Ouyang Lingrain came in like a sudden squall, blows pattering like hard rain, and Tang Coco braced like a reed in wind, surviving on muscle memory and old drills.
Yes—only barely—minutes slipped by—like sand through fingers.
Thud!
A sweeping leg cut across like a scythe. Tang Coco hit the floor chest-first, stone meeting earth, breath knocked cold. Ouyang Lingrain slid in, straddled her hips, and yanked back her left arm and right leg like iron clamps.
Crack, crack!
Tang Coco’s joints popped under forced angles, like dry twigs under boot.
“Ah!! It hurts, it hurts! Wait! I’m done! I’m done!”
Panic surged like a hot wave; she wasn’t fighting a real enemy—why invite pain? Her pride hid like a cat under the bed.
“Sis! Don’t go too far! You’re hurting her!”
Ouyang Lingxue called from the sofa, knuckles white like frost.
“Hmph. You care so much about her?”
Hearing her sister stoked Ouyang Lingrain’s fire; she tightened like a winch.
“Ah!!! Big sis, enough! Hey! I’m not taking this gig! Tell your sister straight!”
Tang Coco cracked like a brittle shell; this one showed no mercy, teeth like a tigress’s.
“…”
Ouyang Lingrain paused, breath steady as a drawn bow.
“Sis! Let her go. I lied to you earlier—she isn’t living with me.”
Pressed by urgency like a floodgate, Ouyang Lingxue finally spilled the truth.
“I don’t believe it. You’re just covering for her.”
Ouyang Lingrain stared down at Tang Coco, gaze sharp as a blade.
“I… I’m not. It’s true.”
Ouyang Lingxue’s eyes shined wet, tears clinging like dew.
“Really?”
A flicker moved in Ouyang Lingrain’s voice, like a breeze in bamboo.
“Really.”
“Oh… that so…”
She eased her grip, fingers loosening like unknotted rope. Tang Coco straightened her limbs slow as thaw, rolled to the side to rub warmth back into muscle—then a shove from behind planted her face-down, like a hawk pinning prey.
“No way. You two dared lie to me. Punishment’s due. And she assaulted an officer.”
Ouyang Lingrain spoke with smug calm, the law like a badge that gleamed cold.
“Wow! Are you sick? Your sister said it was a misunderstanding!”
Tang Coco kicked with her calves, fluttering like a trapped moth; it did nothing against the weight.
“Still insulting police? You won’t enjoy today.”
Ouyang Lingrain’s smile curled like smoke.
“Son of—”
Tang Coco’s temper snapped like flint on steel.
“Sis! Enough! Don’t bully her. I… I’ll do whatever you say, okay?”
Ouyang Lingxue rose, courage trembling like a candle flame.
“Really?”
“Mm…”
She nodded, cheeks flushing pink like peach blossom.
“Hmph. For my sister’s sake, I’ll spare you this once.”
Ouyang Lingrain finally let go, stepping off with the calm of a cat.
“Tss—ah—ow…”
Tang Coco kneaded her arm, pain pulsing like a bruise-blue tide.
“You okay?”
Ouyang Lingxue hurried over, hands gentle as warm cloth.
“This job isn’t for humans.”
Tang Coco muttered, bitterness like bitter tea on the tongue.
“Hm? What’d you say?”
Ouyang Lingrain’s mood pricked like a thorn.
“N-no… nothing…”
Tang Coco shrank back, swallowing pride like a hard seed. A wise fighter avoids the blade right in front of her; don’t tangle with the tigress.
“S-sorry…”
Ouyang Lingxue bowed her head, apology soft as rain.
“Forget it… I’ll chalk it up to helping a classmate. I’m leaving.”
Tang Coco exhaled, weary as late dusk.
“Why not stay for dinner?”
“No way. I’ve got zero appetite with a tigress at the table.”
She shot a glance at the sofa, eyes like flint toward Ouyang Lingrain.
“Who’re you calling a tigress!!!”
“I’m changing!”
Tang Coco sprang up like a startled sparrow and darted into the bedroom.
Minutes later, she stepped into the courtyard, keys glinting like fish scales, ready to drive off. Ouyang Lingxue came down to see her out.
“Coco, really not staying?”
“No. With her there, how do I swallow a bite? You though—her living here—can you handle it?”
Worry pooled like a shadow; that sister-obsessed big sis was a storm.
“I-it’s fine… she’s my sister anyway.”
Ouyang Lingxue’s smile was thin as paper.
“Alright. Your mess isn’t mine. I’m off.”
Tang Coco lifted her hand in passing farewell and loosened the knot inside.
“Drive safe. See you at school tomorrow.”
“Mm.”
She slid into the car, the door closing like a soft clap, and rolled away.
“She left?”
On the second-floor living room, blue TV light flickered like water as Ouyang Lingrain turned her head.
“Mm. Seriously—she’s my classmate. You went too far.”
Ouyang Lingxue’s pout puffed like a tiny drum.
“I just wanted to test her. That girl’s interesting.”
Ouyang Lingrain remembered both run-ins, eyes bright like sparks.
“Sis… the recent incidents in Ninghai might be because of her.”
Ouyang Lingxue sank beside her, worry like a cloud’s weight.
“That so… interesting. It’s fine; we’ve got time. Right—how’s Cheng Hua’s end?”
Business cut in like a knife; Ouyang Lingrain’s playfulness folded away.
“They agreed we’ll take over factory security.”
Ouyang Lingxue’s voice steadied like a line drawn. Su Xinhua’s secret deal with the Ouyang family was guarding a tech plant; the Ouyang family held a trove of Abnormals.
“Good. That’s my sister. I’ll coordinate with the family for the rest.”
“Okay…”
“Sis… you… really planning to live here?”
With the serious talk done, blush rose again like sunset on her cheeks.
“Wow, heartless. You’d leave your pretty sis in a police dorm? You even found someone to lie to me!”
Ouyang Lingrain tapped her forehead, a playful sting like a flick.
“I… I wasn’t…”
Words tangled like threads as Ouyang Lingxue stammered.
“Heh heh, Little Xue’er’s still so shy~”
Ouyang Lingrain’s grin turned wicked, then she pulled her sister into her arms, warmth like fur.
“B-be proper…”
“This isn’t Yanjing. Even if we make noise like thunder, no one comes. So—give up the struggle—you’re the only reason I came to Ninghai.”
“…”
————————
On the mountain road, Tang Coco drove toward Ye Yiyi’s villa, headlights cutting night like twin blades.
“Didn’t expect the Ouyang sisters to come to Ninghai. What’s their plan?”
A knot sat in her chest like a stone; trouble felt near as fog.
Not far off, the slope lay dark like ink. Under a tree stood five youths, three men and two women, shapes like silhouettes carved from shadow.
“Nightshade, how’s the sweep?”
A youth in a cap spoke, voice low as a winter wind.
“Only the Ouyang sisters inside. No third Abnormal found.”
The short-haired girl replied, brown bob neat as a leaf, big eyes clear as ice, skin pale as porcelain.
“How? We just felt a different Anomalous Energy.”
The cap-wearing youth frowned, eyebrows drawing like the tightening of a bow.
“Yeah. I suspect the yard’s device is masking the signal. That gadget’s tricky.”
She frowned, lips pressed thin like a cut line.
“Tricky’s fine. Our target isn’t the Ouyang family this time.”
He exhaled, breath drifting like steam.
“Phantom, tail that Porsche. She feels off.”
“Okay.”
The other girl wore a white crop tee and sport shorts, shoes light as feathers, long hair tied into a single ponytail. She answered—and her figure blurred and vanished like mist.
“Then… the one behind us, you can come out.”
The youth raised his voice, words like stones tossed in still water.
“Heh heh heh~ let’s see who we have here~”
From the brush, an eerie laugh slithered like a snake, and a man in a white lab coat stepped out, fabric flashing pale like bone.
“The famed Shadow Division—what brings you here?”
He smiled, mockery soft as silk.
“The ‘Veterinarian,’ huh. You dare show up in front of us.”
The youth turned, eyes narrowing like shutters; he pegged the man at a glance.
“Why wouldn’t I? If I’m right, this little place isn’t a Shadow Division target.”
The “Veterinarian” grinned, fearless as a stray dog.
“…”
Silence hung heavy like wet cloth, so the “Veterinarian” kept talking:
“Burning bridges and cleaning house—dirty work most Anomaly outfits do. I just didn’t expect the Shadow Division to reach that day.”
“You know too much.”
The cap-wearing youth stepped forward, temper like sparks in dry grass.
“Pure guesswork, don’t mind me. I’ll stop bothering you. Seems the one I’m after isn’t here.”
The “Veterinarian” waved, smile lazy as smoke, clearly dodging a fight. He turned and slipped away into the trees.
“Captain, do we let him go?”
A buzz-cut youth asked, voice tight as wire.
“Ignore him. He’s not our target.”
The “Veterinarian” walked deeper into the dim woods, shadows like scales sliding over him.
“Interesting… the Shadow Division’s already in Ninghai City, and looks like their target is them…”
His mouth curved, a crescent grin like a knife.
————————
Elsewhere, behind the wheel, Tang Coco had felt the wrongness since earlier, itch under skin like ants.
“Something’s tailing me…”
She peeked at the rearview, glass glittering like black water; no car, no person.
Beep beep beep… System booting.
Suddenly the system’s voice chimed in her head, bright as a bell.
“Huh? Back this fast?”
Surprise popped like a bubble; per Muyan Lingxue, recovery should take hours.
Still, back online was better. She eyed the hillside in the mirror and gave a cold, thin smile like a blade.
“Hmph.”
The silver Porsche slipped past an intersection, and the mountainside erupted like a volcano.
BOOM!!!!
The blast snapped saplings like matchsticks and lit a fire that climbed like hungry tongues.
Not far from the blast, under a tree, the single-ponytail girl braced on bark, lungs pumping like bellows.
“Hoo—hoo—so close… why did it suddenly explode?”
Her voice trembled, fear clinging like damp.
