"So noisy!" A young voice sliced through the room like a silver bell.

"Who’s there?!" Meng Yuting barked, eyes sweeping the walls like a wary cat.

"Hee-hee~" A playful laugh bubbled up like a spring.

"Energy transfer complete. Materialization conditions met. Main system manifesting—" The same voice flattened, cold as steel.

Blue particles around Tang Coco froze, hovered upward like mist at dawn, drifted aside like tidewater, then settled onto the floor like falling snow.

The cluster swelled, white light blazing like noon over water, flooding the room till Li Muyan and Ye Yiyi had to close their eyes like shutters.

Gu Xin and Meng Yuting forced them open, stubborn as stones in a stream, wanting to witness whatever was being born.

Half a minute later, the glare dimmed like sunset, and Li Muyan and Ye Yiyi blinked their eyes open like petals.

Gu Xin and Meng Yuting were already stunned, faces blank as paper.

"What—!" All four shouted, voices clashing like cymbals.

"Is it that shocking?" A calm ripple broke the panic.

Beside Tang Coco, a small figure stepped out of the blue swarm like a child from fog, around four‑nine tall, hair milk‑white streaming to below her hips like a waterfall.

Her pale‑blue eyes were clear as ice lakes, her round face soft as a peach, cuteness bright as a lantern.

"So… so cute…" Ye Yiyi breathed, eyes sparkling like stars, staring at the girl like a magpie at a gem.

"…" The other three went silent, a comic black line dropping like ink.

Looked like a hidden switch in Ye Yiyi’s heart had flipped like wind chimes.

"Ahem… Yiyi…" Li Muyan tugged her sleeve, awkward as a cat caught stealing, trying to stop that stare like a spotlight.

Because… the loli wasn’t wearing anything, bare as a newborn moon.

Whoosh— Meng Yuting snatched a black jacket, and tossed it over the little girl like a swooping raven.

"Put this on first." She spoke flatly, breath steady as winter air.

Even among girls, a naked loli was still a splash of cold water.

"Eh? Such a hassle…" The loli took the coat, reluctant as a lazy sparrow.

"Who… are you?" Gu Xin asked, eyes pinned on the loli like needles.

"Do I introduce myself first? Mm~ just call me Marilyn." The loli dressed while speaking, voice sweet as candy.

"Marilyn… what are you, and why did you appear here?" Gu Xin frowned, her brow tightening like drawn string.

"I need to confirm one thing before I answer." The loli raised one finger like a slim reed.

"Confirm what?" Meng Yuting asked, words clipped like footsteps.

"Recognition starting…" The loli’s tone flipped to AI, clean as glass; numbers fluttered in her pale‑blue eyes like minnows.

Blue light bloomed there like frostfire, and she looked at Gu Xin like a scanner beam.

"Gu Xin. S+‑rank Abnormal. Attribute: Ice. Intimacy with host: 109%."

"What?!" Gu Xin jolted, shock cracking through her like a thunderclap; her Anomaly Power laid bare like an open book.

The loli gave her no room to stew, gaze moving to the others like a lighthouse sweep.

"Meng Yuting. S+‑rank Abnormal. Attribute: Speed. Intimacy with host: 109%."

"Li Muyan. D‑rank sub‑grade Abnormal. No attribute. Intimacy with host: 89%."

"Ye Yiyi…" The loli paused, silence hanging like a held breath.

"Anomaly Power scan error. Step skipped. Intimacy with host: 101%."

"…" The four stared at the loli, silence thick as fog.

"This…" Li Muyan whispered, surprise blooming like a sudden firework.

"How do you know all that?!" Meng Yuting snapped, alarm rising like a storm; if this was an enemy, the fallout would be a landslide.

"All four display high intimacy with the host. Partial answers permitted. Scan complete." The loli said, blue light ebbing from her eyes like tide.

"…" The four watched her, words stuck like fishbones.

"Can you explain now?" Gu Xin stepped forward, voice steady as a blade laid flat.

"I’m Marilyn, the intelligent support system of the host’s I Energy." The loli smiled, warmth flickering like a hearth.

"The host—Coco, right?" Ye Yiyi asked, hope peeking like dawn.

