[Ch'en cosplay] Arknights: Drinking tea in Lungmen, Savoring Leisure Moments

Today's meetup for Ch'en cosplay was centered around Drinking tea in Lungmen, set in a cozy, bustling street-side teahouse. For a cosplayer who usually wears high-mobility combat gear, having authentic Cantonese morning tea in such a casual everyday setting and taking relaxed photos felt like giving myself a well-deserved vacation.

For this portrayal of Ch'en, the wig featured a blue-purple gradient with a rich, glossy finish. To maintain the styling, the crimson horns on top were weighted quite solidly, requiring extra care when looking down at the menu. The outfit was a custom modified uniform with structured fabric to bring out the character's commanding presence. Plenty of thought went into the thigh-high Stockings and strap accessories; to avoid pinching marks, high-elasticity and non-deforming materials were chosen for the leg warmers. Seated for photos, they beautifully elongated leg contours, which, paired with the black skirt and thigh ring, created a deeply satisfying visual silhouette.

My partner cosplayed Lin Yushia, with long pink curls styled fluffy and natural, accented by delicate purple ribbon details on her costume. She poured tea while I partially concealed my face behind the menu—a composition laden with subtle emotional nuance. After all, within the character setting, Lungmen is a city full of stories; enjoying dim sum in a teahouse felt like capturing an authentic slice of their daily lives.

We ordered many classic Cantonese dim sum dishes from the menu: rice noodle rolls with ultra-thin translucent skins, gleaming brightly under soy sauce with a silky texture; steamed pork ribs served in bamboo baskets, tender, juicy, with taro beneath soaking up all the rich juices; and century egg and pork congee topped with plenty of fried dough sticks (youtiao), warming the stomach deeply. We chose an overhead-handle teapot, which looked fantastic on camera. Because the teahouse lighting was warm and prone to digital noise, we deliberately used a wide-aperture lens and carefully managed the shutter speed to produce clean shots.

A few insights regarding shooting: doing cosplay in a bustling, everyday tea restaurant demands meticulous care for costumes and props. Because indoor spaces are often cramped, skirt hems and Stockings can easily brush against chairs or get stained by tea and sauce, so I made sure to arrange every detail before sitting down. Facing the candid gaze of passersby in a real-world venue truly tests your confidence, but it also allows the character to appear much more relaxed and natural before the lens, avoiding any stiff, forced posing.

After finishing our meal, we were ready to head to the next shoot location. Drinking tea in Lungmen together at an authentic restaurant was truly a unique, dimension-breaking experience.