Gu Xianze didn’t expect to be countered like this. He glanced at Lu Youze, his expression remaining unchanged, but inside, he let out a bitter laugh. This test wasn’t about Lu Youze’s acting skills—it was about his own self-control.

“If it’s just sitting, I have no problem with that.”

“President Gu, sorry to trouble you,” Lu Youze said with a somewhat embarrassed smile.

Seeing Lu Youze smiling at him, Gu Xianze was momentarily stunned. Of course, no matter what he felt inside, he maintained his ever-unchanging icy demeanor.

“Don’t thank me just yet,” Gu Xianze said, his face devoid of emotion, even carrying a hint of coldness. “Wait until you pass Director Wu’s test first.”

Wu Liyi snorted, unimpressed by the subtle mockery in Gu Xianze’s words. Although he had given Lu Youze this opportunity as a favor, he was convinced that no one could impress him the way Wan Renmi once had.

“I trust Director Wu is a smart man,” Lu Youze said with a confident smile. “Then, I’ll begin. President Gu, I’ll be troubling you.”

Gu Xianze gave a slight nod, adjusted his sitting posture, and then looked at Lu Youze, who had already slipped into character.

The moment their gazes met, Gu Xianze felt his heart tighten—he nearly lost his composure. Even though he knew Lu Youze was acting, he still found himself drowning in those eyes, filled with suppressed emotions yet unable to hide their deep affection.

His heartbeat pounded violently. Instinctively, he averted his gaze. The timing wasn’t right yet—he couldn’t afford to expose too much.

Once Lu Youze entered the role, his entire aura changed. Every expression and movement conveyed the character’s struggle and pain. But most of all, his eyes—those eyes perfectly embodied the anguish of unrequited love. Anyone who met his gaze would instantly feel that he must love the person before him beyond words.

He must not be swayed—this is just acting.

Outwardly, Gu Xianze remained unmoved, but inside, he was a mess. He kept reminding himself that this was just a performance. Yet, even if it was just acting, it made him realize how intoxicating it was to be the one receiving such an affectionate gaze. If fate had erased Lu Youze’s memories, then it had given him another chance. This time, he wouldn’t repeat the same mistakes.

Wu Liyi hadn’t expected much from Lu Youze, but since he had promised to give him a chance, he would judge him with professional scrutiny—perhaps even more critically than usual. After all, even though Lu Youze’s career had declined, he was once a Best Actor. Originally, Wu Liyi had been searching for flaws, but before he realized it, he had been drawn in.

Though they were different people, for a fleeting moment, Lu Youze overlapped with Wan Renmi in his mind.

This was true acting—where even when you knew it was just a performance, the emotions still swept you away, making you feel everything as if it were real.

Wu Liyi had to admit, Lu Youze’s reputation as a Best Actor wasn’t just empty praise. His confidence wasn’t baseless—he had indeed inherited Wan Renmi’s talent in acting.

It seemed that Wu Liyi had underestimated him.

But Lu Youze had no time to care about Wu Liyi’s thoughts. The moment he started acting, he was no longer Lu Youze—he was someone who loved the man in front of him so deeply that he was willing to gamble everything on one final, desperate move.

He immersed himself in the emotions, feeling the pain of longing without fulfillment. Taking a deep breath as if steeling himself for a final decision, he sat on Gu Xianze’s lap and, in a playful tone, said, “I like you.”

Before the other could respond, he chuckled and added, “Haha, I was just joking. Don’t take it seriously.”

He was smiling, yet his eyes looked as if they were about to cry.

Then, his smile slowly stiffened, turning awkward. His gaze became slightly uneasy as he looked at Gu Xianze, who remained expressionless.

This wasn’t acting—it was an instinctive, subconscious reaction. When Lu Youze wrapped his arms around Gu Xuanze’s neck and said he liked him, he suddenly felt something pressing against his lower body. It was the kind of thing that… well, any man would understand.

However, Gu Xuanze’s expression remained unchanged, his body completely still, as if everything that had just happened was nothing more than Lu Youze’s illusion.

Now what? Lu Youze fell into a brief moment of contemplation. Should he ignore the heat between his legs and continue acting, or should he stand up and relieve the awkwardness first?

“F*ck.”

Just as Lu Youze was torn between choices, a furious roar erupted behind them.

“Lu Youze, what the hell are you doing? Get off my brother’s lap right now!”

Gu Xuanhao had somehow appeared behind them, glaring at Lu Youze like an enraged lion, baring his teeth and ready to pounce. He looked like he was just about to lunge forward and snap Lu Youze’s neck.

Behind him stood Ye Xing, watching the show with an amused expression.

Seeing his friend like this, Lu Youze couldn’t help but roll his eyes. Gu Xuanhao had the audacity to say he wasn’t obsessed with his brother? Look at him—forgetting his friends the moment his brother was involved. Who would believe he wasn’t a total bro-con?

But thanks to Gu Xuanhao’s interruption, Lu Youze could now get off Gu Xuanze’s lap without making it seem unnatural.

Gu Xuanze also let out a silent sigh of relief. Though he appeared calm and composed on the outside, he knew he really needed to work on his self-control. Without a word, he casually crossed one leg over the other to conceal the rather obvious problem in his lap.

Of course, Gu Xuanze hid it well—but that didn’t mean no one noticed.

Take, for example, a certain nosy butler, who let out a playful whistle and exaggeratedly exclaimed, “Wow~.”

Gu Xuanze couldn’t be bothered to respond, maintaining his usual icy expression.

Gu Xuanhao shot a fierce glare at the meddlesome Ye Xing before stepping forward in one swift motion, positioning himself between Lu Youze and Gu Xuanze like a protective barrier.

“Lu Youze, you and my brother—since when did you two have a thing going on? I don’t care if you’re my best friend, I won’t allow you to toy with my brother’s feelings! He’s a virgin, you know? Completely pure-hearted!”

The moment the word “virgin” was uttered, the three other men in the room all failed to hold back their laughter.

Even Gu Xuanze’s perpetually cold face darkened.

Lu Youze couldn’t help but give Gu Xuanze another once-over. No matter which angle he looked at him from, this man did not seem like a “virgin.” Just what kind of big brother image had Gu Xuanhao created in his head? This guy—who was infamous for playing around with women—actually believed his older brother was some pure and chaste man? The dynamic between these brothers was truly bizarre.

“Relax.” Lu Youze slung an arm around Gu Xuanhao’s shoulders. “Bro, there’s nothing between me and your brother. We were just acting.”

Their posture was far too close.

Now, there were two people in the room with blackened faces.