I turned reality into a romantic comedy.

Which toothbrush cup does your little brother use?

"The blue one."

"Then I'll take over for a bit, you can go to the restroom or something?"

After Xu Youwei took his towel to wipe his face, Chen Junqian's toothbrush and tooth mug were also taken over. Watching his toothbrush being put on toothpaste and brushed with foam by the other person, Chen Junqian also had a somewhat indescribable feeling. So he simply dug out the set that his father used at home from the cabinet and stood next to Shen Nianqiu to brush their teeth in front of the mirror together.

Whether it was true that the two were telepathically connected, or Shen Nianqiu had been watching his every move and cooperating silently, despite having no blood relation whatsoever, the two who addressed each other as brother and sister achieved an astonishingly consistent action in front of the mirror, even rinsing their mouths at the exact same time, which made Chen Junqian unable to help but chuckle.

What to eat for breakfast?

"I don't have time to cook at home, let's go out and buy breakfast."

"Okay, I'll go change my clothes first."

Although she said that, Shen Nianqiu didn't actually intend to avoid Chen Junqian at all. After all, she was still wearing her underwear properly. After taking off the white shirt that had been worn out, she quickly changed into the pure white sleeveless dress that she had chosen yesterday. She also put on the wide-brimmed sun hat that Chen Junqian had put on her when he picked her up at the station yesterday, exuding a vibrant summer vibe.

"No, no, I forgot to put on makeup, little brother, wait for me a little while longer."

Just before leaving, Shen Nianqiu belatedly remembered this matter. After all, she had practiced singing and dancing since she was a child and had rich experience in performing on stage. Therefore, she was also exposed to and mastered the act of makeup very early. She was much better than the Guo Ning trio, who still only knew how to apply sunscreen or clam oil. Chen Junqian had obtained an achievement related to sunscreen from his sister during the summer vacation two years ago.

Chen Junqian naturally wouldn't refuse his sister's request. So, Shen Nianqiu lingered at the sink a little longer, putting on some light makeup and applying sunscreen beforehand. Then, a little embarrassed, she followed him out of the apartment building.

It was around seven o'clock in the morning, and all sorts of breakfast stalls had already been set up along the roadside. This reminded Chen Junqian of a joke he had seen long ago, seemingly in a storybook. It was about a foreigner who had just come to China to learn Chinese and said that people here were too diligent and good at encouraging everyone. Everywhere he went, he saw banners urging people to "get up early" and "get up early." Every few steps, he would see signs that were actually from banks saying things like "The Chinese People are Great," "China's Agriculture is Great," and "China's Industry and Commerce is Great."

"So Guoning now makes savory pancakes and hand-pulled pancakes too."

"It suddenly became popular around last year."

Seeing the familiar breakfast stalls springing up everywhere like mushrooms after rain, Chen Junqian wasn't surprised at all. After all, he had initially considered joining the business, but the breakfast industry was a typical type of business with high income but also very hard work. In addition, the arrival of the three fierce dogs and his father's promotion made Chen Junqian give up the idea.

If Chen Junqian were to choose one reason why these two breakfast items have become popular, it would probably be that they are novel, taste good, are convenient to eat on the way to work or school, and are inexpensive.

For just two yuan, you can get a whole bag full of savory pancakes. Hand-pulled pancakes are a bit more expensive, but with an egg and ham, they only cost about five yuan. Kids at that time really loved these kinds of oily and fragrant breakfast snacks, so franchise stores opened one after another in Guoning and even throughout the country. It was only a few years later that the popularity gradually declined.

Guoning officially launched its campaign to become a civilized city this year, and the previously chaotic breakfast stalls were forcibly replaced with uniform breakfast carts.

"Would you like this?"

"Sure, that's convenient."

After quickly reaching a consensus with Shen Nianqiu, Chen Junqian first went to the savory pancake stall and cut three yuan worth of pancakes. Then they went to the hand-pulled pancake stall and bought two of the same "family portrait" pancakes with all kinds of fillings. Finally, they walked towards their destination, munching on the pancakes stuffed full of various toppings.

