Deviant: No Longer Human

Luo Yang leaned in, voice low, curious. "Catherine, you worked for them before. Who the hell is that man—ah?! Ruoling?!" Before he could finish, a pointed heel of doom came crashing down on his foot. Xue Ruoling? Still smiling. Still elegant. Still pretending like she didn't hear a damn thing. Luo Yang? Dying inside. His lips twisted, his eyes twitched, but he swallowed the pain like a man who knew his dignity was already in the grave. The others at the table glanced over. A scream suppressed. An awkward expression. They sighed and looked away. Ah… youngsters. 'This bitch... Just you wait! Once I wrap up this mission, I'm coming for you!' Luo Yang cursed inwardly. Jealous? Just 'cause he asked about another woman? But alas, what could he do? His sudden rise to wealth was still riding on her family's connections. He had no deep roots, no powerful surname to lean on. Right now, he had to play it smart—which meant sucking it up. Across the table, Catherine shook her head. She had already warned this dumbass—don't mess with those two girls. And what did Luo Yang do? Ignore her advice like a man on a death wish. Whatever. Their contract was already signed. Five years, paid upfront. Protect the man, not parent him. Luo Yang wasn't stupid. He knew his foundations were shaky, which was why, the moment money flooded his hands, he ran straight to the States and bought himself security. Two bodyguards here. Two more in Beijing. Stationed with his other women. A poor man who suddenly got rich? Of course, he went full degeneracy mode. Still, deep down? He had an inferiority complex. Feared the strong. Bullied the weak. So, the moment he realized Wenxi and Yue weren't in his league, his interest immediately shifted elsewhere. Classic Luo Yang. Except—this was all a massive fucking misunderstanding. See, Anran, Wenxi and Yue's mom? She had watched too many mafia movies. Thought it was cool to act like she ran the underworld just because she had some Russian blood in her veins. So one day, she hired a few mercenaries to guard her daughters, thought it was badass, then fired them a week later when she realized they were basically discount mall cops with a body count. Wang Xiao? He had been too busy dealing with real threats to give a shit about Anran's little side quest in delusion. But now? Now, Luo Yang had his attention. Was this just a horny man on the prowl? Or was there something deeper lurking beneath? Because if Luo Yang knew the real danger sitting right at this table… He wouldn't be subtly shifting his gaze. He'd be running naked through the streets, screaming for his mother. But instead, this dumbass was still here. Still seated. Still scheming. Still fucking staring. And this time? His target had changed. Wang Mei. Luo Yang clicked his tongue. Again? He couldn't see through her either. But unlike Wenxi and Yue, Wang Mei had a different kind of pull. Quiet. Sweet. The kind of woman men liked to imagine waiting for them at home with a warm meal and no questions about why they smell like another woman's perfume. Men were weak to that shit. A woman like Xue Ruoling? Commanding. Untouchable. The kind of woman who could make a man's balls shrivel just by raising an eyebrow. But Wang Mei? She was soft. Easy. The textbook definition of "good wife material." Even Wang Xiao had liked her once. Back then? She was easy to bully. But now? Someone else was eyeing her like fresh meat. And Wang Xiao saw it. His eyes flickered coldly. But someone else was even faster. A faint mist curled behind Wang Mei, stretching. Twisting. Solidifying into a woman—jet-black hair, smooth and sleek like polished night, pale as a corpse, nails red and sharp enough to carve a man into sushi. Her eyes? Deep. Bottomless. The kind of gaze that could unbirth your soul and return it to the manufacturer with a fucking complaint. Luo Yang felt it first. A chill. Like someone had reached through his ribs and squeezed his heart with frostbitten fingers. "You—" His breath hitched. His spine stiffened. A ghost? No. Something worse. "Eyes up," the woman murmured, voice light, almost affectionate. "Or I'll pluck them out and use them as dice." The room? Dead fucking silent. Xinyue Zhilan snapped her head up, brows furrowing. "Who are you…? When did you—" Wait. What? She didn't remember seeing this woman at all. Neither did Xue Hanqin. Or Xue Weisheng. Or Liu Zhixuan. Even Catherine and Katherine—Luo Yang's so-called elite bodyguards—went pale as if they had just shit themselves and realized there was no toilet paper. "Take your seats," Mary smiled. "No need to