Chapter 37: Sora and the Three Gas Canisters

"Not bad, buddy. Ever since you stopped chasing Xu Ke, you've really gained a clearer perspective on life. As your adopted father, I find this deeply gratifying. So, even though I have no interest in anime conventions, I decided to accompany you guys anyway."

Li Chenggang threw his arm around Qin Luo’s shoulder, his face beaming with a look of immense satisfaction.

Wu Xuan adjusted his glasses and cast him a look of utter disdain: "Before you talk about having no interest, could you perhaps remove your eyeballs from that Inori Yuzuriha’s thighs?"

"What are you saying? What is that supposed to mean? I wasn't looking at anything! Don't go around slandering people!" Li Chenggang protested loudly, yet his eyes remained glued, without a single blink, to a girl cosplaying as Inori nearby.

Wu Xuan snorted dismissively and shifted his gaze elsewhere—there was someone cosplaying as Tsunade. While her facial features were unremarkable, her figure was undeniably impressive. On that point alone, Wu Xuan was willing to give her a high score.

Wang Chen watched this display with a look of profound heartbreak: "Superficial. Simply too superficial. I thought you were all my close friends, here to accompany me to the convention, but it turns out you were just here for the girls. My heart aches—it aches deeply!"

After this harsh critique, he shifted his gaze toward a Raiden Shogun cosplayer not far away, clicked his tongue, and muttered, "This 'cook' is no good. She looks malnourished; how is she supposed to nurse a child in the future?"

The other three retracted their gazes, cupped their hands toward him in mock salute, and sighed in unison: "You really are the one, aren't you."

The four walked along, eyes filled with cute cosplayers. Hatsune Miku with her twin tails, the barefoot Lesser Lord Kusanali, Sakurajima Mai in a black silk bunny suit... a dazzling, overwhelming array of characters.

The only disappointment for Qin Luo was that he hadn't spotted a Sora Kasugano cosplayer, which naturally meant he hadn't found Chu Liunian. However, he wasn't in a hurry. Although he had come specifically for her, his approach to maintaining his persona had become more "Zen." He felt that as long as he kept going as he was, he wouldn't risk breaking character, so he didn't feel a desperate need to interact with too many women.

After wandering for a while, he realized that anime conventions were actually quite interesting, and he learned a fact: many people didn't necessarily attend because they loved the subculture or wanted to make like-minded friends. There was a demographic that came specifically for the girls in cosplay.

In this day and age, things had silently changed. The nature of these conventions was no longer pure, and the costumes of the cosplayers were becoming increasingly skimpy. It had to be said, it was a tragedy... though, naturally, the lecherous ones were ecstatic—like the group of guys from Room 404.

However, there were also those who stood out. Their eyes held no lewdness, only chaos. For instance, someone cosplaying as a pink star was lying on the ground, accepting the worship of a group of *Genshin Impact* cosplayers. Or a muscular man dressed as Anya Forger, complete with a cute dress and horn-shaped hair buns, was busy flexing his massive latissimus dorsi. Another example was a man with white hair parted down the middle, wearing overalls and holding a basketball, dancing and rapping with seasoned skill while people around him cheered and offered him "screaming chicken" toys.

Unlike the beautiful, slim cosplayers, this group was purely abstract.

As they walked, Li Chenggang, Wu Xuan, and Wang Chen were busy admiring the girls. Qin Luo was different; while he appreciated the cosplayers, he was also being appreciated by others. Thanks to his tall, well-proportioned physique, distinguished temperament, and striking looks, Qin Luo stood out among the men. Being approached by girls for his WeChat on the street had become entirely normal.

For instance, a girl cosplaying as Kamisato Ayaka noticed Li Chenggang’s unblinking stare. She was about to turn away in annoyance, but upon catching sight of Qin Luo, she trotted over with a bashful, expectant look: "Excuse me, handsome, can I add your WeChat?"

His three roommates stared, their faces etched with the agony and fury of perceived cosmic injustice.

Qin Luo smiled, about to respond to the girl's kindness, when Li Chenggang suddenly threw his arm around his shoulder, mimicked the same bashful expression as the cosplayer, and said in a high-pitched, coy voice: "Hubby, why would you want those flashy, cheap women outside when you have me?"

Qin Luo froze, goosebumps erupting across his skin. The girl’s eyes widened in horror, and she turned and fled.

"Hahahaha... I'm dying, hahahaha..."

