I turned reality into a romantic comedy.

Taking the milk tea that Zhu Wenyun pushed in front of him, Chen Junqian casually tidied her slightly messy bangs, which were a little disheveled from her previous posture. Suddenly, he remembered the truth or dare question Lin Mu had drawn last night and couldn't help but smile.

"What's wrong?"

"I remembered playing Truth or Dare with Mu Mu and the others last night, right when you called me."

"Well, then what?"

"Mu Mu once drew a truth-or-dare question: had she ever tried searching her own name online? She immediately said no, adding that she wasn't a famous writer like Wen Jun."

Upon hearing Chen Junqian's words, Zhu Wenyun replied without hesitation:

"I did search my own name. My pen name is my real name. I feel that self-searching is a common practice for authors. I also searched our names together. Putting aside everything else, there is a lot of discussion about it on the forums and online communities in Guoning. In fact, if Mumu were to search for herself one day, she would probably find related posts. However, most people don't actually search for their own names online."

"Is this even related to me?"

"Because a lot of people will think we're dating, for example, you might see the photos of the two of us chatting here tonight somewhere."

"...Does Wenyun know so much about this?"

"After all, it's still quite interesting to look at things sometimes. Although having Junqian as a fairly clear romantic partner isn't good for my reputation as a teenage idol writer, it can save me a lot of trouble sometimes. No matter how many prefixes there are, I'm still a writer. As long as the quality of my work is up to standard, that's the fairest thing about it."

"Indeed, so do you have any ideas for your next book?"

"A little bit, it's still unclear, so there's no rush."

The two chatted for a while, neither of them bringing up the important matter they were supposed to discuss that evening. It wasn't until they had both finished their milk tea, and Chen Junqian had finished recounting his experience at Lin Mu's house the previous day, that they walked together out of the milk tea shop and onto the bustling street. Only then did he finally hear the other speak in a somewhat ethereal tone:

"When adults get angry, they can be even more unreasonable than children, even though they keep saying that we are reasonable and act according to our conscience."

"Wenjun probably hasn't seen them for a while either."

"In fact, counting from the time I can remember, the total time I've spent with them is less than a few months. Sigh—that makes it feel less real, and I feel like my impression of them is not as deep as that of the younger sister I first met."

"You even brought the kids back this year?"

"After all, we didn't know we had to keep it a secret before, but now that we know, it doesn't matter anymore."

Chen Junqian turned his head and met Zhu Wenyun's pupils, which seemed even darker in the night.

"Actually, that little kid is probably the cutest age. If they're too young, they're just little babies who don't know anything. If they're too old, they'll become annoying. When they call you 'sister' in their baby voice, it really makes me understand Nianqiu's choice. After all, all sorts of things have nothing to do with children. It was right for her to choose not to meet them at that time."

"Wenyun can't really be considered an adult, can he?"

"The ones who can earn money are the adults."

“If that’s the case, then Wenyun wouldn’t have had to go through all this.”

Zhu Wenyun clearly understood Chen Junqian's words, so she smiled and shook her head again:

"I will definitely write this sentence into my next novel."

As Chen Junqian looked at her, he suddenly sensed from the bottom of his heart the loneliness deep within this writer who had become famous at a young age, a loneliness as if the ice had broken. She transformed all her emotions into literary metaphors to dilute the sensory stimulation and various feelings brought about by reality. In this respect, she was indeed the same as the girl he had first seen, who was sitting in the back of a tricycle with her head buried deep in her book.

So he subconsciously squeezed the other person's hand tighter.

"I quite enjoy writing books because I can always sense unease in the girls in the stories from the smallest details. For example, when I read Lin Mu, I see the fiery light behind her, and when I read You Wei, I see the damp moonlight in her reflection. I find it very interesting just to sit in the audience and write footnotes for these vibrant lives, even though they themselves often don't have these kinds of thoughts in reality."

"That's not quite right."

Chen Junqian answered earnestly:

"In fact, I think that Wen Yun's ability to quietly resolve something that could be elevated into a dramatic conflict in any youth novel and used to develop dozens or hundreds of chapters of stories, or something that she still regrets ten years later and believes that her life was ruined from that moment on, is something that makes her more remarkable than any of the female protagonists in your stories."

