sensed that Shen Nianqiu was mentioning Lin Mu too much today, to the point that Chen Junqian felt that if Mu Mu knew that he was currently in Lin'an and had declined her invitation just to see Shen Nianqiu, he might trigger the achievement "[A Battleground in Progress]" on the spot.

However, Chen Junqian only thought about it. He was never the type to do anything to achieve something, and doing so would hurt Mu Mu's feelings too much. He would be the most unqualified childhood sweetheart.

As a matter of course, Chen Junqian added Shen Nianqiu to the list of people he was feeding. However, he didn't get a mysterious "Why are you so good at this?" to unlock any achievement. Shen Nianqiu just sat there smiling and accepted his feeding. Then she turned the tables on him and started the same play. The achievement progressed very quickly.

After eating and drinking their fill, Shen Nianqiu turned on her phone and started contacting her cousin to book a private room at a karaoke bar, while Chen Junqian simultaneously took out his phone and began typing away at lightning speed.

Fortunately, there's no IP location tracking feature yet, otherwise his Zhejiang province IP would be exposed and he'd be finished. At that point, he'd have to blame the company. Right now, he could just say he's planning to sleep at Zhong Yu's place for one night, which would definitely be interpreted as the two of them playing games all night.

As someone with a very high level of trust with his parents, Chen Junqian's reason naturally passed smoothly, mainly because he was staying overnight at Zhong Yu's place. However, if he were to stay overnight at Xu Youwei's or Lin Mu's place, the feeling would be quite awkward.

But that's not necessarily true, especially regarding Mu Mu.

Imagineing himself telling his parents that he wanted to stay overnight at Xu Youwei's or Lin Mu's house, Chen Junqian had some doubts again. After all, if it really came to staying overnight, he and Lin Mu had already stayed in the same hotel before, so it didn't seem like a big deal. After all, they were both just that age, and their families had a good relationship.

After letting his parents know, Chen Junqian called Zhong Yu to let them know that Zhong Yu didn't need to pick him up that night, as he estimated he would have to stay there until tomorrow or the day after.

However, Zhong Yu showed considerable understanding regarding the idea of ​​meeting his online boyfriend in person and spending more than a day together. On one hand, he patted his chest and said he could send him back anytime. On the other hand, he muttered to himself that he felt sorry for Xu, who was always watching his good friend in the seat in front of him. Xu had been winning every day, but now it seemed he had lost everything.

After finishing their own business, Chen Junqian and Shen Nianqiu, who had successfully entered the private room, set off together. Karaoke business was indeed good during the Spring Festival, but since the two of them came in the afternoon, there were fewer people than during the evening peak hours. Moreover, many of them were minors who came with their parents, so the two of them blended in without being very noticeable.

After finding the appropriate private room, Shen Nianqiu skillfully put disposable microphone covers on the microphones. Neon lights spun on the ceiling, casting colorful spots of light on the two of them, adding a touch of bizarre and dazzling brilliance.

"Little brother, come sing a duet with me."

As Shen Nianqiu handed him the microphone, an achievement etched in Chen Junqian's mind was simultaneously illuminated:

Karaoke choruses are always beautiful.

When the neon lights in the private room cast an ambiguous pink hue on each other's faces, and the intro to the duet begins—your voices intertwine, and the affection expressed in the lyrics becomes unclear whether it's sung to the original singer or to the person beside you.

The most moving choral performances are never about technique, but about the moment the music ends, when the box suddenly falls silent and the person turns their head to look at you in sync with you.

Condition for achievement: Complete a duet with any female lead who is suited for romantic comedy in a karaoke room.

This achievement is somewhat similar to the one Chen Junqian previously made with Zhu Wenyun through square dancing, which is called "Because lyrics are the cry of my heart." However, the location was limited to a karaoke bar, so it was delayed until today. But now, it has finally come to an end with Shen Nianqiu.

At the beginning of 2012, the three giants of QQ Music were at the height of their popularity. Shen Nianqiu was no exception and would listen to their songs. Among the three, Xu Liang naturally had the most duet songs with female singers, and most of the female singers he collaborated with were different. Xu Liang was even given the nickname "girl-carrying maniac" because of this.

"Which song by Xu Liang would you like to sing, sister?"

Seeing Shen Nianqiu open the song selection screen and list Xu Liang as the singer, Chen Junqian subconsciously leaned over and asked:

"Red Dress? No, Sir? Bad Girl? Peaceful Breakup?"

To his surprise, Shen Nianqiu did not choose any of Xu Liang's most popular singles that he had released so far, but instead chose another song that had just been released two months ago and was not very popular.

"Airport..."

"Yes, airport."

Despite saying that, Shen Nianqiu, who naturally took off her bulky down jacket in the air-conditioned private room, displayed a completely different demeanor from that of someone who had no figure at the airport.

