Manipulative Harem God

515  One canary, one wife, one concubine, one bird, one little wife, one big wife, one darling, one baby, one princess, one sweetheart, one sugar mommy!

"..."

Murong Jinxiang sat there, momentarily speechless, her expression blank as if carved from stone.

Her anger dissipated as swiftly as if it had never existed.

At that moment, she felt utterly lost, bewildered, and confused.

She certainly wanted to cling to her anger, to let it fuel her response, but it was as if her anger meter had shattered, leaving her devoid of that fiery emotion.

She couldn't feel it anymore; it was just gone.

What was this sensation?

Some newfound kind of tolerance?

Had she stumbled upon some form of enlightenment?

"Jinxi... You were the first woman that I liked." Zhang Wei's unexpected confession abruptly pulled Murong Jinxiang from her contemplative state.

"Really?" She couldn't help but respond, her voice a mix of hope and skepticism.

Despite her reservations about a relationship with him, the notion of being his first stirred a complex mix of emotions within her, tapping into a deep-seated desire for validation.

Zhang Wei noticed the hopeful spark in her eyes but quickly extinguished it with his next word. "No." His blunt denial caused her fleeting smile to vanish as swiftly as it had appeared.

"..."

"I am leavin—" Murong Jinxiang, now overwhelmed by a mix of disappointment and frustration—frustrated at herself for even caring—was on the verge of walking away when her hand accidentally struck the plate of spaghetti she had left untouched.

Crash!

"!!"

The plate tipped and then tumbled directly onto Zhang Wei's lap, splattering spaghetti and sauce all over his clothes.

The vivid red sauce stained his trousers, creating a messy contrast against the fabric.

"!!!"

Murong Jinxiang's eyes widened in horror at the mess she had inadvertently caused.

"Oh my gosh, Wei, I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed, her voice tinged with genuine distress.

Quickly, she grabbed a handful of tissues from a nearby holder and rushed over to him, attempting to dab at the spreading sauce stains on his clothes.

But the tissues were hardly up to the task.

"Ah, this isn't helping at all," she muttered under her breath, her movements becoming more frantic as she tried to clean the stain, only to see her efforts were in vain.

Each pat of the tissue seemed only to spread the sauce wider across his trousers.

Zhang Wei, still in a state of suprise from both the conversation and the sudden splash of spaghetti, sat quiet for a moment before looking up at Murong Jinxiang.

His initial irritation softened slightly as he saw her genuine distress and her futile attempts to rectify the accident.

"Stop, Jinxi, it's okay," Zhang Wei finally said, his voice calm despite the chaos. He gently pulled her hands away from his stained clothes. "It's just some sauce; it will wash out. Don't worry about it."

Murong Jinxiang stepped back, her hands still holding the useless tissues, feeling a mixture of relief and lingering embarrassment.

She looked at him, her eyes reflecting her apology, "I really didn't mean for that to happen."

Zhang Wei managed a small, resigned smile. "I know you didn't. Let's just forget this whole mess," he suggested.

Murong Jinxiang was about to simply nod in agreement with Zhang Wei's suggestion to forget the incident, but then she reconsidered, shaking her head decisively. "You can't go back like this. Come with me; our house is nearby. I'll find you some spare clothes," she insisted, feeling responsible for the state he was in.

Zhang Wei, amused by the turn of events and secretly enjoying the concern she displayed, pretended to be reluctant. "It's okay, I can manage," he protested mildly, still smirking inwardly.

Murong Jinxiang was firm, her tone brooking no argument. "No, I caused this, so you need to listen to me this time."

Seeing her determination and perhaps a little charmed by her authoritative insistence, Zhang Wei's lips twitched into a genuine smile. "Guide the way, then," he conceded, standing up from his messy seat and ready to follow her lead.

_______

"Why is she so heavy?"

"You're just jealous."

"Why would I be jealous of her?"

"Obviously, you're hungry for my body and can't stand the sight of other predators nearby."

"Predators, really? Is that what you're calling them?"

As Murong Jinxiang was helping, Zhang Wei maneuvered Xiong Mei into the backseat of his car. Murong couldn't help but speak up.

"Not really," Zhang Wei shrugged nonchalantly, nodding towards the sleeping Xiong Mei, "This one is my canary."

Murong Jinxiang was left out of words.

'Is this even a thing?' she thought, curious.

"How many more 'canaries' do you have?" she asked, hesitating at the door of his car, her voice a mixture of curiosity and apprehension.

She was slightly afraid that he might reveal a startling number she wasn't ready to hear.

Seeing her visibly rattled, Zhang Wei didn't opt for a flippant response.

Instead, he replied with a semblance of seriousness, "Ahem, I am quite a loyal person. I only have one canary."

"Really? Loyal, so what about your wife?" She believed him for a brief second, though taken aback.

The situation didn't seem as dire as she had feared.

Zhang Wei quickly added, "One canary, obviously, then one wife, one concubine, one bird, one little wife, one big wife, one darling, one baby, one princess, one sweetheart, one sugar mommy—I am loyal to all of them, even to one sister-in-law!"

o_⁠o

Murong Jinxiang stood there, speechless again, her mind frozen as she tried to process his words, each term more baffling than the last.

_____

"Did you buy this car?" Murong Jinxiang asked, lounging comfortably in the seat.

She recalled that the last time she'd been here, it had been a BMW; now, it was something entirely different.

She wasn't well-versed in cars, but she could tell this was unmistakably a sports car.

Is he printing money?

She turned towards Zhang Wei, her eyes shimmering with curiosity.

"If you like it, I could give it to you, but there's a condition..." Zhang Wei's voice dripped meaningfully.

Murong Jinxiang's face clouded over, even her frustrated voice charming to his ears, "Can you, for once, not try to lure me into your bed with every sentence you utter?"

Zhang Wei simply smiled, his expression unreadable.

He didn't truly believe that luxury could trap her; after all, every woman is unique, yet each harbors her own desires...

"Okay." To her surprise, he agreed, prompting Murong Jinxiang's eyebrows to arch in astonishment.

A subtle smile played at the edges of her lips.

This man had been quite admirable back when he resided in Xueshan.

However, since his departure, he seemed to have strayed from the right path.

She folded her arms, a glimmer of hope flickering within her that perhaps he hadn't completely succumbed to the shadows.

Just as she allowed herself this brief moment of optimism, he placed his hand on her thigh, extinguishing her fleeting joy with a resigned sigh.