"……Um."

A long silence fell between them again, like two kindred spirits breathing in the same oxygen-deprived zone at high altitude. Zhu Wenyun didn't need Chen Junqian to give her any real financial support or come to her door to back her up. What she needed was someone who knew all about these things from the beginning in the face of a world that had almost completely collapsed, and to tell her that her pain was not just being dramatic, and that she was remarkable.

"Actually, there were no surprises in the process."

She stared at the pebbles at her feet, speaking calmly as if recounting what she had eaten the previous night:

"After all, I can't be considered completely isolated. As I said last night, someone who hasn't even taken care of their elders can't confidently bring up the issue of relationships between children. Should I say it's because we didn't spend much time together when we were young? I've never even heard them tell me the story of the ceramic bowl and the stainless steel bowl."

At this point, Zhu Wenyun tilted her head back and closed her eyes, letting the moonlight fall on her face like frost and snow.

"Did you have fun with Mu Mu and the others last night? Youwei probably wants to do something about it, right?"

She suddenly turned back to the question that concerned her the most, and that could best prove just how close she and Chen Junqian were:

"After I finish writing that book, she will definitely try her best to make Mu Mu and you have some ambiguity and romance, but if Youwei is willing to do that, she won't have started a secret relationship with you in the first place."

"Indeed, Yoyo has been quite awkward lately."

"It's better to be a little awkward than to be like that at the beginning. She'll be able to adjust slowly. And based on my understanding of her, I feel like she's about to re-enter the 'I feel like everything' stage, so maybe I should try it again secretly' phase."

"...Then I can only say that you really understand Youyou very well."

"Oh, it seems we've already reached this stage. But that's just how Youwei is. Part of it is because of her family, and part of it is because you've spoiled her."

"So I was involved in this too?"

"You could even say that Junqian, you are the main reason. By the way, the wall that received the most positive reviews from readers in the Lianxinyu-related plot is partly due to my own slightly over-the-top writing of those messages and drawings. It feels like these more extreme emotions can sometimes resonate with many readers compared to the light and refreshing style. It's as if everyone's threshold has been raised, and only in this way can they more clearly feel the illusion of being loved. In Lin Guo's words, could it be considered yandere?"

"Why are there still orchard fruits?"

"Because I've been chatting with her recently, and of course, Xiao Xi too. After all, as Junqian said, I haven't written about their story yet."

"Then I can only wish you all the best, Wenjun. After all, I personally think this is not an easy thing."

"Don't worry, after all, I don't really have to write about them. I just want to learn more about Junqian—you."

"Then why don't you just ask me?"

“Girls’ perspectives are always different from boys’ perspectives. Junqian himself can probably see this when he’s reading my two new books. There are many things he won’t say to you. Even Mumu, who is least likely to hide things from you or lie to you, is the same. After all, you taught her that ‘having your own secrets is the first step to growing up.’ So I can understand Junqian through them, and Junqian can understand them through my books. It’s a win-win situation.”

"Thank you so much."

"You're welcome, because this is something we agreed on from the beginning."

"Didn't we initially agree that all we'd ask you to do was write a book for me?"

"But what Junqian is going to write about is related to them, right?"

"With you all."

"Ok?"

"It's related to you. Wen Yun only wrote it on my behalf, so of course she's also the female lead."

"whispering sound……"

Chen Junqian could hear Zhu Wenyun, who was walking beside him, click her tongue clearly, and then he heard the other party call him by his full name.

"Chen Junqian, do you know? In front of a storyteller, to always show that certainty and confidence that you never need a script is the biggest temptation for me. That's why I've always been watching you and supporting you. If you succeed, great. If you fail... I'll guarantee you a backup plan."

What the heck is "guaranteed minimum"?

"Oh, it's probably because my parents kept talking about this phrase yesterday, like raising children to provide for old age, or that having more children means having more hope and more security. Although I can't be the kind of daughter they described, someone they can rely on no matter what happens to them, someone who can provide them with a safety net, I can still make that promise to you."

When she said this, the girl's expression was quite serious, even solemn, giving the impression that this was a result she had thought through carefully.

