I turned reality into a romantic comedy.

It has to be said that trying on clothes in Chen Junqian's former room was indeed a very stimulating experience for Xu Youwei, especially when she thought that he had been living here just a month ago, sleeping on the bare bed behind her, and that the two of them had once read books and played around together in this room, comparing their heights back to back in front of the mirror.

The other person's presence seemed to linger here. Xu Youwei stood in the embrace of these presences and began to try on clothes one by one in front of the mirror. Some of them were picked out for her by her mother before she passed away. Unlike many works of art, her mother did not leave her with videotapes that could only be watched on her birthday each year. Instead, she bought many clothes of different sizes, enough for her to wear until she grew up.

"...Is it pretty?"

In this room where she was all alone, Xu Youwei turned around in front of the mirror again. The silver-white down jacket had a fairytale-like dreaminess and lightness to it, but she didn't know who she was asking or where she hoped to get an answer from.

In the cold air, her breath slowly misted into a blurry fog on the upper part of the mirror. Xu Youwei reached out and wiped it, leaving a noticeable bright mark. Her features in the mirror became clear once again.

The glass felt cool to the touch, as if she wanted to get closer and feel it more, or perhaps she just wanted to see her own expression more clearly. So Xu Youwei slowly brought her forehead against it again.

A slight chill stimulated the skin pressed against the mirror, while the warm, moist breath struck the mirror surface closely, creating new condensation.

I had absolutely no idea of ​​practicing any words or expressions in front of the mirror.

The first time you say it, it must be in front of the other person. Any prior rehearsal will only consume an irreversible part of your emotions, even if they are already overflowing.

2012 was the year the world was supposed to end.

If it succeeds, it won't matter if they actually come.

If it fails, it will end there even if the person didn't come.

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Chen Junqian returned to Guoning on the evening of the seventh day of the Lunar New Year. He had stayed in Lin'an for three days and two nights. No matter how high his credit score was with his parents, this was still a period of time that could not be easily excused.

However, there was no other way. In fact, apart from going out briefly on the first day after arriving in Lin'an, Chen Junqian spent almost the entire remaining two days in the hotel. Shen Nianqiu barely allowed him to leave her sight. Fortunately, it was still winter, so it didn't matter if he didn't shower for two days. Otherwise, Chen Junqian would have really thought that she might come in and scrub his back while he was showering.

Although this was indeed one of the achievements in romantic comedies in his mind, he figured he should spare him if it actually happened in real life. Chen Junqian knew very well that his sister was just in a chaotic state of emotional ups and downs these past two days. In this situation, it was better not to provoke her any further and let both of them calm down, which would be more conducive to their future relationship.

So most of the time, the two of them just lay on that bed, sharing each other's body heat and talking. Things that Shen Nianqiu would never have told Chen Junqian before, those worries and joys that belonged only to a young girl, she told him in a long, rambling way over the past two days.

Even though they couldn't fulfill their wish to see the stars that they had made during their last meeting, this meeting was just as significant to their relationship as the first one.

"But I still don't want to have to wait so long to see my brother again next time. I'll remember this summer vacation."

Before officially leaving Lin'an, Shen Nianqiu reiterated the promise Chen Junqian had made, but she immediately added:

"Of course, this time I'm the one coming to see you."

Even though Chen Junqian had a clear feeling that Shen Nianqiu, who was going to come to Guoning this summer, was going to pull something big, he didn't care anymore. After all, he was focused on his upcoming date with Xu Youwei.

"Yes, I went to Lin'an."

Of course, since Shen Nianqiu was coming over this summer, Chen Junqian no longer needed to hide it from his parents and others, so he simply told his parents directly:

“She went to see a friend from online, the sister you met at the Shanghai World Expo. She went in Zhong Yu’s car. Her father is from Lin’an. Because she was afraid you wouldn’t agree, she did it first and asked for your permission later.”

"...Can we still control you? Remember to let us know next time."

Wang Hongling had no intention of disciplining her increasingly capable son, so after giving him this instruction, she went back to her own business. Chen Jun, on the other hand, glanced at him thoughtfully, but didn't say anything more.

On the second day, the eighth day of the first lunar month, Chen Junqian received a phone call from Lin Mu while still in bed.

"Qianqian actually went to Lin'an? To see that older sister, right?"

It can only be said that the advantage of childhood sweethearts is indeed in intelligence gathering. Chen Junqian had just told his parents, and Lin Mu was able to receive the news in the blink of an eye. That speed is unmatched.

"Yes, it was arranged in advance. If you think about it... it was a year in advance? Or even more than a year, since the last time we met was in 2010."

Just as Chen Junqian had expected, he smoothly guided Lin Mu's train of thought, and she naturally began to think about his own situation:

"I've already made a promise with you, Qianqian, that you have to come to my place next year too. If any other girls ask you out at the last minute, you have to refuse them just like you refused me this year, okay?"

"Of course."

"If you lie again, Qianqian will have to swallow... No, no, then you can eat a stone."

"Stone?"

"Yes, it's a stone."

As he said this, Lin Mu tore open a bag of candy in his hand and stuffed the small stones inside into his mouth to chew.

