I turned reality into a romantic comedy

"There are so many flavors, like orange, strawberry, watermelon, tangerine... Rather than talking about preventing cavities, whitening, or protecting gums, the most important thing is that they look and smell good, don't you think, Qinqin?"

"That makes some sense."

As the toothpaste he uses at home, Chen Junqian's reason for always buying the Ya Ya Le brand is actually quite simple. Besides its flashy appearance and various fruit flavors, the main reason is that each tube of toothpaste comes with a small toy such as a comic book or a board game, which is the most attractive part.

Seemingly somewhat dissatisfied with Chen Junqian's answer, after meticulously brushing every tooth and rinsing her mouth, Xu Youwei turned back, suddenly bringing her face very close to Chen Junqian's, then exhaling a breath of air at him before smugly pulling away again.

"How is it? Doesn't it smell good? I love this orange flavor. I feel like even my saliva tastes sweet like oranges after brushing my teeth."

"It does have a fairly noticeable orange flavor."

Caught off guard by Xu Youwei's sudden attack, Chen Junqian was momentarily stunned. Seeing that she seemed about to breathe on him a few more times, he quickly handed her the towel hanging nearby.

"You'd better wash your face quickly, I still have to visit other relatives today, and I'll be going back soon."

"Ugh—boring."

Deliberately dragging out the last syllable, Xu Youwei soaked a towel in hot water while shrugging her shoulders in a rather deliberate manner. Through the dressing mirror in front of her, Chen Junqian could see all her little expressions and movements clearly.

"I thought Qinqin came here specifically to spend the New Year with me."

"That's not realistic, and don't you visit relatives?"

"I'm not going. It's not worth it. I'll just go to my grandma's house at most."

"Where are the grandparents?"

"They passed away a couple of years ago, otherwise my dad wouldn't be living such a carefree life now."

After washing her face, Xu Youwei tried to launch another sneak attack on Chen Junqian with the towel she had used to wipe it, but this time he stopped her halfway through. The girl could only pout helplessly, and even began to miss the Chen Junqian that she could easily pin down back then.

However, each has its own merits, especially when I recall how the other person insisted on carrying me to the cemetery on my birthday last year.

"Then I'll come find you tonight, just like last year?"

"I'll come find you tonight. Even though we'll both be walking at night, it's better for me to come than for you to come. Plus, I can ride a tricycle."

"It's still a tricycle?"

"Because I don't need a bicycle now, I guess my family will buy me one when I start junior high next year."

Did you attend Ningzhong Middle School?

"Yes, my dad is already buying a house in that school district and preparing to renovate it."

"I'm also in Ningzhong, and I hope we can be in the same class again... Mumu too."

Although he sensed a hint of belated realization and reluctance in the last four words, Chen Junqian didn't pay much attention and nodded in agreement:

"Yeah, it would be great if we could still be in the same class."

After agreeing to meet up with the other party again that evening to play with firecrackers like last year, Chen Junqian sat with Xu Youwei and her father in the living room for a while, exchanging some polite and auspicious words before preparing to leave with his father. After all, both of them, as well as Xu Zhiling himself, were quite busy on the first day of the Lunar New Year.

To Chen Junqian's surprise, just as he was about to leave, Xu Zhiling suddenly slipped a thick red envelope into his pocket and gestured for him to be quiet.

Unlike the parents in TV dramas who say things like, "Here's XX million, but don't have anything to do with my daughter/son anymore," this father, who also knows he's not a good father, said the exact opposite to Chen Junqian:

"Spend more time playing with Youyou in the future."

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Now that he had recruited one person for the study group (homework group), Chen Junqian struck while the iron was hot and immediately called Zhu Wenyun after returning home. The call was answered in no time.

"Hey, Wenjun, are you up yet?"

"It's already 10 o'clock, of course you're up."

"What are you doing?"

"I'll answer your call."

"Be serious."

"Yes, I'm answering your call properly."

Well, Chen Junqian chuckled, amused that Zhu Wenyun had such a talent for writing jokes, before hearing her continue:

"I just saw off my aunts and I'm currently at my old home in the mountains. The air is quite nice, but there aren't many people around. There's only one small shop in the whole village."

"When are you coming back?"

"Huh? What's the matter?"

"I'd like to invite someone over to do some homework together, and maybe exchange some study tips. Xu Youwei has already agreed. If you add Mu Mu next, that should be about right."

"When?"

"That depends on when you're available, doesn't it?"

"I'll be back in the city around the fourth day of the Lunar New Year. After that, I should be able to go. The top student in my grade is offering to tutor others, so I'll definitely go."

"Okay, I'll go talk to Mumu again and confirm the time before I tell you on QQ. Happy New Year, bye-bye."

Happy New Year, bye-bye.

After hanging up the phone with Zhu Wenyun, Chen Junqian was about to send a message to Lin Mu on QQ. He casually opened his friend list and found that Lin Mu's avatar was still grayed out and not online during the holiday. He didn't know if Lin Mu hadn't turned on or had gone back to the mountains where there was little signal.

