Chapter 162: Thunder of Past Events: A Cup of Problematic Wine

Looking at Gu Yunci and Meng Shutang, Gu Jin Xing carried the cup of wine over to them.

"Brother, Shutang, I was wrong just now; I apologize to you both."

Meng Shutang looked at his perfectly timed smile, pursed her lips, then glanced at Gu Yunci.

Gu Yunci lightly lifted his gaze to Gu Jin Xing, his expression aristocratic and indifferent, yet he made no move to take the cup.

Gu Jin Xing saw this and said, "Today, I indeed overstepped, but my anger has been released, so I will punish myself with a drink…"

As he said, he raised the cup to drink.

"You, what are you doing, stepping on my skirt!"

"What? I'm the one stepping on you? Clearly you're the one stepping on me!"

From behind, the voices of two women arguing reached them; Gu Jin Xing recognized them as the wives of his business partners, and he set down his goblet, saying, "I'll be right back."

He placed the wine on the tray the waiter was carrying nearby and hurried away.

The waiter, also a fan of the commotion, followed right away.

Gu Jin Xing resolved the dispute and returned, smiling as he lifted the tray from the table and followed.

Gu Jin Xing came back, raised the cup in his hand, and asked, "Shutang?"

Gu Yunci glanced upward and said, "Xin Xin called; she went upstairs to answer."

Gu Jin Xing thought, this is perfect.

Gu Yunci took a cup from the waiter's tray and said, "Alright, brother, I trust you."

After drinking, Gu Jin Xing waited for the medicine to take effect, but for some reason, aside from a slight buzz from the wine, he felt nothing.

But Gu Yunci, moments after the wine touched his throat, felt an odd scorching heat spreading through his chest.

The man's fingertips suddenly tightened, and the crystal-clear cup wall seemed about to crack under the pressure.

He maintained a hint of his usual aristocratic poise, but his gaze began to waver, the clear light in his eyes gradually swallowed by chaos, and he quickly sensed that the wine was off.

Fearing that others might notice something, he calmly set the cup down and coldly said to Qin Zheng, "The young lady is upstairs; after she finishes the call and comes down, you must protect her and not let any man approach her."

After speaking, he leaned on the railing and walked upstairs step by step.

A scorching heat surged erratically through his body; he lifted his hand to loosen his tie, but his arm went limp, and his normally steady steps became uncontrolled, carrying an imperceptible lightness.

All he wanted was to rush back to the master bedroom, bolt the door, and take a cold shower.

But the wine's potency was overwhelming; his mind was filled with Meng Shutang's bright, enchanting face and that burning sensation.

Stumbling and stumbling, he finally reached the master bedroom door; as his hand touched the knob, a peripheral glance caught Meng Shutang, who had just finished her call, pocketing her phone and walking toward him.

She saw his condition was off, instinctively stepped forward to ask, "What's wrong with you? Why is your forehead sweating…"

After speaking, Meng Shutang kindly wiped his sweat.

The next second, the man raised his hand to stop her, "Don't come near me, stay away."

His voice was hoarse, clearly trying to push her away, yet for some reason Meng Shutang only felt his gaze scorching hot, "Are you feeling unwell? Shall I call a doctor?"

"No need." He turned, opened the master bedroom door, intending to step in and close it, but stumbled, crashing into the door with a clang and falling to the floor.

The drug's effect intensified, and Gu Yunci could clearly smell a faint gardenia fragrance on Meng Shutang.

"What on earth is happening to you?"

Meng Shutang stepped closer, intending to pull him up from the ground.

The next second, the man seized her wrist.

The force wasn't heavy, but it carried an almost uncontrollable tension; the pads of his fingers burned, making Meng Shutang's heart tighten repeatedly.

Meng Shutang fell onto him, her slender hands braced against his chest muscles.

The man's white shirt was buttoned meticulously; lying on the floor, even through the fabric one could see the solid power of his firm chest muscles—steady and imposing.

The man's palm clasped the back of her neck, and he tilted his head, striving to kiss her.

His palm was scorching, the force astonishingly strong, yet at the instant of the kiss he involuntarily eased a bit, bearing a contradictory restraint.

Meng Shutang was pulled forward, colliding with his scorching chest, feeling his rapid breathing and the searing breath blowing onto her.

"You…"

"Go quickly, I can't control myself."

The man's gaze was clouded, reason and instinct tearing wildly; he could clearly feel her body's softness, smell her fragrance, every inch of skin clamoring with desire, yet a voice deep inside told him, "I must not hurt her."

The internal heat wave nearly consumed him; Gu Yunci pushed Meng Shutang away and, supporting himself, rose from the floor.

Meng Shutang looked up, seeing Gu Yunci's normally upright posture slightly hunched, his body uncontrolled, leaning forward, having completely lost support.

She had intended to leave, but upon seeing this, she rose to support him, "I'll help you."

She helped him into the bathroom and ran cold water for him.

The man, seeing this, slipped into the bathtub, holding the edge.

His shirt, soaked in cold water, clung tightly to his broad shoulders and narrow waist; the full, firm chest muscles were clearly defined, cold and hard yet highly alluring.

Meng Shutang glanced, then turned to leave.

Her wrist was seized again by the man, an unexpected force, bearing an undeniable dominance.

She was yanked into the bathtub full of icy water, splashing water everywhere, soaking her clothes.

He firmly grasped her waist, leaned forward, trapping her between himself and the bathtub edge; his arms tightly embraced her, his head bowed for a hurried, heavy kiss that nearly engulfed her whole.

The air in the room grew lingering and ambiguous, the downstairs clamor seemed miles away, leaving only the two of them's tightly pressed kiss and their beating hearts.

Gu Yunci did not go too far; he merely kissed her out of loss of control, and did nothing beyond that.

Half an hour later, the man was completely calm.

He rose from the icy water and lifted Meng Shutang out as well.

Meng Shutang shivered all over from the cold; he embraced her again, warming her for a long while.

After tidying up, the two finally descended from the second floor.

When they came down, Gu Jin Xing was asking Zhang Ning, "Are you sure that the drug was put in that glass of wine?"

Zhang Ning was quite sure, "Yes, sir, I personally put the drug in."

Gu Jin Xing, "Why has it been so long and I have no reaction at all?"

Zhang Ning was also suspicious, and the moment she saw Meng Shutang and Gu Yunci, she suddenly understood everything.

She pointed and said, "Sir, look."

Gu Jin Xing turned and saw Gu Yunci in a black suit coming down the rotating staircase at an unhurried pace, the suit impeccably tailored, accentuating his broad shoulders and narrow waist, his figure tall and slender.

Beside him, Meng Shutang was no longer in the plain dress she had worn when she first entered.

Her slender, delicate figure was wrapped in a light purple gauze evening gown, as if the crushed twilight clouds had condensed onto her.

The light purple was gentle and translucent, making her skin fairer than snow and her brows and eyes soft.

The skirt's layered folds fell smoothly, swaying with her steps in a soft, supple arc, like a light veil of purple mist, or like moonlight spreading over a lake.

The elaborate collar and delicate waist were adorned with tiny bright diamonds, not ostentatious yet extremely eye‑catching, glittering faintly under the crystal lights, as if she were covered in a shower of stars.

Her hair was loosely pinned up, a few loose strands falling at her neck, making her whole person gentle and stunning, elegant as an iris blooming under the moon, captivating at a glance.

They disappeared at the same moment and reappeared at the same moment.

One hour, a lone man and woman…

Gu Jin Xing instantly understood who had drunk that cup of wine, and what had just happened upstairs.