Manipulative Harem God

Zhang Wei, startled by her sudden gesture, turned to her with a mix of confusion and concern. "What's going on?"

"K-Keep them... I don't want them anymore," Xiong Mei said hesitantly, her voice trembling slightly, betraying her fear of his reaction.

"Why?" Zhang Wei couldn't help but ask, a knot of apprehension tightening in his stomach.

Xiong Mei fell silent for a moment, her gaze dropping to the floor as she collected her thoughts.

She then took a deep, steadying breath and lifted her eyes to meet his, now shimmering with tears but resolute. "I... I don't want to be a canary..."

"What—" Zhang Wei's expression shifted into a shadow of concern and confusion.

What was Xiong Mei trying to convey?

Was this some kind of game where he was supposed to coax her back to normalcy?

If so, she was gravely mistaken about how he would respond.

Yet, he paused, reconsidering. Xiong Mei wasn't the type to weave plots; her intelligence was practical, often too blunt for such things.

Noticing the tremor of fear still visible in her demeanor, Zhang Wei gently grasped her delicate hands, giving them a comforting squeeze. "Meimei, what's happened? If you don't explain everything clearly, I'm going to become really worried," he urged, his voice a mix of firmness and concern.

Xiong Mei shivered slightly, her resolve unwavering as she met his gaze. "No... I don't want to be a canary anymore. You abandoned me and didn't even bother to call... Do you have any idea how terrified I was?"

Zhang Wei, his brow furrowing in distress, pressed for clarity, "Abandoned? When did I abandon you? What are you talking about?"

Xiong Mei's cheeks tinged with a soft pink, her voice barely above a whisper as she recounted the painful memory. "The last day... in my hometown... after you... did that thing with my mother and sister."

Zhang Wei, momentarily stunned into silence, could only stare as he processed her words.

Noticing his stunned silence, Xiong Mei's tone hardened with sadness. "You just disappeared without a word... That whole day, neither Rui nor Mother said anything. It was like I was invisible. I had no choice but to leave... We still haven't talked about it... Do you realize how much chaos your actions unleashed?"

Her voice cracked as she continued, "And then you didn't even contact me this whole time... I thought you had abandoned me for good."

Seeing him still silent, a mix of desperation and resolve flashed in her eyes as she added hesitantly, "I... I can't live like this anymore."

Xiong Mei's heart thudded fearfully in her chest after her bold declaration.

She was uncertain about what she truly desired, but one thing was clear: she couldn't continue living like this.

She no longer cared about money.

The strain of her current life was simply too much to bear.

Yet, the thought of leaving the first man to whom she had entrusted her deepest affections felt almost impossible to endure.

Especially since she had come to realize that he wasn't just strong and wealthy, but also surprisingly gentle, despite his occasionally irksome demeanor; indeed, there were moments of genuine joy in his company.

With these conflicting thoughts running in her mind, she couldn't help but sniffle softly.

"..."

Zhang Wei gazed at her, his expression blank, wrestling with his own thoughts.

Did she really intend to venture out on her own now?

Or was she blissfully unaware of the harsh realities of the world?

She would surely be exposed to exploitation.

And could she really handle a regular job, earning just tens of thousands a month, while enduring the whims of greedy bosses?

Was this woman truly in her right mind?

He sighed, "Since that's what you want... let it be," he said. However, he handed her belongings back to her. "You can keep the house and these things. They were a gift. If you don't want them, throw them away," he suggested, causing Xiong Mei to suddenly tremble with terror.

"But—" her lips parted, as she tried to hand the items back to him, only to be stopped by his firm gesture.

"Throw it away then, or burn it down. I don't lack money," he said casually, revealing his financial security. After all, he still had a few billion in personal cash, which he had received from the Wang family for healing their patriarch, not to mention the combined wealth of the Long Feng Group.

"..."

Throw it away and burn it down?

Hundreds of millions burning down?

Xiong Mei couldn't bring herself to do it.

But as she raised her head, he was already at the main door. Before her eyes, he opened it and left.

"!!"

Xiong Mei panicked, her hand reaching out, but the door had already shut firmly, causing her to collapse onto the couch. Her eyes moistened, and tears began to flow freely.

Such ruthlessness—she hadn't expected it.

But what was there left to cry about now?

Few moments later— Her frustration boiling over, Xiong Mei cursed under her breath as she paced the room.

Grabbing a pillow, she bit down on it hard, her tears soaking into the fabric.

"I knew he was a bastard! Can't be trusted!" she muttered furiously, her voice muffled by the pillow.

"That selfish, heartless jerk!" she continued, her words growing louder with her mounting anger. "Heartless! Just heartless! Who does that? Who just walks away like that?"

"Arrogant jerk!"

She threw the pillow across the room with a forceful toss.

Crash!

"And to think I actually cared! What a fool I've been!" Her voice broke as she kicked at the air, her emotions spilling out uncontrollably.

"Leaving me like this—like I'm nothing!" she shouted into the emptiness, her heart aching with betrayal.

As her anger calmed slightly, she collapsed back onto the couch, her body wracked with sobs. "White monkey! I'm done with him, done with all of it!" she declared through her tears, her resolve hardening amidst the pain.

Click!

Click!

Inbetween her muffled whispering, a distinct click sliced through the air, initially unnoticed by Xiong Mei as she curled herself up tightly, knees drawn to her chest.

However, the sudden intrusion of a warm, amber light casting shadows around the room made her furrow her brows, puzzled by the unexpected change.

"White 'Handsome' Monkey," came a voice correcting her from behind, laced with a hint of amusement. "So that's the pet name you've secretly given me, huh?"

Zhang Wei's presence filled the room, his tone reflecting mild surprise as he flicked his lighter alive, the flame briefly illuminating his face before he drew on his cigarette.

He then — casually loosened his belt.

"Hiss!"

Xiong Mei froze, her breath catching in her throat.