Deviant: No Longer Human

After a Few Hours!

"You girls auditioning for tragedy queens now?"

Wang Xiao sprawled on the bed, arms stretched behind his head, a lazy grin tugging at his lips. His tone was light, but his eyes—sharp and unblinking—cut through the room.

Li Xiaoqing had bolted hours ago, hurling something about "police" before slamming the door. A performance, really. Dramatic, but forgettable.

Qian Ruixin? She just sat there, perched on the edge of the bed like a bird that didn't know if it could still fly. Her hair hung in damp strands, her eyes hollow and swollen. The sheets clung to her like a shield, but it didn't hide the tension in her shoulders.

Wang Xiao sighed, tilting his head. "Come on, Rui. Don't act like I drowned your puppy."

Still, she said nothing.

Wang Xiao amazed, added, "Silent treatment? Huh — That's cute. Didn't think you had it in you."

Just sat there, hands clutching the sheets as if they might anchor her to something solid.

Then, barely a whisper: "She told me… you're evil."

That hit differently.

His grin faltered, eyes narrowing. "Come again?"

"She said you kill people," she murmured, her voice brittle, cracking under its own weight. "That you take and take until there's nothing left. That fighting you is pointless."

Her gaze finally met his. Not angry. Not pleading. Just… searching.

It was questioning. Doubting.

Wang Xiao stared at her, unmoving, unblinking, as if he were trying to decide whether to laugh or break something.

So someone told her.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

The analogy hit him like a brick to the back of the head: it was like being mid-game, playing dumb, and then some idiot shouts, "Boss incoming!" Game ruined. Fun obliterated. Now what?

Wang Xiao's smirk disappeared entirely. Then, slowly, he sat up, the casual air around him hardening into something colder.

"Who told you that?" His voice, low and clipped, carried an edge sharp enough to draw blood.

Her lips parted, but no answer came.

Wang Xiao dragged a hand through her hair, exhaling sharply. "Doesn't matter," he muttered, the grin sliding back onto his face, razor-thin. "Whoever it was… well. They've got problems coming their way."

"Don't," she said suddenly, her voice cracking. Her hand shot out, gripping his wrist. "She's innocent."

"Oh?" Wang Xiao's grin widened, his eyes sparking with amusement. "So it's the little loli. Lingling."

The way her grip tightened told him everything he needed to know.

He laughed softly, leaning closer until his breath ghosted against her cheek. His voice dropped to a mock whisper. "Relax. What kind of monster do you take me for? You think I kill girls for fun?"

Her silence was louder than any scream.

"Damn," he drawled, pulling back. "You really do." His grin sharpened. "You're colder than I thought, Rui. What, you think I only kill big people for fun?"

"…"

"No, seriously. Don't just sit there pouting. It's bad for morale." He stretched, standing like he owned not just the bed, but the entire world beyond it. "Stop looking like I betrayed you or something. You're married, aren't you? Shouldn't disappointment be old news by now?"

Her hollow gaze flickered with the faintest spark of a glare.

"Ah, there it is," he said, smirking. "That's the Ruixin I know."

"…"

"Anyway," he continued, waving a hand like swatting away a fly, "maybe I should start with Murong Shan."

The air around them rippled. The walls shimmered and vanished, dissolving into nothingness. Suddenly, the room was no longer a room. Instead, they stood in a vision of the Ministry of Health's gardens, where Murong Shan paced near the gate, oblivious.

Ruixin froze, her breath catching in her throat.

Wang Xiao leaned in again, his voice soft and mocking. "No begging? No 'please don't kill him'? Cold, Ruixin. Real cold."

"…"

He stepped back, chuckling as he tucked his hands into his pockets. "You're worse than me, you know that?" His smirk turned dark, his eyes gleaming. "Maybe that's why we get along so well."

Qian Ruixin's lips twitched, her voice soft but clear, "We… are not the same."

Wang Xiao raised an eyebrow, her words stirring something between amusement and indifference. His grin stretched wider, just enough to make her uneasy.

"That's good," he said lightly, like he was humoring a child. "Then you do what you're good at, and I'll stick to what I'm good at."

"Huh?"

She blinked, caught off guard.

