I turned reality into a romantic comedy.

As she revealed a meaningful smile, Gu Lingguo deliberately dragged out the last syllable:

"But I hope you have a great time today. Hmm, Xiaoxi should be here soon. Remember to put away the chocolate and eat it, or I'll be sad."

After saying that, the girl, who had come and gone in a hurry, quickly got up and left. It seemed that although she spoke lightly, she didn't really want to run into Chen Xi, as the thought of it was embarrassing.

Only after leaving Chen Junqian's room and returning to her own home did she purse her lips somewhat uneasily, then unconsciously press the fingertips of her right hand between her lips and teeth, lower her eyes again, and slowly move to the balcony, where she leaned against it and looked at the balcony next door, which was not far from her own home.

A month and a half ago, someone jumped directly from there in the middle of the night, just like a male protagonist in an anime.

So perhaps she should be like the female protagonist in anime, quietly remaining silent during times when it's not her turn, and standing in the audience to appreciate the stories of others.

...In this respect, the girl named Zhu Wenyun is indeed the most skilled in this area.

Go and read their novel again.

She thought to herself, head bowed.

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As someone who had officially entered the workforce early and needed to submit manuscripts, Zhu Wenyun's winter vacation undoubtedly ended much faster than that of all her peers. Almost immediately after Shen Nianqiu said goodbye and left Guoning, she officially entered the writing stage of her new book. It can be said that from the moment she opened her eyes in the morning until she closed them to sleep, even during her nightly phone calls with Chen Junqian, she was constantly conceiving the plot of her new book and pondering the choice of words and phrases.

However, during those occasional breaks, she would unconsciously recall what Shen Nianqiu had mentioned about Xu Youwei and Chen Junqian's suspected romance, and then she would reread the novel manuscripts that Shen Nianqiu had read several times, mainly featuring Xu Youwei's personality and experiences as the female protagonist.

Without a doubt, even if these two were really dating, she wouldn't be surprised. Rather, she wouldn't be surprised if Chen Junqian dated any girl, including her, because everyone has their own story. Besides, many relationships in reality don't need any story at all. Even though Zhu Wenyun wanted to refute or avoid this point, she had to admit that reality is not a romance novel.

In her own writing, she is a quirky and somewhat stubborn girl. He and she would wander around the streets and alleys after school, run between the earthen ridges of the fields and the forests, and do crafts and eat snacks together, seriously preparing for the upcoming apocalypse. Of course, Zhu Wenyun sometimes wished that these were all memories that belonged only to her, so she recorded them all and stuffed them into the most perfect female protagonist.

Of course, there must also be that white wall covered with invisible handwriting filled with their memories, a birthday they would fly to Beijing to spend together, and that umbrella that was dropped on the ground during a sudden downpour.

It has to be said that Xu Youwei is indeed the girl who is most willing to be honest with her, the author who greedily wants to incorporate everyone's experiences into her own. Lin Mu would carefully hide her diary, but as long as she probes her a little during the second half of this winter vacation, she can easily hear more details about their interactions from Xu Youwei, who can't help but show off.

A girl who doesn't want to go home because of a family accident meets a boy who is willing to do all her childish things with her, tolerate all her bad habits and temper tantrums, and go on adventures and play with her. In any case, this is an excellent subject that can easily be written into dozens of articles. For Xu Youwei now, it's probably like the kind of documentary and acceptance speech that she would like to have the emcee read clearly and emotionally countless times at her wedding.

Speaking of which, her favorite thing to use when she was in elementary school was the super big black oil-paper umbrella that her grandma gave her. If one person held it, no matter how strong the wind and rain, it wouldn't blow in.

The poor and lonely girl lived like a queen in such an umbrella, believing that everything outside could only bring her dust and mud. She hid everything in the umbrella, rejecting all tears and memories, until someone suddenly told her that if she threw away the umbrella, she might meet the person she wanted to see sooner.

It was because of these thoughts that Zhu Wenyun, despite her busy schedule, chose to take a break and dive into the kitchen.

Then, on Valentine's Day.

Another chocolate bar, meant for his girlfriend, arrived as promised and was placed in front of his door.

