I turned reality into a romantic comedy.

Of course, Zhu Wenyun knew very well that she had such thoughts because she was certain in her heart that Chen Junqian would never truly leave her, just as he was still using the phone she had given her.

I'm reminded of Camus's words once again.

In fact, this statement is essentially two-way; switching genders wouldn't be a problem at all. In fact, the scenario would be more common if the genders were reversed, since there's never a shortage of guys who passionately pursue girls, even in 2014 when the terms "simp" and "lapdog" hadn't even been coined yet.

Therefore, it is definitely more fulfilling to like an outstanding person than to like an ordinary one, because the former only requires you to change yourself, while the latter requires you to make others change, and changing yourself is definitely easier than changing others.

If you approach the essay topic "My Views on Love" in the semi-finals of the New Concept Writing Competition with this mindset, you're sure to get a high score.

But these are all insincere and weak ideas that are merely empty words.

They were exposed for what they truly were because of just one sentence.

"Wenjun, have you saved up a lot of money now? Lend your parents 50,000 yuan."

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Chapter 118: Talking about money hurts feelings, talking about feelings hurts money (Part 2)

"What's wrong?"

After the two of them went out for a walk, Zhu Wenyun seemed visibly off. Chen Junqian assumed she was getting nervous because of the upcoming competition, so he asked her about it with concern when they returned to the room. However, he only received a silent response. Zhu Wenyun simply shook her head at him and then took her change of clothes into the bathroom.

"I'm going to take a shower."

Perhaps it was an unintentional oversight, or perhaps it was a deliberate attempt to leave clues in front of Chen Junqian, or perhaps it was strong evidence for the words she had tearfully spoken to Chen Junqian last summer. After Zhu Wenyun went into the bathroom with her clothes, her phone was still blatantly placed on the coffee table in the living room, even blatantly seductive, as if telling him that he only needed to take a look to know the answer to the question.

However, Chen Junqian had no intention of doing so. Giving others privacy is giving yourself privacy, especially for a girl like Zhu Wenjun. Once such a door is reopened, she can use it as an opportunity to revive all those suppressed thoughts, letting them spread and grow wildly in her heart again, and finally put them into action.

As it turns out, at this point, building good relationships with the other party's family members becomes very effective. Just as Mu Mu was able to easily obtain relevant information about him from Wang Hongling, a certain god-grandson of Grandma Zhu, who was personally recognized by the other party, thought for a moment, then left the room and walked to the other end of the corridor to call Zhu Wenjun's grandmother.

Soon, the whole story was partially revealed to Chen Junqian.

Zhu Wenyun's grandmother didn't actually know the whole story. She only knew that Zhu Wenyun's parents had suddenly seen some reports and discussions about her online and learned that their daughter had earned some income from publishing novels over the past two years. So they wanted her to contribute some of it to help with household expenses. However, she didn't know the specific amount because the grandmother kept asking her how much Zhu Wenyun had saved, how much was in current accounts and how much was in fixed deposits, and how much she could withdraw. She didn't answer any of those questions.

As for whether the money was truly for emergency relief or intended for other purposes, Chen Junqian, who had never met Zhu Wenyun's parents, naturally didn't know. However, Zhu Wenyun's grandmother, at the end of the phone call, half-speculated and half-vented her emotions by cursing that they might be keeping a mistress outside.

This "raising a child" doesn't refer to having a mistress or a third party, since the couple has always worked together. It's just that there's suspicion that they've had another child outside the marriage. After all, this kind of thing isn't new at all. Left-behind children may indeed be left-behind children, but their parents working away from home aren't always from incomplete families.

Or rather, compared to their hometown, which they might not be able to return to even once a year, and their children, which they might only see once a year, they are obviously much closer to the places where they work or semi-reside, and to the children born there, whether by choice or by accident.

After ending his call with Grandma Zhu Wenyun, Chen Junqian stood in the corridor for a while, lost in thought, enjoying the evening breeze outside the window.

He actually agreed with Grandma Zhu's conjecture. After all, compared to himself, who had never met Zhu Wenjun's parents, Grandma Zhu must know her son and daughter-in-law better. This was evident from the fact that when Zhu Wenjun started earning her first pot of gold, she told her granddaughter to save the money carefully and not tell her parents about it.

Unlike Shen Nianqiu's family, such a thing could indeed happen in Zhu Wenyun's family.

Before the relaxation of the one-child policy and the later universal two-child policy, the most important birth policy in rural areas was the so-called "one and a half children" policy, which meant that if one or both spouses were rural residents and they had only given birth to one girl, they could have a second child.

