I turned reality into a romantic comedy.

Although Lin Mu found her childhood sweetheart's answer rather cunning, she did admit that what he said made a lot of sense. After sitting down, she played with the ends of her hair and suddenly began to regret not washing her hair in order to get out as quickly as possible. Otherwise, Qianqian would have blow-dried her hair by now.

After Lin Mu came out, Chen Xi had already taken Chen Junqian's clothes into the bathroom. She was also quick, but when she came out, her hair was wet. She took over Shen Nianqiu's shift, which made Chen Junqian feel like he was some kind of hairdresser.

Moreover, this angle is far too dangerous.

Blowing hair is inherently a top-down perspective, and Chen Xi was wearing clothes that were a size too big for her, with the collar loose and baggy. It was a completely different experience from when she looked down at Lin Mu during the school trip. Although she was three years younger than Shen Nianqiu sitting next to her, she even gave people the illusion of being on equal footing in this regard, perhaps because the contrast in their facial features was too strong.

Not to mention Chen Junqian, even Lin Mu next to her kept turning her head to look. She remembered that when she was a child, Chen Xi was a little girl about the same size as her. Did all those years of eating green vegetables and drinking pure milk with a bitter face really have no effect at all? Forget about height, she didn't even gain much weight, let alone grow in the right places.

Is it true that the rituals of showering and drying hair have some magical calming effect, or are they simply all exhausted? After Gu Lingguo finished showering and changing, the group of people lay down on the sofa in a neat row, looking as lazy as a group of students who had just started their vacation. Oh, that's exactly what they were.

Today is the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month, and tomorrow is the 30th day of the twelfth lunar month, which is New Year's Eve. For Chen Junqian, the Lunar New Year is indeed the one that makes him feel more real and that another year has passed. However, compared to the New Year in previous years, this year is obviously more troublesome. After all, theoretically, his family can gather a group of five people, excluding Zhu Wenyun, on the first day of the Lunar New Year this year.

In this situation, I feel it would be better to bring Wenyun along as well. Let's ask her tomorrow.

Thinking this, Chen Junqian suddenly felt a leg suddenly stick up on him. He glanced over and saw a flash of white, and immediately knew who it was. Actually, compared to what they did in public, Mu Mu, his childhood sweetheart, had quite a lot of small physical contact in private. However, doing this in front of Shen Nianqiu was somewhat provocative. So, his sister, who had somehow put on a new pair of stockings, immediately retaliated, and a battle of wits unfolded in front of Chen Junqian.

Although it was quite pleasing to the eye, it wasn't very good for them to kick and stomp on each other in the air like that, so Chen Junqian finally reached out and accurately grabbed both feet, one on the left and one on the right, in an attempt to stop them.

Lin Mu has always been the girl who is most ticklish. She would react to even the slightest touch on the sole of her foot, let alone having her whole foot held. But just as she was about to instinctively pull her foot back, she found Shen Nianqiu smiling and letting Chen Junqian hold her foot. She even flexed her toes and rubbed her soft, silky feet against his palm.

The childhood friend, driven by her competitive spirit, also wanted to try the same move, but overcoming her physical reaction in a short time was indeed difficult. After enduring the urge to rub against her a couple of times, she felt even more itchy and unbearable. She was the type of person whose body would go limp the moment someone tickled her, and rubbing against her like this was no exception. She immediately became limp and degenerated into a soft-bodied creature, completely unable to continue the fight.

Seeing this, Gu Lingguo whispered to her best friend:

"Wow, I never knew Mumu had a TK playstyle before."

"What is TK? Is it a term from your anime/manga community?"

"I guess so, but it's actually an abbreviation of the English word 'tickling,' which means to tickle someone's skin, touch sensitive areas like their armpits, soles of their feet, or waist, and then see if they react with involuntary laughter or physical reactions. Is that a kind of fetish?"

"...I can't understand it."

"But I'm saying that Xiaoxi has definitely seen a work with this plot."

"what?"

