I turned reality into a romantic comedy.

There's a theory that doing the same thing for 21 consecutive days will form a habit. Although Chen Xi hasn't reached 21 days yet, it seems like she's already showing signs of forming this habit. I'm afraid that once her mother comes back and she goes home to live, the first thing she'll do every morning is run over to wake him up. After all, they live in the same building, so there's no problem with the distance between them.

On the last day of summer vacation, Chen Junqian originally planned to take his younger sister to familiarize herself with the route to Guoning Middle School. However, she said that since she would be following her to and from school anyway, there was no need for her to go. This was different from Gu Linguo next door. At least when it came to going to school, Gu Linguo's mother always did everything herself, insisting on riding her electric bike to take her daughter to the school gate and only feeling at ease after seeing her carry her schoolbag into the school.

After having breakfast at home, which his mother made after getting up, Chen Junqian set off with his younger sister.

Although he had given rides to more than one person on his bicycle on his way home from school, this was the first time he had done so on his way to school. Feeling the slightly cool morning breeze on his face, Chen Junqian couldn't help but feel a little excited about the upcoming new semester. It was like facing a romantic comedy that was about to begin after a long background and character introduction, with all the important characters having appeared. Only this time, he was the male protagonist.

Compared to the five female protagonists with vastly different personalities, Chen Xi's ratings, which were ultimately included in the system, were actually quite favorable in Chen Junqian's eyes. Her adaptability rating, which was at least B, proved that she possessed the potential for romantic comedies and was impeccable as a realistic girl. If possible, he even hoped that everyone would be like his sister, because from the perspective of acting in romantic comedies, Mu Mu, who was more realistic, was inferior to his sister in terms of personality and adaptability, as she only had a C rating. Chen Junqian could also sense this in his interactions with her.

In this freshman class assignment, Chen Xi and Gu Linguo were not assigned to the same class. The former was in Class 1 and the latter was in Class 3. However, the two classes were at least on the same floor of the same teaching building. In addition, there was the club founded by Chen Junqian as a medium, so their relationship should not become distant.

As Chen Junqian stepped onto campus, another achievement simultaneously flashed into his mind:

[Campus Popular Figures]

Just like a certain male protagonist in a romantic comedy who claims to be gloomy, aloof, rotten, and dead fish-eyed, but actually has a cat, a sister, and a gay friend; he is in love with the school beauty and shares the rest of his life with her; he has a mutual respect with the school heartthrob and is highly praised by others; he chats and laughs with the beautiful homeroom teacher and there is even a little ambiguity between them; he can easily sideline the former student council president and immediately support the new student council president; he is the actual person in charge of the Service Club, the behind-the-scenes manipulator of the student council, and the Kage of Soubu High School; he is the most popular and energetic person in the eyes of others; the male protagonist in romantic comedies often becomes a popular figure on campus, intentionally or unintentionally.

Whether it's being envied for always being surrounded by all sorts of beautiful girls, bringing glory to the school in a major event or competition, or securing benefits for all students in the grade, as the backdrop for a romantic comedy, the male protagonist's school life certainly can't be so boring, so please strive for it!

Conditions for achievement: Possess extremely high visibility within the school you attend, and simultaneously meet the three conditions mentioned above.

After casually glancing at the description of his achievement, Chen Junqian felt that he had probably achieved the goal of "representing the school in a major event or competition and winning glory for the school." This was the "Chinese Character Dictation Competition" that he participated in in Beijing during the summer vacation and which is still being broadcast on TV. It can only be said that Guoning is indeed a small county town, and his news is enough to be reported several times in the local area, achieving the effect of being known by everyone. The school is no exception.

As for the other two...

Chen Junqian felt that the matter of beautiful girls would have to wait another two years. Anyway, he didn't think that his classmates would feel envious or jealous of him and Mu Mu eating snacks every day. He felt that they would probably feel that in the third year of junior high or high school. He realized that the time when his classmates were dating or wanted to date was after entering high school. In a sense, he could understand why the main stage of romantic comedies mostly started in high school.

And that phrase, "for the benefit of all students in the grade," which seems a bit confusing at first glance, would probably be something Chen Junqian would be thinking about for a festival or various sports and cultural festivals if it were a middle school with a Japanese background. But in China, he seems to have come up with the most suitable one.

Or perhaps, this was something he did in his previous life.

It must have been during the winter break of the following year, when they were in their final year of junior high, that the school in Ningzhong illegally held extra classes until the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month. As a result, the students reported the matter to the education departments at all levels, from the city to the province. In the end, the extra classes were canceled, and everyone was sent home for the holidays halfway through. It was definitely one of Chen Junqian's most exhilarating memories before the high school entrance exam in his final year of junior high.