Shen Nianqiu's parents are genuine urban residents, so this policy naturally doesn't apply to them. However, Zhu Wenjun's family is different. Therefore, even after having a daughter named Zhu Wenjun, the couple can indeed have another child without having to wait until this year for the implementation of the "two-child policy for couples where one parent is an only child".

Money... ah.

Frankly speaking, Chen Junqian always felt that if Zhu Wenyun were placed in Shen Nianqiu's upbringing, her growth experience would not have changed much, and she might even have been more at ease. After all, she had already devoted all her interests to reading at a very young age, immersing herself in a small world called books. There was no need to discuss whether loneliness made her embrace books or embracing books made her lonely; she simply danced with loneliness there. Therefore, she would not feel any of the psychological and mental pressure that made Shen Nianqiu feel repressed.

But any problem becomes complicated once it involves real money, even within a family. In fact, many families break up because of money issues.

After all, everyone is unconsciously influenced by something that can turn black into white, ugly into beautiful, wrong into right, lowly into noble, old into young, and coward into warrior. If Shen Nianqiu and Gu Linguo are still at the initial stage, then Zhu Wenyun has indeed reached the stage of "I really have a cow".

Chen Junqian was certainly certain that if there was indeed some emergency at home, Zhu Wenyun would not hesitate to use the savings she had accumulated from writing over the years. However, the reality was very likely that this was not the case. Whether it was helping in an emergency or keeping accounts clear even between close brothers, money was undoubtedly a major issue in any family throughout history. Moreover, it was especially true that parents were borrowing money from their child who was still in junior high school. It was hard for Chen Junqian not to think of a college classmate who, as a coming-of-age gift from his parents, was dragged to a loan office and forced to hold up his ID card to borrow 200,000 yuan.

The main reason for this was that it happened so close to the time when Zhu Wenyun was about to officially participate in the semi-finals of the New Concept Writing Competition, which made Chen Junqian worry about Zhu Wenyun's mental state.

At the same time, Chen Junqian maintained his purest rationality because he had known Zhu Wenyun for a long time. So on the one hand, he knew that she was not the type to be discouraged by these setbacks. On the other hand, he understood that girls like Zhu Wenyun were more likely to put themselves in the role of a tragic heroine at times.

He will help her, but not like he used to, otherwise it would seem like nothing has changed.

Waiting to be saved by someone is essentially the same as waiting to be killed by someone.

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

Zhu Wenyun still didn't seem to want to talk about it. In fact, after taking a shower, she felt like she was back to the state of mind she had when the two of them first arrived in Shanghai by high-speed rail. She was sitting on the sofa in the living room, drying her long hair, which looked like it was not easy to manage. When she saw Chen Junqian return to the room, she didn't even ask him what he had been doing while she was taking a shower. She just handed him the hairdryer and looked up at him.

Having already honed his skills in blow-drying girls' hair at Mu Mu's place, Chen Junqian naturally took over the task of handling this thick, lush long hair. It was only because Hejin Middle School turned a blind eye to Zhu Wenjun, one of the top students in the grade, that this length would have been used as a typical case by the head of the teaching department at the gate and chopped off in the guard room.

Zhu Wenyun didn't even bother to ask Chen Junqian why he was so skilled at blow-drying her hair. She just sat there quietly, enjoying the feeling of his hands and the hot air brushing over her hair roots and ends. In this situation, she felt like she had shrunk a lot. This feeling was even more obvious from behind, probably because she was curling up.

After drying Zhu Wenyun's hair, Chen Junqian also went to the bathroom to take a shower.

To be honest, he's become somewhat desensitized to things like girls' underwear. However, the system still dutifully gave him another fan service achievement. Completely ignoring it, Chen Junqian quickly took off his clothes and jumped into the bathtub that was already filled with water. Then he heard his phone, which he had brought into the bathroom and placed in a waterproof bag next to him, vibrate.

Whether it was to remind Zhu Wenyun that he still remembered this matter, or because he really didn't want to expose his phone to the other person alone again, Chen Junqian brought his phone with him even when he was taking a shower.

Looking through the transparent waterproof bag at the lit-up phone screen inside, it was indeed Xu Youwei.

It can only be said that after New Year's Eve last year, Youyou did start to naturally act as his girlfriend in some ways. It seems reasonable to call him now to check up on him, but that's about it. So, this kind of secretive underground relationship feels like the victim's perspective from all sides.