"The Calabash Brothers, there's a scene where the Snake Demon uses a back scratcher to tickle the Calabash Brothers. And looking back now, it seems like there are a lot of weird and wonderful ways to play with them. Sigh, the influence on teenagers is immeasurable..."

Unaware that the two people next to him had already started whispering about XP enlightenment, Chen Junqian lay down to rest for a while. Seeing that it was noon, he began to think about how to solve the problem of lunch for everyone in the room. After asking around, everyone said that it didn't matter, but it would be better if he cooked it, even if it was just a simple bowl of noodles.

Although he really wanted to complain that the previous line, "Then I'll cook some noodles for you," might be too old-fashioned if it were ten years from now, but was just right now, Chen Junqian temporarily gave up his mischievous idea and went to the kitchen, fearing that his sister might say something inappropriate again, since it seemed that someone had actually already eaten it.

He always kept some basic ingredients in his refrigerator, so making noodles wouldn't be a problem. With Chen Junqian gone, the four actresses who were theoretically capable of putting on a show and even having an encore were suddenly at a loss for words.

But Chen Junqian was indeed a versatile topic of conversation. With Lin Mu, who had recovered, finally asking, "Then let me ask you, do you know who Qianqian cooked for the first time?" the topic of memories and bonds resonated once again. When Chen Junqian came out with the noodles, Shen Nianqiu and Lin Mu were already talking at length, one reading their chat history aloud and the other copying down notes from their diary. They even made a point of choosing the same day, which made the two people next to them realize the importance of a bad pen being better than a good memory.

They certainly couldn't just throw out a date like 'March 3, 2013' and then reveal each other's files and start arguing about who had more life experience with Chen Junqian on that day. However, this tactic of using each other's memories as trump cards or bullets always gives people the feeling that they would forget about it immediately once it's said.

Thinking of this, Gu Linguo recalled the scene when she cosplayed as Tomori Nao. At that time, she asked Chen Junqian to pretend that the male protagonist in the story had amnesia. Although the most common place for amnesia is definitely the set of Korean dramas, it feels like the set of a romantic comedy is also quite suitable in some ways.

Just thinking about it for a moment makes me realize how many possibilities there are. After all, this is like facing a pure and innocent sweetheart, especially for the later heroines. It's a perfect opportunity to sneak away, such as immediately snatching the girlfriend's identity or adding layer upon layer of buffs to themselves, activating the great power called the Book of Time.

Thinking back to the strange things that had happened to Chen Junqian, and then looking around at the three people still talking non-stop, with even Chen Xi caught up in their verbal sparring, Gu Linguo suddenly had a strong sense of déjà vu that if she told everyone about this idea and they all looked forward to it, they might actually get such a result.

But it's just a thought, since there's no benefit in actually doing it.

And if such a wish truly existed, or rather, if there were an opportunity to change the world...

She will definitely make the wish written on the note in the locked little box.

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

[Transition Back]

As the title.

Wishing everyone good health and all the best.

Chapter 206: The So-Called Schoolgirl Idol

To be honest, Lunar New Year's Eve was a fixed routine for Chen Junqian every year. For a long time, he naturally assumed that this routine would continue unchanged for a very long time. It wasn't until various changes suddenly occurred that he belatedly realized that there were traces of time. Just like a relative he used to visit every year during the Lunar New Year when he was a child, he never visited again after an elder passed away. Sometimes, the bonds of human relationships can be surprisingly fragile.

As it turns out, it's highly unlikely that Chen Xi would actually disregard everyone, just like her kinsman Chen Gongtai, who said in the famous TV series "New Three Kingdoms" over a thousand years ago, "Let's pretend that Chen Gong never had any of these things." She still had to obediently go with her parents to see her grandparents during the day on the 30th of the twelfth lunar month, and could only return to Chen Junqian's place at night. Everyone else did the same, so during the day, only Shen Nianqiu accompanied Chen Junqian to help with the preparations, such as putting up Spring Festival couplets and carrying tables.

After finishing most of his work, Chen Junqian leisurely bought a sausage from the small shop in front of the house to play with his dog. This year, it didn't snow on New Year's Eve; instead, it was a sunny and warm day. In the afternoon, he sat in the yard and stroked the little dog that came up to him, which made Chen Junqian feel relaxed.

