I turned reality into a romantic comedy

However, unlike the situation at last year's Shanghai World Expo, it now feels a bit strange for an adult to bring two children to book one or two rooms. And, to my shame, there's a saying that absence makes the heart grow fonder.

Chen Jun and Wang Hongling are both under forty years old. After not seeing each other for half a year, they definitely don't want their wives to have to stay in hotels after coming all this way.

However, Chen Junqian easily understood his father's thoughts, so he spoke first:

"Since Dad, your employee dormitory can accommodate people, then let Mom stay with you, and Mumu and I can find a hotel near the factory and book two single rooms..."

Considering Lin Mu's timid nature, even being a little scared to sleep alone in the top bunk at night, Chen Junqian ultimately changed his mind:

"A large twin room will do."

After all, even if we booked two single rooms, the other person would probably find all sorts of excuses to come to my room, just like last night.

"Where's Mumu? What are you thinking?"

Faced with Chen Jun's question, Lin Mu nodded quite readily, even seeming afraid that Chen Junqian might change his mind:

"I can."

It can only be said that in terms of deceptive appearance, little Mu Mu is truly top-notch, and the two families are indeed quite familiar with each other. If you had switched Zhu Wenjun, who looks like a grown-up girl, this matter probably wouldn't have gone so smoothly.

Outside the window, the July sun was blazing, radiating the warmth of summer, and the summer sky was a clear, bright blue.

As Chen Junqian looked out the window, Lin Mu was watching him, and then suddenly remembered what sentence to write at the end of the diary entry she hadn't finished writing on the train yesterday:

Summer has begun, just for her and Qianqian.

Chapter Twenty-One: In this world, there are only childhood sweethearts and philandering cats (two-in-one)

Perhaps wanting to demonstrate to Shen Nianqiu during last year's World Expo what true scoring efficiency is, Lin Mu's speed in achieving romantic comedy achievements has gone off the rails in just two days, from yesterday to today. When Chen Jun led the two to the front desk to book the same twin room, the system notification in Chen Junqian's mind rang out again.

Only one room left!

In the world of romantic comedies, when the male and female protagonists go to a hotel for various reasons, they usually only get a curt "Sorry, there's only one room left" from the front desk, and then are forcibly crammed into the same room.

Generally, at this point, one of them would take the initiative to suggest something like, "I'll sleep on the floor, you sleep on the bed." This line is also a classic "flag" in this film, because once night falls, whether it's because the air conditioning is too cold or too hot, a nightmare, or simply sleepwalking, the two of them will inevitably end up sharing a bed and sleeping together one last time.

Conditions for achieving this: Stay in the same hotel room with any female protagonist who is suited for romantic comedy for various reasons.

It has to be said that this is yet another romantic comedy that is more easily achieved by children. If the two of them were a few years older, Chen Junqian would not dare to imagine what kind of situation would force him to stay in the same hotel room with Lin Mu again.

Although it seems like it wouldn't matter to Mu Mu if she were a few years older?

Chen Junqian glanced at Lin Mu, who was playing with the room key as she went upstairs, and felt that those adult-oriented romance topics were indeed far removed from her. After all, even when he held her close in his arms last night, he didn't feel any subtle or romantic feelings.

Two years have passed without leaving any obvious marks on the other person. Especially after observing them closely from the perspective of childhood sweethearts for so long, Chen Junqian can almost understand the inner thoughts of those childhood sweethearts who always end up as the losers in romantic comedies.

In fact, the earliest attraction between opposite sexes begins when you feel that the other person is a little different and that they are special. But childhood sweethearts are different because the position of childhood sweetheart is very special compared to other friends.

So much so that when she experiences feelings similar to being attracted to someone, like other female characters, she often just takes it for granted that he is her childhood sweetheart, and that this is normal, and then ignores her true feelings.

However, I feel that thinking like this is a bit narcissistic. After all, reality is not a romantic comedy. There is no rule that you have to fall in love with your childhood sweetheart. Moreover, how old will Mu Mu be before she truly understands what it means to like someone? At least Chen Junqian can't see it at all right now.

Although Chen Junqian had often read in books that love was a deeper emotion than liking, he felt that Mu Mu herself had experienced love much earlier than the shallow feeling of liking, and then spontaneously projected the love she felt onto everyone and everything around her.

Just like how the other person unhesitatingly chose the dog talisman on their favorite topic of talismans two years ago, Mu Mu naturally loves all those who love her. Or perhaps, having grown up in that kind of family, she herself is quite perceptive of kindness and goodwill, and can easily distinguish who is truly good to her or bad to her.

