At the same time, at the set’s opening ceremony.

The anger of the fans present at the scene was even greater than that of those watching the live broadcast. However, considering that there were other veteran actors and popular celebrities at the event, they didn’t want to bring trouble to their idol, so they could only endure it.

Lu Youze had already walked onto the main stage. He sweetly smiled at the Alpha beside him, let go of their tightly clasped hands, and politely greeted the other actors.

The celebrities present were either senior figures with extensive experience in the industry or top idols with immense popularity. Naturally, they weren’t pleased about having to wait for Lu Youze, an actor whose career had crumbled and was now despised by the entire internet. However, given the Gu family’s backing, it seemed likely that Lu Youze was on his way to making a comeback.

Lu Youze didn’t care what they thought as long as they didn’t openly make things difficult for him.

When he saw Lu Youxi, he felt a bit awkward, and his usual polite smile stiffened slightly.

“Youxi, let’s do our best together.”

Lu Youxi glanced at Lu Youze with an unreadable expression, his gaze cold and impossible to decipher. However, to Lu Youze’s relief, Youxi still gave him face in public.

“Let’s do our best together, Gege (older brother).”

Hearing Youxi reluctantly call him “Gege,” Lu Youze’s lips curled up slightly. But the moment he saw Yu Li standing next to Lu Youxi, his smile faded. Though he was certain their relationship differed from what was depicted in the novel, he still didn’t want Yu Li to have any further contact with Youxi. Without hesitation, he stepped between them, physically separating the two—even though Youxi hadn’t spared Yu Li a single glance from the beginning.

“Youze,” Yu Li looked at him with a somewhat aggrieved smile. “Do we really have to be like this? Even as colleagues, can’t we at least exchange greetings?”

Ah, straight to the pity act.

Go on, keep acting.

Lu Youze watched Yu Li’s performance with an indifferent expression.

Gu Xuanze, who had been watching Lu Youze intently the entire time, immediately stepped in. He stood beside Lu Youze and looked at Yu Li expressionlessly before speaking in a firm tone.

“Mr. Yu Li, I was the one who forbade him from speaking to you. You should understand that no Alpha would want their Omega to have lingering ties with a former Alpha. If this makes you uncomfortable, then on behalf of Youze, I apologize.”

Yu Li’s expression subtly shifted, his gaze turning colder than before. However, his handsome face maintained a constant, gentle smile, making it easy for people to overlook the sharpness in his eyes.

“President Gu, you think too highly of me,” he said, his voice soft and full of grievance despite the oppressive aura in his gaze. “I was the one who was abandoned, after all.”

At that moment, the live broadcast platform was flooded with comments sympathizing with Yu Li. Lu Youze had probably been cursed countless times already. If words could kill, he would have died a thousand times over by now.

The fans below the stage also started chanting in unison: “Yu Li, you’re the best! You’re our prince!” cheering their idol on.

Gu Xuanze didn’t respond, and the two Alphas silently faced off.

Standing beside Lu Youze, Lu Youxi frowned before putting on an amused expression, as if he were watching a good show. Seeing Yu Li being put in his place actually made him feel quite satisfied.

“Mr. Yu, you’re too modest. I do have some admiration for your skills,” Gu Xuanze said coolly. Then, he wrapped an arm around Lu Youze protectively and added coldly, “Back then, this fool suffered a lot because of you. I can’t even count how much effort it took me to help him forget you.”

Lu Youze leaned comfortably into Gu Xuanze, thinking to himself that he had indeed forgotten quite thoroughly—he had even found someone new.

“President Gu, I know you care about Youze, but isn’t this a bit unfair? The one who truly suffered was—”

“Mr. Yu Li, thank you for attending today’s opening ceremony.” Gu Xuanze cut him off forcefully, not giving him a chance to continue his act.

With that, Gu Xuanze signaled the host to proceed with the event.

Typically, an opening ceremony for a film crew consisted of lighting incense, praying for blessings, and taking some promotional photos for the media before wrapping up. However, since Gu Xuanze had his own agenda, he spared no expense in making this event a major publicity stunt. Prior to the event, the official promotion had already stated that this ceremony would double as a fan event, giving fans the opportunity to interact with the actors, participate in mini-games, and even have their wishes granted if chosen as lucky audience members.

Of course, the organizers had arranged for some “insiders” to blend into the crowd so that when the lucky audience members were selected, at least one or two of them would be their own people. This was to ensure that Lu Youze wouldn’t end up in an awkward situation—after all, it was obvious that he had the fewest fans in attendance.

After the incense and prayers were completed, the host announced the start of the fan meet-and-greet. The audience erupted into cheers, having long awaited this moment.

Lu Youze glanced at the fans surrounding the main stage. Yu Li’s fanbase was the largest, and the other actors had plenty of supporters as well. Meanwhile, the number of banners with Lu Youze’s name could be counted on one hand—probably just two or three, and they were most likely placed there by the event staff.

His downfall was still fresh in everyone’s minds. Even if netizens had short memories, they wouldn’t forget this scandal so quickly, especially when the other lead in this project was a hugely popular star with a great public image. With marketing accounts fanning the flames, Lu Youze’s reputation had already hit rock bottom, and the “scumbag” label was firmly attached to him.

Though he had asked Lu Lihai to improve his public image slightly and had regained some fans, even those fans wouldn’t dare show up at an event like this. After all, hating on him was still trendy, and stepping on him had become the internet’s favorite pastime.

Gu Xuanze never took his eyes off Lu Youze and naturally noticed him scanning the audience.

“Youze,” Gu Xuanze leaned in and whispered reassuringly, “Don’t worry. No matter what happens, I’ll always be by your side.”

“With you here, what do I have to worry about?” Lu Youze replied with a smile.

“You trust me that much?” Though Gu Xuanze’s face remained expressionless, his eyes softened with genuine pleasure.

Even though he knew Lu Youze was playing along, he couldn’t help but feel happy at his words.

“Of course,” Lu Youze responded smoothly, perfectly following their rehearsed script. “If I don’t trust you, who else can I trust?”

His voice wasn’t particularly loud, but because he was wearing a microphone—and because he “accidentally” left it on—everyone in the venue could hear their exchange. Naturally, the person standing closest to them, Yu Li, also heard it loud and clear.

For a brief moment, a chilling glint flashed through Yu Li’s eyes. However, the moment the camera focused on him, that shadowy look vanished. Instead, his beautiful, gentle eyes filled with mist, as if he were desperately holding back tears.

Lu Youze didn’t like being stared at like that. Yu Li was smart—he had probably already figured out that this version of Lu Youze would no longer fall for his pitiful act. So this display was likely meant for his fans and the live broadcast audience.

Lu Youze could already imagine the barrage of insults filling the livestream chat.

Not that he cared. Let them curse.

It’s not like he could see it anyway.

…But he had underestimated Yu Li’s influence—or rather, the sheer craziness of his fanbase.