I turned reality into a romantic comedy

As Shen Nianqiu handed him the microphone, an achievement etched in Chen Junqian's mind was simultaneously illuminated:

Karaoke choruses are always beautiful.

When the neon lights in the private room cast an ambiguous pink hue on each other's faces, and the intro to the duet begins—your voices intertwine, and the affection expressed in the lyrics becomes unclear whether it's sung to the original singer or to the person beside you.

The most moving choral performances are never about technique, but about the moment the music ends, when the box suddenly falls silent and the person turns their head to look at you in sync with you.

Condition for achievement: Complete a duet with any female lead who is suited for romantic comedy in a karaoke room.

This achievement is somewhat similar to the one Chen Junqian previously made with Zhu Wenyun through square dancing, which is called "Because lyrics are the cry of my heart." However, the location was limited to a karaoke bar, so it was delayed until today. But now, it has finally come to an end with Shen Nianqiu.

At the beginning of 2012, the three giants of QQ Music were at the height of their popularity. Shen Nianqiu was no exception and would listen to their songs. Among the three, Xu Liang naturally had the most duet songs with female singers, and most of the female singers he collaborated with were different. Xu Liang was even given the nickname "girl-carrying maniac" because of this.

"Which song by Xu Liang would you like to sing, sister?"

Seeing Shen Nianqiu open the song selection screen and list Xu Liang as the singer, Chen Junqian subconsciously leaned over and asked:

"Red Dress? No, Sir? Bad Girl? Peaceful Breakup?"

To his surprise, Shen Nianqiu did not choose any of Xu Liang's most popular singles that he had released so far, but instead chose another song that had just been released two months ago and was not very popular.

"Airport..."

"Yes, airport."

Despite saying that, Shen Nianqiu, who naturally took off her bulky down jacket in the air-conditioned private room, displayed a completely different demeanor from that of someone who had no figure at the airport.

After the intro had begun, she proactively raised the microphone and, in the most playful tone, with the corners of her mouth turned up, sang the first line of the lyrics in a light and cheerful manner:

"Nobody sleeps on their stomach like that. That's not my back. My amazing figure is called natural beauty—"

Chapter 56: This younger brother is also very bad (Part 2)

Chen Junqian and Shen Nianqiu booked a small room at the karaoke bar for the afternoon session from 12:00 to 5:00. However, they neither arrived at the exact time of 12:00 nor stayed until exactly 5:00 when the session ended.

Singing can be very tiring, especially when you're fully engaged and determined to outdo each other on the score. Their punishment game wasn't dice or drinking; it was just competing against each other on the karaoke scoring system. In the end, they both collapsed onto the sofa in the karaoke room, feeling utterly exhausted.

That's why, by the latter half of the time, the two of them had settled into a state of using the music playing as background noise, snuggling together on the sofa and chatting. They would occasionally sing along to the accompaniment, but most of the time, they would just watch the various music videos playing on the screen.

Just like their first offline meeting during the Shanghai World Expo two years ago, Shen Nianqiu might be a girl who really likes direct physical contact. If there's a saying, "If you can sit, don't stand; if you can lie down, don't sit," then she's the typical example of "If you can hold hands, don't hold hands; if you can hug, don't hold hands." Especially in this private room where only the two of them are, it might even give Chen Junqian the illusion that she's going to pull him into her arms.

It turns out that when a girl is willing and wants to get close to you, every part of her body can become a weapon of attack. They surround you from all sides, and by the time you realize it, you're already firmly locked in place, unable to move and not wanting to move at all.

But he had to step forward eventually. Chen Junqian was never one to be overly passive, so he quickly took the initiative to speak up and try to regain control:

"When I go out later, may I go to my sister's room to take a look?"

He didn't use the word 'home,' but the other person's room couldn't be a separate, isolated entity. As long as he observed it briefly when he went in, Chen Junqian was confident that he could glean some information about the other person's family environment from this glimpse.

"It's not impossible, since my family is out visiting relatives for the New Year today."

After hesitating for a moment, Shen Nianqiu quickly agreed to Chen Junqian's request. After all, she always presented herself as someone who was satisfied with the current state of her family, so there was no concern about not airing her dirty laundry in public. On the contrary, doing so would only make her look like she was trying to hide something.

However, when it came time to actually bring Chen Junqian home, Shen Nianqiu suddenly fell into a state of confusion, as if a deep-seated fear had been awakened in her heart. But she shook her head and decided not to think about it any further for the time being.

Frankly speaking, if we're really talking about the degree of self-deception, Gu Linguo would at least still be confused about the current situation of her mother and family, but Shen Nianqiu has already become accustomed to the status quo and has even made up a seemingly flawless set of reasons and excuses for herself without any external cause.

