I turned reality into a romantic comedy.

Still seemingly preoccupied with Chen Junqian's earlier comment about getting homework from Lin Mu, Zhu Wenyun casually gave a few perfunctory replies, then proactively steered the conversation towards her new book, which she was currently working on:

"I feel like we could add a scene like this to the female lead's storyline in the new book. After all, they're childhood sweethearts, and their personalities match. But it needs to be a bit more dramatic. Didn't Junqian and Lin Mu just go to get some homework and go home without anything happening?"

"Yes, there were no supernatural events that led to a scientific investigation, nor were there any misunderstandings that required a twist of fate. I just remember getting an assignment in a very ordinary way. But Mu Mu is indeed quite timid."

I guessed so.

After hearing Chen Junqian's answer, Zhu Wenyun smiled in the same way:

"But if I were to write it in the book, I feel I would have to add some plot. After all, with such a good scene and timing, it would be a shame if nothing happened."

To be honest, this statement actually reflects Zhu Wenyun's feelings about Lin Mu on many occasions. As an observer who couldn't witness their interactions firsthand, she sometimes lamented that such a perfect situation and timing resulted in nothing happening. It's hard to imagine that if she had been in charge of everything, things would probably have turned into a one-woman show like in the novel "My Dear Forever Dear," and she might even have been able to give Shen Nianqiu a hard time a few years ago:

In reality, he'll definitely have more than one girl by his side, but I can make him have only me by his side. Can you do that?

"Hmm, let me see it when Wenyun writes it down."

After stretching lazily, Chen Junqian started talking to the other person about Shen Nianqiu again.

“I’m going to Lin’an during the National Day holiday. If things really come to a head, you can start preparing a media offensive.”

As a new generation romance novelist promoted by the editorial department of "Fireworks", even if Zhu Wenyun herself had no intention of opening a personal account on a platform before, the studio would help her apply for one and carry out a standardized industrial chain of onboarding, certification, buying fans and operation, such as Weibo.

"Okay, I understand. Actually, I've already written the relevant copy, but I still hope it won't be used. After all, once it's done, it will put Sister Nianqiu in the spotlight as well."

"That's just how the internet is. I even suspect that Wen Yun will eventually be accused of profiting from others' suffering. But there's no way around it. If you want to use public opinion, you have to be mentally prepared for this. As long as most people are on my sister's side, that's enough."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Wenyun nodded slightly. As one of the few people who had heard Shen Nianqiu's life story in its entirety and in detail, she had no doubt about this. After all, even the book she wrote based on Shen Nianqiu's life story, "My Dear Forever Dear," had to consider commercialization and the market. In reality, the atmosphere was far more suffocating than in the book.

Moreover, in reality, someone is not like the male protagonist in the book, who focuses all his attention and attention on the female protagonist from beginning to end.

Therefore, Zhu Wenyun never felt that the Zhu Nianxia she created was the same person as the real Shen Nianqiu. If they were, the other person wouldn't have said that at that time.

Actually, in my opinion, you could be my younger brother's girlfriend.

Now that she's been officially recognized, she has to send her 'boyfriend' back to him, without being allowed to express any other emotions or thoughts.

...It really is a very strange relationship.

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

Xu Youwei is trying very hard to awaken the academic genes she had in elementary school.

Well, the truth is that she wasn't a top student in elementary school at all, and there are plenty of students who did well in elementary school but then completely failed in middle and high school, so it's not like we need another one like her.

Anyone who has been a student knows that exam scores tend to improve very slowly. Otherwise, we wouldn't have those classic scenes in urban novels where you suddenly get a good score and people suspect you of cheating, then the younger ones get beaten up and the older ones come and publicly test you again, only to be stunned and exclaim that you're a genius.

However, when it starts to fall, it's an irrational, precipitous drop, like suddenly being unable to solve a problem overnight.

Throughout September, Youyou was in a painful state.

There was no way around it; she had gone too far with her summer vacation, especially in August after her birthday. She had almost forgotten that she was a junior high student preparing for the high school entrance exam. When she returned to school, she was caught off guard by a surprise exam, and her mood naturally plummeted. So much so that a few days ago she even asked Chen Junqian not to come looking for her after evening self-study.

This would make her spend the entire evening self-study session fantasizing about meeting and dating after class.

Rather, this was also a point that made Xu Youwei so depressed that she wanted to bang her head against a wall.

Before they were officially a couple, when she encountered academic problems, he would immediately organize a study session. But that doesn't work now.

The main reason is that Xu Youwei is too aware of her current state. She is just like the love-struck heroines in those third-rate romance novels who are in the throes of new love, trapped in a withdrawal-like state where she can't live without her partner. Although it's not that exaggerated, she certainly can't focus on her studies.

So, the fact that the two are not in the same class might actually be a good thing at this time.

In fact, Chen Junqian did organize a study session last weekend.

But her own mind was in complete turmoil.

