Tang Coco pushed the car like an arrow through morning light, her high heels biting like thorns she refused to pull.

Back at Ye Yiyi’s place, the two women cleared the table, steam from breakfast drifting like a soft fog.

Ding-dong—the bell cracked the quiet like a pebble in a still pond.

“Huh? Who is it?” Ye Yiyi frowned, her new address hidden like a lane behind bamboo.

“I’ll check.” Li Muyan walked to the door and opened it to a beauty in a black dress, night silk at the threshold.

“Coco!?”

He was surprised, his voice rippling like a startled fish.

“Why are you back now?” It was barely past nine, the day fresh as dew.

“I’ve got something to deal with.” Tang Coco smiled, a sunbeam cutting thin cloud.

“Oh, come in.” He called toward the kitchen, the sound a warm breeze. “Yiyi, it’s Coco.”

“So early? I thought you’d be back this afternoon.” Ye Yiyi’s surprise rose like an eyebrow’s wing.

“I missed you, that’s all.” Coco’s tease flicked light like a playful spark.

“Hey, hey, enough, I’m still here.” Li Muyan rolled his eyes, a fan snapping shut.

“Alright, no jokes. I… need to tell you something.” Her voice steadied like a cup placed on stone.

“Sit and talk, I’ll wash up.” Ye Yiyi gestured to the sofa, water whispering like a brook before she returned to sit by Coco.

“What I’m about to say… might sound unreal, but it’s true.” Coco’s gaze held like a lantern. For half an hour, she told them about herself and Su Xinhua, truth trimmed like a branch; she blamed an accident and amnesia for memories gone astray.

When she finished, the air pressed down like clouds before rain.

“So that’s how it is… No wonder you were shocked by Su Xinhua’s name.” Li Muyan’s words fell gentle as leaves, while Ye Yiyi stared off, thoughts crossing like distant birds.

“I’m sorry… for hiding this so long.” Coco’s apology was a small bow, like frost on glass.

“Mm.” Ye Yiyi stayed quiet, her silence deep as a lake. Li Muyan waved a hand to ease the weight.

“It’s fine. We figured you weren’t simple; you don’t just ‘find’ a great beauty on the roadside.” His joke rose like steam to loosen the air.

“So… are you leaving?” Ye Yiyi looked at Coco, her voice dusk-soft like a temple bell.

“I… don’t know yet.” The uncertainty pooled like rain in a bowl.

“You should stay with your mother. You two haven’t met in so long.” Ye Yiyi’s smile trembled like a paper lantern in wind.

“Yiyi… I—”

“Muyan, I want to go shopping later. Come with me. I’ll change.” She stood with a smile like a veil, then headed upstairs, footsteps light as petals.

“Yiyi…” Coco rose, surprise twisting like a vine.

“Coco, sit. Don’t rush.” Li Muyan took her hand, anchoring it like a stone in a stream.

“I didn’t think… it’d turn out like this.” Her chest ached, a bruise colored like twilight.

“Seems you haven’t spent enough time with Yiyi. Don’t let her gentle rain fool you; inside, she can be a stubborn cliff.”

“…”

Coco struggled, thoughts thrashing like a fish in a net.

“But it also shows Yiyi truly likes you, deep as roots. She can’t let you drift away. Be glad.”

“Still… I hurt her.” Coco’s guilt was bitter tea; Ye Yiyi’s kindness was silk she hated to crease.

“Ah.” Li Muyan sighed, wind through bamboo, helpless and soft.

“I’ll take Yiyi out to clear the air. I’ll speak for you. If I lose my ‘rival,’ how boring would life be?” He patted Coco’s shoulder, a friendly thump like a drumbeat.

“You…” Coco’s eyes warmed, thaw like spring sun.

“Alright, I’m going.” She stood, resolve tying like a belt.

“Drive safe.” He saw her to the door, then went to Ye Yiyi’s room, its door shut like a shell.

“Yiyi, I’m coming in.” He pushed the door, finding her on the bed, facing the window, a silhouette cut from pale sky.

“She left?” Her voice floated, thin as mist.

“Mm.”

Silence returned, slow as falling ash. He sat beside her and wrapped her slim waist, an arm like a warm shawl.

“What’s up? I can smell vinegar in the air. Don’t tell me you’re jealous of your future mother-in-law.” His teasing drifted like incense.

“I’m not.”