If Chen Junqian hadn't known that Zhu Wenyun wasn't actually like that, and if he hadn't known that reality wasn't some romantic comedy, he probably would have really suspected that the moment he answered the phone, the literary girl in the living room was about to burst in and ask him if he wanted her to scrub his back, which would then be overheard by Xu Youwei on the other end of the line, thus triggering a classic scene from a soap opera... But of course, none of that happened.

"Hey, Yoyo, what's up?"

"Can't I call you if there's nothing wrong? What's Qinqin doing? Why did it take you so long to answer the phone?"

Hmm, this answer feels a bit too familiar. With classic answers like "Why are you panting? Because you're running!" already popping into his head, Chen Junqian wiped his hands with a dry towel and held his phone, through the waterproof bag, to his ear, replying:

"I was taking a shower, and my phone was in a waterproof bag, so I wasted a little time."

"Taking a bath? So you mean taking a soak in the bath? Is Qinqin in a hotel right now?"

"Yes, I just took a walk outside."

Is Shanghai fun?

"It's really fun. You can come and visit next time, Yoyo."

Considering Xu Youwei's past record of flying directly to Beijing overnight, Chen Junqian conservatively used the word "next time" in his speech.

“Great! I heard they’re building a Disneyland in Shanghai. Let’s go together when it’s finished.”

It seems that even after all these years, Xu Youwei's interest in parks and playgrounds has not diminished at all. Chen Junqian readily agreed as well, and then she talked about looking at houses during the winter vacation.

After all, she and Xu Zhiling had reached an agreement to move out of their home during high school. Considering that the house still needed renovation, it was indeed appropriate to start looking for housing and choosing an address during the winter break of her second year of junior high school. Therefore, Xu Youwei had been busy with this during this period.

For Youyou, who had already manually created at least two secret bases, the idea of ​​designing and decorating her own little nest was undoubtedly one of the happiest things in the world. So once she started talking, she couldn't stop. It wasn't until the water in Chen Junqian's bathtub started to cool down and she heard him turn on the tap to change the water that she realized, somewhat embarrassed, that her phone call had indeed gone on for too long. She quickly told him to finish his shower first and then hung up the phone.

And so, after taking what was probably the longest shower ever, effectively raising the average shower time for men, Chen Junqian, now dressed in his pajamas, leisurely walked out of the bathroom. Zhu Wenyun, who had been on the sofa, had now moved to the bed, leaning against the headboard and flipping through a book. The bedside lamp was casting a soft, warm yellow light, making it slightly difficult to breathe.

Before this unexpected incident tonight, Chen Junqian had originally planned to ask her about her parents, but now it seemed inappropriate to ask, especially since he had already learned some things from Zhu Wenjun's grandmother. So, after thinking it over, he sat down next to Zhu Wenjun and said the following:

"The competition officially starts tomorrow. Wenjun, aren't you going to bed early tonight?"

To his surprise, Zhu Wenyun nodded and said "okay" in response to the suggestion.

They were talking about having a late-night chat just a few hours ago.

It just seems that no one is in the mood for it now, and they have all tacitly refrained from asking each other.

Zhu Wenyun picked up her phone from the bedside table, seemingly checking the time.

The numbers shown above are six digits, which signify a trip where you can go wherever you want.

If we cut it in half, the scope will probably be limited to within China.

That's what she thought.

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

PS2: There will be an extra chapter tonight.

Chapter 119: One Last Time I Want You to See This (Bonus Chapter 12/40)

Among the girls Chen Junqian had shared a bed with, Zhu Wenyun was definitely the most well-behaved when she slept. It was unclear whether this was because she was always like this or because she was in a different mood tonight, but she slept in the most proper posture, and the only physical contact between her and him was their hands clasped together under the covers.

However, since the room was originally prepared with a single bed for one person, the two of them, a boy and a girl who could hardly be called children, lay there side by side and tossed and turned, still feeling a bit crowded. So, in the middle of the night, they unconsciously moved closer together, habitually seeking warmth from each other in this cold winter season.

But that's all.

Perhaps in a few years, in Zhu Wenyun's writing, this "first" night will bloom with a brand new romantic brilliance under artistic processing and the beautification of memory. However, for the two of them at the moment, it was just a night after arriving in Shanghai, wandering around outside, taking a shower, and finally falling asleep. Even when they woke up the next morning, it was nothing special.

Having woken up early, Chen Junqian obviously saw no need to pretend to be asleep without Mu Mu and his sister present. Considering that if the two of them got up together, they would end up taking up the bathroom, which could only accommodate one person at a time, he simply got up, brushed his teeth, and washed his face. When he came out of the bathroom, Zhu Wenyun was already propped up against the headboard, lazily yawning and stretching. She seemed to be in pretty good spirits, and her sleep quality from last night had not been affected by the unexpected incident.