Because only Shen Nianqiu's account 'Qiu' in his entire QQ list was specially noted as 'Sister' and placed in a separate friends list, all other friends were displayed with their original nicknames by default. When encountering classmates who change their profile pictures and nicknames very frequently, it's the case that if you don't click in to take a look at their profile and chat history, you won't know who is who after a while.

However, not everyone likes to change their profile picture and nickname all the time. Of course, there are also people in Chen Junqian's friend list who haven't changed much in more than a year.

For example, after falling in love online, Zhong Yu and his girlfriend always used matching couple names. Zhong Yu's nickname was "Lowering my head to kiss you," while his girlfriend's nickname was "Raising my head to kiss you." Lu Cheng, the class monitor who was clearly just a primary school student but had an inexplicably strong old-fashioned demeanor, used "The sound of the waves remains the same." Xu Youwei always used "Winnie the Pooh."

Chen Junqian glanced at Lin Mu's nickname 'Sen Mu' again. He had a feeling that she had been using this nickname for quite some time, but he couldn't quite remember when she changed it from 'Mu Mu' to this one.

Just as Chen Junqian clicked into the chat box of the QQ account 'Senmu', intending to leave a message and tell her about this, Chen Jun suddenly walked over with a phone that was already connected, said to him 'Lin Mu called', and then left.

"Hello, this is Chen Junqian."

Taking his father's phone, Chen Junqian glanced at the screen and saw that it indeed displayed Lin Youfeng's number. He held the phone to his ear and answered, but didn't hear the familiar voice on the other end immediately. After checking again to make sure the call was connected, Chen Junqian tentatively spoke again:

"Mu Mu? Hello?"

Then, a burst of noise suddenly erupted from the other end of the phone, like a floodgate being opened, mixed with the laughter and chatter of adults and children. For a moment, Chen Junqian on the other end of the phone was a little confused, and it was only after a while that he heard Lin Mu's voice.

"Hey, Qianqian, I'm with Grandma."

So what's the situation now?

Even when the other person is speaking, you can still vaguely hear all sorts of background noises.

"Well... how should I put it, I was on speakerphone just now."

"Ah, it was about the pecan festival two or three months ago."

Even just hearing Lin Mu's voice through the screen, Chen Junqian could almost feel Lin Mu's utterly exasperated state, before finally learning what had happened from her fragmented narration.

During the Spring Festival, when all the relatives, from aunts to uncles, sit down to chat, the conversation inevitably revolves around the children. Although Lin Mu is not yet at the age where questions like "Have you found a boyfriend this year?" or "When are you getting married?" come up, she still has plenty of embarrassing stories to tell. In particular, there was the pecan festival at the end of September last year, when thousands of people in Guoning heard the voice of a little girl crying and saying that she had lost someone.

Others might not know who was who, but some of Lin Mu's relatives who were present at the time certainly recognized the voices. So, someone started talking, and soon the whole house was filled with a cheerful atmosphere. Even Lin Mu's grandparents, who had always lived in their hometown, became interested and encouraged her to call Chen Junqian on the spot to hear what the voice of the boy who had made their granddaughter cry sounded like.

"Actually, I'd like to see more photos... Could you take a picture of us on the spot and send it to me with your phone? The photos of us together are on my tablet, I didn't bring them with me."

"Okay, you wait."

Chen Junqian called his younger sister, who was munching on some snacks to pass the time, over and took a picture of him. He then sent the photo to her as a text message attachment.

Meanwhile, on the other side of Guoning, in the bustling lobby, Lin Mu proudly showed his grandparents and other relatives a photo of his best friend.

"This young boss has a very upright appearance."

"He looks spirited and has a lot of energy."

"He's so handsome, and his voice is so nice too. No wonder he's got my Mumu completely smitten."

"Remember to bring it over next year during Chinese New Year so we can see it in person."

After unlocking the system's second milestone reward for a significant improvement in physical appearance and personal charm, Chen Junqian's appearance and temperament have indeed improved considerably compared to before, as his facial features and figure have gradually matured. Even Chen Jun sometimes boasts that this is because he inherited his excellent genes and will definitely be able to marry a wife as good as him in the future, while also praising his own wife.

Lin Mu's relatives were initially just being polite and exchanging pleasantries, but after seeing the photos and hearing about his story, they couldn't help but feel a bit more genuine. After all, the boy was truly flawless.

Amidst the praise of his relatives, Lin Mu proudly raised his chin, declaring a well-deserved victory:

"Hmph, I'll definitely bring it next time so you can see it for yourselves."

Chapter Seven: Is this a shelter or a basement? (Combined Chapter)

After spending an afternoon helping his younger sister build a large snowman in the yard, which would eventually turn into a snow child, Chen Junqian, after saying a few words to his family on the evening of the first day of the Lunar New Year, rode his family's familiar tricycle, wearing the headlamp that his grandfather had given him, which they usually used to tie on their heads while working in the fields, and embarked on a journey to the neighboring village to visit Xu Youwei's maternal grandmother.

Actually, thanks to the streetlights that were quite common along the way, and the various fireworks that would rise into the night sky and explode every now and then, this road, which wasn't very long to begin with, didn't feel particularly difficult or scary.

