My Childhood Friend Acts Tough Outside, But Still Needs Comforting

One day during a study period in her second year of high school, Chi Wan was caught reading a novel by Shen Jing, the class discipline monitor.

The moment he knocked on her desk and announced he was confiscating her book, Chi Wan looked up at him and suddenly burst into tears.

Shen Jing panicked. At a loss, he pulled a pack of tissues from his pocket and handed them to her, then lowered his voice and coaxed her, "Don't cry, Wan. I was wrong. I won't confiscate it, okay?"

Chi Wan sniffled, took the tissues from Shen Jing, and cried until her eyes turned red. She let out a sobbing hiccup. "It's so, so tragic."

Shen Jing froze. "What's so tragic?"

Chi Wan pointed at the book Shen Jing was holding and whimpered, "The author is killing me. First the male lead gets tortured, then the female lead, then the male lead again, and the ending is a tragedy, too."

"I'm suffering so much from this book, Shen Jing. Waaah."

Shen Jing's mouth twitched in exasperation. He flicked her on the forehead. "Serves you right."

He even mercilessly teased her: "You cry over a novel? Honestly, Chi Wan, what a lightweight."

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But late that night, Shen Jing hid under his covers and finished the entire novel by flashlight.

He clutched his quilt in bed, heart aching from the story, and even sent Chi Wan a message in anguish:

[I cried, Wan.]

[I'm such a fucking idiot. I'm up in the middle of the night, getting my heart ripped out by this stupid novel from a dumbass author.]

[This is so painful to read, Wan. Waaah, it destroyed me.]

Chi Wan, reading Shen Jing's messages the next morning: ???

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Everyday notes about two girls with girlish hearts. The original title was "Diary of a Girlhood Heart."

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Please note before reading:

1. Childhood sweethearts / everyday slice of life, told in a leisurely, diary-like style / self-indulgent story / childish daily life / three-cents-a-line writing / no writing advice, please.

2. It's not long, but I'm busy in real life, so updates are irregular. I'll write whatever I feel like, and you can read however you like.

3. No arguing for the sake of arguing. Rebound, rebound, rebound!

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Pre-orders are open for "Summer Romance"! Take a look if you're interested!

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Xu Mingran considers herself a shut-in.

She doesn't like going out or socializing. If she didn't need a job to make a living, she'd want to stay home for the rest of her life.

Just imagine a rainy, gloomy day, lying in bed with a tablet, watching anime, playing games, or reading novels, with the bedside table covered in snacks...

It's hard to imagine a more perfect day.

Xu Mingran has thought more than once that she, her bed, and her tablet could make a happy life together just fine.

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Then, during a work handover, Xu Mingran saw the desktop of Gu Qi, a new hire in the neighboring art department. It looked like an animated Live2D of her waifu, Ilena...

In a flash, the words "waifu" slipped out of her mouth.

Realizing a beat too late that she'd let it slip, Xu Mingran hurriedly covered her mouth.

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At that very moment, her rival in love stared right at her, his expression momentarily blank as he met her evasive gaze.

A few seconds later.

The man, who had been looking serious and ready to discuss business, finally seemed to realize something.

He casually grabbed a pen from the desk, struck a schoolkid's battle pose, and declared in a stern voice, "Love rival, let's fight!"

Xu Mingran: "...?"

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A few months later, Xu Mingran could hardly believe that this "love rival" of hers had become her...

boyfriend.

And the "three of us" she'd always dreamed of became...

"The four of us" (x)

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Theme: Young people should be full of energy and love.