Just like Zhu Wenyun herself wrote after the Chinese Character Dictation Competition, "Even language should be abandoned. Between you and me, there is only clean silence and existence." In fact, in many cases, when not talking on the phone at night or discussing topics other than reading and writing, the communication between the two is quite minimal, even when brushing teeth and washing faces.

After all, she wouldn't share her dreams from the previous night with Chen Junqian with great enthusiasm when she woke up in the morning, even though she couldn't quite remember them now. Nor would she be as curious as Xu Youwei, wanting to see what toothpaste he used and what toothpaste she used, and then proudly breathing on him after brushing her teeth. The way the two of them interacted was more like when they were cooking in the kitchen, maintaining a tacit understanding without much verbal communication.

The hotel where the two were staying offered a buffet breakfast, but since Chen Junqian wasn't really a guest, he simply took Zhu Wenyun out for breakfast. Anyway, the actual match wasn't until the afternoon, so there was plenty of time in the morning, and it would be good to get up early and go for a walk to clear your head.

Unlike his childhood sweetheart, who still required his and Xu Youwei's concern, Zhu Wenyun, who could walk with a fierce and energetic spirit even in this winter, was obviously the least worrisome person. After all, she was never a literary girl in the traditional sense. In terms of physique or physical fitness alone, she could probably take down several two-dimensional literary girls associated with the stereotype of being sickly and weak with a single punch. After all, Zhu Wenyun was quite famous in her hometown of Hejin Middle School when it came to fighting.

Therefore, given that there are no obvious problems with the physical education entrance exam, it is almost certain that the other person will be assigned to the same special admission class in high school. After all, Guoning High School only has one special admission class per year, and it is only when students choose between arts and sciences in the second year that they are divided into arts and science special admission classes based on their preferences.

However, compared to the high school entrance exam which is still more than a year away, the final year of junior high school, which is only one semester away, is obviously much closer. The main reason is that after the final year of junior high school, they will have to participate in evening self-study organized by the school, which means that the time left for Chen Junqian to engage in romantic comedy has been compressed considerably.

However, on the other hand, it seems that domestic romantic comedies are always inseparable from evening self-study sessions. Rather, a considerable number of scenes in those youth dramas or campus romance novels are created during this time period, such as the scene that Zhu Wenyun is talking about right in front of him.

"When you start your final year of junior high this fall, does Junqian still plan to go home for dinner after school?"

Facing evening self-study sessions in the third year of junior high and later high school, most students either don't go home and choose to eat in the school cafeteria or various snack shops outside the school, or they have their parents deliver food to them near the school gate. Unless their home or rented house is very close to the school, it is indeed quite troublesome to run around for a meal in the short time between afternoon dismissal and evening self-study.

"I think we'll probably eat at school to save time. The main thing is that we want to start some club activities. Actually, our first episode is almost finished."

"That's good."

Because Zhu Wenyun had been busy with the Chinese Character Dictation Competition and the New Concept Writing Competition for the past six months, she hadn't really participated in the ongoing projects within the club. So, after giving that somewhat awkward reply, she shifted the topic back to what she wanted to say.

"If Junqian decides to eat at school, I can bring you food."

"Is there enough time? Like this."

"No problem, because I've already applied to the teacher. As long as my grades don't drop, I don't have to attend the school's evening self-study sessions."

It was as if they had been prepared all along, and considering that the other party had been learning to cook for several years, it suddenly felt like they had been planning for many years and were finally able to reap the rewards here.

Faced with Zhu Wenyun, who seemed determined to spend the next few years completing the achievement in his mind called "Essential Love Bento Boxes," Chen Junqian couldn't help but recall how she first achieved this achievement by peeling sunflower seeds with her bare hands. Fortunately, he didn't have to fall into a love triangle like many of his predecessors in romantic comedies, because Zhu Wenyun was the only girl around him who could cook.

“Sure, if you don’t mind asking Yun.”

There was no need for the stereotypical arrogant character to say something like, "It wasn't made especially for you, I just happened to buy extra ingredients today, so I made an extra portion." Zhu Wenyun simply shook her head firmly.

"It's fine."

After saying that, as if she had suddenly seen something, Zhu Wenyun stopped in front of an Agricultural Bank on a nearby street, clenched her fist in her pocket, and then turned to Chen Junqian and said:

"Junqian, would you like to come inside with me and take a look?"

"What are you looking at?"

"Hmm... let's see how much money I've saved for the two of us."