I turned reality into a romantic comedy.

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Chapter 106: Today is her birthday (Bonus chapter 10.5/40)

Whether it was the heavens' favor or the effect of the world's will on Chen Junqian, around 11 p.m., the snow that had been falling all day finally stopped completely, the city fell into a gentle drowsiness, and the moon, resting on the branches, began to wake up.

Together with Xu Youwei, who was also starting to feel sleepy, they stood by the window in the room and looked out at the snow-covered world. Just looking at it made them want to cherish the warmth inside the room even more, not only from the air conditioner but also from the blankets covering them and the body heat of the person next to them.

Chen Junqian wasn't really surprised by Xu Youwei's request, which was like a 'secret relationship', after much internal struggle. After all, he was the only person in the world who truly understood Youyou, not even her biological father. Her relationship with Lin Mu had always been a knot in her heart, which meant that even if they did become lovers, she would never have the courage to make it official.

When Chen Junqian and Gu Linguo were promoting the game "White Album 2", they specifically discussed how writing a love triangle well depends on the fact that the connection between the three people cannot be one-way. Simply put, in addition to having feelings for the male protagonist, the two female protagonists should also be close friends. Otherwise, they are just simple and crude so-called love rivals, and it is impossible to say lines like "Having someone you like for the first time and having a best friend who can be your friend for life should be double the happiness".

Among the girls around Chen Junqian, Lin Mu and Xu Youwei are undoubtedly the two who best fit this narrative logic. After all, without the former, his story with the latter would not have been able to unfold at all. Their friendship predates that with Chen Junqian, and coupled with their personalities, this makes Xu Youwei's state of mind and behavior seem quite conflicted and even repetitive at times.

However, for Chen Junqian, rather than seeing this as the prelude to a stomachache-inducing love triangle, he would rather see it as or define it as a prerequisite for a threesome. Unlike the typical reborn characters in the rebirth novels he often read in his previous life, he started out with the identity of a romantic comedy male protagonist. Therefore, from the beginning, he would move towards the goal of achieving a happy ending for everyone, without dwelling too much on whether he wanted to or not, but directly jumping to the step of how to do it.

This should be the second time this year that he has accompanied Xu Youwei to wait for the countdown to midnight. He waited for it once a few months ago during her birthday in the summer vacation, and once again on December 21 last year before the end of the world. Although time still ticked away each time, it was frozen in their memories, and today will be the same.

As the clock struck twelve, time officially jumped from one lifetime (13) to the next (14) amidst Chen Junqian's blessing of "Happy 2014". Xu Youwei, who was so sleepy that she didn't want to move at all, nodded in a daze and prepared to fall asleep there. However, Chen Junqian himself still had to go home on the first day of the new year to deal with another matter, so after tucking her in, he quietly got out of bed, put on his shoes, and left.

Having already told Xu Youwei that he was going back to sleep tonight, he didn't need to worry about her being startled when she woke up in the morning and found him not beside him. With the warmth of the room and the girl in his heart, Chen Junqian walked into the snowy landscape, got on an electric scooter that Xu Zhiling had left downstairs, and began riding towards Yunqi Jinyuan at midnight.

Since the invention and widespread adoption of electric scooters, many minors have also become fond of them. In his previous life, when Chen Junqian was in high school, many of his classmates used them to go to and from school. However, after two safety accidents, the traffic police department introduced relevant regulations, and the school also began to prohibit students from riding electric scooters to and from school. However, it was midnight, and Chen Junqian was not afraid of being seen riding alone on the deserted road. He sped off towards home.

Before his rebirth, Chen Junqian had seen this picture online:

After thinking about it, I still think that "If I do so badly on the test, I'll jump off a cliff and give you guys half a day off" is a very Chinese youthful phrase, encompassing friendship, school life, carefree attitude, pain, excitement, adolescence, destructive desires, Chinese education, and the search for values.

But in fact, this statement can also be considered a kind of lighthearted deconstruction. After all, the people he had heard of who had actually harmed themselves or even ended their lives by jumping off buildings during their student days would not say such a thing. Moreover, even if someone did jump, it doesn't seem like the school would close for half a day. At most, classes would be changed to self-study.

Suicide is a heavy topic that is difficult to lighten no matter how you deconstruct it. Therefore, Chen Junqian has always been more concerned about the mental health of Shen Nianqiu and Gu Linguo than others. After all, just like when he was reborn and faced Xu Youwei, who was also going through an awkward period at that time, all humans send out some kind of message when they are troubled and want help from others. It's just that children's messages are often more obscure and awkward, and each of them has their own unique behavior.

This theory also applies to adolescents.

