“Coco... I...” Her voice faltered, like a wet match that wouldn’t catch.

Li Muyan sat on the bed, staring at the blackened patch on her inner thigh, sorrow pooling like ink.

Tang Coco took in her state, her brow drawing tight like a bowstring.

She sat beside her and spoke softly, a warm veil over cold air.

“Muyan,” she asked, her voice a steady candle in a draft, “do you trust me?”

“Mm... I trust you,” she said, the words light as falling ash.

“Good.” Her smile was a thin moon behind clouds. “I won’t let anything happen to you. I’ll handle this, so don’t worry, okay?”

Li Muyan thought for a beat, thoughts moving like slow ripples, then she nodded.

“Mm,” she breathed, a knot loosening like a released kite string.

Seeing that nod, Tang Coco quietly let out a breath, like mist fading off a lake.

“First, we act like nothing happened,” she said, voice steady as a drumbeat. “Don’t let Yiyi notice. This afternoon, we’ll go somewhere and talk details.”

“Okay,” Li Muyan said, her agreement landing like a pebble in a pond.

“Then let’s head down,” Tang Coco said, her tone smooth as running water.

Li Muyan straightened her clothes, fingers fluttering like sparrows, and the two women went to the living room, one ahead and one behind like a small procession.

“Huh? You two came down so fast?” Ye Yiyi looked up from the dishes, steam curling around her like morning fog.

“Hmph, this one caved,” Li Muyan declared, wearing triumph like a paper crown. “I saw that sickly-sweet act and decided to spare her.”

“...” Their shared silence fell like a dropped curtain.

“Alright, whatever you two say,” Ye Yiyi sighed, the clink of plates like rain on eaves. “I’m going back to cooking.”

“Mm, I’ll help,” Li Muyan said, chasing after her like a breeze through a doorway.

Just then, Tang Coco’s phone rang again, a sudden chime like a dragonfly skimming water.

She glanced at the number. It was Gu Xin, the name lighting the screen like a firefly.

“Hey? Xiner? Why the sudden call?” Her doubt rose like a small wave.

“Mm... I need to tell you something. Find a quieter spot,” Gu Xin said, her tone firm as a locked gate.

“Got it,” Tang Coco answered, sensing weight in the words like thunder behind clouds. She headed toward her bedroom.

“Okay, go on,” she said, voice steadied like a leveled blade.

“Ningxin just called me,” Gu Xin said, words clean as a bell.

“Huh? She called you too? Is something wrong?” The question landed with a cold splash.

“Yeah. She wants me to get you out of Ninghai for a while,” Gu Xin said, a warning line drawn like charcoal.

“Why... what happened?” Tang Coco’s voice dropped, her heart sinking like a stone.

“Huaguo’s Anomaly Power organization knows about you. They’ve already sent people to Ninghai. Their target is you,” Gu Xin explained, like a net tightening in the dark.

“...” Silence settled over Tang Coco like snow. She’d long known this tide would come.

“So... things are getting rough for Ningxin?” Her voice was low, like a drum under cloth.

“Yeah. They’re putting pressure on her,” Gu Xin said, the words heavy as wet rope.

“...” Tang Coco didn’t speak. Thoughts spun like dry leaves. After a moment, she said suddenly, “Xiner, what do you think I should do?”

“If it were up to me, I’d take you out of Ninghai,” Gu Xin said, pausing like a held breath. “But... you’ve already decided, haven’t you?”

“Haha... that’s my wife,” Tang Coco laughed, a flicker of warmth like a lantern. “You really do know me.”

“So then... what exactly are you going to do?” Gu Xin asked, curiosity like a small flame.

“Pick me up this afternoon. I’ll head to your place,” Tang Coco said, words laid down like stones across a stream. “I also need your help with something.”

“Okay,” Gu Xin agreed, simple and sure as a nod.

“That’s that, then,” Tang Coco said, and the call ended with a soft click, like a door easing shut.

“Coco! Come eat!” Ye Yiyi’s voice floated from the living room like a silver bell.

“Coming!” Tang Coco called back, her tone light as a leaf. She rose and walked out.

At the table, Ye Yiyi had laid out a whole spread, dishes steaming like a little festival.

Marilyn, the little girl, ate with bright-eyed joy, like a sparrow at grain, and Tang Coco and Li Muyan ate well too.

When everyone had eaten almost enough, Ye Yiyi spoke up, her eyes bright like lanterns. “Coco, I’ll need your help with something soon.”

