I turned reality into a romantic comedy.

However, compared to Lin Mu, who could easily say such things, Xu Youwei certainly couldn't. Just like how she hadn't actively participated in Chen Junqian and Lin Mu's summer trip for the past two years, for her, this forced three-person trip would only make her feel awkward, even if Mu Mu would definitely agree.

That's why, when faced with Lin Mu's idea, Xu Youwei initially wanted to subconsciously refuse. Refusing Mu Mu was never something she felt guilty about, but her hand, as if possessed, replied:

"Make a video call?"

"Yes, mobile QQ can make video calls now, right? I think it should be fine. The last time I went to Beijing was a long time ago. I was very young then, so I don't remember much."

"I see. Then I'll ask Qinqin."

Putting down her phone, Xu Youwei looked at Chen Junqian, who was sitting next to her reading the news and chatting in a group chat, and gently nudged him with her elbow:

"Hey Qinqin, Mumu said she wants to video chat with us tomorrow, so we can celebrate her birthday together?"

"Hmm? Sure, I haven't seen Mumu in a long time either, since she's been out for over a month."

Upon hearing this, Chen Junqian, who was sitting on the bed, temporarily put his phone aside, stretched and yawned, then sprawled on the pillow, lying on his side and talking to Xu Youwei:

"However, this matter definitely requires your approval, little birthday star."

"Tomorrow is my fourteenth birthday. I'm not young anymore, okay?"

“I can’t exactly say ‘birthday star,’ it sounds like some old lady celebrating her seventy or eightyth birthday.”

“I have no objection to Mumu wanting to make a video call, but Qinqin, what you said reminded me. My grandma will be seventy years old at the end of this month. My dad was talking about inviting her to a big hotel in the city for the banquet a few days ago, but she didn't care and refused to move from the countryside. So in the end, my dad decided to hold a banquet for her in the village. We can make it back when we come home. Remember to come and eat, Qinqin.”

"Oh, I understand. I'll definitely go to wish Grandma a happy birthday then."

Having witnessed even more extraordinary family circumstances, Chen Junqian now finds Xu Youwei's family situation somewhat acceptable.

For Xu Youwei's maternal grandmother, although she experienced the loss of her husband in middle age and her daughter in old age, at least she still had her own granddaughter to be close to her. Her former son-in-law's attitude towards her has never changed from beginning to end. Even after he remarried, he would still make time to spend with her on the first day of the Lunar New Year every year. All of this combined at least provided the old lady with some spiritual comfort and solace in her later years.

From Chen Junqian's perspective, Xu Youwei's maternal grandmother and Zhu Wenyun's paternal grandmother are the kind of characters who frequently appear in various romantic comedies as wingmen or assistants, either forcing the female lead to pretend to be a couple to fulfill the elders' wishes, or directly setting up the two of them as a couple. In fact, the two of them are already doing just that now.

The former directly gifted them an old house that no one lived in, which he and Xu Youwei transformed into a secret base. The latter, on the other hand, never stopped thinking about this, and not long ago he even made a big effort in the video related to Zhu Wenyun in the "Chinese Character Dictation Competition".

"Actually, I quite like eating the rural banquet; it's much better than the big hotels in the city."

After giving Lin Mu a positive reply, Xu Youwei put down her phone and sat next to Chen Junqian to continue chatting with him about the topic they hadn't finished.

"Those big restaurants in Guoning, like 'International Grand Hotel' and 'Earl Dynasty,' have such grand names, but the food inside is terrible and ridiculously expensive. Every time I go there, I don't even want to touch a few dishes. So it's good that Grandma is organizing a banquet this time. Don't you think chefs who can cook big pot dishes are amazing? So many ingredients piled together look very impressive."

"Indeed, cooking in a large pot really requires a lot of experience and skill, which I probably can't do right now."

Having grown up in the countryside himself, Chen Junqian had experienced countless rural banquets since childhood. His favorite thing to do was to run to the kitchen and watch people prepare ingredients and cook. So he knew very well the value of this job. Even though he had now learned to cook and had the achievement reward of "multi-talented", he still felt it would be quite difficult to do it himself, since he had never had any experience in this area before.

