In the afternoon, after treating Aunt Qin to a coffee as thanks, the girls drifted toward the parking lot, their plan to see the villa gleaming ahead like a distant lake.

They reached the crowded lot, found their car like a familiar island in a sea of steel, and climbed in; it was past one, the place buzzing like a hive, so Gu Xin chose a narrow lane, a quiet brook off the main stream.

At a bend, a white Mercedes roadster slid in from the opposite side; the lane was a thin alley, and both cars froze like two cats balancing on a narrow wall.

“Gu-jie, let them go first,” Ye Yiyi said, her voice soft as a breeze under shade.

“That’s tough. We’d have to back a long way. We turned in first. Let them back,” Gu Xin replied, eyes steady; every slot along the lane was packed like a full chessboard, nowhere to turn.

Beep-beep—Gu Xin tapped the horn, a small bird call in the concrete forest.

“Su-jie, I’ll back up a bit,” said Tiantian from the Mercedes, and Su Xinhua nodded, a ripple across a calm pond.

Squeal! As the Mercedes started to reverse, a black BMW knifed up from behind and slammed its brakes, stopping half a meter short, a hawk diving and pulling up at the last beat.

The BMW’s window dropped; a young man stuck his head out and barked, coarse as gravel: “Are you brain-dead? Why park here?!”

“Su-jie, we can’t back up,” Tiantian said, her tone cold as frost.

“Hmm… let’s see who thinks foul words can make them big,” Su Xinhua murmured, brows knitting like two drawn bows, and she stepped out with Tiantian, their movements light as lilies in rain.

“Whoa, two beauties. Look, Brother Lu!” the driver, Li Mao, blurted, excitement bubbling like soda.

Lu Kai raised his head and saw them—one with a black single ponytail, a white off-shoulder tee and black hot shorts; the other with brown long hair and a white short dress—two figures walking like moonlight and flame, faces fresh as their late-twenties youth.

“Yo, two beauties. Let’s go take a look,” Lu Kai said, interest pricking like a cat’s ears, and he swung out of the car.

“Why did you curse?” Tiantian asked, gaze icy as a winter river.

“Uh…” Li Mao’s bravado melted like butter on a hot plate.

“Sorry, ladies, his brain glitched; don’t take it to heart,” Lu Kai said, smiling thin as paper.

“Hmph. Then back your car. Someone ahead needs to pass,” Tiantian snapped, words crisp like pebbles on porcelain.

“Huh? Why should we? Let them back,” Lu Kai shot back, voice rough as gravel.

“We came through first,” Su Xinhua said, steady as a metronome.

“Come on, such a small thing. Ladies, relax. I’ll fix it,” Lu Kai declared, looping past the Mercedes toward a four-seat Porsche, his stride loud as empty drums.

“Hey! Back up already! Can’t you see which side has more cars?” he barked at the tinted window, dark as ink; too busy peacocking, he didn’t even look inside.

“Who is this clown?” Ye Yiyi muttered, anger sparking like flint.

“I’ll check. Stay in the car,” Gu Xin said, her calm a still lake before a wind; she unbuckled and opened the door, while Tang Coco in the rear kept her head down, thumbs dancing on her phone like dragonflies on water.

The door swung and Gu Xin stepped out in a white dress, clean as fresh snow; Lu Kai raised his voice, then stalled, beauty hitting him like sunlight breaking cloud.

Another beauty! he howled inside; what a day—skip class, and fate throws blossoms in my path.

“What did you just say?” Gu Xin asked, face set like granite.

“Uh… hi, beauty… I—I said it wrong. Mistook you for someone,” Lu Kai stammered, his smile collapsing like wet paper.

Gu Xin went silent; she loathed fakery like smoke in the lungs.

“We can’t reverse. Could you back up?” she said, voice smooth as water, and walked toward the Mercedes; soon she met the two women, and Gu Xin and Tiantian traded a glance, surprise flickering like lightning behind clouds; Tiantian eased in front of Su Xinhua, while Gu Xin shifted sideways, light as a reed.

“Tiantian, what is it?” Su Xinhua asked.

“Su-jie, be careful. She’s an Abnormal—and a strong one,” Tiantian whispered, words thin as silk thread.

Su listened, eyes narrowing like crescent blades.

“Hi. We can’t back up. Could you retreat a bit?” Gu Xin asked, polite but firm, a jade edge under velvet.

“We tried. See? We’re blocked,” Tiantian said, pointing at the black BMW, her finger an arrow.

“All right. We’ll back up and take another route,” Gu Xin said, decision dropping like a stone; she knew that BMW belonged to those two, and she would never ask that kind of man—better to reverse herself.

“Hey! Wait!” Lu Kai called, words chasing like stray dogs.

“What?” Gu Xin turned, cool as evening shade.