“Hey—say the word. Your business is my business,” Tang Coco said, her grin warm as a sunbeam.

“So, Coco, can you make pastries?” Ye Yiyi asked, flour-dusted hopes already rising like dough in her mind.

“Pastries?” Tang Coco tapped her chin, finger ticking like a metronome. “Mm... I can do a few.”

“Great! I want to open a cake shop. In a few days, teach me how,” Ye Yiyi said, expectation blooming like peach blossoms.

“A cake shop! You’re going into business?” Tang Coco startled, like a cat pricked by a breeze. With her background, why choose the grind of a shop?

“I want to train myself,” Ye Yiyi said with a small whine, like a kitten pawing. Tang Coco and Li Muyan traded a look, wordless as two dots.

“Alright. I’ll teach you a few things in a few days,” Tang Coco agreed, the promise soft as falling petals.

“Mm-hmm!” Ye Yiyi nodded, happiness sparkling like sunlight on water.

“But Yiyi, don’t start on it just yet,” Tang Coco added, the request drifting like a feather. “Help me look after Marilyn. I might be tied up for a bit.”

“Okay, no problem,” Ye Yiyi said, easy as a spring breeze. “Muyan’s heading home for a while too. When she’s back, we’ll start preparing the shop.”

“Mm,” Tang Coco answered, simple as a stone.

“By the way, Coco, school’s about to start... how are you going to go?” Ye Yiyi asked, the thought dropping like a pebble into clear water.

“Mm... I’ll ask for a few days off,” Tang Coco said, shoulders lifting like reeds in wind. “Then I’ll go like this. It’ll just be more trouble, that’s all.”

“Oh, alright. I’ll take care of the leave,” Ye Yiyi said, waving a hand like a fan.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang, a chime like a silver drop.

“Hm? Who is it?” Ye Yiyi murmured, curiosity blooming like a bird wing. She went to the door and opened it to find Gu Xin standing there.

“Eh? Sis Gu?” Surprise flashed like a spark.

“Mm. I suddenly remembered I needed to see Coco,” Gu Xin said, smiling like spring water.

“Oh, I see. Come in,” Ye Yiyi said, motioning with a welcoming hand like an open gate.

“No, no. Is Coco ready?” Gu Xin waved, light as a fan in summer.

“I’ll ask her,” Ye Yiyi said, returning to the living room with steps soft as slippers. “Coco, Sis Gu is here. Do you two have something?”

“Yeah. I’ve got something to handle this afternoon,” Tang Coco said, the words straight as a drawn line. “I’ll be back tonight.”

“Okay then, hurry. Sis Gu’s waiting outside,” Ye Yiyi said, understanding warm as a lamp behind paper. She knew they had things she shouldn’t pry into.

“Okay,” Tang Coco said, standing with a fluid motion like water. She flicked a glance at Li Muyan, a thread pulled taut.

“Yiyi, I’ll head out too,” Li Muyan said, rising with chair legs whispering like wind.

“Alright. Call me if anything comes up,” Ye Yiyi said, reluctance clouding like soft mist.

“Got it,” Li Muyan replied, and gave Ye Yiyi a big hug, close as a quilt.

Tang Coco climbed into Gu Xin’s car, the two driving out of Jinxiu Garden like swallows leaving the eaves, with Li Muyan’s car following like a shadow.

“What’s going on? Where to?” Gu Xin asked as she drove, eyes fixed on the road like arrows.

“To the seaside villa,” Tang Coco said, the words pointing like a compass needle.

“Okay...” Gu Xin agreed, adjusting the route, GPS blinking like a firefly.

“Xiner... I might need to trouble you for a while,” Tang Coco said, voice low as dusk.

“What happened?” Gu Xin asked, curiosity rippling like light over water.

“Here’s the thing...” Tang Coco explained Li Muyan’s situation, laying it out like a map on a table.

A few minutes later, Gu Xin understood, her brow knitting like a stitched seam.

“I didn’t think it would turn out like this,” she said, her sigh a breeze through reeds. She’d had a good impression of Li Muyan too.

“Yeah. So I decided to have her stay at the villa for now,” Tang Coco said, the plan set like a stone bridge.

“Got it. I’ll take good care of her,” Gu Xin said, nodding, the promise tied like a firm knot.

“Mm.” The agreement was a small ember in the dark.

Half an hour later, the two cars reached the seaside villa, waves thudding against shore like slow drums.

Gu Xin had already moved some things back to Meng Xiaoxiao’s apartment, leaving the rooms a little bare, like a stage after a play.

