Deviant: No Longer Human

The whirring of their blades was a distant, yet intrusive presence, underscoring the severity of the situation.

"This girl..." Wang Xiao muttered under his breath, his voice tinged with hint of frustration. With a resigned sigh, he turned from the window, leaving a cloud of unanswered questions in his wake as he exited the room.

Josephine, left alone in the sudden quiet of the room, felt a surge of uncertainty. Her heart raced, each beat echoing the distant thud of the helicopter blades. Tentatively, she rose from her chair, her steps uncertain as she moved towards the window. Peering out, she saw the military helicopters, their intimidating presence casting shadows over the villa.

The sight stirred a mix of fear and recognition in her.

"Is it mom...?" she murmured to herself, her voice barely audible. The possibility that her mother, the Queen, might have sent these helicopters sent a shiver down her spine. It was a stark reminder of the reach and influence her mother wielded.

The situation was escalating far beyond what she had anticipated. What started as a secretive escape from the confines of her guarded life was spiraling into an international incident.

_________

"Anran, what on earth have you done now?" Wang Xiao\'s voice boomed across the hall, causing Anran, who was awkwardly standing at the main door, to flinch and turn around with a startled expression.

She faced him, her eyes wide with confusion and bewilderment. Under her breath, she whispered, "I am sure, I didn\'t request helicopters..."

Wang Xiao, his frustration palpable, loomed over her, his voice dripping with surprise and disbelief, "You? What did you even say during that call?"

Anran, rendered speechless, felt a tide of self-doubt rising within her. \'Did I really blurt out something absurd?\' she thought, her confidence wavering under his intense gaze.

Wang Xiao saw the uncertainty flickering in her eyes and his own narrowed in annoyance. "Just an easy task, and yet, you manage to mess it up spectacularly. How?" he snapped.

Anran, as perplexed as he was frustrated, finally shrugged, a wry smile creeping onto her face, "It is what it is... Now what? Do we send them back?" Her attempt at lightening the mood hung awkwardly in the air.

Wang Xiao stared at her, momentarily speechless. The thought crossed his mind, almost tempting him – \'Maybe I should send her back from where she came...\'

Just then, Josephine, who had been quietly trailing behind Wang Xiao, descended the ornate staircase, her hand gliding along the polished banister. She halted at the foot of the stairs, her gaze fixed on Anran and Wang Xiao, who were locked in a heated argument by the front gate.

A furrowed brow creased her otherwise serene face as she muttered under her breath, \'What in the world is happening here?\'

The soft tap of her bare foot on the marble floor cut through the tension, drawing Wang Xiao\'s attention. He pivoted sharply, his eyes narrowing as they settled on Josephine. "Who asked you to come down?" he questioned, his voice cold and flat, masking the simmering frustration beneath.

Josephine flinched slightly at his tone, her heart skipping a beat. She opened her mouth to respond, but her words were abruptly cut off by the sudden entrance of a guard through the open door.

"Princess!" the guard exclaimed, his breath short and uneven, a clear sign of his haste. His eyes, wide with a mix of urgency and respect, darted anxiously between the three of them, as if weighing the gravity of his interruption.

"..."

"..."

Josephine, Wang Xiao, and Anran all turned to face him, their expressions a mix of surprise and curiosity.

The guard, regaining some composure, straightened his posture. "Princess, the imperial guards are ready to receive you!" he announced, his voice still carrying a trace of urgency, but steadier now amidst the thick tension hanging in the air.

Josephine nodded, her expression shifting to one of understanding, tinged with a hint of guilt. She glanced briefly at Wang Xiao, her eyes conveying a silent apology. "He is Marcus," she began, her voice steady yet soft, "the squad leader for my mother\'s special security forces. And the choppers outside," she paused, her gaze flickering towards the window, "they also belong to Sylvergard."

Anran, feeling somewhat sidelined in the unfolding drama, muttered in a mix of resignation and defiance, "Humph! I am not angry, you don\'t need to coax me back!" She walked over to the couch with an exaggerated slump, her movements a blend of grace and rebellion. Flopping down, more like throwing herself onto the cushions, she pouted dramatically before tearing open a packet of chips.

