Under the maple tree, Luo Xiyan put away the skirt she had received and followed after her.
"Looks like I can get some new material again~"
Fluttering Everywhere
Though it was nighttime, the first floor of the convention was packed with people.
Crowding the hall and looking around in every direction, everyone there was dressed in all kinds of bizarre outfits.
There were older girls in blue wigs and maid outfits, "knights" wearing iron helmets, paper armor, and holding plastic shields, as well as plenty of people in Lolita and JK uniforms. The dazzling variety was almost too much to take in.
Ling Feng knew a convention would be "exciting," but this immediate "grand opening" still caught her off guard.
Ling Feng was only here to complete her mission, so the crowds were perfect for letting her blend in and fish in troubled waters.
But things never went quite as planned. Sometimes, being too pretty was not a good thing. Sure enough, quite a few people had already noticed her.
"Miss, miss, can I take a picture with you?"
A young man dressed in a Balala the Fairies cosplay outfit shyly approached her. It was so absurd that Ling Feng nearly spat.
"Miss is so pretty, so cute... No, I can't hold it in anymore! Who has tissues? Lend me some!!"
"What's that compared to mine? I'm already anemic! Hurry up and hold me!"
"Big sister, big sister, can you give me an autograph?"
Hearing a childish voice from below, Ling Feng instinctively lowered her head. A little girl in a princess dress was looking up at her excitedly, holding a sketchbook in her tiny hands. She looked absolutely adorable.
"Of course~"
"Thank you, big sister!"
Ling Feng did not refuse. She crouched down and patted the little girl's head.
After all, she could not refuse such an adorable little girl. Letting an opportunity like that pass would have been a crime.
After getting her autograph, the little girl beamed happily and ran off with her sketchbook.
Ling Feng also did not refuse the others who wanted photos and autographs.
If something so trivial could make someone happy, what was there not to do? Helping others was a joy!
Standing in the exhibition hall and looking around, she saw countless people cosplaying Mai-senpai, Masked Rider, Rem, Saitama, Naruto, Shinnosuke Nohara, Kagome Higurashi, Kagura, Kanna, Tooru Maki, Kirito, Kurenai Mine, Bing, Kaguya-hime, Sakuragi Koyuki, Sakuno Ryuzaki, Tomoka Osakada, An Tachibana, and many more...
It was a perfect, colorful painting, a feast for the eyes.
"Hi, I'm high school detective Shinichi Kudo. When I went to an amusement park with my childhood friend and classmate Ran Mouri, I happened to witness a Black Organization transaction."
"At the time, I was so focused on spying on the deal that I failed to notice another accomplice coming up behind me. That person force-fed me poison, and when I woke up, my voice actor had changed."
At the same time, Ling Feng heard several cosplayers voicing anime characters and could not help laughing.
So embarrassing... but sorry, seeing how serious you all looked, ahem... I really couldn't hold it in...
"I shall punish you in the name of the moon!"
"Cough!!"
"Usagi Tsukino?!"
"I'm the man who'll become the Pirate King!"
"Luffy?"
"Demon, let go of my grandpa!"
"Calabash Brothers?"
"No, no!"
Ling Feng shook her head. She swore that when she had gone to a convention with Zhao Ping before, people had definitely not been this crazy. At most, they had shaken hands or taken pictures, right?
It definitely was not like this now. This had to be an accident!
That was right!
Ling Feng even went to check the men's restroom. Unfortunately, aside from that person from earlier, she did not see the cross-dressing master she had hoped for. Instead, a group of grown men all stared at Ling Feng with strange looks in their eyes.
She didn't go into the wrong restroom, did she? Could it be that this miss wanted to...
Hehe?!
Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey!
No wild thoughts allowed!
Still, there really were a lot of Magical Girls cosplayers at this convention. Ling Feng even spotted a girl wearing a dress identical to that of a Magical Girl she had fought before.
"Hey, are you sure that isn't the same person?"
At that moment...
Somewhere on the second floor of the convention...
"Hello, miss. Can I take a picture with you?" a young man asked timidly and carefully.
"No time."
Without even turning her head, the girl gave him that flat reply. The moment he heard it, he froze.
He had originally held out a sliver of hope. If he could have a proper conversation with such a beautiful and captivating girl, it would have been something beyond even his dreams!
But that single sentence shattered his defenses. He immediately ran off crying, sobbing as he shouted.
"I-I'm sorry! Sorry for bothering you!!"
Yet the girl remained utterly unmoved.
This pure and beautiful girl with flawless features had been leaning against the glass railing on the second floor the entire time.
Quite a few people who had tried to strike up a conversation with her during that time had all been turned away one by one.
Like this young man who had just been rejected, his beautiful fantasies and hopes had already been reduced to pieces.
But the girl did not care. She continued writing leisurely in the little notebook in her hands, occasionally glancing down at someone in the first-floor hall.
No one knew what she was recording, but the faint smile at the corner of her lips proved that she was happy inside.