The three common themes of Chinese horror—the so-called dysfunctional family, school bullying, and feudal superstition—are never isolated entities. In fact, they are all closely linked and mutually causal. Just as the most classic feudal superstition leads to problems in the dysfunctional family, the dysfunctional family in turn gives rise to the tragedy of school bullying.

But Shen Nianqiu herself did a great job in this regard. From Chen Junqian's perspective, his older sister was simply too clever. She stood in the middle and forcibly separated the three parties, and then dealt with them one by one 'properly'.

She doesn't dwell on whether her family's current situation is due to the loss of her first child or the boy everyone wanted most. She also uses her emotional intelligence and abilities to avoid standing out in a boarding school and manage her relationships with everyone in a relaxed and easygoing manner.

But the problem still exists. It's not that pretending not to see it will make it disappear in the end; it's just that Chen Junqian's appearance rekindled her expectations for the future.

For Shen Nianqiu herself, there was a sentence hidden deep in the well of her heart that she felt was not human at all every time she thought about it. Just having such a thought was enough to make her feel sinful and go to hell after she died. That sentence was, "They will always grow old and die before me."

Nothing can so clearly define the boundaries between two people as life and death, and this is an inevitable outcome.

They will eventually leave, and she will eventually be free.

Shen Nianqiu was unaware that her mother had also had the same thought of "I'm still young" just a few days ago, but her current thoughts were exactly the same as the other woman's, and therefore they both began to feel a kind of expectation for the future, as if it were a preordained time that would eventually come.

"This is my home."

Following Shen Nianqiu's footsteps, Chen Junqian arrived at a girl's house once again. Although he had known her the longest, he was the last to arrive at her house, which was quite a poignant situation.

Judging from the location and first impression alone, Chen Junqian was certain that his sister's family was not poor. After all, a family that could buy a computer for their child a few years ago must have some financial means. She had been enrolled in singing and dancing classes since she was a child, and now she was being sent to a boarding school that was said to have excellent facilities and naturally expensive tuition.

Upon opening the door, the first thing you see is a black and white photograph hanging in the center of the living room, above the dining table. It shows a child who looks only a few years old, who must be the prematurely deceased older brother that Shen Nianqiu had mentioned but never met.

Next to the framed black and white photo, the wall was covered not with the orange-yellow certificates that are common in ordinary homes, but with all sorts of other photos, all of which were about the child's growth, from birth to crawling, walking, talking and the first birthday celebration. Countless little figures crowded together around the large black and white photo, which gave Chen Junqian a bit of goosebumps when he saw it for the first time.

But Shen Nianqiu seemed used to it. After handing Chen Junqian disposable shoe covers, she went into the house first, pointed to a room next door, and invited him in:

"This is my own room."

"Ah."

Although he verbally agreed, Chen Junqian deliberately slowed down the process of putting on shoe covers, taking the opportunity to continue observing his surroundings. He then noticed the glass bottle prominently displayed on the living room shelf, as well as some other clothes drying on the balcony.

"what is that?"

Knowing that Shen Nianqiu was also closely watching his movements, Chen Junqian didn't try to hide anything. After following her into the house, he directly pointed to the glass bottle.

Although it was a bit far away and not very clear, Chen Junqian was certain that what was inside was definitely not some paper crane or little star.

"The umbilical cord, the umbilical cord that can be preserved for a long time after being processed... it's not mine, it's his too."

Seemingly not wanting to say too much about the issue, but perhaps feeling that changing the subject would make her seem like she cared a lot, Shen Nianqiu simply pulled Chen Junqian's hand, who was still looking in that direction, and led him into her room. After closing the door, she lay half-reclined on the bed in front of Chen Junqian, pulled her thick winter clothes up halfway, and finally held his fingertips and placed them on her navel.

"And then, this is mine."

She looked into Chen Junqian's eyes and said this.

Isn't it common sense to show your stomach when apologizing?

Just as a puppy will lie on its back and show its soft belly to its owner to express affection and fondness, the female protagonists in romantic comedies sometimes use similar methods to show their attitude.

Whether it's the barely visible hem of her bra, the fleeting glimpse of her pubic bone, or the fully exposed navel, the hidden scenery revealed in that instant always feels like the foreplay of some final chapter, making one's heart race.

Condition for achievement: Any female protagonist with a knack for romantic comedy must voluntarily pull her shirt open halfway until her entire navel is visible.

Other achievements related to this one include: "Isn't it common sense to show your XX when apologizing?"

