After the producer left, the two of them returned to their original seats.

After an awkward silence, it was Lu Youze who broke it first. He was able to vent his frustration thanks to Gu Xuanzhe’s help.

“It seems like the producer is going to need a long break,” Lu Youze said with a smile.

Gu Xuanzhe’s face remained expressionless. “That’s her own doing.”

Hearing this, Lu Youze’s mouth curled into a slight smile. He thought for a moment, then couldn’t help but ask, “President Gu, may I ask why you’re helping me?”

When Lu Youze called Gu Xuanzhe, he had been uneasy. He acted on impulse, and if Gu Xuanzhe was unwilling to help, his participation in the drama would have been ruined, and he would have lost everything.

But once the phone call was made, he still tried to act calm. What he didn’t expect was that Gu Xuanzhe agreed without a second thought.

While the producer and Lu Youze were negotiating the contract termination, Gu Shi had already sent someone to negotiate a collaboration with the show’s organizers. They were willing to invest heavily to sponsor the show and also allow their top celebrities to be guest stars, but the condition was that Lu Youze must be a permanent member.

In fact, the show had been negotiating with Gu Shi for a while, and with the previous trending topic about Gu Xuanzhe and Lu Youze, the organizers weren’t surprised when Gu Shi agreed and made this demand.

Upon hearing that Gu Shi was willing to collaborate, the organizers quickly agreed. With Gu Shi onboard, the demands of other sponsors were insignificant, and even though Lu Youze was somewhat controversial, his popularity would certainly bring attention to the show.

Lu Youze was well aware of this, which is why he sought Gu Xuanzhe’s help.

The call the producer had just received was from the organizers, confirming whether Lu Youze was still a permanent member. However, they were informed that the show had terminated his contract.

Naturally, Gu Shi wasn’t happy, and the investment deal fell through.

As a result, the producer lost her job.

When Lu Youze asked his question, Gu Xuanzhe’s gaze became slightly obscure, but his eyes never left Lu Youze’s face.

With his usual calm expression, Gu Xuanzhe replied, “Since we’re collaborating, I naturally have to show my sincerity.”

“Are you not afraid that if the producer doesn’t terminate the contract, you’ll be forced to sign this collaboration?”

“Then Gu Shi wouldn’t lose anything.” Gu Xuanzhe said calmly, “As long as you stay with the show, Gu Shi can make this the most popular variety show.”

“You really think highly of me,” Lu Youze smiled, then slightly worried, continued, “But if this continues, the show must know they’ve been played. Aren’t you afraid they’ll retaliate?”

“I haven’t done anything.” Gu Xuanzhe looked at Lu Youze with a neutral expression and said, “They’ve been begging to collaborate. Gu Shi saw your potential and wanted to sponsor. It’s their own fault they decided to terminate the contract. It’s not my issue. If they really want to go up against me, I’ll accompany them to the end.”

“I still have to thank you.”

Then, there was another silence. After a while, Gu Xuanzhe spoke again, “Mr. Lu, have you read the script?”

Though his tone was inquiring, Gu Xuanzhe’s expression suggested he was certain that Lu Youze had already read it. Even though he had his own personal reasons for seeking cooperation with Lu Youze, he also genuinely trusted Lu Youze’s ability. He had seen him stay up all night studying the script. It was when he saw his serious expression that he… Gu Xuanzhe quickly adjusted his thoughts, realizing this was not the time to think about that.

“Yes, I’ve finished reading it,” Lu Youze smiled genuinely, praising, “If there’s a chance, I really want to meet the writer in person. Anyone who can write such an amazing script must be a very impressive person.”

“He is indeed excellent,” Gu Xuanzhe agreed, never sparing compliments for his excellent employees. “You’ll meet him once filming starts.”

“President Gu, your words sound like I’ve already signed the contract,” Lu Youze took a sip of the coffee on the table, glancing at Gu Xuanzhe without showing much emotion. Although Gu Xuanzhe had just helped him, he knew he still had to maintain his composure, or else it would be too passive.

Gu Xuanzhe furrowed his brows, not because of what he said, but because of Lu Youze’s action of drinking coffee.