Even just watching the other person perfectly execute her requests, no longer engaging in those under-the-table antics or the usual intimate gestures between lovers, but instead teaching her and Lin Mu the same way as before, Xu Youwei felt very wronged.

This is clearly her boyfriend! Just a month ago, that long, beautiful hand holding the pen was touching her head in the bathtub at her house, his fingertips tracing the ends of her hair. Now, however, they've reverted to the distance that was only between childhood sweethearts.

The worst part was that she really wanted to rush over and hug him right then and there.

The anxiety of failing the exam, coupled with the oppressive feeling of having to pretend to be far away when they were so close, made Xu Youwei's heart feel restless. As a result, throughout the entire study session, her mind was filled with all sorts of chaotic thoughts, such as wanting to reach into his clothes to touch his collarbone, wanting to bury her head in his neck to smell his scent, and wanting to put her legs on his knees and rub her lower abdomen against his stomach.

And so, Xu Youwei stopped attending the study sessions.

So why are you thinking about Qinqin again?

A little alarmed, I quickly refocused my thoughts on the blackboard in front of me.

Sure enough, even though I had only been daydreaming for a short while, the math teacher's blackboard was filled with a bunch of process formulas that I couldn't understand at all.

That's not how it's portrayed in romance novels at all!

The somewhat discouraged female protagonist slumped onto the table, thinking this with great dissatisfaction. Then, she unconsciously looked out the window at the dark night, completely unaware that the author of her favorite romance novel was also putting this idea into practice in another corner of the campus.

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Chapter Twelve: Washing Hands and Cooking for You (Part Two)

"Time to get up, bro."

It was the same familiar ceiling, the same familiar faces, and the same familiar lines. As always, I achieved the "wake up" achievement in my mind once again. If I count the time, I think I had already reached the maximum of one thousand times for my sister's special "wake up" achievement when I was in my second year of high school.

She's completely at the opposite extreme from Mu Mu next door, who claims to be her childhood sweetheart but hasn't actually managed to reach a hundred times in years. Moreover, it's visibly clear that this already astonishingly slow pace will decrease further over time. It feels like she'll probably have to wait until college to reach the required number. She just doesn't know if the other person will be able to ask her, like the childhood sweethearts in Zhu Wenyun's book, "Where should we rent a place if we're together?"

What are you thinking about?

"Thinking about my college days."

"My brother hasn't taken his high school entrance exam yet, has he?"

"But since the phrase parents love to say is 'You can do whatever you want after you get into college,' it's only natural that people have high expectations for college."

The truth is that 'the best college life only exists in the fantasies of high school students'.

To be honest, if Chen Junqian hadn't been so overly attached to his childhood, he would have actually hoped that the system would have reborn him back to his college days. After all, even if he didn't understand what a romantic comedy was back then, romance was something that college students could naturally do, and it wouldn't lead to any embarrassing situations below the neck.

"Don't think about it now, get up quickly, we still have things to do today, hurry up."

Unlike usual, today Chen Xi did not leave as if clocking in for work after waking Chen Junqian. Instead, she sat on the edge of the bed and began urging the latter to get ready.

"I know, I thought Xiaoxi was past the age of being interested in KFC."

"Although I am indeed on a diet, it's okay to indulge occasionally. Besides, this is also a way to conduct market research for our store in advance. That's all."

If Chen Junqian were to find the element that best fits the romantic comedy setting in his current real life, his younger sister being his childhood sweetheart would probably be a nominee. This is reflected not only in their family relationship but also in their business cooperation. Unlike Lin Mu's family and Xu Youwei's family, the other two families have maintained a high degree of unity in their investment and entrepreneurship since the beginning of the Three Fierce Xus.

Of course, his aunt being brainwashed by TV commercials and wanting to go into business on her own doesn't count.

However, compared to Chen Junqian, who mostly went to the Three Fierce Xu's place for various reasons, Chen Xi's most frequented business was actually the only KFC in Guoning so far. Whenever a new product was launched or a promotional meal was updated, she would drag Chen Junqian along to try it out a couple of times under the guise of market research. It was a secret activity between the two siblings.

What's new this time?

"Breakfast! That's why I had to drag my brother over so early in the morning."

"...To be honest, I've never had any particular expectations for KFC's breakfast, and I always feel it's strange to eat breakfast in a place like this, when there are breakfast stalls everywhere."

"It might give off a more elite white-collar vibe, and that's how they shoot commercials."

"So, is it possible that we're in a small, third-tier county town?"

Despite his complaints, Chen Junqian got up, dressed, and washed up in one go. Then he took his sister downstairs, unlocked the bicycle in the bike shed, and Chen Xi sat on the back seat with ease, then reached out and tugged at his clothes.

All I can say is that she has always been like this on occasions other than New Year's Eve. Compared to a certain literary girl whose aloofness is purely an act, Chen Junqian feels that his younger sister is more aloof and quiet in nature. Otherwise, she wouldn't have ended up working at a museum in her previous life.

