I turned reality into a romantic comedy.

He muttered this to himself.

He would hold Gu Linguo's hand like this until she fell asleep.

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Chapter 109: Calling Him Brother (Part 2)

Knowing that Chen Junqian would probably want to sleep in a little longer this morning, Chen Xi arrived about an hour or two later than usual. When she entered his room with practiced ease, Chen Junqian was indeed fast asleep in bed, just as she had expected.

Because Chen Junqian himself said last night that he would rush back to resolve Gu Linguo's matter, and after the other party successfully took their positions near their balcony, Chen Xi naturally wouldn't wait foolishly on her own balcony anymore. Originally, she did want to eavesdrop on what the two of them were saying there, but unexpectedly, after the two of them said a few words, they fell silent. Then there was a crisp sound followed by a muffled sound, but it was too dark to see anything clearly, and finally there was no more sound. This really made her very curious for a whole night.

However, seeing how soundly Chen Junqian was sleeping, she felt too embarrassed to wake him up and ask him anything. But thinking about it the other way around, since her brother could sleep here like nothing had happened, it must mean that he had successfully resolved the problem.

There was nothing about Chen Junqian's brows that remained furrowed even in his sleep, requiring her to smooth them out. She also didn't hear any strange talking in his sleep or any signs of relief or unease from his dreams. Chen Junqian's sleeping posture, which she had become accustomed to over the past six months, remained perfectly still and calm, which made Chen Xi feel a little regretful.

While middle schools in China don't hold competitions like those in urban novels to select class beauties, class hunks, or school beauties and hunks, there's no shortage of discussion about it. For students at Guoning Middle School, Chen Junqian's name is always among the first to come into the conversation when this topic comes up.

The same selection criteria apply to Hejin Middle School. After all, Guoning is only so big, and students from the two schools will naturally interact. So, students from Ningzhong have heard that Chen Junqian has a girlfriend there, but no one will ask him directly.

However, Chen Xi herself didn't really believe that Zhu Wenyun was her brother's girlfriend. Unless they were both exceptionally good actors, if they were really dating, even if her brother could cover it up, Zhu Wenyun would definitely give herself away, whether in her words and actions or in the other person's works.

In fact, this is a consensus among many of them. Ever since Xu Youwei took the lead in opening up her work and realized that all of someone's works were realist in a certain sense, almost everyone except Lin Mu started to pay attention to the various manuscripts published by Zhu Wenyun, and sometimes they would subtly see their own shadow in them.

Well, I can only say that this is the creative approach that Zhu Wenyun has been using since she started writing her first book. It's like she feels that as long as she writes it into the book, everyone's daily life becomes her own, so no matter what, she won't lose.

From this perspective, Shen Nianqiu's comment about Zhu Wenyun wasn't entirely accurate. After all, Zhu Wenyun's book does only have one female protagonist, but this protagonist does combine the characteristics of everyone, or more precisely, she is a more perfect version of herself that she imagines.

But the more this is the case, the more Chen Xi feels that it will be difficult for the two of them to be together, because no one in reality is perfect. Of course, everyone hopes that the person they admire will see the most perfect version of themselves, but once you think that way, you can't even show your true self.

After all, even her brother, who is considered perfect by many, is the same in Chen Xi's eyes.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, I couldn't help but yawn a little, and then rubbed my slightly cold hands together.

He neither reported to his sister before doing anything nor explained it immediately afterward, and he even asked his sister to come and wake him up every day in such cold weather. This kind of brother is definitely not perfect.

Thinking of this, Chen Xi reluctantly reached her icy hands under the covers and into the bed, then found the other person's right hand and unceremoniously wrapped it in both hands, pulling it out a little bit.

Actually, my brother's hands are also very beautiful, just like his face. Or rather, every part of his body leaves a very deep impression on all kinds of girls, and they can always find the part they like.

On his fair and nimble fingers, the rounded and neatly trimmed nails gleamed under the incandescent light. After grasping the hand that made one wonder if the boy in front of him was a famous pianist or magician, Chen Xi couldn't help but recall how the other person looked when playing the piano.

At this moment, she gently took his hand into her own palm, her left palm pressed tightly against his palm, and her right palm close to the back of his hand, making a gesture like blowing air into a snowy hand in winter. Her warm, moist breath hit his fingertips, and Chen Junqian, who was not pretending to be asleep, gradually woke up from his dream.

