I turned reality into a romantic comedy.

However, this is certainly not an easy task.

On the night before he was to leave for Shanghai, Chen Junqian, lying in bed, recalled a sentence that Grandma Zhu Wenyun had once told her:

"I'll be here even when I'm old and die," she said, but she neither expected nor wanted Zhu Wenyun to be here either.

After all, Guoning is a small place where the high-speed rail station will not be officially opened until 2025. For now, the two of them have to go to Nanjing to take the high-speed rail to Shanghai.

Even Zhu Wenyun, who was also born here, has long since passed away.

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Ultimately, this wasn't a vacation but a trip to Shanghai to participate in the New Concept Writing Competition. Once there, the organizers would take care of everything, so both families were quite at ease about Chen Junqian and Zhu Wenyun's trip. After reminding them to keep their phones on at all times and to call them if anything happened, they watched the two of them, carrying their bags, officially set off.

If Confucius most wanted to take Zilu as his student when he was sailing on a raft at sea, then if Chen Junqian were to encounter some inexplicable snowstorm in a mountain lodge, get lost in the wild, or be stranded on a deserted island, like the male protagonists of many romantic comedies, the girl he would most want to take with him would probably be Zhu Wenyun right in front of him.

She is always a girl who can easily handle all the trivial matters in an orderly manner. This near-perfectionist seriousness is not only reflected in writing and cooking, but also in all aspects of life. So much so that she handled all the luggage and necessities for the two of them on this trip by herself. Chen Junqian only needed to carry the bags and use his strength to lift the luggage onto the rack when getting on the car.

Then, the two of them sat down side by side.

Chen Junqian gave up his window seat to Zhu Wenjun and sat on the aisle side. The crowd, dressed in heavy winter clothes, looked much more bulky than in summer. At this time, before the train had officially departed, they squeezed into the aisle, trying to find their seats. In the gaps between the carriages, there were men who took advantage of the train's stops to leisurely make instant noodles with hot water and then squatted there, picking at their food with plastic forks. Chen Junqian, who had to move his legs or make way for them from time to time, suddenly felt something being stuffed into his left ear. He turned his head and saw that Zhu Wenjun had put half of an earphone in his ear.

The journey from Nanjing to Shanghai takes about two hours, which is neither long nor short. Although it was only half a year ago that he and Zhu Wenyun flew to Beijing together, unlike those two times when he was fully focused on preparing for the dictation competition even on the plane, Zhu Wenyun undoubtedly wanted to chat with him more this time.

After all, writing is not something that can be improved much by cramming like dictation. With only 24 hours left until the semi-finals, the right thing to do is to relax.

Soon, Chen Junqian felt his left hand, which was on the other person's side, being grasped.

He was still wearing the gloves Zhu Wenyun had given him today, but unlike Xu Youwei who would make him take them off and Lin Mu who would stubbornly stick his fingers inside the gloves, Zhu Wenyun, who was also wearing gloves, simply held his hand. The two pairs of gloves, both made by her, were the same color and style, and holding them together made them look even more harmonious, like a declaration she wanted to make to others.

"The editor just messaged me again, telling me to just perform normally, but she probably still hopes I can win first prize... after all, we've been preparing for almost a year."

After glancing at the message on her phone, Zhu Wenyun put it back in her pocket and naturally leaned her head on Chen Junqian's shoulder.

"She wanted me to become an A-level contracted author of Meili Culture Firework Studio, at which point I would receive more resources and support, and she always thought I would be more successful than the previous ones."

"I thought it would be a little later, after all, Wenyun is only a junior high school student now."

"Actually, it's not so bad. I'll be in my final year of junior high this fall, which means I'll be fifteen by the Chinese age reckoning. Many of the A-level contracted authors I just mentioned started out as high school students, and the youngest is only sixteen or seventeen. It's more accurate to say that only authors of this age can write what readers of this age like to read. If they're older, it feels like those thirty or forty-year-old celebrities playing high school students, which is really strange."

At this point, Zhu Wenyun seemed to remember something, and suddenly felt a little embarrassed. She quietly leaned closer and whispered in Chen Junqian's ear:

"But what I can't stand the most are those Mary Sue-like titles, but it's necessary for publicity. Maybe after I sign a contract, I'll have to have such a title."

"What title?"

"Well, to give a few examples, they would be something like 'The stunning beauty who is the master of classical Chinese literature,' 'The tragic queen of the Republic of China campus,' 'Her writing style is ethereal and graceful, each word like a ripple in clear water,' or 'The gentle and enchanting little witch.'"

"...That is indeed quite Mary Sue-ish, but it does fit the style of your magazine quite well."

