Manipulative Harem God

Chapter 511 The Withered Flower is blooming again (3)

511 The Withered Flower is blooming again (3)

Rustle...

Zhang Wei slid the plate of spaghetti closer to her. "Here, eat more, or you'll become malnourished," he teased lightly, trying to lighten the mood.

"Shut up," Murong Jinxiang retorted, her cheeks flushing a subtle shade of red.

She glanced at her wrist—slender, perhaps too much so.

As her eyes traveled downwards, she bit her lip.

Her chest obscured her view, making it difficult for her to see the soft skin of her thighs that peeked through the slit of her Cheongsam.

She was acutely aware of her beauty and the youthful grace she maintained despite her advancing years, a reality that led her to bite her lips in discomfort, especially unaware that Zhang Wei was staring at the unintentionally seductive expression she was making.

Murong Jinxiang, however, had learned how to navigate the attention her appearance attracted; she had faced numerous challenges because of it in the past.

Catching Zhang Wei's unabashed gaze fixed upon her, she settled deeper into her seat, an air of unease washing over her as she embraced the attention.

Ten years ago, when she first met Zhang Wei, she had assumed a role akin to an elder or caretaker.

At that time, he was a young boy of fifteen years, brimming with a quiet intensity and a wary disposition that she found endearing.

Back then, she found herself caring for him, washing his school clothes and bringing him meals, amused by his cautious demeanor and the serious yet suspicious glances he often threw her way.

Murong Jinxiang felt an intense brust of emotions when she discovered he had no alive guardians, and perhaps that was why she started to care for him like her own child at that time.

But everything shifted when he turned sixteen and departed for Qingyun City.

That was when she truly saw his stubbornness, with Qi Xiang declaring that there was no point in trying to stop him; Zhang Wei would do as he pleased. Reluctantly, she had no choice but to let him go.

Upon his arrival in Qingyun, a change seemed to have taken hold of him.

Every time he returned home to Xueshan, his gaze towards her became more intense, bordering on lustful, especially when Qi Xiang was not around.

The situation soon escalated from lingering stares to unwittingly and then purposely touching her hands, eventually moving toward more intimate gestures.

16:36

At that moment, Murong Jinxiang should have confronted him then and there; perhaps it would have changed everything.

In fact, during their sophomore year, when Yu Lei proposed a trip to Xueshan to meet a relative, Zhang Wei was visibly reluctant.

Despite his reservations, lacking a solid excuse to decline, he accompanied her, leading to an inevitably awkward reunion with Murong Jinxiang.

There he was, seemingly out of the blue, back in her life and dating her cousin.

At that moment, Murong Jinxiang found herself bewildered beyond measure, yet simultaneously, a sense of relief washed over her.

Zhang Wei also felt a release of tension, grateful that Murong had kept their past encounters from Qi Xiang.

Ultimately, Murong Jinxiang decided it was time to release the weight of their shared history, as Zhang Wei appeared to be charting a new course in his life.

She sternly warned him not to overstep her boundaries again, making it clear that any further indecent actions would lead her to sever ties completely and disclose their past to everyone involved.

Naturally, Zhang Wei didn't take Murong Jinxiang's threats entirely seriously, though he knew she wasn't bluffing about cutting him off.

So, somewhat shamelessly, he began to test his limits once more.

This time, however, he was much more restrained, limiting himself to ambiguous conversations and casual touches.

After all, he recognized that he didn't possess the means to truly win her over.

She was too stubborn, and he felt too powerless.

He couldn't simply lock her away in some basement and expect her to stay quiet.

Besides, even if he attempted something so drastic, Qi Xiang and her family would undoubtedly search for her, and Zhang Wei would then be forced to deal with him as well.

As for using money as a lure?

Given that she had married Qi Xiang, Zhang Wei doubted that the traditional approach of money would have any effect.

Thus, he would have to resort to committing seriously grave felonies if he were to lock her away.

And as for betraying Qi Xiang?

No matter how good of a brother Qi Xiang had been to him, Zhang Wei knew his own nature: he was an ungrateful wretch in eyes others, fully capable of betrayal.

If people raise wild animals and later get eaten by them, they have only themselves to blame...