Lu Youze took a few steps away from the room before answering the phone.

“Xuanhao, did you find the person who’s been monitoring me?” Lu Youze asked quietly.

“It’s me.” The voice on the other end wasn’t Xuanhao’s, but a familiar yet unfamiliar deeper and more serious voice. “Mr. Lu, have you seen the trending topics tonight?”

Lu Youze: ??????

“Mr. Gu, are you talking about the one between me and Yu Li?”

Lu Youze recalled the trending topics before meeting with Gu Xuanze, but if it was that topic, Gu Xuanze wouldn’t have needed to call him specifically.

There was silence on the other end for a moment before Gu Xuanze’s voice came again: “Looks like you haven’t seen it. We’ll talk once you’ve seen it. I’ll wait for your call.”

With that, the call was ended.

Lu Youze didn’t dare to waste any time and quickly opened Weibo. As expected, his name was all over the trending topics, but this time, it had nothing to do with Yu Li.

“Lu Youze New Drama” “Boycott Lu Youze’s New Drama” “President Gu” “Several Popular Movie Stars Refuse to Work with Lu Youze”

Just a few hours after signing the new drama, these reporters must have gotten the news right away. It was clear that the producer’s assistant had leaked it, and the organizers who had been deceived pushed the news forward.

Returning to the point, how could a washed-up actor like him keep trending? Isn’t this a sign of popularity?

Self-mocking aside, Lu Youze obediently clicked on the trending posts and found the same old story—Yu Li’s fans and some angry onlookers were boycotting his new drama, claiming that someone like him, with such a tarnished reputation, didn’t deserve to be an idol and would lead people astray.

Of course, there was a slight difference from before.

It seemed that the video Xuanhao released earlier had worked, and Lu’s PR team had quietly started to work. Now, his fans were also stepping up to fight back against the personal attacks.

Although they were still drowned out by Yu Li’s fans, it was still a good sign. After all, this was just the beginning.

As for the “several popular movie stars refusing to work with Lu Youze,” it was just baseless gossip. Gu Xuanze came forward to debunk it, stating that Lu Youze was the only actor they had confirmed for the drama and they hadn’t even contacted other actors yet.

Curious, Lu Youze clicked on the “President Gu” trending topic. The most popular post was an interview with Gu Xuanze in the afternoon. In the interview, he appeared even more indifferent than when he was with Lu Youze, calmly answering all the tricky questions the reporters posed.

“President Gu, I’m sure you’ve heard the rumors about Mr. Lu Youze, and his reputation recently isn’t great. I believe many of us, like me, want to know why Gu’s decided to collaborate with him at this time. Is it really because of Young Master Gu?”

That reporter really dared to ask. But such questions are the ones that get attention. For the sake of clicks and views, reporters are really bold.

Although the topic was related to him, Lu Youze acted indifferent, even evaluating the reporter’s interview skills. But he did notice that when the reporter asked this question, Gu Xuanze’s brow subtly furrowed. It seemed like the question had made him uncomfortable.

Lu Youze was curious how Gu Xuanze would respond.

“I mean no offense, but I can’t help but question your professional ethics,” Gu Xuanze said calmly, without a hint of emotion, but his words gave off a sense of trust and reassurance. “If you had paid attention to our company’s and my usual practices, you wouldn’t have asked such a question. The reason we’re collaborating with Mr. Lu Youze is simple—because he has the talent. As for other baseless rumors, they aren’t our concern. I ask all the reporters to focus on our work. I guarantee that once the project is out, everyone won’t be disappointed.”

Wow… Seeing the reporter’s face turn green, Lu Youze really wanted to applaud Gu Xuanze. He liked this Gu president—not only did he have vision, but he also had the courage to take risks.

Most importantly, he believed in him.

After understanding the situation, Lu Youze exited Weibo. He never expected Gu Xuanze, as the president of Gu’s, to specifically call about something like this. Usually, it would be handled by the PR team. It seemed like Gu’s really valued this new drama, and Lu Youze’s impression of Gu Xuanze grew even fonder.

To entrust such an important drama to him, someone so controversial right now, Gu Xuanze must be under a lot of pressure.

Lu Youze didn’t want to keep Gu Xuanze waiting for too long. After exiting Weibo, he immediately called Xuanhao. The fact that Gu Xuanze answered further confirmed Lu Youze’s earlier thoughts—at least Gu Xuanze personally cared about this collaboration.

Once the conversation was over, he’d see if he could get Gu Xuanze’s WeChat number. That way, it would be easier for him to contact him. He couldn’t keep stealing Xuanhao’s phone every time, right? Lu Youze could feel the resentment coming from Xuanhao through the phone.

“President Gu, it’s me.” Putting his wandering thoughts aside, Lu Youze became serious. “I’ve seen the trending topics. Is there anything you’d like me to do?”

“It’s not exactly an instruction,” Gu Xuanze’s voice was calm, and though there was no noticeable shift in his emotions, it gave off a reassuring sense of trust. “Mr. Lu, since you’ve seen the trending topics, you should know your current situation. I also made our company’s stance clear in the interview. The company firmly believes in your abilities and acting skills and will support you as much as possible. So, what about you?”

