“Officer, you’ve really got me wrong,” Tang Coco said, voice fluttering like a sparrow in rain. “I’m not that kind of person, and I’ve got urgent business. I don’t have time to go back to the station.”

She sat in the back of the BMW, face scrunched like a wilted blossom. Her cuffed hands were clipped to the door handle, fixing her like a trussed-up marionette.

“Enough,” Ouyang Lingrain said, her tone cool as winter drizzle. “Don’t spin excuses. I’ve heard them all. One look and I can tell some rich boy’s keeping you—he even gave you a Ferrari. Maybe he treats you well, but that’s not my concern. First, you were speeding. You can’t wriggle out of that.”

“...”

Panic pricked Tang Coco’s chest like thorns in fog. She could use her Anomaly Power—only A-grade, but enough to slip free like a fish in dark water. Yet from the officer’s earlier reaction, this woman wasn’t simple. If she used power, any Abnormal would feel it like a gust against still reeds. The taboo was iron: never use it before ordinary people, especially a cop.

She had no idea the officer was a lesser Abnormal, a pebble hidden in the riverbed.

“Let me call my family, okay?” Tang Coco’s hope rose like a paper lantern. “I’m really not what you think.”

“Oh?” Ouyang’s eyes narrowed, sharp as icicles. “Leaning on your backing? Fine. That’s what your kind do. Call when we arrive.”

“...”

Resignation settled in her stomach like cold tea. The station trip seemed unavoidable.

But half an hour later, Ouyang Lingrain parked. The city center rose around them like a forest of glass. It wasn’t a station—it was a high-end apartment tower, lights flowing like a river.

She slid the car into the underground garage, concrete cool as a cave. Then she stepped out, opened the rear door, and pulled a black coat from a backpack, shadow-dark as night rain.

“Out,” she said, voice flat as a steel blade.

“What for? This isn’t the station.” Tang Coco’s eyes lifted like wary foxes. A chill thought flickered—was this cop even real?

“If you want the station, I’ll oblige,” Ouyang said, smile thin as frost.

“Uh… what do you mean?” Tang Coco blinked, the question quivering like a leaf.

“Looking like that, the station would be a storm. I’m doing you a favor. This is my building. I’ll sort the facts first. If you’re clean, you walk free like morning mist. If you’re dirty, I’ll send you straight to holding. Whatever happens there, I won’t care. There aren’t many women inside.” Her words fell like pebbles into a still pond.

Hidden under her cool tone, Ouyang held a small hope, tender as spring grass. If Tang Coco wasn’t that kind of person, dragging a girl who looks like this to a station would stain her name like ink. And the truth was simple: Tang Coco felt pure, bright as washed porcelain—just a bit too talkative.

“...” The thought lingered in Tang Coco’s mind like a cloud. Then she asked, voice meek as a kitten, “Can you take these off?”

“No.” Ouyang’s answer was flint struck in the dark.

“...” With no choice, Tang Coco stepped out. Ouyang draped the black coat over her, a curtain hiding school-blue and handcuffs. They rode the elevator to the 16th floor, numbers climbing like steps into the sky.

Ouyang unlocked the door and led her in. The living room was clean and fresh, a breeze through pine: simple lines, a few landscape paintings like windows into distant hills, and two cartoon cushions like bright candies on the sofa.

“Over here.” Ouyang stood by the TV, her posture straight as bamboo. Tang Coco came obediently, feet light as a deer’s.

Clack.

The handcuffs snapped onto a pipe beside the TV wall, silver biting like frost. Tang Coco could only stand there, planted like a sapling.

“Uh… we don’t need to do this, right? Isn’t sitting better?” Her cheeks reddened like sunset.

“No,” Ouyang said, one brow lifting like a drawn bow. “You think you’re a guest? Until I’m sure, you stay like this.”

“...”

She shed her uniform, movement fluid as water. Black sports tee and shorts replaced it, hair tied into a single ponytail, neat as a horse’s tail in wind. She grabbed a folder and sat on the sofa opposite, gaze steady as a lantern.

“Name.”

“Tang Coco.”

“Age.”

“Twenty.”

“Gender.”

“Male.”

“...”

“...”

They stared at each other, silence thick as fog between reeds.

“Your attitude’s bad,” Ouyang said, voice snapping like dry twigs.

