Tang Coco kept edging back, nerves fluttering like sparrows in a bamboo thicket, as Meng Yuting’s stare pinned her like a needle to silk.

“Little lamb—don’t even think about running.” Her voice brushed like a teasing breeze, lips curving like a crescent moon.

The nickname fit like snow on pine; white hair and pale skin gave her that lamb-soft look, though her height stood tall like a willow that wouldn’t bend.

“Uh… Xin’er…” Panic pooled like cold rain in her chest before she turned, eyes pleading like wet glass toward Gu Xin.

Gu Xin went speechless, a sigh rising like mist; this “boyfriend” playing cute was lethal like honey poured over fire.

“Alright, Yuting, don’t scare her.” Gu Xin rose like a reed smoothing troubled water, and Meng Yuting stopped, feet rooted like stones.

“Let’s just sleep together tonight. We haven’t talked in ages, and the moon hangs gentle. Relax—I won’t let Yuting get wild.” Gu Xin’s tone warmed like tea in twilight.

Tang Coco glanced at Gu Xin, then at Meng Yuting, helplessness drooping like a wilted petal. “Fine.”

She padded to the bed, burrowed to the innermost side like a turtle into its shell, turned on her side toward the wall, and pulled the quilt over her head like a cloud swallowing the moon.

Meng Yuting and Gu Xin traded a silent look, the air still as a pond. Yuting shook her head, sat down light as a feather, lifted the quilt, and slipped in on the far side like a shadow settling. She lay at a distance, distance deliberate like a drawn line in sand. Her hand drifted like a curious fish to Tang Coco’s back; the nightdress had a large mesh panel, and through a little gap you could glimpse the strap within. Yuting hooked it with one finger, delicate as a crane picking a reed.

At her touch, Tang Coco’s body jolted like a leaf in wind.

Yuting pulled, gentle but insistent, tugging the strap like a kite string drawn back. “Either you come over on your own, or I undo it—your call.” Her whisper glinted like foxfire.

Tang Coco didn’t answer; she knew that clasp snapped open as easily as dew slips from grass, so she let herself inch back, sliding like a boat toward shore.

Gu Xin stood aside, helplessness stacking like chairs. “You two are impossible.” Her words fell like pebbles into water.

She lifted the quilt and lay in, and the space squeezed Tang Coco to the middle like a pearl between shells.

“Alright, let’s talk.” Gu Xin’s voice smoothed like a hand over velvet.

Tang lay in the center, Yuting and Xin one left, one right, like stars flanking a quiet moon. In the old days she’d have floated like a lantern with joy, but now a stray tension pricked like thorns under silk.

“Coco… after your Anomaly Power’s back, Yuting and I plan to go to America.” Gu Xin’s tone firmed like a drawn bowstring.

“To America? For what?” Curiosity rippled like a cat’s tail.

“We want to find Hawkeye, ask him a few things, then go after Rebellion. Since Lynx went through that mess, I’m afraid they’re in danger. Hawkeye’s fine—we’ve contacted him, but Rebellion stays silent like a shuttered house.” Worry flickered in her eyes like storm-light.

The words fell, and silence settled like ash. Six became scattered petals; fate blew them apart. She and Gu Xin and Meng Yuting still clustered like sparrows on one branch, but their old brotherhood had split like ice. Lynx had, in the end, gone like a candle in wind, and the ache pressed her chest like rain-soaked cloth.

“I’ll go with you.” Resolve steadied like a blade laid flat.

“Mm? No need. You just recovered; stay home and mend like a pot warming on the hearth.” Meng Yuting’s voice drifted like smoke.

“I’m fine. Their business is mine to guard—I’m the captain, and I won’t rest easy. If you run into those Dark Wielders, danger will bite like wolves.” Her gaze held like iron.

“Dark Wielders… are they really that strong?” Gu Xin frowned, lines sketching like claws.

“Yes. I’d avoid them if I could, but they might come for me like crows to carrion.” She spoke faintly, voice cool as moonlight.

“Looks like you care about us after all.” Meng Yuting’s smile rose like a sly crescent.

“Duh.” Tang Coco shot her a look like a pebble flicked at a pond.

“Hey! You little minx!” Yuting’s mouth puckered like a plum; her hand slipped to Tang Coco’s side waist, pinching lightly like a crab’s nip.

“Wah—don’t touch me!” The reaction burst out like a startled deer; she pushed Yuting’s hand away and turned to hug Gu Xin, diving like a swallow into a warm nest.

Softness and fragrance wrapped Gu Xin like spring over stone; she froze a heartbeat, then smiled and held Tang Coco back like arms closing around a bundle of roses.

“Oh? So Xin’er’s better than me?” Yuting pouted, lips like a cherry.

“Watch me deal with you!” Mischief sparked like flint.

Her attack came fierce as a summer squall—tickling like grass against bare ankles.

“Haha—hey, don’t touch me!” Laughter spilled like bells.

“You two, behave.” Gu Xin’s helplessness floated like mist over reeds.

They tussled a while, then the energy drained like tide pulling back. Tang Coco lay on her back, breathing easy as a slow river, and Gu Xin and Meng Yuting rested on her arms like birds perched on quiet boughs.

