I turned reality into a romantic comedy.

At noon, when the sunlight is at its most dazzling.

Lin Mu stood under the shade of a tree below the apartment building. The sharp edges of the blue gift box in her arms were digging painfully into her arm, but she couldn't feel the pain.

She maintained the tilted-back posture, her neck so stiff that it seemed her head would droop limply if she didn't hold it up so tightly.

The floor-to-ceiling windows on the second floor are like a huge, high-definition movie screen, showing the climax of the plot to this sole audience member without reservation.

The smile on his face froze into a comical plaster statue the moment he looked up.

This angle is too good, almost cruelly so.

She saw it.

She saw her childhood sweetheart, who had always been by her side since she was little, now holding her close in a way she had never seen before, a gesture full of intimacy and even possessiveness.

He also saw Xu Youwei, a girl he had known for a long time. She was usually quiet and well-behaved one moment and lively and energetic the next. At this moment, she was tilting her head back, her profile showing soft and affectionate lines, responding to the kiss in an equally proactive manner.

That kiss felt as long as an eternity.

Lin Mu felt the cicadas chirping that had been nagging him all the way suddenly disappear, and the world fell into a dead silence. Then came a loud buzzing sound in his eardrums, like an electric current passing through his brain.

She instinctively took a step back, her heel tripping on the edge of the flower bed. She staggered and almost fell, and the gift box in her arms slipped halfway down. She frantically reached out to grab it, but her fingers trembled, and she couldn't muster any strength to hold on.

"...Qianqian and Weiwei?"

Suddenly, her bloodless, pale lips, bitten until they turned white, just moved up and down, but in fact, they didn't make a sound at all.

In that instant, countless past scenes flashed wildly through her mind like a revolving lantern, and were then forcibly redefined.

At that moment, her world seemed to be silenced.

My memory is like countless fragments exploding wildly, then being pieced together into a cruel truth.

The way the other person acted when Shen Nianqiu first arrived in Guoning, the time they went to see a movie together at the beginning of the year, the time they held study sessions together during the summer vacation...

Indeed, after all, compared to herself, Xu Youwei has always been the more precocious child.

"Ugh."

The girl, who was just standing blankly under the scorching sun, suddenly burst into tears. It wasn't a hysterical wail, but a silent, tearful tangle, like beads from a broken string, falling one by one into the scalding dust and evaporating instantly.

To be honest, at this moment, Lin Mu didn't feel jealousy at all; instead, he felt a huge, empty panic.

The trio who grew up together suddenly became 'two people' and 'one person,' as if a small group had formed within itself. She was still foolishly treating them as her best friends, while they had already created their own exclusive secret world.

"Am I superfluous?", "Why didn't you tell me? Is it because I don't deserve to know?", "Or is it that I... have been bothering them all along?"

The gift in her hand fell to the ground without her noticing, making a sound. Lin Mu subconsciously squatted down and frantically tried to pick it up again. The exquisite box was torn at one corner; it was a gift she had carefully chosen, but now it looked like a joke.

Dating isn't like a dinner party, but sometimes there really is a first-come, first-served rule.

In this respect, kindness may be a double-edged sword. When hurt, the blade still instinctively turns towards oneself, for fear of hurting others.

Even though she had already cried once, Lin Mu felt a warm, sour feeling well up in her eyes again, and her vision blurred instantly, as if something had come to mind.

This feeling wasn't just about heartbreak—in fact, she herself couldn't tell whether her feelings for Chen Junqian were dependence or affection; the main reason was that Xu Youwei, her best friend, was standing there right now.

The girl, clutching the gift box, walked absentmindedly into the stairwell. She slowly crouched down, not going upstairs, but hiding in the small shadow at the stairwell entrance, as if the sunlight outside would burn her, but the door inside wouldn't open to her either. Like a clown who had excitedly run in with her carefully prepared gift, only to find that she didn't even have the right to enter.

She wanted to rush up and confront them, to cry and scream, to throw the gifts in front of them and then run away.

However, Lin Mu knew very well that he couldn't do that.

Or perhaps it was just the thought of stumbling upon them and what might happen next that made her feel a sharp pain in her heart.

Then, she...

"Hey, Wenyun actually came over here first?"

After smilingly handing the birthday gift he had prepared in advance to Xu Youwei, who opened the door for him, Lin Mu, who had changed into slippers, also spotted Zhu Wenyun sitting leisurely in the living room, seemingly writing something on a piece of paper. For some reason, Lin Mu felt that the smile on the other person's face was a little 'evil'.

"Hmm? Mu Mu is here? Yes, I didn't have anything to do, so I came over early. I was going to help in the kitchen at first, but Youwei insisted that I was a guest and that I could just sit down, so I wrote something instead."

"Wen Yun's new book was just published not long ago, and she's already preparing for another one? That's amazing! What's the subject matter? Is it the same as the last book? The last one was really well written. Can I take a look?"

