I turned reality into a romantic comedy.

As it turns out, a female protagonist who has absolutely no sexual common sense or sense of shame can only appear in some strange situations with tags such as changing common sense or hypnosis and brainwashing. Just like the premise of childhood friendship is that they must be young, a fifteen-year-old girl and a five-year-old girl are completely different species in every aspect.

That's why, even though a childhood sweetheart had made up her mind to make up for the missing part of her life, after racking her brains for a long time, she could only come up with a compromise or a way to deceive herself. After all, she couldn't really say to Chen Junqian, "Let's go take a shower together."

Moreover, even if he did say it out loud, Lin Mu would probably think that the other person would just think he was saying "Let's go to the bathhouse together." After all, it's already autumn and winter, and the bathhouse business is starting again. However, Lin Mu himself has hardly ever been to a bathhouse, while Xu Youwei often asks Chen Junqian to go together.

So after considering all of the above, Lin Mu finally decided on the option of making a phone call. After all, the idea of ​​childhood sweethearts taking a bath together is basically the same as being able to chat while taking a bath.

However, Lin Mu had only been immersed in his own amazing wisdom for a short while when he was choked by Chen Junqian's subconscious reply.

"Although I don't know why Mumu suddenly called me when she wanted to take a shower, is it possible that I only have a shower at home?"

As a common scene in both anime and real life, talking on the phone while taking a shower is a common intimate interaction between couples. There are even often scenes where the female lead suddenly says, "I'm taking a shower right now," startling the male lead on the other end of the line into blushing.

However, the above situation is based on the premise that both men and women need to have a bathtub to take a bath. After all, no one can use their mobile phone and talk to someone while taking a shower. However, compared to Japan, more families in China obviously use showers as bathroom facilities. After all, not every family can set aside a special area for a bathtub. The house that Chen Junqian's family bought a few years ago is an example of this.

"...Oh, right."

Lin Mu, who could only say that she had a bathtub at home, had indeed forgotten about Chen Junqian's family situation for a moment. After realizing this, she felt her face start to burn. After all, besides her sister and neighbors who she could visit every day, she was the one who visited Chen Junqian's house the most among Guo Ning's childhood friends. As a result, she acted like a friend who didn't know anything about his family situation, which was really a bit embarrassing.

And thinking about it this way, it seems that in her social circle, apart from herself, no one else's home seems to have a bathtub. Gu Lingguo and Chen Xi both live in the same complex as Chen Junqian, and their interior design styles are almost identical. Zhu Wenjun's place is the same, whether it's her previous apartment in the urban village or her newly rented place near Ningzhong High School. As for Weiwei—

Oh right, isn't there also Vivi?

Lin Mu remembered very clearly that Xu Youwei's new home had a bathtub that was even bigger than hers; just looking at it made her feel like she wanted to simmer in it.

Moreover, Weiwei only stays at her new house on weekends. The rest of the time, she still goes back to her old house for the convenience of going to school. So, there is no one at her new house during those days. You just need to borrow her key. As for whether you go to Weiwei's house and let Qianqian go to your house, or whether Qianqian goes to Weiwei's house and you stay at your house, we can discuss it later!

However, considering that only Weiwei knows how to use the bathtub in her new house, it wouldn't be appropriate to let Qianqian, a boy, use it, so the first option is definitely the best.

Seeing Lin Mu, who had just looked embarrassed, suddenly become energetic again, Chen Junqian asked curiously:

"What's wrong?"

"I've got a solution. Qianqian, wait a moment, I'll go call Weiwei."

As he spoke, Lin Mu picked up his phone from the bench next to him, which he had left there while jumping rope, and made a call to his good friend, showing an unusually high level of initiative.

"Hmm? Is there something you need, Mu Mu?"

The call was answered in no time. Xu Youwei, who was doing her test at her new home, greeted the caller casually while continuing to look at the questions in front of her.

"I want to ask Vivi for a favor."

"Well, you said."

"Can I use your bathtub once?"

"A bathtub? Why does Mumu suddenly want to use mine? Is yours broken?"

Still focused on the math problem in front of her, Xu Youwei casually gave another answer.

"Um, is that okay?"

It was quite obvious that Lin Mu was still rather inexperienced at lying, her tone throughout being hesitant and perfunctory. Fortunately, Xu Youwei, sitting opposite her, didn't seem to think much of it either. Finally relieved to have figured out the correct auxiliary line, she readily agreed.

"It's okay, come over here, I'm at home."

"Okay, I'll be there in a bit. Thanks, Vivi. See you later!"

After hanging up the call with Xu Youwei, Lin Mu, full of energy, pulled Chen Junqian up with him. Judging from their spirits, the 800 meters they were about to run seemed like nothing at all.

"Then Qianqian can bring a change of clothes to my house later. No one's home today. You have a spare key, right?"

"Yes, there are..."

