The room looked like a storm had rolled through, a tossed nest where chaos clung like dust in sunlight. The cream quilt spilled half over the floor like melting frost. The pillow had flown from its spot like a startled bird. Shoes and clothes lay scattered like autumn leaves after wind.

On the bed, two beauties lay disheveled, heat shimmering off their skin like summer mirage. No—only one technically disheveled; the other was down to underwear, prone like a resting cat. Tang Coco’s bra strap had snapped and hung crooked on her arm like a loose ribbon. Lucky for her, she was face down, modesty guarded like a hidden moon behind clouds.

Mu Qingcheng’s once-sleek hair draped everywhere like tangled ivy. The collar of her red dress was ripped down like torn silk. Her usual ice-queen boss vibe had melted; right now she was a lively girl, sprawled and gasping, breath rough as a bellows.

“You… you two…” Ye Yiyi stared, eyes wide as lanterns in a night market.

“Shh—don’t talk.” Mu Qingcheng’s finger lifted to her lips like a thin blade of moonlight.

“Tired… so tired…” Tang Coco’s voice drifted like smoke after rain.

“…”

“Whew—haven’t been this happy in ages. You’re good, Tang Coco.” Mu Qingcheng laughed like sun breaking through cloud and patted Coco’s white back like cool jade.

“Heh, I didn’t expect you, old woman, to have that much energy.” Tang Coco shot back, words sharp as sparrows.

“Still, thank you. I haven’t vented like this in a long time.” Her tone fell soft, like a wind finally finding a place to rest.

“Haha, then take care of your body. Don’t repeat yesterday. You don’t know how many hearts worried for you, like lamps burning late.”

“Mm… I know…” Coco’s voice was low, like a drum muffled under water.

“Hahaha, good! I’ve decided—whenever I need to blow off steam, I’ll come tussle with you.” Her grin was a storm flirting with the sea.

“Wow… too much. Using me like a stress toy?” Coco’s eyes flicked up, sparks like flint.

“Heh-heh—can’t help it. In my hands, you won’t slip away, like a fish caught in a net.”

“…”

“Alright, I’ll tidy up. You get up too. Don’t keep pressing it—if it goes out of shape, I’ll have to knead it back.” Her tease landed like a pebble in a still pond, ripples of blush spreading.

Mu Qingcheng sat up, combed her hair through with her fingers like smoothing silk, then walked toward the bathroom, steps light as reeds.

“I…” Tang Coco’s thoughts went muddy like ink in water.

“Coco?” Ye Yiyi crawled to her side, voice gentle as warm rain.

“Sister Yiyi, I’m fine.” The words perched shyly like a sparrow on a branch.

Coco braced to roll over, then felt a sudden looseness at her chest, a slip like a clasped shell opening. She froze, cheeks blooming like peach petals. She fixed the strap, slid both hands behind her back, fingers fumbling like moths at dusk. She tried a few times, but she was spent; strength scattered like sand.

“I’ll help you…” Ye Yiyi sat up, hands careful as snowflakes, and hooked the U-shaped clasp with a neat click.

“Mm…” Tang Coco puffed her cheeks, then fell quiet, still as a pond.

After a while, Mu Qingcheng returned, neat again, aura smoothed like pressed satin. “Right, this is for you. It has your wages and commissions from the last shifts. This boss has a conscience, unlike a certain chef who flaked on me.” Her smile tilted like a crescent moon.

“…” Tang Coco stayed silent, eyes a shade of dusk.

Mu Qingcheng chuckled and told Ye Yiyi, “I’m off, little Yiyi. I’ll ‘tidy you up’ next time—no strength today. And Mu Yan, that little brat, must’ve bolted already.” Her certainty was a compass pointing true.

“Hmph, don’t let me catch her.” Ye Yiyi’s snort was a spark under ash.

“Uh…” Mu Qingcheng left Ye Yiyi’s place, door closing like a soft wave.

“Coco, not getting up yet?” Ye Yiyi came back to Coco’s room and found her still prone, a seal on warm sand.

“Yiyi…” Coco’s voice was a whisper, threadlike silk.

“Mm?” The answer was a small knot, ready to untie.

“Tomorrow… are you busy?” Her words tiptoed like dew.

“I’ve got one class tomorrow. Not that important. Do you need something?” Ye Yiyi’s gaze was steady, a quiet lake.

“Mm… come shopping with me… I want to buy some clothes…” She hesitated, syllables falling like slow rain.

“Wow! Coco, did I hear right? You actually want to buy clothes?” Surprise flashed, bright as a kite catching wind. Then a thought landed like a wary swallow. “Wait… not just because that tracksuit got wrecked, and you want a new set, right?”

“Uh… no. I… want to embrace something new… so… I need your help…” Her head sank into the bed, hiding like a hedgehog in grass.

“Did that high fever fry your brain?” Ye Yiyi reached out and touched her forehead, palm cool as spring water.

“…”

“Hey! Stop teasing me! I’m serious, okay? I made a big decision!” Her eyes sparked, a blade of resolve.

“Pff—hahaha! Okay, okay. I won’t tease my little cutie.” Laughter spilled like beads.

“Go, go, you’re the little one…” Coco shot back, pride lifting like a cresting wave.