I turned reality into a romantic comedy

It's a color painted with memories as pigment, applied layer upon layer. Whenever time tries to bleach it, new memories become new pigment, endlessly coloring it until it becomes an indelible and indelible mark.

"Qinqin—"

This was probably the first time Xu Youwei had called Chen Junqian by this nickname in public outside of their private time together. However, considering that the passersby around them didn't recognize either of them, it didn't seem to be a problem. After all, it was supposed to be an exclusive nickname used only when the two of them were together, but in reality, Xu Youwei had only kept it a secret from Lin Mu most of the time.

When the other party called his name, Chen Junqian naturally had to retaliate without showing any weakness. He called out "Yo yo" back, and as soon as he got closer, Xu Youwei took her hand out of her pocket, naturally reached out and took his hand, then held it tightly.

Perhaps it was because it was winter, or perhaps it was her mood, but Chen Junqian's hands seemed exceptionally warm and vibrant today, like flames licking her fingers and palms, soothing them to the point of almost burning.

However, Xu Youwei showed no sign of loosening her grip; instead, she held on tighter and tighter, as if afraid that Chen Junqian would run away.

Xu Youwei was quite satisfied that Chen Junqian didn't wear gloves today, because she didn't like shaking hands with people through gloves, especially after she found out that the gloves were given to Chen Junqian by another girl. From that moment on, the layer of yarn became a layer of memories and time between the other person and someone else. So she would always try her best to make him take them off so that their skin could really touch each other and press together.

A child's childhood is about counting down the days from one holiday to another until the day they grow up.

The first round of fireworks slowly rose into the sky a minute later, making even the moon and stars pale in comparison. The man-made miracle exploded in the sky, and the light formed by the flame reaction shone into the eyes of everyone below, blooming for a moment and then disappearing in an instant.

Amidst the cacophony of background noise, Chen Junqian heard the notification in his mind that the achievement "[You can watch the fireworks from anywhere]" had been successfully triggered.

Tonight's fireworks display has been recognized by the system as a fireworks festival.

Their special day began just like that.

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Just as Xu Youwei didn't need to use the common romantic comedy excuse of "too many people and afraid of being separated" to complete the hand-holding ceremony, the other party didn't need any excuses like "the teeth of the wooden clogs suddenly broke while walking or the ankle was twisted." After just two steps, the girl named Xu Youwei was already half-lying on Chen Junqian's back.

A full year has passed since that wish, "Qinqin, try to grow taller." Chen Junqian has indeed grown quite a bit taller since then, widening the height difference between the two of them again. However, because the winter clothes she was wearing were too bulky, it was a bit uncomfortable to carry her on his back. So she just lay there half-lying like a little burden.

As for the benefits of this posture, besides being able to feel each other's breath and warmth more closely, making it obvious to passersby that the two have a good relationship, the most convenient thing is that Xu Youwei can whisper every word in Chen Junqian's ear. This extremely intimate little action can be done many times without getting tired of it.

"Has Yoyo had dinner yet?"

"Hmm, but I made sure to save room in my stomach. What would you like to eat, Qinqin?"

I'm craving candied hawthorn berries.

If Chen Junqian had to find the food that most resembled candied apples among the nearby food stalls, it would undoubtedly be candied hawthorn berries. Not only did they look somewhat similar, but they also shared the same sweet-on-the-outside-sour-on-the-inside flavor, making him wonder if he could fool the system's verification.

To be honest, because of a text he read in elementary school called "Eternal Prison," Chen Junqian had developed too many wonderful fantasies about candied hawthorn before actually eating it, so much so that he felt a bit disappointed when he actually ate it.

The texts and stories in Chinese textbooks have always been great partners for selling products. Chen Junqian was also fooled by the salted duck eggs from Gaoyou. It can only be said that Mr. Wang Zengqi really had a talent for writing about food. Later, Chen Junqian even went to read many of his essays about other foods, and still felt a craving for food through the words.

"I didn't expect Qinqin to like candied hawthorns."

"It's not that I particularly like it, it's just that today feels especially suitable for eating candied hawthorns. Yoyo, do you like it?"

"It's the same, I don't particularly like it or dislike it."

"Then let's just buy one skewer for the two of us, so as not to waste it."

Chen Junqian bought a skewer of candied hawthorns from a nearby food stall. He tasted the top one first, and then fed it to Xu Youwei. However, the related achievements in his mind showed no sign of being unlocked. It seemed that the domestic special edition of the apple candy project was not fooling the system's censorship mechanism.

"Hmm...it feels a bit too sour inside."

"That's how hawthorns are. If you really don't like them, why don't you spit them into the trash can over there?"

"It's not that bad, and besides, it was Qinqin who bought it for me."

