I turned reality into a romantic comedy.

"It's all the same now anyway."

"Huh? What did Mu Mu say?"

“I said—anyway, it’s already like this, Qianqian came over by himself first.”

After saying that, she reached out and took Chen Junqian's hand. The two of them started running forward hand in hand. The Class 2 students who had witnessed the whole thing were shouting their running slogans: "Class 2, Grade 1, high spirits, fearless youth, set sail!" But they all fell silent in the middle and stopped at the word "youth".

Dude, has that youth campus-themed web series that was supposedly filming near Ningzhong already started shooting? Where are the cameras? And where's the director?

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

Chapter Six: Childhood Sweethearts Want Confirmation

Faced with the blatant behavior of the two students offstage, which practically screamed "puppy love," the head of the teaching department on stage decisively chose to keep his eyes down, just like a homeroom teacher who can see all the little things on the podium but sometimes is too lazy to say anything. As long as it involves Chen Junqian, the school administration can usually give him the green light.

What? Other students want the same treatment too.

We're not asking you to solicit sponsorships or rent filming locations for the school to expand publicity. How about you get first place in the city first? If you can't do that, then you can't blame the school. Besides, the head of the teaching department clearly saw that Chen Junqian and Lin Mu were just holding hands. How can that not be considered a demonstration of the good spirit of unity and friendship among students? Anyway, as long as these two don't make a big fuss, the school is willing to turn a blind eye, especially since the girl is Lin Mu.

You have connections in Guoning, but in this small county town, you have no one left. Don't you see that the students in Class 17, whose families are slightly better off, do far more outrageous things every now and then? It's already a relief that these two families are willing to be good students here. Holding hands is just a piece of cake.

Even the head of the teaching department had already thought of a follow-up explanation. Didn't they say they were going to borrow this space to shoot a concept promotional video in a couple of days? This is the pilot version, to let the male lead get used to it first.

For Lin Mu, although the current situation is somewhat like—other girls' first experience, and her childhood sweetheart's: holding hands and running together, it's just...—she still has to righteously declare that this is completely different. After all, she did this in public, which is practically no different from an official announcement. It cannot be compared to a secret relationship that only a few people know about from beginning to end.

When everyone agrees that you are his girlfriend, then you two are already in a romantic relationship. After all, humans are social beings, the sum of all social relationships, and childhood sweethearts are precisely the type of people who can best leverage this advantage.

Chen Junqian had a feeling that Mu Mu was even planning to lean in and kiss him in front of everyone. Her pupils were flashing with a kind of eager, even warlike, impulse, which made Chen Junqian a little uncomfortable. He quickly apologized first.

"I'm sorry, Mu Mu, my phone just broke these past two days. I only saw the calls you made to me after I got a new phone when I came back today."

Thanks to Zhu Wenyun's great sacrifice, that smartphone that had actually been used for several years can finally be put to rest. It can only be said that the great writer Zhu went to great lengths for her best friend's first experience, which is why she provided Chen Junqian with such a seemingly legitimate reason.

"Oh, okay, it's alright."

However, Lin Mu didn't seem to care too much about the phone call. After all, she called to ask her childhood sweetheart to come back to her side, and now that Chen Junqian had indeed returned, there was no need to bring up the past. Moreover, this reason was indeed reasonable. Lin Mu remembered that the phone was bought for Chen Junqian by Zhu Wenyun when she received her first manuscript fee, and it had been used for a long time.

As the two walked from the playground toward the classroom, many students walked past them with smiles on their faces, like onlookers. Some even secretly gave them a thumbs up, as if they were some kind of pioneers in early romance.

Lin Mu was also very open and confident about this. When going up the stairs, she deliberately took one more step than Chen Junqian to make the height difference between the two look closer. This way, when they held hands, it wouldn't look like a childish scene of a big hand holding a small hand and not being afraid of slipping. Girls her age in Chinese youth dramas have already had one love affair and had a crush on two people who are about to unlock the abortion achievement.

However, once back in class, Lin Mu could only watch helplessly as Chen Junqian went to sit next to Zhu Wenyun, feeling powerless as she watched Chen Junqian walk away and sit down next to Zhu Wenyun. She felt a sense of helplessness, as if no matter what she did outside, she still had to obediently sit with her deskmate when she got back. Sitting in her seat, she kept gritting her teeth and making soft gurgling sounds in her throat.

"I thought you wouldn't be back until at least the afternoon, but you came back so early this morning."

