The voice and tone on the other end of the phone were as calm and casual as if Lu Youze was discussing where to go for dinner with Gu Xuanze. But it was precisely this calmness that felt like a cold bucket of water being poured over him, making Gu Xuanze shiver, even his hand holding the phone trembling slightly. This man, called “Asura” by his enemies, the perfect man with no “weaknesses,” who could have been brought down by just a single sentence, was unimaginable.

Gu Xuanze gripped the phone tighter, forcing himself to calm down before replying in his usual voice, “Where do you want to meet, Youze? The restaurant we went to last time wasn’t bad. How about we meet there?”

Gu Xuanze remembered that Lu Youze liked the signature dish at that restaurant, and meeting there might lift his mood a little.

“No.” Lu Youze immediately rejected Gu Xuanze’s suggestion, sitting on the couch, his eyes fixed on the photo of the two of them on the hotel table. His expression was unreadable. “Ah Ze, you’re not doing a good job as the CEO of the Gu Corporation. Didn’t you forget that the contract clearly states that the crew is not allowed to leave the set or the hotel during filming?”

“Youze, that’s for others,” Gu Xuanze said. “You don’t need to follow it.”

“That’s not okay!” Lu Youze’s voice became serious. “Ah Ze, do you think there aren’t a lot of eyes on us right now? As your lover and the male lead in this drama, I should follow the terms of the contract so that no one with ill intentions gets any chances.”

Gu Xuanze had always thought he understood Lu Youze, both before and after his memory loss. He had tried to figure out his thoughts to avoid doing things that might make him dislike him. But hearing Lu Youze on the phone, seriously talking to him about work ethics, Gu Xuanze suddenly realized something: he might have never truly understood Lu Youze.

This feeling of being unable to control things made him increasingly uneasy and irritable. He gripped the phone harder, knowing that since Lu Youze already knew the truth, avoiding it would solve nothing. But in this situation, he had no idea what to do.

“Youze,” Gu Xuanze tried to remain calm, “Where should we meet then?”

“I’ll be waiting in the hotel room for you,” Lu Youze replied, not rushing him. “I don’t have anything else to do today, so you can come back whenever. I’ll hang up now, and we can discuss other things when we meet.”

“Okay.”

Although Lu Youze said this, Gu Xuanze couldn’t stay any longer. He glanced at the workers outside, shivering in the cold, and left the set after giving some quick instructions.

He had arrived in the morning on a crew vehicle, but since this was an outdoor location, it was in a remote area with no passing cars. Gu Xuanze, in his hurry, had forgotten about this detail. He was focused on meeting Lu Youze quickly to explain things before they got more complicated, no matter what punishment Lu Youze had for him, as long as he didn’t ignore him and look at him with that cold gaze. However, after running for a while, Gu Xuanze realized he couldn’t possibly run back to the hotel. At that moment, standing in the wilderness, he looked at the winding path ahead, and he felt like a fool.

Just then, a sudden downpour came without warning, soaking him instantly. There was no shelter in sight, and he was drenched to the bone.

Gu Xuanze stood silently in the rain, like an injured lion, helplessly wandering the vast empty land. If this scene were captured by reporters or fans, it would surely spark a new wave of public controversy. Such a helpless and confused CEO was rarely seen. However, thanks to the crew’s excellent confidentiality agreements and the recent trouble caused by overzealous fans, Gu Xuanze had invested a lot of money and effort to prevent paparazzi at the set. So, no one outside the crew would be around. The crew members, now a few hundred meters away, were nervously working, and the sudden downpour might give them a brief moment to pause.

Gu Xuanze didn’t plan to return to the set. He stood quietly in the rain, his mind surprisingly calm. He knew he should return to the set and call the driver to pick him up, but his body refused to move. The rain blurred his vision, but he didn’t care, as though he was anxiously waiting for something.

Suddenly, a car approached, its engine sound mixing with the sound of raindrops hitting the ground. Gu Xuanze only realized what was happening when the car stopped in front of him.

“Ah Ze,” Lu Youze opened the car door, looking at him with a mix of anger and concern. “Didn’t I tell you on the phone not to worry? I have nothing else to do today, so you can come back whenever.”

Gu Xuanze’s face was covered in rainwater, his hair sticking to his head because it was soaked, making the usually sharp and imposing man appear somewhat fragile. He stared blankly at Lu Youze. “Youze, how did you come?”

“How did I come?” Lu Youze pulled him into the car forcefully, not caring if Gu Xuanze got his expensive car wet. He grabbed a towel and started wiping his head. He looked furious, but his voice seemed like he was laughing in anger. “This is a great question. I guess I thought some idiot would run out like this without thinking.”

Gu Xuanze lowered his head. “I’m sorry.”

He didn’t even know what he was apologizing for.

“Do it yourself,” Lu Youze threw the towel to him, his brows furrowed in frustration, not trying to hide his anger. He looked somewhat scary. “You’re soaked through. You need to go back and change into dry clothes right away, or you’ll catch a cold.”

Gu Xuanze revealed his beautiful eyes from under the towel, looking at Lu Youze with a sense of helplessness. “Youze, are you worried about me?”

He had never thought that, after learning the truth, Lu Youze would still be worried about him.

“Did you get stupid from standing in the rain?” Lu Youze pressed down on his head with force, his CEO’s silly, innocent look almost cute, making him a little tempted. If it weren’t for the time and place, he might have leaned in to kiss him.

“I…” Gu Xuanze gripped the towel tightly, lowering his head and biting his lip. He didn’t speak. No matter the reason or circumstances, when they were at the hotel, he had taken advantage of the situation, and later, he had done the same when Lu Youze lost his memory. No matter what, he was a despicable person, and all his words were just excuses.

“Forget it,” Lu Youze sighed in resignation. He had guessed this would happen, which was why he had driven here after hanging up. “Let’s talk about it when we get back.”