I turned reality into a romantic comedy.

"So little—"

"What's so little?"

"The content."

Chen Xi pointed to the directory page on the computer screen, pursed her lips, and continued:

"Look, this book is clearly three hundred pages long, but the section for children aged zero to fifteen only has sixty pages, which is only one-fifth of the total. There should be a lot of content in this section. Moreover, I think that if the brother and sister really decide to be together in the end, the most crucial factor or the period when their values ​​are formed should be right here."

"That's because Xiaoxi is only sixteen years old this year, so she feels that her life so far is the most important. But if you look at it from the perspective of a forty or fifty-year-old, you will definitely feel that the life experiences afterward are just as important. And although it looks like fifteen years, the things that happened when she was a few years old are not written in detail because the person involved doesn't remember. Do you think Xiaoxi remembers?"

If it were a childhood sweetheart facing Gu Lingguo's explanation, they would probably have instantly recited the classic tales of time, but Chen Xi genuinely had no such intentions, and could only try her best to argue logically:

"It doesn't matter how old you are, but this is the first half of childhood to adolescence, right? If you were to fall for someone, this is the place. There are plenty of examples of that around you, brother, aren't there?"

Feeling like he was about to be used as an example any second, Chen Junqian thought for a moment and then shared his thoughts:

"I haven't read the rest of the content yet, but in my opinion, this period doesn't really need to be written for very long, because the author clearly intends to write about the trajectory of a lifetime. And didn't Xiaoxi just say that the three-year age difference between the two is obviously a plot setting that will be used? If the sister is fifteen, then the brother is eighteen, which is exactly the age to go to university, which means that he will have to separate from his sister. So Xiaoxi should know what I mean, right?"

As someone who has read "Yuan X Kong", Chen Xi is certainly well aware of the so-called Westermark effect, which means that relatives who are separated for a period of time will become closer. In fact, many works about siblings use this principle. For example, the siblings Yu and Qiong are often separated because the latter was sickly and had to be hospitalized frequently when he was young.

Gu Lingguo also understood Chen Junqian's meaning. In fact, she was the one who first initiated the conversation with him, so she jokingly replied with a smile:

"So, do you two want to separate for a bit?"

"We've already separated twice, once in elementary school and once in middle school, okay?"

"I see it every morning."

"For me, this separation is already a very serious one, which is why I don't want it."

Gu Lingguo was about to add, "What if my brother goes to university like in the book?" when she immediately remembered that he had already skipped a grade, so she swallowed her words and instead complained:

"Xiao Xi is too cunning."

However, Chen Xi herself didn't seem to intend to continue this topic with Gu Lingguo. It was clear that this novel had indeed aroused her strong interest. After all, compared to "My Brother is a Heroine," "What's it like to suddenly discover that my brother is so obsessed with his sister that he's willing to translate a light novel called 'My Sister's Life'?" was definitely more interesting. So she continued to urge Gu Lingguo to update online.

"Brother, please continue translating. I won't disturb you."

Sitting here is already quite a nuisance.

But in the end, he didn't say it. Chen Junqian reached out and put his hand on the keyboard again. This action looked like he was going to wrap his arms around his sister. In order not to block his view, Chen Xi slid her body down a little. It was a bit like the pose that Chen Junqian and Gu Linguo would often strike when watching cartoons or playing games together.

"What's wrong, brother—"

[A sound that makes my ears itch no matter how many times I listen to it]

The moment the words were typed out, my sister's voice came from below.

"elder brother--"

"Ok?"

He subconsciously lowered his head, meeting the girl's gaze and her slightly parted lips:

"You are my whole life."

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

Chapter Nineteen: That Day, I Had No New Ideas

Over the next few days, Chen Junqian and his sister's conversations revolved primarily around the novel. She showed a greater interest in the light novel than he had anticipated, and would often enthusiastically apply certain plot points from the book to real-life situations to ask him questions.

However, Chen Junqian had already gotten used to reading a book with Chen Xi. It was just that compared to the various historical works they had read before, light novels were a completely new genre for them. But could it be said that she still inherited her dry humor and sarcastic personality? Her occasional unexpected comments would bring a smile to Chen Junqian's face as he translated in real time on the computer screen.

