I turned reality into a romantic comedy.

However, just as viewing everything through the lens of a romantic comedy makes it seem like a system of romantic comedies, under the delicate mind of a literary girl and her equally delicate writing style, even the most ordinary and mundane daily life can be polished into a unique charm and brilliance. Compared to various memories that need to be beautified by the test of time, every event that just happened before her eyes can be quickly transformed into material worth writing about in her mind, and then she will be overwhelmed with excitement over it.

For example, right now.

"W-How is it?"

Almost as soon as he finished turning the last page of the sample book in his hand, Chen Junqian heard the question from the girl sitting next to him. She was trying her best to move closer to him, but due to the pressure of the seat belt fastened to her upper body, the range of movement she could move was not very wide. Under the mutual force, she was tightly pressed against her shirt, making people involuntarily want to focus their attention on her.

Zhu Wenyun, who can already be considered a junior high school student, is closely following in Shen Nianqiu's footsteps. Both physically and mentally, she is moving towards becoming the female lead in a romantic comedy. Considering that many male protagonists in romantic comedies usually have a younger sister who is set as a second-year junior high school student, perhaps he has now officially entered the world of romantic comedies.

"Yes, it's very much in Wen Yun's style as always, but you can also see the changes."

Putting down the sample copy of the new book that Zhu Wenyun had only officially given him today, Chen Junqian recalled the contents he had just read:

"Putting aside what others might say, at least Sister Nianqiu would probably really like this book."

"Actually, you can't say that. I did ask her opinion. She only liked the parts about the male lead. She didn't want to read the details about the family environment and other parts. It's amazing that she was willing to tell me all these things in such detail back then."

Unlike her previous writing style, Zhu Wenyun's first new book after signing the contract is crucial. She directly overturned the various perfect female protagonists she had created in the past, and instead used Shen Nianqiu as the prototype to describe a more 'vicious' and 'morbid' character. If her previous works were all sweet and soothing, this one is more like the kind of book that will be described by readers as 'shards of glass wrapped in sugar'.

"The psychological descriptions in this book are indeed quite delicate. Sister Nianqiu herself told me that Wenyun has depicted feelings that she herself could not express, which is really amazing."

"It's probably because I do have some similarities with her, or perhaps women's psychology and feelings are always interconnected in some way, so I found it easy to write about other characters before, but sometimes it's difficult to grasp the male protagonist's thoughts...right?"

Instead of directly answering Zhu Wenyun's last question, Chen Junqian simply smiled and addressed her first statement:

"I do hope that you two won't be too similar in some strange ways."

"There is something strange about it... After all, when I stole your phone last year, she just watched without saying a word, but afterwards she still apologized to you with me, didn't she?"

"This is probably just one aspect of it."

As he spoke, Chen Junqian sighed again. Ever since he realized that the female protagonists selected by the system could continue to change in various aspects of adaptability, he had been paying close attention to the various rating data of Shen Nianqiu and Zhu Wenyun. However, the two of them remained unchanged, with two D ratings standing there, which made it hard for him not to think.

"Then let's not talk about her anymore, we'll be there soon."

Zhu Wenyun seemed unwilling to delve any further into the topic, rather abruptly turning the page on the previous chapter, and then proactively brought up their current itinerary:

"If we go there today, we'll sign the official contracts first, then do the filming and interviews. The autograph session will be tomorrow and the day after. That's roughly the schedule."

"So the more I listened, the more I felt that it was unnecessary for me to come along."

“No, you are my agent, my first reader, my friend, my teacher on my writing journey… and so on and so forth. And I’m here to sign the contract.”

Actually, the editorial department had already indicated that the paper contract could be mailed to Guoning for Zhu Wenyun to sign, but she instead insisted on going to the editorial department in person to sign it after her vacation. As for the reason behind it...

"Then we can fulfill the promise we made to each other."

Thinking about it carefully, almost two years have passed since he made that promise to Zhu Wenyun about what would happen after the contract was signed. Compared with that time, both he and Zhu Wenyun have undergone considerable changes in their mindset. So much so that when the old story was brought up again, the girl sitting next to Chen Junqian could hardly be seen as hesitant and timid when she made that promise to him. Instead, she was completely open and generous.