"Gang-ge, you're a legend! That move was too much, I surrender, hahahaha..."

Wu Xuan and Wang Chen were laughing so hard they nearly doubled over. Qin Luo, feeling equally disgusted, hurriedly shoved Li Chenggang aside.

Li Chenggang laughed triumphantly, but before he could speak, he noticed Wang Chen’s expression turn serious. Following his gaze, Li Chenggang saw three women dressed in Lolita fashion. They were gaudily decorated, but their heavy, stout figures made them look like walking gas canisters. Compared to the beautiful cosplayers, the sight was nothing short of an eyesore.

Li Chenggang immediately looked away and advised Wang Chen: "Buddy, if you can't stand it, don't look. Even I find it painful."

Qin Luo and Wu Xuan also glanced over and nodded in grim agreement.

However, Wang Chen didn't look away. Instead, he explained: "I know them. They're in the Anime Club with me. They’re incredibly annoying; no one in our club really likes them."

Li Chenggang nodded in understanding: "Is that all? Just stop looking at them. Come on, let's go find some real eye candy to cleanse our vision."

The others agreed and were about to leave when they noticed Qin Luo standing still, staring intently in that direction.

Wu Xuan was shocked: "Damn, Qin, don't tell me you're into gas canisters?"

Qin Luo ignored him, his gaze bypassing the three women and landing on a figure in the corner. She had long, black hair, currently disheveled and covering most of her face, though her delicate features were still faintly visible. Her body was wrapped in a white dress; though her figure was obscured, her aura alone was exceptional.

He wasn't staring because of her aura, but because she was wearing a Sora Kasugano cosplay. As *Yosuga no Sora* was the first anime Qin Luo had watched as a child, he had a deep impression of the heroine. Coupled with Chu Sijin telling him that Chu Liunian was cosplaying as Sora today, he couldn't help but look twice.

Because he couldn't see her face clearly, Qin Luo took out his "Magic Glasses" and put them on. The next second, her basic information appeared before his eyes.

[Name: Chu Liunian/???]
[Attractiveness: 97]
[Body: 90]
[Special: 97]
[Hobbies: Anime]
[Special Talent: Acting]

"It really is Chu Liunian..."

Qin Luo took off his glasses, his brows knitting together. He didn't understand why there were three question marks after her name.

Before he could ponder it further, Li Chenggang, having overheard his mutterings, asked in surprise: "Who? Chu Liunian?"

Wu Xuan squinted in that direction and nodded: "It is her. But tell me, Qin, since when have you been thinking about Chu Liunian?"

Wang Chen also looked over, his expression growing even more serious: "Tsk, looks like she's in trouble..."

Qin Luo asked subconsciously: "What do you mean?"

Wang Chen frowned: "Those three gas canisters—like I said, they're insufferable. Their usual behavior includes, but isn't limited to, looking down on other people's cosplay, belittling works others like, and excluding people they don't like from joining the club."

"They were already seniors when I joined the club as a freshman... now they're juniors. I didn't think much of it at first, but after knowing them for a while, I realized they aren't good people."

"Later on, Chu Liunian tried to join our club, but they chased her away and insulted her with snide remarks. Ever since then, they’ve made a habit of targeting her—making snide comments when they run into her, or spreading rumors on the forums."

He paused for a moment before continuing: "Look at the two beside them—one is holding a rabbit doll, the other is holding a white wig. Those are parts of the Sora costume. Chu Liunian must have been planning to cosplay as her today, but they've taken her things..."

The situation was clear. Li Chenggang, who had a short temper and hated bullying, bristled. Wu Xuan adjusted his glasses, his eyes glinting with indignation behind the thick lenses.

Seeing this, Wang Chen quickly added: "But don't worry too much. Chu Liunian isn't a pushover. Those three gas canisters tried to pick a fight with her on campus before, and she tore them to shreds with her words. No need to worry about her getting the short end of the stick."

Li Chenggang and Wu Xuan felt slightly relieved, though they were still puzzled, not expecting Chu Liunian to be the type to get into a verbal sparring match.

But Qin Luo wasn't reassured. From his perspective, Chu Liunian’s situation clearly wasn't good. If she wasn't a pushover, would she be hiding in a corner? Would she let others walk off with her belongings?

That clearly didn't add up. Either the rumors Wang Chen heard were exaggerated, or something was wrong with Chu Liunian...