Deviant: No Longer Human Chapter 102: Choosing a Side!

People who were initially interested soon grew bored and left, their curiosity satisfied. i Leiyan whispered in surprise, "They left... huh," noticing that the many onlookers who had been spying on them from afar had dispersed.

Wang Xiao smiled faintly, "It's normal behavior. Once their curiosity is satisfied, there's nothing interesting left for them. However, you may still face many taunts from your friends, be ready for it."

i Leiyan, contemplating the implications, remained silent.

"That's not reassuring..." she finally added.

Wang Xiao shrugged, "It is what it is." The transient nature of public interest didn't bother him, and he seed unfazed by the prospect of lingering judgnts.

As they continued their al, the atmosphere between them shifted. Wang Xiao, now more relaxed, spoke, "You'll get used to it. "Rember, what matters is how you perceive it, not how others do. People will always have sothing to say; you can't control that. What you can control is how much it affects you."

i Leiyan, absorbing his words, nodded in acknowledgnt.

_____

As the day waned, Wang Xiao found himself imrsed in i Leiyan's company, the passage of ti slipping away unnoticed in the ti of their shared monts.

The evening sun painted the sky with hues of amber as they eventually made their way back to the residence.

Upon entering, Wang Xiao was t by the arresting presence of Bing Xueli.

She occupied the couch with an ethereal grace, her snow-like hair cascading around her like a delicate veil.

The room itself seed to hold its breath as the two locked eyes – Wang Xiao montarily pausing in his steps, caught in the pull of Bing Xueli's gaze.

The air between them crackled with an unspoken tension, the cool and pristine ambiance of the residence contrasting with the complexities brewing beneath the surface.

Wang Xiao resud his stride, moving with a deliberate nonchalance as he took a seat beside Bing Xueli.

"How was your day?" Bing Xueli's asked softly, a delicate inquiry echoing in the pristine ambiance of the residence.

Wang Xiao, in a seemingly casual display, crossed his legs and reclined horizontally on the couch. His head rested on her lap, legs casually dangling over the edge. "Didn't you see everything for yourself? Why are you still asking?" he retorted with a nonchalant tone.

Bing Xueli's eyes blinked, an almost imperceptible hesitation marring her normally composed deanor.

"Not everything..." She muttered.

!?

Wang Xiao couldn't help but wonder if the biting cold had montarily affected her, causing a lapse in her typically sharp senses.

The only ti she might have been unable to observe was when he was with i Leiyan last night.

Why did she want to see that anyways?

Wang Xiao, maintaining an air of tranquility, kept his eyes closed and breathed evenly as he continued, "Don't you find it rude, constantly spying on people's privacy?"

Bing Xueli fell silent briefly before breaking the ice, her words carrying an indifferent tone, "You are quite rude yourself," she muttered while running her hand through his hair with an almost absent-minded gesture.

Wang Xiao's eyes opened, suspicion coloring his expression. "I am rude?" he asked, seeking clarification.

Bing Xueli raised her hands, gesturing towards his legs and then his head. "You just ca and lay over , without even asking. That is quite rude as well, I think." Her words were devoid of emotion, as if rely stating objective facts.

There was neither anger nor joy, just a straightforward acknowledgnt of the situation.

Wang Xiao frowned, "So I need permission for that now?"

Bing Xueli didn't reply to his question. Instead, after a brief silence, she posed another inquiry, "When are you going outside?"

Wang Xiao responded with a touch of nonchalance, "Is that even important?"

Bing Xueli, unfazed by his casual deanor, pressed on, "You already have Alia, so what are your plans now — for Victoria?"

Closing his eyes in thoughtful repose, Wang Xiao remarked, "I would leave Victoria alone for now. She won't find any man with her attitude anyways."

A faint smile danced on Bing Xueli's lips, a subtle playfulness erging. With an air of mystery, she divulged, "...Do you want to know sothing about her?"

Wang Xiao regarded her with suspicion, "Sothing about Victoria...?"

Bing Xueli's gaze drifted downward, her smile hinting at a mischievous undertone. It was an unexpected departure from her usual serious deanor, leaving Wang Xiao intrigued.

In a mont of subtle amusent, she affird, "Do you know of the condition Victoria has?"

Wang Xiao nodded ever so slightly, "Yes, anyway, whoever manages to co to her before sunlight, she would teach them."

Bing Xueli probed, "Why do you think she does that?"

Wang Xiao speculated, "... She is sadistic and likes to beat children?"

A fleeting twitch graced Bing Xueli's lips before she adopted a serious expression, "No..."

Wang Xiao, exploring an improbable angle, ventured, "... She likes to teach?"

Bing Xueli shook her head, and Wang Xiao nodded, already knowing that the woman had no such noble motives.

Bing Xueli finally unraveled the mystery, "... She is trying to find a person who can beat her."

"Beat her...?" Wang Xiao expressed perplexity, "Isn't there a lot of people already? There is you, and then there is that Temple guardian..."

Bing Xueli shook her head, her gaze serious, "You don't understand. If you want to have her, you have to suppress her, do what you did with Alia."

Wang Xiao fell into a contemplative silence, the weight of Bing Xueli's words sinking in.

Bing Xueli smiled faintly, her lips withholding further explanation.

Yin Yue's voice resonated in Wang Xiao's thoughts, [I was trying to say the sa for years.]

"Are you going for Victoria tomorrow then?" Bing Xueli probed, her voice cutting through the quiet air of the room.

Wang Xiao, growing slightly suspicious and annoyed, furrowed his brows at the persistent questioning. "No," he responded curtly, his tone hinting at a desire to end the discussion.

Bing Xueli's smile faltered montarily, a subtle ripple in the composed facade she usually wore. However, she quickly regained her composure, the gleam returning to her eyes. "Then... Shall I keep an eye on her until you are ready to take her?"

Wang Xiao couldn't help but open one eye, a hint of skepticism in his gaze. "Have you been drinking lately?" he questioned, probing for an explanation for her unusual behavior.

Bing Xueli shook her head in denial, her features returning to their usual calm.

Wang Xiao, genuinely curious now, observed a nuanced change in her deanor. "Whose side are you exactly on, Eleanor?"

"Side?" Eleanor blinked, her expression betraying a montary confusion.

Wang Xiao clarified, his words carrying a weight of significance, "Yes, side. If I were to stand tomorrow against whoever you know up until now—the village, Alia, Victoria—then whose side would you take?"