After coming out of the café, Lu Youze went straight back to the Lu family home. It was just about dinner time, and whether it was because Lu Lihai had specifically instructed or because Qiao Ma knew Lu Youze was coming back, the table was filled with dishes that Lu Youze liked to eat.

Lu Lihai had already sat down at the dining table and was about to begin eating, seemingly without the intention of waiting for Lu Youze. However, just as he picked up his chopsticks, Lu Youze and Uncle Lu appeared in the dining room.

“Dad, I’m back!” Lu Youze greeted Lu Lihai cheerfully.

“I was just about to eat,” Lu Lihai glanced at Lu Youze. “If there’s something, eat first and talk later. Qiao Ma, get another pair of chopsticks for the young master.”

Qiao Ma responded with a smile. The old master really cared about appearances. From the moment the young master called in the morning saying he was coming back for dinner, he had been reminding her to prepare dishes that the young master liked. He even specifically pointed out some dishes that the young master used to like but didn’t anymore after his memory loss. And from just now, he had been watching the time and occasionally walking around the yard, claiming it was a walk, but anyone could tell he was waiting for the young master.

Qiao Ma didn’t expose Lu Lihai’s intentions and continued with a smile: “Young master, hurry up and try my cooking. Have I improved? You should eat more; look at how thin you’ve become.”

Qiao Ma’s words made Lu Youze chuckle awkwardly. From the look in her eyes, it seemed she really didn’t understand. How could he be thin? He was treated like royalty on the set, with Gu Xuanze taking care of him meticulously. If a doctor had said that the moon in the sky would benefit his health, Gu Xuanze might have found a way to bring something exactly like it. After all the carefully prepared nutritious meals, he felt like he had gained weight, and recently, he had even started considering whether he should manage his figure. As an actor, body shape and posture were crucial.

Although Lu Lihai pretended not to care about Lu Youze, he kept glancing at him out of the corner of his eye. Lu Youze seemed to be in good spirits, and the Gu family kid really seemed to be keeping his promise.

After Lu Youze and Gu Xuanze publicly announced their relationship, Lu Lihai and Gu Xuanze had met privately. It was Gu Xuanze who took the initiative to contact Lu Lihai. Actually, Lu Lihai also wanted to meet him, especially after the example set by Yu Li. His fool of a son had never been interested in an Alpha, so it was a relief that Gu Xuanze took the initiative.

Gu Xuanze behaved very well in front of Lu Lihai. He wasn’t intimidated by Lu Lihai’s aura and was both elegant and polite, occasionally showing a sharp edge that even overshadowed Lu Lihai. Lu Lihai appreciated such a young man and understood why it was this kid who would eventually take control of the Gu family. As for the rumors about the Gu family, people in their social circle had naturally heard of them. Lu Lihai didn’t care about such gossip; he was more concerned with Gu Xuanze’s attitude towards Lu Youze—whether this Alpha could really make Lu Youze happy.

Gu Xuanze seemed to see through this concern. Before Lu Lihai could start questioning him, he spoke first: “Mr. Lu, I know what you’re worried about. I can assure you that as long as I’m here, what you’re concerned about will definitely not happen.”

Gu Xuanze’s lips curled up slightly, and his gaze was confident and firm, as though everything he said would become reality.

Lu Lihai raised an eyebrow, expressionless. “Oh? Young man, don’t speak too confidently. Do you know what I’m worried about?”

Gu Xuanze smiled. He rarely smiled, except in front of Lu Youze, so when he did, it was quite striking. He was already good-looking, and his smile made him even more so: “Mr. Lu, if you don’t believe me, you can observe me for a while, but I’m confident that I’ll pass your test.”

Lu Lihai stared at Gu Xuanze for a long time, and finally, with a hint of threat, he said: “Gu family kid, if you make my silly son cry, I’ll make you regret it. Don’t underestimate me. I can still cause some trouble for your Gu family.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t give you that chance.”

“Qiao Ma’s cooking is the best. This is really delicious; I like it a lot. Thank you, Qiao Ma.”