“Muyan, come in,” Gu Xin said with a smile, the door swinging like a gull’s wing.

Inside, Tang Coco told her, “Muyan, for these days... I have to trouble you to stay here,” the apology soft as rain over bamboo.

“It’s okay. I understand,” Li Muyan answered, her smile pale as moonlight behind gauze.

“This afternoon I’ll prepare some ingredients,” Gu Xin said, stepping close and taking her hand like ivy twining. “I’ll stay here with you.”

“Thank you, Sis Gu,” Li Muyan said, gratitude warm as fresh tea.

“You’re welcome,” Gu Xin replied, easy as breath.

“Alright, let’s discuss the other matter,” Gu Xin said to Tang Coco, and the two went into the bedroom she’d stayed in before, the door closing like a page turning.

“Tell me. What’s your plan?” Gu Xin asked, the question clean as a blade’s edge.

“Ningxin’s side... I think I can go talk to those people,” Tang Coco said, resolve lighting like a lantern.

“But you don’t have Anomaly Power right now. I’m worried you’ll be in danger,” Gu Xin said, concern taut as a bowed string.

“True. But I thought of a way,” Tang Coco said, a path sketching itself like a bridge in fog. “I can have Marilyn use her Anomaly Power to make a split-body for me.”

“Hm? Can Marilyn do that?” Gu Xin asked, doubt drifting like a small cloud.

“She can. Her strength now... is the same as mine used to be,” Tang Coco said, a wry helplessness like a bent reed.

“Ah... then they won’t know you can’t use Anomaly Power. They won’t move on you so easily,” Gu Xin said, relief settling like a cloak.

“Exactly,” Tang Coco said, simple as a nod.

“But how will you negotiate? Join them?” Gu Xin asked, the thought sparking like flint.

“No. Impossible,” Tang Coco said, her vow iron-cold. “I’m Shadow Division, always. I won’t join any other organization.”

“I think we can talk cooperation,” she added, offering an olive branch like a slim twig.

“Let’s hope they’re willing,” Gu Xin said, brows tight as knotted thread. “We still don’t know their aim.”

“When will you meet them?” she asked, time dripping like rain from an eave.

“Wait a bit. I want a few days to rest,” Tang Coco said, her body weak as soaked paper, though she stood because the storm demanded it.

“Yeah. Yuting’s already been wrapped up by Xiaoxiao,” Gu Xin said with a helpless wave, like a reed bending. “She even followed her to the company this afternoon.”

“It’s fine. Good, even,” Tang Coco said, smiling like sun after rain. “She should build some bond with her real sister.”

“Mm...” Gu Xin nodded, a trace of bitterness passing through her eyes like dark tea.

Tang Coco noticed that faint shade. She stepped close, slid an arm around Gu Xin’s waist like a willow branch, and whispered, “What about you?”

“Mm?” Gu Xin asked, eyes lifting like petals.

“Is it okay for you not to go home?” The question drifted like mist over water.

“It’s fine,” Gu Xin said, gaze lowered, words heavy as river stones. “When they sent me to the Shadow Division, they knew we’d rarely meet again. With my identity, seeing them would only cause trouble.”

“They’re in America, right?” Tang Coco asked, a map unfurling like silk.

“Mm,” Gu Xin answered, soft as a nod.

“Let’s go to America in a while,” Tang Coco said, her promise steady as a star over water. “We’ll visit them.”

...

Gu Xin said nothing. Her head lowered like a willow over water, fingers twisting each other like a string of prayer beads.

"No matter what, they're still your family... and... I'll stay with you." Tang Coco’s voice was warm as evening tea, a small lamp lit against a deep hallway.

She eased Gu Xin against her not-so-broad shoulder, a sparrow finding a perch beneath quiet eaves.

"Mm..." Gu Xin breathed, her answer soft as wind through reeds.

"Alright, I should head back early, or Ye Yiyi will start overthinking again..." Tang Coco stood, her movement light as a leaf catching a breeze.

"Okay." The single word fell light, a drop of dew on the floorboards.

The two stepped out of the bedroom; hallway light rippled like water. As they passed the living room, Li Muyan, sunk in the sofa like a steady stone, called to Tang Coco, sudden as a bell.

"Coco? Come here a sec."

"What's up?" Tang Coco asked as she walked over, her steps silent as a cat, her question threading the air like a fine needle.

"I'll go tidy Li Muyan's room." Gu Xin said, and slipped away, tactful as mist that knows when to drift.