Jiang Zhaoye's home was a detached house with red walls and gray roof tiles.
Trailing behind Chen Tuizhi, he strolled leisurely along the cobblestone path heading outside.
The residential community was lush with greenery, filled with houses of the same design. The air was fresh and brimming with spiritual charm, and in the evening, one could catch a glimpse of the distant mountains' dusky blue silhouettes.
Past the main gate lay a wide avenue branching out in all directions, lined on both sides with tall, lush plane trees whose late-summer shade was thick as spilled ink. Pedestrians bustled to and fro on the street—some slung spatial compression backpacks over their shoulders, some glided on psionic skateboards, and occasionally a few could be seen faintly glowing with spiritual radiance.
"Hey, Old Jiang~"
Chen Tuizhi wiped the sweat drenching his forehead, angling his body toward him as they walked to shoot the breeze. "A couple days ago in the group chat, they were saying Tianshu dropped their eighth-generation bracers. It can automatically regulate body temperature. Wang Peng bought one, and apparently wearing it in the summer feels awesome. I'm thinking of saving up to grab one too."
Jiang Zhaoye, who had been contemplating making another trip to the ice cave tomorrow, was rather intrigued by such a handy function. "How much?"
"Thirty-eight hundred."
"Sheesh... Thirty-eight hundred for something so useless? Big baller, transfer me fifty to show your wealth."
"It's not like that's the only feature! It's got all kinds of other tactical functions, okay?!"
The two shot the breeze all the way, walking along the sidewalk for less than three minutes before turning a corner and arriving at the subway station.
Although psionic transportation was more common in major cities, Huaicheng was only an eighteenth-tier backwater where the energy overhaul had only reached the downtown core. With their neighborhood located on the city outskirts, the subway they boarded was still an old two-in-one maglev-psionic model.
Twenty minutes later, Jiang Zhaoye stepped out of the subway station.
A surging crowd rushed at him; right in the middle of summer vacation, this commercial district was bustling to the point of being packed to the gills.
The subway exit opened directly onto a converging plaza surrounded by an array of shops. Apparel and equipment, cultivation techniques, spiritual plants and spiritual ingredients were all on dazzling display, with snacks and drinks of every sort. On the giant screen of the central skyscraper, a military recruitment ad for interstellar expansion blared blood-pumping background music. People packed the ground below in dense throngs, their cheers erupting from time to time like rolling thunder.
Chen Tuizhi grabbed Jiang Zhaoye's arm and weaved through the crowd like a slippery fish, heading straight for the anime and manga district with the familiarity of walking into his own home. The crowd gradually shifted to predominantly young people, and folks dressed in hanfu or cosplay outfits could frequently be seen walking past, holding shopping bags of all sizes.
After leading him through quite a trek, Chen Tuizhi turned into an alley covered in graffiti on both sides. At the end of the alley stood a newly opened shop with a distinct decor. The two pushed open the door and entered, greeted by a blast of cool air.
"Ahhh~ so good~" Chen Tuizhi sighed in utter bliss, letting out an extraordinarily suggestive groan right in public.
Jiang Zhaoye took a disgusted step back, putting distance between them to show his disdain for being associated with him.
There were quite a few people in the shop, mostly young girls along with some couples. Originally gathered quietly in twos and threes before the shelves picking out merchandise, they all looked up in unison at the bizarre commotion by the entrance.
Having stepped across the threshold of the Ice Muscle Jade Bone Art, Jiang Zhaoye had acquired the basic foundation of being impervious to heat and cold. Compared to Chen Tuizhi beside him, who was drenched in sweat like a drowned rat, his clean, refreshed demeanor stood out remarkably.
Black hair and blue eyes, handsome features, fair skin, and well-proportioned posture—especially those icy-blue eyes currently glaring sidelong at the "drowned rat" beside him as if looking at trash—gleamed brilliantly beneath the ceiling lights inside, captivating and soul-stirring.
The shop instantly erupted like boiling water, cries of surprise rising one after another.
"So handsome!"
"Holy shit, Bai Linchuan!"