After all, the two of them had already kissed with only a thumb between them, and they had played similar Pocky games countless times during the research. Now all they had to do was remove that finger and finish eating the Pocky stick.

To be honest, Chen Junqian couldn't be sure whether Zhu Wenyun knew about his relationship with Shen Nianqiu and Xu Youwei. But seeing her completely unconcerned appearance, he felt that even if she knew, she wouldn't care. Literary girls and literary youths often have surprisingly similar thoughts. All he could hope for was that she wouldn't write her romantic theories, which only she could enjoy in her mind, into a book.

Hmm... I feel like I'll definitely get razor blades from readers.

Just then, their flight finally arrived at its destination. At the pick-up point, they quickly found the staff from the "Fireworks" editorial department who had been in charge of Zhu Wenyun for the past few years. Lulu, who looked to be in her late twenties, was a very fashionable woman who waved to them warmly.

However, this is also related to the promotional strategies of print media at that time. In addition to various promotions of the authors themselves, many print magazines would intentionally or unintentionally promote many of their editors. Some would publish small sidebars with a rant about the daily work of the editorial department, while others would publish photos of the editors' lives, which can be regarded as a strategy to get closer to readers and authors.

"Sister Lulu."

After all, they had known each other for several years and had worked together for many years. Zhu Wenyun was quite familiar with the other person and went up to greet him very warmly.

"Hello, Wenyun is even taller than I thought. I'm wearing high heels and I still can't compare to you. Is that Chen Junqian next to you? I've seen you on a show before."

"Yes, thank you very much for taking care of Wenyun over the years."

"There's no need to be so polite. After all, that's the kind of relationship editors and authors have. Don't just stand here like an idiot. I'll take you two to the hotel to drop off your luggage. The car is over there."

After successfully exiting the airport and getting into the car with the editor, the woman in the front passenger seat peered at the two of them with interest through the rearview mirror, as if observing their relationship. After a while, she couldn't suppress her curiosity and subtly inquired:

"Actually, when Wenyun talks to me about the plot of the work, she always mentions you. She even said that many things in the story are based on your personal experiences. Is that true?"

"Some of them are true, because we've known each other since we were little. Sometimes when Wenjun asks me, she'll ask me to go with her to gather materials or something."

"So you two really are childhood sweethearts. No wonder Wen Yun has always been writing stories about childhood sweethearts. Even though this new book has a different style, the female lead is still someone who has known the male protagonist since childhood, only they were online friends at first."

As Zhu Wenyun's editor, it's safe to say that no one has seen more of Zhu Wenyun's creative work than her. After all, it includes a large number of rejected drafts, deleted original chapters, and occasional flashes of inspiration. Most of the time, she was the only one who saw these messy fantasies while sitting at her desk, holding her forehead. So now that she has finally met Chen Junqian in person, she is indeed quite curious about what kind of person this male protagonist, who is in some ways unchanging in the works of the new generation of youth romance novelists, is.

"Indeed, we are childhood sweethearts."

Although Chen Junqian complained about the system when he was first reborn, saying that no one in the real world would introduce themselves by saying "I am so-and-so's childhood sweetheart," he wondered if it was because of the influence of a certain writer who specializes in childhood sweetheart themes, but the girls around him were starting to do it more and more. Now, when he heard Zhu Wenyun refer to herself like that, he was completely unfazed.

"That's wonderful... childhood sweethearts, innocent and carefree. Even when I'm older, I still sometimes want to see this kind of youthful love story, and Wenyun has satisfied me in that respect."

Stretching lazily in the passenger seat, the editor seemed to understand Zhu Wenyun's peculiar views on love, so she didn't ask any more questions like "So are you two dating?" Instead, she steered the conversation back to the new book and chatted with Zhu Wenyun about some matters related to post-publication promotion.

"Although I had seen Wen Yun's programs and photos before, I still think she is more outstanding than I imagined after actually meeting her. This is actually very important. After all, writers have long since passed the stage of only looking at their works and not the person. Han Han and Guo Jingming are also very good-looking. Of course, we have to ignore the latter's height a little."