After chewing the hawthorn fruit in her mouth a couple of times, Xu Youwei swallowed it. If it were Chen Xi, she probably would have just sucked off the sugar coating and then spat it out. After all, that's how his sister eats watermelon seeds—a complete child.

After finishing off three hawthorns each from the six on the candied hawthorn skewer, Chen Junqian changed his strategy and set his sights on the cotton candy next to him.

"Why has Qinqin suddenly developed such a sweet tooth?"

"Because most of the food sold around here is sweets."

Chen Junqian felt it wouldn't be appropriate to say something like, "Because I've been spending so much time with Mu Mu, my tastes have been influenced too," so he took back the joke and went to the cotton candy vendor to buy a big cotton candy.

The fluffy marshmallow was already about the size of their two heads. It shimmered with an alluring color under the nearby lights. The sugar strands melted in their mouths and were sweet. The two of them, who had just finished eating candied hawthorns, definitely couldn't finish two, so they simply bought one.

Chen Junqian initially thought that the two of them would eat from both sides towards the middle like playing a game of Pocky, but Xu Youwei deliberately followed the spot he was biting. Every time Chen Junqian took a bite, she would take a bite from the spot next to him. However, because the posture was a bit awkward, every time she leaned over, her nose and cheeks would be full before her mouth even touched the candy.

Before long, Xu Youwei's nose and cheeks were covered with glistening sugar threads and icing, looking rather sticky.

"Let me wipe it for you, don't move."

With such a golden opportunity to achieve his goal right in front of him, Chen Junqian was naturally not going to let it slip by. He quickly took out a tissue from his pocket and reached over to wipe the sugar strands stuck to the other person's face. His touch was very light, and the fingertips through the tissue rubbing against the tip of her nose made Xu Youwei feel itchy, making her want to sneeze loudly.

Xu Youwei made no attempt to reach out and say, "I can do it myself," nor did she intend to explain that she hadn't finished eating the cotton candy and that wiping it off now would only result in more smudges later. She simply stood there, tilting her head back, enjoying Chen Junqian's wiping.

As a result, she had her face wiped three times before the marshmallow in her hand was completely gone.

The distance between the marshmallow and your fingertips

Cotton candy is an indispensable part of any fireworks display. As pink sugar strands entwine in the night sky, and she smiles as she hands you a cotton candy saying, "Try it," the fluffy sweetness melts on your tongue, and your heart is enveloped in sweetness as well.

Whether it's wiping the sugar threads off each other's lips and cheeks, taking the opportunity to indirectly kiss, or using its large size as a cover to secretly kiss under the cover of others' view, these are all classic scenes in romantic comedies that you'll never tire of watching.

Conditions for achieving this: Buy cotton candy at a fireworks festival with any heroine who is suited for romantic comedy and achieve one of the above scenarios.

"But if you want some candy, that's not bad either."

Following the direction Xu Youwei pointed, Chen Junqian's gaze finally landed on a sugar painting stall.

That food wasn't written into the romantic comedy achievements by the system, but judging from its presentation alone, it might be one of the most suitable foods for this genre in China.

Unlike Chen Junqian's sentiments, Xu Youwei's attitude was somewhat ambiguous.

She suddenly remembered that she had made something similar with jam and glutinous rice paper before, and then, without letting Chen Junqian see it, she threw it directly into his mouth.

What she's going to do tonight is to say aloud what she wrote down back then.

...You have to say it to him in person, say it to him yourself.

Chapter Sixty: Fleeting Fireworks (Part Two)

"What pattern would you like to eat, Yoyo?"

The moment she realized this, Xu Youwei's expression became somewhat dazed. Chen Junqian's voice, which came from beside her, seemed to come from a very distant place. It wasn't until he reached out and waved his hand in front of her eyes that the noise of the entire street surged back like a tide, pulling her thoughts back to reality.

It wasn't about spinning a wheel with various patterns. The sugar painting stall in front of them allowed customers to choose their own designs, with prices varying depending on the complexity of the design. From animals to figures to human portraits, everything was included. The old man sitting there had his hands tucked into his sleeves and crossed over his chest, smiling as he watched Chen Junqian and Xu Youwei, waiting for their decision.

Unable to recall the exact same pattern as before, Xu Youwei's words lingered in her throat, but when they finally came out, it was a completely different word:

"I want a little squirrel."

Although it's not the common Chinese zodiac, the old man selling sugar paintings clearly knows how to draw these cute little creatures. After nodding, he began preparing the syrup for the painting. The amber-colored syrup meandered on the board, outlining specific shapes little by little, which made people quite engrossed in watching.

"Where's Qinqin?"

"Hmm... Since Youyou chose a squirrel, then I'll have one too, Grandpa. Thank you."

