Deviant: No Longer Human

In the backseat of one of the vehicles, Wang Mei and Xinyue Zhilan sat quietly, watching the scene with caution and curiousity.

They had been intrigued by the passing convoy and the confident girl, Yue, who had introduced herself as the CEO. Their curiosity only grew as they observed the situation.

Wang Mei turned to her mother, a hint of doubt in her voice. "Are we really going to run over them?" She didn't quite believe it.

Xinyue Zhilan shook her head, a bitter smile on her lips. "Probably not," she replied, still in shock from the day's events.

She felt a bit uneasy and worried, and earlier she had wanted to exchange business cards with the young CEO, but now... her aspirations seemed less certain.

Wang Mei's eyes sparkled with curiosity. "Such a young CEO... Mom, what do you think? Is she older than me?" The idea of someone her age or younger being in such a powerful position intrigued her.

Xinyue Zhilan considered the question, nodding slightly. "She should be around your age."

"Really?" Wang Mei asked, her eyes widening in surprise.

"Yes," Xinyue Zhilan confirmed. "But they're not ordinary people. Their wealth isn't just from this company. It's likely that the company is just a small part of a much larger business. Be careful in the future—they're not necessarily 'good' people."

Mary, overhearing the conversation from the front seat, smiled slightly as she glanced at them through the rearview mirror.

The matter had already been settled, and the convoy was moving forward smoothly.

"It's true," Mary remarked, her voice carrying a hint of amusement. "The company is more like a toy for the young miss to manage. Their real business is much more expansive."

Xinyue Zhilan and Wang Mei were suddenly reminded that they were still in someone else's car, making the situation slightly awkward.

However, Xinyue Zhilan quickly composed herself, choosing not to dwell on it.

Feeling a bit playful, Mary added with a meaningful glance toward Xinyue Zhilan, "The Master is a bit of a... promiscuous person. I'd advise the madam to be careful."

"What—" Wang Mei turned to her mother in shock, her face filled with surprise, while Xinyue Zhilan felt a shiver run down her spine, her thoughts momentarily thrown into disarray.

Without hesitation, she instinctively reached for her dress, subtly but quickly pulling it up to cover the bit of cleavage that had been exposed earlier.

_____

"You have a grandpa, not me!"

Anran quickly clarified inside the Bentley, her tone sharp.

It was clear she didn't recognize Li Zhiming as her father, and she wanted no misunderstandings on the matter.

In fact, if that man hadn't come begging to see her daughters, she wouldn't have cared at all.

Wenxi and Yue exchanged glances, both a bit taken aback.

They hadn't known their mother had such a temper, especially when it came to her past.

"But we don't need bodyguards..." Wenxi muttered, clearly unwilling to accept the added security.

"It's alright, just keep them and deploy them as security for the event," Wang Xiao said with a slight smile, gently placing a reassuring hand on Wenxi's shoulder.

Wenxi hesitated for a moment, then pursed her lips and nodded. "Mmm... okay."

Yue, on the other hand, wasn't as concerned about the guards themselves.

What bothered her was how much attention they were suddenly attracting.

"I think, Mom just feels we're unneeded and wants to discard us, so she brought the guards," she said, folding her arms with a hint of dramatic eyes.

Wenxi nodded slightly in agreement, her expression solemn.

Anran's eye twitched at the accusation. "Did-you-say-something-punks...?"

Her voice was dangerously sweet, the kind that preceded something terrible.

"Ah!?"

"Mom... no violence!"

Both Wenxi and Yue were instantly frightened, grabbing onto Wang Xiao tightly for protection.

Anran had turned around in her seat, smiling widely, but the black heel in her hand made her threat all too real.

Wang Xiao, caught between his daughters clinging to him and Anran's threat, found himself in a rare moment of bliss.

Holding onto the two soft, fragrant bodies pressed against him, he couldn't help but feel a deep sense of contentment.

