I turned reality into a romantic comedy.

Those were some of the most alluring and sexy lingerie, but upon seeing them, Chen Junqian's mind was instantly free of any related achievement triggers.

"its mine."

Shen Nianqiu shifted her gaze somewhat awkwardly, seemingly only embarrassed that Chen Junqian had seen her underwear at home, but her heart sank involuntarily. She maintained her usual tone, however:

"Wouldn't your younger brother feel embarrassed?"

No, it's not yours.

Chen Junqian asserted this very decisively. The timeline between his past and present lives was so clear in his mind at this moment that he exposed the other party's lie.

Having the mindset of an adult, Chen Junqian showed absolutely no shame when saying this; he was simply stating a fact:

"Your parents want a new child."

He didn't say anything like "I want to give you a new younger brother," because this matter had nothing to do with Shen Nianqiu from beginning to end. To be more precise, he said, "My sister's parents want a new son."

That's it.

Chapter 57: Goodnight (Two Chapters Combined)

Shen Nianqiu was well aware that she was just a temporary figure in this family.

So she had to hurry up and grow up, and hurry up and fall in love with someone, after her brother, whom she had never met, died, and before her younger brother, who would surely be born in the future, appeared.

This unwavering idea, or rather, this determination, almost forced Shen Nianqiu to skip her childhood in one step. Before she could even be a carefree child, her childhood was abruptly cut short, and she entered a half-baked adolescence.

The stitches may heal, but the fracture remains in that part of the body. The middle section is always empty, almost transparent, stuck there, unable to be swallowed or spat out.

From that moment on, Shen Nianqiu knew that she had to create something for herself, to create a small world, a small world that belonged entirely to her, just like her mother had done.

She can carry this little world with her wherever she goes, and the people in this little world can also be taken with her wherever she goes, just like a handkerchief or a tissue, which she can put in her pocket at any time. This little world and the people in this world will never betray her. As long as she lives, they will all live for her.

Later, the internet became Shen Nianqiu's little world, and it was under these circumstances that Chen Junqian appeared in front of her.

Shen Nianqiu had lied to Chen Junqian, both about her family situation and her own mindset. Her parents treated her with a near-ignorance, which meant they didn't care about her thoughts or try to hide anything from her, just like the few pieces of underwear that were currently drying on the balcony.

Once this fact is recognized, it becomes clear that all the magnanimity Shen Nianqiu displayed in the past was a self-deceiving illusion. After all, even the extreme thought hidden deep in the well of her heart, called "parents will eventually pass away," can no longer provide any comfort.

She will have a younger brother who is more than ten years younger than her, and Shen Nianqiu has no doubt that even when her parents pass away, the other party will ask her to take care of him if their next child is indeed a son, because Shen Nianqiu's mother, Yang Suling, herself is.

In Shen Nianqiu's memory, her mother had helped her younger brother and her uncle more than once since she was a child. When their business failed, her mother had to pay for their business. When they found a partner and got married, her mother had to arrange everything. Even when their mother, her maternal grandmother, was sick, it was Yang Suling who accompanied her to a large hospital in another city.

Her maternal grandmother's attitude towards this was simply this:

“Your brother is a good-for-nothing. I’m sorry. I’ll definitely bless you when I go to heaven.”

It was as if she had seen a predetermined future of herself, so Shen Nianqiu naturally felt a deep fear about it, as if the scene in her nightmare had become a reality, turning into a menacing nightmare.

It was probably from that time that Shen Nianqiu finally developed this attitude, which could be called rebellion or giving up: if she really wanted a younger brother, she might as well choose one she liked herself.

Then she chose Chen Junqian, a boy who would use his real name as his online name, just to argue with her about who was older and who should call whom "brother" or "sister," and who would even go so far as to look up his family's household registration book to find out who was two years younger than her.

Undoubtedly, Chen Junqian initially fit Shen Nianqiu's imagination perfectly. He had his own troubles and was willing to share them with her. She then comforted him and chatted with him like an older sister, which led to the subtle thought that the person opposite her was dependent on her for existence, becoming the only resident in the little world she created.

