I turned reality into a romantic comedy.

"They're out!"

The faces of the family of three were almost immediately close together. Lin Mu held her breath, feeling her heart leap into her throat. She dared not look at the individual subject scores, but instead her gaze swept like lightning directly to the bottom column of the table, which was highlighted in bold red for the total score and the city ranking.

The moment that string of numbers was clearly reflected in her pupils, time seemed to stand still in the whole world.

Total score: 698 points (including 20 points for physics and chemistry tests and 46.5 points for physical education test)

Citywide ranking: 148th.

Lin Mu's eyes widened suddenly, her mouth slightly open, unable to utter a sound for a long time. She thought she was hallucinating, so she quickly rubbed her eyes hard, then leaned closer to the screen, her fingers trembling, and went up the ranking column, line by line, to check her individual subject scores.

Chinese 132, Math 138, English 136, Physics, Chemistry... those numbers were all record-breaking scores that were perfect for her. Math, in particular, was probably her highest score in all of her middle school years. But this test was definitely not easy. The reason she got such a high score was probably because she got a perfect score on the last challenging question, which was quite rare.

In short, this was definitely the best and most incredible result she had ever achieved in her three years of junior high school, no, in more than ten years of schooling.

"One hundred and forty-eighths... Old Lin, Old Lin, pinch me! Pinch me now!"

Lin's mother grabbed her husband's arm, her voice trembling.

"Am I seeing things? Is this really Mumu's name written here? 148th? Top 150 in the city?"

"You didn't see wrong! You didn't see wrong, it's Mu Mu. How could I not recognize the name Lin Mu? Guo Ning can't find another person named Lin Mu."

Lin Youfeng, usually a business elite, was unusually excited, his face flushed red. He slapped his thigh hard, making a sharp crack, and winced in pain, but then burst into laughter like a fool.

"Hahahaha!"

Lin Mu's mother hugged and kissed Mu Mu, then casually pulled out her phone from her pocket, opened WeChat, and started taking pictures to post on Moments. At the same time, she made another phone call to an elder.

"Hey? Mom! The scores are out! Mumu's scores are out! 698, ranked 148th in the city, yes, 148th, Ningzhong? She's definitely in Ningzhong's top class, oh my god, thank goodness, I'm taking her home for dinner in a bit."

All I can say is that after Lin Mu checked the score, Chen Junqian felt a chaotic and noisy commotion on the other end of the phone. However, his family's situation was actually not much different. Moreover, this lively atmosphere was much better than the feeling he had in his previous life when he looked at the score on the computer alone and wanted to share it but couldn't find anyone to talk to.

He was standing on his balcony at the moment. In the living room behind him, Wang Hongling was still on the phone with relatives, receiving congratulations from all directions for his first place in the city. Chen Xi and Gu Linguo seemed to be studying his specific scores in each subject. But all his attention was focused on the slightly warm cell phone next to his ear.

Upon hearing Lin Mu's ranking of 148th, Chen Junqian quickly reminded him:

"Six hundred and ninety-eight is Mu Mu's total score, right? Then her total score in academic subjects should be over six hundred and thirty? I'll go ask the teachers at Ningzhong for Mu Mu now. With this score, she should have a chance to get into the special admission class."

Chen Junqian's words also reminded Lin Mu's parents. Indeed, Guoning's special recruitment class only considers academic rankings. Although Lin Mu's physical test performance was already off the charts, it was by no means outstanding. However, he still ranked 148th. If only academic rankings were considered, he definitely had a chance to improve further.

Ranked 148th in the city.

After silently repeating the score to himself again, Chen Junqian suddenly remembered the fact that his childhood sweetheart had been a worse student than his other two childhood sweethearts for a long time.

Over the past year, he has also wondered if he put too much pressure on her, or if he shouldn't have let her think that childhood sweethearts should always be in the same class. He even considered saying the things he had said to Xu Youwei, telling Mu Mu that even if they weren't in the same class, their relationship wouldn't change.