stand." Bang! Luo Yang's ass hit the chair so hard his ancestors felt it. His bodyguards twitched, tried to move—but nope. Their legs were locked. Stuck to the floor like gravity itself had personally decided sit the fuck down. "A supernatural warrior?" Katherine and Catherine exchanged glances. Yeah, they had seen shit before. But in the Qing Dynasty, mages and warriors were heavily monitored. Modern weapons could take most of them down. But this? This wasn't most of them. This was something entirely different. Yue and Wenxi recognized Mary instantly. Their gazes flickered to Wang Xiao. You called her? Wang Xiao shrugged. Nope. But I'm enjoying the show. Oh. So last time's beatdown actually worked. Mary took action on her own. His eyes met Wang Mei's. Subtle signal—just roll with it. She hesitated… then nodded. Meanwhile, their mother? Absolutely fucking lost. Xinyue Zhilan, the woman who could make a room tremble with a single glance, was now standing there looking like she had forgotten why she even existed. Not that Wang Xiao was ever going to explain shit. Letting her in ontoo much would either break her… or make her start asking questions. And Wang Xiao liked things just the way they were. "You dare trespass here...?" Xue Weisheng slammed his palm on the table so hard the wood groaned like a dying man. His voice? Cold. But his ass? Sweating. The two drivers outside? Not just drivers. Martial arts masters. His personal insurance policy. "Kang Ru, restrain her." The two men stormed in. Took one look at the room. Saw the situation. And still ran at her. Wang Mei sighed, already expecting fuckery. These dumbasses were about to learn. Bang! Bang! Kang Ru and his partner flew. Their bodies crashed against the far wall like ragdolls, limbs flopping, heads bouncing. Mary? Hadn't even moved. Not a punch. Not a kick. Just… thought about it. And they were done. Wang Mei let out a breath of relief. At least it wasn't a full-blown bloodbath. Yet. If Wang Xiao had stepped in? There wouldn't be bodies. There'd be pieces. If only Wang Xiao knew his 'baby sister' thought he was some bloodthirsty demon. He'd personally take her out for a midnight demonstration. But right now? Someone else was getting fucking hunted. "You—!" Xue Weisheng's voice was tight. His fingers curled around his wife's trembling hand. "How dare you attack us! Do you even know where you are standing?! If even a single hair on my head is harmed—" "It doesn't matter." Mary's voice was bored. Like she was dealing with a toddler throwing a tantrum. "What matters is… he's your son-in-law. And he did something he shouldn't. Make him apologize. As long as he plucks his own eyes out, he gets to live. Otherwise..." She pointed. Luo Yang's soul nearly pissed itself. What?! His brain booted up panic.exe. Did they fucking find out about his X-ray vision?! Xue Weisheng's brows creased, his gaze bouncing between Mary and Luo Yang like a man trying to figure out if he just walked into the wrong goddamn dimension. "Xiao Yang..." His voice was steady, but that vein on his forehead? Pulsing. "Do you know this woman? What is she talking about? Is she one of your enemies?" Luo Yang forced himself to stand. Adjusted his jacket. Straightened his spine. Pretended his balls weren't currently crawling back into his body like deserters. "No, uncle." He flashed his best I am a respectable businessman and totally not a degenerate pervert face. "She's slandering me." His smile? Rock solid. His guts? Liquefied. Mary's smirk deepened. Oh. This was gonna be fun. ___ "Dad, stop blaming Luo Yang! It's her who's threatening him! Do something!" Xue Ruoling, in all her beauty and grace… unfortunately, had the IQ of a boiled potato at this moment. Xue Weisheng inhaled. Exhaled. Forced himself to stay calm. Alright. Rogue warrior? Fine. Trespasser? Fine. Threatening his family in broad daylight? Also fucking fine. But if this woman was bullshitting… if this was just some elaborate intimidation act? Then, yeah. He could handle it. His fingers tapped his phone. A single call. Bureau would clean this up. Surprisingly, Mary didn't even stop him. Once the call ended, he scoffed. "Apologize and leave. Threatening the emperor's close aide won't end well for you, even if you kill us." Yeah… no way in hell was he trusting reinforcements to arrive in time. This woman had just yeeted two martial arts masters into a wall without lifting a finger. If she wanted them dead? They'd already be decorations. So, what did a smart man do in a situation like this? Borrow a bigger name and pray she gave a fuck. Mary's lips curled. "Oh."