But things changed a few years ago. The other person suddenly started to become outstanding, independent, and cheerful. Their social circle expanded, other girls' names started to appear in conversations, and they started trying to get to know her.

But the more things went like this, the less Shen Nianqiu was able to tell Chen Junqian the original reasons.

It's probably like the lyrics of the song, "It's not because I'm lonely that I miss you, but because I miss you that I'm lonely." She's unwilling to admit it now, as if putting all of this into words would make her feelings seem less sincere.

Girls who tend to overthink things often unconsciously complicate other people's thoughts as well. When Chen Junqian exposed all of this, Shen Nianqiu felt relieved and laid out all her feelings and thoughts in great detail. She let out all the details of her hatred, love, and repression, presented them to him, and then closed her eyes, like a prisoner awaiting final judgment.

Even though it was she herself who captured herself, tied her up, and nailed her to the cross.

Looking at his sister who had suddenly changed into this state, Chen Junqian felt a mix of emotions. But it was precisely because of this that he always felt a unique tenderness for Shen Nianqiu.

But feelings of pity or tenderness always inevitably evoke images of a condescending attitude, so Chen Junqian changed the form of his feelings and expressed them through affirmation and promise.

“Some things cannot be changed, but some things can be changed. I have always felt that even if I were in my sister’s situation, I could not have done any better. And no matter what, what I said to my sister back then still counts.”

As Chen Junqian spoke, he kept thinking about his last conversation with Shen Nianqiu around 2015 in his previous life. If we follow the timeline, Shen Nianqiu's parents had already given birth to a younger brother for her at that time, completely exposing all the illusions she used to comfort herself.

Even at that time, the other party still showed him the most sincere kindness after not contacting him for a long time, so Chen Junqian never thought that Shen Nianqiu was a hypocritical girl as she herself said.

"Sister, you can still come to me anytime, anywhere. I can take care of you without any problem."

Just like the male protagonist in a romantic comedy always has a younger sister who he always bumps into in the bathroom after taking a shower and getting dressed, the older sister who is worn down by work and always clings to him saying that she can't get married and has to live with her younger brother for the rest of her life is also a classic character. Moreover, Chen Junqian doesn't believe that Shen Nianqiu is really a useless older sister. The fact that the system recognizes her as having an A-level basic ability adaptability already proves this point.

If Shen Nianqiu had previously felt that Chen Junqian's existence was like a bare gum after all his teeth had fallen out—full of presence, leaving a hollow, ticklish feeling when left untouched, but causing a sharp, tingling pain when touched—then now his teeth had truly grown back, hidden in every single word he uttered.

Every word he said was like a gentle bite into the softest spot in her heart.

Every time I hear him call me "sister," I feel a little pain.

The pain was just right, like a clear reminder that she was still alive in this world and was remembered by someone.

So Shen Nianqiu leaned her head closer, as if wanting Chen Junqian to know how she felt, and opened her mouth against his neck.

Whether you call it a kiss or a bite, she left two rows of light teeth marks there, then blew on them and lightly brushed her tongue across the marks, as if to make them disappear quickly.

"...Don't talk big, I'm the older sister."

Then, Shen Nianqiu pushed Chen Junqian out of the room.

At least for tonight, she won't be thinking about coming back.

----------------------------------

The First Embrace of a Vampire

When she suddenly leans in and leaves a light or heavy tooth mark on your wrist, shoulder, neck, or earlobe, the slight pain and tingling sensation is like a silent declaration of possession.

What often makes your heart stop is not the pain itself from the sudden attack, but the subtle expressions and actions of her subconsciously brushing her tongue across the teeth marks after she releases her grip, trying to blow a breath to relieve your pain.

Condition for achievement: Having teeth marks left on any part of your body by any heroine with romantic comedy potential.

The day isn't even over yet, and even without counting the time when fan service was triggered, Shen Nianqiu has already helped Chen Junqian unlock three achievements at a rapid pace. And judging from his current momentum, another achievement is also on its way.

"...So, is it really okay for my sister not to go home tonight?"

"My younger brother should know the answer to this question best. My mom just replied with 'okay,' and didn't even ask which friend's house I stayed at overnight. Well, it does make things easier for me."

