I turned reality into a romantic comedy.

"...Why is it my brother? Does that mean I've already slept with him?"

"Xiao Xi hasn't slept. I just woke up early today, so I came to wake you up first."

"Tch, whose birthday is it today that made you get up so early? It's none of my business, so don't bother me. Since it's still early, I'm going to go back to sleep."

As if wanting to prove this point with action, the poor, life-sized squirrel once again bore an unbearable weight, and the entire doll was crushed down, causing Chen Xi to fall onto a soft carpet of fur as well.

"Didn't Youyou call you over too? And you agreed."

"That was during dinner time, right? I'm not going to run over early in the morning like my brother did, helping people set up the venue and cook in advance... Wait, someone seems to have done something like that around this time last year, right, Chef Chen?"

"After all, it's her birthday. I also gave Xiaoxi a gift on her birthday, didn't I? Look, it's still under your head right now."

"...One thing at a time, so you're saying that my brother came to my room to wake me up today for the first time ever, it wasn't just to say these things, right? Go ahead and say it."

"Well, it's nothing really, it's just that you don't need to wake me up tomorrow morning."

Chen Xi remained remarkably calm in the face of Chen Junqian's sudden remark, merely letting out a cold snort.

"You're staying out all night again, aren't you? Okay, I know, you can leave my room now, I want to sleep."

"Then I'll pull the curtains back closed for you. Goodnight... um, have a nice nap?"

After watching her brother close the curtains tightly again and leave the room quietly, Chen Xi, who had been pretending to fall asleep again with her eyes closed, opened them again. She hugged the squirrel's neck, buried her face in the toy's chest, took a deep breath as if drawing energy from it, and finally mumbled:

"If only it were just tomorrow morning."

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The cicadas' chirping in August seemed to boil the whole summer up. Although it was only morning, the sun had already begun to scorch the asphalt road with its heat, and the air was filled with waves of heat. Even the wind blowing through the treetops carried a suffocatingly hot temperature.

That's why Xu Youwei turned on the air conditioners in the living room and bedroom early in the morning, shutting out the furnace-like world outside the window. This was her first day moving into her new home after the renovation was completed, and it was also her fifteenth birthday.

When the doorbell rang, Xu Youwei was barefoot on the cool wooden floor, holding a can of iced cola that she had just taken out of the refrigerator. Upon hearing the doorbell, she darted to the door like a nimble kitten, peeked through the peephole, and then quickly turned the lock.

A wave of heat rushed out as the door opened. The boy standing in the doorway was wearing a simple white T-shirt and light-colored jeans. His bangs were damp with sweat, with a few strands sticking to his full forehead, giving him an inexplicably sporty look. He was carrying a full bag of shopping bags, and the muscles on his arms, which were muscular and somewhere between youthful and mature, were visible from the effort he was putting in. In today's parlance, he was probably the type who looked slim in clothes but muscular when undressed.

"Qinqin's here! Come in quickly, it's so hot outside!"

Upon seeing the visitor, Xu Youwei pulled Chen Junqian into the entryway and quickly closed the door, blocking out the heat from the room once again.

Chen Junqian loosened his fingers, which were red from being bound, put down the heavy bag, and let out a long sigh of relief. Before he could speak, a can of ice-cold, water-drenched soda was pressed against his cheek.

"Thank you for your hard work, Qinqin."

The girl's voice was clear and sweet, yet it also carried a hint of mischievousness and intimacy that were unique to her.

Chen Junqian squinted at the icy coolness, took the cola without hesitation, pulled the tab with a 'click', and gulped down a large mouthful. His Adam's apple bobbed prominently against his fair neck, and Xu Youwei stared at it for a while, feeling her cheeks inexplicably burning.

"You woke up pretty early too. I thought you'd stay in bed a little longer."

After drinking about half a cup of cola, Chen Junqian finally put down the can.

"Because I slept here last night, so I could get used to it beforehand. And it's getting late now. Although everyone else said they would come over in the evening, Mu Mu said she could come over to help with the setup after finishing her tutoring class at noon."

As she spoke, Xu Youwei took another step closer, instantly closing the distance between them until she could smell the faint scent of laundry detergent on him, freshly washed by the sun. Completely unperturbed by the slight smell of sweat, she reached out and hugged him.

“It’s a little past nine o’clock now, and she’ll be here around eleven o’clock, so we only have these two hours together, which is very precious.”

"But we can't just let you hold me for two hours straight; we still have things to do."

