Manipulative Harem God

A subtle gleam of pride shone in Yu Lei's eyes as she confessed, "He made me bark for him!" Her words were accompanied by a warm, nostalgic smile.

Chen Yulan's eyes widened in surprise. "You did...?"

Yu Lei nodded with a hint of mischief in her expression. "Mh-mm!"

"If you want to live with him, let me share a secret with you," Yu Lei continued, her tone conspiratorial. "He does care, deep down. It's just that his feelings are not always apparent. You won't be asked to do strange things in front of others; your dignity will be preserved in public. But in private, you must be willing to let go of your inhibitions and make 'him' happy."

A subtle tension crossed Chen Yulan's lips, forming a strained smile at the thought.

Meanwhile, observing from a distance, Xie Meirong was taken aback by the conversation. "Those words — Damn! Someone stop this cult worshiper..." she mused, a chill running down her spine.

________

Morning dawned on the 22th of April, casting a pale light over yet another day.

In the past few days, the air had been filled with whispers against the Song Family, accompanied by never-ending raids by various departments!

Zhang Wei found himself engulfed in this, yet he decided to detach, to let the world spin without his interference.

He sought refuge in sleep, his only escape, though today it promised no sweetness, only the bitter tang of unrest.

His sleep, that blissful sanctuary, was abruptly shattered.

!!

His eyes flew open, not to the familiar confines of his room, but to an astonishing sight.

"What?"

Before him unfolded a scene of opulent grandeur—a palace so luxurious, its towering walls reached for the heavens, seemingly endless.

It was a spectacle that dwarfed even the most magnificent castles of the earth, making them seem mere child's play in comparison.

Yet, amidst this splendor, it was the unexpected sight that arrested his gaze—a woman of such startling presence that time itself seemed to pause.

For a heartbeat, he was frozen, rooted to the spot by the sheer force of her beauty.

"Beautiful..." The word escaped him, a whisper lost in the vastness of his awe.

He was trapped, not just by her appearance, but by the aura that surrounded her, a mystery that was impossible to ignore.

He found himself drawn into a dance of curiosity and wonder, his previous concerns melting away like morning mist under the rising sun.

____

In the heart of the palace, a woman stood as if she had stepped forth from a timeless painting, her arresting beauty a silent echo through the grand halls.

Her complexion glowed with the gentle luminescence of a pearl, and her eyes—deep, boundless pools—seemed to whisper of a soul woven from both ancient wisdom and endless spirit.

Dark hair, heavy with the scent of twilight roses, fell in a cascade of shadow and bloom over her shoulders, each petal a brushstroke of nightfall's own palette.

Her gaze, tender yet incisive, pierced through the veils of reality, as though she could discern the silent beat of the universe's heart.

Adorned in a gown of silvery-blue, she was the embodiment of the dawn's first light—ethereal and fluid, the fabric caressed her like a lover's whisper.

The gown, a masterpiece crafted from the weave of twilight and the thread of starlight, clung to her in a dance of shadows and moonbeams, its silver blossoms a tribute to the night sky.

Each movement she made was an evidence to a regal elegance, the shape of her curves a delicate sonnet of grace and strength.

In this serene waters, she stood as the moon's chosen, a sylph wrapped in the glow of celestial tides, her presence pulled Zhang Wei into an orbit of endless fascination—a celestial dance he found himself unable to resist or —one that he had no inclination to escape, indeed, he did not even wish to try.

"Lian'er, wait!" The air vibrated with the sudden intrusion of a voice, echoing with a calm divinity that sent another ripple of surprise through Zhang Wei.

Swoosh!

A figure emerged, clad in the traditional black hanfu interwoven with the stylings of an ancient Taoist robe.

His hair cascaded long, crowned with an aura that whispered of the divine.

Yet, what truly rooted Zhang Wei to the spot was the resemblance—the stranger bore an uncanny likeness to himself, a mirror image with subtle yet distinct differences.

Setting aside the shock of this doppelgänger, Zhang Wei's attention snapped back to the scene, a brewing storm of discord between the two figures.

"What is there to wait for? I warn you, if you dare to—" Lian'er warning was cut short.

