I turned reality into a romantic comedy.

Chen Junqian, who almost hallucinated on some mysterious second-generation operator, quickly raised his hand to suggest going back to the original design. He figured that the naming was up to personal preference, and it would be another decade or so before some illegal character was revealed.

"It wasn't me, it was Xu Youwei. She asked me to subscribe to 'Happy Detective' for her this morning. But I wouldn't call it helping, since I'll probably be subscribing to it myself this year too."

As he spoke, Chen Junqian recalled that before his rebirth, he had focused on this field for a while. He had tried submitting manuscripts to "Happy Detective," which he had watched in his childhood, and at the suggestion of his editor, he also tried to create children's detective literature similar to "Detective Mike Fox" or "La Semaia Detective Agency," which had just become popular in recent years, in the direction of Himalaya audiobooks. As a result, he learned and wrote a lot of messy knowledge and manuscripts, but in the end, almost all of them ended in failure.

Even so, he doesn't dislike children's adventure and detective themes, after all, he initially got into this field precisely because he liked it.

However, unlike Chen Junqian and Xu Youwei's fascination with this kind of content, Lin Mu was just the kind of person who followed trends and went with the flow. For her, this kind of content was probably limited to a few Adventure Tigers books and Detective Conan shows on TV.

"I see. So you two really do have common interests. That gives you something to talk about. Good luck—"

Just two days ago, Lin Mu was telling Chen Junqian that if he and Xu Youwei didn't know how to chat, they could talk about their shared interests. But now that he saw the two of them showing surprisingly similar interests in certain areas, Lin Mu felt a little sour inside, but he didn't show it on his face.

"Speaking of which, I put the two yuan from yesterday into your pencil case this morning, did you see it?"

"Yes, it's here."

Chen Junqian flashed the two coins in his pocket toward Lin Mu, then thought for a moment and spoke to her again:

"Let's go buy some snacks."

"now?"

"Okay, consider it my treat. Let's go."

With two yuan in his pocket, Chen Junqian, who had secretly slipped out of the after-school care center with Lin Mu, suddenly remembered a meme about "six yuan spicy hot pot" that would be born on Tieba a few years later. Looking at Lin Mu, who seemed to be secretly watching him from behind, he suddenly felt that maybe he could write a post about two yuan snacks more than ten years later.

At this time, there are only a few scattered students at the school gate who have slipped out of after-school care or home to buy things. The only group that has a slightly larger crowd is a few boys watching another boy draw a prize.

Actually, this is a unique feature of the small shops near the school gate. The game is the same as the scratch-off lottery tickets at the welfare lottery booth behind the school, but it costs 50 cents per game. It is said that you can win up to 100 yuan, but you can only say that whoever believes it will be fooled. At least Chen Junqian only won one yuan when he was a child. Zhong Yu once won five yuan and bragged about it in class for a long time.

Standing once again in front of the dazzling array of goods on the shop shelves, Chen Junqian felt a little dazed.

If he were to define snacks at this time, the three main categories would be various kinds of candy, various kinds of spicy strips, and various kinds of fried and puffed foods. What impressed him most were these snacks that cost only five cents or a dollar, each with a catchy name printed on their packaging.

Ball-shaped spicy strips are called dinosaur eggs or shrimp-pulled eggs, while strip-shaped ones are called spicy chicken tendons or red oil gluten. There are even more slice-shaped ones, from the famous Tang Monk meat to beef tendon, to little slippery tofu and stinky tofu. Other types, such as shredded, crispy ones, or all sorts of others, are available, which can definitely dazzle children with choices on all levels.

The main fried puffed foods are crispy noodles and potato chips. In Chen Junqian's hometown, the main brands sold are Little Master and Magician. The latter is led by Kebike, and the Jay Chou on the packaging left a deep impression on Chen Junqian for a long time.

