Deviant: No Longer Human

Wang Xiao remained unwavering in his stance, vehemently refusing to accept any ownership of the money. He insisted that it was Chen Li's, unwavering in his determination to prove his innocence.

In a surprising twist, Xinyue Zhilan took Wang Xiao to Chen Li's house to resolve the matter. This decision ignited a fresh storm of drama between the two families.

Chen Li found himself on the receiving end of a barrage of scoldings, and it became evident that unlike Wang Xiao, Chen Li had a long history of such incidents, though Wang Xiao wasn't spared either, both dragged into the scene as the source of money still remained a mystery.

As evening descended, the dinner table became the arena for yet another round of slandering. Wang Xiao sat quietly, his eyes downcast, and his voice unheard amid his father, Wang Zhihao's relentless ramblings.

________

*Boom!*

With a heavy heart, Wang Xiao shut the door to his room. His shoulders slumped, and he let out an exhausted sigh. Collapsing onto his bed, he couldn't help but gaze at the clock on the wall.

"It's already 10...?" he murmured, the weight of the long and trying day pressing down on him.

His thoughts were in disarray, and fatigue gripped him, making the passage of time feel almost surreal.

However, even in his weariness, his mind kept circling back to Wang Mei.

Two days had passed, and there was still no sign of her.

During dinner, she had conspicuously avoided him, deepening the mystery surrounding her absence.

In the self isolated room, Wang Xiao felt the pull of sleep. His eyelids grew heavy, and the allure of slumber was undeniable. With lingering questions and a heavy heart, he surrendered to the embrace of darkness, seeking solace in the unconscious world of dreams.

_________

On the 7th of January, 2024, Wang Xiao found himself once again lounging on the living room couch, as if he were a lifeless sack of potatoes.

He had settled into a seemingly lethargic routine, indulging in his newfound "fish-like" existence, fixated on the television.

However, the nagging voices of his inner thoughts couldn't be silenced.

One of his inner critics finally spoke up, unable to endure the idleness any longer. 'Why don't you get up and do something?' it implored.

Wang Xiao sighed inwardly. 'Go? But where...?'

Another voice within him chimed in with a suggestion. 'How about going to Shuangxue?'

Wang Xiao considered the idea, but before he could embrace it, another internal voice interjected, its tone mocking. 'What would you do there without money? Remember, you can't steal anymore...'

A cynical chuckle echoed within his mind as another voice added, 'Oh, right! Haha! We forgot the bastard is already poor!'

In this internal debate, Wang Xiao grappled with his own motivations and limitations, as he contemplated what actions to take in his seemingly dire circumstances.

But today, the voices seemed to far from over, suddenly increasing in number, and more and more shadows started to appear one by one in front of his vision.

'Why don't you do something productive, for a change?'

'Shuangxue is just a stone's throw away, you know. You could at least take a walk there,' another voice suggested, more reasonable in its approach.

But, the most mocking voice was relentless, 'What good would it do? You're broke, remember? Not even a scavenger would envy your situation.'

One voice, dripping with sarcasm, seemed to have taken center stage. 'Look at you, the great thief turned couch potato,' it jeered. 'A life of crime was your purpose, and now what? Reduced to this.'

Wang Xiao's patience began to wear thin as another voice chimed in, 'You know, even without stealing, there are other ways to make money. You just need to get creative.'

But just as he started to consider this, the mocking voice returned, 'Creative? You? The only creativity you had was in pilfering pockets. Face it, you're a one-trick pony.'

Wang Xiao clenched his fists, frustration building. 'Enough!' he shouted mentally. 'Shut up, all of you!'

Relalizing that he overreacted, with a heavy sigh, he stood up from the couch, determined to escape the voices for a moment.

He walked to the kitchen to pour himself a glass of water, hoping the cool liquid could wash away the internal turmoil that seemed to haunt him like an unshakable specter.

As he was passing through the place, he spotted Wang Mei sititng on lap of Xinyue Zhilan, using the latter phone to watch something, as she doesn't have a person cellphone yet.

However, their conversations were the one that actually caught Wang Xiao's attention.

Wang Mei sat on Xinyue Zhilan's lap, engrossed in the latter's phone, but the conversation between the two began to shift, and Wang Xiao's curiosity grew stronger.

Xinyue Zhilan, with a gentle smile, inquired, "Mei Mei, do you need help getting cleaned up?" She was concerned about the little girl's hygiene.

Wang Mei, who had her own ideas, simply hummed in response. "No need, brother will wash me up."

Xinyue Zhilan sighed softly, concern in her voice. "But, sweetheart, your brother can't wash you every time."

Unblinking, Wang Mei met her mother's gaze with unwavering determination. "He can."

Wang Xiao, who had been eavesdropping discreetly, couldn't help but halt in his tracks, his attention firmly fixed on their conversation.

Xinyue Zhilan, unaware that Wang Xiao was still eavesdropping, spoke gently to Wang Mei, "Meimei, there are places that your brother can't clean."

However, Wang Mei, with a surprising boldness, turned to Xinyue Zhilan, her gaze determined. "Mom, my big brother even washes those parts during bath," she declared matter-of-factly, her innocence eyes blinking.

!!

Xinyue Zhilan's expression flickered for a fraction of a second, shifting from a gentle look to one of grim concern.

She patted Wang Mei's head with an affectionate touch, subtly changing the subject of their conversation.

As their eyes met, they noticed Wang Xiao walking past them with a stoic expression, hiding the turmoil that churned within him.

Although his exterior remained unflinching, internally Wang Xiao's emotions were a tempest. He felt like screaming, seething with a word that rang loudly in his mind, 'Bitch!' It was a chilling realization that innocence could be used as a veil to deceive.

What puzzled him most was why Wang Mei would risk everything by making such a statement. The motives behind her actions remained a mystery.

As Xinyue Zhilan appeared to either not understand the implications of Wang Mei's words or chose to ignore them for her own reasons, Wang Xiao couldn't shake the feeling that another storm was brewing on the horizon, one that could further complicate his life.

Wang Xiao downed two entire glasses of water in an attempt to quell the pounding in his chest. He returned to his activities with a stoic expression, hoping for some kind of explanation or conversation with Xinyue Zhilan.

As the day wore on, he anticipated that someone would approach him to seek clarification, but hours passed in silence.

Not a single soul came to talk to him, and it left him in a state of quiet contemplation.

The reason behind Xinyue Zhilan's ignorance of Wang Mei's words remained a mystery.

_____