"Correct." The loli nodded, simple as rain.

"If you’re a system, why are you… in this body?" Li Muyan pointed, gesture stiff as bamboo.

"The host’s I Energy has entered Phase Two. Phase Two needs my support. Short‑term, the host can’t use Anomaly Power, so I manifest to assist." The loli’s explanation fell clean as snow.

"…" The four fell quiet, thoughts circling like birds.

"What is I Energy?" Meng Yuting asked, curiosity pricking like needles.

"Sorry. No permission to answer." The loli wagged a finger, light as a willow leaf.

"Since you support Coco, do you know when she’ll wake?" Ye Yiyi asked, heart leaning forward like a sprout to sun.

"Given current recovery, the host will awaken within three days." The words landed like rain on dry soil.

"Really? That’s great!" Ye Yiyi brightened, joy rising like a kite.

"So, what will you do now?" Gu Xin’s relief flickered, then she pressed on, voice steady as a drumbeat.

"While the host is unconscious, the automatic defense system protects her like a shell. For now, I’m… hungry~" The loli tilted her head, cuteness popping like a bubble.

"…" The four’s expressions fell, timing skewed like a slipped beat.

"Why the faces? This is a new body. No food inside. So I’m hungry." The loli puffed her cheeks, round as buns, trying to explain.

"Alright. I’ll get you some food." Gu Xin shook her head, then turned away like a breeze down the stairs.

"System switching to life mode." The loli murmured, head dipping like a flower; when she looked up again—

"Waah~ I’m starving, Yiyi‑jie!" She pounced into Ye Yiyi’s arms like a kitten.

"…" The three left in the room watched her, speechless as stones.

"Same flaw as Coco—her mood flips like summer weather." Meng Yuting muttered, dry as dust.

"I… can I call you… Lulu?" Ye Yiyi asked, nervous as a doe.

"Mm‑mm, sure~ Sisters can all call me Lulu." The loli’s voice was sugar‑soft, sweet as honey.

"Alright, Lulu. Let’s head downstairs. Don’t disturb Coco’s rest." Li Muyan suggested, calm as lake water.

"Mm‑mm." The loli nodded, a small boat bobbing in a quiet bay.

Soon, Gu Xin set out food for the loli, dishes steaming like little clouds.

"Lulu, slow down." At the table, Ye Yiyi watched her gobble like a tiny wolf, helpless as a sigh.

"Strange… glug… no wonder you humans eat every day… tastes really good…" Lulu talked with her mouth stuffed, words rolling like marbles.

"…" Silence fell, soft as ash.

"Lulu, were those scans about us real?" Li Muyan asked, tone even as a ruler.

"Of course~ I’m the system inside the host’s heart, so I can access all her emotions and data like weather over a sea." Lulu smiled.

"Oh…" Li Muyan’s reply drifted like smoke.

"Then… Gu‑jie and Yuting‑jie, your intimacy with Coco is so high…" Li Muyan said, eyes squinting like a fox.

"Right! Gu‑jie, didn’t you only meet Coco recently?" Ye Yiyi chimed in, curiosity bright as dew.

"Um…" Gu Xin stalled, words stuck like glue.

"Yiyi, at Amusement Island, I explained. We suspect Coco is our old… good friend. We couldn’t be sure, because she looks very different now. But it seems… it really is her." Meng Yuting spoke, effort in her voice like a weight lifted slowly.

"So that’s it. Then why didn’t Coco recognize you? Could it be amnesia?" Ye Yiyi guessed, thoughts fluttering like sparrows.

"Maybe…" Gu Xin lowered her head, voice dim as dusk.

"I see… then one more question. Yiyi, why is your intimacy with Coco also that high?" Li Muyan pivoted, gaze landing on Ye Yiyi like a beam.

"Uh… that…" Ye Yiyi’s face flushed pink, blooming like a peach blossom.

"Did you two do something while I wasn’t home?" Li Muyan leaned closer, teasing like a cat batting string.

"Uh…" Ye Yiyi dodged her eyes, voice thin as silk. "What are you saying! No way! I… I just really like Coco."

"Oh? Which kind of like~" Li Muyan pressed, smile sly as moonlight.