Gu Xuanze paused for a moment, then continued: “Although we’ve signed the contract, if the pressure is too much and you don’t want to take on this drama, we can terminate the contract. Of course, you won’t have to compensate for any losses.”

Gu Xuanze’s words, if seen from a conspiracy theory angle, could suggest that the wave of trending topics and public opinion had made Gu’s or Gu Xuanze himself feel that collaborating with an actor with such a controversial reputation was risky. They didn’t want to pay a penalty for breaking the contract, so they were “politely” persuading him to give up. However, this thought was quickly discarded by Lu Youze. After all, Gu Xuanze’s gaze in the interview video had told him that this person truly believed in him.

Besides, was Gu’s really worried about the penalty?

Upon thinking of this, Lu Youze’s expression became even more serious, to the point of seeming somewhat intimidating. Whether it was teaching the producer a lesson for himself, actively seeking him out for a movie, or giving him the option to choose even after signing the contract… Gu Xuanze’s kindness was almost absurd. He didn’t believe that the Gu family was a charity organization, and no one would be kind to someone else without a reason.

He also wanted to know why Gu Xuanze was doing this. Was it really just because he trusted his ability? Should he respond to that trust? But no matter the reason behind Gu Xuanze’s actions, for Lu Youze, there had always been only one choice from the very beginning.

He wouldn’t let go of this chance for a comeback.

“Mr. Gu.” Lu Youze took a deep breath, and when he spoke again, his tone was completely opposite to his previous expression, sounding particularly relaxed, with his demeanor now much lighter. “Are you this considerate with every artist you work with?”

Gu Xuanze clearly hadn’t expected this sudden question. After a brief silence, he responded in a voice even deeper than before, “You’re the first. Mr. Lu, I hope you won’t disappoint me.”

Gu Xuanze’s tone was calm and flat, as if his words were not at all unusual to him.

But the most dangerous kind of allure is the unspoken one. Despite Gu Xuanze’s serious appearance, it turned out he had this side to him. No wonder he had topped the list of the most popular business elites in a recent survey by the renowned domestic fashion magazine “Elite,” leading by a huge margin. It seemed it wasn’t just because he was handsome and rich.

“Mr. Gu.” Since the other party trusted him so much, Lu Youze didn’t beat around the bush and directly expressed his determination. “Rest assured, since I dared to sign the contract, I never thought of backing out. Just because you, Mr. Gu, hold me in such regard, I have to keep going, right?”

“Mr. Lu, I hope you’re doing this because of your own will, not for me.”

There was a hint of dissatisfaction in Gu Xuanze’s voice, and Lu Youze naturally sensed it. He vaguely felt that Gu Xuanze’s concern wasn’t due to the new drama but because of him. However, this thought only lasted for a moment. He felt that thinking too deeply about it might be dangerous.

“You’re right, Mr. Gu.” Lu Youze smiled and shifted his tone, becoming serious again. “Since you’ve said so, I won’t use any formalities. Of course, I’m doing this for myself. This is a rare opportunity for me, and I will prove my abilities and show everyone that Mr. Gu didn’t make a mistake in choosing me.”

“Good, I understand.” Gu Xuanze said. “Mr. Lu, are you free tomorrow?”

“Do you have any plans, Mr. Gu?”

“Mm.” Gu Xuanze didn’t hesitate. This was his real purpose. The earlier conversation was just to test his determination. “Mr. Lu, unless something urgent comes up, I hope you can clear your schedule for tomorrow.”

“It’s fine to free up the whole day.” Lu Youze’s voice held some confusion. “Mr. Gu, may I ask what we’ll be doing tomorrow?”

“We’ll meet a director.” Gu Xuanze replied. “He’s a genius. If we can get him to direct this film, it will be a huge help for both the show and for you.”

“No problem.” Hearing that it was to meet the director, Lu Youze’s eyes lit up. As an actor, he knew how important a good director was to a production. Being able to meet and confirm what kind of director this person was would naturally make him happy. “Mr. Gu, I’ll be waiting for your call tomorrow.”

“Mr. Lu, I’ll add you on WeChat, so it’ll be easier to get in touch.”

“Alright.” Lu Youze quickly agreed, grateful that this saved him from having to find an excuse to add Gu Xuanze on WeChat.

“Then we’ll contact through WeChat.” Gu Xuanze thought for a moment before quietly adding, “Mr. Lu, I hope you can have a good mental state when meeting the director tomorrow. I hope you won’t think I’m meddling, but if possible, I’d like you to rest early.”

“I understand, I understand.” Lu Youze smiled. “Rest assured, Mr. Gu, I guarantee I’ll be in top condition to meet the director tomorrow.”

“Mm, good night.”

Gu Xuanze ended the call directly.

As soon as the call ended, a friend request appeared on WeChat.

Gu Xuanze’s WeChat profile picture and nickname were simple and unadorned. Even the friend request note was straightforward, just his name. Lu Youze quickly accepted the friend request and changed the note, then stopped paying attention to the WeChat. He stood in front of Lu Youze’s room for a while before heading toward Lu Li Hai’s study.