"Actually, if you look at the younger sister's character in this book, she seems more like Lin Mu, right? She's petite and likes to write in her diary, and that's even the reason she initially became familiar with her brother. So why do these books always like to set up younger sister characters like this? Is it to arouse the male protagonists' protective instincts?"

"I can only say that they are similar in appearance? As for the fact that she is petite, is it possible that she is still a child? If she is still like this in the future, then disregard what I said. Moreover, the two characters are completely opposite in personality. The younger sister in this book is quite introverted. She has not had a single friend since elementary school. Although I can understand this kind of writing."

"Hmm? What's the correct way to write it?"

Chen Xi blinked and asked Chen Junqian with great curiosity:

"The point is to reduce the social attributes of the male and female protagonists and their interpersonal relationships outside of their families as much as possible. I feel that Iruma Hitoma will not end up with his parents dying like in Yosuga no Sora. So if the two siblings want to be together in the future, they will definitely have to get past their families first. If social relationships are added, it will feel even more oppressive. After all, neither side is easy to get through. Although there are no parents in Yosuga no Sora, the classmates, friends and neighbors in the town are social relationships, so in the end they still have to choose to move away."

"really."

Once again, Chen Xi marveled at how convenient her identity was. After all, although she loved the kind of plots in novels where people would endure the strange looks from their families and society for the sake of true love, she would rather not do it in real life.

When Chen Xi reads about how the older brother in the book suddenly realizes that his younger sister is no longer a child when she enters junior high school and wears the junior high school uniform, she proactively asks Chen Junqian about this matter again.

"Brother, did you have an opportunity in this regard? When and when? You shouldn't still be treating me like a child, right?"

"It was probably around Chinese New Year a couple of years ago."

After all, compared to sight, touch is definitely more intuitive and real, but Chen Junqian didn't actually say that out loud.

"The timing is about the same, but I don't think I was that childish or childish even when I was young. It seems like my family all think so."

"No, no, no, at least I think Xiaoxi used to be a very childlike person when she ate all kinds of snacks and pastries during Chinese New Year."

"Hehehe, it's just an act, otherwise I wouldn't be able to fool my parents."

"...Whatever makes you happy."

The story progresses to the point where, having personally experienced his grandmother's death, the older brother begins to contemplate matters like birth, aging, sickness, and death—things children shouldn't dwell on. This also leads to a change in his view of his younger sister. Chen Xi's own perspective on this plot point is:

"It feels a bit like Hsu Yu-wei, but there's nothing we can do about it. If you experience the death of a close relative during your childhood, that's how it is. If you're still confused, it might be a little better, but once you understand some things, you'll feel particularly distressed and confused, just like Hsu Yu-wei in elementary school."

"But my brother is an idiot too."

Chen Junqian blinked before realizing that his sister wasn't talking about him.

"If I were standing there, I would only be aware of a little bit."

As I said these words, I could feel my sister's gaze fixed on me:

"That is, our parents and elders will always leave us one day, and no one can change that. So the ones who can accompany us to the end of our lives are our peers. For me, it's my brother, and for my brother, it's me—that's the only thought I have."

Even now, Chen Xi wouldn't use words like "always" or "forever," but perhaps that's why it seems all the more sincere. Maybe that's how it is for siblings who are close in age, even after they have their own children.

"Yes, I really like Xiaoxi's idea."

The younger sister, now in junior high, still has no friends. Her only friend is an electronic pet she keeps on her phone. Compared to the extensive description of her elementary school years, her junior and high school years are glossed over. At the end of the first volume, the older brother, who left his sister to attend university in another city, meets a female character who is clearly his 'girlfriend'.

"I feel so empty..."

After reading the final encounter between the two in the first volume, Chen Xi lay back on Chen Junqian's bed with a helpless expression:

"Just like the 'suddenly appearing cushions' in Wen Yun's works, even the younger sister needs such a character to stimulate her. This kind of writing always feels very formulaic."