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Chapter 148: I Think I'm Qinqin's Girlfriend (Part 2)

"Uh-huh?"

As usual, Chen Xi got dressed and got up to go upstairs to wake her brother. But today, unusually, she stopped in front of his house. What blocked her way was a box of exquisitely packaged chocolates that she didn't know when or by whom had placed it there.

She crouched down and reached out to pick up the chocolate from the ground. She didn't see anything like a letter, greeting card, or signature that could identify the sender. Although Chen Xi really wanted to know who it was, it was a gift from someone else to Chen Junqian, so she couldn't just open the box to see what was inside. After thinking for a moment, she put it in her pocket for the time being, unlocked the door, and went inside.

The shoe cabinet at Chen Junqian's door was always full, not because it was a special supply during the holidays, but because it was always like this. You couldn't tell that there were only two people living in the house. After picking out her own pair of cotton shoes, Chen Xi walked confidently and skillfully into her brother's room.

Chen Junqian, who had honed his skills in pretending to be asleep to the point of achieving a high "wake-up achievement" over the years, showed no signs of his deception. The chocolate that Gu Lingguo had brought over a dozen minutes earlier had already been stuffed into the cabinet by him, so Chen Xi naturally couldn't see any trace of her best friend's early arrival.

She had originally intended to put the chocolate on the table, but after a moment's thought, she decided to keep it and, sitting on the edge of the bed, gently tapped Chen Junqian's forehead with it.

"Time to get up."

To be honest, Chen Junqian was quite surprised when he opened his eyes and saw the box of chocolates. After all, he didn't think his sister would prepare any chocolates today. Unlike Japan, China doesn't have such distinctions as obligation or personal feelings. For people who don't know this kind of knowledge, giving chocolates on Valentine's Day means confessing your love. So he stood there for a moment, stunned, and then pretended to be sleepy, rubbing his eyes and asking:

"what is this?"

"I should be asking my brother that question, since it was found right in front of our house, just now."

Seeing that Chen Junqian also seemed unaware, Chen Xi lowered her head to examine the chocolate in her hand again, and then handed it over directly:

"I thought you had made plans with someone, like Xu Youwei, but if it were her, she should have delivered it to you personally. Weren't you two supposed to go out together today?"

"It shouldn't be Youyou, she probably hasn't even gotten up yet."

After clearing his mind a bit, Chen Junqian quickly figured out who was behind this. After all, Shen Nianqiu was in Lin'an, his sister was right in front of him, Gu Lingguo had just come by, and Xu Youwei and Lin Mu were also out of the question. That left only Zhu Wenjun as an option. But to come to his house early in the morning and deliver chocolates without even seeing him... Sure enough, sometimes he couldn't fully understand the thoughts and actions of this kind of literary girl, but she certainly had a knack for taking action.

"I guess it's about Yun."

He took the chocolate box from his sister, opened it with a little force, and sure enough, there was a note inside. It was written in neat handwriting that Chen Junqian knew all too well, and it was a 'I made it myself' certification from Zhu Wenyun.

Although I was a step too late and missed out on the "Valentine's Day Chocolate" achievement from Gu Lingguo, the achievement count for "Essential Love Bento Box" jumped up again, proving that what the other party said was true. It wasn't a ready-made product bought from outside like Gu Lingguo's, but a heartfelt gift made by hand.

"Yes, it was indeed asked about Yun."

What did the note say?

"She said she made this herself, here it is."

"Valentine's Day chocolates—is this your first time receiving them, brother? What do you think?"

Feeling a strange sarcasm in his sister's tone when she said that, Chen Junqian's reply wasn't very serious either. After placing the chocolate on the bedside table, he casually answered while getting dressed:

"It's not exactly the first time. Actually, I received it more than once when I was in school, and it usually came with a face-to-face confession or a love letter or something."

"Yes, yes, you're the most popular, alright? But why is there only one box of chocolates? Where is Zhu Wenjun?"

It seems that not only Chen Junqian, but also Chen Xi himself is a little confused about Zhu Wenyun's behavior.

"I don't know. Let me send her a message first and tell her that I have received the gift."

