Manipulative Harem God

"What is taking you two so long in here?" Xiong Mei's voice cut through the silence like a knife.

Xiong Rui's eyes snapped shut, a wave of guilt washing over her.

Zhang Wei, now casually sipping water at the counter, looked the picture of innocence, while Xiong Rui stood frozen, her hands clenched into fists, her eyes shut tightly.

"Sister, I didn't mean any of this, I swear!" Xiong Rui blurted out, her voice laced with desperation.

Xiong Mei, eyebrows raised in confusion, turned her gaze between her sister and Zhang Wei. 'What did you do to her?' her eyes seemed to ask.

Zhang Wei simply shrugged, his expression nonchalant, silently communicating, 'Nothing happened.'

Confused, Xiong Rui opened her eyes, scanning the room, realizing that Zhang Wei was now standing a few steps away from her. "Brother-in-law?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.

"Yeah?" Zhang Wei responded calmly, as if nothing had happened.

Xiong Mei, frustrated by her sister's strange behavior, knocked her on the head. "Rui, you can't make guests work like this. Learn some manners."

"But I—" Xiong Rui started to protest, only to catch Zhang Wei's teasing smile as he passed behind Xiong Mei.

"No buts. If this happens again, I'll cut your pocket money," Xiong Mei warned sternly.

Biting her lip, Xiong Rui nodded, accepting defeat, not daring to glance Zhang Wei into his eyes.

________

The night had fallen heavy over the Xiong household, a blanket of silence enveloping its walls.

But within, the stillness was shattered by an unsettling symphony of creaks and murmurs.

"Daddy~!"

"Go slower~nghhh...!"

In her room, Xiong Rui tossed and turned, her sleep plagued by unsettling sounds.

The sounds seeping through the walls painted vivid images in her restless mind, her cheeks burning with embarrassment and confusion.

Lisa, in an attempt to escape the noise, had resorted to headphones, her expression a mix of annoyance and resignation.

Meanwhile, in the master bedroom, Xiong Mingde stirred, his eyes flickering open. "Wife, do we have too many rats?" he mumbled, his voice heavy with sleep and confusion.

Qiu Xingyu, already awake and equally disturbed, snapped the blanket over him. "Sleep already!" she scolded, her voice sharp with irritation.

"But the noise?" Xiong Mingde persisted, his brow furrowed in concern.

"Mingde, what's your problem!" Qiu Xingyu retorted, her frustration reaching a boiling point. "It's midnight, and you can't even let me sleep or sleep yourself?"

Xiong Mingde fell silent at her outburst, sensing the storm brewing in her tone. He lay back down, but sleep seemed a distant hope.

Qiu Xingyu lay awake, her thoughts racing. She was cursing Zhang Wei's ancestors, her mind seething with anger at the thought of him disrespecting their home. 'Respectful, huh...' The irony of her earlier assessment of Zhang Wei didn't escape her. 'Did I welcome a wolf in sheep's clothing into my home?'

_____

As the morning sun peeked through the curtains, Xiong Mei sat on her bed, her expression a mix of bewilderment and embarrassment.

Her hair was disheveled, framing her face in a chaotic halo as she glared at Zhang Wei, who was blissfully asleep beside her.

"How am I supposed to go downstairs looking like this...?" she muttered under her breath. A bitter chuckle escaped her, "After last night, I can't even look anyone in the eye..."

Her face flushed a deeper shade of red as she remembered the noises that had echoed through the house, the suggestive words Zhang Wei had coaxed out from her, making the situation even more horrifying.

In a burst of helplessness, she nudged Zhang Wei forcefully. "Ugh! How can you sleep so peacefully? Zhang Wei! Wake up and help me!

Zhang Wei stirred, his eyes fluttering open to the sound of her distressed voice. "Hmm...? why are you so loud so early in the morning?" he groaned, squinting at her through sleep-heavy eyes.

Xiong Mei's frustration bubbled over. "Loud? You're one to talk! Do you have any idea how embarrassing last night was? I'm pretty sure the whole house heard us!"

Zhang Wei, "oh..."

Before she could continue her words, Zhang Wei, with a sleepy yet mischievous grin, kicked her out of her room.

Xiong Mei landed with a soft thump on the cold wooden floor, her surprise rendering her speechless.

Sitting there, ousted from her own bedroom, she struggled to process her thoughts.

'How did I get myself into this mess?' she thought, her mind racing with embarrassment and anger. 'The entire family must think I'm... Ugh! Zhang Wei!'

Inside, Zhang Wei stretched lazily, unfazed by the chaos he had stirred.

He glanced at the door, behind which Xiong Mei sat in dismay, and chuckled to himself before going back to sleep.

______

Back outside, Xiong Mei tiptoed down the stairs, her movements were as cautious as a cat's, her ears attuned to any sound. Reaching the living area and finding it deserted brought a wave of relief. 'No one's here...' she thought, her tension easing slightly.

Just as she began to relax, her mother's voice shattered the silence. "Meimei! You're here!"

Startled, Xiong Mei spun around. "M-Mom!?" Her posture straightened reflexively, her heart pounding.

Qiu Xingyu, without any more words, reached out and grabbed her daughter's hand. "Let's go," she said, her tone firm, offering no explanation as she pulled Xiong Mei towards the car where Lisa was already waiting.

Xiong Mei's mind spun with confusion and fear. 'A-Am I being disowned?' The thought sent a chill down her spine as she cast a nervous glance at her mother.

"Mom, where are we going?" she stammered, her voice trembling.

Ignoring her question, Qiu Xingyu ushered her daughter into the car. "We're off to the market for shopping. Hurry up, now!"

"Shopping...?" Xiong Mei repeated, her brow furrowed in confusion.

The realization of the mundane nature of their outing washed over her, leaving her feeling foolish and overwhelmed.

She let out a sigh in relief and resignation. "I thought... never mind," she muttered under her breath.

Once settled in the backseat, Xiong Mei learned it was Lisa who had requested the shopping trip. "I just need a few local items," Lisa explained, smiling apologetically at Xiong Mei's apparent discomfort.

Qiu Xingyu, added in a more cheerful tone, "And I thought I'd tag along. It's been ages since we had a mother-daughter day out, hasn't it?"

As they drove off, Xiong Mei leaned back in her seat, her emotions a whirlpool of relief, embarrassment, and lingering frustration.

"It's all because of him..." She seethed with a burning desire to teach Zhang Wei a lesson, more than anything else. However, the mere thought of retaliation sent shivers down her spine!

No way, she couldn't muster the courage to challenge him!

The vivid images of the ways he could strike back were too terrifying to contemplate.

She cast a fleeting glance at her own petite hands; all her resolve evaporated like a wisp of smoke.