“What do you want from me?” Her voice fell like a pebble into still water.

Tang Coco watched a crease of bitter worry pass over Murong Ling’s well-kept face, like a cloud veiling the moon.

“I’ve got a feeling the calm won’t last,” she said, eyes steady as winter ice. “Abnormals are everywhere now. In Yanjing alone, the ones hiding in the city are no fewer than the ones in this school.”

She shook her head, the motion like a tired willow in wind. “They’re scattered, and most are only secondary, weak sparks. But if someone with bad intent gathers those sparks, it becomes a wildfire. It burns harmony. So I hope… when Huaguo stands at the cliff’s edge, you’ll lend a hand.”

“Ha? Principal, you’re kidding.” Tang Coco smiled, light as a blade hidden in silk.

“I’m just one person,” she said, gaze flat as a calm sea. “How could I shield a whole country? And you’re a principal, right? Why carry the whole sky? National security is for the people upstairs.”

“No… keeping this country safe means something special to me.” Murong Ling’s voice sank, like embers sheltered in cupped hands.

“It was my father’s wish,” she said softly, grief a shadow in lamplight. “My father was the leader before. He passed two years ago. His last wish was that I run these schools well and, if needed, use their strength to help this country.”

Tang Coco listened in silence, breath like mist on glass.

“That’s why I stay as principal,” Murong Ling went on, eyes lowered like rain-heavy leaves. “But you know, there are official people on the board. Sometimes I can’t direct what they do. Otherwise yesterday wouldn’t have happened.”

She tasted failure like cold metal on the tongue.

Tang Coco gave no answer. The thought of playing hero felt like armor two sizes too big. She had never vowed to guard world peace; her heart stayed coiled like a watchful snake.

“My Anomaly Power is mind-type,” Murong Ling said, words quiet as falling snow. “I see what people desire and fear. These students laugh and play, but in their hearts they fear their own Anomalous Energy, like kids scared of the dark. That’s why I want to teach them, help them face their power as if opening a window to dawn.”

“The first day I saw you, I saw anger in you, thick as storm clouds. I don’t know who made you hate like that. Maybe it’s tied to your past. But I also saw your deepest wish, small and stubborn as a lamp in wind. You want the people around you to live in peace.”

Tang Coco’s fingers twitched on the cup, a tremor like a ripple across still tea.

“So I came to you,” Murong Ling said, meeting her eyes like two flints striking. “I hoped you’d protect this country.”

Tang Coco thought, her mind a dark lake stirred by rain.

“Sorry,” she said at last, voice cool as shade. “I’m not that noble. I can’t protect a country. If your officials threaten my people, even if I’m from Huaguo, I’ll strike at you.”

Murong Ling froze, surprise flashing like a startled bird.

“But… I agree on one thing,” Tang Coco added, gaze softening like dusk light on water. “These students. I like them. They still carry a child’s clear sky, not like us, with hands dyed in blood.”

She looked at her own hands, the silence heavy as iron.

“You don’t sound like you look,” Murong Ling murmured, a crooked smile like a cracked teacup. “Those words felt like they came from a battle-hardened middle-aged vet.”

“Battle-hardened… maybe,” Tang Coco said, a wryness drifting like smoke.

She stared at her palms and fell into thought, the room ticking for five long minutes like rain on eaves. Then she spoke. “You’re mind-type. Pick suitable students. I’ll train them. But hear me: after that, they’re under me. No one interferes.”

Murong Ling blinked, surprise like a lantern flaring. Then she considered, brows folding like paper. “If so, I can’t give you too many. This school still answers to the officials. If too many vanish, they’ll notice.”

“That’s fine,” Tang Coco said. “A crowd only muddies the water.”

“Mm. Then it’s settled,” Murong Ling said, relief loosening like a knot undone.

———

After Murong Ling dropped her back, Tang Coco didn’t return to the dorm. She drifted to the central plaza, footsteps light as falling leaves.

The fountain still bloomed in the square, petals of water catching light, and students strolled in clumps like spring birds.

“System, rescan the device below,” she said, voice low as an incantation.

“Scanning…”

“Scan complete. Confirmed: the anti–I Energy device is disabled.”

“So… they pulled it overnight,” she murmured, brows knitting like threads on a loom. “Quick hands. But what were they aiming to do with it…”

She frowned, a thin blade of worry, not noticing the students’ eyes pricking her like rain.

“Hey, hey, that’s the exchange student, Tang Coco.”

“Huh? For real? Why’s she here?” Two girls, arms linked, drifted closer like curious sparrows.

“Let’s go say hi.”

“Is that okay… she doesn’t know us…”

“It’s fine. She seems easy to talk to.” The girl in a yellow tee with a ponytail tugged her bob-haired friend and headed over.

“Um… hello, Tang Coco~” Her voice hopped like a pebble across water.