Slap!

The sound boomed through the air as Lian'er was struck, her cheek flaming with the mark of the blow, her hands trembling as she touched the sting of betrayal.

"You!?" Shock and venom coalesced in her eyes as they found the man, causing a flicker of hesitation in his stance.

"Lian'er, I have warned you many times; you cannot continue to threaten me like this!" His plea was desperate, yet it was met with nothing but the icy chill of Lian'er's gaze, a frost that held the heat of a brewing tempest!

Whoosh!

With a swift motion, Lian'er spun on her heel and departed, her form dissolving into the distance, taking with it the haunting trace of her scent, leaving a void as though she had never been there at all.

The man, now alone, felt his features set into a mask of steely resolve.

"Heavenly Emperor, what shall be done with the first consort and her son?" A shadow coalesced at the man's side, its form blurred and indistinct, enveloped in a dark mist that thwarted Zhang Wei's efforts to discern its true appearance.

The Heavenly Emperor's brow furrowed in contemplation. "Her son—must die," he declared, his voice reverberating with an unyielding finality.

The shadow, seemingly unsurprised, inclined its head slightly. "And the first consort?"

A trace of softness flickered across the Heavenly Emperor's otherwise unyielding expression. "Ensure she remains unharmed."

The shadow exhaled, almost imperceptibly.

In its view, the Heavenly Emperor, a being feared across all planes, harbored a tender spot for this woman—a weakness that could very well be the harbinger of unforeseen consequences.

Amidst this exchange, Zhang Wei, an unnoticed observer thus far, felt his heart pounding with confusion and intrigue.

But his invisibility was abruptly shattered as the Heavenly Emperor turned, his gaze piercing the distance to lock onto Zhang Wei.

Hiss!

Time seemed to stop, and Zhang Wei found himself frozen once again, this time by the unforeseen attention of the emperor himself.

!!

As the Heavenly Emperor began to stride forward, Zhang Wei's pulse raced inexplicably, his usual playful demeanor replaced by a solemnity.

With every step that the Emperor took, a formidable pressure built around Zhang Wei, a tangible weight that pressed upon his chest and quickened his breath.

"You are?" Zhang Wei managed to utter, but before the question could stay in the air—

Whoosh!

The Heavenly Emperor passed right through him, as if he were no more substantial than the morning mist.

Startled, Zhang Wei whirled around, just in time to see the emperor's figure receding into the distance.

"Huh?"

Confusion spun a web in his mind.

He tried to grapple with the reality unfolding before him, but before he could latch onto any semblance of understanding, darkness swept in, and he felt himself slipping away into oblivion, consciousness winking out like a snuffed candle.

Booom!

Clink! Clink! Clink!

The clash of metal rang out in a series of urgent clinks!

Zhang Wei's eyes flew open to a scene steeped in chaos.

His vision was blurred, his senses dulled as if emerging from a deep slumber, yet the voices cut through the fog of his awakening.

"You are taking this too far!"

"Lian'er! I have listened to you once, but do not test my limits!"

The confrontation between Lian'er and the Heavenly Emperor had escalated, the air now electric with tension.

Guards clad in golden armor that gleamed like the sun itself had formed an impenetrable ring around the epicenter of the conflict.

Lian'er, her form a whirlwind of precision and grace, wielded a sword in one hand with a finesse that was both fierce and breathtakingly beautiful.

Zhang Wei, despite the haziness clouding his sight, recognized the artistry of her swordsmanship, the most beautiful deadly dance he had ever witnessed.

Yet even as she fought valiantly, her posture betrayed a disadvantage; her other hand clutched something protectively to her chest, a burden that split her focus.

"Apprehend her!"

The command from the Heavenly Emperor was a thunderclap that spurred the guards into action.

Whoosh!

In a decisive moment, as Zhang Wei's focus sharpened, the Emperor lunged, wrenching away the object Lian'er guarded so fiercely.

Her eyes, mirrors of her soul, widened with shock, reflecting an array of emotions that Zhang Wei could sense even from his distant vantage point.

Lian'er, "Don't!"