Hearing Lu Youze say this, Uncle Lu nodded in understanding. However, after thinking for a moment, he couldn’t help but speak up, “Young Master, Gu Xuanyu is a sinister and cunning person. You should still be careful.”

“Uncle Lu, I know!” Lu Youze didn’t want them to worry, so he smiled. “I won’t act recklessly.”

Uncle Lu glanced at Lu Youze. After seeing the look in his eyes, he felt reassured that the young master wouldn’t be impulsive.

“Alright, let’s stop gossiping about the Gu family for now,” Lu Lihai took a sip of tea and spoke to the two of them, signaling that today’s business discussion was over. He glanced at Uncle Lu and said, “Old Lu, you’ve worked hard today. Go get some rest.”

“Yes, Master.”

Uncle Lu knew that it was time for a father-son conversation, so he wisely left the study immediately.

“Don’t show such a weak expression.” Lu Lihai poured Lu Youze a cup of tea. “There’s nothing that can’t be resolved.”

Lu Youze knew that his expression must not look good. Every time he thought about what Gu Xuanze had gone through as a child, he couldn’t help but feel distressed, making him even more determined to seek justice for him.

“Dad, I understand.” Lu Youze’s expression softened a little. “I’m just a bit angry.”

He didn’t intend to hide his emotions. First, because he was truly upset, and second, because he wanted his father to understand how much he cared about Gu Xuanze. This way, his father would take this matter more seriously, and when the truth eventually came to light, it wouldn’t be as difficult for A’Ze.

Lu Lihai could see right through Lu Youze’s thoughts, but he didn’t call him out on it. Instead, he continued sipping his tea at a leisurely pace.

After finishing a cup of tea, he finally spoke. “How much longer will your filming take?”

The topic of Gu Xuanyu ended there, and Lu Youze knew that the old man had already taken everything into account.

“Probably around two more months,” Lu Youze replied.

The old man glanced at Lu Youze’s stomach. He was wearing a loose T-shirt, so it wasn’t very noticeable. “Can your body handle it? I heard that you’re not even using the stunt double that brat from the Gu family prepared for you?”

The filming crew operated under a closed-set management, making it nearly impossible for even the most persistent paparazzi to get insider information. Most online reports about the production were based on speculation, with little more than a single blurry image and a completely made-up story. The only reliable sources were occasional official posts from the production team, which shared stills or behind-the-scenes moments to maintain hype and engage fans.

Yet, despite this secrecy, the old man was aware of the situation, which meant he had someone inside the production team. Since he brought it up, it was clear he wasn’t trying to hide it either.

Lu Youze understood his father’s concern. Since it didn’t affect his filming, he didn’t see a reason to get upset over it.

“Dad, you don’t have to worry about this.” Lu Youze smiled. “Before A’Ze signed me on for this drama, he consulted a doctor, and they said there wouldn’t be any issues. You don’t know this, but A’Ze even brought his private doctor to the set. Every day, I get nutrition soups and checkups. If there were any problems, he definitely wouldn’t let me continue filming.”

“It’d better be that way.” Lu Lihai massaged his back and continued, “Don’t be stubborn. Use a stunt double when necessary.”

“Dad, don’t worry. A’Ze will supervise me.” Lu Youze got up and walked over to Lu Lihai. “I also know my limits.”

After a brief pause, he added, “Dad, don’t just lecture me. You’re the same. Aunt Qiao said your appetite hasn’t been great lately. Chef Fang happens to be working with our production crew. I’ll talk to A’Ze and have him stay at our house for a few days to cook for you.”

As he spoke, he massaged Lu Lihai’s shoulders. At first, the old man felt a little uncomfortable—father and son had never shared such intimate gestures before. But Lu Youze’s massage skills were surprisingly good, making it quite relaxing. More importantly, Lu Lihai could tell that his son truly cared about him.

“No need,” Lu Lihai refused. “If you bring in another chef, Aunt Qiao will nag me again, saying I dislike her cooking.”

“How could that be?” Lu Youze chuckled. The long-standing tension between them made his father unfamiliar with receiving his care, but he figured this would become the norm over time. The old man would eventually get used to it. “Chef Fang is someone Aunt Qiao would probably love to learn from. Dad, are you sure you don’t want him to come? Director Wu has him make the desserts Mom used to love all the time. He even said those desserts are part of his and Mom’s special memories.”

“Ugh, that shameless old fool!” Lu Lihai angrily slammed the table, making Lu Youze jump. “You tell Chef Fang to come over tomorrow.”

“Yes, sir! Mission accepted!” Lu Youze said playfully.

“Enough with the nonsense.”

They chatted for a while longer. Seeing that Lu Youze kept yawning and looked exhausted, Lu Lihai told him to go back to his room to rest.

After Lu Youze left the study, the old man stared at his teacup, his expression turning much colder.

He was satisfied with his current life and would not allow anyone to disrupt it.

Back in his room, Lu Youze immediately called Gu Xuanze. He hadn’t even thought of what to say—he just wanted to hear his voice.

Gu Xuanze answered almost instantly.

“Youze, I was just about to call you.” His voice was soothing and gentle. “Are you done for the day? Are you tired? Take a shower and get some rest early.”

His heart and eyes were filled with him—why was this man so good?

Lu Youze felt that ever since he had heard Uncle Lu recount Gu Xuanze’s childhood stories, the restlessness in his heart had finally settled down.

“Just got back from my dad’s place,” Lu Youze replied as he sat down on the sofa beside the bed. “Ah Ze, what are you doing?”

“There were some documents I had to handle personally,” Gu Xuanze answered. “I just finished dealing with them.”

“You’re still at the office?”

“Mm,” Gu Xuanze replied. “I’m just packing up and getting ready to head back to the hotel.”

“Ah Ze, you have a lot of scenes to shoot tomorrow. Go back early and rest.” Lu Youze felt a twinge of heartache. His lover had sacrificed so much to achieve his current success.

Yet, some people only envied him for being born into a good family. But could a family like that really be called good?

“Youze.” Gu Xuanze’s voice grew even gentler. “I miss you.”

Lu Youze felt his heart skip a beat. He had initially wanted to tease his lover—how long had they even been apart for him to start missing him already? But then he realized he was no better. He gazed at the soft moonlight outside the window, smiled, and his voice softened unconsciously as well. “Me too.”

After clinging to each other for a little while longer, Gu Xuanze asked, “Do you want me to pick you up tomorrow?”

“No need,” Lu Youze didn’t want Gu Xuanze to tire himself out. “Uncle Lu will take me there.”

“I want to see you earlier.” There was a trace of unconscious grievance in Gu Xuanze’s voice, as light and gentle as the moonlight, making it impossible to ignore.

This man, seen by outsiders as a cold and ruthless figure, only showed this side of himself to him.

Just thinking about that filled Lu Youze with an indescribable sense of satisfaction—the possessiveness of a man who wanted to have his lover all to himself.

“Ah Ze.” Lu Youze walked to the window, pulled the curtains shut, blocking out the soft glow of the moonlight. “Let’s get married at the end of this month. A grand wedding.”

The end of the month was only ten days away.

Would ten days be enough to prepare a grand wedding? He wasn’t sure, but at the very least, it would force the fox to show its tail.

Lu Youze had expected Gu Xuanze to happily agree, but instead, there was only silence on the other end of the call.

After a long pause, Gu Xuanze finally spoke, his voice carrying a chill like the autumn wind.

“Youze, I don’t want to.”