Students in their rebellious phase are just as self-centered as adults, so they often fail to understand each other. However, compared to more mature adults, they are more prone to making mistakes.

As human beings, everyone has moments when they are prone to madness. This doesn't only happen in childhood; it happens as well as in adulthood. Even Chen Junqian himself has experienced intense aversion to someone in his life so far, to the point of wanting to kill them.

Moreover, he has no doubt that even now, or even in the future, such negative emotions will still arise, because friction is inevitable when interacting with others who are different from oneself. No one can be liked by everyone, nor can one like everyone.

But just like the saying goes, "A gentleman judges by actions, not intentions," it's often fine for ideas to remain just ideas; what stands in the way is an insurmountable barrier.

Sometimes, one might indeed wander aimlessly or even dangerously along that boundary, dreaming of the unreachable other side, and then, as time goes by, one would finally wake up from a dream and leave, as if having a nightmare on the other side but ultimately returning to the starting point. This was exactly what Xu Youwei had imagined as a child: that after possessing the Sheep Talisman, she would die in front of her father to see his reaction. And this boundary is human sociality, or what is called rationality.

Even so, Chen Junqian would not conclude that Gu Lingguo's current unusual behavior was entirely a similar signal, because the other party's enthusiasm and love for the world of anime and manga were definitely not fake. If he really had to define this behavior, it would probably be called a release of pressure, no different from Shen Nianqiu's water magic casting without chanting.

But reality is not like anime. People can die if they are killed, and blindly imitating dangerous actions in anime scenes can also lead to injury or even accidents. This is what Chen Junqian is most worried about.

If Chen Xi hadn't mentioned that Gu Lingguo's operation would take place after midnight, and if Chen Junqian hadn't considered that the other party wouldn't suddenly act before midnight, and if he hadn't spent a considerable amount of time changing into his cosplay outfit after meeting his mother after midnight, he would have chosen to wait until after the New Year to act. Otherwise, he probably would have had to find a way to bring Youyou to his home so that he could arrive at the scene as soon as possible.

After parking his car in the electric scooter shed downstairs, Chen Junqian looked up at the building again; everything seemed normal.

So his gaze returned once again to the electric scooter shed in front of him.

On that timeline where she was not reborn, about two or three years later, a girl will jump down from the third floor. She will first hit the roof of the electric scooter shed in front of her, and then roll down like a rag doll, eventually becoming a paraplegic patient with permanent facial scars who will never be able to stand up again for the rest of her life.

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With her fingertips gently zipping up the dust bag, Gu Linguo saw a style she had never seen or worn in real life before, which she had obtained from Chen Junqian. After admiring it for a while, the girl reached out and took off her everyday clothes.

When all those plain, unadorned pajamas and pants were taken off and thrown on the bed, it was as if the obedient self of the past was temporarily sealed away. Gu Lingguo carefully picked up the black dress that she had seen countless times in animation. The diamond pattern of the lining pressed against her skin, bringing a slightly cool touch, which inexplicably reminded her of the feeling of the measuring tape against her body when Chen Junqian helped her measure her body size.

Because the cosplay outfit was custom-made to her body size, everything was just right.

After putting on black over-the-knee stockings with lace cuffs, making sure the distance between the stocking edges and the hem of the skirt was just right, and fully creating the concept of the "absolute territory", Gu Lingguo began to wear various small accessories. She straightened the layered false collar, adjusted the position of the bow tie, and then straightened the built-in breast pads that were used to shape her chest since there were not too many curves yet. Finally, she put on a small shawl.

After the clothes are finished, the next step is to do the hairstyle and face.

Gu Lingguo certainly didn't know how to do makeup. In fact, she didn't have any cosmetics at home that she could use. So all she could do was put on a wig and apply those golden contact lenses. However, for a complete cosplay novice, these two steps were undoubtedly much more difficult than changing clothes. Otherwise, there would be no need for the two support roles of makeup artist and hairstylist to serve cosplayers.

She frantically used a hairnet to carefully wrap and flatten the hair until a smooth base was formed. Finally, she put the wig on from front to back, adjusting the position of the hairnet on her forehead while continuing to use hair clips to fix it at key points. She carefully combed her bangs into the signature eyebrow-length style of Liuhua in front of the mirror.

The colorful hair of anime characters has always been one of the most troublesome issues for cosplayers. However, just like the Kirito cosplay that Chen Junqian did, Rikka Takanashi's hair color is actually a dark blue or purple that is close to black, so the sense of incongruity is not too strong.

Finally, there was the colored contact lens that Gu Lingguo had been most worried about. After gently picking it up with a small clip, she carefully opened her eyelids as if she were holding up a miniature asteroid, and placed the thin colored contact lens close to her eyeball. After a brief feeling of coolness and blurriness, the girl slowly blinked and adjusted, and then saw her unusual side in the mirror.

