“Mr. Lu.” Gu Xuanze asked casually while driving, “Have you had breakfast?”

Lu Youze, who was still thinking about how to respond, was interrupted by his stomach growling. In fact, he had just woken up and received a WeChat message from Gu Xuanze. He originally thought Gu Xuanze wouldn’t leave until after 10 AM, but here he was, so early. Lu had planned to ask Qiao Ma to prepare something simple for breakfast, but after washing up and changing clothes, he hadn’t even had a bite of bread before he received another WeChat message from Gu, saying he was already at his door.

Truly the CEO, so efficient. Lu Youze stared at the bread for a long time, finally giving up with a sigh. He couldn’t make the CEO wait outside.

“I woke up a bit late, haven’t had the chance to eat,” Lu Youze said after getting in the car, taking off his hat, and scratching his head with a forced smile. Luckily, his stomach didn’t growl after answering “I’ve eaten,” or that would have been more embarrassing.

At this point, the light turned red, and Gu Xuanze glanced at Lu Youze. “I haven’t eaten either. How about we get breakfast first?”

Although it sounded like a question, Lu Youze felt like there wasn’t much room to decline. Gu Xuanze seemed like the type of person who always took charge.

“Is this okay?” Lu Youze asked. “Would it be bad if the director waits too long?”

“No problem,” Gu Xuanze said as the red light turned green. He focused back on driving but answered seriously. “Given the director’s usual routine, he’s probably still sleeping.”

If Gu Xuanze knew so much about the director’s routine, why would he leave so early? Lu Youze couldn’t help but complain silently in his mind.

As though reading his thoughts, Gu Xuanze broke the silence after a while. “Director Wu is a great director, but his temperament is a bit strange. Mr. Lu, I don’t know how much you remember about Director Wu after your memory loss, but there are some details I think it’s better to discuss in person rather than over the phone.”

Lu Youze realized he didn’t know much about Director Wu. People like him, talented but eccentric, often had quirks. It was better to know about them beforehand to avoid stepping on any landmines. Gu Xuanze’s consideration was thoughtful, which made sense for someone like him, the CEO of the Gu Corporation. Lu, on the other hand, was only a “former” CEO of the Lu Corporation, though that “former” wasn’t really him.

“Mr. Gu, I understand,” Lu Youze said. After one concern was settled, another came up quickly. “But… if we go out like this for breakfast, we’ll probably be surrounded by people, won’t we?”

“I know a place. The food is great,” Gu Xuanze replied. “It’s a VIP-only restaurant. Other people are not allowed in unless they’re VIP members. We should be left alone there.”

Gu Xuanze hadn’t mentioned that even VIP members had to make a reservation in advance. If Lu Youze knew that, he’d really suspect Gu had some hidden agenda.

The plan was well thought out, though. Gu Xuanze considered everything, which made spending time with him comfortable but also a bit intimidating. If he ever plotted against you, you might even end up counting money for him. Lu Youze didn’t say anything else, and Gu Xuanze didn’t seem interested in further conversation. The sudden silence made the atmosphere in the car a little awkward. But soon enough, they arrived at the restaurant Gu Xuanze had reserved, and the two followed a waiter to a private room.

Once seated, a server quickly brought tea, and the service was top-notch.

“Mr. Gu, can we begin with the dishes?” asked a person dressed like the restaurant manager with a smile.

“Yes,” Gu Xuanze replied, pouring a glass of water for Lu Youze and nodding.

“Is it according to the previous menu?” the manager asked again.

Gu Xuanze’s expression changed slightly. He instinctively looked at Lu Youze. When he saw that Lu didn’t seem to notice their conversation, he let out a breath of relief.

“Yes,” Gu Xuanze replied to the manager, “Please hurry. We’re both quite hungry.”

“Got it,” the manager responded and left.

Lu Youze took a sip of water. He was indeed hungry, but before the food arrived, he was more interested in hearing about Director Wu. “Mr. Gu, to be honest, I’ve forgotten a lot of things since my memory loss. I don’t really know what Director Wu is like. Can you tell me more about him?”

