Deviant: No Longer Human

Fifteen minutes later, Anran descended the stairs, her appearance transformed. Her hair was neatly arranged, and her face glowed with a refreshed vitality, signaling her readiness to venture outside.

She wore a white gown that accentuated her graceful figure, though it bore a slight tear near her right leg – a reminder of a recent injury inflicted by Wang Xiao in a moment of conflict.

The wound, now carefully bandaged, didn't seem to hinder her movement, a testament to her resilience and adaptability as a spy.

As Anran stepped into the room, her eyes immediately fell on Wang Xiao, engrossed in dissecting the flowers. "What are you doing?" she asked, her curiosity piqued by the unusual sight.

Wang Xiao didn't look up from his task. "There's something odd about these flowers. They haven't withered at all since yesterday," he explained, his voice laced with concentration.

"That is stran—" Anran approached the table, observing the deconstructed flora, her voice cut inbetween, a sudden realization gawned at her.

Her eyes, fixated on the torn petals of the lavender, shimmered with a mix of shock and burgeoning sorrow. "T-That's... my flowers..." she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper, disbelief lacing each word.

Wang Xiao paused his meticulous work, looking up at Anran. Her expression, a blend of confusion and distress, made him reconsider the simple act of dissecting the flowers.

The petals, once part of a beautiful arrangement, now lay in fragments, their secrets yet to be uncovered.

He noted the quick welling of tears in her eyes. 'How quickly she can summon tears,' he thought, wondering if it was another dramatic act or a genuine emotional response.

"Since we're going outside, I'll buy you more of them," Wang Xiao proposed, setting aside the knife.

He felt no obligation to do so, but at the same time, there was no reason not to offer. It was a simple gesture, perhaps one that could ease the unexpected tension that had arisen.

Anran remained silent for a moment, her eyes still fixed on the remnants of the flowers.

Then, as if flipping a switch, she wiped away her tears, her demeanor abruptly changing.

The gears of her acting shifted into a more familiar, dramatic mode. "You can't go back on your words!" she declared, a feigned sternness in her voice.

Her mood visibly lifted, the prospect of new flowers bringing a spark back into her eyes. "Let's not waste any time! Move ahead!" she exclaimed, her earlier sadness seemingly forgotten as she headed towards the door with renewed energy.

"..."

Wang Xiao's mind was a whirlpool of thoughts as he followed Anran.

He had agreed to go out not just to replace the flowers, but also with the hope of encountering the mysterious flower girl again.

His recent analysis of the flowers had led him to an intriguing conclusion: she might have origins from within Xianthera, a place renowned for its inhabitants' extraordinary abilities.

The flowers, upon close inspection and comparison with online databases, were fundamentally different in structure.

Such an alteration suggested a remarkable level of knowledge and control over PK (Psychokinesis), a skill that was highly revered and rare.

He recalled the last individual he knew with such ability, Bing Xueli, who could alter her body's cellular structure to reverse aging.

However, even she admitted her inability to apply this transformation to others.

This led Wang Xiao to surmise that the flower girl must have dedicated her life to studying flowers, acquiring an extensive understanding of their biology.

The uniqueness of the flowers she sold was too significant to be a mere coincidence.

But why would she sell such extraordinary creations?

Wang Xiao was certain it wasn't for money.

With these thoughts simmering in his mind, Wang Xiao quickened his pace, catching up to the buoyant Anran.

______

"Why are you so excited?" Wang Xiao finally asked as they meandered through Frostview Harbor, his pace leisurely to match Anran's exploratory one.

Anran, her eyes dancing with curiosity and excitement, came to a stop in front of a flower shop. "It's like a free paid vacation! Why shouldn't I be excited?" she replied, her gaze landing on a stunning array of flowers. After a moment of contemplation, she pointed to a bouquet of blue roses. "This one, I want this!"

Wang Xiao nodded, reaching into his pocket for the cash he had withdrawn from an ATM along the way. As he was about to pay the shopkeeper, Anran stopped him, allowing only a single 500 krona note to be handed over. She then carefully selected a single blue rose from the bouquet, examining it closely.

The shopkeeper, a woman with the worn features of age, frowned at the unconventional purchase. "Hey, þú getur ekki bara eitt stykki!" she protested in Icelandic, which Wang Xiao didn't understand.

Anran turned to the shopkeeper with a charming, pleading smile. "Sæll, ég á afmæli í dag! Og ég vil ekki að kærastinn minn hér eyði of miklu, hann á lítið af peningum," she spoke fluently, weaving a tale of a birthday and a frugal boyfriend.

Wang Xiao could only watch in astonishment as Anran effortlessly navigated the situation, her words seemingly melting the shopkeeper's resistance. The old woman finally conceded, her expression softening as she accepted the payment for the single rose.

The old woman's stern expression melted into a smile as she let them go, her words a mystery to Wang Xiao as Anran swiftly grabbed his hand, leading them away with a relieved exhale. "Phew... I thought she would catch us!" she exclaimed, though Wang Xiao sensed her underlying confidence.

They reached the guardrail, where Anran perched herself while Wang Xiao leaned in, curiosity piqued. "What did you tell her?" he inquired.

Anran's response was nonchalant. "Nothing much, just that it's my birthday, and she gave in," she admitted.

Wang Xiao raised an eyebrow. "It's your birthday today?" His tone was one of suspicion.

Her smile turned cheeky, confirming his suspicion without a word. "So you lied..." he concluded.

Anran's defense was quick and light-hearted. "Hey, hey! It's not a lie if she doesn't know!" she pouted playfully.

Wang Xiao wasn't quite convinced. "It indeed isn't, but didn't you say quite a lot of things to her? And she also stared and turned around at me. What else did you say to her?" He remembered the old woman's judgmental glance.

Caught in her half-truths, Anran hesitated. "I...."

Sensing her reluctance, Wang Xiao subtly moved his hand towards the knife concealed at his back, a precautionary habit. Noticing his movement, Anran's eyes snapped shut, and she blurted out her confession in a rush. "I told them you're my boyfriend and that you love me very much!"

Wang Xiao, 'Lie'

Yin Yue agreed, [Liar]