Seeing Chen Junqian's hesitant expression, Lin Mu quickly patted his arm:

"I've already told Weiwei, so you can't disagree."

"alright."

Seeing that Lin Mu had already put it this way, Chen Junqian thought about it and nodded in agreement. He didn't think that this kind of trick, which was essentially more self-deceptive than self-deception, could unlock the relevant achievement at all. He just felt that the scene of Mu Mu talking to him on the phone in the bathtub of Youyou's new house was a bit too awkward, which was why he hesitated for a moment.

Of course, the short-term mental stimulation had very limited effect on physical fitness. Rather, it was because she looked too excited that Mu Mu was unable to control her speed distribution in the 800 meters. After running the 800 meters with some difficulty, she looked more tired than usual, with a layer of fine sweat on her forehead.

After wiping the other person's face twice with a tissue, Chen Junqian was 'sent' home by Lin Mu, and they agreed to call each other promptly in half an hour.

After saying goodbye to Lin Mu temporarily, he had no choice but to go home to get a change of clothes and a spare key to Lin Mu's house. Then he set off again on his bicycle. However, as soon as he arrived at the other party's door, he realized that the information was wrong. The living room light was on, and there was no one at home as Mu Mu had said.

However, for Chen Junqian, this was really not a big deal. Instead of taking the key and opening the door directly, he politely reached out and knocked twice. Then he saw Lin Mu's mother opening the door from the inside.

"Junqian's here. Didn't Mumu go out for exercise with you?"

If we only discuss commonalities, then the most common point between childhood friends in reality and in the world of anime is probably the family relationship between the two parties. Rather, the so-called childhood friends are never simply a relationship between two people, but a connection between two families.

This is precisely why the parents and other elders of both sides often appear as wingmen in various works of art to advance the plot.

The situation of Chen Junqian and Lin Mu's families is the most typical example of this. After all, in addition to the emotional connection, the interdependent relationship of interests that has formed between the two families plays a crucial role, although Lin Mu himself has not yet realized this.

“She went to Youwei’s house to play with Youwei. I told her that the water was cut off at my house today, so Mumu asked me to come here to take a shower. Thank you, Auntie.”

"It's alright, Junqian, come in. The shoes are over there. I'll go and drain the water for you first."

"Okay, thank you, Auntie."

Now that things have come to this, there's no need for any more polite words like 'don't be so polite and make yourself at home.' After all, both Chen Junqian and Lin Mu are already frequent guests at each other's homes. They've even gone through the process of taking a shower before when they stayed here. So, after taking his slippers from the shoe cabinet, Chen Junqian went inside with practiced ease.

"Is Uncle not here today?"

“He went out for a business dinner tonight. You can come in and wash up. I’m going out to buy groceries. You can stay for dinner at my place tonight.”

"understood."

Unlike many cases where early relationships involve parental opposition rather than consent from the child, Chen Junqian's excellence is seen more clearly from the parents' perspective. While girls in school typically only see appearance and grades, the parents undoubtedly consider much more. The reasons that would have been used to righteously condemn early relationships in the past are not valid when applied to Chen Junqian.

Simply put, even if parents asked him, "As a student, can you take responsibility for my daughter's life?" Chen Junqian could confidently answer, "Yes."

Chen Junqian himself was unaware that Aunt Lin outside the door was already thinking about such things. The bathtub was only a quarter full when he started taking off his clothes, glancing at his phone. Then he heard a notification sound—a text message from Xu Youwei asking about his health.

"Did Mumu go to exercise alone tonight? She just arrived here and was covered in sweat."

"I was with her."

Why didn't you call me?

"Aren't you busy studying lately? Mu Mu needs more exercise. How's Jun's tutoring going?"

"That's great. Actually, she's quite good at teaching. See you at school tomorrow—"

"Ah."

He casually replied with a thumbs-up emoji from the other person that he had been using for over a year. After taking off his clothes, Chen Junqian also lay down in the half-filled bathtub. However, he had no time to derive the law of buoyancy like Archimedes of ancient Greece. After estimating that the time was about right, he directly called Lin Mu's phone.

Meanwhile, because Xu Youwei had turned on the water beforehand, Lin Mu, who had quickly and comfortably settled into the hot water in the bathtub, also relaxed and stretched out his limbs, unconsciously letting out a long breath.

It has to be said that although Lin Mu had seen the interior design of Vivi’s house before and knew that it was a new and large bathtub, seeing it and actually using it are two different things. After Lin Mu lay down in it, he realized that the place was indeed spacious and felt that there was more than enough room for another person to fit in.

Sleepiness and drowsiness quickly rose up with the rising steam, but the sudden ringing of her phone immediately woke her up. She quickly grabbed the phone, which was specially put in a waterproof bag, and sure enough, it was Chen Junqian calling. However, in her panic, and because it was difficult to operate through the waterproof bag, she couldn't get the slider to the green call button after two tries. The phone just kept ringing, and even Xu Youwei, who was in her own room, could hear it.