Gu Xuanzhe stared at the coffee cup that Lu Youze had already drunk from for a second before shifting his gaze, then looked at Lu Youze with a strange expression and said, “Mr. Lu, you’re a smart person. I don’t think you would refuse.”

Lu Youze laughed awkwardly. Clearly, his little act of bravado hadn’t worked on Gu Xuanzhe. The other party had already seen through his current situation. If he kept pretending, he would look like a clown on stage.

“Mr. Lu,” Gu Xuanzhe didn’t press him. He moved the contract closer to Lu Youze and said, “Why don’t you take a look at the contract first? If you’re not satisfied, we can continue negotiating. Please believe in Gu Shi’s sincerity. We will do our best to satisfy you.”

“In that case, I’ll respectfully accept,” Lu Youze said.

After Lu Youze agreed, he seriously looked at the contract. The more he read, the more he felt that this wasn’t just a lucky break, but a golden opportunity. The terms were too generous; the other party didn’t take advantage of his current situation, and the compensation was top-tier. Not only was the pay high, but they also gave him a lot of freedom, even giving him the option to choose whether or not to participate in promotions afterward.

“Mr. Gu, are you sure this contract isn’t a mistake?” After finishing reading, Lu Youze couldn’t help but ask.

“Is there something wrong with the contract?”

“No, nothing’s wrong.” Lu Youze shook his head. He thought for a moment, then smiled and said, “I think you’re right; I have no reason to refuse.”

After speaking, Lu Youze effortlessly signed his name on the contract.

When Gu Xuanze saw Lu Youze’s signature, there was a trace of doubt in his eyes, but he didn’t dwell on it for too long. Instead, he stood up and extended his hand to Lu Youze.

“Mr. Lu, looking forward to our cooperation.”

“Looking forward to it,” Lu Youze replied as he shook Gu Xuanze’s hand.

After the contract was signed, the two discussed some details about their collaboration, and then Lu Youze prepared to leave.

“Do you want me to give you a ride?” Gu Xuanze asked.

“No need.” Lu Youze shook his head and declined the offer. “My driver will come pick me up later.”

He thought it was better to keep a low profile for now. If the reporters caught photos of Gu Xuanze driving him home, they might spread rumors that he had seduced the CEO of Gu Shi to gain resources, just like what the producer had just thought.

He didn’t care about these things, but it was better not to have such negative news around such a good script.

“Well then, I’ll leave now.” Gu Xuanze, as the company president, had a lot of things to handle. When he stood up to leave, it seemed like he remembered something and stopped. He looked at Lu Youze with a serious expression.

Feeling the gaze, Lu Youze unconsciously became a little nervous.

“Mr. Lu, you should drink less coffee.”

“?”

Lu Youze was confused. Wasn’t Gu Xuanze being too serious for something so trivial?

“It’s not good for the baby.” Seeing that Lu Youze seemed not to understand, Gu Xuanze couldn’t help but remind him again. Then, as though remembering something, he continued, “Oh, I almost forgot to tell you, you don’t have to worry about the baby during filming. I consulted a doctor, and they said that male Omegas are generally stronger than females, and the fetus develops faster. So filming should be no problem. When the shooting starts, I’ll arrange for a personal doctor and nutritionist to ensure both your and the baby’s health, so you don’t need to worry about that.”

Lu Youze felt a little disoriented. If Gu Xuanze hadn’t mentioned it, he might have forgotten that he was pregnant. It seemed like the CEO had already thought of everything.

“Don’t misunderstand, I don’t mean anything by it.” As if trying to cover something, Gu Xuanze added, “I just don’t want anything to happen during filming.”

“I think you should pay more attention to your physical condition. After all, if the male lead falls ill, it could seriously affect the progress of the filming.”

“I understand. I’ll be careful,” Lu Youze replied, snapping back to his senses.

“Well then, I’ll take my leave.”

After leaving the private room, Gu Xuanze didn’t leave immediately. He stood at the door, seemingly deep in thought, until he sensed that the people inside were about to come out, and then he left.