After Falling in Love with a 2D Character as a Socially Anxious Person - Chapter 14

Even though Yan Qili had now become a War God whose name shook the Northern borders, An Jing could not, in good conscience, say that the man had lived a good life.

 

At this point in the timeline, Yan Qili had yet to meet the person destined to warm and heal him. He had truly tasted all the bitterness of the world without a single drop of sweetness.

 

An Jing regretted it more than once—regretted setting Yan Qili’s background and experiences to be so rough and difficult. The fact that Yan Qili had become the way he was now was entirely An Jing’s responsibility.

 

If Yan Qili could not return to his original world, An Jing would help him get used to and adapt to this new world even without that piece of agreement. Signing the contract was merely to keep Yan Qili in check.

 

Feeling guilty, An Jing was more than willing to compensate him. It was just spending a little money; he was perfectly happy to do it. As long as there was no violence, everything was negotiable.

 

When An Jing looked up at Yan Qili, even the strands of hair sticking out of his hoodie seemed to be saying he was willing to spend money on him.

 

There were many people at the convention. He wore a light yellowish-green hooded sweatshirt, planning to pull the hood up in addition to wearing his mask. Conventions lacked many things, but they never lacked people dressed extravagantly. Even if he wrapped himself up like a mummy today, no one would give him a strange look.

 

The ACG (Anime, Comic, and Games) community was very inclusive. Even if you wore your clothes backward, everyone would just think it was a unique little design choice.

 

It was the first time someone had offered to “support” him. Yan Qili, experiencing this novelty, looked at An Jing with a slight arch of his brow. An Jing had a very youthful face; in a hoodie and jeans, people would believe him if he said he was a college freshman. He didn’t look at all like someone graduating from university this year.

 

For the first time, Yan Qili saw a sense of contradiction in An Jing. How did someone who looks so harmless and well-behaved come up with such dark, scheming plots? Was a useless waste like Chu Muli really his creation?

 

Tsk.

 

 

Today’s convention was divided into an indoor and outdoor area. Entering the indoor section to watch official performances required a ticket, while the outdoor area did not. The outdoor area had many unofficial booths and autograph sessions, so there were many people coming to join the fun.

 

Before even getting out of the car, An Jing could already see the swarms of heads outside the venue. Seeing this, An Jing bit his lower lip anxiously. As his hand touched the car door handle, the drums of retreat were beating loudly in his heart.

 

Do I really need to get the “Mullet” artist’s autograph today? Can’t I just buy it second-hand online?

 

—Opportunities like this are rare! Second-hand isn’t nearly as good as being there!

 

Even if Baili said he’d introduce me to his friend who works in the relevant government department if I came, does Yan Qili really need a household registration?

 

—He absolutely does. You don’t want Yan Qili to be an undocumented person forever, do you?

 

Stepping back further, if I don’t come, would Baili really be so heartless as to not help me?

 

—If you refuse to meet Baili, he might already be annoyed. What if?

 

…

 

An Jing talked to himself, a war raging in his mind. Before he could decide on a winner, Yan Qili got out of the car from the other side.

 

Since he was the one who suggested coming, An Jing chose between abandoning Yan Qili to go home and simply comforting himself more. An Jing secretly adjusted his breathing and whispered words of encouragement:

 

“Don’t panic, don’t be afraid. You can do this, An Jing.”

 

An Jing often did this kind of mental preparation. His voice was so soft and quiet that, normally, no one would hear him amidst the traffic. Unfortunately, Yan Qili, standing beside him, had incredible hearing.

 

Yan Qili heard every single word of An Jing’s mutterings. He glanced sideways at him, seeing how nervous he was as he picked at his fingers, wondering why he was putting himself through this. He didn’t know what was here that attracted him so much.

 

“Let’s go.” An Jing, having half-convinced himself, looked up with an expression of “do or die.”

 

Yan Qili: “…”

 

…

 

As soon as they entered the venue, An Jing was wrapped in a wave of warmth. There were so many people that even if the organizers hadn’t turned on the heating, the temperature inside was several degrees higher than outside.

 

An Jing looked up to see independent cosplayers and photographers weaving through the crowd. Ordinary people were collecting photos and identifying fellow fans; it was a harmonious and lively atmosphere.

 

Amidst the heat and harmony, An Jing’s scalp felt numb as he stood in the crowd. For a moment, he didn’t even know how to take a step. So many people… everyone is moving. There were more people than he had imagined. Dense, crowded, and noisy.

 

“Excuse me, please let us through~”

 

A polite voice came from beside him. The stiff-limbed An Jing heard it, but he still stood frozen in place. He wasn’t doing it on purpose; he truly couldn’t move. He could think, but his body seemed to have lost control.

 

His heartbeat became violent, his eardrums throbbed, and the noisy crowd around him felt like a rising tide. An Jing felt as if he were about to be swept away by the tide and drown silently in a bottomless whirlpool…

 

Before the cold sweat could break out on An Jing’s back, someone grabbed his wrist. The hand was large and warm, catching him before he hit the whirlpool.

 

An Jing lowered his head stiffly. From the small red mole near the thumb, he recognized it as Yan Qili’s hand at a glance. Yan Qili’s body heat traveled through his palm, and An Jing’s racing heart actually began to calm down.

 

Yan Qili won’t let anything happen to me. This thought suddenly popped into An Jing’s mind. The feeling of trust was groundless, yet that’s what he thought.

 

Yan Qili pulled An Jing a few steps to the side to let the others pass.