"It wasn't said that Qinqin would be the head chef. Hmm... Qinqin, it's good enough if you can cook for your family. Mumu and I both really like your cooking."

"Know it."

What was said in jest was taken seriously by the listener. Although Chen Junqian verbally agreed, he had already begun to think about the idea of ​​communal meals. After all, it was obvious that there would be quite a few people at his family's dinner table in the future. Moreover, in another year, around the time of the third year of junior high school, the school would organize a special study tour, during which students would be required to solve their own cooking problems. In his previous life, the dishes his class had cobbled together were barely edible, and in the end, the homeroom teacher had to step in and cook two dishes.

I glanced at the time on my phone; it was already 10 p.m.

Even disregarding the fact that the two of them had to get up early the next morning to visit some famous tourist attractions in Beijing, it was already Chen Junqian and Xu Youwei's bedtime. However, since they had agreed to stay up until midnight and say "Happy Birthday" at exactly the exact second, they could only continue to wait there.

The series of events that happened tonight really left Chen Junqian feeling a bit exhausted. Fortunately, Xu Youwei was in a similar state; she was still reminiscing about how she had impulsively suggested that the two of them go to see the old house together. So, for the rest of the evening, the two of them simply lay there quietly, chatting idly.

Tomorrow is Youyou's birthday. Will Youyou want a birthday cake?

"A birthday cake..."

After Chen Junqian said that, Xu Youwei also showed a thoughtful look.

In fact, every time she celebrated her birthday at home, Xu Zhiling would prepare a cake for her that was almost taller than her. Compared to its edible value, its decorative value was more prominent. It felt like a luxurious cake that only a princess in a fairy tale could enjoy. Even though Xu Youwei herself never showed much interest in such cakes, Xu Zhiling would still prepare one every year because her sister got one every year.

So Hsu Yu-Wei can choose not to eat it, but she can't live without it.

Generally speaking, Xu Youwei's birthday is divided into two parts each year. She spends the noon at home, and sneaks out in the afternoon and evening to spend it with Chen Junqian, just like the first birthday they celebrated together.

However, this year is indeed different from previous years, which is why Chen Junqian asked so many questions.

Xu Youwei initially wanted to refuse, since she didn't really have a particularly strong interest in birthday cakes. However, just before she was about to speak, she suddenly remembered a conversation Chen Junqian had just had with Zhu Wenyun, so she changed her mind at the last minute.

"Can Qinqin bake cakes?"

"Yes, and I've taught Wenyun how to make it too. This year, for her birthday, the cake was something we made ourselves, and it actually tasted pretty good."

"No, no, no, the second half of the sentence can actually be omitted."

After making this comment, Xu Youwei, lying on Chen Junqian's chest, tilted her head back, her dark eyes sparkling in the light of the chandelier.

"Then I want Qinqin to make one for me herself."

"That's not difficult. It's definitely not hard to find DIY craft shops in Beijing. If you're just making a simple two-person size, I think that's perfectly fine, and you'll have plenty of time."

Chen Junqian agreed to Xu Youwei's request without much thought, and then reached out to borrow her phone.

In 2013, as the mobile internet era gradually took shape, Dianping, which originated in 2003, also launched its mobile app in line with the times. He got the phone to search for suitable shops nearby. It's always better to be prepared in advance than to cram at the last minute before going out tomorrow.

"This store seems pretty good. If a customer comes on their birthday, they will not only receive a free small gift, but also receive a discount on venue decoration and related props."

"Supporting props?"

"Yes, we can make a birthday cake together, but we definitely can't make the candles for making wishes or the little crown for the birthday boy. These are the so-called supporting props."

"Um... well, I've never worn these at home anyway."

Xu Youwei was certainly aware of what Chen Junqian described, since Xu Zhiling would prepare these things every year when making her a cake. However, she hadn't used them in a long time. Even just imagining herself wearing a magnificent birthday crown like in a fairy tale, clasping her hands together and making a wish over the candles on the cake, felt like something from five or six years ago. Therefore, her gaze began to wander.