She still couldn't bring herself to say those words, and even unconsciously prepared a way for her childhood sweetheart to back out.

But verbally, he still emphasized it in the most vicious tone:

"Big liars should eat stones!"

Chapter 59: The So-Called Fireworks Festival (Part 2)

After being a full-time otaku for several years, Chen Junqian is now very familiar with the various classic elements and plots of the fireworks festival scene in Japanese romantic comedies. But it is precisely because of this that he is a little worried about whether tonight's fireworks display can fool the system's judgment, because the gap between reality and the two-dimensional world is always huge.

Fireworks displays in China are always closely associated with the Lunar New Year, so this fireworks display was never summer but winter from the start. Putting aside whether there is a custom of wearing yukata and geta in China, if someone actually went out in this weather wearing only a yukata that would make the male protagonist ask the line from the model opera, "So you're not wearing anything under your yukata?", then Chen Junqian would start to doubt whether this world has really been completely transformed by the system.

Secondly, there's the matter of food.

Apple candy, marshmallows, chocolate bananas... Aside from marshmallows, which are somewhat traceable, Chen Junqian doesn't expect to find these classic food elements in a small place like Guoning. He feels that he can only unlock the related achievements by trying to make them at home someday.

Next, let's talk about having fun.

Catching goldfish, ring toss, popping balloons... these are probably the most likely things to appear at the scene. Rather, they are never limited to any particular holiday. You can see plenty of them if you take a walk around the park in the evening. Chen Junqian has played them countless times with several girls.

However, none of the above is actually that important. After all, the most crucial element of a fireworks display is undoubtedly the fireworks themselves. As long as the system recognizes this performance as a fireworks display, Chen Junqian is guaranteed to unlock a brand new achievement:

You can watch the fireworks from anywhere.

As one of the most common scenes in romantic comedies, fireworks festivals are always the final chapter of summer. When the first firework blooms in the night sky, when the cuffs of yukatas accidentally touch in the crowd, this summer festival becomes a secret stage just for the two of you. From the competition of catching goldfish to the sweetness of candied apples, and then to the profile illuminated by fireworks, all the moments will become fuel for your heartbeats, accelerating and roaring to the top in your chest.

The most dazzling sight is never the fireworks in the night sky, but the faint smell of gunpowder lingering in your hair as she leans wearily on your shoulder on the way home.

Condition for achievement: Attend a fireworks festival together with any female protagonist who is suited for romantic comedy.

There are too many other achievements related to this achievement to display them all at once. Please check them one by one.

However, judging from the fact that the achievement had been flashing faintly since the afternoon, Chen Junqian felt that it was quite promising. After all, not every achievement is like the oddball that flashes nine out of ten times, such as "The Battlefield is in Progress". Most achievements showing this effect mean that there is indeed a chance to trigger it in the future. In the past two years, he has almost used this function as a radar to detect enemy situations.

Unlike previous pecan festivals, the residents of Guoning, while not entirely uninterested in today's fireworks display, are unlikely to turn out in droves to see it, especially since Jay Chou isn't performing this time.

So much so that among the girls around Chen Junqian, apart from Lin Mu who suddenly invited him to watch fireworks a few days ago, only Gu Lingguo sent him a private message asking about it. After hearing that he was not free, she said goodbye with a hint of regret, and it is unknown whether she will go in the end.

It can only be said that if Chen Junqian really wants to find a girl willing to wear a yukata to speedrun the fireworks festival achievements, then the only candidate he can think of is her.

Thinking this, Chen Junqian also tidied himself up in front of the mirror, took off the gloves and scarf that Zhu Wenyun had given him, left his phone at home, and then went out, heading straight to the place he had agreed to meet Xu Youwei.

He had arrived about fifteen minutes early, but Xu Youwei arrived even earlier than Chen Junqian.

Standing there, Xu Youwei quietly put her hands in her pockets. Even through the crowd, she could still spot Chen Junqian's figure at a glance. It was a very familiar back view. Even though his dark clothes weren't particularly eye-catching in the surrounding environment, for Xu Youwei, familiarity was the most recognizable color.

It's a color painted with memories as pigment, applied layer upon layer. Whenever time tries to bleach it, new memories become new pigment, endlessly coloring it until it becomes an indelible and indelible mark.

"Qinqin—"

This was probably the first time Xu Youwei had called Chen Junqian by this nickname in public outside of their private time together. However, considering that the passersby around them didn't recognize either of them, it didn't seem to be a problem. After all, it was supposed to be an exclusive nickname used only when the two of them were together, but in reality, Xu Youwei had only kept it a secret from Lin Mu most of the time.

When the other party called his name, Chen Junqian naturally had to retaliate without showing any weakness. He called out "Yo yo" back, and as soon as he got closer, Xu Youwei took her hand out of her pocket, naturally reached out and took his hand, then held it tightly.

Perhaps it was because it was winter, or perhaps it was her mood, but Chen Junqian's hands seemed exceptionally warm and vibrant today, like flames licking her fingers and palms, soothing them to the point of almost burning.