“Big sis, you’ve really misunderstood,” Tang Coco said, smile brittle as ice. “Let me call someone to explain?”

“Hmph.” Ouyang held up her phone, its screen cold as a moon. “Name and number.”

“Gu Xin. The number is *********.”

Ouyang dialed. The ring hummed like a dragonfly.

“Hello? Ms. Gu?” Her tone smoothed, formal as polished jade.

“Yes, this is Gu Xin. Who’s speaking?” Gu Xin’s voice carried a calm grace, like white silk in wind. She stood at the gate of Ye Yiyi’s new villa, the place just cleaned, air smelling of fresh stone.

“I’m with the Ninghai City police. Do you know Tang Coco?”

“Eh? Coco? The police? What happened?” Her heart kicked like a startled deer.

“So you know her. What’s your relation?” Ouyang’s question was a needle.

“I’m her older sister. Why is Coco at the police? What did she do?” Anxiety rippled like rain on a lake.

“She was speeding tonight, then refused to cooperate, and fled. I also suspect she’s involved in something indecent.” The final word fell like ash.

“What!?” Gu Xin froze, mind blank as white paper. What had Coco done? Indecent—surely not.

“If you’re free, I’ll send you an address,” Ouyang said, voice steady as a compass. “Come assist my investigation.”

“An address? You’re not at the station?” Gu Xin caught the thread like a fish feeling the line.

“No. For her sake, I haven’t taken her in. You know what a trip to the station would do to a girl’s name.”

“Understood. Thank you. I’m coming now.” Her reply was soft as a bell.

They hung up, silence settling like snow.

“Alright. We’ll wait,” Ouyang said to Tang Coco, voice level as a ruler.

“Um… can I sit first?” Tang Coco’s shame burned like a red plum blossom. Dressed like this, forced to stand, with a cop’s gaze brushing her like cold wind.

“Oh? You dare wear that, but fear a few looks?” Ouyang’s smirk was a thin crescent.

“Uh…”

“So,” Ouyang asked, tone probing like rain through thatch, “why dress like this at night and speed around? What were you doing?”

“I… left something important at home. I wanted to fetch it.” Her words slipped like a quiet stream.

“Where’s home?”

“Jinxiu Garden Villas.”

“Jinxiu Garden… let me check.” The map bloomed on her phone, roads curling like rivers. She’d only just moved here, still learning the city’s veins.

“Doesn’t that villa district sit to the west?” she said, gaze narrowing like a hawk’s. “Why were you heading toward North Mountain?”

“...” She bit back a retort, swallowing it like bitter tea.

Because you chased me there, she grumbled inside, the thought buzzing like a trapped bee.

“Can’t explain?” Ouyang set the folder on the coffee table, papers whispering like leaves. “Looks like there’s something you can’t show the sun.”

“...” Tang Coco lowered her head, hair drifting like pale mist. “Fine. Think what you want. I’ll wait till Xin comes and tells you.”

“Hmph.” Ouyang’s dismissive breath was a cold puff.

Her gaze fell to the file, thoughts moving like fish. Tang Coco… Tang… In Ninghai City, there wasn’t a major Tang clan, was there?

If she was telling the truth, maybe this girl had real grit, a spine like green bamboo.

With a quiet breath, Ouyang lifted her eyes. She studied the girl before her, beauty so sharp it hurt, like moonlight on snow. White hair flowed down her back like silk. A blue-and-white anime-styled school uniform hugged her frame, the pleated skirt barely covering the base of her thighs. White over-the-knee socks wrapped long legs like porcelain sleeves. With her hands cuffed behind, helplessness hovered like a thin veil. Ouyang’s gaze drifted, caught like a moth to flame.

Head bowed, Tang Coco sifted through her bad luck, thoughts heavy as rain. Heat pricked her skin—the officer’s stare burned like a brand. She looked up and found Ouyang lost in it, eyes gone distant.

“Hey, officer,” Tang Coco said, dry as sand. “Even for a suspect, you don’t have to stare like that.”

“Hm… ah!? Oh.” Ouyang blinked, mind snapping back like a taut string.

“Shut it,” she said, stiff as a reed. “I’m observing suspect traits. You’re just a kid. You don’t get it.”

“A kid? Then how old are you, ma’am?” Tang Coco’s smile curled like a fox’s tail.

“I’m—” Ouyang started, then stopped, a prickle like nettles.

