Deviant: No Longer Human

"Aaaaa..."

The King\'s Mansion hummed quietly in the lazy afternoon.

In the spacious living room, faint rays of sunlight spilled through large frozen windows, casting warm patterns across the furnishings.

Aisha, settled comfortably on a plush sofa, watched television, her expression one of faint irritation.

She watched the screen intently, eyebrows knitting together as an otherworldly creature on the nature documentary displayed bafflingly peculiar behavior.

"Aaaa..."

A few feet away, Anran lay sprawled on the cool marble floor, a mischievous glint in her eyes. She strategically positioned a table fan in front of her, turned it on full blast, and opened her mouth wide, savoring the blast of chilled air as if she were a desert traveler finally feeling a breeze.

"..."

Aisha observed Anran\'s antics with a mix of amusement and resignation.

She momentarily fantasized about channeling Wang Xiao\'s stern demeanor, imagining herself bringing semblance of order to Anran for such childlike behavior.

Yet, the sight of Anran\'s pregnant belly, prominently displayed and somehow justifying her odd actions, made Aisha sigh in resignation instead.

"Really, Anran? You know, that\'s not how normal people use a fan, right?" Aisha muttered under her breath, her voice a blend of fondness and frustration.

Anran, hearing the comment, merely grinned and yelled back, "It\'s too hot, and this little one seems to enjoy the breeze as much as I do!"

A soft chuckle escaping her as she shook her head in resignation. "At this rate, you\'re going to turn into a human ice cube," she muttered under her breath.

She leaned back, her fingers tapping rhythmically on the armrest as she pondered the coming weeks. "Until the end of January, huh?" she spoke aloud to herself, more a statement than a question. "Guess we\'re all hostages, until then."

"Hm! Hm!" Anran, eyes closed, merely hummed in response, her mind drifting.

"..."

Glancing at the pronounced swell of Anran\'s stomach, which was now larger than her own body, Aisha\'s resolve softened.

This woman had seemingly earned a \'free pass\' to indulge in her behavior over the past few weeks.

No one dared to interrupt her anymore, and it seemed this state of affairs would persist until the end of January when her delivery was due.

Until then, this creature would undoubtedly continue to astonish onlookers with her remarkable characteristics.

Aisha sighed and leaned back, her gaze flitting between the television and Anran. Just as she was about to speak, "Until then, I g—" her words abruptly stopped as she heard footsteps approaching.

Tap...

Tap...

Wang Xiao was descending the stairs, his hair freshly combed, with Luna trailing behind him. His eyes swept the room, finally resting on Aisha.

Thump!

Aisha\'s heart skipped a beat, and she quickly averted her gaze.

Whoosh!

Her cheeks flushed a deep red, prompting Wang Xiao to raise an eyebrow in bewilderment.

"Again...?" he murmured under his breath before turning to Luna, "Do you have any idea why this girl is acting weirder every day?"

Luna replied with her usual professionalism, "No idea."

Wang Xiao nodded, unaware that Luna, though strict about not letting anyone disturb his nightlife, would intentionally leave the door slightly ajar for Aisha to peek through.

Thus, Aisha had witnessed many things that perhaps she shouldn\'t have...leaving her emotions and reactions increasingly complex and unpredictable.

"??"

As Wang Xiao continued his descent, his eyes narrowed slightly on spotting Anran sprawled on the floor, an unusually usual sight that piqued his curiosity even further.

Approaching the scene, he turned to Aisha, questioning, "What happened to her?..." His tone conveyed a mix of concern and confusion, which surprised Aisha since she remembered Anran being perfectly fine just moments ago.

"I... I don\'t know. She was fine just a moment ago." Aisha, still a bit flustered, responded with a hint of uncertainty in her voice.

She too was puzzled by the sudden change in Anran\'s demeanor.

Wang Xiao, now standing beside Anran, bent down slightly and gently poked her face, asking in a tone mixed with confusion and bewilderment, "What are you doing...?"

Wang Xiao, now standing beside Anran, bent down slightly and gently poked her face, asking in a tone mixed with confusion and bewilderment, "What are you doing...?"

Feeling the prod, Anran opened one eye lazily and then promptly shut it again, seemingly content to continue basking in the breeze from the fan.

"I am pretending to be dead," she murmured.

"..."

"I see," Wang Xiao straightened up, his expression one of mild amusement mixed with resignation.

He looked over at Luna, who merely offered a discreet smile, indicating she too found the situation oddly confusing but not alarming.

Pftt ...

Aisha, watching from the sofa, struggled to suppress her laughter as the surreal scene before her.

Anran\'s declaration of "pretending to be dead" was just another confusing tactics of this creature, that she can\'t — yet comprehend.

Wang Xiao shook his head slightly, the corners of his mouth twitching in amusement. "Pretending to be dead? And how is that helpful?" he asked, his tone curious.

"Hm?"

Anran opened both eyes this time, shifting to look up at him with a mischievous grin.

"It\'s attention grabbing technique. You should try it sometime," she quipped, her voice playful.

??

"Attention-grabbing?" Wang Xiao echoed, his brow furrowing in confusion. "Whose attention are you trying to grab...?"

With a theatrical flourish, Anran extended her arm, her finger pointing directly at him before gently pressing against his chest.

"Yours!" she declared boldly.

"..."

"..."

"..."

Wang Xiao paused, absorbing Anran\'s admission.

For a moment, the room was speechless itself, the only sound the soft hum of the fan continuing to blow its cool breeze across Anran\'s face.

Finally, he broke the silence, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. "Well, it seems to be working," he conceded, acknowledging the odd effectiveness of her method.

Anran\'s grin widened, satisfied with his response. "See? I told you!" she said, her tone light and teasing.

"Haha..." Aisha, no longer able to contain her amusement, let out a burst of laughter from the sofa.