Facing Lin Mu, who had changed into slippers and walked over excitedly, Zhu Wenyun simply smiled, folded up the manuscript paper that appeared to have two or three thousand words written on it, and casually put it into her pocket.

"There's nothing interesting about it; it's just an idea that suddenly popped into my head. Consider it a scrap."

"I clearly saw Wen Yun fill several pages of manuscript paper just now, there must have been over a thousand words, and it's already considered a scrap?"

"Well, I'm not very satisfied with the writing. If I had to say, it's probably because the character's personality is different from what I initially imagined, and the reactions are not well-written. There should also be some discrepancies in the psychological activities. Actually, I have quite a few of these discarded drafts at home, but I can't say they're completely useless. Maybe I'll be able to use them later."

"Wow, writers are amazing! Qianqian is indeed in the kitchen! I'm going to find him. Good luck, Yun! I'm really looking forward to your next book."

"it is good."

After glancing at Lin Mu, who had dashed into the kitchen to curiously see what Chen Junqian was doing, Zhu Wenyun turned her gaze back to Xu Youwei, who was about to put the gifts she had received back in her room, and unconsciously twirled the pen in her hand once more.

Inspiration keeps flowing!

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

PS2: We've decided to take the group member's suggestion. This volume will end this summer, just in time for the new volume to start in the third year of junior high. The main reason is that the previous volume also ended in the summer of 2012, so this volume will also be for two years, which shouldn't be a problem.

Chapter 169: I'm Doing Something Insatiable (Part 2)

It was almost evening when Chen Xi finally met up with Gu Linguo, and they prepared to go to Xu Youwei's house to attend her birthday party.

To be honest, aside from certain special circumstances like last time, Chen Xi herself had absolutely no desire to have any extra involvement with Xu Youwei outside of necessary club activities. If she hadn't received a guarantee from Chen Junqian that he "wouldn't date a girl with mental health issues," her attitude would probably have been even worse.

However, as time went by, Chen Xi herself began to gradually realize the significance of her brother's promise. After all, considering that he was not an "ordinary person" in many ways, perhaps from her brother's perspective, those abnormal and unhealthy aspects that she was concerned about were actually insignificant.

From the perspective of the average person, the interests and actions of the smiling girl next to her are hardly normal. However, Chen Junqian always goes along with her without any guilt. Otherwise, she wouldn't have contacted Xu Youwei last time to have her investigate in person.

Although in the end Gu Linguo obediently ran back alone, Chen Junqian then went shopping happily with Xu Youwei.

However, the reason I made that decision subconsciously at that time might be that I subconsciously felt that my brother would be more accepting or safer to be with Xu Youwei.

Seemingly noticing the occasional glances from her friend beside her, Gu Lingguo, who had just finished her piano lesson and left with her, tilted her head and returned the look:

"What's wrong? Is it because I was late?"

"No... I was actually hoping to go even later. If it weren't for everyone else going and me not going, which would be too conspicuous, I wouldn't have planned to go to Xu Youwei's place today."

"Xiaoxi still has so many opinions about Sister Youwei. But I think she has changed a lot. I heard that love can change people for the better, and this is quite evident in her."

In the past, Chen Xi would probably have scoffed at Gu Lingguo's assertion that the two were already dating, but since those thoughts were still lingering in her mind, she didn't immediately refute them. Instead, she asked back, somewhat puzzled:

"Is Lin Guo the only one who noticed it? Or does everyone know but everyone is tacitly refusing to say anything? If so, why is that?"

"Well, if the parties involved don't make this kind of relationship public, it's no different from spreading rumors if others speculate. I only talk about this kind of topic with Xiaoxi in private. As for whether I'm the only one who figured it out, there are definitely more than that, but even if others figured it out, they wouldn't say anything."

At this point, Gu Linguo patiently explained to her best friend:

"Sister Wenyun doesn't care about these things at all. In fact, if you read more of her novels, you'll know that the other person's attitude is always something like, 'My love for you has finally grown into something that is not about possessing you, but about being happy for you even if you are far away.' Or even more... well, to put it more literary? Actually, I've always suspected that she's the type who gets excited when she sees her seniors dating other people."

"Sister Shen isn't in Guoning, so it's difficult for her to discover the relationship between the two. And even if she did, she wouldn't say anything, since she can't directly control them. As for Sister Lin Mu, she probably just didn't discover it."

"But in my opinion, it's possible that because Sister Lin Mu hasn't discovered it yet, the first two people would just pretend not to have discovered it even if they had."

Feeling a bit confused by Gu Linguo's logic, Chen Xi subconsciously asked why. However, her best friend, who had just been talking eloquently as if discussing heroes over plum wine, suddenly shut up, only giving her a mysterious smile that said, "It's a secret," and then fell silent.

However, Chen Xi quickly figured out part of the reason herself. Just as she still habitually acted with Gu Linguo, the circle of girls around her brother could actually be divided into three different small circles: her and Linguo, Zhu Wenyun and Shen Nianqiu who became close because of the new book, and the rest were Lin Mu and Xu Youwei who had always been good friends.