After a brief moment, he chuckled and decided to reveal a little secret. "Actually, you wouldn't believe it, but your mother ran away from me when she was pregnant, wanting to raise you both on her own."

"What!?"

Both Wenxi and Yue gasped, their eyes widening in shock as they turned to look at their mother, who was now smiling smugly.

"See? It's him who's the culprit, not me," Anran said with a triumphant grin, clearly pleased with herself for shifting the blame.

The girls, who had looked like lost puppies a moment before, turned their emotional gazes on Wang Xiao.

Their eyes seemed to ask, 'You didn't want us?'

Wang Xiao, never one to back down from such an adorable display of powers, quickly shook his head. "Don't believe her," he said, his voice warm as he pulled them both closer into a protective embrace.

He could lie with a straight face, especially when it came to keeping his daughters happy.

The truth was, he had never been fond of the idea of children, but he wasn't about to admit that now.

Both Wenxi and Yue's faces lit up with joy, their earlier worries evaporating.

They turned back to Anran, their chins held high with newfound confidence, as if to provocatively say, We have Dad, what do you have, little woman?

Anran rolled her eyes, still holding the black heel in her delicate hand. She was slightly shorter than her daughters, which often made her look more like their sister than their mother—a fact that never failed to irk her just a little.

The scene was almost comical, this petite yet fiery woman facing off against her taller, beautiful daughters.

She was probably the first mother to feel jealousy toward her own daughters.

"Humph! You know nothing," Anran huffed, her lips curling into a playful smirk. "He revived me from the dead!"

It was her trump card, something she knew they couldn't easily top, and she played it with relish.

"Huh?"

"Really?"

The girls' eyes widened in surprise, their earlier smugness replaced by a mix of awe and curiosity.

Their long lashes fluttered as they exchanged glances, and then turned to their father with wide, expectant eyes.

Wang Xiao, now cornered by their adorable, yet slightly calculating expressions, sighed deeply.

He couldn't resist them when they looked at him like that, full of trust and expectation.

"Don't tell me... you both want to die just so I can revive you?" he chuckled, though there was a note of disbelief in his voice.

But when he saw the determination in their eyes, he realized they might actually be considering it.

He shot Anran a glare for twisting the facts just to stir up trouble.

Anran simply shrugged, her smirk widening.

She might not win his favor against them, but she had her ways of getting under their skin.

Seeing that his daughters weren't going to back down, Wang Xiao pulled them close, one in each arm.

Their soft, fragrant bodies pressed against him, their warmth making him smile, "Alright, alright," he conceded, his voice soothing as he promised, "I'll spend a full day with each of you, just us, no interruptions. How does that sound?"

"Okay!"

Their faces lit up, the earlier tension melting away as they snuggled closer to him, their eyes sparkling with joy.

The atmosphere inside the car shifted back to one of closeness.

But not everyone shared in this happiness.

'Disgusting...' Amaya, who had been silently observing the interaction from the front seat, clenched her fists until her knuckles turned white.

Her heart twisted with anger and resentment.

She had been reluctant to accept this assignment from the Eighth Prince, but duty and necessity had forced her hand.

Now, as she sat mere feet away from the man who had taken everything from her—her brother, her family—she could only sneer at the hypocrisy.

Here they were, laughing and basking in their affection, while she was left with nothing but the cold ashes of her past.

The injustice of it all boiled within her, threatening to consume her entirely.

How dare they be so carefree?

How dare he sit there, so unguarded, as if she is too weak to do anything?

Her thoughts darkened, resentment building with each passing moment.

Little did she know, Wang Xiao didn't even remember her properly.

To him, she was just another face among many, a detail so insignificant it barely registered in his mind.

Amaya's eyes narrowed, her determination hardening into something colder, more dangerous.

She had come on this mission with a purpose, and while she couldn't allow her personal vendetta to interfere with her duties, she couldn't ignore the simmering rage inside her.

She would have her chance—she just had to be patient.