The seat next to her, which had been empty for more than a day, was filled again by familiar figures. Zhu Wenyun's mood seemed to brighten up a lot. She no longer needed to cosplay some literary girl or aloof beauty. She sat there, resting her chin on her hand and tilting her head to look at Chen Junqian, as if trying to find out what had changed about him.

"I feel it's not appropriate to not come back soon; someone might attack Lin'an."

"If anyone is going, I'll definitely let you know in advance, so how does it feel?"

"That question sounds like it was asked by a reporter or a doctor."

"You're a writer, okay? I'd really like to know how you were feeling that day. I'm going to call Nianqiu again around noon. By the way, didn't she come back with you?"

“I told her to rest in Lin’an for a couple more days, and I did have other things to take care of.”

"Rest... ah."

Zhu Wenyun deliberately picked out those two words from the sentence and repeated them emphatically, revealing a meaningful smile:

"I really feel like I should take a break."

As the female protagonist who had the most intimate contact with Chen Junqian besides Shen Nianqiu, Zhu Wenyun didn't feel shy at all when making such jokes. Compared to a childhood sweetheart who couldn't wait to tell the world that she had grown up, the literary girl who was overly mature both physically and mentally would naturally have all sorts of thoughts in this regard. Now that Shen Nianqiu had finally started it, she felt that it was her turn.

"But Junqian doesn't seem to be able to rest very well."

"Hmmmm?"

"Director Zhou has already discussed it with the school these past two days, and we'll officially start filming our concept promotional short film tomorrow, this weekend. So, good luck!"

Suddenly realizing that he really had a lot of things to do this June, Chen Junqian sighed helplessly as he lay on the table, once again feeling that being the male lead in a romantic comedy wasn't always easy.

Finally, school let out at noon. It was lunchtime, and it was time to go to Lin Mu's house for lunch. But looking at his childhood sweetheart's expression, it seemed that even if it was his sister's turn, she would take the initiative and rush home with him.

However, when they actually got to the road home together, the atmosphere between the two suddenly became a little strange. Chen Junqian even felt like he was hearing Zhang Xinzhe's familiar singing voice and lyrics, such as "How could I bear to blame you for making a mistake? It's because I gave you too much freedom" or "Promise me you will never wander in the middle of the night again, and never easily try the taste of indulgence." The other person didn't mention what he had done in Lin'an these past few days at all, as if this period of time didn't exist at all. He just hugged him tighter during the lunch break... Stop, stop, stop, this really can't be glossed over.

Although Lin Mu has been making a lot of small moves since the two of them took a nap together, and has even learned a very skillful way of pretending to be asleep from his childhood friend, the situation like today's afternoon is completely different. It even reminded Chen Junqian of the famous scene of a silver-haired twin-tailed girl at the end of the first episode of a certain fantasy novel. But you know what, Lin Mu is actually the one who is closer to the other person in terms of figure.

"...It's not necessary to take off your shirt and pants."

"Can't I be hot?"

As if to prove his point, the skin that had been hidden under the air-conditioned blanket and then suddenly pressed close to his did indeed carry a certain burning heat. His childhood friend, who was wearing less clothing than usual, looked even thinner. But even the most subtle curves against his body would naturally give off a soft touch. Perhaps it's true that seeing nothing and only feeling and hearing allows for more imagination? At least when that person's small hand reached out, Chen Junqian felt all the blood rush to his brain, and all the nerves and muscles in his body tensed up in an instant. But the part that shouldn't be congested and tense up at this moment did not comply with his wishes and was also quite noticeably exposed.

Then Lin Mu stopped, satisfied.

She has confirmed two facts, well... very good.

After the senior students finished their college entrance examination, the senior high school section of Guoning Middle School was deserted this weekend, with no more students needing to attend extra classes. The campus, which was usually filled with the sounds of reading, bells, and footsteps, was now quiet and empty.

At 8:00 a.m., a black van and two delivery trucks loaded with tracks, reflectors, and lighting equipment drove into the main gate on time. There were no students inside the school, but as usual, there were two security guards on duty at the security office downstairs in the administration building. After Director Zhou and his staff got out of the car, they began to search for the specific filming location.

While the crew was busy setting up the set, Chen Junqian and Zhu Wenyun had already completed their simple makeup and styling. Zhu Wenyun was still being made up by Chen Junqian, which earned her the admiration of the makeup artists on set. After all, not many girls of this age know how to do makeup, let alone boys, and she did it quite skillfully.

