I turned reality into a romantic comedy.

As he spoke, he handed the swimming ring he had brought with him to Lin Mu.

Although she was saying things like "I'll help you take care of them" just two hours ago, when the time actually came for the two of them to be alone, Lin Mu's memory vanished instantly. With a cheer, she immediately put the little crab back on the ground, put on a swimming ring, and ran like a little duck to a slightly deeper part of the sea. She was actually a little afraid of water, but if Chen Junqian was by her side, she wasn't afraid of anything.

"Qianqian, hold on tight to me, don't let go!"

As she spoke, Lin Mu gripped Chen Junqian's arm tightly, the cool touch of the seawater making her shiver slightly, but she felt more excited than anything else.

"Don't worry, I'm holding on very firmly."

Chen Junqian stood in waist-deep water, his hands firmly holding Lin Mu's swimming ring, his eyes full of focus, his whole body prepared for teaching his childhood sweetheart to swim... and for dealing with related romantic comedy plots.

"Relax your legs and try kicking in the water."

Lin Mu obediently splashed around in the water, spraying water all over Chen Junqian's face. She smiled a little embarrassedly.

"I'm sorry, Qianqian, I didn't mean to..."

"It's okay, yes, that's it, keep the rhythm."

Chen Junqian wiped the seawater off his face, not minding it, and patiently guided her.

After Chen Junqian arrived, Xu Youwei quietly climbed back out of the water and onto the shore. She was now sitting under a parasol, drinking coconut water and watching the scene unfold. Although she really wanted to show off her swimming skills, she restrained herself, remembering that the scene before her concerned her ultimate plan. However, Chen Xi noticed her change in expression and suddenly blurted out:

"Xu Youwei, have you been helping Lin Mu out lately?"

Xu Youwei was taken aback by the sudden roll call, turned her head to glare at Chen Xi, and leaned closer to say:

"What do you mean by 'assisting'? Don't you think Qinqin and Mumu are quite alike?"

Since everyone present could be considered childhood sweethearts, and each also harbored their own ulterior motives, Xu Youwei couldn't directly say things like, "They're a perfect match, how dare you, a monster, object?" Instead, she simply returned the words Chen Xi had used to rebuke her:

"Hey, if they really start dating, will you tell your aunt and uncle that your brother is dating too early?"

"will not."

"Why is there still discrimination?"

"From their perspective, my brother was already dating Sister Nianqiu, so there was no need to tattle about his early romance. Now, he's probably pregnant."

Chen Xi shifted her gaze from the coconut and glanced at the two figures in the sea. Lin Mu was shouting happily because she was able to float, while Chen Junqian was carefully supporting her to prevent her from falling over.

Even Shen Nianqiu, who was almost an adult, was a little shocked when she heard Chen Xi say this in a nonchalant tone. She coughed twice in shock. However, when she thought about the abortion scenes that were common in domestic youth dramas in recent years, she felt that it was not impossible. After all, high school students are at an age when hormones are raging. At least Shen Nianqiu herself had a lot to say about this.

"I finally started dating my childhood sweetheart whom I've known for over ten years, only to find out that it wasn't her first time. I feel like this must be one of the most painful things in the world."

Seeing the various expressions on the faces of the others who all turned to look at her because of her words, Shen Nianqiu quickly added an explanation:

"I didn't say that. Wenyun mentioned it to me when we were talking about the subject of our new book, and then I wrote it down."

"Huh? Isn't her new book about herself? Does she have to be this ruthless to herself...?"

"No, no, no, Wenjun's new book's theme wasn't even decided yet at that time; it was much earlier."

"Writers really have a tough job, yet she still does so well in her studies. I'm so envious."

After muttering this to herself, Gu Linguo really wanted to complain that a literary girl should just stay in the library as a fixed NPC and not follow the group to the beach camp. At the very least, she shouldn't be so openly showing off her charm to the male protagonist with such a lewd figure. She doesn't have braids or black glasses to hide her good looks, you know.

"And even if Sister Nianqiu hadn't started this, my aunt and the others wouldn't have any opinion about Sister Lin Mu. Especially my aunt, she loves Lin Mu the most, even more than her own daughter."

Whether she was planning to provoke Xu Youwei again on this topic, Chen Xi brought the subject back, but Gu Linguo quickly refuted her.

"This is just like being a biological daughter; it's essentially how outsiders see you. Xiaoxi is clearly also very much liked by Auntie, and we've been family from the beginning. The two of them are so close that they can spend the New Year together, while you're someone who's meant to spend the New Year together from the start."

Gu Linguo was about to continue speaking when she saw Chen Junqian leading Lin Mu back this way.

"The sun is still too strong; Mu Mu's neck is already red."

Upon hearing Chen Junqian's line, Gu Lingguo's mind was already repeating the Japanese phrase "Here it comes, here it comes, here it comes—" in Japanese. She even subtly pushed the sunscreen that was originally there forward, placing it in a more conspicuous position.