"I…" Ye Yiyi faltered, words melting like snow.

"Muyan, you’re terrible!" She finally burst, springing up, little pink fists flying like sparrow wings at Li Muyan.

"Hey, hey, hey! Don’t hit me!" Li Muyan yelped, shock skittering like a crab.

"Any more?" Lulu chimed in suddenly, voice bright as a bell.

"Uh, you finished all that?" Meng Yuting gaped, surprise rising like steam; Gu Xin had made plenty, yet Lulu ate like a whirlwind.

"Yeah, but… I don’t feel full." Lulu rubbed her flat tummy, hand circling like a moon.

"…" A beat of quiet fell, cool as shade.

"No. You can’t eat more. Bingeing is bad." Gu Xin stopped her, tone firm as a gate.

"Oh… okay." Lulu saw Gu Xin’s face and yielded, reluctant as a drifting leaf.

"Alright, it’s late. Since that particle cluster was Lulu’s doing, there’s no danger. Let’s turn in early." Gu Xin said, words settling like quilted night.

"Then… what about Lulu?" Ye Yiyi asked, concern soft as rain.

"Me? I need sleep too~" Lulu pointed at herself, simple as a pebble.

"Then Lulu sleeps with us tonight~" Meng Yuting spoke suddenly, suggestion light as wind.

"Mm, alright. Let’s rest." Li Muyan agreed fast, tugging Ye Yiyi upstairs like a kite string.

"Come on, Yiyi~" "Hey— slow down!" Ye Yiyi called, feet pattering like raindrops.

"Just lie here to sleep?" Lulu entered Gu Xin’s room, pointing at the soft big bed like cloud‑foam.

"Mm." Gu Xin nodded, and Lulu hopped up like a sparrow to a branch.

"Lulu, we want to ask you something." Gu Xin sat at the bedside, face serious as granite.

"Ask away~ I’ll answer whatever I’m permitted." Lulu replied, voice clear as spring water.

"Do you know your host Coco’s identity from before?" Gu Xin asked, words careful as stitches.

"Her previous identity?" Lulu tilted her head, puzzled as a child.

"Yes. Coco… wasn’t like this before, right?" Gu Xin’s tone pressed softly, like a hand on a door.

"Mm… indeed. The host’s body changed some time ago. But the system can only detect the match between the host’s body and I Energy. As for what physical traits changed, the internal system has no record." Lulu explained, each clause neat as beads.

"I see…" Gu Xin’s voice sank, heavy as evening rain.

By the way, I want to ask… what’s the standard for the intimacy rating?

Hostile shows a negative percentage. Strangers are 0–30%. Acquaintances are 31–50%. Close friends are 51–70%. Strong liking is 71–80%. Intense liking is 81–90%. Wanting to stay together for life is 91–100%.

Huh? So 100% means wanting to be together for life?

Right. Hitting 100% between two people is the cap.

Then what’s above 100%?

Only when the Host and another person have “relations” does favor break past 100%.

Uh…

Gu Xin and Meng Yuting hadn’t expected that. Their cheeks warmed like peach petals in spring.

Figures…

Alright… Marilyn, you should sleep first.

Okay~ Marilyn’s gonna go feel what sleep is like~

Gu Xin and Meng Yuting stepped onto the balcony, moonlight pouring like cold jade across the night.

Yuting… this time… we won’t be wrong…

Heh, yeah… must be fate playing tricks on us.

We both loved him. He left, and we ended up like this. And now he’s become her.

I think she knows why all this happened.

Gu Xin lowered her head, her gaze sinking like a shadow.

Mm, but why won’t she tell us? She left us worrying ourselves sick.

…

Gu Xin fell silent too, unable to figure out why Tang Coco kept them in the dark.

When she wakes up… I won’t let her off!

Meng Yuting raised a fist, a small storm brewing in her eyes.

Mm… me too…

Gu Xin nodded hard, like a stake driven into earth.

Achoo!

No way… even a soul can sneeze?!

Tang Coco drifted in that vast darkness, with only rows of Mechs lining her sight like iron sentries.

Hey, Marilyn! System! Where’d you vanish to?!

She shouted, fingers dancing over one Mech’s console after another, modding and upgrading without pause.