Chapter 42: Exclusive to Jinjiang 2/2

“Look, the vibe is there!” Luo Luli pushed the mirror in front of Song Fuzhi.

Oh my goodness, who is this person in the mirror?

Song Fuzhi stared for three seconds and still didn’t recognize that it was himself.

Too unfamiliar.

The makeup modified the exquisite features of Song Fuzhi, deepening the contours and lines and making him look tough, vigorous, and very manly.

A vertical scar on his left eye added a touch of wildness.

Luo Luli threw clothes onto Song Fuzhi and said, “Go change.”

After changing, when Song Fuzhi came out, Luo Luli raised her eyebrows high. The makeup artist, who had been working seriously, looked back, following Luo Luli’s gaze. The moment she saw Song Fuzhi, she couldn’t help but look several times in a row.

In a white yukata with an open collar, the muscular lines of the chest and abdomen were smooth and full, not revealing much but very appealing. A deep blue belt tightened at the waist, and three knives were casually tied around the waist, bold and heroic, with an overpowering male charm.

Song Fuzhi, with his usual expressionless face, surprisingly matched well with the whole look. Just standing there felt like a swordsman stepping out of a manga.

“Teacher Song, you look fierce.” Luo Luli didn’t hide her admiration.

With such a comment, Song Fuzhi found it hard to maintain his expression and asked, not very confidently, “Does it look good?”

Song Fuzhi’s understanding of cosplay was simple: authenticity.

In his mind, the highest purpose of cosplay was to recreate the character.

Luo Luli laughed. “Be more confident, more arrogant, with a more sour expression, and you’ll be able to recreate the character.”

Looking at himself in the mirror, Song Fuzhi chuckled.

Although he was uncomfortable, you couldn’t deny that there was some authenticity.

Luo Luli spent much more time on makeup, and the final result was stunning.

Putting on the light, feathery wings on her back, it seemed like she could take flight in the next second.

Standing together, the two looked like they came from different worlds.

Song Fuzhi seemed like he had just fought his way back from the sea, while Luo Luli descended from the fairy realm.

The anime convention had already started in the morning, and cosplayers could be seen everywhere around the venue. Some wore traditional Chinese dresses, others wore “moe” T-shirts, and there was a diverse range of styles, creating a strong atmosphere in the 2D world.

Walking in cosplay clothes on the street still made Song Fuzhi feel a bit awkward. It seemed like people were always turning to look at him.

Subconsciously, he tried to close the collar, tidy his hair, and adjust the three earrings on his earlobe.

Luo Luli slapped his hand away. “Hey, don’t keep fussing with your outfit. Nothing will fall off. Just walk confidently! You look handsome.”

Once inside the anime convention grounds, Song Fuzhi suddenly felt less nervous. He saw many cosplayers portraying characters from various works.

Many characters of different styles and from different works gathered here, chatting and laughing as if it were a grand festival of traversing millions of parallel worlds.

“Why are you nervous? Here, everyone is like family.”

“Lack of people asking me for photos, why?” Song Fuzhi asked in a low voice.

Luo Luli laughed, not very ladylikely, “Probably because you look too fierce!”

“In fact, I saw several girls sneaking glances at you just now,” Luo Luli said. “They dared only to look and not get too close.”

Song Fuzhi was quite pleased. “Does that mean I’m authentic?”

The two took photos for a while, and Luo Luli said, “Teacher Dan and Hu Ya are here today; I want to go see them.”

Song Fuzhi vaguely remembered them.

One was an artist, and the other was a cosplayer.

During the summer anime convention, Luo Luli gave them small gifts and even got two signed postcards.

“They got married recently; this is their first offline event after marriage. Everyone must be here to witness their CP (couple) interaction.”

“Married?” Song Fuzhi was a bit surprised. “They’re so fast.”

“Yes.” Luo Luli nodded. “Two 2D lovers getting married is like a fairy tale! It’s something even a drama wouldn’t dare act on. I envy them so much.”

This convention was relatively small, and they were quite active, so the queue wasn’t too exaggerated.

This time on stage, not only were they there, but also several other cosplayers, all of them friends, joking and teasing each other, creating a joyful atmosphere.

It quickly became Luo Luli and their turn. This time, they were all in cosplay outfits, so a group photo was essential.

Song Fuzhi originally thought of staying behind the camera to help them take photos, but Luo Luli grabbed his hand and pulled him into the frame. “Come, take a photo! Don’t be shy.”

Song Fuzhi wasn’t used to standing in front of the camera and didn’t know how to pose or express himself.

However, he accidentally made it work. With a stoic expression and one hand casually resting on the sword hilt, he looked cool.

Some girls in the audience covered their mouths, their eyes shining as they looked in Song Fuzhi’s direction.

“Oh my god, he’s so handsome! That physique is unbelievable.”

“I came to see Hu Ya, but unexpectedly encountered such a handsome wild cosplayer.”

“Does anyone know who this is? What’s his online ID?”

“Wow, ever since Octopus Teacher retired, I haven’t seen a cosplayer with such a top-tier physique in 800 years!”