She has already thought about it.

Regardless of who leads the charge, Lin Mu's words are just right.

After all, as the saying goes, "If you don't come, how can I come? If I don't come, how can Commissioner Smith come?" As long as one person starts to have a sunscreen obsession, then she can also join the army of "I want some too" and achieve this classic scene.

However, Chen Junqian himself was willing to swear that he really had no intention of doing that. After all, Shen Nianqiu had already achieved something similar at the Shanghai World Expo several years ago. This time, he was just worried about Lin Mu getting sunburned.

"Wait until Mumu finishes applying sunscreen before we go into the water."

Lin Mu pouted, but she knew that Chen Junqian was doing it for her own good, so she could only obediently sit cross-legged, resting her chin on her hands, like a kindergarten child waiting for lunch.

Chen Junqian, standing behind, unscrewed the cap of the sunscreen.

"I've already applied the cream to the front. Qianqian, you just need to apply it to the shoulders and the back where you can't reach."

Lin Mu muttered softly.

"know."

Chen Junqian squeezed out a large dollop of milky white sunscreen into his large palm. He looked at the slender back of the girl in front of him, which was exposed without any defenses. The skin there was so delicate that even the pores were invisible. Under the dazzling sunlight, it even had a faint pearly luster. The two beautiful butterfly bones rose and fell slightly with the frequency of her breathing, revealing a fragile and charming beauty unique to young girls.

Taking a deep breath, Chen Junqian clasped his hands together, warming the sunscreen slightly with the heat of his palms, and then gently placed it on Lin Mu's shoulder.

"ah--"

The moment Chen Junqian's palm touched her, Lin Mu trembled as if she had been electrocuted. Even though she had applied sunscreen, it was still noticeably cool compared to the high temperature in Sanya. What was worse, even through the layer of milky white sunscreen, she could still clearly feel the lines on Chen Junqian's palm, the shape of his finger bones, and his undeniably hot body temperature.

The boy's hands were large; with just a gentle touch, he could envelop half of her shoulder.

"A little chilly?"

"No, no..."

Lin Mu shook her head while gripping the fabric on her knees tightly with both hands. Her heart was pounding like a rabbit in her chest, so loudly that she was afraid the people behind her would hear it.

Chen Junqian didn't speak again, but his movements became even gentler. His palm slid down her shoulder slowly and evenly, spreading and smoothing the white ointment little by little. Unlike the heroines in romantic comedies who often lie down, she was sitting there, so from his perspective, he could see the delicate curve of her skin more directly, though it wasn't obvious. The vague feeling of holding her skin in his hand seemed to be awakened in his mind, making him feel a little complicated.

"A classic romantic comedy scene is here!"

In fact, Gu Lingguo herself didn't know why she suddenly blurted out this random sentence when everyone else was deliberately keeping quiet.

Although she didn't understand romantic comedies, Lin Mu could still grasp the word 'romance,' so upon hearing this seemingly teasing remark, she became even more shy, wishing she could dig a three-bedroom, two-living-room house out of the sand with her toes and bury herself in it.

"Guoguo! Qianqian was just helping me apply sunscreen."

"Ahem, don't worry about it. I just shouted it out subconsciously when I saw this scene. But Sister Lin Mu, please don't feel embarrassed and run away now, because I can tell you very clearly that this is actually something that our senior has always wanted to do. It could easily be in the top 100 of his life's wish list."

"Ha, the world of anime..."

By today, Chen Xi has become so adept at uttering this universal formula for吐槽 (tu cao, a Chinese internet slang term for sarcastic or witty remarks), but unexpectedly, Shen Nianqiu, who was standing next to her, decisively switched sides.

"Well, girls like Xiaoxi who just lie under the sun umbrella on the beach to cool off and rest might not realize it, but sun protection is actually very important."

The older sister, sitting there with her chin resting on one hand, simply gave a "take it" smile, while the fingertips of her other hand gestured suggestively as she drew circles on the back of her neck.

"I'm planning to apply some too later."

After saying that, she turned her gaze back to Chen Junqian, who was still there seemingly focused on applying sunscreen to Lin Mu, and asked him:

"Junqian, could you help me apply it later?"

"Absolutely no problem."

Lin Mu could feel the other person's fingertips inadvertently brushing against the sensitive back of her neck and the hollow of her spine, bringing an indescribable tingling sensation. Before Lin Mu could subconsciously say, "Qianqian knows I'm ticklish, so please don't tickle there," she was interrupted by her childhood sweetheart's next reply.

"Even if you didn't say anything, I would still help you. I don't know if you remember, but you actually helped me apply sunscreen for the first time in my life, during the Shanghai World Expo."

