I turned reality into a romantic comedy

"How many days does your younger brother plan to stay this time?"

"...What do you mean by staying for a few days? It's definitely a same-day trip, and I already said that before, didn't I?"

"I'm sure I'm still thinking that maybe they've changed their plans again. Last time we met, we spent four or five days together. Even if we cut it in half, we should at least stay for two or three days this time. I'm a little sad."

Although Chen Junqian had heard girls act coquettishly before, compared to the children around him, Shen Nianqiu, who was already approaching sixteen and had completely passed puberty, still made Chen Junqian on the other end of the phone feel a little strange when she deliberately spoke in a childish tone. It was a slight itch in his heart that made him want to agree without thinking.

"It's definitely possible during summer vacation, but there's really no way during winter vacation and Chinese New Year. Besides, I had to secretly keep it a secret from my family this time."

Only after receiving Chen Junqian's promise of a summer vacation did Shen Nianqiu finally let him go, satisfied.

"Actually, I've been keeping this from my family. You came to see me this time, so next time I'll come to see you."

She could hear Eason Chan and Faye Wong singing "Because of Love" on the TV in the room, so Shen Nianqiu gently hummed along to the tune on the other end of the line, "Sometimes I suddenly forget that I still love you." After that, she leaned in and kissed the other end of the receiver with a light touch that Chen Junqian could hear.

"Happy New Year."

as well as.

"I miss you."

Chapter 51: 2012 Means the End of the World (Part 2)

If there's anything that makes Hsu Yu-Wei happy about on the first day of the Lunar New Year of the Dragon, it's probably Chen Chun-Chien's New Year's greetings.

Just like last year, on the first day of the Lunar New Year this year, Chen Jun still had to bring gifts to visit the old leader who promoted him. Chen Junqian naturally had to follow suit. However, unlike last year when they rode motorcycles in the howling north wind and fluttering snow, this year the father and son were sitting in a comfortable car, truly a transformation from bird guns to cannons.

On the way to Xu Youwei's house, Chen Junqian looked at the winter scenery rushing past the car window, and unconsciously recalled the magical prophecy that Xu Youwei had told him about the first glimpse of the new year last year.

All I can say is that 2011 was a year of great fortune for him and his family. They got a new house and a new car, his parents' jobs were thriving, and even Chen Junqian himself caught the wave of the times, to the point that he really started to doubt the reliability of this prophecy.

Of course, the main reason was what he saw when he opened his eyes this morning. It was the same scene as last year. Although he was a year older than last year, Chen Junqian felt that he and his sister were closer. This time, not only were her feet stretched next to his face, but his own legs were also being held by his sister. As a result, Chen Junqian could not get up by himself without waking his sister like he did last year. In the end, he could only lift Chen Xi up with him.

"arrive."

Chen Jun's words and the slowly stopping car interrupted Chen Junqian's thoughts. Although it had been almost a year since they last met, Xu Zhiling seemed to have changed little. After all, if you count his age, he was only in his early forties, in the prime of his life, the golden age of a capitalist who is ambitious and energetic. However, when faced with the arrival of Chen Junqian and his son, he still showed a very friendly side and did not have the airs of a big boss at all.

"Youyou is in her own room, go up and find her."

After welcoming the two into the house, Xu Zhiling instructed the housekeeper to serve tea, and then pointed to the second floor, indicating that he could go up directly.

"Your father and I need to talk about some work-related matters alone, so it's okay if you stay upstairs a little longer. Youyou has been looking forward to your arrival since yesterday."

Chen Junqian politely responded to Xu Zhiling's enthusiasm, then went up the stairs to the second floor and successfully found Xu Youwei's room by following his memory from last year.

He first knocked lightly on the door, but there was no response from inside. So Chen Junqian turned the doorknob and pushed the door open from the outside in, and then saw a girl lying on the bed who seemed to be still in bed.

However, since Chen Junqian himself was a master at pretending to be asleep (mainly to show off his "Time to get up" achievement in front of Mu Mu), he quickly confirmed that Xu Youwei was also pretending to be asleep after taking a closer look.

Although there's a saying that "you can never wake up someone who's pretending to be asleep," if you think about it the other way around, it's actually "then whatever you do, the other person has to see it but pretend not to see it and continue to pretend to be asleep." So after glancing at it, Chen Junqian walked to the desk next to him and casually took an invisible pen from the pen holder on it.