Other snacks such as Mimi's shrimp chips, scallion, shrimp noodles, Nanjing roast duck, and boiled fish are also among their favorites. After all, they come in large portions and are easy to share, making them essential snacks for traveling and making friends.

Of course, if we're really talking about fancy designs, the first two categories combined probably can't compare to the ever-evolving variety of candy snacks. From sucking candy to pacifier candy to diamond candy to rock candy to rope candy to cigarette candy that looks like a cigarette when you hold it in your mouth, candies of all shapes and sizes can easily win the hearts of children with their appearance, and Lin Mu today seems to be no exception.

Perhaps because she had just eaten and wasn't very hungry, she simply grabbed a pack of taro candy, while Chen Junqian picked out a roll of fruit juice and tried to put it in his mouth to pretend to be a scary zombie with his tongue sticking out. However, little Lin Mu immediately stuffed it back into his hand with some dissatisfaction.

It seems that even under the midday sun, the other party's courage did not increase accordingly.

Chewing on the strip-shaped fruit roll in his mouth and swallowing it, Chen Junqian then took a taro candy that Lin Mu fed him. The two of them returned to the daycare center while savoring the candy that slowly softened and sweetened in their mouths.

Perhaps it was so that childhood innocence could never grow up that the world invented happiness and candy and linked them together.

It's not lunchtime yet, and you can see many small groups playing tag or blind man's bluff in the open space outside. The former is simply running and chasing people, while the latter involves designating a small space where people can't leave, and then blindfolding one person with a red scarf to be the "blind man" who touches others. The person the blind man touches then has to take his place as the next "blind man".

If a certain system in Chen Junqian's mind were still conscious, it would probably be shouting things like, "This is the perfect place to trigger a lucky pervert incident."

However, neither of them intended to join in. Lin Mu was more inclined to be quiet than active, and Chen Junqian was completely unfamiliar with everyone, not even knowing their names. So the two of them simply found a slightly shady spot to sit down and watched them play around.

For them, who are still in childhood, time is something that seems to never run out, no matter how much they squander it.

The sweetness of the candy in my mouth, combined with the warm sunshine, seemed to fill the air with a sweet warmth, like thick honey, so comfortably that I could sleep all day long while soaking in it.

Unlike the empty classroom last night, Lin Mu was surrounded by a bustling crowd, and the sun was shining brightly in the sky. But she suddenly felt a sensation similar to that of a certain moment last night, as if the whole world had suddenly shrunk before her eyes until only she and Chen Junqian remained.

You might even feel that this place is a piece that has been forcibly peeled off from the long river of time and space, so quiet that you can't hear a single human voice.

You can think about anything, or you can think about nothing at all.

Perhaps because she stayed up late last night to finish her homework, or perhaps it was simply because it was almost nap time, the drowsy girl had somehow leaned against the boy, like a small animal that had found its destination and naturally hid under the shade of a small tree to doze off.

In reality, no one would claim to be someone's childhood sweetheart.

But childhood sweethearts who recognize each other do sometimes have a few special privileges.

Chapter Twenty-Two: Childhood Sweethearts Should Naturally Meet Each Other's Parents

When Chen Junqian arrived at school in the afternoon, he found two more things on his desk.

It has to be said that in the week or so since his rebirth, his desk and desk drawer have been frequently refreshed with all sorts of magical gadgets. However, unlike the milk and coins before, what's on the desk now are the two Pipilu single volumes that he lent to Zhu Wenjun last Friday. Zhu Wenjun must have asked a classmate to put them there for him or secretly put them back on his desk when no one was in the class at noon.

Considering Zhu Wenyun's personality, Chen Junqian believes the latter is more likely.

As a reading enthusiast who is strict with himself and others when it comes to books, Zhu Wenyun's attitude towards books is indeed impeccable. After lending them out for two or three days, Chen Junqian even felt that the colorful covers of his two books had become cleaner, as if they had been carefully wiped clean.

