Deviant: No Longer Human

"Alright, it's okay to discharge him," Isabelle finally said, her voice cool and decisive, marking the end of her examination.

She was still puzzled by the malfunctioning metallic doors of her laboratory earlier but pushed the thought aside.

There were more pressing matters.

Wang Xiao sat up on the stretcher, feeling the gazes of everyone around him.

Xinyue Zhilan let out a breath of relief at the news, her earlier concern easing.

As long as Wang Xiao's body was fine, she didn't care much about the rest.

Wang Xueying, on the other hand, remained quiet, her face still flushed with with shame of everything that had happened.

She had wanted to take him away, protect him, even if it meant doing something reckless.

But now, with all eyes on her, she had no choice but to retreat into herself, pretending that everything was fine.

'What a stupid plan…' she thought bitterly, wondering how she'd let things spiral so out of control.

Xinyue Zhilan finally expressed her gratitude to Isabelle for her diligent work, presenting her with a red envelope—a token of appreciation with a cheque inside.

Isabelle, however, politely refused the gesture.

"Just donate it to the academy's charity funds," she said simply, her tone professional yet soft.

Xinyue Zhilan nodded, her respect for Isabelle growing as she took the envelope back.

She gathered her children, ready to leave.

Inside the car, Wang Xiao sat in the backseat with Wang Xueying beside him, while Wang Mei sat up front with their mother.

Wang Jiarong had already left for Beijing, which was somewhat of a relief for Wang Xiao.

Despite his usual mischievous tendencies, he found himself a bit restrained around Jiarong.

As long as she wasn't around, he could freely tease his other two sisters.

The car ride was mostly quiet, though Xinyue Zhilan asked Wang Xiao a few casual questions, her tone more formal than usual.

Wang Xiao answered them easily, his voice steady, though his sisters, Wang Mei and Wang Xueying, exchanged confused glances.

Why was their mother testing him like this?

The truth was, the girls hadn't seen enough of the world to understand.

Xinyue Zhilan, however, had experienced more than enough frauds and imposters in her time.

She wasn't about to be fooled so easily, not when it came to something as important as her son's return.

But after Wang Xiao answered several questions with details only the real Wang Xiao would know, her suspicions melted away.

A soft, genuine smile touched her lips—a smile her children hadn't seen in a long time.

They arrived home shortly after, and as they gathered around the dining table, the food was set, and everyone picked up their chopsticks to eat.

The room was filled with the comforting clinks of chopsticks and bowls, a familiar rhythm that settled over them.

Suddenly, Xinyue Zhilan excused herself, standing up and heading towards the stairs.

"I'll be back in a moment," she said, her voice calm as always.

She disappeared into her room, leaving the siblings to glance at one another, silently wondering what was going on.

Wang Xueying and Wang Mei exchanged puzzled looks, but Wang Xiao, ever observant, caught something the others didn't.

The rhythm of her steps—he had seen it before.

It was the same hurried, light-footed pace that Wenxi would adopt whenever she spotted him, that excited, almost joyful manner as if she were about to reunite with her favorite person.

Wang Xiao had always found it adorable.

Now, watching Xinyue Zhilan move in the same way, he couldn't help but smile unconsciously.

Yet, at the same time, a different thought crept into his mind.

Who could be plotting against her?

Xinyue Zhilan had risen in status far too quickly, surely making enemies along the way.

The world of high society and law was littered with shadowy figures, jealous rivals, and those who coveted power.

But poison?

That was a step too far.

'A bit excessive for mortals, isn't it?' Wang Xiao mused.

'Doesn't matter,' he decided.

Since he was here now, all he had to do was find out who was behind it and uproot their entire family.

He didn't care if his mother had made a misstep or two along the way.

The world of law was paved with compromises and dark deals, but none of that mattered to him.

To Wang Xiao, the lines of morality were nonexistent.

Touch anyone close to him, and he would ensure that no trace of the offender's bloodline remained.

He had done it before.

Years ago, when he caught wind of a conflict involving Wenxi and Yue with a diplomat from the Sun Dynasty, he hadn't cared whether his daughters had provoked the situation first.

He hadn't even bothered to ask Mary, who oversaw the matter, for details.

Instead, he simply obliterated the dynasty. It didn't matter who was right or wrong—his only focus was erasing anyone who dared to lay a hand on the people he cared about.

Sure, he had subtly taught Wenxi and Yue to be mindful of their actions, but his methods were implicit.

If they were clever enough, they'd understand.

But as for anyone who offended them?

They were met with only death.

Instilling fear was an effective way to maintain control.

It was fine to be the devil—at least the devil was never merciful, and people knew better than to touch those under his protection.

He had no need to impress anyone.

If power could be gained by devouring the souls innocents, he would have done it without hesitation, just like Zeus.

But he lacked those means.

Now, as he stood on the cusp of something more, he realized that to increase his strength further, he might need to refine the entire planet—a task that was both troublesome and impractical.

Wang Xiao's thoughts drifted back to the present as a faint smile played on his lips.

'I'll worry about the rest later,' he decided, leaving the complexities of power and strength aside.

His eyes flicked back to Xinyue Zhilan, who was now returning down the stairs.

Her expression had shifted, a subtle tension in her steps that only he would notice.

She was definitely up to something.

'She's planning something big,' Wang Xiao mused with a knowing smile.

Even after confirming his identity beyond doubt, she had maintained a distance, her thoughts clearly preoccupied with something larger.

Perhaps she was preparing a surprise for him—something grand, something fitting of the reunion between a mother and her long-lost son.

Whatever it was, Wang Xiao knew it would be revealed soon enough.

Until then, he could only wait and watch.