Just as he had said before, as a smart little dog, even after a year, Xiao Guai still remembered Shen Nianqiu's scent. Although Chen Junqian suspected it was because his sister had come in with him, Shen Nianqiu was still very happy to see the dog circling around her and acting cute. After all, rounding up, this could be considered a symbol that she had been accepted by Chen Junqian's family. She also spent a lot of money to add an extra sausage for him. However, dogs certainly don't lack all kinds of delicious food during the Chinese New Year.

Unbeknownst to him, several years had passed since he last bought fireworks and firecrackers. On the 30th of the month, he could no longer hear the incessant sounds of firecrackers during mealtimes. Only occasionally could he hear the crisp sounds of children playing with firecrackers and snap pops in the streets and alleys. These sounds would occasionally provoke his little dog to rush out of the gate and bark a few times in a show of bravado. But when a passerby actually approached, the dog would quickly scurry back behind Chen Junqian and continue to act like a bully.

Actually, they had specially brought the cat from the city back with them for the Chinese New Year this year. However, the cat, who shared the same name as their childhood sweetheart, was just as afraid of the cold as Mu Mu. As soon as it got back, it hid by the fire pit. Chen Junqian even had a feeling that he would have to go to the chimney to catch the cat tomorrow morning, since that was the place that stray cats in the countryside liked to hide in for warmth.

When the New Year's Eve dinner officially began in the evening, Chen Xi's family hurriedly arrived. After the whole family was present, the atmosphere became even more lively. Although time had passed equally for everyone, the elders were more concerned about their children growing a year older than themselves. Shen Nianqiu and Chen Xi, who were about to face their major exams this year, naturally became the focus of attention. Fortunately, neither of them were the type to cause concern or worry about their grades, so they were only casually mentioned, expressing their wishes to look forward to the New Year's Eve dinner.

"Sister, how about we hold your graduation celebration in Guoning this year?"

"I don't think it'll work. After all, I'm not a student from your Guoning. Besides, I've always felt that graduation banquets are no big deal. If I had to say, I think it would be better to have one for my eighteenth birthday, since the dates are so close together."

“Indeed, then let’s have my sister come to Guoning for her birthday.”

"Hmm, but I feel like you probably hadn't started your vacation yet at that time?"

After all, high school seniors should be among the first to have their holidays; their exams end on the 7th or 8th.

"It's alright, there's room for my sister here anyway."

Chen Xi originally wanted to take advantage of her home field, but after hearing Chen Junqian and Shen Nianqiu's conversation, she felt that going against their parents now would only result in mutual harm. Early romance obviously wouldn't affect her and Shen Nianqiu's mentality or academic performance, but heartbreak might. After all, it was the most important exam in their lives, and Chen Xi didn't want to challenge Shen Nianqiu to a duel just three months before the college entrance exam. Besides, she also had her own exam to take.

Her goal wasn't just to get into the special admission class; she aimed for first place in the city. After all, to skip a grade, she needed to produce convincing results to show that her learning progress had surpassed that of her peers. To achieve that, she naturally needed to get first place. If everything went smoothly, she could be in the same class as her brother.

Actually, compared to repeating a grade, skipping a grade is often not as easy. However, in this world that is almost a romantic comedy, the difficulty of skipping grades or transferring schools, which are essentially about getting the male and female protagonists to meet, has been greatly reduced, especially for the people involved. It's just that Chen Xi is unaware of this right now.

Because Chen Xi had always appeared very calm, apart from Shen Nianqiu herself finding it a little strange that the other party hadn't taken advantage of their home field to press their advantage, no one else noticed anything unusual. The atmosphere at the dinner table remained as harmonious as in previous years. Moreover, after experiencing last year's New Year's Eve, Chen Xi herself had figured it out: she didn't feel the need to inform her parents where she would sleep at night. She could just go all out and launch a surprise attack under the cover of night.

Unless... unless Shen Nianqiu does it first too.

