I turned reality into a romantic comedy.

There was no way around it; because someone skipped a grade, Mom naturally had to come a year early to attend the 100-day countdown rally, even though Chen Xi herself wasn't even an adult yet.

"Dear leaders, teachers, parents, and dear graduating seniors—"

At exactly 8:30, the clear and resonant opening remarks of the radio station host suddenly came from the surround sound system at the four corners of the playground:

"The 'Eighteen Aspirations, One Hundred Days to Achieve Brilliance' Ceremony and the 100-Day Countdown Rally for the College Entrance Examination of Guoning High School Senior Three Classes now begins!"

"boom--!"

As the host finished speaking, the cannons on both sides of the playground suddenly emitted a deep boom, and countless golden and red sequined ribbons shot into the sky like a dazzling rain curtain, dancing wildly in the azure sky and reflecting thousands of dazzling fragments of gold. As the principal's impassioned speech gradually faded away, the loudspeaker on the playground switched to a soothing and affectionate piano piece, the accompaniment to "Where Has the Time Gone?".

The crisp, pure sound of piano keys lingered throughout the entire track and field, and the originally exciting and noisy atmosphere miraculously calmed down at this moment.

At the center of the stage, the host took a deep breath, his voice trembling slightly:

"Senior high school students, standing beside you are the people who gave you life and accompanied you through eighteen springs and autumns. Today, we ask all of you to face your loved ones and formally exchange the heartfelt words you have written down with your parents and the handwritten replies that your parents have treasured for you."

As the command was given, nearly a thousand families on the playground stood up at the same time and stood facing each other. Chen Junqian also walked back to his position. However, when he received the letter from his smiling mother, he couldn't help but feel a little dazed. Even before he had opened the letter to read a single word, his eyes were already sore.

Sure enough, his least regretful decision was not to choose to time travel, but instead to be reborn back in 2009.

No matter how many choices he makes, even if he now understands what a wonderful world the system originally wanted to send him to, Chen Junqian still believes that he will not change his mind.

"If I really had to choose, I would definitely choose to be reborn and go back to the past so that my parents could avoid accidents and live to be a hundred years old. Should I travel to another world and call another couple I don't even know my parents?"

[From beginning to end, I have always been my parents' proudest child]

"Well, if the host really cares about this, we can actually change your parents' settings from both being busy to both being dead, just like now."

Even now, I can still clearly remember the day I brought you into this world.

"What do I care if they live or die?"

We will always support you.

The conversation from back then and the words before him flashed alternately before his eyes. Just as Chen Junqian was pursing his lips and unconsciously recalling some memories of separation from his past life, his mother in front of him was also moved to tears by his sincere words.

As it turns out, even without some great orator on stage delivering tearful speeches, just a few lines of words and the emotions within them are enough to move the parents and students in the audience to tears. Even my younger sister, who is usually not very close to her family, puffed out her cheeks and let her mother hug her, choking back tears. It can only be said that if it weren't for that godparent she took in back then, none of the subsequent stories would have happened. So whatever...

"Everyone stand at attention—!"

After the emotions in the audience had largely subsided, the symphony suddenly became passionate and soaring again, and the grade head on the podium raised the microphone:

"Parents, please take your children's hands and let us witness together the Class of 2018 of Guoning Middle School crossing the threshold!"

At the starting point of the red carpet, Class 1 of Senior Three took the lead and lined up first. Chen Junqian, as always, straightened his back and held his mother's hand steadily with his left hand, walking at the forefront of the formation. Wang Hongling looked at her son, who was more than a head taller than her, with pride in her eyes. Lin Mu held his mother's arm, his face still covered with tears, but his lips were raised high. He exuded a lively and bright feeling, like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon. Zhu Wenjun held his grandmother's arm tightly with one hand. His tall figure was like a sword drawn from its sheath. He carefully and steadily protected the old woman as she walked forward.

"Tread, step, step..."

A thousand pairs of feet trod on the soft, thick red carpet, producing a deep and powerful resonance.

Amidst a flurry of golden and red confetti and golden balloons swirling and dancing in the sky above, and to the beat of rousing drums, Chen Junqian, holding his mother's hand, was among the first to step onto the steps leading to the archway.

The three large characters "门" (door) on the four-meter-high flower archway gleamed in the midday sun.

