This unprecedented statement left Liu Zhanshan stunned.
Hearing such words from her own son was like hearing a doomsday prophecy from the Mayans—so absurd it wasn't even funny.
First, she gave her son a confused look, and then that look transformed into one that said, "Are you okay?"
Liu Zhanshan, of course, wanted her son to get married and was happy to see many girls like him. She even enjoyed watching the romantic entanglements of young people.
But she wasn't unreasonable.
Talking about having a "harem" in real life? It would only make someone seem like they were either in the throes of a juvenile delusion or suffering from some grandiose fantasy disorder.
And Shi Hai said it on purpose.
Since his mom knew him too well, using the same old evasive tactics wouldn't get him out of her questioning.
So, he had to say something totally out of character to "mislead" her.
It wasn't enough just to change the subject; he had to seriously tell his mom that he truly wanted a harem.
The first thing was to keep a straight face.
If he gave away any hints at the start, Liu Zhanshan would never believe such nonsense.
The two locked eyes at close range for a long time. Shi Hai didn't look away, didn't turn his head, maintaining a calm and composed expression.
Liu Zhanshan furrowed her brows and, after a long silence, asked, "…Are you serious?"
Shi Hai quietly clenched his fists.
First hurdle: cleared!
Now came the part where he had to "prove" it.
Whether his mom would buy it or not depended on whether he could say something convincing enough.
"Yeah, I suddenly had an epiphany… I used to be a bit too aloof and disinterested."
"Took you long enough! Normally, an adult guy's primary interest would be women, but Shi Hai, you were always different… I even thought something might be wrong with you…"
Liu Zhanshan had genuinely suspected her son's sexual orientation at one point.
But then, because of certain events, she realized that her son wasn't gay and was indeed interested in women, which put her mind at ease.
"So, it turns out you were just a late bloomer?"
"Exactly, exactly, I was just a late bloomer…"
"But even if you are, you've always been smart. You shouldn't be acting like this."
"I wouldn't say I'm acting out. I just realized after experiencing it… I do like the feeling of having girls around me, Mom."
"Oh, so now you think it's awesome being surrounded by beautiful women?"
"Yeah, it feels like being the center of attention."
"I think you've just hit a lucky streak with girls and now you're getting carried away. Talk about having a harem… If you keep stringing them along, they'll eventually get disappointed and leave you!"
"Mom, you know me. I don't want to string anyone along either…"
"But you also don't want to choose just one… so you figured, why not have them all?"
"I just thought, maybe… I could give being a 'bad guy' a try."
That made it feel more realistic.
Not too over the top, not too flippant.
Shi Hai knew that if he struck the right balance, Liu Zhanshan would believe him.
"But you know this goes against common sense, right? I mean, in this day and age, a harem…?"
"It's not about the times, Mom. Even today, there are plenty of men keeping mistresses, right?"
"Well… that's true… if you have the money, it's possible…"
Liu Zhanshan was well aware of the fact that Zhu Lingjie's father had kept a mistress in the past.
At the time, Zhu Lingjie's mother had come to Liu Zhanshan, tearfully confiding how she didn't want a divorce but felt humiliated by her husband's infidelity. He even brought the other woman into their home when she wasn't around. Zhu Lingjie's mother felt helpless and pathetic as a wife.
Liu Zhanshan had advised her not to get angry or confront him directly but to win her husband's heart back by using their child.
To make him refocus on his family.
And then the "accident" involving Zhu Lingjie happened.
In reality, it wasn't an accident.
After hearing Liu Zhanshan's advice, Zhu Lingjie's mother came up with a plan.
She purposely told her husband she'd be home late that evening, and being overly confident, he brought the mistress to their home.
That day, the school had a half-day off, something Zhu Lingjie's mother knew but hadn't told her husband. The result was that young Zhu Lingjie came home early and caught her father in the act.
Needless to say, her mother's plan worked.
Since then, it seemed Zhu Lingjie's mother had learned how to keep her husband under control. He was now completely subservient to her, and had become a henpecked husband.
In the end, the only person who truly got hurt was Zhu Lingjie.
Liu Zhanshan felt partly responsible for this. Although she hadn't intended it, her actions indeed ended up hurting Zhu Lingjie's young heart.
After the incident, the only boy Zhu Lingjie could remain close to was Shi Hai, who had grown up with her.
This was why Liu Zhanshan agreed to let Zhu Lingjie sit next to her son for all six years of elementary school—as a way to make up for what happened to her.
However, what she hadn't expected was that, while it seemed like she was giving Zhu Lingjie a safe space, in reality, she was providing Zhu Lingjie with an excuse to escape.
It gave Zhu Lingjie a reason to reject other boys, which only deepened her fixation on Shi Hai as she grew older.
In a way, Liu Zhanshan had dug a pit for her own son.
Now, it all boiled down to a very real problem.
Fantasy aside, the situation was finally something they could properly discuss.
Shi Hai knew he was halfway to success—his mom would continue to talk about the issue seriously.
"But from what I can see, those two girls don't seem to come from poor families, especially Lingling. You know her family is wealthy, right?"
Liu Zhanshan, being best friends with Zhu Lingjie's mother, was well aware of how rich the Zhu family was.
It was the kind of wealth that most people couldn't accumulate even in several lifetimes.
A daughter from such a family—would she really be willing to be someone's mistress?
Or, if Shi Hai were to marry Zhu Lingjie, would she even allow him to have other women?
And what about Jian Sichun—would she be okay being the "other woman"?
There were so many questions.
After putting herself in her son's shoes and thinking through these complicated relationships, Liu Zhanshan found herself getting a headache.
Suddenly, she could understand why the male protagonists in harem anime were so indecisive.
It was because they couldn't "have it all," yet weren't able to "choose just one," which left them stuck in an impossible situation.
Being popular without knowing how to handle multiple relationships just led to this kind of mess.
It wasn't easy to be a man who could successfully manage a harem.
At least, she didn't think her son was capable of it.
Shi Hai was probably the farthest thing from a playboy.
"I still think this isn't realistic… Son, we're not rich, so let's be practical. While you still can, just pick one you truly like," Liu Zhanshan suggested.
"Mom, it doesn't necessarily have to be me who becomes rich."
"Huh?"
"It could be the rich women supporting me instead."
"—!"
Liu Zhanshan was once again stunned by her son's words.
It seemed her son wasn't just clear-minded—he was too clear-minded, to the point that his thoughts were bordering on outrageous.
Maybe the line between good and evil was thinner than she thought?
In truth, Shi Hai was simply bluffing his mom.
Shi Hai wasn't fond of socializing, but it didn't mean he couldn't do it.
Flattery wasn't his strong suit, but when it came to "bluffing others," he was more than capable.
He knew how to adapt to the situation—saying the right thing to the right person, even if it meant feeding his mom a few lies.
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