Author's Note
Húxiān was more than just a sadist. Sure, Húxiān enjoyed making other people suffer just as much as the next sadist—but assuming that her sadism was born solely out of a desire to inflict misery upon others would be a grave mistake. Húxiān was more than a mindless sociopath, and her actions could not be ascribed to simple cruelty. Rather, Húxiān's sadistic tendencies were a twisted manifestation of her family's affliction: the Xiāo curse.
In truth, the Xiāo "curse" was less of a curse and more a set of characteristics shared by members of the Xiāo clan. In Húxiān's case, her family's inherent predilection towards solving problems and testing limits manifested itself through cruelty. Figuring out ways to torment people was akin to solving a puzzle for Húxiān, and each sadistic act was a chance for Húxiān to test how far she could go. The act of abusing people did not, in and of itself, fully sate Húxiān's desires—it was far more satisfying to test her own limits and see what sadistic heights she could reach.
Now, Húxiān would be testing just how far she could take her sadism. To that end, she had found herself a nice "couple" of targets: Hiro Yamashida and Kirie Tsukuda. Their social media activity and the rumors floating around about the two had made it abundantly clear that their relationship was extremely dysfunctional. Kirie was extremely controlling and Hiro was too passive to stop her. Moreover, Kirie seemed unstable and was easily provoked, while Hiro seemed like a complete pushover. And if Húxiān's suspicions were correct, the two of them would make ideal targets.
The time was right for Húxiān to put her plan into motion. It was nighttime and a LAW show was being held. Amidst all the hustle and bustle, Húxiān would get a chance to talk to Hiro alone, with no Kirie to interfere.