I casually flipped through it and didn't see any damage such as creases or corners. I even found a bookmark that seemed to have been specially left by Zhu Wenyun. It had the words "Both books are very good. Thank you very much - Zhu Wenyun" written on it in delicate, tiny characters.

Turn the bookmark over, and you'll find the back covered with titles of various children's literature books, some of which are highlighted. The last sentence reads:

"These are the books I have at home. If you are interested in any of them but haven't read them yet, you can come and borrow them from me anytime. The ones marked with emphasis are my personal recommendations."

To Chen Junqian's slight surprise, there were quite a few scattered issues of "Children's Literature" magazine. After all, most primary school students these days are mainly interested in pure comic magazines such as Zhiyin Manke, Comic Party, and Sa Comic. People like 'Qiu' who read "Xiaoshuo Hui" and "Huahuo," which are mainly text-based, are already in junior high school. Professional publications like "Children's Literature," which are more academic in all aspects, are even rarer.

Even Chen Junqian himself didn't officially start borrowing these kinds of magazines from the library until around the sixth grade. He read them around the same time as "Story King," and it was from then on that he began to come into contact with more outstanding children's literature creators and their works in China. For example, Ge Bing, who wrote "Blue-skinned Mouse and Big-faced Cat" and "Little Confused God," and Zhang Zhilu, whose other works are also very good, but most people probably only learned about his "Antelope Wood Carving" in their Chinese textbooks, etc.

However, one or two of these names could be found on the list that Zhu Wenyun gave him at this moment. It was hard not to feel a sense of regret for not having met a kindred spirit in Chen Junqian, who had worked hard in this industry in his previous life. After all, neither Lin Mu nor Xu Youwei knew much about this.

It's more accurate to say that even some of the most popular children's literature authors today have only seen the adapted animated works on TV, such as "The Adventures of Shuke and Beta," "Naughty Boy Ma Xiaotiao," and "Magic Cube Building." It's unrealistic to expect them to buy and read the original works.

Of course, Chen Junqian wouldn't force them to have completely identical hobbies with him, but he didn't expect that there would actually be a peer who was almost identical to him in terms of reading volume and interests.

If it weren't already close to afternoon class time, he would have even had the urge to run over to the neighboring Class 3 and have a good chat with Zhu Wenyun about this topic.

For a long time, Chen Junqian himself had also pondered this question:

Did books make him lonely, or did loneliness prompt him to embrace books?

But now, he has a completely new answer.

Perhaps he simply hadn't met someone back then who had read the same books as him, liked the same books as him, and was willing to talk to him about those books.

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

Before we knew it, it was time to leave school again. However, because the blackboard newspaper wasn't finished yet, the four of them had to stay until the very end with the students on duty. But there was some good news: at least they avoided the artificial evening rush hour in front of the school gate, and their view was much wider.

It was precisely because of this that Lin Mu was able to easily find his mother and the Chery QQ she was driving, which looked quite stylish at the time.

"Your dad suddenly had something to do this afternoon and couldn't come pick you up, so he asked me to drive over. You must be Chen Junqian, who's in the same class as Mu Mu?"

Lin Mu's mother was about forty years old. Because of her good family background, she was very well-maintained and looked radiant. She also wore a pair of very fashionable sunglasses on her forehead. However, she was not at all pretentious. When she saw the two of them, she took the initiative to reach out from the car window and handed them two hot dogs that she had probably just bought at the school gate.

"Yes, thank you, Auntie."

Since the food had already been bought and handed over, Chen Junqian had no reason to pretend to refuse anymore. He simply reached out and accepted it, and politely thanked the other party.

"Mumu really troubled you last week. I've heard the whole story from her. She's so young and already knows how to cook. Your mother must have a lot less to worry about. I'm so envious."

