“Old Lu, you and Qiao Ma go ahead and eat first.” As he left the dining room, Lu Lihai said to Uncle Lu, “After dinner, come to my study for a bit.”

“Alright, Master.”

“Master, aren’t you eating anymore?” Although most of the dishes had already been finished, Qiao Ma still felt that the father and son hadn’t eaten enough. “Master, why did you and the young master eat so little? Are you dissatisfied with my cooking?”

“Qiao Ma, that’s not it. Your cooking is excellent,” Lu Youze said as he carefully patted his round belly. “Look at how full I am.”

“Master and the young master have something important to discuss,” Uncle Lu said to Qiao Ma. “Let’s not disturb them.”

“No matter how important it is, eating is still more important! The young master is carrying a little one inside; he should eat even more.”

“Qiao Ma, if I get hungry, I’ll eat again.”

…

…

As Lu Youze followed Lu Lihai upstairs to the study, he could still hear Qiao Ma grumbling loudly. Her resentment seemed strong—he should probably eat a little more next time.

“Qiao Ma has indeed been a bit naggy lately. Just ignore her,” Lu Lihai suddenly said as he walked ahead, seemingly worried that Lu Youze would find her annoying.

“Dad, have you been losing your appetite lately? Is that why Qiao Ma has been so naggy?” Lu Youze quickened his pace to walk alongside his father, smiling at him. “Don’t make us worry, okay?”

A hint of discomfort flashed across Lu Lihai’s usually stern face. He coughed lightly and said, “You’re all just making a fuss over nothing. My appetite hasn’t been great these past few days, but I’m not feeling unwell.”

“Then I’m relieved.”

Even though he said that, Lu Youze still decided to ask Gu Xuanze to have Chef Fang stay at their house for a few days. If it was something “Mother” liked, then Father would probably like it too.

By the time they finished their conversation, they had arrived at the study. Lu Youze sat on the sofa while Lu Lihai sat across from him. There was an expensive-looking tea set on the desk. It seemed like Lu Lihai wasn’t in a hurry to discuss business and instead began brewing tea. Before long, the rich aroma of tea filled the study.

After pouring tea for both himself and Lu Youze, Lu Lihai finally spoke at a leisurely pace. “Regarding the matter you wanted to know about, I have indeed uncovered some useful information recently.”

Before Lu Youze could ask, Lu Lihai stood up, walked to his desk, and took out a stack of documents, handing them over. “See for yourself.”

“Father, thank you.” Receiving the documents, Lu Youze quickly expressed his gratitude.

Lu Lihai sat down again, glanced at him, took a sip of tea, and then said, “That Gu family boy is still too soft-hearted. He’s already gone this far but still hasn’t cut the problem at its root. But I suppose that’s not necessarily a bad thing. If he were too ruthless, I’d actually be more worried about you staying by his side.”

As he examined the documents, Lu Youze noticed they contained some surveillance photos. The man in the pictures bore a strong resemblance to Gu Xuanze—about 70 to 80 percent—but had a softer appearance. Just from the photos alone, he gave off an impression of being gentle and refined.

But if he were truly a gentle man, Gu Xuanze wouldn’t have reacted the way he did when mentioning him, nor would he be so determined to investigate this person. As an actor, Lu Youze knew better than to judge someone by appearances alone.

Hearing his father’s words, he looked up, curious. “Dad, why do you say that?”

The report only tracked the eldest Gu son’s recent movements—it didn’t mention anything about his past with Gu Xuanze. While Lu Youze had his own guesses, he still needed more concrete information. Judging from his father’s tone, it seemed like he knew some inside details. Naturally, Lu Youze wasn’t going to let this opportunity slip by.

“That Gu kid never told you about his family’s affairs?” Lu Lihai asked. Then, after a moment of thought, he found it unsurprising. Finishing his tea, he poured himself another cup before chuckling. “Makes sense. That kind of disgraceful past—he probably wouldn’t want to tell you.”

Lu Youze frowned slightly in displeasure, but instead of showing his frustration, he responded in a lighthearted tone, “Dad, don’t say that about A’Ze. If I really wanted to know, A’Ze would definitely tell me. I just don’t want to force him.”

“Hmph.” Lu Lihai snorted coldly. He was annoyed that his son always defended that Alpha. “You just keep siding with him. Sooner or later, you’ll suffer for it.”

“I won’t.” Lu Youze chuckled, lowering his gaze. “A’Ze wouldn’t let me suffer.”

Seeing his son’s unwavering loyalty, Lihai had a look of exasperation, as if he were dealing with an unteachable child. Still, since Gu Xuanze hadn’t done anything to harm Lu Youze so far, Lihai had no intention of interfering. Sometimes, nagging too much only made people resentful, and he understood that well enough.

“Dad.” Realizing they had strayed from the main topic, Lu Youze quickly steered the conversation back. “Can you tell me what you know?”

He pointed to the man in the photo and continued, “About the eldest son of the Gu family.”

Before Ye You mentioned this person, Lu Youze had always assumed Gu Xuanze only had one younger brother, Gu Xuanhao. He never expected that there was actually an older brother too—one who seemed to be nothing but trouble.

“I don’t know the full details—most of it is just hearsay,” Lihai admitted. From their conversation, he had already gathered just how much Gu Xuanze meant to his son. So, when discussing the Gu family’s past, he made an effort to soften his tone. “But you should know that in our circle, secrets never stay buried for long. After all, where there’s smoke, there’s fire… The Gu family’s dirty laundry has been aired in the upper circles for a while now. And Gu Jing—Gu Xuanze’s father—is truly a piece of work.”

Just as they reached the most critical part of the conversation, a knock on the door interrupted them.

Uncle Lu’s voice came from outside. “Master, I’ve brought what you asked for.”

“Old Lu, come in.”

Lu Bo pushed open the door and stood directly behind Lu Lihai. He was holding a folder in his hands, just about to hand it over when Lu Lihai interrupted him.

Instead of taking the folder, Lu Lihai raised a half-clenched fist to his mouth and coughed lightly before saying, “Old Lu, you came at the right time. You can tell Youze about the Gu family’s past—he wants to know.”

Lu Bo felt bitter inside. He glanced at his master with resentment. Master, if you don’t want to be disliked by the young master, you can’t just pass the burden onto me! I don’t want to be disliked either!

Lu Lihai quickly lowered his head and took a sip of tea, pretending not to notice the butler’s silent complaints.

Lu Youze caught their expressions clearly. His gaze shifted slightly—if even his father didn’t want to say it directly, then whatever “gossip” about the Gu family must be something that would truly anger him.