I turned reality into a romantic comedy.

"...Actually, it's not necessarily all about grades. Well, we'll see how it goes later."

While Chen Junqian and Lin Mu were talking about Xu Youwei, the person in question herself, just as they had both predicted, fell into a state of euphoria.

Just two minutes ago, she stood under that ranking list, feeling a little uneasy, and finally found her ranking—501.

From 687th place last time to 501st place now, you've moved up almost 200 places!

Judging solely from the rate of improvement, this was definitely her biggest improvement in all of middle school. Although she was still a hundred places away from her previous ranking of around four hundred, in Xu Youwei's love-struck brain, which had been pent up for over a month and was on the verge of breaking down, this result was practically a resounding victory.

They've already met the admission requirements for the senior high school section of Guoning Middle School, so what more could they ask for?

Anyway, she didn't plan to apply for any honors class. After all, Chen Junqian had already secured a spot in the special admission class. Whether she applied for a regular class or an honors class, she wouldn't be able to be in the same class as him. So, she just needed to make sure that she could be in the same school as him.

With this thought in mind, on her way to the club activity room after the school bell rang, Xu Youwei's steps were so light that she almost floated, as if she couldn't wait to show off to others, while little bubbles kept popping into her mind.

Did I have it easy this past month? I was constantly working myself to the bone, drinking coffee like water, even talking in my sleep in English, and I didn't ask Qinqin out at all... not counting the National Day holiday, which he asked me out on his own.

Xu Youwei muttered this to herself, feeling wronged, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up in a smile.

So, I've made such great progress, it wouldn't be too much to ask for a small reward, or rather, a small reward for myself, would it?

The moment she thought of such things, the pink little theater in her mind started running wildly again:

On another note, should we do what we did before and have Qinqin come over early after school, or maybe I should just pretend to be sick and skip evening self-study so the two of us can go out and play together? No, no, no, that would be discovered by my father. I'll just pretend to be sick at home and have him come over to take care of me. Once the bedroom door is closed, no one will know what the two of us are doing inside.

And then...

Just thinking about this made Xu Youwei feel her girlish heart, which had been dormant for a long time, begin to throb and revive. Her cheeks even felt hot, and she didn't feel anything when the chilly autumn wind blew on her face.

But then again, Qinqin was a bit too 'heartless'. She said she would study hard this month, but she really didn't care much about her. She only asked her to come out and play once during the National Day holiday. The day before yesterday, Saturday, she even took Mumu shopping for clothes. She was clearly the real girlfriend.

Walking into the club's activity room, Lin Mu and Chen Junqian were already sitting inside. Today was the day Zhu Wenyun would bring lunch to the three of them twice a week, so they didn't have to go out to buy food. They could experience Zhu Wenyun's cooking skills here. This was also the time when Xu Youwei most wanted to learn to cook, but she only had a three-minute attention span each time.

So how come some people can excel academically, cook well, and write novels at the same time?

Anyway, every time Xu Youwei ate Zhu Wenjun's dinner, she would unconsciously have this kind of thought. But when she thought that such an excellent girl was not chosen by Qinqin, she would subconsciously feel that it was nothing. So being able to cook is not a big deal. Mu Mu can't cook either.

But then again, if Mu Mu could cook, maybe she would have been the only one to become familiar with Chen Junqian a few years ago, and noticed him separately when no one else had realized how amazing he was?

Completely unaware of how many times Xu Youwei's mind raced in that instant, Lin Mu, upon seeing Xu Youwei enter, habitually greeted her with a smile:

"Vivi's here—how did the exam go?"

In response to Lin Mu's question, Xu Youwei took a deep breath, adjusted her expression, and tried her best to maintain the aloof demeanor of "I'm just here to eat, I didn't want to talk about it, I'm only answering because you asked." She first plopped down in the empty seat next to Chen Junqian, and then deliberately cleared her throat to answer:

"It's alright, I've improved by almost two hundred places, so last time was just a pure accident."

Although she was answering Lin Mu's question, Xu Youwei's eyes kept glancing in Chen Junqian's direction, as if she was waiting for his reaction.