"Won't Qinqin think it's childish?"

"No, actually it looks really good on. Mu Mu wears it every year, doesn't she?"

Actually, when this topic came up, the first person Chen Junqian thought of was Zhu Wenyun. Even though the birthday crown she wore every year was just a simple paper product, it still showed the impeccable beauty of a young girl, which had nothing to do with the childishness that Xu Youwei mentioned.

"Okay, if it's just Qinqin and me here, it seems like that's fine too."

"Ahem, Mu Mu is here too, don't forget we still have a video call."

"Mmm... I'll let Mumu have the first bite."

Chen Junqian smiled at Xu Youwei's little joke, then sat up from the bed, preparing to leave for a while.

"I'm going back to my room to take a shower first. Youyou can also take a shower now, so that after saying happy birthday at midnight, you can go to sleep."

"I know, see you in a bit."

Since they weren't sharing a room, and Chen Junqian's change of clothes and luggage were all in his own room, he would have to go back to take a shower.

After swiping his room card to open the door, Chen Junqian, as agreed with Xu Youwei, placed the card under the doormat at the entrance so that she could swipe it in after showering. Fortunately, the hotel here wasn't the type that required the card to be constantly plugged in for power; otherwise, Chen Junqian would probably have had to leave the door open beforehand or get up again before midnight to open it, which would have been quite troublesome.

After taking a relaxing bath in the hotel bathtub, Chen Junqian changed into his pajamas and lay down on the bed. Sleepiness soon washed over him, as it was past his usual bedtime and he was feeling quite tired today, so feeling sleepy was to be expected.

He didn't know how much time had passed in a daze. When Chen Junqian came back to his senses, he only felt something warm covering his lips.

When he opened his eyes, he realized that it was Xu Youwei who had entered his room at some point, was lying on top of him, and was smiling at him. The palm of her right hand was covering his lips, the soft touch carrying a slightly moist warmth.

"Happy birthday."

Looking at the second hand on the wall, which was about to reach the hour, Chen Junqian subconsciously said this.

"Yes, I received it."

Xu Youwei released her hand and put this most timely blessing into her mouth.

Every night before she slept without holding Chen Junqian, she would wish to replace the teddy bear in her arms with him.

But now that I'm actually holding it, I want more.

The last time she kissed him was through the pillow.

This time, there has been a significant improvement.

Just seconds before Chen Junqian was woken up by her.

The girl sitting here first kissed her right palm deeply.

Then, in the gentlest and most precise way, she gently placed her palm on his lips.

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

Chapter Sixty: The Prelude to the New Version (Two Chapters Combined)

It has to be said that if there really were mysterious and beautiful girls from foreign lands in reality, such girls would obviously be more likely to be found in international metropolises, such as Beijing, where Chen Junqian is currently located.

Although Chen Junqian had been in Beijing for over a month, he spent most of his time in his hotel room, only occasionally going out to participate in the recording of a program. So this was truly the first time he had gone out with a serious tourist mindset. He was then shocked by the proportion of foreigners on the streets, especially near famous places such as the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, and the Temple of Heaven. As soon as he stepped out of the subway station, apart from the grandparents selling "authentic Beijing popsicles" with foam boxes hanging around their necks, the most eye-catching thing was of course all kinds of foreigners.

When Chen Junqian saw these foreigners who spoke different languages ​​and looked significantly different from the others around them, he was reminded of something else: on the stage of the second season of "Chinese Character Dictation Competition," which will be produced and broadcast next year, the production team specially arranged an international team.

As for the actual results... it's definitely more about hype than substance. The main focus is on cultural promotion and mainstream themes. With the production team deliberately letting the audience have free rein, they were basically all eliminated in the first round, not even qualifying as part of the atmosphere-building category.

