I turned reality into a romantic comedy.

It felt like she had taken a very long and complicated detour. In fact, Lin Mu herself couldn't remember why Chen Junqian had initially wanted her to wake him up. But it was probably because her childhood sweetheart hadn't made any requests of her since then, so she had kept his wish firmly in her heart.

"That means, since the high school entrance exam is over and my tutoring classes have come to an end, there's plenty of time. Qianqian probably won't want to start summer vacation so early, so as long as you stay in bed a little longer each day, I can come over from home to wake you up."

Since the farewell dinner was organized by class, Lin Mu was the only one sitting next to Chen Junqian. The classmates were already used to the scene of the two of them sitting together and whispering, since it was a sight they saw almost every day.

"Sure, if Mumu is willing."

Faced with Lin Mu's suggestion, Chen Junqian agreed without much hesitation. He didn't even bother to inform his sister in advance. Chen Xi herself had said that besides her, only Lin Mu could wake her up, so there was no need to report it. Besides, it wasn't like he was taking away her job; it was just a matter of ten days or so before Lin Mu's summer vacation started.

"I'm fine!"

Even though the two of them had only been drinking ordinary carbonated drinks and juices, Lin Mu's face was flushed when he said those things, almost making Chen Junqian think that the only designated source of alcohol in a romantic comedy, the chocolate-covered liquor, was working its magic. But reality is definitely not a romantic comedy. He could see Zhong Yu secretly drinking beer with other boys right now. Even after graduation, he didn't forget to play guerrilla warfare under the teacher's nose. He's still true to his original aspirations.

"How about starting tomorrow? Or does Mumu want to rest for a couple of days? She should catch up on sleep on the first day of her holiday, right?"

"It's okay, as long as we both catch up on sleep, Qianqian can get up a little later, and I'll come over a little later too. After all, there's no rule about what time you have to wake someone up, so it's fine if we sleep until noon."

Since the middle school entrance exam ended, the two have tacitly avoided mentioning anything about the exam or the questions, let alone comparing answers. Instead, they chatted about everyday topics on what might be their last day in the same class.

However, just thinking that I can still see this face tomorrow morning makes me not feel too sad or melancholy. Before I knew it, it had been almost half a year since I last woke him up. According to Qianqian's own record, the time that happened during the Chinese New Year this year was the seventy-ninth time, so tomorrow would be the eightieth time.

"Then let's make it a hundred times this summer vacation," she wished.

When Lin Mu said goodbye to Chen Junqian yesterday, she was still confidently planning that on the first day of summer vacation after the high school entrance exam, she would sleep until noon to make up for all the lost sleep. However, her body's instincts were always more honest than her reason. After only a few hours of keeping her eyes closed, she opened them with a strange excitement and anticipation.

It's really strange. Before the holiday, all I wanted was to sleep, but once the holiday started, all I could think about was playing. The mountains of homework that usually piled up, the geometry proofs that gave me a headache, and the ancient poems that made me dizzy from memorizing them all receded like the tide after the middle school entrance exam. The air was filled with the scent of freedom, announcing the arrival of their first truly long holiday.

Finally, after struggling in bed for no more than twenty minutes, Lin Mu resignedly got up, washed, changed clothes, and pressed her unruly hair back down one by one in front of the mirror. Everything was done with a light and secretive urgency, until she looked in the mirror as if she was neither in a hurry to go out nor had she just gotten out of bed.

She tried her best to clear her mind and not think about anything related to the high school entrance exam. After all, the exam paper had already been written and submitted, and no matter what she thought about, it couldn't change this established fact. Moreover, she believed that she had done her best.

Moreover, Qianqian's error notebook also helped her. She had recently done a very similar question on the final math problem of the high school entrance exam, which made her only able to try to get two more steps of process points for the last math problem. For the first time, Lin Mu, who had racked her brains, was confident that she could get all the points. In terms of the accuracy of the prediction questions, Qianqian was much more reliable than those black and white papers.

So Qianqian really did bless her.

Without realizing it, he took the pendant that the other person had given him out of his pocket and looked at it again. Even though he already knew that this was a gift that Wen Yun and You Wei also received, Chen Junqian still engraved their names on the surface of each pendant, so he didn't feel like he was just an extra.

Thinking this, Lin Mu quickly arrived at the apartment building where Chen Junqian lived. At this time, only the senior high school and junior high school graduates could still stay in their rooms and sleep peacefully. Therefore, she did not go to find Chen Xi and Gu Linguo, who were sure to be at school, but went directly to the door of her destination.

Although I received a spare key to open this door from Qianqian a long time ago, it seems I've never used it. I remember mentioning this to Qianqian before, and his response at the time was:

Some things are like this key; you can do without them, but you absolutely cannot do without them.

However, Lin Mu chose to knock on the door as usual today. Wang Hongling opened the door for her, and as soon as she saw Lin Mu standing there prettily, a gentle smile immediately spread across her face:

"Hey, Mu Mu! So early? Come in, come in, what are you doing standing outside?"

