Chapter Fifty-One: The Goddess

“Oh, I see, welcome, welcome! I’m the club president here. Online, I go by ‘Crisp Big Dodo,’ but everyone just calls me ‘Brother Dodo.’” As soon as the young man heard Ning Shuyi’s reply, he introduced himself warmly. “We’re all fans of anime and comics here—anyone who shares our interests is always welcome!”

Ning Shuyi quickly waved her hands. “I don’t know much yet—really, I’m a novice among novices. I’m just interested, that’s all. You all seem so professional; I wouldn’t dare call myself a true fan among you!”

“That’s not a problem at all. There’s no threshold for what you like! Just having an interest means you’ve already felt the charm of it. Passion and enthusiasm are the driving force behind everything!” Brother Dodo laughed heartily, then glanced at the man beside Ning Shuyi. “And this fellow—did you come together?”

It was a fair question. Ning Shuyi was dressed adorably and sweetly today, and standing next to Huo Yan, the contrast between them was striking. Ning Shuyi looked genuinely curious about her surroundings, while Huo Yan, though also by the wall, seemed devoid of warmth in his eyes—he didn’t look like an anime fan at all.

“He’s my boyfriend,” Ning Shuyi said, pointing at Huo Yan. “I’ve noticed that a lot of the male cosplayers online have such cool, striking looks. He’s a bit introverted, but he’s done some part-time modeling, so I dragged him along. I thought maybe if he took a look, he might get interested, and then we could do this together in the future.”

“Oh, I see! No wonder—he does have that cool look! His profile really has that model vibe!” Brother Dodo was delighted. “Welcome! If nothing else, with someone who’s done modeling, any photos we take are bound to turn out great in costume.

“Just look at your boyfriend—when you see those striking photos of male cosplayers online, he could totally pull it off! No question about it!

“I’m going to be honest with you—we have a lot of female cosplayers in our club, whether they’re going for cute or for the queenly vibe, but finding a male cosplayer with the right look? That’s a rare find!

“If you’re interested, why don’t I show you some photos from our past events?”

“That’d be great, thank you so much!” Ning Shuyi gladly accepted the suggestion.

Brother Dodo promptly went into the back room and soon returned with three thick, heavy photo albums, which he placed on the coffee table. “Take a look! You’ll see how rich and colorful our club activities are. You’ll also get a sense of how we grew from just a few fans to the group we are now!”

Ning Shuyi thanked him, pulled the three albums closer, handed one to Huo Yan, and took one onto her own lap to flip through carefully.

At first, Brother Dodo sat with them, but after a while, his phone rang. He excused himself and went to the back room to take the call.

Through the thin wall, which clearly didn’t block sound well, they could make out fragments of his conversation—it seemed to be about a major comic convention that was going to be held in W City soon, and he was coordinating the club’s participants and their booth arrangements.

His absence was a relief; Ning Shuyi felt more at ease. Her task now was to find something that interested her in the albums, and if she needed to tactfully inquire about anything, that could come later. The albums were thick and packed with photos; she figured Brother Dodo would be done with his call by the time she finished.

As she neared the end of one album, Ning Shuyi noticed something: though the club had many members and the albums were filled with beautiful event and portrait photos, there was one girl whose pictures, especially solo shots, appeared far more frequently than anyone else’s.

Most group event photos showed several people together, even if their cosplay themes didn’t match at all. Whether to save space or for more camera time, everyone would crowd together and pose, so solo shots were rare.

But this girl was the exception. Nearly every photo of her was solo; it was hard to find even one group shot with her included.

She was strikingly beautiful, tall and slender, with an elegant figure and skin that wasn’t particularly fair, but that hardly detracted from her beauty. What stood out was her aura: in every photo, her expression radiated an unmistakable air of coolness and pride.

Her costumes always matched her aura perfectly. Ning Shuyi, with her limited research, couldn’t name every character, but it was obvious they were all goddess or warrior types—powerful women.

Costume and temperament complemented each other flawlessly.

Even without asking, Ning Shuyi could tell this girl was a seasoned cosplayer. The way she commanded her expression and gaze was far beyond what any beginner could achieve.

In the latter half of the album, Ning Shuyi also found photos of Wang Yuluo. She appeared quite often, and judging by the ratio of group to solo shots, she received better treatment than most of the other girls in the club. While most of her photos were with others, there were still some stunning solo shots.

But compared to the beautiful warrior, her status seemed less central.

Moreover, Wang Yuluo’s exquisite costumes and props stood out even more in contrast. Against the backdrop of the other members, her attention to detail made her look like a true “pay-to-win” player—her gear exuded a sense of superiority that caught the eye, even when her photos were just one among many.

Ning Shuyi noticed something else interesting: although Wang Yuluo hadn’t joined the club early on—her absence in the older photos made that clear—she was obviously a very active member. She seemed genuinely happy in her solo shots, and even when crammed into large group photos, she looked vivacious and fully engaged.

Those around her also appeared cheerful, showing no signs of discord.

Ning Shuyi kept flipping, and after a few more pages, her gaze lingered on a particular solo photo. She studied it for a long time, lost in thought.

Just then, Brother Dodo returned from his call and saw Ning Shuyi absorbed in the photo. He leaned over for a look and asked, “You like her, don’t you?”