Deviant: No Longer Human

"...I miss you.."

"...It's been hard without you here. I… I keep thinking about you, wondering what you're doing. It's strange, I didn't expect to feel like this, but…"

Anran's grip tightened on the knife in her hand as she listened, her eyes narrowing slightly, though the storm of emotions she felt remained hidden beneath the surface.

The voice continued, "I keep replaying things in my head. All the moments… I know I shouldn't, but I can't help it. I just… I miss you so much it hurts. Every time I close my eyes, I see you."

"I don't know when I'll see you again, but… I just wanted to say it. Even if I can't say it to your face."

"..."

"..."

"..."

The recording ended with a soft 'click', leaving the room in silence.

"..."

Anran felt the tension in the room snap.

It was very dark and venomou suddenly.

Wang Xiao face was twisted with an anger so deep it was burning.

She had seen him furious before, but this… this was something else entirely. His eyes, sharp as daggers, bore into her, demanding an explanation.

"What the hell is this?" His voice was low, but the danger in it was clear.

Every word dripped with the threat of bloodshed, and everyone around him knew they were one wrong word away from being turned into blood mist.

Anran swallowed hard.

She could feel the pressure radiating off him like a storm about to break.

It wasn't just about the recording. It was 'who' the recording was from.

Yue.

The name was like a curse, tightening the coil of rage in Wang Xiao's chest.

He didn't remember this conversation.

He had never spoken to Yue like that.

So, what did it mean?

His thoughts were a chaotic mix of confusion and fury.

The idea that Yue, of all people, could be doing something behind his back made him feel like he had been stabbed in the back with a rusted knife.

Anran took a deep breath, knowing that if she didn't handle this right, things would spiral out of control fast. "It's one of many logs," she explained carefully, "That specific number has been dialed by Yue several times over the last seven months. It was flagged, and after some investigation… well, it became clear something wasn't right."

Wang Xiao's eyes darkened further, but he didn't let her continue.

He already knew what the rest of those recordings might reveal, and he wasn't ready to hear it.

Not yet.

The consequences would be too dangerous.

Too final.

His mind was already racing ahead.

What the fuck is this supposed to mean?

"Who owns that number?" His voice was clipped, cold.

Anran hesitated. She looked over at Sakura, who was standing frozen, clearly regretting her entire existence at this moment.

The silence stretched too long.

"Are you dumb?!" Wang Xiao snapped, his patience gone, the anger now spilling over.

His voice echoed in the room, each word a lash.

Anran flinched under his gaze, but she couldn't lie, not now.

"It's… it's one of your old numbers," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

Wang Xiao's eyes widened, his mind struggling to piece it together. 'One of my old numbers?'

The betrayal hit him like a punch to the gut.

She had taken one of his phones—one of his old numbers—and had been using it behind his back?

'Is she out of her fucking mind?'

The image of Yue, the one person he thought was close to him, plotting behind his back made his blood boil.

His enemies outside were a constant threat, but this? This was different.

This was personal. This wasn't a faceless enemy attacking from the shadows.

This was someone within, someone he trusted.

"She stole my phone to do this? Is she fucking dumb?" Wang Xiao's voice had a dangerous tone now.

He could feel the rage coursing through his veins.

His thoughts spiraled out of control.

A trap? Could this be a setup? Is she being used? Or is she just fucking stupid?

He was already thinking about all the enemies he had outside, how he was planning to crush them all. But now, the battlefield had shifted.

The real threat might be closer than he ever imagined. His mind raced with anger and betrayal, unable to reconcile the image of Yue doing this behind his back.

His trust was shattered.

BAM!

His fist came down hard, smashing the terminal into pieces.

"And all of you were fucking sleeping or what!?" he roared, his fury spilling over. "What the fuck was Mary doing? Is she just there for staring and reaping benefits, or is she actually going to do her goddamn job?"

Anran, still trembling slightly from the intensity of his outburst, had no words.

She had been too relaxed, too caught off guard by something she never expected.

And now, the consequences of that negligence were before her eyes.

Seeing him angry was the last thing she ever wanted, and knowing she was one of the root causes only deepened her pain.

"Stop crying, goddamn it," Wang Xiao snapped, his gaze falling on Anran, whose trembling eyes was starting to annoy him.

Whoosh!

"Were you waiting for me to kill you before showing your face?" Wang Xiao's hand shot out, seemingly grabbing at thin air. But it wasn't thin air—Mary, gasping and wide-eyed, was suddenly in his grasp, her breath ragged as she struggled to keep herself from choking.

"I…" she stammered, her face drained of color, her lips trembling as if words had abandoned her entirely.

Wang Xiao's thoughts raced. They're all the same. The bitterness in his heart deepened.

Deceitful, untrustworthy, manipulative.

How long has this been going on behind his back?

Gasp!

Mary's face flushed red, her body shaking under his grip. "I… I only secured them physically… I didn't overstep… When they were in private places like the bathroom or somewhere else, just as you instructed. No one has ever come close physically to them, I swear…"

Wang Xiao's eyes narrowed to dangerous slits, then, without a word, he threw her aside.

Mary hit the ground with a sharp breath, her knees buckling as she barely managed to stay upright, clutching her throat in panic.

"Kill all of them," Wang Xiao ordered, his voice a deadly whispe sent a wave of chill through the room.

"Hm?" Confusion flickered in the eyes of those around him.

Wang Xiao clarified, his tone sharp. "Kill every single man she's come into contact with in the last year. I don't care if it was just one interaction—wipe them out."

Silence fell over the room.

Anran, however, was already prepared.

She handed him a list without hesitation. "Here."

Wang Xiao's eyes skimmed over it, his brows raising slightly. "So many?" He wasn't expecting that.

Anran responded quickly. "It includes guards, shopkeepers, and others who were in her vicinity…"

Wang Xiao's jaw tightened.

This many?

He handed the list to Ji Xuehong, who took it wordlessly, turning on her heel without a moment's hesitation.

Her movements were smooth, calculated, as if this task was no different from her daily breathing.

But just as she reached the door, Wang Xiao's voice stopped her. "Give it back to me…"

Ji Xuehong paused, confused. She turned and handed the list back.

Wang Xiao's face was cold, his expression hardened. He wanted to kill each of them himself. He needed an outlet, a way to drain the fury surging through him before he confronted Yue.

He knew if he faced her now, and she found out that her little 'activity' had been exposed, there might be no going back.

He needed to take control, to find the root of this!

At the same time, he asked Anran to confirm if any of the other women or daughters he had were involved in something similar, especially Wenxi.

However, Anran shook her head. She had only come here after completing all of this research.

She wouldn't risk shooting an arrow in the dark with matters like this.

Wang Xiao nodded slowly, taking a deep breath.

At least for now, there was only one bad apple.

The infection hadn't spread… yet.