QT: I hijacked a harem system and now I'm ruining every plot(GL)-Chapter 58: Satisfying

Chapter 58

Lin Meyu POV

I’m a nervous wreck.

I smooth down the nonexistent wrinkles on my crimson evening gown for the tenth time.

My palms are clammy, my heart won’t slow, and my lipstick has been reapplied at least three times. I can’t take it anymore. I leave my room and walk next door.

I knock.

A soft voice answers, "Come in."

The door opens to reveal Jiang Yuxi sitting at a vanity, curling her hair with an effortless grace that makes my anxiety spike.

She catches my reflection in the mirror, raises an eyebrow, and tilts her head just slightly.

"Lin Meyu? Take a seat," she says calmly.

I perch on the edge of the bed, barely breathing.

I can’t believe I’m here.

I’m sitting in Jiang Yuxi’s room.

The Film Empress. Cold, elegant, untouchable.

Except now, I know that was a misunderstanding.

She isn’t cold. Just quiet. Reserved. And yes, intimidating—but mostly because she doesn’t waste energy on pretense.

She doesn’t need to. She has that rare kind of beauty that turns heads and a presence that keeps them turned.

Still, the truly terrifying one is her partner. CEO Han.

It’s practically an open secret in certain circles: mess with Jiang Yuxi, and you’ll disappear. No questions. No investigation.

How did I get here?

A few months ago, Liang Ruo invited me on a business trip. She said I needed to meet an important friend and potential collaborator. That’s when I met them. Jiang Yuxi and Han Li. The duo.

Since then, there have been multiple "business" trips—getaways where contracts were signed during breakfast, but afternoons were spent on boats, beaches, and candlelit terraces.

I still can’t believe I’m here.

Jessica isn’t picking up, so I came to Jiang Yuxi instead.

"So... what happens at these things?" I ask.

She looks at me through the mirror, amused.

This is my first time going out publicly with her—not to a private dinner or secluded event. Public. As a date. As her date.

She finishes curling one last lock and sets the iron down.

"The same thing that happens if your date were a man," she replies, standing to slip into her white-gold evening gown.

My eyes trail over her form before I snap myself out of it.

She continues, tone still casual: "Be pretty. Stand there. Smile. If it’s a topic you know, chime in. Don’t drink anything random. Don’t follow strangers to private rooms."

She pauses.

"And don’t talk about certain things some people in power do.... You’ll see it .... When you do, you haven’t."

She doesn’t elaborate.

I gulp. "Did you feel this nervous your first time at an event like this?"

She steps into her heels.

"Nope."

I deflate a little.

Then she laughs softly.

"That’s because she kept saying we were attending as friends. So I didn’t feel any pressure."

That warms me.

She turns to face me, lifting her hair. "Zipper."

I hurry forward and help her zip up.

"You look... stunning," I say quietly.

Her lips curl into the smallest of smiles.

"Ofcourse I do and you don’t look too bad yourself," she says, and for a moment, I think I might melt into the floor.

Tonight will be the first time people see us together. In public. Not as colleagues. Not as acquaintances. But something closer. Something less defined, and yet more real.

"Is that...?" I whisper to Jiang Yuxi, my voice barely audible over the soft murmur of luxury conversation and clinking glasses.

She doesn’t even look at me, just takes another sip of her drink.

"Yes," she replies calmly. "And don’t speak about it."

I follow her gaze across the expansive hall, where an up-and-coming actress is gliding between guests with a tray of champagne flutes.

She’s wearing what can barely be called a dress—a sheer, glittering fabric that covers little and hides even less. Her movements are graceful, rehearsed, polished. But her eyes? They look like she’s somewhere else.

I don’t know what I expected.

Maybe I did.

Jessica’s voice echoes in my head: "You don’t know the half of it."

She was right.

I turn away quickly, feeling heat crawl up my neck. That actress is younger than me. Probably desperate. Probably talented. Probably just like Jessica once was.

The realization settles in my stomach like lead. I mourn, just a little, for the girl Jessica used to be. The one who had to survive, not shine.

And then—

A hand slides around my waist.

My breath catches.

I don’t have to look to know who it is.

Liang Ruo’s hand slides even further curling around my waist, smooth and familiar now, and I think—she’s been spending too much time with CEO Han.

I turn, and when I see her—my thoughts stutter.

God.

She’s stunning.

When did I start to look at her as not a rival in love but my love interest?

Her hair is styled into her signature sleek bob that brushes just below her chin, one side tucked behind her ear to reveal a single glittering diamond drop earring.

Her makeup tonight is bolder than usual—winged liner, a touch of shimmer at the inner corners of her eyes, and a dark red lipstick that makes my thoughts wander. Hmm. I wonder what color will be formed if I mix it with my own lip color.

I guess I’ll find out tonight.

Then there’s that pantsuit.

I narrow my eyes at the hint of skin exposed between the tailored, cropped jacket and the high-waisted trousers. It hugs her in all the right places, accentuating her trim waist and long legs. I pinch her side, lightly.

My love-hate relationship with her in these outfits continues.

She smirks down at me.

"My, my, Actress Lin. Is that possessiveness I see in your eyes?"

I roll mine and avoid eye contact. "You’re dreaming."

"Sure I am," she says, voice smug.

Her heels tonight make her just about eye level with me. Liang Ruo may be petite in stature, but her presence fills any room she steps into.

If only her ego were as small.

She loops her arm through mine and leads me across the floor toward where CEO Han is standing beside Jiang Yuxi.

Honestly, I’ve never seen anyone pull off a three-piece suit better. She’s sharp, elegant, untouchable.

"I don’t know how she’s able to do this for so long," Liang Ruo murmurs beside me, her lips brushing my ear.

"I’m already exhausted talking to these damn old men, and it’s only been a couple of minutes."

"It can’t be that bad," I say, trying not to laugh.

"I’m telling you, the real reason Han Li brings along Jiang Yuxi is because of this. I understand her so much now. So, Actress Lin, be a dear and stop me from ruining business deals, will you?"

I laugh under my breath.

I do just that. Throughout the evening, I stand at her side like a grounding weight, placing my hand gently on hers when she gets too tense, brushing my shoulder against her arm when her jaw clenches.

At more than one point, I swear she almost punches someone in the face.

I’m not glad I’m the reason she holds back. Not at all.

...But it’s a little satisfying.