He himself didn't know why Xu Youwei had bought so many of these toy pens at home. Almost three-quarters of the pen holder was filled with them. However, Chen Junqian didn't think much of it at the time. After all, he had only brought the pen over to scare Xu Youwei and amuse her. So after taking the pen, he went straight back to Xu Youwei's bedside, lay down on the bed, and began to examine the girl in front of him.

Compared to when he first met Xu Youwei, Xu Youwei has undoubtedly grown up a lot in terms of figure and appearance. After all, girls' puberty always comes earlier than boys'. At this age, when she is about to enter junior high school, many girls have already reached their height limit and will remain stagnant in junior high and high school.

In fact, Chen Junqian doesn't usually pay much attention to girls' faces. The last time was probably when he first met Gu Linguo, and the time before that was shortly after his rebirth when the system had just rated Lin Mu's appearance adaptability as A. After all, there's not much to look at in a primary school student's face. If you really want to describe it, it would probably be something like the wonderful embellishments that have been written to death in online novels, such as "exquisitely beautiful" or "a beauty in the making."

Rather, among the girls he could see around him, only Zhu Wenyun, whose physical development showed signs of precociousness, would occasionally make Chen Junqian sigh with admiration for her appearance. However, this was also because Zhu Wenyun herself was very mature in her speech, and the effect of one plus one was greater than two. If Lin Mu had said those things, Chen Junqian would have just thought that the other party was pretending to be a little adult.

Besides her figure and face, what has grown along with time is Youyou's hair.

It was probably around last summer that Xu Youwei stopped cutting her hair short regularly as she had done in the previous two years and started growing it long. After more than half a year, it was quite noticeable. Especially in her current curled-up position, if you looked down from the ceiling, you would even think that the pressed and spread-out strands of hair seemed to give the girl a pair of black wings.

Perhaps this is also a concrete manifestation of a change in the other person's mindset reflected in their outward appearance.

Facing Xu Youwei, Chen Junqian had always been used to playing the role of a psychologist. While making this judgment in his mind, he temporarily put down the invisible pen he was going to use to prank her face, took out his phone from his pocket, and planned to save this scene as a memento.

However, to Chen Junqian's surprise, Xu Youwei suddenly opened her eyes at this moment. The girl, who had been pretending to be asleep, reacted even more strongly to his action of taking his phone out of his pocket than when the pen tip was almost touching her face. Almost instinctively, she reached out and grabbed his wrist.

"Did someone message Qinqin?"

"No, I just wanted to take a picture of your sleeping face. But you were just pretending to be asleep, weren't you? Your skills aren't up to par. I could tell as soon as I came in."

"...So you wanted to take a picture."

After listening to Chen Junqian's explanation, Xu Youwei belatedly realized that her stress response was strange and quickly let go of his hand.

In fact, there was nothing that could be done about it. Ever since Chen Junqian entered the room, she had been immersed in the feeling that it was just the two of them in the room, and all their interactions were just in a certain atmosphere between the two of them. But the way he took out his phone just now suddenly broke Xu Youwei's sense of immersion and brought her back to reality from her fantasy.

This action made her suddenly realize that this little world was not isolated and helpless. The other party had some kind of communication tool that could connect with the outside world, and other girls from the outside world could use it to establish contact with him at any time, just like Zhu Wenyun, who always called him for a long time and deliberately incorporated it into her story as a plot.

To be honest, even after making that decision, Xu Youwei's mood didn't become much lighter. On the contrary, the closer it got to the fireworks display, the more uneasy she became. All sorts of complicated emotions piled up, which is why she suddenly did that to Chen Junqian just now.

"Alright, the pretend-to-sleep segment is over, time to get up."

Since he was dealing with a grown-up girl, Chen Junqian couldn't just pull off the covers. Although in reality, female characters don't usually sleep naked like in romantic comedies where fan service is required, there were still some things to be mindful of.

Moreover, Chen Junqian had no doubt that Xu Youwei might suddenly do something like this to him out of some kind of mischievous intent, and when that happened, it would be a little difficult to handle.

However, just like what happened to his sister this morning, even though they are both a year older, Xu Youwei, who was able to dress herself last year, seems to have suddenly lost her ability to take care of herself this year and has started to wink and make fake gestures at Chen Junqian.

Chen Junqian's reaction to this was quite simple.

I can finally get the achievement I haven't been able to get for two whole years!

Please let me put on your socks!

When your fingertips gently lift your ankle, when your fingertips lightly touch your calf, when pure white cotton socks slowly wrap around your toes like cherry blossoms, this seemingly simple action marks that you have crossed the boundary of ordinary social distance and turned it into an intimate ritual that belongs only to the two of you.