“I know Nianqiu can do that too, but what happened between you and her has already happened. There are many things you want to change that are difficult to change now, so this is my advantage, not only psychologically, but also materially…”

In fact, Chen Junqian never had the habit of interrupting others, especially in such a seemingly sincere situation. But this time, he still took the initiative to stop Zhu Wenyun from continuing, gently covering her lips with one hand.

"Zhu Wenyun, your writing has indeed improved more and more. In this respect, you have not disappointed my initial expectations of you at all, and have even reached a level beyond my imagination."

Chen Junqian said softly, his tone tinged with helplessness and a sigh.

"A few words can corner someone and leave them speechless."

"But listen carefully, great writer."

"No one would use a girl whom everyone they know thinks is the most talented woman, who has written millions of words of novels, has been featured on CCTV, and is genuinely loved by many readers, as a guarantee for something. The last two people who did this were those two people you hate the most, weren't they?"

"Should I be glad? At least Wenjun won't use wheat and weeds as metaphors like she did a few years ago. But talent is one thing, and feelings are another. I know what you mean, but my answer will be the same as before. I will still say that Wenjun is never anyone's way out. In the next book, we don't need to write about Lin Guo and Xiao Xi. Let's go back to writing our story and make it more upright."

"not to mention."

Chen Junqian withdrew his right hand from the other person's mouth, his tone regaining a touch of seriousness and confidence:

"If I ever really end up needing you to bail me out, then I'll truly be the most unsuccessful male protagonist in the world. Even if the author continues to pamper this character they created, the readers definitely won't accept it."

He had witnessed many people end up worse off, so he never fell into the same confusion and hesitation that many of his predecessors had at this point. This was something he had decided on from the beginning.

In a Weibo interaction after the release of her new book, Zhu Wenyun answered a reader's question about "why the ending was set up this way," and today she received the same answer from Chen Junqian.

I hope everyone can be happy.

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

Chapter 79: Chen Junqian Faks Illness to Win Over Mu Mu (Part 2)

Another morning.

"Actually, I've been thinking about a question very seriously."

"Shut your mouth first."

"Oh."

"The eyes too. Okay, that's it, don't move."

He could hear the door slamming shut and reopening twice, and when the familiar scent came close to him again, Chen Junqian heard his sister's voice again after a long time—well, actually, only a day.

"get up."

"...I'm sick, I don't feel well."

"Um, I just didn't call you by your name today. Please, brother, be normal, okay? You should go play those lines like 'If you don't call me by my name, I'll stay in bed and not get up' with Lin Guo. No, don't play those lines with Lin Guo either."

After muttering this to herself, Chen Xi looked at Chen Junqian, who was still lying in bed with his eyes closed and showed no sign of getting up. She tilted her head in confusion. Her hair, which had been specially styled and neatly tied into a ponytail before she came over, fell onto his face as she moved. She simply pinched a strand of hair and poked the tip of his nose.

"Hey, hey, hey, are you really not feeling well? Big brother? Senior brother? Onii-chan?"

Chen Junqian remained indifferent, neither reaching out to stop the few stray hairs that were causing trouble on his face, nor, as usual, turning into a吐槽 (tu cao, a Chinese internet slang term for sarcastic or critical comments) machine to criticize the terms she had used earlier. He simply continued to lie there quietly, even slightly furrowing his brow, as if he were genuinely uncomfortable.

Although Chen Xi was quite certain that she had never seen her brother, who was also her undisclosed partner, unwell since she could remember, it was quite normal for people to occasionally have minor illnesses like fevers and headaches. So she didn't suspect anything and naturally moved a little closer, reaching out to place her hand on his forehead to feel his temperature, while gently asking in a soft voice:

"So, brother, is something wrong? Do you have a fever? Your forehead doesn't feel very hot though."

"I don't know, maybe."

"Then I'll go find a thermometer. My aunt and uncle haven't gotten up yet."

A short while later, Chen Xi brought in another thermometer from outside and handed it directly to Chen Junqian's bed, indicating that he should put it under his armpit and take his temperature himself.

"I feel like I've never seen you sick before, brother."