"The main reason is that I didn't know before that Fireworks had so many sub-magazines with different styles. Many of the A-level contracted authors that I just mentioned to Junqian will be appointed as editors-in-chief and chief writers after they become famous, and will be responsible for contributing to a magazine on their own. For example, there's the ancient, fantasy, and suspense magazine 'Flying Magic', and the Taiwanese romance novel-style magazine 'Flying Pink'. There are seven or eight of these sub-magazines and sister magazines in total."

"So, does Wenyun have the opportunity to be in charge of a sub-journal like this in the future?"

"Theoretically, yes, but Junqian has been saying that print publications will have big problems in the future, so I feel we can't just make that decision directly."

"Indeed, it's better to use it as a platform for learning, networking, and building a fan base. I don't think it's necessary to completely tie yourself to it."

As the only reborn person in the small county, Chen Junqian knew very well that although print magazines and media were currently enjoying great success and prosperity, with "Zhiyin Manke" even breaking its monthly circulation record, this boom was just as fast-paced as it was going to fade. Print magazines and media, along with the physical book industry, would soon face a huge decline. To become the editor-in-chief of a magazine at this time would indeed have a bit of a "joining the Qing army in 1949" feel to it.

"Okay, I'll listen to Junqian."

Zhu Wenyun is certainly good at reading and writing, but it's a different story if she were to become an editor-in-chief and manage the distribution and operation of a magazine. So even though the editors have always regarded this development path and model as a benefit of the studio, Zhu Wenyun does not see it that way.

"I remember the studio for 'Fireworks' was in Hunan, right?"

"Yes, in Changsha, its full name is Hunan Meili Culture Fireworks Studio."

"Wenyun, is there any place you particularly want to work or settle down in? For example, Changsha, which you just mentioned."

"Not really at the moment... As for Changsha, I don't think I can handle spicy food very well, but it would be nice to go there for a trip once in a while. My editor has been inviting me to visit Changsha. By the way, why are you suddenly asking about this?"

"I'm just suddenly curious, but asking about work or settling down seems a bit too far-fetched. So let's talk about something closer, like the city where I go to university. Do you have any ideas about that, like a university you really want to attend?"

"I don't know, but I heard that the New Concept Writing Competition is organized by the Sprout Magazine in Shanghai. Many of the organizers and judges are from well-known universities in Shanghai, so winning the competition might give you preferential treatment in terms of admissions. If I really win the competition, I might come to Shanghai to study at a university in the future. Yeah, that's all."

"I understand."

"What do you know? You know I'm planning to come to Shanghai, so Junqian is planning to come with me? But our grades are actually quite close. If Junqian wants to apply to any schools, he can tell me in advance so I can prepare accordingly."

If there's anything that Zhu Wenyun, who attended Guoning Hejin Middle School during junior high, could be most gratified or reassured about, it would undoubtedly be the connection between their academic performance and that of the two students. Unlike the zoning system used in junior high, academic performance and exam scores would determine whether they could attend the same school and be in the same class, whether in high school or university. This was her area of ​​advantage, and it was a huge advantage that Lin Mu and Xu Youwei combined couldn't match.

"I do have that idea in mind, and the company is also considering developing in this direction, but it's not certain yet. Once I've made up my mind, I'll definitely ask you about it as soon as possible."

"it is good."

It has to be said that among all the girls around Chen Junqian, Zhu Wenyun is the only one so far with whom he can have a little chat about their careers. It can only be said that the experience is quite wonderful.

After the conversation ended, the two rested for a while. Zhu Wenyun took out some snacks from her bag and handed the dried fruit to Chen Junqian, but she wouldn't let him take it. Instead, she insisted on feeding it to him herself.

Zhu Wenyun once read a passage from Camus's book:

The young couple on the train were neither good-looking. She held his hand, smiling and flirting, but he was listless and even felt embarrassed to be loved in public by a woman he wasn't proud of.

She doesn't want to have that kind of relationship with Chen Junqian.

P.S.: Thank you for reading and subscribing.

Chapter 117: One Sentence Reveals the True Form (Part 2)

After successfully arriving at Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station, Chen Junqian and Zhu Wenyun continued to follow the directions on their mobile phone navigation to take the subway to the hotel provided by the organizer.

This should be Zhu Wenyun's first time riding the subway. She had always stayed in her hotel room while in Beijing and hadn't participated in Xu Youwei's birthday celebration. So, when faced with the surging crowds on the subway, which perfectly matched the atmosphere of a big city, she seemed a little flustered and subconsciously took his hand, just like Xu Youwei had done at that time.

In a crowded train carriage, like a sardine can, making room for the female lead is an indispensable part of romantic comedies. The male protagonists often unlock and collect the scene's CG in a way similar to a wall slam or a full hug. Unlike Xu Youwei, who was pressed firmly against Chen Junqian's chest in a flattened position, Zhu Wenyun's posture at this moment is undoubtedly more in line with the standard of this scene. She is pressed against the carriage, holding her suitcase, with the small space created by Chen Junqian in front of her.

