Manipulative Harem God

"..."

Zhang Hongyan couldn't help but cover her mouth to suppress a burgeoning smile, her curiosity piqued. 'I've never heard of this girl behaving so freely within the chamber of commerce.'

'What exactly is she aiming for?' she mused, intrigued by the intentions of Wang Li, the esteemed president of the industrial chamber of commerce.

Zhang Wei, on the other hand, had his priorities clearly defined in life.

Ignoring the brewing intrigue, he then beckoned Wang Li closer with a suggestive curl of his finger.

"Hm!?" Wang Li, initially perplexed given the large table that lay between them, hesitated for a moment.

Then, as if making a resolute decision, she bit her lip and—

Thud!

With a determination that flushed her cheeks with shame, she climbed over the table, her actions bold yet tinged with embarrassment.

'Daring!' Zhang Hongyan couldn't help but think, impressed by Wang Li's boldness.

Despite the evident shame painting her face, Wang Li crawled over the table towards him. Yet, even before she could reach him fully, Zhang Wei extended his hand, grasping her waist, and pulled her closer.

"Ah!?"

Wang Li's startled yelp echoed as she tumbled towards him, finding herself unexpectedly supported by his steady form.

'So manly...' Looking up, she saw him, one hand securely around her, the other miraculously balancing a teacup, not a single drop spilled.

The playful glint in his eyes only amplified her embarrassment, her own bold move now feeling like a clumsy attempt at flirtation.

Zhang Wei leaned in closer, taking her by surprise once again.

Wang Li, caught off guard and flushed with a mix of emotions, shut her eyes, bracing for whatever came next—only to be jolted back to reality by his voice.

"Begone thot."

!!!

"What!?"

Chen Yulan, who had been standing nearby and heard everything, couldn't help but gasp out loud, her surprise mirroring the shock that petrified Wang Li, turning her momentarily into a statue of disbelief.

???

The rest of the assembly, caught in a bubble of confusion, missed the exchange, their faces a canvas of bemusement.

Whoosh!

"Cough, I slipped accidentally for a moment, sorry everyone." With a swiftness that belied the awkwardness of the moment, Wang Li hurried back to her seat, adopting a posture of dignified nonchalance as if nothing untoward had happened, despite the lingering glances of speculation from around the place.

"Slipped accidentally? Does she think we're blind?" Zhao Hongyan mused with a concealed smile, her curiosity piqued by the spectacle that had unfolded.

Yet, as her gaze shifted to Zhang Wei and caught the edge of his almost predatory grin, a chill ran down her spine.

Acknowledging the age-old adage that curiosity could indeed lead to unforeseen dangers, she decided against pursuing the matter further.

"You go back inside," Zhang Wei directed his gaze towards Chen Yulan, the sunlight catching her hair in a glistening halo.

"Mhm," Chen Yulan murmured a small acknowledgment and began to retreat, only for his voice to halt her in her steps once more, "Practice staying indoors more; the sunlight is quite harsh, and you wouldn't want your skin to tan first thing in the morning."

"Huh?" Chen Yulan felt a wave of confusion and frustration. Was she now to be confined within the walls of the house as well?

What kind of new restriction was this?

'Today, I can't travel; tomorrow, I can't breathe?'

Brother this is too much!

A rebellious spirit flickered within her, imagining the chaos of strapping herself to her brother's back with tape just to see his reaction and perhaps, in a twisted way, to appease him.

Yet, these were merely thoughts of insurrection. Outwardly, she remained the picture of compliance, nodding once more with a soft "Mhm," and silently retreated indoors, her steps carrying quiet resignation of her current reality.

As she disappeared into the interior, Liu Dongzi's face suddenly animated with a flash of recognition. "Wait? Chen Yulan... that name rings a bell," he mused, a thread of memory tugging at his mind.

"Um?" Zhang Wei's eyebrow arched, a hint of intrigue playing across his face as he offered a slight nod. "..You've likely heard it mentioned; her engagement was announced just a few days ago, to a member of your extended family."

"Right!!" The realization struck Liu Dongzi like a thunderbolt, his eyes widening. "Liu Ming! That's the name of her—" His voice trailed off, snagged by a second wave of astonishment that rendered him momentarily speechless.

!!

An sudden silence enveloped the gathering, with Wang Haoron, Wang Li, and Zhao Hongyan suspending their breaths, their gazes swiveling towards Zhang Wei, laden with suspicion.

Zhang Wei, embodying the calm at the eye of the storm, gently set his teacup down. "Don't overthink it. I merely kidnapped her," he declared with unsettling nonchalance.

Gasp!

"Cough! Cough!" Zhao Hongyan hastily clutched at her chest, her breath caught in a choke.

The audacity of openly admitting to kidnapping, and that too in front of the patriarch of a prominent family?

What on earth was Zhang Wei plotting?

Liu Dongzi wasn't just anyone; he was a deputy of the provincial party!

Yet, turning to gauge Liu Dongzi's reaction, Zhao found not the anticipated outrage but an expression of... understanding?

"Doctor Zhang, it seems your actions were justified. She, in fact, didn't deserve our family. A woman of her beauty and grace is only fitting for someone as esteemed as Doctor Zhang!" he proclaimed, astonishingly endorsing the abduction.

'Doctor? what the hell!?' Zhao Hongyan's churned in confusion, the brother's abilities were becoming too terrifying for her now., while the Wang siblings, privy to Zhang Wei's renowned healing abilities, seemed less taken aback.

Zhang Wei, seemingly on a quest to astonish further, nodded sagely. "Old Liu, fret not. She was always part of the family," he said, his lips curling into a mischievous, almost sinister smile. Then, as if detonating a bomb in the midst of silence, he revealed, "In fact, she's my blood cousin..."

Hiss!

The information landed among them like a stone in still water, sending ripples of stunned silence through the gathered assembly.

Their expressions, a tableau of disbelief and shock, mirrored the complexity and unexpectedness of Zhang Wei's bombshell.

Liu Dongzi, the seasoned veteran of countless political and familial dramas, found himself grappling with the abrupt twist.

His eyes, wide with surprise, flickered between Zhang Wei and the direction Chen Yulan had disappeared. "Your cousin?" he echoed, his voice a mixture of incredulity and reassessment, as if the pieces of a puzzle were falling into place, yet defying the picture he had envisioned.