Deviant: No Longer Human

"It\'s just a wedding…" she sighed again, feeling a bit overwhelmed by the attention.

The tight, red one-piece dress she wore currently clung tightly over her waist, highlighting her smooth curves.

Paired with black heels, the outfit made her look even more stunning, though she clearly felt uncomfortable walking in it.

The dress, while undeniably beautiful, felt too revealing for such an occasion, and she knew it wasn\'t appropriate for a wedding—it was simply too provocative.

As Qian Ruixin picked up the dress, Lingling hopped down from the bed, her small frame bouncing with a mix of energy and urgency. "Hey, hey… What do you mean by \'just a wedding\'? It\'s \'your\' wedding, okay! The flower of Michengin can\'t afford to be casual, right, girls?" Her voice was playful, but her eyes gleamed with a determination that left no room for argument.

She turned to face their two \'plastic\' sisters, Zou Lin and Cao Lei, who were lounging on the bed, propped up by plush pillows.

They exchanged a glance, their smiles tight as they nodded in agreement.

"Of course," Zou Lin said, her tone sweet but with an edge of insincerity. "You can\'t just brush this off, Rui. It\'s the most important day of your life."

Cao Lei chimed in, her voice syrupy, "You\'ve come so far, Rui. We\'re all so proud of you." Proud—but not without a tinge of resentment. Her eyes flicked to Lingling, who was clearly enjoying this little power play

Qian Ruixin smiled faintly, but inside, her thoughts were a storm.

\'Perfect,\' she thought, her grip tightening slightly on the dress. \'Is that what you really want for me? Or are you just waiting to see if I stumble?\'

Zou Lin and Cao Lei—her so-called \'Plastic sisters\'—had always been supportive, but Ruixin wasn\'t naive.

She knew their type well.

They were the kind of friends who cheered for your success as long as it didn\'t outshine theirs.

They were like flowers—beautiful to look at but with thorns hidden just beneath the surface.

They had always treated her kindly enough, but that kindness had always come with strings attached.

The sudden shift in their attitudes since her engagement had been hard to miss.

Before, they had treated her like the beautiful but lesser flower, content to bask in their own superiority due to her modest background.

Now, that she was marrying an official, she could feel the thin veneer of friendship starting to crack.

Lingling, with her round, cute face and childlike energy, was the only one who remained truly genuine.

Standing at just 160 cm, with a figure that was both petite and curvaceous, Lingling looked like a doll come to life.

But despite her innocent appearance, she had a fierce loyalty to Ruixin that was as strong as steel.

"Come on, Rui!" Lingling urged, her voice taking on a teasing lilt. "Don\'t let these two fools make you nervous. We both know you\'ll outshine everyone, as always."

Ruixin sighed, a small smile playing on her lips as she glanced at the red dress in her hands. "It\'s just a wedding, Lingling…" she muttered, though there was an underlying meaning didn\'t go unnoticed.

Lingling rolled her eyes, placing her hands on her hips, looking very adorable. "Don\'t \'just a wedding\' me! This is your big day! You\'re marrying into one of the most powerful families in the country, for heaven\'s sake. Do you want to walk down the aisle looking like you don\'t care?"

Zou Lin leaned forward slightly, her eyes narrowing just a fraction. "Lingling\'s right, Rui. What do you mean by \'just a wedding\'? Don\'t tell me it\'s a loveless marriage."

Cao Lei, lounging next to Zou Lin, quickly cut in with a smile that didn\'t quite reach her eyes. "Linlin, shut up. Do you really think there\'s a man out there who wouldn\'t fall in love with our flower?"

Her tone was light, but there was a subtle meaning to her words, a hidden meaning that only those close to them would notice.

\'Beauty like Qian Ruixin\'s is rare,\' Cao Lei thought, \'but only among ordinary people. For powerful figures like Murong Shan, a country official, women like her are disposable.\'

She and Zou Lin had always believed that Qian Ruixin had just gotten lucky this time.

Ruixin forced a smile, knowing that Zou Lin and Cao Lei weren\'t just being curious—they were probing, looking for cracks in the perfect facade she presented to the world.

\'They want to see if I\'m really as fortunate as they think.\'

She smiled inwardly, her heart hardening against the subtle barbs in their words.

The Murong family had approached her with a marriage proposal, arranging blind dates and ensuring everything seemed perfect on the surface.

To her surprise, Murong Shan, a man of immense power and influence, had treated her with respect and courtesy from the very beginning.

Her mother had been ecstatic, insisting that it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. "If there\'s nothing wrong with his character, you should seize this chance," she had urged.

But there was one thing that had nagged at Ruixin ever since—the distance Murong Shan maintained.

Except for their engagement and that single blind date, he had rarely taken the initiative to contact her personally over the last two years.

Sure, there were the regular gifts—extravagant flowers, luxurious items—but no personal interactions.

His reasoning?

A family tradition of not meeting the bride until the wedding day.

On one hand, Ruixin had appreciated the respect, but on the other, she couldn\'t help but feel a growing bitterness.

Which young girl doesn\'t dream of... love?

The ache in her heart deepening.

But as we grow older, our desires change.

Finding a stable man to build a life with becomes more important.

She had discreetly investigated Murong Shan.

He hadn\'t been involved in any affairs recently, and his last relationship had ended two years ago.

Despite the distance, Murong Shan had shown goodwill by helping her family in significant ways.

He hasn\'t met her often, but he\'s done more than most men ever would.

Ruixin\'s gaze shifted to Zou Lin and Cao Lei, her so-called \'plastic sisters.\'

She knew that if they had the same opportunity, they would snatch it up without hesitation.

Their words, though seemingly supportive, were laced with envy and a desire to see her stumble.

Lingling, sensing the shift in the room, moved closer to Ruixin.

Her big, round eyes softened with concern, her voice gentle yet firm. "Rui... you know we\'re just looking out for you, right? But Linlin\'s right, even if she\'s being blunt. This marriage isn\'t just about love. It\'s about your happiness.

Love can grow after marriage, and honestly, which of us here has found true love yet?"

She turned and glared at Zou Lin and Cao Lei, who immediately pursed their lips and fell silent.

\'Lingling always knows how to put them in their place,\' Ruixin thought suppressing a smile with a small flicker of gratitude.

Jiarong, lounging casually while eating her apple, shook her head dismissively. "You guys really take these things too seriously."

"Hm?" Ruixin, who shared a closer bond with Jiarong than with the others, turned to her, raising an eyebrow in question.

Jiarong shrugged, her expression carefree, "Just find a rich man to marry and settle your life. Why overthink it? In the end, it\'s all about comfort, not fantasy."