I turned reality into a romantic comedy.

[You and me on stage and off stage]

At a concert with tens of thousands of attendees, glow sticks formed a shimmering sea of ​​stars. As the most popular young idol, she should have shared her smiles and love fairly with every supporter.

However, when she stood in the center of the stage and sang the sweetest line, her gaze traveled across the entire venue and landed precisely on you.

Winking, making a heart shape with my hands, pointing at you.

Finally, she tilted her head slightly and mouthed something only you could understand:

"Today, I'm only looking at you."

The charm of an idol-type female lead in a romantic comedy lies in this: she can flash a perfect smile to the world under the spotlight, yet in moments when no one is watching, she reserves her most special affection for you. The stage belongs to all the audience, but her fleeting, uncontrolled heartbeat belongs only to you.

[Condition for achieving this: The above scenario is completed by any female protagonist who is suited for romantic comedy]

Sure enough, just like when I was reborn a few years ago, if I were to look for an idol-type female lead in this small county of Guoning, then the only one that could be considered is the campus top ten singers competition. As for whether the person standing on the stage is an idol, if we only look at appearance or call anyone who can sing, dance, rap and shine on stage an idol, then Shen Nianqiu in front of me undoubtedly fits the bill perfectly in every way.

Sensing the other person's gaze, Chen Junqian raised his head at the same time, and his eyes met Shen Nianqiu's.

The other party did not simply smile politely as they had when facing the entire room earlier.

She looked at him, and her eyes suddenly curved into a smile.

Then, in the very brief pause before the next line of lyrics was sung, she raised her free hand and made a small but clear gesture in Chen Junqian's direction—

He put two fingers together, making a gesture that no one in Guo Ning knows yet—a simplified version of the heart shape.

Because the staff area was indeed much closer to the stage, Gu Lingguo and Chen Xi, who were also seated there by Chen Junqian, also noticed this detail. The seasoned veteran of romantic comedies immediately commented on it:

"I feel like it would be best if my senior were on stage playing guitar right now, and then I would play the piano. That would be perfect. Then, after the performance, I could sneak a kiss..."

Although Chen Xi was secretly pleased that her friend had returned to her former optimistic self, hearing such words still left her with mixed feelings. As if by muscle memory, she reached out and covered Gu Linguo's mouth.

"You've already kissed me... and right in front of me."

"Yeah, now that I think about it, it's a real shame that I didn't say 'Xiao Xi, I'm sorry' or 'Senior, why are you so skilled at this?' Maybe I should try to replicate it in the future."

The two girls chattered quietly behind him, but Chen Junqian remained focused on Shen Nianqiu on stage. It was as if she was born for the stage. Her sister's performance was excellent; her emotions, rhythm, and camera presence were all just right. Whenever the camera approached, she would naturally turn around to let the camera capture her best angle. And whenever the audience sang in unison, she would lower her voice and point the microphone towards the audience, letting the youthful yet passionate voices of those still in their adolescence fill the auditorium.

Everything seemed perfect, except that the other person would always glance in his direction when a melody ended or the lights changed. This made Chen Junqian, who had only ever seen idol-type heroines in anime or visual novels in his past and present lives, feel the charm of this type of character. This sense of "Look, so many people like me, but I'm only special to you" would unconsciously tug at his heartstrings. He could understand the mentality of those creators who write fanfiction about the entertainment industry and relationships between celebrities.

As the last note of "Once Upon a Time" faded, the entire audience erupted in applause and screams.

"One more song!"

"Sister Yiqiu!"

"It sounds so good!"

Shen Nianqiu, slightly out of breath, bowed to the audience, then unconsciously began glancing towards Chen Junqian. Sensing that this would draw everyone's attention, Chen Junqian strode onto the stage through the side aisle and, acting as a staff member, handed his sister a pre-opened bottle of mineral water. Only then did she smile again.

"Thank you everyone. Guoning's classmates are even more enthusiastic than I expected."

