The elders of the Ouyang clan knew about Ouyang Lingxue’s Anomaly Power flaw—daylight clipped her wings—so they piled on protections. Abnormals shadowed her like pine sentinels, and her house was rebuilt with devices that could muzzle Abnormals or drown out Anomalous Energy signals, a quiet fortress under a pale sky.

“Eldest Miss, Second Miss, let me put these on you.” The housekeeper’s voice cut like a clean blade. She hurried over and pressed a pair of custom earbuds into their ears, little moons tucked against skin.

In the bedroom, Tang Coco finally understood why Lingxue’s place was so large and so remote. Out in the courtyard, a patch of lawn sank like a trapdoor in green water. A silver machine rose from a hidden shaft, then woke with an ear-splitting shriek, the sound drilling like winter wind in iron.

“Warning. Strong Anomalous Energy jamming detected. Inner energy sea is disrupted. Evacuate immediately, or the system will fail to operate…” The system’s voice rang cold as frost.

“Damn…” The word landed heavy in Tang Coco’s chest, a stone dropped into a well. Only then did she realize how deadly that shriek was. She couldn’t pull out cleanly now. If this weren’t Lingxue’s home, she’d punch through the net like a storm and leave. But that would wreck the place, and the yard swarmed with Abnormal bodyguards, dark shapes under the hedges.

“Anomalous Energy is jammed. Energy sea unstable. Host consciousness disrupted. Possible weakness or dizziness. System will force shutdown in ten seconds. Send a distress signal?” The voice kept ticking like rain on a tin roof.

“No… don’t… forget it. I’ll eat the bad luck.” She exhaled, a gust through dry leaves. It was all a misunderstanding anyway.

“Understood. Shutdown protocol initiating.”

Her Armor dissolved like ink in water. Tang Coco’s knees buckled; she dropped onto the floor, the shriek still chewing at her skull.

“She’s inside! Squad One, Squad Two, go!” The housekeeper’s command snapped like a whip. The bodyguards rushed in, boots thudding like a drumline.

“No resistance!” Her voice echoed through the bedroom, iron on stone.

“Hey—hey! You’ve got it wrong!” Ouyang Lingxue fought for breath, then forced herself up, voice trembling like a reed in wind. She shouted toward the bedroom, but she was a beat too late.

The guards hauled Tang Coco out, her head lowered, white hair falling like spilled snow.

“Huh? A girl?” Ouyang Lingrain’s gaze snagged on that bright white hair. The silhouette felt familiar, like a face glimpsed once under moonlight. But with Tang Coco held down, he couldn’t see her clearly.

“Sis… let me go!” Ouyang Lingxue wriggled out of her elder sister’s arms, then ran toward Tang Coco, heart beating like a skittering sparrow.

“Everyone—hands off! Shut the device down. She isn’t an enemy!” Lingxue’s shout cracked like lightning.

“Ah? Second Miss?” The female housekeeper faltered, confusion fluttering like a moth.

“Didn’t you hear me? Turn that thing off. All of you, out!” Lingxue’s anger rose like a hot tide.

“Yes—yes!” The housekeeper gathered the guards and retreated, shadows peeling back like night at dawn.

“Coco… are you okay?” Lingxue sank down and cradled Tang Coco, apology soft as warm rain on stone.

“This… wasn’t what you said it’d be.” Tang Coco grimaced, the hurt bitter as old tea.

“Why were you hiding?” Lingxue’s confusion hung in the air, a pale mist.

“I… I…” Words tangled in Tang Coco’s throat. That humiliating last time—how could she say it out loud?

“Eh? Aren’t you…” Ouyang Lingrain stepped over, crouched, and brushed the hair from Tang Coco’s cheek, a fingertip like cool water.

“Aren’t you Miss Midnight? Why are you here?”

“Miss Midnight?” Lingxue froze, shock flickering like a candle in wind.

“Get lost! You’re the ‘miss’ here.” Tang Coco snapped, temper flaring like sparks. Since she’d been recognized, there was no point hiding.

“You—you’ve met?” Lingxue’s surprise rippled like rings in a pond.

“No!” Tang Coco shot back, sour as smoke.

“We have. You’re the lady I caught last time,” Ouyang Lingrain said, lips curving, a fox’s smile.

“You! You’re the ‘lady.’ Your whole family’s ladies!” Tang Coco blurted, rage tripping her tongue. Lingxue went awkwardly quiet beside her—she was Ouyang Lingrain’s family too.

Ten minutes later…

“So that’s how it went.” The three of them finally pieced together the tangled threads, truth laying out like a woven mat.

“So… she’s the one you like?” Ouyang Lingrain leaned back, one leg crossed over the other, gaze steady as a mountain.

“Yeah.” Lingxue still refused to drop the act, pushing the scene along like a boat in a slow current.

“Heh. Bold little thing. You even dare flirt with my sister?” Her tone prowled like a cat.

“Huh? I—” Tang Coco bristled, the heat rising. She was about to fire back when Lingxue hugged her arm, soft as silk binding her.

“Sis! Don’t give her trouble!” Lingxue’s plea trembled like strings.

“Jumping to guard her already?” Lingrain’s eyes slid to his sister, amused as a warm breeze.