"...What are you doing?"

"Let's look into new ways to wake you up; they seem pretty useful."

Seeing that Chen Junqian was awake, the younger sister subtly released her hand again. Her hand had been warmed by the ironing, so she defiantly stretched it towards Chen Junqian's neck:

"Next time, how about we just wake you up like this?"

"Just don't actually go outside and stuff a handful of snow down my neck."

Still feeling a bit sleepy, Chen Junqian glanced at the time. It was still a little over ten minutes before eight o'clock, which was definitely early for the New Year's Day holiday. However, thinking about the aftermath of things to finish next door, he felt it was about time and didn't intend to go back to sleep. He took the clothes handed to him by his younger sister, lifted the covers, and started to put them on.

While in many romantic comedies the male protagonist appears naked or nearly naked, such as wearing only underwear, leading to various mysterious plots reminiscent of model operas, Chen Junqian has never had such a habit. Rather, if he did, he wouldn't be able to pull his sister over to wake her up. The idea of ​​him yanking off someone's blanket and screaming "Onii-chan H!" while covering her eyes is something he shouldn't do in real life.

"I'm going to Lin Guo's house in a bit to finish up what happened last night."

Without Chen Xi having to ask, Chen Junqian had already explained the details of what happened last night to her. After all, as Gu Linguo's friend, her sister should indeed have the right to know about this matter.

After listening to Chen Junqian's explanation, Chen Xi was also a little startled. Besides being surprised that her brother dared to jump from one balcony to the neighbor's balcony, what worried her even more was the word "divorce." In fact, her family also had this problem. Her mother had been tricked into starting a business and opening a shop, believing the nonsense from her colleagues and friends that "husbands are more likely to change their minds when they are working hard outside, and women need to have their own careers to ensure the stability of their marriages." As a result, she almost got divorced, but fortunately, the situation was resolved smoothly in the end.

Will Lin Guo's parents really get divorced?

"Well, that's highly unlikely, because it seems improbable from any perspective. Let's just make do."

Just like the wisdom of "since we're already here," making do and settling has always been one of the main themes of marriage. After all, everyone is no longer in their teens or twenties, and their daughter is already this old. No one can guarantee that they will be better off after the divorce than before. At least that's the case for Lin Su. She is the one who can't accept the result of the two divorcing and her daughter not staying with her. This is basically a denial of the first half of her life.

"So there shouldn't be any more problems in the short term, and Lin Guo should be a little more free after that?"

As an outsider in the true sense, this is all Chen Junqian can do to help. After all, he can't really make choices for the other party. Sometimes the awkwardness in family matters lies in this aspect. If he really wants to comfort himself, he can only think that his parents will grow old one day, they will grow up, and they will be able to leave this family and start a new one. If reopening the wound will cause it to fester, then let's not reopen it for now. Let time take its course and wait for things to develop.

"Okay, then I'll go out and buy breakfast and wait for you to come back."

Chen Xi seemed reluctant to go along, because she felt that this was a kind of "family scandal" that shouldn't be aired in public, and as Gu Lingguo's friend, it was better for her to avoid it. That way, when they played together again in the future, it wouldn't be too awkward. The incident of going to the other party's house for dinner last time had already made her feel uncomfortable for a long time. It was definitely better not to go to this kind of occasion. Perhaps only her brother could break the ice without any psychological burden.

"Oh, right."

As she spoke, the younger sister turned her gaze to the large bag of clothes that Chen Junqian had brought back the previous night and was now placed on the bedside table, and suddenly asked with some curiosity:

"Does Lin Guo look good in this outfit?"

"Hmm, it suits her quite well; she's cute even without makeup."

"Doesn't it seem strange to have a wig? This bluish-purple hair."

"Blue-purple is actually not bad, it's relatively close to our black. I feel that if you really want to cosplay, pure white, silver-white or fluorescent colors are the worst areas, because they will create a very strong conflict with our eyebrows and our own skin tone. It's a typical hair color that looks good in anime but will be a disaster in real life."

I felt that after I said those words, my sister suddenly seemed a little disappointed, and after a while, she nodded thoughtfully.

"Oh...I see."

As if deliberately changing the subject, she quickly turned her gaze back to the pair of over-the-knee socks.