Her right eye turned an unusual golden color, but there was no lion hidden inside; all she could see was the being known as the Evil King's True Eye Messenger.

After covering her right eye with an eye patch, Gu Lingguo quietly walked out of her room in her little leather shoes.

Compared to those anime costumes that might make some viewers wonder "Why would someone wear such a bikini armor on the battlefield?" and then prompt even more viewers to comment "You incessant little gay guy," it must be said that Rikka Takanashi's outfit is at least adequate in terms of warmth. In particular, Fan Qing himself took into account that it is winter when making it, so the fabric used is very sturdy, and even the over-the-knee socks are made of thick material.

That's why, although it's still a bit cold standing on the balcony outside, it's not unbearable.

Even though it had stopped snowing, Gu Lingguo still took her weapon with her when she came out. She also took out her parasol, opened it, and held it up. She stood on the balcony for a while, watching the snow scene, before putting it away. She then looked down to see if Chen Xi, who should be on the balcony downstairs, was ready.

According to the plan, she will practice her vertical descent skills here tonight until she is proficient, and then on Chen Junqian's birthday tomorrow, she will have Chen Xi bring him to her home, and finally perform a scene on her balcony that is just like an animation, recreating the scene of the male and female protagonists' first encounter as if by fate.

However, before Gu Lingguo could secure the rope, a voice she knew all too well came from the balcony of her neighbor's house.

"It's even prettier than I imagined, but I'd rather not use it if it's hanging down with a rope."

Chen Junqian, who had been waiting there for a while, spoke to the other party in a relaxed tone. Gu Lingguo, who was a little surprised that the other party would be waiting for her there, even unconsciously shook the umbrella in her hand. She stood there at a loss, like a child who had been caught stealing candy, and didn't know what to say for a moment.

Unfortunately, the umbrella she swung swept right across a stainless steel basin on a nearby laundry stand, making a crisp and loud noise in the quiet, snowy night.

Gu Lingguo felt the blood rush from her feet to her head. Her mother had only just fallen asleep, and since her mother was a light sleeper, the noise was enough to wake her up and make her go see what was happening. And if her mother saw her in this state...

After just a brief thought, she took a quick step toward the edge of the balcony. In that instant, the path below seemed even safer to her, because at least she wouldn't have to turn back to face her mother.

"Don't move—"

But Chen Junqian's movements and reactions were even faster than hers.

The instant he uttered those words, Chen Junqian had already climbed onto the edge of the open-air balcony. Then, right in front of Gu Lingguo, he executed a leap like something out of a movie, nimbly and swiftly jumping from his balcony to hers. Without a word, he pushed her into the inner room.

"Just go to your room and stay there. Lock the door."

Completely distraught, Gu Lingguo became the most vulnerable person in front of her mother. Not knowing what Chen Junqian was going to do and still not having recovered from the series of changes, she could only obey his arrangements and hurriedly and awkwardly went back into her room.

After pushing Gu Lingguo, dressed in a C-shirt, into her room, Chen Junqian promptly pulled the key from the lock and put it in his pocket.

Turning back, he quickly saw the middle-aged woman coming out of her room in the pitch-black room, seemingly checking what had happened.

"Hello Auntie."

To avoid being mistaken for a thief at first glance, Chen Junqian took the initiative and greeted the other party first.

"Chen, Chen Junqian? What are you doing at my house at this hour? Where's Lin Guo?"

Upon recognizing Lin Su, who immediately relaxed and launched into a questioning, the boy standing in front of Gu Linguo's room simply smiled and replied:

"I've come to wish her a happy birthday."

He pronounced each word clearly, as if he were deliberately emphasizing something.

"After all, today is Lin Guo's birthday."

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Chapter 107: If there were a heroine in front of me who would shed tears for me (Part 2)

As someone who also came from childhood and therefore wouldn't write something carelessly, Chen Junqian has always been very clear that in the eyes of most children, the grandest festivals of the year are undoubtedly the Lunar New Year and birthdays. Many people's childhood is spent counting down one festival to another until the day they grow up.

But for Gu Lingguo, neither her birthday nor the New Year has been bright and cheerful. From the time she can remember, it has become a completely different situation. If a child cannot feel happy on these two days, he will naturally lose the ability to feel and pursue such emotions. It is no exaggeration to say that this theme is enough to make a whole episode in various children's Ultraman or other tokusatsu series.

However, Chen Junqian was not some giant of light who could transform with a light stick, nor was the creature in front of him a giant monster that came from outer space to Earth. A middle-aged woman and a middle school boy were facing each other at the door of two adjacent rooms.

