Chapter 242

Words : 1293 Updated : Oct 15th, 2025

Shen Qingtang had a VIP ticket, so she didn’t need to queue. She smoothly passed through the turnstile with Ji Nian and entered the venue. The venue wasn’t too crowded yet—most booth owners had just arrived and were still setting up. Shen Qingtang was cosplaying a character whose popularity had endured for years. The character was a young nobleman, and her height matched the role perfectly. Her outfit, custom-made, was highly accurate. As soon as she entered, people approached her for "jiyou" (photo ops). “Is that Bō Jiàng? Your cosplay is so spot-on! Can I take a photo with you?” Shen Qingtang nodded, and Ji Nian instinctively helped light the scene for them. The group of girls waiting in line for photos kept glancing at Ji Nian, whispering among themselves: “She looks so young and pretty.” “I wonder which character she’s cosplaying.” “Her hair looks real, not a wig. Is it an original design? Her circle lenses are gorgeous—I’d love to know where she got them.” Shen Qingtang took a moment to tell Ji Nian she didn’t need to help with lighting—she had brought her own tools. Then she asked Ji Nian to buy something from a specific booth and gave her the stall number of a friend, suggesting she rest there if she got tired. Ji Nian knew this friend—if she remembered correctly, the person was a talented young artist. Shen Qingtang had first met her when commissioning artwork, and over time, they became "qinyou" (close friends within the fandom). “Got it. I’ll head over now.” Ji Nian checked the location and followed the venue signs in that direction. Along the way, a few people asked to take photos with her, which she agreed to, but she declined requests to "kuolie" (exchange socials), explaining she wasn’t part of the fandom. After some effort, she finally found the booth Shen Qingtang had mentioned. The vendor had just finished setting up. Ji Nian bought the items as requested. Since she bought a lot, the vendor gifted her a folding fan with a white kitten charm dangling from the handle. It matched her outfit nicely. Though the venue had air conditioning, wearing long sleeves while walking around still made her feel warm. The fan came just in time. [I should’ve brought the mini fan the Young Imperial Grandson gave me.] She’d been in too much of a hurry and forgotten. Ji Nian happily wandered around, mesmerized by the high-quality cosplayers—some breathtakingly handsome, others stunningly beautiful. She couldn’t tear her eyes away, especially from a particularly statuesque older sister, whom she admired with wide-eyed awe. The woman, amused by her enthusiasm, even gave her a few lollipops. At one point, she stumbled upon a booth selling doujinshi (fan comics) of an anime Gu Xiuyuan liked. Without looking too closely, she queued up and bought a few volumes as gifts. Finally tired from exploring, she headed toward the booth where Shen Qingtang’s friend was stationed. When ‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‍she arrived, she saw two incredibly long lines—apparently crowds waiting for photo ops. Curious, she glanced over. Just then, a girl stepped away excitedly, phone in hand, revealing the person behind her. Ji Nian froze on the spot. [No freaking way????] Amid the sea of elaborately dressed cosplayers, one figure stood out effortlessly, commanding attention just by standing there. Judging by his build and height, he was still young, but his face already carried an air of regal authority. A fair-haired teenager with semi-long golden locks stood dressed in a gem-and-pearl-encrusted shirt, draped in a crimson robe, a golden crown atop his head, and a scepter in hand. He smiled faintly. The next guy in line, bold as ever, half-kneeled before him and said something. The boy seemed puzzled but nodded gracefully. The guy grew even more excited, turning to his friends and signaling them to get the perfect shot. Then— He prostrated himself at the boy’s feet, pretending to kiss his shoe. (Just posing for the photo, of course—no actual kissing involved.) Ji Nian stared, dumbfounded. [That’s... the Young Imperial Grandson, right?] What in the world—she never expected to see the Young Imperial Grandson getting mobbed for photos at a con. But the surrealism didn’t end there. Before Ji Nian could move closer to confirm, another commotion erupted at the same booth—this time near Lu Jinghuai’s spot. Her gaze snapped toward the noise. And then— Her fan clattered to the ground. A boy with darkened skin, only a single strip of fabric draped diagonally across his torso, golden sigils painted over his face and exposed skin, stood gripping a sword, expressionless. He didn’t react much to photo requests, letting people pose however they wanted. He looked... Professional. Ji Nian’s jaw practically hit the floor. [He Xiang????????] The Young Imperial Grandson and He Xiang???? At the same booth??? She glanced at the vendor in the middle, grinning ear to ear while selling merch—clearly, the two were acting as human advertisements. Ji Nian took a step forward. Lu Jinghuai and He Xiang noticed her at the same time. Two boys, at an age where beauty leaves the most vivid impressions, turned toward her in unison, their expressions briefly stunned. Shen Qingtang had commissioned Ji Nian’s outfit—a wide-sleeved, cross-collared dress with a horse-face skirt design, lace-trimmed hem, a white apron overlay, and black cat ears. Used to seeing her in school uniforms, they’d never seen her in such intricate attire, let alone with light makeup. “Excuse me, I need to step away for a moment.” Lu Jinghuai recovered first, offering an apologetic smile to the waiting crowd. That smile alone nearly blinded the person in front of him. This is a crime—no, no, he’s underage! Control yourself!!! “What a coincidence.” Lu Jinghuai walked over, picked up Ji Nian’s fallen fan, and handed it back. As he straightened, he caught sight of the small dog charm swaying from her phone. His lips curled into a deeper smile. Unlike his earlier polite, practiced grin, this one was warm—boyish, even. She took the fan and waved it at him, watching the golden strands of his hair flutter. The whole scene still felt surreal. “What are you doing here?” Lu Jinghuai replied, “Helping out.” Meanwhile, He Xiang, unable to leave his spot immediately, finally seized a break. Silently, he grabbed an unopened water bottle from his belongings and walked over. His costume’s hem was long, and he was barefoot. Seeing this, Ji Nian and Lu Jinghuai approached him instead. “He Xiang, why are you here too?” The coincidence felt like a dream. He Xiang handed her the water, shooting a subtle glance at the smiling Lu Jinghuai before murmuring, “I’m working here.” Admittedly, the job was a bit unusual, but the pay was good, and it wasn’t tiring for him. Ji Nian studied his outfit up close, then Lu Jinghuai’s, teasing, “You two look incredibly accurate.” If she remembered correctly, their costumes were based on original characters (OCs) by Shen Qingtang’s artist friend—two characters who were sworn rivals. (A purely antagonistic relationship—no shipping allowed.) Coincidentally, their hair colors matched perfectly. Lu Jinghuai even wore blue circle lenses to alter his eye color. Though they were no longer silver-gray, those blue eyes still suited him perfectly. Though he didn’t quite understand what "restored" meant in this context, He Xiang could tell it was a compliment. He turned his head slightly, the tips of his ears—now darkened with makeup—flushing red despite his efforts to hide it. "You’re... prettier," he mumbled. Ji Nian didn’t catch his words, but she noticed He Xiang’s shyness and couldn’t resist teasing him further. Before she could say anything, however— Lu Jinghuai suddenly let out a sharp hiss of pain. "Ouch—"

Chapter 242

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