Chapter 23: Exclusive to Jinjiang 1/2

After having lunch, feeling like there was still plenty of time, they leisurely strolled through the exhibition booths.

Luo Luli shopped and bought various artbooks and acrylic stands, filling a bag with her purchases.

Song Fuzhi, after browsing for a while, finally settled on a set of temporary tattoos with a cool manga style, depicting a handsome guy from a fantasy manga.

Seeing Song Fuzhi put the temporary tattoos into his bag, Luo Luli curiously asked, “Aren’t you going to put them on now? Why did you buy them?”

Song Fuzhi replied, “To take home and collect.”

Luo Luli nearly burst into laughter. “Then why not just buy an artbook? Temporary tattoos are meant to be worn!”

Wearing such a large area of manga characters in this bustling crowd would be too extravagant, something Song Fuzhi hadn’t considered.

“Stingy.” Luo Luli rolled her eyes, advising earnestly, “This might be the last crazy thing you do in your life. Besides, nobody here knows you!”

She made a valid point. Being too restrained was not free-spirited or carefree.

So, under Luo Luli’s persuasion, Song Fuzhi, for the first time, pasted a magnificent and domineering anime character on his arm.

“Cool.” Luo Luli gave a thumbs up.

After putting on the temporary tattoo, Song Fuzhi seemed to have let go a bit. He stopped at various booths many times, sometimes even chatting with the booth owner’s wife about the funny banners hanging in her booth.

In the end, after a full circle, Song Fuzhi had a box of action figures, two peripheral fans, and a transparent pain bag filled with chibi characters from the anime.

A tall and handsome man carrying a bag full of adorable characters had a strange and contrasting charm, making Luo Luli laugh until tears streamed down her face.

It seemed like today, Teacher Song had done something he hadn’t attempted in over thirty years.

“Let’s go to the Octopus teacher’s area.”

Song Fuzhi shook his arm, and the cute chibi characters in the bag also swayed along.

Luo Luli agreed with a smile.

When the two arrived at the area where Octopus Teacher was, they realized how silly their relaxed and leisurely behavior just now was.

The area in front of the Octopus Teacher’s booth was already packed with people, and the long queue stretched as far as the eye could see.

“Oh my god,” Luo Luli was stunned. “I think the last time I saw this many people was at the World Expo.”

People around were complaining but excited, wearing various cosplay costumes, and loudly talking in the queue. Once again, Song Fuzhi felt out of place among the young crowd.

“Do we need to wait in line?” Luo Luli asked.

Song Fuzhi replied, “I guess so.”

Luo Luli picked up the fan and said, “It’s like military training at the anime convention.”

Song Fuzhi smiled and said, “Triathlon.”

since they were already here.

“Ah ah ah ah, Octopus Teacher!”

Suddenly, someone from the front shouted at the top of their lungs, triggering a wave of movement in the crowd. Everyone craned their necks to look, and in the distance, they saw a tall figure standing on the stage.

Octopus Teacher had arrived.

Song Fuzhi was tall, but unfortunately, he was too far away to see a clear outline.

Octopus Teacher’s closing work was a character from the currently most popular game, a character acknowledged as not easy to cosplay.

This paper-thin character had a rather reserved appearance.

Silver hair and silver eyes, long hair falling to the shoulders, and a futuristic carbon exoskeleton wrapped from the neck to the arms, tightly covering the wrists. Two black, thin belts were tightly looped around his strong waist, stretched tight by his abdominal muscles.

This character had high demands on the cosplayer’s physique. Slim people couldn’t create the right feeling, and even a slight deviation in muscle lines wouldn’t work.

On the internet, Octopus Teacher’s posted pictures were quite spicy, but the on-site cosplay usually leaned towards a more conservative look, never cosplaying a character with such high skin exposure.

Standing in the first row, you could even see the imprints of the belts on his abdominal muscles clearly, providing a strong visual impact. The fans below were going crazy.

Indeed, a closing work with such strength

It seemed like Octopus Teacher was still talking to the young fans in the front row, and those in the back could barely hear anything.

The front row audience was screaming, and the back row audience was eagerly craning their necks, resembling a group of desperate ostriches.

Song Fuzhi’s position was too far, but even from a distance, he could feel that Octopus Teacher’s physique wasn’t photoshopped or exaggerated.

Looking from afar, the black lightweight armor just managed to wrap around his full chest, creating a strong contrast with the exposed skin below.

Broad shoulders, narrow waist—this ratio looked even more exaggerated under the restraint of the belts.

What’s a manga-like inverted triangle? Probably this.

A very sexy mature man, but the silver long hair added a sense of sacred beauty.

like a war god, like an angel.

