CHAPTER 126: THE SHATTERED BOUNDARY

Xu Fang’s silence was deafening. She had no answer, no excuse left to shield herself with. Her trembling lips told Li Tian everything he needed to know—she was already standing at the edge, teetering between restraint and surrender.

Li Tian leaned back just slightly, just enough to make her feel the sudden loss of his warmth, the emptiness that made her heart ache. He watched the flicker of disappointment in her eyes before it was hastily buried.

"You’re hesitating," he said, his tone calm yet sharp enough to cut. "You want this... but you’re too afraid of the consequences."

Xu Fang turned her head away, but her flushed cheeks betrayed her. "You’re reckless, Li Tian. You speak as if none of this will matter tomorrow. But it will. It will change everything."

Li Tian rose from his seat slowly, each step deliberate as he circled around the table to stand behind her. Xu Fang stiffened when his shadow fell over her. His hand brushed against the back of her chair, close enough that his presence weighed heavily on her, yet not touching her directly.

"Everything already has changed," he whispered into her ear, his voice smooth as silk. "From the moment you stopped seeing me as just your husband’s son."

Her body shuddered violently. "You—!" She wanted to deny it, to scold him, to restore the distance. But when she turned her head, she met his eyes, burning with that intoxicating confidence, and the words died on her tongue.

[Quest Progress: 96%]

The system’s voice echoed in his mind, mechanical yet amused.[The target’s emotional resistance has nearly collapsed. One decisive push is required to secure completion.]

Li Tian smiled faintly. He bent closer until his lips brushed against the shell of her ear, his breath warm. "Say it, Xu Fang. Admit it. That you want this as much as I do."

Her nails dug into the wood of the chair. She fought, she resisted, her pride screaming at her not to bow to him. But her heart was louder, and when her trembling voice finally slipped out, it was a confession soaked in defeat and desire:

"...I can’t stop thinking about you."

The system chimed.[Quest Complete. Reward Granted: Seductive Flame Art – a charm-based technique that strengthens allure, bending hearts and weakening resolve.]

Li Tian’s smirk widened. "Good girl."

Xu Fang’s face burned, shame and longing swirling in her eyes, but before another word could be spoken—

A sudden knock on the door shattered the tension.

"Madam Xu, are you inside? The Patriarch is looking for you."

Xu Fang shot up in panic, nearly knocking over the chair. Her face turned pale, and she pressed a hand against her chest to calm her racing heartbeat. "You need to leave—now!"

Li Tian only chuckled, utterly unbothered. He brushed past her, whispering low enough that only she could hear. "This conversation isn’t over. You’ve already crossed the boundary, Xu Fang. Next time, there will be no retreat."

And with that, he slipped out a side exit just as the door opened. Xu Fang stood frozen, her emotions in shambles, her composure fractured beyond repair.