Tang Coco brushed past Meng Xiaoxiao like a breeze skimming reeds and asked Ye Yiyi, “What’s up?”

“I’m walking you back,” she said, firm as a hand on a gate.

Ye Yiyi took Tang Coco’s hand and led her toward the guest room, like towing a small boat through quiet water.

“Huh? No need... it’s only a few meters,” Tang said, her words drifting like lazy smoke.

She looked speechless, a blank moon behind clouds, but Ye Yiyi cut her off like a snapped string.

“No.” The word dropped like a stone in a pond.

She opened the door and stepped in first, eyes sweeping left and right like swallows under eaves.

“What are you looking for?” Tang asked, her tone a dry leaf rustling.

“N-nothing,” Ye Yiyi said, cheeks blooming like peach petals.

“Heh, aren’t you looking for Xu Yinuo?” Tang Coco teased, smile wicked as a cat’s grin.

“...”

“Little Yiyi, don’t tell me you’re... jea-lous,” her words dangled like sugar threads.

Seeing Ye Yiyi red-faced and quiet like dusk, Tang Coco kept going, voice light as a breeze.

“H-how could I be? I’m just worried about your safety,” she blurted, heart drumming like rain.

“My safety? Yeah... last night I almost—” Tang’s memory stirred like a dark wave.

“Huh? Almost what?” Ye’s voice pricked like a thorn.

“N-nothing...” The words shrank like a snail into its shell.

“Say it!” Her demand struck like a clap of thunder.

“It’s really nothing,” Tang said, evasive as mist.

“Hmph! I’m not talking to you.” She turned away like a gust slamming a door.

“Watch your messages. I’ll call you for dinner,” she called, voice trailing like a kite string, then shut the door with a snap like ice.

“Heh.” Tang Coco laughed, a small bell chiming, and shook her head; Ye Yiyi was so proud and prickly, like a rose.

Meanwhile, in Gu Xin and Meng Yuting’s room, the air hung heavy like damp wool.

“What do you think?” Meng asked, voice low as twilight.

She stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, eyes on the view like a watchful heron, while Gu Xin sat on the bed.

“I don’t know either... but...” Gu Xin’s face shadowed like a cloud.

“But she knew what we like, our hobbies... I never even told Xiaoxiao,” Meng said, words like stones skipping water.

Meng picked up where Gu Xin’s thought left off, like catching a falling leaf.

“...”

Watching Gu Xin’s silence settle like frost, Meng went on.

“Tang Coco... Tang Ke...” The names hung in the air like twin stars.

“Yuting... if it’s really that, what do we do?” Gu asked, fear coiling like smoke.

“What do we do?” Meng echoed, tone steady as stone, then sat beside her, shoulder warm like a hearth.

“Xin’er, you still love him, right?” Her question floated like a lantern.

“Of course,” Gu answered, firm as a stake.

“Then we’re fine. As long as we still love him, no matter what he becomes, we keep loving,” Meng said, vow steady as a river.

“Even if...” The words trembled like a leaf.

“Yeah. Even if he’s a girl!” Meng cut in, bright as a blade.

“...”

“Whew... I get it now.” Gu exhaled, breath easing like wind through pines.

“Mm!” Meng nodded, smile opening like dawn.

“Still, we can’t be sure she’s that guy. We need a way to test her,” she said, plan forming like a spiderweb.

“Right. Today alone isn’t enough to decide,” Gu agreed, caution taut like a tightrope.

“Suppose—if she is him—then why hasn’t she reached out?” Gu asked, brows knotted like twine.

She’d been thinking of that figure every day, memory lingering like incense smoke.

“Hmph, who knows what that jerk’s thinking... if it’s really her, I won’t let her off,” Meng said, anger flaring like sparks.

“Right, we start with her Anomaly Power. Ningxin only gave us her power tier, not the details. If it’s her, the power should still be the same, because that thing never left,” Gu said, logic stacking like bricks.

She reached into her bag and drew a delicate box, opening it to a silver bracelet gleaming like moonwater. Tang Ke had given it to her, and she wore it always, except today at the park, for convenience, like leaving armor on a rack.

“Yeah! Xin’er, you’re sharp,” Meng said, praise clapping like a drum, then pulled out her phone and called Ningxin, the ring tone bubbling like spring.

At the amusement island’s far dock, another batch of visitors arrived like a flock of seabirds; they didn’t look like they were from Huaguo, and among them walked a foreign girl with long golden waves, hair rippling like wheat.

Tang Coco lay on the bed, bored as a cat in noon heat, and started chatting with the system.

“I didn’t spot any shards on them today. Did the system glitch?” she asked, doubt flickering like a moth.

“The system doesn’t err. To verify, the best method is to reactivate the shards,” the voice replied, cold as metal.

“...”

“Let’s wait,” Tang said, caution settling like dust.

She felt she couldn’t act rashly, her mind tethered like a tied boat.

“That directive still stands, right?” Tang asked, words careful as steps on ice.

“Yes. It’s set to be non-cancelable and immutable,” the system answered, tone flat as a slate.

Last time at home, Tang Coco had set a directive: if her Anomaly Power went berserk again, the system would step in and clamp the Anomalous Energy, forcing her to stay in that rampage. In other words, after the next berserk, she wouldn’t be the person she is now, like a river locked in flood.

Suddenly, her phone rang, sharp as a sparrow’s chirp.

“Hello? Sis Ning?” Her voice lifted like a willow branch.

One glance at the caller ID, and Tang Coco picked up at once, quick as a spark.

“Little brat, heard you went out with Yiyi?” Ningxin’s voice came through, teasing like windbells.

“Yeah,” Tang said, light as foam.

“Oho—did something happen between you two?” Her tone curled like smoke.

“What are you even saying! What could happen...” Tang sputtered, blush warming like coals.

“Please, I know your little thoughts,” Ningxin said, chuckle bright as beads.

“...”

“Anyway, did you meet Gu Xin and the others?” she asked, straight as an arrow.

“How do you know!” Tang shot up, shock blooming like lightning.

“Such a big thing, and you didn’t tell me!” Ningxin’s outrage crackled like a fire.

“Uh...” Tang’s voice shrank like a pebble.

“Meng Yuting just called me, that’s how I knew you ran into them. You know her sister?” Ningxin asked, curiosity glinting like dew.

“Mm... we’re classmates,” Tang said, calm as still water.

“That’s quite a coincidence,” Ningxin said, fate weaving like threads.

“Did she call for something?” Tang asked, breath held like a bird.

“Oh, nothing big, just asking about your Anomaly Power,” Ningxin said, words dropping like beads.

“!!!” Tang’s heart jolted like a drum.

“You told them!?” Her voice spiked like a spear.