Chen Junqian turned his head, his gaze falling on her face, which was indeed much gentler than it had been a month ago:

"I saw your class when I came here. You got 501. You've definitely improved."

Xu Youwei was overjoyed and was just about to press the issue further, making some seemingly unreasonable but perfectly reasonable requests for her girlfriend, when Lin Mu suddenly interrupted excitedly:

"Weiwei! You're amazing! I knew you could do it!"

Lin Mu, genuinely cheering for his friend, clapped twice with a sense of ceremony:

"Now all three of us are within the admission line for Ningzhong High School again."

"That's natural."

Xu Youwei raised her chin slightly, displaying an expression that, although she didn't want to admit it, she couldn't help but feel a little smug:

"As I just said, it was just an accident last time. By the way, Mumu, how did you do this time? You were 20 points behind others in PE, so you need to work on your academic subjects."

She was calculating in her mind: Although Lin Mu was ranked 457th last time, Lin Mu had always been ranked around 500 or 600. Last time, she only managed to get into the 400 range because of a surprise attack and the buff from studying hard during the summer vacation. This time, Lin Mu should be able to drop back to a similar level to her.

Upon hearing Xu Youwei's question, Lin Mu smiled somewhat embarrassedly, then held up two fingers and made a V-sign.

"I came in 421st this time. I didn't expect to improve by more than 30 places. It's all thanks to Qianqian's accurate predictions in the week before. I got about 60% of the partial marks on the last math question, which was very, very important."

421st.

Before Xu Youwei could react, Lin Mu continued chattering away, seemingly oblivious to the precipitous drop in Xu Youwei's mood:

"And Qianqian is really amazing! Weiwei, do you know? Qianqian is especially good at teaching you how to earn extra points out of thin air, and he also clearly outlines the key points of history and politics. We've been practicing this during evening self-study for the past month. I feel like I got at least seven or eight more points in math this time!"

We studied in the evening, we...

Xu Youwei keenly caught the word, and then subconsciously asked:

What does "evening self-study" mean?

"Ah, I didn't know that Weiwei wasn't in our class. Actually, Qianqian specifically asked our homeroom teacher to let me switch seats with Zhong Yu during the first evening self-study session. That way, it would be easier for him to teach me. It's like giving me private tutoring. After all, I've been hovering around the cutoff score for university admission. If I don't get in, the three of us won't be able to be together in high school."

Lin Mu's explanation in the latter half was undoubtedly correct, and Xu Youwei was well aware that this was his intention. However, after hearing this, she still subconsciously turned to look at Chen Junqian beside her. The light in her eyes that had been eagerly seeking a reward just moments before had completely disappeared, replaced by a wronged accusation and a hint of jealousy that she herself did not want to admit.

"...I also want Qinqin to teach me."

Xu Youwei muttered something under her breath, her voice sounding softer and sweeter.

"So we can hold study sessions like before, but Youyou herself has always disagreed."

"That's because...that's because I always feel relaxed when I'm with you two, and then I unconsciously can't concentrate on my studies."

She still couldn't bring herself to express her true feelings. After all, in front of Lin Mu, Xu Youwei couldn't say that if the two of them were alone, the tutoring would go to strange places, and if the three of them were together, she would only pay special attention to their interactions.

"Let me think about it. How about letting Wenjun tutor you privately?"

Thinking of a certain literary girl who was both academically excellent and had a close relationship with someone, and who had been struggling with how to write about the mindset of a certain second female lead, Chen Junqian rubbed his chin and offered this suggestion.

Asking his girlfriend to pretend to be his girlfriend in a relationship to counsel his girlfriend in a secret relationship might sound like playing with fire, but considering that the latter already knew about the former's situation and even made the request to pretend to be in a relationship based on that, Chen Junqian didn't think there was a problem.

“Wen Yun is indeed a very good student. She has always been number one in Jinzhong, and she would be among the top students in our Ningzhong as well. There will definitely be no problem for her to teach you, Weiwei.”