“What do you mean!? Do I look old?” Her eyes flashed like sparks.

“No,” Tang Coco said, tone light as a feather. “You called me a kid, but I’m not small at all. So you must be the older one. Perfectly normal logic.”

“You—” Anger flared in Ouyang’s chest like a match struck.

“Fine,” she said, voice firm as iron. “In that case, I won’t be gentle.”

“Huh? What are you doing?” A bad premonition slid cold as a snake along Tang Coco’s spine.

“I forgot the frisk. Who knows what you’re carrying.” Ouyang’s steps were sure, like a tiger pacing. “Your clothes have no pockets, but that doesn’t limit clever hands.”

“That’s not a reason! Look at this outfit—it doesn’t even have a place to hide anything!” Tang Coco’s protest burst like a puff of steam.

“You’d be surprised,” Ouyang said, a hard glint like flint. “Terrorists hide tools like seeds in clay. I understand their tricks. I’m frisking you.”

She moved closer, presence pressing like storm clouds.

“...” Tang Coco stared, helpless as a tethered goat. “Wow! A cop bullying me! Help!”

“Shout again and I’ll gag you,” Ouyang said, voice low, dark as rain.

“...” Resignation settled like damp on stone. Why were the cops she met always like this?

“Your skin’s too good,” Ouyang murmured, eyes tracing pale smoothness like a painter’s brush. Envy flickered, quick as a firefly.

Ding-dong.

The doorbell chimed like a silver bell. Ouyang paused, then walked to the door, steps clean as lines in ink. Gu Xin should be here.

“Hello. Coco is here, right?” The door opened to Gu Xin in a white dress, grace flowing off her like fragrance from orchid.

“You must be Gu Xin. Come in.” Ouyang stepped aside, hand smooth as water.

Gu Xin entered, gaze falling to Tang Coco standing there like a statue. Her eyes widened like moons.

“Coco… why are you dressed like that?” Shock fluttered across her face like startled birds. At last she understood why the officer suspected indecency.

“Don’t start,” Tang Coco sighed, voice weary as dusk. “Xiaoxiao made me wear it.”

“What happened?” Gu Xin’s tone steadied, firm as a pillar.

“It’s like this…” Tang Coco quickly explained, her words tumbling like beads.

“You’re so foolish,” Gu Xin said, helplessness washing over her like tide.

“I… maybe I’ve gone dumb,” Tang Coco murmured, shoulders drooping like wilted petals. She felt like a little fool, lost in a maze.

“Alright. I get it.” Gu Xin turned, resolve straight as a sword. “I’ll speak to her.”

She walked toward Ouyang Lingrain, steps light as passing clouds.

After a careful explanation, she laid out IDs and proofs like crisp leaves, every page rustling under the fluorescent glow.

“Alright. Sign here, and she can leave with you.”

In the end, Ouyang Lingrain believed Gu Xin. She had hoped for this outcome, and she unclicked Tang Coco’s cuffs with a cold, clear snap.

“Thanks, Officer. Dinner’s on me next time.”

“It’s fine. Keep her in check. Dressed like this at night—aren’t you afraid trouble will bloom in the dark?”

Ouyang flicked a glance at Tang Coco, her eyes cool as rain.

“Uh… sure, I’ll give her a proper lesson,” Gu Xin said, laughter trapped like a bubble in her throat.

“Hey, wait—just now she—” Tang Coco burst out, heat rising like sparks. She remembered the officer’s earlier “handsy” moment.

But Ouyang’s gaze settled on her, slow as a falling curtain. “You were speeding.”

“…”

Tang Coco swallowed her words like a stone dropped in a well.

“What’s wrong?” Gu Xin asked, worry rippling lightly.

“Nothing… let’s go,” Tang Coco sighed, the breath drifting like mist, and she pulled Gu Xin away by the hand.

Ouyang shut the door with a wooden hush, then sank into the couch. She studied Tang Coco’s file, and a crescent smile drew across her lips.

“Hmph. Tang Coco… interesting.”

She took out her phone and tapped a number. “Xue’er, where are you? I’ll come find you and play, okay?”

Her voice turned sweet as honey, a different mask under the same moon.

“Hey, hey, hey—Xue’er! Don’t ignore me. I just got to Ninghai. Tell me where you are, hmm?”

Truth was, she carried a serious sister complex, a heart tied by red thread to her kin.