After dropping his sister off at her classroom, Chen Junqian leisurely walked back to his own. He was indeed starting to resemble a popular figure on campus. As soon as he put down his bag and sat down, most of the students' eyes turned to him. After all, it was rare to see a classmate become famous on TV after just one summer vacation. Only Zhong Yu was there chatting with him as if nothing had happened.

What's so great about appearing on CCTV? Do you know that after my buddy finished recording a program during the day, he spent the night in the hotel playing Summoner's Rift with me, playing Zed in the mid lane and carrying my girlfriend and me to a 0-13 victory in the bot lane?

"I heard you recruited Xu Youwei to our team?"

"Yeah, isn't our five-man team just one person short? Mu Mu doesn't know how to play this kind of game, and Youyou is the best LOL player I can find around me. Anyway, her hand speed is definitely faster than yours, and five people is better than us having to randomly pick a random person every time we play together."

"So how's the technology? Is it a rip-off or not?"

"It should be better than you and your girlfriend consistently putting up a highlight reel of 'Attack on Titan' every time you go bot lane, so when are you going to submit your video? You're guaranteed to make the list, okay?"

"Damn, I'm not the kind of person who would put my stupid moves online for people to see just for a few dozen Q coins. If you asked the class monitor, he'd probably be happy to do it. He still hasn't bought all the heroes. Every week he has to ask me what the free heroes are for this week and then pick a few that can jungle. Last time I used a lousy Fiddlesticks, I got scratched to death by the red buff."

"He can't help it if he has to save up money to buy runes and critical strike quintessences. He can only play a couple of games on weekends, unlike you who can get your first win every night."

"So I offered to top up his account or give him a power-leveling service, but he just wouldn't agree. He felt that if he gave me his account, it would be encouraging me to play games all the time. I'm speechless."

Zhong Yu glanced at Lu Cheng, who was standing on the podium receiving and counting the summer homework submitted by the class representatives of each subject, and felt a little helpless. Then, he spoke up with great enthusiasm:

"Well, at least we've got five people together now. There's a team in the next class, all of them are bronze and silver, except their captain is a gold player. How about we get together for some practice? I recently practiced Graves bot lane, and it's invincible with my wife's Sona. Best two out of three. I've already bet with their captain that the loser will buy the winner a skin, a level 79 one."

As he spoke, Zhong Yu shrugged, his tone tinged with regret.

"At first, I wanted to gamble on a dragon blind skin with the other side, but the other side couldn't handle it at all, it was hilarious."

"You mentioned Dragon Blind, that reminds me. You, who plays bot lane, don't even know how to play Lee Sin. You spent hundreds of dollars trying to get him during Chinese New Year. What were you thinking?"

"Wow, this skin is awesome, bro. I hadn't even started playing when it first came out. Who knew that a skin that cost 99 yuan back then would now be a limited edition that can only be obtained through a lottery? That damn Ma Huateng really knows how to make money."

"As long as you don't go to an internet cafe and sit in a 10-player game, it'll be fine. Let's set a time, and I'll call Yoyo."

"What's so fun about internet cafes? The computers there aren't even as good as the ones at home. Besides, I wouldn't dare take the class monitor to an internet cafe. We'd just stay home and play on YY (a voice chat platform). I'll arrange a time later."

After chatting with Zhong Yu about game-related matters, most of the students in the classroom had arrived. Everyone was still a bit excited about the first day of school. After all, they hadn't seen each other for a summer vacation, and the first day of school usually consisted of moving books and listening to various broadcasts. Teachers generally didn't teach classes, so it could be considered half a vacation in a way.

Not long after, Chen Junqian saw Mu Mu walking into the classroom with her schoolbag. He raised his hand and greeted her with a smile. Mu Mu then quickly took out all the summer homework she had barely managed to finish by the deadline from her schoolbag and handed it to the group leader who came to collect the homework. Then, she stood up from her seat and ran to his seat.

If she were a typical gyaru character from a romantic comedy, she would probably have plopped down on the desk by now. However, given her personality and height, Mu Mu is clearly not capable of doing that. So, her favorite or most comfortable position is to half-squat in the aisle next to Chen Junqian's desk and talk to him like that.

What happened to Qianqian and Weiwei later?

As soon as he opened his mouth, Lin Mu took the initiative to ask him about his relationship with Xu Youwei.

"Was her gift delivered safely?"

"That music box?"

Upon hearing Lin Mu's words, Chen Junqian recalled that after Xu Youwei's grandmother's seventieth birthday banquet that day, Xu Youwei had indeed given him a gift in return. However, it wasn't a red envelope or wedding wine, cigarettes, or candy, but rather a small and exquisite music box. Come to think of it, this was the first time Xu Youwei had given him something in recent years. So it was Lin Mu's idea.

