Deviant: No Longer Human

At this moment!

Outside the door, in the lobby, Kari and Susie stood guard, their expressions stoic.

The thumping noises from inside the room made them frown, but they exchanged a quick glance and pretended not to notice.

"Hey, what's all that noise?"

A door nearby creaked open, and a worried guest poked his head out, looking in their direction. "Who's making all that noise?"

"Darling, go and check," a woman urged from another doorway.

One by one, more doors on the floor started to open, curious and anxious guests stepping into the hallway.

They moved toward Susie and Kari, demanding answers.

The two women exchanged another glance, silently communicating their next move as the crowd pressed closer.

"Hey, open the door!" one man shouted, his voice tinged with panic.

"Someone's asking for help in there!" another added, his concern mirrored by the others.

"Open the door!" they chorused, their insistence growing louder.

Hearing the escalating demands, Susie and Kari finally sighed, realizing that the situation was spiraling out of control.

Click! Click!

In unison, they drew their arms together, each of them pointing a Glock at the crowd. "Our boss is inside in a covert mission," Susie said coolly, her voice cutting through the noise like a knife. "You need something?"

Hiss!

The crowd fell silent, their collective breath hitching in fear.

For a moment, the hallway was eerily still.

But just as the crowd began to retreat in terror, the wail of sirens echoed down the street, and police cars screeched to a halt outside the hotel.

Moments later, the hotel manager appeared, leading a contingent of police officers up to the floor.

But instead of approaching the room where the commotion originated, they began evacuating the guests, sealing off the entire floor and ensuring no one could get near.

The director of the Crime Branch, a man with sharp eyes and an even sharper sense of self-preservation, stood at the entrance to the sealed floor.

His phone buzzed incessantly in his pocket, and with a sigh, he answered.

"Miss Zhilan, you need to understand that I am not in Icevale," he said, his tone measured and detached. "I have already entrusted two of my most important subordinates with your daughter's protection. Until twelve hours have passed, we can't formally file a complaint—you should know this already."

"But—"

Beep!

He ended the call before she could finish, a cold smile playing on his lips. He couldn't help but laugh inwardly.

On one hand, it was a small favor his department owed to a law firm; on the other, it was ten million dollars.

Back at the resort, Zhilan stared at her phone, fury bubbling up inside her until she couldn't contain it anymore.

With a frustrated yell, she hurled the phone across the room, watching as it shattered against the wall.

Everything was going wrong.

Why was everything going wrong?

She massaged her temples, a sense of despair creeping over her as she struggled to figure out her next move.

_____

"Haha..."

Wang Xiao chuckled softly, watching Mei bang desperately against the door.

He wasn't in any hurry.

Instead, he took a few steps back and casually sat on the edge of the bed, his eyes following her every move as she violently beat her fists against the unyielding wood.

There was something oddly fascinating about this sudden burst of determination in his usually quiet and meek little sister.

He had always seen her through the lens of the timid girl he remembered, but now, it was clear—painfully clear—that she had grown up, and she had changed in ways he was only beginning to understand.

For ten long minutes, he observed her struggle.

Her fists pounded against the door until the sound of flesh striking wood began to weaken, replaced by the quiet, anguished sobs that finally broke through.

Only then did he notice the bruises forming on her delicate hands, the skin bleeding and swollen from the repeated impact.

Why is she so resistant? he wondered, genuinely puzzled.

She wasn't like this before... or was she?

Memories surfaced, hazy but persistent, of a time when she had nearly sold him out to their mother in a moment of panic.

Perhaps he never truly understood her.

Shaking his head, he pushed the thoughts aside and rose from the bed, moving silently toward her trembling form.

"Don't..." Mei's voice was barely a whisper, a plea as he came up behind her.

He inhaled deeply, the sweet scent of her body mingling with the jasmine perfume, filling his senses.

His hands moved to support her, wrapping around her as she began to slump down, her strength finally giving out.

She shivered under his touch, her body wracked with silent sobs, and he felt the warm, wet tears fall onto his hands.

For a moment, something unfamiliar tugged at him—a sense of unease, perhaps?—but it was quickly dismissed.

"Why do you fight me?" he murmured, almost to himself, his grip tightening slightly as he held her close.

The girl she had been was gone, replaced by this stubborn one.

And yet, he still couldn't quite grasp why she resisted him so fiercely.

Seeing her silence and trembling form, Wang Xiao shook his head, amused.

It wasn't until he glanced down that he realized his hands were gripping her underarms, his fingers inadvertently pressing against her chest.

Curiosity and arrogance intertwined as he decided to test what he was feeling.

He gave a deliberate squeeze, expecting little, but what he felt made his eyes widen in surprise.

Boing—!

Soft and full, her body had changed far more than he had anticipated.

She had truly grown—everywhere.

Mei's face was a mask of shock and shame.

Without another word, Wang Xiao yanked her away from the door and threw her onto the bed with a careless motion.

Just as he began to climb over her, intent on asserting his control, Mei moved with a sudden burst of energy.

Bang!

She swung her head, aiming to strike him, hoping for any chance to escape.

But he was quicker.

His hand caught her head mid-swing, halting her attack effortlessly.

"Sigh... You really don't understand anything at all," Wang Xiao muttered, a mix of frustration and condescension in his tone as her head trembled within his grasp.

With a forceful yet controlled motion, he pushed her head back against the pillow, his gaze lingering on her conflicted expression.

Her beautiful face, framed by scattered strands of hair, was glowing with the sheer panic in her eyes—those once-bright eyes now misted with tears.

Her trembling lashes and the heavy breaths she took made her look almost painfully adorable.

"You've grown into such a beauty," he mused, his voice softening as he grasped a thin quilt and used it to wipe away the dark marks beneath her eyes left by her tears. "But you don't seem to know how to take care of yourself at all..."