It's not just Japanese light novel authors who like to portray beautiful middle and high school girls; domestic readers have always had high expectations in this regard. Ultimately, compared to some middle-aged balding uncle, everyone would prefer that the author of the novel they love to read is also a genuine beautiful girl, especially for magazines like "Hanabi" that primarily target middle and high school teenage girls.

"But Wenyun is great in every way, I feel like she'll be very popular, right, Chen?"

Upon suddenly hearing his own name called, Chen Junqian, who had been looking out the window, paused for a moment before quickly nodding and continuing the conversation:

"Yes, Wenyun is definitely a very outstanding girl among her peers."

Of course, this is based on appearances alone.

Chen Junqian, who was extremely familiar with Zhu Wenyun, was well aware that she was an unorthodox literary girl, especially in terms of physical strength. Otherwise, the story of her taking on three people at once would still be circulating in Jinzhong.

"Right, right? I feel like if you dress a little more formally and put on some makeup, you're practically an adult."

The reason it is described as being close to adults is that, compared to college student idol writers, high school student idol writers are indeed easier to sell. Being a minor is both a selling point and a guarantee in this case, but it also sometimes contains risks, such as the contract that the other party is now offering.

"The reason the contract has been delayed until now is because it has been confirmed and revised countless times. I've been an editor for so many years and have signed contracts with a lot of minors before, but this is the first time I've seen a case like yours. Now you can rest assured."

Yes, it's another issue that has already been properly resolved.

Pretending to be serious while sitting in the car flipping through the thick stack of contracts, Zhu Wenyun's fingertips finally landed on the last signature area.

She will be putting pen to paper and stamping her seal here in a little while.

Just like tonight, someone else is going to personally leave their mark on a certain part of her body.

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

Chapter 152: My Dearest, Forever My Beloved (Part 2)

Just like many Hollywood child stars and rising stars whose agents have been their parents or relatives for a long time, the editorial department, which has often dealt with underage authors over the past few years, has become accustomed to dealing with their parents. However, it is the first time that someone like Zhu Wenyun has brought a boy her age to sign a contract.

However, soon, with the reminder from several insiders, they learned that the other party was the same person who had previously sent a professional legal team to negotiate every clause and detail of the contract with them countless times. The editors, who had been watching the drama unfold, all showed expressions of understanding and began to focus on their work again.

"Okay, now that the details have been confirmed, let's ask Yun to sign here."

Because Zhu Wenyun later mentioned in the car that she preferred to finish processing the contract at the editorial department rather than going to the hotel to drop off her luggage, so as to avoid having to make another trip back and forth later, the editor took the two of them to the editorial department first. After they were formally seated in the conference room, she picked up a pen and prepared to have Zhu Wenyun confirm and sign it.

"Oh, no need, I brought my own pen."

However, Zhu Wenyun politely declined the pen offered by the editor and took one out of her bag. Since she won the Shanghai New Concept Writing Competition at the beginning of the winter vacation, Chen Junqian has kept his promise and would give her a handy pen whenever he had the chance in the past six months. However, the original diamond pen is still carefully hidden in the deepest part of the compartment.

"Okay, Wenyun's handwriting is really beautiful. You don't know, but many authors I've met in the past two years have gotten used to typing on a keyboard. Their handwriting isn't bad, but it's just very ordinary."

"It's probably because I've been using a pen since I was a child, so it's a habit."

"In that case, we don't need to worry about the autograph sessions tomorrow and the day after. And, have you practiced your autographs?"

The so-called book signing event is actually just an activity where you hand a signed book to the readers who are queuing up to buy the book, and occasionally say a few words. So a beautiful, elegant signature is naturally very important.

Clearly, when it comes to designing signatures, Zhu Wenyun is far less proactive and capable than Xu Youwei, who started thinking about it in elementary school. So, she ended up asking the editorial department for help, asking them to design a few suitable ones so she could choose one herself.

However, at this point, Chen Junqian, who was pretending to be her agent, remembered something else. In fact, Zhu Wenyun's pen name was the same as her real name, "Wenyun," so theoretically, his house should have been filled with a huge pile of... well, textbooks signed by her.

"No problem, Junqian will be with me anyway."