“When I think Coco might leave, it feels like something slipped from my pocket. My heart aches for no reason. I can’t control it, so I avoided her.” Her whisper was a moth beating at glass.

“Looks like my decade of effort lost to someone she met for months.” He smiled wryly, a blade dulled by rain.

“Muyan! I didn’t mean that.”

“Relax. I know. Our Yiyi still likes me.” He hugged her, a harbor around a small boat.

“…”

“But, Yiyi… give Coco some faith. She won’t abandon you.” His words settled like sand.

“I know… I trust her. I still can’t rein in my mood.” Her breath trembled like a reed.

“Alright! Let’s go out!” He stood and pulled her up, sunlight in motion.

— — — — — — — — —

Tang Coco drove toward Su Xinhua’s place, Ye Yiyi’s look flashing in her mind like a mirror catching light; headache throbbed like a drum.

Suddenly she remembered, the thought snapping like a twig.

“Damn! My memory’s awful! I actually forgot that!” She slapped her forehead, thunder in a small room.

She’d promised to eat with Ouyang Lingxue and forgot; no wonder at last night’s banquet Lingxue and Muyan didn’t speak to her. She wanted to explain, but had no phone number; she’d fix it Tuesday in class, patience held like a knot.

Still fuming at herself, Coco reached Su Xinhua’s suite, and saw her mom at the door, shoes neat as pebbles.

“Mom, heading out?”

“Mm, a small hiccup at the company. I need to look.” Su Xinhua smiled, steady as an oak.

“Is it serious?”

“No. Just a ripple. I’ll be back soon. Play on your own.” Her voice was calm water.

“Okay.” Coco sat on the sofa, resolve pooling like ink.

“System, start.” A blue screen rose before her like a lake of light.

“How’s I Energy recovery?”

“Currently at sixty-eight percent,” the system’s female voice murmured, clear as glass.

“Any Anomaly Power restrictions?”

“No obstacles detected.” The reply fell clean, a chime in air.

“So, looks like that old man won’t stop me.” The thought rolled like distant thunder.

“System, bring Skyeye back to low Earth orbit. Open local scan. Range: Ninghai City. Scan for Anomalous Energy signals.”

“Understood.” Far from Earth, among drifting wreckage like a graveyard of stars, a white Mech stirred, waking like a swan.

It sprayed blue particles and glided toward Earth, a comet-trail drawing a bright line.

“ETA: thirteen minutes,” the system said, a countdown blooming like numerals on frost.

Elsewhere, in Meng Xiaoxiao’s apartment…

“Why! Why are you going out without me!” Her shout puffed up like a kettled cloud at Gu Xin, Meng Yuting, and little Marilyn.

“Hey, we really have business. Just play at home today.” Meng Yuting tried to soothe her, palm gentle as rain.

“What big business brings Lulu along? If she can go, why can’t I?” Meng Xiaoxiao pouted, cheeks cherry-red like apples.

“Uh…” Meng Yuting’s lie cracked like thin ice, her face awkwardly stiff.

“Can’t explain, can you? I’m going too!” Meng Xiaoxiao’s voice stomped like a drum.

“Really can’t stay home?” Meng Yuting leaned in, eyes pleading like a stray’s.

“No!” Xiaoxiao turned away, stubborn as a rock in a stream.

“Then… fine.” Meng Yuting smiled dangerously, a cat before the pounce.

Ten minutes later, Gu Xin drove Meng Yuting and Marilyn toward Su Xinhua’s hotel, tires humming like bees.

“Is this really okay?” Gu Xin asked, exasperation a sigh of wind.

“It’s fine. My sister’s a bit of an M; she won’t mind.” Meng Yuting waved it off, casual as tossing a leaf.

“Rain-ting, you’re scary… doing that to your own sister.” Little Marilyn curled in the back seat like a rabbit, wary eyes wide.

“Oh? Little loli, scared now?” Meng Yuting turned, teasing like a flicked feather.

“Lulu’s not scared. You can’t beat me.” Marilyn pouted, chin up like a tiny general.

“…” Embarrassed, Meng Yuting faced forward, honesty heavy as a stone—she really couldn’t beat the little one.

Meanwhile, in the apartment’s living room…

“Mmph! Mmph!” Meng Xiaoxiao was bound with red cotton rope, knots neat as plum blossoms; hands, feet, torso, thighs all tied so she could only curl on the sofa.

A handkerchief gagged her mouth, her muffled cry fluttering like a trapped bird.