"It's okay."

Xu Youwei was actually quite clear about why she mentioned the squirrel image in the end. She was always the detective-like girl who tirelessly collected all information related to Chen Junqian, so she had also investigated and understood Chen Junqian, Lin Mu, and the e-commerce company called Three Fierce Xu.

To be honest, if the company wasn't called "Three Fierce Squirrels" instead of "Two Fierce Squirrels," Xu Youwei would have almost suspected that the two anthropomorphic squirrel cartoon characters that served as the company's logo and mascot were actually Chen Junqian and Lin Mu. She always couldn't help but let her imagination run wild in these kinds of situations, and even the slightest related element could make her extremely anxious.

However, now she and Chen Junqian have finally become two real squirrels. Xu Youwei, who had her squirrel fixed to a bamboo skewer after the syrup had solidified, did not immediately intend to eat it. Instead, she held it up and nudged it affectionately towards the squirrel in Chen Junqian's hand, making them form a harmonious picture together under the fireworks that rose and bloomed in the night sky.

But even though it's fun, sugar paintings still have to be eaten eventually. In order not to make the patterns on their hands look too broken and ruin the initial beauty, Chen Junqian and Xu Youwei were both quick, and they stuffed the whole sugar painting into their mouths in a few bites before finally throwing the remaining sticks into the trash can next to them.

Although they had deliberately saved room for the evening's activities, eating three different snacks in a short period of time still left them feeling quite full. So, after finishing the sugar painting, Chen Junqian and Xu Youwei decisively shifted their attention away from the various food stalls. Having eaten and drunk their fill, they started looking for something to do.

The entertainment options at these events are always the same old things, changing over and over again. In fact, as Xu Youwei's loyal after-school companion for the past two years, Chen Junqian and Xu Youwei have probably played these games more times than all the other girls combined. However, just like how many unchanging products can appear more upscale with a change of packaging, even these games that have been played countless times seem to have become much more interesting tonight thanks to the atmosphere.

After all, the two of them used to play these games mostly when they were wandering around after school. There were no onlookers, and even the owner always seemed uninterested and slacking off. It was nothing like the lively scene now, where one person would play while a group of people watched.

Without a doubt, Xu Youwei has never been afraid of being in the spotlight. In fact, for a long time, she was the kid in the class who loved to show off the most. If it was just to attract her parents' attention before, Xu Youwei has gotten used to this feeling of being unconventional. What's more, Chen Junqian is with her now.

However, just like before, whether it was ring toss or target shooting, even if she actually won a gift, Xu Youwei would still shake her head and refuse it. This was true for both the prizes she won herself and the prizes Chen Junqian wanted to give her.

Of course, she had been to Lin Mu's house and seen the Ali doll that was placed peacefully on the bookshelf in her best friend's room, smiling at her whenever she sat down. But she felt no envy whatsoever. In Xu Youwei's mind, if the relationship between the two could not continue, then these items that symbolized past memories would instantly transform into the sharpest boomerangs and fly back, as if they wanted to cut people until they bled profusely before they would stop.

When that time comes, what should I do with those items?

Like in TV dramas and movies, do you give up on them and throw them all into the trash can, never wanting to see them again? Or do you hold them and reminisce about the good old days, sobbing softly?

Because she didn't want either of these outcomes, Xu Youwei basically never accepted anything from Chen Junqian. Since they met, she had only accepted souvenirs he brought back from his summer trips twice. These were the return gifts for the first gift she had given him; it was just a simple exchange of favors.

As the saying goes, as long as the person is firmly in your grasp, all gifts are meaningless and unnecessary. This is the only lesson Xu Youwei learned from her past, and it is a truth that only she adheres to.

"Let's go somewhere further away, there are too many people here."

The noise and bustle can indeed uplift one's spirits for a while, but after a while, it will inevitably feel noisy and chaotic. Following the route that she had planned in advance, Xu Youwei, having finished the ring toss game, took Chen Junqian's hand and led him towards the street exit, heading away from the noise.

"It's really too noisy; I feel like I'm having a nervous breakdown."

Having had his eardrums tortured for a long time by the shrill voice of a four or five-year-old child next to him, Chen Junqian was also a little overwhelmed and decided to go to the side for a bit of peace and quiet.

Xu Youwei wholeheartedly agreed with this, after all, she currently has a 'younger sister' at home who, although a few years older, still causes a lot of trouble under the parents' indulgence and favoritism.

As the original inhabitant of the family, Xu Youwei often felt like the outsider, because the other three people were closely related by blood, but she was not. She had no relation to that woman and didn't want to see her at all.