After showering Chen Junqian with praise, Lin Mu's mother took the initiative to extend an invitation:

"How about coming to our house for dinner this Friday night? I'll let you try Auntie's cooking. Remember to come visit often. Look, Mumu specially asked me to buy you all the shoes. I'll wash them and put them in the first row of the shoe cabinet when I get back. Oh my, it's like I've suddenly gained another big, obedient son."

Perhaps realizing that her mother's words were becoming increasingly absurd, Lin Mu quickly interrupted her and spoke up to Chen Junqian herself:

So are you free this Friday night?

"Well, I'm fine. I'll just tell my family I'm going to a friend's house for dinner tonight."

After receiving Chen Junqian's affirmative answer, Lin Mu happily took a bite of the hot dog she had almost given up for a week, smiled and nodded at him, then opened the car door and got into the back seat.

"I'll head back now, see you tomorrow."

"Okay, see you tomorrow."

"Oh, right, son, what's your favorite dish?"

"I'll ask myself tomorrow! Let's drive, Mom—"

Feeling that he had overheard some strange conversation along with the engine sound, Chen Junqian's lips twitched slightly. He quickly finished his hot dog and threw the remaining skewer into the trash can. Turning around, he saw Xu Youwei standing there with a sly, subtle smile on her face.

Chapter Twenty-Three: A Fireworks Party for Two

"It seems Lin Mu's mother likes you a lot too. Does this mean you've passed the hurdle of meeting the parents ahead of schedule?"

"What are you saying?"

"It's nothing, it's just that the other person was so warm and friendly. I felt like if you had said something back then, she probably would have let you get in the car and personally driven you to your doorstep, instead of having to walk with me here."

As she spoke, Xu Youwei glanced again at the bus stop map on the roadside platform, stroked her chin thoughtfully, and asked:

"I remember you take bus number one and get off near the wear-resistant factory, is that right?"

"Yes, what's wrong?"

“It’s okay. I’ve been to that area many times before. Hmm… If you’re not in a hurry, we can take this road home.”

"Even if you randomly click and connect on the route map, I still won't know which road you're referring to. Although I'm not in a hurry, if your house is in the opposite direction from mine, there's no need to force us to go the same way."

"It's okay, the places aren't far apart, and I'm definitely not in a hurry as much as you. We can get back before it gets completely dark. Okay, okay, come with me, I definitely won't lead you astray."

After saying that, Xu Youwei grabbed Chen Junqian's arm without any sense of distance. Compared to Lin Mu, who was slightly shorter than Chen Junqian, she was almost exactly the same height as him, and even looked a little taller because of her hair. She took Chen Junqian across the road in front of the school gate in a few quick steps and went straight into a small alley.

As a byproduct of the early, undeveloped urban development, these messy and winding alleys or old streets always exist between the high-rise buildings and bungalows, which are usually only a few stories high. Chen Junqian, who had been taking the bus home for six years, had never ventured deep into them. On the contrary, Xu Youwei seemed to know them very well, and even took the time to remind him which entrance had a step that was easy to trip over.

"Actually, I really love the way home from school."

"That's like saying which elementary school student doesn't like going home after school."

"It's not just about leaving school, it's about the road home after school."

Xu Youwei meticulously corrected Chen Junqian's grammatical errors.

"When going to school, people usually choose the most time-saving and effortless route because they are in a hurry. But it's different after school. There's a saying that all roads lead to Rome. If you're willing to look and explore, there are many routes and connections between school and home."

As she spoke, she pointed to a corner of the eaves extending from a house at the edge of the alley:

“In winter, many icicles will form here.”

"If we leave school a little earlier and the stall closes a little later, we can see an old man selling all kinds of desserts and pastries. His glutinous rice strips and popcorn are delicious."

"And here, you can see a lot of little toads when it rains. Once, a very big toad blocked my way, and I ended up going around it."

According to Xu Youwei's description, the entire alley seemed to be her own territory, and considering that this was just one of her many routes home, even Chen Junqian began to wonder how late she would linger outside each time before finally going home.