In fact, the same logic Lin Mu had when she spoke to Chen Junqian about childhood sweethearts before last year's pecan festival could be summarized in just eight simple words: "If you're good to me, I'll be good to you." On the contrary, thoughts like liking or loving her were just conclusions Chen Junqian drew from an outsider's perspective, based on his analysis of her psychological activities and thought processes.

When Chen Junqian was writing in his previous life, he heard a colleague complain that the relationship between parents and children in Chinese families is often characterized by incomplete love and impure hatred, with one side in a limbo and the other in a limbo, which makes all sorts of problems more difficult to solve.

After all, parents' thinking often swings back and forth between "I suffered so much back then, how come you can't even handle this little bit of hardship now?" and "I suffered so much back then so that you would suffer less in the future." It seems that on the one hand, they want their children to experience the same hardships they did, and on the other hand, they genuinely hope that their children can have a better life than their own generation.

But in fact, Lin Mu's family never even discusses this kind of topic.

If a real princess has such delicate skin that even a tiny pea under twenty mattresses and twenty down comforters would feel uncomfortable, then it would be better not to put a single pea there in the first place. She would then feel that having twenty mattresses and twenty down comforters under her body is unnecessary.

In Chen Junqian's view, Lin Mu's family education was undoubtedly quite strict in some aspects, but also unexpectedly naive in others, which is why Mu Mu developed such a personality.

Polite without being pretentious, timid without being spoiled, careless yet always able to grasp the thoughts of those around them, knowing they cannot truly empathize with others but still willing to lend a helping hand.

In fact, the more Chen Junqian spent with Lin Mu, the more he could accept that the system would place him in the first position of childhood sweetheart, because the stable relationship of childhood sweetheart, which is destined to require a long period of time and a lot of contact in daily life, is never suitable for everyone.

At least Chen Junqian didn't think Zhu Wenyun and Xu Youwei could do better than Lin Mu. After all, if it were the two of them, last year's World Expo trip would definitely not have gone so smoothly. Not everyone can accept his behavior of leaving people behind during the day to go to the exhibition with others.

However, Chen Junqian did not realize that although Lin Mu was not the delicate princess in the fairy tale who could feel the slightest foreign object under twenty mattresses and down comforters, he himself was never the little pea that made her uncomfortable. The distance between the two was not separated by so many layers of thick blankets, but was very close.

Like a precious jewel held in someone's hands.

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

"Huh? Why is Qianqian staring at me like that? Is there something on my face?"

Noticing Chen Junqian's gaze, Lin Mu tilted her head slightly towards him, her tone a little puzzled.

"It's nothing, I was just thinking that if we were to live together, there are some things we should pay attention to, such as the time for showering and the time for turning off the lights at night. We should book those in advance."

"That's true."

After reaching the guest room floor on the third floor and finding their room, Lin Mu swiped the room card to open the door, and then together with Chen Junqian and his son, they carried all their luggage inside and put it away.

Chen Jun was clearly quite attentive to the accommodation of his two children, booking one of the most expensive suites in the hotel, making the room quite spacious.

In addition to a separate bathroom, there is also a large separate balcony and kitchen. The two beds also look quite soft. If there weren't adults around who needed to maintain their image, judging from Lin Mu's expression, it seems like he would lie down on them and roll around a few times in the next second.

"Then you guys rest for a bit. I'll go back and help your mom put her luggage in my staff dormitory, and then I'll come back to pick you up so we can have something nice to eat."

After giving this instruction, Chen Jun hurriedly turned and left, leaving the room to Chen Junqian and Lin Mu alone.

'Three, two, one.'

Sure enough, the instant Chen Junqian finished his silent countdown in his mind, Lin Mu, quite understandably, immediately plopped down on one of the beds, rolled around several times, and then sat up again.

"Alright, now Qianqian can sleep in this bed."

"...What are you thinking about? You've been rolling around on it several times already."

"But didn't Qianqian already go to sleep in my bed last night?"

"Isn't it because someone took my bed?"

"Then let's just consider it as if I've taken another chance now."

It's clear that Lin Mu was still preoccupied with what happened last night. While spouting these plausible arguments, he sat down on another clean bed, gestured the distance between the two beds, and then shook his head.

"No, no, it's too far."

"What's too far?"

"Of course it's the distance between the two beds. Is this the downside of a big room? If they're too far apart, I won't be able to see anything when the lights are off at night, and I'll still feel like I'm the only one sleeping here. Or does Qianqian want me to call you every two minutes to make sure you're there?"

It felt like Lin Mu had taken the theory that "Chinese people are always harmonious" to its extreme. As he said this, he began to direct Chen Junqian to move the bedside table between the two beds and then move the beds closer to each other.