Another cheer erupted from the audience. The eighteen-year-old girl looked up, smiling brightly, and continued:

"Speaking of which, I'm from Lin'an next door, so I'm practically a neighbor to Guoning. I've been here before, but this is my first time performing. I was a little nervous before coming here, since it's my first time participating in such a formal campus event, not to mention—"

At this point, Shen Nianqiu paused for a moment, the camera was pointed at her, and the auditorium fell silent.

"There's someone here whom I've known for a long time."

Her tone was slightly playful, ending with a syllable that immediately drew a chorus of cheers from the audience.

"Oh--"

Who is it?!

"Sister, tell me!"

Shen Nianqiu didn't answer directly, but simply smiled and shook her head, choosing to keep everyone in suspense:

"I'll reveal the secret to everyone after this competition ends—"

Having said all that, Chen Xi and Gu Linguo could no longer continue with the long-standing topic of 'how to explain to someone outside the entertainment industry why White Album 2 is a masterpiece for those leaving the industry.' Almost simultaneously, they looked up sharply, met each other's eyes, and began to speak:

"Something feels off."

"Indeed, there's a mysterious atmosphere of wanting to confess your feelings in there."

Because Chen Junqian was not far ahead, their whispers wouldn't be too loud. Gu Lingguo didn't ask any silly questions like, "What does Xiaoxi think?" Although she always boasted to Chen Junqian that she was the perfect female protagonist from an anime, as they got to know each other better, she now felt that her best friend was the closest thing to an anime character in real life. She felt that her friend had a kind of ethereal and carefree attitude in certain perceptions and personality traits, and she had even cosplayed as someone else before.

In the classroom, less than twenty-four hours had passed, but Lin Mu no longer felt the same urge to prove herself to her classmates as she had yesterday. Instead, she was still immersed in the afterglow of yesterday's long conversation, and even suddenly felt a strange sense of understanding for Weiwei's feelings a couple of years ago. This sense of ease and superiority... no, it was even stronger. First love, first kiss, or any other first time were no longer important to Lin Mu. She clutched her collar tightly, as if the sensation from yesterday was still there.

On stage, the prelude to the second song began.

"Chasing the Light" was only recently revealed along with its concept promotional PV, but it has already garnered a considerable amount of popularity in a short period of time and achieved good rankings on various music charts. Many people in the audience are even able to sing along softly to the melody, especially in the playground where high school graduates are gathered.

For them, this song will obviously resonate more deeply.

When Shen Nianqiu sang the chorus, he walked to the very front of the extended stage, and the camera followed him in sync.

She faced the entire audience, raised her hand, and gestured for them to sing along. The sounds in the auditorium gradually gathered, but under the brightest spotlight, Shen Nianqiu suddenly turned her face away from the audience and looked at Chen Junqian, smiling as she made a separate gesture to him again.

Along with the hand holding the microphone, the girl standing in the center of the stage used both hands to make a small frame in front of her eyes, as if imitating a camera framing the shot. Then she slightly tilted that hand in his direction, framing him alone in her lens and her field of vision.

As it turns out, there are reasons why this romantic comedy exists. After all, if the stage is big enough, it's hard to see clearly which direction the idols are facing and what actions they are taking. Many people are far from the stage and mainly see people through the large screens on both sides of the stage, so they don't have a real sense of direction and distance. But this isn't a big stage.

Moreover, since Shen Nianqiu was aiming at a staff area that was not open to the audience, the audience could not have the classic illusion that "she was looking at me". The students in the auditorium only needed to glance in that direction to easily find Chen Junqian, who stood out among the adults. Then, recalling the rumors that had been circulating in the school yesterday, their jeers grew even louder.

On stage, "Chasing the Light" was about to end. The lights gradually dimmed into a soft star blue, and the chorus in the audience slowly stopped. Shen Nianqiu stood in the center of the stage, her breathing rising and falling slightly, as if she was still immersed in the emotions of that song. After a while, she bowed to the audience, ending her opening performance as a guest. She turned and walked towards the judges' table, her skirt gently brushing past in the stage lights.