The best service is never about technique, but about making the recipient pretend to resist even on the tenth time, just sitting there while already starting to curl up their tiny fingers one by one.

Condition for completion: Personally put on socks for any heroine who is suited for romantic comedy once.

To be honest, although Chen Junqian and Lin Mu had already completed two summer trips and stayed in the same hotel, he still hadn't achieved this feat. The main reason was that Mu Mu herself was an extremely ticklish child. Her feet, armpits, and sides were all sensitive areas that would make her laugh if touched or scratched. Moreover, thanks to her excellent upbringing, Lin Mu always dressed herself meticulously after getting up in the hotel.

Even if Chen Junqian occasionally helps out, he never actually touches the socks and feet. On the contrary, Chen Xi, whom he sees and touches every year, has not been registered yet, so it's like he's wearing them for nothing.

Faced with this opportunity that came knocking on his door, Chen Junqian, who was determined to unlock the rewards for the new milestone, naturally wouldn't let it go. Without saying a word, he started to help Youyou get dressed. After cleanly and efficiently taking care of her top and pants, he sat on the edge of the bed, lifted Xu Youwei's legs, and began to carefully help her put on her socks.

I made this plate of dumplings just for this dish of vinegar!

"...You even want socks?"

Xu Youwei herself didn't expect Chen Junqian to go to such lengths to arrange socks for her, but she didn't seem to want to refuse. She just sat there with her legs on Chen Junqian's knees and let him put the socks on for her.

"That's right, and this is the first time Yoyo has enjoyed this treatment. No one else has received it... well, except for my sister."

"Uh-huh."

Xu Youwei had thought that seeing Chen Junqian would calm her anxious heart and give her courage and determination, but faced with the scene before her, she suddenly felt a sense of fear again.

It was as if a voice in her head was trying to persuade her.

Isn't it good as it is? If everything really went wrong, you wouldn't even be able to maintain this relationship anymore.

Thinking about this made Xu Youwei feel somewhat annoyed. After Chen Junqian helped her put on her socks, she put on the slippers that were placed aside, got out of bed, and walked out of the room.

"I'm going to brush my teeth and wash my face. Qinqin, sit there for a while and have something to eat."

This time, she didn't ask Chen Junqian to accompany her, because she really needed some alone space and time to sort out the thoughts in her mind.

Although Chen Junqian was a little unsure of what the other party was thinking, he listened to Xu Youwei's arrangement, sat back down next to his father, said "Youyou is going to wash up," and then began to examine the tray in front of him.

Xu Zhiling's family always has more upscale snacks than those in his hometown. In addition to Ferrero Rocher, which I saw last year, they've added cereal chocolates and Naboti wafer biscuits this year. As for nuts, they also have expensive little things like almonds, walnuts, cashews, and pine nuts. The variety and quantity are dazzling, offering a wide selection for you to choose from. I feel like if I brought my sister, who loves these kinds of New Year's snacks, over, she would immediately transform into one of those two children in a fairy tale who stumbled upon a candy house and start munching on them right there.

Xu Zhiling and Chen Jun were still talking about work. It seemed that the work at the Tangshan branch in Hebei was progressing quite smoothly. They both sounded quite relaxed. Chen Junqian was eating snacks and drinking tea. After a while, Xu Youwei, who had finished washing up, came over and pulled him to the yard outside.

Xu Youwei's house was more like a detached villa, and the backyard garden seemed to be regularly maintained, with obvious signs of trimming and a pleasant view. However, Xu Youwei didn't seem interested in admiring the scenery. After stepping outside, she turned to Chen Junqian and said very seriously:

"The fireworks display was on the evening of the eighth day of the lunar new year, and Qinqin and I went to see it together."

"Hmm, but didn't we already say that before?"

"no."

The girl standing in front of him simply shook her head:

"What I mean this time is that Qinqin has to promise me that it will only be the two of us that night, and no one else can go or leave my sight."

Then, she looked at Chen Junqian's pocket:

"...You're not allowed to bring your cell phone either."

Take a day off

I took a day off at the beginning of the month and used the opportunity to outline the details of the upcoming plot.

Thank you all for your continued support. Have a great weekend!

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Chapter 52: He Loves Me (Part 2)

On the evening of the first day of the Lunar New Year, Chen Junqian was still at home with his sister at the children's table, showing off his sunflower seeds and pistachios in a grabbing plate.

It felt as if Xu Youwei's words during the day had exhausted all of the other person's courage and determination. This girl, who used to come to him to set off fireworks and firecrackers in the past two years, did not come this year, giving Chen Junqian time to stay at home with his sister.

