The tension in the room was palpable, a heavy presence that seemed to darken the air. Gu Zeyan stood at the center of the room, his eyes locked on the fragile woman in his arms. His usually composed and cold demeanor had shattered—replaced by an aura of fury so intense it seemed to distort the very space around him. Yuxi's limp form was a stark contrast to the strength that radiated from him.
Her body felt so delicate against his chest, her shallow breathing only serving to heighten the anxiety gnawing at him. His mind raced—someone had dared to hurt her. Someone had poisoned her, drugged her with some vile concoction meant to take away her strength, to make her vulnerable.
But no one could break her, not while he was around. His jaw clenched so tightly that his teeth ached. Every muscle in his body was coiled with rage, but it was a quiet, controlled fury—one that could consume everything in its path.
His grip on her tightened as he stepped forward, the sound of his shoes against the polished floor seeming deafening in the otherwise silent room. He could feel the weight of every pair of eyes on him, each gaze heavy with a mix of curiosity and fear. It wasn't often that Gu Zeyan lost control. No one had ever seen him this way—cold, quiet, but dangerous in a way that was impossible to ignore.
He could sense the gaze of the powerful client who had dared to lay a hand on Yuxi, the one who had orchestrated this nightmarish scene. The man fumbled with his cufflinks, trying to appear unaffected, but his eyes betrayed his unease.
"President Gu, this is all a misunderstanding," the man said, his voice strained, but Gu Zeyan didn't even spare him a glance.
Instead, his cold gaze swept past the client, landing on Zhao Liying and Meng Yiran. The color drained from their faces as they stiffened, their earlier confidence crumbling in the face of the storm they had unleashed.
"You did this," Gu Zeyan's voice was low, devoid of any emotion, yet it carried with it a certainty that cut through the air like a knife.
Zhao Liying's throat worked as she tried to speak. "President Gu, I—"
His gaze flickered to her for a brief second, icy and unforgiving. "I don't like repeating myself."
The words were a command, sharp and final, and Zhao Liying froze, the words dying on her lips. The silence stretched, hanging in the air like a heavy fog. It was suffocating, yet in his presence, no one dared to speak, to move, to challenge his control.
Without another word, Gu Zeyan turned his attention back to Yuxi, his expression softening as he looked down at her pale face. Her lashes fluttered weakly, her lips slightly parted as if she was trying to cling to consciousness, but the drug in her system was a silent, insidious force that sapped her strength.
His heart thudded painfully in his chest as he watched her fight to stay awake. His protective instincts surged, taking over the rational part of his mind. He couldn't let her go, not now, not when she was so fragile, so helpless in her state. His chest tightened, and a rush of emotions flooded him—fear, anger, a desperation to make her whole again.
Gu Zeyan didn't waste a moment. He adjusted his hold, cradling her against his chest with a gentleness that contrasted with the rage still simmering inside him. His body was taut, muscles hard as stone as he moved toward the exit. The room parted before him, the crowd parting like the Red Sea, all of them too afraid to stop him. To even breathe too loudly.
The way he held her—possessive, protective, absolute—was undeniable. No one in the room could ignore the unspoken promise in the way he shielded her from the world. She was his, and no one could take her from him.
As he passed by the client who had dared to harm her, his voice was soft, but it cut through the stunned silence like a blade.
"You'll regret this," he said, each word laced with a promise of something terrible to come.
The man's confidence faltered for a split second, his facade cracking under the weight of Gu Zeyan's words. But before he could react, Gu Zeyan had already moved on, vanishing into the hall, the tension hanging in the air long after he was gone.
The room remained still, the echoes of his threat lingering like a dark shadow. Everyone in the room knew, deep down, that Gu Zeyan's fury wasn't something to be trifled with. And they all knew, even if they didn't dare to say it aloud, that there would be consequences. They always were with him.
The cool night air greeted Gu Zeyan as he exited the building, the weight of Yuxi still in his arms. She was unconscious now, her head resting against his chest as he strode toward his car. His mind barely registered the outside world as he focused entirely on the woman in his arms.
His thoughts were clouded, swirling with anger and a deep, gnawing sense of helplessness. He should have been there. He should have protected her before this had ever happened. He had failed her, and that thought was unbearable.
The car doors opened, and Gu Zeyan slid into the back seat, adjusting Yuxi carefully beside him. The driver didn't dare speak, sensing the storm brewing in the back of the car. Gu Zeyan's gaze remained fixed on Yuxi's pale face, his hand gently brushing her hair back from her forehead as he whispered her name, his voice soft but filled with raw emotion.
"Yuxi…"
She didn't respond, her breathing steady but faint. His heart ached at the sight of her so vulnerable, so fragile in his arms. How had they gotten here? How had someone been able to hurt her like this?
The anger he had felt in the room began to build again, a fire that burned hotter this time. Someone was going to pay for this. They were going to regret ever thinking they could get away with harming what was his.
As the car sped through the streets, the weight of his promise to the man in the room weighed heavily on Gu Zeyan's shoulders. He would make good on it. He always did.
But for now, all that mattered was getting Yuxi to safety. Making sure she was okay. He could deal with the consequences of his actions later.
Right now, all he could do was hold her and hope she would wake up soon.