"Is he a professional cosplayer? His Xiao Bai is so accurate!"
"His eyes... are so gorgeous! Are those contacts? I wonder if I can ask for a link."
Jiang Zhaoye turned his head, only to find everyone in the shop staring intensely at him with wide, glittering eyes, startling his mind into a daze.
Two girls with twintails approached cautiously, their eyes sparkling as they stared at him, one of them already having pulled out her phone.
Before he could react, the two were already in front of him. One of them tilted up her round little face, cheeks flushed red with excitement. "Hello! Are you cosplaying Bai Linchuan from Miyou War Chronicles? It's so true to the character! Practically identical!"
Jiang Zhaoye froze. "Huh?"
Her companion nodded like a pecking chick, excited enough that her anime verbal tic popped right out: "Yeah, yeah! It's like the real 3D version came to life, desu!"
As if a switch had been flipped, the somewhat hushed atmosphere in the shop erupted instantly. Whispers of "divine recreation," "the chosen Bai Linchuan," and "god-tier visual cosplayer" bubbled up all around.
Jiang Zhaoye was still bewildered, but the girl had already raised her phone. "Can we get a photo with you? Pretty please! We love Xiao Bai so much!"
He glanced at Chen Tuizhi, only to see that bastard standing off to the side watching the show with gloating glee.
As if afraid he wouldn't believe her, the girl swung around the bag slung behind her and held it squarely in front of Jiang Zhaoye. "He's my ultimate favorite, too!"
It was actually an ita-bag. Displayed in its outermost transparent window like an armory was a neatly arranged 3×4 formation of pin badges, all printed with the same black-haired, blue-eyed anime character dressed in a white button-down shirt, bearing a haughty gaze and an aloof aura.
Come to think of it... damn, they really weren't kidding!
Setting aside the difference in art style between 2D and 3D, he really did bear quite a resemblance.
Jiang Zhaoye caught on as well. The Miyou War Chronicles they were talking about seemed to be a manga that had been trending wildly lately; he had heard of it, though he hadn't read it yet.
He parted his lips, wanting to explain that he wasn't cosplaying, but facing two cute girls with hands clasped in eager anticipation, he could only bite the bullet and nod.
The young girl let out an instant cheer, pulling her companion over to snap photos together. The others watching in the shop swarmed over, enthusiastically surrounding him in a tight circle.
"Me too! Me too!"
"Can I add you on socials?"
"I love you so much! Can I get a personalized autograph?"
At a complete loss for what to do, Jiang Zhaoye could only keep a straight, cold face and tough it out, posing for photos one by one with the ACG fans who had formed an orderly line.
The crowd grew even more excited, cheering over how in-character and dedicated he was.
After taking their photos, everyone politely thanked him, some even bowing, and... stuffing freebies into his hands.
Before long, Jiang Zhaoye's arms were piled high with all kinds of curious items: fan-made photocards and postcards, badges, snack crackers, and even a virtual pet egg and a T-shirt printed with "Bai Linchuan."
Sales of Miyou War Chronicles merchandise in the shop spiked instantly. The owner watching over the counter had zero complaints about this; the radiant lady even smilingly gifted Jiang Zhaoye an official Miyou War Chronicles canvas tote bag. Big and sturdy, it resolved his urgent predicament right away.
Just as Jiang Zhaoye was stuffing the various gifts into the bag, another postcard was shoved into his hand. The person handing it to him was a college student wearing glasses, who smiled at him and said, "I just drew this Bai Lin merch in the shop, and it happens to be the high school boy art you're cosplaying right now. Talk about fate—here, it's for you~"
Jiang Zhaoye looked down and saw a familiar black-haired, blue-eyed character printed on it—a bust illustration, wearing none other than a short-sleeved white button-down shirt.
His lips couldn't help twitching.
Before he could refuse, the girl had already giggled and dashed away, turning back right before leaving to shout, "Bai Linchuan! You have to be happy!"
Good-natured laughter rippled through the shop, filling the air inside and out with merry cheer.
Rate on N.U.
