Chapter 334: Cosplay Isn’t About Looks?

The moment they walked into the cafeteria, the cool air conditioning and the fragrant aroma of food instantly dispelled the earlier unpleasantness.

Cafeteria No. 3 certainly lived up to its reputation. With its numerous food stalls offering a dazzling array of snacks and stir-fried dishes from every corner of the country, the group was on the verge of analysis paralysis.

"Whoa! Everything looks so good!" Lin Xiaoxiao instantly forgot about the earlier incident, her eyes shining.

"I heard their braised chicken and Mala Xiangguo are the signature dishes!" Zhou Yue once again took on her role as the group’s guide.

Since most of the offerings here were snacks and stir-fries, they couldn’t order as much as they had for breakfast. The six of them first discussed what kind of dishes they wanted before splitting up to queue at the corresponding stalls.

Soon, everyone reconvened with their trays and found a large table to sit at.

The aroma of the food was enough to make one’s mouth water.

"That upperclassman from before was so out of line," Lin Xiaoxiao said during a lull in the meal, recalling the incident at the entrance. "Xinghe is amazing, though. She shut him down with a single sentence."

Shen Xinghe elegantly picked up a piece of stir-fried seasonal vegetables and said calmly, "It was just a fact. A good photographer should discover beauty, not forcibly create a ’beauty’ that doesn’t align with the subject’s own characteristics."

"True. You could tell that guy had no patience. He’s still stuck in the phase of just showing off his technical skills." Zhou Yue seemed to know a thing or two about the field as well.

"If there are seniors like that in a club, I’d rather just join a different one," Lin Xiaoxiao grumbled.

"You’ll find all sorts of people in university. You’ll probably run into even more of them in the future. You can’t avoid it, so you just have to get used to it," Chen Mo said with a faint smile.

"But that’s what makes university life exciting!" Zhou Yue said optimistically.

Lunch ended in a relaxed atmosphere.

Everyone was full and satisfied. The earlier incident had faded from their minds, replaced by anticipation for the afternoon.

"I’m so full," Lin Xiaoxiao said, patting her stomach contentedly as she looked out at the bright sunlight. "The sun is brutal. Why don’t we find somewhere indoors to check out this afternoon? I can’t stand being out in this heat."

Zhou Yue immediately agreed and pulled out her phone again. "My thoughts exactly! Let me see... Hmm, not far from here, just across the central greenbelt, there’s a complex connecting the Student Activity Center and the School History Exhibition Hall."

"It’s definitely indoors, and it has AC! I heard a lot of clubs are setting up their recruitment booths in the activity center right now. If there are any clubs you guys want to join, we could go take a look."

"And if you’re not interested in clubs, we can check out the School History Exhibition Hall while we’re there. That could be pretty cool too."

The suggestion immediately won everyone’s approval.

It was undoubtedly a great choice, allowing them to escape the scorching sun while also getting in touch with the core of campus culture.

Leaving the noisy cafeteria, they walked toward the Student Activity Center, following a series of covered walkways and indoor corridors.

Sure enough, it wasn’t long before a well-designed, modern, and vibrant building appeared before them.

The massive glass curtain wall was covered with colorful posters. The number of students going in and out had clearly increased, all of them wearing expressions of excitement and curiosity.

The moment they stepped into the Student Activity Center’s lobby, a blast of cool air washed over them, a stark contrast to the heat outside.

The lobby had high ceilings and was filled with natural light. A large, circular information desk sat in the center, surrounded by signs pointing toward various areas like dance studios, music rooms, lecture halls, and club activity rooms.

At this moment, many clubs were already staking out spots in the various areas before them, starting to set up their recruitment booths early.

Although the official "Hundred-Club War" recruitment day hadn’t arrived yet, you could already feel the enthusiastic atmosphere.

"No way, the medical school actually has this many clubs?" Lin Xiaoxiao exclaimed, looking around excitedly.

"Didn’t Chen Mo mention it earlier? Don’t be fooled by how serious the school’s majors sound. Everyone here is young; they’re not about to stick to convention," Zhou Yue said with a smile. "Whether it’s a medical school or a police academy, it’s perfectly normal for student clubs to be diverse and flourishing. My cousins told me all about it."

"Is that the anime club? It’s a shame the cosplayers aren’t very pretty or handsome. If the three of you went over, you’d definitely give that club a huge boost in appeal," Lin Xiaoxiao commented, looking at a few upperclassmen in cosplay outfits over by the anime club’s area.

The Anime Club’s booth took up a rather large area and was decorated in a flamboyant style. Huge posters of anime characters practically covered the entire backdrop, featuring a wide range of characters from classic action series to the latest seasonal shows.

A few upperclassmen in cosplay were bustling about. One, a male student cosplaying as a mage from a popular game, was on his tiptoes trying to hang a string of small decorative lights, his wide robe sleeves getting in the way.

Another, a female student cosplaying as a cute, animal-eared girl, was carefully arranging a row of figurines of varying quality. A few limited-edition ones were placed in the most conspicuous spots, cushioned on velvet cloth to make them look especially precious.

Just as Lin Xiaoxiao had observed, their looks and figures weren’t exactly top-tier. Their makeup was quite heavy, with deeply drawn eyeliner and fluttering false eyelashes, all in an effort to emulate the 2D characters. However, the gap between their natural features and the anime aesthetic was too wide to be bridged by heavy makeup, especially since their skills hadn’t reached the legendary level of the "Four Great Asian Sorceries."

But their expressions were incredibly focused and passionate as they worked, as if they were arranging a sacred altar.

Some homemade cookies, shaped like pixel-art video game snacks, were also scattered on the display table. Though their shapes were a bit crude, you could see the effort that went into them.

Hearing Lin Xiaoxiao’s comment, Shen Xinghe chuckled and whispered, "You’d better not let them hear you say that. There’s a famous saying in the cosplay community: ’Cosplay isn’t about looks or body type.’"

"Who made that rule?" Lin Xiaoxiao asked curiously.

"Not sure, but I’ve heard that rule too," Zhou Yue chimed in, also explaining in a low voice. "I heard it was originally meant to protect cosplayers’ self-esteem, to avoid negative comments about their appearance and maintain a harmonious atmosphere at offline conventions. The original intention was good—to emphasize the love for the craft and the joy of role-playing itself."

"But that just leads to a chaotic mess and makes things look even worse," Lin Xiaoxiao mumbled under her breath, seeming genuinely afraid of being overheard. "I still prefer to see cosplays that are easy on the eyes and highly accurate."

As she spoke, her gaze unconsciously swept over Su Yuqing, Shen Xinghe, and even Chen Mo. She briefly imagined what they would look like in cosplay. ’Now *that* would be a gorgeous sight.’

Just then, the female upperclassman with the animal ears seemed to have heard their whispering. She looked up, her gaze instantly meeting Lin Xiaoxiao’s.