He picked up his phone and casually sent a message to Zhu Wenyun, but didn't receive a reply immediately, so Chen Junqian didn't bother with it for the time being. After getting dressed, he got up and went to the sink to brush his teeth and wash his face.

"Have you finished all your homework? Registration is tomorrow."

"There's one more thing, which I can take care of in a few tens of minutes today."

"Yes, there are still exams to take. The exams start the day after tomorrow, so study hard."

Although Chen Xi really wanted to retort with a comment like, "Don't you need to study?", the thought of her older brother standing in front of her—Guoning's undisputed academic star, someone whom her classmates worshipped like a god or mascot before every major exam—prevented her from saying those words. She could only grumble and mutter to herself:

"Yes, yes, anyway, my brother just doesn't want me to disturb your time with Xu Youwei."

"What do you mean by 'a world for two'? I've gone out with Youyou before, haven't I?"

"Tch, I don't need to tell you what I mean, brother should know. But remember to come back to Grandma's for dinner tonight. Today is not only Valentine's Day but also the Lantern Festival. I hope someone doesn't forget that."

Just as Xu Youwei had initially thought, even though Chen Xi could now vaguely suspect that their relationship was different from before, it seemed unrealistic to ask her to tell their parents. Xu Youwei's side was already flawless and she was acting on orders, while Chen Junqian's side was because he was too opinionated, and his parents would follow his ideas. They couldn't possibly ask her to spread rumors and tattle at school; she would never do such a thing.

"Yes, I'll definitely be back."

He could feel his younger sister's gaze still involuntarily drifting towards the box of chocolates Zhu Wenyun had brought him on the desk, so Chen Junqian simply went into the kitchen, took out a box of chocolates he had kept in the refrigerator, and handed it to her:

"Okay, okay, now you have one too."

It’s weird.

Just moments ago, she was thinking that giving chocolates for Valentine's Day might not necessarily be like that. She remembered Gu Linguo talking about the differences before. But now that it was Chen Xi's turn to receive the chocolates, she suddenly felt that this was exactly how it should be.

But no matter what.

She received the chocolates before someone else, which is perfect.

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Xu Youwei woke up in her own room today, a rare occurrence for her. She had been staying at her maternal grandmother's house in the countryside during the Lunar New Year, but suddenly returned here last night.

This is mainly because, among the many hideouts and secret bases where she can sleep, this is the closest place to Chen Junqian's home.

For a long time, Xu Youwei didn't have to think about this matter. After all, most of their journeys started at school and ended at each other's homes. They would walk along this winding road home for a long time until she dropped him off at his home in the wear-resistant factory. Only when she saw him unlock the door and wave to her through the crack, saying goodbye for tomorrow, would she feel relieved and run back to the office building next door to find her father and get into his car to go home.

However, since the two entered middle school, such a walk home from school could no longer be replicated. Chen Xi was always with Chen Junqian at noon and in the evening. If it weren't for Chen Junqian's ingenious invention of club activities, he probably wouldn't have had much time to spend with Chen Junqian since they weren't in the same class in middle school.

It was from that time on that Xu Youwei would start going to Chen Junqian's home on weekends, whether it was in the city or the countryside, to play with him.

After running around a lot, Xu Youwei naturally developed the same thoughts as Lin Mu, who was also her childhood sweetheart.

If their families lived closer together, wouldn't she have to travel less? For example, if they lived in the same neighborhood, the same building, or were neighbors?

The former was thinking about how to easily wake him up, while she was thinking about the time they would spend together.

As she grew older, after realizing that she genuinely loved Chen Junqian and eventually confessed her feelings successfully, Xu Youwei's thoughts smoothly transitioned to a future where neither of them needed to take any more steps.

Because two people will open the same door and enter the same home.

Just like she spent the entire winter break working on, choosing the location and decorating her future new home.

Xu Youwei was willing to believe that time would gradually shorten this distance until it became zero, and if it were to be stretched out, turning it into a long distance that could be covered by a child's run, like in various romance novels, into a distance that spanned the north and south of the world or even half the globe, she would be willing to run for it.

After all, she had already done something like taking a plane directly from Guoning to Beijing last year.