“I’m super going to collect his photos.”

Song Fuzhi didn’t hear these discussions because, after taking the photos, Luo Luli started chatting with Teacher Dan and Hu Ya.

“I went to see you at the summer anime convention. Do you remember me?” Luo Luli asked.

Hu Ya nodded. “I remember. You were wearing casual clothes that day, and you looked great.”

Luo Luli smiled happily and said, “Thank you, Hu Ya.”

The artist sitting on the side interjected, “Do you want us to sign something?”

Luo Luli leaned over and said, “Teacher Dan! Can you sign a simple sketch for us? Anything you draw will be fine, whatever you like.”

The artist nodded and quickly drew a chibi version of both Luo Luli and Song Fuzhi. The thin lines looked a bit delicate, but Teacher Dan had brought a box of paint. With a soft brush, he added a few strokes to the paper, making the picture much more vivid and colorful.

Luo Luli expressed her gratitude, “Thank you; it’s so cute.”

Song Fuzhi, standing on the side, didn’t speak. He looked down at the table, lost in thought.

Luo Luli apologized as she took the cards, tugging at Song Fuzhi, “Let’s go; what are you thinking?”

Song Fuzhi snapped out of his thoughts, his gaze still complicated.

Luo Luli was a bit puzzled. “What’s wrong?”

Song Fuzhi said, “The set of paints Teacher Dan used…”

It was the brand he had picked out at home.

That day, when Shi Zhang was at home looking for gifts, he mentioned that he had two friends getting married and was preparing to give them wedding gifts. Song Fuzhi helped him pick out a set of paints, and he still remembered the brand and style he had chosen.

More importantly, Shi Zhang said to his friends, “One likes drawing, and the other often does makeup.”

Suddenly, Song Fuzhi felt a bit confused. The absurdity of the situation made him feel unbelievable.

How could it be?

Luo Luli said, “Oh, Teacher Dan paints are excellent. Many big shots use this brand. What’s the matter?”

Song Fuzhi came back to his senses and took a while before saying, “It’s nothing; it’s fine.”

It was probably just a coincidence. Right?

Although Song Fuzhi still had some faint doubts, they were quickly overshadowed by other things.

Because not long after he and Luo Luli walked away, Song Fuzhi suddenly heard someone shouting, “Green Algae Head,” the nickname for the character he was cosplaying.

A group of people came over, cosplaying characters from the same anime as Song Fuzhi.

They almost had the entire main character group cosplayed, including some high-profile characters, drawing a lot of attention.

This era rarely saw collective cosplays of old works so neatly done.

There was also someone cosplaying the same character as Song Fuzhi. Seeing him, the person came over happily, almost dragging their three swords to the ground.

“Brother, it’s fate, the other me in the world! Want a photo?”

Others were also very enthusiastic. They looked at their friend, then at Song Fuzhi, teasing, “One is a swordsman; the other is a swordsman who ate fifty McDonald’s meals.”

“I’m just a bit chubby and don’t have abs, okay?”

The McDonald’s swordsman looked wronged, looking at Song Fuzhi and asking, “Hey, the real swordsman, let’s take a photo!”

Friendship at the anime convention seemed particularly simple. If you saw a character you liked, you could boldly go up and politely ask if you could take a photo, and there was a high probability you’d get the chance for a joyful picture.

For the first time, Song Fuzhi felt this pure and happy enthusiasm. He smiled and said, “Sure.”

This time, Luo Luli became the photographer, holding her camera and taking a big group photo for them.

“Oh right, these are our self-made peripherals, drawn by the big shots in our group. Here, take them. They look handsome, right!”

The McDonald’s swordsman happily handed two badges to Song Fuzhi.

Feeling a bit overwhelmed, Song Fuzhi quickly took out a few small peripherals to exchange with them. “Let’s trade.”

Having too much fun, they chatted for a long time. After saying goodbye to them, Song Fuzhi felt a bit dizzy.

Luo Luli giggled. “Having fun, huh?”

Song Fuzhi nodded. “Yeah.”

It was then that he realized his phone had been vibrating in his bag all this time. He hadn’t noticed it since he entered the anime convention.

Taking out his phone, he saw five missed calls—all from Shi Zhang.

A slight chill ran through Song Fuzhi. Finding a quiet place, he answered the call.

“Hello?” Song Fuzhi said.

“Song Fuzhi.” Professor Zhang’s voice sounded calm.

Song Fuzhi lowered his voice and asked, “Did you arrive?”

“I did.”

Then came another sentence: “Have you checked your phone?”

Indeed, he hadn’t looked. From the time he entered the anime convention until now, he hadn’t had a chance to check his phone.

Song Fuzhi took a look; five missed calls were all from Shi Zhang.

Feeling a bit embarrassed, Song Fuzhi apologized, “Sorry, my phone was on silent; I didn’t notice.”

There was silence for a long time on the other end. Professor Zhang finally spoke in a gentle tone: “You enjoy yourself first. Call me when you get home tonight.”