Unlike the younger sister who, under the guise of market research, only wanted to eat, Chen Junqian, as a genuine investor and manager of the store, always had to consider more issues. After all, even though they are both KFC, the operating strategies of a KFC located in the bustling streets of Shanghai and a KFC located in a small, third-tier county town are definitely different.

The simplest question is whether or not to launch a new product launched by headquarters, and if so, how much to stock. If not handled properly, it can easily lead to business accidents or losses. Fortunately, Chen Junqian was the only reborn person in the small county town, and he was also a half-fast food enthusiast in his previous life, so he was able to avoid most of the pitfalls.

Take, for example, the sensational "Who Can Represent KFC - Original Recipe Chicken vs. Golden Crispy Chicken" campaign at the beginning of the year. They directly brought in Chen Kun and Kai Ko to divide the camps and start a fan-driven ranking battle. After that campaign ended, they seemed to have tasted success and launched the Super Star Seller campaign. However, they brought in Kai Ko to endorse it again. As a result, the latter lost both his reputation and his reputation. Not only did Golden Crispy Chicken lose to Original Recipe Chicken, but he also gained another point for the entertainment industry's drug-using team more than a month ago, directly becoming a FIFa figure.

Thinking this, Chen Junqian rode his bicycle with his sister and successfully arrived at the KFC store. At this time, there were indeed not many people in the store. They could only occasionally see two delivery employees going in and out. After going in, the two went directly to the second floor and contacted the store manager by phone. Soon after, the manager quickly brought up several new products that had not yet been officially launched.

"...Why are there so many?"

Compared to his sister, whose eyes were shining, Chen Junqian, who rarely ate KFC after his rebirth, could only twitch his lips as he looked at the mountain of various staple foods, snacks, desserts, and drinks in front of him.

"It's okay. If we can't finish it, I can call Lin Mu and Lin Guo over to help. And let me tell you, bro, you're a guy, aren't guys your age supposed to be able to finish a whole family bucket by themselves without any drinks?"

"I can eat, but I don't have any particular interest in it."

"Then consider it as having dinner with me. If you still say you're not interested in having dinner with me, then I'm going to get angry."

As she said this, Chen Xi gave Chen Junqian a rare playful smile, then reached out and took a bowl of porridge (actually, Guoning people are more used to calling it congee).

"Chicken congee with pickled mustard greens and bamboo shoots - very few side dishes, just so-so. Want to try it?"

Seeing that the person who had tasted one spoonful of porridge was now offering another to his mouth, Chen Junqian had no choice but to take a mouthful. In the end, he couldn't resist the urge to complain:

"KFC is now selling both porridge and rice, so I feel like one day I'll be able to try mala tang here."

"That's how localization works, which is why there are so many strange new products every year. I thought my brother was already used to it."

After drinking two spoonfuls of porridge, Chen Xi shifted her interest to the other two breakfast items next to her:

"Look, there are egg pancakes and sesame seed cakes here, right? Let me see... their official names are egg rolls and French-style sesame seed cakes."

"The scientific names are all here."

Following Chen Xi's gaze, Chen Junqian reached out and picked up the egg roll:

"It actually looks more like a hand-held pizza."

"Please don't mention those four words... Sigh, thinking about it now is still speechless."

As she said this, Chen Xi took a bite of the sesame seed cake in her hand, which she didn't know had somehow broken, as if venting her frustration. The crumbs and pieces that fell off landed on her mouth and the plate. She didn't bother to wipe them with a tissue, but just raised her chin at Chen Junqian sitting opposite her in a coquettish manner.

However, Chen Junqian is not the kind of person who says "You're such a grown-up" while helplessly reaching out to wipe his sister's mouth. In fact, the first part of his thought never even comes to mind, because the second part of his behavior has already become a conditioned reflex. After all, starting with Lin Mu, all these girls have taught him to practice countless times.

"So why is there a chicken wing here?"

"Oh, this is the Chu-style roasted chicken wing that I plan to add to the 10-wing-a-bucket set meal later. Try eating chicken wings in a bucket, chicken wings in a bucket, chicken wings in a bucket, chicken wings in a bucket, chicken wings every time... The modern-day Ji Ji Chicken Tale is here."

As he spoke, Chen Junqian casually picked up the chicken wing and put it in his mouth. It was 39 yuan for a bucket of ten wings, plus one yuan for a free Coke. He and Zhong Yu had ordered this combo countless times in their past lives, although they always ended up arguing about whether the New Orleans chicken wings or the spicy chicken wings were the right ones. Compared to the latter, they were both devout believers in chicken wings.

"how do you feel?"

"It's alright, a little spicier than New Orleans chicken wings."

After making that casual comment, Chen Junqian heard his phone vibrate in his pocket. He took it out with his ungloved left hand and glanced at it. It was a message from Gu Lingguo, who lived next door:

"Where did you go, senior? Why aren't you home so early? Xiao Xi isn't here either. Did you two go out together?"

Lin Guo asked us if we had gone out.

Because Chen Xi had been watching them the whole time, Chen Junqian told her this before replying.