However, Xu Youwei showed no sign of loosening her grip; instead, she held on tighter and tighter, as if afraid that Chen Junqian would run away.

Xu Youwei was quite satisfied that Chen Junqian didn't wear gloves today, because she didn't like shaking hands with people through gloves, especially after she found out that the gloves were given to Chen Junqian by another girl. From that moment on, the layer of yarn became a layer of memories and time between the other person and someone else. So she would always try her best to make him take them off so that their skin could really touch each other and press together.

A child's childhood is about counting down the days from one holiday to another until the day they grow up.

The first round of fireworks slowly rose into the sky a minute later, making even the moon and stars pale in comparison. The man-made miracle exploded in the sky, and the light formed by the flame reaction shone into the eyes of everyone below, blooming for a moment and then disappearing in an instant.

Amidst the cacophony of background noise, Chen Junqian heard the notification in his mind that the achievement "[You can watch the fireworks from anywhere]" had been successfully triggered.

Tonight's fireworks display has been recognized by the system as a fireworks festival.

Their special day began just like that.

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Just as Xu Youwei didn't need to use the common romantic comedy excuse of "too many people and afraid of being separated" to complete the hand-holding ceremony, the other party didn't need any excuses like "the teeth of the wooden clogs suddenly broke while walking or the ankle was twisted." After just two steps, the girl named Xu Youwei was already half-lying on Chen Junqian's back.

A full year has passed since that wish, "Qinqin, try to grow taller." Chen Junqian has indeed grown quite a bit taller since then, widening the height difference between the two of them again. However, because the winter clothes she was wearing were too bulky, it was a bit uncomfortable to carry her on his back. So she just lay there half-lying like a little burden.

As for the benefits of this posture, besides being able to feel each other's breath and warmth more closely, making it obvious to passersby that the two have a good relationship, the most convenient thing is that Xu Youwei can whisper every word in Chen Junqian's ear. This extremely intimate little action can be done many times without getting tired of it.

"Has Yoyo had dinner yet?"

"Hmm, but I made sure to save room in my stomach. What would you like to eat, Qinqin?"

I'm craving candied hawthorn berries.

If Chen Junqian had to find the food that most resembled candied apples among the nearby food stalls, it would undoubtedly be candied hawthorn berries. Not only did they look somewhat similar, but they also shared the same sweet-on-the-outside-sour-on-the-inside flavor, making him wonder if he could fool the system's verification.

To be honest, because of a text he read in elementary school called "Eternal Prison," Chen Junqian had developed too many wonderful fantasies about candied hawthorn before actually eating it, so much so that he felt a bit disappointed when he actually ate it.

The texts and stories in Chinese textbooks have always been great partners for selling products. Chen Junqian was also fooled by the salted duck eggs from Gaoyou. It can only be said that Mr. Wang Zengqi really had a talent for writing about food. Later, Chen Junqian even went to read many of his essays about other foods, and still felt a craving for food through the words.

"I didn't expect Qinqin to like candied hawthorns."

"It's not that I particularly like it, it's just that today feels especially suitable for eating candied hawthorns. Yoyo, do you like it?"

"It's the same, I don't particularly like it or dislike it."

"Then let's just buy one skewer for the two of us, so as not to waste it."

Chen Junqian bought a skewer of candied hawthorns from a nearby food stall. He tasted the top one first, and then fed it to Xu Youwei. However, the related achievements in his mind showed no sign of being unlocked. It seemed that the domestic special edition of the apple candy project was not fooling the system's censorship mechanism.

"Hmm...it feels a bit too sour inside."

"That's how hawthorns are. If you really don't like them, why don't you spit them into the trash can over there?"

"It's not that bad, and besides, it was Qinqin who bought it for me."

After chewing the hawthorn fruit in her mouth a couple of times, Xu Youwei swallowed it. If it were Chen Xi, she probably would have just sucked off the sugar coating and then spat it out. After all, that's how his sister eats watermelon seeds—a complete child.

After finishing off three hawthorns each from the six on the candied hawthorn skewer, Chen Junqian changed his strategy and set his sights on the cotton candy next to him.

"Why has Qinqin suddenly developed such a sweet tooth?"

"Because most of the food sold around here is sweets."

Chen Junqian felt it wouldn't be appropriate to say something like, "Because I've been spending so much time with Mu Mu, my tastes have been influenced too," so he took back the joke and went to the cotton candy vendor to buy a big cotton candy.

The fluffy marshmallow was already about the size of their two heads. It shimmered with an alluring color under the nearby lights. The sugar strands melted in their mouths and were sweet. The two of them, who had just finished eating candied hawthorns, definitely couldn't finish two, so they simply bought one.

Chen Junqian initially thought that the two of them would eat from both sides towards the middle like playing a game of Pocky, but Xu Youwei deliberately followed the spot he was biting. Every time Chen Junqian took a bite, she would take a bite from the spot next to him. However, because the posture was a bit awkward, every time she leaned over, her nose and cheeks would be full before her mouth even touched the candy.

Before long, Xu Youwei's nose and cheeks were covered with glistening sugar threads and icing, looking rather sticky.