With a koala hanging there, Chen Junqian bent down to rummage through the pile of shopping bags he had brought in:

"Yoyo, do you want to make the cake first or hang the balloons first?"

"Anything is fine."

"Then I'll take care of the things that need to be refrigerated first; the cream melts quickly in this weather."

After carefully selecting the ingredients and carrying them to the kitchen, Chen Junqian first took out all the fruits he had bought and washed them one by one. The water flowed over the fruit peels, making a splashing sound, bringing a touch of auditory coolness to this hot summer day.

"Qinqin, I want the biggest peach."

Xu Youwei pointed to one of the stones in the sink and said in a coquettish tone.

"You're only allowed to eat one. If you eat two more, I'll have to change the cake recipe on the spot."

Although he said that, Chen Junqian still washed the peach, but instead of handing it to her directly, he took a fruit knife, skillfully peeled and cut it into pieces, and finally used the tip of the knife to pick up a piece of the sweetest flesh and put it to Xu Youwei's mouth.

"Open your mouth."

Xu Youwei also took a big bite, the juice overflowing and sweet to her heart, and she was finally satisfied.

"Mmm, this is so sweet, ah—"

Xu Youwei fed them a piece as well, and the two of them shared the peach, taking turns eating it until it was completely gone. Only then were they directed by each other to return to the living room.

"Let's hang the balloons up first!"

As she spoke, Xu Youwei pointed to a large bag of shiny aluminum foil balloons on the ground.

"Just hang the 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY' sign on this wall, otherwise it'll just stand there bare and be quite conspicuous."

The bare wall she was referring to was the one the two of them had moved from their old dormitory room at the wear-resistant factory, a wall etched with precious memories. However, Xu Youwei really didn't intend to show it off in front of others. Maybe she would do that when they got married in the future? But for now, it was better to cover it up with various decorations.

Chen Junqian nodded, then tore open the packaging bag. He didn't rush to hang it up, but sat on the carpet and patiently inflated the balloon. Xu Youwei then sat between his legs, leaning against his broad chest, fiddling with the golden ribbon in her hands.

The air pump made a hissing sound, which was particularly clear in the quiet space.

"Yo yo".

Chen Junqian suddenly lowered his head, resting his chin on the top of her head, his warm breath spraying onto her forehead.

"Ok?"

"Happy birthday to you."

"Thank you, Qinqin, um... kisses."

She tilted her head back and kissed the corner of his lips. Just as a certain literary girl thought, this kind of light, fleeting kiss was the usual style of girls this age, and Xu Youwei was no exception.

Then, while holding onto the folding chair, she began to direct Chen Junqian, who was standing on it, to stick letter balloons onto the wall, just like when the two of them made blackboard newspapers together back then.

"A little to the left... Oops, the B is off! A little more to the right—hmm, perfect!"

Looking at Chen Junqian high up, Xu Youwei felt a strange sense of satisfaction. This boy, who was excessively popular at school and was visibly liked by more than one girl even in their small circle, was now patiently gesturing from one side to the other on the wall, just because of a single sentence she said, until she nodded in approval and satisfaction.

This sense of exclusive superiority is always the most addictive poison in love.

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

Chapter 168: I'm cheating on myself (Part 2)

August 10th, noon.

The sun hung overhead like a giant fireball, baking the asphalt road until it shimmered with an unreal, oily sheen. The plane trees lining the road drooped listlessly, and only cicadas, hiding deep in the shade, chirped tirelessly at an annoying frequency. But the people nearby didn't feel sick; instead, they felt refreshed and invigorated, as if they had drunk ice-cold soda.

The girl walking down the street was tightly clutching a huge gift box that was even somewhat obstructing her view. Fine beads of sweat slid down her forehead and down her cheeks, wetting the stray hairs at her temples. But her almond-shaped eyes were sparkling with a sly and excited light as she was already happily imagining her friend's reaction when she brought this big thing to her friend's house as a birthday present.

Lin Mu didn't think much of his childhood sweetheart going to her friend's house early to help prepare for her birthday party. After all, her situation was different from his. Her parents always took care of everything for her birthday a few days in advance. Although Weiwei's father didn't show any favoritism in this regard, Weiwei didn't want to stay at that house, so she only spent a little time with the two of them every year.

"The address of the new house... I remember it's—yes, here!"

While the girl, clutching her birthday present, was heading towards her friend's new home following the navigation, the two people she was worried about were in the kitchen preparing the cake.