Lu Youze’s voice pulled Lu Lihai’s thoughts back, and he glanced at the now-seated Lu Youze. It seemed that Lu Youze was doing well, and for now, Gu Xuanze’s performance during the observation period had passed the test.

“I’m glad you like it, young master. Eat more,” Qiao Ma smiled, her face full of wrinkles. “If it’s not enough, I can make more.”

Uncle Lu, sitting nearby, also had a smile on his face. A few months ago, he never would have imagined that the atmosphere at the Lu family dinner table could be this pleasant and relaxed. If only the relationship between the second young master and the old master could be mended, but seeing the eldest young master like this, Uncle Lu believed that day would come soon.

“Dad, this is your favorite dish, right?” Lu Youze picked up some of Lu Lihai’s favorite food and placed it in his bowl, concerned. “You don’t look so good. Is it your old ailment acting up again?”

As he spoke, Lu Youze had already stood up to start massaging Lu Lihai’s back. “If you’re really feeling bad, you should have a doctor check it out.”

Lu Lihai’s expression changed slightly. Due to his own personality, he wasn’t good at openly expressing his feelings in front of his children. After Ren Ni’s death, he became even more withdrawn, distracting himself with work, and Uncle Lu and Qiao Ma had mostly been taking care of the two children. His relationship with them had always been poor, and after the incident with Yu Li, things had even worsened. At one point, Lu Youze even wanted to sever ties with him.

Even after Lu Youze’s memory loss, their father-son relationship had improved a little, but he never expected Lu Youze to notice his old ailment of back pain when it rained, let alone the little details like his favorite foods.

“Alright, sit down and eat,” Lu Lihai’s voice became a little stiff. “The food will get cold.”

Uncle Lu shook his head helplessly. The old master was clearly very happy but stubbornly didn’t know how to express it.

During their previous interactions, Lu Youze had figured out Lu Lihai’s personality. Since he didn’t mind, he sat back down, but he didn’t stop and added a few more dishes to Lu Lihai’s bowl that suited his taste. While doing so, he said, “Of course, Qiao Ma’s cooking is the best, but Ah Ze’s cooking is also great. Dad, next time I’ll bring Ah Ze over, and he’ll show you a few tricks.”

Lu Youze was making sure his Alpha got plenty of attention. After all, soon Lu Lihai would find out that the father of his child was Ah Ze. He could already predict the old man’s anger then, so he was trying to build up some goodwill with him now.

“Oh?” Lu Lihai was indeed a little surprised. “That kid from the Gu family can cook?”

“Mm.” Lu Youze nodded vigorously and then, with a hint of pride, said, “I learned it just for me. Dad, Ah Ze is so good to me.”

Lu Lihai didn’t respond; he only nodded thoughtfully and then urged, “Hurry up and eat. You didn’t come back this time just to show off that guy, did you?”

“Hehe.” Lu Youze smiled awkwardly, “I did want to talk to you about something, but the most important thing is that I want to have dinner with you.”

Lu Lihai paused in his movement of picking up food. He felt something stirring in his chest, but he still spoke with a tone of disdain, “Since when did you become so smooth with words?”

“I just want to cherish what I didn’t cherish before,” Lu Youze said seriously.

Lu Lihai’s emotions stirred again, but he pretended not to care and said, “How have things been on set? You’re pregnant now, don’t do anything reckless like you did in the past.”

“Don’t worry, Dad, Ah Ze is very protective. He won’t let me do anything dangerous,” Lu Youze said, his face filled with happiness. It wasn’t intentional boasting; it was just that his life had been fully immersed in Gu Xuanze’s care.

“When will you finish filming?”

“Father, Youxi is doing very well on set.” Knowing that Lu Lihai was too proud to ask, Lu Youze thoughtfully volunteered, “He’s improving quickly, working hard at learning, his health is great, and as his older brother, I’ll take good care of him, so you don’t have to worry.”

“Who said I’m worried about him?”

“We’re filming a few key scenes, so the set is a bit busy. But in a couple of days, there’s a show I have to attend, so they’re giving us two days off. I’ll bring Youxi home then.”

“Got it.”

…

The two chatted casually while eating, and the dinner went quite well. After they finished, Lu Lihai directly invited Lu Youze to his study.