Lin Mu naturally chimed in, then launched into a long, somewhat sentimental speech:

"Actually, I totally understand how Weiwei feels lately! If it weren't during evening self-study in the classroom with other classmates around, I feel like my mood would become very strange if Qianqian and I were alone there. It's definitely a feeling of being relaxed, but not really relaxed, there's tension in it. My heart beats fast and slow, and I can't concentrate on doing my homework."

After hearing Lin Mu's somewhat contradictory but not fabricated remarks, Xu Youwei silently wondered what was going on in her mind.

Why do I have this feeling that something happened between these two people in some corner of the world that I don't know about?

Just then, Zhu Wenyun, who arrived late, pushed open the door of the activity room and walked in carrying an oversized thermos. Upon seeing Chen Junqian, she also spoke with a bit of excitement:

"I feel like I'm getting the hang of the new book. Junqian, could you come over here a little earlier during evening self-study tonight?"

Xu Youwei subconsciously displayed the composure of a famous internet meme girl, tilting her head and adopting a tactical lean back posture.

During the month she had finally managed to study diligently, how did the world suddenly become like this?

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Chapter Twenty-Four: Your Childhood Friend Has Arrived (Part Two)

Taking advantage of the meal, Xu Youwei couldn't help but ask Chen Junqian about his schedule last month. Then, she completely ignored Mu Mu and turned her attention to Zhu Wenjun next to her.

"So, the current situation is that Qinqin comes here to chat with Wenyun during the second or third period of evening self-study. Is there a problem with this understanding?"

"This isn't a chat; we're having a literary discussion, creating, and researching. It's a very serious work matter. After all, Junqian is often my first reader, half an editor, and also my writing teacher."

Zhu Wenyun easily deflected Xu Youwei's summary. Talking about work in front of a middle school student felt like being told by an adult that "Mom and Dad have to go to work," leaving one with a frustrating feeling of wanting to refute but not knowing where to begin.

"Moreover, this exam has already proven that this time arrangement has not had any negative impact on my and Junqian's grades. Considering that Lin Mu and Youwei are also making progress, it can even be said that this model is the most appropriate so far."

Seeing Zhu Wenyun, who was about to legitimately take over her boyfriend's two or three hours of private time every night with just a few words, Xu Youwei really wanted to do something, but at this point she realized that she didn't really have any cards to play. After all, schools in China are really academically-oriented environments. They are not some street thugs. When academic performance is the banner, there is really no reason to complain.

After all, she couldn't really be like one of her classmates in elementary school who yelled at the homeroom teacher, "What will you do when you grow up if you don't study hard?" and said, "I have a hickory tree at home." Besides, those who actually had hickory trees at home were still studying hard here. So Xu Youwei gritted her teeth and thought for a long time before suddenly remembering the topic the three of them had been talking about before Zhu Wenyun arrived.

"...I'm still regressing overall, aren't I? I'm almost the worst student here. I was even planning to go to Ningzhong High School with everyone. I was just talking to them about this when I asked Yun if you weren't here. Qinqin said you could tutor me privately. What do you think?"

Well, with all tactics shifting to the jungle, Xu Youwei finally replicated the trick she and Chen Junqian used in Summoner's Rift: "You don't need to gank, just go in and find the enemy jungler's location and tell me," and directly chose to trade one-on-one.

Anyway, I can't be all lovey-dovey with Qinqin right now, so don't even think about taking advantage of me!

Zhu Wenyun, who had just been waving the banner of learning and standing on the moral high ground, was also taken aback upon hearing this. She was originally going to smoothly use the excuse of being busy with work to make up an excuse, but then she thought that this might actually be a good opportunity to study Xu Youwei's psychology one-on-one. If it went as smoothly as Shen Nianqiu's previous attempt, then the new book would be completely on the horizon. After all, compared to Lin Mu, Xu Youwei's thoughts were definitely more difficult to guess.

"Yeah, Mu Mu and I were thinking the same thing. It's mainly because Youyou said she couldn't join our study session. She said it would be great if Yun could help. To be honest, it would be like to split the four of us up and have us review separately. What do you think?"

Just then, Chen Junqian also began to persuade her, so Zhu Wenyun readily nodded in agreement.