"Where are the socks? I don't think I've seen anyone wearing these in real life. I think I saw some at the last comic convention."

"It actually looks quite nice, but it would definitely stand out if you wore it out. Xiaoxi, are you interested?"

"A little, after all, Lin Guo and I are quite similar in build, so I should be able to wear anything she can wear."

As children of the same age, neither of them are as extreme as Zhu Wenyun and Lin Guo, so their height and weight are indeed quite similar. However, Chen Xi seemed to be just saying it casually, and immediately waved her hand to add:

"But I definitely won't wear it, it's too weird."

Changing the subject, Chen Xi put down the pair of over-the-knee socks she was holding, stood up, and walked to Chen Junqian's bookshelf. With her back to her brother, she reached out to touch the Ali doll that had been there for several years and was starting to fade, while mentioning her birthday.

Her birthday is on the second day of the second lunar month, the day of the Dragon Head Raising Festival, which is quite easy to remember.

"How about you give me a plush toy for my birthday this year?"

"Sure, what kind do you want?"

"Anything except snakes will do."

"Okay, I got it. How about the squirrel one?"

"squirrel?"

"Well, after all, we can just go to our company's warehouse and get one, which saves time and effort."

"...I'm going to get angry."

"--That's absolutely impossible. If you really want to give me a squirrel, I'll have them make you a one-of-a-kind, super-sized plush toy that you absolutely can't buy on the market, the kind that can be used as a pillow. No, wait, I think we could make a whole set and give one to Mu Mu too, since it's her character after all."

In fact, the mascots of Three Squirrels were designed based on the three of them, and even their names were taken from one character each. So when talking about this, Chen Junqian naturally thought of Lin Mu.

"Then I'll take two."

"Ok?"

"Since Lin Mu's things belong to Lin Mu, then mine should also belong to me. Therefore, yours is the birthday present given to me. Yes, that's the logic."

"Okay, anyway, I really don't have room for another one of these dolls at home."

Chen Junqian sighed again as he looked at the room, which, despite not being smaller, felt like the space he could move around in was getting smaller.

There was no way around it. In the past, only Lin Mu would give him gifts, but then Gu Linguo joined in, and Xu Youwei also started giving him gifts. He would definitely buy the magazines that Zhu Wenyun published and put them on his bookshelf. So over the years, all sorts of things have piled up together, making the room seem a bit cramped. After all, it is indeed filled with the shared memories of several people.

"No, tomorrow should be my birthday first, but they're asking me for a present first."

"Then you can tell me what you want me to give you."

"Um... let me think. It's been a long time since I've heard Xiaoxi call me brother. She always used to call me that. At least call me that again on my birthday tomorrow. That would be a birthday present."

"Oh."

After agreeing, Chen Xi sat alone on a chair in the room after Chen Junqian got dressed and went outside to wash up. She continued to stroke the Ali doll, but her mind was already wandering to other things.

What was that word again?

With the tip of your tongue pointing upwards, gently lower your tongue across your teeth in three steps, moving from the roof of your mouth down:

"O-ni-chan".

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Chapter 110: Homeless Children (Part 2)

The outcome of Gu Linguo's family situation went more smoothly than Chen Junqian had imagined. Gu Yong's continued existence was indeed a crucial factor. As long as he was willing to stand on Gu Linguo's side, the initiative would actually lean towards the father and daughter. At least it provided the two of them with another option that would allow Lin Su to temporarily back down. After all, for Lin Su, who values ​​social interaction above all else, if the news of her falling out with her husband and daughter to the point of divorce got out, she, who loves to gossip about others, would instantly become the subject of conversation among relatives and friends. This was something she could not accept no matter what.

But she was clearly not the type to stop causing trouble after this incident. After all, the values ​​she had formed in her mind over the past few decades were deeply ingrained. Even though she had temporarily given in, Lin Su still tried to gain some advantage verbally, just like she was used to haggling with people at the market. Even if she got a discount of just a penny, it would make her happy for a while.

Lin Su's logic was simple. Even though Gu Linguo hadn't explicitly said it last night, and Chen Junqian hadn't actually answered her question, their attitudes were quite clear. In each other's hearts, Chen Junqian might really be someone even more worthy of being close to than her, his biological mother. On one hand, she felt complicated about this possible fact, and on the other hand, she wanted to take this opportunity to bind the two of them even closer.