However, the carriage seemed unusually crowded today, and the shaking and swaying seemed particularly pronounced. It was as if everyone around Chen Junqian was about to give him a 'forced' physical contact. Every time the carriage swayed, the crowd behind him would push him toward Zhu Wenyun, bringing the already close distance between them even closer. If Chen Junqian hadn't subconsciously turned his face to the side, he would have no doubt that one of those moments would have allowed him to perfectly press his lips onto the other's face.

It can only be said that Zhu Wenyun's height is a good match for his. If it were another girl, no matter how bumpy the ride was, she would probably just be facing the air or the body of the carriage.

After finally exiting the subway and arriving at the Qingsong Road Hotel, Chen Junqian once again felt that his world seemed to have undergone some subtle change that he was unaware of. Unlike a few years ago when he and Mu Mu were sharing a room, the hotel receptionist, who was smiling at them, clearly only handed them one room key. If she hadn't said something like, "Sorry, there's only one room left," Chen Junqian would have seriously wondered if he had transmigrated into the world of some romantic comedy.

However, after asking around, I learned that this was the arrangement made by the organizers from the beginning. They only prepared rooms for students who passed the preliminary test and entered the interview list. Accompanying teachers or family members had to find their own places to stay. After all, there were hundreds of students participating in the interview. If someone brought their whole family, the organizers would be under a lot of pressure.

But now that things have come to this point, Zhu Wenyun clearly doesn't want to cause Chen Junqian any more trouble.

In this room, which wasn't decorated in a flashy, love hotel style, and where the bathroom was well-separated from the outside rather than completely exposed, and where opening the drawers wouldn't reveal any lightweight or sterilized gadgets, the girl chosen as the heroine still frankly extended the most adaptable invitation in the history of romantic comedies to him:

"How about Junqian stays in this room tonight too?"

"...We're not children anymore, are we?"

Am I older than Shen Nianqiu?

Although it is clear that Zhu Wenyun's rebuttal question was about age, it still feels a little ambiguous at first glance.

"Does that mean it's okay because of her, but not for me?"

Okay, in an instant we're back to the Adaptability D range. The combination of A's behavioral adaptability and D's verbal adaptability can indeed produce a kind of aggressive questioning feeling in many cases. But just like how the tsundere attribute in anime often makes people too annoying in reality, this kind of cute attribute that can theoretically be defined as 'sharp-tongued' is always thankless in reality.

“We usually chat every night, it’s just that tonight we’re chatting face-to-face.”

As she spoke, Zhu Wenyun, who had already turned on the air conditioning and heating in the room, casually unzipped her down jacket, sat on the edge of the bed, opened the bedside table drawer, and only found the TV remote control inside.

"Besides, I've written so many youth romance novels. While I'm certainly not like Lin Mu, who doesn't understand anything and just wants to be with you, I'm definitely not like Shen Nianqiu either."

"To be honest, even if Junqian stayed here tonight and did nothing, I'm confident I could write it into a unique storyline, so it's just a matter of gathering material."

While saying these words, it always felt like Zhu Wenyun had become the same person Chen Junqian had first spoken those righteous arguments to. Her meaning was quite clear, so Chen Junqian, like Zhu Wenyun back then, couldn't find any words to refute her.

If we include the time he spent with Gu Lingguo until she fell asleep, then Zhu Wenyun was indeed the only one among the six female protagonists with whom he hadn't had a late-night chat. Chen Junqian, who always adhered to the principle of treating everyone equally, didn't make excuses anymore, and didn't even say anything like "Then I'll sleep on the floor and you sleep on the bed." He simply put down his luggage and gave her a definite answer:

"If Wenyun wants it this way, then so be it."

At the age of fourteen or fifteen, it's not really appropriate to call them children or adults. Sometimes they are children, and sometimes they are already adults. It depends on how others see them, as well as what kind of image they want to project.

However, there are only the two of them in the room now, so they don't need to care about what others think.

Then just do as Zhu Wenyun said, and treat yourself like a child again.

Anyway, it's impossible for the two of them to become a man and a woman tonight.

Instead of dwelling on this, let's go back to the very beginning of their relationship.

Chen Junqian had a lot of questions he wanted to ask her.

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Literary girls always have a certain interest in Shanghai's alleyways and xiaolongbao (soup dumplings). Chen Junqian could even be certain that when she was sitting in the shop, smiling and eating crab roe xiaolongbao with rice vinegar and ginger, she was thinking about a passage or content from Eileen Chang's writings. This was the best accompaniment for her.