“I usually study in this classroom during evening self-study. Why don’t you ask your homeroom teacher to let you come here for the first period to review separately, and then go back to class as usual for the second and third periods? That should be okay, right? If not, ask Junqian to talk to him for you. He’s quite influential here.”

"Well, I'll talk to them for Youyou. Actually, it's not a big deal. Evening self-study isn't mandatory anyway. Several students in each class apply to skip it. Usually, if their families agree, the school won't say much. The homeroom teacher's favorite saying is 'Studying is for yourself.' Youyou just needs to change the location for the first class, which should be easy to resolve. I'll go to the office in a bit."

Although Xu Youwei was in Class 4 and Chen Junqian and Lin Mu were in Class 5, the two adjacent classes shared the same teachers for two subjects. In fact, even before meeting Xu Youwei that evening, he had already seen her grades through this channel. So, after saying this, Chen Junqian took out a notebook from his bag and handed it to Zhu Wenyun.

“I’ve asked her teacher for her test papers for the last two exams. She’s basically making the same few mistakes over and over again. You can take a look at them before you teach her, Yun.”

"...Why didn't you give it to me?"

"Isn't it because someone said they were going into seclusion by themselves? Whether you ask them out alone or with Mu Mu, they won't come. Don't worry, it's only been two months since the start of the third year of junior high. Take it slow."

As he spoke, Chen Junqian reached out to Xu Youwei again, intending to casually pat her hair as he always did. However, she instinctively took a small step back, as if guided by a gentlemanly song lyric. Then, realizing that Chen Junqian only intended to pat her head, she froze awkwardly, seemingly wanting to lean back and give him the pat again, but then feeling that it would be too deliberate. She pursed her lips and looked away.

"I know... I'll definitely pass the exam next month, no doubt about it."

"Weiwei can definitely do it. Next time, she'll improve by 200 places and go straight into the top class."

Completely oblivious to Xu Youwei's subtle actions and micro-expressions, Mu Mu continued to cheer on her good friend as always. On the contrary, Zhu Wenjun, who was standing next to her, suddenly felt inspired and had the urge to pick up a pen and record this scene right now.

However, to Zhu Wenjun's surprise, there was more than one surprise today. Not long after, seeing her best friend's mood return to normal, Lin Mu also began to talk about the weekend with an unusual burst of expressiveness. In a seemingly casual manner, as if she didn't want others to know that she was showing off, she revealed that the two of them had been childhood sweethearts for fifteen years.

Incidentally, this is something that even the male protagonist of a certain romantic comedy didn't know.

In the well-known romantic comedy "Nisekoi," which is considered a classic trope, there's a scene where the male protagonist tries to find his childhood photos to discover who the person he made a promise with is. However, he ends up finding that the person in the photos is neither Chitoge nor Onodera, but a girl named Marika. Unlike the astonished protagonist, Lin Mu actually finds the person he's looking for.

"Qianqian, look, these are photos I found in our family album after I got back. Actually, our family really likes taking pictures, and we have a lot of albums. This one was buried at the very bottom."

As she spoke, Lin Mu opened the old-looking photo album she had taken out of her schoolbag and pointed out two photos. They were taken on the grass in Yangning Park, where two four- or five-year-old children were looking at each other from above and below a slide. The girl on top seemed to be mustering up the courage to slide down, while the boy below had his arms outstretched as if to catch her.

"Isn't this Qianqian? We must have known each other before, and even hung out together."

Zhu Wenyun and Xu Youwei, standing nearby, seemed even more concerned about the matter than Chen Junqian, and they leaned over to examine it one on each side, while the person involved himself was completely bewildered.

"I don't seem to remember it."

"Because I was very young then, I don't really remember much. It was probably all from kindergarten."

Hearing Lin Mu's laughter, Chen Junqian, preoccupied with his thoughts, once again immersed himself in the system in his mind, checked the other party's panel, glanced over the various rating data at the beginning, and directly focused his attention on the character title at the end.

Similar to Xu Youwei's case, the phrase "first candidate" has been removed.

All that's left there is the simple title of "childhood sweetheart (childhood friend)".

Then, Chen Junqian's thoughts involuntarily returned to the day he was first reborn, when a certain system kept repeating to him the things about childhood friends.