I turned reality into a romantic comedy.

After realizing this, Chen Junqian calmed down again. He met up with Zhu Wenyun first and then went to the barbecue restaurant they had chosen in advance, where Lin Mu was already waiting.

For children, just like Western fast food such as fried chicken and hamburgers, buffets are definitely one of their favorite types of meals. After all, they can enjoy discounted prices and eat and drink whatever they want, which seems like a great deal.

Of course, buffet owners also love kids who don't eat much to begin with and like to fill their stomachs with a few bottles of soda right away.

But Zhu Wenyun was clearly not that kind of child.

Rather, it's more accurate to say that she had a basic understanding of the prices of various ingredients. Not only did she have no intention of drinking carbonated beverages, but she also quickly ordered several plates of the most expensive meat, which made the shop owner next to her look on with a bit of surprise.

Facing Zhu Wenyun, who skillfully tied her long hair into a ponytail and proactively helped Chen Junqian put on a disposable apron to shield him from the cooking fumes, Lin Mu, who had just excitedly returned from the freezer with two bottles of iced tea, subconsciously tilted her head.

Does nobody drink beverages?

Chapter 74: Ordinary Peace and Stability are True Happiness and Joy (Part 2)

Sometimes, Chen Junqian himself would feel compelled to remark that history is indeed a constantly repeating cycle.

For young children, when elders put food into their bowls at the dinner table with the excuse of "this is delicious, eat more", they will subconsciously show some resistance. They will either silently endure it and pick out the parts they don't want to eat, or they will cover their bowls and say "I can pick it myself".

But when they're actually at the dinner table without adults around, they seem to suddenly realize that this is the only way to show their kindness and affection to others while eating.

Take, for example, the scene right in front of him.

"This is cooked, Qianqian, you can have it."

"This is grilled quite well, would you like to try some?"

Faced with two girls who were basically reciting various lines and then started acting like parents, piling meat and vegetables onto his plate, Chen Junqian suddenly felt a little fortunate that there were only two people sitting in front of him, and that he could still eat them all without refusing them.

If there were even more, like Okazaki Tomoya, the protagonist of "CLANNAD," receiving several bento boxes at once, that would probably be the real headache.

Chen Junqian chewed on a few slices of grilled chicken and bacon sandwiched in lettuce, while also glancing at the achievement list in his mind. "The Battlefield in Progress" was still there, twinkling and sparkling, full of Pinduoduo-style deceptive temptation, but he wouldn't fall for it again.

If you calculate the time, it's about a year since his rebirth. Although he can't compare to the many predecessors in online novels who have already achieved a small goal after being reborn for a year, Chen Junqian is still quite satisfied with himself at this time in his previous life.

While improving himself, he also expanded his interpersonal relationships, saved a near-tragedy, and even persuaded the parents of his relatives and friends to get on a high-speed train that would regain popularity in a year or two.

If Chen Junqian were to give himself a score for his first year, it would probably be over 80. After all, he doesn't actually have any overly lofty ideals or wishes. The reason he chose to be reborn instead of transmigrating when faced with the system was very simple: he just wanted to avoid certain regrets from his childhood, whether as a child or a children's literature worker.

Although from the perspective of a reborn person, the works created in the following ten years or so were all objects that he could copy at will. He had read a lot of this type of online novel in his previous life, but those stories were not Chen Junqian's own.

Or rather, he didn't need to decide his future path so early on, since no one stipulated that he would become a children's literature writer in this life after his rebirth, just like in his previous life.

After all, he joined this line of work in his previous life because of the many influences of his childhood experiences. Now that all his childhood experiences are completely different from his previous life, there is no need to try to find the sword by clinging to the past.

Moreover, he has already found someone more suitable than himself.

As someone who had worked in that field for several years, Chen Junqian was well aware that he could certainly attribute his failures to changes in the external environment and lament that "the new era no longer has a ship to carry me," but this did not change the fact that his writing skills were probably just so-so.

Just like Zhu Wenyun, who easily stood out from many submissions and had her work published on her first attempt, she is not a reborn person, but a real eleven-year-old elementary school student. However, whether it is the inspiration in her writing or her imagination, she is much better than him, an old geezer.

So although it is often said that even a skilled cook cannot make a meal without rice, sometimes even if you have rice, it really depends on the skill level of the cook. In Chen Junqian's heart, Zhu Wenyun is the best candidate to fulfill his ideal from his previous life, and the two of them even reached a consensus on this last year.

"The sample copy was sent to me a few days ago. Chen Junqian has already read it. Lin Mu, would you like to take a look?"