Chen Junqian had no time to pay attention to the mysterious romantic achievement that had suddenly appeared in his mind, because all his attention was drawn to Shen Nianqiu in front of him, or more precisely, to her sudden action.

As a former dance student who had practiced dance for six or seven years since childhood, Shen Nianqiu's waistline was quite perfect. At this moment, because of her own posture, it was slightly taut backward, and the shape of her navel in the middle also changed slightly. The shallow indentation was stretched into a thin line, and her fingertips were now being pulled to the ground by the other person's hand and pressed against it, experiencing a kind of soft touch.

"...The umbilical cord is the umbilical cord, and the navel is the navel, right?"

After a while, Chen Junqian belatedly realized what was happening. As he spoke, he tried to pull his hand back, but Shen Nianqiu showed no sign of letting go. She even raised her other hand and gently traced his fingertip upwards, as if marking a pathway for his hand.

"This is it."

The umbilical cord is the organ through which a mother delivers nutrients to her child. For Shen Nianqiu, that internet cable was her umbilical cord for the past few years, connecting her to Chen Junqian and allowing her to continuously receive a sense of reality from him that she could continue living.

Since starting a boarding high school, Shen Nianqiu and Chen Junqian have had more and more time to chat, but they can no longer communicate by voice like before. However, Shen Nianqiu sometimes thinks that it's actually not so bad.

If Lin Mu's diary was handwritten word by word, then her diary was a collection of text chat logs.

After chatting with Chen Junqian all night, Shen Nianqiu would read through their entire chat history again before going to sleep. Sometimes, she wouldn't be satisfied with just reading through the previous chats as well.

【elder sister】

At first, she would hold onto the two words of address for a long time, reluctant to let go, just like warming her hands with two hot water bottles before entering a warm house from the freezing cold outside to get used to the temperature inside, and then reading on after her body had warmed up.

Shen Nianqiu would read each sentence for a very long time, making sure it was clear to her eyes, chewed up and digested in her mouth before reading the next sentence. Only when it was absolutely time to sleep would she put her phone back under her pillow, as if that person were sleeping next to her.

If her phone hadn't been able to be charged with a data cable at this point, eliminating the need for a universal charger, Shen Nianqiu's phone battery would probably have been worn out long ago.

But Chen Junqian withdrew his hand, because he needed to ask about the second thing he had just seen. He needed to use that thing to ascertain his sister's true thoughts. So, while helping her neatly roll up her clothes that had been pulled up, he asked her:

"Are those clothes hanging on the balcony my sister's?"

Those were some of the most alluring and sexy lingerie, but upon seeing them, Chen Junqian's mind was instantly free of any related achievement triggers.

"its mine."

Shen Nianqiu shifted her gaze somewhat awkwardly, seemingly only embarrassed that Chen Junqian had seen her underwear at home, but her heart sank involuntarily. She maintained her usual tone, however:

"Wouldn't your younger brother feel embarrassed?"

No, it's not yours.

Chen Junqian asserted this very decisively. The timeline between his past and present lives was so clear in his mind at this moment that he exposed the other party's lie.

Having the mindset of an adult, Chen Junqian showed absolutely no shame when saying this; he was simply stating a fact:

"Your parents want a new child."

He didn't say anything like "I want to give you a new younger brother," because this matter had nothing to do with Shen Nianqiu from beginning to end. To be more precise, he said, "My sister's parents want a new son."

That's it.

Chapter 57: Goodnight (Two Chapters Combined)

Shen Nianqiu was well aware that she was just a temporary figure in this family.

So she had to hurry up and grow up, and hurry up and fall in love with someone, after her brother, whom she had never met, died, and before her younger brother, who would surely be born in the future, appeared.

This unwavering idea, or rather, this determination, almost forced Shen Nianqiu to skip her childhood in one step. Before she could even be a carefree child, her childhood was abruptly cut short, and she entered a half-baked adolescence.

The stitches may heal, but the fracture remains in that part of the body. The middle section is always empty, almost transparent, stuck there, unable to be swallowed or spat out.

From that moment on, Shen Nianqiu knew that she had to create something for herself, to create a small world, a small world that belonged entirely to her, just like her mother had done.

She can carry this little world with her wherever she goes, and the people in this little world can also be taken with her wherever she goes, just like a handkerchief or a tissue, which she can put in her pocket at any time. This little world and the people in this world will never betray her. As long as she lives, they will all live for her.

Later, the internet became Shen Nianqiu's little world, and it was under these circumstances that Chen Junqian appeared in front of her.

Shen Nianqiu had lied to Chen Junqian, both about her family situation and her own mindset. Her parents treated her with a near-ignorance, which meant they didn't care about her thoughts or try to hide anything from her, just like the few pieces of underwear that were currently drying on the balcony.