They don't even need to be actually discovered.

Suddenly, this thought popped into my sister's mind.

Even if someone only notices such clues and considers the possible consequences, they are left with only one option: to superficially sever the relationship.

This was a predetermined outcome from the very beginning. After all, choosing to keep the relationship secret was already a form of betrayal. If you really want to say something, it would have been better to be honest from the start, since Chen Xi herself didn't think that Lin Mu had any clear romantic feelings for her brother last year or even this year.

However, looking at it this way, isn't this the most common plot in literary works, the classic scenario that Zhu Wenyun has written countless times: "childhood sweethearts are forced to feel a sense of crisis by a new love interest and then awaken and kill back."

Okay, now she knows why everyone keeps quiet even when they know.

...Then she stopped talking.

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

After almost a full day of preparations, Xu Youwei's new home living room was completely transformed into a birthday party venue. The arrival of Chen Xi and Gu Linguo signaled that all the guests had arrived, and they immediately got straight to the point and started eating.

As expected, Chen Junqian's cooking skills once again received unanimous praise, so much so that by the time it came to the cake session after dinner, most people were a little too full to eat and decided to leave it there for a while, chat with each other to digest their food, and then finish it later.

Xu Youwei, the birthday girl, was busy receiving gifts when she occasionally looked up and saw Chen Junqian not far away talking to Lin Mu. He had a gentle smile on his lips and they were probably discussing the decorations. He even reached out and lifted Lin Mu up slightly, letting her touch the balloons hanging from the ceiling. This made Xu Youwei's heart pound like a restless fawn in her chest.

"Weiwei, your new house is really nice, the living room is so big."

Just then, Lin Mu, who had been put down by Chen Junqian, skipped over to her side, her voice as lively and adorable as ever. She turned her head, her ponytail tracing a lively arc in the air, and naturally patted Chen Junqian's arm:

"I heard you designed the interior with Qianqian?"

"I wouldn't say we designed it together. I mainly helped contact a reliable renovation company, and then Yoyo would occasionally pull me over to check on the progress."

"Then when I move to a new house in the future, Qianqian can help me design it, just like your bedroom."

"Okay, but I've never heard of Mumu moving before."

"Because I just said it casually. I just noticed that everyone has moved to new houses. But I'm very comfortable living in my old house... Hmm, I remember my parents said they would give me a house when I turn 18 after the college entrance exam, so it's not exactly a lie."

"okay, I get it."

As Chen Junqian agreed to Lin Mu's request, he could clearly feel Xu Youwei's gaze upon him. Their eyes met briefly in the air before parting again. Although it was only for a short moment, he still sensed something suppressed in her eyes.

The other person wants him to only look at her and only talk to her, but he has to restrain himself in front of others.

This secret, electric-like emotion made Xu Youwei's legs go weak for a moment, and a feeling of longing began to grow in her heart—she wanted to rush into his arms right now, to hold his hand openly and tell Lin Mu, to tell everyone present, that this person was hers.

But she can't.

"Why don't we cut the cake and make a wish now!"

Someone said this, and then all the lights in the living room were turned off, instantly plunging the entire room into darkness. Only the fifteen lit candles on the large cake on the table emitted light, casting ambiguous shadows on the faces of everyone who gathered around.

Regardless of their underlying thoughts, at least at this moment, everyone tacitly gathered around, sang "Happy Birthday" together, and then focused their attention on Xu Youwei.

Unlike the last birthday celebration where it was just her and Chen Junqian, this time Xu Youwei specially invited everyone from the club over. Although this would cause the same subtle feelings as before, just like the famous line, "If you're going to pursue excitement, then go all the way," what she really wanted was this kind of intimate scene where she could secretly be intimate without telling anyone, just like when she covered Lin Mu's glass bottle with her invisible ink back then.

After making a wish with her hands clasped together, as she bent down to blow out the candles, Xu Youwei secretly reached out her right hand, which was naturally lowered, towards Chen Junqian, who was standing to her right, under the cover of the tablecloth and the darkness.

In that instant, she even felt her heart rate soar to 180. Knowing that everyone was watching, Xu Youwei didn't even dare to turn her head to confirm. Although her body was as stiff as a stone, every inch of her senses was extremely sharp. The moment their skin touched, she felt a subtle shiver.

Chen Junqian was also startled by Xu Youwei's sudden attack, mainly because Lin Mu was standing next to him, and he could even hear her humming the melody of a birthday song. Her face was somewhat blurry in the candlelight, but her eyes were bright and she was staring at her good friend Xu Youwei.

However, the person involved had already gently hooked her childhood sweetheart's little finger with her right hand. The soft fingertip was warm and gently caressed Chen Junqian's little finger joint, which was both a kind of comfort and a kind of overt and covert teasing.

If either of them lowered their head even slightly, their action would be exposed.