“Sure,” Gu Xuanze nodded, his expression serious. “Once the food arrives, we can eat a bit first, and then I’ll explain.”

They could have talked while eating, but seeing Gu Xuanze’s serious face, Lu Youze decided not to press the issue. After all, they’d have time to discuss it later, and he was indeed quite hungry. Focusing on eating wouldn’t be so bad.

The restaurant’s efficiency was impressive. Before long, all the dishes arrived. But as Lu Youze looked at the table, his face immediately fell.

Aside from the celery cucumber juice, everything on the table seemed like a menu for pregnant women (or men)?

He could understand the celery cucumber juice, which many artists drank for beauty, although he couldn’t tolerate the taste and hadn’t touched it since his first try. But what was all this other stuff? It was either soup or porridge, and if it wasn’t shrimp, it was fish. It looked lavish but was so bland!

And—Lu Youze glanced at Gu Xuanze with a strange expression—did even men need to eat these kinds of things to supplement their nutrition?

Noticing Lu Youze’s gaze, Gu Xuanzhe’s expression didn’t change at all. He even proactively served Lu Youze a bowl of shrimp porridge, saying to him, “Mr. Lu, this shop’s porridge is actually quite famous. You should try it and see if it suits your taste.”

Since the other person said so, what else could he say? He smiled, and with a feeling of stepping into the unknown, he picked up the porridge and took a sip. Surprisingly, it tasted quite good, and it really whetted his appetite, making him unable to stop drinking it one mouthful after another.

Ignoring the fact that he was being treated like a pregnant man eating nutritious meals, he actually ate quite comfortably.

The two finished their breakfast quietly. After Gu Xuanzhe had the waiter clean the table, he asked for some fruit to be brought up.

“As for Director Wu’s directorial style, I think it’s better for you to see it for yourself rather than me explaining it to you,” Gu Xuanzhe said, placing a laptop on the table and opening the film he had prepared in advance.

“Alright,” Lu Youze replied, agreeing without objection. Indeed, seeing it firsthand would leave a deeper impression, and he focused on watching.

Lu Youze concentrated on the movie playing on the laptop, while Gu Xuanzhe focused on watching him. Although the Lu Youze after his memory loss felt completely different, his serious expression when dealing with work was unchanged.

It was this gaze and this expression that had first attracted Gu Xuanzhe.

Gu Xuanzhe shifted his gaze away from Lu Youze. Although Lu Youze was focused on watching the movie, big stars like them were always highly sensitive to others’ stares. If he kept staring, it would soon be noticed, and that would indeed be awkward.

Gu Xuanzhe naturally wouldn’t make such a mistake.

“Director Wu has made very few films; altogether, only three,” Gu Xuanzhe said, cutting up the cherimoya fruit he had peeled earlier and offering it to Lu Youze. After considering for a moment, he continued, “I don’t know if it’s a coincidence or for some other reason, but all three of the films feature Mrs. Lu, which means your other father.”

Back then, there were many rumors about Mrs. Lu and Director Wu. No one knew who helped whom, but in any case, each of those three films was a box-office champion. The one Lu Youze was watching now, The You in the Beginning, even set a box-office record that still hasn’t been broken.

Lu Youze, in his original form, had been just one step away from breaking the record, but unfortunately, he still fell short. Lu Youze had publicly expressed his regret about it.

Lu Youze naturally took the cherimoya from Gu Xuanzhe, took a bite, then paused the movie and looked at Gu Xuanzhe. “Mr. Gu, I think I understand why Mrs. Lu… oh, I mean my father, stopped making films. I understand why Director Wu hasn’t made any new films since.”

Gu Xuanzhe didn’t rush to speak. He waited silently with an expressionless face, allowing Lu Youze to continue.