After the intro had begun, she proactively raised the microphone and, in the most playful tone, with the corners of her mouth turned up, sang the first line of the lyrics in a light and cheerful manner:

"Nobody sleeps on their stomach like that. That's not my back. My amazing figure is called natural beauty—"

Chapter 56: This younger brother is also very bad (Part 2)

Chen Junqian and Shen Nianqiu booked a small room at the karaoke bar for the afternoon session from 12:00 to 5:00. However, they neither arrived at the exact time of 12:00 nor stayed until exactly 5:00 when the session ended.

Singing can be very tiring, especially when you're fully engaged and determined to outdo each other on the score. Their punishment game wasn't dice or drinking; it was just competing against each other on the karaoke scoring system. In the end, they both collapsed onto the sofa in the karaoke room, feeling utterly exhausted.

That's why, by the latter half of the time, the two of them had settled into a state of using the music playing as background noise, snuggling together on the sofa and chatting. They would occasionally sing along to the accompaniment, but most of the time, they would just watch the various music videos playing on the screen.

Just like their first offline meeting during the Shanghai World Expo two years ago, Shen Nianqiu might be a girl who really likes direct physical contact. If there's a saying, "If you can sit, don't stand; if you can lie down, don't sit," then she's the typical example of "If you can hold hands, don't hold hands; if you can hug, don't hold hands." Especially in this private room where only the two of them are, it might even give Chen Junqian the illusion that she's going to pull him into her arms.

It turns out that when a girl is willing and wants to get close to you, every part of her body can become a weapon of attack. They surround you from all sides, and by the time you realize it, you're already firmly locked in place, unable to move and not wanting to move at all.

But he had to step forward eventually. Chen Junqian was never one to be overly passive, so he quickly took the initiative to speak up and try to regain control:

"When I go out later, may I go to my sister's room to take a look?"

He didn't use the word 'home,' but the other person's room couldn't be a separate, isolated entity. As long as he observed it briefly when he went in, Chen Junqian was confident that he could glean some information about the other person's family environment from this glimpse.

"It's not impossible, since my family is out visiting relatives for the New Year today."

After hesitating for a moment, Shen Nianqiu quickly agreed to Chen Junqian's request. After all, she always presented herself as someone who was satisfied with the current state of her family, so there was no concern about not airing her dirty laundry in public. On the contrary, doing so would only make her look like she was trying to hide something.

However, when it came time to actually bring Chen Junqian home, Shen Nianqiu suddenly fell into a state of confusion, as if a deep-seated fear had been awakened in her heart. But she shook her head and decided not to think about it any further for the time being.

Frankly speaking, if we're really talking about the degree of self-deception, Gu Linguo would at least still be confused about the current situation of her mother and family, but Shen Nianqiu has already become accustomed to the status quo and has even made up a seemingly flawless set of reasons and excuses for herself without any external cause.

The three common themes of Chinese horror—the so-called dysfunctional family, school bullying, and feudal superstition—are never isolated entities. In fact, they are all closely linked and mutually causal. Just as the most classic feudal superstition leads to problems in the dysfunctional family, the dysfunctional family in turn gives rise to the tragedy of school bullying.

But Shen Nianqiu herself did a great job in this regard. From Chen Junqian's perspective, his older sister was simply too clever. She stood in the middle and forcibly separated the three parties, and then dealt with them one by one 'properly'.

She doesn't dwell on whether her family's current situation is due to the loss of her first child or the boy everyone wanted most. She also uses her emotional intelligence and abilities to avoid standing out in a boarding school and manage her relationships with everyone in a relaxed and easygoing manner.

But the problem still exists. It's not that pretending not to see it will make it disappear in the end; it's just that Chen Junqian's appearance rekindled her expectations for the future.

For Shen Nianqiu herself, there was a sentence hidden deep in the well of her heart that she felt was not human at all every time she thought about it. Just having such a thought was enough to make her feel sinful and go to hell after she died. That sentence was, "They will always grow old and die before me."

Nothing can so clearly define the boundaries between two people as life and death, and this is an inevitable outcome.

They will eventually leave, and she will eventually be free.

Shen Nianqiu was unaware that her mother had also had the same thought of "I'm still young" just a few days ago, but her current thoughts were exactly the same as the other woman's, and therefore they both began to feel a kind of expectation for the future, as if it were a preordained time that would eventually come.

This is my home.

Following Shen Nianqiu's footsteps, Chen Junqian arrived at a girl's house once again. Although he had known her the longest, he was the last to arrive at her house, which was quite a poignant situation.

Judging from the location and first impression alone, Chen Junqian was certain that his sister's family was not poor. After all, a family that could buy a computer for their child a few years ago must have some financial means. She had been enrolled in singing and dancing classes since she was a child, and now she was being sent to a boarding school that was said to have excellent facilities and naturally expensive tuition.

