Deviant: No Longer Human

At the corner of the Huangpu River, Wang Xiao sat on the frosty grass. The winter sun hung tight, its light sharp but cold, reflecting off the rippling water.

The December air bit at his skin, but he didn't care. A cigarette burned between his fingers, the smoke curling lazily in the crisp air.

The scene so picturesque it could make poets cry.

How long had it been since he just sat here?

Behind him, Black Lotus stood stiff, looking about as comfortable as a cat in a dog park.

Why the hell did he drag me here? Her mind — panicked. Does he want to isolate me for some evil plan? Should I just strangle him with my laces and call it a day? She quickly dismissed the thought. Nah, this bastard's tougher than steel. She'd just ruin her boots.

"You gonna take off that little mask of yours?" Wang Xiao asked casually, not even bothering to look back.

Black Lotus tensed.

"Or..." He finally turned, his eyes locking onto her helmet, a teasing smile tugging at his lips. "Waiting for the bride price first?"

"...!" Continue your adventure at My Virtual Library Empire

The air stilled.

Her fingers twitched. For a split second, she reconsidered the laces.

"Humph! Bride price? Better save it for your funeral expenses," she muttered grudgingly, her voice carrying a sharp edge. With a smooth motion, she pulled off the dark helmet.

Her hair spilled down like a black waterfall, cascading over her shoulders. Obsidian eyes with a faint trace of green shimmered under the light, her sharp yet delicate features framed by skin so flawless it could shame a porcelain doll. Her figure, tall and slender like a model, was wrapped in tight black combat gear.

"Now that's a pretty face," Wang Xiao said with an easy smile.

If anything, his words made Zhang Sisi stiffen even more.

"Didn't think the little class leader would grow up to moonlight as a government agent," he added, his gaze sweeping over her with just the right amount of amusement to make it sting.

"..."

Her face turned a faint shade of red, a mixture of irritation and embarrassment. Little class leader. She hated how her title from school sounded so patronizing now, yet under the light, her expression carried an unintentional charm.

Wang Xiao tilted his head, taking her in fully. Where the hell did she get genes for legs like that?

The sleek, tight-fitting black outfit wasn't doing either of them any favors, everything that shouldn't have been noticeable in this situation.

"Come on, come closer! Let's sit together and watch the sunset," Wang Xiao said, his suspicious smile growing wider as he patted the grass next to him.

"It's... morning," Zhang Sisi muttered, her face darkening. She shifted uncomfortably, her mind spinning with memories. Back in middle school, she was the class leader—strict, disciplined, and respected. But even then, she had been wary of Wang Xiao. His over-the-top reputation as a drug dealer, human trafficker, and who-knew-what-else made him untouchable. He always hung out with the kinds of people you crossed the street to avoid.

Now? It was worse. She wasn't a class leader anymore, and Wang Xiao's reputation wasn't just exaggerated rumors. He had a real name, one tied to things people whispered about in fear.

"Oh, good," Wang Xiao said with a laugh, leaning back on his elbows, "then let's just stare at the sun. They say it's good for the eyes."

Zhang Sisi's eyebrow twitched. "Only if you want to go blind."

"Blind? Nah," he replied, tilting his head to smirk at her. "It's called embracing danger. Like sitting next to me."

She froze, her fists clenching slightly. "I'm not scared of you."

Wang Xiao raised an eyebrow, his lips curling into a smile that made Zhang Sisi's stomach drop. "Really? I think you should be scared. Imagine spying on me for so long and still walking around alive? That's a miracle in itself."

"!!"

Her heart skipped a beat. Why did she have to pretend to be tough?!

Ugh! She's doomed now!

Zhang Sisi gritted her teeth and shut her eyes, her voice trembling as she blurted out, "Wang Xiao, I swear I didn't want to do this! It's those cowardly bastards who pushed me into this role! I was just a normal enforcement agent, living my life, until you showed up and they threw me into this fire pit!"

"..."

Wang Xiao's eyebrow twitched. Fire pit? Did his face really look that terrifying? If anything, his daughters thought he was the fire itself!

"What are you doing here now?" he asked, deciding to stop scaring the poor girl and cut straight to the point. He had plenty of things to deal with—her spy attempts weren't one of them anymore.

"I..." Zhang Sisi hesitated, glancing at him nervously. "They assigned me as your dedicated agent."

"Oh?" His tone was casual, but the glint in his eyes said otherwise. "And what's that supposed to mean?"

"It means..." she swallowed hard, realizing how absurd it sounded. "I'm supposed to... keep an eye on your activities. It's not spying! Just... making sure no idiot provokes you into burning down the whole country." She blurted out the last part, her words tumbling over each other in a rush to explain.

Wang Xiao blinked. Then his lips twitched into a smirk. "Burning down the whole country? You think so highly of me."

"It's not a compliment!" Zhang Sisi snapped, her face flushed.

From the corner of his eye, Wang Xiao observed her closely. He knew, of course. He'd always known she was tailing him. Letting her watch a couple of things—enough to traumatize her—was his way of teaching her a lesson without outright exposing her. Yet, despite everything, here she was, still assigned to him.

For a moment, he almost felt bad. Almost.

"Well," Wang Xiao finally said, leaning closer, "if they're so scared of me, maybe I should give them something to really worry about."

Zhang Sisi paled, her composure crumbling all over again. "N-No! I'm here to prevent that!"

"Good luck with that, class leader," Wang Xiao chuckled, his eyes gleaming with mischief.

"..." Zhang Sisi's face darkened. Right... How the hell she's supposed to prevent it if he actually wants to burn the whole country down?!*

Ugh! They didn't leave her with any damn instructions!

In fact, if her higher-ups actually had a plan to deal with the Eighth Prince himself, they wouldn't be sweating bullets in their fancy offices every time his name came up.

"Now," Wang Xiao said, his grin widening as he tapped the grass next to him, "since we're clear on our 'relationship', are you coming over, or do I have to drag you here?"

Zhang Sisi froze. "..." Her face paled slightly, but she bit her lip and took a small, reluctant step forward. Then another, making sure to keep as much distance as possible before finally sitting stiffly on the grass.

Wang Xiao chuckled inwardly, casually plucking a few blades of grass. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed them lazily in her direction.

Zhang Sisi stared at him, deadpan. She didn't flinch, didn't move. She had to pretend it didn't bother her.

It was like laughing at those lame dad jokes your CEO made just to keep your job intact.

"So," Wang Xiao said, breaking the silence with that same sly grin, "what other perks do I get with you as my dedicated agent?"

"Eh?" His words caught her off guard, making her sit upright, her mind snapping into "professional mode."

"Uh... I'm supposed to ensure your safety and... handle any unnecessary conflicts..." she trailed off, her voice uncertain, like she didn't even believe what she was saying.

Wang Xiao raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "That's it? No free coffee? No massage coupons? I thought government agents were supposed to provide service."

Zhang Sisi's lips twitched, her composure wavering, but she exhaled sharply. "That's part of the job... when required."

"Oh?" Wang Xiao leaned forward slightly, his grin turning devilish. "And what else is part of the job that you conveniently skipped?"

Did they send him a free maid or something?

Zhang Sisi froze for a moment, realizing she'd walked right into that one. Her face flushed faintly, but she forced herself to respond evenly. "Monitoring your activities, ensuring public safety, and providing support when necessary."

Wang Xiao smirked. "Support? Sounds vague. Care to clarify?"

Zhang Sisi's face darkened.