After eating several rounds, the three of them were gradually getting full. As they sat there to digest, Zhu Wenyun took out a thin book from her bag. The cover was printed with a cartoon-style font and the title was "My Deskmate and I's Nine Yuan and Fifty Yuan Survival Challenge".

“Okay, I’ll take a look. Actually, I quite enjoy reading Wu Meizhen’s books. I never expected to meet someone who’s in one of her books, and that she’s even writing about me. It feels so amazing.”

While reflecting on this, Lin Mu took the book and began to read it intently, occasionally offering his own commentary from the perspective of someone involved:

"Actually, you can buy a lot of things with nine yuan and fifty cents."

[This was the first time I'd ever seen my deskmate with such a confident expression, but surprisingly, I actually felt reassured by what he said.]

Well, to be honest, at that time I felt more confused about what Qianqian was going to do than relieved. I was even quite nervous when we got to the market. But looking back now, he was really reliable back then, and he was actually kind of handsome.

"Watching him skillfully stand on a chair and cook in my kitchen, I almost forgot he was the same age as me. This is really true. Let me tell you, back then he was wearing my dad's big-size shoes. But later I asked my mom to buy him a pair that fit properly."

"And this sentence here, 'You can always come to my house to play in the future,' oh my, this is what Qianqian said to you, right? It's my original sentence."

Okay, towards the end it completely turned into Lin Mu reminiscing about the past. Only after finishing the whole story did I close the book with satisfaction.

"It's so well written, much better than my diary. If I ever want to recall this period in the future, I feel like I can just look at the description in your book, Wenjun."

"...But actually, a lot of my thoughts and ideas in this story are just my own imagination. There are many plots and parts that should not completely match reality. Lin Mu, didn't you just point out some problems?"

"But many things can be viewed differently at the time and in hindsight. The descriptions in Wen Yun's book at least resonate with my current feelings and thoughts. I feel so grateful to know Qianqian. I feel very at ease when he's around, and that's enough."

"I see."

After listening to Lin Mu's explanation, Zhu Wenyun nodded thoughtfully, but her mood became somewhat complicated because of her answer.

Because almost all of the female protagonist's thoughts in this story are her own, and Lin Mu's statement at this moment is largely in line with her current feelings, it means that the two of them share a similar view of the male protagonist in the story. However, the other party seems completely unaware of this.

To be honest, there was one thing Zhu Wenyun didn't tell Chen Junqian and Lin Mu: the published manuscript they were seeing had been revised by the editor-in-chief, Wu Meizhen. In the initial draft she submitted, the related psychological descriptions were even more intense and ambiguous, but they were all revised and deleted in the end, leaving only this vague sense of reassurance.

However, looking at Lin Mu's reaction now, Zhu Wenyun even felt that this was a good thing. After all, even the thinnest window paper needs someone to break through it, but she naturally did not want to take the initiative to help.

She also had her own little selfish motives.

On this point alone, Zhu Wenyun and Chen Junqian shared similar thoughts.

No matter how wonderful other people's stories are, they are still other people's stories. What she should write next is her own story with him.

As for the one that has been published now.

Consider it a gift for Lin Mu.

After all, without the two hundred yuan the other party had lost, their story would never have begun.

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

As we enter the last two months of the year, time seems to fly by even more, especially when nothing major happens.

However, ever since he became Xu Youwei's deskmate, Chen Junqian has become the first victim of her strange little toys, whether it's a small device disguised as Wrigley's gum that produces an electric shock when pulled, or fake teeth that look like vampire teeth when worn in the mouth.

For a long time, meeting Xu Youwei every morning felt like a Martin morning; I was almost looking forward to seeing what new little gadgets she would pull out this time.

Outside of school hours, the two also made the most of their long after-school time.

Chen Junqian wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but he felt that Xu Youwei had suddenly become much wealthier since the start of this semester. Before, when the two of them went to the park to play water polo, they would have to haggle with the hut manager for ages over the price. Now, when they went to ride bumper cars together and enjoyed a private experience, they paid without batting an eye.

While Chen Junqian and Xu Youwei's relationship was growing closer, Zhang Xinghuo's work was also in full swing.

Thanks to Chen Junqian's advice and help in recruiting others, his journey in this timeline is even smoother than in the original timeline.

In November 2010, just before Taobao's second Double Eleven event, Kekeguo, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Zhan's Group and the first direct-sale nut store in Guoning, which had been in preparation for nearly a year, was officially approved and launched on Juhuasuan. While achieving nearly one million yuan in sales in one day, it immediately started to implement ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) based on the real-time situation, and began to adjust and improve various modules of e-commerce operations, striving to continue to grow and strengthen the online store model in 2011.