However, he felt that if he said these words, it would be disrespectful to Lin Mu, so he swallowed them all and chose to support her silently through his actions.

Now, all the worries and heartache have transformed into unparalleled joy and pride.

This made Chen Junqian feel more gratified and moved than if he had won a hundred first place finishes in the city himself, because he had truly witnessed this miracle. This was not some vague stroke of good luck from a romantic comedy worldview. If one could change the world simply by having good intentions, then Xu Youwei's ranking on the report card she sent him should be the same as Lin Mu's.

From the moment she saw the score until now, Lin Mu hasn't uttered a single complete sentence. She's still staring at the computer screen, her hand holding her phone trembling violently. Then, she slowly turns her head, her gaze falling on the computer desk.

There lay her exam pencil case quietly. On the zipper, the bright red Chinese knot pendant was still dazzling. The red tassels fluttered gently in the air conditioning breeze, like a leaping flame, instantly igniting all the emotions that had been accumulating in her heart for a long time. All the heartache, exhaustion, and repression were solidly transformed into golden steps leading to the top of her dream.

Tears welled up without warning, streaming down Lin Mu's face like a burst dam, but she didn't cry out. Instead, she bit her lip tightly and smiled brightly.

Taking a deep breath, she could clearly feel her heart pounding in her chest with excitement. The petite girl turned around and looked at her parents, who were also moved to tears. Without any attempt to hide or suppress the overwhelming joy surging within her, she used all the strength she had accumulated in fifteen years to speak her first words to her parents, and also to Chen Junqian on the other end of the phone, as if declaring an incomparably sacred and unquestionable vow:

"Dad, Mom, I want to go to the special admission class with Qianqian."

"148th place... And if we only consider academic subjects, it could be moved up to 115th. But is this ranking enough to get into Ningzhong's special admission class?"

After receiving Lin Mu's middle school entrance exam results from Chen Junqian, Gu Lingguo, while feeling moved, also asked this question out of curiosity.

"Based on the admission situation in previous years, it is a rather delicate ranking. It is a situation where you can get in, but you can also not get in. It mainly depends on how many people ahead of you give up going to Ningzhong's special admission class."

Unlike Gu Linguo, who was increasingly just going through the motions when it came to studying, Chen Xi, who was also a good student, clearly knew more about rankings and admission scores.

"By the way, what was Xu Youwei's ranking?"

“Youyou is ranked 473rd in the city. She’s very likely to get into Ningzhong High School. She might even have a chance to be in the top class.”

"Heh, I feel her academic ranking should drop another ten or twenty places. After all, she only lost two points in the physical test, right? That should have helped to raise her ranking a bit."

"Where is Sister Wenyun?"

"This one is the real second in the whole city."

"Wow, he's second only to my brother."

"That statement feels a bit strange."

"But in our anime world, the first and second are often destined to become rivals, and then rivals are just rivals. Rivals can't become wives in a romance drama. But Sister Wenyun should really enjoy the feeling of being second only to her brother, which means she's willing to be the eternal second-in-command."

"What number is Lin Guo? May I ask?"

"Hehe, it doesn't matter what my ranking is, as long as I can get into Ningzhong High School. After all, even if I get the top score in the city, I still won't be in the same class as my brother."

"If you're always first in your grade and then apply to skip a grade, that's also possible, right?"

Chen Xi did offer her own thoughts on this, which can be considered a direction she is working towards. However, when the goal is to be number one, then learning is indeed not something that can be easily achieved by effort alone. In any case, she has been trying for a long time, but her best two or three results were only first in the class and in the top ten of the grade.

"Then please spare me. I've already done my best to maintain this level of performance."

In fact, Gu Lingguo wasn't lying. After all, she had a legitimate job, although she often used the excuse of "work needs" or "research needs" to drag Chen Junqian to watch various anime series or recommend visual novels.