At this moment, the classic short story from "The Hereditary House of Liu Hou" in the Records of the Grand Historian inexplicably popped into my mind again. Maybe I should just stay at my brother's place tonight, pretend to be sleepy and fall asleep right there. If my brother wants to carry me back to my room, I should just hug his neck and not let go. Yeah, that's it.

To Chen Junqian's surprise, after the New Year's Eve dinner, when the adults were burping and heading out for their mahjong game, Shen Nianqiu took the initiative to invite him to go out as well, instead of staying in the room as in previous years, eating, drinking, playing on his phone, and chatting while listening to the background music of the CCTV Spring Festival Gala.

"Where does my sister want to go? There should be a lot of shops closed tonight."

"Well, I don't know either, but I just wanted to go out for a walk with you, how about it, okay?"

"I have no objection, but is Xiaoxi going?"

"Yes, I want to go too."

Chen Xi herself felt that her thoughts were becoming increasingly impure. Of course, the streets were deserted on New Year's Eve, but the deserted streets always made her think of other messy things. But she couldn't be entirely blamed. Shen Nianqiu's behavior these past two days made it hard not to have wild thoughts. Could it be that the life of a senior in high school had really become this oppressive...?

However, when Chen Xi actually went for a walk with them, she found that Shen Nianqiu seemed to have intentionally given up her brother to her and walked quietly ahead by herself. She wanted to know and understand everything about Chen Junqian, including his hometown where he was born and raised.

As this semester marks the first time the two have been separated for a long time, both Chen Xi and Chen Junqian are eager to know what has happened to each other this semester. However, compared to his sister, who has done nothing but study and has no social interactions other than Gu Linguo, and who even just went through the motions at the New Year's Eve party, the rumors about Chen Junqian, who has been making headlines one after another this semester, have spread down to the junior high school.

"After I enter high school this year, I will apply to skip a grade and go to my brother's class."

Perhaps because she felt that her brother would find out about this sooner or later, or perhaps she simply wanted to make a show of it to Shen Nianqiu beside her, after hesitating for a while, Chen Xi decided to tell him her thoughts.

"Skipping a grade... Is there anything I can help with the paperwork for?"

"No need to trouble you, brother. I should be able to handle it myself."

Upon hearing the word "skipping a grade," Shen Nianqiu suddenly realized something a little too late:

"Oh yeah, I should have skipped a grade too, so I could graduate high school two years earlier. But repeating a grade sounds good too, since I really want to be in the same class as my brother... although the prerequisite is that I have to transfer schools first. By the way, isn't this kind of plot quite common in anime?"

If this were a romantic comedy, the scene would surely be the transfer of the beautiful older sister, causing a stir and discussion among the students. Then the teacher would say, "Please, Nianqiu, introduce yourself." Shen Nianqiu, who has neatly written her name on the blackboard, would turn around and suddenly say that she is actually Chen Junqian's... something, or perhaps she would hide it for the time being. Then, when the teacher is assigning seats, she would suddenly point in the direction of the male lead and say, "I'll sit there—".

Although Chen Junqian considered this to be a classic among classics, on par with the Yongle Encyclopedia, he found that both Shen Nianqiu and Chen Xi listened with great interest after he actually mentioned it. The latter, in particular, even seemed a bit thoughtful. Hey, hey, hey, don't actually replicate it in real life, okay? But it shouldn't be a problem to say it's his sister, right... after all, many people know that.

"When Xiaoxi really comes to our class, I will definitely arrange a complete set of usurpation equipment for you."

"Huh? What's that?"

Not only Shen Nianqiu, but even Chen Xi herself was a little confused. She tilted her head slightly to look at her brother, which was a bit of a contrast to her cold temperament.

"It's those classic things about powerful ministers, like not bowing or paying homage when entering the court, not using their names, and wearing swords and shoes in the palace. I was just chatting with my history teacher last time, and she joked with me, saying that I could usurp the throne and launch a rebellion at any time, and that I've got all the usual rules about not bowing or paying homage when entering the court."