The thick glass windows kept out the cicadas' chirping and the heatwave outside. The air conditioning inside was on full blast, even a little chilly, and the air was filled with a sweet, creamy aroma of vanilla and strawberry.

This is a private and ambiguous little world, completely different from the outside world.

In the open kitchen, the countertop was a mess, with flour spilled on the dark marble surface like snow that hadn't melted yet. Xu Youwei, wearing a T-shirt and shorts, was frowning, holding a spatula, looking at the somewhat crooked cake base in front of her.

"Oh no, Qinqin, why can't I spread this cream evenly? And the more I spread it, the uglier it looks."

The girlfriend's voice carried a hint of annoyance and coquettishness as she spoke, turning her head to look at the man washing fruit by the sink.

Upon hearing this, Chen Junqian turned off the tap, shook the water droplets off his hands, and sighed with a mixture of helplessness and indulgence:

"...So I already said that Youyou just needs to watch like last time. You're not asking someone like Yun who has studied baking for several years, so why don't I do it?"

As he said this, Chen Junqian walked over at the same time, wearing an apron that looked obviously too big and even had a cartoon bear pattern printed on it. This extremely incongruous combination, under the backdrop of his tall figure and gentle temperament, showed a strange and peaceful sense of home.

"No, then why don't you hold my hand and teach me step by step?"

"Fine, anyway, the final product is something you, the birthday person, should worry about. I certainly won't admit that this is my work."

Chen Junqian naturally walked behind Xu Youwei, pressing his chest against her back. He also stretched out his arms and wrapped them around the girl from both sides, covering the back of her hand holding the scalpel with his hands, and began to guide her through the process, so that she could feel a little involved.

This is an extremely intimate distance, a distance that only lovers would maintain.

The boy's chest wasn't broad, but it carried a reassuring warmth. When it pressed against her back, Chen Junqian's palms were larger than she had imagined, with long, strong fingers. When he covered her hand, it felt like he was enveloping her. He skillfully guided her hand, smoothing out the uneven cream little by little.

At that moment, time seemed to stretch out, the air was filled with the sweet aroma of cream, and a feeling sweeter and more secretive than cream was fermenting.

“It’s okay. No matter how bad it tastes, Mu Mu and I can finish it together.”

Upon hearing Xu Youwei mention Lin Mu's name, Chen Junqian's hand paused almost imperceptibly.

"Speaking of which, yoyo."

He stopped spreading the cream, gently rested his chin on Xu Youwei's head, and his tone became subtly complex.

"Our relationship can't go on like this forever, can it?"

Xu Youwei remained silent. She turned around and looked up at Chen Junqian. His eyes were gentle and focused, reflecting her conflicted face.

"Qinqin knows Mumu's personality perfectly well."

Biting her lower lip, a hint of unease flashed in the girl's eyes as well:

"Of course I know it would be better for the two of us to tell her on our own rather than for her to find out someday, but she is so innocent and so dependent on us. The three of us have always played together since we were little. If she finds out that we are together, and that we have kept it from her for so long... she will definitely feel abandoned and that she is superfluous. I don't want to lose this friend, and I don't want to put you in a difficult position."

In their seemingly perfect love triangle, Lin Mu is the ever-happy but also perpetually oblivious little sun, while Xu Youwei is the sensitive moon. She craves the favoritism Chen Junqian gives her, yet fears that this favoritism will disrupt the balance between the three.

In a sense, she was often like a child who had stolen candy, both nervously enjoying the sweet moment and fearing the punishment if she were discovered.

After all, Xu Youwei has always lacked a sense of security. She craves Chen Junqian's love, yet fears that this love will destroy the originally stable love triangle. She is just like a greedy child who wants to maintain a certain perfect balance, but does not know that this balance is built on lies.

Seeing the vulnerability and even pleading in her eyes, Chen Junqian gave up on saying anything more. He smiled helplessly, raised his hand, and flicked the tip of her nose, leaving a little white cream on it.

"Okay, that's settled then."

"Yes, Qinqin is the best!"

As she said this, Xu Youwei tiptoed, wrapped her arms around his neck, and hung on him, offering her lips to him.

Chen Junqian took the opportunity to tighten his arms around her waist and deepen the kiss.

However, they all forgot that the curtains on the floor-to-ceiling windows connecting the living room and the balcony were not drawn in order to allow the freshly baked cake to cool down.