She set the phone down; crimson still filmed her eyes like dusk on water.

Suddenly, a spike of pain drilled through her skull like an ice awl.

"Ah!"

She dropped onto the bed’s edge like a cut marionette.

She clutched her head; in her blood-red gaze, a pale blue glimmer rose like winter flame, then went out like a snuffed candle.

"I know. I’ll help you bring her back," she told the other self inside her like a shadow in a mirror.

"Since we share one body like one scabbard, I’ll finish your revenge; after that, the fight is mine."

As she spoke, the red-haired Tang Coco saw her homeland again, a place razed by an alien race like fields after locusts.

"Coco?"

Ye Yiyi’s voice came from the hall like soft rain on a door.

Tang Coco rubbed her temple, stood, and stepped out; she opened the door to Ye Yiyi waiting like a willow in wind.

"Here."

She handed over the phone like passing a warm stone.

"Did Ningxin need something?"

Ye Yiyi had heard urgency in Ningxin’s tone like fire under ice.

"Tomorrow I’m going on a trip with her," Tang Coco said, words sliding like a dark river.

"Ah? Where are you going?"

Ye Yiyi asked, her brows lifting like small wings.

"You should know our business by now. Better not ask too much," Tang Coco said, her frown dropping like a shutter.

"Oh..."

Ye Yiyi more or less guessed it; her head dipped like a flower in shade.

"Will it be dangerous?"

Her worry beaded off her voice like rain on glass.

"Heh. For now, aside from those people, no one can match me," Tang Coco said, pride curling like smoke from a brazier.

"Those people?"

Ye Yiyi asked, but Tang Coco didn’t answer; she only stared, sharp as a hawk over a field.

"Okay. I won’t ask. Just… be careful," Ye Yiyi said, head low like a moon behind clouds.

"Are you worried about me?"

Tang Coco’s lips lifted like a crescent blade.

Her soft hand hooked Ye Yiyi’s chin, raising it like a petal under a fingertip.

"I…"

Color rose in Ye Yiyi’s face like dawn on snow.

"Tonight’s your chance. Once I leave, I might be gone for days," Tang Coco said, her tone trailing like silk on a rail.

"…"

Ye Yiyi’s pretty face burned deeper, then she dodged aside like a startled deer and fled to her room like wind through reeds.

"Heh. Little girl."

Tang Coco laughed and shook her head like chiming bells, then turned back to her room like a drifting ember.

At the Imperial Walk Club, Ningxin sat in her office, talking with Xiao Qiao about the situation in America like players over a quiet board.

"That’s it. Go inform them. Have them slip in like shadows under grass.

Their job is intel, not fighting the Abnormals there," Ningxin said, voice steady as a river stone.

"Got it. I’ll tell them now," Xiao Qiao said, and left like a door of wind.

Ningxin sat again and thought like a lantern over maps, then pulled out her phone and dialed like a thread cast to sea.

"Hello? It’s Ningxin."

"What is it?"

Meng Yuting’s voice came through like a cool stream in summer.

"Do you two have time? I’d like to buy lunch and talk," Ningxin asked, tone smooth as tea.

"Sure," Meng Yuting answered, clean as a blade through silk.

"Then let’s meet at the same place. I’ll send someone to pick you up," Ningxin said, polite as a bow.

"No need. We’ll come ourselves."

"Alright. See you soon."

She hung up; the line went quiet like a string cut.

Around twelve-thirty, Ningxin met Gu Xin and Meng Yuting in a private room on the second-floor restaurant, the space hushed like a pond behind screens.

"What would you like to eat?"

Ningxin smiled, warm as spring sun on stone.

"Anything," Meng Yuting said, waving a hand like brushing dust.

"Alright, bring a few house specialties," Ningxin told the serving Xiao Qiao, her words crisp as chopsticks tapping.

"Yes," came the reply, light as a bell.

"Do you have something to tell us, Ningxin?"

Gu Xin asked once others left, direct as an arrow in flight.

"Yes."

Ningxin nodded, small as a drop of rain.

"First, I received a mission.

The military delegation to America was detained by a mysterious Abnormal group," she said, each word placed like stones in a path.

"Mysterious Abnormal group. No intel?"

Meng Yuting asked, eyes narrowing like slits of moon.

"Sadly, none," Ningxin said, brief as frost.

"So you want us to rescue them?"

"No. I plan to send Coco alone."

"What!?"

Gu Xin jolted, shock flashing like lightning behind her eyes; by now they could almost name it—Tang Coco was Tang Ke—though timing held tongues like clamps.

"You’d send her alone?"

Meng Yuting was equally stunned, her voice taut as a bowstring.

"Hear me out.

First, Coco is very strong now.

Her chance to succeed is high," Ningxin said, calm as a still lake.

"…"

They both agreed in silence, heavy as snow.

"And this helps Coco.

Our organization prizes powerful Abnormals like rare steel.

With Coco’s strength, HQ won’t let her stay in Ninghai.

If she completes this mission, she’ll have leverage to bargain," Ningxin said, logic laid out like a fan.

"…"

"Then you’re telling us this because you want something from us," Gu Xin said, sharp as a whetted edge.

"Right. There are two reasons," Ningxin said, lifting two fingers like twin reeds.

"First, I want you two to guard Coco.

Her Anomaly Power isn’t stable.

Last time she turned into this, it lasted minutes, then she fainted.

It looks longer now, but I fear an accident mid-mission," she said, worry coiling like mist.

"I see… And the other reason?"

Meng Yuting asked, voice even as a straight road.

"The other reason is for us," Ningxin said, words falling like slow rain.

"I think, including Yiyi, none of us likes Coco in this state."

"…"

They nodded, agreement quiet as nodding bamboo.

"When I told Coco the plan, I heard a savage edge in her voice, thorns under silk.

So I care about the backstory of this form.

I want you two to watch for cracks.

I’m working with her to keep her in our sightline," Ningxin said, intent bright as coals.

"Seems you’ve thought a lot for Coco," Gu Xin said after a beat, smiling like sun after rain.

"Ah…"

Ningxin could only shake her head, weary as a willow in wind.

"There’s one more thing only we three know.

Use this chance to find a way to subdue Coco.

If you can, that’s best.

Because… I think I can turn Coco back," she said, voice low as a cave.

As she spoke, Ningxin looked at them; a lick of gold surfaced in her eyes like dawn on a blade.