Deviant: No Longer Human

"It's one thing to care for your sister, but you absolutely can't cross those boundaries!" Wang Xueying's voice carried a tone of stern admonishment as she stressed the importance of their familial bond.

Wang Xiao abruptly slapped her hands away, his frustration evident. "Why should I even care?"

"...."

Wang Xueying fell silent, growing increasingly concerned about her brother's behavior.

Thankfully, Wang Xiao's rational side resurfaced. "Nobody knows about this. Mom and Dad are clueless, and Jiarong is in the dark as well. As for you—?" His gaze suddenly locked onto her, causing Wang Xueying to instinctively gulp. "I-I didn't see anything," she dramatically confessed, but it only darkened Wang Xiao's expression as he caught her hands and gripped them tightly.

"I don't want to hear jokes, Xueying," he emphasized, his eyes sharpening.

Wang Xueying's expression changed.

*Slap*

She swatted his hands away, letting out an exasperated sigh as she flopped onto the mattress. "Geez, why are you taking this so seriously?"

"Do you really think that if I told anyone, they'd believe me?" She pouted, not pleased with his earlier glare.

Wang Xiao nodded, satisfied with her response. "I'll get you that subscription you wanted," he proposed, recalling her desire for a subscription to a specific app that Wang Zhihao had refused to allow due to her grades.

"Hm?" Wang Xueying was pleasantly surprised, and she burst into laughter, the melodic sound filling the room with a surreal atmosphere.

"...Are you trying to bribe me?" she asked, her suspicion evident.

"Indeed, I am," Wang Xiao admitted.

Wang Xueying paused for a moment before countering, "I need another subscription as well," not willing to be bought off too easily.

Wang Xiao nodded. "Deal then?" He extended his fist toward her, and after a brief hesitation, she fist-bumped him.

"Deal!"

Once again, an awkward silence settled over the room, both of them lying on their backs and staring at the ceiling, their hearts beating calmly in the newfound understanding between them.

"...Do you really like Mei?" Wang Xueying asked, her curiosity getting the best of her, even though she felt she shouldn't have asked.

"Is there a problem?" Wang Xiao inquired.

"That, in itself, is a problem..." Wang Xueying smiled wryly. If it weren't for the intensity he had shown earlier, she might have believed he didn't fully grasp the gravity of the situation and was still just a child.

"I don't really like her," Wang Xueying suddenly confessed.

Wang Xiao wasn't surprised. "You don't like anyone in the family," he said, based on his understanding of her.

Wang Xueying nodded. "...You're right! But I think, I still like you."

"Huh?"

!!

"No!" Wang Xueying suddenly stood up with wide eyes. "That sounds so wrong!"

"I-I mean, I don't feel repulsed by you like I do with others!"

"Damn, what am I saying!?"

No matter how she tried to explain herself, Wang Xueying only seemed to dig herself deeper into an embarrassing hole.

Blushing and mortified, she covered her face with her hands, then peeked at Wang Xiao, only to find him grinning widely.

Suddenly, Wang Xiao playfully leaped over her, wrapping his arms around her in a tight hug.

He took advantage of the moment to inhale her fragrance, teasing her, "I never knew my sister loved me this much, huh?"

Wang Xiao pretended to overpower her, and Wang Xueying's initial awkwardness faded as she retorted, "Y-You beast, stay away from me!"

"Haha," Wang Xiao chuckled.

Wang Xueying clenched her jaw in frustration at his laughter. "I'll break your teeth if you touch me inappropriately."

"Don't think I'm Mei and I'll tolerate it!"

She yelled, but Wang Xiao continued to hug her, gently caressing her forehead. "I never knew my sister was this shy. Come on, let your brother give you a kiss..."

In a daring move, he planted a kiss on her forehead, causing her face to turn as red as a tomato. Finally, she pushed him away.

"Haa... Now I know how you tricked Mei! You're a despicable scoundrel, brother!" Wang Xueying exclaimed, rubbing her forehead while secretly trying to calm her trembling heart and racing breath.

Wang Xiao, on the other hand, placed both hands behind his head and calmly stated, "I didn't trick anyone. In fact, she was the one who approached me first."

"What!?" Wang Xueying was taken aback once again. "S-She approached you first!?" She asked, startled, unable to reconcile this information with her image of Wang Mei.

However, Wang Xiao nodded seriously, saying, "Hmm."

This confirmation left a bitter taste in Wang Xueying's mouth. Little did she know that Wang Xiao was, in fact, lying to her.

He didn't want to admit that he had initiated inappropriate contact with Wang Mei while she was sleeping, as it would tarnish his image in her eyes.

There was another hidden desire, one that hoped this revelation might somehow prompt Wang Xueying to confess her true feelings to him someday, although the chances of that happening were slim.

Wang Xiao found himself in an odd emotional dilemma. On one hand, he harbored desires for Wang Xueying, but on the other, he was apprehensive about it because he had no idea how he would handle both Wang Mei and Wang Xueying at the same time.

He didn't want to bite off more than he could chew. Already, he was taking a significant risk by engaging in a relationship with Wang Mei, and adding another with Wang Xueying seemed daunting.

As Wang Xiao contemplated this, complex emotions played across Wang Xueying's face. Contrary to what he had expected, his words triggered a connection in her mind to an entirely different incident.

"I think Mei is trying to trick you," she suddenly spoke, taking him by surprise.

"Trick? What on earth are you talking about?" Wang Xiao asked, his confusion evident in his furrowed brows.

Wang Xueying could see that he was completely lost and felt compelled to shed light on her concerns. She leaned in closer and whispered, "Brother, you have no idea how cunning these girls can be. Don't be deceived by their innocent look and cute smiles; beneath that facade, they can be wicked."

Wang Xiao, though not exactly thrilled to be on the receiving end of her lecture, found her seriousness amusing and encouraged her to continue.

In a hushed tone, Wang Xueying continued her warning, "...You know, there was a girl in our class who used a boy for a month, pretending to be all sweet and then falsely accused him of various things to the homeroom teacher. To this day, she's still extorting him."

"You need to be careful."

As Wang Xueying recounted the story with a serious expression and tone, Wang Xiao was left momentarily speechless.

There was a moment when he could have taken her warning to heart and become guarded against Wang Mei, if not for the fact that he was ultimately the one taking advantage of her.

"Huh?"

Suddenly, Wang Xueying let out a startled exclamation as Wang Xiao patted her head sympathetically, making a mental note to protect her innocence.

However, another voice broke through, as Wang Xueying visibly got angry at being treated like a child and lunged at him for it.