Now, even Chen Junqian himself couldn't determine whether the other person needed his company to face crowds, or if they had grown up enough to face crowds but were simply used to his company. However, since he was already there, he would naturally play the role of manager to the end. Hearing this, he nodded and said in a cheerful tone:

Don't worry about that.

Even though the possibility of causing trouble at such a signing event is close to zero, if any unexpected situation does occur, Chen Junqian wouldn't mind showing the other party what the power of a two-dimensional sports student is like. Sometimes he almost feels that this thing is like the combat power of characters in comedy anime, a rather abstract numerical value.

After completing several pages of her signature on the contract, Zhu Wenyun handed one copy of the contract back to the editor. From today onwards, she officially became an A-level contracted author of Meili Culture Company, which belongs to the "Fireworks" studio, even though it was in an era when print media was on the verge of decline.

"Okay—that's all settled then. Next, it's just a little bit of filming-related work."

"Actually, I've been asking Wenyun to send me some photos of my daily life, but I always felt like something was missing. This time I'm finally making up for it."

Since she's promoting herself as an idol-type writer, the editorial department naturally wants to ensure her looks are on point. The "just a little bit off" refers to her makeup, and they're willing to wait a bit longer on that. Teenage girls change quite quickly, and Zhu Wenyun in June will be different from Zhu Wenyun in January, so it's natural to capture her current state.

Do you want to put on makeup?

Seeing the editor leading her towards a place that resembled a dressing room, Zhu Wenyun asked a question out of curiosity.

"Yes, after all, it's a filming shoot, so you definitely need to look good on camera. Is this your first time, Wenyun?"

"I guess so. I didn't wear much makeup when I was rehearsing for programs on CCTV before."

A little uneasy, Zhu Wenyun sat down in a chair in front of a mirror. Just looking at the bottles and jars on the table that she couldn't name, she felt that they were too far removed from her. After all, she was just a 'fake' who only wanted to make steamed buns after being taught how to make desserts by Chen Junqian. She was completely different from the image that the readers imagined in their letters. She had neither rich experience in love nor the ability to dress herself naturally and skillfully.

Once she realizes that she is nervous, she can't help but want to look to Chen Junqian, who is always by her side, for help, even though she has made up her mind countless times to become someone he can rely on.

"Don't be so nervous. It's just light makeup. After all, Wenyun is only a fifteen-year-old girl. Sister Lulu won't really turn you into Marilyn Monroe or give you some bright red lipstick."

Upon receiving Zhu Wenyun's gaze, Chen Junqian first offered her some words of comfort, then followed her over, stood behind the chair she was sitting in, leaned slightly forward, and gently stroked the girl's cheeks from both sides, speaking like a highly skilled makeup artist:

"If we're shooting outside later, I'll apply sunscreen and foundation first, do a simple eyebrow shaping, and then do some lip makeup."

"...Why do you seem so skilled at this?"

It's a little of a shame. If the other person had said something like, "Why are you so skilled at this?", it would have unlocked a popular line achievement. However, for other girls who haven't read the original work, it would be too difficult for them to completely replicate this line in real life. It seems we'll have to rely on Gu Lingguo in the future.

Not just for the future, but we can also use this as a prelude now.

"Because I've been learning about this stuff for a while now. You know how much Lin Guo and I like anime and cosplay. It's so troublesome to hire a makeup artist every time we do a cosplay, so it's better to learn it ourselves. It'll be more convenient."

Although Zhu Wenyun herself didn't understand the various technical terms, she still accurately extracted the sentence, "I learned makeup for Gu Lingguo." However, just like when Chen Junqian skillfully dried her long hair in Shanghai earlier this year without her asking any questions, she indifferently closed her eyes after hearing this.

"Then you do it."

Anyway, she had never seen Gu Lingguo do any cosplay, so Chen Junqian had never actually tried it before. So she would be the first to do it.

"Um... well, if I may ask one more question, Chen, are you really good at applying makeup?"

"I know a little bit, so the basics shouldn't be a problem. But like I just said, the editorial department didn't really intend to ask Yunhua anything too extreme, right?"

"That's true. Never mind, there's enough time anyway. You can try it yourself first."

The editor, who had completely dismissed this as a prank between two young lovers, waved her hand listlessly, feeling that she should be under the car, not inside it.