Manipulative Harem God

Her mother called out firmly, "Xiaomi, remember what we discussed about staying close to me, especially around strangers."

Zhang Wei couldn't help but flash a mischievous smile. "Ahem, pardon my interruption, but I don't see any strangers here." His cheeky comment briefly widened Xiaomi's mother's eyes in a mix of surprise and disbelief at his brazenness, just before Xiaomi excitedly interjected.

"Ice cream, Mommy! Please, can we go?" she pleaded, her eyes sparkling as she pointed eagerly toward the colorful ice cream truck parked nearby.

"..."

Her mother paused, visibly torn between her daughter's infectious enthusiasm and her own reservations about the charming yet suspicious, shirtless stranger with his disarmingly friendly grin.

She stole another glance at Zhang Wei, trying to gauge his true intentions, her maternal instincts fiercely on guard.

Xiaomi's mother finally spoke, her voice laced with reluctant caution, "Perhaps just a quick stop, but then we really must be going."

Zhang Wei nodded with exaggerated gratitude. "Fantastic!"

Xiaomi looked up, puzzled, "Who's calling you?"

Xiaomi's mother echoed, perplexed, "Who is calling you?"

After a heated exchange, Zhang Wei triumphed in a way that countless others had failed.

Nearby, a weary woman reluctantly handed over money at the ice cream truck, her expression a mixture of defeat and subtle ire, her stress evident as her daughter seemed to have forsaken her for a new guardian.

Zhang Wei, seated on the park bench alongside Xiaomi, leaned in with a curious grin and asked, "Little bird, what do you want to be when you grow up?"

Xiaomi, who barely seemed eleven with her wide-eyed innocence, eagerly replied, "I want to be a pilot!"

Zhang Wei nodded thoughtfully. "Ah, so the bird wants to flap her wings and soar high in the sky? Enjoy freedom, huh?"

"Hm! Hm!" Xiaomi nodded enthusiastically, oblivious to the deeper implications of his words.

With a mischievous twinkle in his eye, Zhang Wei teased, "How about being an air hostess for the brother?"

Xiaomi blinked, a flicker of confusion crossing her face as she pondered the suggestion.

Then, with a definitive shake of her head, she declared, "Nope. That sounds so boring."

Zhang Wei, "..."

He sat quietly, deep lines of contemplation etched across his forehead.

Finally, he leaned forward, his voice laden with mock concern, "Girl, think about it—the life of a pilot is just sitting behind the wheel all day, ending up with a stiff back. If you follow that path, you'll end up just like your mother in her 30s." He issued the warning with a knowing look.

"??"

"Ah! This back pain!"

At that moment, Xiaomi's confusion dissolved when she heard her mother groaning while stretching her back, the discomfort evident as if borne from years of a taxing job.

"!"

Her initial enthusiasm quickly waned.

Zhang Wei couldn't help but smile, unaware that he had just crushed the flying dreams of one little bird that day!

"Mom! Mom! I don't want to be a pilot anymore!" Xiaomi declared, dashing over to her mother.

As Zhang Wei quietly schemed his next words, Xiaomi tugged at her mother's dress, her voice filled with sudden urgency.

"Hm? Why?" Her mother's expression turned to concern, her eyebrows knitting together as she looked from her daughter's anxious face to Zhang Wei, who sat smirking slightly in the background.

"..."

She sensed a connection, her suspicion growing as she pondered the influence of that unsuspecting man, who stole her daughter!

Xiaomi proclaimed with a playful glint in her eyes, "Because brother said I'd end up with a sore back just like you if I become a pilot!"

'F*ck' At this, Zhang Wei's eyes flashed with annoyance as he noticed the cheeky smirk curling on the little girl's lips. 'This tiny imp is too sharp for her own good!' he realized, taken aback by her sharpness and audacity so early in the morning.

Seeing a chance to deflect the brewing storm, he quickly made his move, striding purposefully towards the pair.

The look on Xiaomi's mother's face darkened, her expression turning into one of deep disapproval upon hearing her daughter parrot such thoughts.

As Zhang Wei drew near, her lips parted hesitantly, her voice tinged with a mix of irritation and concern. "What exactly are you teaching my daughter—"

"Smooch!"

"..."

Her words cut off abruptly as her trembling lips formed a silent gasp.

Gasp!

Xiaomi's eyes widened in shock and her hands flew to cover her mouth, a gasp escaping her as Zhang Wei moved with the fluidity of a summer breeze.

In a swift, daring moment, he pressed a tender kiss on her mother's cheek, leaving behind only a fleeting sensation before melting into the day like a phantom.

_____

"Haaa..."

"Haaa..."

Near the intersection leading out of the park, a young woman in a light blue tracksuit emerged from a trail, her pace steady and determined.

Her brown hair was pulled back into a sleek, bouncing ponytail that kept rhythm with her strides, highlighting her athletic frame.

The early morning sun cast a soft glow over her, illuminating the faint beads of sweat that glistened on her forehead, evidence of her rigorous workout.

As she jogged, her breaths were measured and deep, the sound of her sneakers tapping against the pavement creating a rhythmic beat that blended with the surrounding park noises.

In her hand, she gripped a small, neon green water bottle, squeezing it gently every few steps to take quick sips, staying hydrated.

Her focused expression softened as she noticed the unusual scene by the bench—a little girl, a visibly flustered woman, and a shirtless man who seemed to be at the center of some mild chaos.

Curious yet cautious, she slowed her pace, but as the man began sprinting toward her, her heart skipped a beat and she focused intently on her jog ahead.

"Hey!"

The voice halted her in her tracks and drew a frown from Bai Wenling.

!?

She spun around, ready to confront the intruder, but her irritation gave way to surprise as recognition dawned. "Zha—

Senior Zhang?" she uttered in a mix of confusion and disbelief.