Gu Xuanze had been driven to the brink before. In the business world, there were never absolute winners, and he had endured an especially tragic period in his life—he had already walked through hell once. Yet, even in his most difficult times, even when he was mocked under his opponent’s foot, he had never been this humiliated.

Standing at the door of the hospital room, Gu Xuanze felt as if all the strength in his body had been drained. Leaning against the wall, he tried to steady the sudden wave of weakness. Thinking about how he had just fled in a panic, he found it almost laughable. The last time he had been this pathetic was in that hotel room when Lu Youze, with a face like frost, had coldly told him to get out. Come to think of it, all his moments of disgrace seemed to be connected to Lu Youze.

The short break did nothing to ease his condition. On the contrary, he felt a growing pain in his chest.

Lately, he had been experiencing bouts of chest pain. He had considered calling the family doctor, but the string of emergencies surrounding Lu Youze left him with no time to spare. Since the pain never lasted too long, he hadn’t taken it seriously.

But now, the pain was particularly intense. Added to that, he hadn’t slept for nearly two nights straight, and the mental strain was wearing him down. Gu Xuanze initially thought the pain would fade, but not only did it persist—it also made his breathing feel labored. He tilted his head up slightly, pressing a hand against his chest where the pain throbbed. It seemed his body was finally protesting.

After resting against the wall for a while, the discomfort eased slightly. He intended to find a doctor for some medication, but just as he took a few steps, his phone rang.

Glancing at the caller ID, Gu Xuanze sighed in resignation—he’d have to put off seeing a doctor again.

He knew very well what Yu Li was capable of. If given time to recover, half the effectiveness of their current plan would be lost. Moreover, in this entire situation with Lu Youze, Yu Li had always played the victim, making it difficult to overturn the narrative in one move. Although Gu Xuanze had uncovered some information, he still lacked the conclusive evidence needed to take Yu Li down in one strike. This wasn’t the best time to act, but since Yu Li couldn’t be allowed into the production crew, he had no choice but to seize the opportunity now.

His deal with Ye Xing had been to get Yu Li into the production crew, and he had fulfilled his end. Whether Yu Li actually made it in was no longer his concern.

The call was from Yuan Baiyue. Even though he knew the hospital room was well soundproofed, Gu Xuanze didn’t want the ringtone disturbing the person resting inside, so he answered immediately.

“Hello, Ah Yuan, is everything going smoothly?” Gu Xuanze asked as he stepped outside.

“When have I ever let you down?” Yuan Baiyue’s lazy voice came through the earpiece. “Relax. I’ve made all the necessary contacts, and I even threw in a few extra experts to stir the narrative. Everything is proceeding according to plan.”

Gu Xuanze gripped his phone tighter, but the progress of the plan didn’t bring him any relief. Without a change in expression, he asked, “Ah Yuan, if things are going smoothly, why are you calling me?”

Yuan Baiyue had fought alongside him from the beginning. He was not only a key figure in the company but someone Gu Xuanze could trust with his life. He knew Yuan Baiyue’s personality well—he wouldn’t call at a time like this unless something unusual had happened, something even he wasn’t sure how to handle.

If even Yuan Baiyue found someone or something troublesome, Gu Xuanze’s expression darkened. A thought flashed through his mind—could Ye Xing be interfering again?

“Actually… there’s a little problem,” Yuan Baiyue said with an awkward chuckle. Just as he was about to explain, his phone seemed to be snatched away by someone else.

“Master Gu,” Ye Xing’s voice carried a hint of mockery. “Do you have time? I’d like to have a chat with you.”

“I don’t,” Gu Xuanze’s voice was ice-cold, as if it could freeze the air itself. Everything that had just happened in the hospital room had already left him in a foul mood, and now this was just adding fuel to the fire. His tone was sharp as he warned, “Ye Xing, I don’t have time to deal with you. Stop bothering me.”

Ye Xing remained unfazed. “Master Gu, I’m not here to make trouble this time. I have something you’ll definitely want.”

Gu Xuanze’s expression shifted. “What is it?”

“A recording.” Ye Xing got straight to the point. “Yu Li personally admitting that he framed Lu Youze.”

“How did you get that?” Gu Xuanze asked coldly, not believing for a second that Ye Xing would be so generous. “And what do you want in return?”

“I have my ways. Why else do you think I insisted on getting Yu Li into the production crew? It was all to obtain this recording.” Ye Xing’s voice turned serious. “I can give you the recording, but in exchange, you stay out of my business with the Second Young Master.”

“Impossible.” Gu Xuanze rejected the offer without hesitation.

Even without Ye Xing’s recording, he had his own ways to ensure Yu Li’s downfall—it would just take a little more effort.

“Master Gu.” Ye Xing didn’t sound surprised by the refusal, nor was he angry. “This deal isn’t a loss for you. I promise, just like before, as long as the Second Young Master doesn’t explicitly say he likes me, I won’t cross the line.”

Before Gu Xuanze could respond, Ye Xing added, “Besides, wouldn’t it be easier for you to keep an eye on me if I’m right under your nose? If I can’t stay by the Second Young Master’s side, who knows what I might do?”

His tone was calm, as if he were discussing the weather.

Gu Xuanze understood the implied threat.

“You think I’m afraid?” His voice turned even colder.

“Master Gu, you can’t guard against everything.” Ye Xing chuckled mockingly. “Wouldn’t it be better to have one more ally than one more enemy? And as I said, I’ll abide by our agreement—I won’t act recklessly toward the Second Young Master. I just… want to stay by his side and watch over him.”

The last part was spoken softly, but Gu Xuanze heard it clearly.

“This isn’t like you, Ye Xing,” he said after a long silence. “Would you really make such a one-sided deal?”

“Because…” Ye Xing’s voice turned cold. “Yu Li did something he shouldn’t have.”

The only thing that could make Ye Xing lose his temper was Gu Xuanhao.

Gu Xuanze’s heart tightened. “Ah Hao… what happened to him?”

“Relax, Yu Li didn’t have the chance to do anything.” Ye Xing’s tone remained cool. “Master Gu, I’ll be waiting for your answer.”

With that, he handed the phone back to Yuan Baiyue.

“Xuanze, I’ve heard the recording. It’s enough to ruin Yu Li completely,” Yuan Baiyue said matter-of-factly. “It’ll make things much easier for us.”

“I understand,” Gu Xuanze replied, his expression unreadable. “I’ll head over now.”