Lu Youze hurriedly helped clear the bowls and chopsticks on the table to make space for Uncle Lu to place the box.

“This is some old stuff that the Second Young Master threw into the trash after the First Young Master moved out of the Lu family villa,” Uncle Lu said, scratching his head awkwardly before continuing, “I picked it up, thinking that maybe one day the Second Young Master would regret it, so I kept it.”

“What’s inside?” Lu Youze asked, easing Uncle Lu’s embarrassment.

“First Young Master, take a look at this.” Uncle Lu took out two photo frames from the storage box and placed them in front of Lu Youze.

Inside were two photos of Lu Youze and Lu Youxi together. One was taken when they were about seven or eight years old—Lu Youxi was crying sadly, while Lu Youze looked worried as he comforted him. The other photo seemed to be from when they were around seventeen or eighteen, showing the two of them closely embracing each other’s shoulders, giving the camera a faint smile.

Although the photos didn’t prove anything, they at least showed that the two brothers had a good relationship when they were younger. However, the moment Lu Youze saw the photos, he noticed that they had been torn apart and then taped back together. To get a clearer look, he took the photos out of the frames, and sure enough, there were scratch marks on the image of himself.

This development was different from the novel. The book clearly stated that Lu Youxi had never liked Lu Youze since childhood, but he had never shown it. Even when Lu Youze treated him poorly, he always clung to him.

Yet Lu Youxi’s current actions did not seem like those of someone who disliked his older brother. Of course, this turn of events worked in his favor. Now, he only needed to figure out whether Youxi truly liked Yu Li, and things would become much simpler.

Lu Youze couldn’t help but glance at the young Lu Youxi in the photo again. He really was adorable back then. Later, he’d have to find a way to ask Uncle Lu for these two photos.

“First Young Master, take a look at these as well.” Uncle Lu didn’t explain further. This time, he took out a large stack of BD discs from the box. Lu Youze was surprised as he looked at the discs spread across the table. He picked them up one by one to check—they were mostly movies that Lu Youze had acted in before, with the rest being instructional DVDs for beginner actors.

Out of curiosity—or rather, to understand the original book’s Lu Youze—he had previously searched for and watched his past films. He had to admit that, while he disapproved of many of the original owner’s actions, his performances in movies were undeniably outstanding. His acting skills were refined to perfection—if he were to be immodest, they were on par with his own.

The title “Best Actor” was well deserved.

Best Actor Lu, aren’t you basically praising yourself at this point? Careful not to bite your tongue. Still, it was a pity—someone as talented as “Lu Youze” had his career ruined by romantic entanglements. It was fortunate that he had transmigrated into this body; otherwise, the entertainment industry would have lost a future superstar and artist.

Alright, focus.

Seeing these BD discs, it was clear that Lu Youxi genuinely loved acting—he might even idolize his award-winning older brother. That made things easier.

“The Second Young Master used to be very attached to you,” Uncle Lu observed Lu Youze’s reaction before continuing. “You had a natural talent for acting. Even when you were still a student, you were already a well-known young actor. Back then, every time the Second Young Master saw you on TV, he’d proudly tell us that you were his idol.”

Lu Youze didn’t interrupt. Instead, he stood up and poured Uncle Lu a glass of water. After taking a sip, Uncle Lu continued, “Whenever you had free time, you would personally teach the Second Young Master how to act and always encouraged him, saying he would become an excellent actor one day.”

“Then why did Youxi and I end up like this?” Lu Youze asked, even though he already had a rough idea.

Uncle Lu’s expression changed as he hesitated, carefully considering how to respond. He was afraid that mentioning Yu Li would trigger bad memories for Lu Youze. After a long pause, he finally spoke truthfully: “It was after you met Yu Li. From then on, all your attention was on him, and your attitude toward the Second Young Master suddenly turned terrible. You even said some very harsh things to him.”

Recalling what Lu Youxi had just said, Lu Youze quickly figured out what “harsh things” Uncle Lu was referring to.

“Did I tell him that he wasn’t fit to be an actor?”

“Yes.” Uncle Lu nodded. “The Second Young Master was deeply hurt by that. He completely changed—he went from being obedient and well-behaved to rebellious. He started staying out all night, and no matter how many times the Master scolded him, it didn’t work. Eventually, the Master just gave up. After that, as I mentioned earlier, the Second Young Master got involved with Yu Li, and your relationship with him worsened to the point that you two would argue every time you met.”

After taking another sip of water, Uncle Lu continued, “If I had said this before, you probably would have been angry. But now that you’ve lost your memory, you’ve actually become more rational about Yu Li. So, as someone older than you, let me say this—Mr. Yu was deliberately driving a wedge between you and your brother. Ever since you brought him home that first time, the Second Young Master started fighting with the Master about joining the entertainment industry. That led to constant arguments—huge ones every three days, small ones every two days. As you saw today, the father and son relationship has completely deteriorated.”

