Demon Locust Street

Chapter One: The movement of Heaven is full of power; thus the superior man makes himself strong and untiring.

The older we grow, the more clearly we see the world; the dreams and fantasies we once had are shattered one by one by reality.

The things we once admired, once obsessed over, once yearned for, seem to gradually fade away, yet can never truly be erased. They simply hide deep within our hearts, protected by stubborn walls, unwilling to be invaded by reality. That is our garden of illusions—splendid, bizarre, absurd, yet brimming with joy and vitality.

——Wandering Toad

A group of young people were busily loading things onto a van. They wore extremely flamboyant costumes, each one beaming with joy, radiating a lively atmosphere.

Anyone even slightly familiar with pop culture could tell that this group was into cosplay. Those with deeper knowledge would recognize that they were dressed as characters from a popular novel.

The girl dressed as Xiao Lian had a round face, lacking the queenly aura of the original character, but instead was adorably cute—the most lively among the group. Anyone who saw her would call her cute. In contrast, the second female lead, Grace Grant, originally a noble immortal maiden with a gentle temperament, was portrayed here with a touch of coldness. Her stunningly beautiful face was almost expressionless.

A handsome young man clapped his hands and called out with a smile, “Our performance was great this time! Let’s go to Wanghailou later—my treat! No one’s allowed to make excuses and leave early.”

The group erupted in cheers, the atmosphere lively to the extreme. Like stars surrounding the moon, they clustered around the guy offering to treat them, showering him with compliments. Some foodies even started listing dishes, determined to have a hearty meal.

Brian Carter gave a simple, honest smile as he worked hard to load the last box of props onto the van. Just as he was about to get in and find a seat, the guy who was treating everyone spotted him, curled his lips slightly, parted the crowd, and came over to block his way, speaking gently: “Brian Carter! Thanks for helping our club with all the heavy lifting. You really should join us for dinner tonight, but there are too many people and too much stuff in the van—there’s no room left. You’d better head home on your own, so you don’t have to squeeze in with us.”

The honest smile on Brian Carter’s round, chubby face froze for a moment. He glanced at the Grace Grant cosplayer, who still stood apart from the group, expressionless. The one playing Grace Grant, Lily Carter, seemed not to notice any of this, her starry eyes half-closed as she leaned against a big tree, apparently resting.

Brian Carter quickly turned his head back, his honest smile returning as he chuckled, “I need to get home early today anyway, so I couldn’t have joined you for dinner. I’ll head off now.”

Brian Carter waved to everyone, but soon realized that no one was looking at him. His gesture was in vain, so he awkwardly lowered his hand and reluctantly left the group.

After Brian Carter had walked away, the group suddenly burst into laughter. Someone shouted, “That little fatty actually has a crush on Lily Carter and keeps chasing after her, joining our club just to get close. I bet he doesn’t even know which characters we’re cosplaying today!”

Once someone started, others quickly joined in, laughing, “With his bear-like look, as fat as Zhu Bajie, as if Lily Carter would ever like him! Lily Carter and our club president are the real pair!”

The Grace Grant cosplayer, Lily Carter, heard this and frowned slightly, displeased. She said, “There’s nothing between me and William Grant. Please don’t make up random ships. I have something to do and need to leave early, so I can’t join you for dinner.”

Lily Carter didn’t explain further and hurried off, not even having time to change out of her costume.

The handsome guy who was treating everyone—also the president of the cosplay club, William Grant—immediately looked upset, said nothing, and got into the van. The atmosphere grew tense for a moment, and soon someone blamed Brian Carter for the situation, muttering curses under their breath, saying some very nasty things.

Brian Carter wiped his hands, feeling a bit stifled. He and Lily Carter had been classmates since junior high. When he first started school, he was unconsciously drawn to her temperament, but their personalities were worlds apart. Plus, he was too overweight and not suited for cosplay. In the eyes of someone like Lily Carter, who cared about looks, no matter how hard he tried, he still couldn’t attract the attention of his goddess.

This time, he had thickened his skin to join in the fun, working hard for several days, but still ended up being excluded by Lily Carter’s club members.

The event was held at the exhibition center, which was very far from Brian Carter’s home. As he was figuring out how to take the subway and then transfer to a bus, he reached into his pocket—and his face changed dramatically, turning bitter.

“Oh no! I actually forgot to bring money when I went out—I can’t take the subway!”

Brian Carter thought about swallowing his pride and asking the club for a ride, but just then he saw the van speed past him. He didn’t even have time to call out, and was left with nothing but a trail of dust, making his face look even more miserable.

“Looks like I’ll have to walk home. It’s over twenty kilometers from here—wonder if I can make it back tonight.”