Heartwarming~
Hug, Serenity, and Peace
"May I have an autograph?"
Ling Feng had just finished dealing with several people and was about to ask Xi He whether her mission was complete when another gentle, pleasant voice came from behind her.
Ling Feng first let out a breath of relief. Thankfully, her willpower was firm enough that she did not immediately agree. She had nearly accepted on instinct.
If she went back so late again, she would get scolded. As for not returning home for the night, that was even less possible. Just thinking of Ling Xiaoyu's smiling face gave Ling Feng goosebumps.
Because that was merely the calm before the storm.
"Sorry, I have something to do first... first..."
"Xi... Xi Yan?! You came too?"
The moment Ling Feng turned around, she saw that beautiful yet familiar face. Faced with the girl's gentle gaze, Ling Feng's heart nearly fell completely.
Even standing amid the crowd, she was still as eye-catching as a crane among chickens.
Girl, did you always appear and disappear like a ghost?
Thinking of how this girl would suddenly show up at unpredictable times, Ling Feng could not help breaking out in a cold sweat. Fortunately, she calmed herself down in time.
"Is that not allowed?"
Luo Xiyan looked directly at Ling Feng with gentle eyes, making Ling Feng's heartbeat speed up and leaving her feeling uncomfortable all over.
"I-I mean, it's allowed..."
"Then can I have a picture with you?"
"Huh?" Before Ling Feng could finish speaking, Luo Xiyan added another sentence and took a step forward.
Perhaps because she felt the girl's overwhelming presence, Ling Feng instinctively took a step back, and the tension in her heart grew stronger.
"Then can I hug you?" Luo Xiyan continued, her steps still not stopping. With no choice, Ling Feng had to retreat again.
Luo Xiyan's aura was too strong. Ling Feng felt unable to face it head-on.
"Mm..."
In the end, Ling Feng nodded unconsciously. She had to admit that Luo Xiyan was the only girl she could not refuse. Whether it was her beautiful appearance or her somewhat cool and lonely personality, both made Ling Feng fall deeply for her, unable to pull herself free.
Looking at those clear, bright azure eyes, her delicately curved brows, lightly trembling eyelashes, and flawless pale skin tinged with a faint blush, Ling Feng lost herself for a moment.
She remembered their first meeting. She could remain as calm as ever around strangers, but after getting to know someone, she somehow became far more passive. Ling Feng was certain she would not be like this when talking with Tang Ling and the others...
While she was still dazed, Luo Xiyan had already wrapped an arm around Ling Feng's waist. Ling Feng only felt a wave of numbness run through her entire body, as though even her bones had gone soft.
Was this...
An electric shock reaction?
The moment they embraced, a faint glow appeared in the darkness, like fireflies that could only be seen at night.
Everything continued. Everything was fine. It seemed as though they had returned to the very beginning.
Ling Feng could clearly smell Luo Xiyan's natural fragrance. It was an unfamiliar floral scent, but just like her name, it carried a trace of sorrow, coldness, and beauty...
Or perhaps it was simply how people were wired. When embracing someone, the heart overflowed with something called sweetness. It felt real and safe, warm, and full of sound...
Because the two of them were hugging, Luo Xiyan's still-developing softness pressed against Ling Feng's chest as well, causing Ling Feng to blush furiously from the very beginning.
Soft...
Fragrant...
Hugging the girl made her hormones surge. It felt like being electrocuted, her heartbeat accelerating.
Ling Feng tried her best to restrain herself. Her face red, she slowly lowered her long lashes, as though fighting against sleep.
Luo Xiyan, meanwhile, closed her eyes and savored the feeling. She liked it very much. She did not know why, but whenever she was with Ling Feng, she sincerely felt at ease.
It felt as though she were embracing the entire world. Her heart was full, content, and happy~
It was an indescribable feeling. She simply... wanted to know more about Ling Feng.
"I'll come watch your competition tomorrow~"
Luo Xiyan spoke softly, unable to hide the hint of delight in her voice.
"Mm."
Ling Feng did not know how else to respond, so she could only nod in agreement.
But when she came back to her senses, a whole wave of "click!" sounds and camera flashes had erupted around them, nearly blinding Ling Feng.
"Those two little fairies are so beautiful! Are they really from our world? Could they be angels who fell into the human realm?" a young man said, nearly suffocating.
"Huh? What are you talking about? I've already posted dozens of updates on my social feed. A few people asked me for the location, and they're already booking flights to come here~"
"Damn it! Have I lost even the courage to go up and talk to them?"
"What's that? I feel like even looking at them is an invasion of their privacy!"
"Wow! It's that miss from before! The two misses are so beautiful! They must be a match made in heaven!"
The one who shouted that was the little girl who had asked Ling Feng for an autograph earlier. She was standing with her parents now, her tiny hands still holding the signed sketchbook, her face full of an adorable smile.
And the people around them were undoubtedly the source of all those gasps, cheers, photos, and shouts~
Before you continue