Deviant: No Longer Human

She picked up a set of clothes with a bright smile, resembling a magician presenting a trick. "Ta-da! Your clothes! And dinner\'s already served! Oh, and let me help with her."

"I\'ll throw her away to bed upstairs — real quick!"

She reached for Luna, who was resting over Wang Xiao\'s shoulder. A fleeting look of doubt crossed Anran\'s face as she gauged Luna\'s size, but she masked it quickly with a smile.

"You sure you can manage?" Wang Xiao asked, one eyebrow raised in doubt.

"Just watch me!" Anran joked, puffing up her chest in mock bravado. With surprising ease, she hoisted Luna onto her shoulders, her small frame suddenly taking on the role of a pint-sized superhero.

??

Watching Anran\'s triumphant, yet wobbly ascent up the stairs, Wang Xiao couldn\'t help but stare blankly.

At the top, Anran turned, her smile as wide as it was triumphant. "I\'ll change her clothes as well!" she declared, her voice echoing comedically as she vanished into a room with Luna.

"..."

"..."

In the ensuing silence, Wang Xiao and Aisha exchanged a look that said, \'Did that just really happen?\' Wang Xiao finally broke the silence with a resigned shake of his head, as if dislodging the absurdity of her actions, and turned his attention to the dinner table.

He moved towards the dining table, his steps measured, his mind still processing the evening\'s events.

!!

As Wang Xiao neared, Aisha flinched, her grip tightening around the magazine. To her relief, he seemed preoccupied with his own thoughts, paying her no mind as he sat down to eat.

\'Relief... as long as he\'s eating, I\'m not fish food,\' she thought, letting out a breath she didn\'t realize she was holding, her body relaxing into a slouch of relief.

________

Two hours had slipped by like shadows in the night when Anran, with the stealth of a cat, tiptoed towards Wang Xiao\'s room.

Her heart beat in a rhythm of excitement and nervousness as she gently pushed the door open, peeking inside.

Her eyes widened, not in shock, but in a mixture of awe and mischief.

The room looked like a scene from a fantasy movie. Various objects were suspended in mid-air, orbiting in a slow, ethereal dance around Wang Xiao. He sat in the eye of this tranquil storm, cross-legged on the bed, deeply engrossed in meditation.

This was his daily ritual, honing his psychokinetic abilities, turning his mind into a force of nature.

Anran\'s hand hovered over the door, ready to close it and leave him undisturbed, as was the usual protocol. But then, a devilish thought crept into her mind, \'I can disturb him, right?... It\'s not like I like to get beaten but...\'

A memory flashed in her mind, Wang Xiao\'s voice telling her that interruptions were welcome in his training — it would futher help him hone his control over psychokenesis.

Her lips curved into a mischievous smile, a plan forming in her mind.

She knew the risks - whether she succeeded in her plot or not, retribution was almost certain.

Quietly slipping off her slippers, she prepared herself for the inevitable consequences.

Her grin widening, she took a deep breath, and with a burst of speed—

Whoosh!

"Haha ♪ ♫~" Her laughter rang through the room, vibrant and full of life.

Wang Xiao\'s meditation broke as he felt a sudden, light weight around his neck. Opening his eyes, he found Anran hanging from his neck like a koala, her arms wrapped tightly, her laughter like music in the otherwise still room.

"Do you really want to get beaten?" he asked, an amused yet warning tone in his voice.

Anran\'s response was a playful pout, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "We-women-are more resilient to beatings," she declared with a mix of pride and cheekiness.

"..." Wang Xiao\'s eyes blinked slowly, taking in the chaos Anran had brought into his tranquil world.

The floating objects, momentarily disturbed, began to gently descend back to their places, as if the room itself was sighing in resignation.

Nestling into Wang Xiao\'s lap, Anran twisted her body to fit snugly, wrapping her arms around his waist. She inhaled deeply, a contented sigh escaping her lips. "Ah... I missed this..."

Wang Xiao, caught off guard by her sudden closeness, felt a shiver run down his spine.

Boom!

"Ah!" Anran yelped as her head bumped against his fist, her playful intrusion met with an unexpected consequence.

"Are you a cat or something? Why are you sniffing?" Wang Xiao scolded, half-amused, half-baffled by her cat-like behavior.

"Hehe.." Anran chuckled through the slight pain, her grip around him tightening affectionately. "I think..." she started, a mischievous yet affectionate glint in her eyes.

"You think what?" Wang Xiao asked, one eyebrow arching, half-expecting another bout of something weird.

"I think... I have become excessively attached to you..." Anran finished, her smile broadening as she basked in the warmth of her admission.

Wang Xiao remained unfazed. "So?" he queried, his face a calm sea of indifference.

Did she think he hadn\'t noticed?

Or does he lack eyes?

Anran\'s expression shifted to a playful pout. "So... It\'s not good..." she murmured, her voice purring with a hint of drama.

"How does that concern me?" Wang Xiao replied, his tone light yet distant.

Anran raised her head to meet his gaze, her eyes shimmering with a mix of jest and sincerity. "It doesn\'t," she stated firmly, then, with a sudden burst of energy, she pushed him down. "But that\'s exactly the problem..."

Her tone softened, a thread of vulnerability weaving through her words. "I guess, you wouldn\'t even care if I died, would you?"

"You probably wouldn\'t shed a tear or feel a thing."

"But that\'s alright. At least I won\'t make you sad," Anran whispered, her voice a delicate mixture of jest and mixed emotions.

She then collapsed onto his chest with a contented sigh, her body surrendering to the comfort of his presence.

Suddenly, without warning, she began to float upwards.

"Eh?" she gasped in surprise, her eyes widening as she hovered in the air.

Wang Xiao\'s eyes met hers directly, his voice cutting through the whimsical moment with a sharp edge. "Was that the reason you ran away?" he asked, his gaze piercing.

"..." Anran\'s lips pressed tightly together, a clear sign of inner turmoil.