As he stepped through the archway, a gentle breeze brushed against Chen Junqian's face, and the wisps of hair on the boy's forehead fluttered in the wind.

He was reborn and then had a wonderful decade.

That's it.

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

PS2: There should be two or three more chapters in the main text?

Chapter 57: Meeting You When My Heart First Fluttered

In May, the early summer breeze already carried a dry yet vibrant warmth. The electric fans in the classroom creaked and spun tirelessly overhead, and the countdown clock in the upper right corner of the blackboard had unknowingly slipped down to just 28 days until the college entrance examination.

On the eve of the college entrance examination, when the tension was almost at its limit, Guoning Middle School's senior high school department once again welcomed the annual hiking event, just like previous years.

More than a thousand teachers and students will set off from the school at 6:30 a.m., hiking along the ring road and suburban greenways to a base more than 30 kilometers away. After having lunch and resting for two hours, they will hike back along the same route in the afternoon. The round trip is more than 60 kilometers in total. This is not only a test of the physical strength and will of the senior high school students, but also a grand escape specially approved by the school for these teenagers who are overwhelmed by exam papers and countdowns.

Since it was an outdoor activity, and the hiking route was long and involved outdoor safety communication, the school, which has always been very strict about electronic products, surprisingly lifted the ban on cell phones on this day. As long as they did not leave the group, students could not only bring cell phones, but were even allowed to use headphones to listen to music to relieve the boredom and fatigue of the long hike. In addition, thanks to the efforts of a certain romantic comedy male protagonist last year, evening self-study was also canceled after a long time. So, rounding up, it really was a day off.

For students like Chen Xi who are not good at sports, the school has prepared relevant emergency measures in advance. If students really feel physically exhausted or unwell, they can choose to get on the bus to rest. However, based on Chen Junqian's experience in his previous life, the bus is actually mostly occupied by the teachers who set off with them. After all, compared to the eighteen-year-old students who are essentially still in their physiological peak, it is not realistic to expect the forty or fifty-year-old teachers to accompany them for the whole journey.

After gathering on the playground, more than a thousand boys and girls wearing light short-sleeved school uniforms poured out of the school gate like a flood. Red flags fluttered at the front of the procession. Class 1 of Senior Three was the leading group and walked at the front. Chen Junqian held the class flag. The boy's posture was as upright as bamboo, which made many parents gathered at the gate unconsciously brighten up.

Half a body length to his left, Lin Mu carried a small pink backpack, had her hair tied in a high ponytail, and walked with a bouncy gait. Although she was petite, she walked very fast, like a little sparrow frolicking happily in the early summer morning. She also held two lollipops in her hands and would occasionally turn around and take a few steps backward, winking at Chen Junqian.

Walking to Chen Junqian's right, Zhu Wenyun's steps were steady. One might say that tall girls tend to have longer strides. Even with a 30-kilometer hike ahead, her breathing remained calm and steady. She carried a large two-liter sports water bottle in her hand, and her eyes were bright and composed.

Compared to the two who were full of confidence in every aspect, one of the younger girls looked utterly hopeless and like she was about to die. The morning exercise routine is only 1,000 meters at most, so this morning it was equivalent to more than 30 runs, and then she had to repeat the process again in the afternoon. Just thinking about it made her want to take sick leave.

But compared to someone taking sick leave and hiding at home hoping their brother will also take leave to take care of them, it's definitely more likely that they'll be physically exhausted and be carried to the finish line by their brother. After all, as the leader of the entire senior year, it's hard to imagine Chen Junqian not appearing at such an event, where local and school media would be taking photos and reporting along the way.

Following the long line of students, there were also quite a few parents who were full-time accompaniments. After all, it was one of the important moments in their children's lives, and they wanted to witness it or take pictures as a memento.

After a long absence from the classroom and school, everyone was in a relaxed mood on such a bright day. Whenever someone made a joke, the students around them would burst into laughter. The morning light gilded the long line with a dazzling layer of broken gold, and the early summer breeze carried the fragrance of earth and grass, sweeping away the gloom that had accumulated in the classroom for months.

However, a 30-kilometer hike is never an easy outing. As time goes by, the cool morning breeze gradually dissipates, and the midday sun hangs overhead like a furnace, baking the asphalt road until it is slightly hot.