Looking at the other person's bright and confident demeanor, which captivated everyone's attention, Lin Mu thought to himself, "If it were me in the past, or even 24 hours ago, my thoughts would definitely not be like this now." Sitting in the first row of the audience, Lin Mu rested his chin on his hand and suddenly had this thought in his mind.

Perhaps because what she cared about most yesterday was Shen Nianqiu's matter, Chen Junqian talked to her a lot about Shen Nianqiu. Lin Mu imagined for a moment that Qianqian was not familiar with her childhood friend, nor did he know Xu Youwei, Zhu Wenyun, or Gu Linguo. At the same time, he had a very ordinary relationship with his sister, and his family also experienced a major change in elementary school. Then she could understand why he would be so tolerant of Shen Nianqiu, who was actually just an online friend from beginning to end, and even an online friend who had lost contact with her.

Besides, she had watched TV dramas like Chinese Paladin 3 that involved past lives and present lives, or even mythology, okay? She should be grateful for the two hundred yuan she lost back then, since usually, these kinds of stories involving past lives and present lives, or even love across two lifetimes, end up with the characters living happily ever after. Damn it, why didn't she stand up for herself in her past life?

What were you doing when Qianqian was feeling down? If you had taken the initiative or shown some kindness at that time, the situation would definitely be completely different now.

Well, the pressure has already been extended to his past life, but even the most ancient history books can't reach Lin Mu's past life. At this point, he's just grumbling a little. After all, this isn't about being wise after the event or offering hindsight advice. And the most important thing is to seize the present.

Suddenly, Lin Mu realized that she hadn't even written in her diary last night. On the one hand, her mind was so chaotic that she couldn't think straight, and on the other hand, she didn't want anyone else to know about it.

After all, once you realize it, you'll understand the weight of this matter. Even Xia Luo from "Goodbye Mr. Loser," which Chen Junqian used as an example, never told anyone about it until he returned to reality. This is because once you speak out, all the excellent qualities you've shown and all the glorious deeds you've done in the past will be labeled as untrustworthy. Compared to your own talent, everyone will be more willing to believe that it's an achievement you didn't work for.

But just as Dongmei in the movie would affirm Xia Luo's only original song, Lin Mu also swore that she had never had such thoughts. Because she was Qianqian's childhood sweetheart, she had been a part of most of his life so far, so she could best understand how much he had sacrificed in this new life. At least in terms of interpersonal relationships with a group of girls, including herself, Qianqian's experience was blank, but he still did his best in every step.

So, just like her last words to him when they parted ways at the hospital yesterday:

I'm so incredibly happy that Qianqian found me this time and only said these things to me.

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

Chapter Fifteen: Love Should Be Said Loudly

After Shen Nianqiu's opening performance, the excitement in the auditorium did not subside. On the contrary, it seemed as if her two songs had completely ignited the atmosphere. The contestants, who were initially a little nervous, performed even better on this stage and in this atmosphere than during rehearsals.

The host returned to center stage and announced the official start of the competition.

When the first contestant came on stage, some audience members were still immersed in the singing. But as the accompaniment started and the spotlight came on, the entire auditorium gradually quieted down when the unremarkable first-year high school boy in class took the microphone and sang the first line.

The contestants who made it to the finals were basically all karaoke masters. The stage lights tirelessly rotated and intertwined on the overhead truss, projecting highly saturated deep blue and magenta colors onto the dense crowd below. Thanks to the professional performance-grade sound system brought by the "We Live in Guoning" production team, the vibration of the subwoofer traveled all the way from the wooden floor to the soles of my feet, and even my chest throbbed slightly. When the last high note fell, the audience erupted in extremely enthusiastic applause.

"Chen Zihang, Class 7, Grade 11!"

"Well sung!"

"One more song!"