“I…” Lingxue shrank a little. She feared her sister like a rabbit fears a hawk.

“Stop. Enough. Why drag this out?” Seeing Lingxue’s pinched look, Tang Coco couldn’t hold back. Her temper ran fast like summer thunder. She threw an arm around Lingxue and tucked her into her embrace, a shield as firm as a cedar trunk.

“I like your sister. So what?”

“So what? If you were a man, you’d already be crippled.” Lingrain’s words were cold steel.

“Oh? Forgot your badge? Is this how you do police work?” Tang Coco’s voice snapped like a branch.

“Sorry. I can drop the badge anytime. Don’t think I want to be a cop.” Lingrain’s disdain was smooth as oil on water.

“For my sister, I’ll resign right now. Then I’ll break you.”

“Hah. Like you can beat me. Last time I wasn’t in shape; body was off. This time? Don’t dream. I’ll say it straight—your sister can’t even beat me.” Tang Coco’s confidence burned like a lantern at midnight. Lingxue, in her arms, already had a hand to her forehead, eyes closed as if praying.

“Oh? That confident?” Lingrain stood, smiling, sunlight glinting like a blade on water.

“Want a try?” Tang Coco slipped Lingxue aside, then spoke to the air like summoning a storm: “System, start.”

…

Ten seconds ticked by. The room stayed quiet as snow.

“System? Hello? You there?” Tang Coco’s voice wavered, a bird calling through fog.

“Um… Coco… that jammer is the latest model. It’s made for high-tier Abnormals. After it hits, no Anomaly for at least ten hours…” Lingxue’s explanation came small, guilty as a whisper.

“What!” Tang Coco’s temper cracked, a firecracker in dry grass.

Pfft—hahaha. Ouyang Lingrain clutched her stomach laughing, then rolled her shoulders and wrists, closing in step by step, joints clicking like beads.

“Ten-plus hours. I only need one to tidy you up.” Her hands flexed, knuckles popping like sleet.

“I…” Tang Coco went blank. Why was she acting tough?

“You… hurry up and stop her!” She shouted to Lingxue, panic pooling like cold water at her feet.

“I… she… she knows my weak spot…” Lingxue faltered, courage slipping like sand. She feared her sister most of all.

“… Wait, wait. Let’s—let’s talk this through?” Tang Coco forced a smile, thin as paper.

“I don’t mind stripping you and stringing you up first, then we’ll talk.” Lingrain’s sing-song mockery slithered like smoke.

“What the hell… Is this a cop? This is a kidnapper!” Tang Coco’s voice broke, a brittle reed.

“Sis…” Lingxue pushed up, body still weak, trying to stand between them like a willow in wind.

“Stay put.” Lingrain moved in a flash, fingers darting to Lingxue’s side waist. She pinched—sharp and merciless.

“Ah—” Lingxue folded, clutching the spot, dropping back with a soft thud, breath scattering like petals.

“I’ll deal with you later.” Lingrain’s eyes slid past her sister and locked on Tang Coco again, a hawk to a hare.

“Don’t think I need Anomaly to beat you!” Tang Coco barked, then lunged first, a straight punch toward Lingrain’s gut, swift as a striking snake.

“Mm—” For some reason, Lingrain didn’t dodge. Tang Coco’s force wasn’t great, but Lingrain clutched her stomach and staggered back, then sat down, dramatic as theater.

“Eh?” Tang Coco blinked. That weak?

“Ugh… you…” Lingrain pointed at Tang Coco, face twisted like a knot.

“Hey, hey. I didn’t go hard. Don’t fake it.” But Lingrain slid off her high heels, placed them aside, then stood, barefoot steady as a practiced fighter.

“Tang Coco, right? I can arrest you for assaulting an officer.” She flipped out her ID, the badge flashing like a shard of sun.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me.” Tang Coco hadn’t thought a cop could be this shameless.

“Heh-heh. Now I can ‘legitimately’… clean you up.” Heat shimmered faintly off Lingrain’s skin, a mirage rising on summer stone. She’d called up her Anomaly Power.

“Hey, didn’t you say your sister’s a second-tier Abnormal?” Tang Coco yelled to Lingxue draped on the sofa, voice fraying like silk.

“I… I don’t know…” Lingxue stared, shock ripe as thunder.

“Xue’s right. I’m a second-tier Abnormal. Unfortunately for you, my power evolved a few days ago.” Lingrain’s pride glowed, warm as embers. “Ninghai’s a treasure ground for Abnormals. I’m only C-class now, but handling a little girl like you? Easy.”

At that, Tang Coco flipped back in a clean arc and slipped behind the sofa, then bolted for the stairs, feet light as swallows. Every extra word was wasted breath. But a blurred figure flashed to the landing like lightning.

“Oh? You’re not as fast as me.” Lingrain folded her arms, smiling, calm as a clear lake.

“Tsk. Speed type, huh…” Tang Coco remembered—the last time, Lingrain’s reactions had been razor quick.

“Ready, thief of my sister’s heart?” Lingrain surged forward in a burst, a gust slicing the room. Tang Coco moved on memory, catching and parrying by inches, barely holding the line like a lone bamboo in a storm.