Unlike Lin Mu, who only thought about moving the bedside table closer to the bed last summer, Chen Junqian's hotel room has only had one large bed from beginning to end. Moreover, judging from Shen Nianqiu's own intentions, the idea of ​​sleeping on the floor or the sofa is simply out of the question. The other party came for this bed from the very beginning.

However, this wasn't the first time Chen Junqian had slept in the same bed with a girl. Just a few days ago, on New Year's Eve, he slept with his sister. But unlike then, when they deliberately turned their heads so that one of them was facing this way and the other was facing that way, Shen Nianqiu was going to sleep on the same side as him, facing the same direction.

Moreover, unlike his younger sister who is still a child, Chen Junqian was indeed worried about some of his physiological reactions when facing a talented player like Shen Nianqiu.

After all, reality isn't a romantic comedy, and he's not one of those gentle male protagonists who are more virtuous than Liu Xiahui, able to remain unmoved even when fans are offered to him. Just like the girls his age have entered puberty, Chen Junqian, who is thirteen years old after the New Year, is no exception.

However, once the two of them had finished washing up and were lying in bed wearing only their innermost shirts, Chen Junqian's mind had settled down again. He suddenly remembered that his older sister's rating in system action adaptability was only C, which was exactly the same level as his childhood sweetheart, Mu Mu.

Perhaps the system's rating criteria really made some sense, or perhaps it was simply because of the emotional ups and downs she had experienced throughout the day. Lying next to Chen Junqian, Shen Nianqiu was quite well-behaved. She simply turned her body to face him and, like a kitten or puppy, affectionately touched his nose and forehead with his until their breathing became slightly erratic. She then smiled at Chen Junqian under the warm yellow light of the bedside lamp.

This time, however, it was a closed-mouth smile, just like when they first met.

In fact, the two of them have only met twice so far, and neither meeting lasted more than a week.

But Shen Nianqiu has always been a girl who thinks a lot, or rather, she inherently carries a bit of fantasy about love. After all, the magazine series that the other party bought most often during elementary school was "Fireworks," which is the magazine that Zhu Wenyun is currently contributing to, filled with novels of the youth campus romance genre.

She was a good child who never worried her parents at home. If Xu Youwei's way of rebelling against her family was to deliberately create trouble to gain attention, then Shen Nianqiu simply acquiesced and even went along with their wishes without having any extra thoughts.

The same was true at school. She was a good student, the lead singer of the school choir, beautiful and with a great personality. Shen Nianqiu still vividly remembered what her friend sitting in front of her had said to her before she graduated from elementary school. If that friend or a teacher at school saw her now, they would probably be so shocked that they would faint on the spot.

Shen Nianqiu's home was only a fifteen-minute walk from the hotel, while her school dormitory was a bit further away, requiring about a half-hour bus ride. In the middle of this unchanging routine, she slept in a third place that no one knew about before, and with a boy that no one knew about.

Her parents, classmates, teachers, relatives... none of them knew.

Just thinking about this made Shen Nianqiu feel a sense of exhaustion and satisfaction, and she didn't have the strength to move an inch more.

When something is about to take shape in one's heart, a feeling that is mixed with joy and unease always arises, perhaps closer to animalistic emotions than that of humans.

Just like a fox that smells a distant scent and gradually approaches the location of its prey, even before it has actually caught it, its heart is already firmly gripped and lifted into the air.

A thought that grew clearer with the passage of time began to form in Shen Nianqiu's mind.

Even after many years, she will remember this day.

It wasn't just a matter of typing; this time, Shen Nianqiu spoke the words aloud herself.

"Good night."

"OK, good night."

Chapter 58: Liars Should Eat Stones

The eighth day of the first lunar month.

Even though there's a saying that the New Year celebrations continue until the Lantern Festival, by the eighth day of the first lunar month, most adults have already ended their New Year holidays. With factories resuming operations and shops reopening, it signifies that another New Year has passed.

However, this year, there was something unusual for the residents of Guoning: a fireworks display was held at the municipal government square on the evening of the eighth day of the Lunar New Year, a week before the Lantern Festival.