Of course, in such a crowded environment, no strangely beautiful girl with a piece of bread in her mouth bumped into him today. But if she really did bump into him, she would probably bump into Xu Youwei, who was currently lying on his chest. The girl was obviously still immersed in the nightmare of the morning rush hour subway and couldn't get out of it. Even after the group had walked out of the subway station, she was still there, flattened and stuck there.

August in Beijing is still quite hot, even in the early morning. Xu Youwei seemed to be tempted by the popsicles being sold at the subway station entrance, but she also felt that eating popsicles so soon after waking up would be bad for her stomach. If this ruined her plans for the day, she would be in big trouble. So in the end, she held back and accompanied Chen Junqian to Zhu Wenyun's hotel to exchange phones.

Chen Junqian, drawn by the constant hawking, glanced curiously at the stall selling authentic old-fashioned popsicles. It wasn't that he was curious about the difference between the popsicles he ate in Beijing and the ordinary ones he could buy in Guoning; rather, the sight of it suddenly reminded him of an achievement he'd always wanted to complain about:

Girls should eat popsicles in the summer.

At first glance, the achievement name might suggest that it was triggered eight years ago, but eating popsicles in a romantic comedy is a very abstract scene. In fact, it's impossible for a normal person in real life to do it.

If Chen Junqian were to give an analogy, the conditions for achieving this achievement would probably be like Lin Mu deliberately waiting until the little pudding was almost melted, getting cream all over his hands and mouth, or like Xu Youwei opening her mouth wide and stuffing the whole popsicle into her mouth and slurping it up.

Are you eating an ice pop? I'm almost embarrassed to say.

In short, this is a mysterious achievement that seems simple but was long ago put into the low-priority queue by Chen Junqian. He just suddenly remembered it when he saw the old popsicle that really matched the system's description in terms of shape.

Didn't you sleep well last night?

A sleepy yawn from Xu Youwei, who was nestled close to him, pulled him back to reality. Chen Junqian gently pushed her away, as hugging each other on such a hot day would only make them hotter. Then he asked her with concern.

"I woke up too early in the morning... and then I couldn't fall asleep after I got back."

To avoid being overheard by Chen Jun, who was traveling with her, Xu Youwei spoke very softly. After her night raid last night, she naturally stayed in Chen Junqian's room. She was only woken up by her alarm clock around four or five in the morning to go back to her own room to avoid being exposed. However, judging from her tone, it seemed that she hadn't fallen back asleep after waking up, so her sleep time was indeed a bit short, only about four or five hours at most.

"It would be better to find a place to take a nap at noon."

As he spoke, Chen Junqian reached out and casually patted Xu Youwei's head again, achieving the "head-patting" achievement. In fact, Youyou's achievement count should be the highest among the four female protagonists included. After all, for a long time, Shen Nianqiu was too far away and Zhu Wenyun was too tall. Mu Mu seemed easy to pat, but Chen Junqian also had to consider his childhood sweetheart's obsession with height, so he rarely did it. Xu Youwei naturally came from behind and contributed the majority of the pats.

Yesterday's events have come to a temporary end. Chen Junqian explained to his father that he accidentally mixed up Zhu Wenyun's phone when he came over yesterday, so he had to come here this morning to exchange the phone. This has set the stage for this phone incident. It's just unknown whether other parties involved or bystanders will be able to move on from this matter.

Zhu Wenyun seemed to be in good spirits this morning. After receiving the news that Chen Junqian was about to arrive, she waited with Shen Nianqiu in the lobby on the first floor of the hotel, holding Chen Junqian's phone, which had been fully charged in advance.

However, according to what Chen Junqian said on the phone yesterday, the phone she gave to the other party more than two years ago probably only has one or two days of service left. It is unknown whether Chen Junqian will put it in a drawer and keep it at a high level, or whether she will exchange it for other daily necessities, like the loudspeaker shouts that can often be heard on the streets of Guoning.

If that were the case, Zhu Wenyun would actually prefer to buy it back herself.

Just then, Chen Junqian and Xu Youwei arrived. After a brief greeting, Chen Junqian exchanged phones with Zhu Wenyun and retrieved his own phone.