"Thinking about it this way, Sister Lin Mu is really amazing. This is equivalent to improving herself from a regular class in Ningzhong to a special admission class in just one year. I heard that the worst special admission class in Ningzhong High School is a first-tier university. Isn't this like having one foot already in the door of a first-tier university?"

"That's what they say, but you still have to wait three years for the college entrance exam. And even if you get into the special admission class, if you don't perform well, the school will demote you to the honors class or even the regular class."

"I know, it's Baka and Test! Sigh, Yuwei is going to be defeated by Lin Mu's summon in one move. She doesn't score higher than her in any subject, such as Chinese, math, or English. It seems like she can only bully others in sports. What's the difference between her and the silent pervert in Class A who can only bully others with sex education knowledge? But speaking of which, this setting is quite common. Kinugasa's light novel that he started last month seems to be the same."

"Oh, I remember the illustrator was still Guiji, right? Actually, I think their collaboration on the 'Akatsuki no Goei' series is quite interesting. It's like a Japanese version of the school beauty's personal bodyguard."

As always, Chen Xi began to lose track of their conversation.

The live stream I saw two months ago kept replaying in my mind.

She suddenly felt a little irritated.

Summer is really awful.

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

Chapter 107: Please Give the Opportunity to the Leading Lady Who Wants to Be the Lead (Part 2)

Just one day before Chen Junqian was about to lead the team off, under strong protest from a younger sister, Gu Linguo finally had no choice but to conduct a legal education class for the brother and sister. Of course, just like the principle that foot massage is also a way and techniques are also a law, this time the law was the methodology of romantic comedy that had been giving Chen Xi a headache for several years.

Chen Xi's own explanation was a phrase that left Gu Linguo equally baffled, making her feel that her cultural level was too low: "The words are in the biography of Yuan Can." This allowed Gu Linguo to experience the complicated feeling of often not knowing what the two were talking about.

Now it was Chen Junqian's turn to act as the mediator. His reading always included his sister's. The so-called "Biography of Yuan Can" was actually a biography of Yuan Can in the "Book of Song." In it, there was a story about the "Mad Spring." It was said that there was a spring in a place that would turn anyone who drank it into a madman. Everyone in the country except the king drank it and thought that the king, who was not insane, was the one who was crazy. They all tried to cure him, using acupuncture and medicine. The king, who was tormented to the point of exhaustion, had no choice but to drink the Mad Spring water himself. As a result, the whole country went mad, and everyone was very happy.

"How can you say that things related to anime and manga are like gushing spring water? We're all about cuteness..."

"Hey, it's 2015 now, not 2005, let's get serious."

"Okay, okay, let's get started with this video. Sorry, I made too many videos and haven't fixed it yet. It should be this special episode, discussing what a romantic comedy set on the beach during summer vacation should include. Brother, you can add your explanations, and Xiaoxi can learn something from it too. Winwin!"

It can only be said that Gu Lingguo is indeed very enthusiastic about proselytizing the world of anime and manga. Although the only real audience he was facing was Chen Xi, he still solemnly brought out a whiteboard and began to write:

"First of all, I want to clarify one thing: the romantic comedy of summer vacation definitely didn't start after we arrived at the beach. In fact, it started before we even set off, like shopping for swimsuits together. But all of that is in the past now. So what I'm going to talk about now is what happened on the road, the classic scenes of the journey."

"By the way, brother, are we going there by plane this time?"

"Yes, the airport in Nanjing."

For people from Anhui, flying to Nanjing, the capital of three provinces, is indeed more common than flying to Hefei, so Gu Linguo nodded in agreement and wrote the word "airplane" on the whiteboard:

"This reminds me that airports and airplanes are actually places where romantic comedies can easily happen. The former is big and noisy enough, and at the same time, it is filled with a special atmosphere of about to depart for another world. In addition, many people have never flown before, so it is only natural for them to get lost."

"Well, actually, it should only be you and Xiaoxi taking a plane for the first time, right? I'll definitely keep a close eye on you two the whole time."

