Manipulative Harem God

Chapter 217 Meeting Chen Yulan! (2)

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“Hey, cousin, I asked what happened that day?” Chen Yulan gently shook Zhang Wei, her eyes reflecting a mix of curiosity and complexity, as if unraveling a long-buried mystery.

Zhang Wei momentarily drifted into his memories, his smile faint but tinged with a touch of melancholy. “It’s just as you said, there was a robbery.”

“Huh? Then you…how are you…” Chen Yulan’s words trailed off, and she couldn’t bring herself to utter the question that lingered unspoken.

Zhang Wei, understanding her unspoken inquiry, didn’t take offense. “It’s nothing. I managed to escape during the robbery and ran away.”

Chen Yulan fell into a contemplative silence, her mind racing with questions. ‘Escaped and ran away? How many years had it been?’ she wondered.

“Why didn’t you come back?” Her confusion was evident in her question.

Zhang Wei shook his head, bitterness creeping into his tone. “No mother, no father, there was nothing left for me to belong to there.”

“Idiot!” Chen Yulan suddenly knocked his head before enveloping him in a tight hug that caught Zhang Wei off guard. Her actions startled him, and her words were filled with genuine concern. “You have me and your brother! How can you say you have no one there? My brother spent so much time looking for you!”

Zhang Wei, though unhappy about being hit, chose to remain silent, recognizing that Chen Yulan wasn’t aware of his discomfort with physical contact. He let her small mistake slide just this once.

Wu Xue, perceptive as always, noticed the subtle twitch in Zhang Wei’s expression and realized he was exercising great restraint to not retaliate against Chen. She couldn’t help but chuckle and remarked, “Haha…”

Chen Yulan looked at Wu Xue with a puzzled expression, wondering why she found the situation amusing. Zhang Wei quickly shifted the focus, getting serious as he inquired, “What are you doing here alone at night?”

Chen Yulan’s troubled expression gave way to a light smile as she explained, “I was waiting for my boyfriend to come and pick me up.”

Zhang Wei was left utterly astonished. It was the first time he had encountered such a situation since gaining his powers. Most of the time, the women he encountered were either single or not accompanied by a significant other. Now, learning that Chen Yulan had a boyfriend left a sour taste in his mouth.

He couldn’t help but scrutinize her from head to toe, trying to find some fault or reason for her to not have a boyfriend. But to his frustration, there seemed to be nothing wrong with her looks or demeanor.

[HOST, TEACH HER A LESSON! PUSH HER DOWN!]

The intrusive voice of the system in his mind further fueled his irritation. It urged him to take action, provoking his emotions. Zhang Wei could sense the system relishing this moment, eagerly waiting to see what decision he would make.

“What kind of boyfriend is he? Left you alone at night here? Does he have no conscience?” Wu Xue muttered impulsively before quickly realizing she had crossed a boundary. She turned to Chen Yulan with an apologetic expression. “I-I didn’t mean to say that. I’m sorry.”

Chen Yulan offered Wu Xue a forgiving smile, her demeanor seemingly radiating warmth on this chilly night. “It’s alright,” she reassured her. “He had some work with people from the provincial committee. He should be back soon.”

Zhang Wei’s anger continued to simmer, and he couldn’t help but press for more information. “When did he leave?” he inquired, his tone betraying his growing anger.

Chen Yulan hesitated for a moment, her expression faltering before she reluctantly admitted, “Three hours ago.”

Zhang Wei’s face contorted with a mixture of emotions, but he managed to conjure a smile at the same time.

This was precisely one of the reasons he had been wary of the idea of a harem before attaining cultivation.

In a world where time was a finite resource, sharing one’s time and attention among multiple partners could lead to complications.

It was a truth he had come to understand all too well – that women, no matter how devoted they might seem, could easily be swayed by the allure of someone else, someone who could offer them more time, attention, or security.

In the midst of these thoughts, Chen Yulan finally became aware of her proximity to Zhang Wei, her gaze drawn to his exposed chest.

A sense of unease washed over her before she sighed and set her shopping bags down. She rummaged through them, producing a t-shirt and extending it toward Zhang Wei. “Wear this,” she suggested, her tone soft. 𝗈𝗏𝑳xt.𝚌𝐎𝑀

Zhang Wei accepted the t-shirt and swiftly put it on. He noticed that Chen Yulan was carrying two shopping bags, raising questions about her presence here, but he held back from asking at this moment.

“Let’s go. Our clothes are all wet, and there’s a hotel just a few steps from here. We can catch up there,” he suggested, reaching out to take her soft hand with determination.

However, Chen Yulan didn’t move. Zhang Wei turned around, puzzled by her lack of response.

“What happened?” he inquired, confusion etching his features.

“I went there, but it’s too expensive,” she replied softly, a tinge of embarrassment in her voice as she attempted to pull her hand away.

In her mind, it didn’t feel right to casually touch the hand of a stranger.

Zhang Wei raised an eyebrow, his gaze flicking to the branded clothes in her shopping bags. “Are you sure you don’t have the money, or you simply don’t want to spend it?” he questioned, a hint of skepticism in his tone.

Chen Yulan fell silent for a moment before confessing, “I spent it all on clothes, and I only have a few hundred yuan left. I might have to trouble Liu Ming for some.”

‘Damn!’ Wu Xue couldn’t help but inwardly curse at the girl’s apparent innocence.

The idea of “troubling” her boyfriend for money seemed strange to her.

Trouble Liu Ming?

Why did that even sound like a problem?

Even Zhang Wei found himself taken aback. It slowly dawned on him that the customs and expectations of the women in the village were quite different when it came to matters like this.

They tended not to disturb their man while he was working.