“Mm?” Someone called her name. Tang Coco turned. Two girls, a bit shorter and cute as fresh peaches, stopped beside her. She answered politely, voice smooth as silk. “Hi.”

“Is your injury better? We watched the match yesterday. You were amazing,” the ponytail girl chirped, bright as sunshine.

“Uh… I’m okay. Thanks~” Tang Coco smiled, light as dew.

“Um, can we take a picture with you~” the bob-haired girl asked, cheeks pink as cherry blossoms.

Tang Coco felt a wave of speechlessness, a sigh like wind through reeds. She wasn’t a celebrity. But they were classmates; refusal would cut like a rude edge.

“Alright.”

“Mm!” They beamed, one left and one right, and raised a phone. Shutters clicked like sparrows.

Afterward, the ponytail girl asked, eyes curious as cats. “Thanks! What are you doing here?”

“Just wandering,” Tang Coco said, words drifting like clouds.

“Oh, okay. Then we won’t bother you~”

“Mm. Bye.” They waved off, and she shook her head, a helpless smile like a soft tide, and walked toward the dorms.

———

A black business van slid down the highway out of Yanjing, a dark beetle humming over gray ribbon.

“President, what’s our next move?” The man in a suit spoke, voice clipped like scissors.

“If Murong Ling told the truth, we can’t touch Tang Coco for now,” the old man said, frown etched like knife-cuts. “Cheng Hua is the real trouble. Their Mechs outclass the batch we imported. But Cheng Hua still refuses to hand over a sample.”

“Why not force it?” the young man asked, eyes cold as glass. “Cheng Hua’s company is in Huaguo. We’ve got plenty of ways.”

“You think they don’t want that?” the old man snapped, then eased, tone like gravel. “The higher-ups fear souring ties with Cheng Hua. If the relationship snaps, they might pass the tech to another country. That’s a bigger storm. They’re negotiating now. So we shelve Tang Coco.”

“But we lured her onto our turf under the exchange-student pretext,” the young man muttered, regret a bruise beneath the skin. “Feels like wasting a golden chance.”

“Relax,” the old man said, gaze steady as a compass. “There’ll be more chances. How’s the data collection?”

“Mm. The institute says the device met expectations,” the young man replied, words crisp as pages turning. “Some functions remain untested, but overall usability is confirmed. HQ approved using it in that plan.”

“Good. Let them run with it. Our task here is done,” the old man said, eyes already on a farther horizon.

———

Nothing special happened for the next few days. Life smoothed out like a quiet river, until Saturday…

That morning, the dorm woke to Yuan Yuan’s screech, sharp as a fire alarm.

“Whoa!!! Bad news!”

“Ugh, what are you doing? It’s Saturday,” Beibei groaned, puffing her cheeks like a sulky kitten. “Let me sleep…”

“What happened, Yuan Yuan?” Chen Ying asked, calm as a cool lake.

“Look at this!” Yuan Yuan thrust her phone at them, screen glowing like a flare.

“A challenge letter?” Beibei blinked, then read aloud, voice hopping like a drumbeat.

“This time’s championship doesn’t feel truly earned. So, tomorrow, we want a fair match with the ‘Coco Is the Cutest’ dorm. We hope you agree. — Hongcheng.”

“No way… how did this happen…” Chen Ying’s surprise spread like spilled ink.

“Hongcheng? What’s that?” Tang Coco asked from her bed, half-lying like a lazy cat, a pale shoulder bare as snow. The others didn’t even blink; they were used to the quiet temptation.

Ignoring the distraction, Chen Ying explained, tone level as a metronome. “Hongcheng is the champion dorm. Three-time consecutive winners. This time, because our opponent forfeited, they won the semifinal and got crowned by default. That’s probably why they posted this.”

“Uh… so they want a fight,” Tang Coco said, a wry glint like steel under cloth.

“Those guys posted it on the forum,” Beibei groaned, clutching her head like a storm shelter. “Now the whole school knows. How do we refuse?”

“We can’t beat them…” Yuan Yuan whispered, worry pooling like dusk.

Chen Ying looked at Tang Coco, a thought sparking like flint. Then she straightened, a smile lifting like a banner. “Alright! Since they called us out, we can’t turtle. Yuan Yuan, reply as our dorm. We accept tomorrow’s match.”

“Ah! Ying-jie, are you crazy? We can’t win,” Beibei and Yuan Yuan yelped, shock popping like corn. Tang Coco’s brows rose, surprise a light tap on glass.

“Relax,” Chen Ying said, smiling like sunrise over rooftops. “We already broke our limit. Let’s try.”

“Ugh… gonna get beaten again…” Beibei moaned, hugging her head, pitiful as a drenched pup.

“Alright, I’m washing up,” Chen Ying said, heading for the bathroom, steps steady as a drum. Tang Coco watched her back, then dressed in a sweep like drawing a blade, and went after her.