"Yes, Weiwei and I bought it together. It evens out with my signature on it. Qianqian, you're not allowed to bring this up with her again, okay?"

"...I never said anything good about her about this; I just asked her to apologize to you."

Lin Mu felt there was something else she wanted to say, but the homeroom teacher had already walked in, so she could only say "oh" and quickly slip back to her seat.

Actually, she knew that Xu Youwei had already sent the gift, because the other party had told her.

Moreover, Vivi told her something else.

Compared to gifts, this might be the thing Lin Mu herself really wanted to ask Chen Junqian for his opinion on.

She always knew that her childhood sweetheart was the type of person who liked to be woken up. She had asked him to wake her up in the morning, and she had asked him to wake her up during her afternoon nap at the after-school care center. The first time, she even pretended to be asleep while sitting there and asked him to wake her up. However, since the two of them did not live together, they could not do this. They could only do it when they went on a trip together occasionally. Therefore, she would cherish such opportunities and earnestly wake him up.

That's why Lin Mu would naturally think the same way.

If their families lived closer together, could she do it every day? For example, if they lived in the same neighborhood, the same building, or were neighbors with only one door between them?

Qianqian's current residence, Yunqi Jinyuan, is closer to her home than the original abrasion factory. At this rate, after either she or her partner moves a couple more times, it should be within her reach so she can jog over to wake them up every morning.

But now others have already achieved this in one step.

That was a closer distance than any childhood sweetheart.

The same door, the same home, the same room, under the same eaves.

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

PS2: Around 2013 or 2014, I stopped watching those people who liked to film CrossFire, like Xia Zuo, Mo Yan, the Five Heroes of Pain, the Perverted Girl, and Chen Zihao. Instead, I started watching LOL, like Teacher Xu's Attack on the Elementary School, Thirty-Six Strategies, Ruofeng, Miss, and Evefeya. By the way, the pork floss cake and fish tofu were not good...

Chapter 76: Romantic Comedy Needs a Club (Two-in-One)

Just like Xu Youwei, who had been avoiding Chen Junqian for several days but eventually had to meet him at her grandmother's 70th birthday banquet, Zhu Wenyun and Chen Junqian would also have a period of time after the start of the school year when they had to meet and spend time alone together. That is, when Chen Junqian would ride his bicycle to the gate of Hejin Middle School to pick her up after school.

Just like the achievement called "getting too into character" that flashes through Chen Junqian's mind every time he comes here, he always enjoys a high level of attention here, especially since Zhu Wenyun was unusually absent from the school gate today.

Whether it's due to parental pressure to get married, peer comparisons, or the classic reason of avoiding an increasing number of suitors, the scenario of the male and female protagonists pretending to be lovers is a common trope in romantic comedies. This pseudo-relationship, resembling a marriage of convenience that blossoms into love, will inevitably turn out to be real in the end.

Of course, this may also be a common tactic used by some female protagonists who struggle to transition from friendship to romance. They deliberately play dumb from the beginning, pretending to be too immersed in the role to make the fake relationship real.

After all, who would want to play this game of pretending to be lovers with someone of the opposite sex with whom they have absolutely no feelings?

Condition for achievement: Pretend to be lovers with any female protagonist who is suited for romantic comedy.

In the eyes of most of his classmates and even teachers, he and Zhu Wenyun were probably already in a confirmed romantic relationship. Zhu Wenyun herself was probably just using this to avoid some trouble, as the achievement description said. As for pretending to be stupid and turning the fake relationship into a real one, that was not actually within the scope of the other party's consideration, because the two of them were neither pretending nor actually having a relationship. It was just a way of getting along that they were already used to.

So Chen Junqian sometimes wonders what girls of this age are really looking for when they crave a romantic relationship. Apart from the very few students who hold immature views on sex in junior high school, he sees junior high school students as no different from elementary school students, except when it comes to romantic relationships.

In other words, Chen Junqian always felt that the way he, Zhu Wenyun, and Xu Youwei got along was even better than that of many couples of the same age. They held hands, hugged, played together, lay on the same bed and talked about everything, pursued their common interests, and did things that adults could not understand.

Xu Youwei was unable to give him a definite answer.

Zhu Wenyun's answer was a kind of absolute openness, just like what she said on the phone at the end of summer vacation. She wanted all their information to be made public to each other. This extreme idea, which stemmed from possessiveness, was the most unrealistic and impossible to achieve. Even real couples or even married couples cannot do it, so of course he cannot do it either.

As Chen Junqian leaned against his bicycle, pondering this topic, he continued to wait for Zhu Wenyun to come out. Actually, it was much quieter at Hejin Middle School. Apart from stares, no one would usually come up to chat with him. After all, Zhu Wenyun's image here had become that of a 'savage girlfriend' or a 'big sister.' Just like the line 'the most feared are hooligans with culture,' with Zhu Wenyun who was both good at fighting and studying, no one would want to talk to her boyfriend. What if he was blocked at the door tomorrow?

