Manipulative Harem God

19th April, 2023

In the bustling heart of the Eastern Province, nestled within the vibrant Wucheng District, the imperial dwas alive with a frenzy of activity.

Preparations were in full swing, the air electric with anticipation for the concert.

Today was the grand finale, the third act in a thrilling trilogy of performances by Zara, the nation's most adored idol.

Backstage, amidst the controlled chaos, Zhou Jiajia was embroiled in a sartorial dilemma, her eyes locked in a silent battle with the new dress meant for tonight's act.

It wasn't just any dress; it was the kind that demanded decisions be made, the kind that questioned your life choices.

Then cthe unmistakable sound of disruption.

Bang!

"...Again?" Zhou Jiajia muttered under her breath, her brows knitting together in a mixture of annoyance and disbelief. Hu Ning had, for the nth tthat day, crashed through the washroom door, her entrance as dramatic as her presence, marking her fifth visit in just as many hours.

The room fell into a suspenseful silence, the kind that precedes the storm.

The air, heavy with expectation and the faint echo of footsteps. And then, as if on cue, Hu Ning reappeared, her face twisted into a grimace of frustration, clutching a thermometer-like device as though it were the bearer of bad news.

"Hm? Zara? What are you up to, why haven't you chosen a dress yet?" Hu Ning's voice broke through the silence, her curiosity piqued at the sight of Zhou Jiajia, who had now stole Hu Ning's phone from atop the desk.

With a swift motion, Zhou began typing a message, her fingers dancing across the screen with purpose.

Casting a brief, almost pitying glance at Hu Ning, Zhou Jiajia's voice was calm yet laced with a hint of mischief. "Nothing, Sister Ning. But you should know, getting tested a hundred times won't alter the inevitable. I'm merely informing your owner that you've plunged into madness. It seems peace of mind is what you desperately seek."Thɪs chapter is updated by ɴoᴠel Fɪre.nᴇt

"..."

Hu Ning's mind went blank. 'My owner?' As she caught the mischievous grin on Zhou Jiajia's face, she was momentarily at a loss for words, until the realization struck her like a bolt of lightning.

!!

"Are you texting your boyfriend from my phone?" she exclaimed, suspicion lacing her voice as she hurried towards Zhou Jiajia, swiftly snatching the phone from her hands.

Whoosh!

But it was too late. Zhou Jiajia, having already sent the message, simply flashed an amiable smile. "Not mine. Remember, you're the one who stole him," she quipped with a sparkle in her eye.

Hu Ning, choosing to ignore Zhou Jiajia's teasing, frantically scrolled through the chat history.

Her face drained of color as she muttered, "It's over... He's seen it already!" In a gesture of defeat, she slapped her forehead while Zhou Jiajia struggled to contain her laughter, taking Hu Ning's hand to lead her to the couch.

There, Hu Ning slumped down, a look of resignation on her face, just as her phone began to ring.

Hu Ning glanced at the incoming call with a frown, then promptly rejected it, which didn't go unnoticed by Zhou Jiajia, causing her eyebrow to twitch in disbelief.

"Sister Ning, why are you even trying to hide from him? Unless you're having another affair... In that case, I might have to betray you and inform Zhang Wei that his cat has gone astray and chosen a new owner," Zhou Jiajia teased, her words a playful threat veiled in concern.

"Shut up! Keeping silent for a minute doesn't mean you'll suddenly becdumb," Hu Ning snapped, her teeth clenched in frustration, her face soured, contorting into a scowl.

"Hehe..." Zhou Jiajia couldn't contain her mirth, erupting into gigle.The object of such tension, the thermometer-like device, was, in fact, the bearer of pregnancy test results.

Results that Hu Ning had compulsively checked and rechecked over the last few hours, each confirmation of its positive outcsending her into a whirlwind of nervous pacing throughout the room.

Zhou Jiajia, privy to the intimate details of what had transpired between Zhang Wei and Hu Ning, didn't need more than a moment to piece together the unfolding soap opera.

Despite knowing she shouldn't be happy with the news, there was a peculiar thrill in ruffling the feathers of this usually composed, icy woman, now caught in the eye of an emotional storm.

As the phone continued its relentless symphony of rings, Hu Ning made a sudden move, her grasp on Zhou Jiajia's hand causing her to jump. "You! You made this chaos, now you pick up and clear the mess!" Hu Ning demanded, her voice a mix of desperation and command.

"Huh?" Zhou Jiajia's eyes widened, her laughter fading into a puzzled expression before she rebounded with a playful smirk. "And why, pray tell, would that be my duty? Is it that you lack the courage to face him, or are you perhaps too shy to speak?"

!!

"Y-You!?" Hu Ning's reaction was immediate and explosive, akin to a cat with its tail stepped on, as she leaped from the couch to confront Zhou Jiajia, disbelief etched into every feature. "You'll see what's coming for you later! Sleep with one eye open!"

With a heavy sigh, Hu Ning seized the phone and, in a decisive act, turned it off, leaving Zhou Jiajia in a state of surprised silence. "Are you truly going to leave him in the dark?" she couldn't help but inquire, her voice laced with genuine curiosity and a touch of concern.

Zhou Jiajia, whose eyes could have easily been mistaken for those of an angel—if only for a moment—watched Hu Ning's departure with an air of serene innocence, her eyes blinking innconcently.

Click!

As the door closed with a soft click, her face transformed, adopting the mischievous gleam of a trickster deity. "Silence, as golden as it may be, can sometimes be selectively forgetful."

She chirped to the empty room, her fingers dancing across her phone with the stealth of a secret agent.

With a flick, she dispatched a voice recording to Zhang Wei, her heart fluttering with the thrill of her little rebellion.