The two had just come out of the dressing room when they heard someone from the crew asking the director:

"These two are not professional actors today. How does Director Zhou plan to mentor them?"

Director Zhou simply waved his hand dismissively in response to this inquiry:

"They're not exactly amateurs, they're both people who are often in front of the camera, and I don't think they need to act. The most important thing today is to forget about the camera. This short film is essentially just about filming the two of you in your daily lives."

"As for other miscellaneous things, you two don't need to think too much about them. Just leave it to the narrator and editor. Add some music and post-production, and you'll have an easy time making a film."

Classrooms, cafeteria, playground—just as Director Zhou said, he was really just filming the two people's daily life here. Only the evening shoot was a little special, taking place in the auditorium of Guoning Middle School's senior high school section.

The stage for the Campus Top Ten Singers Competition has completed its first round of basic construction. Black booth frames stand on both sides of the auditorium, lighting equipment is neatly arranged, the large screen in the center of the stage is not yet lit, only a dark curtain hangs down, rows of seats extend backward, empty, and a piano that was prepared in advance is placed on the stage.

Zhu Wenyun sat in the first row by the aisle, looking somewhat dazed.

Almost two years ago, she sat in a similar spot, watching the boy on stage playing the piano, and suggested to another girl next to her, "If I were you, I would go up and play a four-hand duet with him." But in her heart, she really hoped that he would only play a piece for her alone. This fantasy was written into the book, and then, through the opportunity of filming, it was clearly replicated in reality.

For Zhu Wenyun, this was the best reward and honor.

The lights slowly dimmed, and after a moment, a beam of warm white light fell on the piano.

Chen Junqian was still wearing Guoning's summer school uniform. He sat on the piano bench with his back straight, looked down at the keys for a while, and then gently pressed the first note after a brief pause.

It's a very simple melody, without any complicated or technically demanding sections, and the rhythm isn't too fast. The first half is as light as a breeze blowing in from the corridor window on a summer afternoon, carrying a hint of a young person's unspoken hesitation. In the middle section, the melody gradually becomes clearer, like laughter suddenly ringing out on the playground after school, or like the treetops illuminated by the setting sun before evening self-study.

His fingers landed on the piano keys with steady, clean, and precise movements.

Zhu Wenyun sat in the audience, initially listening quietly. But as she listened, her gaze gradually drifted off into a daze. The music flowed down from the stage, through the empty auditorium, as if slowly awakening many scenes scattered throughout time—students dragging chairs to evening self-study in the old teaching building, the pages turning by the library window, the ever-crowded crowds leaving school at the school gate, and this summer that seemed to never end when she was seventeen.

In all of the above images, the other party is present.

As the last note faded, Chen Junqian's hand remained above the piano keys, as if unwilling to break the silence in the auditorium too quickly. The sound lingered in the air for a long time until the aftertaste slowly dissipated. The crew members unconsciously lowered their breathing, as if afraid of disturbing something left in the auditorium.

Zhu Wenyun closed the book and looked up at the stage:

"It's a beautiful song, what's it?"

Chen Junqian rose from the piano bench, a nostalgic smile appearing on his face.

"It's just playing around."

Director Zhou, who was standing nearby, walked over happily and patted him on the shoulder:

"So you were hiding this talent all along. I was planning to have you pose for a photo and add some sound effects later, but it turns out you really can play."

Chen Junqian pushed the piano bench back to its original position and replied humbly:

"I've learned a little bit before."

"Your standards are way too high."

Chen Junqian didn't explain, but just looked up at the lights on the ceiling of the auditorium, and then looked at Zhu Wenyun sitting in the first row of the audience. He suddenly remembered the moment he first saw her.

Soon, this place will be full of students.

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

PS2: The last song in this chapter is "NOP". If you are interested, you can search for it and listen to it. I wrote many chapters of this book by listening to this song on repeat.

Chapter Seven: What about Mu Mu?

A week after the college entrance examination, it's time for high school students' "middle school exam break". After all, there are only two schools in the whole country that can be used as exam venues. So every June, except for junior high school and senior high school students, other middle school students can enjoy a total of five days of holiday. After these two holidays are over, it's summer vacation again. The school experience can only be described as very good.

Chen Junqian will naturally accompany and send off the students taking the high school entrance exam, but this time he won't have to go to another city, since one of them lives downstairs from him and the other lives next door.