The group had traveled more than ten kilometers, leaving the city and entering the winding mountain road. The initial excitement of the young men and women was gradually worn down by the intense exertion of the long journey. Many students who were not used to exercising began to walk heavily, blisters gradually formed on the soles of their feet, and their calf muscles ached unbearably. The originally noisy laughter in the group gradually subsided, leaving only heavy breathing and the rustling sound of shoes rubbing against the ground.

"No... Brother... My legs aren't my own anymore. They have their own ideas now and want to just lie flat on the spot..."

Chen Junqian was somewhat prepared for his younger sister's rather touching physical condition. He helped her carry the weight of her luggage and packages, and also let her lean on him for support. In fact, many students in Class One had already fallen behind. About an hour after they set off, the groups of each class were practically nonexistent. The faster ones had moved to the front, such as Xu Youwei, who had already come. The slower ones had gradually fallen behind. If he hadn't been watching his sister the whole way, Chen Xi would probably have been left far behind by now.

Chen Junqian casually patted his younger sister's head, injecting some kind of energy into the girl as if giving her a stimulant, and then pulled a clean wet wipe from his schoolbag and handed it to her:

"Wipe your sweat, there's a water station up ahead."

So does it mean I can rest?

"Well, actually, theoretically it should be the complete opposite."

As he spoke, Chen Junqian explained to the group that there was indeed a water station arranged by the school ahead. There were dozens of boxes of mineral water, sports drinks, and sliced ​​watermelons that the logistics teachers had brought in advance. There was also a huge banner with the words "Guoning students, tempered into steel" hanging by the roadside. Many representatives of the parent committees of the senior high school classes and enthusiastic parents would also drive there in advance, waving inflatable cheering sticks and red flags, ready to give the children who were hiking there the most enthusiastic support.

In addition to this, there will also be local TV station broadcast vans, as well as photographers and reporters, since this kind of event will definitely be reported. It is precisely for this reason that the school's initial idea was to hope that the senior students would show the high spirits of high school students in the new era when they passed by the water station.

In the words of the head of the teaching department, it would be best if one could run with a light and agile gait, grabbing a water bottle with one hand while high-fiving the parents on both sides, and then leaving the camera with a youthful and energetic silhouette running towards the future.

"Well, it feels like it's all just a show."

"The main reason was to be on camera, but in reality, everyone should have been too tired to run when they got there. So in the end, I told the school to find a few who could run to pose for a photo, and the rest of the students could rest there for a while."

As he spoke, Chen Junqian patted Xu Youwei beside him again:

"Now it's time for Youyou to make her appearance. You and Wenjun will follow behind me."

"And what about me? And what about me?"

"I feel it's a bit difficult to arrange a position for Mu Mu. How about she stands to my left?"

Feeling like she'd been teased by her childhood friend again, Lin Mu could only purse her lips. Luckily, she didn't have a book of grudges; she'd just record it in her diary at most.

Just as Chen Junqian had expected, the high school seniors, who were usually studying hard at their desks, had never experienced such intense continuous marching under the scorching sun. As soon as the group saw the large sun umbrellas at the water replenishment point, it was like a group of travelers who had been in the desert for three days seeing an oasis. Their already not-so-ordered formation instantly scattered like sand.

"Water...give me water..."

"Oh my god, I can't take it anymore, the soles of my feet are on fire..."

"Something got into my shoe, let me take it off."

Many students practically dragged their leaden legs across the road. Forget about running around gracefully; they didn't even have the strength to raise their hands for a high five. Heads drooped, eyes glazed over. They took the bottled water handed to them by their parents and gulped it down before collapsing onto the grassy steps by the roadside, panting like bellows.

The city TV cameraman, carrying a heavy camera and sweating profusely, looked through the viewfinder at the group of dejected and unsteady young people in the lens. He reluctantly put down the equipment, turned to the female reporter accompanying him, and said with a wry smile:

"Xiao Liu, this material we've gathered... people who don't know any better would think it's a mass migration of refugees, not some youthful exuberance."

"This year's students are really struggling with their physical fitness; they used up all their energy in the first few kilometers."

The female reporter also anxiously wiped the sweat from her forehead and kept looking down at her watch.

