"Heh— what a fine daughter. I let you go shopping, and you bring me a storm of trouble. From today, you stay home. No going out."
Qun Zhengxin roared, his voice cracking like a whip in a cold yard.
"Wuu—"
Qun Li sat on the floor, face covered, tears stringing like beads; inside, she cursed Li Muyan and her friends.
"Father, Lili didn't know this time. Please forgive her once," Lv Jiacheng pleaded, his tone soft as a falling feather.
"Hmph!" The sound puffed out like steam from a kettle.
But Qun Zhengxin wouldn’t buy it; his gaze sat stiff as granite, so Lv Jiacheng had to change tack like turning a sail.
"Father, do you know a girl named Coco?"
"Coco? No. Among the Ninghai families, none use that name," Qun Zhengxin said, each word measured like cold ink.
"Then it's odd. The girl in that dress we saw today was stunning— I doubt Ninghai holds anyone prettier."
"Hm? Maybe she’s not from Ninghai. Nothing strange about that," he replied, casual as a breeze through bamboo.
"I mean, if we introduced her to Shaohua..."
"Shaohua? Mm... Handle it when you have time," he said, tone steady as a plow. "First, check her roots and branches. If she’s not from a major house, don’t entangle. I’ve got many matters now; this touches our Qun clan’s future standing."
"Yes, Father," Lv Jiacheng answered, voice small as a candle flame.
At Ye Yiyi’s place, the three finished dinner, bellies warm, steam curling like mist off rice.
"Ahh— Yiyi, let’s go to the bedroom and bond a bit. I’m leaving tomorrow," Li Muyan said, rubbing her stomach like a sleepy cat.
The day after tomorrow was the National Day break; tomorrow, Li Muyan would go home to prep for flying abroad with her father.
"Shoo— who’s bonding with you?" Ye Yiyi shot her a look, sharp as a fan snap.
"Wuu—" Li Muyan whimpered, putting on sorrow like a paper mask.
"And you!" She pointed at Tang Coco, finger like an arrow. "While I’m gone, don’t you make a move on Yiyi."
"Pff! Cough, cough—" Tang Coco was sipping water after dinner; it sprayed like sudden rain.
"What the hell’s packed in your skull?" Tang Coco snapped, anger sparking like flint.
"Hmph. Anyway, no need to worry about Yiyi, ’cause you’re definitely the one on the bottom," Li Muyan said, disdain cutting like a thin blade.
"Li Muyan!!!"
"Nyeh-nyeh—" The tease fluttered like a kite tail.
"Come on, Yiyi, upstairs," she said, tugging Ye Yiyi along like a playful breeze up to the second floor.
"She called me the bottom... I..." Tang Coco stamped her foot, anger thudding like a drum; but her voice thinned at the end, a leaf trembling.
She shook her head, set down the cup with a soft clink like a pebble, and headed to her room.
"System boot."
With the door shut, Tang Coco awakened her Anomaly Power, calm as a pond before dawn.
"System boot complete."
"What’s the status?"
"Energy runs smoothly inside, but it still won’t sync with the body. However, a new condition has appeared."
"What condition?"
"Although the main body can’t perfectly match the Anomaly Power, current diagnostics show it doesn’t affect links to avatars— amplification of others remains unaffected."
"What! You mean..." Shock rippled through Tang Coco like a stone dropped in water.
"Yes. Amplification is fine. Links with six avatars are healthy. Armor support can be attempted."
"What!? That’s wrong. After rebirth, I haven’t used avatar support," Tang Coco said, disbelief buzzing like a hive.
"Diagnostics show six avatars exist, but they weren’t created recently."
"Mm?" Her brow knit like folded paper. She sat on the bed and thought hard, then a question flashed.
"Wait. Can you determine their locations?"
"Avatars haven’t been used for too long. They need remote reactivation. Activate?"
"..."
"No. Don’t activate. If they’re the old six... Xin’er and the others will notice," she said, caution tight as a knotted rope.
"Maybe... that thing isn’t on them," she murmured, a shadow crossing her thoughts like drifting cloud.
No— she needed a chance to scout. If they still existed, she’d find a way to take them back, resolve set like iron.
Her phone rang, bright as a cicada in summer.
"Hello?"
Tang Coco picked up.
"Sister Coco! It’s me!" came Meng Xiaoxiao’s voice, lively as a sparrow.
"I know. What’s up?"
"Wow, Sister Coco, did you forget me?" she chirped, words tumbling like marbles.
"No..."
"Then why haven’t you come play with me for days?"
"Uh... I’ve had stuff going on. Besides, doesn’t your sister keep you company?"
"But I don’t dare bully my sister—" Her tone turned cute, like a kitten batting yarn.
"Uh..."
"So you mean I’m easy to bully?!" Tang Coco snapped, heat rising like steam.
"Little imp, explain today— where am I easy to bully?!"
"No, no... I misspoke. Sister Coco is the cutest," she backpedaled, sweet as candied haw.
"Why did you call? I need a shower."
"I wanted to ask, Sister Coco— you didn’t forget our National Day plan, right? The day after tomorrow is National Day. My sister really wants to meet you," Meng Xiaoxiao said, laughter like silver bells.
"Why does your sister want to see me? Did you bad-mouth me?" Tang Coco asked, suspicion sharp as a needle.
"No way— I told her Sister Coco is a great beauty and super kind..."
"Alright, alright. Stop buttering me up," Tang Coco cut in, waving it off like smoke. "I remember. It’s the day after tomorrow. Yiyi and I set to go somewhere; I don’t know where yet. Just come over then."
"Okay, okay. I can’t wait for the day after tomorrow. Go shower, Sister Coco— and don’t do anything weird—"
"Get lost!"
Tang Coco ended the call, cheeks puffed like a steamed bun, then headed for the bathroom with steps light as rain.
