Manipulative Harem God



*Splash!*

A collective gasp filled the room as the glass of water slipped from Lin Ruoxi's hand, drenching Liu Ming's entire professional suit. His eyes widened in shock and disbelief.

"What are you doing!?" Liu Ming exclaimed, his voice a mixture of shock and frustration. He stared down at his ruined attire, his face contorted with annoyance. "You've ruined my clothes!"

"I-I'm so sorry," Lin Ruoxi stammered, panic evident in her voice. She quickly got to her feet and reached for a few tissues, her movements hurried.

Amid the chaos, Lin Ruoxi, with a hidden mischievous streak, purposefully stepped over Liu Ming's shoes with her heels, adding a new layer of embarrassment to his misery.

!!!

Liu Ming's face turned a deep shade of red as he struggled to suppress his frustration, his eyes filled with horror as he watched Lin Ruoxi's calculated move.

The commotion didn't go unnoticed by Chen Yulan and Yu Lei, both turning their attention to the unfolding scene.

Chen Yulan voiced her concern, asking, "Are you alright?"

In a bid to salvage his pride, Liu Ming replied with a huff, "Humph! Give it to me; I can do it myself." He hastily snatched the tissues from Lin Ruoxi's hand, attempting to regain control of the situation.

Unbeknownst to him, Lin Ruoxi concealed a quiet, inward laugh, enjoying the amusement of her subtle revenge.

Liu Ming forced a smile toward Chen Yulan and Yu Lei. "It's nothing," he assured them, "this maid just spoiled my clothes." His words were accompanied by a smile, an attempt to appear unbothered by the situation.

Seeing him maintain his composure, Chen Yulan nodded and returned to her conversation with Yu Lei.

On the sidelines, Lin Ruoxi had abandoned her seat on the couch and now stood slightly behind, her face wearing an apologetic expression directed at Liu Ming.

However, from Liu Ming's perspective, her expression seemed more like a mocking smile, further deepening his frown.

He couldn't help but wonder if she had orchestrated the mishap deliberately.

After a while, Lin Ruoxi abruptly left her position, her graceful stride carrying her toward the main gate. Recognizing the sound of the approaching engine, she knew her ownerhad arrived.

______

"Master," Lin Ruoxi greeted Zhang Wei with a warm smile, swiftly opening the door for him.

Her unexpected enthusiasm caught Zhang Wei off guard. Guo Xiaomei, closely following behind, bowed from a slight distance, expressing her gratitude to Zhang Wei for bringing Lin Ruoxi back safely.

In that moment, Zhang Wei's attention was solely on Lin Ruoxi. He pulled her gently and commended, "You have improved; good work."

Lin Ruoxi managed a wry smile, feeling a lack of choice in the matter.

Yet, as she listened to his words, memories of their last encounter rushed back, her heart beginning to race.

He walked into the villa, holding her in his arms, a turn of events she hadn't anticipated, and she couldn't help but assign various meanings to this sudden closeness.

Zhang Wei, no longer interested in playing a game of concealment with his relationships, strode confidently into the room.

After all, Chen Yulan must have been aware of Wu Xue's presence by now.

Why bother hiding?

"Zhang Wei, you're here," Chen Yulan greeted, rising from her seat and pulling Liu Ming along with her.

However, both of them couldn't conceal their surprise upon seeing Zhang Wei holding Lin Ruoxi in such a manner.

A subtle 'tch' escaped Liu Ming, his first impression of Zhang Wei soured by this unexpected sight.

Chen Yulan, on the other hand, turned to steal a glance at Yu Lei, curious about her reaction.

To her astonishment, Yu Lei remained composed, seated without any visible signs of surprise, leaving Chen Yulan further bewildered.

The atmosphere was undeniably tangled and complicated.

Her cousin had unquestionably transformed into quite the smooth operator.

Setting aside the confusion, Chen Yulan proceeded with the introductions. "Cousin, this is Liu Ming, the one I mentioned earlier." She subtly signaled Liu Ming to step forward.

Liu Ming, with a self-assured demeanor, clicked his tongue in a display of smug confidence as he began his introduction.

Zhang Wei stood in the center of the room, Lin Ruoxi still in his arms. He acknowledged Chen Yulan's introduction with a polite nod, his composure unwavering despite the scrutiny he felt from the room's occupants.

"Liu Ming," he greeted calmly, releasing Lin Ruoxi gently, "it's a pleasure to meet you."

Liu Ming nodded, a smug smile gracing his face as he greeted Zhang Wei. He extended his hand, attempting to establish a connection, but Zhang Wei simply ignored the gesture.

"Likewise," Liu Ming replied, somewhat taken aback. He tried to salvage the situation by reaching out to Chen Yulan, intending to hold her waist, as a sign of dominance.

However, before he could make contact, Zhang Wei smoothly draped his arm around Chen Yulan's shoulder, gently guiding her towards the couch, all the while playfully teasing her about Liu Ming.

Chen Yulan, dressed in a light green dress that accentuated her beauty, couldn't help but feel flattered and slightly annoyed by Zhang Wei's actions.

But Zhang Wei wasn't about to let some country bumpkin in a suit disrupt his mood.

Liu Ming, left in an awkward silence after being ignored twice, shifted his attention to another figure descending from the stairs.

It was Feng Xinyue, who had been in slumber the entire day, only awakening upon sensing Zhang Wei's presence.

Feng Xinyue had been trained and cautioned not to overstep any boundaries when others were present. She approached Zhang Wei, took his hand, and started following him around.

This unexpected and adorable display caught Chen Yulan off guard, leading Zhang Wei to explain Feng Xinyue's role and relationship to everyone present.

Observing the gathering of women around Zhang Wei, Liu Ming was rendered speechless, meanwhile Guo Xiaomei, served snacks to the group. 

In the end, Liu Ming departed with a grumpy expression, and Chen Yulan offered an apologetic smile for his ill-mannered behavior.

With their departure scheduled in just an hour, they rushed to the airport, ensuring they wouldn't miss their flight.

_______

"Where to next?" Raven asked, a sense of helplessness evident in her tone as she leaned against the car.

"Head to the penthouse in M-block, Galaxy Constructions," Zhang Wei directed, settling comfortably into the seat.

Once Chen Yulan had made her exit, Zhang Wei promptly followed suit. As Raven took her place behind the wheel, she couldn't contain her curiosity. "... Just how many women are there in your life?"

She knew the penthouse they were heading to likely belonged to yet another one of his companions.

At this point, her feelings wavered between amazement and confusion.

Zhang Wei heard her question, his gaze momentarily fixated on his hands before he shook his head.

"M-More than ten?" Raven's lips twitched with disbelief.

Were ten fingers not sufficient for a count?