"Although it looks like a model opera, the fact that it became a model opera means it is indeed effective. Moreover, the later parts haven't been translated yet, so I don't know how it will be written. Actually, I can understand it. After all, the relationship between a younger sister and a childhood sweetheart always needs external stimulation more than that of a childhood sweetheart. Although in essence, if there are no external factors to prompt change, then it is indeed more comfortable to maintain the status quo."

"I don't deny that."

After all, the initial impetus for her to make changes was due to Shen Nianqiu's constant pressure.

Just as Chen Xi was enjoying reading a novel about brotherly love and sisterly affection with her brother, reminiscing about their past experiences through the story, Gu Lingguo, who should have been recording in the recording studio for the latest video, suddenly rushed back. Without even knocking, she forcefully pulled the door open and her first words to Chen Junqian were:

"Nisekoi is going to have a terrible ending! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

As a new-era romantic comedy manga that succeeded "To Love-Ru" in Weekly Shonen Jump, "Nisekoi," often referred to as a classic romantic comedy, has provided Chen Junqian and Gu Linguo with a wealth of inspiration over the past few years. Moreover, the animation production is excellent. Both the first season in 2014 and the second season in 2015 were enjoyable for the two of them, and they would recommend the work to the audience in the preview videos. The latter even cosplayed the female protagonist, Kirisaki Chitoge.

If you think about it carefully, this work has been serialized since 2011, which is five or six years. It is normal for it to come to an end, especially compared to a lot of predecessors that were canceled due to poor performance. However, it turns out that neither Chen Junqian nor Gu Linguo expected that this rather old-fashioned romantic comedy story would take a sharp turn for the worse in the last few chapters.

"If he were really going to draw like that, he might as well keep going like Conan and draw episodic dramas for the rest of his life. He might as well just call it the 'Compilation of Model Romantic Comedies,' and maybe he could even apply for a Guinness World Record or something."

It was clear that Gu Lingguo was quite angry, as her tone was sarcastic. Chen Junqian, on the other hand, was still flipping through the latest leaked images. Based on his years of internet experience, he could already foresee that the male lead's "But that day, I had a new idea" image would definitely become a famous meme or internet meme.

However, if it were just that one sentence, it wouldn't be so bad. What really made Gu Linguo next to him feel frustrated and angry was the latest episode released today. It was the plot where Onodera, the second female lead who was very popular in the series and even surpassed the female lead Chitoge in the official popularity poll, finally confessed to the male lead. In addition to the confession, she also finally took the initiative to reveal the biggest mystery that has continued from the first episode to today: who exactly was the female lead who made a promise with the male lead back then, and whose key could unlock that lock?

The latest chapter gives the answer as Onodera.

The story begins with the female protagonist having a mutual crush on the male protagonist, and even holding the trump card of a childhood promise. However, she only reveals all this after her confession fails. Coupled with the line, "But that day, I had a new idea," it all makes the reader feel the author's deep malice, especially after the lock is actually opened by the key, revealing the ring and letter inside.

[To Xiao Le after she grows up]

[Xiao Le will definitely be tall when she grows up. I really want her to grow up quickly so we can meet and talk for ages. I believe we will meet again. Even though it will have been a long, long time, I will still love Xiao Le.]

Xiao Le, do you still like me now?

In addition to Onodera's letter, the male protagonist, Raku Ichijo, also included a letter, the first sentence of which was, "After we get married, let's raise a whole bunch of animals we like, and I'll buy you a real ring." Combining the two, one can feel an even stronger sense of subtle anger that makes one almost laugh.

"It feels like this is some kind of pretentious, artsy overreaction. How should I put it? It's like saying that even though they didn't actually end up together, the male and female leads are the only true love? Don't use the characters as stepping stones like that..."

In fact, over the past few years, Chen Junqian and Gu Lingguo had watched quite a few works that appeared to be romantic comedies but ultimately turned into power struggles with a single female lead. They had also seen all sorts of "loser" characters. However, this was the first time they had seen a second female lead who had no flaws, was extremely popular, held an absolute advantage in the plot, and yet lost because of a single sentence from the male lead or the author. No wonder Gu Lingguo had been grumbling about it until now, and had even written a summary on the spot to properly diss the author, Komi Naoshi.