"Play your game, Rui," Wang Xiao continued, his tone maddeningly casual. "Spend money, dream big, act like every other woman in your shoes. Want to leave the Murong family someday? Do it. Hell, I'll even applaud you for it. Just — don't try to be me, and don't expect me to be you."

Ruixin opened her mouth to respond but hesitated. She clenched the sheets tighter instead, her knuckles pale against the fabric.

People are results of their circumstances. They pick up habits that keep them alive—things that work. The strong, those who sit at the top, can afford kindness. They were untouched by the grit of this world, still pristine in their ideals, because they had enough leverage to protect their innocence.

Not everyone was so lucky.

There were women like Linda, the brothel worker he'd met in Icevale, whose laughter masked desperation... Then there was Lin Xue, who carved her path through blood and ash...

Everyone became what they had to be.

Survival demanded no less.

"Your world, Rui, is different from mine," he said quietly, almost to himself. "It's better you understand that now than later."

She flinched, but he wasn't finished.

"I'm not changing," he said, his voice firm. "Can't. Won't. If I did, it wouldn't just break me—it'd crush everyone behind me."

An emperor doesn't just throw away his crown and pretend the world won't notice. He can't walk away and assume his enemies will forget. A road like his, once chosen, had only one end: the peak of the summit—or death.

His presence shielded many people. People who didn't even realize how much they relied on him. Even people like Qian Ruixin.

He glanced at her, "So live your life, Rui. Do what you want. But don't waste it trying to figure me out. You wouldn't like what you find."

Her grip on the sheets loosened, her hands trembling slightly. She wanted to argue, to push back, but deep down, she knew he was right.

It felt like swallowing shards of glass, the truth cutting its way into her.

Wang Xiao chuckled, breaking the tension. "What, no smart remarks this time? Don't tell me you're losing your voice."

Her glare flickered briefly, but her lips pressed into a thin line. She thought she saw something behind his grin—something darker, almost fragile—but it was gone in an instant.

Replaced by his maddening arrogance.

He turned away, his voice low but amused. "Yeah, that's what I thought."

Ruixin stared at his back, her mind swirling. For the first time, she realized she didn't hate him. Not for what he was, or even for what he wasn't. What scared her was that maybe—just maybe—he was right.

______

Rustle ~~

The imperial captial in late November was a damn mood: cold enough to bite but not enough to kill, gray skies threatening rain like a drunk man threatening a fight—half-hearted and more annoying than dangerous.

Wang Xiao had half a mind to stay inside, but no, someone always had to piss him off.

So here he was, dragging Qian Ruixin along. She'd protested, naturally.

But her objections had all the weight of a paper umbrella in a storm. Wang Xiao wasn't in the mood for arguments; he'd already decided.

As for Li Xiaoqing? Someone else would clean up after her. He had no patience for petty drama today. His name alone was enough to make most people shut up and sit down. That's what names were for—breaking noise into silence.

"Umm… this would look good on you."

Ruixin's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. She held up a jacket, her tone soft, almost sweet and calm, like an old docile wife. The contrast from earlier was so sharp it gave him whiplash. Hours ago, she'd been sulking like a wronged princess; now, she was acting like the perfect little wife, efficient and obedient.

Wang Xiao preferred it this way. Not because he cared about appearances—hell no. But peace and quiet were rare luxuries in his life, and he wasn't about to complain if she handed it to him on a silver platter.

While she browsed, he leaned against a nearby counter, half-watching the shop attendants pretend they weren't eavesdropping. The boutique was warm and cozy, but outside, the streets were alive with the kind of chaotic energy only the capital could muster: umbrellas bobbing in the drizzle, couples arguing about who forgot to bring one, and old women hawking roasted chestnuts with voices loud enough to shatter glass.

Their original plan had been to meet Wang Jiarong — That had gone to shit pretty fast.

"Busy," Jiarong had said over the phone, her tone so curt it might as well have been a slap.

He knew better than to push.

However — She'd told Ruixin more, of course.

The air of discrimination was obvious. He didn't say anything, though. It wasn't worth the effort.

Something about Xin Meifang arranging a blind date. Typical. Wang Xiao had felt his lips twitch in annoyance when he heard that part.