“First Young Master, I’m not trying to badmouth Mr. Yu just because you’ve lost your memory. But that man is not as innocent as he seems,” Uncle Lu warned. “While he was dating you, he was also entangled with the Second Young Master. He messed up your family’s relationships, yet somehow, he’s playing the victim while public opinion is siding with him.”

“I know,” Lu Youze said, unwilling to discuss Yu Li any further. He smiled reassuringly at Uncle Lu. “Uncle Lu, how many times do I have to tell you before you believe me? To me, Yu Li is in the past. Right now, I just want to mend my relationships with my dad and Youxi.”

Uncle Lu’s eyes turned slightly red. As someone who had been loyal to the Lu family for years, his greatest wish was to see the father and sons reconcile. Now, it seemed like there was still hope.

“First Young Master, I will fully support you,” Uncle Lu said hoarsely.

“Thank you, Uncle Lu.” After expressing his gratitude, Lu Youze returned to the main topic. “Uncle Lu, I have a question. Dad never opposed me becoming an actor, so why is he so against Youxi entering the industry?”

“Sigh,” Uncle Lu sighed. “It’s an old wound for the Master. Even if you lost your memory, you should at least remember that Madam was once a nationally famous superstar, right?”

“Yes.” Lu Youze nodded. After returning to the Lu family, he had looked up everything about the original owner and naturally knew about the “mother” of this body. Even though this was an ABO world where men could have children—and even though he himself was now pregnant with some unknown person’s child—he still wasn’t quite used to referring to a grown man as “Mother.”

But Madam Lu truly was impressive. Not only was he a great beauty, but he was also a talented host, singer, and actor. Every movie and drama he starred in was a box office hit. His popularity at the time, even compared to Yu Li now…

When Uncle Lu mentioned Madam Lu, a shy smile from his youth appeared on his face. “Actually, I was also a fan of Madam. No one could resist her charm. Back then, everyone said Master was the happiest man in the world, and of course, he believed so himself.”

As he spoke, Uncle Lu’s expression turned sorrowful. “It’s just a pity… Madam passed away due to complications while giving birth to the second young master. Everyone, including the second young master himself, believes that Master resents him because of this, which is why he treats him so strictly. But that’s not the case.

“Madam had promised a close friend to make a cameo appearance in his film when she was over nine months pregnant. It wasn’t a major role, nor were there any dangerous action scenes. Master couldn’t refuse Madam, so he reluctantly agreed. But no one expected a small accident during filming to trigger premature labor, and then Madam…”

“Madam withdrew from the entertainment industry at the height of her career. Many people thought she gave up her career for love, but she told Master that wasn’t the case. She had already created her most satisfying work and had no regrets professionally. In her short life, she was able to meet the person she deeply loved and have two adorable children—she was content.”

Uncle Lu seemed lost in memories, his sadness tinged with a gentle smile. “She hoped that after she left, the people she loved would be happy, her children would live well, and their dreams would come true. That’s why Master never stopped you, young master, from pursuing your dreams.

“As for the second young master, he was born prematurely and barely survived. His health has always been weak, and Master has been afraid that he might encounter an accident during filming, just like Madam. That’s why he strongly opposes him joining the entertainment industry. You also know, young master, that the second young master looks just like Madam. Every time Master sees him, he is reminded of her and ends up retreating to his study, staring at Madam’s photo in silent grief. But to the second young master, this appears as if Master is always cold and distant toward him.

“In reality, you and the second young master are both his and Madam’s children—how could he not love you? Especially since, before she passed, Madam repeatedly told Master to be good to the second young master because her mistake had caused him to be born early, leaving him with a frail body. So tell me, how could Master possibly hate him? It’s just that, given his personality, he could never bring himself to say these things outright.”

After hearing Uncle Lu’s explanation, Lu Youze let out a long sigh of relief. There was no deep-seated hatred, just a father who struggled to express himself and a son longing for affection. That made things much easier to resolve.

Indeed, tsundere characters might be adorable in some films and dramas, but they came with risks. If handled poorly, they could end up like this father and son—estranged for years.

Lu Youze felt a bit uneasy inside, though he couldn’t quite explain why. Maybe it was because he had already grown accustomed to this identity and had come to see them as family. Or maybe it was because he had never had this kind of bond himself, and watching them waste so many years over a misunderstanding frustrated him.

Regardless, now that he understood the situation, as the eldest son and elder brother, it was time for him to step in.

“Uncle Lu, I understand the situation now. Just wait for my good news,” Lu Youze said with a smile. He packed the items on the table back into the box. “Can you entrust these to me? I’ll make good use of them.”

“Mm.” Uncle Lu stood up. “Young master, I’ll leave it to you, then. I’ll go check on Master and see if he’s still upset.”

“Tell Dad I’ll play chess with him later.”

Watching Uncle Lu leave, Lu Youze picked up the box and returned to his room. After safely storing the items, he picked up the script that Gu Xuanhao had sent him. Then, he headed to Lu Youxi’s door.

Taking a deep breath, he knocked.

The real battle was about to begin.