“We can back up. No rush. Since fate set us here, how about I treat everyone to a meal?” Lu Kai smiled, syrup thick as molasses.

“Are you sick? Who has time to eat?” Tiantian shot back, sharp as a whip.

Lu Kai froze, his swagger crumbling like stale bread.

“No interest,” Gu Xin said, and headed for her car.

“Hey, stop! How dare you talk to Brother Lu like that,” Li Mao puffed, a rooster at dawn.

“Hmm? Why are we still stuck?” Tang Coco in the Porsche’s rear seat finally lifted her head, voice ringing like a bell.

“No idea. They keep yapping. I’ll check,” Ye Yiyi said, restless as a sparrow, and reached for the door.

“Wait! That guy looks familiar,” Tang Coco said, a spark flaring like a match; she squinted and snapped her fingers. “Got it—Li Mao and Lu Kai.”

“You know them?” Ye Yiyi asked.

“Classmates,” Tang Coco said, and slipped out, steps neat as ink strokes.

“What do you mean by that?” Gu Xin asked, her tone turning cold, air tight as a drawn bow; the mood pulled taut, sparks hissing in the seam.

“I… uh…” Li Mao stammered, Gu Xin’s chill hitting him like winter wind.

“Lu Kai! What are you doing?!” a clear voice chimed, cutting through like glass bells.

“Huh? Who’s calling me?” Lu Kai jerked up, and everyone looked past Gu Xin, then went still, statues under moonlight.

White hair streamed behind Tang Coco as she walked, a pale banner in the breeze; her tall frame paired with a black long dress and black stockings, temptation coiling like smoke; her delicate features held anger, and her light-blue eyes flicked with long lashes.

“My god… a fairy,” Li Mao breathed, awe wide as the sky.

“How can someone be this pretty?” Su Xinhua whispered, wonder flashing like a struck string.

Then a frown gathered; familiarity rose like a half-remembered song.

“Su-jie… what’s wrong?” Tiantian asked softly.

“I’m fine,” Su Xinhua said, a small shake of the head, ripple on still water; Tang Coco gave her a special feeling, uncanny as echo.

“Tang Coco!” Lu Kai shouted, his finger popping up like a firecracker; memory landed at last—hair color changed, but that face was beyond imitation.

Across from him, Su Xinhua heard the name and shivered, a tremor like a plucked wire; Tang Coco, Tang Co… co… it brushed the name Tang Ke.

Not only Su Xinhua; Tang Coco had already noticed the woman in white—Gu Xin; youth sat on that face like dew; their eyes met and held, and a strange closeness rose, warm as early spring.

“Su-jie, any problem?” Tiantian asked.

“No… it’s fine,” Su Xinhua murmured, voice low as dusk, and walked toward Gu Xin.

“Hi, I’m Su Xinhua. May I get to know you two little beauties?” she said with a smile, elegant and cool as porcelain.

“Hi, I’m Gu Xin. She’s Tang Coco,” Gu Xin replied, her smile a petal floating on tea; courtesy met courtesy like cups clinking.

“Coco! Why haven’t you been to school lately?” Lu Kai slid in beside her, sticky as melted candy.

“Mind your own. You—class time, right? Why are you wandering around?” Tang Coco shot back, eyebrow sharp as a quill.

“I had a feeling I’d meet my goddess. See? It worked,” Lu Kai said, nonsense flowing like a creek.

“You’re ridiculous,” Tang Coco muttered, rolling her eyes, cool as jade.

“Coco, who is he?” Gu Xin asked.

“No one worth your time,” Tang Coco said.

“Since we met here, it feels like destiny. How about we find a place to chat?” Su Xinhua suggested, fate brushed like calligraphy.

“Okay…” Gu Xin hesitated, then nodded, agreement light as a thread; truth was, they’d already drunk plenty.

“Great, drinks on me!” Lu Kai blurted, eager as a puppy.

“There’s nowhere you’re coming,” Tang Coco cut in, glare swift as a blade. “Go do your own thing. Don’t follow us.”

“Uh…” Lu Kai deflated, and the wind carried his pride away like leaves.

Gu Xin backed the car and slipped into another lane, motion smooth as flowing silk, and Tiantian followed in the Mercedes, two shadows gliding off, leaving Lu Kai and Li Mao in the breeze, messy as blown straw.

Driving, Tiantian asked, voice steady as rain: “Su-jie, any issue?”

“Not sure. Is Tang Coco an Abnormal?” Su Xinhua watched the Porsche ahead, thoughts drifting like mist.

“Can’t confirm. I didn’t sense it. Maybe she’s not an Abnormal, or maybe her strength towers over mine,” Tiantian said, shaking her head, a small, precise arc.

“I see,” Su Xinhua hummed, gaze lingering on the tail-lights, red as embers.

Tang Coco… Tang Co… co… am I just overthinking? The thought circled like a moth around a lamp.