Lin Mu obediently walked into the house, changing her shoes while smiling somewhat shyly:

"Well... I finished my exams today. I was planning to sleep in a bit longer, but I woke up naturally around this time and decided to go for a walk, so I ended up here."

Wang Hongling felt she had seen through the little scheme of the girl she particularly liked, but she didn't say anything. Instead, she smiled and pulled her to sit down on the sofa in the living room.

"It's good to relax after the exam, but don't overwork yourself. My husband is still sleeping in. I didn't even hear Xiaoxi knocking this morning. She was thinking of letting her brother sleep a little longer. Since Mumu is here, why don't you wake him up in a bit? Then you can play on the computer at home or go out for a walk. Take a good rest."

"Yes, I know. It's still early. Let Qianqian sleep a little longer."

Before she could even settle down on the sofa, a soft, warm white ball of fur suddenly appeared out of nowhere and landed precisely on her calf.

"Mu Mu!"

Lin Mu bent down in delight and scooped the little orange creature into her arms. The cat gently nudged her arm with its paw, let out a soft meow, and rubbed its little head against her chin, making her feel a little ticklish.

Although the kitten has been raised by Chen Junqian's family for several years, Wang Hongling still feels a bit conflicted every time she hears his name. It's as if he has written her name into their household registration and is living under the same roof with them.

The little creature, whose full name was the same as Lin Mu's online name and whose nickname was exactly the same as hers, was nestled obediently in her arms. Its round belly rose and fell gently with its breath, and its pure white fur was clearly visible in the morning light. Lin Mu supported it by its hind legs, holding it steadily, while rubbing her chin against its soft head and gently scratching its chin with her fingers. Lin Mu smiled with a hint of pride.

"When you first came, you wouldn't let me touch you. Now you know who treats you the best, right?"

Watching the interaction between the person and the cat, Wang Hongling also chuckled and teased:

"This cat usually ignores everyone, but it sticks to you as soon as you come. I used to say that its eyesight was bad and it couldn't recognize people, but now it seems that its eyesight is very good. It's just too lazy to pay attention to people it doesn't like. When you're not here, it sticks to Junqian, and when you come, it sticks to you. It's only interested in the two of you."

The cat blinked slowly, as if to acknowledge it, and then gently patted the back of her hand with its little paw. The plump paw pads pressed against her skin with a soft, gentle pressure.

Lin Mu felt extremely comforted.

She leaned back on the sofa, letting Mu Mu lie comfortably on her lap. One hand continued to stroke the cat's fur intermittently, while the other hand rested on the armrest, giving her a real sense that the exam was finally over.

No longer burdened by exam papers and scores, no longer burdened by formulas and vocabulary to memorize to the point of collapse, all that remains is this lazy, soft morning filled with the purring of a cat.

Although she herself really wanted to go into the room to see her childhood sweetheart's sleeping face, she pretended to be casual and started chatting with Wang Hongling about this and that, from funny things at school to her feelings about the high school entrance exam, and then from the princess carry during the physical test to the little pendant that Chen Junqian gave her. Wang Hongling listened patiently, occasionally chiming in, but with a knowing smile in her eyes.

For older generations like them, local residency and familiarity with each other's background are often the two things they care about most. Shen Nianqiu is indeed good in every way, but she also genuinely likes Lin Mu. Moreover, as she gets older, it's clear that the childishness she used to have faded a lot, and she's already a grown woman.

Time ticked by, and the sunlight grew brighter. Lin Mu felt that continuing this conversation was pointless, but she didn't know how to end it. Finally, Wang Hongling, sensing her thoughts, smiled and said to her:

"Alright, we've been chatting for a while now. Mu Mu can't sit still. Go and wake her up. If she keeps sleeping, she'll miss lunch."

"Ah... okay, okay."

Lin Mu quickly stood up, walked briskly to Chen Junqian's door, first pressed his ear to listen to the sounds inside, and then carefully pushed the door open.

In a sense, she liked this bedroom even more than her own. After all, people always need and want to be recognized, and the closer the person, the better the recognition. Chen Junqian's bedroom, filled with everything she had, was the best recognition of her. Every time she saw it, she felt genuinely at ease.

Lin Mu stepped inside quietly, each step extremely light, as if afraid of breaking something.

Chen Junqian was still asleep.

He lay on his side on the bed, half his face buried in the pillow. His thick eyelashes cast faint shadows under his eyelids. His breathing was steady and deep. His usually nonchalant brows were now relaxed and clean, making him look more like his age and full of youthful charm.

Lin Mu stood by the bed and looked at him for a moment. Suddenly, all the hundred ways he had thought of to wake him up vanished.

She bent down, wanting to get closer and call out to him, but she didn't expect that she bent down a little too much, and her hair fell down, gently brushing against Chen Junqian's ear.

For a moment, she froze.

This isn't the first time; it should be the eightieth.

The touch of his hair was extremely light, as light as a feather, as light as a morning breeze. But even this light touch made Lin Mu's heart tighten suddenly, and her blood rushed to her ears. She subconsciously held her breath and dared not move. She was frozen in that bent-over position, too close to him, close enough to clearly feel his warm, sleepy breath, close enough to count the number of his eyelashes.

Her face was probably completely red.