After waiting a little longer, and until the crowd at the school gate had thinned considerably, Chen Junqian finally saw a familiar figure emerge from there. Upon seeing him, the figure hurriedly jogged over.

"I'm sorry, I was called away by the teacher today and was delayed for a while."

"That's alright, so why were you suddenly called over by the teacher?"

After confirming that Zhu Wenyun had safely settled into the back seat of the bicycle, Chen Junqian also climbed over and sat in the front driver's seat, casually asking this question.

"It's related to the program. Junqian promoted Ningzhong on the 'China Dictation Competition,' so our school also wanted to take this opportunity to promote it."

"Oh right, I remember your video clips were all family-related segments."

"Yes, what they mean is that they hope I can wear my school uniform when I participate in the finals."

"Your school uniforms are so-so, I don't think they're very good-looking."

"So you said you could make me a nicer one, that's why I went there today."

"Did you agree?"

"There's money to be made!"

Zhu Wenyun wasn't a typical penny-pincher, but she never missed an opportunity to make money. She had only intended to save up some travel funds, but saving money can be addictive, and the amount she accumulated could even be said to be heading towards her dowry.

Actually, if we only consider the amount of money that everyone has at their disposal, Zhu Wenyun might be the wealthiest woman around Chen Junqian. Unlike Lin Mu and Xu Youwei, whose wealth is essentially due to their good family backgrounds, all of her money comes from her personal income, so she is naturally extra careful when spending it.

Having noticed that Zhu Wenyun was intentionally avoiding talking about what happened during the summer vacation, Chen Junqian didn't bring up the past again. Instead, he took the initiative to talk to her about something else.

How's the first draft for the New Concept Writing Competition coming along?

To be honest, this is actually Zhu Wenyun's main task this year. Even though this main task led them to a side story called "Chinese Character Dictation Competition", this task still needs to be completed, especially with the deadline approaching.

The preliminary rounds of the New Concept Writing Competition are held from April to November each year. Those who pass the preliminary rounds need to go to Shanghai for the second round around January of the following year. It's already September, so Zhu Wenyun only has less than three months left.

"Hmm... I really do want to finish the finals of the Chinese Character Dictation Competition before I start preparing for this, or rather, I originally planned to use this experience as the content of the first draft."

Zhu Wenyun knew very well that she didn't have the energy or time to handle two tasks simultaneously, so after thinking about it, she made a decision:

"Actually, the editor asked me to participate in the New Concept Writing Competition in order to expand my fame. The Dictation Competition also achieved this goal, so it can be said that we have the same goal through different means. Moreover, it is not to give up completely. There is still more than a month after the final. Writing a suitable first draft should not be a problem."

"Just have your own plan in mind."

Although he didn't know if Zhu Wenyun had truly taken his words to heart during the summer vacation, Chen Junqian was quite pleased with her change in attitude, which showed that she could now make her own decisions instead of always asking him first. The joy of nurturing someone lies in raising their stats to an incredibly powerful level, so that they can easily clear the game even if you just leave them hanging and click on auto-battle. It's not about having to watch over and direct them every step of the way from the beginning to the end, and then having them immediately go on strike if you leave them for a moment. That's what raising a child should be called.

"Hmm, if I can successfully pass the preliminary round of this competition and advance to the second round..."

It was obvious that Zhu Wenyun hesitated for a long time before asking this question, but in the end, she still asked about something that had been so ordinary in the past, something that could even be said to be tacitly agreed upon by the two of them:

"Could you come with me to Shanghai? It should be during the winter break. The organizers will reimburse my travel expenses, but only for hard seats on the train. If Junqian comes along, I can also reimburse you. We can take soft seats together. Guoning isn't too far from Shanghai, and there seems to be a Guoning Road in Shanghai, in Yangpu District."

Perhaps she herself didn't know what to say anymore. After asking that question, Zhu Wenyun rambled on and on about a whole bunch of random things. Even the two hands that were originally holding Chen Junqian's waist and wrapped around his abdomen unconsciously twisted together, looking uneasy.

"If Wenyun can pass the preliminary test, I definitely can. I've only been to Shanghai once, during the World Expo, but I was at the Expo site and didn't really explore much."

Chen Junqian readily agreed. In fact, when he was searching for related events online, he had already asked the profound question, "Is Shanghai the only city in China?" Summer and winter vacations are the peak seasons for these kinds of anime and manga events, so he had the idea of ​​taking this opportunity to go there and see what a big anime and manga convention in a metropolis is like.

"Okay, it's a date then."