On the way to his and Xu Youwei's rural base, Chen Junqian briefly explained the origins of the base to Shen Nianqiu. His sister just tilted her head thoughtfully and then said something that Chen Junqian himself had always wanted to complain about.

"Are she and Mu Mu really the same age, and really good friends?"

"It's probably because of family issues that her personality is a bit awkward."

However, this involved Xu Youwei's own privacy, so Chen Junqian only gave a vague answer, then took another bite of the scallion pancake in his hand. Looking back from the perspective of more than ten years later, this thing was indeed a bit too greasy. No wonder he hadn't eaten it much since he grew up.

"Family issues..."

Shen Nianqiu repeated Chen Junqian's words meaningfully. She was also very clear about her family background. She tried hard to recall what she had done during the summer vacation of her sixth grade. All she had done was meet Chen Junqian in person at the Shanghai World Expo. Then she felt more and more that this girl named Xu Youwei was not simple. She was at least one level higher than Mu Mu, whom she had met before.

Just a few minutes before the agreed time, Chen Junqian and Shen Nianqiu finally arrived at their destination. The area was still deserted, and the dilapidated old houses would never have been imagined to have been cleaned and renovated by the two children over a year, making them habitable. They were truly hidden gems.

In this very room, a girl whose appearance and inner self were completely at odds sat on the edge of the bed.

Xu Youwei didn't have counterfeit money, but she did manage to buy a fake gun as a last resort for their secret base.

But she had no intention of taking it out of the drawer right now, because what she wanted to protect was what she was currently protecting.

It is genuine, not feigned.

P.S.: Thank you for reading and subscribing.

Chapter 78: Until the Building Collapses (Part 2)

To be fair, even when facing Shen Nianqiu, who seemed like an enemy from outer space, Xu Youwei still managed to make some preparations in just one night. After receiving Chen Junqian's message last night, she went straight to Lin Mu's house and began trying to get more information about Shen Nianqiu from Mu Mu.

In fact, what Xu Youwei herself didn't realize was that when she subconsciously made such a move, she had already assumed that Lin Mu, who was also her childhood friend, would know more about Chen Junqian than she did, including this online sister who had suddenly appeared.

And the facts proved that Mu Mu did indeed know about this matter a long time ago, and had even met with the other party more than once.

However, with Shen Nianqiu coming to meet her the next morning, Xu Youwei no longer had time to doubt herself or waste her energy on this matter. Instead, she talked to Mu Mu face-to-face and learned a lot of useful information, gradually peeling away the veil of mystery from the girl and making her image clearer in her mind.

She's from Lin'an, two years older than all of them, and has known Chen Junqian since at least before 2010. The two met in person for the first time that summer and have a very good relationship, calling each other brother and sister. She's a girl who looks a lot like Zhu Wenyun but is even more capable than her.

As for what aspect she excelled at, Mu Mu could only look wistfully at the height recorder pasted on her bedroom door, then sit on the bed and stretch her knees inside her shirt to demonstrate the oppressive and intimidating feeling.

"And now I live in Qianqian's house."

Even though her mind had received a lot of information that she had never encountered or imagined before in just a few hours, when she heard Lin Mu mutter those words, Xu Youwei still clearly felt her head buzz and she became a little absent-minded.

Xu Youwei eventually went to sleep at their secret base in the countryside. She told her father that she was going to sleep at her grandmother's, and told her grandmother that she was going back to sleep at her father's, thus deceiving both of them.

Just as Lin Mu felt a sense of security in Chen Junqian's room, which she had personally decorated, this was Xu Youwei's most comfortable place. After all, she couldn't calm down at all in Chen Junqian's old room. Her heart was pounding at a high speed every moment, and after staying there for a long time, she even felt a sense of exhaustion and depletion all over her body.

But even in this room, Xu Youwei didn't sleep very well.