Chen Junqian turned around and gave a loud gesture to the several athletic students following closely behind him:

"Hey guys from the top-performing senior sports class, there's another group of runners out there, come out and help out, stretch your muscles and get some face for Ningzhong High School!"

"Alright, Brother Qian! Coming right now!"

"Here I am, here I am, I want to be on camera!"

Several boys who practiced track and field and played basketball were already full of energy. Upon hearing Chen Junqian's call, they immediately perked up and strode out of the loosely packed line with shouts of encouragement.

Seeing that some students were finally running over as agreed, the female reporter's eyes lit up, and she quickly patted the cameraman on the shoulder:

"They're here! Camera, turn on the recording!!"

The cameraman reacted quickly, instantly pointing the high-definition camera on his shoulder at the central figure running towards them from afar. He skillfully zoomed in, and in the lens, sunlight filtered through the dense, dappled leaves, illuminating the rapidly running teenagers. The interplay of light and shadow was like a still frame from a youth film.

Zhu Wenyun's high ponytail swayed in the wind, and a thin layer of fine, glistening sweat seeped from her forehead, but it couldn't hide the wild and confident radiance in her eyes. Facing the school flag fluttering in the wind, she swiftly and elegantly grabbed two sports drinks from the supply table with one hand while running at high speed. Chen Junqian, who followed closely behind, became the focus of the entire event.

The boy stood tall and straight, and as he approached the supply point, he didn't slow down at all. With a smooth, flowing sidestep, his long hand swept across the table and grabbed a bottle of water. In the air, his other hand gave a crisp high-five to the row of parents waiting by the roadside.

"Clap! Clap! Clap!"

The sound of palms colliding was crisp and melodious, echoing in the open mountain forest.

Good luck on the college entrance exam, Junqian!

"You must become the top scorer in the province and bring glory to Guoning!"

"Provincial champions aren't enough! National champions are needed!"

"Ningzhong hasn't produced a Tsinghua or Peking University student in a long time!"

Well, as it turns out, the parents didn't care whether Zhu Wenyun was a famous or unknown romance novelist. They were already flushed with excitement when Chen Junqian appeared. Many of them who had high-fived him even quickly found their children in the crowd and pressed their still-warm palms against their faces, as if they could also get a bit of the academic genius's good fortune. Xu Youwei, who was standing next to them, gave him a slightly subtle look.

However, she soon spotted her father in the crowd, and unconsciously slowed her pace.

For the last ceremony, Xu Youwei invited her maternal grandmother, but this time Xu Zhiling came instead. The relationship between this father and daughter is quite special in some ways. Rather, it is more like most families in China, where the boundaries between love and hate are mixed together. If you really want to say something, it's probably like what she said in the letter she wrote to her father before that ceremony.

We've both made our own choices, so I hope we can both be well from now on.

That's why, after smiling and waving to Xu Zhiling, Xu Youwei caught up with Chen Junqian again. Facing the scorching mountain wind, she turned her head while running and smiled at the parents and cameras on the roadside. Her smile was clean and calm, and she seemed to have her own halo, shining brightly in the dazzling midday sun!

"Beautiful! So cool! This is exactly the feeling I wanted."

The cameraman, behind the viewfinder, couldn't contain his excitement and kept slapping his thigh, repeatedly pressing the shutter to record.

Chen Xi, who was already resting in the shade of the supply station, was looking at the staged photos in front of her while holding half a slice of iced watermelon in her hand. Her cheeks were bulging as she watched the figure running away in the sunlight. She leisurely spat out some watermelon seeds, but when she turned her head, she heard a familiar voice coming from a student's phone next to her.

Just as Chen Junqian predicted at the beginning, in the past six months, the short video platform Douyin has swept across the country like wildfire, surpassing and refreshing the monthly active user data of Kuaishou or Bilibili in the same field. For students of their age, almost everyone has this app installed on their phones. However, her best friend only expressed a kind of Brahmanical view on this matter with resentment, saying that there is indeed a hierarchy of contempt among video apps.

However, riding this wave of opportunity, Shen Nianqiu, who had made investments and preparations from the beginning, naturally received support from the platform. With her own popularity and several new singles that were quite compatible with the platform's short video style, it seemed that she was even about to surpass herself two years ago and become one of the most popular singers in the summer of 2018.

After the team finished resting and set off again, some people even turned on the Bluetooth speakers they had brought.