The room was dark, with only a sliver of moonlight filtering in from the balcony. The light was heavy and murky, like ripe fruit hanging precariously, not yet fully fallen. Lin Su's face was half-hidden by the moonlight, as if submerged in water. The exposed portion appeared normal, but her voice, like an arrow shot from underwater, pierced straight into Chen Junqian's eyes:

"Lin Guo called you here? So late?"

"I came by myself. I'm so late because I wanted to say happy birthday to her right at midnight."

"Where did it come from?"

"It was turned over from the balcony. I didn't tell Lin Guo beforehand because I wanted to surprise her. I'm really sorry for making a little noise and waking you up, Auntie."

This answer was clearly a bit unexpected for Lin Su, but after she took a couple of steps and glanced at the balcony, she quickly realized from the nearby traces that what the other person said was true. After all, the shoes in the shoe cabinet at their door were still neatly arranged without any mess. The neighbor's child must have climbed over from the balcony, just as he said.

After realizing this fact, she initially wanted to subconsciously reprimand him for safety issues as an elder and parent, but Lin Su quickly discovered that beneath this thought, something completely different emerged even faster.

After all, if a woman has never believed in love when she was young, she is either a superwoman or prematurely aged. A woman who grows up in a conventional way will often gradually discover that the things she firmly believes in are actually decaying all the time. A girl who can play the piano will attract princes like those in dramas who climb up to the castle window with short swords to meet the princess in secret.

But the boy in front of her was looking for her daughter.

After realizing this fact, Lin Su suddenly seemed to understand the wicked mothers-in-law or mothers-in-law who often appear in family dramas at 8 pm. It's not that they don't want their children to be happy, but that they want them to be happy within their acceptable or imagined range. Just like every parent will say that this is for your own good, but still wants to keep the definition of 'good' in their own hands.

For a moment, even Lin Su herself couldn't quite describe her feelings. She was just a little annoyed and wanted to get around Chen Junqian and reach out to grab the doorknob to question her daughter, who had just walked into the room and spoken to her a few minutes earlier.

After all, when facing Chen Junqian, she always felt that she had no temper. Besides the polite yet subtly distant attitude he always maintained, she also felt a lack of confidence. This mentality was naturally caused by a variety of reasons, but it would be completely different when facing Gu Lingguo.

All you need to say is, "I am her mother, and she is my daughter."

However, the doorknob, which could usually be turned with just a little force, now presented an incredibly strong resistance. It was locked from the inside, and the key that had been in the lock was nowhere to be found. Just as Lin Su was about to knock on the door again and ask Gu Lingguo inside to unlock it, Chen Junqian outside the door reached out to stop her.

"I just talked to Lin Guo, and her birthday wish this year is—"

"To have a little bit of personal space."

Upon hearing these words, Lin Su released her grip on the doorknob. Looking at Chen Junqian outside the door and her daughter, who had been hiding inside without appearing or making a sound, she suddenly felt suffocated. Something dark and solidified was slowly moving and burning inside her.

The term "birthday wish" was indeed a word Lin Su hadn't heard in a while. After all, her daughter's birthday wish was always the same: that she would be healthy. She never cared about the idea that wishes don't come true once they're spoken. Rather, it was like during Chinese New Year when she insisted on hearing auspicious words before giving out lucky money. She only felt satisfied when she heard Gu Lingguo say these words to her in person.

"Let her come out and talk to me herself."

"She can't speak when she sees you."

"why?"

"Because you are Lin Guo's mother."

Chen Junqian, standing there, remained unyielding. At this moment, his stance had shifted from that of a neutral bystander to that of an agent. His task was to relay Gu Lingguo's words to him verbatim, at least letting her know what his daughter's opinion of her truly was.

"So she'd rather say these things to you than to me, her mother?"

That's the logic.

"That doesn't make sense."

Lin Su felt the air around them growing increasingly tight, like a fully drawn bow. She felt as if she were facing a silent avalanche, witnessing it crumble bit by bit, yet unable to cross it. Each step seemed to be a long and arduous journey, with another person blocking the way.

"That's why she can't tell you, and it might not just be Lin Guo alone."

As he spoke, Chen Junqian turned his gaze to the room behind Lin Su where the door was open. The two hadn't bothered to lower their voices, and Gu Yong, who had been sleeping, was woken up. He put on his slippers and got up to see what was going on, and then he saw the two of them facing off.

"Today is Lin Guo's birthday, and I wanted to arrive at midnight to celebrate with her, but I accidentally made a little noise and woke up Auntie. That's what happened."