QT: I hijacked a harem system and now I'm ruining every plot(GL)-Chapter 33: Testing boundaries

Jiang Yuxi’s POV

This is for research.

That’s all.

That’s the only reason I’m doing this.

I tell myself that again as I stand in front of the mirror, my breath uneven, my palms slightly damp.

For research.

The sheer, black nightdress clings to my body like a whisper of sin. It’s almost weightless, the thin, delicate material barely covering anything at all. The intricate lace cups frame my chest, teasing rather than concealing, the ribbon at the center tied into a neat little bow—a gift waiting to be unwrapped.

My thighs are exposed, the matching underwear doing nothing to shield the heat of my skin. Every move I make causes the fabric to shift, threatening to reveal more.

I swallow hard, pressing my lips together.

I check my makeup one last time—soft, natural, yet enough to emphasize the fullness of my lips and the depth of my eyes.

My heart is pounding.

Why am I so nervous?

I’ve done intimate scenes before. Kissed my co-stars, pretended to be in love, played characters who knew how to seduce with nothing but a glance.

This is just another role.

I summon her now—the seductress. The woman who walks into a room and owns it, who bends people to her will with a single smirk.

For one night... I will be her.

I take a slow, deep breath, steadying myself. Then, with careful, deliberate steps, I leave the bathroom and walk toward Han Li’s home office.

I push it wider, stepping inside without hesitation.

Han Li is at her desk, focused, immersed in her work.

The glow from her monitor casts a faint light over her sharply defined features—strong jaw, high cheekbones, those dark, piercing eyes.

She’s wearing a crisp, white button-down, sleeves rolled up to her elbows, exposing the toned forearms that so many women probably dream about.

She looks up, probably intending to ask something—and then she sees me.

She freezes.

The words die on her lips.

Her eyes go dark, pupils dilating as they trail down my body.

I keep walking, slow, deliberate steps, closing the distance between us.

I perch myself on the edge of her desk, not breaking eye contact.

Han Li is trying. Trying to be polite. Trying to keep her gaze on my face and not on the sheer black fabric barely covering my body.

She’s failing.

And it makes me so happy.

"Done with your sh—" Han Li starts, but her voice cuts off when she realizes I’m not wearing anything modest.

I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear, my fingers brushing lightly against my neck.

"Done with my shower?" I finish for her, my voice soft.

"Yeah," Han Li murmurs. Her voice is lower now, rougher.

She drags a hand through her hair, exhaling slowly as her gaze flickers back up to my face.

"So, still working?" I ask lightly.

"Work?" Han Li scoffs, leaning back in her chair.

She finally gives up the fight, openly looking now.

"No. Not at all."

Her lips quirk up in amusement, but her eyes— her eyes are watching me like a predator.

"This is new," she says, studying me.

I cross my legs, letting the hem of my nightdress shift just slightly.

"You like?" I ask, twirling a strand of hair around my finger.

Han Li swallows.

Her jaw tenses.

"Yes."

Then, as if realizing what she just admitted, she clears her throat.

"I mean—uh, it’s okay."

I raise an eyebrow.

"Just okay?"

"I mean... I don’t hate it," she amends, her eyes still devouring me.

There’s a pause.

Then she leans forward, placing one warm, strong hand on my bare thigh.

I inhale sharply.

The contact is barely anything, just her palm resting lightly on my skin.

But it burns. fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm

It sends something hot and electric shooting through me, pooling in my stomach.

Han Li watches me carefully.

"Yuxi," she says slowly, dragging her fingertips in a lazy circle against my thigh.

"You should be careful."

I blink, feigning innocence.

"Careful of what?"

Han Li’s grip tightens slightly.

Her fingers skim higher, just barely, tracing the sensitive skin above my knee.

"Of making me misunderstand you," she murmurs.

I exhale a breath I didn’t realize I was holding.

"Misunderstand?" I repeat, voice unsteady.

"You know exactly what I mean," Han Li says.

Her fingers creep higher.

I try to hold her gaze, but my body betrays me.

My breath quivers.

My legs tense.

I feel everything.

And Han Li notices.

She smirks.

"I still don’t know what you’re talking about," I whisper, though my pulse is hammering.

"Mmhm," Han Li hums.

She hesitates for only a second—then her hand moves higher.

My fingers grip the edge of the desk.

I am not prepared for this much anticipation.

For the way Han Li’s touch sends my brain into static.

For the way my body reacts so instinctively, as if it knows something I haven’t yet admitted to myself.

Her fingers brush the inside of my thigh, her touch slow, deliberate, teasing.

I bite my lip, fighting the shiver that threatens to escape.

Han Li tilts her head, watching my reaction like she’s reading me like an open book.

"You sure you don’t know what I’m talking about?" she murmurs, voice husky.

My breath stutters.

I swallow.

She leans in, so close that her lips are just barely a whisper away from my ear.

"Because I think," she continues, her voice a tantalizing purr, "you do."

My mind blanks.

And suddenly, I realize—

I am in trouble.