She began munching on them aggressively, the crunch of the chips punctuating the tense atmosphere.

Wang Xiao, momentarily glancing at Anran\'s theatrics, quickly redirected his focus. He turned to Josephine, who was now engaging in a more serious conversation with Marcus. "Josephine, why did your mother come here?" he inquired, his tone curious.

Josephine hesitated, her eyes flickering with unease. Opting for clarity, she gestured to Marcus, silently asking him to explain.

Marcus, having just noticed Wang Xiao, raised an eyebrow inquisitively. \'Who is this man?\' his expression seemed to ask. Nevertheless, he offered a courteous nod before addressing them. "The queen received news of the attack and was immediately concerned. She sent us to fetch the princess without delay," he explained, his voice carrying the gravity of the situation.

Wang Xiao nodded, piecing together the situation. The presence of the army made sense now; they were here for protection. And if the queen had sent them, it indicated that she was aware of a potential threat to her daughter.

His curiosity deepened about the hidden machinations behind the scenes.

The sound of Marcus clearing his throat recaptured their attention. "Princess, we don\'t have much time," he urged, his voice tinged with urgency. "The queen is extremely worried. We must depart immediately."

"I..." Josephine hesitated, her gaze flickering to Wang Xiao. She was torn, clearly not wanting to leave so abruptly. After a moment\'s pause, she turned to Marcus, her voice carrying a hint of boldness. "Can we bring Wang Xiao with us, Marcus?" she inquired suddenly.

"..."

The room fell silent, the question hanging in the air like a delicate thread.

!!

Anran, who had been munching on chips nonchalantly, nearly choked on her snack. Her eyes narrowed as she studied Josephine\'s confident posture, her gaze lingering on the extended curve of her hips. \'This woman is really daring,\' she thought with a smirk. She found the idea of Josephine trying to sway Wang Xiao amusing.

After all, Anran herself had been attempting to do the same for ages, with little success.

Meanwhile, Marcus regarded Wang Xiao with a scrutinizing gaze. After a brief, calculating pause, he gave a cautious nod. "That\'s alright," he conceded.

Josephine turned to Wang Xiao, her voice steady but tinged with a hint of hope. "Wang Xiao, what about you? Would you like to join us?" Her question, simple yet loaded, seemed to hang between them.

Wang Xiao, in a contemplative silence, weighed his options. Finally, he nodded. "Let\'s go," he said decisively.

Anran, who had been reveling in her amusement, suddenly froze. "Huh?" she stammered, her voice a mix of disbelief and confusion. She rubbed her eyes as if to clear a mirage, only to see Wang Xiao actually leaving with Josephine.

Whoosh!

Panic surged through her. She leapt from the couch and dashed outside, only to witness the helicopter lifting off, its rotors slicing through the air.

Stunned, Anran stood there, mouth agape, as the reality sank in.

Wang Xiao was really leaving with Josephine, and she had been left behind.

Anran eyes tracking the ascending helicopter, a whirlwind of confusion and irritation swirling within her. "What?!" she exclaimed, her voice a mix of disbelief and frustration. The situation was unfathomable. \'Just a busty princess? That\'s it?\' she thought, her mind racing through the absurdity of it all. \'I could have kidnapped a few myself!\'

Her humorous musings quickly faded, replaced by a serious, contemplative expression. She watched the chopper disappear into the distance, her thoughts lingering on Wang Xiao.

Buzz!

Just then, her phone buzzed, snapping her out of her reverie. She glanced at the screen to see a text from Wang Xiao, and a sigh of relief escaped her lips.

The message was straightforward, almost characteristically so for Wang Xiao. He instructed her to keep the house clean for his return and to contact Li Zhiming for additional security reinforcements. He mentioned he would be away for a week.

The reason behind his sudden departure became clearer. Wang Xiao was seeking to understand more about the attack. He saw this as a prime opportunity, a chance to delve deeper into the mystery.

And Anran knew him well enough to understand that for Wang Xiao, making an escape, should things turn sour, was never a concern.

With a newfound sense of responsibility, Anran pocketed her phone and headed back inside. If Wang Xiao was counting on her, she wouldn\'t let him down.