Just like how everyone in Guangdong is a "handsome guy," in southern Anhui where Chen Junqian lived, street vendors selling various goods would call underage students like him "little boss." Da Sima, a streamer from Wuhu who later became famous on the internet, also had this habit of using the same language.

However, unlike these polite words, Chen Junqian is indeed a genuine 'small business owner'. After all, it's not hard to find out the relationship between his family and the three fierce Xus. Chen Xi's father, who lives downstairs from them, is a senior executive and one of the founders of the company. That's why she scoffs at Chen Xi's mother's entrepreneurship on the one hand, and on the other hand, she can't help but envy the solid family background that allows them to do whatever they want without any consequences.

So Lin Su's meaning was quite clear: if you really want to manage their family or Gu Lin Guo, then you might as well go all the way and manage them thoroughly, since she would benefit from it in the end anyway.

I've spent my whole life saving and hoarding, no matter how frugal I am, I still haven't saved enough money;

He spent his whole life enduring and yielding, but no matter how careful he was, he still offended quite a few people.

When Chen Junqian returned home, the line from Mo Yan's "Late Bloomers" naturally came to mind. As a result, he was a little depressed even while eating the breakfast his sister brought back, completely lacking the excitement that a normal student would have on the first day of the New Year's Day holiday.

However, human joys and sorrows are indeed not universal. For Xu Youwei, who slept soundly and had a wonderful dream last night, her mood after waking up was obviously completely different. As soon as she woke up, she couldn't wait to call Chen Junqian. Actually, she didn't have anything in particular to say, she just wanted to talk to him. With a kind of secret excitement and joy like the first day of dating, her gentle and sweet tone flowed into his ear like lukewarm syrup from the other end of the phone, which also made Chen Junqian feel a little better.

He didn't know if this counted as dating, but if long phone conversations counted, then his relationship with Zhu Wenyun should have started years ago and continued until now.

Having two phones does have its advantages. While chatting aimlessly with Xu Youwei on one phone, Chen Junqian used the other to contact the company. He had just promised his sister that he would send her a large doll, and he needed to inform the relevant person in charge beforehand, since there was only a month left until the Chinese New Year. It wouldn't be good if the factory stopped work and the employees had to take a holiday if it was delayed.

He'd never really been interested in these kinds of dolls, but girls probably do like them more. Like when he gave Lin Mu an Ahri doll, she soon gave him one in return. In a few years, maybe Mu Mu will be posting a comment or bullet screen saying, "How long will humanity be ruled by these cute creatures?" Since his sister has shown interest, he'll give one to each of them. Well, two to his sister.

After chatting briefly with the deputy head of the department in charge of producing the company's peripheral products and explaining my needs in detail, the other party readily agreed. Considering the timeline, they could definitely finish and deliver it before my sister's birthday.

After resolving this matter, Xu Youwei couldn't stay in bed and talk to Chen Junqian any longer, since she eventually had to get up and wash. So she reluctantly hung up the phone, and Chen Junqian started searching for train tickets from Guoning to Lin'an again, but still found nothing.

If all else fails, just find someone to drive you there.

After all, the distance between the two was not that great, and Chen Junqian, who did have alternative plans, was not in a particular hurry about this matter. There was still some time before Shen Nianqiu's winter vacation. Let alone driving, once the snow on the road had melted, he could even ride a bicycle from Guoning to Lin'an.

Although it was the New Year's Day holiday, just like any other weekend, those who needed to attend tutoring classes still had to go. In the afternoon, Chen Xi also went out to her tutoring class with her handbag, and the others on the list did the same. Zhu Wenyun, who was also well aware of this, never missed such an opportunity. With a simple phone call, she managed to get Chen Junqian to come out again.

After passing the preliminary round of the New Concept Writing Competition, it was clear that she had completely overcome the gloom of her failure in the Chinese Character Dictation Competition during the summer vacation. A young girl's pride should be more relaxed and brighter, something that shines brightly in the eyes, and Zhu Wenyun was just like that today.

Compared to some girls whose height is limited by the seasons, tall girls are indeed more likely to stand out in a crowd, whether it's summer or winter. The two agreed to meet at Guoning's library, which is one of the places they've frequented the most in recent years, to the point that the librarian at the front desk is already familiar with them.