For a long moment, no one in the VIP lounge moved.
Chen Liang stared at the scene in front of him as if his brain had stopped working.
The woman had fallen straight into Gu Zhen's arms.
Yet the man who normally reacted violently to the slightest contact from a woman was sitting completely still.
Too still.
Chen Liang blinked slowly and called Gu Zhen's name.
There was no response.
Gu Zhen's gaze remained fixed on the woman leaning weakly against him. Her breathing was uneven, and her fingers lightly clutched the front of his shirt as if searching for balance.
Her hair was long and dark, slightly messy from stumbling into the room. A faint floral scent lingered around her, subtle and soft. Not the overwhelming perfume many women wore.
Something about her presence felt unexpectedly gentle.
More importantly
His body felt normal.
There was no nausea. No dizziness. No painful tightening in his chest.
Nothing.
For the first time since his condition had appeared years ago, a woman was touching him and his body was calm.
Gu Zhen slowly lowered his gaze to the girl resting against him.
Her face was slightly flushed, her eyes closed as if she had lost consciousness.
She looked young.
Probably a university student.
Her features were delicate and strikingly beautiful, but not in an overly glamorous way. There was something pure and calm about her. Almost peaceful.
Chen Liang stood up slowly and asked if he was okay.
The other men in the room were equally stunned.
They all knew Gu Zhen's condition.
For years they had seen the consequences. A female assistant accidentally brushing his arm had once caused him to nearly collapse. At business events he kept strict distance from women. Even his own female relatives were careful around him.
Yet right now…
A woman was practically lying in his arms.
And nothing was happening.
Gu Zhen did not answer immediately.
Instead, he gently adjusted the girl so she wouldn't fall from the sofa. His movements were slow and controlled, as if he were testing something.
His hand briefly touched her wrist.
Still nothing.
His body remained calm.
A strange silence filled the room.
Chen Liang rubbed his face in disbelief, muttering that none of this made any sense.
Another friend leaned forward, asking if she was really touching him.
Chen Liang snapped that it was obvious.
Then he asked the question everyone was thinking. If she was touching him, why wasn't he collapsing right now?
Gu Zhen ignored their shocked whispers.
His attention remained on the unconscious girl.
Something about the situation felt wrong.
Her breathing was shallow. Her body temperature felt slightly warm. And the way she had stumbled earlier had not looked like ordinary drunkenness.
His expression darkened slightly.
She had been drugged.
The room went quiet again.
Chen Liang frowned and asked if he was serious.
Gu Zhen nodded once, explaining that he had seen this reaction before.
He gently moved a strand of hair away from her face. She murmured softly but did not wake.
Chen Liang's expression immediately turned cold.
Someone had drugged her in this club.
Gu Zhen's voice remained calm, but there was a dangerous edge beneath the calm.
It was the most likely explanation.
The Gu family owned a significant portion of the building where the club operated. If something like this had happened here, someone would eventually pay the price.
But right now, that was not his priority.
His gaze returned to the girl resting beside him.
Even in her unconscious state, she seemed strangely peaceful leaning against him.
For years his body had rejected women with ruthless intensity. Doctors had called it a rare neurological and immune response. No treatment had worked.
Eventually he had accepted the fact that romantic relationships were simply impossible for him.
Yet tonight everything had changed.
Because of this woman.
Gu Zhen leaned back slightly and quietly instructed Chen Liang to find out who she was.
Chen Liang nodded immediately, saying he was already planning to.
But he could not resist asking the obvious question.
He wanted to know if Gu Zhen truly wasn't feeling anything.
Gu Zhen answered honestly.
There was nothing.
No nausea.
No dizziness.
Chen Liang stared at him in shock.
Did he realize what this meant?
Gu Zhen did not answer.
But of course he understood.
It meant something impossible.
This woman was the only one his body accepted.
Meanwhile, in the main club area, Zhao Min was becoming increasingly anxious.
She had finished her phone call nearly fifteen minutes earlier, but Lin Yue had not returned.
She stood up and scanned the lounge again.
Where had she gone?
Zhao Min quickly walked toward the hallway Lin Yue had taken earlier.
The corridor was quiet.
Too quiet.
Her worry grew stronger as she called Lin Yue's name.
There was no answer.
She walked further down the hall until she noticed a security guard standing near the entrance to the VIP section.
She approached him quickly and asked if a girl had passed through the corridor.
The guard hesitated slightly before asking if she meant a young woman wearing a white dress.
Zhao Min's eyes lit up immediately.
Yes, that was her.
The guard nodded awkwardly and explained that the girl had entered the VIP lounge.
Zhao Min's eyes widened in alarm.
The VIP lounge?
Her heart nearly stopped.
That room was usually reserved for extremely important guests.
What if Lin Yue had accidentally offended someone powerful?
Without thinking, Zhao Min rushed toward the door.
But before she could reach it, the door suddenly opened.
A tall man stepped out.
Zhao Min froze instantly.
She recognized him the moment she saw his face.
Almost everyone in the city knew who he was.
Gu Zhen.
The CEO of Gu Group.
One of the most powerful men in the country.
Her heartbeat sped up nervously.
Behind him, Chen Liang was speaking quietly with someone on the phone.
Gu Zhen's gaze shifted calmly toward her.
He asked if she was looking for someone.
His voice was low and composed.
Zhao Min swallowed nervously before explaining that she was looking for her friend, Lin Yue.
For a brief moment, something flickered in Gu Zhen's eyes.
So that was her name.
Lin Yue.
He nodded once and told her that Lin Yue was inside.
Zhao Min immediately rushed past him into the room.
The moment she saw Lin Yue resting on the sofa, she ran toward her.
She called her name anxiously.
Lin Yue stirred slightly but did not wake.
Zhao Min looked up at the men in the room, panic rising in her chest as she asked what had happened to her friend.
Gu Zhen stepped back into the room.
He calmly explained that Lin Yue had most likely been drugged.
Zhao Min's face turned pale with shock.
Chen Liang ended his phone call and informed her that they were already reviewing the club's security cameras.
Gu Zhen's gaze dropped to the unconscious girl once more.
For some reason, the thought of her leaving already felt… strange.
But he did not say that aloud.
Instead, he turned toward Chen Liang and told him to arrange a driver.
Chen Liang raised an eyebrow and asked if he was sending her home.
Gu Zhen paused briefly.
Then he said something that surprised everyone in the room.
No.
He would take her himself.