Someone in the audience shouted his name. The boy, standing in the center of the stage, was clearly startled by the commotion. He then smiled with red ears and bowed deeply to the audience. The contestants waiting backstage, who were so nervous that they dared not speak, couldn't help but encourage each other when they saw this scene.

"It's alright, everyone is very welcoming."

"The stage is so beautiful..."

"I just saw the camera panning over, and I almost forgot my lines."

"Damn, I didn't have this kind of conditions and atmosphere when I participated in the competition last year. You freshmen eat really well."

But more importantly, it was the atmosphere created by the audience.

Even without counting the graduating seniors on the playground, the students gathered in the auditorium at this moment numbered nearly two thousand, spanning over thirty classes from two grades—a number no less than that of a medium-sized concert—and no one hesitated to applaud.

In such an inclusive and enthusiastic atmosphere, many students who originally signed up just to give it a try gradually sang out their bolder and more vibrant selves than usual.

On the judges' panel, Shen Nianqiu listened attentively throughout. After all, she had been paid to perform. After each contestant finished singing, she would carefully pick up the microphone and give her comments in a gentle yet serious manner.

"This student's voice was very good, especially the mid and low range, which was very story-telling. If the first verse could be toned down a bit, the emotional contrast when the chorus comes out will be more obvious."

"You played the guitar very well, but remember next time to take a deep breath before the chorus. Your hands were shaking a little just now, and I was nervous for you watching from here."

The girl holding the guitar blushed immediately and nodded quickly.

"Thank you, Teacher Yiqiu."

The competition in the auditorium went smoothly, but Gu Linguo and Chen Xi, who were sitting in the staff area, were clearly not paying much attention to the comments.

Gu Linguo would initially clap along and wave her glow stick when she heard a song she liked, but before long, her attention was completely diverted from the stage.

She glanced at Chen Junqian furtively; he was still sitting in his original spot. After the competition started, the staff area was much quieter than before. Apart from the occasional person coming to check the next contestant's waiting time, stage props, and camera arrangements, most of the work was proceeding according to the established procedures.

After Shen Nianqiu finished her performance and went to the judges' seats, Chen Junqian's attention to the stage noticeably decreased. Noticing this, Gu Linguo finally took the initiative to strike up a conversation with him.

"Hey—senior."

"Hmm? What's wrong with Lin Guo?"

After Gu Linguo called them back to their seats, Chen Junqian asked them with concern. He could tell that these two were not really here to watch the performance, but rather to take the opportunity to chat with him. And as always, Linguo was the one leading the conversation. It was just like this every time his sister was with Linguo.

"It's that anime convention that I talked about with my senior before. Brother, have you made any progress?"

If there were other people around at this moment, they would probably be confused by the three different ways Gu Linguo addressed him in those two sentences, but after so many years of getting to know each other, Chen Junqian was completely used to it.

"Hmm, is Lin Guo planning to do it this summer vacation?"

"if you can--"

Hearing the two talk about anime conventions, Chen Xi, who was sitting next to them, also showed a rare interest. After all, compared to the completely unfamiliar place she had never been to, she had at least been to an anime convention once. Although her experience wasn't exactly pleasant, and the only decent thing about it was seeing Chen Junqian's cosplay photos, at least she knew what it was all about. So she joined the conversation:

"You're planning to hold this in Guoning? I feel like I've never heard of any event like this in Guoning before."

"So let's be the first ones."

Gu Lingguo answered with a smile, then counted the feasibility options on her fingers:

"Actually, I think there are plenty of people in Guoning who like anime, comics and cosplay. It's just that there isn't a decent offline event. People usually chat online or go to slightly larger surrounding cities to participate in similar events."

"If it's just a small comic convention, we don't necessarily have to find a particularly large venue. We can rent a small exhibition hall in a cultural center, or we can cooperate with a shopping mall to hold it for two days. The first day can be for booths and stage activities, and the second day can be for club exchanges, drawing competitions, and... there's also a free stage."