Chen Junqian's eyebrows twitched slightly, and his eyelashes trembled gently.

Lin Mu felt as if her heart had been squeezed. She suddenly straightened up and took a half step back, but her heel hit the desk leg with a dull thud. She gasped in pain but dared not make a sound. She just bit her lower lip and secretly covered the spot where she had hit her foot.

“…Hmm.”

Chen Junqian finally stirred. He frowned, as if disturbed by some noise, and slowly turned over. The blanket slipped off, and he half-closed his eyes, looking in the direction of the sound with blurred vision.

Lin Mu stood still, motionless.

The two people made eye contact, one standing and the other lying down, with less than half a step between them.

She felt she had to say something now.

Remembering the contents of the diary she had looked through last night, Lin Mu quietly recounted what had happened then, or rather, the first time:

"Hey—get up, the sun's already shining on your butt."

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

PS2: I won't say whose home court it is in high school, but someone has definitely saved up enough balls to start.

Chapter 103: Can't Find It (Part 2)

As we all know, before the swimsuit episode of a romantic comedy, there is usually a preview episode where everyone goes out to buy swimsuits. Apart from the hard requirement of giving fans a treat, the main reason is that swimsuits are not something that is used very often, whether in the world of anime or in real life. In addition, boys and girls of this age generally change every year, so it is better to wait until they need to buy a set that fits them best.

So Chen Junqian is planning to take Mu Mu to buy swimwear today, or rather, to buy all the things needed for this trip.

When he finished washing up and came out, Lin Mu was sitting on the living room sofa, holding a kitten in her arms, and playing with it with the pendant he had given her. Mu Mu stretched out her paw to grab it, but when she missed, she pulled it back, looking like she was too lazy to bother.

"Is Qianqian done?"

Lin Mu looked up and saw Chen Junqian standing in front of him, already dressed. He wore a pure white short-sleeved shirt and light gray casual pants. It was a very simple outfit, but it looked strangely good on him.

"Okay, let's go outside and buy some things."

Lin Mu put the kitten down from his arms, stood up, and patted the cat fur off his trousers:

"Okay."

Wang Hongling poked her head out of the kitchen and asked, "Are you coming home for lunch?" She was told that she might or might not come back, and that she would eat out if necessary. Wang Hongling rolled her eyes with a bit of amusement. Other people's children have to ask their parents for money when they go out, but her child is so lucky. He has more money in his bank account than she, his mother, does.

Goodbye, Auntie!

Lin Mu said goodbye again in a very friendly manner. After the door was opened, the heat wave of June hit her in the face, making her subconsciously squint and raise her hand to shield her eyes from the glare.

As I went downstairs, I could already hear people talking on the street, and the cicadas in the trees were chirping one after another, making the whole summer feel scorching hot.

"It's so hot, it's all Qianqian's fault."

"Is this my fault?"

"It would have been better if you had gotten up earlier; it's cooler in the morning. It's almost noon now."

"It seems like Mumu was the one who told me to stay in bed a little longer yesterday, but now that I've actually stayed in bed, why is she unhappy about it?"

"Because I didn't expect Qianqian to drag me out shopping again, let's hurry to the mall, they should all have air conditioning there."

It has to be said that after finishing the important task of the high school entrance examination, it was visibly clear that Lin Mu's mental state had returned to that of her elementary school days. Although it is difficult for a sixteen-year-old girl to be completely carefree anymore, she did look relaxed after a heavy burden was lifted off her shoulders, and her steps and tone were much lighter.

Noticing that Chen Junqian's pace had slowed down, Lin Mu also slowed down and walked to his side, keeping pace with him. The shadows of the two of them were pressed to the ground by the sunlight, one long and one short, swaying gently with each step.

"Since we've already decided to go to the beach, I feel it's better to buy a swimsuit."

Although romantic comedies often feature characters with small breasts who are overly insecure about their bodies and become extremely resistant to swimsuits, even wearing jackets to cover themselves up outdoors, Lin Mu is clearly not like that. Rather, in reality, it's more common for men to be insecure about their bodies and therefore dislike going to the beach, swimming pools, or public baths.

"Swimsuits... I think I really need to buy one, but I don't have any of these at home."

After hearing Chen Junqian's suggestion, Lin Mu nodded thoughtfully. It had been several years since she last went to the beach, and she didn't usually swim or exercise, so she really couldn't find a suitable swimsuit in her closet.

"But I can't swim, do I still need to wear it?"

“You can learn it there. I can teach Mumu then. It’s actually quite simple.”

"So Qianqian can swim? When did he learn?"

Although he really wanted to say, "I learned it last year in Hawaii," Lin Mu didn't understand these anime and manga references, so Chen Junqian made up another excuse:

"Well, if I had to say, I guess I learned it by going to public bathhouses a lot when I was little and splashing around in there?"

"How could he learn that? Qianqian is amazing!"

As a childhood friend who always gives her absolute approval, Lin Mu had no intention of doubting him at all. After all, the boy next to her was a super genius who had only attended a few piano lessons at the neighbor's house and could play the piano quite well. Swimming was definitely no challenge for him.