 

“Thank you~”

 

A blonde girl in a floor-length dress with a pair of giant white wings on her back passed in front of them, not forgetting to thank them. “My wings are a bit in the way, sorry about that.”

 

Looking at this person who was dressed as a girl but spoke with a clear, masculine voice, Yan Qili: “…”

 

For once, Yan Qili fell into silence. In fact, since stepping into this venue, he had stopped understanding this world. Colorful hair, increasingly exaggerated outfits, humans with indistinguishable genders… what on earth was all this?

 

Yan Qili couldn’t help but look at An Jing. This is the place you insisted on coming to even though it makes you uncomfortable?

 

An Jing, who had finally pulled himself out of his negative emotions, looked up only to meet the complicated gaze of the man beside him.

 

An Jing: “?” It was just a social anxiety spike; why look at me like that?

 

“Let’s go.”

 

Yan Qili let go of An Jing’s wrist and walked forward without saying anything. As soon as Yan Qili let go, the insecure An Jing quickly followed.

 

They hadn’t walked far when a commotion broke out ahead. An Jing looked up and saw that a cosplayer to the front-right was causing a stir.

 

It was a mature woman with a hot figure, wearing a purple, tight-fitting dress with a high slit. She was surrounded by a dozen professional photographers whose shutters wouldn’t stop clicking. There was also a circle of onlookers.

 

She was cosplaying a female character from some anime; her figure, makeup, hair, and clothing were all perfectly recreated. Low neckline paired with a high slit, holding a scepter, a haughty expression—she was charming and sultry without being vulgar.

 

She was truly beautiful and hot. The eyes of the surrounding “otaku” were practically glowing green. Quite a few girls were also beaming:

 

“Sister is so hot, I love her!”

 

“Wife, look at me!”

 

“Is she stepping on the floor with those heels? No, she’s stepping on my heart!”

 

An Jing lowered his head and looked away.

 

Yan Qili was half a head taller than An Jing. His height advantage allowed him to see ahead clearly. After seeing the woman surrounded by the crowd, he coolly looked away.

 

“Is she doing this voluntarily?”

 

An Jing was stunned for a moment and looked at him. “What?”

 

Yan Qili tilted his chin, his dark blue eyes like a cold pool. “Her.”

 

An Jing followed his gesture and realized he was referring to the female cosplayer who was posing in different ways as the photographers requested.

 

Realizing he had misunderstood, An Jing nodded. “Yes, she is.”

 

An Jing realized that although Yan Qili was a “paper person” who had crawled out of the 2D world, the impact of 2D culture was a bit much for an ancient man like him. An Jing explained, “This is roleplay; it’s a hobby.”

 

Since they were surrounded by people, An Jing could only shift his focus by talking to Yan Qili, so he explained in great detail what cosplay was.

 

Yan Qili understood the words but couldn’t understand the behavior. What pleasure was there in pretending to be someone else?

 

The look Yan Qili gave An Jing was a bit subtle. “Do you like this too?” In his eyes, some of the clothing could be considered revealing. The looks some men cast on these cosplayers could be described as disgusting.

 

Yan Qili didn’t say it explicitly, but after An Jing understood his meaning a beat late, the tips of his ears turned red instantly.

 

“I don’t,” An Jing said, his face flushing. “I don’t like things like this.”

 

What is going on in Yan Qili’s head!

 

It was true he liked “paper people,” but he liked the kind that didn’t talk or move. Even if they wore familiar outfits, he was still afraid of cosplayers who moved.

 

Heat rose to his face; An Jing didn’t need to touch it to know his face was definitely red. Luckily, he was wearing a hood, so it couldn’t be seen.

 

Yan Qili glanced at him. “If you don’t like it, why did you come?”

 

An Jing emphasized again: “What I like isn’t this!”

 

“What do you like then?”

 

“I—”

 

Thinking of the infamously “saucy” artist, Mullet, An Jing’s defense suddenly stalled. Scenes of the “content” Mullet had drawn flashed before his eyes. An Jing: “…………”

 

It’s even harder to say out loud… QAQ.

 

Seeing An Jing silenced, Yan Qili gave an ambiguous, “Heh.”

 

An Jing: “…”

 

Maybe you should just stay undocumented for the rest of your life.

 

 

The guests’ autograph sessions officially started at 9:30 AM. Authors, artists, singers, and cosplayers were separated by lines. Baili’s autograph area was in the most prominent spot.

 

Before 9:00 AM, many fans had already bought books or merchandise and formed long queues spontaneously. Compared to Baili’s line, Mullet’s location was much more out of the way. There were only a few people in front of the booth with her nameplate.

 

It was hard to tell if Mullet just had fewer fans, or if her “saucy” reputation made everyone too shy to line up.

 

Seeing that there weren’t many people, An Jing wasn’t in a hurry to line up. He found a less crowded spot, took a photo, and sent it to Baili.

 

Yannian: [Your fans are all waiting for you.]

 

He sent a photo of Baili’s poster and the line in front of it.

 

Baili replied instantly: [You actually came!]

 

[Is Mullet really that attractive to you?]

 

[Where are you? Come backstage to find me?]

 

[I thought you wouldn’t come. I even asked Mullet for an autograph and a personalized message for you yesterday, planning to mail it to you.]

 

[Photo ×2]

 

Seeing the last few messages from Baili, An Jing instantly perked up: “!!!”

 

A personalized autograph!

 

Seeing his excited expression, Yan Qili glanced around. “What, did the person you like arrive?”