In terms of imagination, they are always boundless and limitless, to the point that they often achieve a kind of self-deception or a feeling of being intoxicated without actually drinking. Whether it is the snacks or attractions that Chen Junqian himself doesn't feel much about, which he just visits because he is in Shanghai, or the crowds that pass by him, they have all become the most unique background for the story in Zhu Wenyun's eyes.

As dusk settles, the Bund remains breathtakingly beautiful. On both sides of the Huangpu River, the collection of international buildings and the skyscrapers of Lujiazui complement each other, with light and shadow intertwining, creating a magnificent futuristic scene.

Standing by the railing, Zhu Wenyun reached out her hand, as if wanting to embrace the magnificent cityscape before her, and uttered the simplest and purest exclamation upon witnessing this grand spectacle she had never seen before in Guoning:

"it's beautiful."

Although she had been to Beijing, she had never actually explored the city. Apart from filming the show, she spent almost all her time in the hotel. Moreover, Shanghai was a place that held a stronger allure for Guoning than Beijing, given that there was a road named after her there, making it a more familiar and closer major city than Beijing.

Looking at the girl's profile illuminated by the neon lights, Chen Junqian, standing to the side, also felt a little emotional. After all, Zhu Wenyun rarely showed such an expression; at this moment, she looked like a child seeing the world for the first time.

He genuinely believes that parents should take their teenagers out to explore the world more often. After all, adolescence isn't just about grades and awards, or worries and confusion. It also includes moments when, unexpectedly, one is struck by a simple, beautiful scene, touched by life, and then sincerely expresses a pure sense of emotion.

Moreover, Chen Junqian always felt that unless the children actively requested it, taking them to stroll around the gates of Tsinghua University, Peking University, or other key universities, or even just browsing around the campus, was often not a good idea. Even if it seemed so at first, once they actually went, they would still unconsciously put pressure on them verbally or in their actions. They were the ones who liked to say things like, "Studying is their own business, not for us," but in many cases, they really acted as if they were studying for their benefit.

Perhaps because he had personally experienced adolescence again, Chen Junqian could feel that his mentality was gradually aligning with his physical age, rather than feeling the incongruity of being prematurely mature as he had when he was first reborn. Physical age does indeed affect psychology, especially since he was only a young man under thirty before his rebirth. As his age in this life gradually approaches that of his previous life, his views on things and interpersonal relationships will naturally change.

After all, if he himself is not clear about these subtle and ever-changing thoughts of adolescence, he will have no way of understanding and resolving the various thoughts and feelings of girls who are actually in this stage. People can never truly empathize with each other, but it is entirely possible to put oneself in another's shoes.

Walking side by side with Zhu Wenyun along the Bund, with the hustle and bustle of traffic behind us and the dazzling night view of Shanghai in front of us, the tourists on the roadside and the Shanghai locals hurrying by all seem to be part of this huge picture.

With a slight glance, one could see all sorts of couples nearby, walking together, huddled together in the already chilly weather. Some were holding hands, others had their hands tucked into each other's pockets, and still others were playfully sticking their icy palms around their boyfriends' scarves and pressing them directly against their necks, eliciting screams from their partners. Seeing this, Zhu Wenyun couldn't help but chuckle, and then did the same to Chen Junqian.

When she first met Chen Junqian, she probably wouldn't have even considered such a thing. Later, she dared to think about it, but only briefly, just like she only dared to occupy his insignificant twenty minutes of break time each day. She didn't think any further. But now, she not only dares to think about it, but she also dares to do it and is actually doing it.

As time went by, everything unfolded so naturally that Zhu Wenyun couldn't help but look forward to what would happen next.

However, before the imagined future truly arrives, there is always unease about the passage of time, fearing and worrying that the point in time one is currently experiencing might be a place one will repeatedly look back on and regret in the future for what one should have done or what one did not do.

So going back to the past is a very ambiguous statement. After all, many people themselves are not entirely sure which day she wants to go back to. But in general, the sooner the better, because she would like to meet him earlier and then only let him meet her.

Perhaps our true self is like this river under the moonlight: vast and quiet, seemingly stagnant yet forever changing with time, never able to set foot in the area we once trod.

If you want to retrieve it to prove something to others, all you can see is this blurry darkness.

That's precisely why she couldn't let him see it.

If it weren't for the fact that she still vividly remembered the consequences of stealing a phone last summer, Zhu Wenyun felt she would be even more melancholy. For her, liking someone was both the most egoistic and the most altruistic and self-destructive extreme emotion. But sometimes she even felt that this kind of self-inflicted suffering to create self-pity, then self-imprisonment and self-harm, and making someone who should understand her watch helplessly as a self-destructive person tortures themselves, was also something that would produce a morbid satisfaction on some level.