The first to receive the news and take action were naturally the vendors selling food or providing entertainment facilities such as ring toss and balloon popping. After all, performances mean crowds, and crowds bring customers. Every festival is a celebration and a good opportunity to make money.

Fortunately, the municipal government has a tradition of holding fireworks displays every year, and relevant contingency plans have been made in advance. Therefore, the arrangements for the venue and personnel coordination were handled in an orderly manner. However, considering that the expenses for this event were not covered by the government budget but by a major taxpayer, some minor details were handed over to the client, Xu Zhiling, who then passed them on to Xu Youwei.

This is probably the first time since his ex-wife's death that Xu Zhiling has seen his daughter so focused on something. For the entire New Year, from the first day of the Lunar New Year until now, she has stayed in her room without leaving the house, as if she wanted to study and confirm every aspect and step of the performance before she would stop.

On the eighth day of the first lunar month, Xu Youwei woke up in bed much earlier than she had expected. Considering her sleep time the night before, she had only slept for about four to five hours. However, an unknown compulsion still made her open her eyes before six o'clock in the morning.

However, Xu Youwei felt no sleepiness at all; in fact, she felt a kind of excitement, as if she hadn't noticed that it was only a little past five o'clock, or as if she was already at ease just by seeing the date "January 30th" followed by "the eighth day of the first lunar month" on the calendar. Like a flower awakened by the first rays of morning sunlight, Xu Youwei quickly got out of bed, dressed, drew back the curtains, opened the window, looked at the weather outside, and then hummed a song softly as she went to wash up.

She felt her heart pounding loudly in her chest ever since she woke up, like a child looking forward to a spring outing. After brushing her teeth and washing her face, Xu Youwei started tying up her gradually growing hair in front of the mirror. Then she leaned closer, raised her eyebrows, and widened her eyes, trying to see if she had developed unsightly dark circles under her eyes from staying up late these past few days.

Even while doing these things, two completely opposite little voices were still arguing in her mind. One was emotionally urging her to hurry up and get ready to meet Chen Junqian, while the other was rationally reminding her that it was only early morning and the other party was probably not awake yet. Moreover, the time they had agreed to meet was in the evening, and the fireworks display would not start until then. This conflicting feeling only barely disappeared after Xu Youwei finished washing up.

She decided to put on a specific outfit later in the evening. After casually throwing on some winter clothes to keep herself warm, Xu Youwei went out with a piece of bread in her mouth.

She planned to first go to the city government square, which had already been set up, to conduct an on-site inspection. Even though she had traveled through the entire city of Guoning countless times, at this point, she still wanted to check the terrain, stall distribution, and surrounding landscape several more times before she could feel at ease.

The streets were quiet at this time of day, and the air was fresh. Perhaps because she was in a good mood, Xu Youwei took a deep breath as she walked, and the familiar scenery along the way suddenly felt fresh again.

After visiting the city government square and replanning and refining the route for the evening in her mind several times, Xu Youwei headed straight for the wear-resistant factory. Holding the employee dormitory key she had obtained from her father, she entered the former Chen Junqian's house, which had now become her personal secret base, and went into the room.

Unlike half a month ago when Chen Junqian's family had just moved out and there was almost nothing left, in the past half month, Xu Youwei has gradually filled up Chen Junqian's former room again, just like when they set up their secret base in the countryside. Only this time, everything filled with it is more private and cannot be seen by the other party.

Reaching out, Xu Youwei touched the photo of the other person that she had asked the factory photographer to take at the school anniversary celebration, which had been developed and was now posted on the wall. Then, she stood in front of a huge floor-length mirror and began to hold up the clothes she had brought from her home in the closet next to her.

To be honest, it was really difficult for Xu Youwei to find a reliable person to help her with this kind of work. After all, she herself was a complete novice in this field, and her understanding of dressing up was still very basic.

Her relationship with her father wasn't that harmonious, and her relationship with that so-called stepmother was even less so. Her only two friends were the other party involved tonight and the other seemed quite suitable to make this judgment, but Xu Youwei really couldn't bring herself to ask Lin Mu to help her choose an outfit.

After all, what she's about to do tonight could be described as a betrayal of their friendship.

So I can only be alone.