However, when passing through a rather eerie culvert, Chen Junqian still turned on his headlamp as a precaution. After successfully passing through and descending the classic steep slope, Xu Youwei's maternal grandmother's house was already in sight.

"Qinqin's look is hilarious."

Xu Youwei, who was waiting for him at the gate of the courtyard, couldn't help but laugh when she saw his appearance. She ran to his side and reached out to touch the headlamp on his head.

"It's a bit like a hybrid of the Miner Zombie from Plants vs. Zombies that digs up the back and starts eating the plants, and the Basketball Zombie, except there's no basketball in the tricycle at the back."

"If I had a basketball, I'd throw it at your head first."

After parking the tricycle in the yard, Chen Junqian exchanged a few words with Xu Youwei. Taking advantage of her turning around, he reached out and gently grabbed her hair, then casually draped it over her shoulder.

"Now I'm going to start gnawing on your brain."

"Let's eat, I just took a bath at the public bathhouse today."

"Never mind then, what brings you to the public bathhouse?"

"I went with my grandma. Actually, it's quite comfortable to take a bath in the village bathhouse in winter. After the bath, you can lie there, eat some melon seeds, drink some tea, and chat for a while. Ah... I feel so refreshed."

As she spoke, Xu Youwei led Chen Junqian into his grandmother's house. His grandmother was watching TV in her room. When she saw him coming to play, she was about to get up to pour tea and bring over a tray of melon seeds, peanuts and other snacks. Chen Junqian waved his hands and refused, saying that he had just come to play with Xu Youwei. Then he put a box of Brain Gold that he had brought next to him.

"Grandma, you can just sit there and continue watching TV. Don't worry about us. Just pretend I wasn't here."

"Hey, if you hadn't come, would Yoyo have wanted to stay here with this old woman? Alright, alright, you two go play in the yard outside, it's the brightest there, I won't bother you anymore."

Upon hearing this, Xu Youwei chuckled, straightened the old clothes covering her knees and thighs, and turned her attention back to the television program.

After greeting Xu Youwei's grandmother and confirming that he wouldn't disturb the elderly woman's rest, Chen Junqian prepared to go to the yard as she suggested. However, Xu Youwei pulled him back, and when he turned around, he saw her slightly sly smile:

"Let's go to my room first; this is my room."

"Oh, I remember now, isn't this the throne we made back then?"

"Yes."

They went into another room together. Unlike the view they had seen in the detached villa that morning, this room was undoubtedly much cramped and small. However, all sorts of decorations and objects were full of Xu Youwei's style, including the throne they made the earliest. Almost all the things they had made, whether successful or unsuccessful, in the past two years, along with the "Artistic Creativity" program, were placed in this room.

"Come, Qinqin, please sit on our shared throne."

Although almost two years have passed, the throne is no longer as exquisite and dazzling as it was when it was first made, but it still has a certain chuunibyou (adolescent delusions of grandeur) flavor that makes children's hearts flutter. Facing Xu Youwei, who took the initiative to give up her throne, Chen Junqian did not stand on ceremony and sat down directly. Then he subconsciously glanced at the place where he had left his mark back then.

After noticing Chen Junqian's unconscious little action, Xu Youwei also had mixed feelings. After all, she noticed his message as soon as she got back, but when would he see what she wrote in his room?

But more accurately, when will she be able to openly and honestly tell the boy in front of her about this?

"All the magazines you bought are piled up here too."

Sitting on the throne, Chen Junqian turned his gaze to the bookshelf in front of him. Unlike the standard bookshelf he had seen during the day, which was filled with extracurricular books that were required reading for primary and secondary school students, this bookshelf contained, apart from every issue of "Happy Detective" starting from October 2009, all kinds of suspenseful reasoning and even detective and exotic novels and magazines. Among them was the first book of the Charlie IX single volume, "The Ghost of Black Bay Street," which had just been published in January of this year.

To be honest, for a long time when he was a child, Chen Junqian often confused the title of this single volume with the sixth theatrical film of "Detective Conan", "The Phantom of Baker Street".

"This one is quite good. It's a bit like 'Adventure Tigers,' and it also has puzzle cards. It feels like a long series, just like 'Adventure Tigers.' The next one is said to be released this April."

Seeing Chen Junqian turn his gaze to the book "Charlie IX," Xu Youwei also took it down from the bookshelf and showed it to him:

"Qinqin, have you seen this? Do you want me to lend it to you?"

"No need, I've already seen it."

Moreover, he had read it more than once, and especially after growing up, he studied it again and again because of work-related reasons, so Chen Junqian politely declined.

"I see. But Mu Mu probably hasn't seen it before. This set might not be suitable for her, since it has a little bit of horror and suspense. But it's no big deal for me."

I have a feeling that Xu Youwei was a little guilty after what happened this morning. Now, she has to mention Lin Mu in a way that makes me look guilty.

"Indeed, I feel like you should be able to read those serious ghost stories without being scared."

He then found several more 'Goosebumps' series magazines on the bookshelf, and Chen Junqian nodded in agreement.