That's why Xu Youwei never invites Chen Junqian to her home. On the first day of the Lunar New Year when the mother and son are not around, she always prefers to take a longer route to visit them. She doesn't want Chen Junqian to have any contact or meet with these two people.

Even though there was absolutely no basis for it, Xu Youwei just felt that doing so was wrong. It was like showing her most precious treasure to the person she hated the most; she would innately doubt the other person's motives and possible actions.

"It's much quieter here."

After arriving at a secluded but still well-viewed spot that they had found beforehand, Xu Youwei pulled Chen Junqian to sit on a bench by the roadside.

"Does Qinqin know why I chose the squirrel just now?"

"Because you think it's cute?"

"It's because I thought of Qinqin's three fierce dogs. Actually, Mumu also told me that this brand was originally discussed and decided upon by you and that boss. You could say you were the founder, or rather, the one who killed someone?"

Whether she was simply biting her tongue or trying to pay homage to the first episode of the first season of a sitcom that will be airing its third season this year, Hsu Yu-Wei almost mispronounced "founder" as "hit-and-run driver," and quickly spat twice before correcting herself.

"Oh, I see. But at most, I'd just be a partner. If I were the real founder, I would definitely invite Youyou to design the company logo and mascot for me."

"Actually, it's fine in the future too, if Qinqin is willing. Anyway, I have always planned to continue learning to draw."

"Hmm, I think Yoyo is quite talented."

The conversation should probably stop here, since the two of them are still just kids. This kind of talk is essentially no different from what even younger children say when playing house: "I'll be the dad and you'll be the mom."

Moreover, even if we're being honest, compared to Chen Junqian, who has already achieved tangible results, Xu Youwei is actually the one who hasn't proven herself yet.

But she still spoke, almost subconsciously.

"Can Qinqin and I make a pinky promise? From now on, it'll just be the two of us, and we'll become founders or partners."

To be honest, Xu Youwei regretted it the moment she said those words. After all, polite words should never be taken too seriously. Trying to get to the bottom of things will only lead to an awkward and speechless situation. But she just pretended to take it seriously and was hoping for a more affirmative answer.

It was almost like a rehearsal for what I was going to do and say later.

Even Xu Youwei herself doesn't know whether she wants the other person's true feelings or a white lie. It's impossible for people to never lie, because the meaning of truth is based on lies. If everyone stopped lying, honesty wouldn't be praised as a virtue. Lies often serve only to plug the gaps in an event or to cover up the unexpected cause.

"Well, actually I haven't figured out what I want to do in the future. Even within the category of drawing, there are actually a lot of different professions. For example, becoming a comic artist? I'll have Qinqin write the original concepts and scripts for me. Don't think I don't know that even a writer as talented as Zhu Wenyun was taught by Qinqin herself."

Finally, before Chen Junqian could answer, Xu Youwei took the initiative to steer the conversation back on track, giving him a smile.

Yoyo's smile was undeniably adorable. Perhaps because they were away from the hustle and bustle of the city, the various snack aromas that had been lingering around Chen Junqian's nose had transformed into a strange, refreshing fragrance, perhaps the scent of some kind of shower gel or shampoo she was using. It mingled with the scent of grass and trees from the roadside plants, slowly drifting over in the night breeze.

"So, does Yoyo want to become a comic artist? If she moves next to me then, it would be a real-life version of 'The Neighbor's Rampage'."

"Ah... my mind is a bit of a mess, actually I hadn't really thought it through."

It was clear that Xu Youwei had lost her composure, just as she had said. So she simply raised her head and looked at the night sky, trying to refocus her attention on the fireworks blooming there.

"It's so beautiful, what do you think, Qinqin?"

Just as Xu Youwei looked up at the fireworks in the night sky, Chen Junqian focused his gaze on her profile. Just like the poem, "You are looking at the scenery on the bridge, while someone on the bridge is looking at you," he stared at her face illuminated by the fireworks, mesmerized by the sight of Xu Youwei, who was simply smiling and admiring something beautiful, just like an ordinary girl.

Chen Junqian never considered himself to be the oblivious male protagonist of a romantic comedy from anime, but he was also never a seasoned player who could flirt with countless women without getting attached. So, while he could keenly sense something from Xu Youwei's current state, figuring out how to handle the situation properly was a problem he had never encountered before.

"Well, it looks good."

Following the other person's words, just as Chen Junqian also shifted his gaze and focused his attention on the fireworks blooming again in the night sky above, a certain achievement was suddenly ignited in his mind.

"...?"

Subconsciously, she turned her head away, but the moment her eyes met Chen Junqian's, Xu Youwei, who was sitting next to him, looked away again, though she still held his hand tightly.

The achievement titled "Love Rampage Motorcycle" flashed through Chen Junqian's mind.

【Love-Driven Motorcycle Rampage】