Lu Youze initially thought that after Wu Liyi agreed to direct the new drama, he would be busy for quite some time. However, it turned out that he had overthought it. For a long period afterward, he had nothing to do and could only stay home, read the script, and—incidentally—try to win over his icy younger brother.

While Lu Youze was idle, the Gu Corporation and Old Master Lu were anything but.

One was busy with the preparations for the new drama, while the other hadn’t forgotten what Lu Youze had previously asked of him. With Old Master Lu taking action, more than half of the accounts stirring up negative narratives online disappeared overnight.

As a result, Lu Youze’s reputation improved slightly. More discussions began shifting towards the idea that his alleged affair was actually a setup. Initially, the evidence gathered by Gu Xuanhao and Uncle Lu was too little to fully support this claim. However, it seemed like someone else was secretly helping. The evidence released online made this version of events increasingly convincing.

Although the dominant public opinion was still unfavorable towards Lu Youze, at least some of his once-silent fans had started to speak up again.

Meanwhile, Gu Corporation lived up to its name, wrapping up all preparations within just a month. Every actor in the production—whether they played major roles or minor background characters—was a recognizable name in the entertainment industry, ranging from veteran actors to trending young idols. There was no denying Gu Corporation’s financial prowess and Wu Liyi’s strong influence. This A-list cast list also served as a slap in the face to those who had ridiculed the production on trending topics earlier.

Some of the celebrities who were “called out” in those trending discussions even attempted to join the project later. However, whether it was because Gu Corporation’s CEO held grudges or because they genuinely didn’t fit the drama, none of those who failed to immediately clarify the situation back then ended up making it into the cast.

This highly anticipated, big-budget production funded by Gu Corporation was ultimately titled Days of Roaming the Martial World. It was a wuxia ensemble drama that followed the main character and a group of friends as they traveled the martial world, encountering various peculiar people and incidents.

The story itself followed a classic hero’s journey, but what made the script stand out wasn’t the plot—it was the character designs. Every role, even the minor ones, had unique charm and depth.

Many popular young idols and veteran actors were willing to take on even minor roles—not just because of Gu Corporation’s financial resources or Wu Liyi’s legendary reputation, but also because of the script. They were convinced the drama would become a massive hit, and even their supporting roles would help them gain a substantial fanbase.

In reality, Days of Roaming the Martial World was already explosively popular before filming even began. From the casting stage alone, it had dominated trending lists, even surpassing the recent hype surrounding Yu Li. After all, this was the first TV drama by the legendary director Wu Liyi after years of seclusion. The lead actor was none other than Lu Youze, who had been publicly vilified not long ago. On top of that, Gu Corporation was sparing no expense in its promotion, and the cast was star-studded. It was impossible for the drama not to trend.

Although Old Master Lu’s efforts had somewhat improved Lu Youze’s public image, Yu Li’s popularity was still formidable. With Gu Corporation heavily backing Lu Youze, Yu Li’s fans were naturally upset. They began organizing targeted efforts across various platforms, continuously bringing up Lu Youze’s past scandals.

At first, it was just individual fans acting on their own, but later, it seemed that someone had given instructions. Professional teams got involved, and with strategic marketing, the results were immediate. Soon, casual onlookers and righteous netizens started condemning and criticizing Lu Youze all over again.

It felt like a repeat of when Lu Youze’s pregnancy scandal first broke. His name once again dominated negative trending lists, and the fans who had initially defended him started going silent.

Yet, none of the online chaos seemed to affect Lu Youze. He had no time to care about the public opinion battle. He was busy repeatedly studying the script and familiarizing himself with the current entertainment industry landscape. Just as he was immersed in work, Gu Xuanhao suddenly showed up to disrupt his peace.

For some reason, the second young master of the Gu family had disappeared for a while and then suddenly turned up at Lu Youze’s house. He neither went home nor went out to party, simply staying there with an uncharacteristically lethargic demeanor.

Lu Youze wasn’t a fool. Seeing Gu Xuanhao in this state, he knew something major must have happened. After all, this was the first person who had genuinely cared for him after his rebirth, and he had long regarded Gu Xuanhao as a good brother. Naturally, he was concerned. However, since Gu Xuanhao refused to talk about it, he had no choice but to let him stay.

Gu Xuanzhe, on the other hand, was a responsible and caring older brother. Upon learning that Gu Xuanhao had been staying at Lu Youze’s house for several days, the busy CEO made it a point to visit the Lu family villa every single day without fail.

Of course, whether his concern was purely for his younger brother or if he had other motives—only he himself knew.

As usual, after finishing work at the office, Gu Xuanzhe headed straight for the Lu family residence. The butler, Uncle Lu, was already used to the Gu family CEO’s daily visits.

“President Gu, the young master is in the study. Second Young Master Gu is in the dining room. Where would you like to go first?”

Gu Xuanzhe had always used Gu Xuanhao as his excuse for coming over, so Uncle Lu’s question was purely to tease him.

Unfazed, Gu Xuanzhe replied indifferently, “Where is Uncle Lu? As a junior, I should pay my respects to him first.”

Uncle Lu’s mouth twitched. This man was truly shameless.

“President Gu is too polite. The old master hasn’t been feeling well lately and has gone to the Lu family’s old estate to recuperate with the family doctor.”

Uncle Lu wasn’t lying—Lu Lihai really wasn’t at the villa. Ever since Lu Youze’s mother passed away, Lu Lihai had distanced himself from anything related to the entertainment industry. Upon learning that Gu Xuanzhe had invested in Lu Youze’s new drama and that Wu Liyi was directing, he was so furious that he almost ended up in the hospital.

However, seeing the determination in his eldest son’s eyes, he knew that persuading him was impossible. So, he chose to avoid the situation altogether and returned to the old estate to focus on his health.

“In that case, I’ll go see Ah Hao first,” Gu Xuanzhe said to Uncle Lu.

“Suit yourself, President Gu.”

These past few days, Gu Xuanhao had truly made himself at home in the Lu residence.

“Brother, you’re here.” Gu Xuanhao was gnawing on a chicken leg when he saw Gu Xuanzhe walk in. He quickly put it down, wiped his hands, and stood up.

Gu Xuanzhe nodded in acknowledgment. After motioning for him to sit back down, he frowned and asked, “How long do you plan to stay here?”

Ye Xing had been missing for a while as well. Gu Xuanzhe had a rough idea of what might have happened, but he only hoped it wasn’t too serious.

“Brother, I’ll go back when I want to.”

“What happened between you and Ye Xing?” Gu Xuanzhe cut straight to the point. He had given his younger brother enough time—he couldn’t allow him to keep running away.

Gu Xuanhao flinched so hard that he almost knocked over the tableware.

“Brother, how did you know?!”

Seeing his reaction, Gu Xuanzhe’s expression darkened. Clearly, Ye Xing had broken their agreement first. If that was the case, then there was no need for him to hold back anymore.