Just as Lin Mu's father was watching with great interest how far e-commerce, which had been initially proven to be feasible, could go, and Chen Junqian's uncle, having tasted success, was determined to continue following Zhang Xinghuo to the end, Chen Junqian's father also underwent a personnel change.

"During the annual meeting, Chairman Xu approached me privately."

As he said this, Chen Jun unconsciously glanced at his good son, his tone a mixture of joy and hesitation:

"He said that the company plans to open a branch factory in Tangshan, Hebei next year through a joint venture with a company there. He asked me if I would be willing to take on more responsibility and become the person in charge there as the deputy factory director. He also asked me to be transferred to an office as an accountant."

Although it may seem like a transfer to another place at first glance, in fact, the salary and benefits and professional titles are far better than now. Moreover, if you make achievements, you can probably be promoted to a senior management position in a few years after you come back.

If Chen Jun hadn't known that his son had an unusual relationship with Chairman Xu's daughter, he would have really thought that some kind of pie had fallen from the sky and landed on his head. He could only say that he never expected that after working diligently for more than 30 years, the first time he would have to rely on connections was through his own eleven or twelve-year-old son.

"I think it's a good thing."

Chen Junqian was the first to raise his hand in agreement. After all, he had long wanted his parents to change their positions. In their previous life, the two of them had died in a production accident at a factory. Now, changing their positions to management or office work would be a good way to avoid the accident that happened two years later.

Although Wang Hongling was quite tempted, she still hesitated and asked her husband one more question:

"But if you go to Tangshan, it seems like you won't be able to come back more than a few times a year, right?"

"Yes, I expect he'll be very busy, and he is indeed far from here. I guess he can only come back during the Chinese New Year. But if you and your son miss me, you can come and stay for a few days during the summer vacation. Chairman Xu said he can approve the leave."

In fact, Chen Jun himself certainly wanted to advance further in his career. Anyway, his son's relationship was still a relationship, and since he had this opportunity, he was determined to seize it, just like how he was able to become a workshop director more than ten years later when he entered the factory penniless.

"Then you go."

After all, they had been married for over ten years, and Wang Hongling naturally understood her husband's meaning, so she stopped trying to dissuade him.

"You don't need to worry about things at home. Our son is very sensible, and I will take good care of our parents. You can just focus on your work outside."

"Okay, then I'll talk to Chairman Xu about it tomorrow. We should be heading to Tangshan after the New Year."

After watching his parents discussing specific matters for a while, Chen Junqian glanced at the calendar hanging on the wall next to him.

2010 is coming to an end.

The influence of his butterfly wings is visibly growing, and many people and things around him have already changed.

However, at least for now, everything seems to be moving in a positive direction.

How many more good years like this will we have in the future?

Like a child eagerly anticipating the New Year, he felt a genuine sense of happiness from the most ordinary of things.

(End of Volume 1)

A list of achievements in Romantic Comedy in Volume 1

1. Childhood Friend: As we all know, a childhood friend is always an indispensable character in romantic comedies. Since it's become a fixed trope that the childhood friend easily loses to the newcomer, having the childhood friend consistently win becomes a counter-trope?

(Condition for achievement: Successfully establish a childhood friendship with a female protagonist who is suited for romantic comedies)

This was first achieved by Lin Mu.

2. Agreement (約束, Yakusoku): The so-called childhood agreement is that it will inevitably be gradually forgotten by one party in the years to come. At the same time, all the past memories of the other person will fall into the black hole of time. Every word and every sentence, the memories you cherished, will be nothing but the bones left by time when only you remember them, worthless.

Of course, they usually reappear at some point as the last straw or the last boomerang that a drowning person grasps at.

(Condition for achieving this: Make an important childhood promise with a female protagonist who is suited for romantic comedies)

This was first achieved by Lin Mu.

3. [Time to get up!]

As everyone knows, a childhood friend who can't wake up her childhood friend isn't a good loser, especially when the male protagonist hasn't been beaten to the punch by his sister who lives closer. She can even smoothly launch a series of moves while saying, "Oh dear, what would I do if XX-kun didn't have me?" while starting to make breakfast. This is truly a classic lesson that every childhood friend must learn.

Achievement conditions: Being woken up by the female protagonist who is recognized as your childhood friend, achieving key milestones such as once, ten times, one hundred times, one thousand times, etc., all count as completing one achievement.

This was first achieved by Lin Mu.

4. [Don't be so sloppy!]

After waking the male protagonist up, it's time to go to school. Helping him get dressed and straighten his tie is also a must-do for childhood sweethearts. Even after getting to know each other, some close physical contact can still make your heart flutter occasionally.