Upon opening the door, the first thing you see is a black and white photograph hanging in the center of the living room, above the dining table. It shows a child who looks only a few years old, who must be the prematurely deceased older brother that Shen Nianqiu had mentioned but never met.

Next to the framed black and white photo, the wall was covered not with the orange-yellow certificates that are common in ordinary homes, but with all sorts of other photos, all of which were about the child's growth, from birth to crawling, walking, talking and the first birthday celebration. Countless little figures crowded together around the large black and white photo, which gave Chen Junqian a bit of goosebumps when he saw it for the first time.

But Shen Nianqiu seemed used to it. After handing Chen Junqian disposable shoe covers, she went into the house first, pointed to a room next door, and invited him in:

"This is my own room."

"Ah."

Although he verbally agreed, Chen Junqian deliberately slowed down the process of putting on shoe covers, taking the opportunity to continue observing his surroundings. He then noticed the glass bottle prominently displayed on the living room shelf, as well as some other clothes drying on the balcony.

"what is that?"

Knowing that Shen Nianqiu was also closely watching his movements, Chen Junqian didn't try to hide anything. After following her into the house, he directly pointed to the glass bottle.

Although it was a bit far away and not very clear, Chen Junqian was certain that what was inside was definitely not some paper crane or little star.

"The umbilical cord, the umbilical cord that can be preserved for a long time after being processed... it's not mine, it's his too."

Seemingly not wanting to say too much about the issue, but perhaps feeling that changing the subject would make her seem like she cared a lot, Shen Nianqiu simply pulled Chen Junqian's hand, who was still looking in that direction, and led him into her room. After closing the door, she lay half-reclined on the bed in front of Chen Junqian, pulled her thick winter clothes up halfway, and finally held his fingertips and placed them on her navel.

"And then, this is mine."

She looked into Chen Junqian's eyes and said this.

Isn't it common sense to show your stomach when apologizing?

Just as a puppy will lie on its back and show its soft belly to its owner to express affection and fondness, the female protagonists in romantic comedies sometimes use similar methods to show their attitude.

Whether it's the barely visible hem of her bra, the fleeting glimpse of her pubic bone, or the fully exposed navel, the hidden scenery revealed in that instant always feels like the foreplay of some final chapter, making one's heart race.

Condition for achievement: Any female protagonist with a knack for romantic comedy must voluntarily pull her shirt open halfway until her entire navel is visible.

Other achievements related to this one include: "Isn't it common sense to show your XX when apologizing?"

Chen Junqian had no time to pay attention to the mysterious romantic achievement that had suddenly appeared in his mind, because all his attention was drawn to Shen Nianqiu in front of him, or more precisely, to her sudden action.

As a former dance student who had practiced dance for six or seven years since childhood, Shen Nianqiu's waistline was quite perfect. At this moment, because of her own posture, it was slightly taut backward, and the shape of her navel in the middle also changed slightly. The shallow indentation was stretched into a thin line, and her fingertips were now being pulled to the ground by the other person's hand and pressed against it, experiencing a kind of soft touch.

"...The umbilical cord is the umbilical cord, and the navel is the navel, right?"

After a while, Chen Junqian belatedly realized what was happening. As he spoke, he tried to pull his hand back, but Shen Nianqiu showed no sign of letting go. She even raised her other hand and gently traced his fingertip upwards, as if marking a pathway for his hand.

"This is it."

The umbilical cord is the organ through which a mother delivers nutrients to her child. For Shen Nianqiu, that internet cable was her umbilical cord for the past few years, connecting her to Chen Junqian and allowing her to continuously receive a sense of reality from him that she could continue living.

Since starting a boarding high school, Shen Nianqiu and Chen Junqian have had more and more time to chat, but they can no longer communicate by voice like before. However, Shen Nianqiu sometimes thinks that it's actually not so bad.

If Lin Mu's diary was handwritten word by word, then her diary was a collection of text chat logs.

After chatting with Chen Junqian all night, Shen Nianqiu would read through their entire chat history again before going to sleep. Sometimes, she wouldn't be satisfied with just reading through the previous chats as well.

【elder sister】

At first, she would hold onto the two words of address for a long time, reluctant to let go, just like warming her hands with two hot water bottles before entering a warm house from the freezing cold outside to get used to the temperature inside, and then reading on after her body had warmed up.

Shen Nianqiu would read each sentence for a very long time, making sure it was clear to her eyes, chewed up and digested in her mouth before reading the next sentence. Only when it was absolutely time to sleep would she put her phone back under her pillow, as if that person were sleeping next to her.

If her phone hadn't been able to be charged with a data cable at this point, eliminating the need for a universal charger, Shen Nianqiu's phone battery would probably have been worn out long ago.

But Chen Junqian withdrew his hand, because he needed to ask about the second thing he had just seen. He needed to use that thing to ascertain his sister's true thoughts. So, while helping her neatly roll up her clothes that had been pulled up, he asked her:

"Are those clothes hanging on the balcony my sister's?"