Unable to see the finer details anymore, Song Fuzhi felt as if he could imagine the details of his body through those distinct outlines.

Insufficient vision and imagination filled in the gaps.

“Let’s move forward.”

Luo Luli pushed Song Fuzhi forward. “Even if we have to wait three hours, you still want to see Octopus up close, right?”

Song Fuzhi took big steps forward, his eyes still fixed on the stage. His voice was hoarse. “Let’s queue.”

The line slowly moved forward, and Song Fuzhi’s mood gradually calmed down.

Octopus Teacher looked even taller and had a better physique than Song Fuzhi had imagined. He had been watching from a distance for quite a while and felt satisfied. However, if he were to meet his favorite fantasy character up close in the three-dimensional world, Song Fuzhi admitted he would have mixed feelings.

He couldn’t shake the feeling that the character was more suitable for existence on the screen, purely as a two-dimensional figure. As Song Fuzhi realized this, his heart rate gradually slowed down.

The ring on his ring finger had a strong presence. Even after a few months, Song Fuzhi still couldn’t quite get used to it; there was always a sense of something foreign. At this moment, the feeling of the ring on his finger became more pronounced. As he looked at the golden glow, he suddenly felt a bit guilty.

Fantasizing about someone alone in bed was one thing, but if he were to see them in person, with the possibility of shaking hands and hugging, it felt inappropriate for a married person like him. Even though Professor Shi would never know he attended the comic convention and their relationship wasn’t completely intimate, it still felt unfair to Professor Shi.

After all, they hadn’t agreed to an open marriage.

As Song Fuzhi was pondering, Luo Luli nudged him again, saying, “Come on, move forward. What are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking…” Song Fuzhi hesitated with his words. He intended to share his dilemma with her but suddenly stopped.

“Ahahaha, let’s take a selfie! I want to show it to Yuan Jun!” A guy in front laughed loudly. Though not very audible in the noisy crowd, Song Fuzhi, being sensitive, caught it immediately. His expression stiffened, frozen in place.

The voice was too familiar.

The girl next to him laughed heartily. “Fan Tong, are you crazy?”

Song Fuzhi was completely frozen, and his expression was unreadable.

Unexpectedly, he could meet his students at the comic convention after waiting in line for so long. If it weren’t for Fan Tong’s loud voice, Song Fuzhi might not have realized, and they could have ended up performing a chaotic reunion in front of Octopus Teacher.

The kids seemed to be having a great time and hadn’t noticed their “Teacher Song Great Demon King” standing not far behind.

Yao Xinxin suddenly raised her phone and said, “Let’s make a video call to Yuan Jun. Since he went on a trip with his parents and couldn’t come to the comic convention, let’s show off Octopus Teacher live!”

The kids agreed enthusiastically, and Yao Xinxin started a video chat.

Yuan Jun answered promptly, and the screen instantly displayed the crowded convention. Song Fuzhi immediately saw his own upper half on the screen. He broke into a cold sweat, quickly turned around, and walked straight out of the line.

Moreover, he heard Yao Xinxin saying, “Oh my god! Just now, I saw someone in the camera who looks so much like Teacher Song. Scared me!”

The kids next to her got nervous, and Fan Tong whispered, “Is it true? Where is he?”

Yao Xinxin turned her head to search but couldn’t find him. “He’s gone now. Maybe I saw it wrong.”

Fan Tong, with a silver-white wig and a black eye mask pulled up to his forehead, looked quite ostentatious. Yao Xinxin now had an explosive sea urchin hairstyle, dressed in black, giving off a cool vibe. Beside them were two students who participated in the comic reading event.

One had pink hair drawings on his face, and the other girl wore an orange short-haired wig.

The kids, being so young, had done a good job with their makeup.

Song Fuzhi, who had been standing behind them in line for so long, failed to recognize his students. If it weren’t for Fan Tong’s loud voice, Song Fuzhi might not have realized. In a while, they might have performed a chaotic reunion in front of Octopus Teacher.

The kids seemed to be having a great time and hadn’t noticed their “Teacher Song Great Demon King” standing not far behind.

“Are you not waiting anymore?” Luo Luli was surprised and grabbed him.

Song Fuzhi felt it was difficult to articulate, “Look at me now. Is it suitable for students to see me like this?”

Luo Luli, looking at Song Fuzhi again, saw a man in his thirties with a big anime tattoo on his arm, holding a bunch of colorful peripherals in his arms, and the most absurd of all, the transparent pain bag stuffed with round chibi figures.

Because of the crazy activities, Song Fuzhi’s hair was messy, his short sleeves were sweaty, and he looked quite unkempt. He was indeed a big geek, relying solely on his looks.