Perhaps it was the absence of the teddy bear she could usually hold in her arms, or perhaps it was someone else she wanted to hold at that time last night, or perhaps her mind was filled with the image of the person she longed for being held in the arms of another girl.

In short, Xu Youwei tossed and turned and went to bed very late, but woke up very early. She simply ran back to her grandmother's house to wash up, and then came back and rummaged through the food storage cabinet for two bags of bread to eat for breakfast. There was indeed no shortage of food in her and Chen Junqian's post-apocalyptic survival base. Then it was almost time for the agreed meeting.

Although she had already received advance notice from Mu Mu, when Xu Youwei actually saw the girl who was noticeably larger than them, she still unconsciously pursed her lips, glanced down at her own height, and then greeted the two of them as if nothing had happened.

"Good morning, Qinqin, and um, and this is Sister Shen Nianqiu."

Even though Xu Youwei is currently behaving in a way that makes Chen Junqian's dog wag its tail obediently, Chen Junqian can tell from the way she addresses him that she is strongly expressing a certain emotion.

"Good morning, Weiwei? Have you eaten yet? Here's some scallion pancake that we didn't eat much of earlier, it's still warm... Ugh, I don't want to eat scallion pancakes anymore, they're so oily."

Xu Youwei was sizing up Shen Nianqiu, and Shen Nianqiu was naturally sizing up the girl named Xu Youwei as well.

Her black hair, neither too long nor too short, just reaching her shoulders, looked a bit messy, with many split ends, suggesting she hadn't taken much care of it after waking up that morning. She was quite cute, though. It seems that all the girls her younger brother knows are this pretty, just like Mu Mu before.

Thinking this, Shen Nianqiu handed Xu Youwei the savory pancake she was holding and then naturally began to look around the room. Although it was the first time she had met Xu Youwei, she didn't feel awkward at all. On the contrary, Xu Youwei saw a hint of arrogance in her.

"No need, I've already eaten. Qinqin and I have stored a lot of food here, all of which we carefully selected over a long period of time."

To be honest, the tension between Xu Youwei and Shen Nianqiu was already quite palpable when they first met. Chen Junqian didn't even need to pay attention to a certain achievement that had always been present in his mind but had never been triggered; he could clearly sense it with his naked eye.

However, unlike the male protagonists in the story who are completely oblivious and can only scratch their cheeks and say, "Why does the atmosphere feel so tense?", Chen Junqian still wants to take control of the situation. After all, he never triggers achievements just for the sake of triggering achievements, and the same goes for the Shura Field.

Once certain words are spoken, the relationship between two people will be irreversibly changed. Moreover, reality is not like a story that requires logic. When emotions run high, one can say or do anything.

By then, even if the system actually approves the achievement "[Scandal Field in Progress]", it will be further and further away from Chen Junqian's initial goal of creating a romantic comedy.

Of course, the main reason is that Xu Youwei and Shen Nianqiu are the two people who are most likely to cause such a disturbance, according to Chen Junqian. To some extent, it can be considered a ward riot, and it is the kind of combination that will definitely cause trouble if left unchecked.

Having made this judgment, Chen Junqian directly interrupted the two of them from further communication and calmly gave them a self-introduction that, although unnecessary, could indeed ease the situation.

“Xu Youwei, one of my best friends in Guoning. I basically spend all my time playing with her after school and on weekends. This room is what we set up as our secret base. Doesn’t it look pretty decent?”

"Then, Shen Nianqiu, my sister, we started playing games and chatting online together about a few years ago. If I get scammed by online friends in the future, I'll definitely blame my sister. After all, it was you who made me believe that online friends could be this good."

It was clear that Chen Junqian's somewhat playful introduction softened their expressions. Xu Youwei, as the hostess, thought for a moment and then stood up to take three bottles of drinks from their pantry.

"Ah... this, I haven't had it in a long time."

Looking at the gourd-shaped drink in front of her, Shen Nianqiu showed a nostalgic expression and curiously looked into the cabinet, as if she wanted to see what treasures were hidden inside.