If Mu Mu is the kind of child who is meticulous about food and always patient when it comes to eating, then Chen Xi is the more traditional type who just wants to eat and be happy. She fully embodies the various not-so-good traditions of Chen Junqian when he was young. She is the type who sucks the taste out of watermelon seeds and then spits them out, never finishes gnawing on walnuts, and only gulps down a small tangerine and then spits out the seeds.

Coincidentally, just as Chen Junqian was thinking about Lin Mu, the other party called at the same time, which suddenly reminded Chen Junqian that the other party had also called him on the first day of the Lunar New Year last year.

"What is Qianqian doing?"

This time, Lin Mu didn't play hard to get. In fact, she only remembered that she had said last year that she would bring Chen Junqian home to meet them when she returned to her hometown today and was teased by her relatives.

There was no way around it; a year was a long time, and she and Qianqian had a lot of experiences and agreements to make, plus Lin Mu's memory wasn't that good.

But then again, it's precisely because "a bad pen is worse than a good memory" that keeping a diary is so necessary, not because "no decent person keeps a diary," as Hsu Yu-wei said.

"She's eating with her younger sister and listening to the adults chat. Where's Mumu?"

"Me too. It feels a bit colder in the mountains at night than in the city, and it gets dark earlier there too."

After a couple of meaningless pleasantries, Lin Mu quickly brought up the events of last year:

"Qianqian, have you ever thought about coming to visit me? My grandparents and maternal grandparents would really like to meet you. It would be very convenient if my dad could drive you around during the Chinese New Year."

"Ah... I'm afraid I won't have time these next couple of days. I'm visiting relatives. Mu Mu should be visiting relatives too, right?"

"Well, what about in a couple of days? Actually, there are only a few relatives we really need to visit, right? We should be able to visit most of them in the three or four days of the first, second, third, and fourth of the lunar new year. After all, some shops will be open by the fifth day."

Upon hearing the other party mention the sensitive date of the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, Chen Junqian shook his head and declined.

"On the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, I made an appointment with Zhong Yu to play games together."

"Oh, is that the CF game you two both play?"

Lin Mu, who was Zhong Yu's childhood friend, was quite clear about the relationship between Zhong Yu and Chen Junqian. Although she wasn't as extreme as Xu Youwei, who wished Chen Junqian's social circle consisted entirely of male friends with girlfriends, she didn't particularly care about the relationship between the two.

Moreover, last summer, she had already done something like suddenly sending a message to check up on him while the two of them were playing games.

"And then what comes next? The sixth, the seventh, the eighth..."

I feel a little unsure of myself when I say this. After all, although there is a saying that the New Year celebrations last until the Lantern Festival, the last few days are indeed a bit of a delicate matter. Adults have to go back to work, and children have to start working on their winter break homework before school starts. It's really hard to say that it's still the New Year celebrations.

Chen Junqian also hesitated to give a direct answer, because he had to allow for some leeway for Chu Wu and Shen Nianqiu. Even though his initial plan was to go to Lin'an and return on the same day, considering Shen Nianqiu's personality and other possible unforeseen circumstances, it was best to allow for a day or two of leeway.

Not agreeing in the first place and breaking a promise after agreeing are two completely different things. Chen Junqian, who was already on his way to becoming a master of time management, understood this very well. Seeing that he hadn't made any move yet, Lin Mu, feeling a little disappointed, suddenly remembered something else:

"I'm sorry for suddenly asking you out at this time. If it's really inconvenient, let's do it next year. Hmm—that means we're asking you out a year in advance, Qianqian. You must come next year!"

"And then, I heard there's a free fireworks display in the city on the eighth day of the Lunar New Year this year. It seems to be bigger than the one held at the city government square on the fifteenth of the Lunar New Year every year. Can Qianqian come with me?"

"...As for this, Youwei has already made an appointment with me."

Upon hearing Chen Junqian's reply, Lin Mu almost instinctively wanted to say something like, "Then the three of us are perfect," but she quickly realized that Xu Youwei had made an appointment with Chen Junqian without telling her what it meant. So she swallowed the words back down her throat and could only squeeze out a mumbled reply that she herself didn't know what she was saying.

"Oh, that's it."

The conversation seemed to have reached a dead end, and Lin Mu herself might even be regretting making the call tonight. However, she quickly regained her composure and her tone became lighter:

"But Qianqian must come visit me next year, okay? I'll say it again, this is a reservation I made a year in advance, so no backing out."

"Yes, I'll definitely take Mumu to your hometown next year."

"Then—Happy New Year."