She turned her head and saw the brightest smile from the girl who was superior to her in every way, and her playful reply, deliberately drawn out:

"I remember—yes."

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

Chapter 115: Come on over! (Part 2)

Just as Lin Mu and Shen Nianqiu rediscovered their feelings for each other half a year ago because of the reply that came after five years, their trip to the Shanghai World Expo that year was an unforgettable and important memory for both of them.

That's why they both felt uneasy about the sudden appearance of another person for so long. The former wrote down her feelings in a letter that was like a time capsule, and years later, when someone wrote it for her, she dedicated that period of time to her alone, like a history book. The latter, on the other hand, had such a long reaction time that she only felt a sudden tightness in her heart when she saw some familiar fragments of light, just like now.

"Alright, Mu Mu has finished everything here. You can go play in the sea now."

Soon, Chen Junqian's words interrupted Lin Mu's thoughts again, bringing her back to reality. At the same time, his hand had already been removed from her back, leaving only the cool touch of the sunscreen. Lin Mu subconsciously reached out to hold his hand but found nothing. She could only pretend to touch her back and scratch it a couple of times, which made her unconsciously pout.

Xu Youwei, who had been keeping a close eye on her best friend's relationship progress, saw this detail clearly. So when Lin Mu ran off again, she quickly followed, even having already prepared her universal formula for comparing misery.

Stop dwelling on the Shanghai World Expo. I'm just saying, is it possible that I didn't even get to go back then, and just stayed home looking at the photos you posted every day?

"Ah, I suddenly remembered, it seems that the plot that Sister Nianqiu mentioned was also written in Sister Wenyun's book."

Not far away, Gu Linguo suddenly clapped her hands, remembering the plot of "My Dear Forever My Love," a book whose film and television adaptation had recently been announced.

"Because the female protagonist of that novel was based on Sister Nianqiu."

As someone who personally heard Shen Nianqiu recount her family background on the spot, Chen Xi sometimes felt that being a writer was truly a magical profession. Even with the same people and stories, writers could make the whole thing more moving. So much so that when she was reading that novel, she couldn't help but hope that the male and female protagonists could stay together forever.

"If you ask Sister Yun when she can write my story, I feel like I have quite a story to tell."

"...2D".

"Although it's Xiaoxi's usual way of complaining, it actually makes a lot of sense. After all, if you don't understand anime, you won't be able to realize or appreciate what makes her cute."

Hearing this, Shen Nianqiu also chimed in with a smile:

"I think Lin Guo looks adorable right now."

Thanks to her conversations with her friend Zhu Wenyun, she now has a better understanding of the anime and manga culture that Gu Linguo and Chen Junqian are obsessed with. In particular, in May, Zhu Wenyun shared some knowledge about cosplay with Gu Linguo. From this perspective, a girl like Gu Linguo, who is neither too tall nor too short, neither too fat nor too thin, is indeed a good foundation for role-playing and can handle most anime characters.

If we look at it ten years from now, we'd add the phrase "can be sweet or sassy, ​​cute or mature," and most importantly, she's also trained in voice acting, making her virtually unassailable in her niche.

"Thank you for the compliment, hehe."

Gu Lingguo accepted the compliment with an embarrassed smile, while glancing at Chen Junqian. She saw him approach Shen Nianqiu with the sunscreen again, and then looked around. Besides Chen Xi, who was still reclining on the chair cosplaying some mysterious, sickly, wheelchair-bound comedian, she was the only one left. She couldn't help but feel a little excited, but maintained her composure, continuing to tease him while keeping a low profile:

"The second one, the second one! Senior, do you have enough sunscreen left?"

Just then, as she said this, Zhu Wenyun, who had gone to soak in the sea after playing beach volleyball, also strolled back leisurely. She took a dry towel and sat down to dry herself. Her swimsuit, soaked with water, clung to her body, outlining an even more alluring curve than before. However, what surprised Gu Lingguo even more was the next sentence that the other party said casually.

"When applying sunscreen, it's more common to lie flat, with the back straps undone."

Ok?

Your summer romantic comedy mini-class was clearly only opened for Xiaoxi, right? Why do you know so much about this kind of plot? We've only had a few long conversations about the rather general topic of anime, right?

Ignoring Gu Lingguo's suspicious look, Zhu Wenyun wiped the water droplets from her hair while observing Chen Junqian's reaction.

She was actually aware and could confirm that Chen Junqian liked these inexplicable little tricks, whether you called them romantic or just perverse. After all, the two of them had previously engaged in a similar role-playing activity using glasses as a prop in the hotel bathroom. Although the subsequent developments were a bit out of control, she could definitely sense his pursuit and interest in this kind of 'anime/manga' (?) scenario.

Especially after seeing Gu Lingguo's performance under this banner today, she didn't hesitate to take it and use it directly. She even took her phone to search for relevant information when she ran away earlier.