I turned reality into a romantic comedy

"Would you like to stay for dinner tonight? We can just reheat the leftovers from lunch, it'll be quick."

"No, no, we're going to Grandma's house tonight."

As Chen Junqian walked out the door, he also used his other hand to pull Gu Lingguo, who was also frozen in place, out with him.

"I'll take Lin Guo to discuss the question we didn't finish earlier."

After returning to her apartment next door and closing the door, Chen Xi finally sat down on the sofa with a sigh of relief.

"I'm so tired..."

"Hey, you didn't say a word to anyone just now."

"That's exhausting too. Just facing her is suffocating."

Having personally experienced the atmosphere at Gu Linguo's family dinner table, Chen Xi has come to deeply understand that happiness is a matter of comparison.

"But isn't your mom a bit more agreeable today? She looks much nicer too. Is this a sign of a new year bringing a fresh start?"

"……do not know."

Although she had a vague suspicion in her heart, Gu Lingguo shook her head calmly. As soon as her mother left her sight, her intelligence took over again. She sat down next to Chen Junqian and began to examine his hand intently, as if she wanted to figure out how he had played the piano.

Chen Xi, who was sitting on the other side, followed suit. After watching for a while, she started reading her brother's palm with great interest.

"Brother, have you ever had your palm read before?"

"What kind?"

"It's the simplest kind, the life line, career line, love line. This is really popular in our class. You haven't seen it before?"

"No."

"Let me take a look at your palm. The three lines from top to bottom are the love line, the life line, and the career line."

Chen Xi, who instantly transformed into a palmistry master, first gave a general overview in a serious manner, and then began to analyze each palm for Chen Junqian:

"First, let's look at your career line. If it's deep and long, it means your career is stable. If it's broken or intermittent, it means your career will change. If it connects with the inside of your life line, it means you will receive family support in your early years. If it forks at the end, it means you will develop in many areas. In short, your career line is very good!"

"...I feel like it's all about shooting the arrow first and then drawing the target."

"Because that's how palmistry and horoscopes are supposed to be. And looking at the life line, well, it's not broken, the lines are clear, and the curve is good. You should live to be eighty or ninety without any problem."

"...Where did you learn all these little words? And you even know them all in one set."

Finally, there's the love story!

As soon as Chen Xi spoke, Gu Linguo curiously came over, and the two of them looked at Chen Junqian's right palm from both sides. However, they did not start analyzing immediately, but hesitated and mumbled something. In the end, Chen Junqian spoke first.

"If what Xixi said before is true, does the fork in my love line mean that my future romantic experiences will be full of twists and turns...?"

Before he could finish speaking, Chen Xi had already shaken his head vigorously.

"No, no, I don't believe my brother will be a womanizer in the future. Lin Guo, do you believe it?"

"Hmm... I don't believe it."

"Right, so it's more likely that my brother will be deceived by a bad woman in the future, which is why there are so many branches and twists in the love line. But he will definitely find true love in the end, because it goes smoothly after that and even connects to the life line, which means he will walk to the end of his life with his true love."

Although she said that, looking at the love line on someone's palm—so different from the simple, neat lines of life and career next to it, which seemed drawn with a brush, but instead exhibiting a more alluring and seductive trend—Chen Xi still covered it with her own hand, somewhat unconvinced. Finally, she hummed out a few words from her throat:

"Hmph...feudal superstition!"

Chapter 31: More People, More Chopsticks (Two-in-One)

Because he had made an appointment with Xu Youwei before going to Lin Mu's house, Chen Junqian took the initiative to ask her out on the evening of the third day of the Lunar New Year.

Unlike in the summer, winter nights always get dark too quickly and the temperature is too low, so it's not suitable for the two of them to look for fun in the countryside as usual. Xu Youwei, who hadn't figured out what to do yet, simply suggested that they go to a bathhouse that was already open to warm up before doing anything else.

Anhui is a province located in the central part of China. Although it can be simply understood that the customs in northern Anhui are closer to those in the north and those in southern Anhui are closer to those in the south, this is not always the case. So, they also have bathhouses here. Chen Junqian often went with his grandfather when he was a child.

Judging from Xu Youwei's appearance, she seems to be a regular there.

“I used to come here with my grandma.”