Chen Junqian never felt that he was catering to or accommodating the girls' preferences. The cause and effect of this matter was always that he himself liked it, which attracted the female protagonist who shared the same interests. This was true for literature, and it was also true for history. So at this moment, he enthusiastically explained to the two of them:

"Entering the court without following the steps means that I feel no tension at all when I go to the office after class, just like I'm going home. Praise and worship without calling my name means that even if I'm not there during morning reading and evening self-study, the teacher will never call my name. Sword and shoes in the palace means that I can bring all sorts of things that are theoretically not allowed into the classroom."

"The Nine Bestowments are the certificates and material rewards that the school gives me. The fake Yellow Axe and the Imperial Envoy with the Seal of the Envoy refer to the key to the school's Youth League Committee office being kept here. The Grand Master of the Three Offices and the Commander-in-Chief of the Military Affairs of the Central and Foreign Regions mean that all the students in the Propaganda Committee and the Event Planning Department under my command are like guards on my every day. Oh, and finally there is the Special Gift, which means that I can sit wherever I want in the class and sit with whomever I want. It sounds like the principal."

As a top liberal arts student, Shen Nianqiu was quite familiar with this large collection of classical Chinese words, and Chen Xi, of course, was no exception. After listening, he couldn't help but chuckle and remarked:

"It feels like my brother has really run out of things to reward him with. Maybe the next step will be 'Come to the playground tomorrow to receive your award certificate, no need to wear school uniform.'"

"It's okay. I feel like when I raise my arms and shout 'Those who follow me will stand on the left,' a lot of people will roll up their sleeves and join in. Then Xiaoxi will be in charge of shouting 'Brother has been raising his troops for two or three years, and today is the day to fight for loyalty and die for righteousness!' Then the whole school will be able to hold whatever activities I want."

At this point, Chen Junqian suddenly seemed to remember something and glanced at his sister, who was also smiling with her lips pursed.

"By the way, my sister should be coming to Guoning after the college entrance exam, right?"

"Yeah, I mentioned it during dinner. Did your little brother miss me?"

"Of course not, rather, the next event I'm preparing for is waiting for you, sister."

"Hmm? What event?"

"For the campus's top ten singers competition, would you like to come and be a guest judge and do an opening performance? I feel like you're famous enough; many people in my class like your songs."

"If it were after my college entrance exam, it would definitely be possible. I'd also like to find an opportunity to visit my younger brother's school."

"Okay, let's leave it at that for now."

School idols, or campus idols, are a classic character trope frequently seen in romantic comedies. They often appear in well-known scenarios such as "My classmate is actually a super popular idol," "My favorite idol suddenly transfers to my class," and "My childhood friend grows up to be a star idol."

When Chen Junqian was reborn, the scene that was somewhat similar to his high school life in China was probably the competition for the top ten singers on campus, and his idol was the final winner of the award.

However, times have changed, and a more suitable candidate has now emerged.

Moreover, Chen Junqian was certain that the girl in front of him, who was standing on the curb with her arms outstretched like a child, laughing and asking her younger sister about their childhood anecdotes, could respond in the most romantic comedy-like way without any instruction.

After all, the essence of an idol lies in the moment when their dazzling public image clashes with their ordinary private emotions, choosing to no longer hide their true feelings on a grand and glorious stage under the spotlight.

[Calling out love from the center of the world]

He was absolutely certain that his sister would be able to achieve this.

As soon as she returned to her familiar bedroom in her old home in the mountains, Lin Mu's mind began to drift back to the scenes of her, Chen Junqian, and Xu Youwei playing Truth or Dare on the first day of the Lunar New Year last year. After learning about the true relationship and complex feelings of the two people at that time, she felt that the joy of that time was shrouded in a faint gloom. However, when she thought of how pitifully Xu Youwei cried that day, the girl, who had only ever loved and never hated anyone, felt a little soft-hearted.

Speaking of which... am I really able to accept the idea that the other person proposed?

Whenever Lin Mu thought about this question, he would unconsciously take Zhu Wenyun's novel out of the bookshelf again and read the second half of the story repeatedly, as if he were looking for some answer or trying to convince himself.

Novels need logic, but reality doesn't.