"Indeed, it's written in a strange way. When I finished watching the second season, I was wondering if we could continue with a third season or even go all the way to the end. But now, I think we should forget about it."

Just when Chen Junqian and Gu Linguo thought that this was the limit of Kojiro Naoki's story and that it would end in a clichéd way, they were surprised to see the biggest and most desperate forced pairing in history in the final episode. Not to mention the other female characters who were either arranged to go on blind dates or were ignored, even Chen Junqian himself did not expect that Onodera would not only have to make a huge cake for the wedding of the male and female leads, but also be arranged to get married. Then, the scene cuts to more than ten years later, telling you that Onodera's daughter and the son of the male and female leads meet on the first day of high school and start a new romantic comedy... What kind of mentality did they have to write such a mysterious plot?!

In short, Gu Lingguo simply deleted the script she had already written overnight, feeling that her first draft was too gentle. This time, she decided to challenge the limits of Bilibili's review process. Chen Junqian was also speechless. In fact, this is one of the reasons why he is not as enthusiastic about romantic comedies as before.

After all, all romantic comedies eventually come to an end. The joking and blushing daily life will eventually pass, and most endings will not actually change in the direction of a harem. They will only make people wonder if all those previous individual episodes and the accumulated events and affection were fake. At least Chen Junqian would not want to admit that this ending is the romantic comedy that the system said would make everyone happy and have a HE (Happy Ending). In fact, this is not a comedy at all.

Having reaffirmed his resolve as the male lead in a romantic comedy, Chen Junqian recalled the locked box Gu Linguo had given him years ago, imitating a scene from "Nisekoi." He couldn't believe that even now, with the original "Nisekoi" series finished, he still hadn't opened it. So, he decided to bring it up again with the person involved.

"By the way, does Lin Guo remember this?"

Although he didn't carry around a huge, sharp padlock that looked like it could prick him at any moment like Le, Chen Junqian still always carried it with him, just like the key Mu Mu gave him. After all, it wasn't very big to begin with, and he could hold it in one hand after taking it out of his bag.

"Ah, it's this! It brings back so many memories—"

Upon seeing what Chen Junqian had taken out, Gu Lingguo seemed to improve her mood. She leaned closer to examine it, then poked at it with her finger, and finally extended her hand to him confidently.

"My brother should have the key, right? Should we open it and take a look? I feel like today is a good opportunity."

"also."

Chen Junqian took the keys out of his bag. To prevent mixing them up with Lin Mu's, he made sure to keep them separate. The moment he inserted the keys into the lock, both of them subconsciously held their breath. Chen Junqian applied a little force with his fingers, and the keys turned gently in the lock.

The click was crisp and melodious, like opening a door to the past.

The lock opened, and inside the box lay a neatly folded letter. The edges of the paper were slightly curled, and one could still see the careful marks left when it was folded. Chen Junqian carefully unfolded it, and Gu Lingguo's neat handwriting from back then came into view:

To my predecessors, whose future is uncertain:

If you're seeing this letter, it means we really did stick to the day we agreed on, and I should have already confessed to my brother, right? Otherwise, I wouldn't have let you open it, and you probably wouldn't have opened it beforehand either, so that must be it, hmm!

Actually, from this perspective, there's really no need to be nervous or shy. After all, if opening it means success, then conversely, if it means failure, the contents of the letter won't be revealed, because that would be too much, right? So, I'm going to tell you everything now:

I like you, I like you so much, I like you the most, I like you to the point that I can't express it, and I believe that no matter how many years later, I will still feel the same way now.

That's definitely how it will be; I'm absolutely convinced of that.

Thinking about it this way, I suddenly feel a little envious of myself back then. Although I don't know how you did it, I still have to applaud you. You're amazing! After all, seniors are indeed very popular.

However, on the other hand, I should actually have a hard time losing. After all, after so many years of observation, I have confirmed that my senior is a complete chuunibyou (middle school syndrome) sufferer. But in my opinion, he is indeed the male lead of a romantic comedy, so as long as I am willing to accept it, I will definitely succeed.