QT: I hijacked a harem system and now I'm ruining every plot(GL) Chapter 30: Almost

Jiang Yuxi's POV

The restaurant is quiet and intimate, the kind of place where powerful people et behind closed doors, where conversations are held in hushed voices over fine wine and decadent als.

No paparazzi. No distractions. Just us.

The mont we step inside, the staff greets Han Li with the kind of deference reserved for the truly elite. She a regular?

She barely has to speak. The manager personally escorts us to a private dining room, the doors shutting behind us with a soft click.

No interruptions. No prying eyes.

Just her and . Feels too close to a date.

The table is already set with dishes that look too beautiful to eat.

Han Li, of course, is completely unfazed.

She leans back in her chair, swirling a glass of deep red wine in her hand, watching with that unreadable smirk.

"You keep staring," she muses.

I blink, caught off guard.

"I do not."

Her smirk deepens. "You do."

I pick up my fork, focusing very hard on my food.

"It's just—this isn't what I expected."

She quirks a brow. "And what did you expect?"

I clear my throat. "I just didn't think you'd be the type for... candlelit dinners."

Han Li chuckles, setting her glass down. "Jiang Yuxi, I'm a woman of many talents."

I roll my eyes. "So modest."

---

The conversation flows effortlessly.

We talk about the film, the upcoming press tour, and the way the dia is finally shifting in my favor.

But sowhere in between, the topics beco... softer.

She asks about my childhood, I don't go into details just vague information.I ask about her ti abroad, she also gives vague details, touché.

We just talk about anything and everything, she always does this. Disarming , making vulnerable and it feels good after years of putting on this armor.

The way Han Li laughs, the way her eyes crinkle slightly at the corners, the way she listens when I speak—really listens.

It's so disarming, it's like soone moved the ground beneath my feet.

I find myself forgetting the world outside.

And for a mont, I let myself relax.

*

The ride back is quiet.Not the awkward kind, but the kind that's settled, lingering,like neither of us wants to break whatever this night was.

I glance at Han Li from the corner of my eye.

She looks... at ease.

One hand on the steering wheel, the other resting casually on the gear shift. The streetlights flicker across her face, highlighting the sharp lines of her jaw, the cool confidence in her expression.

Sothing about it makes my heart beat faster.

--

When we reach my hotel, Han Li parks the car, but neither of us moves to leave.

The silence stretches.

The air inside the car feels heavy, charged.

I turn slightly in my seat, facing her.

She's already looking at .

My breath catches.

The streetlights outside cast a warm glow, making her eyes look darker, deeper.

She doesn't speak.

She just watches .

Like she's waiting for sothing.

For to make a move.

Or for her to decide if she should.

I don't know who leans in first.

But suddenly, we're too close.

I can feel the warmth of her breath, the scent of her cologne, the faintest brush of our fingers when I reach for the door handle but don't open it.

Her eyes flicker to my lips.

And just when I think she's going to kiss —

She pulls away.

A fraction of a second. A shift in posture.

The spell is broken.

I clear my throat, suddenly feeling ridiculous.

What the hell was that?

It was nothing.

I was just caught up in the mont. The night, the atmosphere, the way she's been treating differently.

That's all.

Han Li exhales, rolling her shoulders slightly before smirking.

"Go inside, Jiang Yuxi."

Her voice is steady, like nothing just happened.

Like I didn't just imagine sothing impossible.

I nod, fumbling for the door handle.

"Goodnight," I mutter.

She chuckles. "Goodnight, Yuxi."

And as I step into the hotel lobby, heart still racing, I tell myself—

It was nothing.

It ant nothing.

And I absolutely do not think about it the entire night.