Deviant: No Longer Human

"What's wrong? Am I that terrifying?"

Tang Xinyi's head jerked up, her cheeks crimson. "N-No! I just—" She stumbled over her words, then promptly looked away again, mortified.

"Stop teasing her." Jiarong's voice was sharp, her glare aimed like a dagger at her brother.

Wang Xiao raised his hands, mock-innocent. "Teasing? I was just talking."

Jiarong sighed, shooting Tang Xinyi an apologetic glance. "Ignore him. He's always like this."

Tang Xinyi nodded weakly, though her blush deepened as Wang Xiao's eyes on her, thoroughly entertained.

Meanwhile, the table shifted. Chen Yueying and Zhao Feifei, the two other girls who had accompanied them today and had been sitting with them earlier, were nowhere to be seen.

Wang Jiarong frowned, trying to piece together when they'd disappeared. Then it clicked—two sharply dressed men had approached them earlier, offering dances.

To Jiarong's shock, both women had accepted without a second thought. Yueying, the so-called "Ice Queen" of their workplace, and Feifei, who never took men seriously, had vanished into the crowd, giggling like schoolgirls.

She blinked, disbelieving. "They actually left? With strangers?"

"People at work are different outside of it," Zhu Qing said with a shrug, sipping her drink. "Clubs show you who someone really is."

Jiarong's gaze drifted to the dance floor. The sight stopped her cold.

There they were—Yueying and Feifei, pressed against their partners like magnets. Feifei's lips were locked on her partner's, her hands tangled around his neck. Even Yueying, ever the composed goddess, moved with uncharacteristic passion, her usual icy demeanor melting in the heat of the moment.

"Are they… kissing?" Jiarong's voice barely rose above the music.

Zhu Qing didn't even blink. "What did you expect? It's a club, not Sunday school."

"But they just 'met' them!"

Zhu Qing snorted. "And? You think people here care about names? This isn't matchmaking—it's entertainment. You should try it sometime. Maybe loosen up a bit."

Jiarong's lips thinned, her expression a mixture of disbelief and disgust. This wasn't her world. Judging by Wang Xiao's grin, though, her discomfort was his favorite part of the night.

"People are full of surprises," She muttered, still staring at her colleagues. "I thought I knew them…"

"Work standards are different." Zhu Qing's tone was sly. "Back at the hospital, there weren't any 'rich young masters' worth their time. Here? Every man is a walking lottery ticket."

Wang Jiarong stiffened. "You're not serious, are you?"

Zhu Qing just smiled. "What do you think?" Her face was flushed from alcohol, her lips curving in a way that left her intentions ambiguous.

"...You can't be serious," Jiarong muttered, appalled.

Zhu Qing shrugged. "You're not wrong, though. Most girls here aren't chasing love. They're chasing opportunity. Connections. Maybe a free ride if they play their cards right."

Jiarong glanced over at the VIP section Zhu Qing kept eyeing. Three men sat surrounded by women, the table littered with bottles and glasses. The women weren't just partygoers; they were "special guests," called in by the club for entertainment.

"What's with all the women crowding that area?" Jiarong asked, her eyes narrowing at the gaggle of hopefuls waiting behind the velvet ropes.

"They're waiting for their chance," Zhu Qing said, smirking. "If they hook one of those guys, they're set for life. Or at least a few months of luxury."

Jiarong shook her head, speechless. "The whole club is just… men hunting women, and women hunting wallets?"

"Pretty much." Zhu Qing tilted her glass in a mock toast. "Welcome to reality, sweetheart."

"You're not doing the same, are you?" Wang Jiarong's tone was half accusation, half disbelief.

Zhu Qing chuckled. "Wouldn't you like to know?" Her expression remained playful, but there was a sharpness beneath the surface.

Jiarong sighed, frustrated. She couldn't understand Zhu Qing's mindset. Sure, she was beautiful, but there were countless beautiful women in the world. Why would a true elite choose her?

Zhu Qing, as if reading her thoughts, giggled softly. She leaned closer, her voice a conspiratorial whisper. "It's not just about looks. Any guy can find a pretty face. But a beautiful, 'innocent' woman? That's a rare commodity."

Wang Jiarong frowned, unsettled by the confidence in Zhu Qing's voice.

"I'm not wasting my trump card on any nobody," Zhu Qing continued, her grin sharper now. "When I play, it'll be for keeps. Watch and learn."

