Deviant: No Longer Human

Yue pulled out her phone, her slender fingers softly tapping the screen as she navigated through her gallery. "See! We even have pictures!" she declared triumphantly, holding the phone out to him.

Wang Xiao leaned in, his curiosity piqued. The photo she showed him was of a man who bore a striking resemblance to him—so much so that anyone could easily be fooled.

The differences were subtle: a different eye color, a slight change in the shape of the maturity of face, but they were distinctions Wang Xiao could have altered with ease, as effortlessly as changing his clothes.

For a moment, Wang Xiao studied the photo in silence, then looked back at Yue, who was watching him expectantly, her eyes wide with a mixture of surprise and genuine intrigue.

He hid his suprise, and chuckled softly, shaking his head. "So, you think I'm out there, running a secret life, hmm?"

Yue puffed her cheeks slightly, her pout deepening. "It wouldn't be that surprising if you were," she countered, though the twinkle in her eyes showed she wasn't entirely serious. "You've been disappearing a lot lately…"

Wang Xiao leaned back slightly, folding his arms as if carefully considering her words. "Perhaps," he mused, playing along with her suspicions. "But if I were living a secret life, do you think I'd get caught so easily?" He raised an eyebrow, a smirk curling at the edges of his lips.

Yue opened her mouth to respond, but found herself tongue-tied. "Well..." she hesitated, before falling silent. Wang Xiao shook his head, amused by her struggle to find the right words.

"I was with Lanlan for the week," he explained, his tone turning casual. "She needed Aether for something she's been working on, so Eleanor and I were setting up a small conduit to allow the Aether to sweep into Xianthera. It's time to expose the people there to it as well."

"Hmmm…" Yue nodded, though her surprise was evident. "Lanlan was able to tolerate you for a month?" She tilted her head, her expression curious.

Considering the time dilation, didn't that mean he spent a full month there?

Wang Xiao felt his face twitch at her comment. "What do you mean, tolerate?" he asked, half-indignant.

Yue glanced at him, her large eyes shimmering with a mix of mischief and innocence.

She rolled her eyes playfully, a sweet fragrance seeming to follow her every movement, like a breeze through a blossoming orchard. "I mean, you're not exactly the easiest person to be around for that long," she spoke calmly, her voice light and airy.

She reached into her handbag and pulled out her phone, showing him her saved reading list. "I'm not as clueless as you think…" she said, folding her arms proudly and pushing her chest out slightly, the motion inadvertently emphasizing her figure.

There was a confident, almost haughty tilt to her chin, as if she was declaring victory.

Wang Xiao glanced at her reading list, his eyes scanning the titles. His expression quickly turned from curious to speechless.

The reading list consisted of:

"Predators' Playbook: How Not to Get Caught"

"Daddy's Little Secret"

"The Family Playbook: How to Raise a Perfect Victim"

"Pretty Lies: A Father's Guide to Twisted Affection"

"Training Day: Grooming Your Daughter the Wrong Way"

"Trust Me, I'm Lying"

"A Playbook for Predators"

"Daddy Knows Best: Manipulation Behind Closed Doors"

"Shadows in the Nursery: Daddy's Little Girl"

"Sweet Talk, Dark Deeds: A Father's Sinister Handbook"

"Grooming for Dummies: A Father's Guide to Grooming and Deceit"

"Damn…" Even Wang Xiao couldn't help but sigh in awe at such titles hidden in her library.

He glanced at Yue, a mixture of amusement and disbelief coloring his expression."Didn't know you had such taste, Yue."

"Eh?" Yue was stunned, her eyes widening in shock as she processed his words.

Her hands instinctively formed into fists, and she hammered them against his chest, her face turning a deep shade of red from both embarrassment and shame,"Huh! What taste? It's obviously you with such dirty thoughts! Don't think I don't know what you and Wenxi do at night! Humph!"

Her voice wavered slightly as she continued to berate him, but as the words left her mouth, she realized she might have said too much.

'Oops…' she thought, panic creeping into her expression as she saw Wang Xiao's eyes narrow suspiciously, one eyebrow raised.

Wang Xiao looked at her with one eye half-closed, his gaze sharp but not unkind.

Yue's face burned with shame, the flush spreading to her ears. "You're quite clever," he remarked unexpectedly, his tone carrying no anger but rather a hint of admiration.

"Of course I am," Yue huffed, her chest puffing up with a sudden sense of pride."But don't mistake me for Wenxi! I'm Yue!"

Wang Xiao couldn't suppress the smile that tugged at his lips, amusement dancing in his eyes.

Watching her puff up with pride, seemingly out of nowhere, was both endearing and entertaining.

"I wouldn't dare," he replied with a soft chuckle, shaking his head at her sudden shift in demeanor. "You've made that abundantly clear."

Yue's indignation slowly gave way to a small, satisfied smile as her earlier embarrassment faded. "Just so you know… Lanlan doesn't like it one bit when you behave unruly with her. She might just break your nose."

Wang Xiao didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Obviously, Lanlan was more like her mother—calm and composed—not at all like the fierce picture Yue was painting.

But seeing Yue's calm demeanor, as if she were unaffected, Wang Xiao's curiosity was piqued. "And what about Yue, then?" he asked lightly, pulling her closer to him.

He noticed how much she had grown since the last time he held her like this.

Now, just having her on his lap seemed to be a bit heavy, and warmed his whole body.

Yue shifted around in his lap, folding her legs and turning to face him, her innocent eyes blinking up at him.

But Wang Xiao knew better than to take her lightly.

Her innocent facade often masked a sharper wit than most would expect.

A small smile formed on her lips as she noticed his cautious expression.

"Yue listens to Dad," she said calmly, her tone sweet and obedient.

Her ears turned red as she spoke, but she kept her face composed, revealing no other emotions.

Wang Xiao, seeing the hidden meaning behind her subtle smile, felt a subtle of disappointment.

She meant that she would obey him, but that wasn't what he was asking.

After all, there was no real power that could stop him if he wanted something—he was asking what she wanted, not what he could do.

But Yue's beautiful, serene expression was unreadable, and Wang Xiao hesitated, sensing that any rash actions might not end well for him.

"What do you think Wenxi would say?" he suddenly asked, curiosity lacing his voice.