Carrying a backpack filled with a change of clothes, Xu Youwei bought two small packets of shampoo and shower gel from the convenience store near the bathhouse entrance, tossed one to Chen Junqian, and then waved goodbye to him at the fork in the road between the men's and women's bathhouses.

"After Qinqin finishes washing, you can sit inside for a while. I should be a little slower than you. I'll just call your name from here."

"Okay, then I'll pick a bed near the door later."

After giving these instructions, Chen Junqian took his change of clothes and went into the bathhouse. Warm steam rushed in the moment he lifted the curtain. Unlike his previous life, he had completely said goodbye to glasses in this life, so there was no need for him to hurriedly take off his glasses and wipe the steam. After looking around at the surrounding environment, he found an empty spot and put his clothes down.

He was currently in the rest area outside the bathhouse, where middle-aged and elderly people could be seen resting after taking a bath. The small shop in front also sold snacks such as melon seeds and peanuts. It was quite relaxing to take a bath, drink tea, and chat here.

As Chen Junqian quickly took off his clothes and walked into the bathroom with a towel, he also thought of the bathroom-related achievements that he had not yet triggered.

Frankly speaking, in the real world, whether it's accidentally walking into the wrong men's or women's bathhouse to become a lucky pervert and trigger the much-anticipated hiding plot, soaking in the bathwater your sister used, or directly achieving a bath with your childhood sweetheart, none of these things can be said to be easy; at the very least, they are extremely difficult. Triggering them once would mean certain death in a sociological sense, so Chen Junqian has always placed them in the lowest priority list.

However, judging from the last time Lin Mu almost fooled the system's review by washing feet together, it seems that there is still room for manipulation.

With this in mind, Chen Junqian walked to the large bathhouse, tested the water temperature, and then stepped in. Actually, he was quite resistant to heat. The playful tussling between him and Mu Mu the day before yesterday was just a little bit of fun between childhood sweethearts.

Speaking of which, it's been a while since he's been here. He remembers being most curious about whether anyone secretly pees in there when he was a kid. Then there's that widely circulated joke on UC Headlines about roosters, laxatives, bathhouses, and half-year fake jokes.

Chen Junqian defines the internet landscape of this era as 'humor,' and UC Headlines deserves a large part of the credit. Whether it's the brilliant creations of various joke writers or UC Headlines' original "Shocking! XXXX actually?" style, these are all trends on the internet in the past two years.

Want a back scrub?

Just then, a professional back-scrubbing masseur patted him on the shoulder and started talking to him. So Chen Junqian took the opportunity to experience the back-scrubbing service from his hometown. He did feel much better. After rinsing himself off under the showerhead, he prepared to leave.

After taking a shower, Chen Junqian checked his phone and found that only twenty minutes had passed. If he hadn't had a back scrub, it would probably have taken even longer. Thinking that Xu Youwei probably hadn't come out yet, Chen Junqian put on his innermost cotton shirt for the time being and lay down in the rest area to start scrolling through his phone.

Mu Mu and Zhu Wenjun are both still at their grandmother's house in the mountains. Their QQ profile pictures are grayed out and they are not online. The same goes for her sister. It seems that she only stayed at home for three days during the Spring Festival. She went back to school today to voluntarily attend evening self-study. I guess even if she wants to chat, she will have to wait until later when the other person finishes class.

Thinking this, Chen Junqian sent a message to his sister and Gu Linguo respectively. The two children, who usually replied instantly, both fell silent today. After a while, Gu Linguo replied, "Brother, is there something wrong? Xixi and I are playing outside."

【Out so late? Where are you?】

No, it's just downstairs in the apartment complex.

He sensed that the tone was different from usual, but before Chen Junqian could ask again, the other person took the initiative to ask him in return:

Is my brother with Sister Youwei now?

It's fair to say that Gu Linguo is viewed better by the childhood friends than a sister who is only known by name, and there's a reason for that. Even Lin Mu herself sometimes thinks it would be great if Chen Junqian's real sister was Gu Linguo.

Well, neither of them are actually her real sister.

Yeah, what's wrong?

[Does she secretly text me while she's with Youwei? Hehe, I'll tell her about it next time we meet.]

I clearly sent messages to both you and Xixi, don't narrow it down. Besides, we're currently separated.