“I think the only person who could meet his requirements is probably my father,” Lu Youze said, looking at the still image from the movie. “How should I put it? It feels like the whole movie exists for my father.”

This director probably likes Mrs. Lu, right? Of course, no director would dislike an actor as excellent as Mrs. Lu. But at least in terms of how this movie was made, Lu Youze felt that Director Wu had some special feelings for Mrs. Lu. These thoughts weren’t something he could discuss with Gu Xuanzhe, since Mrs. Lu was his father.

Gu Xuanzhe’s expression changed slightly. He actually understood Director Wu quite well. Gu’s new drama was also made for someone, but he couldn’t let anyone know that—at least not yet.

“Did I say something wrong?” Although Gu Xuanzhe kept his expression well hidden, Lu Youze noticed the change in his demeanor. Seeing Gu Xuanzhe’s unusual expression, Lu Youze couldn’t help but smooth things over. “Mr. Gu, I was just casually sharing my opinion. It’s okay if you don’t agree.”

“The cherimoya tastes pretty good. Mr. Lu, you should eat more. It’s good for the baby in your stomach,” Gu Xuanzhe said, not commenting on the rest. After all, the other person was Lu Youze’s father, so he wasn’t in a position to make a judgment.

“Mm, okay.”

Lu Youze wasn’t sure if it was his imagination, but he felt like Gu Xuanzhe was particularly concerned about the baby in his stomach.

A bold thought suddenly popped into his mind. Could it be that he…? Lu Youze gave Gu Xuanzhe a complicated look. Although he didn’t have the memories of this particular Lu Youze, he could still be 100% sure that he and Gu Xuanzhe couldn’t have had any kind of relationship. The child definitely wasn’t Gu Xuanzhe’s nephew.

From what he knew about Gu Xuanzhe, he wasn’t the kind of person who would cheat on his best friend and deny it.

“Mr. Gu,” Lu Youze said after eating several more pieces of cherimoya. He hesitated for a moment before looking at Gu Xuanzhe, feeling it was better to clear things up. After all, he couldn’t let the misunderstanding continue. What if the misunderstanding was cleared up later, and the other person suddenly tried to “retaliate”?

“Mr. Lu, if you have something to say, just say it,” Gu Xuanzhe said, although his face was expressionless, his eyes never left Lu Youze. He hadn’t missed the brief moment of realization on Lu Youze’s face, as if he suddenly understood something.

That shift in Lu Youze’s expression reminded Gu Xuanzhe of some unpleasant memories.

“Mr. Gu, you’ve misunderstood. Me and Xuān Hào, we’re just good brothers. The child in my stomach…”

Before Lu Youze could finish explaining, a loud male voice from outside the private room interrupted, “What’s going on with you guys? I heard this place has excellent service, no matter how picky the customer is, they can meet the needs. But your membership fee is ridiculously expensive, and this is what I get??? I’m so disappointed. I’m going to file a complaint! This is false advertising!”

The man seemed genuinely furious, and his voice was loud enough for probably the entire restaurant to hear. Lu Youze couldn’t help but think, this restaurant is great, but the soundproofing in this private room is really bad.

He didn’t know that this restaurant was VIP-only, and the people who came to dine there were usually either rich or influential, so shouting during meals was quite rare.

Before Lu Youze could say anything, Gu Xuanzhe stood up. A trace of surprise appeared on his usually calm face.

“Mr. Gu?” Lu Youze stood up as well, looking at him with some confusion.

Gu Xuanzhe glanced at Lu Youze. Although he was somewhat surprised to encounter the situation here, it didn’t affect his plans. This new drama, tailored for Lu Youze, was something he would make sure was perfect.

“This is Director Wu’s voice,” Gu Xuanzhe said to Lu Youze. “Let’s go. We should greet him.”

This was quite unexpected for Lu Youze. However, having been in big situations before, he quickly adjusted his emotions and confidently said to Gu Xuanzhe, “Mr. Gu, let’s go. I’m sure I won’t disappoint you.”