This situation is always a minority, and at least until they enter university, they will stay in Guoning.

Girls in love often hold the simple idea that "women dress up for their lovers" and want to show their most beautiful side to their crush. However, expecting girls of this age to learn makeup on their own is obviously asking too much. After all, the situation in China is different from that in Japan. Girls usually start to master these skills around high school, and often this is in vocational high schools. In other regular high schools, they might even question whether you have long hair, let alone makeup.

That's why, for Xu Youwei right now, dressing up is just about clothing. After trying out all sorts of combinations, she finally settled on a set that she was somewhat satisfied with. She nodded to herself in the mirror, but her gaze involuntarily drifted to the cosmetics on the dressing table.

It would be impossible to say that Hsu Yu-Wei has never worn makeup in her life so far. Although she is not as used to the stage as Shen Nian-Qiu, she has also had the experience of performing on stage in cultural performances or having her parents take her out for artistic photo shoots when she was a child.

Of course, the most immediate example before her eyes was her stepmother.

Thanks to Hsu Chih-ling's assertiveness in handling family matters, Hsu Yu-wei hasn't encountered the typical melodramatic situations of prime-time soap operas in recent years. Her relationship with her stepmother and stepsister is more like that of familiar strangers living under the same roof; she naturally sees them frequently while they're putting on makeup.

Every time I went out with Xu Zhiling, he would carefully select a lipstick from his bag. More than ten lipsticks stood there straight, like soldiers ready for battle.

Xu Youwei, of course, couldn't distinguish the differences between these shades. In her eyes, they were all bright red, red meant to attract attention, including Xu Zhiling's. In terms of their function, they were essentially no different from the red patch on the head of a red-crowned crane.

But today, as if possessed, she reached out and took one of the lipsticks herself, recalling the other person's actions, even though she still couldn't tell the difference between these seemingly similar lipsticks.

The slanted lipstick brushed past the edge of her lips. The girl, applying lipstick for the first time, clearly had no experience. She hadn't done any of the pre-treatment steps of applying lip balm, moisturizing, or concealing, and she had applied it very heavily. Against the backdrop of her fair skin, it even looked a bit shockingly red.

So after regaining her senses, Xu Youwei hurriedly wiped away all the marks with wet wipes. Then, with mixed feelings, she pouted slightly and continued to look at the mirror in front of her, and at her reflection. After a while, she finally took a step forward and picked up the chocolates she had prepared in advance. The box was clearly decorated with a Q-version design that represented the two of them, and wrapped around them was a big heart.

The most genuine and passionate emotions are thus outlined in the handwriting.

She's going out on a date.

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Chapter 149: Ex-Girlfriend's Number One Candidate (Part 2)

Generally speaking, holidays are often the times when people are most likely to realize that they are ultimately social beings, especially those holidays that involve family reunions and couples. February 14th, 2014, undoubtedly possessed this dual attribute. With the Lantern Festival and Valentine's Day coinciding, there might still be other couples in the world besides Chen Junqian and Xu Youwei who secretly ran away under the guise of the former.

In romantic comedies or Japanese dramas, even in this still somewhat chilly late winter, the heroines waiting for their dates would probably stick to the same old "beautifully freezing" dressing strategy: wearing as much on top and bottom as possible.

However, wearing a skirt in winter is obviously not something Youyou can do at this stage. So when Chen Junqian met her, she was still dressed in the most ordinary winter clothes, but she deliberately chose a lighter style. The red and white color scheme of the clothes, combined with the pretty girl standing there waiting, made it clearer that she was there to date him, rather than simply coming to find him to set off firecrackers like she did a few years ago.

Instead of the firecrackers he used to have, Chen Junqian was presented with a box of chocolates by the person who held them in both hands as soon as he saw him.

Although this was the third box of chocolates he had received this morning, Chen Junqian still naturally showed just the right amount of surprise. Of course, this was not just for show. Even though Xu Youwei was not giving him handmade chocolates like Zhu Wenyun's, the densely drawn decorations and lines on the packaging box still perfectly expressed the girl's feelings. The chocolates, on the other hand, became a superfluous medium, just like that wall from before.