After some maneuvering, only a bedside table remained between the two beds to hold the landline phone connected to the telephone line and other small gadgets. The distance between them naturally shrank to an arm's length, meaning that if Chen Junqian, who was lying on one side, stretched out his hand to the other side, the two could stage a scene from the world-famous painting "The Creation of Adam" in mid-air.

"Hmm, that's more like it. I can see it as soon as I open my eyes, and it'll be convenient for us to chat in bed at night."

After nodding contentedly, Lin Mu remembered the question Chen Junqian had asked her when she went upstairs. So, she shuffled over to the bathroom in her hotel disposable slippers and came out a moment later, pouting.

"What? There's not even a bathtub."

"It does feel a bit strange to take a bath in the summer."

As he spoke, Chen Junqian went in and took a look. He could only say that it was fortunate that it did not use the semi-transparent frosted glass often seen in romantic comedies. Moreover, the bathroom itself was divided into two areas, an outer washbasin and a shower facility behind a sliding door. Everything was quite complete.

Or perhaps those things in romantic comedies are only found in love hotels in reality, and decent people don't just come out wearing a towel after taking a shower.

In this familiar place, many classic anime series he had watched over the past few days were brought back to mind. However, combined with the realities of the situation, it made Chen Junqian want to complain even more.

"So what should we do about showering tonight? Should Qianqian shower first or should I shower first?"

"Then I'll wash it first, so that I can blow-dry your hair after Mumu finishes washing it... After all, I didn't blow-dry it well last year at the World Expo because I wasn't skilled enough, so I should have improved this time."

"Blow-dry your hair—"

Lin Mu seemed to be deliberately drawing out the last syllable of her name, and her hand unconsciously began to play with a few strands of hair that hung down beside her face. After a while, she finally agreed with a smile.

"I allow it."

"Then, there's the lights-out time at night. Mu Mu, when you're at home, if you're in school, you usually go to bed before 10 o'clock sharp. On holidays, it's a little later, right?"

"Oh yeah, but even after summer vacation, Qianqian's bedtime is ridiculously late. Sometimes when I see your QQ is online at 11 pm and I send you a message, he still replies instantly."

"I already said that Zhong Yu dragged me to play CF's challenge mode back then... and it's really strange that he suddenly sent a message at 11 pm just asking if it was me. How could it not be me?"

"That's possible. After all, many classmates have their QQ levels linked to Zhong Yu's account, like the sun, moon, and star levels. They even compare who has more sun and moon levels."

After saying that, Lin Mu remembered something else:

"By the way, the biggest advantage of Qianqian staying with me this time is that he doesn't have to hide from his parents to play on his phone anymore, right? It's the one Zhu Wenyun gave you."

"Oh, I brought it with me too, it's in my bag."

"So why doesn't Qianqian want to tell his aunt and uncle about the phone? I feel like even if they did find out, they wouldn't confiscate it."

"It's mainly because it's hard to explain. After all, we're all still in elementary school, and exchanging cell phones feels too expensive. Mu Mu probably can't come up with that much money all at once, right?"

"And once they find out, they'll always be thinking about returning the favor. Mu Mu should remember how someone copied down the amount of the gift money at the entrance when she turned ten, right? Those are things that need to be returned. When someone has a happy occasion, your parents will have to take out the gift money book and decide how much to return the favor based on the amount given at that time."

After listening to Chen Junqian's explanation, Lin Mu nodded as if he understood, but in the end, he still seemed a little confused.

"But I think this phone was originally a gift from Zhu Wenyun herself, and Qianqian's help to her makes it perfectly reasonable for her to accept this gift. At least that's what I think."

"Because Mu Mu knows about what happened between me and Wen Jun, but they haven't seen it with their own eyes, so they find it hard to accept. They're prejudiced and think it's a decision made by a child in a moment of impulse. Besides, Mu Mu herself probably has things she wants to hide from her parents, or things she's already hidden, right?"

"...That's true."

Thinking of her old diaries locked in a drawer, Lin Mu nodded in deep agreement. She did feel that as she got older, she had more and more things and thoughts she didn't want her parents to know.

However, having a little secret that belongs only to oneself is indeed an important milestone on the road to growth.

However, the so-called secrets of childhood sweetheart characters often start from the point where only she knows them in the whole world, from the point where only she knows all their experiences, all their strengths, and all their good qualities, until in the end, it is highly likely that only she in the whole world will not know them.

She was the only one unaware that other women had already set their sights on him.

