When Lu Youze and the others returned, Lu Youxi’s first scene had not yet finished. Seeing the staff’s expressions and Wu Liyi’s face, Lu Youze understood what was going on. After all, he had been through the same thing himself.

Lu Youze didn’t disturb anyone but pulled Gu Xuance to stand aside, then started watching Lu Youxi’s performance seriously. After watching for a while, his brows furrowed in frustration.

Lu Youxi’s acting wasn’t terrible, but his scene partner was a talented new-generation actor, and his presence completely overshadowed Youxi’s. This scene was meant to showcase a crucial moment for Lu Youxi’s character, but his performance failed to fully convey the character’s charm.

Lu Youze glanced at the actor playing opposite Lu Youxi. He remembered his name was Lin Jun, a promising new-generation actor and this year’s Best Supporting Actor winner.

Watching Lin Jun’s performance earlier, his acting was good, but he was overthinking things.

The weather had been quite hot lately, and by the morning, the sun was already harsh. Everyone was wearing heavy ancient costumes, and after repeating the same scene so many times, everyone’s patience was starting to wear thin.

Lu Youze then glanced at Wu Liyi, whose expression looked frightening. It seemed like he was on the verge of exploding.

Wu Liyi liked Lu Youxi’s face, and because of this, he was more demanding of him. He didn’t want someone with a face so similar to Ren Mi’s to deliver such a subpar performance.

“Cut!” Wu Liyi called out, halting the scene for the fifth time. He stood up and walked in front of Lu Youxi, not sparing any dignity, “Lu Youxi, how many times have I told you? Xiao Qi is supposed to be wild, not cold… Look at your eyes, there’s no emotion in them. Where’s the invincible look of Xiao Qi?”

Lu Youxi didn’t say anything and just listened expressionlessly.

Although he was cold by nature and had a bad temper, he was willing to accept his faults. But his cold expression often gave others the wrong impression. Wu Liyi got even angrier seeing him like this—his face resembled Ren Mi’s so much, but his personality was so different.

“Lu Youxi, if you don’t want to act, you can leave. Don’t waste everyone’s time,” Wu Liyi said before turning to the others, “Don’t shoot yet, take a half-hour break.”

As a director, Wu Liyi had quite a fiery temper and showed no mercy to the actors. But anyone who dared to clash with the investor wasn’t likely to tame their temperament.

It seemed that only someone like Wan Renmi could withstand him.

The staff exchanged sympathetic glances with Lu Youxi before dispersing.

“Mr. Youxi, it seems you still have much to learn compared to your brother,” Lin Jun said with a smile, patting Lu Youxi’s shoulder, his words laced with a hint of sarcasm.

That one sentence ridiculed both brothers.

Lin Jun had been confident he could secure the role of Xiao Qi, but he didn’t expect Lu Youxi to show up. He didn’t believe that Lu Youxi’s acting could surpass his own. After all, the only reason Lu Youxi got the role was his face, so similar to Wan Renmi’s, and his brother, the award-winning actor with the Gu family backing him.

Everyone knew that before marrying Lu Lihai, Wan Renmi had an ambiguous relationship with Wu Liyi.

And everyone also knew that this project had been secured by Lu Youze.

When they performed together earlier, Lin Jun had indeed used some tricks to show this newcomer his place.

Lu Youxi, of course, understood the sarcasm in his words, but right now, he couldn’t respond. He simply stood still, his beautiful face expressionless.

When Wu Liyi left, he glanced at Lu Youze, seemingly about to say something, but ultimately just flicked his sleeves and went to the rest area.

“Ah Ze,” Lu Youze said to Gu Xuance beside him, “I want to talk to Youxi alone.”

“Mm.” Gu Xuance nodded, wiping the sweat off Lu Youze’s face and reminding him, “Youze, the sun’s quite strong, don’t stay out here too long.”

“I know.”

Once Gu Xuance left, the set was left with only the two brothers. Lu Youze sighed as he looked at Lu Youxi, who showed no sign of leaving. He understood the meaning behind Wu Liyi’s look before he left. Lu Youxi was new to acting and had a lot to learn.

Lu Youze looked up at the increasingly fierce sun. He knew Lu Youxi’s pride was very strong, and right now, the last person he probably wanted to see was his older brother. But leaving Lu Youxi alone wouldn’t help his acting; in fact, it might make him dig in his heels. Acting wasn’t something you could figure out on your own.

“Lu Youze, you’re here to watch me make a fool of myself, right?” Before Lu Youze could speak, he heard Lu Youxi’s cold yet self-mocking voice.

Lu Youze noticed the tension in Lu Youxi’s body and unconsciously softened his tone, “Youxi, let’s talk.”

Lu Youxi stood with his back to him. He didn’t speak but seemed unwilling to turn around.

Lu Youze sighed silently and continued, “Youxi, I’m not here to make fun of you. But… if you want people to laugh at you, then stay here.”

Lu Youxi’s body stiffened slightly, but he still turned around.

He looked at Lu Youze with a hint of defiance, though his eyes were slightly red.

Seeing Lu Youxi like this, Lu Youze felt a pang of heartache.

