Four male students drifted in with cigarettes dangling, smoke curling like snakes, and walled off the path in front of Tang Coco and Meng Xiaoxiao.

“Who are you? Why’re you blocking us?” Meng asked, voice a snapped twig.

Meng Xiaoxiao pulled Tang Coco behind her like tucking a bird under a sleeve, shoulders squared like a shield.

Annoyance flared in Coco like a struck match. What’s that supposed to mean? Since when do I need a slip of a girl to guard me? She swallowed the spark and watched the standoff, eyes flat as still water.

“Damn, didn’t get a good look earlier. Little sister’s a real looker. Could pass for a campus belle.”

“Look at that face. Fresh as morning dew. Bet it squeezes nice.”

Their words scattered like trash in the wind, bold and dirty.

“Hey. Watch your mouths,” Meng snapped, finger stabbing the air like a blade. “Who are you? If there’s nothing, move.”

“Oooh, feisty,” one drawled, grin oily as a street rainbow. “I like that. And if we don’t move?”

“Yeah, what if we don’t? What can you do? You in back—come show the bros. Tsk tsk, that body’s got bite.”

Their swagger swelled like toads before rain, and their eyes slid to Coco.

Heat climbed in Meng’s chest like a rising storm. “Enough. Push one more word and I won’t be polite.”

“Oh? Little sister, how exactly will you be ‘impolite’?” Laughter scraped like gravel. “Wanna take it to a bed and find out?”

“Don’t be naive,” another crowed, puffing smoke like a cheap dragon. “Here at Ninghai University, who doesn’t know Brother Fan? In all Ninghai City, few dare talk to Brother Fan like that.”

They strutted on their pedigrees like peacocks, pride bright as lacquer. Coco’s patience frayed like old rope. She didn’t need anyone to shield her; she shifted to step in.

A voice boomed over like summer thunder. “Oh? Is that so. One summer break and you forgot what happened before?”

Heads turned. A small squad in black tracksuits strode over, badges winking on their chests like cold moons. The one in the middle was built like a pillar, about six‑three, strength packed tight as coiled steel.

“Tang Hao. What’re you doing here?” Brother Fan’s face soured, like milk left in sun.

“What am I doing?” Tang Hao’s smile was a thin knife. “Seeing what you’re doing. Couldn’t win over last year’s campus belle, so you prey on new freshmen now? Looks like our Disciplinary Committee doesn’t exist in your eyes.”

“Cut the act,” Fan spat, bravado flaring like cheap fireworks. “What damn committee. I don’t care. Isn’t your dad the police chief? Just wait. One day you’ll be on your knees begging me. Quit pretending.”

“I know you’re strong, Fan,” Tang Hao said, voice steady as a stone well. “So what. You want to throw hands?”

Fan’s gaze flickered like a rat in a gutter. He backed off with poison in his smile. “Just you wait. Let me catch you slipping, and you’ll never get back up. We’re out.”

He tossed the words like a rusted knife and started to leave with his pack.

“Take care, Young Master Fan,” Tang Hao sang after him, tone sweet as vinegar. He let the mockery fall like rain, then turned to the girls. “You two okay?”

“We’re fine. Thanks.” Coco’s guard eased a notch, like wind settling after a squall. Tang Hao felt upright to her, a straight pine on a hill. The lean, efficient build fit the way she’d been when she was a guy.

“No need to thank me,” he said, easy as spring sun. “It’s our job. I’m Tang Hao, junior, vice president of the Disciplinary Committee. If trouble finds you, find me.”

“I’m Meng Xiaoxiao,” Meng said, chin up like a little fox. “You’re not bad. But don’t get ideas about our Coco.”

Tang Hao blinked, then laughed, the sound clean as water on rock. “Noted. Nice to meet you both.”

“I’m Tang Coco,” Coco said, voice cool as a shaded path.

“Oh? What a coincidence,” he grinned, eyes lighting like lanterns. “Hundreds of years back, we were probably family.”

“Mm.” Coco kept her replies thin as paper. Liking him didn’t mean she could talk much. Her situation was a tangle of strings.

“If there’s nothing else, senior, go on ahead,” she said, looking for an exit like a door in fog. “We’ll wander a bit.”

“Sure,” Tang Hao nodded. “Ninghai University’s a good place. Take your time. If anything happens, call me. I’ll head out.”

“Mm. Bye.”

Coco and Meng walked off, their shadows long as reeds. Tang Hao watched their backs, thoughts pooling like ink. He murmured to the young man beside him, “Wu Yue, check the black‑clothed girl’s file. Bring it to me.”

“Got it.” Wu Yue’s answer fell neat as a stamp, and he left.

“She feels… off,” Tang Hao thought, a flicker of suspicion darting through his eyes like a fish.

“Hey, Coco-jie, didn’t you think that Tang Hao guy was pretty handsome?” Meng hooked her arm through Coco’s, clingy as ivy.

“You into him?” Coco snorted, a spark under ash. “If you like him, go chase. You could land him.”

“I never said I would,” Meng teased, smiling like a cat in sun. “Why so prickly? Wait—are you… jealous? Relax. I’m sticking with you. I’m not running off.”

Catching a thread of fun, she tugged and laughed, the sound bright as bells. Coco’s temper flared, playful and sharp. She used her height like a lever, caught Meng’s chin, tilted her face up, and locked eyes with her like a hawk.

“Oh? Really? You mean it?” Her voice dropped, warm as wine and edged like a knife. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll eat you one day?”

Surprise blinked across Meng’s face and vanished, quick as lightning behind clouds. She stared back, amused, gaze steady as a lake. “What’s to fear? If a great beauty eats me, I don’t lose.”

Coco froze, breath snagging like silk on a thorn. Panic fluttered. How does she know? Did my makeup slip? Impossible.

She stared at Meng’s slight smile, mind scattering like startled birds. If she saw through me so fast… do others know too?

Her phone rang, a sudden bell in a quiet temple. She jumped, stepped back twice, and pulled it out. Ye Yiyi’s name glowed like a lantern.

“Hello? Sister Yiyi.”

“Coco, where are you? We’re at the parking lot. Come over.”

“Okay. I’m coming.”

She hung up and looked at Meng. “Uh… Xiaoxiao, I’ve got something. I’m heading back. See you tomorrow.”

“Oh, you’ve got plans? Go on, then. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

“Mm. Bye.”

Coco turned and left fast, footsteps quick as rain. Meng watched her hurry off, a smile curling like a ribbon.

Still playing dumb, huh. Good thing I used to disguise like that, or you would’ve fooled me. She said Sister Yiyi… could that be Ninghai University’s campus belle, Ye Yiyi? Heh. This is getting interesting.

She chuckled, light as wind, and headed the other way.