Chen Xi was doing alright. Firstly, her parents didn't place much importance on academic performance, and secondly, she had already been admitted to the special admission class, so this high school entrance exam was just a formality. Gu Lingguo's words were quite exaggerated. It was fortunate that Chen Junqian and his sister chose to fight magic with magic, betting on the combined strength of the Chen family's two academic geniuses, which stopped the other party's mother from planning a whole package of "instant success, a resounding victory, and a stunning debut."

It can only be said that having Chen Junqian and Chen Xi, the top students in the city, escorting them from front to back is more reliable than hiring a driver born in the Year of the Horse. They took Gu Linguo and her sister to the examination hall. Chen Junqian then gave them the pendants he had made earlier. He had given such small ornaments to other students when they took the high school entrance examination last year, and he naturally couldn't miss them this year.

Watching Chen Xi and Gu Linguo wave as they walked into the examination hall, Chen Junqian realized why Shen Nianqiu insisted on coming two days later. Was it because she was afraid of affecting their mindset for the big exam? Actually, he thought these two were not easily influenced, unless something went wrong between them.

However, Shen Nianqiu's arrival in Guoning was quite timely, as the Guoning High School's annual Top Ten Singers Competition was held right after the high school entrance exam. Chen Junqian's new song "Chasing the Light," which he composed for her, was released yesterday along with the concept trailer for "We Live in Guoning," and the response was still very good. It attracted a lot of attention even before the actual filming started. Although at least half of the comments thought that he and Zhu Wenyun were the male and female leads, the official Weibo account quickly clarified in the comments section, otherwise they would have to bear the stigma of marketing fraud.

Chen Junqian also fulfilled his responsibility of accompanying Chen Xi and Gu Linguo through their high school entrance exams, cooking for them, picking them up and dropping them off, and chatting with them. He was almost ready to sleep in the same bed with them at night. He hoped that the two of them could achieve good results, especially the latter. After all, there is a big difference between the regular class and the key class. Although classes can promote or demote each other, it is still a bit difficult for Youyou to stay in Class 9 after a year of hard work.

The three days of the high school entrance exam flew by, and Gu Lingguo announced with a smile that she was now a qualified female lead in a romantic comedy. After all, most youth campus-themed romantic comedies have the same opening scene: the start of high school, which is the cherry blossom season in April. Then there's the long slope, the fateful encounter, the meeting at the corner, plus the self-introduction in the model opera, reuniting with childhood sweethearts, witnessing the student council president and freshman representatives at the opening ceremony, being pulled into a strange club during club recruitment, and so on.

"So I'll have it too?"

"Is there really a student in this world who would rather go back to school than have a summer vacation without homework?"

Faced with Chen Junqian's complaints, Gu Lingguo, who had just finished her middle school entrance exam, sat on his sofa, swinging her legs, eating watermelon, and holding up one finger to explain:

"Who says that the summer before high school is usually told in a flashback later on, to explain why the male and female protagonists are the way they are at the beginning of the school year, which is the so-called prequel? Wow, don't suddenly jump in like this."

Compared to Gu Linguo, who was caught off guard by the kitten, Chen Xi, sitting next to her, was quietly scrolling through her phone with her knees drawn up. Her vacation had actually started a long time ago, so she didn't really feel like she had just started her vacation. In fact, it was definitely more enjoyable to be on vacation while everyone else was in school. Now that everyone was on vacation, she felt that it was less interesting or less advantageous.

Moreover, she had been thinking about what Gu Lingguo had said to her more than a week ago, and combined it with her brother's behavior over the past few years, she finally realized that what the other party said actually seemed to be right.

Could it be that the world of anime and manga is really useful? After all, Chen Xi has always believed that in some aspects, she understands Chen Junqian's thoughts better than Lin Mu and Shen Nianqiu. Mainly, there are many things that her brother only tells her. But now Gu Lingguo has shown her that she understands him better than he does. This alone is enough to make her sister resentful for a long time.

"By the way, our school is going to hold a campus top ten singers competition soon. Do you two want to come and have some fun together?"

Just then, Chen Xi heard Chen Junqian ask the same question again. Before she could react, Gu Lingguo next to her had already raised the spoon she was using to scoop watermelon:

"I want to go! It looks like it will be really interesting."

"Going is fine, but can the two of us go in?"

In response to his sister's doubts, Chen Junqian explained with a smile:

"It's alright. A lot of senior high school students will be returning to school, so many of them won't be wearing school uniforms. I'll just let the security department know. Besides, you two are practically Ningzhong students now. If all else fails, we can just say you're family members of special guests."