Deviant: No Longer Human

Wang Xiao's expression shifted, his eyes narrowing as he pieced together her words. 'She really thought I'd be out cold.'

"Do I look like someone who'd be taken down by some amateur drug?" he asked, his voice sharp as the chill of early winter.

The weight of his words made her flinch, even if just for a moment.

"You think this is funny?" she shot back, ignoring the pain in her hand as she glared at him, her eyes like storm clouds threatening to break. "You come back, pretending like nothing's wrong, and now you're accusing me of—what, murder? Manslaughter? You've got some nerve."

Wang Xiao's eyes remained fixed on her, his gaze as cold as the northern wind.

"You're not exactly innocent either, Xueying. Drugging me? For what? To get rid of me, or something worse?" His tone was cold now, sharp as a blade. "So don't stand there acting like the victim."

Her lips quivered as she met his gaze, her body trembling under the weight of emotions too strong to contain. "You don't understand anything!" she cried, her voice breaking as more tears spilled over. Her body shook like the branches of a tree caught in a fierce gale. "You disappeared for years! Do you even know what that did to us?"

Wang Xiao was quiet for a moment, his expression unreadable. He didn't respond immediately, letting the silence stretch between them, filled only by the rustling of leaves and the distant murmurs of hidden couples.

Finally, he sighed, his voice softening just a little. "I know I wasn't here. But drugging me isn't how you solve that."

Wang Xueying glared at him, but her voice wavered, her frustration bubbling beneath the surface. "You wouldn't understand. You've been gone too long. Everything's changed. I've* changed."

"And you think this is how you deal with it?" he asked, his voice low but pointed. "By lacing my drink and knocking me out? What were you planning after that, Xueying? Seriously."

"!"

For a moment, Wang Xueying didn't respond.

She stared at the ground, her chest heaving with labored breaths, emotions tangled within her like a web she couldn't escape.

"Just… just leave me alone!" she finally snapped, her finger trembling as she pointed it at him, her voice a fragile mix of hurt and anger, like the last leaf of autumn clinging to a dying branch.

Tears continued to stream down her face, their descent endless, like rain that couldn't be stopped, as if the weight of all her pent-up frustration and sorrow had finally burst free.

Wang Xiao leaned back against the tree again, watching her, not quite sure if he should press the issue further.

His eyes flashed with a sudden decision, his patience snapping like a soft string.

In one swift movement, he seized Wang Xueying, ignoring her shocked gasp, and slammed her onto the soft ground beneath the maple tree.

Thud!

Her body hit the earth, the fallen leaves crunching beneath her with a rustling sound, as the cool scent of damp soil filled the air.

"You... What are you doing?!" Wang Xueying screamed, her voice rising in both panic and fury, her limbs flailing against the ground as she struggled to free herself.

But before she could get up, Wang Xiao had already settled himself on her back, his weight pressing her into the earth.

The dry rustle of leaves accompanied her squirming beneath him.

"Hey! Get off me!" she shrieked, her voice muffled by the ground, her hands clawing at the dirt.

Wang Xiao leaned down slightly, his voice dripping with cold amusement. "If I don't remind you, Xueying, you'll forget I can still handle you," he muttered, his tone sharp like a sword edge.

His words made her freeze for a second, realization dawning that she was helpless against his strength—which triggered another set of memories.

"You—you jerk!" Wang Xueying screamed, her fists pounding the earth, *thump thump*, sending dry leaves flying around them. "Get off me right now! What do you think you're doing?!"

Wang Xiao let out a low chuckle. "You thought you could drug me, manipulate me, and I'd just take it? You're not as clever as you think, Xueying. Did you really forget who you're dealing with?"

'Why is he so strong?!' Wang Xueying thought frantically, her body writhing under his weight.

Her mind raced, heart pounding in her chest like a trapped bird as she struggled to breathe under his heavy hold.

"This isn't fair!" she shouted, her voice tinged with both desperation and anger.

Her arms stretched out, clawing at the dirt in vain, the ground beneath her crumbling beneath her fingers as if it, too, had betrayed her. "Get off! You—you're just a bully! NO-You were always a bully, first Mei then me!"

Wang Xiao's grip tightened slightly, pinning her down even more firmly, his smirk evident even though she couldn't see his face. "A bully? I call it justice," His tone was mocking, but beneath it, there was an edge of frustration. "You think you can drug me, control me, and then just walk away like nothing happened? Not happening."

Wang Xueying's gritted her teeth, tears prickling her eyes as she struggled even harder, her body twisting beneath him. "You think this will make me listen to you?! You think sitting on me like some—some barbarian will change anything?!" she spat out, her voice trembling.

Wang Xiao leaned in closer, his breath warm against her ear, causing her to freeze. "You might hate me now," he murmured, his voice softer but no less dangerous, "but you'll thank me later when you understand."

"Thank you?" she gasped, her voice shaking with disbelief, "You're out of your mind! This isn't how you—"

Before she could finish her protest, Wang Xiao cut her off with a sharp tone. "If you had just been honest instead of sneaking around like a coward, maybe we wouldn't be here."

Without hesitation, he grabbed both of her hands and pinned them behind her back in one swift motion.

Snap!

Her wrists were locked in place, and Wang Xueying's body froze, a shiver running through her as she lay pinned to the ground.

She gasped, eyes widening in shock at the sudden dominance, her breath hitching in her throat.

"!" Her body trembled beneath him, the fight draining from her limbs as his weight pressed her deeper into the cool, earthy ground.

The rustling of fallen leaves around them felt deafening in the silence that followed.

At that very moment, a boy appeared nearby, walking hand in hand with his girlfriend.

His eyes widened as he caught sight of the scene unfolding in front of him—a beautiful girl, on the ground, tears in her eyes, struggling beneath the weight of another man.

The sight lit a spark of righteous anger in him.

"Hey! Get off her!" he yelled, his voice echoing through the maple trees.

He let go of his girlfriend's hand, rolling up his sleeves with the kind of bravery only found in the naïve and foolish. "Why don't you fight someone your own size, huh?"

Wang Xiao, still sitting comfortably on Wang Xueying's back, turned his head and let out a laugh, a sound dripping with both amusement and disdain. "Only idiots fight fair fights."

The boy's eyes burned with indignation as he prepared to step in, but just as he clenched his fists and took a step forward, a surprising voice rang out.

"Get away!" It was Wang Xueying who shouted, her voice sharp and desperate. "I don't need your help!" Her words sharp, making both Wang Xiao and the boy freeze for a moment.