"It's all my and Qinqin's emergency food supplies for the end of the world. There's nothing more."

In response, Xu Youwei simply slammed the cabinet door shut, not giving Shen Nianqiu another chance to look.

"A shelter for the 2012 apocalypse, right? My brother told me about it on the way here, but is it okay for him to tell me now? Even Mumu doesn't know about this yet, does he?"

"Isn't Sister Shen from Lin'an?"

Faced with Xu Youwei's answer, Shen Nianqiu, biting her straw, fell silent for the first time. After a long while, she finally smiled and said:

"Oh, really, there's no need to worry. Even if the end of the world really comes, it's unlikely that I could fly all the way from Lin'an to here in one go."

"But someone also said that if I need anything, I can come to him anytime, anywhere, right?"

Glancing at him with her bright, clear eyes, Chen Junqian could no longer stare at the Calabash Brothers on the gourd bottle, hoping they would grant him some corresponding superpowers. He could only nod and admit it:

"Indeed, if the end of the world really comes, I would definitely welcome my sister to come and take refuge with me."

After all, the end of the world won't really come.

"Yeah, that'll be troublesome then."

Letting Chen Junqian's sophistry go, Shen Nianqiu simply rested her chin on her hand and looked at Xu Youwei again, half-feigning and half-genuinely expressing her feelings:

"It's a pity you're not from Lin'an, brother. Otherwise, I'd be quite free over there, and we could build another doomsday shelter together."

The geographical distance was indeed the biggest obstacle to the development of their relationship. Xu Youwei, who also realized this, regained her confidence. After all, she had always been with Chen Junqian. Not only did they play together after school and on weekends, as he had just said, but they were also deskmates at school.

"But Qinqin is a native of Guoning, and he will be attending junior high and high school here in the future. I will go with him."

"What about universities?"

Shen Nianqiu just smiled at this, then reached out and poked Chen Junqian:

"If I say now that I want to go to the same university as my younger brother, will he agree?"

"Qinqin's academic performance is excellent!"

"Yes, I know. I'm a good student myself. I ranked third in my class and fifteenth in the whole school in the last final exam. If I ranked like that in the high school entrance exam, I'd definitely get into the special admission class of the best high school in our area. The rate of students admitted to top universities is 98%, and every year they produce students who get into Tsinghua and Peking Universities. So even if my younger brother wants to get into Tsinghua or Peking Universities, I'll try my best to go there first and wait for him."

Faced with Shen Nianqiu, a true all-rounder with expertise in academics, sports, art, and many other areas, Xu Youwei felt the intensity of numbers for the first time. It seemed that if things continued to develop in this way, it would be her who couldn't keep up with Chen Junqian.

It can only be said that the result of playing with Mu Mu is that she unconsciously compares her grades with Mu Mu's, and then falls into the habitual thinking of "what, didn't I do pretty well on the test?" Now, facing a real academic genius, Xu Youwei is a little stuck.

"...It's too early to talk about university now. Who knows what might happen later? I will study hard."

After a long while, Xu Youwei finally managed to utter this sentence, but her words had a familiar, self-comforting quality that Mu Mu often found in her, like "maybe I can grow taller in the future."

"For me, there are only four years left. For you, it's just another elementary school year, plus middle school and high school. Time flies by. My younger brother has always told me that Weiwei is different from other kids. She's a very precocious girl, which is why I'm saying all this."

"Actually, I can understand it quite well, because my family situation was also a bit unpleasant. Growing up in this kind of environment will definitely make you unconsciously think about a lot of things."

At this point in the conversation, Xu Youwei had visibly lost control of the rhythm of the conversation to Shen Nianqiu, and had long since relinquished the initiative. However, she still stubbornly tried to steer the conversation in a different direction:

"Sister Shen will be leaving Guoning to return to Lin'an in a couple of days, right?"

"Stay for a week."

As if in response to Shen Nianqiu's earlier words, Xu Youwei quickly retaliated in kind: