“Wow. That’s gorgeous—white as a swan on fresh snow.”

“Dawei, look! This is what a Mech with beauty looks like. Yours is all blocky, like a Transformer made of bricks.”

“...”

They drifted around the white Mech like moths circling a lantern, eyes bright as stars on winter water.

“What’s with these feathers? And those particles, like fireflies?”

Dawei’s gaze snagged on the details, a spark catching on flint.

“That’s my daughter’s Anomaly Power,” Su Xinhua said, voice calm as still water. “That part… we probably can’t copy. It’s different from our Mech in some ways. But on the fundamentals, my daughter can help. One more thing—the look. Use this as reference. I don’t like ugly products.”

“Got it, Su-jie,” came the chorus, neat as reeds in a breeze.

“Coco, I’m asking a lot of you,” Su Xinhua added, eyes soft as spring rain.

“It’s fine,” Tang Coco said, light as a leaf.

With that, Coco dismissed the Armor; it faded from her like drifting petals in a pale wind.

“My girl’s so good,” Su Xinhua chuckled, warmth like morning sun. “Stay here. I’ll go check upstairs.”

“Okay.”

Then Coco folded into the rhythm with the researchers, their voices humming like a quiet hive.

For the next four days, Coco worked in Su Xinhua’s lab by day, precise as a needle through silk. At night she went home to keep Ye Yiyi company, warmth pooling like lantern light. School matters fell away like dust from a sleeve.

On Friday, Coco returned to campus, shoulders tight as a drawn bow. The headache she’d been dreading finally arrived.

“Alright, that’s it for period one. Next period, the class rep will run a class meeting,” Avril said, words crisp as chalk. “Tang Coco, my office.”

“Ugh...” Coco’s sigh slipped out like a tired breeze, and she followed Avril.

“Ready?” In the office, Avril dropped her textbook on the desk, a soft thump like a drumbeat, then popped two buttons to breathe, steam rising like from a kettle. With Coco, she stayed casual as a summer afternoon.

“If saying I’m not ready gets me out of it, then I’m absolutely not ready,” Coco said, deadpan as a still pond.

“Pfft.” Avril’s laugh flitted like a sparrow. “Come on. Treat it like a survey of Yanjing University. You’re into Yanjing University’s secrets too, right?”

“...”

Coco didn’t answer; silence hung like mist, which was answer enough.

“I’ve got a list,” Avril said, sliding papers over like fallen leaves. “At the class meeting, tell these people. The school requires them to go. You can pick six others.”

“Alright.” Coco took the list, the paper cool as river stone.

“Hey, got nothing else to say to me?” Avril puffed her cheeks like a sulking kitten, her pout bright as a plum blossom.

“Hm? Say what?”

“...”

“Forget it. Go. Blockhead,” Avril muttered, waving her off like shooing a firefly.

It was Coco’s first real brush with campus life, so she had no idea how to run a class meeting. She simply explained tomorrow’s event, plain as a bell, then wrapped it up. From her class, besides the four students she barely knew, the ones joining were Meng Xiaoxiao, Ouyang Lingxue, Lu Kai, Li Mao, and two other girls, names like pebbles in a stream.

Ouyang Lingxue wanting to go surprised her, a spark against cool metal. But the Ouyang family was based in Yanjing, and perhaps she had other business, shadows stretching toward the capital.

“Coco, be careful in Yanjing tomorrow,” Ye Yiyi said that night at dinner, worry rippling in her eyes like wind over a lake. The Ye family was one of the Six in Ninghai, a big fish in a small bay. In Yanjing, they were a small boat on open sea—waters deeper and storms sharper. Looking at Coco’s flawless face, a blossom that drew bees and storms alike, Ye Yiyi feared the exchange wouldn’t stay peaceful.

“Don’t worry,” Coco said, smile bright as a lantern. “I know what you’re thinking. But I’m a strong Abnormal. I’ll be fine.”

“Ah...” Ye Yiyi sighed, helpless as a leaf on a current, but the logic held like a steady oar.

“Okay, I’m done eating. I’ll go check on Mom.”

“Mm. Go.”

Coco left the villa for her mother’s place and pressed the doorbell, a chime like a silver bell. The door swung open soon after.

“Tiantian-jie,” Coco greeted, warmth like tea steam.

“Come in,” Tiantian said. In her casual yellow cartoon shirt, the usual cool frost on her face had melted into something soft and cute as a sunlit chick.

“Come here, let Mommy hug you,” Su Xinhua cooed from the sofa, arms open like a harbor.

“...”

Coco could only sigh inside like a small tide, then settled in her mother’s arms, soft as cotton.

“How’s it going? Is your luggage ready?”

“Yiyi’s packing for me.”

“You. Always making her do everything,” Su Xinhua said, tapping Coco’s forehead with a fingertip, a gentle flick like a raindrop.

“...”

“Be careful in Yanjing,” Su Xinhua added, gaze steady as a mountain. “It’s Huaguo’s capital. There won’t be a shortage of Abnormals.”

“I’ll be careful.”

“Take these.” She picked up three black cards from the side, their surface matte as midnight.

“What are these?” Coco asked, seeing only a simple bell icon, quiet as a winter chime.

“Chenghua International VIP cards,” Su Xinhua said. “They prove your connection to Chenghua. In an era ruled by factions, these can sometimes beat brute force. We’ve got a hotel in Yanjing. Not the latest high-tech one—it hasn’t been renovated yet. I’ll call ahead. If you need anything, go there.”

“Okay—thanks, Mom.” Coco hugged her, warmth flowing like spring water.

“No need to be polite with me,” Su Xinhua said, teasing like sunlight on leaves.

“Hee-hee—then I’ll head back.” Coco pecked her mother’s cheek, a kiss light as a petal.

“Mm. Go on.”

When Coco left, Su Xinhua’s smile dimmed like dusk, replaced by clouds of worry gathering over a ridge.

“Su-jie, what’s wrong?” Tiantian asked, leaning close, concern like a hand on a shoulder.

“I’ve got a bad feeling,” Su Xinhua said, brows knitting like tangled branches. “Coco’s trip to Yanjing… something might happen.”

“Don’t worry too much,” Tiantian said, voice like a steady drum. “She’s strong. In Huaguo, few could truly threaten her.”

“That’s true,” Su Xinhua said, gaze drifting like smoke. “But her body… there are too many unstable factors. I fear an accident.”

“...”

“How about this,” Tiantian said. “Nothing big’s happening here. We could assign some people to protect the young lady.”

“No. Don’t,” Su Xinhua said, shaking her head like a bell. “That’ll only cause trouble for her.” She sighed, long as a winter wind. “Forget it. We trust Coco. The research division problem’s handled. Tiantian, train a team. I want fighting strength formed in the shortest time.”

“Understood. I’ll start tomorrow,” Tiantian said, decisive as a drawn blade.

Coco returned to the villa and caught Li Muyan at the fridge, wrapped in a bath towel, her pale shoulders bright as moonlit jade against the cool air.

“Yo. You’re back?” Li Muyan called, a smile curling like smoke.

“Tsk. Is this a perk?” Coco teased, eyes glinting like river light.

“In your dreams. Who’d give you a perk?” Li Muyan rolled her eyes and walked over, steps lazy as a cat.

“Perfect timing. Take this orange juice to Yiyi.”

“Hm?” Coco took the chilled bottle, cool as a streamstone.

“She’s reluctant to let you go. Keep her company,” Li Muyan said, voice mellow as wine. “Tonight, you get the bargain.”

“...”

“Ha—so tired. I’m going to bed. Keep it down tonight,” Li Muyan added, waving a hand like flicking a ribbon, and vanished into her room.

“...”

Coco carried the orange juice to Ye Yiyi’s room on the second floor. The door was half-open, a sliver of night like ink. Coco pushed in, found the room empty, and heard the shower murmuring like rain behind frosted glass.

Click.

Coco had just sat on the bed when the bathroom door swung open. Ye Yiyi stepped out in a pink-and-white cartoon bath towel, cheeks budding with color like a peach in spring.

“Huh? Coco?” Surprise flushed her face deeper, a tide rising.

“This is for you.” Coco smiled and offered the orange juice, the bottle beading like dew.

“Oh… oh…” Ye Yiyi reached out with both hands, flustered as a butterfly. The distraction did it—the knot on her towel hadn’t been tightened, and with that reach, the towel slipped like an untied ribbon.

“Uh...” Coco froze, gaze blank as a snowfield.

“Ah!” Ye Yiyi yelped and tossed the orange juice at Coco. It thumped against Coco’s chest, cold as a startled fish, while Ye Yiyi grabbed for her towel with both hands.

“Hey… was that necessary? It’s not like I haven’t seen it,” Coco muttered, face tinged pink like evening clouds.

“Y-you—why’d you come in all of a sudden?”

“I’m… delivering orange juice,” Coco said, voice steady as a line on paper.

“Oh… oh…” Ye Yiyi nodded and took the bottle back, fingers trembling like reeds.

Coco sighed inside, a soft wind through pine.

“I packed your suitcase,” Ye Yiyi whispered, head bowed like a drooping flower.

“Mm. Thanks.”

“Then get some sleep. I’ll head out,” Coco said, turning toward the door, steps quiet as mist.

“W-wait…”

“Hm?”

“T-take a shower. And… stay here tonight,” Ye Yiyi said, back to Coco, voice small as a firefly.

“...”

Coco blinked, then smiled, bright as a crescent moon. “Hee-hee. Yiyi, you’re so cute when you’re shy.”

“I-I am not...”

“Then I’ll go shower.”

She slipped into the bathroom like a swallow, only to realize—again—she’d forgotten pajamas.

Half an hour later, the two finally lay in bed, the room dim as a lake at dusk.

“Ah...” Coco looked at Yiyi’s back curled toward the far side, a little shell in the tide, and sighed softly. She slid an arm around Yiyi’s waist from behind, palms warm as sunlight on silk, breathing in the light orange scent like a summer grove.

“W-what are you doing...” Yiyi’s voice trembled like a plucked string.

“I heard you’ll miss me,” Coco murmured, teasing as a ripple.

“I—I won’t… it’s only half a month.”

“Really? Then why won’t you turn and look at me?”

“I…”

“Hee-hee.”

Coco’s hand traced Yiyi’s waist, then paused at her chest, feeling the flit of a heartbeat like a skittish bird.

“You’re just like Muyan… such a rogue,” Yiyi muttered, voice thin as gauze.

“Can’t help it. Our Yiyi’s too cute,” Coco said, warmth rising like a lantern flame.

“...”

“Here. Turn around.”

Coco gently turned her. Faced with that flushed cheek and those eyes that wouldn’t meet hers, the spark in Coco’s chest caught like kindling.

The rest of the night fell like a curtain of quiet rain.

At dawn, Coco woke early. She watched Ye Yiyi sleeping beside her, breath soft as drifting snow, and smiled from the heart. She slipped out of bed, tucked the quilt around Yiyi like a cocoon, kissed her forehead, light as a feather, and went back to her room to change.

Breakfast steamed on the table like a quiet sunrise; Tang Coco grabbed her suitcase and slipped out.

She wore a plain black cinched dress, with black canvas shoes trimmed in white.

Her long white hair was tied into a single ponytail, neat as a river drawn in ink.

At the school, five coaches waited under the classroom building like steel beasts at rest, with a scattering of students already gathered.

"You're early, huh," Avril came up, voice light as wind chimes.

"Of course. When the homeroom teacher sets it up, I'm all in—like a soldier at dawn."

"Hey, Coco, you're here. I'll help you stow your luggage," Lu Kai stepped up, eager like a puppy.

"Oh, thanks," her answer flicked out like a paper crane.

Tang Coco didn't refuse this time; free muscle is a breeze at your back.

Lu Kai blinked, then burst out laughing, ice-thaw surprise warming his grin.

He'd thought she'd shut him down like before, cold as a winter gate.

"Your little girlfriend isn't here yet," Avril teased, sunlight poking through the clouds.

"Hey, cut it out. She's like a kid sister to me—probably glued to her pillow like morning dew."

Avril giggled like a silver bell, not buying it; then she raised her voice like a banner.

"Let's board first. If your luggage's loaded, hop on—buses yawning like big steel whales."

"Okay!" came the chorus, voices fluttering like sparrows; girls filled the ranks like a tide.

Word was, some had wrangled slots through connections, chasing Yanjing like migrating cranes chasing warm currents.

"Coco-jie! I'm here!" a bright call cut the air like a skylark.

Tang Coco turned at the sound, calm ripples spreading; a petite shape sprinted in, tugging a huge pink suitcase like a bubblegum comet.