At first, she thought Lin Mu had left her phone outside and someone was calling, so she got up and went to the living room to take her best friend's phone in. But when she came out, she realized that the ringing was coming from the bathroom.

"Mu Mu?"

Xu Youwei gently knocked on the bathroom door from the outside and tentatively asked a question.

"Ah, Weiwei, I, you... what's wrong?"

Lin Mu inside seemed startled, and two splashes of water could even be heard.

"Uh, your phone keeps ringing."

"Yes, yes, I was just about to answer the phone."

"Who called? Did your auntie ask you to come home for dinner?"

"...It's Qianqian, I'll take it first."

Lin Mu had planned to complete the "Childhood Sweethearts: The Number of Things We Must Do" project with Chen Junqian, but the thought of another eavesdropper standing outside made her brain freeze, especially since it was her first time doing something like this. After struggling to swipe to the call button, Lin Mu looked towards the bathroom door while leaning over the edge of the bathtub and heard Chen Junqian's familiar voice.

"Hey, Mu Mu, how are things on your end?"

If Xu Youwei hadn't been standing right at the bathroom door, Lin Mu estimated he could have naturally replied, "The plan is going well, let's begin now." But now, she couldn't say anything at all, and the water in the bathtub kept bobbing up and down with the girl's movements.

"Well, uh, I feel a little dizzy."

Both physically and mentally, Lin Mu subconsciously blurted out her true feelings. Xu Youwei at the door and Chen Junqian on the other end of the phone were both startled. The former was about to push the door open when Lin Mu, realizing this, quickly snapped back to reality and hurriedly called out to the door:

"I'm fine, I didn't faint from the water, Weiwei, don't worry."

At the same time, she clearly heard the splashing water on the other end of the phone as Chen Junqian subconsciously sat up. Only then did she belatedly realize that he was also taking a bath in the tub, just like her. She felt her body and face begin to heat up in the hot water and steam, and she even forgot about Xu Youwei outside the door. It was as if she suddenly had no strength left, to the point that she needed both hands to hold the phone. She leaned on the edge of the tub and chuckled twice at the phone.

"Don't worry, Qianqian, I'm fine. I'm all better now."

"That's good. I thought you had fainted from soaking in the water."

"No, no, I only soaked in it for a little while, how could I get dizzy so quickly? But Vivi's bathtub is really big, and it feels really comfortable. My face is a little hot. Vivi, Vivi, could you let Qianqian experience it once in a while? You could put down a disposable bath towel beforehand... Ugh, I don't want to move at all."

It felt like they were just talking about whatever came to mind, and they had agreed to chat as a couple, but now Xu Youwei had naturally been dragged into the conversation as well, making Chen Junqian on the other end of the phone chuckle a little.

As for Xu Youwei, who was outside the bathroom, although she certainly didn't like the situation where she had to go through Mu Mu to hear what Chen Junqian was saying, she was quite cooperative in agreeing with her topic, considering that Lin Mu herself was unaware of what had happened between her and Qinqin inside.

Or perhaps, it's also an opportunity to speak one's true feelings.

"Qinqin can come anytime she wants."

She certainly hoped that the other person could stay here with her again, just like in the summer.

"Qianqian, Weiwei said you can come whenever you want!"

...even if it has to be conveyed through another girl who is currently in her bathtub.

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

PS2: The title refers to one of the famous scenes from White Album 2. If three people are together, then everything has to be done by three people ( ).

Chapter 30: May You Sleep Well (Part 2)

One day in November 2014, Chen Junqian once again came to the company headquarters' recording studio.

However, this time he wasn't there for work or to accompany Gu Lingguo to record a video. He came here alone. The layout inside was also different from usual. The new equipment that he had asked the staff here to help assemble and start was already sitting there steadily.

The Neumann KU 100, a simulated human head microphone, was the best recording microphone on the market when ASMR, or so-called sleep aid videos, had only been around for a few years. It not only had a standard human head size, but also a realistic ear structure. A pair of carefully designed silicone ears were created to capture the most perfect 'binaural effect'. This one item alone cost Chen Junqian tens of thousands of yuan of his savings.

However, he didn't buy this from abroad all the way to enter the ASMR industry in advance; it was simply because of a conversation he had with Shen Nianqiu a few days ago.

Unlike Zhu Wenyun, with whom he could chat late into the night on the phone every day, Shen Nianqiu and Chen Junqian's communication was almost entirely through text chat logs. The reason was simple: the former was still living in the school dormitory, and being able to sneak a phone call in bed was already the limit. There was no reason for them to make a phone call, either in terms of time or space.

Of course, writing has its advantages, but human desires always tend to increase step by step. Moreover, looking at your phone in the dark under the covers after turning off the lights is bad for your eyesight. It's not nearly as comfortable as answering a call, putting on your headphones, and lying there chatting. Besides, their relationship originally consisted mostly of chatting.