"Don't worry, brother. If it were just the two of us, I would definitely get lost right away and show you. But there are so many people here this time. Xiaoxi and I definitely can't do something that would make everyone worry and come looking for us, right, Xiaoxi?"

"Getting lost is a romantic comedy plot? I feel like if you can read, it's hard to get lost in an airport environment. There are staff and volunteers, and you can always make a phone call if you're still not sure."

"Don't say things that would ruin the worldview of a romantic comedy! Anyway, Xiaoxi isn't the kind of clueless, naturally innocent female lead. Sigh, she should be quite suitable as a younger sister. You have a doll too, even though it's a large, life-size one. Maybe I'll buy you a rabbit one someday."

rabbit……

Upon hearing Gu Linguo's complaints, Chen Xi almost instinctively thought of the female protagonist in the only anime series she had ever watched. It seemed that their first scene was also on a journey, but not a trip, but a journey home.

"I have no intention of holding that kind of doll."

"Oh, what a pity."

"Even if Lin Guo says strange things to Xiao Xi, she doesn't know what it means. Let's get back to the main topic. Now I know why your videos can go on for so long."

"Understood—Although getting lost isn't guaranteed, other unexpected events could cause delays, such as needing to use the restroom, getting stuck in traffic, or not knowing the procedures and not being able to find the gate. Then, the male protagonist like my brother needs to step in, spot her perfectly in the crowd with just five minutes left before boarding closes, rush over, grab her wrist, and pull her in the right direction—"

"The two of them ran through the waiting hall, with the male lead pulling the female lead behind. They bypassed the crowd, crossed the corridor, and rushed into the boarding gate at the last moment."

By the way, it's definitely more effective to grab the wrist here, because grabbing a hand is a conscious act; it means "I want to hold your hand." But grabbing the wrist is different; it's a reactive response, a purely instinctive action that doesn't have time to think or calculate.

At this point, Gu Linguo sighed again:

"However, my brother has already made everyone feel like holding hands with him even on instinct, so this situation is no longer possible."

"It's okay, I can get my brother to reset all his feelings for you right now."

"Hey, hey, hey, you should at least wait until after my personal segment to say something like that."

"So, your trip during the May Day holiday didn't count? Then I should have just come along."

It seems that after her knowledge of anime and manga increased, the younger sister was gradually able to keep up with Gu Linguo's吐槽 (tu cao, a Chinese internet slang term for sarcastic or witty remarks). This made Chen Junqian not only unable to suppress his laughter, but also start to worry that one day when he woke up, he might see someone pursing their lips and saying to him, "Where's my personal episode?"

"Alright, alright, anyway, we can board now. But don't rush to sit down after boarding, there's still the matter of putting away your luggage. This is when your brother can show his manly strength and help Lin... the girls who aren't tall enough to put away their luggage."

"You were definitely referring to someone in particular, weren't you?"

"Ahem, it's just because I thought that Lin Mu was the one sitting next to my brother this time. I never discriminate against short girls, they're so cute."

Gu Linguo looked away while emphasizing:

"But brother, don't rush to help right away. Wait until the female lead is standing there on tiptoe trying to put it up first, and then stand behind her and reach out to help her. This way there will be a little bit of physical contact. Of course, please don't imitate this with strangers. This is a special feature of the loving childhood sweethearts channel."

"There's even a disclaimer?"

"Because in reality, there might be viewers who see two romantic comedy scenes and want to imitate how to flirt with girls, but usually the female lead in a romantic comedy comes with a basic liking for the male lead from the start. I have to say, the brother really worked hard, spending so much time patting his head and..."

"Teach well."

Seeing Chen Xi earnestly reaching out to stop her best friend's grotesque actions, Chen Junqian found it quite adorable and reached out to pat his sister's head as well. However, this only made her tremble and instinctively dodge away.

Sure enough, in reality, younger sisters are the kind of creatures who stop patting their older brothers' heads once they grow up.