“So good—we’re finally together again.” Gu Xin’s joy glowed like lantern light; she hugged Tang’s arm tight as ivy. On the other side, Yuting leaned in with eyes closed, a smile soft as peach bloom.

Tang Coco smiled, voice dropping like dusk. “Good night.”

By late morning, after breakfast, Meng Yuting left like a swift horse to tend the company. Gu Xin went upstairs, tidied Tang Coco’s room like a careful breeze, and packed her new clothes snug as folded clouds. Tang planned to return to Ye Yiyi’s home today.

“Coco, rest well at Yiyi’s these next few days. Don’t overthink; we’ll visit like birds circling back.” Gu Xin’s words warmed like sunlight through paper.

“Got it—I’m not a little girl.” Tang Coco rolled her eyes, playfulness rippling like a cat’s whiskers. Gu Xin laughed, bright as chimes.

“Soon, we’ll figure a way to live together again.” Hope lifted like a kite.

“Mm.” Tang Coco nodded, heart tugged like thread; she still hadn’t figured how to handle things at Ye Yiyi’s place.

“Alright, let’s go.” Gu Xin sealed the bags, neat as knots on red cord.

She drove, and the car slid through streets like a fish in clear water, heading for Jinxiu Garden.

At Ye Yiyi’s villa, Ye Yiyi and Li Muyan were sketching a startup plan, ideas sprouting like bamboo shoots. They wanted to open a pastry shop; Ye Yiyi thought Tang Coco could teach her many desserts, cake methods rising like steam. Meng Xiaoxiao and Marilyn were still in the living room, absorbed in games like foxes chasing fireflies.

“Yiyi, what about school later?” Li Muyan asked, concern flowing like a shaded stream.

“My plan is to take a short leave, get the cake shop running, hire staff like hands to the loom, then free up time to attend classes, and drop by the shop when the wind allows.” Ye Yiyi spoke, her map neat as stitched silk.

“That’ll be tiring.” Worry pressed like a cloud.

“It’s fine. If I can build my own business, my heart will bloom like apricot flowers.” Ye Yiyi smiled, bright as morning.

“Good. I’ll help you, no matter what.” Li Muyan thumped her chest like a drum.

“Mm.”

Ding-dong—the doorbell chimed like a silver bell.

“Huh? Who’s here?” Li Muyan asked, eyebrows lifting like reeds.

“Maybe Coco’s back!” Joy flickered in Ye Yiyi’s eyes like fireflies; she ran downstairs, steps quick as rain beads.

“Yiyi-jie, someone’s here,” Meng Xiaoxiao called, eyes glued to the TV like a moth to flame.

“Coming!” Ye Yiyi opened the door, and a black-dressed Tang Coco lifted a hand like a petal in greeting.

“Hello.”

“Wow, Coco really came back!” Ye Yiyi’s happiness rose like a bright moon, and she hugged Tang Coco like arms around warm silk.

“Uh… didn’t we meet yesterday?” Tang Coco sighed, wry as a tilted smile.

“Hehe, still happy to see you come home.” Ye Yiyi laughed, soft as wind, then turned to Gu Xin. “Hello, Sister Gu.”

“Hi. I delivered her home, and I’m picking up Xiaoxiao like a star returning to its constellation.” Gu Xin smiled, gentle as tea.

“Oh, got it—come in.” They stepped into the living room, footsteps light as feathers.

“Xiaoxiao!” Gu Xin called, voice ringing like a bell.

“Mm? Sister Gu! Wow, you’re back!” Meng Xiaoxiao turned, delight popping like a firecracker.

“Mm.”

“Eh? That’s…” Her gaze snagged on a white-haired girl, face flawless like carved jade, and suddenly recognition struck like lightning.

“Tang Coco!?” The name burst out like a spark.

Tang Coco’s face darkened like a cloud.

“Hey! No ‘sis’? How rude.” She feigned anger, puffing like a small storm.

“Wow, Sis Coco, you dyed your hair?” Xiaoxiao scurried over, eyes shining like stars.

“Yep! Cool, right?” Tang Coco struck a pose like a blade catching light.

“So cringe.” Xiaoxiao’s voice fell dry as twigs.

Tang Coco froze, awkwardness pooling like spilled ink.

“But kinda cute.” Xiaoxiao’s smile bounced back like spring grass.

“Right?”

“And this must be little Marilyn.” Tang Coco drifted toward the sofa, where Marilyn still focused on the game like a hawk on a mouse.

“I’m—” Marilyn lifted a sunny smile like a dawn window, about to speak.

“I know you. Heard you’re close with Yiyi and the girls. Come on, let’s go upstairs and chat.” Tang Coco’s words swept like a playful breeze.

She took Marilyn’s hand and tugged her upstairs, steps pattering like rain on tiles.

Ye Yiyi and Gu Xin traded a look, helplessness mirroring like twin moons in water.

“Xiaoxiao, let’s head home; your sister misses you like a bird misses its nest.” Gu Xin called, voice soft as silk.

“Alright, alright, I miss you too. I wanted to hang with Sis Coco, but another day then. I’ll pack.” Meng Xiaoxiao bounced, resolve light as a kite.

“I’ll help.” Ye Yiyi said, and the two went upstairs like swallows to the eaves.