Although he promised Gu Xuanze that he would rest early and maintain his mental state, Lu Youze couldn’t let his father go to bed hungry and upset all night. As soon as he arrived at Lu Lihai’s door, he saw Qiao Ma sighing heavily, which meant his father had skipped dinner.

“Young Master,” Qiao Ma said as though she had seen a savior, “The dishes I brought to the old master, he didn’t eat a single bite. What should we do now?”

“Qiao Ma, you’ve worked hard,” Lu Youze reassured her. “Leave it to me. You go ahead and rest.”

“But…” Qiao Ma was still very worried.

“Don’t worry. He’s my father; would I let him be upset?” Lu Youze said, half-jokingly, half-seriously.

Qiao Ma looked at Lu Youze and noticed that he had changed. He seemed more trustworthy now.

“Then I’ll go and do other things. Young Master, you’re a big help,” she said before leaving.

After she left, Lu Youze didn’t knock on the door but instead went straight to the kitchen. He decided to cook some light food himself, so his father would be more likely to accept it.

Lu Lihai was still angry and didn’t want to eat. When he heard it was made by Lu Youze, though, he still reluctantly ate it, despite showing a disdainful expression. Since Lu Lihai was still upset, Lu Youze didn’t bring up the new drama. He felt that his father, as a loving parent, would eventually calm down, and once he did, the conversation would go smoothly.

After dinner, Lu Youze played a few rounds of chess with his father. When his father’s mood had improved, he finally left.

Back in his room, after a shower, it was already past 11 PM. The night felt longer than a century. Lu Youze rubbed his temples tiredly and planned to review the script before going to sleep but then realized the script wasn’t here.

Well, time for sleep, he thought. He needed to keep his energy up for tomorrow and was indeed exhausted.

Just as he was about to rest, a knock came at the door.

“Lu Youze,” Lu Youxi’s cold voice came through the door.

Instantly wide awake, Lu Youze rushed to open the door.

Lu Youxi glanced at Lu Youze. His gaze changed slightly, and he stood in the doorway without moving further in.

“I’ve read the script. It’s good,” Lu Youxi commented objectively. “But I won’t owe you any favors. I really like this script, and when the casting happens, I’ll go for the audition. I’ll get the role on my own.”

“Okay,” Lu Youze smiled and encouraged him. “I believe you can definitely do it.”

“I’m returning the script to you,” Lu Youxi said as he handed the script over, looking a bit uneasy. “I made a copy to study more. If I feel it’s not right, I’ll bring it back to you.”

“It’s fine, as long as it doesn’t get leaked,” Lu Youze reassured, giving a thumbs-up. “Good luck.”

Lu Youxi looked at Lu Youze, then turned around without saying anything and left.

Once Lu Youxi’s figure disappeared down the hallway, Lu Youze closed the door and carefully placed the script in a safe spot.

After a big yawn and stretching, Lu Youze finally lay down in bed.

Everything seemed to be moving in the right direction. He hoped the meeting with the director tomorrow would go smoothly. After all, it was the director Gu Xuanze had chosen. Although he wasn’t very familiar with Gu Xuanze, he had confidence in his ability to judge people.

He lay comfortably in bed, and as sleepiness took over, Lu Youze finally succumbed to sleep.

Gu Xuanze had a very regular routine every morning. He would finish his morning wash by 7:30, spend half an hour browsing the news, and have breakfast by 8:00. But today, he told the kitchen not to prepare breakfast for him and had Ye Xing reserve a table at a restaurant for him.

“You’re going on a date, Young Master?” Ye Xing, who seemed to be in a bad mood recently, asked sarcastically as he handed over Gu Xuanze’s jacket. “Ah, I envy you. It must be nice to forget everything.”

“Ye Xing,” Gu Xuanze said, feeling relatively good, but he didn’t want to bother with Ye Xing’s attitude. His expression remained flat as he replied, “Before you start meddling in other people’s business, maybe you should take care of your own first.”

“Young Master, that’s going too far,” Ye Xing smiled, his scholarly look now replaced with a slightly rogue air. “I think I’ve done my job as your butler quite well.”

Gu Xuanze ignored Ye Xing’s childish antics. After changing clothes, he called his secretary and calmly instructed, “Secretary Li, push all my appointments today to tomorrow.”

“I’ve signed all the important documents. You handle the rest,” Gu Xuanze added without showing any sympathy when he realized there might be difficulties. “If you can’t even handle this small matter, then just resign.”

After saying that, Gu Xuanze hung up the phone.

“Young Master, do you think it’s okay to use your position for personal matters?” Ye Xing chuckled, like a sly fox, clearly trying to make Gu Xuanze uncomfortable.

Seeing Ye Xing’s expression, Gu Xuanze immediately understood.

“Did Ah Hao go out again last night?”

Ye Xing was momentarily stunned. He pushed up his glasses and spoke with a sarcastic tone, “Of course. Not coming back last night, who knows which Omega’s bed he was enjoying himself in. Young master, aren’t you going to do something about it? What if one day an Omega with a big belly suddenly shows up looking for the father? That would be fun, wouldn’t it?”