Chapter Twenty-Two: The BMW and the Bicycle (Combined)

After settling their luggage and resting for a while at the hotel, Chen Jun, having settled his wife, quickly turned around and picked up the two children. The group first went to a nearby restaurant for a sumptuous welcome dinner, and then he led them back to the factory to see his usual working and living environment.

As the deputy director of the factory, Chen Jun now has a large personal office in addition to his single employee dormitory. However, little Lin Mu is more interested in the swivel office chair inside. He sits there and spins around and around, which reminds Chen Junqian of the large variety show "The Voice of China" that will officially premiere next year.

The family finally managed to get together, and Chen Jun, as the head of the family, first asked about his son's studies and life as usual. However, all the questions he asked were answered by Lin Mu, who was sitting next to him.

It can only be said that when it comes to things like Chen Junqian, she always unconsciously feels a sense of pride and honor that her childhood sweetheart is so amazing, to the point that it seems like she herself is the one who received those "Three Good Student" awards, not Chen Junqian.

After the younger generation finished showing their concern, it was naturally time to talk to the elders. The couple's private conversations were to be shared between the two of them in the evening. Therefore, after asking about the situation of both sets of parents, Chen Jun took the initiative to bring up the matter of the house.

"Junqian will be starting junior high school next year, so the new house issue must be resolved this year, since it will take time including renovations."

Firstly, the new house is related to where Chen Junqian will attend junior high school. Secondly, it is the main result of the couple's hard work for more than ten years. Unlike the employee dormitory allocated by the factory, it is something they earned with their own hands. Therefore, when talking about this topic, the two of them were quite serious and solemn.

“If possible, I think it’s better to pay in full at once. Our family’s savings over the years, plus borrowing some from relatives and friends, should be enough. After all, we’re not going to buy in that particularly expensive area. An apartment of 80 to 100 square meters would be about right.”

After all, they had been living in a cramped apartment of about 30 square meters for more than ten years. For Chen Jun and his wife, a typical apartment of about 80 square meters with a few bedrooms and a living room is more than enough. Moreover, it is clear that for a long time to come, only Wang Hongling and Chen Junqian will live here, and Chen Jun will have to stay here for several more years.

"What specific location? Have you been there in person?"

"Yes, I visited a few sales offices a couple of days ago."

When it came to his future new home address, Chen Junqian listened very attentively. But when he turned around, he found that Lin Mu seemed to be listening even more attentively than him, and was even muttering something like "closer to Green Gull Garden" like a prayer.

Chen Junqian didn't seem inclined to speak. After all, compared to his elementary school home, he didn't have any particular fondness for his middle and high school homes. In fact, if he were to go back to the place his parents bought and renovated but barely lived in for more than a few days, and where he and his grandmother lived for the next six years, he would feel lost and confused.

However, his family's situation has indeed changed compared to the same period in his previous life. The increase in income and the change in jobs have given Chen Jun and his family more confidence in choosing a location. In the end, the place they settled on was not the same house that Chen Junqian lived in in his previous life.

"Actually, I think Yunqi Jinyuan is a good place. There is a commercial street and square next to it, and it is also close to Ningzhong. It is very convenient to ride a bicycle to and from school."

"Okay, then take another look when you get back, and if it's suitable, then make a decision."

When Chen Junqian heard the name Yunqi Jinyuan, he suddenly felt that it sounded familiar. He felt that he had heard of it somewhere in his previous life and even been there. However, the only classmate he had ever visited in elementary and middle school was Zhong Yu, and Zhong Yu did not live there.

“Yunqi Jinyuan is at least closer to my home than the wear-resistant factory; at least it’s in the city.”

Lin Mu seemed quite satisfied with the final choice, since she knew that Qianqian couldn't really move to her neighborhood, so being able to live closer to her was already good news.

Then came another round of more detailed discussions, such as the specifics of money and renovations. However, having already received the answers, Lin Mu was clearly not very interested in these matters. He quickly pulled Chen Junqian to Chen Jun's desk and started playing a 4399 two-player game on his office computer.

It can only be said that after two years, Lin Mu's gaming preferences are still limited to two-player cooperative adventure games. He won't even glance at two-player competitive games, whether it's fighting games like "The King of Fighters," puzzle games like "Miracle Chronicles," or racing games like "Two-Player Spinning Cars."

Inspired by Fireboy and Watergirl, which was released at the end of 2009, similar two-player cooperative adventure games with puzzle elements have sprung up in the past two years. However, Lin Mu still prefers the type of games like Double Arrow and Double Blade, which allow him to prank his teammates. So after looking around for a long time, he finally chose a game called Little Ninja Treasure Hunt.