Jiarong exchanged a glance with Qian Ruixin, both women trying to make sense of Zhu Qing's words. The answer confused them, but one thing was clear: Zhu Qing's ambitions ran deep, and she wasn't afraid to play dirty.

In the club's swirling mess, where neon lights blurred boundaries and inhibitions crumbled, Zhu Qing smiled, a perfect green tea girl in a jungle of predators.

She wasn't just aimlessly hopping between high-end clubs and elite circles like most assumed. While others thought she was playing, she was hunting—patient, calculating, preserving her innocence like a weapon. She wasn't here for fleeting thrills; she was scouting for the perfect lamb. A rich, unsuspecting fool to lead her out of the trenches of mediocrity and into the untouchable upper echelons.

Because no matter what social media preached about liberated love lives, men's attitudes were as old as time. The moment they saw blood on the sheets, their respect shifted faster than a sports car. Zhu Qing knew this truth better than anyone. And she was saving her ace for the right bidder.

Wang Xiao, leaning back with the easy arrogance of someone who'd seen through it all, smiled silently. He found her almost amusing—this snake disguised as a doe-eyed maiden. "What's your target?" he asked lazily, his tone dripping with curiosity.

"Hm?" Both Wang Jiarong and Qian Ruixin snapped their heads toward him, confusion written all over their faces.

Zhu Qing's surprise flickered, but she quickly masked it. After a pause, she hesitated. "…At least a hundred million," she said finally, her voice firm, as if stating her baseline for an auction.

She wouldn't settle for less. Her prey needed to have a net worth of at least nine figures.

Wang Xiao let out a mock sigh, shaking his head as though disappointed. "Oh, guess I don't qualify, then. Our family's finances only hover around tens of millions. Maybe in a couple of years… if Mother works hard." His words were laced with casual sarcasm, but the jab didn't go unnoticed.

Wang Jiarong, catching the meaning behind their exchange, shot him a scathing glare. Her tone turned sharp as she interjected, "Xiao Wang, what about your girlfriend then, huh?"

The jab hit home. Wang Xiao blinked, caught off guard. Was she trying to sabotage his fun?

But it worked. Tang Xinyi, who'd been hanging on his every word, visibly deflated. Her shoulders slumped as a disappointed sigh escaped her lips.

Zhu Qing, sensing the brewing drama, leaned forward with barely disguised glee. She loved a good gossip session, her eyes gleaming with interest. Meanwhile, Qian Ruixin, seated quietly beside Wang Xiao, unconsciously glanced down at her lap, her cheeks faintly flushed.

For a moment, Wang Xiao's expression shifted, a flicker of annoyance crossing his face before he covered it with his usual charm. Jiarong must mean Ruixin, he thought, his smile returning. Of course, his sister was referring to her. After all, Jiarong only knew about that relationship. She didn't need to know about the others.

But the tactician, Jiarong left her statement intentionally vague. She wasn't about to blow up his spot completely, but her words carried just enough meaning to keep him in check.

Wang Xiao grinned, his voice filled with shameless confidence. "What's one girlfriend? My heart's big enough to house a few more."
Enjoy new chapters from empire

"Shameless…"

Wang Jiarong froze, her face heating as she rolled her eyes. This guy… What did he think he was, the emperor of the world?

Then, unbidden, a memory surfaced—the figure of the Eighth Prince, the one who'd saved them in the past. For a while, she'd admired him, his elegance and power burning like a star in her mind. But admiration had a shelf life, and hers fizzled out quickly when she imagined what his life must be like. A palace filled with a hundred concubines? No thanks. She had no interest in being spare tire #101.

"Hehe~" Zhu Qing's laugh broke her thoughts, soft and teasing. Her gaze flicked between the siblings with a spark of mischief. "Jiarong, your brother's quite the player, isn't he?"

"He's just fantasizing," Wang Jiarong shot back, her voice sharp as she slammed her heel onto his foot under the table.

Wang Xiao nearly choked on his drink, his eyes wide as he stared at his sister. "What the hell?" he hissed, half amused, half annoyed. "What was that for?"

Her face stayed neutral, but her actions spoke louder than words. Wang Xiao shook his head, bewildered. For a second, she'd almost acted like a jealous girlfriend. Of course, that couldn't be it.

Could it?

He dismissed the thought with a chuckle, brushing it off as Jiarong being her usual stubborn self.