Once this fact is recognized, it becomes clear that all the magnanimity Shen Nianqiu displayed in the past was a self-deceiving illusion. After all, even the extreme thought hidden deep in the well of her heart, called "parents will eventually pass away," can no longer provide any comfort.

She will have a younger brother who is more than ten years younger than her, and Shen Nianqiu has no doubt that even when her parents pass away, the other party will ask her to take care of him if their next child is indeed a son, because Shen Nianqiu's mother, Yang Suling, herself is.

In Shen Nianqiu's memory, her mother had helped her younger brother and her uncle more than once since she was a child. When their business failed, her mother had to pay for their business. When they found a partner and got married, her mother had to arrange everything. Even when their mother, her maternal grandmother, was sick, it was Yang Suling who accompanied her to a large hospital in another city.

Her maternal grandmother's attitude towards this was simply this:

“Your brother is a good-for-nothing. I’m sorry. I’ll definitely bless you when I go to heaven.”

It was as if she had seen a predetermined future of herself, so Shen Nianqiu naturally felt a deep fear about it, as if the scene in her nightmare had become a reality, turning into a menacing nightmare.

It was probably from that time that Shen Nianqiu finally developed this attitude, which could be called rebellion or giving up: if she really wanted a younger brother, she might as well choose one she liked herself.

Then she chose Chen Junqian, a boy who would use his real name as his online name, just to argue with her about who was older and who should call whom "brother" or "sister," and who would even go so far as to look up his family's household registration book to find out who was two years younger than her.

Undoubtedly, Chen Junqian initially fit Shen Nianqiu's imagination perfectly. He had his own troubles and was willing to share them with her. She then comforted him and chatted with him like an older sister, which led to the subtle thought that the person opposite her was dependent on her for existence, becoming the only resident in the little world she created.

But things changed a few years ago. The other person suddenly started to become outstanding, independent, and cheerful. Their social circle expanded, other girls' names started to appear in conversations, and they started trying to get to know her.

But the more things went like this, the less Shen Nianqiu was able to tell Chen Junqian the original reasons.

It's probably like the lyrics of the song, "It's not because I'm lonely that I miss you, but because I miss you that I'm lonely." She's unwilling to admit it now, as if putting all of this into words would make her feelings seem less sincere.

Girls who tend to overthink things often unconsciously complicate other people's thoughts as well. When Chen Junqian exposed all of this, Shen Nianqiu felt relieved and laid out all her feelings and thoughts in great detail. She let out all the details of her hatred, love, and repression, presented them to him, and then closed her eyes, like a prisoner awaiting final judgment.

Even though it was she herself who captured herself, tied her up, and nailed her to the cross.

Looking at his sister who had suddenly changed into this state, Chen Junqian felt a mix of emotions. But it was precisely because of this that he always felt a unique tenderness for Shen Nianqiu.

But feelings of pity or tenderness always inevitably evoke images of a condescending attitude, so Chen Junqian changed the form of his feelings and expressed them through affirmation and promise.

“Some things cannot be changed, but some things can be changed. I have always felt that even if I were in my sister’s situation, I could not have done any better. And no matter what, what I said to my sister back then still counts.”

As Chen Junqian spoke, he kept thinking about his last conversation with Shen Nianqiu around 2015 in his previous life. If we follow the timeline, Shen Nianqiu's parents had already given birth to a younger brother for her at that time, completely exposing all the illusions she used to comfort herself.

Even at that time, the other party still showed him the most sincere kindness after not contacting him for a long time, so Chen Junqian never thought that Shen Nianqiu was a hypocritical girl as she herself said.

"Sister, you can still come to me anytime, anywhere. I can take care of you without any problem."

Just like the male protagonist in a romantic comedy always has a younger sister who he always bumps into in the bathroom after taking a shower and getting dressed, the older sister who is worn down by work and always clings to him saying that she can't get married and has to live with her younger brother for the rest of her life is also a classic character. Moreover, Chen Junqian doesn't believe that Shen Nianqiu is really a useless older sister. The fact that the system recognizes her as having an A-level basic ability adaptability already proves this point.

If Shen Nianqiu had previously felt that Chen Junqian's existence was like a bare gum after all his teeth had fallen out—full of presence, leaving a hollow, ticklish feeling when left untouched, but causing a sharp, tingling pain when touched—then now his teeth had truly grown back, hidden in every single word he uttered.

Every word he said was like a gentle bite into the softest spot in her heart.

Every time I hear him call me "sister," I feel a little pain.