[You're texting us every little bit? You're not paying attention, brother!]

Unbeknownst to Chen Junqian, who was lying in the rest area, Gu Linguo was simultaneously replying to messages on her phone while pulling at him, and also turning back to report the situation to Chen Xi.

"They've separated for now, and I don't know what they're doing."

"Just don't come over here, just stay here and knock."

Contrary to what Chen Junqian said in their conversation, the two girls had already secretly sneaked to the employee dormitory of the wear-resistant factory.

Of course, they didn't know Xu Youwei's specific movements or when she would come here, so they simply used reverse thinking. Since Xu Youwei had already made an appointment to go out with Chen Junqian tonight, she definitely wouldn't be here. This was the perfect opportunity for the two of them to come and confirm.

After all, it was the house where her brother had lived for more than ten years, so Chen Xi had naturally been there before. She found the place with ease and started knocking on the door.

Sure enough, after knocking for a while, there was still no response from inside. Looking through the crack in the door, there was no light, and it didn't look like it had been re-rented out and assigned to new employees.

However, simply confirming this wasn't enough. After thinking for a moment, Chen Xi shielded Gu Lingguo in front of her and gestured for her to knock on the neighbor's door. She then took the phone and continued chatting with her brother, which was her comfort zone.

It can only be said that Gu Lingguo is indeed outstanding among her peers in terms of affability. In no time, she got the information she wanted from her neighbor across the hall.

"No one lives here, but sometimes you can see a little girl going in. That must be Sister Xu Youwei."

"Hmph, I knew it would be like this."

Almost unable to resist telling Chen Junqian about it in the chat box, Chen Xi subconsciously touched the new key that had appeared in her pocket:

"By the way, could we go back and find that key cutter again and have him come and open the lock for us?"

“I don’t think this will work. I just finished talking to my neighbor. She knows we don’t live here. If she sees us here again and asks someone to unlock the door, she’ll definitely think we’re thieves.”

Knowing full well the principle that when doing bad things you must drag others down with you, Gu Lingguo certainly didn't let go of the spare key that her childhood sweetheart offered. She turned around and dragged Chen Xi to have two brand new keys made, which are now in their pockets.

"Next time, I hope I can catch her going in at the exact moment."

"...Why does this sound like some kind of catching someone cheating? I shouldn't be going to get kicked in the gut, right?"

"What kind of kick to the heart?"

"It's the one where Wu Dalang was caught in the act of adultery by Ximen Qing."

As she spoke, Chen Xi showed the phone screen to Gu Linguo.

"Ah, it seems they're about to meet up over there."

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Although Chen Junqian and Xu Youwei slept under the same roof on the night of the supposed apocalypse in 2012, they only washed each other's faces and feet. So, thinking about it carefully, this really seems to be the first time Chen Junqian has seen Xu Youwei after she has just taken a shower.

Perhaps this was the result Xu Youwei had wanted all along, or perhaps she simply wanted to take a bath at the public bathhouse. But the result was quite good. A girl who has just finished bathing does indeed exude a unique charm. So much so that every time Chen Junqian turned around to talk to her on their way back from the public bathhouse, he felt his heart skip a beat.

Long hair does indeed have this advantage over short hair. Her waist-length hair, as black as wet raven feathers, still carried a little steam, and her fair skin was slightly flushed, proving that her body had been warmed up.

Perhaps it was the rush of blood after a bath; her usually lively eyes, which always seemed to be thinking of some clever idea, were now just glistening with water, and her lips, full of moisture, also radiated a wet sheen.

Although such words are not appropriate to describe a girl of this age, somehow, this demeanor does make people feel a little concerned and attracted.

He had seen Lin Mu's appearance after taking a shower more than once when they shared a hotel room.

However, thinking back, that seems to have been almost two years ago. At that time, all he wanted to do after Mu Mu finished her bath was to dry her hair as quickly as possible, which was completely different from Xu Youwei's situation now.

"That feels so good... Time for a shower."

Seemingly oblivious to Chen Junqian's subtle expression, Xu Youwei stretched lazily as she walked, casually smoothing a few unruly strands of hair that had drifted into her eyes in the evening breeze.

"How was your time at Mumu's?"