His words were purely meant to disgust Gu Xuanze, and he actually hoped Lu Youze would come knocking to find the father of the child. Unfortunately, Lu Youze wasn’t interested.

Gu Xuanze was a person who worked with precision and attention to detail. The only time his plans were disrupted… he quickly pulled his wandering thoughts back. He had been looking forward to today’s schedule since yesterday and had made the best possible preparations, ensuring that Ye Xing’s words wouldn’t affect his mood. Besides, Ye Xing was just bitter because he couldn’t get what he wanted.

Gu Xuanze didn’t even spare Ye Xing another glance. Instead, as he walked out, he opened WeChat and tapped on a familiar contact. A CEO, looking as serious as if he were negotiating a multi-billion deal, stared at his phone screen for a long while. After much hesitation, he typed out the simplest of messages.

Gu Xuanze:
Mr. Lu, have you woken up? I’m on my way to pick you up.

After sending the message, Gu Xuanze clenched his phone even harder. Although he was walking outside, his peripheral vision remained glued to the WeChat screen.

Here was a CEO of a major company, yet at that moment, he looked just like a student waiting for a response from his crush after sneaking a look at her WeChat.

Ye Xing noticed Gu Xuanze’s behavior, his gaze darkened slightly, but quickly, a strange expression appeared on his face. Gu Xuanze, absorbed in his phone, didn’t notice Ye Xing’s change in expression.

“Then I won’t disturb the young master,” Ye Xing said, smiling, looking at Gu Xuanze with the attitude of a butler bidding farewell. “I wish you a pleasant day.”

Gu Xuanze thought Ye Xing’s mood shifts were a bit too quick, and he was about to ask when a new message popped up on his WeChat.

He quickly unlocked his phone, and indeed, it was a reply from Lu Youze.

Lu Youze:
Mr. Gu, everything is ready on my end. But are you sure it’s alright to just come to my house directly? I’m worried about reporters… Alright, just let me know when you arrive.

Gu Xuanze stared at the two simple lines for a long time, carefully analyzing Lu Youze’s emotions while responding. At first, it seemed Lu Youze was genuinely worried about reporters, given his current situation. Any photo could easily spin a story. But then, the tone shifted, and Lu Youze was suddenly more relaxed about it, allowing him to come. Gu Xuanze understood this as Lu Youze choosing to trust him, and since he said he would come to pick him up, everything must have been planned out.

No matter what Lu Youze’s true feelings were, Gu Xuanze decided to interpret it this way. This made him feel much better, and the corner of his lips even curled into a faint smile.

In fact, Gu Xuanze had already alerted some major media outlets. They were more than welcome to report normally, but if anyone tried anything foolish, Gu Xuanze would not hesitate to take action.

Moreover, he knew that Lu Youze’s grandfather had also warned some media outlets.

The Gu family was a giant in the entertainment industry, and with the CEO personally making a call, these major outlets naturally wouldn’t dare to cause trouble. As for those self-media marketing accounts, they wouldn’t be able to stir much up. As for the people watching Lu’s villa, it all depended on Ye Xing’s skills. If nothing came of it, then his so-called “private detective agency” would be out of business.

After some more hesitation, Gu Xuanze replied to Lu Youze.

Gu Xuanze:
I’m on my way.

After sending the message, he put his phone in his pocket. Today, unlike usual, he wasn’t wearing a suit and tie. Instead, he wore a black trench coat over a white shirt, which gave him a more casual and stylish look compared to his usual serious demeanor.

Gu Xuanze soon arrived at Lu Youze’s villa. Knowing that Lu Youze’s grandfather wouldn’t welcome him, he parked his car in front of the villa. To avoid any paparazzi, Gu Xuanze remained cautious. He didn’t get out of the car, kept the windows up, and wore large sunglasses that covered most of his face. The car he drove wasn’t the usual one he used.

He parked next to the villa and sent another WeChat message to Lu Youze.

Gu Xuanze:
I’m here.

Less than five minutes after sending the message, Lu Youze appeared by his car. When they saw each other’s outfits, they were both surprised, and Lu Youze awkwardly smiled.

“Mr. Gu, if you mind, I can change now,” Lu Youze suggested, quickly averting his gaze.

Who could have imagined that their fashion sense would be so similar? Not only did they both wear the same black trench coat, but their shirts were identical in style and color, and even their sunglasses were the same… If not for the cap Lu Youze was wearing, they would have looked like clones.

Walking together on the street, especially with an Alpha and an Omega, they would certainly be mistaken for a couple. As public figures, the last thing they wanted was to have the same outfit—whoever looked worse would feel awkward.

“I don’t mind,” Gu Xuanze said, a slight smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. He thought maybe he should work on his expression management, as this smile could be seen as a failure. “If Mr. Lu minds, I can wait for you.”

The CEO wasn’t bothered by it, so changing now would seem unnecessary. Besides… Lu Youze glanced at his reflection in the car window. He looked good in the outfit and didn’t think he was outdone by anyone.

“I’m fine with it,” Lu Youze said, getting into the car. Initially, he was going to sit in the back, but Gu Xuanze seemed to want him in the passenger seat. Although confused, Lu Youze sat down.

“Mr. Gu, let’s go, don’t keep the director waiting.”