“Lu Youze, do you think my acting was bad just now?” Lu Youxi gritted his teeth and asked, his tone revealing how unwilling he was to accept this.

Lu Youze had seen Lu Youxi’s script, and it was likely that he had read it as many times as Lu Youxi had. The script was filled with dense annotations, clearly showing that a lot of effort had been put into it. Plus, considering he was determined to perform well in front of his older brother, it was natural for him to feel unsatisfied.

“Honestly, it’s not as bad as Director Wu said,” Lu Youze said truthfully. “Maybe another director would have passed you. You know, our father worked with Director Wu before, and his standards for you might be higher.”

Before Lu Youxi could respond, Lu Youze continued, “You should be happy. This means he thinks you can do better.”

“Lu Youze, you make it sound so nice,” Lu Youxi’s eyes changed, almost as if mocking the other or perhaps self-mocking. “Do you think everyone is like you, an award-winning actor? That others can just meet expectations so easily?”

“Youxi, let me help you with your lines,” Lu Youze didn’t argue with his words; some things Youxi would understand later. “Trust me, I’ll follow your pace.”

Lu Youxi was about to refuse, as he didn’t need Lu Youze’s sympathy—it was one of the things he hated the most. But looking at Lu Youze’s eyes and remembering his previous words, he didn’t end up rejecting the offer.

Although it wasn’t his role, Lu Youze remembered the plot and lines. He helped Lu Youxi rehearse the same scenes repeatedly, watching as his performance gradually improved.

Unlike Lin Jun’s strong personal style, Lu Youze didn’t try to steal the scene. Instead, he matched Lu Youxi’s rhythm while guiding his emotions.

It was Lu Youxi’s first time acting opposite Lu Youze, and he found that his performance became more natural. This was even more impressive than watching Lu Youze perform on screen. Although it made him uncomfortable, he couldn’t deny that Lu Youze was truly skilled.

While they were rehearsing, Ou Yan had returned from the grass field. He had originally planned to find Director Wu, but the two actors’ performance caught his attention even more.

“Have you found the feeling yet?” After another run-through, Lu Youze asked.

Lu Youxi awkwardly nodded.

During the rehearsal, Lu Youze had been paying attention to Lu Youxi’s changes in expression, and he felt there were still areas where he could improve.

“Youxi,” Lu Youze’s tone grew stern. “When you start filming, your performance might be acceptable to Director Wu, but I think you can do better.”

“What do you mean?” Lu Youxi asked, his expression cold.

He wanted to understand what went wrong, but habitually, he didn’t give a pleasant face when speaking.

“Youxi, during our rehearsal, your expressions, actions, and tone were all fine,” Lu Youze pointed out seriously. “But your eyes didn’t have that defiant and proud attitude that Xiao Qi had.”

Lu Youze’s words were similar to what Director Wu had said, and it irritated Lu Youxi. He had been trying hard to perform, but he didn’t know how to express that particular look with his eyes.

“So, what do you think I should do?” Lu Youxi knew he was being unreasonable, but since everything had felt wrong from the morning, his emotions were starting to get out of control.

Ou Yan, who had been watching, was about to make a sarcastic remark, but as soon as he stepped forward, he hesitated and stepped back.

“It’s the kind of look like this,” Lu Youze gave a haughty, almost disdainful look, reminding Lu Youxi of the person he used to be before losing his memory. But in the next moment, his expression returned to normal. “Youxi, you shouldn’t be thinking about how to act. When the director says ‘action,’ you should already be Xiao Qi. The look you need to give will come naturally.”

Lu Youxi, expressionless, stared at Lu Youze. He was still shocked by that look. He knew there was a gap between them, but he didn’t realize it was this big.

“Youxi, let’s try again,” Lu Youze said when Lu Youxi remained silent. “A few more tries, and you should get the feeling.”

Seeing that Lu Youxi still looked upset, Lu Youze lowered his head, thought for a moment, then smiled and said, “Youxi, you really don’t get how someone who’s more arrogant looks at others, do you? Just think about Ou Yan. Look at how he looks at people, and just act like that.”

Since Lu Youxi and Ou Yan had limited interactions on set, they didn’t talk much, but they occasionally saw each other as Ou Yan lived next door. That person did seem to always have an air of superiority.

“Yeah, that’s the feeling.”

Ou Yan had been watching for fun, but now he was directly called out. Was this how Lu Youze saw him all along? He pulled out a small mirror and looked at his eyes closely. What part of his expression looked like he was looking down on people? He thought he was friendly toward his assistants and household staff.

The more Ou Yan thought about it, the more he felt his reputation was being harmed. He decided to confront Lu Youze, believing that just because he helped him earlier didn’t mean he could falsely accuse him.

“Lu Youze,” Ou Yan angrily approached them, ready to start yelling, but when he saw Lu Youze’s pale face, his words changed immediately. “Why do you look so pale?”

Lu Youxi, noticing the same change in Lu Youze’s expression, couldn’t help but show some concern without realizing it.

“I do feel a bit tight in my chest,” Lu Youze wiped his sweat. He felt a little dizzy. “Youxi, maybe we should continue later. I’ll rest for now…”