Faced with this question, which had already been reported to Chen Xi and Gu Lingguo once, and which he would likely be asked again by Zhu Wenyun, Chen Junqian simply replied casually:

"It's pretty good, but the gambling there is quite intense, so it can be a bit noisy at night."

"Gambling? Qinqin doesn't do that, does she?"

"No, I'm not interested in that stuff."

Just like the expression on her face when she told him a few years ago that she didn't drink, Hsu Yu-Wei was still very satisfied with Chen Chun-Chien's answer this time.

In a sense, she was indeed the one who hadn't even tasted the food yet, but whose eyes were already looking to the sky. Her imagination was so advanced that it was no less than someone who had already decided which kindergarten their daughter would attend upon first meeting her.

"Hey Yoyo, how was your New Year this year?"

"It's the same as before, nothing has changed. Life won't suddenly change just because it's the New Year. Besides, school is about to start, so I need to catch up on my homework."

Compared to the two-month summer vacation, the winter vacation with the Lunar New Year in between always feels exceptionally short for students. Moreover, Xu Youwei's Lunar New Year after her biological mother's death was indeed unremarkable. After all, most of her father's elders had also passed away, and she was unwilling to visit her current mother's relatives. So every year during the Lunar New Year, she would just stay here with her grandmother, which was essentially no different from a regular weekend holiday.

"Actually, if Youyou feels bored during the Chinese New Year, you can come to my house for dinner. The first, second, and third days of the Lunar New Year are all fine. Anyway, you'll be staying with your maternal grandmother these days. Her house is in the village next to my paternal grandmother's house, so it's not a hassle for you to come over. Besides, my paternal grandparents really like you, and even Xiaoguai does."

"me?"

Xu Youwei was also a little taken aback by Chen Junqian's sudden suggestion and subconsciously uttered a surprised and doubtful remark.

"Yeah, just like that public service announcement, one more person means one more pair of chopsticks. If Youyou is worried about Grandma, I'll invite her over myself next time. Two more people just mean two more pairs of chopsticks."

As he spoke, he took her hand again and smiled at her:

"OK?"

Just as the system describes winter romantic comedies, winter is indeed a season that easily makes people feel lonely and cold.

But perhaps it is precisely because of this that the New Year, the most important festival symbolizing reunion and celebration, appears here in a fitting way.

Chapter 32: Please, please stop nursing Mu Mu (Part 2)

The familiar pattern of registration on the sixteenth day of the first lunar month and the start of school on the seventeenth remains unchanged. Soon it will be March again, and with the warming weather and the arrival of spring, students who have shed their heavy winter clothes will once again return to school to begin the second half of the academic year.

For Chen Junqian, who had struggled for several years in his previous life and had barely achieved the feat of publishing a physical book, let alone a physical book, or even just having his work published in a newspaper or magazine, March of 2013 was a remarkable month in which he witnessed the publication of two physical books closely related to himself.

The first one was the first issue of the literary society's journal, which had been in preparation since last year. As Chen Junqian, who was doing this job for the first time, progressed, he felt more and more compelled to apologize to his former editor. He felt extremely sorry for thinking that this was not difficult in the past. The struggles with the contributors during the review and revision process alone were exhausting for Chen Junqian. Moreover, he could clearly sense that there were several people who were just using this as an excuse, and their real intention was to chat with him.

In this situation, Zhu Wenyun ultimately took the initiative to shoulder everything. Rather than saying she was the most skilled pioneer in this industry, all the girls who dared to challenge her in this niche and track were eliminated one by one without Chen Junqian's knowledge. As for the missing manuscripts, she simply waved her hand and said she would write them under two different names, and also provided manuscripts for Lin Mu and Xu Youwei respectively.

However, setting aside the fact that almost a quarter of the magazine's content was about a girl using different aliases and the names of Chen Junqian's friends to launch Zhong Yu and Lu Cheng into emerging writers, progress in other aspects was quite smooth. Xu Youwei's cover design and interior illustrations went without any problems, and the printing company contacted by the school was also incredibly efficient, although in reality only a few hundred copies were printed.

The students whose works were published in the book naturally each received a copy. Other students who were interested could also get a free copy from their respective homeroom teachers. The extras were put into the bookshelves at the back of each classroom and in the school library. If one of them were to become a great writer in the future, whose name and portrait could be hung in the corridor, it might suddenly become a collectible.